Eru, the god who charged the Valar with the making of the world, made us directly; the Valar cannot create sapients without his aid, or Melkor would have done that instead of having to make orcs from Quendi. I don't know what he had in mind with the specific groupings.

:Fascinating. I think our gods cannot directly create a sapient species either; they do it by modifying others, or in one case reuse human souls in horse-shaped bodies for reasons that somewhat make sense in context. I do not know that we have a god that created the entirety of the world and the gods in it; if we do, they have never communicated in any way that was recorded or remembered: 

Fëanáro seems pretty convinced on the 'other world' part. Leareth wonders how convinced he is on either the Melkor plot, or Leareth's motive being helpful. 

What're your gods like?

:Decidedly unhelpful, for the most part. Cryptic and mysterious. Very slow, tend to act indirectly. They do not usually speak to mortals of their goals: 

The Valar are also typically very slow. They're happy enough to talk to us, though. They want us to behave ourselves and be happy in paradise.

He does not think much of this goal.

:A kinder aim than most of the gods of my world: Leareth admits, :but - one that would frustrate me. Especially if they have given up on bringing paradise to those still outside it: 

They have no way to get here if they want to. And some of them do; they were looking for a lost family member, when the Valar decided it was time to depart.

:The Valar never went back for a second pass? How hard would it have been?:

They transported us to Valinor by moving an island across the sea. They did make a second trip, but not a third. I don't know why, except that they're stubborn and sort of stupid.

:And so you would like to do it yourself?: Leareth frowns. :Or build your own paradise there, I suppose, one not run by stubborn and stupid gods. Your people might be more than capable of it, now that your civilization has had all of this time to flourish: 

Yes. I don't plan to come back. We needed their help, back then, since the lands they'd abandoned to Melkor were desolate and full of monsters, and lightless because they never got around to lighting them. But now? We'll be fine.

:I believe it: Leareth smiles. :I do not think I could stay for all of it - if there is a way back to my own world, which there ought be if I Gated here, then my people have greater need. However, it does seem that in the near term, you have a problem. One that looks very worrying to me, and that could throw all of your hopes off course, if I am right about who is responsible. That, I do wish to help with. I have relevant experience – since humans are so short-lived, our kingdom have had many opportunities for succession, and disputes that were resolved in various ways:

He watches Fëanáro's thoughts closely to gauge his response. 

He is annoyed to be reminded of the succession dispute, which cannot possibly matter at all next to there apparently being other worlds. Nelyafinwë just aspires to universal popularity and takes it very poorly when left with merely overwhelming popularity. And Indis's children never stopped acting like children. I don't think there's anything there to worry about.

:I strongly disagree. It is not the most important matter, no, not by far – it is petty compared to the hope of exploring other worlds – but I fear it is very urgent: 

Nolofinwë's not going to do anything except sulk and yell at my father.

:I am not worried about Nolofinwë. I am worried about - meddling: He glances around, then sighs and reaches for Nelyafinwë's mind. :Is anybody going to panic if I use the thought-barrier again? Your father is being stubborn: 

He does that, he says dryly. He should tell people not to interrupt him and then it'll pass unnoticed.

Leareth passes back wordless acknowledgement. :I may be very tired after this: he admits. :Do not be alarmed - I will not push it to the point of danger: And maybe he can convince Fëanáro to let him draw on the Silmarils. 

:Prince Fëanáro: he sends. :Please request that nobody interrupt you for a few minutes. I would like to speak privately again: 

He's going to do that again, he tells a specific other person. Same check-in afterwards. 

All right, he says to Leareth.

Shield goes up. 

–And he had less left than he realized, Leareth looks around for someplace to sit, if there isn't a chair or something nearby it's going to be the floor. 

He doesn't set up his study with chairs for visitors because then they stay forever but he's very quick on his feet. He jumps his desk and grabs Leareth with one hand while the other one closes protectively over his Silmarils. 

What happened? he asks, sounding more suspicious than concerned.

:Simply tired. Gate here was draining, cannot replenish magic as in my world: Except for the gems that Fëanáro is definitely still suspicious he's here to nab, which means that asking is fraught. :I will be all right: Holding it is easier than getting it up, there's only a little he needs to feed in to keep it stable. :We have - two, three minutes. I did not wish to speak of my theory about Melkor where there was any possibility he might be listening, because I only just arrived in this world and I do not yet know the correct level of paranoia. The appropriate paranoia against gods in my own world is very, very high: 

:I am not worried about Nolofinwë: he repeats. :If it were merely Quendi involved, I would think it likely that all would come out well, given your people's history. But – from what I have learned, this situation appears to have repeatedly gone worse than it ought, given the level of effort and cleverness being put in by all sides, and that makes me suspect enemy action. The fact that it is so hard to pin down – that it could be happenstance, except why would it fall against you so many turns in a row – is why I think it bears the marks of a god's work. And Melkor exists. This does not seem like a stretch to me. Do you not think that Melkor, who required all of the other Valar to defeat, is worth taking seriously? And even if you are not sure of my theory, if it is plausible at all, then a grave situation multiplied by a one-in-ten chance is still worth acting on. You are perfectly good at paranoia, I think, you know this to be true: 

Huh. 

No, you're right. I should have thought of that.

:If I am right: Leareth sends, :then Nolofinwë, and Nelyafinwë and perhaps your other children, and the King, and even you, have all been pawns in this scheme. And I suspect Melkor intends a far worse outcome even than blood in your streets – yes, worse. I am not sure how he would play this into fighting the other Valar, but then again, I would not expect to be able to predict a god's plans: He tries, again, to gauge what Fëanáro is thinking. 

He is not totally convinced it'd be terrible if Melkor fought the other Valar. Probably it'd be at least a little terrible. It'd also be pretty interesting. He's trying to think what things might be attributable to him, and not coming up with anything, and not really less convinced, for this. 

You think your magic lets you fight him?