Vanyel spends the rest of that day thinking about inter-world scrying, because he might as well, in between bouts where the grief hits him hard and he has to sit down and hug himself and try not to weep. 

The next day he tries for Moondance again. It's a short conversation, and after it he sits down on his bed and puts his face in his hands and shakes for a while. 

:Fëanáro?: he sends finally. 

Yes?

:Bad news. And good, I guess. The good news is that I think the Star-Eyed Goddess might actually be on our side? The bad news is why. We'd made a Heartstone in Haven - er, can explain more what that is later. Important part is that it's Tayledras magic and the Star-Eyed gave it to them. Anyway, the Web was running off that. And it's gone. That wasn't visible on scrying, but the Star-Eyed just directly told Moondance that some kind of non-Velgarth magical attack shut it down. And that he should give us any help we need in destroying said foreign magic. Which I assume is the Maia we had suspicions about. She didn't say anything about Vkandis but it definitely looks like He decided to ally with said Maia: 

Okay. So the Maia is working with Vkandis and the Star-Eyed - and presumably Valdemar's own god - are with us?

:I guess? At least, it seems like the Star-Eyed thinks we're Her best bet to accomplish what She wants, here: 

I don't like gods. 

:Neither do I! I'm not exactly comfortable counting on Her being on our side. But - I do trust Starwind and Moondance. They've been some of my closest friends for decades. I think it would take Her directly possessing one of them for them to do anything to hurt me, and - it sounds like at the very least, that isn't in Her interests at all: 

All right. 

What other information do we need right now?

:Hmm. Conditions in Valdemar - strength of the Iftel forces, where they're stationed, whether there's any resistance left. We have a lot of local Guard posts and they won't back down without a fight. Nayoki may have some of that, I asked her to arrange for scouting as well. Where the Maia is - I'd guess Haven but that may not be scryable if it's not embodied: 

He closes his eyes. :And, I suppose what happened to your diplomats, and to Maitimo. It might be a good time to Gate Mandos out, if he's willing. ...Doesn't have to be to k'Treva, in fact it might be better not to risk upsetting the Star-Eyed. I could do it to some wilderness spot in Jkatha, that's far enough south that it seems nearly impossible for anyone in the Valdemar region to hear about it: 

It seems like a good idea to scoop up our dead, and I would expect that if they had no fault in their death Mandos won't hold them long.

:What, and he would if it had been their fault?: 

- well, yes, he delays reembodying people if they won't agree to whatever changes to their character he thinks are necessary or if they haven't yet accepted responsibility for whatever he thinks they're responsible for. Figuring out how to reembody Quendi myself is on the to-do list but - this is an emergency. And he can't possibly take issue with Maitimo, who is very boring as a person.

:You know: Vanyel says, wearily, :I really don't like gods. But - you're right, emergency. I guess we need to send someone to ask him? And presumably have him either agree to allow Gating in Valinor for that duration, or go to Tol Eréssea or something: 

We should send someone to Tol Eressëa who can then go to the Halls and petition him. We can ask about the Gates but we've been asking about the Gates, without any luck, for a couple years.

:This does seem like a different scale of emergency, but, yes. We should pass that on now since it sounds like it'll take weeks: At least the Vinyamar Gate-terminus doesn't need him to operate it. :And I'm talking to Nayoki soon, I'll get a problem description from her and maybe news. And then I'll update Treven, since...at some point we're going to have to make some actual military decisions, here: 

It's hard to imagine successfully taking back Valdemar from a god and an evil Maia, but it's not like they can just give up. 

Yes. You should also get from Nayoki a description of their forces, if we might be using those to take Valdemar back.

:Right. She started giving that to me yesterday but I told her I was too tired. It's not like we're planning an invasion for tomorrow: 

That wouldn’t be a good idea, no.

:I'm going to rest longer first, so I have the energy to cover everything without risking being too tired to Gate. I'll tell you when I know more: 

All right.

It's almost nightfall by the time Vanyel is confident he has enough in his reserves to manage a five-minute conversation. <Nayoki?>

<Bad news. Most of Valdemar is under hostile control. Guard-posts fought back, but - many dead. Some resistance still in the southwest, near Rethwellan. Should we try to offer them aid?> 

Good news, an unexpected tiny sliver of it. <Yes. If any Heralds are alive please Gate them to safety, that's more important than another body in the fight, since - well, we basically lost that fight the day Haven went down. I need the problem description for the god research, and I need to know your forces and numbers> 

<You wish to take back the country> 

<Not yet. We can't until we know more and have a plan. But I'm not giving up this easily>