:I mean, you were eaten by some sort of bizarre creature and then ended up in another world - are they weirder than one would expect starting from that premise?: 

:Is the weird by any chance related to why your friend back there seems to have a grudge against Leareth despite meeting him just now?: Amshalan adds. 

:Yes and yes. I wasn't the only person to appear. Uh, the locals are a species called Elves, and another Elf appeared, and he described being from - another timeline - several years ahead of us, no me in sight, where Velgarth had contact with a version of this world from earlier. Uh, and he knew Leareth and his Leareth had not been... behaving very well. He left rather than stick around and meet either his or my version:

Amshalan goes a bit cross-eyed following that. :You're right, that's even weirder than I thought: 

Leareth steps back a little, hands still on Belrun's shoulders. :You seem surprised. Was this something other than my, well, previously usual and characteristic ways of 'behaving badly' such as making use of blood-magic or compulsions?: 

:Yes! It's weird to explain but I wrote it all down - and have it on me, since I got unexpectedly transported to another universe I've been considering that factor in what notes I have on me -: She hands it over, turned to the right page.

Leareth reads it. He makes several fascinating and un-Leareth-like expressions. Eventually he glances back down the hill at the Elf who greeted them. :I...see why your friend is dubious about me, if this is what he is going off. I am so confused and I do not like it at all. Could we go sit down somewhere private so I can ask questions and piece this together?: 

:Yeah, they gave me a room and even had one with enough of a patio situation that Amshalan'll be able to get in, they don't skimp on architecture:

:I had noticed that: He glances around at said architecture on the way back to Belrun's room. :...By the way, what are your thoughts on staying here versus departing? I think I am too tired to Gate you back tonight, since I must do it without any assistance including nodes, there do not seem to be any here. We might be able to leave tomorrow if you wished to, however, it is very interesting that this world exists and I would like to explore it and learn more, even if I must contend with people hating me because a very weird alternate version of me made questionable choices: 

:We can stay here if you're okay with people giving you weird looks:

:It is not as though people disapproving of my actions is new to me: 

They can go out to Belrun's patio and sit down. Leareth leans briefly against Belrun's shoulder, and then asks for some paper to make his own notes. 

:I am trying to understand the geopolitics of this alternate Velgarth: he starts. :This Elf, Russandol, who you met, was on opposite sides of the war from other-Vanyel as well as other-me, or at least not the same side, but...did he say he was allied with Valdemar? I am confused: 

:I don't have his exact words and it was a while ago; if I didn't write it down I don't think I'd trust my reconstruction:

Leareth nods. He rubs the palm of one hand with the other. :I am not sure what to think. Honestly, I am not sure whether or not somebody in my organization would intervene if I were badly mistreating a romantic partner who was also my prisoner, it is not as though that has ever come up before, but - I think there are a number of people who would object if I were trying to push ahead with building the god. On, what, he implied the excuse that there was a war and people were dying anyway? The final stages of the plan are not ready to deploy, either in terms of logistics or being certain of the resulting god's values. I doubt that would be different a decade from now. Nayoki knows that, so do others, and - there are delegation measures in place for if I die and come back missing most of my context, I do not think I could force my researchers to cooperate if they thought my judgement was compromised. And...I do not think I would consider 'Vkandis attacks with implausible numbers of gryphons' to justify such a drastic reaction. So I am perhaps more confused about that aspect: 

She tucks herself under his arm and snuggles up. :I wasn't sure of your timeline on that. Is it possible something about Arda contact made it go faster?:

:Maybe? Though it does not sound as though there was much time to work on it, in between being captured by a torture god for five years, dying and starting over - that costs me a great deal of setup time - and, apparently, having a very concerning relationship with this Elf. I am especially baffled as to why I would do that while trying to urgently build a god! It sounds incredibly distracting:

:Yeah, I don't know. He let me look at a memory for context, I can try to bounce that as much as possible -: She sends it.

That is not less weird! It’s also just sort of uncomfortable seeing himself from the outside, through someone else’s memory.

But he looks so happy in it, and he thinks the Elf is pretty happy about it too. 

The stars are very peaceful. It doesn’t seem at all like the middle of a war. 

:Hmm: he says eventually. :If it were just that, and not the - other actions, I would be confused but mostly not concerned, I think:

:Yeah, it seems like a perfectly nice moment, just...

Anyway, Russandol expected Telumë to come after him so he might be here for you to accost if you want to wait around:

:I think I may want to do that. Or even go looking. He...: Leareth massages his forehead. :Have I spoken to you at all about how I set up my mind, and my core memories?:

:I don't think so;

:I carry over a limited number of memories between lives. Usually a few dozen clear ones, of significant events, and the rest is sort of blurred, though I retain more habits and procedural skills even if I do not remember learning them. Anyway, the core memories are the ones I use to - anchor my sense of self, I suppose. To ensure I keep the same goals and motivations even across different bodies. I can check it against my records and make some corrections later, but I cannot rely on records at the start, both since I awaken without them and because the...core of who I am...is difficult to convey in words. Anyway. Telumë sounds like a version of me who - lost some of that integrity of self, maybe something went wrong when he died and came back:

:Because of Angband?:

:It does sound like it would leave damage: It sounds like the worst thing he can possibly imagine, actually, and he finds himself reaching for Belrun's hand. :And it might be difficult for records alone to fix. But...maybe if I can speak with him, I can put it right again: He shakes his head. :I would have thought people would be able to tell, though. In my organization. Nayoki is a Mindhealer, she could check. It might be difficult for her to fix, but she could at least make sure Telumë was not able to go around breaking things in the meantime: 

:Well, Russandol thought he'd beat you here, and he hasn't but might show up any minute, so I guess we can ask him. Meanwhile, here's stuff like how the Elf telepathy works -: She has notes on the place separated from personal reflection and he can read them.

Leareth goes through it. :This place has fascinating magic: