"The Valar decided to Doom people who were going to fight Morgoth to have everything they tried to do right end in tragedy, so I don't have a lot of respect for their priorities, but I grant that I haven't heard reason to doubt their competence within their domains."

"It hadn't occurred to me to worry too much about the soul bonding. There are other things you can do in bed and men can stand to have a terribly strong incentive to learn those. And I think the Valar probably are competent within their domains; Lord Aegnor thought highly of them."

"Oh, I know; I wouldn't be married if I was an Elf, and I've never been afraid of having fun. The Valar--well, I haven't met them, despite the glowiness of my eyes. I'm not shy of forming my own opinions based on what I hear but of course I haven't heard everything."

"They should have taken care of the war themselves. Lord Aegnor thinks it might have destroyed the world if they had. But."

"But if they decided that it was too risky to go themselves then they shouldn't have cursed the people who did to inevitable failure. Blessed sun I thank that I have extreme amounts of magic and a human soul!"

"I never got the whole story on that, I really can't say."

"It would require some pretty absurd context to justify it."

"Everyone else regards the House of Fëanor as, well, at best a little better than the Enemy."

"I understand that people have good reasons to feel that way," Odette says with deliberate neutrality.

"And I don't know how Dooms operate. Might not change the outcome of the war, just the effects of it for them."

"You know the Doom doesn't just apply to the House of Feanor, right? And that would be the most defensible interpretation, but--do you know the actual words?"

"Nope. Something like a state secret, I think."

"Huh. They never said not to share it."

Hey, Celegorm, she sends (Sympathy range extension is so convenient), Andreth thinks the terms of the Doom are something like a state secret, is she right?

We don't want to scare off literally all our allies.

So I should stop bitching about the Valar's priorities and using that as my primary example?

It's a discretion call. Yours. I trust your judgement. But, yeah, it's not widely known. Don't give a speech about it.

I shall find some other example if I need to complain to random strangers.

"So it's not exactly a state secret, turns out, but it's not the sort of thing they prefer to spread around casually."

"I kind of want to meet them, if it can be arranged."

"The Feanorians?"

"Yes."

"I could take you with, next time...ooh, hang on, I just had a thought."

Maedhros? When last we spoke the idea was floated that I should bring someone with me when I went places for assorted political benefits. Haven't suggested it to her yet, but how would Andreth do for that purpose?

That's a lovely idea. I think she would serve you very well in that capacity.

"So at some point after I work out Sympathy teleportation I'm going to run around a bunch of Elven places I haven't been--I think I mentioned this earlier, primarily regarding Finrod--but I don't really know that much about politics around here and I have  zero experience with diplomacy. How do you feel about being brought places sometimes and giving me surreptitious advice?"

"I'd be delighted."

"Great. That will definitely see you meeting Feanorians sooner rather than later. ...Still not until I've got the teleportation down, though."