You know, when he said anyone was welcome who wasn't currently calling for his death I wasn't thinking it'd be a hard condition. At least that's a problem for after getting there.

No new challengers have appeared since the first one left.

He was really angry about Artanis. He sighs. They've never really gotten along.

Evidently.

She didn't make your list of people you trust with irrevocable magic power, did she? The one you're halfway through?

No, he says rather firmly. 

Good. Just on general anti-murder principle, you understand.

On the general principle that loyalty and a modicum of political savvy were qualifying criteria.

Multiple reasons, then.

Eventually: if there aren't any challengers, you can just declare victory. May as well insert a second statement in between. The spirits like threes.

Is it better to address the thing where we're abandoning it, and try to spin that, or to just pretend we're not doing it?

I haven't heard of anyone doing this before. Good question. My guess is not talking about it until after. That's probably worse karma, but probably more likely to work at all.

Then what's a good second comment?

Content isn't really the point, just that there will have been three chances to contradict you. "For the second time I say, if any would deny me this demesne let them approach and whatever." It's entirely theater.

Also we should formally say we're not challenging you. Too bad that one can't happen in threes.

"For the second time I say, if any would deny me this demesne let them approach and make their challenge." And it could? Irissë at least has three titles, if that counts.

Findekáno's voice does the dramatically ringing through the air thing again.

"No contest."

That could help if each title had a separate right to object, but she's only one practitioner. Doesn't matter much; there's not a lot that can go wrong with not challenging you anyway.

"No contest."

Nothing resumes happening. As expected.

"For the third time I say, if any would deny me this demesne let them approach and make their challenge." 

The song is keeping the sky clear, but the ground shakes and kicks up ice and snow. None of that happens in their immediate vicinity; their backup did its job well.

Is that it? Are we done?

You just need to finish the ritual. You've satisfied all comers, you can claim victory. Be dramatic about it.

"This land is older than the Trees," he says, "older than the stars under which the Eldar first awakened, older than the Age we were born to and the Ages we've seen since. I have satisfied all challengers. I name it as my own. It will protect my people."

The upper limit, as opposed to the much smaller practical limits, is that the territory has to be within reach of the practitioner's voice.

Eldar are completely unfair.

As soon as it's over Findekáno acquires a whateverth sense he's on now. It's unmistakably his place, this giant chunk of nowhere; he can feel what's present and what's occurring almost as well as a human can sense the condition of their own arm. What this sense has to say at the moment, other than "wow there's a lot of it," is that every time a notable Other steps in there's a feeling demanding a bit of his attention. It's easy enough to ignore, and his borders are wide enough that there's no other option, but ignoring it seems wrong. Not painful, closer to incorrect. But each time it happens is a reminder that he own this much space now, out to here.

"It worked?"

"Sure feels like it. There are people walking over it. Your kind, not mine. Wow." He's smiling. 

"Then we're halfway there.

It usually only makes you more powerful by a disappointing amount at first, if at all, but it should be up to normal in weeks at most."

He nods. "Should I mark the boundaries or something?"

"Aesthetics is the easiest change, it'll stand out as different soon even if you don't consciously do anything."