[Anguirel]

RESULTS OF DAY SEVENTEEN-GOOGLE

The Valkyries had spoken truly. Valinor was no longer the Blessed Realm in any sense of the word. In the halls of Valimar, the Valier were shrieking and scrathing, tussling in a colossal hair-pulling struggle. Varda kept trying to be aloof and get the moral highground, but the taunts of her colleagues tended to lure her back to the fray.

"I know something you don't know!" jibed Vaire.

"Still haven't mastered the art of waltzing? Dear me," sniped Nessa.

"Darling, you're watering that flower far too much! No need to drown it," said Yavanna, scratching Vana in the face as she passed.

"Right, that's it," muttered Varda between gritted teeth. With a few awesome words of command, she called down several constellations against the infuriating Yavanna. "Drag her to the Void!"

The screams of heaven's flower-girl filled the air, and then silence returned.

RESULTS OF THE CHALLENGE

Carried by the winged Valkyries of the Vanyar, Earendil did not have to set foot on the forbidden ground and so escaped any grim punishment for sacrilege. Dangled by Indis and Amarie, he came into the Ring of Doom, where the Valar-many rather bedraggled-awaited him.

"What do you want, titch?" asked Varda, knocking back a bottl of Taniquetil Highland Whisky.

"Isn't it obvious?" boomed Ulmo. "The whole of Middle-earth is about to be mangled by Melkor."

"That's your fault," Vaire pointed out. "You should have made that city of yours stronger."

"That's your husband's doing, with his stupid Doom! It's ruined everything," interjected Orome.

"Orome will suffer from insomnia for the next three millennia. So it is fated," remarked the Doomsman.

"Look," said Aule kindly, for he was in a good mood since recent events, "you're not going to get any help from this lot, old chap. But I'll put you in touch with a nice Maia."

"None of your Maiar are nice," objected Orome. "Earen-thingy, the chap you want's called Alatar. A fine hunter."

And so Orome introduced Earendil to Alatar, who was playing cards with Pallando and Olorin.

"It's a good thing Curumo's left," Pallando was saying. "He always used to cheat."

Alatar and Pallando agreed to help, though Olorin admitted he was far too scared, and contented himself with wishing them good luck, and trying to persuade Mandos to rescind the Doom.

And so Earendil returned to Middle-earth, with the aid of the Valkyries, Alatar, and Pallando, on Day Eighteen...

The contestants:

VALAR

Elbereth (a confirmed alcoholic)
Ulmo
Mandos, Doom of

VANYAR

Indis
Amarie

NOLDOR

Maedhros
Maglor, possessor of the Silmaril
Ereinion Gil-Galad, High King of the Noldor
Salgant

TELERI/SINDAR

Cirdan
Elwing
Celebrian

MAIA

Uinen
Alatar
Pallando

PEREDHIL

Earendil
Elrond
Elros

FORCES OF EVIL

Morgoth
Sauron
Smaug

The challenge: EXCALATION. You have an almost free hand today, but vote for you ever you feel it's necessary to lose to make the upcoming conflict more interesting.

This day will finish a bit late, at about 6:00 pm tomorrow.