Undertowers - the ruins of Cerin Amroth

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Cerin Amroth was not the name of the hill on which were the ruins that Hill gazed upon from a safe distance. Cerin Amroth had been the ideal, when a house was made for the Fairy. But the age of the world was wrong and the Fairy remained imprisoned in an admin cell and the house fell into ruin and now was inhabited by a wight.

An orcnēās squatting a ruin on our doorstep! It will ruin our name and reputation.

men ne cunnon,
hwyder helrūnan hwyrftum scrīþað.

Hill could just see the discord chatter and headlines of the Khazad-dûm tabloids: 'Necromany in the Westmarch!' 'More huron-breeding? 'Watch-out for the nameless hill that is not Cerin Amroth!' And then they would be contacting the office for quotes.

Þanon untȳdras ealle onwöcon,
eotenas ond ylfe ond orcnēās,
swylce gīgantas, þā wið Gode wunnon
lange þrāge; hë him ðæs lean forgeald.

But who would pay back this wight? Bombadil was lost in Lore, along with Goldberry and any genuine chance of illumination. The fledling colony of Undertowers was in serious trouble.

Hill began the long tramp back to his own house, not so far from the house of Fairbairn. One thing was sure, no word of this must come to the admins, and that meant almost everyone who ever posted on the plaza, if you counted unofficial admin hats. Not even the Elvish Librarian?

Especially not the Elvish Librarian!

Hill was going to have to deal with the wight on his own. And before anyone else came this way. Good thing they almost never did.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Hill was approaching the ruins. He had heard that a legendary sword helped in these situations and hoped that the Elvish mop in his hand might serve. Seeing no sign of the wight, he gave a shout.

'Hi Wight!'

A dark shadow rose out of the ruins, and spoke.

'I am no Wight.'

Hill jumped three feet in the air and fell on his behind.

'What are you?'

'I am a Wāt. I am the Wāt-Fairy.'

Hill was unsure what this meant.

'Wait! What do you mean by Wāt? How do you spell your name?'

'Hill, thou art a triple fool. My name is a sound to be spoken by those who wish for my favours. Those who write my name will wāt forever.'

'So you are a Wait-Fairy and not a Weight-Fairy?'

'Hill, cease thy idle pratter. I appear only before those of the right wāt.'

Hill sat down to think about this, but it did not help. Finally the Wāt-Fairy spoke again.

'Hill, stop trying to understand everything. Just tell people that in the ruins in the hills to the west of Undertowers dwells the Wāt-Fairy. Those who wish for Undertowers points may post their requests on this thread. But I will only give them their wishes if they are the correct wāt.'

Hill nodded and returned home, the Elvish mop unused.

[Arnyn]

A letter from the Fairy arrives at the cobwebbed mailbox of the ruins of Cerin Amroth

To the esteemed @Hill ,

I had heard that idealists had built a home for a Fairy
But travel takes time and I now find myself wary
For where this supposed house used to stand tall
I now only see ruins that do not at all call
out to as Fairy such as I
and so again I must fly
away from this wight that does scare me
back toward the three admins that be

Magically,
the Fairy

[Chrysophylax Dives]

I had heard that idealists had built a home for a Fairy
But travel takes time and I now find myself wary
For where this supposed house used to stand tall
I now only see ruins that do not at all call
out to as Fairy such as I
and so again I must fly
away from this wight that does scare me
back toward the three admins that be

Hill read the poem to the Wāt-Fairy. The Wāt-Fairy listened politely. 'So she did not wāt for an answer?'

Hill said ''Wat?' and the Fairy said 'Wāt' and disappeared into the ruins for a while.

Hill wāted, worrying. He knew what was going on and feared yet another diplomatic incident. The Wāt-Fairy was presumably using the Fairy-Stone - that shard of palantír that still worked in the 4th Age if you were a Fairy. Right now the kingdoms were voting. The plaza-Fairy had really contributed a lovely song. But the points-voting was always political. At last the Wāt-Fairy reappeared.

Imladris: nul points
Khazad-dûm: nul points
Gondor: 100 points

Hill breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, the plaza-Fairy had good friends in Minas Tirith. Possibly that might be the case in the Shire too. This was going to be OK

Rohan: nul points
The Shire: nul points
Fangorn: nul points
Mordor: - 100 points

Hill cursed in Elvish. Trust those goblins to Fat Freddy things up for the very first points-judgement handed down by the new Undertowers Wāt-Fairy.

Maybe he could ask the Librarian to explain the grand total of NUL POINTS to Arnyn, who could pass it on to the plaza-Fairy? It was just so unfair! The song was wonderful and had made Hill happy. Breaking the news of the injustice of a cruel world to the plaza-Fairy was not really Hill's idea of a fun weekend.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Wāt-Fairy?

Wat?

The Librarian has given me the high chamber in Elostirion for an office!

I already know this, Hill. I am the Wāt-Fairy of Undertowers and hear all the local gossip as soon as it is spoken.

Right. So you know what my question to you is?

I do.

Nu?

You already know the answer, Hill.

I was worried you would say that. How long?

Wāt until May. The memories that appear to the beholder who looks through that Elvish window must be seen by more than one pair of eyes. In our disenchanted age of the world the past cannot be seen alone, for one person can never see clearly what once was. Memories are shared. That is the rule. But others who also wish to see the view through the window must first have passed through the Mirror. So you must wāt till they do.

Sigh. OK, Wāt-Fairy. I guess you are right, as usual. Thank you

My pleasure.

[Chrysophylax Dives]

Wāt a moment, Fairy!

Wat?

Māy?

Yes.

The month?

No.

Māy?

Yes.

This is about the conditions of time travel, right?

That, and other people.

Māy.

Yes. Now please go away and leave me some peace for my weekend!