Susie's Quest Marker #3 [Xae]

The Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors was an old and storied Order. One of – if not the – largest Guilds dedicated to the training and schooling of magic-users within Waterdeep. Then there was the true purpose of the Order. As it sounded; it was dedicated to the protection of Waterdeep from magical threats which would otherwise run unchecked and turn the City of Splendours into a smouldering ruin.

Unsurprisingly, the Watchful Order therefore kept a careful eye on those who were licensed and sanctioned to sell magical goods within the City limits. It was helpful to them to ensure that the community of arcane arts remembered someone was watching, and – where possible – to maintain friendly relationships with them. After all, the magical supply stores were far more likely to report it when one of their customers suddenly put in a huge order of supplies used in nefarious rituals if they liked the authorities on the matter.

Xae had never been good at being liked. She was, however, very good at doing her job.

The pale woman strode into the store, and cast her blood-red gaze swiftly over the stock. Seeing that little of note had changed since the last time she was in the store, she took four swift paces to cross the floor and stand before the be-hatted girl. She completely ignored the mage hand and the squealing of metal which had greeted her on entry to the store; inured to such after her prior visits.

“Susan.” Xae said, dipping her head in a curt, professional nod. “I am glad to see that the store is still in one piece.”

Her gaze drifted, slowly, to the sign, and the rotating list of ingredients thereupon.

“I see you are still continuing your studies. Dare I ask what arcane wonder you will bless us with when you retrieve a…” Squint. And she leaned closer. “Fresh, chicken, egg?”

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“You can be a Lady when you’ve demonstrated sufficient magical talent.” Xae said, “Though, I will admit, I doubt I’ll be waiting long for that. You are progressing incredibly quickly for someone without dedicated tutors. I suppose your mother assists you where she can?”

Xae was a lot of things – but she wasn’t ever one to discourage the learning of magical secrets. Indeed, the very fact that Susan (and it would always be Susan for her, never Susie) could cast a cantrip placed her head and shoulders above the vast majority of other individuals in the city limits as far as Xae was concerned.

But of course, Xae was still an authority figure – it wouldn’t be natural for a teenager to actually like her.

Her creepy red eyes settled on the girl with a more calculating air, and she pursed her lips thoughtfully.

She would love to sponsor Susan for a scholarship at the Watchful Order. Nothing would give her greater joy than to see how quickly the girl could flourish with proper resources, real tutors and the time and space needed to devote oneself to study. But, alas, her own resources were rather limited. She barely had enough to pursue her own education. Her family were well-regarded, but ever since the … incident … there had been a question mark dangling over her. She wasn’t cast out, of course, no no no – but she wasn’t embraced with the unconditional love and support of a wealthy magical family, which would have made it so much easier to bring in her own apprentice.

“Let me ask you, then.” She said, slowly. “I can’t pay your tuition I’m afraid, that is beyond my means, but if there were one other resource I could offer you for the furtherance of your studies, what would you have me grant you?”

She didn’t know, of course, what it was Susan might find most useful. She was never quite sure where on the scale of magical development the girl had managed to get herself. But she knew that she was not afraid to speak her mind, and that she was sharp enough to know what she most wanted next. So long as she was also practical and sensible enough to limit it to something that Xae might actually be able to get her…

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Xae's eyebrow lifted quite heavily at the implications there, and she folded her arms across her chest.

"You realise that as an upstanding member of the Watchful Order, I will not just go and rob a fellow magic user." She said, seriously. "And if you are about to suggest that I go and ransack our own storeroom, that is in extremely poor taste."

There were times when, unfortunately, being someone who actually cared about the law was painful. Whilst it would be nice to just go and ransack some other magic user for their belongings, doing such was against absolutely everything that the Watchful Order stood for.

Xae's expression grew very dark indeed as the girl made it clear that she was, in fact, trying to convince her to go off and do such a thing.

"That's enough." She said, sharply, and took a firm step forward, looming over the child. "I like you, Susan. You might not believe it, but I admire your work ethic and how far you've come largely on your own. But if we are to stand together as a community against those pig-headed ignorami who would tear us down, we practicioners of the arcane must never turn on one another. If I hear that you are inciting people to go and rob others again... I will have to have a very stern word with your mother. Am I understood?"

Susie tried to look contrite, looking down at the counter, as Xae went off on her lawful high horse… and then snorted, once, twice, and a third time. "Ahahahahaha, you think my Mom is gonna care! Phul-lease. Seriously." As the threat was nothing that even sparked the barest of concern or fear in her in any shape or form, the intimidation was lost on the witch.

She could tell Xae really believed in herself though, and must have practiced her 'stern I'm a bad-ass' voice. It showed, and would have worked, had Susie been of questionable morals, poor ethics, and without a traditional support and guidance from a parent who also questionable morals, poor ethics, and cyclically had nontraditional parents as well.

"So don't let you hear about it. Got it." She went back to her nails and inhaled a long bored sigh. "So like, you -don't- want to learn a new spell? 'Kay, works for me. You aren't worth the chalk dust it takes to summon the portal anyways." She tried again to nudge the stuck up girl into bending, just this once.