Waterdeep Mages Guild

When the warm morning sunlight streamed into the room and fell across Ryan's fair, smooth forehead, he finally awoke from his brief dream after a short nap.

"Yaaawn~~" Ryan stretched languidly, and his yawn echoed through the room. Thinking back on his wondrous, fantastic dream, a smile of anticipation and contentment crept across his lips.

The sky outside was clear and cloudless. Ryan used Mage Hand to open the window, and the fresh air of early spring, rich with the scent of earth and grass, flowed into the room on the breeze.

Ryan immediately felt refreshed. The weariness from a long night's work blew away with the wind. A beautiful day was about to begin, he thought to himself.

After breakfast with his family at the family estate, Ryan spent some time bonding with his mother in private. Then he said goodbye and left the family home, heading alone for the Mages Guild in Waterdeep.

He made his way through Waterdeep's bustling crowds, then crossed the quiet, tree-shaded paths of the City of the Dead. Dressed inconspicuously in a dark hooded robe, Ryan followed the route marked on the detailed map of Waterdeep he had found at the family estate, and soon arrived at the Mages Guild.

The Waterdeep Mages Guild stood in the city's central Castle Ward. Its main building was a three-story marble structure in a beautiful setting toward the south.

A legendary mage had created the building's entire frame with the metamagic spells Transmute Rock to Mud and Transmute Mud to Rock, pouring it into shape as one seamless whole. Its exquisite, ingenious design stood equal to the luxurious villas and castles around it, embodying the elegance and extravagance of mages.

Ryan stood quietly before the intricately carved marble doors, wondering what sort of precise control and magical skill it took to wield a fifth-circle spell with such mastery. Great learning could be found in the smallest details. For a moment, he couldn't help feeling awed by the power of a legendary mage—and longing to attain it himself.

As expected, if they wanted to, mages could do a great deal to advance productivity. Even the most basic construction work could produce immediate results with magic. It's a shame that Faerûn's high-and-mighty mages would never stoop to doing work fit for commoners. They only take such measures when they want to show off their power. Ryan marveled at the wonders of magic, but couldn't help feeling a little regretful, too.

Ryan released a pulse of magic before the doors to verify his identity as a mage. Then he followed the spell-servant that appeared inside the Mages Guild. In the shadows along the street, several pairs of spying eyes watched his mysterious figure disappear behind the marble doors. They exchanged glances, then went their separate ways.

As he entered the lobby, Ryan felt as if he had returned to his previous life. The spotless glass floor shone like a mirror, reflecting the mages who passed by in ones and twos. Bright magical lights cast a gentle glow over the walls and ceiling, all finished in polished hardwood. Several beautifully arranged, leafy green plants added color to the spacious lobby.

Behind the reception desk, a beautiful woman with rosy lips and delicate features looked at Ryan and smiled. "How may I help you, mage?"

Ryan presented his mage identification and replied, "I'm here to turn in a task. The delivery assignment from Silverymoon."

The woman had been making a note, but at his words, her eyes lit up. She asked gently, "May I ask if you're Mage Chris?"

Ryan furrowed his brow. He didn't understand why this woman was interested in the name he had registered with the Silverymoon Mages Guild. With a trace of displeasure, he answered coolly, "Yes. Is there a problem?"

The sharp-eyed receptionist sensed something was amiss and hurried to apologize. "Please don't misunderstand, Mage Chris. The Guildmaster instructed us to notify him immediately if anyone came to turn in the delivery assignment from Silverymoon. He said he would meet with them personally, and he mentioned your name, so I just wanted to confirm."

Ryan was even more confused. What had he done to deserve a personal meeting with the Guildmaster, who oversaw the entire Mages Guild in the city? Someone so important must have been incredibly busy. Why would he go out of his way to meet Ryan? Did his teacher really have that much influence? Or had his abilities as a planeswalker been exposed?

The receptionist saw the mage standing before her, expressionless and lost in thought. She waited a moment, then continued amiably, "I've already sent a magical message to the Guildmaster. Please take the stairs on the left, Mage Chris, and wait in the reception room on the left side of the second floor. The Guildmaster replied that he'll be here shortly."

Ryan suppressed his unease. Now that it had come to this, he could only grit his teeth and take things one step at a time. According to his teacher, she and the Guildmaster of the Waterdeep Mages Guild were close friends. Surely she wouldn't put him in danger.

Following the receptionist's directions, Ryan reached a comfortable reception room. A spell-servant had thoughtfully prepared tea and snacks for him. Ryan thanked it, set the tea aside, and silently considered how to handle the upcoming meeting.

Ryan had waited less than a few minutes when he felt a vast surge of energy spread through the room. Like a startled rabbit, he leaped to his feet and instantly raised a mage shield. He gripped the scroll of Greater Teleport in his hand, ready to flee at the first sign of trouble.

Amid the surging energy, a blue-glowing portal opened in the room. Ryan stared sternly at the portal that had appeared out of nowhere, ready to make a tactical retreat at a moment's notice.

"Damn it, Claudius, you vile, shameless bastard of a Red Dragon! You're a disgrace to all Red Dragons!

"You promised you'd hand over the Heart of the Mountains if you lost at cards, but you cheated while I was answering a message! Damn it, one of these days I'm going to play a thunderstorm concert for you while you're asleep and make sure you enjoy every second!"

Accompanied by a stream of grumbling curses, an old man with a white beard stepped through the portal, holding an elegant staff. Once he was standing in the reception room, the mysterious old mage snapped his fingers, and the portal, still glowing with a faint blue light, vanished.

Seeing Ryan standing ready for a fight, the white-haired, white-bearded mage finally stopped muttering. With a kindly, benevolent smile, he said, "Ahem. Young man, you must be the student Yefalin told me about?"

Hearing his teacher's name, Ryan relaxed a little. But after seeing another side of the kindly old man, he still didn't dare let his guard down. He asked respectfully but cautiously, "Senior, may I ask how you know my teacher?"

At Ryan's question, the old mage stroked his long beard, his voice full of emotion. "Yefalin? She was quite the little monster. When she was young, I taught her a few of my special tricks. I never imagined that in the blink of an eye, she'd already reached the same level as this old man."

Ryan breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed his teacher could be reliable after all. For once, she hadn't let him down.

The old mage continued, gazing at the handsome young man before him. "You're Ryan, right? When Yefalin and the rest of us were robbing Githyanki Astral Fortresses on the Astral Plane, she sang your praises to no end.

"She said you were the most talented student she'd ever taught, and her favorite, too. All of us old fogies were curious about you. For Yefalin, who's always been so high and mighty, to brag about you like that, you must be more than you seem, young man.

"Hahaha! You've got a fine, honest-looking face. You even remind me a little of myself when I was young. I have a granddaughter who just turned twelve this year. She's pretty and sweet, too. How about it, young man? Interested?" The white-haired old mage grew more animated as he spoke, his face alight with excitement.

A few drops of cold sweat appeared on Ryan's forehead as he grumbled inwardly, Twelve is way too young! I'm not so depraved that I'd go after a little girl. Are you that worried your granddaughter won't find a husband? Is this already a matchmaking session? This is all happening too fast. I'm not ready for it.

And didn't you just say something terrifying? What kind of mage treats going to the Astral Plane to steal other people's treasures as a pastime? Sure, the people you robbed were the Githyanki, who call themselves "Astral Pirates," but still. Those bandits who run wild across the Astral Plane got robbed for once, too. Good for them.

Ryan was now completely sure that the seemingly otherworldly, dignified old mage was an old friend of his teacher's—and definitely a kindred spirit who did whatever took his fancy. He let his guard down and took out the Box of Demon-Sealing Stones he had carefully safeguarded, handing it to the old mage.

"I haven't had the chance to ask your name, Senior. This is the item I'm here to turn in for the assignment. Please check it." Ryan respectfully offered him the box of Magic-Sealing Stones. The mage before him might have been an old lecher, but an old lecher with immense power and authority deserved even more deference.

"I am Alexander Thrace, Guildmaster of the Waterdeep Mages Guild. Since you're my friend's student, you can call me Teacher if you like. Didn't your teacher tell you anything about me?" Thrace took the box nonchalantly and set it aside, then asked curiously.

Ryan felt awkward. He couldn't very well tell Alexander that Yefalin's exact words had been, "Ryan, when you get to Waterdeep, go straight to the Mages Guild and find that old lecher of a Guildmaster. Just give him my name. The benefits will be huge."

Under Guildmaster Alexander's probing gaze, Ryan could only mumble, "She did. She just, um, didn't say much."

Watching Ryan try to cover it up, Alexander snorted and said irritably, "Yefalin definitely didn't have anything nice to say. Is she still sulking because I went on a trip to that legendary Gold Dragon's lair without inviting her last time?"

Ryan felt completely numb. His rosy image of these legendary masters, who apparently did nothing useful all day, had been shattered. Before he could hear anything even more outrageous and his poor heart gave out, Ryan changed the subject. "Teacher Alexander, aren't you going to check what's inside the box?"

The old mage smiled mysteriously. He glanced at Ryan's curious expression, considered it for a moment, then replied, "Very well. You're involved in this matter, after all, so there's no harm in telling you."