(2025-09-23) Charms and Blessings of a Pandaren Enchanter

Details

Author:	Athena
Summary:	Avrenne invites Xueye Jadepaw to House Fallon to discuss the pandaren's unique approach to enchantments, and her relationship with the Wandering Isle's history and inherent wanderlust of her ancestors. 5k~
Rating:	T for Teen

Lady Fallon hosts many visitors to the coastal Elwynn Fallon House, for a variety of reasons, but the most common by far are those that pertain to her business management, both of her own House's provenance, as well as House Fallon's, a balance that she seems not only adept at doing, but also one she evidently enjoys. This constant stream of business meetings is what makes today's unexceptional in that nature; the guest in question, however, is another matter.

It has still not been long enough since the pandaren arrived to the Eastern Kingdoms for them to be commonplace, and the only reason there are not certain faces of House Fallon pressed against the glass eagerly awaiting this visitor is that they have not been informed of her race. The staff, on the other hand, has, and whatever feelings they have on this are well concealed. They are well set to host a Business Tea, as they do regularly.

At least the weather has agreed to a detente of pleasantness, having been shifting restlessly back and forth between autumnal iciness and summer roasting, but now sitting somewhere between. A superstitious person might wonder if it's through the persuasive abilities of the Duchess Esprit, but of course it's most likely that it's simply a convenient coincidence. It makes for an easier journey through Elywnn forest and over the roads to the grand estate house, which looms mildly, set next to the cliffs that mark the new shoreline.

The visitor in question makes her poky way along the path to Fallon House on the back of a large and sturdy turtle. Rather than sitting astride, as one might a horse, she's lying on her stomach, watching the countryside stream by with bright and open curiosity. Xueye Jadepaw may have no idea what is expected for a business meeting of this nature, but she is at least wearing golden earrings and a deep green silk tunic over her usual leather traveling pants. Her bun of dyed-blue hair amidst the black bobs gently up and down with the turtle's stride.

As the grand house comes into view, Xueye sits up in amazement… sort of. She raises her head at least, face white-furred with an inverted teardrop of black over each eye, and presses with black-furred hands on the turtle's back to lever her upper body up in something like a cobra position. Her jaw drops open with amazement, and she murmurs, "People live in places like this? I thought it was just temples and kings."

The grooms of House Fallon stand ready to receive the visitor's… turtle? One of the junior grooms blinks at the unusual mount, his mouth ajar. But, it should be said, that of all stable masters of the Eastern Kingdoms, Kul Tiran born Iain Thredd has probably the best combination of experience and know how that a giant turtle isn't so daunting that he doesn't know what to do with it.

He comes forward to collect the… metaphorical if not literal reins of this sturdy turtle. "Miss Jadepaw." He then says something else, where the words 'Fallon House' are at least partially discernible, and the rest of the Common is unclear in a strong unfamiliar accent, but the tone of his words convey welcome, and his open hand to assist Xueye off her turtle is an easily recognizable gesture.

Xueye smiles widely and takes his hand to use as leverage in helping her half-roll half-hop off her turtle.

"Hello!" Xueye says, not quite letting go of Thredd's hand. "I don't think I understood a single word of what you just said except Miss Jadepaw and Fallon House!" From her tone, it sounds like she thinks that's wonderful. "Do you speak a different language? Oh, I guess if you do, my asking isn't very helpful, is it? Thank you for the hand."

Thredd, a short and wiry man built like a jockey more than a weight lifter, nevertheless seems quite able to help the pandaren, even with the size discrepancy. He ducks his head with bashful respect. "'m af Kul Tiras, miss. Swazefrumheer. But aye, wespakecommunsameazstormewend." None of this is especially helpful for clarity of Common variations, but the way he directs the other grooms to help manage the turtle speaks its own universal language of careful handling.

"Of course, of course," Xueye says, nodding agreeably. Did she understand any of that? Who knows! At least, she lets go of his hand and looks at the other grooms. "Hong likes you all — I can tell already! No snapping. Where do I go now? I thought it would be obvious for a home but this place is huge, isn't it? I could fit my parents' home in there twenty times over, I bet, if not more."

This isn't the usual question Thredd is asked, but it's only a moment's brief pause before he smiles at Xueye, and indicates the enormous front door. He also gives some verbal instructions, none of which add extra clearness to the physical gestures.

"Oh, oh yes. I suppose no matter how grand the house, one must still enter by the front door," Xueye says with a laugh. Then she clasps her paws in front of her chest, bobbing a little bow to Thredd before she turns from the turtle and the grooms and pads over to knock at the entrance of the building.

The doors open almost instantly, as if by magic, or by the waiting attendance of a butler expecting company. Vane ordinarily would loom, but with a pandaren visitor, he mostly just stands there, a bit shorter. Behind him is the grand foyer, complete with the tasteful decorations and a portrait of a woman standing staring off with determination and a handful of marigolds.

"Miss Xueye Jadepaw, I presume. Welcome. Her Grace is expecting you in the Littler Parlor, if you will follow me," he intones expressionlessly, ready to usher the pandaren to the side room.

"Yes, that's me. Are there many?" Xueye asks, looking around curiously. Her eyes catch on the portrait of the determined woman for a long moment, then she turns back to Vane to clarify, "Parlors, I mean, not Xueye Jadepaws. The Little Parlor, the Medium Parlor, the Large Parlor…"

"There are many rooms at House Fallon, but there is only the one named as a parlour, called so by Lady Sintha, who believed the name best suited for it," Vane informs her. Another man might have turned it into a joke, but Vane does not look like the sort of man who has ever had a passing acquaintance with jokes. Or humor. Or feelings.

The walk from the foyer to Little Parlour is a short one, even by House Fallon standards. The door is already open in expectation of the visitor, and Lady Fallon already within it.

Xueye might be forgiven in wondering at perhaps less familiar human nobility terms if 'duchess,' as Avrenne has already identified herself in communication to invite the pandaren, is another word on par with king, to live in such a place and dress in such a manner.

Avrenne embodies the autumn spirit in a lush, long sleeved gown of silk and velvets of oranges and blacks that warm her golden ivory complexion, and set off the spun gold sense of her hair caught in a coil of a chignon. She wears her wedding ring, and a necklace of gold and pink pearls, with two gold rectangular lines earrings, and a gold and silver-like case on a golden chain that is big enough to hold something small within it. There's a faint sense of magic to her; something among her wardrobe is enchanted. She rises as Xueye comes into sight, folding her hands together before her.

The Little Parlour is a bright, welcoming room in light blues, accented by a bouquet of white jasmine in the center of the coffee table, lending the place its signature pleasant scent.

"Miss Jadepaw," Avrenne greets, her composure not the laidback serenity of some pandaren, but the steel bound control of another method for the avoidance of expressing feelings not permitted by the person. "Thank you for meeting with me. Please, have a seat."

Xueye clasps her paws in front of her and bows. It is the same bow she gave Thredd, but also the one she gave King Varian.

"I'm happy to meet you, Duchess Esprit Lady Fallon," Xueye says, smiling at her as she straightens. "Everything here is pretty like a picture. I feel like I can see the leaves turning, even though we're inside."

Avrenne returns the bow with her own automatic curtsey, allowing a small smile to show her appreciation for the compliment. "Thank you. Much of the decorating was done by my sister-in-law, Sintha, and she will be pleased to know it is appreciated so." Avrenne sits once more on her couch across from the window, arranging her dress to fall in proper folds. "You may call me by either title as you prefer. 'Duchess Esprit' or 'Your Grace', or simply 'Lady Fallon'. I am a Duchess of Lordaeron by the inheritance of my familial line of my House, and a Baroness of Stormwind by my husband through marriage. Both are correct. I have been given to understand that there is not much in the way of nobility titles among your people, though you do have titles I am less familiar with. Do you go by any yourself as part of your profession or family?"

"I don't. The Jadepaws have a well-known brewery on the Wandering Isle, but my cousin Mi Shu is direct in line for that. I'm just… Xueye," the pandaren says as she moves to sit on the other couch next to Avrenne's. The two syllables of her name slip out in a much different tonality and cadence than the rest of her speech. "Though I think it's a challenging name to say for Common speakers, so I do not mind being Miss Jadepaw either. You have a lot of titles. Which one would you most like for me to call you?"

"Let us use 'Lady Fallon' for simplicity's sake," Avrenne suggests. "If I may ask, is your cousin also in the Eastern Kingdoms?"

"Yes, Lady Fallon, she is," Xueye brightens. "She's a part of the Gui Wei as well, and we all joined the Alliance together. If you have an interest in plum wine, our family's is the best. They do other drinks too, but plum wine is a special favorite of mine."

"I will be sure to take down her information before you leave. I must admit that I am not much of a connoisseur of wine personally, but I know many who do appreciate it, and would be quite interested in the method and the introduction into the market," Avrenne says. "I understand you yourself have taken another route in your chosen profession?"

"Yes, I understood you might be interested in my charms," Xueye says, crossing her hands neatly in her lap. "It's a practice I took up on the Wandering Isle, learning from some of the esteemed elders in the Temple of the Five Dawns. The charms bless the holders — I usually stitch them into little trinkets."

"How intriguing. I am not as familiar with the system of elders or the Temple of the Five Dawns as I would like to be," Avrenne admits. "If the charms bless the holder, then are they transferrable from object to object, independent of that which it is modifying?"

"Well, there are some that are a little specific," Xueye admits. "For instance, I could make a charm for fleetness of foot, which would make no sense unless you tuck it in a boot, right? And I do sometimes stitch the little things directly into the cloth — of a shirt, for instance, or the trim of a glove. Shall I show you? I have brought some of mine."

"By all means, please," Avrenne says, her hand moving with practiced elegance through the air in a regal gesture of permission.

Xueye pats her tunic as if looking for her pockets — this may not be her everyday wear. Then she finds what she's looking for and pulls out a little threadbare charm, a little rectangle of dark grey silk with a white character stitched into its cover. She holds it by a silk string tied to one end. "This is not my prettiest, but you can see that it has been very helpful. It has signs of use, which means it has helped me to dodge evil."

Xueye offers it for Avrenne's inspection. "I will replace this one at the turning of the year, when it is worn out. But I do have other examples, which are newer."

Avrenne accepts the charm with two hands, a gesture that seems deliberately chosen as an important cultural note, as many in the Eastern Kingdoms do not habitually do so.

The way she inspects the charm reveals something of her knowledge and perhaps ability, because it is not cursory, or focused entirely on the aesthetics; this is no brief glance. The way her eyes unfocus briefly suggests she has even probed at the enchantment in a way beyond sight.

"Oh, I see, yes. A defensive enchantment, if I am reading the energies correctly," she says, her gaze flicking from the charm to Xueye. "I am a mage. I have no claim to fabulous powers, but I was well trained in identifying magical items in my studies. I can detect curses best, but I can often get a sense for a magical item, even if I cannot always discern their exact nature without concentrated effort. It's a fascinating application of using thread for such a purpose. I recently spoke with another pandaren who mentioned that some traditions and rituals have been shaped by your people's history and experiences. If I may ask, was this method developed in response to the necessity of being able to shift enchantments with frequent travel?"

"Oh, that I do not know," Xueye says, tilting her head in thought and flicking her gaze up as if the answer might be on the wall. "I'm no mage myself — when it comes to fighting, I use chi. I heard your people don't do this, or maybe just don't call it like that, but it is… a kind of spirit energy, coming from inside. The magic that goes into the stitching, and into the inside of the charm, that comes from already-distilled magic from outside. As for traveling —" Xueye straightens her head to look more directly at Avrenne. "Have you heard the story of our people already, the story of Liu Lang?"

"I have not yet in regards to that particular specific of a named individual, no," Avrenne answers. "I have only a general understanding of the history of the Wandering Isle peoples as being a split from your homeland a long time ago, but I would be most curious to hear more of it in detail if you would share the story." The way the duchess settles herself suggests an active listener, a person who does not feel the need to interrupt with questions as they occur to her, or clarifications that might alter a teller's flow.

"Liu Lang was the founder of our Isle," Xueye says, falling into a storyteller's cadence. "I am not a Lorewalker myself, but his is a story we all know. He felt the desire to wander from Pandaria, so he befriended a sea turtle, Shen-zin Su, and went out into the sea on his back. Everyone thought he would be gone forever. But then, in five years, he returned."

"He brought stories of his exploration, as well as a slightly larger Shen-zin Su," Xueye says with a fond smile, as if she remembers this guy. She doesn't, he's ancient history. "And then, he left to wander again. He did that for some time, returning every five years to Pandaria and taking on anyone else who felt that same spark to wander, to explore. In time, Shen-zin Su grew to the size of the Isle we live…"

Xueye's voice hitches for a moment in the familiar story, recalling that she and Lady Fallon do not, in fact, live there, "…lived on, before we came to Stormwind. A home for all of us, with farmlands and villages and forests and the Temple of the Five Dawns in the center of it all. Eventually, long before I was born, Liu Lang planted his staff in the Forest of Staves, and set out on his next great journey. Shen-zin Su grieved his friend, and no longer returned to Pandaria, a land that over time became to us as mythical as this one."

Xueye pauses, letting the story rest, and then smiles at Avrenne. "So you see, all of us from the Wandering Isle are marked by that — our ancestors are the ones whose hearts drove them to explore. We are shaped by that even more than you may have guessed. I do not know if they make charms as mine in Pandaria, where those live who chose to remain."

Avrenne listens without interruption, but even with the unfamiliar human nuances of expression, it's clear that she is absorbing the words carefully and attentively.

"Mm. I admit that I have some familiarity with the experience of a home that I have left, and in my case, I cannot return to, though for other reasons. It is a difficult thing when not chosen, but even when it is by choice, it seems to be a most natural order to miss that place of one's connection of a homeland."

She considers Xueye's charm, running her fingers lightly over the strands, before she offers it back to the pandaren with both hands. "What a unique position that your people of the Wandering Isle now are in, with so much time past that Pandaria was lost to the mists, that you now stand to once again perhaps follow the heart to explore the new by retracing the paths of old back to the motherland."

Xueye nods sympathy with Avrenne's first statement, and then giggles at the second as she accepts the charm back with both hands. "Yes, that is quite a reversal, isn't it? I will wander so far that I come back around to where my ancestor once left. I plan to, in any case — I would love to see how the pandaren who live there may be different, and also how they may be the same! There is so much here in your Eastern Kingdoms to explore that I have not yet traveled to Pandaria. Have you, Lady Fallon?"

"I have explored a great deal of Kalimdor, much of Northrend, and some of Outland, but no, I have not been to Pandaria myself. At present, there is a limitation on travel back and forth, due to the potential danger of tipping a balance of sha, if I recall the term correctly. Our people are not used to considering it, as nothing of that nature exists on the other known continents, but I understand that even among your people on the Wandering Isle that certain traditions maintain those efforts of your people, and thus you are still better equipped than the rest of the Alliance in managing the danger."

"Oh, yes, I have heard of these sha from the kind letters of Captain Sparkwire," Xueye nods agreeably, as though Jo Sparkwire is personally corresponding with her. She's probably referring to the Cobalt Company newsletters. "It might be that this has influenced the contemplative Tushui way of life? As well as our respect for balance and serenity."

Xueye pauses, and reaches for her pocket again. "Speaking of managing danger and before I forget… I have brought a few that you might keep, if you would like? As a gift."

"Of course, I would be honored to accept," Avrenne says graciously.

Xueye brings out two charms, one in each paw, which she offers out to Avrenne. One is in blue silk with green stitching in the shape of a sea turtle in green thread, while the other is green silk with what might look like a stylized house stitched in deep blue. There is a sense of magic to them, the first of a protective nature, the second with spirit energy.

"I had heard your p… the… um, Lord Fallon was an Admiral. This one is meant to be sewn into a cloak, protection for travelers. I have made it with sailing in mind, specifically, so the turtle," Xueye says, ducking her head a little shyly. "And the other, a charm for you as lady of your great house, to bolster its spirit. I did not realize how enormous your house was before I came, so I do not know if this is strong enough. I can make more."

Avrenne's eyes soften as she looks at the turtle, and before she leans forward to accept the gifts, there is a moment where her hand sets on that case around her neck, a ground sort of touch the way a person might with a talisman. "What thoughtful gifts, thank you. They are most appreciated," she says with the practiced elegance of a woman who receives gifts from various sources regularly. "You have heard correctly in regards to my husband. He is currently deployed with our fleet and the Alliance Navy in Pandaria, and I am sure he will be most interested in the enchantment." She handles the charms with an obvious respect, cradling them in the palms of her hand.

"If I may ask another question though for the precise meaning of the intent of the house charm. You said it bolsters 'its spirit.' I am not entirely sure I understand your meaning," she says in true curiosity. "Do you mean that it will grant an enchantment of spirit, a way of restoring one's mana, within the house?"

"Spirit yes, like a mage might have," Xueye nods agreeably. "It should work exactly that way for a person, when it is with you. If your house has mana, then perhaps the house as well." Xueye seems perfectly content to accept that Fallon House might be a sapient spellcaster. Who knows, maybe it's actually a turtle?

"There are a number of hearth and home charms, for good fortune in a variety of ways. Luck and prosperity and avoiding evil. Some of those have more…" Xueye considers carefully, "…goodwill in them than potency. The gifts I bring you have goodwill, and also magic."

"I can sense the magic in them," Avrenne says and then pauses in consideration. "And the goodwill, for that matter. I don't expect that the house does have its own spirit, not in any meaning of the word, but I am sure the household will be most appreciative of the charm. And I thank you again for the one for the Admiral. His duty takes him by necessity into situations where extra protection is something I have reason to value."

Next she might even admit that she's somewhat fond of her husband, who knows.

"The sea can be dangerous at times," Xueye says, nodding seriously. "Sometimes there are storms. I hope the charm will help to keep him always safe. Do you… if I may ask… have a very large family?" She starts to pat her pockets in a nervous way, maybe suddenly concerned that she didn't bring enough charms.

Avrenne's expression does nothing for a moment or two, a lack of reaction that is still in itself a reaction of sorts, before she smooths it back out like a wrinkle in her dress. "I have been given to understand that your people of the Wandering Isle had some necessary limitations of population due to the awareness of available land to support it, and this may influence your perception of what constitutes a 'large' family. Among humans, it was once quite common to have large families of more than only children, but of one's other relations, where one might have four or five people per generation and up to four generations alive at once. There was a time when I would have said that yes, I had a very large family, by those standards." Her hands squeeze together for a moment before releasing.

"The wars and calamities that Azeroth has braved has reduced many families to much smaller numbers, and there are few that can claim being untouched by those tolls. The relative measurement of relatives, you might say. But not all is lost of protections, so it is that I am fortunate with my husband's many blessings that I can once again say that yes, I have a large family. I have three natural children by my husband, and four wards, as well as a sister-in-law, and across the sea to the Admiral's homeland, even more of that family line." She squares off her shoulders, wrapped tightly in her composure. "And we have many friends, so the house is sometimes full, and other times not quite so."

Xueye does not have the ability to guard her expression like Avrenne, but the unfamiliarity of the form of her face likely gives her some degree of inscrutability without effort on her part. She listens patiently and carefully to the things Avrenne says, as well as the things she does not quite say, and then she bows her head in respect for the lost.

"We on the Isle may have been untouched by many things throughout history, but sorrow touches us all in time," Xueye says, an acknowledgment of the universality of pain and grief. "If you count cousins and aunts and uncles, my family is… quite large by Isle pandaren standards, though I am myself an only child. But I only meant — I brought charms for the Admiral and yourself, but I would be happy to make charms as well for your three children, your four wards, your sister-in-law, and for a turtle to carry to the rest of your family."

Avrenne allows a small smile, a warmth to reach her eyes beyond the cool politeness of her bearing. "That is remarkably kind of you. If I may, I would like to accept the ones you brought today as a gift, as part of cultural exchange and hospitality, but for the rest, I would like to buy from you, in the effort of being part of your rightful place within the commerce of the Alliance. It is a matter I find significant and important for how we might learn from your people, and expand our perspectives through another culture's point of view, and I wish to support it in a material way so that you might purchase more raw goods and turn them to products as you might wish. Might I ask, how long does each charm generally take you?"

Xueye smiles, clasping her paws. "Oh, a good morning, if I wake early enough, or a pleasant afternoon. Though sometimes it takes a little while to decide on the color scheme and the motif for a particular person, of course. I do like for them to be properly suited to their destinations. Do you think this might be a thing people would appreciate, in the Alliance?"

If Avrenne has any thoughts about this method of keeping time for work, she neither expresses or voices them. "Yes, I do. Not only does it demonstrate a creative thinking for possible methods, which is essential for progress, but it creates another possibility for the market resources required in enchantment. Five years ago, if you wished to have something enchanted, you had to physically have an enchanter work the dust into the article of armor or clothing. Several years ago, thanks to the pioneering efforts of many, it was discovered that enchantments could be woven temporarily onto a form of enchanted vellum, and then this used to enchant an item.

"Vellum, as you may know, is a form of leather, and therefore takes certain resources to produce, some of which are needed in other capacities. Your method using other materials opens possibilities for lightening the load of vellum use, and also may be another way to leap forward into the science of enchantment by viewing the possibilities from an entirely new perspective, which is invaluable." It's hard to miss the enthusiasm, even if it's carefully modulated by Lady Fallon's composure.

"I think there is also something to be said for what your charms might evoke in the world of fashion, and there is always a market for such things in the nobility and upper classes. Tell me, would you be interested at all in putting together some of your work for the purpose of demonstrating them and their uses in an event? There is one such coming up in about a month's time, a day meant to celebrate the innovations and culture of our newer arrivals to the Alliance."

Xueye nods along with the description to show she's listening, but waits until the question at the end to answer. "Do you mean like a show? I am not sure if the people here have the patience to watch me stitch and imbue. Or… a market stall?"

"More like a market stall to show the finished projects, and be sold at profit to you, but you may be surprised by how many professional enchanters might wish to at least see some of your work as a demonstration, to learn the concept, if not watch for hours," Avrenne says. "Your supplies for the event would be subsidized, as we are interested in providing ample opportunity to showcase what and how you do what you do. All that will be required is that you provide the list of materials and their subsequent costs for records."

"That's very generous," Xueye says, looking at Avrenne with a surprised smile. "I would be happy to join! There will be many pandaren there? And possibly… worgen? I understand they are quite new as well."

"Yes, that is correct. Both worgen and pandaren have much to offer, and it behooves the Alliance to listen and learn what they bring of their unique perspectives. This charity event is meant to provide an opportunity to benefit all parties involved, to help gather needed capital and exposure to markets for the new to this Alliance, and for the old to be reinvigorated by the ideas and innovations these two cultures bring," Avrenne says. "With all the perils in Azeroth, I should think that charms of protection, enhancement of the spirit, and good health will all find an interested market in particular."

"Then I am honored to be one of those who can supply them," Xueye says, bobbing her head in respect again. "And I would happily direct you to others of the Gui Wei with crafts to share, if you have not already spoken with all of them."

"I have not spoken with as many of them as there are, I am sure. I would be most glad of a recommendation of a list of those you believe will benefit from such an event, or with more connections," Avrenne offers.

"Hmm… I have mentioned Mi Shu and the brewery," Xueye says, tapping one claw gently on the table. "Lihua is a chef and Haoyu does things with bending wire. I can certainly ask the others in our team if they have things they would like to offer, Xu Ming and Old Man Weiqiang and Liyan." She says 'Old Man' more like it is a term of respect than an insult. "We have all scattered, since we healed Shen-zin Su and joined the Alliance together, but I can find them."

"If you would direct them my way, I will be certain to speak with them," Avrenne says. She doesn't rub her hands together and smile, but that's because she is a diplomatic duchess with subtle schemes.