It was the afternoon by the time the adventurers made it out of the ruins and back to Sandpoint from the Glassworks. Although the goblins at Thistletop would need to be dealt with, they couldn't leave the town undefended. Draul told his companions that they would need to wait for Sheriff Hemlock to return from Magnimar before heading off on their next adventure. Given their success in the ruins, the paladin decided that he would handle the group's patrols on his own and gave his companions a short break to tend to their injuries and rest. Corita and Razvan were excited for some time off and left for the Rusty Dragon. Kennick, having assumed his human form, followed after them.

Draul stayed behind at the Glassworks for a few minutes, ensuring that it was locked up. Rumors were starting to spread about what happened in the Glassworks and he didn't want anyone sneaking in and stumbling into the ruins. Mariel joined him although she left most of the work to him. He figured that she had an idea in mind on what to do next. Although Draul was disturbed by what he learned about Thassilon, he valued Mariel's advice as a scholar. He was certain her knowledge on the ancient empire would come in handy if they came across more relating to Thassilon.

With the delivery door locked and two outside of the Glassworks, Draul turned to Mariel. "I don't think anyone will be getting inside anytime soon. Once Sheriff Hemlock returns, I'll see if he can keep a guard posted here."

"Given what little I've seen from him so far, I believe he'll do so," Mariel said. "I've been thinking about the runewell we've found. Although I can't prove it, I am certain that it was dormant and had only reactivated recently. There would have been more than a handful of sinspawn to deal with had it been active for thousands of years."

"That does make sense," Draul nodded. "A quasit wouldn't be powerful enough to reactivate it, I take it. I wonder if Nualia is involved. Given Lamashtu's presence in the ruins and what we know from Tsuto's journal, we know that she visited the ruins."

"If Nualia were powerful enough to activate the runewell, she wouldn't need goblins to do her dirty work," Mariel pointed out.

"Right. So, what could have reactivated the runewell?"

"I'm less worried about the how and what and more about the when."

Draul raised an eyebrow. "What about when the runewell was activated stands out to you?"

"Given how powerful a runewell is, it could be possible that its reactivation might have made some of Sandpoint's citizens more wrathful given the runewell's proximity to town," Mariel explained. "Of course, this is only a theory since there's only so much known about the runewells, but if I'm correct, the runewell's activation was five years ago."

"During the Late Unpleasantness," Draul noted. "That would make sense. The murderer that terrorized Sandpoint could have been inflicted with some sort of bloodlust by the runewell."

"And it could have been what pushed Nualia to set fire to the Sandpoint Cathedral," Mariel added.

Draul frowned. "We don't have any proof that she's responsible."

"Think about it, Draul. A fire such as that doesn't start without a reason. The fact that Nualia not only survived but ran off from Sandpoint likely means that Nualia set the fire."

After some thought, Draul crossed his arms and sighed. "Your logic is sound, as always. It could be that the runewell's activation was what pushed Nualia down the path she's on now. I feel that there's something we're missing."

"And why's that?" Mariel asked.

"Ameiko's mother supposedly fell off a cliff during the Late Unpleasantness," Draul told Mariel. "What if Lonjiku pushed her to her death for the affair that led to Tsuto?"

"Lonjiku didn't seem like a killer to me but the runewell's activation could have pushed him to a murderous rage," Mariel nodded in acceptance of the idea. "We'll never be able to prove it but I believe you might be onto something. How does that relate to Nualia and the fire she started?"

"Why would Nualia want to burn down the cathedral in particular? Why would she want to kill her father? Even with our theories on the runewell, there still needs to be some sort of motive or reason for her to murder Father Tobyn."

"I see your point. We have time until Sheriff Hemlock returns from Magnimar. We could look into the matter."

"Agreed," Draul said, and after a moment of thought, quickly added. "I don't want to question Kennick about this. Ameiko too."

"They have been through a lot," Mariel said with a quick nod. "Unfortunately that doesn't lead us with a lot of other leads. Father Zantus came to Sandpoint after the Late Unpleasantness."

"We'll have to ask around," Draul said. "There has to be someone who knows."

Mariel tapped her chin in thought and frowned. "There's someone I've met. He's a… historian of sorts. We can meet with him as long as you do me the favor of not bringing up Thassilon with him."

Draul blinked in confusion but nodded. "You have my word."

"Then let's be off."

Mariel didn't wait for Draul and started to walk away from the Glassworks to their destination. He followed after her and was curious about what her plan was. Mariel was a new arrival to Sandpoint like he was and didn't have the connections that Kennick and Razvan made from living in town. Whoever her contact was, he was likely a scholar, although he didn't know why she wanted to avoid talking about Thassilon with him.

At the very least, Draul was glad to have an opportunity to look into the circumstances that led to Nualia murdering her father and becoming a follower of Lamashtu. He hadn't met her but he hoped that it wasn't too late for her to find redemption. The idea that the runewell had something to do with Nualia's dark turn could be what saves her if the fault wasn't her own. On the other hand, it may be impossible to undo the corruption she experienced which would mean her fate was sealed. Draul would have to decide on if her redemption was possible or not when he confronted her in Thistletop.

The pair arrived at a small house on the north side of Sandpoint, close to the Old Light, a ruined light tower built on the cliffside of Sandpoint. The Old Light was a source of different rumors among townsfolk that Draul heard from the different patrons of the Rusty Dragon. It had been around before Sandpoint was founded and Draul wondered if it was connected to Thassilon. Mariel took a glance toward the Old Light before turning to the house. She took a deep breath as if bracing herself for something and knocked on the door.

The door opened, revealing an elderly human man in scholarly robes. He was balding with a short gray goatee covering the lower half of his face. He presses his glasses to his eyes and smiles.

"Ah, Mariel! I never thought you would become a hero when you first visited me. I would love to talk about Thassilon with you some more."

"Not today," Mariel quickly shook her head. "Draul, this is Brodert Quink. I met him when I first arrived in Sandpoint after I heard he was an expert on Thassilon."

"Among other subjects, of course," Brodert said and gripped Draul's hand with his own. "How can I help two of Sandpoint's heroes?"

"As it so happens, we're interested in more recent history than we are the ancient past," Draul said. "We were hoping that you would be able to tell us about the Late Unpleasantness."

Brodert frowned. "That's one of Sandpoint's darkest chapters. Not a lot of people like to talk about it."

"We know," Draul nodded. "We're strangers to Sandpoint but believe that something five years ago relates to the recent goblin raids. We won't know for sure until we know more about what happened during the Late Unpleasantness."

"Then I should do what I can to explain," Brodert said, stroking his beard as he started his explanation. "There was the fire, of course, and then what happened to Atsuii Kaijitsu, but Chopper was what everyone was terrified of back then."

"That would be the murderer, right?" Draul asked. "The one that killed around two dozen people?"

"Twenty-five, or twenty-six if you count him killing himself," Brodert quickly corrected Draul with a sigh. "No one ever thought Jervis Stoot was a dangerous man. A little eccentric given that he liked carving birds on Sandpoint's buildings but he always asked for permission. He didn't seem like someone capable of such a murderous rampage."

"Interesting," Mariel noted. "So no one knows why he went on his rampage?"

"Nothing has been confirmed," Brodert answered. "If you ask me, I think he may have been some sort of demonic cultist all along. He took the eyes and tongues from his victims, and although the guards found out what he did with them, they didn't speak of what they found as they were horrified by what they saw."

Draul frowned, and although learning about Chopper didn't help them learn more about a potential motive for Nualia to burn down the old cathedral, it did give more reason to suspect the runewell was at fault. At the very least, it was more possible that Jervis was twisted by the runewell's activation than he was a cultist all along. Unfortunately, with how many people Jervis killed, Draul didn't think it was possible that he had a motive. That could be the case for the others affected by the runewell, and if so, they were looking for Nualia's reasoning when none existed. If so, she was driven to the point of rage to murder Father Tobyn. How Lamashtu tied into all of this was still a mystery so he was intent on continuing with the investigation.

"While it is good to know more of Sandpoint's history, we're more interested in the fire that burned down the cathedral," Draul said. "We were wondering about who started the fire."

"That remains a mystery, I'm afraid," Brodert told the group. "Although if you ask me, it was Delek Viskanta."

"Delek?" Draul asked with a hint of surprise.

"He was a young Varisian lad that disappeared from Sandpoint shortly before the Late Unpleasantness," Brodert explained. "No one's seen him since he left but I did hear that Father Tobyn was furious with him from one of his acolytes that used to visit me."

"Why's that?" Mariel asked.

"It was a personal matter from what I remember," Brodert said, closing his eyes in thought. "I wonder if it had anything to do with Nualia's disappearance before the fire?"

"Nualia went missing before the Late Unpleasantness?" Draul questioned.

"Not missing," Brodert insisted. "She was kept confined to the old cathedral months before the Late Unpleasantness. The acolyte said that Nualia was sick, but if she was, I would imagine Father Tobyn would have healed her. This all happened around the time Delek left Sandpoint, of course. Not a lot of townsfolk notice the patterns I see."

"I still don't see how Delek could have started the fire," Mariel commented.

"I don't think he had any malicious intent," Brodert said. "I believe that it was a prank that went tragically wrong. Fire is difficult to control and wood burns easy."

"Thank you, Brodert," Draul bowed his head. "You've given us a lot to think about."

"Are you sure you don't want to come in, Mariel?" Brodert asked.

"I'm certain," Mariel shook her head quickly. "Have a nice day."

"You as well. Take care."

Brodert closed the door and left the adventurers be. Draul followed Mariel away from the house, and once it was out of sight, she turned around and stopped walking.

"Perhaps I should have warned you that Brodert loves his conspiracies," Mariel admitted. "When I heard he was an expert on Thassilon, I thought I could learn something from him but he believes in foolish ideas such as Thassilon collapsing ten thousand years ago or that the Old Light is an ancient Thassilonian weapon or-"

"-that there's a runewell beneath Sandpoint," Draul interrupted. "And that the runewell is responsible for most of this town's problems."

"Point taken," Mariel nodded. "So, what's your take on all of this knowing what I've told you about Brodert?"

Draul took a moment to put his thoughts together. "Delek didn't start the fire but I have a feeling that there's something more to his conflict with Father Tobyn."

"That's just another of Brodert's conspiracies," Mariel said and shook her head.

"I've heard of Delek before," Draul revealed. "He was murdered in Magnimar four and a half years ago."

"Strange," Mariel noted.

"Indeed it is," Draul said with a nod. "His death and Nualia escaping the fire could be connected."

"That wasn't what I thought was strange," Mariel told Draul. "I find it strange that you knew of his murder. I take it that Magnimar isn't a stranger to such violence. It's odd that you can recall that about Delek."

"A friend of mine, another follower of the Dawnflower, was looking into Delek's murder at the time," Draul quickly said. "His name's Mythren. He was the one to suggest that I train as a paladin in Korvosa."

"I see," Mariel nodded and crossed her arms. "Will you be defensive if I suggest that Nualia might have killed Delek?"

"Not at all. I don't recall that Delek's killer was ever caught. Do you have any idea as to why she would have killed him?"

"That's a mystery much like how we don't know for sure why she was kept confined to the Sandpoint Cathedral," Mariel said with a shrug. "I know you might not approve of the idea but Kennick's insight into this matter would be helpful. He may know more about Delek."

"We'll ask him tomorrow," Draul told Mariel. "I told him he could relax today. Delek doesn't directly relate to the Late Unpleasantness but it could turn to that subject."

"Very well. There's no hurry. Now, I suppose I should leave you to your patrol."

"I'll be by the Rusty Dragon for dinner. Take care."

"You as well, Draul."

Mariel left Draul, and once she turned around the street corner, he sighed in relief. He was worried that she would have caught on that something was off about what he said but she didn't press into the matter. He put those thoughts behind him and started to patrol Sandpoint's streets.

Sandpoint may have been a small town but it had its secrets. What happened within the cathedral leading up to the fire? Was the runewell connected to the Late Unpleasantness like Mariel believed it to be? What threats were waiting for them within Thistletop? These were all questions on Draul's mind but he wouldn't give up so easily. He would find the answers he sought and act on them with his companion, no matter what came their way.

A/N: So, a lot of this chapter wasn't actually something I had planned in my notes. I had about two chapters planned as a transition to the next part to avoid skipping right to Thistletop, but as I write, I sometimes make changes from what I have written down because it makes sense. Between the development that happened with some of the characters, I didn't feel that what I had planned for this chapter would work and had to come up with something new. At the very least, I got a chance to write with Brodert Quink.

I'll have to do something similar for next chapter, but unlike this chapter, there's still some parts of my notes I can use, and this shouldn't be a permanent issue moving on.

Until next time.