Brodert Quink (part 2)
Tansy couldn’t help but be impressed by the old man. He wove through their narrative, grasping every loose end, every possible detail, every thought that may have slipped their minds. As Sabacen shared the Temple of Nethys and his talk with Father Zantus, she could see the gears in his mind spinning through possible implications, dismissing the unlikely as quickly as they came.
“Troglodytes sacrificing to Nethys? Were they successfully using the Temple? Is it possible they locked it up so none would enter? Troglodytes typically serve their own gods, not our Varisian ones…” His piercing gaze turned to her, “Well, of course, you would know better, my dear.”
Before she could answer, Zevran stepped in, “We rescued a prisoner, Balenar Forsend, a bard from the theater. He was to be sacrificed.”
“He may have answers; Nethys doesn’t take sacrifices. This is very strange.” Brodert turned a picked up the medallion, studying the crude carving on its surface before speaking to them.
“The appearance of the Sihedron Rune is of great importance. It is sometimes referred to as “the star.” It is believed that in the past a large stone star held the power of the Sihedron Rune, but it was much too powerful to exist. The stone star was cracked into seven pieces to keep its great power out of the hands of the runelords. I hesitate in telling you this simply because it is unverified and unfounded; the myth is based on a large stone that was found, considered to be one of the pieces of this shattered star. However, we do not know if this symbol will bode well or ill for us. It’s reappearance…I’d hate to think of what other things could be awakening, as well.”
For the first time, Snubs speaks up, “We have a mysterious power underground and a mysterious symbol; could one be fueling the other?”
Brodert’s reaction was half laugh and half gasp, as he swung around his desk, fingers scrolling over the titles of the books behind it. He frees the book from the shelf in a cloud of dust, flipping first to the index, then to a yellowed page. “Runewells. The runelords had runewells – some lesser, some major – that they kept underground as sources of power. However, none of the runelords used the Sihedron Rune. There were seven of them, each dominating a different style of magic; today those are known as the seven schools of magic – evocation, necromancy, divination, and so on – and each had a different rune or symbol associated with them. The region was split between them, though most of Varisia fell under the subject of one.
“As you know, I’ve been studying the Old Light, which I believe to have been a defense mechanism on the border between two runelords. It is possible that runewells would lie among this border as well, though it would be rare to have such a great source of power so near to an enemy…If a runewell was brought back to power, the amount of destruction it could cause could be catastrophic. One of these, even a lesser one, could collapse the tower, but if left alone to its own devices, it could rip a hole through the hinterlands, stretching miles…perhaps even to Sandpoint.
“Anyways, let’s stick to what we know for sure: troglodytes normally keep to their own; they should have never left the marsh, They must have been run out by the goblins. Troglodytes are much more organized and clever; only organized goblins in a great number could have overtaken them. The troglodytes have been a natural deterrent to the goblins, keeping the roads south of Sandpoint safer; the first step for goblins to secure the marsh would be to overtake the troglodytes. There are too many variables to know what they may do now. The Sheriff should be warned, farmers made aware, perhaps signs posted along the road…”
Tansy could appreciate his interest in this ancient culture, especially with his overwhelming belief of danger. Normally, this would give her pause: she had heard dozens of myths and fairy tales to know exaggeration when she heard it; however, the man in front of her seemed too practical to be given over to tales, too learned to belief unfounded myths, and too sharp to fall for half-truths. Despite what may be happening in the hinterlands, he was correct: the immediate course of action had to be the safety of the town, especially with many travelers coming in for the Festival.
When she broke free of her thoughts, Brodert was walking towards her, leather pouch clinking in his hands. “Thank you for going with them; keep them safe…out of anything they can’t handle, yes?” He winked as he slipped two platinum pieces into her pouch, his body blocking any wandering eyes. He turned to the desk, flipping through a few books; as Tansy looked at her companions, Sabacen nodded, and began walking towards the door. Snubs followed him, so Tansy did, too, checking behind her for Zevran, who sauntered through the corridor behind her.
The sun peaked through the clouds as they exited, discussing their plans on the stoop.