With his lungs starting to ache and his muscles starting to give he made one big concerted effort. Bjorn saw the skirmisher was struggling and dove down to assist.
AID YOUR ALLY (Bjorn) - Miss
PAY THE PRICE - Remaining ammunition lost
FACE DANGER (Luiden) - Strong Hit
Luiden ignored the splayed form of the scout thrashing to his side and the arrows floating past to the bottom and just kept on kicking and pushing. Just when he thought he was sure to pass out he broke the surface with a tremendous gasp of precious air. The stone remained heavy and submerged, though, and he called for those on the raft to pull it aboard. Williarth and Kabeera began to squabble over who should oblige and the raft rocked threateningly as they tried to maneuver around each other. Eventually the bard agreed, approached the edge of the raft on all fours and reached for the stone.
FACE DANGER - Weak Hit
The raft tilted under his weight and his front half splashed into the cold water, but he kept just enough wits about him to get an arm around the stone and hoist it on board. As the scout and the skirmisher swam the raft back to shore Williarth realised he'd lost his favourite quill in the effort, but nobody was willing to return for it.
Back on the shore they caught their breath and considered their route back. They were in pretty poor shape and desperate to avoid any further contention. Kabeera was nominated to lead them out in a stealthy manner.
ESCAPE THE DEPTHS (Shadow) - Weak Hit (-3 Spirit)
ENDURE STRESS (Kabeera) - Miss (Shaken) with Complication (10)
ENDURE STRESS (Luiden) - Strong Hit
ENDURE STRESS (Williarth) - Weak Hit
ENDURE STRESS (Bjorn) - Weak Hit
COMPLICATION - Someone goes missing (Mayatanay)
The way back out was extremely stressful. The forest didn't seem any less threatening by the light of the stone - which was still encumberingly heavy - and avoiding the perils they'd struggled through previously taxed confidence and morale all round. Luiden fared better by focusing on his morbid gains. Kabeera, however, entered a state of shock the very second the adrenaline subsided after emerging from the tanglewood. Whilst the rest breathed a sigh of blessed relief she fell deathly quiet and wouldn't utter a word for hours.
The journey back to the Fortress that Catches Tears was thankfully uneventful and at points the canopy above shone green in the evening sunlight. The settlement came into sight and they stopped to appreciate the sight, each of them a sodden, torn, hungry, cold state.
Luiden took the opportunity to fill the others in on his vow to destroy the Moonshard Stone, stressing that this thing was considered dangerous beyond the veil and that that was nothing to be taken lightly. Concern grew among the party about simply handing it over to the elves. Plans were hatched, brain-stormed and thrown about haphazardly by the weary adventurers. One that particularly got Williarth's back-up was the notion of sneaking into the fortress first to gain some intelligence on the matter; he pointed out that not one of them was any good at infiltration and rifled through his notes of the quest so far to prove it.
Ultimately it all boiled down to the single elf they had a chance of being able to trust - Mayatanay. She'd been detained pending the retrieval of the stone, so little chance speaking with her before delivering it. Williarth had an idea though. He ripped off a scrap of parchment and scrawled a note to Mayatanay to be delivered by raven. It informed of Artiga's passing and their success in retrieving the stone and asked her what they might need to know about it's power. Quoth flew to the settlement with it tied to a leg and the party waited out of sight for its return.
Kabeera, a bit more together now but clearly still not quite right, almost casually enquired about trying use the Moonshard Stone to bring Artiga back. The notion was met with enthusiastic horror and refusal. She left the group in something of a huff and resolved to seek counsel from the crows. She cleared a flattish space of bare earth, picked up a few dead leaves and pricked her finger to bleed upon them. She cast them into the air and as they fluttered to the ground the black birds fluttered to the tree branches all around her until there was no clear room for any more. She whispered her enquiry as a tear rolled down her cheek, less than optimistic that the wisdom of the crows could possibly thwart death.
AUGUR - Weak Hit
The birds were not sympathetic nor comforting. She looked all around her at the cold, black, glassy eyes regarding her and felt impressions emanating at her ... a lost thing ... a thing to be found ... in a place and at a time ... the time was not set yet but it was a sad place ... a crying ... room? ... a chamber ... a chamber of tears ... and it was at that point that the crows dispersed as quickly as they had gathered leaving her mystified.
After a couple of hours Quoth returned to them. It still had the note attached and no response had been added. Williarth claimed that something must be wrong with Mayatanay but the others suspected a duff raven was more likely.
In the time that they'd been waiting they'd fixed upon an agreed course of action. They buried the Moonshard stone - which was not an easy feat given that their only tools were a couple of knives and a spear - then subtly marked the nearest tree. They then proceeded to the gates of the settlement and were soon greeted by Rafiki from the wall flanked, as always, by armed guards. He bade them give news on their vow, noting that not all of them that had left were returned. Williarth explained that Artiga nobly sacrificed his life for the party and for the quest. He confirmed that they had retrieved the Moonshard Stone but feared that it was extruding toxic magic and should not be returned to civilisation as is. He appealed for Rafiki to charge it to his wisest seers for purification and for the beleaguered party to be allowed to sojourn for the night before leading them to the stone the following morning.
COMPEL - Weak Hit
Rafiki was convinced and pleased at the partial success, but again he wouldn't be persuaded into favour so easily. He granted them hospitality but on the understanding that they were to report to him the following morning for another service he needed to be fulfilled. The group were getting a bit sick of this, but anything to get fed and warmed and rested. The gates opened and they traipsed inside. Luiden employed his 'simple southerner' routine as they sought provisions and accommodation.
SOJOURN (Luiden) - Strong Hit
Kabeera - Hearten and Plan
Luiden - Equip and Provision
FOCUS (Provision) - Weak Hit
Williarth - Recuperate and Consort
Bjorn - Consort and Provision
Luiden spent hours re-stocking their supplies - rations, bedding (including a hammock!), clothing, medicines, rope, torches, a complete shopping list worthy of any quest. Bjorn lent a hand, but was soon distracted by the smell of burning intoxicants and slunk away to lose himself to narcotics. Kabeera found a quiet place to meditate and pray for Artiga's soul. It troubled her that he would not receive a proper burial so she performed a small private ritual by herself to bid him farewell and gain closure. Williarth, meanwhile, got his wounds treated and found his own solitude in which to practice his music. He soon found himself singing a mournful lament for Artiga and attracted a hndful of spectators. After he'd finished they enquired about the fallen hero and he took some comfort in regaling them of the man's final story.