Chapter 5: Blingdenstone

Dustin dives to Stool side, "She is down Heart, she is down." He then looks to Cemos pleadingly, "Can you do something for him ?" Dustin ransacks his own pack looking for healing potions.

Feeling the weight of the dead medusa on her sword and hearing Dustin say she's down Heartboiler rips off her blindfold and gets down on a knee, helping Cemos off her shoulders. As she gets up she looks around, taking in the results of the fight. First her eyes fall on Cloudstrike and she lifts it up so she can pull the heart of the tip, then shakes the lifeless drow off of it. She looks at the heart in her hand for a second, mumbling I never had a woman's heart before...
She then looks at her spirit warriors, wanting to thank them for their help before they disappear. Eldreth? How did you....? Stonemuncher, did you do this? I like it! Thank you three for helping us fight this evil bitch, it was.... She realises all of them are looking at something and she turns to see what it is. Flashes of screamed words flit through her brain as she sees the still form of Stool, suddenly connecting the dots. She lets out a very loud angry roar, tilting her head up at "the sky" and clenching her hands into tight fists, crushing the heart she was still holding, as she knows that for the second time today she has failed to protect all members of the group.

Bildaweer drops the crystal to the floor. The clatter echoes through his ears. He hears nothing else. Tears well up into his eyes and he walks slowly over to the fallen Stool. Dustin . . . He puts a hand on Dustin's shoulder and looks to Cemos hoping that he can something.

Cemos looking at the lifeless body of poor stool knows all to well that he is beyond his powers of healing. As he looks to the others he trys to not let it show that he knows this is fatal. As he runs over to shroom he kneels down by him and puts stools head into his lap. come on lad don't.... don't go.

Hr begins to chant in dwarven
dumathoin please hear us. We need your help!...i...i need your help. Cemos lowers his head.

Is there a chance, any chance that your people could bring him back Bildaweer ? Thank you for trying Cemos.
Dustin is crying his tears falling down his chin.

My little brother.

We will find out. I am sure there is a cleric among my people. Bildaweer says softly. Bildaweer looks at the throne.

Heartboilers rage ends with her roar, a defeated sigh falling from her lips as her spirits fade away. Deep inside her heart she feels a small surge of bubbling happiness for the won battle, but its drowned out by the sorrow. She turns away from the group, not knowing how to mourn the way they do. She tears one of the tapestries from the window and takes out her waterskin, sitting down against the wall of the room with crossed legs. Carefully she lets water run over Cloudstrike, using part of the tapestry to rub off any stains of blood and dirt the water didn't wash off, then another part to wipe it dry.

While methodically working on washing Cloudstrike, like the Storm Giant Aobfius asked her to do, she mumbles very softly, almost as if she's talking to the sword. Aobfius, I don't know what to do. I'm failing at protecting them, two have died today! I am bringing shame upon the Kalagiano name and shame upon you too, for you asked me to protect them. What did I do wrong? What could I've done to protect them better? I didn't see them when they were attacked... If only I could've seen them and provided them with the shield...
She mumbles a bit more to herself until the sword is all clean. Then she just sits there, staring blankly ahead, overthinking every move in the last two fights. After a while she sighs heavily, looking back at the others surrounding Stool. She gets back up on her feet and slowly moves over to them.

Mushroom boy was a good fighter, I wish I could've been better at protecting him. We should move, we have another task here in Rockblight. We need to find Udhask and bring to Jadger and Glyphic. Could he be the man with the crystal?

No, I checked the gnome who had the crystal is different from the one we were looking for. I have to bring Stool to a priest. Is there anything we need to do Cemos ? Don't worry I will use my own funds to try and bring him back.

nerver mind the coin lad if there is anything to be done about it i am sure we can all find a way to help. We should bring back proof of the medusa death. I suggest we cut her head off, it also may come in handy later.

Dustin lifts Stool up and says, "I will carry him."

He puts Stool in a firemans carry over one shouder.

Thank you Georges He looks to the others, Can we go back to check and see if we can bring our comrade back ?

Aye. I believe it was Glyphic who told us to go into the catacombs in the first place. Let's go.

Cemos cuts the head off of the medusa and puts it into his bag. lets go collect the bounty on this and see to stool. Do we have anyway to preserve the body. We need not worry about it now but soon it might be an issue. cemos thinks for a bit.Perhaps the priest of this place may have some things we can use. Dustin lets not forget to ask before we leave.

Cemos walks over to dustin and pulls him to the side. I need to let you know something. I have had many dealings with the dead and know a little about how to care for them. It was known among my people's that a willing soul could return to its body should it choose to but this process could only be performed buy an extremely powerful cleric. While i have never seen the rituals performed to return the soul to the body it was common knowledge in my order that if tge soul was not returned to the body within 10 days that it would be impossible to perform. There are ways to extend that deadline but those magics are beyond me. I am sorry friend but i thought yiu should know the full scope of the situation we find ourselves in. If we can't persevere the body with magic or find a powerful cleric within 10 days stool...
Stool will be gone.

Dustin nods, Stool and I talked, I know part of him wished to rejoin the earth if he died. Another part of him wanted to see the sun. I will respect his wishes. It is like losing a little brother to me though. I hate this Cemos, so much death I should have dove over him, let her blade strike me not him. He is an innocent in all this. Eldreth and now Stool my heart is heavy my friend.

Heartboiler shakes her head, a surprised look on her face, thinking for a few seconds but then speaking to the others in a slightly angry voice. You are planning on trying to bring Mushroomboy back from the dead? But he died the most honourable death imaginary! He died while fighting to keep his friends safe! And you are willing to take that away from him?! Do you really think he would want that?! I know it's painful to lose someone, trust me, I know. But it gets better, we survive this! You can't let your own pain rule over the pride and honour that Mushroomboy deserves now​. I am proud of him, more than ever before and you should be too! Respect him and his death, don't defile it with your own sorrow!