Briny seems shaken, looking around for any more threatening shadows. "I agree, we need to leave this place. At least until we are... better prepared."
She heads over to Hex, prepared to help carry her out of necessary.

"I'm alright Briny, I can stand. Just... give me a sec. Can you... can you carry my stuff for me? I don't think I've the strength to do that." After a few moments of just laying on the floor, breathing deeply and calming herself, Hex manages to pull herself up with some effort. She's ready to leave as soon as possible.

OOC: Ready to advance once the next action is confirmed (i.e., if the party is indeed leaving, where are they heading to, and what is their next course of action?)

Sylyra picks up Uragum's pack and allows the wizard to lean on him as they move back out of the chamber. As soon as they are back in the archives, Sylyra sighs, remembering how long it took them to get to where they are. He looks at Briny. "I could take the form of a horse to allow Uragum and Hex to ride. Do you think you can find our way back?"

Briny started picking up Hex's gear but stops at the idea. "Um, I can try. Can you make it past the fallen bookshelves as a horse? Or should we climb over those first?" She starts picking stuff up again, not really willing to linger no matter what option they choose for leaving. She gathers her thoughts and tries to remember which way they had come from to get back to the room with the dead scholar.

Straight roll: 13 +0 for investigation, +1 for Perception, or +2 for History

OOC: It wouldn't be difficult at all to backtrack to the room where the party discovered Garda. It was a short distance between that room and the entrance to the basement chamber that you're currently in. If the party consensus is to backtrack to that room, I'll resolve and advance.

We want to leave the archive completely.

(Do we know if there is another entrance to the archives? If not, maybe we could lock the door and hope the killer doesn't escape another way while we take a long rest. Also, after leaving the archives, we should probably head to Cassra and let her know what happened.)

OOC: The party is probably familiar enough with the layout of the Archives by this point to know that there are multiple entrances to the Archives, but as far as you know there is only the this one entrance to this lower section that you've entered and fought with the shadows.

I also did some quick math (subtracted the excess weight of Hex and Uragum's inventory from the remaining capacity of Briny and Sylyra) to ensure that all of their equipment could be carried. It's close, but within Briny and Sylyra's carrying capacity without the need for any magical or outside assistance.

Hauling your weakened and exhausted companions, you depart the Archive's basement and pick your way through fallen shelves and bookcases. Eventually, you find a path less disturbed by the wreckage, and locate a set of stairs leading back upward into the main floor of Mantor's Library.

The scene of four adventurers emerging into the Library proper, covered in dust with two individuals appearing on death's door, causes a bit of a stir, and you hear a familiar voice call out from not too far away where Cassra Brandywine sits being attended to by a few of the Library's scribes. She winces as her arm is wrapped with bandages. "What in the hells happened? It hasn't been but a half an hour, and you two look like you've aged a century!" she shouts worriedly.

OOC: Ready to advance once the next action is taken.

Sylyra scowls. "We haven't time for your disapproval. We need a healer."

(Oop I forgot to hit post again. Sorry for the late reply haha. I suppose the best we can do is try to lock/block the entrance to the lower section then.)

Hex manages a small apologetic smile. "Ah, we encountered some shadowy creatures. We were unprepared and they sapped the strength out of Uragum and I. As much as we'd like to continue the search, we can't. Not in this condition. Not without dying, most like." She waddles up closer to Cassra and takes a peek at her arm. "How's your arm doing?"

Briny takes a moment to set down some of the heavier gear that she has been holding on their way out of the archive. "I'm sorry we couldn't bring... we just didn't have any way to carry more... If you send anyone back to that room, just make sure they go in a group. For safety."

Sylyra scowls at Briny and looks to question her, but then he appears to understand, and he looks away, his face softening a little. "We're not saying we can't go back," the elf says, sounding almost defensive. "We just need a healer first."

"O-of course," Cassra stammers, surprised by the harshness of Sylyra's tone. She nods to the scribes near her and they shift to focus on the party.

Cassra shrugs to Hex, then winces when the shrug disturbs her not-yet-fully slinged arm. "It will heal. I'd rather suffer a broken arm than whatever ill effects you've drawn from these...shadows. Had I gone further with you, I may not have survived."

"I understand if you need to rest and heal, of course. I just wish it did not mean our thief and murderer did not get away," Cassra says, her head hanging low.

After a bit of care, the scribe seeing to Uragum tells the party, "I'm afraid there is not much else we can do. You don't bear many visible wounds. Whatever is sapping your strength seems...unnatural. I don't know if there is a healer in Phlan that would know how to handle this."

Hex lets out a sigh as the scribe says there's nothing they can do. "I guess the only thing we can do is rest." She looks to Cassra again, her apologetic look deepening. "We truly are sorry, Cassra but don't worry. We'll keep doing our best to catch the killer." 

When everyone is ready, Hex will want to just go back to the inn and knock out in her bed.

OOC: Waiting for some more confirmation that the party is ready before advancing.

Did Sylyra see any rats or other creatures in the archives that he could question?

"Yes..., rest," Uragum manages to get out wearily.  "And food.  Rest first."

Briny picks up the gear again. "Yes, If this can't be healed then it likely has to be recovered from. We had better head back. Should we let you know where we are staying?" She looks at the others and if it seems they agree she will share that information with Cassra.