Triock Ulagolor, Elven Paladin, steps into the southern side tunnel and starts looking around. "So that's where they leads, interesting", he mumbles for himself and heads towards the opened door on the left. "Let's see what's all this ruckus about?"

Distant voices can be heard from the left, "that will be other adventurers", he thinks. Darrim decides to go in that direcion, paying attention where he steps.

I'll join you my dear sir.

*knocks a arrow* shoots down the tunnel to light up the tunnel to see what is down there

I'll proceed past the portcullis with the diminutive but distinguished cleric and the cyborg.

** Mini Update **

Southern main tunnel:

52 - Roark - Elven Druid sends his spider ahead towards the cackling.

69 - Rudy Human Ranger stays to the back of the group, longbow ready.

70 - Thras - Dwarven Mage casts Magic Shield upon himself and sends his Bugbear ahead (just ahead of the group or to tackle the cackling voices, I don't know).

48 - Babargh - Dwarven Cleric summons a Holy Guardian and sends it ahead with the Bugbear (again I don't know how far forward you are sending it).

28 - Triock Ulagolor - Elven Paladin moves into the side tunnel to investigate what all the noise is about.

The group as a whole move forward past the portcullis. 9 - Max, son of Fulvus - Dwarven Thief suggests you spread out in case of magical attacks. He moves to the side by the wall.

* as stated this is just a mini update for now to help me keep on top of things *

** I would like everyone to post any new equipment/ loot they have and also how many spells they have cast. If you have a summoned creature, please say what turn you summoned it **

Svartalf - Dwarven Battlemage

Equipment - same as at the start. Mithril Chainmail, 1-handed Warhammer of Smiting (breaks through armors and shields) and 2x Cure Disease Potion

Spells - Dispel Magic, Reflect Spells, Reflect Missiles, Magic Shield, Fireball. I cast 3 spells so far - 1x Fireball and 2x Magic Shield (if the one on Eranear is decided).

Doc said you can have the spell back, so you have 3 spell casts left, as I said I'd use the offer only if I was opening the portcullis alone, which I wasn't. :)

Thanks. I also checked chat from the beginning of the game and I was wrong. Battlemage has 5 spells which can be cast 7 times in total. So I should be a bit more liberal with them, especially the protective ones :P

Zayd ibn Yasin moves forward the crackling sound. If he detects something he'll shoot his arrows. If he deemed it's something powerful, confidence with his agility he'll track back while keep shooting luring them towards the crowd..

** Mini Update **

Southern side tunnel:

35 - Aslain Melemir - Elven Thief shoots an arrow into the vortex. It clatters into the tunnel 5 feet further up. You hear a disembodied voice shout "HEY!"

15 - Says Beldarion - Human Warrior with a deep breath he jumps into the vortex.

35 - Aslain Melemir - Elven Thief fires three more arrows into the vortex. He then steps into the vortex.

5 - Dunward - Human Mage casts Levitate on himself before floating into the vortex.

22 - Kip - Halfling Brigand not wanting to be left behind he steps into the vortex.

*Two minutes pass*

All four companions come stumbling out of thin air 5 feet further up the tunnel from the vortex, tripping over each other and crumpling into a heap by the wall.
Three arrows hit the wall above where they are, one of them has a note attached to it.

35 - Aslain Melemir - Elven Thief examines the note - There is a picture of a grinning skull and a message scrawled underneath 'shoot anymore bloody arrows into here and I will bite your face off, you understand me Chief?'

29 - Og'rialt - Dwarf Brigand steps back out of the vortex to see his companions all entangled a bit further up the tunnel.

* as stated this is just a mini update for now to help me keep on top of things *

** I would like everyone to post any new equipment/ loot they have and also how many spells they have cast. If you have a summoned creature, please say what turn you summoned it **

And you'll have them back on turn 10 (or was it on turn 11?), so there's plenty of casting you can still do, since you have 2 turns before you get them back! :) Originally I suspected the cackling might be coming from some kind of a madman who can cast magic or witches, so we'll see what it will be. But since it turned out there are more people there, I think it might be witches.

By the way, the mace doesn't prove a set bonus, unfortunately, but it's even better at smiting undead than my sword is!

How many turns do your Magic Shield and Reflect Spells last? It might be a good idea to prepare in advance in case we are facing angry enemies up ahead, since it's not just one person cackling like I had originally thought.

Elven Paladin

Equipped: Full plate armour, glowing mace that's catastrophic against undead, 1x magic shield (reflect normal missiles, protect against Ghoul and Wight special attacks, seethrough), 1x health potion.
1x magic sword effective against undead, sheathed, and a normal shield on my back
Spells: 2x heal, 2x cure disease, 1x resurrect

I go ahead with the group at the front/middle (ahead of Kip and backline members), but behind the summons, so that the summons can first scout out the situation. If I encounter good creatures, I apologize to them for Roark's actions, explaining he was most likely expecting more enemies and offer my healing to heal what Roark had done. If I sense evil creatures and they try to attack me physically, I attack them and try to manouever so that I'm not flanked, perhaps assisting the summons if it makes sense. However I try to keep in line with the party, so that it's easier for us not to get flanked.

I say to Roark, "Why do you curse at them, what if they are simply good or neutral creatures angry at having been attacked by a lightning storm out of nowhere? I disagree with such actions, we should first see if there are enemies up ahead before attacking." (I had actually misread what you had written, I thought you were casting a lightning bolt, not a storm, haha!)

29 - Og'rialt - Dwarf Brigand, southern side tunnel

Og'rialt looks at his companions slowly standing up and dusting themselves off, and shakes his head. "Can't leave you people alone for more than a moment, eh? Still, it looks like you were coming after me, which was stupid, but all the same, appreciated."
"Aslain, you have my apologies for slightly shortening your rope. Next time we try this, we should tie a ribbon around the middle of it."
I toss a book titled "How to make friends and influence people" at Beldarion. "Here, I think you can benefit from reading this."

"Now, err, I suggest we leave this portal alone. There's sadly no exit that way, and I might have angered the being on the other side just a wee bit. Though from the looks of it...", and here Og'rialt looks at the note attached to the arrow, "I was not the only one."
Considering the arrows, Og'rialt fixes Aslain with a hard stare, "...and I might have to reconsider the bit about your actions being appreciated."

"Now, let's get back in formation, and tackle the cackle. When we've done so, I might be able to get us out safely, even if the details of it all haven't quite come together yet."

I move back into the now familiar formation, heading further down the side tunnel, away from the central chamber, keeping my eyes out for any sign of danger.

Equipment gained since the beginning of the game:
one-handed axe with an ice rune set in the blade, 2x healing potion, 2 emeralds, a book and a mirror

Spells cast on me:
Magic Shield (in turn 7, by Dunward)

Roark - Elven Druid

Equipment - I have a staff, 2 x healing potion, 1 x cure poison potion and 1 x cure disease potion

Spells - I have Resurrect, Cure Poison, Entangle, Charm Animals, Lightning Storm, Summon Spider, Daylight, and Poison Dart. So far I have cast Summon Spider and Lightning storm. I cast Summon Spider on Turn 2, so I'm not sure how much longer it will last. Hopefully it can get some hits in on those cacklers.