Nope ! I won't go ahead until these creatures are slayed or at least visible.

Let's them come to us !

I just realized that since there are three dwarves behind us, it must look funny as we walk - two tall, fully armoured paladins and behind them three dwarves. Also given their height, just imaged where your "summoned creatures" probably ended up - right in their faces!

Kyp - Dwarf Ranger
Healing potion
Magical bow that turns arrows to fire arrows
2 handed axe magic i think

Normal bow and a brodsword if i am carrying to much drop the bow then the sword if still to much

Also no spells afaik

59 - Cicatrix - Southern side tunnel, turn 7

With three people tangled up on the ground, Cicatrix sees a possible chance to bypass this mess and tries to go forward past them, levitating if she has to. Aware that the ghouls are probably just ahead of them her scimitar is ready and her whistle is in her hand.

If she can get past all the other adventurers and the ghouls are withing striking distance, she'll blow her whistle and prepare to assault the undead. If it becomes obvious that she will not be able to bypass the others, then she'll repocket the whistle and fall back, trying to remain inconspicuous.

I hope it's not metagaming, but after checking out the other tunnels, I think it might be a good idea to buff us in advance, since it seems hags and other types of witches are quite powerful and we don't know what we'll encounter and being able to reflect spells or at least resist them from the beginning could greatly turn the fight in our favour.

OOC: We easily dealt with the two ghouls we encountered (killing them on turn 6). Do you have reason to believe there's more ghouls ahead? I personally expect us to encounter the source of "the cackle" next.

If you do have reason to believe there's more ghouls coming, then please carry on. Otherwise it might be worth rereading the last few turns ( turn 5, turn 6, turn 7 and mini-update) and editing your post?

I do think you should've been able to move past us all, as there was a 2 minute gap without any of us in the side corridor, which by itself should've been plenty of time for you to walk past, and then the four companions tangled in a heap with me exiting the portal and focusing on them, and only then us getting back in formation.

I make no guarantee for our actions if we suddenly see a drow ahead of us in the tunnel, but if you're hurrying ahead, who knows...? You can get quite far in 2+ minutes.

The Reflect spells (Projectiles and Spells) target only 1 person and last for 5 minutes though. We have no way of knowing what is ahead and who (if) will get targeted. The cackling could be literally anything. But I could buff the frontline just in case since I still have 5 spell casts remaining. So I could cast Reflect Spells on both you and Babargh if you want it. Might be a bit overkill with the Globe though.

Yeah, that is a short duration. Maybe 5 minutes could be more battle turns compared to normal turns where we just walk somewhere (as fighting is faster than walking)?

Since we don't know how long it'll take before we reach the cackling (now cursing) - I think it will be the next turn, but the question is whether we'll be attacked right away or not - I'll leave it up to you to decide whether you want to cast the spells now or when we reach the cacklers, or after the next Turn is posted so we know what we're exactly up against. I think it's a better idea to cast it on me and Bler, rather than Babargh, since we're going to be the first two to charge forward, and more likely to be hit with spells than Babargh who is behind us. Hopefully if we have Reflect Spells, it acts first rather than the Globe (so spells are reflected, rather than absorbed by the Globe) - or we could walk more ahead in that case and have you and Max be protected by it, while we'd reflect any spells thrown at us. I'll ask Doc about how it stacks.

Are you sure it is 5 minutes and not 5 turns?
Minutes seems an odd measure here.

** TURN 8 **

Southern main tunnel:

41 - Zayd ibn Yasin - Human Ranger moves forward towards the cackling. He sees an adjoining tunnel on the left. Straight ahead is a large opening and you can see movement in the room around what looks like a cooking pot. The smell that assaults your nostrils is foul.
You fire at one of the shapes moving *rolls dice* two arrows hit true but just bounce away harmlessly, you hear a loud 'pfft'. You start walking backwards towards the main group, an arrow at the ready.

80 - Eranear - Elf Paladin moves forward with the group, stood at the front of the party. You see a ranger backtracking fast ahead of you. The smell from ahead is rank, you can also see an adjoining tunnel on the left. You sense great evil in front of you. There is an opening with creatures moving around a large cooking pot.

52 - Roark - Elven Druid your summoned spider disappears before it reaches the cackling.

70 - Thras - Dwarven Mage casts Detect Secrets on the goblet he is holding. *rolls dice* Nothing happens but the smell from the liquid within is quite enticing.

2 - SmartyFartBlart - Human Paladin announces to the party that he too will summon a creature - before letting out a loud fart. He looks quite pleased with himself.

43 - Svartalf - Dwarven Battlemage moves with the party, a ready spell on his lips.

9 - Max, son of Fulvus - Dwarven Thief holds back.

* Some confusion noticed, reflect spells last 5 turns, not 5 minutes*

The Bugbear and Holy Guardian go charging into the room ahead, it is hard for the party to see exactly what happens but the cackling is louder than ever. *rolls dice*

48 - Babargh - Dwarven Cleric feels his Holy Guardians life force snuffed out.

70 - Thras - Dwarven Mage can no longer feel the presence of his Bugbear.

A haggard voice calls out "Than'you for the nice eats, what else do yous have for the pot?"

28 - Triock Ulagolor - Elven Paladin moves back to the main tunnel though he is behind the party of adventurers.

"Welp, seems like this particular Human Ranger needs a better bow" Zayd said to the at-ready party.

Triock Ulagolor, Elven Paladin, too proud to take anything other than his starting equipment, having cast only 1 spell so far (to cure disease on a dwarven thief), stares silently at the vortex for a few minutes. "Hmm, doesn't look like a good idea", he says and decides to go back to the main tunnel.

Oh dear. A great evil is evidently up ahead.

Ok, since we know Reflect spells (and my recently cast Globe of Protection) will last 5 turns, and we know that there is evil up ahead, who should go ahead and do something.

It is my idea to go ahead far enough to get within range/approx line of sight of whatever is up ahead, and cast Ball of Holy Light at it. Usually it is a spell used against undead, but since whatever is up ahead is evil, bathing it in powerful holy light should have some useful effect, better than apparently bugbears, Holy Guardians with physical attacks, and arrows.

Does someone have a more suitable attack? Or maybe an attack we can do in conjunction with each other, while still hopefully keeping a safe distance?

** TURN 8 **

Southern side tunnel:

59 - Cicatrix - Drow Ranger *rolls dice* rushes past the surprised adventurers as they try to untangle themselves. She sees that the tunnel turns right just ahead of her.

29 - Og'rialt - Dwarf Brigand throws a book How to make friends and influence people to Beldarion. You suggest to leave the Vortex behind and get into formation. A Drow rushes past you towards the end of the tunnel and that is the direction you start moving to.

29 - Og'rialt - Dwarf Brigand has found a silver backed mirror which is an artifact of power.

29 - Og'rialt - Dwarf Brigand earns the achievement *Artifact Two*

35 - Aslain Melemir - Elven Thief moves into formation while checking for traps.

15 - Says Beldarion - Human Warrior asks Og'rialt for an explanation of what happened while getting into formation, annoyed that the Drow slipped past.

22 - Kip - Halfling Brigand warns against trusting the skull.

5 - Dunward - Human Mage returns to formation while wondering aloud about this mysterious library.

72 - Darrim - Dwarf Warrior hearing voices turns left back towards the central chamber.