(I'm touched. :))

74 - Yeenwi - Drow Necromancer

I have cast Death Armour twice (last one was at the beginning of Turn 7), Control Undead also twice and Summon Undead again on Turn 7.

Yeenwi listens to the arguments of the other party members and then says:

"I'm all for attacking the Hag, but there is one small problem: we have no idea where she went or how to get there. Let's pretend we were in the Hag's shoes for a moment. Here she is, this very powerful Witch, trapped for who knows how long in a room with a single exit, protected by a ward she can't break. She has to survive somehow, so she needs to eat. The ward prevents her from getting out, but that doesn't mean, she can't bring something (or someone) in the room to be her dinner. My guess is that red slab could be a either a trap left by her or more likely, a teleport that can transport people into the room, not out of it! I'm all for trying to send something through it, but with caution and preferably an expendable creature or elemental. Of course, if someone has an appropriate spell for something similar, I'd say casting it would be preferable.

All that said, the paintings in the left room should be explored in more detail. Same thing goes for them, as for the red slab, we should try to send something expendable to see if it's safe to or even possible to cross into a painting and then back. It could well be that the rooms are connected and this leads to whomever cast the protective spell on the right door.

I could cast some Doom Scarabs and try to send them in one of the paintings, but they are flesh-eating, more of an attack spell and I'm not sure, if they wouldn't try to eat some of you instead. Hence my proposition of trying to send an elemental or some other creature. I can't summon another undead until Turn 11.

What do you think?"

"Would you have a connection with the elemental? I mean, would you be able to see or feel whatever is on the other side of the red wall?

In any case, that's a safest course of action than just inspecting it ourselves."

~~~~~~~~~~
Siegfried the Human Paladin

"No idea, my area of expertise are the undead. Being able to see or feel through them is more like part 2 of the plan, seeing whether the elemental or creature even survives contact with the red slab is part 1."

Gilius to going to send his stone elemental into the red slab. We'll see what happens to it and if it can report back its findings.

Haha, yes indeed! :) I actually suspected he would appear in our tunnel after he disappeared with the hag and I learned it's hags in front of us (where else to go than join her fellow hags!). :D

Don't worry though, I think we have the battle covered. I suspect the witch teleported there, rather than used a secret tunnel/teleporting device, but you'll see what happens when you check out the red slab. I'm curious myself. Unless I misread and she disappeared before reaching the slab, I felt like she disappeared from the middle of the room, which would point to teleport.

Current Actions Summary:

38 - ZyloxDragon - Roy Jenks - Half-Orc Battemage
Coughing out the smoke, and shaking his head at the ruins of one magical item, Roy will take a closer inspection at the painting he holds in his hands.

25 - BenKii - BenKii - Human Warrior
I walk inside the right room and inspect/loot the body in the corner looking for anything useful or something to identify
who he or she was while thinking to myself "Please don't be Roosevelt". I grab some hunks of flesh off the body and a few bones off the ground. I then move outside the right room just to the side of the entrance and wait to see if a mage or thief can disarm the red slab. If their attempts fail or no one tries to act against the red slab, I then tell everyone, "Everyone, move out of the room. I'm going to try and throw this bone at the glowy wall to see what it does." I then throw the bone at the red slab and hide behind the wall. If the bone goes through the slab or it disarms the trap or someone else manages to disarm it then I walk through/in the wall and inspect what is inside with shield raised ready for anything.

58 - FlockeSchnee - Tanea - Halfling Shaman
The Ice Elementals makes to move towards the main chamber to look if the rats are (still) there, but he will proably disappear before he can actually move. EDIT: If he actually can do that before he vanishes, he will send Tanea another picture of what he sees. And of course he will know to avoid that acid trap, because Tanea thought about it when thinking about the rats and the way down to the main chamber.
Tanea looks closely at the muddy prints. Can she make out what creature left them?
EDIT2: Tanea looks a the painting/s she can see, does the scenery look familiar? (Since Web/Roy is holding the painting from the right wall, she will probably not be able to see it.)
Then Tanea turns to Web and asks incredulous "Why are you carrying that around?" And to everyone in the room: "What is it with you and these paintings? Are you even aware you were about to suffocate in here?!"

4 - sasuke12 - Strigon - Drow Necromancer
I, Strigon, Drow Necromancer, have cast the Death armour spell twice so far.
So what is the new group consensus ? Explore the two rooms and the paintings or go further into the tunnel ?
I Strigon, drow necromancer goes inside the left room to inspect the paintings.
I make sure to steer clear of the walls that were becoming red on the left side of the tunnel.

63 - Genocide2099 - Fish - Half Orc Berserker
I will also try to search for anything useful in the room. I vote for going deeper inside the right room. That hag's head will make a fine trophy.
I want that hag's head as a trophy! I'll go with the group that wants to fight her.

40 - Pouyou-pouyou - Gilius - Dwarven Druid
Once BenKii has thrown his bone on the slab, I say : "Here, let me disarm it my own way ! Stand back." Then I send my new stone elemental running as fast as possible and trying to crash into the slab to see what happens.
If nothing particular happens, I call Peloquin and ask him if he can look for traps near it. Meanwhile I search the room for anything interesting apart from the slab.
"Is anybody hurt ?"
And what about Shins ??

67 - Testor0 - Rufus - Human Cleric
While keeping an eye on the paintings, Rufus looks at the content of the left room. Is there anything on the wall that was behind the now burned painting? Anything useful to take in the room: some torches for the group? a relic? some treasure?
He grabs his findings if there isn't any risk or trap, and leaves the room.
Rufus asks: "What should we do with the two other painting? Should we take them both with us?"
As a last request (if he doesn't vanish on the current turn), Rufus asks his Guardian to go forward in the tunnel with his torch in order to clear and enlight the way.

45 - phaolo - Loradan - Elven Mage
The tunnel seemed safe for the moment, so Loradan returned to the doors.
He asked both groups if they had found anything useful, then he added:
"We should formulate an attack plan against that witch."
"She surely already recast her magical barrier, so you must not engage her until I'll dispel it."
"Also, she'll probably focus on me now, so any help would be greatly appreciated."
"If you have magic protections of any kind, you'll have to prepare it before the battle. Her spells are powerful and fatal."
"And as you witnessed, she has a supernatural strength too."
"Most importantly, are you orcs and drows willing to fight the Hag with us?"
"It would be ideal to attack her on two fronts."
Loradan decided to cast Detect Secret in both rooms, to reveal if the party missed something important.

57 - ConsulCaesar - Siegfried - Human Paladin
I, uhm, pick up a few bones from the ground (preferibly with some meat left) in case we find wild carnivores.
f messing with the red wall somehow brings us to the Hag, I will protect magic users while they cast their spells against the Hag, then attack the Hag when her magic barriers are down or if everything else fails. But first we need to find Roosevelt and/or the witch.

68 - matterbandit - Peloquin - Dwarven Thief
Something about that left painting next to me gripped my attention. The desolate mountain pass sent a cold breeze my way and that rope bridge swaying gently in the wind was beckoning me to enter the painting and cross it. I resisted the temptation.
I hear Rufus ask, "What should we do with the two other painting? Should we take them both with us?" I inspect the frame to see if it was safe to remove the painting from the left wall. If so, I also inspect the flip side of the painting and the wall it was hanging from. Any revealing details? Was it light enough to carry? Perhaps I could use it as a shield/trap? I cautiously leave the room with the painting, holding it as a shield ahead of me, fearing the Hag was waiting for us. Much to my relief, the Hag was no longer lingering in the tunnel between the two doors. I see Rufus heading further up the tunnel and a handful of souls in the room beyond where the Magic Ward once stood. Where do I go from here?

74 - runnerex - Yeenwi - Drow Necromancer
Yeenwi listens to the arguments of the other party members and then says:
"I'm all for attacking the Hag, but there is one small problem: we have no idea where she went or how to get there. Let's pretend we were in the Hag's shoes for a moment. Here she is, this very powerful Witch, trapped for who knows how long in a room with a single exit, protected by a ward she can't break. She has to survive somehow, so she needs to eat. The ward prevents her from getting out, but that doesn't mean, she can't bring something (or someone) in the room to be her dinner. My guess is that red slab could be a either a trap left by her or more likely, a teleport that can transport people into the room, not out of it! I'm all for trying to send something through it, but with caution and preferably an expendable creature or elemental. Of course, if someone has an appropriate spell for something similar, I'd say casting it would be preferable.
All that said, the paintings in the left room should be explored in more detail. Same thing goes for them, as for the red slab, we should try to send something expendable to see if it's safe to or even possible to cross into a painting and then back. It could well be that the rooms are connected and this leads to whomever cast the protective spell on the right door.
I could cast some Doom Scarabs and try to send them in one of the paintings, but they are flesh-eating, more of an attack spell and I'm not sure, if they wouldn't try to eat some of you instead. Hence my proposition of trying to send an elemental or some other creature. I can't summon another undead until Turn 11.
What do you think?"

Haven't taken turn yet:

76 - Lemon_Curry - Shins A'Hoy - Halfling Thief

** TURN 10 **

Western tunnel:

ATTENTION ALL SPELL CASTERS, as it is turn 10 you get recharge of your spells, meaning that if you had 8 spell casts at the beginning of the game you get another 8 spell casts now plus whatever you had left from before turn 10.

38 - Roy Jenks - Half-Orc Battemage clearing your lungs of smoke, you take a look at the painting you hold. It is in a sturdy wooden frame and the back appears normal. The painting itself still features the swaying long grass and several trees, you are sure you just saw something moving in the branches of one of the trees.
The Halfling Shaman demands to know why you have the painting.

25 - BenKii - Human Warrior enters the right room and inspects the body lying there. You throw a bone at the red slab *rolls dice* it explodes into splinters.

58 - Tanea - Halfling Shaman the Ice Elemental (when was it summoned?) moves back towards the central chamber to look for the giant rats.
You examine the footprints leading from the left room and deep down in your heart know that they are from your rat friends. She looks at the painting Web is holding and the swaying grass looks like a great home for wild animals. She demands to know why he is holding the painting.

4 - Strigon - Drow Necromancer moves into the left room to inspect the remaining painting on the wall. It is of a mountain pass, squinting you are sure you see a small figure gliding of into the distance.

63 - Fish - Half Orc Berserker looks around the left room *rolls dice* but sees nothing of interest. Feels a bloodlust for the Hags head.

40 - Gilius - Dwarven Druid orders his Elemental to charge the red slab. *rolls dice* There is a massive explosion and chunks of Stone Elemental fly in all directions. In place of the red slab is a glowing blue portal.

67 - Rufus - Human Cleric looking around the left room *rolls dice* sees nothing of interest. You ask if you the group should take the two surviving paintings? You send your Holy Guardian (what turn was it summoned?) further up the tunnel with a torch. *rolls dice* Straining your eyes you can just about make out a large wooden door in the guardians torchlight at the end of the tunnel.

45 - Loradan - Elven Mage asks the Drow and Half Orcs whether they are willing to work with everyone else against the Hag?
You cast Detect Secrets in both rooms *rolls dice* in the right room nothing new is highlighted. *rolls dice* In the left room a brick where the burnt painting used to be turns red.

57 - Siegfried - Human Paladin grabs a few bones in the right room.

68 - Peloquin - Dwarven Thief after inspecting the painting and making sure it is safe, you take it from the wall and leave the left room.

74 - Yeenwi - Drow Necromancer suggests the red slab is either a trap or a teleport. The actions of the Elemental show it to be the latter.

Fascinating. It appears to be some kind of portal. This may very well lead us to where the Hag took Roosevelt. I think we need to regroup with the others in the main hall and discuss our next move.

*Walks out into main hall. Notices the now empty left room with another glowing red wall. Also notices the 2 paintings his party members are holding.*

Gentlemen, we've discovered inside the Hag's prison, a portal that may lead us to where she took Roosevelt. I suggest we use an elemental to scout the portal and follow behind it. We'll need your help, Loradan, to dispel any buffs the Hag cast upon herself. Me and Siegfried will protect you. Anyone else wish to follow us into this portal?

Fish the Half-Orc Berserker

What portal? The red slab where a piece of bone exploded? Can someone inspect it for any traps or magic protection?

(I think you missed the result of Gilius's action)

Quote from Doc:

** TURN 10 **

Western tunnel:

40 - Gilius - Dwarven Druid orders his Elemental to charge the red slab. *rolls dice* There is a massive explosion and chunks of Stone Elemental fly in all directions. In place of the red slab is a glowing blue portal.

( Let's take a moment to strategize what everyone wants to do. From what I see the group could do 1 of 4 things.

1. We can go through the portal in the right room and maybe it might lead to the fight in the Southern tunnel to save Roosevelt.

2. We can blow up or dispel the red wall in the left room to see where that goes. I think it's an alternate way to the Gold Dragon.

3. We can proceed further down the tunnel and see what lies behind the large wooden door.

4. We can attempt to reunite the Giant Rats in the central chamber with the meadow painting.

Personally, my character will want to see if he can save Roosevelt from the Hag. What about everyone else? )

No changes from starting equipment (Staff, 2x Heal potion).
5 spells cast (of 12): 1x Calm Animals (on Turn 2, already expired), 1x Heal (on Siegfried),
2x Protection from Elements (on Roy Jenks - Turn 8; on Siegfried - Turn 9),
1x Summon Ice Elemental on Turn 5 (ends end of Turn 9/beginning of Turn 10) = It appeared on Turn 5

(1. I doubt this will lead to the witch. But I could be wrong. I don't think Tanea will want to walk through that. Too many unknowns/too dangerous. Edit2: The placement of that portal is just too ... suspect. Tanea would never believe that it leads anywhere that anyone would want to be. It's right there: Hidden in the prison for a powerful cannibalistic being. That can't lead anywhere good, can it?
2. Tanea will cast dispel magic on it. (EDIT: Doesn't work on things, only on creatures, so she won't cast it.) I believe it will reveal another door or walkthrough or something. After all, we still don't know, who or what opened/closed the left door. -The rats came through the painting and left the room through the door. When we (Rufus was the first) came up there, the door was closed.-
Edit: Just realized it's just a single brick? Then it might lead nowhere unless it hides an opening mechanism of some kind. Hmm...
3. Personally, I would prefer that, after checking that second red slab of wall. Tanea will decide when she knows more about what is/isn't there, I guess. And I wouldn't mind a little more information about things either before deciding.
4. Well, that's Tanea's first priority. Silly, I know. She (and I) will understand if noone wants to do that. After all, noone even knows if the rats are still there. And they might still attack and, well, Calm Animals is nice, but there are no guarantees for the dice roll/s. :-/)

I believe the red trap was protecting this portal that the Hag used to go to her inner lair. And I'm pretty sure it was the Stone Elemental that completely obliterated the trap revealing this portal. We don't have time to throw more bones at the portal. Roosevelt could be about to be boiled in a stew by now. Our best bet would be to have another elemental scout ahead while we follow it and prepare for battle.