Something can be heard being grunted within the cave; something about "damned magic".

Val feels something strange tickling her senses as the robed figure tries to work some strange magic upon her, but with a grunt of exertion she shakes it off just as a massive spider crawls above her, giving her a momentary pause! In a moment of confusion she looks ready to throw her axe at the massive, disturbing insect until it suddenly bites down on her opponents neck! She grins, realizing it was like one of her friends and she laughs as she makes a show of tossing her axe and shield to the side as she unslings her hammer. She swings to heavy weapon into the robed figure's torso, who doubles over in reaction and absorbs much of the blow. Instead of breaking ribs, it drives all the wind out of the figure in a painful 'whoosh'.

Bründir realized his inability to slip by Thurston and quickly switches back to his trusty crossbow. Leaning out, he fires a bolt that sails deftly past Valaith and slices across the cultist's mouth, "Spout shite like that ag'in an' I'll put th'next b'tween yer eyes!"

The cloaked attackers continue to chant in their dark tongue and phantasmal spears materialise, floating in the air pointing at Dorno and Val. The shadowy weapons lunge forwards, draining their strength and wounding Val's mouth! The ambushers grasp at their foes with hands crackling with dark energy, but fail to grasp their targets.

Dorno takes 5 force damage -> 6/11 Spider Vigour

Val takes 10 force damage and 2 force damage directly to wounds from a crit -> 12/25 Vigour and 16/18 Wounds

Dorno's action.

The amazing spider-Dorno continues his poisonous attacks while still clinging to the wall opposite Val.  With a hiss and an aggressive, swift movement his fangs sink into the enemy caster again, but this time a bit less poison makes into into the blood stream and other vulnerable areas.  The massive spider continues to loom over the man, intent on ending him soon.

Vark looks quite frazzled, stressed by fighting against these strange spellcasters in this cramped corridor. Still worried as well about potentially hitting one of his friends again, he waits until he gets a good opening before launching another attack. As Brundir darts back after his crossbow shot, Vark finally releases the icy magic causing frost to grow across his sleeve. The cautious aim pays off, as the bolt slams into the cultist. A burst of branching white ice spreads across the mage's shoulder, whipping them around and sending them face first into the cave floor.

Seeing his friends fighting the casters, Thurston tries to move, to fight, but the magic binding him is too strong. 

He is facing one of his most dreadful fears. To not be able to fight alongside his comrades and not be worthy to enter Valhalla... 

When one of the enemies fell he felt how he regains the control of his own body. He flexes his muscles a couple of time, and felt the angry burning in his chest. He used that angry to move forward and swing his hammer and hits one of the spellcasters in the chest screaming a war cry.

Val smiles as Thurston bursts back into action, slamming his hammer into the remaining cultist. Val hefts her own hammer and cracks it hard into the shoulder of the sole enemy, but it rolls its body with the impact only leaving a hefty bruise instead of a shattered shoulder joint. "Bring him down quickly!"

The second cultist glances over at his fallen brethren frantically and continues to concentrate on his magic. The shadowy spear thrusts at the giant spider, but fails to connect. He grasps at Valaith again, with a hand crackling with black sparks, but doesn't manage to get anywhere near her.

Dorno's action.

Bründir's shouts reverberate throughout the hall as he xomes up behind Thurston, "Give it up, ya damned ass! Yer friends've died, but ye don' ave to."

(Inspiration to Dorno)

Spidorno adjusts his grip on the wall and ceiling to move and attack the next enemy caster.  With a rapid strike and a great deal of bestial aggression, the spider sinks it's fangs into the new target.  Poison is injected into the back of the caster's neck as the spider rips at the neck back and forth in a violent motion before he recoils back to his clinging position to get ready for his next attack.  Those who have spent any time with Dorno would surely notice that he is MUCH more aggressive in these animal forms.

Feeling a surge of adrenaline from downing the other cultist, Vark lets out another blast of frost. This one nails the caster in the face, snapping his head back. When the cultist recovers, it becomes apparent that the freezing cold has cast his mouth in numb shades of purple and blue, and his frozen lips crack in places as he grimaces.

Invigorated by the help of his comrades, Thurston hits the spellcaster in the head with his hammer, making a terrible sound of broken bones. 

With the enemies down, Val immediately lets the heavy head of hammer thud against the ground of the tunnel and draws one her handaxes to ensure these cultists were finished off before Brundir felt like saving more of them. With quick strokes, she uses the razor edges to open up the arteries along their necks. If Brundir says anything she shrugs. "If that surrender, I'm happy to give them a chance at life. The ones like these two, well they made their choices. They were quite strong and we cannot take the chance that they will wake up and come up behind us."

"They will not wake up" says Thurston "This seems a little bit unncesary my friend " he says, still flexing his muscles to ensure he can still move.

"Doesn't hurt to be careful." Vark pipes in quietly. he moves forward to crouch next to Val and and begins searching the bodies.

Investigation: 16

Around the corner where the cultists had hidden themselves the tunnel winds around to the left, until it forks. One path continues onwards, while the other peels off to the left, bending back on itself.

"Nothin' 'be done fer this lot. On we go down?"

" Do we press onward? We could check this other corridor in our way out. " 

"Yes, let us continue onward." Val will spend a moment to check the remains of the fallen figures for a moment to see if they hold anything useful, such as potions...