Soar whispers in Elvish: "En, you there? Maybe find out who's in there, what they're doing?"
She uses mask of many faces to cast disguise self to look exactly like the guard they've been fighting. As she does so she waves to Tangle, and mutters to her boys, "this never works, but first time for everything?"
Then, staggering as if she just got freed of something, she moves to the passageway and looks around the corner, not trying to conceal her illusory face, but acting like she's not sure of what she expects to find and panicking.
"Don't believe her! That witch's pretending to be me! Kill her!" she bellows, in Draconic, in what she intends to be a good, if harried and panicking version of the guard they just heard screaming about an attack.
She'll hold an eldritch blast for the original target if she can see him AND if the jig seems to be up. Someone else if the jig seems to be up and the original target's not visible.
No shouting, but there is movement. You hear it first, and then Soar would see light approaching the other end of the tunnel, or at least the part she can see. And though she cannot see the light source, she does see two humanoid figures step warily into the passage, one calling out: "We've no time for your lies. You should not have returned here. Our Lord has told us what to do with you."
They are approaching carefully, armed and clearly intent on violence, and you hear movement behind them - there are several more on their way. Neither is the one you saw before, so I guess Soar's attack doesn't trigger?
Round Three: Bazavur Some cultists Tangle Jalt and Soar Some more cultists
Bazavur can move slowly forward, following where Soar went. He has enough movement to reach the opening to the tunnel and he would see, dimly ahead of him, the two cultists, so he casts his spell. The nearest cultist to Soar and Bazavur begins to glow with a strange light, but the other does not.
Two further cultists appear, crowing in behind the two you saw before, eager it seems for battle.
Tangle moves to the right so that she is centered on the tunnel, but still in the water. The first glowing cultist makes a fine target, and she draws back and looses, her arrow whistling out of the dark past Bazavur's head.
Note: Hopefully Tangle is still outside of the enemy 60' dark vision range, but they have handily provided their own light so she should be able to see them, and at the very least, the target is glowing.
Move: 3 squares east (if she has to hug the shore she will, moving north 1 square (but not 2) and then south again) Action: Attack F2 with Advantage (from Faerie Fire) and thus Elven Accuracy and Sneak Attack damage, igl:
20 to hit (not a critical, rolled 7, 20, 9), for 21 piercing damage
Tangle can move as wished; the water is not too deep in that place, and she is able to take position and fire a skilful arrow into the semi-darkness, aided by the magical glow around the nearest cultist; her shot is true, and the cultists takes the arrow in the shoulder, gasping as it pierces seemingly right through.
Bazavur reflexively ducks as he hears the arrow whiz past his head but keeps his attention focused on the four cultists ahead of him. Glad he his finally able to see his foes.
Soar's teeth bare in fury at the cultist. She looks up, and calls down a moonbeam from above. A ghostly, blazing white shaft of light glows slowly down, falling like a frozen waterfall right on top of the cultists. Centered right behind F2, it's 5 foot radius, and it should hit F2, C2, and W1.
On their turns, or when anyone else enters the shaft of light, they take 2d10 radiant damage on a failed CON16 save, or half on a success.
I'm not sure if it's possible to do hexblade's curse on W1 before this happens, and if so, if the damage bonus applies to a spell (the ability says "You gain a bonus to damage rolls against the cursed target. The bonus equals your proficiency bonus. [+4]"). But if yes on both, she'd hit W1 with a curse, ashen shadows creeping up from the ground and binding her ankles.
Can't tell from the spell description, but I imagine there's more illumination happening even outside the shaft of light, but would need a DM ruling there.
She moves ten feet to the east, giving Jalt room to peek around the corner or attack any comers without a paladin in the way. The half-elf gives Jalt a shrug, and a bit of a surprised look. She'd normally charge right into the gap to hold the line with steel. But she's staying away and letting the enemy come to her. And giving access to her friends. It's almost like a strategy!
Soar just barely keeps an eye on the cultists from around the corner, axe at the ready (trying to take cover as best she can).
Jalt, your spell burns brightly and then fades to nothing in the dim light of this place, as the cultist shrugs off the effects.
Attack! calls a voice. And the first cultist you saw (F1), still wounded though somewhat healed from some source, runs past the group assembled at the far end of the corridor. In their hands they now hold a large greatsword that glows with a strange, beautiful light - you have seen this greatsword before. They run through the moonbeam, taking damage, and are able to reach Soar and Bazavur by the end of their dash.
(They succeed on their CON save and take 6 points of damage)
A second cultist (F2) starts in the glow of the moonbeam, and takes damage. (They succeeded on their saving throw so will take 6, but they are cursed so +4 = 10 total). They move past Soar and their fellow and come face to face with Jalt, and then attack. One stab misses (15 against AC), the second connects with Jalt's arm (22 against AC), doing 6 points of piercing damage and 5 points of poison damage.
Another cultist (W2) races down through the group, taking full damage this time from the moonbeam spell. This one is wearing rather familiar splint armour and an interesting pair of boots that you might recognise - if you had a chance to look closely. They get in range with Soar but do not attack this turn.
A fourth cultist (W1), wearing an interesting pair of gloves, runs up behind and launches herself into the air; the tunnel is just high enough for her to exit the tunnel and land between Soar and Bazavur. She attacks Bazavur once (22 against AC, doing 7 points of piercing damage and 1 point of poison damage) and against Soar once (natural 20, 12 points of piercing damage and 8 points of poison damage).
(Ba: rage wild magic surge 4. Magic infuses one weapon of your choice that you are holding. Until your rage ends, the weapon’s damage type changes to force, and it gains the light and thrown properties, with a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet. If the weapon leaves your hand, the weapon reappears in your hand at the end of the current turn.)
He then attacks the cultist (with his sword) with the recently acquired glaive, though it feels strangely light in his hands. (13 and 16 to hit. 14 slashing if either hit.) He sets himself, bracing for more attacks.
One miss and one hit; Bazavur's rage makes it hard to move the glaive in this space, and he almost takes a chunk of Soar's arm off, but the second strike is on target. The greatsword-wielding cultist looks surprised, and yelps in pain.
Two more cultists (C1 and C2) run down the corridor but they cannot get past the crowd of friends and foes; you do seem to have bottlenecked them nicely. They glare at you, ignoring the wounds that both took from Soar's spell.
Bazavur will also wait. Not seeing the sense in blindly stumbling towards danger in the dark.
Silence. No movement, no sound.
Jalt and Soar are up.
Soar whispers in Elvish: "En, you there? Maybe find out who's in there, what they're doing?"
She uses mask of many faces to cast disguise self to look exactly like the guard they've been fighting. As she does so she waves to Tangle, and mutters to her boys, "this never works, but first time for everything?"
Then, staggering as if she just got freed of something, she moves to the passageway and looks around the corner, not trying to conceal her illusory face, but acting like she's not sure of what she expects to find and panicking.
"Don't believe her! That witch's pretending to be me! Kill her!" she bellows, in Draconic, in what she intends to be a good, if harried and panicking version of the guard they just heard screaming about an attack.
She'll hold an eldritch blast for the original target if she can see him AND if the jig seems to be up. Someone else if the jig seems to be up and the original target's not visible.
En does not appear to be around. You don't think you've seen them since you entered the dragon's lair.
Jalt is up. Then we'll see if Soar's ploy has any results...
Jalt holds action still but follows Soar carefully.
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
No shouting, but there is movement. You hear it first, and then Soar would see light approaching the other end of the tunnel, or at least the part she can see. And though she cannot see the light source, she does see two humanoid figures step warily into the passage, one calling out: "We've no time for your lies. You should not have returned here. Our Lord has told us what to do with you."
They are approaching carefully, armed and clearly intent on violence, and you hear movement behind them - there are several more on their way. Neither is the one you saw before, so I guess Soar's attack doesn't trigger?

Round Three:
Bazavur
Some cultists
Tangle
Jalt and Soar
Some more cultists
Bazavur is up.
Bazavur slowly makes his way forward. (Assuming he can hear the cultists will try and hit them with fairie fire)
Soar was holding the spell for someone else for if the jig was up and if the originally target wasn’t visible…
Bazavur can move slowly forward, following where Soar went. He has enough movement to reach the opening to the tunnel and he would see, dimly ahead of him, the two cultists, so he casts his spell. The nearest cultist to Soar and Bazavur begins to glow with a strange light, but the other does not.
Two further cultists appear, crowing in behind the two you saw before, eager it seems for battle.

Tangle is up.
Tangle moves to the right so that she is centered on the tunnel, but still in the water. The first glowing cultist makes a fine target, and she draws back and looses, her arrow whistling out of the dark past Bazavur's head.
Note: Hopefully Tangle is still outside of the enemy 60' dark vision range, but they have handily provided their own light so she should be able to see them, and at the very least, the target is glowing.
Move: 3 squares east (if she has to hug the shore she will, moving north 1 square (but not 2) and then south again)
Action: Attack F2 with Advantage (from Faerie Fire) and thus Elven Accuracy and Sneak Attack damage, igl:
20 to hit (not a critical, rolled 7, 20, 9), for 21 piercing damage
Reaction: reserved for dodging or evading
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Tangle can move as wished; the water is not too deep in that place, and she is able to take position and fire a skilful arrow into the semi-darkness, aided by the magical glow around the nearest cultist; her shot is true, and the cultists takes the arrow in the shoulder, gasping as it pierces seemingly right through.
Jalt and Soar are up.

Bazavur reflexively ducks as he hears the arrow whiz past his head but keeps his attention focused on the four cultists ahead of him. Glad he his finally able to see his foes.
Soar's teeth bare in fury at the cultist. She looks up, and calls down a moonbeam from above. A ghostly, blazing white shaft of light glows slowly down, falling like a frozen waterfall right on top of the cultists. Centered right behind F2, it's 5 foot radius, and it should hit F2, C2, and W1.
On their turns, or when anyone else enters the shaft of light, they take 2d10 radiant damage on a failed CON16 save, or half on a success.
I'm not sure if it's possible to do hexblade's curse on W1 before this happens, and if so, if the damage bonus applies to a spell (the ability says "You gain a bonus to damage rolls against the cursed target. The bonus equals your proficiency bonus. [+4]"). But if yes on both, she'd hit W1 with a curse, ashen shadows creeping up from the ground and binding her ankles.
Can't tell from the spell description, but I imagine there's more illumination happening even outside the shaft of light, but would need a DM ruling there.
She moves ten feet to the east, giving Jalt room to peek around the corner or attack any comers without a paladin in the way. The half-elf gives Jalt a shrug, and a bit of a surprised look. She'd normally charge right into the gap to hold the line with steel. But she's staying away and letting the enemy come to her. And giving access to her friends. It's almost like a strategy!
Soar just barely keeps an eye on the cultists from around the corner, axe at the ready (trying to take cover as best she can).
Jalt moves closer to the opening of the corridor and once he sees F2, he will cast Sacred Flame.. Dex Save 15 for 10 damage.
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
Jalt, your spell burns brightly and then fades to nothing in the dim light of this place, as the cultist shrugs off the effects.
Attack! calls a voice. And the first cultist you saw (F1), still wounded though somewhat healed from some source, runs past the group assembled at the far end of the corridor. In their hands they now hold a large greatsword that glows with a strange, beautiful light - you have seen this greatsword before. They run through the moonbeam, taking damage, and are able to reach Soar and Bazavur by the end of their dash.
(They succeed on their CON save and take 6 points of damage)
A second cultist (F2) starts in the glow of the moonbeam, and takes damage. (They succeeded on their saving throw so will take 6, but they are cursed so +4 = 10 total). They move past Soar and their fellow and come face to face with Jalt, and then attack. One stab misses (15 against AC), the second connects with Jalt's arm (22 against AC), doing 6 points of piercing damage and 5 points of poison damage.
Another cultist (W2) races down through the group, taking full damage this time from the moonbeam spell. This one is wearing rather familiar splint armour and an interesting pair of boots that you might recognise - if you had a chance to look closely. They get in range with Soar but do not attack this turn.
A fourth cultist (W1), wearing an interesting pair of gloves, runs up behind and launches herself into the air; the tunnel is just high enough for her to exit the tunnel and land between Soar and Bazavur. She attacks Bazavur once (22 against AC, doing 7 points of piercing damage and 1 point of poison damage) and against Soar once (natural 20, 12 points of piercing damage and 8 points of poison damage).
Round Four:

Bazavur
C1 and C2
Tangle
Jalt and Soar
F1 and F2
W1 and W2
Bazavur is up.
Bazavur yells, “YOU! GIMME BACK MY SWORD!!”
(Ba: rage wild magic surge 4. Magic infuses one weapon of your choice that you are holding. Until your rage ends, the weapon’s damage type changes to force, and it gains the light and thrown properties, with a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet. If the weapon leaves your hand, the weapon reappears in your hand at the end of the current turn.)
He then attacks the cultist (with his sword) with the recently acquired glaive, though it feels strangely light in his hands. (13 and 16 to hit. 14 slashing if either hit.) He sets himself, bracing for more attacks.
One miss and one hit; Bazavur's rage makes it hard to move the glaive in this space, and he almost takes a chunk of Soar's arm off, but the second strike is on target. The greatsword-wielding cultist looks surprised, and yelps in pain.
Two more cultists (C1 and C2) run down the corridor but they cannot get past the crowd of friends and foes; you do seem to have bottlenecked them nicely. They glare at you, ignoring the wounds that both took from Soar's spell.
Tangle is up.

Tangle draws, breathes, holds, and shoots the original cultist who got away.
Move: No for Steady Aim
Bonus Action: Steady Aim for Advantage
Action: Shoot F1 wit hAdvantage and this Elven Accuracy and Sneak Damage, igl:
22 to hit, for 16 piercing damage
Reaction: reserved for dodging or evading
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.