Quote from Hexblade37>>

(will leave it up to you Tarja on whether or not the events of this round have triggered your bear transformation)

Hardly noticing the crossbow bolt cutting through his bicep, the barbarian shrugs off the pain and attack from the one-eyed creature. A snarl rips from his throat as Zeke sees the Bugbears spring their ambush and strike at the heart of the party.  Moving to protect Elra, the tiefling closes the gap with swift sure strides and brings his blade down on the creature as it emerges from the darkness.  

"Alright. That makes this a bit more difficult, time to put my magic where my mouth is."

The charlatan's eyes sparkle and golden mote of light fly out towards two of the bugbears.

"Löydät minut viehättävältä."

"How about instead of fighting us, you lend us a hand with these eyeball monsters?"

Ethan shrugs like he is trying to get something or someone to let go of him, shaking his head.

Looking up, Ethan notices the bugbear approaching Fae and turns and fires, directing his Eldritch Canon to do the same.

With a crackle and a whine followed by a whomp, the two magical projectiles shoot in the direction of the bugbear.

((Ethan, Zeke, Tarja dont forget youre blessed))

((Also, can I see the party... might effect my next turn))

((hmm, yeah, that live map might be nice... it's pretty crowded up there with the glyph and elra I'm trying to flaming sphere at something and also be a bear, too!))

Seeing that the southern nothic (N2) appears scared away and that the area around Fae and Elra is far too crowded for a giant ball of fire, Tarja directs the flaming sphere across the northern bridge towards the wizard and the bugbear.

With a roar, Tarja launches at a the enemies, buting and clawing with the bear form.

Elra looks around at the group, and the very large bugbear trying to grab her and instinctively calls out for help. When she opens her eyes, angelic spirts surround her, and when one of them goes to attack Zeke she calls out, "No... not him. Or..." she looks around quickly and points out Arvel, Tarja, Fae, Ethan, and the Redbrand who came with them. "Friends," is all she says to them as an explanation.

Round 3

(Inspiration to Fae if you don't already have it.  Nice post!)

Fae casts her defensive magic as the bugbear grabs at her (end of round 2), while the large Redbrand looks a bit panicked and unsure of what to do.

Zeke notices the rear attack of the bugbears and is aside Elra in a flash.  Just as the large, hairy creature tries to grab at the cleric, Zeke impressively cuts it down with two swift strokes.  It screams in agony as it falls.

Meanwhile Arvel is casting a spell upon the bugbears, one having been cutdown so quickly he did not anticipate it.  The other, however, suddenly stops, looks at Fae, shakes his head a bit, looks towards Arvel, then with a determined look says "Right!" and pushes past the wizard and the large redbrand.  The latter man looks utterly confused at this point.

(*Pausing here... does anyone, such as Ethan, want to change their action or target of an attack now that one bugbear is dead and Arvel seems to have charmed the other?  I'd hate to immediately tell Arvel that his spell is basically voided just because the PBP format prompted attacks upon the charmed creature before seeing the results of Arvel's action.)

((My action stays the same, just changing targets. Not smashing my sphere into the charmed bugbear, navigating around him if he’s in the way on the bridge. Bear attacks on GS, since with the two bugbears on this side of the bridge handled it’s time to go to the other side! Should be able to end turn not next to my fire sphere so I don’t take damage))

Round 3, continued...

Ethan and his cannon fire their blasts at the Glasstaff, the first missing but the cannon striking with a wallop of force that sends the wizard flying back.  

Despite being in bear form, Tarja still has full control over her mind and commands the sphere to join her in an assault in the bridge.  (The sphere can only move 30ft and was further south, so I moved it up some.  Also, there is a makeshift barrier on the far side of the bridge made of logs, etc.  It looks like it would be fairly easy to destroy, but is just enough to slow you down.  Would you like Tarja to attack that?)

Elra begins calling upon spirits for divine protection just as Zeke swiftly dispatches the bugbear near here.  (Do you still want to cast Spirit Guardians?)

(to be continued...)

((Nope, forgot Spirt Guardians is concentration, one sec))

As Zeke takes out the bugbear, Elra looks down at her feet, the glyph still there. "I think it's time for a little more room to move around," she says to herself, reaching out to try and dispel the magic.

Elra expertly casts her dispel and can see the shapes on the floor slowly fade away.  She is confident that she has removed the arcane trap from the party's path.

((Oh, yes, I forgot about the barriers! Yes, attacking those then. Let's clear a path.))

Round 3, still continued...

Tarja in her bear form smashes the makeshift barrier, obliterating several logs and some of the rope holding them together.  Although it has not been fully removed, it now seems that someone could leap through the gap she has created.  (More damage to the barrier or a DC10 Athletics check required to pass through.)

As the chaos continues, the group is met with more flashes of very brief scenes in their heads...

• A stone wash basin and thin, youthful gray tiefling arms washing bed sheets frantically and breathing awkwardly as if upset.
• A wooded scene with a dwarven woman in rustic clothing and flowers in her hair saying "we descend from Falgrim Thunderheart himself."
• A large dragonborn with a large glaive and a uniform looming over the figure washing sheets in the darkness of a stone structure, looking disappointed.
• The same dwarven woman handing over a short stack of yellowed letters and stating "now these will pass to you."  "Be careful, they are Falgrim's sentiments to his family outside of the cave, and his accounts of what those in the Phandelver's Pact hoped to achieve.  They serve as a reminder of why we must protect this land."
• The same gray arms sitting up clutching bed sheets in the darkness, looking down at a wet bed and saying "oh no, not again" in a youthful voice.
  
  "Secrets!  SEEECRETTSSSS!"
  
  Despite the potential distractions the group is still able to keep some of their focus on what is happening in the cave, and watch as their newest ally, the large bugbear, launch a javelin at the nothic clinging to the side of the chasm.  He grunts with displeasure as the nothic swings from the edge and dodges his throw, sending the javelin clattering down into the darkness.  A moment later, Tarja's bestial ears hear a growl of displeasure from below.
  
  Meanwhile the bugbear just behind the barrier Tarja is smashing to bits launches a bolt at short range but it buries itself into the bear's thick shoulder with only a minor impact to the mighty beast.  (3 damage to Tarja)
  
  The presumed Glasstaff winces at his wound and begins to back away into the shadows.  Sharing nothic projected visions with the others in the cave he says aloud "well, well, do we have a guardian of the mine amongst us?  That would have proved useful not long ago, but now it is too late.  He has already found the mine and soon its powers will be ours!"  The wizard cups his hands opposite one another and spins his wrists back and forth while a small mote of fire is created and grows there.  Soon it is as large as Tarja's own flaming sphere.  He sends it towards Tarja at the edge of the bridge but then past her and over over the edge of the chasm and then, oddly, straight down into the darkness.  Then wizard then retreats into the shadows of the hall behind him.

Fae, you're up to end the round!

With her eyes closed Fae could hear the sound of Arvel's voice ring out through the cave in an effort to convince their foes to work with them. She'd peek an eye open just in time for it to agree and push passed. By then she was just as wide eyed as the confused redbrand, yet at the same time she had a small smile of relief. Of course Arvel could do something like that. Feeling less trapped, the wizard would regain some confidence. She'd nudge at Herick to hopefully get ready to move forward with her.

Fae looked in time to witness one after another, almost in calculated succession, Ethan's magic projectiles fire, knocking glasstaff back, and Tarja's charge across the bridge, bursting through the barrier. This lead her eyes to the wizard, locking on to him. She'd press forward, fighting through the continued mental assault. Her teeth would clench, feeling emotions continue to flood in for those around her as the Nothik's plucked at heartstrings. It's not fair... The divination wizard would blink through the final pair of hisses, Secrets! SEEECRETSSS! Now with black eyes, she'd reach out, stretching as far was she could towards glasstaff as he slips towards the shadows, her scarred hand gripping like a claw. "Darkness will follow you."

Fae's magic would reach into Glasstaff's psych, rake through his mind and threaten to take hold.

As the bugbear collapses, Zeke flicks the blood off his blade and spins back towards their primary foe.  'We've got more trouble coming from the chasm.' he calls out as he sprints back towards the bridge, following in the wake of the rampaging bear.  Leaping across the barricade, the barbarian brings his oversized blade down in a two-handed swing on the bugbear,