All - Lehmani's cantrip fails to open the gate and when you near it you see a fair amount of rust around the gate's lock. Beyond the bars of the gate you see a short passage that is filled with stacks of crates and barrels. The sounds of battle echo in the passage.

Map:

"Blast it all," Says Lehmani. "I suppose we ought to go help them. Shall we retrace our steps?"

She looks toward the scary northern door with all the corpses riddled around it. "Or face the unknown route?"

Grymar goes running in and sees the condition of the lock and the gate, the rusted, weakened appearance and he barrels into the gate full force, aiming to knock the rust looks and bash through the lock.  "Comin' through, make way!"    

Athletics : 13

Kalhala chuckles as Grymar attempts to use his strength to open the gates, but then notices his technique.  "Nice focus on the rusted areas and the lock, here, let me see if I can help."  Kalhala will also use his strength to assist in opening the gate.  

(I can see them both attempting this?  I'll roll an athletics as well, but if you'd rather, he can just use the help action)

Athletics:  9  (wow haha)

Berkarak starts towards the south to retrace their steps through the secret passage. "Perhaps we can gain some advantage by using the secret passage and remaining stealthy," he suggests as he moves towards the door. "In any event, we should hurry as our friends may be in serious peril."

He'll go as far as he can while still in sight of his friends, waiting to see if anyone follows. If no one follows, he waits and follows the group. As soon as anyone does start to follow, he'll lead the way up the secret passage, quietly, trying to see what they are coming upon before being noticed and waiting for others to catch up (stealth: 6).

Seeing too many obstacles in the direction of the rusted gate, Lehmani will follow Berkarak. She calls to the others to hurry through the door or stay close to her and the incense. "No telling how long it will take for the stirges to return once the smoke clears."

Kalhala gives up and follows the rest.  "Man... back through those icky spiders..." he grumbles.

Zubien follows the party out

All - Grymar slams into the gate with the sound of wrenching metal but rebounds and lands on his rear. The gate now looks jammed in addition to being rusted shut. Kalhala has no luck attempting to force it open either. While making his way along the winding secret passage, Berkarak steps on a short mushroom with a wide cap, causing him to slip and make a racket that echoes along the tight confines, negating any surprise that may have been had. You continue to hear the sounds of battle but they are suddenly drowned out by shouts and screams. You make your way back to the room with the well to find Reena swinging her dagger at a pair of stirges while Jerrid lays behind the well unmoving with three stirges gorging themselves on his blood. Thelmund is nowhere to be seen.

Reena manages to catch one of the stirges with her dagger, slicing it open. It drops to the ground and writhes and squeaks for a bit before going still.

There is still another stirge buzzing around her. One of the now full stirges detaches from Jerrid and makes its way toward the passage leading to the now stuck gate and the grand stairway beyond. The other two stay put and continue to feed.

The party is up!

Map:

Lehmani runs to Jerrid, pulls off one of the stirges, and casts Sanctuary on Reena.

As she does so, she calls out, "Drop your attack, Rena! We're here, and the blessing of the Gearsmith should shield you from harm. Where is Thelmund!?"

Lehmani - The symbol of Gond appears above Reena's head and immediately flashes brightly in a spray of sparks, deflecting the attacking stirge. She looks up at the symbol with wide eyes before turning back to you, dagger still raised between her and the stirge, "He's dead! When you all didn't come back for a few hours he got all restless and wanted to go see if you'd cleared the way. Ran into a trap right about the same time some of the remaining orcs stumbled onto him... Where'd you go? We thought you were clearing the way so we could get out of here!" 

The stirge wriggles free of your grasp and buzzes around you and Jerrid.

Zubien will close and engage a Stirge, Attack: 24 (Nat 20), Damage: 8

Berkarak sends an Eldritch blast at the full, retreating stirge (23 to hit, 11 force damage). His eyes narrow when Reena explains the situation; he doesn't trust her characterization of the events; is she lying or hiding something? (Insight 15)

Zubien - You step in and slay the stirge that was buzzing around Reena and Jerrid.

Berkarak - The eldritch blast zaps the fleeing pest with a wet pop.

All - There is one stirge still feeding on Jerrid.

“C’mere ya little bugger!”  Grymar runs around to the other side with his wooden staff cocked back and swats at the Stirge like he is teeing off.  “Take that!”  He has a nice follow through and feels a nice connection as he swats it.

Shillelagh : 15 to hit, for 7 points of bludgeoning damage on the last Stirge.  

Grymar - The stirge is whacked loose from Jerrid with a crunch and sails across the room to the northwest. It hits the floor and rolls a bit before settling into a depression in the floor where a flagstone is missing.

All - There doesn't appear to be any more threats in the area at this time. Jerrid gasps and writhes on the ground near the well, looking very much on death's door. Reena curses and hurries over to him, "Can you do anything for him?"

As Reena declares that Thelmund is dead and it is the fact that they decided to take along rest before making sure the prisoners got out, Kalhala stands frozen against the wall.  He watches, feeling helpless as his friends take out the bloodsuckers, but doesn't step in to help.  He feels defeated, worthless.  He turns to Reena, but can't meet her eyes, "I... we are sorry for your loss.  I don't know what else to say, but we'll walk to you out of here."

He looks down at Jerrid after Reena's cry, and knowing he can't help, leans against the wall feeling even worse.

Lehmani does a quick check to see if Jerrid is still alive.

 If he's alive, she quickly casts Healing Word on him, then looks to the others, guilt and anguish in her fiendish eyes. "Gond's mercy... I thought..." 

Struggling to hold herself together, she says, "In the haste of our mission, we misunderstood your need. We failed you. I'm so sorry." Looking toward the rusted grate, she continues. "We don't expect your forgiveness, but please... allow us to lead you back to safety before more of those creatures return."

Lehmani - Checking Jerrid, you find that he is dying, though your healing word brings him back from the brink. His breathing and color return to normal and after a moment he opens his eyes and sits up. He sees the dead stirges on the ground nearby and scrambles away from them before noticing you all, "What happened? Last thing I remember is getting swarmed by those things..." Reena fills him in and he turns to Lehmani, "Thank you for saving me! There were so many, I panicked..."

All - Reena sighs and kicks a dead stirge before turning back to you all, "Don't beat yourselves up too badly about it. We told him to wait, but the stubborn old man wouldn't listen. Guess he just wanted the hells outta here. We went down that way," She points to the northwestern passage, "Took a few turns and came to some big statue of a dwarf. Thelmund went walking right up to it and all of a sudden it started spewing gas everywhere. Jerrid and I were far enough back it didn't get us. But Thel-" Jerrid interrupts, "It did get me! Damned gas burned my lungs!" He coughs a bit as Reena continues, "Thelmund bore the brunt of it. Just dropped and turned all purple. Then a bunch of orcs came out of a door to the left of the statue. We fled. Not sure what happened after that. Haven't seen the orcs nor Thelmnund, but I can about imagine he's done for."

When the threat is removed, Berkarak stands back from the group, watching, seemingly in thought but attentive, his brow furrowed and his eyes cold.