Kalhala has his hands on the wall as he waits for the rest to scout out their next plan of action.  As the others report what they have found, he nods to Lehmani's suggestion, but adds, "I am a bit concerned on what might be to the east, we'll have to keep an eye out so we aren't followed... and what about the buzzing we heard yesterday coming from down here?  You think those things just left? (If they came up and attacked us earlier - I'm sorry, getting a bit fuzzy on the details)"  

He gratefully lights a torch and looks around.  "Man, sure would be nice to see in the dark like you three, what a gift!"

All - When Kalhala's torch is lit, you suddenly hear a burst of activity from above. A foul nest erupts high on the ceiling, disgorging four furiously flapping stirges. They buzz down around you, testing the perimeter of your smoke barrier. They haven't attempted an attack, but their buzzing and high-pitched vocalizations are making quite a racket in the confines of this space.

We'll say that Lehmani's censer has an area of effect of 10ft centered on her. I'm assuming you all regrouped to share your findings before the torch was lit.

Lehmani wrinkles her nose at the stirges hovering nearby, shaking her head. "Bothersome little beasts..." She mutters. "I recommend we all stick close to one and other and continue down that southern passage, unless any of you have a mind to take a whack at our needle-nosed friends..."

Zubien will light a torch so they can see better. 

Berkarak will go ahead and Eldritch blast the nearest stirge. (5 to hit (nat 1!), 10 force damage). He looks at his huddled-close, incensed friends, and shrugs.

Grymar huddles together and points up at the nest of the foul stirges, as he does so, a line of fleas and biting insects extend from his hand to the closest Stirge, hopefully affecting the creature.  “Let’s move together to the south passage, but I’m afraid that we might have ta take them out.”  

Action : Casts infestation on the closest Stirge : A cloud of fleas and biting insects appear on the nearest Stirge and it must make a DC 13 Con save or take 4 points of poison damage, then move 5 feet in a random direction.  

Bonus action : Casts shillelagh on his staff.

Zubien will move and engage a Stirge-Attack: 7   Damage: 5

"Ha!  I knew it!" Kalhala smiles and states triumphantly.  But then remembers how it felt when those creatures sucked the blood from his neck and the smile fades away quickly.  "Um.. I mean, well.. yeah." he starts mumbling and then draws his sword to help finish them off.  Stepping outside the circle of incense where he can breath in the fresh dungeon stank, he takes a swing at the closest stirge.

Attack: 22, Dam: 8

All - The party had a higher average initiative roll but the Stirges gained a surprise round.

SURPRISE ROUND

Stirges A, B, C, & D buzz angrily outside the protection of the smoke. 

ROUND 1

Berkarak - The Eldritch blast crackles through the smoke, causing it to billow but missing the stirges entirely.

Grymar - The stirge squeaks as it is suddenly covered with biting insects. It doesn't appear to appreciate the irony as it writhes and dies on the rough stone ground.

Strige C is DEAD.

Zubien - You step outside the smoke and are immediately assailed by a stirge. You aren't able to get a good angle on it and miss your attack.

Kalhala - By the light of your torch you pass through the smoke and step over the nearby stream. A stirge dives at you but you're able to slice it neatly in twain, one half dropping onto stone with a wet smack and the other into the stream with a small splash.

Stirge D is DEAD.

Lehmani is up!

Map:

Lehmani sighs, "Boys, boys, boys... Here I was trying to get us through this peacefully... but if you insist..." 

She moves toward stirge B and wields her censer like a flail. She swings it over he head and tries to take a whack at the bloodthirsty winged pest...

(Improvised Weapon attack): 18, Dmg: 2

Lehmani - The censer smacks the stirge and opens, releasing a cascade of smoldering incense. The stirge is knocked senseless by the blow and falls to the ground where it is covered in the contents of the censer. It dies squeaking.

Stirge B is DEAD.

Stirge A will buzz over to Berkarak and attempt to pierce him with its probicious, but misses!

ROUND 2

The party is up!

Only Stirge A remains, flitting around Berkarak.

Berkarak flinches at the stirge flapping around his face, swats at it, and sends an Eldritch blast in its direction. (13 to hit, 8 force damage) Without looking to see if it hit, he bounds back into the incense cloud, still swatting around his head as if to avoid a mosquito cloud.

Berkarak - The blast just misses the stirge as it dips suddenly in the air. You return to the last known location of the incense cloud to find it quickly dissipating, Lehmani having knocked open her censer and scattered its contents.

"Whoops." says Lehmani seeing the dissipating cloud. She offers a sorry-not-sorry grin and shrug and continues... "Might've gotten a bit overzealous there. Should I run back and load up again, or shall we move forward risk it?"

"Let's just blast these bothersome bats as we go. I can't seem to hit that one. Probably the stirge equivalent of a highly trained fighter."

"Fair enough then!" Lehmani says as she swipes at the remaining stirge with her mace...

Attack: 11... Not that it likely matters but, 3 Damage.

Zubien will attack the last Stirge: Attack:  7  Damage: 4

“C’mere ya beastie!  Swing away!”  Grymar takes his shillelagh and smacks down the last stirge, saying “Big gnat!  That’ll teach ya!”  Bees flow along the end of the staff into the stirge as well.  As he connects, a small but audible toot escapes him.  He looks around for a squeaky floor, but finds none.

Shillelagh : 17 to hit, for 6 points of bludgeoning damage and an additional 2 points of damage from gathered swarm.  

(I'll be away Sunday evening)

While in the NE corner, Kalhala dips his head into the tunnel Lehmani found earlier and complained of its animal scent.  He tries to place it and gleam anything else from the tunnel before they head south.

Perception  10