Episode 2

If it's not listed, Maeriks' Mod is 2.

...but Kray has a chance to act before Crawler if he rolls Initiative. Number to beat is 9.

[Okay, so the door situation...Do they swing open like a regular door or slide up like a storage door? Probably detailed that during that portion but I've been a zombie both in game and out for most of this.

Bryn at the north door, Room 7. Door is open.
Sizhen a couple of steps back (south) holding the chain.
Thorn a couple more steps back and left (south and west).
Maeriks on one knee with torch getting up from floor panel door.

Stirges, estimate 40, all around.
Mega-mouth bat and devil fly on the north wall, Room 7, east of the north door.

The large gate door has hinges on the left (west side). But that is not the door that is opening.

The lower, smaller door is opening. It is built WITHIN the space and frame of the larger door. It is like a small low central door built within a very large wide door.

It also though has hinges on the left and the gates swings northward, away from the vapor and into the small north hallway.

So as the robed figure on the other side of the gate is closing the small low door, he is swinging it back in towards the bigger cage gate door. The split seconds of the initiative sequence, which Trece won, place the small low door almost closed, but not quite.

The small gate door is roughly 2.5' wide by 3’ tall. It is fitting for animals or low thin creatures. A man would have to crawl through and an exceptionally large man may have trouble squeezing through.

Smoke still obscures vision. Kray has a torch light source further south in the interior of the room.

There is also some source of light further back around the bend to the left beyond the short north hallway.

Trece was slightly to the left (west) when the Crawler darted by in the smoke.

Now Trece is separated from the huge robed figure by the great cage gate, but very little space. And the low small gate door swinging inward in between them.

Don't get used to this. HUGE time-sink!

Hyp, in this blend of action, I want to give you some leeway to ask "Now what?" and possibly continue to act.

The spoon block on the clasp mechanism of the gate, I'm kind of picturing that as your "interact with environment/use an object" free action.

I think you've used some Movement, but still have 10 or so feet to Move.

Plus you have regular Action and Bonus Action.
Karate kick the low gate door? Attempt Overrun for a rush through the low gate? Attempt Attack v. Robed Figure by reaching through the gate? Or anything else.
Your call, I just don't want you to get robbed of Action.

Unfortunately, Level 4 Exhaustion still applies from the toxin.

But, Holy Smokes...what about toxin effects on Bulky Robes?!

X, I really hate to do this to you, bro. You have to send Disadvantage rolls on those Attack attempts. Bad news, but Thorn is still suffering the effects of neurotoxin. 4 levels of exhaustion includes Disadvantage on Attack rolls, Saves, Ability Checks, Movement half, HP half. yikes!

Those are both Hits as they are; let's see what happens if Thorn can hold it together in the muscle spasms.

31 damage!

Yo, fellas. Noticed this and felt like I should clarify that there are really no more locks to mess around with. Bryn has the door not only unlocked but completely open. He is standing in the threshold of the bat room looking into another dark room ahead.
It seems like the choices are either fight or flight. Maybe you can think of others too, but no need for Open Locks Thief Skills (d100 retro)

I know the PCs don't have a map of the palace out for ongoing reference, but I feel fine about our visual aids and map references that show even broader visuals than whatever room the PCs are in. I remember this cool post when Sizhen "Keen Mind" Lao did a full photographic memory scan capture of the whole building. Also seems reasonable that the more observational minded characters studied the map in the downtime before infil. So in the end, I think the characters have decent feel for the "lay of the land" where they are, though it might still be challenging enough translating 2d overview map vision to 3d physical vision on the ground.

Y'all, I've been intermittent on availability on the Memorial Day extended weekend. That might continue today and tomorrow, not sure yet. I think I should be able to get morning (US, EST) entries in but day and night might be sparse.