The mounted leader has a red orb on a leather cord that Kolose suspects might be some manner of arcane focus.

Seeing that they're outnumbered by what look to be experienced warriors Galingal is still opting for quiet at this point, keeping everyone back in the shadows as much as possible while the salamander creatures investigate the fire. If more of them go up into the fire tunnel, they could think about slipping away.

Stena gives a small shake of her head on hearing about the deaths.

"Falling or spiders?"

Then she points towards the origin of the smoke.

"Our smoke. We are heading up. What outpost?"

"Yes.", Spiderbait says sadly in response to Stena's first question.

"Totally smokin'. Outpost ruin. Meeting spot. Up now?"

Kolose quietly mumbles the leader is a spellcaster, but otherwise also seems content keeping quiet.

Stena makes a face and curses quietly in Dwarven but includes 'Underdark' in common.

She looks over to Lia and Kargar.

"We ready now?"

((I love that even though she'd not saying it out loud, Stena can't be bothered to learn the halfling's name.))

"Let me go check!", Lia says cheerfully, heading into the tunnel.

9

Stena and her unwanted companions hear Lia sing out, followed by her calling back to them, "Help, come quick!"

They arrive in the tunnel with charred spider and drow, ash drifting up the stone chimney exposed by burning the webs, some flame and fire still licking at the walls. Lia is backed against a wall, dagger held before her, and on the floor is a five foot tall bipedal amphibian or reptile with red colored skin that is now huddled on the floor next to a dropped scimitar, shuddering and shivering, clutching its shield. 

"It just fell out of the fire! I... I have it thinking that it's really cold here... do we want to talk to it, or...?", she leaves the obvious unsaid while continuing to concentrate on her spell.

Intelligence+ prof 4

Stena recognizes the creature as a firenewt, a relatively insular race that can be found in the Underdark. They keep mostly to their communities and tend to like hot, damp areas, often in places of volcanic activity. She knows they are unharmed by fire, perhaps were drawn to the heat of the burning silk. She's not had direct dealings or interactions with them, but knows that such can be challenging, as they don't interact through trade or commerce to share the Undercommon tongue, and that they aren't valued as slaves, as they only thrive if kept warm and moist. She also recalls that they have the ability to spit fire.

"Firenewt. Get the scimitar."

She gestures for the halfing Krueger to get it while she takes aim.

"Spiderbait, is there somewhere near that's damp and hot that it would have come from?"

Then to Lia,

"It doesn't speak any language I know. How long can you do that and from how far?"

The halfling scrambles to obey.

"Totally! Ummmm...", Spiderbait recognizes his name, but doesn't quite seem to follow the rest of the question.

"Ummm, I can get a little ways away, but he could realize its an illusion at any moment... I can make the cold it thinks its feeling real enough to hurt again. I think it thinks I'm a snow monster of some sort right now."

Stena's permanent frown deepens when Spiderbait doesn't answer but Lia's response draws her away from saying unkind things,

"Back away from it then. It can spit fire. You get a spell ready. You," she points at the halfling, "Get that crossbow ready."

When everyone has backed away sufficiently Stena, bow readied, will explain,

"If I shoot, you shoot. Not before."

Then to Lia,

"Drop it."

She'll wait until the newt has collected itself before calling, not loudly, to it in all the langauges she knows (common, dwarven, undercommon).

"Do you understand?"

The halfling nods and fits a bolt to the string.

Lia releases her breath, and the firenewt on the floor stops huddling and shivering, scrambling backwards to press its back against the wall. 

It seems confused and angry, and doesn't seem to react meaningfully to any of the languages that Stena knows. Lia, catching your drift, calls out in a few others, and the halfling in what is presumably the halfling language, Spiderbait even joining in with goblin. 

The creature responds in a language that sounds like crackling flames and shifting stone, then in a harsh and guttural tongue. It points to the scimitar by the halfling and speaks, then points back up the smoldering chimney and speaks.

A second voice sounds back in the first tongue from within the chimney passage.

(Can Galingal and the others hear anything of what's going on in the tunnel - assuming these are the same firenewts they just saw enter the tunnel?)

Those that Galingal and company can see seem to be waiting impatiently for the return of the two who initially entered the tunnel.

While he seems to have the time, Galingal counts how many of the firenewts there are.

In addition to the mounted leader, there are eight others present, two of their number having descended below.

Galingal looks over at Kolose and Jimjar, indicating for now that they should keep quiet. The firenewt numbers might not make for insurmountable odds, but there are enough of them that there's no need to engage in a fight if they don't have to. 

Stena points at the scimitar and shakes her head but does wave the newt away, back up.

"Let it leave."