Ran replaces his light crossbow with one of the heavy crossbows and grabs a few replacement bolts. He hefts a few of the items, commenting on the balance and quality of the items. But in the end he sticks with his longswords.

Ran nods at what Meili says.

”But we don’t want any of the workers running off and warning soldiers.”

He draws his swords, ready for the door to be opened.

“No tunnel” Mica replies to Meili, slapping his hand against the wall in frustration. “But it was a roughly sketched map, maybe the passage is in the next room.  So I guess we finish the newts first and then see what we find.”  After looking through it, Mica ignores the weapons and armor collecting dust and approaches the door to the south with both hand axes drawn.  “Ready?” Mica nods to the others and pushes through the door.

"As ready as I can be." Responds Nalomanterys, reminding everyone that his magic is limited at the moment. "Let us take care of this newt problem once and for all and be on our way."

Once again the party prepares to charge headlong into battle.  And once again, the unsuspecting foes are caught off guard...

Throwing open the heavy metal doors, you look upon a poorly lit forge.  There are anvils, hammers, tongs and other tools of the smithing trade cluttering the room, and more tool racks line the walls.  Buckets of water and quenching oils are on the floor alongside piles of smelted ore from the last room.  Three Firenewts had been pounding out billets on anvils when you opened the door, the clanging of their hammers falling silent as they gasp in surprise.  To the east, there is a long hall leaving the room... it is currently blocked with bars of an unusual metal.

Further south and through another open doorway, you can see into another forge room.  A large furnace is burning here, providing better illumination.  There more Firenewts can be seen through the open door, one of them clad in robes and wielding a strange-looking rod.

[Your enemies are surprised, once again, and cannot take actions this round and cannot take reactions until after their first turn has passed.]

Round 1:

1. Mica, Danica & Nalomanterys
2. Firenewts & Hew
3. Ran & Meili
4. Firenewt Warlock

((Longstrider lasts 1 hour, so Ran and Hew should still have it, I think, since we didn't take a short rest)).

Somewhat prepared for what lay on the other side of the door, Nalomanterys quickly seeks out the firenewt warlock and finds it in the far room. Before attempting a more potent spell, Nalomanterys attempts to weaken the enemy caster with a quick cantrip. After chanting the requisite word, a beam of ice springs from the wizard's fingertips toward the warlock. ((Nalomanterys moves 2 squares down to get in range, then moves 2 squares back to exactly where he was before)).

Attack: 22

Damage: 3 frost

[So, we all can attack, but Mica, Danica & Nalomanterys can do it twice?]

The Warlock (his robe and wand made him stand out among the smiths) was probably the most dangerous. But the stunned-by-surprise smith by the door was a threat nevertheless and had to be dealt with. Meili weaved gracefully between Hew and Mica to attack the closest foe.

Shortsword Attack: 7 Damage: 7
Unarmed Strike Attack: 9 Damage: 6

[Right... this round only the 5 of you + Hew act, then next round Mica, Danica & Nalomanterys can go before the first enemies get a turn.]

(Are each of those squares 5’?)

Each 2x2 square of floor tiles is a 5’ square.

Ran runs forward, avoiding Meili and  the firenewt she's engaged with, and using the extra spring in his step from Nalo's spell, he runs down to the next two firenewts, positioning himself in the space to the east of the one and north of the other.

As he arrives, his longswords are already moving. He slashes the one to the west first the the one to the south.

Action - West - Attack: 12 Damage: 6  

Bonus Action - South - Attack: 14 Damage: 12  

For his second turn, Nalomanterys is going to walk backwards (north) and plant himself against the wall so he has a view of the newt warlock. He will ready an action to cast [spell] sleep [/sleep] against the wall behind the newt warlock with the trigger "The warlock acts".

The idea is to let the regular newts move away from the warlock first so they don't eat up the HP pool from sleep. While Nalomanterys is readying the spell, he has to concentrate on it and can be disrupted with damage + failed concentration check, if any normal newt is wise and fast enough to get to him.

Sleep HP pool: 19

Nalomanterys' ray of frost strikes the warlock, Meili connects with one blow against the northmost firenewt, while both of Ran's swords glance off of slimy chainmail.

[Botting Danica for the surprise round....]

Danica walks 15' into the room, then calls upon the power of nature to bring a balance against the awful heat of this place.  She conjures a shard of ice and launches it toward the warlock in the next room.  Attack: 14  Damage:  9

It hits, staggering the warlock, who is nearly overcome by the back to back ice spells.  But he shakes if off and evades the following explosion of the shard, which deals 3 cold damage to one of the nearby firenewts.

Firenewt warlock save:  18

Firenewt save:  21

Other firenewt save:  11

Hew then charges into the room, following in Ran's steps and stopping kitty-corner to him on the other side of the firenewts.  He likewise splits up his rapier attacks between them.

Attack: 19 Damage: 7

Attack: 19 Damage: 9

Mica opens the door and pushes into the room.  He quickly takes in the crowded forge and the room beyond it and moves ten feet into the room, clearing the door for his companions behind him. Turning quickly, he attacks the firenewt nearest to the door with two strikes of his hand axes. 

Attack: 18 Damage: 9.

Attack: 19 Damage: 4.

.

Round 2

Taking advantage of the fact they caught the firenewts unprepared, Mica presses his attacks before the creature can grab its weapons.  He slashes twice more across the firenewt's chest.

Attack: 10 Damage: 4

Attack: 8 Damage: 7

On a hit, an extra 4 damage from colossus slayer. 

Round 2

Danica steps forward again, replicating her last spell but pushing more power behind it, summoning an even larger  shard of ice than before and sending it hurtling toward the Firenewt Warlock in the next room.

Attack: 23  Piercing Damage:  3

FW save: 10       FN save: 9        FN save: 13

Cold Damage:  10

The shard slams into the warlock and explodes again.  This time all three Firenewts in the next room are caught in the shower of ice.

Wounded and overwhelmed, the firenewt warriors finally react.

Despite Meili and Mica's relentless attacks, the northmost Firenewt has managed to duck and dodge most of the assault.  Still, he is armed only with a smithing hammer, so he elects instead to Spit Fire at Mica. Mica must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw, taking 5 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.  Then the firenewt, surrounded and cutoff, braces itself for the inevitable next round of attacks.

The two at the southern end of the room follow suit, both of them disgorging fiery phlem at Ran.  Ran must make two DC 11 Dexterity saving throws. For the first save, he takes 6 fire damage on failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save.  For the second save, he takes 10 fire damage on failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save.  Then, both of the firenewts run toward weapons tables in the room.  Neither leaves Ran's reach, but both leave Hew's.  Hew takes a stab at the run running toward Danica.

Hew Attack: 18 Damage: 8

They grab scimitars off of the tables and look around, ready to fight.

Last, the two in the far room both run toward the doorway, grabbing weapons off a table along the way.  Then both Spit Fire at Hew, through the open door.  Hew must make two DC 11 Dexterity saving throws. For the first save, he takes 10 fire damage on failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save.  For the second save, he takes 9 fire damage on failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save.  (Hew Saves:  6     7)

Having spit fire at Hew, both of them take up positions against the wall just inside the doorway.  Both have 3/4 cover against ranged attacks from your room.

Dex Save 1: 6  

Dex Save 2: 10  

Ran, having almost forgotten about the flame spitting these newts do, does his best to dodge most of the fiery phlegm. Ignoring the burning smell of his own skin, he slashes out at the two fire newts in front of him again.

Action: Attack: 7 Damage: 10  

Bonus: Attack: 21 Damage: 9  

A bit of fire catches Hew, but he laughs it off.  It is enough, however, to distract him from landing his attack of opportunity, as the firenewt he was attacking is able to arm itself.

Round 2:

1. Mica, Danica & Nalomanterys
2. Firenewts & Hew
3. Ran & Meili
4. Firenewt Warlock