If they are traders, Beegred hopes they are selling a sprig of mistletoe.

He suggests the party have the appearance of strength, but not throw the first punch. Let someone who speaks Underdark try to communicate... just not Buppido.

Tozer stands with his maul resting upon his shoulder. "Slaves...hard to find body parts...lovely folk," the dwarf muses aloud. 

"I'll talk to them," Xilyrah offers, "Who's coming with me?"

Jimjar answers Tozer, "Other than deep gnomes and dwarves, just about every underdark race trades in slaves and various creature anatomical bits and pieces."

Turning to Xilyrah, Jimjar extends a hand, "I'll wager a portion of your share of the coin we've been collecting, say twenty gold...we don't need to go anywhere, they'll come right to us!"

"Any chance they speak dwarvish or elvish?" Nartstin asks Xilyrah.  "I won't be much use otherwise."

Jimjar continues to speak, "5 gold says they can barely speak undercommon."

As your party wakes and prepares for a confrontation, the procession of Kuo-Toa darts and zigzags their way up the tunnel towards you.  They get within sixty feet and stop, mouths gaping open and closing, like fish out of water.  One individual steps forward another ten feet, guiding a second carrying a staff who quickly casts a spell.  The staff bearer then speaks from behind his guard, in undercommon, with a bubbly gurgling rasp, "We are destined for Mantol-Derith to trade.  Your people will not be pleased if you cause the goods to be delayed."

Since Xilyrah is doing the talking, Beegred suggests the following:

1. They can pass, in peace
2. What are they trading, excluding body parts and slaves? Our party may be interested in bartering.
3. Do they have a sprig of mistletoe for sale? (Yes, he is getting annoying, but it is for a good cause.)

Xilyrah steps forward and addresses the staff bearer, "I am Xilyrah Graymoore, daughter of Marenus Graymoore. Your kin and mine have a long history of trade together. My party has no quarrel with yours. You may pass with no trouble from us."

As she speaks, Xilyrah simultaneously attempts to discern the spell he cast.

Arcana check: 5

(Since Beegred is hard for the Kuo-Toa to see, he sneaks around to try to get a better view of the spell caster's actions, and then reports back to Xilyrah.) Help-ing Xilyrah's arcana check.

The nature of the spell is not known to you, but you did see whatever he did caused a shimmer around his guard.

The Kuo-Toa staff wielder replies, "Amid all the chaos that has been forcing us away from our usual route, this encounter makes me suspicious.  Move aside to one side of the cave and keep your hands in front of you, away from your weapons.  We are wary and will attack first, ask questions later, if provoked."

As Beegred gets within 30 feet of the lead guard, it turns its head so one eye is tracking Beegred.  The staff wielder hisses, "What is the meaning of this?"

Narstin, and Tozer hear Buppido snicker and mumble to himself.

Xilyrah shoots daggers with her eyes at Beegred. "Pay the halfling no mind. He has never seen the mighty Kuo-Toa before and is awed by your presence. We will do as you request, but before you pass, would you perchance have a sprig of mistletoe we could purchase from you?"

Persuasion check: 20

Tozer narrows his gaze at Buppido and offers him a stern warning. "Say nothing, do nothing, that will put lives at risk, derro." (Intimidation: 9)

He then positions himself in such a way that he can see both Buppido and the approaching kuo-toa while waiting to see how Xilyrah's bit of flattery pans out. 

The staff wielder looks at Beegred and Xilyrah suspiciously.  But one of the Kuo-Toa carrying the large baskets speaks, "What is a halfling?  That is a halfling?  Hmmm.  Where are halflings from?  Will any toe be acceptable?  We do not know what a Mistle is either.  How many is a 'sprig'?  But I must have toes, just have to find them.  What do you trade?  Would you trade the halfling?"

Buppido looks at Tozer and snikers again.   "You have too much fear, dwarf.  Believe in Diinkarazan and if you are meant to live, he will make it so."

Beegred is creeped out by the way the fish eyes are following him, when he should be invisible to them. Must be an optical illusion, like those old oil painting portraits.

He scampers back next to Tozer and Buppido. He also mentions a physical description of mistletoe plant to Xilyrah (mildly toxic, berries, parasite plant sometimes mistaken for a "witch's broom") if she is unfamiliar.

Narstin looks back and forth between Cilytah and the strange creatures, having no idea what they’re saying or what’s going on. 

Xilyrah can't help but chuckle at the Kuo-Toa's confusion regarding mistletoe. "Apologies for my laughter, friends. I was unclear in my request. I do not mean an actual toe. What we are hoping to purchase from you is a plant with thorny leaves and poisonous berries. It's sometimes referred to as witch's broom. We have gold but little else for trading, unless you're interested in a derro. He's the pale bluish one holding the hooked spear."

A different Kuo-Toa carrying a basket speaks, "I have many plants from the depths of the Darklake.  Some are poisonous.  We trade, yes?  I trade 25 gold worth of plants for your Derro."

The first Kuo-Toa staff wielder intervenes, "No slaves.  We are far from our intended path and tying our hands to lead a slave is not wise."

The plant selling Kuo-Toa counteroffers, "Then I trade 10 gold of plants for Derro organs.  Deal?"

Buppido chuckles and studies Xilyrah...

Buppido Insight check: -1

Buppido suddenly moves back to have everyone in front of him and says, "Diinkerazan demands slaughter for Derro peoples.  Kuo-Toa, Dwarves, Drow, Halflings.  Matters not to him."

Up until this point Xilyrah had found Buppido's religious fanaticism moderately annoying, but regarded him as harmless. Her offer to the Kuo-Toa was primarily borne out of bitterness toward the Derro who uttered not a word of thanks after she'd worked to get him out from under the rubble. But his outburst made it clear to her how sinister his fanaticism genuinely was and she knew it was now imperative that Buppido's words and the conversation with the Kuo-Toa be relayed to her companions.

Addressing the fish-folk with a slight bow, she replies, "My friends, please DO NOT regard the derro's words. You can clearly see why we have wish to be rid of him. If you will allow me a moment to confer with my companions, as they do not speak your language, I believe we can come to an agreement that benefits us all."

And with that Xilyrah quickly switches to common language and recaps all that has been said, emphasizing her grave concerns regarding Buppido. "Now that his nefarious intentions are clear, I will not travel with this zealot any longer. What say you????" (said in the style of Aragorn addressing the King of the dead)

Every one roll an insight check.