[A little dryly:] All of the other monsters in the immediate locale are also associated with fire, save perhaps the Fakes. [Wait, he probably won't know what those are.] Mimic monsters, which appear as wood or stone until touched. It may be that aggression is necessary in that context to hold their own, or it may have been engendered by the fading mana. I didn't get enough of a chance to study them.

I don't wear much armor myself, so it isn't something I've pursued here. It may be worth asking around the markets, however, or with those who are practiced in close combat. Something like that certainly could be useful.