Opening Scene, Village of Shamhahn

[Quillwraith]

"We are here to... remove the insects, as it were. If you know about them, do tell us."

[ariasderros]

"Well, I sent for Davan to go wake up Foth. He's pretty much the guy in charge around here with Fevn's passing. He'll be the one to talk to 'bout stuff, not that there's much to say. The things in there are big ants. Maybe five foot long, about half that high. Look like red ants, except the size, and their heads are blue-like when they're alive.

Also... They spit."

With that he pulls back his right shirt sleeve and you see what looks like mild burn markings (About as much as if you'd let bleach set for 5 minutes on your skin).

"On their own the things are pretty darn weak and helpless. Easy to squash, and they don't really hurt much, not their spit or their bite. Heck, this was three of them hitting the same spot yesterday. Thought I was going to lose my arm at the time, but it healed plenty well.
Yep, alone they're not much at'all. But... well. Ants."

[ariasderros]

You each stand and wait for almost 5 minutes without further discourse before you see a man coming from around a bend in the path to the north.
While he is wearing the same basic armour as the other men, he is not carrying a halberd, instead having a longsword in a sheath on his left hip, and he is wearing a dull brown tabard over his chain.
He is moving towards you quite briskly at first, nearly jogging, but slows gradually as he gets closer. When he stops he looks at each of you in turn upon his approach, and he stops once he is standing 10 feet in front of you.
"Well, I'd thought Deris would've been here finally. You guys here for him?
Ah, well. So are you here to help us out? Or are you just here for messaging?"

[Jackinthegreen]

"We're here for information mostly.  We know what creature we'd be dealing with in the fields to the West, and now we're investigating these ants to see where our efforts might best be used first." Dunewalker said.

Edit: Adding skill checks.  Hopefully it won't whine for adding them in an edit.

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Arcana:

Rolled 1d20+18 : 13 + 18, total 31

Natural Lore:

Rolled 1d20+9 : 5 + 9, total 14

Scholarship:

Rolled 1d20+14 : 5 + 14, total 19

[ariasderros]

"Well, if you think it'll help, I think I have just the thing. Follow me, please, sirs."

He then heads off to the north, heading back the direction he came. As the path curves, you come upon a large area, where the path opens out to being more than 60ft wide for about a 150ft length. A quick survey with your eyes of the rocks nearby tells you that this widened area was made with explosives. In this area are 8 sturdy tents of varying sizes, made of strong wooden frames with tarp.

He points out one tent, a large one, 25ft to a side, and twice as tall as the others being over 15ft tall, which has leather tarping instead of cloth.
"That large tents there is where we sleep in between our shifts, there's 7 men sleeping right now since the pests mostly come out at night. Mostly.
So if you could, please, try not to do anything like yelling, unless there's a threat."

Yet he continues into a small tent, holding open the flap of it for you each to enter. The tent is only 15ft across, and 10ft deep, so getting all of you in is a little cramped, what with the 9ft table on one side of the tent, with a 5 1/2 long red ant on the table. The medicinal gear in the tent, and on the table leads one to believe that this was a medical tent. The ant being cracked open makes it obvious that they were trying to dissect it.

"Normally, we don't get one of 'em dead before they retreat. But two days ago, the guys on duty managed to get this one. If you think it will help, feel free to do what you wish with it. All we noticed about it was that it was an ant, which we already knew.
We couldn't figure out why their heads are blue when they're alive, or what lets them spit the acid, though. Only thing that has any acid is on the other end. Which is annoying, because its the spit that they are using to tunnel in the hard rock."

As you lean in, you notice, surely enough, that this is a Giant Ant. This one has a few gashes from the weapons that killed it, but also has been opened up surgically in a few places. There does seem to be something... odd about it though.

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Natural Lore
7+
This is a Giant Ant Soldier. It hunts by Scent, and normally tends to try to grab ahold with its mandibles and then sting its enemies with an acidic sting.
12+
This one is odd. It's antennae are longer, and identical, with neither being any wider or longer than the other. It's eyes are larger than they should be for an ant, again lacking any asymmetry. It's legs are also longer and seem stronger. It's colouration is uniform throughout its whole body, another point that is slightly unusual.
17+
 
Scholarship
If N.L at least 12, then at 20+
All of this creatures lack of asymmetry is odd enough. A creature shouldn't be able to function as well, much less better like that. Everything about this thing is more... specific, than it should be. Like this is the 'perfect' ant. Also being intelligent to boot.
It is likely that these ants have somehow taken up some form of planar energies, which has caused basic sentience, and given the other effects thereof, most likely that of a plane such as Mechanus.
What such 'Axiomatic' creatures are doing here, or why, is befuddling. By all rights, this shouldn't happen.
Arcana
26+
A blue aura around the head with the ability to spit acid. The aura disappears upon death. The ability to spit acid is not organic at all.
Conclusion: Shape Soulmeld (Dissolving Spittle).

[sirpercival]

Graalmas inspects the creature.  "It is but a simple insect, to be destroyed mercilessly."  He holds out his hands, and in them forms an enormous sword, which then begins to ripple with flames.

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Initiate Remembrance Splintered to create a Jovar, then the following round expend Short-Sighted Fury via the Blade class feature (both take a swift action).

Recover RS 1d4+1 : 2 + 1, total 3

Recover SSF 1d4+1 : 2 + 1, total 3

[Jackinthegreen]

Dunewalker held up a hand.  "Hold yourself, Graalmas.  We need it intact to learn its secrets.  And don't think I know all of them, but I can tell what the largest problem is."

"It is not a simple insect.  They seem to be using a form of magic called 'Incarnum' to create the ability to spit acid, which should be impossible because they usually lack any intelligence to access that magic."

Dunewalker used Detect Magic then concentrated on the ant for a short time.  Arcana check if there are any magical auras:

Rolled 1d20+18 : 7 + 18, total 25

He turned to fully face the guard that had led them here.  "Have any of you noticed the ants being more intelligent than one might expect of vermin?  Besides the glowing heads, have you noticed any other body parts glowing blue?"

[ariasderros]

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Not even a lingering aura from the incarnum. It was just too weak to leave one. Thing's been dead for a day & a half. If there were still a lingering aura, that would mean that there was either a 10th level spell, or an artifact involved.

The guardsman Foth gets a 'dafuq' look on his face.
"The ants are using magic? That's ... odd. How does that even happen?"
...
"But yeah, I think there's some sense there. These ones are smart, I guess. They use some basic combat tactics and coordination in their attacks. More than just ant-like swarm-rushing. They'll try to pin you against groups of them, if they can. They time their attacks together for better effect. They might be a bit smarter than a mutt or a good horse, but that's about it, from what I've seen & heard.

And the only thing I've head of them being able to do was the spiting thing. No other glowing or abnormalities. Smart & Spit, that's it"

[ShadowViper]

He leaned closer to the ant upon the table, inspecting it carefully as his eyes moved slowly over each detail of it's body while his ears listened to the conversation around him.

"Seems this ant has taken on some planar qualities, likely from a plane such as Mechanus. Interesting..." He said thoughtfully to the group, continuing his studying of the creature.

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Arcana, Natural Lore and Scholarship (1d20+18=24, 1d20+11=14, 1d20+11=26)

[Jackinthegreen]

Dunewalker nodded as Foth described the ants a bit better.

"If they have rudimentary intelligence and a guiding force or incredible willpower then they could use this magic.  I expect their queen has something to do with their abnormalities."

Dunewalker looked at his other partymates.  "Does anyone else have anything to add about this ant?  If not, we need to decide what we are to take care of first."

[ShadowViper]

He raised up from inspecting the ant corpse, turning to face the rest of the party.

"The ant problem should be addressed first. With the recent discovery, it will likely prove quite intriguing. Not to mention that it should be good preparation for the Umber Hulk"

[sirpercival]

Graalmas nods sharply.  "Excellent, then we are in agreement."  Still holding the (no longer burning) sword, he strides toward the mine entrance.

[Jackinthegreen]

Dunewalker chimed in.  "The Umber Hulk has been limited to the fields for some unknown reason, but the ants have no such limitation.  The mines can also be made useful again much sooner than the fields.  If we found a way to control them they might even be able to help the miners.  To the mine it is!"

[Quillwraith]

"As you say.
They're smart enough to fool. But let's plan; they outnumber us."

[Jackinthegreen]

"We'll need to see what kind of numbers they have.  And it occurs to me that we know none of each others' names.  We had best get that sorted.  My name is Dunewalker."

[sirpercival]

"I am Graalmas." The big man still carries the sword, which ripples as if not entirely real.

[ShadowViper]

"I am Throreth Natiavan, practitioner of the arcane arts"

[Quillwraith]

"Joseph Spades. Illusionist."

[ariasderros]

You each make your way back out of the tent, and walk along the fissure-path to return to the mine's entrance. The guards both watch you as you enter, with a mixture of surprise and relief on their faces.

You walk through the 20ft tall and 30ft wide wood-framed entrance-way. Walking into the pitch, it seems as if the mine is an infinite hole in the universe itself, the light from outside not even reaching in a full 30ft before becoming an abyss which light refuses to touch. Until light is provided by its wayward occupants, at least.

The mouth of the mine opens up less than 10ft in, for a working section of the mine that is 40ft tall, 90ft wide, and 80ft across. The area is scattered with wheelbarrows, big picks, large hand-drills, and other equipment.

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There is more to describe, this is just the basics. Perception checks and the taking out of your light sources need preface further exposition.

Didn't want to assume about who would take out what, for light.

Also, could you please list ranges for things, when you do take them out. Torch: Bright 20ft; Shadow 20ft.

[ShadowViper]

Before entering the mine, Throreth removes the hooded lantern from his back pack. Taking a tindertwig from his belt pouch, he proceeds to light the lantern. The tindertwig is then shooken out before being dropped to the ground, where his boot would rub it into the stony dirt, further ensuring that it was out. The lantern is switched to his right hand, his left hand then drawing his bow. He suddenly gives a loud screeching whistle. A few seconds later a large majestic hawk is swooping from the air to gracefully land atop his wide-brimmed hat. He would wait to enter the mine until he was second to last.

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Bright 30ft, Shadowy 60ft. For future reference, what action is it to set an item down(rather than just dropping it)? I'm thinking move, but maybe a free action as well(as dropping it).