(Yoric, Thalion, and Alden are currently at point 3 on the map in the miners' locker area -- Nevlav and Grin are at the edge of the platform on point 1, where the path diverges in 3 ways between the storage area, the lockers, and Ore Chamber 1. Where are you planning on heading next?)

"Let's regroup - I still think you had the right idea with heading left, Yoric."

He heads back to Grin and Nevlav. 

"Don't mind the good Chief Brightaxe," he says, nodding toward the mine's exit where the dwarf had just run off to. "He'll live, he's just... traumatized."

Grin is going to keep up her detect magic through her Eldritch Eyes invocation. As she plods along with the group she'll warn. "Beastie soun' dayndris, me say we make plans to 'scape if it be too ruff ta kill oui?"

Alden

Alden whispers: "I am going to wait here for a moment to see if anything has been altered to our vocalizations." 

Alden waits as others head back, peering into the darkness with his elven eyesight.

Yoric starts towards point 5, and the new dig site.

"Yoric, let the elf lead the way, he can scout a little on the way," Nevlav says as he walks a slow pace beside the halfing.

Yoric slows despite his anxiousness to get moving

Thalion nods and eagerly sets off down the path toward the new dig site. He tries to keep his footsteps light, but he has a tendency to forget his elvish composure in these moments of excitement.

Stealth: 17

Alden, as you take one final look at the area, with Corin Brightaxe out of the way now, there doesn't seem to be anything really out of place now or any alterations to the space other than the locker door that the Chief fell out of is still hanging open.

Grin as your eyes adjust to the Detect Magic spell, nothing out of the ordinary stands out yet (I have this noted for if it comes up in the next ten minutes).

As the group moves back into the main chamber, following Chief Brightaxe's trail, then branches off towards the new tunnel dig site, the sound of the scratching seems to be getting closer and you start to hear a new sound. It is a cackling, a horrible, high-pitched laughter that seems to be coming from further down the mine cart tracks.

The part is now at the second revolving turntable. There is a narrow passageway behind you that seems to lead upward closer to the surface, and immediately to your left is the partially dug new outlet. To the northeast, the mine cart tracks lead deeper into the mine.

Grin collects some pebbles and casts magic stone and keeps them ready, recasting it when she needs to, she doesn't want to be unready.

(Would Grin know anything about the beast as described? With her sage background ability she would at least know who would know.)

Thalion hears the spine-tingling sound of high pitched laughter coming from deeper in the mine and stills. He turns back to the group to hold his finger up to his lips with a nod in the direction of the sound.

Before they head that way, though, he turns toward the passage leading toward the surface and examines it closely, sticking his head into the hole for a moment. He tries to discern if it's naturally made by some creature or if dug by tools.

Investigation: 1

Thalion -- it appears that the narrow passageway is very recent -- dug within the past two or days. It does appear though that it was dug by machines. You surmise that perhaps it is intended to provide fresh air to the new mine tunnels that were being excavated.

(Grin -- roll me an Arcana check (with advantage) to see if you have any sense of what scared Chief Brightaxe so badly).

Alden

Upon hearing the laughter Alden will move slowly, just to the right and back of Thalion and ready his bow to fire. 

As the party starts to follow the cart tracks, the noise gets louder and louder to the point where it almost becomes deafening. It clear there is something -- multiple somethings -- down here.

The corridor narrows so you have to march single file for a good length of time, but as then the tunnel starts to open up. Even in the tunnel though, you start to see signs of the creature's presence -- there are ore deposits along the floor or lining the walls that appear to be melted or scarred, completely unusable for the manufacturing purposes they are normally mined for.

Yoric, from the map you're holding, you know that up ahead to the left is probably the makeshift altar to Nuitari the worshipers erected and to the right is Ore Chamber 2... the deepest part of the mines and the likely hiding place of whatever is down here.

 Nevlav narrows his eyes down the tunnel and tracks that lead deeper. "Let's move on, this is obviously a try at frightening us off. Move steady and together." 

Grin creates a minor illusion of herself 30 ft behind the party, stragling behind. "Don' mine she, she be bait"

Yoric considers Nevlav and Grin’s words. “If you were luring someone to an ambush here, where would you hide?”

"On de ceilen"

Yoric looks up to the ceiling for beasties.

perception 5

Yoric, you don't notice anything on the ceiling, but further down the cavern to the right, at the point the mine fully opens, you see two creatures ahead of you about 25 - 30 feet.

The first is easy enough to recognize: it is an ankheg, and it is currently busy spraying acid along the walls the mine. It has not noticed you yet. 

Its harder to tell what the other creature is. It's humanoid, but it doesn't move right. Furthermore, it seems to be made out of --- straw, maybe? Hay?

As soon as you notice it, it seems to know and turns around. It's a Scarecrow and it looks right at you all, a weird, sickly-colored green energy crackles all around it and seems to be animating it.

Then, shockingly, you hear a voice emerge from the scarecrow. It is that of a old woman, and it addresses you with an admonishing air.

"Finally. I was beginning to think you dearies weren't coming. You know, its not nice to keep old Granny Pustooth waiting. Hehehehehehehehehehe...."

(Roll for initiative)

Ankheg: 12

Scarecrow: 10