The Adventure Begins!

Deciding they had enough information, the five travelled half a days journey south, the looming cliff walls of the Chaos Scar overtaking the sky with each step. In the middle of the road were three wagons, destroyed and still covered with vermin of multiple types and sizes; cockroaches, rats, spiders, worms, maggots, centipedes, locust. Nothing remained within the wagons and most of the wagons themselves had disappeared. After searching for a little while, avoiding the vermin as much as possible, large drag marks were discovered that led into the forest towards the Scar, the vermin around the site shouldn't be together some prey and predator to one another. During the search Sweet Pea noticed a Kobold along the tree line which quickly darted back into the forest. Ravenfeeder and Helja ran into the forest, leaving the other behind to continue the search, in the hope of cutting off the Kobold.

Raven and Helja unfortunately were not successful, breaking out of the trees and into a small meadow that laid at the foot of the tall cliffs of the Chaos Scar, just as the Kobold ran and jumped into a cave. Deciding to wait for their comrades, they tried to investigate the cave without being detected. Nothing could be seen in the cave, no light was being emitted from within and nothing could be discovered. Once the Five Guards were all together they decided to run into the cave, those who had the ability to see in low-light conditions in the front, hopefully getting the upper edge against whatever might be in the cave's entrance.

Unfortunately it wasn't the Kobolds at the entrance that deterred the attackers, it was the small tripwire that was felt upon their ankles that slowed down their progress.  As the wire snapped the cliff wall above the five gave way, boulders, rocks, and dust crashed to the ground.  Dodging just in time, the five walked away with mere scrapes and bruises.  Before being able to dust themselves off, scraping and digging came from the other side of the rockfall.  Sooner rather than later, kobolds had clawed their way through the rocks and quickly engaged the invaders of their home. 

A quick battle ensued, the kobolds throwing cages full of vermin at the adventurers as they battled back, magic and swords flying at the small draconic reptiles.  With very little difficulty the kobolds fell by the wayside, still leaving the rubble to be removed so that the adventurers could invade the cave and hopefully discover the missing merchant and goods.

Once the rubble had been moved enough to get in the cave, the entire setting had changed, instead of being a dark cave, torches had been lit and standing in the light were kobolds ready for the adventurers.  It took a moment for adventurers to make it in the cave, giving the kobolds the opportunity to attack and get ready for the small skirmish on hand.  Calling upon the raging storm of Kord, Helja ran into the battle, thundering with her warhammer.   Sweet Pea invading the kobolds minds.  Ravenfeeder answering all vermin cages with poisoned shurikens.  Taeja defending her newest allies with enforcing vigor.  And Soveliss filling each swing of his Greatsword with arcane magic.  The battle ended as soon as it had begun, the only unaccounted kobold was the one who was able to escape further down the caves.

After taking a short rest, healing any wounds that needed attending, the adventurers decided to journey farther down the cave system.  As they travelled through the unlit corridors, rocks and pebbles kicked and things crunching under foot, eventually the sounds of running could be heard echoing through the caves.  Around the corner came reinforcements, led by the kobold who had escaped from the entrance of the cave.  The narrow cave kept the battle long, only allowing a few fighters to engage each other at a single time.  With little effort the adventurers cleared the caves.

Down the caves the adventurers travelled, torches beginning to intermittenly be placed in the cave walls.  No sounds echoed through the caves except for each footsteps of the adventurers.  The caves continued to turn and curve, but one of the walls had broken and crumbled into some chamber that had been built ages before.  The floor had been tiled and the walls were clean and smooth instead of the rugged walls of the cave.  Over the floor crawled vermin of every type; cockroaches and rats, centipedes and grubs, locust, spiders, snakes.  At the back of the chamber was a solid wooden door that was closed from whatever might be behind.

Cutting a swath through the vermin, the adventurers opened the doors, unsure of whatever might be on the inside.  The room was a sanctuary to some being.  The walls were painted in words unintelligible, pictures of vermin overtaking and destroying the world.  The pedestal against the far wall was carved into vermin turning from one type to another.  And in the middle of the floor, in a circle glowing with occultic runes was a kobold encircled by vermin, joined together to the point where one began and the other ended could not be detected.  In one hand the kobold held a large book and in the other a staff.  As the adventurers entered the sanctuary, the kobold hissed unintelligibly and the turned to the adventurers and said, "Go on my pets and feast!"

From the kobold swarmed vermin, from his hands he threw a plague of locust and at his command the vermin around his feet swarmed out towards the adventurers, biting and stinging with the ferocity of the nine hells.  As the opportunity arose, he slammed his staff and book together vermin burrowed from the ground and attacked everyone who wandered in their swarm.  Helja, Sweet Pea, and Soveliss endeavored to use their powers of the arcane and divine to break the connection that the book and the kobold shared.  Ravenfeeder and Taeja worked their way into the sanctuary, taking the attack to the kobold verminpriest instead of focusing on the crawling vermin that flooded from the ground below.  The power of the tome had been destroyed and the kobold had been destroyed, but also unconscious in the sanctuary was Helja, Soveliss, and Taeja.