Tunnels And Other Secrets

The companions returned Bill Ferny to the authorites in Bree and stayed in the town for the four day festival. Music, dancing, food and drink raised spirits and, for at least a short time, the recent troubles were forgotten. Even Mrs Butterburr threw off her usual scowl when her sweet topped cakes took second place in the pastry contest.   With the revelry over, the companions answered a summons by Mayor Graeme Tenderlash. Outside the office, they overheard a very insistent Lucinda Greenbow imploring the mayor to rescue her son Hamfist from the clutches of whatever trouble Bill Ferny had drawn the young man into.   Joining the conversation, the companions learned that Hamfist, barely a teenager, had lost his father in a farming accident a few years earlier. Aimless, the boy fell in with Ferny and his friends. Lucinda feared that her son was now drawn to the mysterious man holed up somewhere in the North Downs. She begged the adventurers to rescue her son and stormed out of the office.   Mayor Tenderlash relayed information learned from the sheriff's interrogation of Bill Ferny. The dwarven brand has some connection to a facination the bandits have with dwarves. The leader of the bandits was a hooded man who answered to what Ferny called 'a shadow'. Ferny also confirmed that the bandits were using a ruined tower in the southern hills of the North Downs as their base. He did add that the tower sat above the tomb of some forgotten warrior from the age of Angmar.   Convinced the mayor was holding back, the companions pressured Tenderlash until, with Rooty standing on his desk stomping on his official papers, the man broke. The mayor admitted that there were two secret tunnels under the town, providing hidden passage beneath the walls. Swearing that the tunnels were only for a 'private' enterprise and had nothing to do with the recent bandit troubles, the mayor handed over the keys to the tunnel doors.   The companions checked out the Archet tunnel first and quickly ruled it out as the tunnel had not been disturbed in some time. Entering the Midge Swamp tunnel, the group found clear signs that the passage had been used recently and often. Arriving at the other end, the group found themselves within the swampy muck of the Midge.   In the distance, across open swamp, Damian and Froig spotted the tell tale smoke of a campfire rising from behind a ruined wall. Moving east toward the ruined wall, Froig stepped into a hole hidden by the brush and spiky reeds. As the weight of his armor sucked the dwark deeper into the slimy muck, two large midges rose from the dank foliage to attack.   Arrows from Rooty and Balahir wounded the large insects and a vicious spear thrust from Damian ended the threat. Froig sank deeper, unable to get any grip on the slick sides of the hole and running out of breath. But his friends jumped to his aid.   With Rooty holding his legs, Balahir reached into the slime, grabbed hold of Froig's shoulder armor and pulled the dwarf out of the hole.   As the companions took stock of the situation, they realized that the campfire smoke no longer rose above the swamp ruins.