The Adventures of Berred, Ranger of Shadow Deep
Scenario 2: Swampland
For nearly a full day, you and your companions carefully climbed down the broken stairs. Day eventually gave way to a murky twilight as the sun was blotted from the sky by the thick, dark clouds of the Shadow Deep. Most of your party have covered their faces to block out the ash and stink of the place. Finally, the stairway came to an end in front of a boggy pool, dotted with broken ruins and a few trees. The water nearest the stairs is too deep to wade, but it appears to quickly become shallower further on. If you want to carry on with your mission, there is no choice but to swim through the dark waters until you reach solid ground. Still, it is not a decision you take lightly, for who knows what could be living beneath the surface of the dark water?
The fumes emanating from the swamp were unpleasant to say the least. Merlin The conjuror (Son of William) was starting to feel ill already. Looking at the others they seemed unaffected but then Dart the hound gave a heave and threw up his last meal. This swamp would be unpleasant. He gingerly lowered himself into the water and started kicking. Dart leaped and was already paddling away. Merlin muttered the words of magic and pointed towards Berred. The Ranger looked bewildered as he suddenly bobbed higher in the water unable to sink. He nodded a word of thanks back to Merlin and headed forward. Looking towards dryer land there was movement in the undergrowth as something shuffled towards them, a bloated dead body appeared. Berred lifted his bow from the water and somehow managed to loose an arrow killing the zombie. Everyone started swimming for dry land but Halleck, the Guardsman, was struggling. He wasn’t the best swimmer and his massive billhook caused him to momentarily sink beneath the surface. He was spluttering gasping for breath as he re-emerged and looked directly at a giant fly which had followed them down the stairs.
Both Berred and Trotter shot at the fly while swimming only managing to wound it. Halleck upon seeing the fly got himself sorted and made a mad dash for dry land. The fly drifted towards Merlin who gave it a sound whack with his staff and the fly disappeared below the water. Merlin’s robes were making swimming difficult and he swallowed his fair share of water, nearly drowning in the process. Dart appeared to be struggling as well as he let out a wine and dipped below the surface only to reappear a short time later. They all needed to get out soon Merlin thought, they were all tired. Trotter had already made it to dryer land but didn’t have time to light his pipe as a zombie appeared directly in front of him and he had to dodge out of the way. Trysten, even with his robes, was a steady swimmer and made it out soon after. Another fly appeared behind them.
Berred pulled himself out of the water, then turned, looking back he launched an arrow at the fly killing it. It was then he noticed something in the undergrowth and went to investigate. Merlin was getting worried, he felt like he couldn’t stay afloat any longer and water covered his face several times. It was all he could do to stay afloat. Trotter (the tracker) shot the zombie in the head and just as he was lighting his pipe, Halleck hauled himself out of the water dripping and muttering to himself. He turned around looking back. Where was Dart? He shouted across to Trysten who was looking worried, there was no sign of the hound apart from a small ripple of water where he was last seen. They waited but nothing came up. Dart hadn’t made it. Just then something in the air changed and a loud frothing groan could be heard from within the swamp. They had to press on.
Upon closer inspection Berred found a small chest partially buried in undergrowth. After hauling it out he opened it and the sparkle of gold and jewels greeted him. Smiling, he strapped it to his back and went to join up with the others. Meanwhile Trotter (the tracker) also saw something ahead, a zombie in the distance which he took a pot shot at but missed, then something else caught his eye, just an old sword, not even made of steel but bone. He tutted and left it where it was. Merlin managed to at last reach dry land only to find a zombie clawing out at him. Wet and with no patience for such things he muttered a word and vanished.
Berred saw Merlin disappear and then shot a now confused looking zombie. Merlin appeared not far from Trotter (the tracker) who was about to get jumped on by another zombie when Trysten gave a shout and rushed in to defend Trotter.
The zombie reached over to Trysten causing a horrible gash, Trysten was bleeding badly. Trotter used his staff to whack the zombie away. Trysten staggered backwards while Merlin cast his magic and closed Trysten’s wound. Trotter and Berred attempted to shoot the zombie to both miss.
It’s not Trysten’s day as behind him another wet, bloated zombie appeared out of the swamp. Halleck was suddenly there to defend but not before the zombie reopened Trysten’s wound. It then attacked Halleck, wounding him also. Trysten stabbed the zombie and kicked it away. Berred rushed forward to help but almost tripped as his foot got caught in a vine clogged sink hole. He kicked furiously, freeing himself and let loose an arrow killing the zombie attacking Trysten and Halleck. Meanwhile Merlin made short work of their zombie while wielding his staff with the help of Trotter.
Soaked through to the bone, tired and injured our heroes pushed on through the swamp.Their going is slow as the ground sucked at their feet with every step, vines and roots try to trip them. Trotter (the tracker) noticed something to his left near some ruins and moved off to investigate while to the right in the distance another zombie approached from afar.
Looking closely Trotter saw some very strange purple flowers. Being an experienced outdoors man these seem very odd. He picked a few and moved on to catch up with the others.
The heavens erupted and a heavy rain was upon them. With water in our heroes eyes visibility was next to nothing. They pushed on. Berred could sense that they were starting to leave the swamp behind. The zombie was very close now. As the others moved further up the trail onto higher, and dryer ground both Berred and Trotter let loose one last arrow each with Trotter’s being the one to kill the zombie. They both left the swamp and up to dryer ground. Once higher up while Trotter studies his flowers, then grinned in realisation, Berred added to his map the details of the Swamp. 
The rain slowed then stopped. Something slowly heaved itself onto dry land dragging half of the plant life of the swamp with it. It pauses on the bank for a while before a pale pink tongue appeared from beneath the foliage followed by a wet nose. A quick shake and a very wet and grubby dog was revealed. It sniffed and then darted off in the direction of the higher ground giving a bark of delight upon seeing a distant red robe.
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