How to rescue a dwarven woman for comedic effect

So another Sunday night 4E game has came and went, tonight was great because it was a pivotal point in the game. They have returned to the Lost Village, where they began this adventure, I think it was nine to ten months ago? Time has moved on in this small swamp village and I made sure to remind them of that fact. Brock, our dwarven shaman inquires about his sweetheart Sherry only to find she has disappeared in the swamp in search of smugglers. Eberk, part time meat shield and full time minion to Jinx discovers his adopted father has been run out of town.

Which way will the group go hinges on what happens next, and they did not disappoint splitting up into three groups to get information on what has been happening. The Bronzeknuckle brothers have taken over the village, keeping the Grave Dancer's Union (a mercenary adventuring group) out of the area. The Grave Dancer's are moving closer to retrieving a dangerous artifact from the midst of a large tribe of goliaths who reside at the center of the swamp, by tampering with their food and water. Eberk's father got into an argument with the Bronzeknuckles over the dwarven soldiers that were brought in to keep the peace, which led to his exile from the area.

The most immediate problem to be taken care of was the disappearance of Sherry, so they soon came by information where she may be. It looks like she has run afoul of smugglers whom the group has dealt with before. Also, this was the direction they took because Eberk's player was not able to make it, therefore when he returns we shall deal with the absence of his father.

I ran the trip through the swamp like a skill challenge, and when they arrived they used all their skills to slip onto a boat, past a couple of guards and rescue the fair Sherry. Oh man there were some mishaps, bad rolls but they all became part of the fun and in the end they had to run back into the swamp. Not back to the village, no. They are headed for the goliaths, to help them in their time of need.

I am very much looking forward to the next game, in part because of my great group of players as well as how they react to what I throw their way. Take care, everyone!