Apologies if this question has been asked before, but I haven't managed to find it.

In "The Marsh Bell" the characters are likely to find a previous camp site made by some people of interest, and if they are lucky, perhaps a particular item one of them left there.

My question is: why on earth did he leave it there? It's not really explained in the text as far as I can see. Presumably he was planning to come back for it later, but what was he doing in the meantime? We know where he ended up, but that is some way away, and I find it hard to imagine a sensible plan that accounts for both these observations.

Any help for the perplexed? I know if I don't think of something, one of the PCs is bound to ask him about it later... I'm probably missing something obvious, I know.

Thanks,

Dave

My impression is that they were attacked and had to run. Rather than loosing the item should he get captured, the item was hidden before he fled.

Unfortunately, he was besieged in the basement by Marshdwellers.

Yes, something like that. And we know of one combatant in the area.

But my reading of the scenario is that his final resting point is about a day's travel downstream, and heading towards a known trouble spot (the Old Forest Road). Why run away so far without coming back? And who were they running from?

Remember that there were Elves shadowing them, if Balin and Oin had noticed them they might have tried to draw them away from the hidden item given their history with the Elves of Mirkwood.

E

Good point. I subconsciously moved Balin's camp close to the Marshdwellers.