"Relief in a hole in the ground?" Cereidh asks with a loud yawn. "But ... it's been a long journey, and will likely be long yet ... Let's see if it has any fresh water to offer." Although it's a little ruin, Cereidh's best solitudes have been among the uncanny traces of civilization in the Greenwood - if they're taking a break, she might as well explore this one and snatch up a restful image for the road ahead.
Findegil feels the strength to be had - and close by.
"I will seek out what is nearby." is all he says, a little hazily.
He begins to search near the well.
Findegil, Cereidh, Mal and Anar head toward the well. Mal gets there first and jumps in!
When everyone else gets there they see that the well itself is some twenty feet deep. A stone ledge juts out of the wall half-way down, and the bottom of the shaft is choked with ropy plant growths, like thick roots or the tangled stems of a monstrous creeper vine. Among the ropy vines are many old bones, the remains of previous victims of The Thing in the Well. An old rotten rope hangs down into the well, but putting any weight on it snaps the rope instantly.
You see that Mal has landed among the vines the full twenty feet down. You all see the object of your desires among the vines with Mal.
You see multiple tentacles surrounding a giant horrific maw. A tentacle reaches at Mal who bats it away unconsciously.
Mal unconsciously senses danger among the piles of gold that he sees at the bottom of the well.
He starts to climb out and gets to stand on the stone ledge halfway around the ledge.
"Are you alright?" Cereidh asks, incongruously bright as she's still under the Thing's thrall. "Do you see any water down there?"
"Back up guys this is a rather foul place and creature."
While everyone BUT Krogen sees the object of their desires at the bottom of the well, Krogen sees another tentacle snake out to try to grab and eat the tasty wild hobbit.
Mal gets knocked down into the bottom of the shaft that is choked with ropy plant growths, like thick roots or the tangled stems of a monstrous creeper vine.
Mal unconsciously senses that he is on the brink of death among the piles of gold that he sees at the bottom of the well.
He starts to climb out and gets to stand on the stone ledge halfway around the ledge.
Krogan pulls out his bow and sends and arrow fling at the tentacle as he yells at the others to help pull the hobit up.
When Krogen's arrow hits and wounds the The Thing in the Well, the nightmare pops like a bubble. The scales fall away from their eyes. Everyone but Krogen finally sees the danger for what it is.
A half dozen tentacles reach out and throughout the well, while the great Sarlaac-looking maw screeches in pain and frustration.
Shaking his head, Findegil draws his great bow and fires upon the thing on the well.
"Lords of Light," Cereidh yelps, uncharacteristically almost fumbling her bow as she slings it off her shoulder and leans her knee against the outside of the wall of the well to lean and fire downwards.
The Thing in the Well lashes out with all of its many tentacles in anger and malice. Findegil, Cereidh and Anar are struck and struggle against getting pulled into the well.
The wild hobbit scrambles over the last ten feet and over the stones around the well and draws his bow. He nocks an arrow and fire down into the well in defiance. The shaft buries into the Sarlaac!
Cereidh dodges a tentacle, bashing it almost petulantly with her bow as it withdraws. She fires again.
"Glad to see you're done playing in the well," she huffs at Mal.
Findegil stands firm, finding fresh vigour in his anger at being tricked.
Cereidh swears, with a slightly hysterical edge as if she's about to start laughing at them all.
Krogan aims another arrow at the beast before letting it fly.
The Thing in the Well lashes out against Anar knocking the dwarf unconscious.
The wild hobbit nocks another arrow and fires down into the well in defiance.
Cereidh drags Anar out of the Thing's reach and, though she's no healer, attempts to stabilize him.
And then blinks as if she's just woken up. "It can't leave, right? It didn't chase Mal out - can't we just ..." She looks to the trail.
Findegil replies to Cereidh in a firm tone that will brook no argument, as he aims and fires another arrow.
"We slay this *thing! Now, help!"
Cereidh fires again.
The Thing in the Well lashes out against everyone with many tentacles knocking the wild hobbit unconscious.
Cereidh makes a strangled noise as she's thwapped in the stomach by a tentacle, and doesn't fight as she's tipped forward into the well.
"Mal! No!"
Findegil keeps up his assault of arrows.
Krogen sends a shaft into the maw.
The Thing in the Well lashes out against Krogen.
moves towards his fallen comrades, sending an arrow as he moves at the creature
"We got to get out of here"
The Thing in the Well instantly collapses with Krogen's final arrow. The Forest breathes a sigh of relief.
Anar & Mal are unconscious at the bottom of the 20-foot well among the bones of the other victims.
Cereidh is unconscious.