Moving through the area of the house that he had already seen, Wick led Westin to one of the doors that he and Dak had found in their earlier investigations and to a short hall which led to a door.  Upon opening this door, they found themselves looking at the grounds outside, the ruins of the well much closer here than had been the case from the front of the house.  For the moment, it was quiet, and there was still evidence of a path--overgrown, yet still obvious--leading from the door toward the well.

Wick looks at Westin.  "Watch my back."  He starts moving forward towards the well.  It seems like there's something not quite right going on around here.  As he moves forward, he gives in to the urge to have the hilt of his blade in his hand.  "Nothing to worry about, just being safe." he says to Westin as he moves forward slowly.

Westin looked about as he followed Wick through the room and the short hallway, his dagger  in hand, ready. As they stepped outside, Westin took a breath of fresh air, relishing it a bit.

At Wick's prompting, he comes to a near stop, letting Wick move ahead some 20 feet, before resuming. His eyes are peeled for any danger, especially danger to Wick though he does take occasional, quick glances behind himself to ensure nothing is sneaking up on him.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:02, Thu 07 Nov 2019.

Near the well, there are signs that a fight had taken place, ground heavily trampled and the pack that Karel had worn lying amongst the weeds.  There were signs of blood having been spilled, and near the well itself was a pile of bones which looked like they had come from smaller animals--rodents, for the most part.

Wick moves back towards Westin.  "It doesn't look good." he says, keeping his eyes on the area about the well.  "I saw Karel's pack, and some blood near about, not to mention some snake skin.  My guess, we got a big snake in that well and it tried to put the bite on Karel.  Let's get some backup, then we can look around some more."

Westin's eyes widen as Wick shares his discovery of blood and of Karel's pack. "We must look for him! He might still be alive! Did you see any signs where he might have gone or," he gulps, "been dragged to?"

Westin looks around nervously, dagger pointed out in front of him. This little task was quickly becoming much more than he had bargained for. Far from being a deserted but otherwise boring house, it seemed to be teeming with threats, at least so he was beginning to feel. Malachy's apprectice! He must have known! No wonder he had asked for Westin to return the book, knowing the place was overrun and beset with dangers while suggesting that Máelodor was still living there. That nincompoop!

Wick shakes his head.  "If something put the bit on Karel and none of us knew anything about it, there's no guarantee that we can handle it and we don't do them any good if we go missing too.  You go get the others, I'll keep looking for Karel and help him if I can.  My best guess right now is down that well."

Wick turns back and starts moving towards the well, trusting that Westin would go get the others.

"And let you disappear with no idea what happened just like Karel?" Westin questions. "Not a chance. I'm not leaving you alone out here. We stick together. If something does come out and grab you, I will see what it is and be able to report to others what it is so they can come free you."

Wick, trailed by Westin, approached the well.  The well's surrounding structure had fallen a long time ago, rotting wood just barely holding the shape of the peaked roof that had once covered the well.  There were several signs of what could well be a body being dragged into the surrounding vegetation, and some sounds of rustling or rattling from deeper in the overgrown yard.

"Maybe we should go back and get the others," Westin says to Wick nervously, his dagger in hand and ready. "Something is moving back in the weeds though I don't see anything. Maybe Telemachus can help. He's a Druid, isn't he?"

Wick nods, "Best to be safe."  Wick starts to walk backwards, eyes still on the weeds and the well, looking for any sign of what's making the noise.  He glances back at Westin from time to time, trying to make sure there's a good buffer zone between them.

As Westin and Wick backed toward the house, they still did not see the source of the noise.

((OOC:  If returning indoors, go ahead and post in the other thread.  At the moment, Dak is downstairs and down one wing while the rest are upstairs in the opposite wing at the front.  The position of the others is closer to where they were when Westin and Wick went outside.))
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:35, Thu 14 Nov 2019.

Armed with sword in one hand, javelin in the other, Dak emerged from the side door, finding Wick outside with a wary look toward the well as he was walking backwards toward the house.

Wick looks at Dak, "I think some sort of snake or something tangled with Karel and if I had to put some money on it, I'm thinking it's in the well."

"Where's Karel?" Dak asked, trying to spot the man while not going past Wick.  "How was he?"

Telemachus came on out and his eyes scanned what clues he could see before he nodded, "If the snake was large enough that it decided to attack him either it would crush and eat him or paralyze him with a poison and swallow him whole for digestion later...both cases it would retreat to its den or lair for safety."  Circling slowly rather than moving swiftly or jerkingly he tried to get an angle where he could see if it was still topside or had retreated and thus he'd need to head closer to the well to find out if it was dry and the proud home to a very large snake...

Lenelle whispered a short but sincere prayer for Karel.    She hardly knew him at all, but it was a terrible enough demise for anyone to suffer.   If dead he was.

"Given this place was a mage's abode, I pray it is only a natural snake.  And not something worse."         Mace in hand, she awaited Telemachus to say yea or nay, as to the presence of a very hungry, very serpentine, something-or-other.

Westin stood back and let the others take the lead. It would not help Karel for him to become a victim of whatever it was as well and might divert resources from Karel. Even so, Westin kept his eyes peeled, ready to cast a spell if the need and opportunity presented itself. One thing he noticed was that Ric was not with the group. He cast his eyes about but failed to spot the man to his increasing agitation. He held his dagger even more firmly, determined that Ric would not make him a hostage again. Though he desperately wanted to ask the others what had happened to Ric he bit his tongue instead. The focus needed to be on Karel. He would find out Ric's fate soon enough.

By this point, the rustling sounds had come to an end.  While Telemachus looked carefully, he did not see any signs of the snake in the vegetation on the ground--though there were a few fragments of snake sheddings to be seen.

Looking down into the well, he could tell that the well was now dry, and it appeared that the stones on one side had collapsed into the depths of the well, making what appeared to be a den.

"Do you see Karel?" Dak called to Telemachus.  He circled around toward the side of the house Karel should have come from and looked for any sign of a struggle and the blood Westin had described.

As Dak circled back toward the path that Karel should have taken, he saw the pack on the ground, some flattened vegetation, and some blood on the ground--not, perhaps, enough to be all of a man's lifeblood, but certainly signs of a significant injury.

"No..."

Telemachus kept his shield at the ready as he narrowed his eyes down into the well, "The well looks dry though and part of the wall on one side has collapsed and looks to be showing the opening to a den of some sort.  Either I'm seeing a large piece of shedded skin at its opening or the tail of a very large snake..."

Wick motions at the well.  "I wanted to make sure you guys knew what was going on before I went to investigate and Westin wasn't willing to leave me alone to check it out."

Now that there's backup, Wick makes his way towards the well.

As Wick looked at the side of the well, he could see the things that Telemachus had described, but could be fairly certain that this was part of the actual snake that he was looking at.

The condition of the side of the well was such that Wick could probably climb down, if he wanted.  Some of the larger bits of broken material might be enough to support a rope, although it was not certain that the wood would not subsequently give way.

((Climb walls if climbing down the edge of the well.))

"Throw a rock at it," Dak suggested.  "See if it moves."

He picked up the pack and did a final look around to see if Karel had dropped anything else.  He couldn't remember if the man had any weapons on him, but he'd hate to leave something lying around in the tall grass if they did find him.

While the others investigate the well, Westin joins Dak insearching for anything else that might have been dropped or discard by Karel. "Do you think he's...," Westin asks, looking over at Dak.

"It didn't look like that much blood," Dak replied to the elf's open question.  "He may still be alive."

”I might be able to hit it with a bullet but then it for sure will know we’re here and slither in to the den so he can turn around and face us.  If people can climb down or if someone brought rope it may miss the sounds and movement since it’s trying to...eat.  I don’t have any rope though so my options are limited...” remarked Telemachus as he sheathed the scimitar and pulled the sling free with a bullet from a pouch.  Putting the bullet in the leather he spun it fast enough to hold the bullet but not so fast he couldn’t stop it easily.

”Those nimble enough to get down or have rope it’s your call...”

Wick sets down his backpack and pulls out a rope.  "I've got one."  He moves to tie it to the nearest anchor point.  "I'll head down, but I need one of you overhead, to help pull me out if I need it."

"Dak can counterweight you around that tree," he pointed to one that was about 20 feet away that he could bend the rope around and wrap around his waist to make it easy to hold up Wick's weight climbing down.  It equally would be easier to pull on the rope to haul Wick back up quickly instead of it being tied off, "I'll keep overwatch with the sling so if it hears your decent before you and others get down I can distract it.  If you make it down and it's too busy to notice we'll tie it off and come down so we can overwhelm it below..."

Tossing down the pack he'd retrieved, Dak stabbed his javelin into the ground next to it and helped set up the rope for him to anchor.

"Unless it gets a lot bigger down there," he observed, "it may not be practical for us all to go down.

"Maybe just those who can see in the dark?"

The rope had been adequately secured, ready for those who were going to descend with its assistance, by the time that Storm, trailed by Panatix, emerged from the house into the yard by the well.

Storm scaLES down the rope and finds his friends.

"WHat happened? Anyone hurt?"he asks, glancing at Dak and Telemanchus and the blood on the ground. Storm will try to determine if the blood is due to stab wound, slash wound or something.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:00, Tue 26 Nov 2019.

Clarification:

Wick, rope tied about him, moves towards the well.  "I'm gonna take a look."

Moving towards the well, Wick makes sure that his dagger is near at hand.  He couldn't get the image out of his head that the rope is a fishing line and he's the bait.

Westin walks over to the edge of the well, taking a look down, careful to stay out of the way of the others. He then retreats, shaking his head. While the others are focused on descending down the well, he stands watch, making sure nothing sneaks up while the group's attention is diverted.

Dak loosened up the rope around the tree to give the climber some slack to work with.  He wasn't lowering the man down, just ready to catch him if he fell or pull him up if he needed it.

"Ready when you are," he said to Wick.

Lenelle whispered an Atuan prayer of protection, hoping against hope Karel might still be able to be saved.   She'd prepared for spirits and skeletons, and found herself out of her depth when it came to giant serpents.

Like Westin, she stood watch, on the off chance Ric's employers might have any surprise in store.    Other than a giant, man-swallowing snake, that was to say.

Bravely, Panatix edged near the well, one of the pearls from the satchel tightly held between finger and thumb of one hand, as he seemed ready to consider taking action.

As several of the group warily watched for any other surprises that might be in store, Wick descended the old well with the rope's assistance.  The well itself was a fairly standard well, except that several feet down fallen bricks from the side of the well and other debris had blocked the well, leaving the well with a relatively dry "floor".  Also, when descent to the floor had been completed, it could be seen that that side without bricks had been enlarged into something of a cave.

Panatix continues to roll the sea pearl between his finger and thumb, trying to look over the well wall, not as easy for a gnome!  For the moment, he waits to hear what Wick finds.

Telemachus meanwhile has the sling back in an easy spin as he gauged where he might need to stand to get the most decent release to hit the snake if it went for Wick before the man could place himself where he wanted.  Mindful of the noise he waited to see if he looked back up at them and only then did his free hand move in a series of of complex shapes,

Line

"Let me know if I need to pull," Dak called over to those near the well.  "I can't see from here, so let me know what you need."

Storm moves protectively ahead to protect his friends. He unsheathes his mace and prepares for battle in the event there is a need to fight.

As Westin stands looking about for anything that might be a threat, a sound comes from his knapsack. "roew, roew, roew,".

"Ok, ok, hold on," he says aloud. He carefully puts down his knapsack and out pops a cat. "My cat," he explains to any who happen to be paying attention. He then turns to the cat. "Take a good whiff. Let me know what you find but don't get in the way," Westin warns the cat. "Karel is missing."

"Meow," the cat says, as if in reply. He saunters over to the very edge of the well, peering down. After several long moments, he retreats and heads over to where the blood lies on the ground. He walks beside the scene of the fight occasionally pausing and looking about.

OOC:
Does the cat notice anything not noticed by the others?

Lenelle eyed the feline when it was revealed.   Not without a certain amount of affinity --  she had a liking for them, had care taken several whom were retained for mousing purposes at the abbey.    She was fairly certain this one would be what a mage deemed as a familiar.

She silently and humorously promised to get this one a dried fish, if in fact it revealed any telling clues...

Jade began sniffing the blood on the ground, and then began to growl, ears flattened back as the tail began to puff in classic bottle-brush manner.

Westin looks over at Jade, a look of concern on his face. He then looks back at the well.

"Be careful," Westin calls out. "Jade, my cat, is sensing poison."

Storm gets ready for any conflict. As he is rather low in the order; he has not learnt how to deal with poison. He could only hope that the will of the party prevails.

Telemachus nodded as he waited for Wick to signal others to come down if the cave den was big enough to warrant sending others down but added quietly to Westin, "With that much blood it was likely.  Had it been a constrictor there would have been less to no blood but much more disturbed ground due to thrashing around."

Telemachus looked at the spread of people above in position to Wick below.  Waving his hand he motioned for Wick to move to one side of the well while he spoke up to those above, "Shift from that spot over there...leave a good sized gap.  It doesn't look like it's a full cave below but a shallow den.  Once we attack it should release Karel and will flee...unless it get cornered and then it'll be just as deadly as it was to Karel."

Pointing to one side he motioned Storm to protect the others, "Defend from that position Storm...if the snake comes at you engage but if it climbs and flees quickly let it go...trying to save Karel is more important this moment than ending the snakes life."

Hoping that the other listen to his suggestions he waits for Wick to move out of the way before he spins his sling up to full speed and releases the bullet right at the thick, and relatively unmoving tail of the huge snake...

Wick shifts to the side at Telemachus' request.  He ducks down a bit...

, "Karel, you still alive?"

He waits a minute, then looks up at the others.  He considers if calling out is really a wise approach.  Really though, climbing down into the well wasn't particularly wise, so why start worrying about it now.

"There's a big snake down here, Karel's in his mouth, head first.  Not much room down here."

There seemed to be a great hush about the well as Telemachus suggested a strategy for dealing with the snake.


As Wick moved to the side, Telemachus released the sling bullet toward the snake, which flew unerringly into the body of the snake.  Several heartbeats later, motion in the snake's body could be seen, and a strange, whispery sound as the snake began to vacate its den.

"I'm coming up."  He pulls himself up the rope as quickly as possible.  If they were dead set on getting the snake riled up, he didn't want to be that close.  It didn't look like there was a lot of space for the snake to turn around and attack, but he didn't want to risk it.

Wick made his way back up out of the well with alacrity, as the snake began its ascent.  Coming over the top of the well, the snake--all twenty feet of it--rapidly disappeared into the overgrown vegetation.

Those looking down into the well could see the motionless body of Karel just visible at the edge of the snake's den.

Storm moves to protect the flank and suggests to his friends,”we need to try to get Karel up. Perhaps use a bait to lure it up the well.’wonder if there is a chicken or something in the house.”

Watching the snake slither off into the vegetation, harmlessly this time, Dak was surprised to hear Storm speak of a second snake still in the well with Karel's body.  It was a good thing Wick had shouted and gotten out of there in time.

Storm tries to sense the snake in the vegetation. If he can find it, he will close in to engage the snake with his magic mace.' As a divine warrior, it is not in his character to flinch from danger and he will actively engage enemies to protect his friends.

As the snake ascends up the well, Jade turns sharply and begins to hiss, his hair standing. The moment the snake's head exits the well, Jade races off to a safe distance.

Westin, alerted by his cat, turns and stares at the well as first Wick and then a enormous snake ascends from the well. He takes a few steps back when he sees the giant snake. His dagger appears pitifully small compared to the snake.

Panatix backs away as the snake emerges, after all, his small form is exactly the size snack such a snake would enjoy.

Once it is gone though, he moves forward,,

"Get the rope on me, lower me down, I can see in the dark and see if he is alive....and what else is down there....hurry..".

"Let me go first.  If there is a chance of saving him the faster I get down there to cure him with the little magics I know the better off he'll be." remarked Telemachus as he put away the sling and moved the the rope himself.

"Come on down right after me so you can look into its den for any clues." he glanced at Storm and the others, "And keep an eye out for that snake if it decides to come back before we're out of there..."

After some discussion, Telemachus made his way down the well into the area where the snake had been and Karel's still form could be seen.

Storm, meanwhile, had attempted to give chase to the snake, although despite its large size it was moving quite rapidly and soon out of sight.  Despite its poisonous nature, according to Jade, it did not seem to be evil.

With the aid of the rope and assistance from others, Panatix made his way down the well after Telemachus.

Despite losing the snake, Storm was not disheartened. He continues to remain vigilant with his hands on his mace and shield. Calling to the rest he asks,”you guys are good? Need help with the injured?”

"Stay alert and let me know if you sense that snake coming back!" Westin urgently communicates to his familiar. Dagger still in hand, he keeps standing guard while the search and rescue efforts continues.

Jade hears Westin and turns to look at him, giving him a plaintive, "Raow" Like I'm going to close my eyes and take a nap with a 20' snake crawling around on the loose? Unhurriedly, he walks to where he can find a good vantage point to look for any returning snake or anything else that might be a threat to him and perhaps to the others as well.

Panatix takes a few moments to scan the small den, finding nothing, he looks to Telemachus.

"I'm glad you came, I'm not all that brave.." glancing at the body, "....is it too late?".

Lenelle waited and watched, mace at the ready, in case the serpent made an unwelcome return.  And added to Telemachus, the others-

"Let me know if he needs more healing. I'll come down."    Then to Westin-

"There's an Atuan parable about a cat outwitting a devil-serpent. By being alert and hard to fool.    But this one won't vanish back to hell by tricking it, I'm sure."       Her grip on her mace tightened.

Telemachus shook his head to Panatix's question and quietly replied, "All the warmth has left his body.  If I had to guess the poison was one that stopped his heart not long after we first entered the house...so he passed on maybe five minutes or more ago."

Hew kneeled down by Karel's body and placed on hand over his heart and the other hand reached for the dirt of the wall of the den and his fingers dug into it slightly, "But I will not leave him without trying in case I'm wrong about the poison.  Problem is if it revives him the poison in his blood may just kill him again...and I am not strong enough to remove that problem."

Then he murmured, [Language unknown: "Str wilintove arsa'inpe, roicev-ivusleca not ncicou thehersta."] and Panatix could see glowing lines of green start at his hand dug into the dirt and flow like a pulse across his body and down into the hand pressed against Karel's chest before flowing into the body and disappearing...

Despite Telemachus' best effort, there was no change in Karel, who remained cool to the touch.  Bringing his hand to Karel's chest also told of a lack of heartbeat.

Shaking his head to Panatix he uttered to him and Lenelle, ”He’s gone, nothing we can do for him unless you are truly blessed by Atu to bring those back from the dead.”

She felt a moment of deep sorrow. That she scarcely knew Karel notwithstanding. She whispered a prayer for a soul's safe and gentle travel to the Highest-kingdom.

"No.. I'm not so blessed, nor trained.  Worth talking to Father Niall, though."   

Telemachus nodded his head lightly, "Karel seemed to be a good man but we do not have the resources to cover the expense of even returning one of us from the beyond unless we sold our ship and throw away what a Goddess gave us in granting our freedom."

Looking to Panatix he quietly added, "Help me pull him to the rope and affix him securely so they can pull him up and then we can follow."

Westin looks on, listening as the others discuss Karel's passing and plans for pulling his body out of the well. It almost seemed unreal to him that someone should have died just hours into their errand. It was an ill omen.

"This place is more dangerous than I would have guessed. Karel was alone when he was attacked and now he's dead," he says with a shudder. "It might be a good idea to stay together."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:16, Sun 08 Dec 2019.

While cool and definitely dead, Karel had not been dead long enough for rigor to have set in, so it was not overly difficult for Telemachus and Panatix to get the body affixed with rope to allow him to be pulled up.