The Robes Beneath the Well
The Robes Beneath the Well
Read aloud
At the hostel in Weaving Well, a priest asks you to find a missing pilgrim before nightfall. A child insists that her parents vanished at the Weaver's Well, and that she heard something climbing out of it after dark. The townsfolk will not go near the water tonight, but another pilgrim has just arrived.
Run the session
Cheat sheet
Objectives
- 1Learn why pilgrims vanish from Weaving Well.
- 2Find the route from the holy well to the underground river.
- 3Confront the source of the disappearances and secure the captives' release.
- 4Give the hostel proof of what happened to the missing pilgrims.Optional
The clock
Nightfall brings another opportunity for the spiders to hunt. If the party delays, a new pilgrim may disappear before they can descend into the caves.
Scenes
- 0:00A Bed for the Road
- 0:45Something at the Rim
- 1:30The Road Below
- 2:30The Weaver's Work
- 3:30What the Road Remembers
Cast
- Brother HalvenQuestgiver
- Tessa ReedWitness
- The WeaverAntagonist
The hook
Set the scene
The party arrives at the hostel near sunset. Pilgrims crowd the common room while Brother Halven quietly explains that one traveler has not returned from the well. Tessa waits until the priest is distracted, then tells the party that she heard scratching stones and a wet clicking sound on the night her parents disappeared. Outside, the well is already in shadow.
How Brother Halven asks
Brother Halven asks for discreet help at the hostel.
He offers the party a place to stay and a modest reward, but is anxious to avoid causing panic among the pilgrims.
Rumours
Scenes
about 4 hours0:00
45 min
socialThe table is here
1. A Bed for the Road
The pilgrim hostel and its common room, with the Weaver's Well visible in the nearby square.
Introduce the hostel, Brother Halven's request, and Tessa's account. The party can question residents, inspect the well in daylight, or prepare for nightfall.
NextAs dusk falls, a late pilgrim heads toward the well, giving the party a chance to keep watch or follow at a distance.
0:45
45 min
combat
2. Something at the Rim
The stone well and the dark square at the edge of town.
The party witnesses a spider emerge from the well and attempt to seize a pilgrim. They can fight it, rescue the target, or follow the silk trail down.
The Well's Night VisitorsNextThe spider's trail, a dangling silk line, or a rescued victim points down into the well and toward water below.
1:30
60 min
exploration
3. The Road Below
The underground river and the branching caves beneath the well.
Descend into the caves and follow signs of captives, spiders, and washed silk. The party must cross the river or find a safer route along its banks.
The River's Moving ThreadNextThe current carries white robes toward a larger chamber, where the party hears a captive or the Weaver speaking.
2:30
60 min
combat
4. The Weaver's Work
The broad cavern beside the underground river, webbed between stone pillars.
The party reaches the Weaver's chamber, discovers the cocooned captives and robe pile, then chooses whether to negotiate, fight, or focus on rescue.
The Chamber of White SilkNextWith the captives recovered or the danger contained, the party can return to Weaving Well and decide how much of the truth to share.
3:30
30 min
social
5. What the Road Remembers
The hostel common room, now filled with waiting pilgrims and anxious children.
Back at the hostel, Brother Halven and the residents react to the party's account. Tessa asks for the truth about her parents, and the party can choose what the town does next.
NextResolve the reward and leave the town's future, the Weaver's fate, and the pilgrims' beliefs open for the campaign.
Behind it
What people believe
Weaving Well is a stopping place on the Saint's Way, known for a holy well associated with the Weaver, a saint famed for her skill at weaving.
Sometimes a pilgrim draws a fine white silk robe from the water, which locals regard as a blessing. The town's hostel, run by Brother Halven, shelters travelers and children orphaned along the road. Now pilgrims are disappearing after visiting the well at night, and the priest seeks help before fear empties the hostel and turns the road against Weaving Well.
Background
Weaving Well is a small settlement on the Saint's Way, a pilgrim road that crosses lonely country.
Its holy well is called the Weaver's, after a saint said to have been granted eternal life by the gods for her unmatched skill at weaving. Travelers sometimes draw a pure white silk robe from the water, and many take this as a blessing. The town's hostel shelters pilgrims and children orphaned along the road. Locals warn visitors not to approach the well after dark.
The stakes
If the party does nothing, the spiders will continue taking pilgrims at night, and the hostel's children may lose their remaining caretakers or be targeted themselves.
If the truth is revealed carelessly, the pilgrim road may abandon Weaving Well and leave the hostel without support.
Encounters
3The Well's Night Visitors
Combat or tense rescue
The stone rim and narrow apron around the well are slick with dew. The shaft is deep, the stones are uneven, and silk lines can be anchored to the masonry. Falling or being dragged into the shaft leads to the underground river, not an instant death.
Foes
Three-foot silk-spiders
ComplicationThe spiders try to pull isolated targets toward the well shaft or a cave crevice rather than fight to the death. A loud noise or a rescued captive may draw them off.
ScalingFor a smaller or less experienced party, use two spiders and let them retreat when injured. For a larger or more capable party, use four spiders or add a fifth that arrives after several rounds. Keep the danger focused on restraint and separation rather than overwhelming damage.
The River's Moving Thread
Exploration and environmental challenge
A low cavern follows an underground river. White robes snag on rock shelves. The banks are slippery, the water is cold and fast, and a narrow ledge leads toward the Weaver's chamber.
Foes
None required
ComplicationRising water can carry away robes, separate the group, and reveal a submerged side passage. The party can cross by timing the flow, securing a line, or finding a higher route.
ScalingFor an easier passage, make the rising water slow and provide obvious handholds. For more pressure, have the water rise during the crossing and force the party to choose between a stranded captive and a bundle of clues.
The Chamber of White Silk
Combat, negotiation, or rescue
A broad chamber opens beside the underground river. Robes lie in pale heaps near the waterline, while thick webbing connects stalagmites and the ceiling. Cocooned captives hang above a dry shelf. The river's current threatens to sweep away anyone who falls in.
Foes
The Weaver
ComplicationThe Weaver attempts to bind intruders in silk and bargain for the return of her privacy. She fights if attacked or if the party threatens her captive or the robe pile.
ScalingFor an easier confrontation, the Weaver is weakened by a recent flood and does not pursue anyone who retreats. For a more dangerous one, add one silk-spider that guards the entrance. The Weaver can be defeated, persuaded to release captives, or driven away without requiring a lethal fight.
Cast
3Brother Halven
QuestgiverQuestgiver, priest and keeper of the pilgrim hostel
WantsKeep the hostel open and protect the children in his care, while preserving the pilgrims' faith in the Weaver.
“The well has given comfort for generations. I will not let fear turn it into a thing of shame.”
Tessa Reed
Witness, an orphan at the hostel
WantsFind out what happened to her parents and make sure other children are not left alone.
“My parents went to fetch water after sunset. Everyone says they wandered off, but I heard something climb out.”
The Weaver
Antagonist, immortal human-spider hybrid in the cavern depths
WantsProtect the well's secret and keep the town from disturbing the caves, which she regards as both prison and home.
“The river gives and takes. Do not mistake a gift for an invitation.”
How it ends
Rewards
Items
A clean white silk robe, if the party recovers one and chooses to keep it. It has no assumed magical properties.
A pilgrim's token belonging to one rescued traveler, which may be returned to their family.
On a win
The party exposes the source of the disappearances, rescues any surviving captives, and stops the immediate threat at the well through force, negotiation, or a plan to seal or guard the passage.
Brother Halven can tell the pilgrims the danger is real without dismissing their faith. The white robes remain a mystery to the town unless the party chooses to explain their origin.
What it leaves open
If it fails
- The party does not secure the well before nightfall.
- The party fails to stop a night attack. One more pilgrim is taken, and Brother Halven loses the trust of the town unless the party can follow the trail and rescue them.
- The party fails to cross the flooded river or reach the captive in time.
- A captive is swept downstream or remains cocooned. The party can return later to search a farther stretch of river, but the captive's condition worsens with time.
- The party's confrontation ends without a bargain, rescue, or decisive victory.
- The Weaver escapes deeper into the caves, and the disappearances may resume. The town can still be warned and the well guarded, but the mystery remains unresolved.
Complications (d6)
- 1A pilgrim arrives at dusk and insists on drawing water before continuing the journey. They must be persuaded to wait, escorted, or protected.
- 2A sudden shower swells the underground river, washing a cluster of silk robes toward a narrow channel and making nearby ledges slick.
- 3A frightened child slips away from the hostel to leave a token at the well for a missing parent.
- 4A trapped pilgrim calls from below, but the echo makes their location difficult to judge and the call draws spiders closer.
- 5A spider's silk snare catches one character's pack or equipment, leaving it suspended over a drop or the river.
- 6A robe snagged on a rock bears a fresh, personal possession from one of the missing pilgrims, proving someone was taken recently.
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