Watcher in the Water

The Watcher in the Water, an enigmatic ancient lake-monster lurking beneath the dark, stagnant waters of the Samwise Gamgee Pool outside the West-gate of Moria, bursts into the narrative as a sudden and terrifying obstacle for the Fellowship. With its numerous pale-green, luminous, sinuous tentacles tipped with grasping fingers, it emerges amid a foul stench to specifically target Frodo, the Ring-bearer, forcing the company to abandon their original entry path and seek the shadowy Doors of Durin. Though it appears only once in the series, the Watcher's ambush underscores the perilous mysteries guarding Moria and propels the group's desperate flight into the mines.