XVI: Blood Corn

The scarecrow rushes Krimp with fists balled in rage. The wolfen slams his glaive through it, exploding hay out it’s back, yet the scarecrow seems unphased. Krimp, Wronski, Soveliss, Niball, and Roxana look at the curious animated scarecrow which is now impaled on Krimp’s pole arm. Suddenly, its button eyes glow green and a flash of green light washes over them! Niball cries out in terror, turns on her heels, and begins running away into the plains. Roxana and Wronski feel shaken and afraid of the strange scarecrow, but are able to stand their ground. Solvillis was further back and did not feel any strange effects but did see the flash from the scarecrow’s eyes. Krimp immediately recognizes this to be some kind of fear magic which, thankfully, Kym-nark-mar has made him immune to.

Three more scarecrows emerge from the cornfields shouting, “Protect the corn!”. One pops out near Roxana and delivers a smashing punch to her head. In one fluid motion, Roxana sweeps the legs from underneath the scarecrow and drives it’s face into the soil. Another charges Krimp, and he slashes at it. The last comes up behind the group. As Soveliss and Wronski turn in it’s direction, it’s button eyes glow green and a flash of green light showers them! Soveliss and Wronski are panic stricken and charge blindly into the cornfield to escape!

Roxana wrestles with her scarecrow trying to put manacles on it in order to subdue it. Meanwhile, Krimp is surrounded by the three other scarecrows! The rear scarecrow raises his arms above his head, clasping his fingers together into a hammer, and smashes the wolfen in his kidneys. Krimp gasps as he thrust his glaive at it.

Soveliss and Wronski regain their composure as the panic spell wears off. They take a moment to catch their breath than turn running back towards the sound of the battle. Wronski holds up his pendant of Kormath blasting a scarecrow with the Light of Kormath’s Truth! Captain Soveliss notches an arrow with a red shaft and a metal head marked with the rune for fire. As he launches the arrow, the arrowhead magically ignites and scorches one of the scarecrows.

Krimp slashes one of the scarecrows in half. As the top and bottom of the scarecrow fall in opposite directions, hay falls all around him. Krimp loses his grip flinging his glaive past the last standing scarecrow. Now unarmed, he launches a savage attack with his claws, snapping at the scarecrow with his monstrous teeth!

Now that the panic spell has worn off, Niball returns from behind the barn just in time to see Captain Soveliss’ fiery attack. She remembers the magical fire bolts she bought in Acoroc, and slaps the clip into the bottom of her repeating crossbow. She darts forward sending a flaming blot into the head of one of the scarecrows! Niball’s bolt instantly ignites the dry straw of the scarecrow, making the creature fall to the ground in a smoldering heap.

Roxana has kept her scarecrow out of the fight, but couldn’t get her manacles on him. Unsure of what else to do, she pulls out her short sword and repeatedly stabs it! The scarecrow has taken considerable injury from the dwarven woman but is still struggling to get up. Roxana shouts in frustration, “A little fire over here, please!”, prompting Captain Soveliss to effortlessly shoot the flailing scarecrow. It bursts into flames as Roxana jumps away.

The heroes retire to the nearby barn. Niball convinces Soveliss to accompany her to do some reconnaissance in town while the others are resting. The town looks deserted, and void of any noise other then the wind. The first building appears to be a private residence. Niball notices the front door has been forced in, and decides to investigate. Soveliss follows her about thirty feet behind and stays outside as she enters the small single story house. Niball sees a table that appears to have been set for a meal but the food has long been decayed or eaten by vermin. She gets to the second door, and discovers that it too has been forced in. Inside the bedroom, she finds bed that has been toppled over and the skeletal remains of what seems to have been a peasant woman judging by the dress. Niball searches the house only to find a small amount of coin. She decides to move on.

Next she enters the two story saloon across the street. When she enters, the skeletons and tossed about furniture tell the tale. Playing cards and coins are scattered all over the floor. The chairs are knocked over. Near the entrance are two skeletons with broken necks. They must have rushed the scarecrow or scarecrows that first entered the saloon, from there the rest is chaos. Most of the skeletons have cracked skulls. One has the leg end of a bar stool through his ribs. This overturned poker table has a skeleton impaled on each table leg. There are fifteen bodies in all. Niball grabs the saloons cash box, some expensive liquor, and the stray poker money.

Next door is the nicest two story house in the little town. Niball pops in and searches the first story only finding some odds and ends. She creeps upstairs and notices a well hidden folding attic stair. She silently creeps up the stair with one crossbow in hand. The attic window allows the afternoon sun to allow some visibility. She can see that this spacious attic is crammed with dusty crates, barrels, boxes, as well as loose odds and ends. Suddenly, a shadow moves past the small window! Meanwhile outside, Soveliss sees the curtain at the attic window move. He immediately draws his sword and rushes into the house, calling for Niball. Niball shouts into the attic “Show yourself!” Soveliss reaches the folding attic stair and joins Niball. She motions for Soveliss to circle around one side of a pile of crates as she goes around the other side. Soveliss sees an old human male hiding among the crates.

Roxana has climbed into the loft of the barn to keep a look out. Krimp and Wronski debate the origin of the scarecrows and if there are anymore. Roxana sees Niball and Soveliss returning and see that they have someone with them. She relays this to Krimp and Wronski. Soveliss enters with Niball leading the old man. The old man seems skittish. Krimp asks him his name. The old man introduces himself as Jeremiah Osteen the Magistrate of New Town.

Roxana asks what happened here. Jeremiah tells them, “Ten years ago a man came out of the Old Kingdom Mountains. He told us he was a wizard and wanted to settle in New Town. After a few months he said he had made something that would help the town. He showed us his scarecrow. He told it to fetch water, so it fetched water. He told it to sweep the floor, so it swept the floor. He told us he could make more and have them protect the corn fields from the nomadic tribes and vermin. He told them to protect the corn. That was just after planting. When autumn came the people went out to the fields to gather the corn. We heard the screams. The harvesters came running into town with the scarecrows quick upon them. I ran to my house and hid in my attic. I heard them running after people, smashing in locked doors, and the screams, all the screaming! My family was on a trip and they returned three weeks later. They didn’t make it half way into town when the scarecrows killed them. That was ten years ago and I have been trapped in this town ever since.” Soveliss asks what all the stuff in the attic was. Jeremiah explains it was emergency supplies for the town.

Roxana suddenly notices a change in Jeremiah when he said emergency supplies. It was something strange, a flutter, like when someone is speak half-truths. She had listened to the confessions of many criminals that she was escorting back to justice. They would always try to convince her of their innocence or at least of the circumstances surrounding their crime. She had learned to pickup on the subtle clues in a person’s voice or body language when they were painting their story with “half-truths”. She didn’t like call them lies because they always revealed some bit of truth, no matter how small or hidden. “Why did you not offer to hide anyone else in your attic?” The old man looks nervous and begins to fidget. Roxana drills him with questions about the attic, the emergency supplies, the towns people and his relationship with them! The rest of the heroes are about to stop Roxana’s harsh interview when the old man caves!

“I didn’t know they would all be killed!” he sobs. “They are not emergency supplies. It is my private stash of goods to make myself wealthy and better prepared. The town’s people agreed to share their wealth and resources with one another and I kept mine in the hidden attic. I thought for sure that after the crisis was over, life would go back to normal. I thought others would hide like I did. I never believed they would all die so I didn’t want to expose my secret.” He sobs, his head held in his hands, mumbling he is a coward and he didn’t know. Roxana feels a twinge of compassion for the greedy broken old fool.

Wronski approaches the sobbing huddled man and places a compassionate arm around him. He speaks soothingly, “Jeremiah, you can not undo the past. But there is another way, to begin anew. Let a cold wind blanket your past in snow until you can awaken in a new spring. There is only one being powerful enough to do that. This being is not a mere god but is a Dragon god. His name is Kormath and he wants to help you…”

At this, Niball rolls her eyes and says, “I would like to continue searching the town while there is still daylight.” Roxana and Soveliss agree to return to town with Niball. Krimp remains behind to listen to Wronski’s sermon, curious to see it’s outcome.

In town, Niball and Roxana return to Jeremiah’s house, Soveliss remains outside keeping watch. They search the attic. Roxana finds a cash box hidden in the panel of the wall. Niball finds a several documents. Roxana and Niball look over the documents and they are record of Jeremiah’s crooked deals; from fixed games at the saloon, land swindling, and even trading arms to indigenous nomadic tribes. Roxana is furious! She gathers up the documents in a crate and storms down stairs. The three of them return to the barn.

Wronski convinces the old man that Kormath can help him start a new life. They discuss plans to take him to the next settlement, hopefully recruit new settlers to inhabit the town, and to renovate one of the existing buildings to a temple of Dragonwright, with prominent focus on Kormath. Krimp is standing in awe of Wronski’s powers of conversion when Roxana walks in.

The documents are shown to the party. Roxana insists, “This man was lording over this town and then he let these people die. He must stand for his crimes.”

Soveliss points out, “There is no one left to try him.”

“Then the next town we come to we turn him over to the authorities!” she snaps.

“What? After hearing this, I think we should leave him here. He will slow us down anyway.” Krimp stares down at the shocked old man in disgust.

Wronski looks angry at the human as he runs the facts over in his mind. Finally the kobold priest stands up, “We won’t leave him here. Without anyone else he will die in this hostile land. You might as well kill him if you are willing to abandon him.” Wronski looks at the others to gage their opinions, Niball seems completely apathetic, Roxana seems furious with an expression that screams ‘perhaps he deserves it’, Krimp is disgusted by the old man, and Soveliss’ expression is annoyed.

Jeremiah, seeing the majority of the group is either apathetic or hostile towards him, cries out, “What have I done? What have I done to deserve death? Yes, I was greedy. Yes, I cheated people. Yes, I was a selfish coward. But I didn’t kill these people!”

Soveliss sits on a hay bail, “Do you have any skills? Any skills that would aid us?”

“I was a wheelwright at one time if you have a wagon and it throws a wheel, I could be of assistance. Other then wagons, I am good at math and creating legal documents such as contracts.” He says hopeful.

The disgusted paladin growl, “Useless! We have no wagon. Leave him to die here with his shame!” Wronski gives Krimp a disapproving look.

“Please! I have been a prisoner of the scarecrows for ten years. Ten years of my life is loss. My family, friends, and home are lost to me. Is that not enough justice for being a greedy S.O.B?” He notices a couple of them turn their eyes from him. “Look, I’m not asking you to protect me. I’m asking to walk in close proximity to you as you venture to the next town. In a hope, that by traveling with you the predators of the Old Kingdom Plains may be warded off. You may leave me homeless and penniless in the next town.”

Krimp growls from behind clench teeth, “You better walk fast, old man. We will not slow down for you.” Wronski smiles up at Krimp, Krimp shakes his head like ‘I’m going to regret this.’

Niball breaks the silence, “It is getting late. The inn has nice beds. Let’s sleep there tonight.” The others start talking about how the barn is a fine structure to sleep in when Niball stamps her foot, “No! There is a perfectly good inn with real beds! I have no intention of sleeping in a barn or a tent when who knows when we will be near an inn again.” She turns and storms out of the barn. The heroes look at one another, shrug, and gather their belongings to head to the inn.

When they enter the inn, Niball has turned a table and chair right side up. She is counting her coins on the table. Jeremiah enters and gasps at the skeletons as he recognizes each and every one of them. Wronski says to him, “Healing can come from labor. You and I will put these poor souls to rest.” The old magistrate and Fr. Wronski gathered the bodies and buried them late into the night. The heroes saw them come in covered in sweat and dirt and tears. They were compassionate to the old man and went to sleep.

In the morning, they gathered what supplies they needed and headed into the plains. They traveled on and on for weeks. Jeremiah did slow them down. When the others would become annoyed, Wronski would slow down and walk with him. They saw a lone Tusker grazing far to the south, a pasting tribe of humans avoided them one afternoon, and one night a large shadow flew over head but nothing came of any of these things.