From here, the group deciding to split up to investigate the scarecrows can continue their meeting.

Obviously aggrivated about Reign, the goblin grumbles as he rides his goat. He watches the odd scarecrows once they get to them but he keeps his distance. Kholt's eyes narrow, and he pulls out one of his many torches but doesn't like it.

OOC
So how many scarecrows? Do they all look the same? Are we in town or outside of it? I don't think they are armed.

Doesn't bother counting the Scarecrows, but does check if any of them are Armed and if so, with what.

There seems to be several groups of 20 scarecrows in you general area all in formation like battalions of soldiers and they all seem to be armed with simple weaponry. Whoever has been doing this must have been doing so for a while.

"Aren't they charming?

No. No they aren't. They are creepy and I'm waiting for them to become animated and kill them with their crappy weapons.

I will play a song of blessing to protect us. "

He removed a flute and began to play a wild melody.


20:00, Today: Hil Diduem rolled 7 using 1d20+3 ((4)).

He was not very good. The melody was a little wild and it was clear he wasn't totally on key. Though he did worship a God no one had heard of.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:08, Wed 05 May 2021.

Glancing back, he sees three of the others following and glances at Marcia. Keeping his distance, he watches the odd scarecrows some distance off. He pets his goat as he ride on it slowly. Kholt moves further away if anyone gets close, acting like he's lost. Torch in one hand, reigns in the other. On a goat. It looks odd.

Slowly, he gets off the goat and moves towards one of the scarecrows. He ignites the torch, watching and slowly goes to poke it with his other hand-not the torch.

Sorin had joined the others to inspect the scarecrows, keeping to the rear of the group. When they arrived he dismounted  and began inspecting them in greater detail. "All armed, all in a combat formation. This is too much time and effort invested to be a stupid prank, that's for sure," he observed as he pulled his spellbook out.

Ooc: GM, does my previous detect magic and K. Arcana check apply or may I make a new one?

In addition, is it possible for me to roll my K. Local to try and identify any maker's mark on the weapons the scarecrows are armed with?
This message was last edited by the player at 17:21, Wed 05 May 2021.

 Sorin can find no special markings on the armaments of the scarecrows, in fact they are barely arms, mostly over-glorified pieces of scrap metal. He also can detect a faint magical aura surrounding every single scarecrow. They seem to be enchanted for some reason.

Sorin hummed tunelessly under his breath as he inspected the scarecrows, a puzzled expression coming over his face as he turned to address the others. "The weapons are trash, barely worth even being called scrap. Something interesting though, all these scarecrows are enchanted. I can't say what for for certain, but if I was a gambling man I'd say these things can probably move if you say the right command word. I can't think of any reason why you would go to the effort of arranging and arming them like this if you weren't going to use them as soldiers."

Poking Sorin, he motions for him to get down to his eye level. He ponders something, watching the two other people present and wants to say something but neither seem interested. Well maybe the big scary guy. But the cleric? He's playing a damn flute! A flute! He whispers to him and shrugs, bewildered by the scarecrows. To see what it does-he attemps to burn it with his torch, watching.

The flames of the torch dance around the straw of the Scarecrow, but the fire doesn't catch. Perhaps it is magically resistant or treated in another way to ward off being burned?

The goblins eyes open wide and he scurries some distance off "Not good. No. Kholt things not good at all." He holds up the burning torch and looks bewildered. He looks over at the cleric and barbarian, then back to Sorin.

OOC: Does banner have any records of when the first ones went up?  Otherwise Marcia will ask at a temple of Erastil.  I'm guessing that a lawful good god of farming would have some thoughts about a scarecrow army..

Marcia wanders up without comment and picks up some of the pieces of straw. She holds it up to the sunlight with a frown. "What clothes are they wearing?" She asks calmly. After a moment of looking around, "this is a lot of cloth and metal -- and both cost money.  Even rags and pot-steel. Why hasn't it been stolen?"

Hil Finished his music and put away his flute (mercifully). In truth he'd been thinking of the implications, but no reason to let others know what.

He smiled.

"Ok, I've finished communing and asking for protection and received some divine, guidence.

It turns out, we're not looking for the scarecrows. We're looking for the people or things that are MAKING the scarecrows, since they will just do it again if we get rid of these.

And chances are they didn't magic this stuff in existence. There must be some kind of supply base or nearby village where all the junk  for this was acquired. Even if they don't, we should look for tracks. Or more precisely, one of you to, because I couldn't find my own ass with both hands. I lost my nose once, funny story.

If that fails, we should just check the closest farming community. Anyone know a good spot around here where they might sell crappy weapons and farming junk?

OOC: Is this oat straw or wheat straw or a bit of both?
OOC: What time of year is it? Is this last years straw or this year's straw? Or a mix?

OOC: Yes, I know way too much about agriculture science. It's a long story..

Marcia gives Hil a tired look, "Hack these down, wait for them to come put them back up and follow them. After tourists have trampled this place, it's not easy to track anything." She pauses, her voice starting to rasp already. "There are a couple of ways they could get the straw. One is to steal it from a bunch of stables in small quantities. That would mean a mix of straw types." She sniffs it, trying to smell if the straw has been..umm..used..before putting in the scarecrow. <Blue>"If it's all one type, they're probably buying it in a lot.  You'd want to talk to a miller to see who grows wheat or oats around here.  Straw is like bees wax.  You keep bees for the honey, the wax is a second..."

Jumping upwards and falling to his rear-end, the goblin seems surprised as Marcia approaches. He grumbles and stands up, wiping his rear and grabs his still lit torch. He looks at her and goes to wave. He then pats down the area just in case. The goblin grumbles "Kholt no like this. Supposed to burn. Now it won't!" He looks like a defeated hit, moving around some of the scarecrows and still tries to light then but probably fails "Now big fires. Big big ones...that could..." He stops in his tracks, looking like he's possessed. His left arm starts to shake, and he looks at it, holding his torch. It stops and he sits down. Oddly he rocks a few times "No no. Fire bad. But good. Yes. Kholt likes fire. But..." After a moment he stops rocking, looking at the ground and stands back up. He tries to break, bend, burn and gets all aggrivated towards one of the scarecrows trying to destroy it. A definatly strange goblin. He catches his breath, and goes to stand next to Marcia after seeing if anything is odd about the scarccrows other then what Sorin and Marcia dissussed "Maybe not straw. Magical stuff? No burn. Kholt thinks some things don't burn."

Sorin listened to Kholt patiently, nodding and returning the whisper in his ear. He straightened out and seemed unsurprised at the result of the goblin's attempts to burn the scarecrows as he turned to face Marcia. "To answer your question, stealing things, especially in large amounts, draws attention. People will come looking for their things back on principle if nothing else. If you buy it, you'll only be remembered over a beer in the tavern as an idiot who got conned into paying way too much for shitty clothes and weapons. Besides, anyone who can afford to enchant all these scarecrows isn't going to be hurting for cash."

Glitterdale had joined the group dressed in his new cloak.  He rode in silence.
When they got to the scarecrows he stops a little distance off.  Watching and listening to the others as they examined the creatures.

So much for low key. He says more to himself than the others.

He seems for moment happy to watch.

"Kholt thinks well..." The goblin sits down like he's defeated "Maybe who controls them are after the prince? Yeah I know, dumb idea Kholt. Go away Kholt. Your worthless Kholt...." He flops down on his back, looks up at all the others but immediatly gets up if the cleric and barbarian get close "Well maybe if we get all the weapons together in secret...yes. Keep them away an' find a way to get these scarecrows to move...yeah I know I know..." He grumbles and starts to walk around "Shut up Kholt." Shaking his head, he's still holding the light torch and stares into it "Well why do you get a scarecrow?"

"Kholt is smart," Marcia disagrees gently, "but he doesn't know enough about scarecrows or the Prince to decide either way. Not yet."

She pauses a moment to think how to explain the point of a scarecrow. "It's a big doll that farmers use to scare birds away from grain crops.  The birds that eat the crops are usually scared of people, and not bright.  So they think the doll is a real person and fly away." She pauses to think if she knows anything else about scarecrows. "Some towns have a cleric of Erastil bless them for luck, I think.  But they usually aren't enchanted.  Hiring a child with a sling is cheaper -- or free. And adds a little meat to their supper."

Marcia looks at the scarecrow, putting a piece of straw in her pocket. "Why are the scarecrows are put up here?  Why not somewhere else in the city? Or all in one place?" She doesn't seem to be asking anyone in particular.

Rolling his eyes, Kholt looks down and sighs. He slams his feet against the earth "I know what scarecrows do! But why are they here?" Kholt looks around the area "Is there anything here for them to protect? All of them? Kholt thinks bad news. Very bad news." He starts to wander around, checking out the area and being nosey "Made Kholt look dumb. Not good." He stops in his tracks, staring at Marcia and then looks at the cleric "What do you think an' him?" He glances at Cael.

"Just cut them down already! Puny straw men!"

Cael lifts his greatsword, Natasha.

 The straw seems to be a mix of wheat and oat, but it all seems dry. The first Scarecrow began appearing about a week or two ago. The weapons seem mostly unworked pieces of scrap metal rather than real weapons. The straw is clean, but still had slightly fowl odor to them.

Hil shrugged his shoulders.

"I mean, knock yourself out, but like I said, we didn't get sent out here just to bust up scarecrows.

They could literally send peasants for that.

We got sent out here to find out who and why. I think we should be checking out the nearest village or looking for tracks.

But hey, I have to admit, I am very curious to see what you can do with that blade... well away from me, anyway"

Sorin had taken a few healthy steps back from Cael as he hefted his sword, though he did rub his chin thoughtfully at his words. "You know, that's not a terrible idea. Knock down a formation or two of these things, then we lay in wait tonight to see who comes to fix them. We take whoever shows up alive somewhere else, maybe an old warehouse if Banner can get us one. From there, we not so nicely ask the poor bastard a few questions, then dump his corpse in the harbor. We just need to talk to Banner about getting a place ready for our "friend", a sack, a rag or two and some rope."