The Roaming Scarecrow
The
Dutchy de Venture is know for its long stretching fields of grain and other riches grown from the fertile land, naturally thieves be that man or animal will try to ravage these riches from the land. The fields plucked dry by flocks of ravens and the winery´s broken into have left many farmers unable to continue their profession in the next year.
One fall a particular farmer, in the stories often referred to simply as Jack, was plagued by such travesties his scarecrows ignored and no money to pay for guards to protect his cellars, night after night he was picked clean. In desperation he sought out his lord for help and pleaded his situation to him. The lord took pity on jack, promised to help and sent him on his way. Two days later the lord arrived at the home of the farmer with a gift, "A Scarecrow to protect your fields" he said. Dejection spread through jacks body, what good is another scarecrow gonna do right? But nonetheless he accepted it, thanking his lord through gritted teeth. As his lord was riding away again he turned once more and spoke in an amused manner "Ahh right... before i forget it would be best if you do not leave your home at night from now on, with all the bandits around it might be dangerous."
Grumpily jack took the scarecrow to the last field that still held some crops of value and planted it there, now looking at the scarecrow up close he noticed the fine craftsmanship that went into its creation a beautifully carved pumpkin head with a top hat, Fine leathery clothes with tassels and leather strips attached to it to make it look worn our, and a scythe made from black steel in hand. The scythe was a tool of high quality just what was his lord thinking giving it to a scarecrow jack thought, he tired to remove it but it did not budge an inch, so he decided to get it tomorrow. the next day as he stepped out into the field even he felt some chills when looking at the ominous figure the scarecrow was striking in the fog of the early day, maybe some will indeed get deterred from raiding his crops. Deep in thought he stumbled over something squishy, when looking down shock took him, it was a raven sliced clean in two, he dropped the hoe he was holding and looked around, three more crows were sliced apart around him, he glanced at the figure in the fog anew taking a look at the scythe, and indeed blood... blood on the scythe of a scarecrow...
That is how the stories of the first roaming scarecrow go in the Dutchy, but in fact now a lot of wealthier farmers employ them, straw Golems roaming the estates at night scaring ravens and thieves who heard the stories, but it is rather seldom that a straw Golem actually gets a raven or a thieve beneath his scythe.
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