Bori, on return from retreat, sees note from Faefina telling him everyone else had gone - to save the goblins from the Gnolls - and then on to the glassblower's village.
Bori walks to the village. On the way, [Merrick] sees him. A little starstruck at seeing a Goliath, he stands up straight, puts hand up high, and says 'Good day sir! Do you enjoy music?'
Bori takes out lute, and says 'I do'. They agree to travel together. As they do, Bori catches Merrick up on the latest events.
Bori and Merrick arrive at Galveston - village of glassblowers. They see Horald and Gronk. Gronk explains that Faefina has been distracted by some woodland nymphs, will be back soon.
It's late afternoon, village settling in for the evening. Group mosey's over to mayors building. Greeted by receptionist/cook/cleaning, SueMary. She says they'd sent word to the sheriff weeks ago.
Says at night they're terrorised by something that kills the sheep and goats in the night.
Merrick says he has heard legends of harvest time when humanoid creatures made of straw and tattered rags attacking villages. It could be a scarecrow come to life.
Horald organises some torches. No real pattern to the attacks. Splitting the party is vetoed. Horald heads to town square before nightfall, telling farmers what they think it is, and organising warning system for the farmers. Collective eyeroll from crowd. Merrick steps up to try, puts on performance with his mandolin that wows the villagers.
One villager asks what they can do - Merrick suggests protective fires and getting everyone together to organise distribution of resources. Mayor asks about this distribution of resources. Merrick tries to persuade him, barely succeeds. Mayor agrees to get everyone into the town to protect themselves. 'The town of Galveston stands united!'.
Ned (the farmer who grows weed) refuses to come in.
By twilight, torches are lit and village ready. Five hours later, nothing has happened. Suddenly there's a scream, a woman runs in - has seen 'eyes' looking in through her window. Party investigates, see 2 scarecrows a little way off. Eyes filled with malice and hatred.
Horald rushes towards them
Gronk rushes forward, casts Bolt - firy energy hits scarecrow in chest, setting it on fire.
Bori dashes to get closer to the scarecrows.
Scarecrow on fire glares at Gronk - Gronk feels supernatural terror but doesn't understand it.
Second scarecrow runs toward Horald. Horald finds himself paralysed in fear.
Merrick casts illusion of fire behind Harald, frightens off scarecrow in front of him.
Harald shakes off his fear, charges up to scarecrow and hits it with his torch. The second scarecrow is now also on fire.
Gronk casts Bolt again, hits scarecrow in front of Harald with force damage. It's nearly done.
Bori hits with quarterstaff and fist, and misses.
Both Scarecrows succumb to the flames, ashes whisper to the ground
Half of village has gathered to watch the fight, erupt into cheers. Party heads off to celebrate. Party isn't sure if there aren't more scarecrows, decide to ask villagers if they know of anything at the Rusty Coin, the local tavern.
Harald asks one of the younger maidens, Mishka, is grateful - villagers are glassblowers but also farmers. Harald asks how long the attacks have been going on - about 3 months or so. Three weeks after stranger stayed in town for a week. Recalls his name was 'something Crowley'. Remembers that he came from the city, spooky fellow, had two visitors, from Old Man Ned. Old Man Ned was really upset that people tried to shut down farming. Remembers she has to clean up outside, runs off.
Bori questions the innkeeper. Innkeeper was a soldier, fought at 🏙Gel'art's Garden. Servers Bori ale, mentions creepy guest, Crowley, staying in his rooms. Kept hearing whispering from his room.
Gronk parties with topless halfling woman - she mentions Old Man Ned, invites Gronk back to her room to show him HealAll 'if you know what I mean'. 'I don't know what you mean, but OK!'
Merrick chats to town slut. Offers any reward as thanks. Asks if anything like this has happened before. She mentions a meeting with the mayor, after meeting was done, she went into the next room to read a book. Mayor got up, snuck out of his own home, into the Rusty Coin, and into room of creepy stranger. Also that mayor hoped whole town would move away from farming, towards glassblowing. Merrick asks if she knows where the scarecrows came from. She doesn't know, but most farms don't use them, except Old Man Ned.
Party catches up after party over late brunch. Decide to head over to Old Man Ned's farm. Old Man Ned holding revolver, asks what they want. Harald asks about Crowley. Ned says Crowley was whispering to his scarecrows. Turns out his own scarecrows have been attacking him, he's been shooting them. Offers party weed.
Gronk gets 8g weed.
Party investigates scarecrows, see they clearly move out of farm, then return. Four are left. Ned wants to keep them, is persuaded not to. Party tries tying wire around scarecrows to prevent them from moving. They succeed.
Merrick asks what magic could animate a scarecrow. Gronk has no idea. Neither does anyone else. Merrick asks what the land would be used for if not agriculture. Bori thinks, realises it means that it's not that, it's so everyone would work in the glass factory - so the person who profited would be... The mayor!
Old Man Ned appears behind party, asks if they got weed, tells them to speak to mayor.
Party plans to sneak into mayor's house, Merrick will distract while Bori sneaks in to find evidence.
Mayor having lunch at the Polished Silver - other option besides Rusty Coin. Merrick performs there, absolutely captivates him. Bori sneaks in to the mayor's house to investigate, finds office, standard paperwork, some locked drawers. Tries picking lock, manages to open it. Finds letters of correspondence, some from office of Crowley saying he got what he asked for, no more or less. Mayor was saying he's just wanted town to move away from agriculture, not the ensuing death and destruction.
Also finds magical gem, takes it. Enters Polished Silver where Merrick is playing, shows party the correspondence. Gronk actually recognises the gem - it attunes to a soul, as a way of enforcing a pact. Just needs to destroy the gem to stop the scarecrows.
The party debates what to do, eventually decides to take evidence to Sheriff, keep gem to show [Kineeta].