From the journal of Cobbler Gleason
by SeethyrFrom the journal of Cobbler Gleason, the last entry before the entire town had been burnt to the ground, and one of a very few few surviving records from the conflagration
... unnamed wizard has lived in a ruined tower at the edge of farmland since the region was first settled. Not even the town’s elders have seen him, but Farmer Elias’ great granduncle Carmyne claimed to have seen “a bony, red eyed fella in grandiose robes” fly to its summit.
No one would’ve taken the drunkard seriously had his story not been corroborated by Sir Kierstaan, who at the time was nothing more than a stable hand. Before his heroic death against the gnolls, the paladin admitted he lied in his youth and he initially denied the story. Even at that young age, folks didn’t want to be associated with the town drunk. Kierstaan added that the wizard was not “bony” but rather actual bones - as in skeletal.
This of course drove the most ambitious temple acolytes to “drive away the evil” that had never in fact brought about any harm. Armed with holy might, they marched upon the ancient, yet perfectly stable tower.
That day was the greatest disaster we ever saw. With the townsfolk all lined up in attendance the holy folk approached the tower, planning to bring it down with the power of the gods. But then the first arrow struck. No one saw where it came from but then another hit, and another. Maiden Myra screamed and pointed to the the hay and straw that had somehow come together in the shape of a woman. Then another one rose as a man, and another and another. They all looked like the ranger types, armed with bows and arrows that they were pulling from their own bodies. The temple folk were caught unaware and mowed down with nary a whimper. One of the clerics brought down a fiery blast from the heavens above before being brought low and the straw archer was set ablaze. Even then it kept firing and in the bright light of its blaze I could see over twenty of the things. The townsfolk scattered like rats and hid our way through the night. There is commotion outside right now...screams, noises I don’t recognize. Who will save is if our gods can’t?
