ARC CORP FILES
Anomaly 111
NAME: The Scarecrow
CLASSIFICATION: A
DESCRIPTION: A six-foot scarecrow stuffed with straw covered in baggy clothing. Weather worn fedora tops head with a carved face. At night, eyes light up and arms end in sickle-like claws.
LEVEL: Folklore
INFORMATION: Anomaly 111 aka The Scarecrow has been eliminated by the Blades Office of Arc Corp headed by Nicholas Arc who is also the lead investigator of this file. However, due to the nature of this Anomaly as discussed in the HISTORY SECTION, it is currently unknown if it is the only one of its kind or that there are more of its kind out there.
HISTORY: This all began in the small town in South-Western Anima in the town of Applemoore ten years ago. The town was founded 110 years ago and have been celebrating the towns anniversary. While the town was small, they do sell bountiful apples to neighboring towns from the orchards that bordered the town.
Most towns outside the Kingdoms don't last 110 years, not even half that. But surprisingly, there have been no Grimm attacks nor bandit raids. What is also surprising is that there have been no records of the two along with no plagues, pestilence or bad weather. The town was completely prosperous.
After thorough investigating and some "convincing" the mayor of the town brought out a journal from the towns founder Alexander Faygan.
According to the journal, the town was besieged by Bandits and Grimm after the first day of the settlers moving into the region. Alexander got separated and fled into the orchard pursued by Grimm. He stumbled into a clearing where a scarecrow hung on a cross. He believed it was left behind by previous settlers long ago.
Grimm came in and pounced on him. Instead of being slaughtered, the Scarecrow pounced on the Grimm and slaughtered them.
The Scarecrow knelt before the scared Alexander and spoke in a quiet raspy voice. "Do not fear human, you are safe. I was once a guardian to the people of this place before they faded from history. I have seen your ambitions to build a prosperous town, but besieged by those who would destroy. I…can protect it…I can bring prosperity…all I ask is for something in return…four somethings."
And so, a deal was struck.
The Scarecrow would protect the region from Grimm and Bandits alongside other things that would threaten the prosperity of the town. Bountiful harvests and riches would be given. In exchange, every two years a man and a woman would be tied up and sent into the woods where the Scarecrow would consume them twice a year. Once before the planting of the harvest and another during the final harvest.
Horrified, but putting the town first, Alexander agreed. The first and second year of the towns founding came a bountiful harvest not seen. Grimm and Bandit raids were nonexistent. It was as if something was keeping them at bay. Bringing in those he trusted, they grabbed a newly wed couple and tied them up. They then dumped them at the foot of the Scarecrow in the orchard and watched as it took its due.
This has continued by their descendants to the current day.
Disgusted by this, Nicholas Arc and those accompanied with him, went to the Orchard and freed the current couple of sacrifices at the current time and fought the Scarecrow. Even with him wielding Anomaly 008 (Crocia Mors) proved to be difficult due to its sickle-like fingers. But after an intense fight, he set fire to the scarecrow and watched as it burned.
Right after it turned to ashes, a pack of Beowolves howled in the distance. What kept the Grimm at bay was gone with the Scarecrows death!
Having managed to get as many people out of there in the short amount of time, he alongside the former residents of Applemoore watched as the town was destroyed by the 5th largest Grimm attack in Remnants history.
Nicholas Arc then donated 1,000,000 Lien to the refugees to rebuild their town with "proper" protection.
A/N: Originally for this Anomaly, I was planning on some sort of jack-o-lantern type of entity based off of a story I read long ago called Dark Harvest. it was about a jack-o-lantern entity that emerges from the fields. The children between the ages of ten and eighteen would hunt it down on halloween and kill it. The child's parents would live rent free for a year, free groceries and a new car. The child would be killed by the town elders and buried in the field outside of town. From its grave site the entity would rise again and the cycle repeats.
But I figured child death would rate this a hard M rating so instead based this Anomaly on the Scarecrow from Supernatural.