The large field behind the church, recently cultivated and sown becomes the battleground as stuffed and padded exotic straw men (and ladies) stuck themselves in the furrowed turf. Patiently spread eagled to coax the carrion crows to come and perch upon their nether regions. It is though some pockets of seed and brim fulls of grain have passed beneath the all judging eye of miller Hendon who blows his whistle to call time in the event. As the black chirpy critters settle, each scarecrow can try to knock them off their neighbours limbs or even send a clod of mud walloping into the opposition dummy.
Tamson arrives padded out with sacks and a fine Hessian sack head and antler horned mannequin, Martell represents the squires with a scarecrow in tabard and helm, Gern of the dwarves brings a barrel chested roly-poly figure, Lucille from the Pheasant comes with a lady scarecrow in basque and fishnets, padded extra in the torso with outsize wobblers, Solly comes with a pumpkin headed Jack O' Lantern, more suitable for the darker nights, impressive cut out fang toothed grimace. Other villagers make up the numbers.
After the settling period when the flocks are perched, the slinging if mud and curses begin.
After lots of wet mud tossed about, amid the craw-craw of birds and accompanying sound effects from the spectators and costumed Gerdal, the first round is resolved.
I arranged everyone to stand in a circle in alphabetical order and placed a villager in between each character. Your ten targets were the five people who stood most opposite you and I used the rolled results to notch hits on crows or to decrease your hp.
The results favoured the most charismatic scarecrows and the most resilient.
Isvand still stands. Of his original nineteen crows, nine still perch on one arm and his head. His much splattered costume indicates he has taken eight wounds. So moved to the next round with a tally of 9/3.
Vann Hector, winning 3rd place in the costume award, gets splattered out with four crows still perched. Dalin fares a little better, coaxing one extra crow before he too is 'tough muddered'.
Golgarth, coming 2nd in the Scarecrow costume gets beset by a late flurry of clods which take down half a dozen crowd but he remains standing on 7/2.
Cadeweed justs gets blathered. He falls from the mud clots with a dozen crows still feast on his scarecrow corpse. Sven takes a lot of flak from the villagers, he would do well to invoke a shield spell next time as all twelve if his crows bite the dust, driven off but some accurate slinging.
Fapp, local boy whose parents supply the Foul Pheasant gets cheered in by the locals as he also makes the last group but with the fewest crows. 5/4
Sir Dewey, taking the Scarecrow costume crown also demonstrates the art of being one with nature. He draws the largest flick to perch on his wide brimmed hat and prairie 'duster' type coat. His menacing scarecrow takes a lot of targeting but their must be some strawman protection going on as he keeps eleven crows in comfort though he himself is heavily blotched. 11/4.
Of the villagers only Solly 3/2 and Lucille 4/4 make it through to the next group. Paired together in a showdown, it is Lucille who holds her ground.
Isvand vs Fapp face off dueling sods. The former going through with four crows left.
Golgarth vs Sir Dewey evens it up with some excellent bird baiting to stand six crows apiece and another round of clodding. Hitting with eleven shots from twelve, it is the priest of Cromm who humbles the paladin of Ygg.
The final trio bunch in, wet clods in their slings, black birds in their sights.
Isvand has four crows, Lucille two and Golgarth three. The wench is the first to flinch. She slings two clods, one at each character but misses, each return the favour, clouting a crow and the big breasted scarecrow gets bowled over. It leaves the last two. The villagers take sides, cheering and hissing.
Post here and I will tot up the XP awards and declare a winner.