TEXT: Bringing in the
  sheaves
  A Deadlands Reloaded Adventure
  for 4-5 Novice Heroes
  by Bronto Awesome
  There are three potential fights that the posse
  may  take  part  in  during  this  adventure.  The
  Marshal will need to improvise the details, such
  as the starting placement of the enemies, for each
  encounter.
  The Story So Far
  Grassy Knoll is a rural town nestled in hilly
  country. Dairy production is ubiquitous and hay
  farming  followed  behind  it  as  a  natural
  outgrowth. One of the established hay farmers in
  Grassy Knoll  is  Alfred  Alfa,  who  started  his
  operation  before  the  town  even  existed.  He
  married young but his bride died in childbirth
  along with their baby. He has never remarried or
  even considered the notion. He has remained a
  bachelor ever since and has lived a lonely life.
  Over time, it has been emotionally rough on the
  man, who, past middle age, has started to slip
  into  a  state  of  dementia.  His  condition  is
  irreversible. Just the sort of man upon which the
  manitous love to prey.
  Shortly after Alfa purchased the hay ground
  around the  Pioneer Cemetery, he was asked to
  maintain the small plot of land in exchange for a
  small stipend of money. He has cared for this
  graveyard  diligently for the  last  two  decades.
  Then the main town cemetery got full and the
  people of Grassy Knoll started reserving plots in
  the Pioneer Cemetery. The town undertaker, in an
  effort  to  get  organized,  staked  out  the  open
  spaces in the Pioneer Cemetery using wooden
  stakes with the names of the future owner of the
  grave engraved on them.
  The  manitous,  who  over  the  years  have
  whispered in Alfred's ears all sorts of maddening
  things,  jumped  on  the  opportunity.  They
  convinced the hay farmer that he had become the
  Angel of Death and that the tombs that he saw
  staked  out  in  the  graveyard  were  for  those
  waiting to be called to heaven. They also told
  him that if he should do what they asked, to take
  the lives of those appointed in such a manner,
  that it would outwardly demonstrate the faith of
  the victim. He would then be sure that the victim
  was bound for heaven. Over time, he became the
  embodiment  of  the  Grim  Reaper,  which  was
  proper as good and honest folk do not fear death.
  Then, Alfred died and became Harrowed. The
  manitous  have  granted  him  the  appropriate
  magical powers befitting the Grim Reaper.
  Alfa has killed many victims in the last few
  months and has fallen deeper and deeper into the
  Grim Reaper roll. Initially he used a scythe to
  claim his victims. Now he has started to use his
  horse-drawn  mechanical  mower  to  run  down
  those that would resist the call of the Angel of
  Death. By the time that the posse arrives to help,
  at least fifteen have been killed.
  Getting Started
  The posse is drawn into this adventure when
  they receive a letter asking for their help. The
  letter is signed by an entire church congregation,
  The First Christian Church of Grassy Knoll, on
  behalf  of  one  of  their  members,  the  town
  undertaker. The letter asks the posse to come to
  Grassy Knoll to look into the matter of the recent
  murders.  The  local  marshal  has  arrested  the
  undertaker,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Barry
  Casketts, under suspicion of the murders. Most
  of the congregation believes that the undertaker
  is innocent. They want the posse to prove his
  innocence  and to  stop  the  murders.  They are
  willing to pay $50 per hero, doubling it if they
  discover the true culprit.
  
  What the Posse Knows
  By simply asking around, the heroes learn the
  following information:
  NThere  have  been  fourteen  murders  or
  disappearances  so  far.  The  locations  range
  throughout the county. No one particularly young
  has been killed. All of the victims seem to have
  died in a violent way from a severe cutting stroke
  predominantly,  but  not  exclusively,  across  the
  lower half of the body. All were alone and away
  from town when they were killed. They have all
  been laid to rest in the Pioneer Cemetery.
  NOne  man,  Kent  Stand,  has  miraculously
  survived and is recovering in his home. Both of
  his legs have been severed just below the knees.
  He remembers the Grim Reaper riding up on him
  on the road and frightening his horse so badly
  that he was thrown. Then Kent was cut down by
  the Grim Reaper's scythe when he tried to run
  away. Everyone thinks that Kent is delusional,
  but are quite sympathetic.
  NThe town marshal has arrested Barry Casketts
  because he stands to gain the most from all of the
  funerals being held. Miraculously, everyone that
  has been killed has reserved a plot in the Pioneer
  Cemetery and the marshal deems this as enough
  reason to arrest the undertaker. The posse is free
  to question Casketts in jail whenever they need.
  Barry insists that he is innocent.
  Scene One  Straw Man Argument
  –
  Location: Old Pioneer Cemetery
  The posse's investigations may lead them to
  the Pioneer Cemetery. They can get directions
  from anyone in town. On the way, the posse
  encounters  a pair  of elderly women  returning
  from the cemetery. The women stop the posse
  long enough to complain about the ridiculous
  scarecrows that the groundskeeper,  Alfred, has
  put up in the graveyard. They insist that they are
  tasteless  and  inappropriate  with  all  of  the
  funerals happening. Then they leave in a huff.
  In the past, the Pioneer Cemetery has been
  rarely visited, as the Mennonites that established
  it and once lived in the area have moved away.
  Lately  there  have  been  frequent  funerals  and
  there  are  far  more  flowers  and  wreaths
  decorating the grave. A dirt track is the only
  access to the place. It is nestled in the middle of a
  vast wheat field. The wheat field surrounding the
  cemetery is owned by Alfred Alfa. Technically,
  the  county  owns  the  cemetery.  The  original
  graveyard was a small place, roughly twenty feet
  square and surrounded by a fancy wrought-iron
  fence. It is full of simple stone markers. The
  western side of the fence line has been knocked
  down in order to accommodate newer graves.
  The first thing that the posse notices are the
  five scarecrows erected around the perimeter of
  the  graveyard.  These  scarecrows  were  placed
  here  by  Alfa  to  protect  the  graveyard.  The
  scarecrows  are  made  primarily  of  clothing
  stuffed with straw. Each holds  a pitchfork  or
  sickle.  Each  scarecrow  is  held  up  by an  old
  broom or shovel handle that has been driven into
  the ground.
  The markers for the reserved grave sites are
  still there. The next victims can be learned if the
  posse  reads  through  them  and  makes  the
  connection. There are fourteen new graves. With
  a successful Notice roll, the heroes discover that
  one of the older graves has recently been dug up
  and reburied. The tombstone reads:
  Horace Winnie
  Farrier & Blacksmith
  1814-1868
  The heroes learn nothing if they take the time
  to dig up the grave. It once held a treasure and
  the manitou led Alfred to it. Four horseshoes
  were buried with the farrier and Alfred now uses
  them to summon his phantom steed.
  If anyone touches the tools that the straw
  men carry or any of the new grave markers, the
  straw men animate and attack the heroes. This
  fight takes place in a 20 ft. x 30 ft. cemetery
  surrounded by a short fence with only a few
  
  gravestones in it. The fence on the west side has
  been taken down. The wheat growing around the
  graveyard is tall and a great place to hide.
  Straw Men (5)
  Attributes: Agility  d8,  Smarts  d6,  Spirit  d6,
  Strength d6, Vigor d6.
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Gear: Sickle (d6+d4) or Pitchfork (d6+d6)
  NConstruct: +2 to recover from being Shaken.
  No additional damage from called shots (except
  hands)
  NFearless: Straw men are immune to Fear and
  Intimidation.
  NInvulnerability: Ranged attacks do no damage
  to  Straw  men.  Bullets  and  arrows  pass  right
  through.
  NWeakness (Fire): Straw men are susceptible to
  fire. All successful fire-based attacks do double
  damage. The chance of catching fire from a fire-
  based attack is increased to 2 in 6.
  NWeakness  (Tools):  The  magical  power  to
  animate the straw men comes from the tools that
  they wield. If a straw man is  disarmed, it is
  immediately destroyed. -2 penalty to hit a straw
  man's arm. A Strength roll from the straw man
  must beat the damage of the attack in order for it
  to keep holding the tool.
  Scene Two - Sickled Pink
  Location: Alfred Alfa's Farm
  The heroes may want to talk to the caretaker
  of the Pioneer Cemetery and the logical place to
  see him is at his homestead. Regardless of when
  they visit, Alfred is not home when the posse
  investigates his homestead. The Alfa farm is a
  small  and  simple  place.  There  is  a  catalog-
  bought,  prefabricated  cottage  and  a  few
  outbuildings. There is a pen for livestock and
  three large haymows, roofed shelters for keeping
  may dry. Sitting underneath a makeshift shelter is
  Alfred's shiny, new mowing machine. Haystacks
  can be seen in the field next to the farmstead.
  The home contains the scant belongings one
  would expect from a bachelor farmer. What little
  decorations there are are religious in nature. With
  a successful Notice roll, the posse finds that a
  newspaper clipping being used as a book mark in
  a large family bible is actually the obituary of
  Alfred's Grecian immigrant wife,  Delta Theta,
  from thirty years ago.
  There are five tall haystacks in the field next
  to  the  farm.  With  a successful  Notice  roll,  a
  heroes notices that there are quite a few more
  wagon tracks marking up the field and that a hay
  farmer would not be happy with this amount of
  his crop being destroyed. The tracks seem to lead
  to three particular haystacks.
  When a new person is buried at the Pioneer
  Cemetery, Alfred digs them back up and brings
  them  here  to  hide  them,  following  the
  instructions of the manitous. Three of the stacks
  have a corpse stack hidden inside. The corpse
  stacks consist of four to six stiff bodies stacked
  together in a standing position and bound around
  the  middle  with  rope.  If  the  cadavers  are
  disturbed, they animate and attack the heroes.
  This  fight takes  place  in a large, recently
  mowed field almost a quarter-mile square. It has
  twenty haystacks spread widely around the field.
  The Marshal should select which ones hold the
  corpse stacks.
  Corpse Stacks (3)
  Attributes: Agility  d6,  Smarts  d4,  Spirit  d4,
  Strength d8, Vigor d8.
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d10
  Pace: 4; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9
  Gear: None
  Claws: d8+d4
  NFear (-2): When the Corpse Stack animates, all
  witnessing it must make a Guts roll (-2).
  NFearless: Corpse Stacks are immune to Fear
  and Intimidation.
  NUndead: +2 Toughness. +2 to recover from
  being Shaken. Called shots do no extra damage.
  NWeakness (Bindings): Magical rope keeps the
  
  corpses together in a stack and animates them.  If
  this rope is severed, the corpses tumble apart and
  are no longer animated. An attack at -2 is needed
  to hit the ropes. The ropes have a Toughness 4.
  Scene Three  On the Field of Gory
  –
  Location: Freshly-Cut Field at Night
  The next victim slated to be claimed by the
  Grim Reaper is Melvin Cudders. Mel is another
  local dairy farmer. The posse can figure this out
  by  the  marked  grave  sites  at  the  Pioneer
  Cemetery. If they speak with him, they learn that
  Alfred Alpha has asked him to meet out at one of
  Mel Cudders' hay fields so that they can look at a
  mysterious insect swarm that appears at dusk and
  feeds  on  the  crop.  This  is  an  excuse  to  get
  Cudders  out  of  town,  alone.  The  heroes  can
  follow along if they wish. Alfred does not appear
  as his normal persona, only as The Grim Reaper.
  If the heroes go to the freshly-cut field, with
  or without Cudders, they soon find that a thick
  fog starts to cover the area, dropping visibility to
  only a few feet. This is part of the trap set by the
  Grim Reaper.
  The  horse  pulling  the  mower  is  an
  insubstantial ghost and the mower itself is being
  moved around by supernatural energies from the
  manitous  that  haunt  Alfred.  The  heroes  can
  discern that the horse is a phantom with a simple
  Knowledge: Arcana skill check. Otherwise, they
  learn quickly when they attempt to attack it.
  Alfred's grass mower moves at a Pace of 10
  and  has  a  Toughness  of  10  (2).  Obviously,
  attacking the horse has no effect, but attacks can
  be directed at the mower itself. If the mower
  wrecks, the horse disappears. The heroes may
  attempt to knock Alfred off of his mower. If
  Alfred is hit with an attack that at least Shakes
  him, he must make a Driving check to stay on the
  mower.
  The mowing section extends away from the
  main body of the cart to the left roughly ten feet
  (2 squares), and this is the lethal part of the
  machine. Alfred attacks by moving past victims
  and passing them on the right. Those who are
  struck by the slicing teeth of the mower suffers
  3d6 damage. The mower is low to the ground, so
  a defender can attempt to jump over it with a
  successful Jump check. This does not require an
  action. Shaken victims must make the check at
  -2.
  This fight takes place on another large field
  of burgeoning alfalfa. The grass is short and there
  are no real obstacles to hide behind.
  Phantom Horse
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d10,
  Strength d6, Vigor d6.
  Skills: Fighting d4, Intimidation d12+2, Notice
  d12, Stealth d12+4
  Pace: 10; Parry: 4; Toughness: 8
  NEthereal:  Phantom horses are immaterial and
  can only be harmed by magical attacks.
  NFear (-2): When the phantom horse animates,
  all witnessing it must make a Guts roll (-2).
  NFleet-Footed: Phantom horses roll a d8 when
  running instead of a d6.
  NHorseshoes: The phantom horse is bound to
  the real horseshoes on its feet.
  NKick: Str
  NSize +2: Phantom Horses are the same size as a
  real horse.
  Alfred Alfa, The Grim Reaper (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d10,
  Strength d10, Vigor d10.
  Skills: Driving d8, Fighting d8, Intimidation d10,
  Notice d10, Shooting d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
  Gear: Scythe (d10+d10)
  NFear: When Alfred appears, all who see him 
  must make a Guts roll.
  NFearless: Alfred  is  immune  to  Fear  and
  Intimidation.
  NUndead: +2 Toughness. +2 to recover from 
  being Shaken. Called shots do no extra damage. 
  Ignores wound penalties.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Savage Worlds System (SWADE) [multi]/Deadlands Reloaded/Misc/DLR - Adv - Bringing in the Sheaves.pdf