Page 1/2 Harvester Turmoil (1) Written by Flynn Lexton "I told you, my arm was broken by the Harvester! Just wait till I get my hands on those wizards! I'm going to make them pay!" The voice of an angry farmer echoed throughout the Deerhorn Inn of Kastleton, famous for its honeybee rye beer. He was complaining about several incidents that had occurred because of something called a Harvester. I first took an interest in these beings when I heard people trying to calm down an angry farmer at that very inn. Some people might say that tools made by wizards for convenience shouldn't be referred to as beings, but I beg to differ. If they attack and hurt people, or if they become difficult to handle, then how are they any different from a frenzied golem? According to the townsfolk, this problem dates back to when the Arkeum Legion attacked Kastleton over ten years ago. When the Arkeum Legion attacked Laslan under the orders of the Usurper Reville Lupius, the townsfolk fought bravely under Lord Hobs's lead. The Arkeum Legion failed to overtake Kastleton, but they caused cursed rain to fall across all of Laslan as a last ditch effort to turn it into a wasteland. This is when the fertile area around Laslan's granaries became beset by strange and vicious animals, such as insects that were ten times their normal size. Although the Arkeum Legion was ultimately defeated, the farmers were faced with the question of whether they would be able to continue working their land. After hearing the farmers' countless complaints, Lord Hobs asked the great wizards of Venelux for a solution. However, the wizards were not known for being wise nor quick. Unable to wait for a solution, the farmers begged any wizard passing through the village for a way to get rid of the giant pests. The Harvesters were created by these wizards for the Golden Rye Pastures, and they quickly gained popularity. In essence, the Harvesters are magical dolls designed to repeat simple actions. Page 2/2 Harvester Turmoil (2) The Harvesters fought the insects that were causing damage to the farms. The farmers celebrated, offering up what little they had by way of savings to the wizards. However, problems started to arise a few months later. The Harvesters began to break down. The Distons and Amitoi crafted by the Venelux wizards come with durability preservation magic to ensure that they can withstand wear and tear. However, the drifting wizards did not consider that these wooden Harvesters would break while fighting, rot in the rain, or take damage from the winds. As the magic schema inside the wood became exposed, it was erased or destroyed. This decay caused the Harvesters to malfunction in an unexpected manner. They started attacking not just insects, but everything in their path, including the farmers. The farmers desperately sought the wizards who created them, but they had long since moved on, and could no longer be found to right their mistakes. Unable to wait for a response from the Venelux wizards, the farmers complained to Lord Hobs again. Ultimately, he was forced to ask the Resistance for help. Ever since then, every Resistance member new to contract work in Laslan begins their volunteer work by removing Harvesters at the Golden Rye Pastures. Had these Harvesters been a greater threat, then more soldiers would have been dispatched to take care of the problem once and for all. However, because the Harvesters only ranked a mild threat, not enough manpower was invested, and some stragglers still roam the farm to this day, even ten years later. Perhaps because their preservation magic was sloppy, these surviving Harvesters may suddenly stand up after being destroyed and go right back to terrorizing the farm. May this cautionary tale serve as a reminder that magic must always be used carefully and wisely.
