Scarecrows

The best thing to ever happen to Ironclad Goods and Transport Company was The Great Downward Engineering Company.
The five original companies: The Great Downward, Ironclad Goods and Services, Mirrax Marines, Glodsson Heavy Industries, and Izchak's Magical Goods had been founded with a single purpose: To bring prosperity to the Valley by being able to operate independently and without taxation. Unsurprisingly there were many who thought that these two bits of special treatment would spell doom; either the companies would run wild and ruin everything, or become a rival to the council's power and ruin everything.
However (in Valley tradition), everything had worked out alright. IGT was the lifeblood of the economy, keeping goods moving and charging almost nothing, content to make profit through sheer volume. Mirrax Marines rules the seas (and lately the skies), providing affordable protection where it was needed. GHI followed in IGT's footsteps, and brought in a new era of Dwerfaterism.
Izchak's had gone under, never really finding a place as a service for the common folk, and The Great Downward had been silent, with underground construction coming to a halt as the tendrils of Rappan Athuk engulfed mines, grottos and underground paths alike.
But now, business was booming. With the Forest of Hope mostly clear of bandits and the goblin tribes substituting trading for raiding money was flowing around the southern end of the Valley. The lightning rod for this thunderclap was Odo Bristleback, board member of IGT and Mayor of Zelkor's Ferry and the surrounds. A year ago he'd run a profitable adventuring outpost with 20 residents. Today, he had over a 100 people under his banner.
Currently he was at The Barn, the Telephosian church that was rapidly becoming the nucleus of a new town. This bothered the Telephosians, who wanted to contain the size of the settlement so they could construct a fort. Bristleback wasn't surprised, leave a priest of Telephos unattended and by evening there'd be a row of crops and a fort. Add in the number of GHI dwarves that were moving about the place and it was a wonder that the whole road from Zelkor's Ferry to Dejune wasn't just one big fort.
Still, Bristleback thought they could be reasoned with. Forts were a great idea in general, but right now there were too many refugees and desperate people around. Forts may protect against bandits, but cheap housing and a surplus of unskilled jobs might prevent the bandits in the first place. Despite the ominous red glow in the sky, Bristleback felt sure The Great Downward could handle it. He could often be overheard saying he was the first person in the Valley to greet Lord Shades, and had "known from the moment he laid eyes on him that the Tengu was something special".
Besides, Zelkor's Way was probably one of the safest areas of the Valley right now. Nothing got close to Dejune or Greyton without meeting heavy resistance. "Bofred's Boys", a local militia group also patrolled the road, and between their particular brand of enthusiastic Thyrism and the Telephos priests, the road was kept clear at all times.
Bristleback entered The Barn, and made his way to the back, past the altar, and into the chamber of the head priest of Telephos, an human man named Siegfried. He was wiry and ancient, with a long white beard that would have been comical on another man, but his eyes gleaned with hard-fought wisdom, and he seemed to spend his whole life inside his suit of adamantium platemail. Bristleback was sure he slept in it.
"Evening Mayor. What an evening it is. The harvest light glows red; we must sharpen our blades and guard our crops. We must be ready to defend ourselves."
Bristleback had been ready for this. Arguing with Siegfried was like talking to a wall, except walls didn't gesture aggressively with a scythe if they didn't think they were getting their way. There was only one way to handle this.
"I do not want you to build a fort. I want you to expand, and make room for another 20 farms along the road. You can defend it however you wish, so long as it doesn't prevent expansion. I will make sure there is sufficient funds to support any method you choose."
There was a twinkle in Siegfried's eye, and Bristleback realised he'd walked straight into a trap. Siegfried pretended to think for a moment. "However I wish, ay? Doesn't prevent expansion? Sounds like we need some scarecrows. Follow me"
Siegfried lead him out of the barn, and opened a camouflaged trapdoor some 30 feet from the front door. The fumes that wafted up smelled like a forge, and Siegfried lead him down into the basement. Inside were a quartet of priests of Telephos, plus two elvish women in robes that he did not recognise. 
Standing behind them was a scarecrow that looked like it had just stepped out a nightmare. It stood nearly 9 feet tall, clad in metal plates, and held a war scythe in its hands. It wasn't stuffed with straw, but rather with long strips of leather that bulged like muscles. Instead of standing on a pole, it instead stood on a trio of elongated legs that put Bristleback in mind of some sort of demonic spider.
"Do you like it?" Siegfried's eyes gleamed
"No" said Bristleback firmly "I categorically do not."
Siegfried didn't seem to hear him. "They're a beaut, and pretty cheap to make"
Bristleback paused, knowing he was going to regret asking. "What do they do?"
Siegfried's eyes managed to gleam even brighter, then he shouted "Defend yourself!"
The scarecrow lurched to life, whipping its scythe around, causing everyone other than Siegfried to dive to the floor. Then the scarecrow let out a horrible scream, somewhere between nails being run down a chalkboard and the sound of metal tearing"
Bristleback looked up in horror, Siegfried's smile was that of a man possessed. Then, as suddenly as it had started, the scarecrow stopped dead still, as it it had never moved at all. Bristleback nervously pulled himself to his feet.
"What...what is it? A demon? A golem?"
Siegfried shook his head. "Naw, nothing so fancy. Just a bit of magic, a few fancy gems, and a small fragment of the rage that bring righteous damnation to those who would stand in the way of good men"
Bristleback took a deep breath, and let it out, and tried to regan his composure. He was a mayor after all. He realised Siegfried was still talking.
"and only needed half of what we thought. These kind elves agreed to put them together in exchange for some of us helping them start their orchard. Dalish trees don't grow so well here, it takes some special know-how and a lot of honest work"
There were rumors that Bristleback was a wereboar, and that his whole line was tainted with lycanthropy. He felt Siegfried's gaze on him, as if the old priest could see right through him, with all his secrets laid bare. He realised that there was only one way out of this. He cleared his throat.
"How much d they cost?"
"About 3,500 gold pieces each. I'll need a dozen if we're going to build all these new farms you were talking about. You'l need to ask the High Lady for the funds, sooner I get it, the sooner we can start building houses and tilling fields in safety"
Bristleback nodded numbly. A dim voice in the back of his head was trying to say that the cost was pretty reasonable. Anything built by priests of Telephos would last for centuries, it was in their nature.
"I'll get it done. Thank you for being so....accommodating. Anything else you need?"
Siegfried nodded. "One thing. If you see the Warden, let him know when he's done, we'll make sure there's a farm here for him."
Bristleback climbed back out into the warm night air. The red glow made it appear that the crops had been soaked in blood. The thought that there may be monsterous scarecrow-rage-golems out among the rows of wheat send chills down his spine. For one of the few times in his life, he closed his eyes in prayer.
"Mitra, please bless Lord Shades. May he succeed in driving evil so far from this land I that these adamantium priests get bored and go home"