Description: A tarnished First World War medal, the bronze disc bearing a hauntingly faceless figure of Victory. The edges are worn smooth, as if handled repeatedly, and the ribbon is a faded, brittle strip of dark, blood-stained fabric. The medal bears no name or serial number, only a single, jagged scratch across its surface that almost resembles the outline of a scarecrow’s head.
Acquisition: Found in the pocket of a scarecrow soldier unearthed in a Kent field in 1923, the only one to return from a long-forgotten regiment that supposedly vanished during the war. The scarecrow had been discovered upright, leaning against an old oak tree, its uniform ragged but intact. Witnesses reported a faint, metallic clinking as the wind stirred its tattered ribbons.
Known Effects: Those who touch the medal often report a sudden, overwhelming sensation of fear, as if caught in the roar of distant artillery fire. Some have even experienced brief, terrifying flashes of trench warfare, the acrid smoke and screaming shells seeming almost real for a moment.
Current Location: Stored in a glass-topped case, Section 2, Shelf 11, beneath a brass plaque that reads: They marched to war, but only straw came home.
Notes: Hetty once attempted to wear the medal during a quiet moment in the vault, hoping to hear the whispers of the forgotten soldiers it represents. She did not speak for three days afterwards.
Faylinn Defence Group 