[Day Five - Early Afternoon] Google Search: Maize, Nebraska

[Imogen Baker]

Imogen glanced at Marlowe coming from his Buick and nodded her head at the suggestion. She gave Nebraska folklore a try, although she wondered if asking about a pumpkin head monster would score any hits.

[GhostWolfe]

Nebraska has its fair share of folklore and urban legends, the usual ghost stories and tales of native tribes. Occasionally the word maize appears, in its context as one of the Three Sisters. The ancient tradition of planting corn, green beans, and pumpkin giving rise to the sort of spiritual beliefs that come with anthromorphism of inanimate objects.

[Marlowe Phillips]

"Hmm... that could be something. Hard to say what, though." I gave a frustrated sigh. "I found something else this morning. Steve's fetch isn't the only one here. I don't know who they belong to, but I saw two more."

[Imogen Baker]

"Getting warmer, at least," she said regarding the new search results. She then entered a new search of Three Sister Folklore into the search to see if there was mention of sacrifices or anything with blood related, seeing as she was informed of such a possibility earlier by Marlowe.

She looked to Marlowe's direction. "Yeah? They just wandered here too? Or are they locals?"

[Marlowe Phillips]

"Locals, I'm sure." I answered. "They came out of a hedgeway behind the plaza."

[GhostWolfe]

You get information on the origin of the Sisters. Corn would be planted on a small mound, once it was established, the other two crops would be planted around the base. The precise identity of these crops depended on location, as the practice was first developed by the native inhabitants. This far north, beans were used to fix nitrogen in the soil, climbing the corn stalks for support. Pumpkin was the most varied, where any “winter” squash might be planted, depending on local preference. These low-growing plants covered the soil, keeping the moisture in and hindering the growth of weeds.

You also learn that between them corn, beans, and squash contain all nine essential amino acids required by the human body. It was a combination that worked on multiple levels for primitive farmers.

There are hints that the sisters were anthromorphised as female due to some native tribes seeing farming as a woman’s job, as their culture transitioned from hunter-gatherer to hunter-farmer.

Marlowe’s contact also called back, having accessed the police blotter for the region. There were the usual domestic disturbances, vandalism by bored kids, shoplifting and petty theft. It was exactly what you would expect from a small town.

[Imogen Baker]

"Wait, they just came out, just because?" She said on a mildly confused note. "Sorry, I guess I'm not too family with how fetches work. I assumed they were just implanted into people's lives. Sort of install and forget. They just emerged, like everything was normal?"

Imogen scrolled down the articles, reading on the various bits on the Sisters. It was neat information, although seemed hardly sinister on their own. However, the mention of pumpkin did make her think about the pumpkin monstrosity she saw on the fields, in another realm. Corns and pumpkins, was there also a bean monster lurking somewhere in the shadows? "Do you think they grow pumpkins around here? The Three Sisters are seen highly of around here, aren't they?."

[Marlowe Phillips]

"It was an established hedgeway. They must be using it for something." I glanced at the information she found. "I haven't seen anything here except corn."

[Imogen Baker]

"Yeah? And considered following after them, then?"

She looked back at the screen in thought as she spoke. "I suppose it might be worthwhile to check out where the locals actually practice the custom."

Using the internet was rather effortless, so she merely typed in Maize Pumpkins and Beans out of curiousity.

[GhostWolfe]

This search turns up pretty much the same results as the previous one.