I got a quest from a small human town recently to kill a demon that had apparently been tormenting them. They said it was a bit North, so I started walking. I picked up two comrades on the way. I walked through the town and everyone was acting strange and picking up all this food and hoarding it in their houses (Every tile had 2-3 food in it.) Then I noticed that the demon was just waltzing through the town. It was named, but also had the title of 'law-giver' or 'law-enforcer'. Something like that. I thought it was strange, but nevertheless I was sent by their warlord to kill the dude and he seemed as though about to get his rampage on.
I took one shot at him (it asked me to confirm my attack, which I found strange. Of course I want to attack this giant demon with poisonous blood!) And I got the shout from him "I am *blah blah blah*. Prepare to die!" In which immediately after I get a second shout from my axeman behind me. "I am *blah blah blah*. Prepare to die." And surely enough it was echoed by my crossbowman. I didn't think much of it yet, and took a few swings at the demon before I noticed I was getting pelted with arrows. I started to run, noticing the whole town is in an fury that I attacked their demon sheriff which they asked me to do. I could only make it to a store front before getting an arrow through the leg. I took refuge inside, pierced the shopkeepers guts with my spear, and picked up a spear that he had on sale with all sorts of menacing bone spikes on it. I figured if I were to go down, I might as well be a thief and a 'murderer'. The shopkeeper lay winded and vomiting as I stood one tile North of the door, waiting for some poor sucker to wander in, but staying out of sight stray bolts. As though this town isn't strange enough, they send in three of their finest child warriors. Each is armed with the finest assorted leathers and cloth armors, which probably only resisted the spear on it's way back out of their bodies as it snags and forces me to twist it out of them. The cannon fodder each get a couple quick stabs before the crossbowman finally backs them up, firing a lethal dose of bronze into my chest and limbs.
Why did the revere and fear this demon so much that they would originally choose to set me to kill it, only to take it's side when I strike out? I'm assuming they're just a small town, living in terror of this beast which requests a sacrifice of meat to allow them to live.