Obediah Hinton

Obediah Hinton is an elder of Butcher Creek, a settlement plagued by sickness and superstition. When Arthur Morgan finds his missing friend Lemuel, Lemuel attacks him and Arthur subdues him. Obediah thanks Arthur, explains that Lemuel is unwell, and brings him indoors. Asked for payment, he says the village has little money to spare, offering friendship and love instead.

Arthur later finds Obediah frightened at his home. Obediah believes demons are about to descend on Butcher Creek, but Arthur finds that the supposed threat is a pack of poisoned wild dogs. Arthur tells the villagers to shelter and warns them to shoot sick animals. Obediah remains persuaded that a man has told the settlement of an evil affliction, and he trusts the Shaman when he arrives with promises to save them.

The Shaman says the curse has changed and orders Arthur to destroy thirteen charms in the woods. Arthur does so, then reports back to Obediah. When the Shaman claims that this has worsened the curse, Arthur points out his earlier promise that destroying the charms would end it. The Shaman flees after Arthur threatens him, and Obediah remembers an abandoned mine that the man had forbidden the villagers to enter.

Arthur investigates the mine and finds poison leaking into the water. He escapes an attempt on his life and returns to see the Shaman pressing Obediah to sign papers. Obediah reads the document aloud, exposing the Shaman's connection to the Roanoke Fuel Company and its plan to acquire Butcher Creek's land. The Shaman admits the mine contains arsenic and lead and that he staged the curse. Obediah still sees higher forces at work through the company, tells Arthur to leave, and gives him the money left behind by the Shaman.