The Wisdom of the Elders is a four-part Stranger side-mission in Red Dead Redemption 2.
The quest becomes available during Chapter 6.
Story
The Wisdom of the Elders I
The player finds a distressed man named Lemuel, laying beside a bridge. The man can only say the words 'Butchers crick'. The protagonist assumes he means Butcher Creek, and takes him there.
There, the player meets a man named Obediah Hinton. Obediah thanks the protagonist for returning his friend. In a sudden outburst, Lemuel attacks the player, and the protagonist is forced to subdue him.
Obediah informs the player that Lemuel is not well, before introducing himself. The protagonist asks for money, but Obediah claims that their community does not have much money, and that they can only afford to pay him with friendship and love.
The Wisdom of the Elders II
When the player knocks on his door, Obediah seems to react in frightened manner. He warns the protagonist to leave for his own safety. The player does not know what he is talking about, and Obediah explains that there are "demons," who are coming to attack the village. The player is then forced to eliminate the wild dogs in the village.
After slaughtering the creatures, the player tells them to get inside their home and Obediah states that a man told him that the demons will come in many forms and protection would come in many forms. Arthur tells him that it is just sick dogs that got poisoned by an unknown substance and to shoot any sick animals. Obediah tells Arthur that they can not doubt the man, who told them that evil has plagued the village. A strangely dressed man appears and claims that he can save them. The strange man tells Obediah and the others that the curse has changed and some dark charms in the woods have to be destroyed. Arthur asks the man if the charms were to be destroyed the cruse would be lifted. The strange man tells him that the woods are plagued with demons and it is impossible to destroy them with the protection of demons. The man tells Obediah and the others that Arthur is telling them lies that there is no such curse. Arthur will have to destroy 13 charms in the woods.
The Wisdom of the Elders III
The player is told to destroy thirteen unlucky charms in a nearby forest.
The Wisdom of the Elders IV
Obediah will be sitting outside with the strangely dressed man. Arthur tells him that he has destroyed the charms and the strangely dressed man is in disbelief. Obediah is overjoyed that Arthur has destroyed the charms. The strangely dressed man interrupts and claims that Arthur has made the curse worse than before. Arthur recalls that the man stated that the curse would be lifted if the charms were to be destroyed. Obediah seems to be confused by this. Arthur tells Obediah that the strange man is clearly hiding something from them and the strange man will tell Obediah that Arthur is telling him lies and that he has the gift into seeing demons. Arthur threatens the strange man and the man runs off. Obediah recalls of an abandoned mine and the strange man told him and others not to go there.
Arthur will investigate the mine, only to find that a poisonous substance is leaking in the abandoned mine into the water and will collect a sample of the substance Arthur will hear someone and the person will set off some dynamite in the attempt to kill Arthur. Arthur will eventually escape and head back to the village. Arthur will see the strange man with villagers. The strange man wants Obediah to sign some papers to lift the curse. Obediah decides to read aloud the papers before signing. It is revealed that the strange man works Roanoke Fuel Company, who wants the villagers to sell their land. The strange man is surprised that Obediah literate and tells him to stop reading the document. Arthur decides to confront the strange man and Obediah is surprised that Arthur survived. Arthur claims that the strange man purposely tried to kill him when investigating the mines. Arthur pulls out the sample of the poisonous substance and tells Obediah and others that they were poisoned. Obediah and others still doubt Arthur's claims and Arthur decides to ask the strange man to tell him what this substance is.
The man claims that the substance is nothing, but Arthur decides to shove the substance down his throat. The strange man then admits is poison and claims that the company was digging and discover that there was only arsenic and lead inside the mine. The man also admits that he put on this scheme to convince the villagers to leave. This increases Obediah and others paranoia and they start to believe that higher spirits have cursed the village through a mining company. They believe that they must appease the spirits. Obediah tells Arthur to leave and take the money.