[actual play] Kingdom Death - Lantern Year 3 - Scream if you Want to go Faster

Abas, Aiakos, Alcestis, and Atlanta set out looking for the thing that screamed in the night. Searching for the beast they came upon a mound of vomit, made up of whatever the monster had fed upon. Searching amongst the filth they discovered some bones and teeth, they assumed from the beast, and in doing so they learnt more about the thing they stalked. Alcestis even took to eating the vomit. A strange woman, one who was haunted by having caused the exile of one of her tribe.

Walking on further they discovered the body of a woman, dressed in fine clothes. the body provided the hunters sustenance and took along some of the flesh.

Finally they came upon the beast, a strange antelope with a belly that was a giant maw. It gibbered and snorted as it fed on some sort of plant life. Great pillars surrounded the plants, and provided the covered they needed to approach the beast. They found that it was riddled with worms, the was revolting for the party, causing Atlanta to wretch.

Yeah I messed up. The skull helm should have been lost after the last game.

Abas had led the hunt so that they had plenty of cover.

The beast reared up and stomped about, feeding on the plants, but not attacking. Aiakos took cover in the grass and threw his founding stone, immediately causing a deep wound to the monster.

The antelope turned on him and attacked, but Aiakos dodged the piercing horns. The others drew close, and the Aiakos hit back, causing the antelope to flee. It chewed on more grass, and regained some of it's composure, despite the wound inflicted by Aiakos. Abas attacked it from behind, cutting the beast's ear off, causing the creature to lose its senses. Alcestis pounced forward, emulating the lions they had fought, and slashed deep with her katar at the antelope's throat, but failed to killed it.

Aiakos was charged by the antelope, and it tried to strike Aiakos, but again it failed. Aiakos struck back but in return for his efforts was knocked down trampled.

The antelope bounded about, and between Alcestis and Aiakos it was struck and injured, further crippling the beast. It would attack and bolt off, only to rush in and attack again. Alcestis even had her katar kicked out of her hand. But the efforts of the party had cornered the beast.

Alcestis launched into another attack, only for her katar to strike into the antelope's gullet. It wrenched the weapon from her hand and swallowed it. She now as armed with just the last founding stone.

Aiakos ran to aid Alcestis, and his scrap sword found a weak spot, cutting deep, slicing the monster's tongue and legs. It bounded past them, trampling them to the ground, only for Atlanta to run to help them, calling for them to get up, as she struck with her spear. The antelope reared in pain and lshed out in all directions.

Alcestis, now unarmed save for the last founding stone, went to launch the sharp piece of rock at the creature. But as it turned and gazed at her with it piercing red eyes, Alcestis cried out in horror, the stone whizzing past the beast.

The antelope continued to dash about, trampling and kick, as Aiakos again struck out with his sword, cutting into the knee of the beast. Abas tried to also strike the beast, only for it to rear up, wailing from the maw that made the belly of the creature. Abas and Aiakos fled, falling to the ground, as the creature slid on its belly, colliding with Atlanta and Aiakos.

Yup, somehow I managed to herd the monster away from the rest of the acanthus plants. This is both good, and really bad. Also dazed is a blessing and curse of a wound to deal to the beast.

It too the combined efforts of Alcestis and Atlanta to deal the final injuries to the antelope, with Atlanta striking with her spear, ramming the weapon down the monster's throat.

With the beast dead, the hunters dragged the body back to the settlement. carving up the body, the tribe used the blood for paint, learning pictograms, and creating a stone circle, where they offered up the teeth and bones of the antelope, and made new weapons. The heat wave that swept through the region was of little matter to the tribe who found water the pooled within a cave near the settlement. It the sweltering heat arrived a strange knight. Human, but clearly a expert warrior. He picked out Abas and taught him how to deliver killing blows, before departing with the promise of returning again in time.

With Alcestis consumed by her secrets, and Aiakos needing to rest, Arachne chose to lead the hunt, joined by Aeolus, Abas and Atlanta.

It was not far from the settlement that a strange, brutish figure emerged from the shadows. His body was clad in metal, and his helm was a set of fearsome teeth. He was, for want of a better word, a butcher - a butcher of men and women.

[actual play] Kingdom Death - Lantern Year 2

Aelous, Aiakos, Ariadne and Alcetis were off on the hunt. This was the first hunt since Ariadne had established the settlement. It was not long until the hunter found signs of a lion. They searched about and with it came a greater understanding of the beast they sought, and also a lion claw. Later they came upon shimmering seas of golden grass, the hunting grounds of the lions. They were nearing their quarry, the smell of musk strong in the wind. But the wind changed direction. The lion was not where they were expecting. It was an ambush.

The survivors quickly darted behind the pillars that loomed like giants in the ocean of grass. The white lion sniffed the air, and stalked forward cautiously. 

Having taken advantage of the cover provided by the pillars, Alcestis flung the founding stone at the lion, guided by Aeolus who timed the attack. The stone struck true and deep, cutting the tendons of the lion. It roared in pain and toppled over. 

Aiakos and Ariadne, armed with their scrap sword and axe, tore into the beast, slicing away at hide and muscle.

Ariadne sliced the beast's brow, causing a deep cut that blinded it. The lion stood back up, and swiped at Ariadne, but she was hidden in the grasses and the beast missed.

The beast slumped down, apparently injured, but Alcestis, armed with her spear, struck at the beast, and it stirred. It attempted to bite Aeolus, but again missed.

The luck was with the hunters, slicing a great clump of the mane from the beast.

And another hit from Alcestis knocked the beast down. But it was a trick, and as Aeolus attacked, the beast swiped at him, and caught him on the arms and flattened him into the dirt.

The lion then turned on Alcestis and glared at her, drawing up to its full size. She drop down to her knees hoping it would not attack her.

Aeolus attacked and his sword failed to wound it, causing the lion to charge off, scooping up Alcestis in its jaws.

Ariadne ran to save her friend, and cutting deep into the beast. Her sword struck true and pierced the monster's heart and it died.

The party returned to the settlement with a great bounty, and were visited by a strange woman, with a perfect smile. She was a dentist, but none of the settlement had need for her services.

In time the settlement learnt the art of painting, craft new armour from the lion fur, and a katar from the claws. With the growth of the settlement, with 3 new births that had strengthened the will of many of the settlement, one of their number was exiled for giving into the darkness, the true though was only one amongst them believed this and had told the exile.

A new hunting party gathered, as another lantern flickered dead. Alcestis, embolden by her secret, followed Aiakos, along with Atlanta, and one of the children, Abas, into the darkness, seeking the shrieks of the  antelope.

[actual play] Kingdom Death - Lantern Year One - The First True Hunt

Clad in new armour, Aeolus led Arachne, Aiako and Alcestis off into the dark, leaving Ariadne to guide the settlement. Aeolus wore new armour made of raw hide, while Aiako brandished an axe made of bone, and Arachne also sported a bone sabre.

Listening for the roars of a lion, the sign of its tracks or smell of its scent markings, the troupe came upon a small lion cub in the grass. Choosing to instead leave the animal alone, they were confronted by a strange, twisted man, the Gambler. He loomed over each survivor, none able to speak, fearing that to do so would lead to death. But the strange figure soon left, happy with whatever he had found in the troupe.

As they continued through the wilderness they came upon a strange statue of a lion, and looking upon its form they came to better understand the creature that they stalked. Further on into the dark, they came upon a portcullis, stood alone in the night. They left it, confused. Soon darkness clouded their vision, and they attempted to make it through the fog. Aiakos fell behind, but he continued on, emerging from the night with a monstrous organ of some form.

On they walked and they found a pile of broken lanterns. They picked through the broken glass and metal and recovered a broken lantern that seemed to be of some use. And then they could see it ahead - a white lion.

The troupe encircled the beast, making use of the long grass. Aeolus led the party, noting the weaknesses of the beast. Arachne threw her founding stone with all her might, striking the lion. Alcestis found a pile of debris and discovered a bladder filled with some hormonal excretion from a beast. Aiakos also pillaged a pile of debris, and found a tattered old sword.

So close to killing the lion on the first attack!

What a find! Aiakos now had a weapon superior to his own axe.

The fight began in earnest, with Alcestis moving to help Arachne. With the lion engaging them and swiping wildly. Arachne struck the beast and in return it grabbed Alcestis and dragged her away.

Aeolus hung back, directing the other how to attack. Aiakos and Arachne attacked it from the rear, dealing crippling blows (the beast was now in danger of loosing entire turns on a roll of a 1-2). It retaliated and chomped down on Arachne's head, but the sharp teeth met the solid bone of a skull helm (Yup, helps to stack that deck in your favour, which is what Aeolus was doing to the monster AI deck, and so knowing this I knew how useless the attack would be against Arachne).

Critical wounds were racking up. Witness me! (yes, Sam was on hand to see these rolls).

The lion was being attacked from all directions, with Aiakos using his new sword to dealing rending wounds.

That "on a 1 or 2, discard the AI card and skip turn" result. Haha mister lion!

Seriously, this lion is limping, and at -2 to hit, leading to significant advantages in the fight.

Aiakos went to strike the beast, but it was only playing dumb - for once - and lashed out. But even for all the guile and sneakiness, the lion missed Aiakos.

Alcestis smashes the beast's hand apart - no survival to spent as it was lost during the hunt phase.

Sorry mister lion, you don't get to drag anyone away.

Arachne delivers the final blow, as all the other survivors surrounded the beast and tore it apart. Victorious  and bearing the fruits of their hunt. Bones, and meat and organs galore.

Returning to the settlement a stranger in the dark arrived. He was the Lamplighter, and as he peered into the eyes of some of those at the camp, two were found the next day, dead, with another suffering a wasting disease, and a fourth somehow filled with vigour and life.

Ariadne directed the settlement on how to mourn the dead - to eat them. The dead were torn apart, filling the minds of the camp with madness. But nothing was wasted, and their body parts were put to use to create new weapons. Using some of the monster musk that was found, and harvested, two of the camp were driven to lust, and a the settlement welcomed its first new life into the hellish world they lived in. The child was festooned with gifts and all the teaching the camp could give.

The settlement grew, with tents and hovels being fashioned from skins, basic brewing and leather treatments were now possible. And then there was a blood curdling scream. In the dark was something new. Not a lion, but some other creature. Aiakos called the others together, and he called for a hunt against it, that they would take the darkness and fill it with light.

And so, now armed with new weapons, Ariadne, Aeolus, Aiakos and Alcestis went off into the dark, to once more hunt a lion.