[actual play] Kingdom Death: Monster - People of the Stars - Lantern Years 7-9 - Of Gods and Stars

Aido, Akhekhu, Agri-manios and Abzu set out on another hunt for the Antelope. They search the desolate darkness, finding a pile of vomit from one of the creatures, recovering a piece of pelt and a large tooth from the belly of one of the beasts. In the night Agri was lucky to wake before an insect bit off his manhood. The next day, from the dark, a man with two mouths, or a mouth split in two, presented each with a wager, and none of them had the will to try again.

Then from the night, a roaring lion attacked. The battle was bloody and testing, as this was the first creature of this size they had faced. Agri died of fear as the beast bellowed, and Abzu was torn apart. But eventually the beast was slain.

Returning the the camp, a stranger in the night approached, and a number of the camp faced them and their lanterns dimmed, each feeling drained of life.

Aido Wedo Gold, Akhekhu Gold, Alicha Gold and Aida Hwedo set out to find an Antelope, hoping to find the beast and not a wild and ravenous lion. The journey was hard as the beasts were migrating. They then came upon a large book, but none had the understanding to know how to write in it. They were able to track the beasts as they found acanthus plants strewn about and half chewed.

As they trekked along the plains they came upon a towering, five-sided pillar. A pillar of flesh, and limbs and organs. They chose to move on, and heard a loud booming voice break the silence of the darkness.

The battle with the antelope was some what easy for the hunters, as they easily surrounded it and directed it. Aida dealt horrific wounds thanks to his acidic fists, but was severely wounded in one arm, leaving him able to only fight one handed.

With the antelope dead, they returned to camp and were met by a strange person, apparently a dentist. But none needed their skills, or wished to risk their crazy augmentations.

The Tyrant once more descended from his throne to test his people. Aapep, Alicha Gold, Aida Hwedo and Abrasax faced the imposing figure, striking with fist, spear, axe and sword. They arranged themselves to work against the Tyrant and his supernatural ability to teleport. With Aapep striking at the Tyrant's heart and slaying him. Or at least that was what they thought had happened. The Tyrant stood up, impressed by his pets, and blessed Aapep. She was now closer to the Tyrant with even more dragon gifts, and he presented her with a shimmering spear of celestial iron.

He led the warriors back to the camp and looked to the sky, and the heavens opened. Alklha Gold is blessed with ability to resist injuries. Aapef gains the noble title of Lead, and Am-mit is born to him and Aapep, a child blessed by the Tyrant and already skilled in the spear. Aida Hwedo gains the noble title of Mercury and is also marked as reincarnated and endowed with great strength. Abrasax also gained a reincarnated title, Titanium, and remembered his previous life and ability with the axe.

Many of the camps were becoming more powerful and more like their Tyrant lord.

[actual play] Kingdom Death: Monster - The People of the Stars - Lantern Years 2-4 - The Tyrant and His Children

Abzu, Abrasax, Aapep and Aaepef set out to hunt once more, seeking to find another lion to slay. It did not take long to once more find a cub that was abandoned by its mother. The hunters slew the creature and set upon by the father as the cub's cries brought the large animal forth. But the survivors had been inspired by their Tyrant lord, and quickly slew the lion, rending flesh from bone, and chopped limb from body with hacking axes. Returning to the camp they were all given nicknames. Some were disparaging, while others were venerable.

Setting out, the same band of hunters went seeking monster they had heard recently. The antelope. They endured a carpet of ticks that bit and scratched at them. But they soon found the antelope, out in the dark plains, and got on with the task of hunting it. They were also lucky to dig up a piece of iron, and were able to smash the dark pillar that also gifted them with a further piece of iron. They knew such pieces would make wondrous weapons in future. The antelope took a serious of wounds, and it was soon vomiting blood as is stampeded about. But with the beast dead, the survivors were soon hampered by the acrid mists that stung at their throats. They eventually returned to the camp, and to their lord tyrant, but were exhausted.

The Tyrant looked upon his people and descended his throne and called for four amongst them to face him in mortal combat. Four came forth, all fresh and who had never faced a monster. The donned their weapons and armour and readied themselves. Ahrimanes, Ai-Hwa, Aida Wedo Gold (gold being a noble name bestowed by the Tyrant at birth), and Agri-Manios, surrounded the Tyrant and attacked. Darts, axe and sword struck the Tyrant, with the Tyrant at times being impressed and bestowing new gifts to his attackers. Though as they attacked, the survivors had to manage the mystical manner in which their lord Tyrant was able to swiftly move. He would teleport, leaving behind a stone statue of himself. Using the spear, one of the surivors was able to smash a statue and appear next to the Tyrant, and used such an opportunity to strike him. The Tyrant was unlike anything the survivors had faced. He was able to attack from a distance. With a pointed finger he send pulverising blasts at his opponents. At other times he was able to summon from the heavens themselves meteorites and burning light. Ai-Hwa eventually fell dead, having bled out from his wounds. But the others were able to land their attacks, with Aida drinking a potion to send him into a wild frenzy that allowed him to deal the final killing blow. With the Tyrant impressed by the skills of his followers, he issued to them fine robes, and marked a number of them mystically. They thought themselves gifted, and Aida now possessed skin that was harder than stone. With the fight over, the heavens opened and an acid rain fell, washing the blood from the stone faces of the ground. While the others went to find shelter, and Ai-Hwa was buried, Aida danced in the rain. They were becoming the blessed people of the dragon. The Tyrant gifted his people with a dark orb, that produced heat, and those who looked upon it and were already touched by the dragon, learnt new fighting arts.

A new hunt was called, and many of the survivors donned their new dragon vestments and prepared for the fight ahead.

[actual play] Kingdom Death: Monster - Lantern Year 19 - 20 - The Death of a Saviour

Aeson, Agarve, Alclemen and Aethra left the camp, knowing the that the King's Man lurked in the dark. But off to hunt they went. They followed the migration of the antelope, and came upon a fresh kill, with Aeson hacking away an organ from the corpse. Further did they travel, but as they stalked the antelope a large white lion attacked.

Blessed such that they were the hunters fought, and with skill made quick work of the lion, with Aeson gaining some mastery over the Twilight Sword he now bore.

With the lion dead, the hunters returned to camp as the skies opened and drenched the lands with acid rain. Some stone sizzled and bubbled, forming a metallic ore of some use. And the camp put their kill to good use, fashioning for the blue saviour Alcmene Alcestis, a lantern glaive.

Alcestis and her daughter Alcmene, Alcleme, and Asterion set out to face the King's Man that now stalked the camp. The fight began with some hope, a little hope, with Alcestis darting in and creating openings for the others to attack. Asterion, showing mastery of swords, attacked and hacked the King's Man with a steel sword taken from the first the camp had faced. Open wounds on the beast erupted with acid blood, and the monster's halberd ripped open the guts of Asterion and Alcleme, leaving just Alcestis and her saviour daughter to fight on. But it was no good.

Those survivors in the camp set out to find their missing brethren, and discovered their bodies and gathered their weapons. What remains were put to good use. The camp let out a cry, and a babble of different languages came from all present. Anthas Aiakos was overcome with the new language and his gibberings were unnerving to the others.

With the remains of their fallen brethren, and the resources already in the camp, they fashioned a beacon shield, something that should help defend against the worst monsters they would have to face.

The Twilight Knight returned and challenged Aeson, with Aeson proving his skill and learning more about the art of the Twilight sword. The knight promised to return. Aeson was getting old though, and he had much to learn in little time. The return of the knight was timely, as the people of the camp watched as the lantern horde began to dim. They were able to find a cavern below it, and there, waiting, was a cloaked being, somehow feeding from the lanterns. And it gave off a palpable aura of death. The camp discussed their plans, and the only option was to fashion a great weapon to slay the creature when it awoke.

So that was a hell of a TPK. And a waste of the blue saviour. I had hoped the bonus reach on weapon they got with the spear, and the King's Step on Alcestis, and the katar user, would be able to get through the hit locations and armour. But the dice just turned on me bad. 

[unboxing] Kingdom Death: Monster - Slenderman

Slenderman is a model I already own as a prerelease resin kit, but today I got my expansion kit plastic version. The model not only is stunning looking on the sprues, but the new sets of cards and options it brings are very cool. Slenderman replaces some of the events in the campaign, provides some new gear and some other options. Unlike other nemesis monsters, Slenderman gives access to a new innovation and access to new items that are made from him and the strange black liquid that you can get off him. Slenderman fights on first reading seem to revolve around some teleportation shenanigans and story wise he is a horror the survivors of the camp can barely remember. I will more than likely add him into my Dragon King campaign which will begin in a few weeks, and see what happens. 

[actual play] Kingdom Death: Monster - Lantern Year 16 - The Second Saviour

Alcestis led Aeson, Agron and Aethra out to hunt, hoping to find one of the monstrous Antelopes. As they trekked out over the dark expanse of stone faces, a thunderous galloping could be heard. It was the sound of thunder, screams, and gibbering. A horde of Antelope surged through the dark, and for a moment, the hunters glimpsed the entity from which they fled, and their eyes grew wide with terror.

Onwards they travelled, following the stampede. A rumble was heard, and the hunters fled, as a huge worm erupted from the ground. As they fled they came upon a field of grass where the Antelope may have fed. From the field arose a dark cloud. It was a horde of some sort of baby face birds, screaming and chirruping and bloated with tumours. Aethra was pecked almost to death, and the disease was spread to her.

Having fled the swarm of cancer pigeons, they came upon a corpse, and recovered its skull. Onwards they found what may have been a old lantern horde, and gather the remains of some. As as they travelled onwards, the darkness enveloped them. Alcestis though she could hear her own heart pounding from some bloody fruit that hung before her. Aeson was plagued by maddening dreams, while in the darkness Agron and Aethra was attacked, perhaps by the very beast that had stalked the Antelope.

Past the darkness that found a dead antelope, and onwards a faceless statue where they slept to recover from their wounds. And as they neared their prey, a terrified woman came to them, seeking their help in exchange for teaching them. Finally the hunt was nearing the end.

The hunters used the landscape to their advantage, seeing to use the cover provided by the toppled pillars, as the large beast fed.

A well placed lion claw arrow stuck in the rump of the beast, and made it less able to dodge.

Aethra sliced into the beast with her steel sword.

The hunters surround the beast ready to deliver the final blows.

Alcestis drives her lion spear into the Antelope.

The Antelope runs about as the hunters dig up the acanthus plants the beast feeds upon, and also prepare to ambush it as it comes back to feed.

Agron uses his lion katars to deliver a series of deadly blows to the Antelope.

Aethra score a final hit on the Antelope, with such grace that the razor sharp sword slices straight through the monster.

Returning to the camp with their kill, the hunters witness golden lights in the sky. Alcestis gives birth, and the child in a flash of light is taken and returned, their eyes shimmering a green light. This was Odysseus Alcestis, a master of the spear like his mother, and also a Green Saviour.

The tribe constructed a shrine, honouring their ancestors, and the golden light that had blessed them. The tribe now was served by two saviours. And the arrival was well timed, as waiting out in the dark was a Butcher.

[actual play] Kingdom Death: Monster - Lantern Year 14 + 15 - The Hand of Time

A bit of a heads up I totally forgot to write these up at the time, but there are some significant events for the tribe of Agelasta.

The tribe was ready for the return of the Hand, and it was time for the children of Aiakos to prove their worth. Agarve led Emelus - the Red Saviour - and his siblings, Athamas and Alclemen,  out to face the imposing swordsman.

Needless to say the battle was brutal with the hand, and all but Agarve and Emelus survived the fight, with the Hand teaching Emelus the art of the Swordsman's Promise.

Following the clash of swords with the Hand, the survivors returned to camp, and as the survivors were celebrated, things turned darker. Agarve, filled with zeal and righteousness after surviving the Hand, had been driven mad. She thought herself immortal, and seeing herself as the true leader of the tribe. As so to cement her position she murdered Aiakos.

Lamenting the loss of his father Emelus remained at the camp, and Agarve led Arachne - the last of the tribe founders - Aedon, and Alcestis' son Aedon, on a hunt for a Phoenix.

The journey was long and strange. Aeson was struck by lightning as they ventured over the stone face landscape. It was on the second day they realised they were getting closer, as from above a rain of filth fell from the skies, burning Aeson, and Aedon gathering the droppings of the beast. On the plains they came to a carved face from which they are able to take food, and also where Arachne found a founding stone. It was as they walked on, seeking the Phoenix, that a strong wind blew, and time began to flow strangely. and they watched as Aedon faded away, along with all memory of him.

Fighting the Phoenix required all their might, with Agarve fighting as if possessed, shrugging of wounds that would have killed any lesser mortal. But the Phoenix was eventually killed, but it cost Arachne her life. On returning to the camp Aeson was given the title of Brainless Sneak of the Antelope, and Agarve was now called the Shining Fool of Darkness. Appropriate titles for how many of the camp felt towards the murderer in their midst.