Sunday 13 November 2016

[actual play] Kingdom Death: Monster - People of the Stars - Lantern Year 12-15 - Pride of Death



Aido Wedo Gold, led his band of hunters, Aida Hwedo Mercury, Alkha Gold, and Am-mit Iron, to find a White Lion. They found markings left by the beasts on the open plains, and as they slept after the first night, Am-mit suffered terrible nightmares. The next day saw them wade through the dangerous seas of golden grass, but as they did so Aida was taken by a near overwhelming urge to kill all that was about him. But he kept his nerve and soon the moment passed. It was Alkha who found a winding path through the rock faces of the landscape, and they before one of the large faces they recovered numerous pieces from the cadavers that were draped in the mouth of the carved face.

Another day of tracking led them to a sculpture made by the lions, and Am-mit fought the urge to give in and converse with a strange stone face that looked much like his own. The hunters journeyed far into the darkness, and it felt as if it was a liquid that enveloped them, wanting to snuff out their lanterns.

As if to drive the darkness away Aido made the Thunder Call. Lightning broke the sky asunder, and they passed numerous dead beasts until they stood before a gold armoured figure who rests against some giant lizard. He bellowed but Aido did not turn away, and took the offerings of a steel sword and shield.










As they left the armoured figure they did not have long before they confronted a large lion. Through guile and cunning the hunters made good use of their weapons of the gods. Celestial spear and steel sword cut deep into the beast's hide. Swords rang out and the beast snarled and roared, as they men and lion fought in the shadow of a tree that was festooned with dead humans and captured lanterns. Aido summoned the might of his acid palm technique and smashed bone and flesh, as Aida used his shield to block the strikes of the beast. Soon enough the monster was dead and the hunters rejoiced.

However, things would not be that easy. Exhausted, and carrying their spoils of battle, thick mists shrouded their route home, and their only option was to hunt another beast in order to survive.


Together the hunters set out to find another lion. And as luck would have it they found a lion cub. They slew it, bringing the parent to them in a rage. But the hunters, though exhausted from their previous hunt, made short work of the lion, and took the spoils. With the mists gone they were able to return with a bounty of skins, bones and more, and they set about making weapons and armour. The lion armour was finally complete, along with katars that allowed the hunters to emulate the beast.

With the new weapons and armour ready, Aido Wedo Gold, his child Akhuklu Gold, Amermat Iron and Aman Gold set out to face the hideous Butcher. Using wits and skill, and Amermit bearing thick armour, they were able to withstand the assault of the Butcher. Amermit was able to defend against a rain of blows and from it learnt the Butcher's secret fighting art.





With the Butcher dead, and claiming one of his cleavers, the hunters returned to camp, with Aman dying, crushed as the ground opened up beneath them.

Knowing that they needed to fashion armour and weapons that would allow them to survive the wrath of the beasts that must hunt in order to honour their lord Tyrant, the hunters set out to find a Dung Beetle Knight, as the dung they could take from it would also improve the coming harvest. They would hunt a large beetle this time.

Aida Hwedo Mercury, Aapep Iron, Ahrimanes, and Alklha Gold journeyed across the nightmare landscape, coming face to face with a wildfire that swept the plains. But, luck allowed them to follow two sets of tracks, and find a beetle, injured.

With the beast already severely crippled, the monster, though large, proved easy pickings, even as it rolled the dung ball about as a weapon.

Having killed the beetle, Alklha and Ahrimanes explored the tunnels of the beetle, with Ahrimanes failing the Trial of Valour, deterred by the boiling lava.

On returning to the camp a hunt re-enactment was performed, with one of the tribe murdered by Aharman playing the monster.

This would not be the end of hunting the Dung Beetle Knights though. Amhuluk Mercury, Amermit Iron, Am-mit Iron, and Aida Hwedo Mercury set out on another hunt. They found on their hunt a cave filled with drawings that they could not comprehend. They also came upon a field, covered in dung. Onwards they went, discovering a camp of survivors who were rife with a disease that Am-mit caught. They were now suffering from leprosy. Ever onwards they went, finding the strange training dummies of the Beetle Knights, and a field from which they gathered acanthus plants.

This fight against the Dung Beetle Knight was much more simple, given it was a smaller specimen, and they took advantage of its penchant for smelly things. They led the beast about, making its ability to use the dung ball as a weapon less of a threat. Aida using his acid palms to strike blistering punches through the thick shell of the beetle.






So all that Dung Beetle armour, Iridescent Hide and Dragon Vestments is meaning 10+ armour. Which is not bad for a survivor with no chest armour. Getting real close to happily rocking lots of mixed armour to get the most out of Iridescent Hide. Hopefully this group will result in a good number of constellations.


With the beetle dead, and shell and dung gathered, the hunters returned to camp, and again were faced with the ground opening, and this time Am-mit died a crushing death. Am-mit was not mourned for long, as they dug up the ripe bounty of the harvest, digging up a vampire artichoke. From it and the beetle organs and shell, numerous armour pieces were fashioned, and another crop was planted, with one piece of armour buried to help it further harden.

With the hunters festooned with celestial spears, dung beetle carapace armour, hands that burned acid, and steel swords and shields, they prepared for the beast who lay in wait outside the camp. Another of the Butcher's kind of men.

Thursday 3 November 2016

Latest Darker Days Radio and Network Zero Episodes are Live



We interviewed Andy Chambers and Tuomas Pirinen about wargames and games design, given their long history with Games Workshop, Warhammer, and Warhammer 40,000


We gave Beast the Primordial a in depth review. YMMV.



Mike and Chigg review Charnel House of Europe: The Shoah.





Chris, David, and Sam review Vampire the Requiem 2nd ed.




They then take a good look at Inferno, and how it can be used in the new edition of Chronicles of Darkness.







Darker Days Radio and Beasts of War team up to do a Let's Play series for Kingdom Death: Monster

Back in October I headed over to the Beasts of War studio to record the first few sessions of a Kingdom Death campaign.

Enjoy.