Year 16 hunt & showdown
A god mourns.
And is causing quite a racket in doing so. Eager to prove herself worthy of Ralala's legacy, Sacrala assembles a hunting party without sacrificing a thought as to why and how misery drove god insane. Blinded by greed and a vague semblance of misguided honor, these people seek only to prove themselves in a fight.
Sacrala, Larona, Spenaccio and Halyran arm themselves and enter the darkness with a craving for blood.
In their limitless arrogance they just laugh off an enormous sphinx they pass by. It mocks the survivors just by it sheer mass - how puny the humans are. If here was a lesson to be learned, not even Sacrala with her Understanding of 6 decided to see it. Maybe they hid their fear this way.
Banquet trees don't waken any sense of respect in survivors. Just before they're about to have a meal along with eating competitions and whatnot, Larona attempts to write her name to the trunk. This draws blood and fruits sour instantly. A moment of silence followed by nervous laughter.
Spenaccio leads survivors to chase a silver bug that's supposed to lead them to their prey. It's residing in a cave with opening just like a mouth. When all survivors enter, the mouth closes and opens rapidly. Survivors start taking brain damage, their sense of humour slowly finding it difficult to disregard all these startling events. Survivors start to realize the celestial nature of their quarry.
Survivors take a break, gathering some acanthus plants that are growing in moist soil wherever they currently were trekking. This break seems to take ages. _Ages_. Surroundings look a little hazy, out of place. Time is moving, they are not. Sacrala has encountered this before - things like this happen when phoenix passes by. Survivors close their eyes as it helps a little during time lapse. When they open their eyes, Lion God stands right next to them in all it's majestic appearances. Gazing yet not looking, it raises it's Golden Claw against Sacrala. This alarms survivors, and they quickly dash out of the creature's sights.
Halyran wounds it's expressionless face, praying his quixotic strength token away. That horrific face gazes him, while the god's body starts to move forward, grabbing Larona who happened to stand in it's way (with Amber Poleaxe.)
Sacrala has her whip dance on the divine flank and divine thighs of Lion God, possibly tickling it since it moves again - triggering another Amber Poleaxe roll. Both of which have failed. Spenaccio binds Sacrala's bleeding wounds, caused by whiplash effect of Lion God. To suffer whiplash while you lash with a whip. Ironic, isn't it?
Sorrowful, Lion God raises one of the Lion God statues into air and studies it in detail and seems to forget the presence of survivors. Spenaccio lines up to shoot a hollowpoint arrow at Lion God, but his hands are shaking from fear and he misses. There is something ominous in how the godly presence gazes the statue, heedless of the danger.
Holding high the statue of itself, Lion God lets loose first noises until now. It stats to speak in an unknown language, but the meaning of the words can be somehow felt. These holy utterances have every survivor in panic, and Larona notices how the words change her forever. She gains Ghostly Beauty fighting art.
Next Lion God walks to a giant stone face, and mourns while it trashes the stone face with it's cudgel statue. Spenaccio tries to shoot it with claw head arrow, but misses again.
Anger rises in god. It tosses the Lion God statue it is holding at Larona in god tantrum. Any confidence survivors (or even player) had is gone by now. Creature is unreachable, and Woeful Majesty is next AI card. Desperate matters call for desperate actions, and Halyran lunges from behind another Lion God statue. Divine Tail slaps a bleeding token on him, but attack deals damage. Thankfully. But wisdom potion reveals how trap card is coming next. Time to make sacrifices after Lion God pulverizes some terrain first.
Larona strikes with her so far useless amber poleaxe. It continues to be useless as she misses every attack. Lion God tosses her around like a rag doll, which only prepares her for the ultimate sacrifice. Gritting teeth, she takes another swing at her target. Again she misses. Alright then. Halyran, the most courageous one, has to take the Vengeance. Toppled pillar, into which Halyran is slammed, finally reveals the sinkhole.
Sacrala sees this as an opportunity to kill a god. Sometimes I just wonder...
Three hit locations. First I choose Petrified Ankle so that Sacrala would take a knockback. Because other reactions were rather horrible. Critical wound circumvented this. Oh dear. Next is Petrified Shoulder Blade, which would move Lion God forward to grab Halyran on wound. It would save Sacrala, though. But again a critical wound. Bloody hell. Sacrala's whip drives Lion God into terrifying frenzy. It grabs Sacrala and smashes her face to a lion god statue nearby. This kills her instantly.
... if it wouldn't have been for the Green Charm she was wearing. Too many exciting moments in such a short time. Even more exciting is that fourth card in the location deck is another trap. No. Noooo...
After these displays of power, Lion God speaks again in the foreign tongue. Larona, having earlier changed, broke into maniacal laughter this time. Lion God did not consider this an appropriate thing to do, and Larona received the priority target token. Next it raises another Lion God statue, and I rejoice when finally amber poleaxe inflicts the wound. Joy fell short when I realized that next hit location is Vengeance, there is now Cudgel in play and last card in AI deck is Holy Utterances. Unless I wound the monster next turn it's most likely game over. It would just repeat Holy Utterances until everyone is dead from brain trauma.
Larona with her un-trusty poleaxe closes in to trigger vengeance. She actually succeeded - but the vengeance was her downfall. Six damage to body location gave a severe injury, which rolls knocked down result. Then collision damage scores another body severe injury and she rolls a one. It's not the six damage that kills. It's the one. Well, Larona _was_ the priority target, after all, and had to pay for her sacrilege.
Halyran emboldens and overcharges himself and strikes Lion God. Just one wound would be enough to kill it. A sigh of relief, and a mournful triumph. Necromancer's Eye entered Sanurinn Pool, along with settlement even Phantom. Spenaccio finds the knowledge worm and carries it to safety.
Year 17
Spenaccio forms a strange bond with the knowledge worm and gains Phantom Friend fighting art. Everyone in the settlement has restless sleep.
Spiress is purified and Sacrala goes to nightmare training. Result is a point of accuracy. Which is not what I wanted, but I won't complain.
Chilons takes interest in the deafness and blindness of Spiduka, and tries some experimental techniques on her. This results in intracranial hemorrhage.
Possessed Drosel plays the heart flute, which results in one more dead survivor. Boldened by this courageous example Grissewan takes the flute from Drosel's cold, dead hands. And plays a note. That summons a powerful creature that might end Sanurinn Pool. A nemesis monster. Ghost walking, invulnerable phantom creature emerges from darkness to see who's playing tunes like this.
The Hand has arrived.
(I'm a little ashamed of abusing heart flute like this. I hope I'll pay for my sins and the cruel randomness of Kingdom Death keeps me humble even in astonishing settlement like this.)
Just as Lavias, Chiloresc, Daress and Spenaccio are about to confont this new threat Grissewan had thoughtlessly unleashed, the newly acquired knowledge worm squirms. Lavias is the last person to prepare his bow and dagger in War Room, where knowledge worm had also been stored as a kind of a trophy. Lavias takes a closer look what is happening to this wondrous worm, and this is where it forces itself down Lavias' throat. Lavias has become the Necromancer now.
Secretly Chiloresc dons the God Mask, which has been held in reverence for as long as anyone remembers. Well, maybe Spiduka or Ghorum still remembers times it had been put to use.
Spenaccio feeds some acanthus plants to his Phantom Friend.
The Hand is very impressed by survivors. Showdown was actually boring, because it was such an overkill. Lavias scored a wound with his bow, gaining a proficiency from that. Greatest setback was when Daress missed all attacks he made during showdown, so he was not able to train axe proficiency.
Daress and Chiloresc received the 7+ result from Applause. So I guess I can deal with not gaining +1 axe proficiency. Lavias gained a point of strength and Spenaccio had to spend survival or die from shock.
Chiloresc, who had worn God Mask received purpose from the Hand's blessing. It was about time, though, since he's been a drifter without a fate or meaningful existence.
The Hand grabs Grissewan with him before leaving the settlement. Perhaps the Hand enjoyed his play so much that wanted to include Grissewan in it's court.
With the extra endeavor from death of Grissewan, Lavias makes a plan in War Room - to hunt an ancient Screaming Antelope.
Year 17 hunt & showdown
Daress, Chiloresc, Lavias and Spenaccio depart for the hunt. First hunt event was Living Stone - a giant that carried survivors right to the showdown. Now wasn't that hunt plan just useful.
Now, I noticed that Antelope has this legendary horn trait card already in play. And soon enough survivors found out the tick infestation that the antelope has. I had not planned for Toughness 15 antelope.
Chiloresc was devoured quite a few times during showdown. Praying to the Sun did ease getting Chiloresc out from antelope's tummy, but still it was a horrifying fight.
Severe injury rolls started piling up. Miraculously, though, only Spenaccio breaks his ribs before Halyran deals the killing blow. Not a moment too soon.
Year 18
Settlement event is Glossolalia, and Chiloresc starts to babble incessantly. Considering he'd just been eaten by and elder antelope (twice), it's no wonder he loses his mind. But he's being driven by the need to explain what he has realized, and so he innovates Pictographs for the settlement.
But no-one gets their point. Chiloresc eats Black Lichen and imagines himself as the screaming antelope.
Chilons has second trepanning session for Spiduka, which damages her brain in an advantageous was, curing her narcissism.
Spenaccio sleeps broken rib off and is purified.
A second Phoenix has been sighted and survivors consider it a threat that must be either scared off or killed outright.
Year 18 hunt and showdown:
First survivors come across a field full of mature acanthus plants, fertilized by multicoloured poop. Chiloresc picks some acanthus with his bone sickle, but nobody knew just how fertile these fields actually were. There were also some extraordinary weeds that grew genitals back to Chiloresc and, well, resuscitated all of Halyran's future children. Curiously enough they had been all been killed the last time Halyran was hunting Phoenix.
Bad weather interrupts the hunt, and survivors take cover in a cave. On the walls there are ominous pictures that make a whole lot more sense now that settlement has innovated Pictographs. Chiloresc tries to explain his findings enthusiastically, but just babbles nonsense and gains some insanity. Lavias and Halyran find new ways to fight monsters.
They may have been hiding for quite a long time, for ages seem to have unmade the gorn horn Daress had carried with him. Inside the cave survivors hear a distant clanging sound, and go to check the origins. Nearing the sound, there are human corpses littered through the passage way. Enormous, cyclopean knight lops off Chiloresc's ear and leaves steel shield and sword for survivors.
Survivors try to follow the knight, but only find an opening to Overwhelming Darkness. Chiloresc gains Leader fighting art. Yet no-one understands what he says.
After pushing through network of tunnels, survivors arrive on a lush meadow that's plagued by such strong winds that it is difficult to walk forward. Herb and mineral gatherings happened here, as well as sonorous rest before showdown began.
Mighty Phoenix starts by rubbing in the difference between humans and creature such as it is. While Halyran and Daress do fine work in attacking the bird of time, hit locations show an upcoming time stop.
Chiloresc is pulled inside the bird. Which makes me wonder. I mean, Chiloresc has now been inside the Screaming Antelope and the Phoenix. What can it be like, to see the monster really from the inside? Maybe this is what he wants to say with his endless babbling.
Last two cards in the AI deck are Pitying Sigh and Analtorium, which makes for a disturbing mental image. Every time Phoenix pulls a survivor inside it's anal cavity, it sighs how pathetic these little creatures are. But continues to pull them inside anyway.
But that did not come to be. Once Chiloresc came back to this world, he killed the Phoenix with his rib blade.
This opened up the third eye for Halyran. I believe the only survivor in any settlement that has had both See the Truth and White Secret trigger. As the Phoenix was about to die, Halyran's consciousness merged with that of the time bird. It was now that Halyran could sense secret paths that were hidden in plain sight. However, as it was the moment of Phoenix's death, Halyran also developed a phobia towards sharp objects such as rib blades. Halyran had become leyline walker from remembering a secret nobody had ever told him.
Year 19
Settlement event is Season of the Spiderling
Sacrala, Spenaccio, Halyran and Daronas fight incoming spiderlings. While Spenaccio and Halyran are busy eating spiders, Sacrala confuses Rablirucsen for a new encounter with Manhunter. Thus, Rablirucsen dies. But thanks to Rabli's death, there are now eight endeavors to spend.
Spenaccio and Spiounas enter a beam of light, dipping in sun for +1 courage and understanding each.
Spiress and Resculachu receive the Sun Eater fighting art and become partners.
Whatever happened in the beam of light had Spenaccio Bulvans and Spiounas Bulvans to have twins. End of Darksilk lineage, I suppose. Unar and Klenovar are twin brothers. Another one was almost strangled by the life string, so he was born with Lure Epilepsy fightning art
Because there are now enough Sun Eaters and life strings available, settlement starts to prepare to give birth for a new promise, completely one of their own with no relation to the legacy or Ralala.
Spiress and Resculachu rename themselves as Brightsilk family and receive one Child of the Sun, who is immediately purified. Umbilical symbiosis turns her into a refracting warrior of the sun, Falves Brightsilk. And as has been the case, babies are the best forbidden dancers. Falves danced and succeeded, though not without epiphany reroll.
Chilons is still drilling through Spiduka's skull, this time curing intracranial hemorrhage she had inflicted in the first place.
Frohlagodhen plays a tune with Heart Flute, which takes her re-roll away but succeeds. Another far too easy victory I believe, as this time survivors are face-to-face with a level 1 Butcher.
Daress, Chiloresc, Lavias and Daronas make short work out of the masked monster that arrived from darkness. Butcher did give a little fright when first card he drew was Infinite Kick, and soon enough Lantern Frenzy targeted Chiloresc, who had the worst defensive capabilities. Chiloresc had put on the God Mask again, and Butcher recognised something in that mask that he wanted to destroy. However, Butcher stood his ground for three round before falling to the axe of Daress. Lavias even received Legendary Lungs from this encounter.
Year 19 hunt & showdown
Time keeps repeating itself somehow and settlement realizes they've been stuck in a time loop. To free themselves Daress, Chiloresc, Lavias and Daronas set out to kill the Phoenix that is causing this. Incidentally it's the same Phoenix they've already hunted - what is happening?
Many a thing has been falling down from the sky during this campaign. Gifts to some, filth to another. Survivors find themselves under a constant rain of disgusting muck. Good thing that settlement is mostly underground, because events like these must be causing diseases or poisonings. It's literally poop that is raining.
Daress and Daronas take the worst of it. Daress takes a heavy hit to arms, and Daronas collects some muculent droppings.
Hunters pass some saliva pools, but are able to mask the smell. Chiloresc, as helpful as he is indecipherable, drops Cat Fang Knife to one of the pool, which dissolves it into Elder Cat Teeth.
Next survivors see themselves returning from the hunt, victorious. But confusion fills their mind as they realize they're trying to hunt the beast. Yet they are older.
Finally survivors find settlement ruins and for a moment darkest dread overwhelms everyone - is it their settlement? No, but Daress is puzzled. It bears a striking resemblance to the settlement he had fled all those years ago. But here it is, still smoldering from the destruction as if it had happened only hours before.
Time has been broken. Daress takes a stroll in the ruins, trying to find clues if time has really been broken. And answer comes when he finds a person trapped in the ruins, still alive - and a person Daress had known during his earlier life. They rescue Cratera, but the darkness is overwhelming. They are in grave danger of vanishing from existence.
A nice little meadow offers a herb gathering moment for survivors, as well as some sonorous rest. During rest an enormous gust of wind threatens to push hunters back from where they came, but it's merely a slight discomfort. They arrive at their prey, which causes lantern flame to ripple as if smothering.
And they have already seen themselves returning victorious and even if they don't remember it, they can predict every move Phoenix is about to do. This results in ten wounds during first round.
Phoenix unspeaks Daronas' name and releases a pitying sigh. Look at these silly humans here, killing me. Everyone but the nameless person laughs at this.
A wounding hit from Lavias sent the Phoenix to materialize at the furthest table edge from him, which had the Phoenix both sigh at the useless survivors again, then completely disdain them as they all were out of it's field of view.
Phoenix seemed to ignore survivors throughout the fight. It ignored them even as it died, death blow made by Daress.
Chiloresc was utterly disturbed by this and plucked out his own eye, took it in his hand and extended his arm, as if looking through the detached eye. Before passing out he offered the eye to the nameless person, who gratefully accepted, gaining Timeless Eye fighting art.
Daress, with one point away from Seeing the Truth and remembering the white secret couldn't help but wonder if Phoenix did all this on purpose.
Acid Storm accompanies hunters back home, which is a relief for me - I don't have to feel bad about abusing Heart Flute now, as Acid Storm prevents music endeavors.
Year 20
Acid Storm brings tidings from the Sun itself. Maybe it's the bad weather that causes the Sun to cough up in such a violent manner? Lavias retrieves God's String that fell from the sky along with massive amounth of liquid.
Chilons continues to drill through Spiduka's skull, damaging the brain permanently. Spiduka gain Infinite Lives fighting art, and can't remember her name any more. For now she thinks it might have been Spidunta.
Spidunta tries to learn something from this nightmare, but fails to do so.
Spenaccio and Spiounas have another pair of twins, Lyrna and Parkara. Birth of Parkara finally awoke Ghorum from his crystallized slumber - he had heard someone speak with a language he knew so well. Another Orator of Death.
Falves, refracting Warrior of the Sun sits inside a boiling pool for a year and gains Hellfire secret fighting art. Settlement innovates Shadow Dancing.
Chiloresc is a distressing figure, yet he seems to have some special power. And for sure he has a lot to tell. In an hopeful attempt to cure Chiloresc from his troublesome ailment, settlement performs Purification Ritual on him. Chiloresc is purified, but babbling remains.
Seeds of envy have been planted when Klenovar Bulvans was purified, but his twin brother Unar was not.
And the further the settlement survives, the more there is to write into these blog entries. So I'm discontinuing the 5-year span I've been using and give these four years here.
Next hunt shall be White Lion. I wasn't lucky enough to receive Phoenix Whiskers, but I did get Shimmering Halo. So one extra Elder Cat Teeth allows settlement to craft Prism Mace.
Sacrala Sunearr, Reflecting Warrior of the Sun
Accuracy +3, Strength +7, Evasion +3
Courage 5, Understanding 7, Whip proficiency 7
Overprotective, Quixotic
Sun Eater, Trailblazer, Clutch fighter
Destroyed genitals
- Grand proclamation to become a savior of Sanurinn Pool. Spiritual descendant of Ralala, the original hero of the settlement.
- Architect of level 3 Sacred Pool
- Fell in love with a rock
- Took part in killing a god
Killing blows:
Gorm level 2
Phoenix level 2
Rablirucsen
--
Ghorum
Accuracy +1, Strength +4
Courage 7, Understanding 3, Katar proficiency 2
Hemophobia, Megalophobia, Absent Seizures
Vengeance, Double Dash, Orator of Death
Dismembered arm
Who is mostly interested in the storm. Whenever he is required to make contact with another human being, he speaks only in the language of death. And if there is a dispute, he can and will settle it by practicing what he speaks.
- Voice of "Reason"
- Lost his hand while inside Screaming Antelope's stomach
- Rival's Scar
- Killed his rival, Khantan, on the eve of Khantan's grand victory
- Crystal Skin
- Captured by Spidicules
- Returned from Spidicules with great insight from darkness, bringing news of a Beast of Sorrow.
Killing blows: Khantan.
--
Spiduka/Spidunta
Accuracy -1, Strength +3
Courage 9 (6) from listening to storm, Dagger proficiency 5
Berserker, Mighty Strike, Infinite Lives
Bitter Frenzy
Deaf
Blinded in one eye
- Season of the Spiderling survivor
- Architect of level 2 Sacred Pool
- Feels rejected by society.
- Has seen the truth and tasted bitter death in a murky fountain.
- Survivor of Manhunter level 2
- Brain cannot form new memories. Infinite Lives.
--
Resculachu Brightsilk
Strength +3, Evasion +1
Courage 3, Understanding 1
Hoarder
Crazed
- Found from a spider's nest
- Purified as random people from inside nests seemed like a good omen
- Partner to Spiress Brightsilk
--
Frohlagodhen
- Played the Heart Flute, summoning Butcher
--
Chilons Sunearr
Accuracy -1, Strength +2, Evasion +2
Understanding 1, Fist proficiency 3
Emotionless, Overprotective
Blind from one eye
- Purified
- Vivisector of infant beasts from sacred pool.
- Trusted trepanner
- Dipped in searing light, partner to Halyran
- Permanently damaged Spiduka's brain, essentially giving her Infinite Lives.
--
Halyran Sunearr
Accuracy +4, Strength +9, Evasion +4
Courage 9, Understanding 9, Shield proficiency 6
Quixotic, Aichmophobia, Binge Eating
Seasoned Hunter, Ambidextrous, Rhythm Chaser
Bitter Frenzy, Leyline Walker
Blinded in one eye
- Purified
- Thundercaller
- Seen the Truth and tasted bitter death in sea of golden grass.
- Dipped in searing light, partner to Chilons.
- Phoenix traveled in time and killed all Halyran's future children.
- Danced forbidden dance.
- Nightmare training for accuracy
- Killed a god
- Resuscitated future children when hunting another Phoenix
Killing blows:
Killed Screaming Antelope lv1
Manhunter level 2
Beast of Sorrow
Lion God level 1
--
Chiloresc
Accuracy +2, Strength +6, Evasion +3
Courage 9, Understanding 7, Grand weapon proficiency 5
Leader (how?), Purpose, Double Dash
Blinded in one eye
Endless Babble
Sour Death
- Bastard son of Resculachu and Chilons
- Has failed to dance forbidden dance.
- Wears God Mask whenever no-one is looking
- Been inside Screaming Antelope and Phoenix
- Marked by Cyclopean Knight who lopped off Chiloresc's ear
- Went mad and babbles incoherently
- Plucked out own eye and gave it to Sanorad.
- Purified
Killing blows:
Phoenix level 2
--
Spenaccio Bulvans
Accuracy +1, Strength +5, Evasion +2
Courage 1, Understanding 3, Spear proficiency 1
Binge Eating
Phantom Friend, Trick Attack
- Twins found from a spider's nest
- Ran bellowing madly into acid storm
- Took part in killing a god. Afterwards, climbed the staircase to find Knowledge Worm and has had a spectral follower ever since...
- Dipped in searing light with his sister.
--
Spiounas Bulvans
Accuracy +2, Strength +3, Evasion +2
Courage 2 Understanding 2
- Twins found from a spider's nest
- Purified
- Dipped in searing light with her brother.
--
Daress Darksilk
Accuracy +2, Strength +7, Evasion +4
Courage 8, Understanding 8
Axe Proficiency 6
Quixotic,
Harvestman, Unrelenting, Trailblazer
- Found from overwhelming darkness while he was hiding from the Beast of Sorrow
- Purified
- Lead Spenaccio back home when he ran to acid storm.
- Knows manhunters and understands the meaning of war.
- Found Cratera from his old settlement thanks to warped time.
Killing blows:
Screaming Antelope level 3
Butcher level 1
Phoenix level 2
--
Lavias Sunearr
Movement +1, Accuracy +1, Strength +6, Evasion +3
Courage 7, Understanding 8, Bow Profieciency 8
Quixotic
Necromancer, Rhythm Chaser, Crossarm Block, Legendary Lungs
- Was the first to dance Forbidden Dance successfully - as a baby.
- Has the worst games.
- Became the Necromancer when confronting The Hand
- Retrieved God's String
Killing blows:
Manhunter level 3
--
Spiress Brightsilk
Accuracy +2, Strength +3, Evasion +2
Courage 2, Understanding 3
Overprotective
Unrelenting
- Is purified.
- Partner to Resculachu Brightsilk
--
Unar Bulvans
Accuracy +1, Strength +3, Evasion +2
Lure Epilepsy
- Nearly strangled to death at birth.
- Inferiority complex towards his brother Klenovar.
--
Klenovar Bulvans
Accuracy +2, Strength +4, Evasion +2
- Purified
--
Lyrna Bulvans
- Yet to do anything memorable
--
Parkara Bulvans
- Orator of Death from the birth, which awakes Ghorum from his slumber.
--
Sanorad the Nameless
Accuracy +2, Strength +5, Evasion +2
Courage 2, Understanding 7, axe proficiency 4
- Former Daronas but lost her name against Phoenix
- Gained Timeless Eye fighting art when Chiloresc gifted her with his eye.
--
Cratera
Accuracy +1, Strength +3, Evasion +2
Strategist
- Rescued by Daress from settlement ruins.
--
Falves Brightsilk, refracting warrior of the sun
Accuracy +3, Strength +5, Evasion +3
Courage 1, Understanding 3
Overprotective
Ruthless, Hellfire
- When Sacrala is the protective light of the sun, Falves is the shadow that's been cast. Evil counterpart, or at least a holy warrior that isn't disillusioned by the holiness. It's a cruel, dark world out there and one needs to embrace Hellfire to master the darkness.
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