Cribling Settlement

Since the board was already already set up, I started a new solo campaign for Kingdom Death.

This time I do things a little differently.

I'll kick White Lion completely out of rotation. Even tutorial is Gorm, though I use Strange Hand hit location and prologue AI deck. But otherwise Hit Location deck is Gorm's. I won't use Gorm Climate because I'm getting a little tired of it.

Prologue went on like a dream until there was but one AI card left. Up until then no dead survivors, no permanent injuries.

But then survivors started failing their rolls. Survivor who gained the permanent strength died (how else?) and another had his foot dissolved in acid retch.

When a survivor accidentally emptied the AI deck, I couldn't risk it any longer and tossed Gorm dead with Founding Stone. This even yielded Active Thyroid for survivors.

Both Love Juices were drawn. But it wasn't that easy. First roll was a dead mother. A second juice came out as a baby, though, so both principles were triggered on Lantern Year 1. Cannibalize and Protect the Young. Because I really want to see how this combination and Collective Toil would play out.

So, first year hunt is obviously Gorm.

First survivors encounter Mourning Bull.

Now, this is a lesson I learned when I was making the animation.

I took the brain damage in. Well, of course that was a little easier because picking death principle gave all departing survivors +3 insanity.

Next head splitting pain.

Mutna the Mammoth Hunter gains Megalophobia disorder.

Slass had a danger seizure and dealt one point of damage to his body, and gained +2 insanity and became Prey.

Ines and Ytiro both have their insanity dropped to zero, which already was such.

Gorm walked a little closer, and showdown was ready to begin.

First time ever Resin Dung Ball made it's appearance in a showdown. There was also another batch of Tall Grass.

Gorm draws Thunder Foot, and then performs body check on Ines, who in turn lobs Founding Stone at the beast. My rationale here was to hope for a good critical that would ease the remainder of the showdown - as well as to get rid of Thunder Foot rather sooner than later.

Critical it was, but with no permanent effects. Gorm was knocked down, which resulted in four wounds on turn 1. I'd have been excited if prologue hadn't been that fresh in my memory.

Gorm starts hiccuping, which was exactly the bad news I was afraid of. All survivors were adjacent to Gorm. Only two got knocked down which was a relief.

Ytiro scores a critical wound with Bone Axe after Ines encourages him.

That was the extent of survivors' luck. Gorm starts rampaging, and kills Molvaneus right away. Well, he was the Prey after all. Ines barely survives the following Basic Action, and next when Ytiro fails to connect his axe to Gorm, Ines takes some bile from a retch. This causes a heavy injury to body. Only Mutna is left to act, and I really, really need to remove that Rampaging from top of AI deck. Mutna throws Founding Stone at the beast and scores a wound.

So many wasted Founding Stones.

Next Gorm strobes a little. Phew. Three cards left in AI deck. Thunder Foot, Strobe and Body Check. No too bad.

Year 2

Settlement event is Heat Wave.

First Speaker is nominated to become the Voice of Reason, but he just loses his jaw.

I'm concerned about the state of settlement's resources.

Only bone resource I received had to be used on innovation (which was Paint, by the way, so yay for that.)

Sure I got good tools, but none which would actually kill a Gorm. Full rawhide set, stone noses and fecal salve are all good. But one survivor has to go completely unarmed to the fight.

Cahrun, Hta, Ytiro and Ines set out for Lantern Year 2 hunt.

Mourning Bull wrecks everyone's brain again, and a sportsman mutters some careless whispers. But then things got... interesting. Very interesting indeed. Mask Salesman turned up and offered Death Mask for Bone Axe wielding Ytiro. Will he be able to carry the showdown with +4 luck and -4 to severe injury rolls?

Maybe. Portents at least were promising when Dead Monster and Nightmare Tree were random terrains. Ytiro would be able to strike at least twice before dying.

Well, he took a swing. Failed to wound on a reaction that caused Basic Action. This didn't call for severe injuries just yet, but it was a demoralizing start.

There was probably a forest growing on my face from all the face palms I planted there. It wasn't until fourth round when Ytiro finally scored first two wounds. Even there results were seemingly mocking. Ytiro wounds Gorm on 5+ and scores a critical hit on 6+, so obviously damage came from double fives. Oh well.

Progress was excruciating. Gorm wasn't all that adept in dealing damage either, but time was on Gorm's side.

Survivors had dealt a total of four damage when Strobe came up. Mourning Bull had indeed destroyed the brains of survivors - only Ines had a point of insanity from Stone Noses.

Hta frenzied, Cahrun fleed and Ytiro...

Ytiro died.

Yeah.

During whole showdown Ytiro scored no critical wounds despite having +4 luck. And he did not roll even a single severe injury with that -4 penalty - it was a straight up death from mortal terror. Makes me wonder if Death Mask was actually just an illusion.

Other survivors took the hint and started to wound the beast. But every remaining survivor had heavy injury levels - Cahrun sported with every single hit location having either light or heavy injury level. She was the next to die. Not that she was able to contribute much anyway - she had to use settlement's last Founding Stone to get rid of Rampaging.

But this happened when there was two AI cards left. Aggravated Bite and Body Check. Not too bad at all.

And without much of a hassle survivors dispatched those AI card. But then something happened.

For many turns survivors were not able to score a single hit - even Hta with frenzied Bone Darts was unable to do anything from Gorm's blind spot.

And when he finally did, it was Lure Paroxysm. Second time during showdown. It think Cahrun actually died to the last Paroxysm.

Killing Blow didn't come from a Strength 4 bone dart. No, it was Ines' desperate clawing with bare hands. With a critical strike.

I did get around twelve resources, though. But I count the corpses of Cahrun and Ytiro to this figure.

Year 3

Joyfully survivors return to settlement. Player wasn't all that joyful when he found out Hta had developed an unnatural hunger for the skulls of fellow humans. Skull Eater on year three and upcoming Murder on year four.

And when I do a tally of the resources, I notice I'm starved of bones again. Did Hta eat them all or what? Well, I got the resources to innovate Ammonia and make Gaxe and Rib Blade, plus bandages. It's something, but somehow it looks like I'm not going to make Gorment Suit anytime soon...

Hooded Knight promises to teach fighting arts for a hefty price tag. A Love Juice gives settlement twins, so status quo remains.

Hta uses shared experience to talk to Tonrun about things to come. Plan is if they both survive until the start of next year.

And Hta, Arb, Cahlona and Tonrun arm themselves for Lantern Year 3 hunt. I'm not giving up on Gorm. I want some armor, gosh and darn.

Flatter Earth has survivors lose their trail. It Whispers Your Name is the first event rolled, and since there indeed is a survivor with Marrow Hunger, he gains +1 permanent strength. And Murder is already on the timeline next year. Ha.

After hearing her name, Cahlona also finds the Portcullis Key. I could be wrong, but I believe this is first time I gain it.

Sportsman offers his advice again, and then a cloaked stranger teaches Cahlona the skill of Iron Will.

Which might have been nice, but now survivors start showdown with zero survival. Except for Tonrun, who has stone noses.

Gorm starts with... Strobe.

Only Cahlona doesn't fall, and that's because she has Iron Will. She proceeds to Gorm's blind spot and draws first blood.

Gorm wallops her back.

Arb takes a swing with Gaxe and triggers Lure Paroxysm. Didn't this just start great?

No survivors died yet. And Cahlona gives a critical wound and severs one of Gorm's kidneys.

Hta doesn't want to be any worse, and attacks with Bone Axe. Without Luck doing exactly what Ytiro should have done with +4 luck. Three wounds with one attack.

Gorm throws a fit and gets Posturing Piss, Thunder Foot and Back Slap all in one turn. This piss thing here is especially ironic, as I just innovated Ammonia. Which I could now have gained just by killing Gorm.

Settlement event is Heat Wave again, and fortunately I have no heavy gear just yet. I did get some resources to make them, so... it ain't going to be. Can't depart with heavy gear either.

Tonrun and Hta are both killed as a result of murder. Well this at least gave the settlement Love Juice.

Tondelone, the grieving First Father drank the juice and breathed in some fumes from heat wave, and all this together blessed him and the mother Iniro with Murdejy and Fumelia. Steady population of ten remains.

Settlement innovates Inner Lantern, and since there is not much use in saving the resources or developing heavy items, settlement gains: Healing Potion (just one away from Wisdom Potion. Sigh.) Knuckle Shield, Rawhide Headband and Vest, additional Monster Grease and extra noses.

So.

Next time around it'll be Butcher, then.