Gwendor the Thrice Cursed

 Burkstad does another lantern year. The year 20. 

We were thinking about hunting a level 2 Phoenix, but doing some quick math on our chances to wound a Toughness 12 monster had us quickly downgrade our hunt to a level 1 bird instead.

Level 1 hunt on year 20 is... less than optimal.

Vladimir, Mortis, Purvina and Gwendor equip themselves to catch a Phoenix, and the hunt phase quickly assures us that the choice to hunt a level 1 quarry was the correct one. Three quarters of the group decide to get themselves sick from sickening mess, and a -1 strength token would have had a drastic effect on our ability to wound Toughness 12. Gwendor on 8+ with her bow, Mortis on 6+ with Rib Blade, and Vladimir on 9+ with Scrap Sword. 

Hunt phase also places Lights in the Sky on the timeline for year 21, and Recurring Nightmare has two of our survivors halve their survival and one to lose them all. Mortis with his Insanity of 24 found a new crab friend from path of the insane - and then the Phoenix ambushes survivors.

And what a showdown it was.

First few rounds are a struggle-ish affair that depletes survivors of their already meager resources. Gwendor manages to break the Phoenix's beak, but the bird of prey has its revenge by killing all of Gwendor's future children.

And then Life Pattern comes up when survivors have done four wounds to the monster.

Considering we just had a permanent injury, had -1 strength tokens and a few bleed tokens to boot and Vladimir was already at zero survival ... why not let the Life Pattern kick in?

Refreshed, the fight began anew and survivors were doing damage consistently. Time Stop was a breeze. Soon, however, the Phoenix's true intentions behind Life Pattern were revealed. It pushed the "reset" button just to be able to kill all of Gwendor's future children again. 

Phoenix didn't seem to be especially aggressive, with all the Pitying Sighs, Ancient Stares, Ripples and Excrements, but last few cards left in the AI deck was the one that dooms it's target and causes 4 damage on 2+. 

When Age tokens started piling up, it became increasingly difficult to navigate through Rewind and Displacement locations. This ended up with Gwendor being last threat to wound on multiple occasions. 

Unable to escape his fate, Gwendor was ragdolled by the master of time and eventually had to take a severe injury. Which didn't combine well with his Death Mask, that gives -4 to severe injury rolls.

Location: waist. Result: 10 lowered to 6, which is... Destroyed Genitals. 

So. Gwendor had all of his children deleted from the future twice by this bird... and then it even mutilates Gwendor's physical genitalia. Seriously, Phoenix... what did Gwendor do to you? 

Showdown had been going on for a while now, and Purvina was just one disdain off from fading into nothingness. However, earlier in the fight she had one age token transformed into hunt xp, and received Transcended Masochist as her milestone. 

Well, at least she now had a way to generate survival.

Mortis in his rawhide armor spent about 20 points of survival throughout the fight, possibly even a little more. So that's a new record of sorts, at least for the unlucky survivors of Burkstad.

Finally Purvina deals the killing blow, and we got a total of 6 basic resources, 9 phoenix resources and 2 vermin resources from the fight. Impressive.

Lantern Year 21

Settlement event is Open Maw, and there were Lights in the Sky and Gorm Climate on the timeline. Once again settlement had to dismantle an innovation to protect their precious resources. Burkstad has lost at four innovations this way.

Five endeavors gave Burkstad Lantern Halberd, a successful shrine ritual, and finally Song of the Brave. Gorm Climate has terrorized us long enough!

Gwendor is struck by a column of light during Lights in the Sky, thus adding a total of +4 armor points to each location when he next departs for a hunt.

Mawilina took a trip to the Open Maw, and found two extra vermin resources and some courage.

Settlement develops Hours ring and Hollowpoint armor. 

Next quarry is most likely Gorm level 2.

Population: 10

Principles:
Protect the Young
Graves
Barbaric + Ultimate Weapon


Innovations:
Language
Hovel
Ammonia
Bed
Nigredo
Symposium
Lantern Oven
Paint
Family
Bloodletting
Inner Lantern
Cooking
Shrine
Drums
Momento Mori
Scrap Smelting

Nightmare Training

Song of the Brave


Locations:
Lantern Hoard
Bone Smith
Skinnery
Organ Grinder
Catarium
Gormchymist
Gormery
Weapon Crafter
Leather Worker
Skyreef Sanctuary

Plumery

Gear:
1x Cloth
3x Stone Noses
Full Rawhide Set
1x rawhide vest, 1x Rawhide Gloves, 1x Rawhide Headband
Gorment Boots
2x Skull Helm
Bone Dagger
Bone Darts
Rib Blade
Greater Gaxe
2x Leather Shield
Cat Eye Circlet
3x Monster Grease
Lucky Charm
Monster Tooth Necklace
Bandages
Catgut Bow + Claw Head Arrow + Hollowpoint Arrow
Full White Lion Suit
Scrap Sword
Flower Knight Badge
Cycloid helm + vest
Death Mask
Whisker Harp

Hours Ring

Lantern Halberd



Resources:
3x Monster Bone

2x monster hide
Skull
1x Broken Lantern

2x crab spider

1x lonely ant

1x nightmare tick

Sinew
2x Lion Claw
2x Great Cat Bones
4x Iron

3x small feathers

1x tail feathers

1x pustules (organ)

1x black skull