This is a Campaign Journal of my current Campaign of Kingdom Death: Monster. Kingdom Death is a survival horror cooporative board game set in a dark world of monsterous horror.
I am playing this campaign once a month at my local Board Game club
Prologue the First Story
Kingdom Death: Monster begins with the First Story. This is in fact a tutorial for how the game is played so it’s a great way to introduce people to the game. With the first story you can jump right in and learn as you go.
Ready
Here we go
Once upon a time, there was a place of carved stone face. A man with a lantern lay sleeping a dreamless sleep. The man knew nothing.
One day the man woke up. He rubbed the dried ink caked over his eyes and opened them. Around him he saw other people stirring and beyond a horizon of unbroken darkness.
A Woman approached the man with the lantern. Her soft hand reached out to him. They had no words. They were a mystery to each other.
Suddenly, a monster emerged from the darkness, its eyes wild with unger. It attacked.
The people were no match for the monster. It tore their flesh and crushed their bones between its teeth. Some, it devoured whole.
Overcome with terror and grief, the man with the lantern collapsed to the ground. Cold stone noses pushed into his sides. There was no escape
But the man did not want to die. Desperately grasping at the cold stone faces, he felt a crack and tore at it with all his might. A piece of stone came free. It was sharp and deadly
The man with the lantern scrambled to his feet, his weapon clenched in his fist. He took a deep breath and roared into the darkness.
Four survivors rush towards the Lion, though they have no language they have names Ala, Zantus, Brunhilde and Bertram. The Beast was quicker and leaped towards Ala, clawing at her head. Bloodied she fell to the ground. The other Survivors moved behind the lion readying their sharp stones. The Beast paid them no heed, choosing instead to maul the quivering prey at it’s feet.
The others rushed fond slashing with their stones and the beast lashed out at them, in pain it dashed away and turned to glare in fury. Ala slowly crawled to her feet. Ribs broken, bleeding from a dozen wounds but alive.
The Beast glared with rage and she stumbled back in fear. The others closed on the beast determined to bring it down. Zantus could not bring up the courage to face it head on, anxiety and panic filled his heart. Even as Ala regained her footing Brunhilde and Bertram tried to take the beast from behind.
But the Lion was cunning, it had their measure now. With darting claws it brought them to their knees and turned. With Zantus still quivering in fear only Ala was standing to face it’s rage.
As the others regained their footing it was too late. Ala’s corpse lay at the beast’s feet, her blood running down the stone faces on the ground. The Beast seemed to sneer at their mute rage. They rushed screaming, hacking tearing, slashing with their sharp stones not relenting for a moment until the monster lay unmoving at their feet.
****
So with the first battle over My survivor Ala, died a brutal bloody death, her ribs broken her body mauled and finally internal hemorrhaging of the brain finished her off. The others however managed to kill the Lion although they are down 1 founding stone (Zantus threw it and destroyed one of the Lion’s ears). They did get an impressive collection of animal parts for use later.
It should be noted that this Lion is the weakest thing we will ever fight, so…that bodes well.
The Survivors gathered the remains of the beast, and the body of their friend and set out into the darkness. In the distance a glimmer of light drew them, beckoning ever onward. At the end of their journey they found a pile of lanterns burning brightly. Other came and gathered around the lanterns, somehow they knew, this place was safe, this place could be home.
****
After some debate the village is named Lionkillton. It has a population of 9. We lose if that population reaches 0.
****
A grave is made for Ala. The dead shall be honored in this place, We shall not forget their sacrifice.
It was Brunhilde who spoke the first words, and soon language began to come to the rest of the survivors, half learned, half remembered. Brunhilde sat before the Lantern Horde and contemplated it’s meaning. She watched solemnly as the first of it’s lights faded and went dark. She understands, while the Lantern lights their way, each survivor holds a Lantern within themselves as well, a warmth from which they draw great strength.
The others set about building up their new home. Bones are carved into deadly weapons, Hides are made into clothing. This place is deadly and the survivors must be ready.
As they work, two survivors grow closer, their minds heavy from drinking the fluids harvested from the Lion’s corpse. They think their love is strong but they see no hope in this hell.
In the morning two lanterns are found, placed gently on the ground. Of the two there is no sign, their names unknown, two more graves are made to mark that they were ever here at all.
****
The first major decision is how our village handles death. We have chosen to honor the dead and mark their passing with graves. With 3 surviving hunters we get 3 Endeavors to build out our settlement. Two buildings; The Bone smith and the Skinnery will give us weapons and armor. The last we use for an Innovation and select Inner Lanterns to allow us an extra attack in combat when we spend survival. We make 3 Rawhide Headbands (because the Lion seemed to have a thing for the head) and a Bone Axe.
I select a new Survivor from our Pool and name her Vala. Brunhilde will be staying behind to contemplate the Lantern horde so another Survivor needs to be picked from the pool, this one is named Asgard.
Cory used the last of our plunder from the Lion to trigger an intimacy event, but rolled poorly, so the village is already down to 7 people.
We called it a night there
Afterwards I realized that we gained 2 Endevors when the nameless lovebirds went off to die. Since we had already spent all the resources there wasn’t much to do with them. But it gives us the Organ Grinder and the last one I spent on a Augury roll. This set up another Intimacy event. I chose Vala and a nameless man from the pool, now named Zeek. Vala gave birth to a healthy son and She and Zeek share a deep connection, giving each 1 Survival.
Lionkillton population: 8
Excellent! Keep this coming!
We just lost our first Kingdom Death settlement over the weekend and Rob, Sonja, Erik, and I start a new campaign tomorrow. Every game appears to be turning out very differently so it'll be interesting to see how your experience parallels ours.
Good luck!
Lantern Year 2
Bertrum, Zantus, Asgard and Vala set out to hunt a White Lion
Zatus carried the mighty Axe the rest of the group wore their new Rawhide Headbands. We come across a plain of long grass, Going around will cost us much time so we press on and got lost. Suddenly looming before us is a great portcullis, nothing on either side of it and we have no keys to open the gate so we go around it. Eventually we lie down to rest. Zantus jumps awake suddenly just in time to crush some hideous insect burrowing it’s way beneath his waist cloth. Injured he continues the hunt, it could have been worse, at least he still has his manhood. We come across a white lion cub, the creature is too small so we leave it be lest we enrage it’s mother. A field of plants and herbs provides us with a meal before we find the beast.
At least we find the lion, feasting on the carcase of another monster. We surround it, using the tall grass for cover. The beast is in a playful mood, looking to bat Zantus around like a toy. His axe shows it the folly of it’s misplaced confidence. As the others rush to battle, Vala searches the corpse of the Lion’s prey but finds nothing.
This beast is over confident and we are seasoned now, we circle and strike at it’s flanks. It grabs Asgard in it’s teeth and seeks to run away with her. We give chase and it knocks Bertrum and Vala to the ground Zantus comes at it from behind, but it is a clever ploy, Asgard falls for the same and her Raw hide head band is ruined. It takes Zantus and seeks to flee dragging him around the area by his leg. Vala hurls her Founding Stone and cuts off the beast’s tail. Asgard hurls her stone and catches the beast in the neck.
It is Zantus who delivers the final blow
Victorious we return.
Bertrum and Zantus are our best hunters, clever and experienced they begin to master their weapons. Zantus will favor the Axe and Betrum thinks on how to make himself a bow.
However, it was not to be.
Madness and jealousy filled Zantus (with his mighty 9 Insanity points). There can only be one Great Hunter in the village, and it will be Zantus. We found him one night, axe in hand, Bertrum’s head in the other. But none shall say Zantus nay, he is our greatest hunter after all and the villagers supress their horror of him and give him honors. Zantus now wears Bertrum’s skull as a helm.
But if Zantus can be so honored with murder, others turn their thoughts to bloodshed (In 3 years we are scheduled to have another Murder, unless something changes Zantus is likely to be the victim).
In the night a horrible screaming begins. Ty realizes it belongs to a beast out in the darkness, this news unsettles the hunters. To think there was some unknown thing out there with them during their hunt. They resolve to find and kill it (Screaming Antelope added to hunt list)
Now with 5 Endeavors (4 for returning survivors +1 for Bertrum’s murder) we set to work. Killingthe White Lion gains us a Caterium for free. We sort out the Principle of Life with Anon’s birth from last week. We choose to protect the young. A Dice is rolled and Anon gains 2 more Insight. His clever mind and curious excitement easily grasps new ideas, he gains the Tinker ability, a great benefit if he goes on the next hunt.
We start with a new Innovation, Amonia will help to see to the survival of our hunters. From the White Lion's bones we build a Spear and from it’s hide we craft a White Lion Coat and two rawhide vests. All our resources used and 4 Endeavors left we do some Arguries. Mostly the gods offer advice about future hunts but Asgard and Ty and paired up from the portents. They are blessed with Twins Arin and Aric.
Village Population 9
Next time we hunt the Screaming Antelope
Lantern Year 3
Zantus leads this time, with him the clever young Anon, His Mother Vala and Brunhilda
We shall hunt the screaming antelope, surely it must be easier than facing the claws and teeth of the Lions. We find the herd has moved on and it will be a long journey to catch them, but we have their scent and march quickly. Vala leads us down a hidden path and we find a giant stone face with lanterns in it’s eyes, a small pile of offerings there for the taking.
We continue on
Suddenly the lanterns die and we are plunged into darkness. Zantus screams in madness but Vala is strangely calm. Little by little we make our we through the dark until we emerge to the light of our lanterns once more.
The Beast is just ahead.
Carefully we surround the grazing creature, a hideous twisted thing feeding on small plants growing from within the stone faces. Axe, Spear, Teeth and Fist we strike out at the creature. We crush it’s knee, shatter it’s skull. We can do this! It trembles and falls and we rush to put it down.
It screams, an unholy shriek of madness. It is too much for Brunhilda, the terror stops her heart and she falls lifeless. The beast kicks wildly lashing out trampling over us. One of it’s back hooves catches Zantus in the chest. He is dead before he hits the ground. Young Anon, his back broken tries to crawl but the beast will not let him go. It hobbles over to him and stomps his chest until he moves no more.
Vala is all that is left. Battered, bloodied, Zantus’s axe in hand and filled with grief at her only child’s death, driven into a frenzy she hacks at the beast again and again and again until only a bloody pile of meat remains.
Alone she drags the bodies back to the village.
Returning the villagers have no time to morn, the ground trembles and cracks, opening up beneath Vala’s feet. She falls into darkness and is gone.
The remaining villagers make four graves this day and divide the carcass of the Antelope. The surviving villagers gather and decide their future. From this day onward choices shall be debated and ideas exchanged. (Symposium Innovation gained), we master the art of leather working and new Weapons are needed. Auguries are cast to ensure our coming survival. Asguard and Ty give birth to a girl child and name her Isgard. The strength of their love will sustain them in the future (+10 survival each but too bad our limit is 3)
Village Population: 6