Kingdom of Seasons Megagame Report
Written by Kneace Kelly, this is a tale of her experience as the Goddess of Summer at True North Megagames’ Kingdom of Seasons, held in Glasgow, UK recently.
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The Royal College Library in Kingdom of Seasons (Artwork by: Kanna Clausen)
Once, there was a shining young goddess whose brightest dream was to make the whole world shine as brightly as she did...
In fantastical stories and legends, there are often villains. This is often not quite as clear cut in megagames. In Kingdom of Seasons, an original megagame designed by Seumas Bates and run by True North megagames, some might say there is less ambiguity about who the villains are.
They’d be wrong. What’s a little fire between friends?
Let’s back up a little bit. My role at Kingdom of Seasons was that of the Goddess Summer. A shining example to all across the land of Aerth, a paragon of warmth and passion beyond compare. I won’t lie to you, reader – when Seumas asked if I’d be willing to take on the role of a god, I got pretty excited. And that excitement did not dim at all in the run up to the game, or indeed during the game.
I made a costume. I purchased glitter. I learned how to apply an even winged eyeliner for goodness’ sake! The game was afoot and I’d be damned if I let my sister, Winter, get one up on me. #TeamPeacock for all eternity!
My sister (played by my new bff Sarah) and I began the game sequestered in a heavenly prison (a stage at the front of the venue) constructed by our mother, the Creator. We had been locked away for some ridiculous reason, something about being too amazing or putting the entire world in danger with our sibling rivalry. Whatever. Point being, we were stuck. The climate in the mortal realm was temperate and that was no good to either of us. In order to break the chains holding us, we needed things to get a bit more…interesting.
Locked away for all eternity with your sibling? Might as well take some selfies!
As the game got underway, theist mortals began to approach us to ask for favours in exchange for faith (represented by playing cards). Naturally, we were very busy playing our own immortal games (Connect 4, Jenga and Crokinole among them!) and if the mortals were slow getting to the point we quickly became impatient and dismissive.
Now, we wanted faith. Who wouldn’t want to be worshipped? But there was one problem – all the mortals were coming to talk to my sister! I grew increasingly sulky through the first part of the game as the Church of Seasons seemed to be favouring Winter based purely on the fact that it was a nice normal warm summer. Honestly, mortals. So short-sighted.
With all of the faith coming her way, Winter wasted no time in cooling things down on the mortal plane and it was at this point that my thoughts turned to scheming. After a brief word with game control, I began a campaign of visions sent to the High Priest of the Church of Seasons, showing him nightmarish landscapes made barren by Winter’s touch. Before the end of the turn he had come to offer his faith to Summer and wanted help to warm things up. Perfect.
Control approached me during the first couple of turns to ask how Summer would feel about a deamon she had bound and locked away aeons hence being released. I replied that should the deamon not grovel before me and beg forgiveness for their misdeeds at the earliest opportunity, I would see them locked back up.
It was around this time that the mortals who would become my absolute favourites of the day made their appearance – Summer cultists! Turns out they had some puzzling cryptic messages they needed help deciphering, as well as a whole fistful of faith they happily handed over. I was in business, and my campaign to give everyone the long hot summer they deserved began in earnest.
Before I could really get things warmed up, Winter had cooled things down to the point where the chains holding her in our eternal prison weakened, allowing her to temporarily descend to the mortal realm. Worried she would gain an advantage, I sent some more nightmares of barren winter wastelands to the Church of Seasons and sure enough, the Pontifex came to see me. He wanted help dealing with an orc problem, and I gladly furnished him with a unicorn in exchange for as much faith as he could muster.
With Winter on the loose and nobody left to play games with, I contented myself with pacing about the stage and staring at mortals whilst biting the heads off jelly snakes. Some of them looked unnerved, which I considered a minor victory. When my wonderful cultists returned with game control and big smiles on their faces, it was a welcome distraction.
It turns out that they had cracked the code with the help of a memory I’d shared with them, and by doing so had helped to warm up the world to the point where I was released from my prison! To celebrate, I went for a lap of the mortal realm, doling out corruption to anyone foolish or brave enough to address me directly. I also got to view the magnificent temple my cultists were constructing for me, which was nice.
After this point, things got a little hazy. And warm.
It’s getting hot in here…!
As the cultists continued their outstanding efforts to free me entirely, I redoubled my efforts to gain faith from every side. Doling out magic and corruption, I sauntered through the mortal plane striking terror into the hearts of all who beheld my divine form (I assume…) I gained followers and amused myself with the petty doings of the inconsequential mortals. I even healed the Empress of vampirism when she asked, because I’m nice like that.
Towards the end of the game, I received word that a deamon I had bound and locked away had indeed been freed and was roaming the mortal realm calling himself The Black Prince. Unacceptable. After a stroke of luck left another deamon in my debt, I requested the Black Prince’s true name (with which to summon him), seized my magics and went to talk to the priests, who as it turns out had nothing to help me banish the deamon. So I seized my enormous pile of faith and went to talk to game control.
“I want to bind him,” I said firmly, holding my faith cards. Control’s eyes widened at the sight of my mighty stack.
“For 50 faith cards you can try that.” Fifty cards was around a third of my stash.
“Great. I also want to lock him away.” Another fifty cards would take care of that, I was told.
“One last thing. I want to apply this ‘silence’ spell to his prison so that he can’t use magic in there.” Fifty more cards. At this point I just gave them every card I had acquired during the game. It was enough. The trap was set.
I summoned the deamon to the heavens and with a little fortune (he had apparently become quite strong while I was otherwise engaged), I managed to lock him away for all eternity never to return, ever. No matter what he says.
Events now began to unfold very swiftly. My cultists had made heroic efforts and solved the final riddles, and with that the world was plunged into a Fire Age!
Mmm, toasty. (Photo by: Carolina Patricio, True North Megagames)
With this, I was able to physically manifest on the mortal plane and began my final assault on Winter’s Throne in an effort to permanently rid the world of pesky ice and snow, like a true hero. As I approached my goal, the Empress appeared on the unicorn I had created earlier in the game and so began a battle that will be storied for ages to come.
I’d like to say that I easily defeated that puny mortal, but she and her unicorn proved tricky and I was banished from the mortal realm moments before I could claim my ultimate victory! Frustrating, but what are a few millennia to recover and try again when you’re immortal?
Did you play Kingdom of Seasons? If so, what did you think? Were you on Summer’s side or was it Winter all the way for you? Tell us now on our Facebook group!
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