Encyclopedic Entities: A Look at the Big Names in the World of Kingdom Death (Patreon)

This topic is a patron request from a few different people, all of whom wanted to know what we do know about the various Entities in the game, and the hierarchy for those of them who have some kind of organisational power structure.

So before we start, I think it's important to define the terminology; this is because Adam is very, inexact with how he words things, this may be because the lore in the game is delivered as 'folklore' filled with over exaggerations and half trues - or it may be be for the same reason we have problems in the rules, Adam's team is in sore need of an editor and/or quality assurance/proof reader to bring consistency to everything.

Spoilers will abound in this, there's now way to do it in any other manner. You have been warned.

The format I'm going to use is text in italics when it's direct from lore entries, and normal text for everything else. This is because I have to infer a lot of the things in the world rather than know for sure, because of the 'show don't tell' design of storytelling in this game. 

Additionally I will be using information that has come from back channels and interviews, some of this I absolutely cannot reference. This is because when Adam provides back channel information you are not allowed to 'cut and paste' his words directly, you can only paraphrase. I believe this leaves him with wiggle room to change stuff before cementing it in actual game material. 

In other words, if it's not in italics or directly from a part of the game material, take this as speculation for entertainment, not gospel. The only person who can provide the truth is Adam and even he has been known to change things before putting them into print. Considering a lot of this seems to be 'made up while going along' (see Honeycomb Weaver for evidence of that, it was sort of "made up on the spot" lorewise).  There's a LOT of unreliable narrators in this game, possibly because it's a bottom up design masquerading as a top down one.

Finally, we have the classification system, this comes from Adam's own lore and I apologise for the confusion, but I'm not responsible for it.

Monster - Everything in the entire setting, from the survivors up to The Scribe (Adam's Mary Sue) and Stan (Satan) are monsters. They're all part of the same taxonomic family and movement between one form an another is possible. Survivors can evolve into higher forms and we have suggestions of civilisations devolving into animals where the White Lion is concerned.

entity - Please note the non-capitalisation of this version, the lore team has given us a category of relatively powerful monsters that are called entities. Things like the Sunstalkers have been classified in this manner, and it's likely that the Dung Beetle Knight, Phoenix and other stable monster races are also entities. It's more of a 'relative power' thing rather than a hard line. It's not clear if something like a White Lion is an entity, but it does seem that they can become one, because we have unique and powerful versions like the Great Golden Cat.

Entity - Named, normally "unique" monsters who work a lot like the mythos of the setting, they're all big business in this world, with a wide range of powers, agendas and forms. It is not clear just where the power level for these start, but it is certainly relatively high. Generally they are not the minions of other Entities (but they can be).

The entity/Entity thing is super sticky and hard to be sure about, there's probably survivors who are considered entities/Entities. Who knows?

That done, lets get on with it:

The Scribe

The Scribe is the power behind the Kings and their armies. To men, he is a god made flesh, appearing in repose atop his throne with his tome hoisted by a grotesque tableau of slaves. In his book his words are writ into reality, sewing the seeds of small human settlements into existence with the stroke of his quill. Once the humans grow and reproduce the Scribe will return to harvest his crop. 

This Entity is the one who writes the survivors into existence at the start of Lantern/Sun/Stars and has a huge, inscrutable agenda of his own. Originally he was supposed to be the "capstone" for the story of People of the Lantern, which would have created a wonderful experience where The Scribe's creations go and punch their creator to death.  The cancellation of Lantern Festival ended that story arc, something we've discussed in the past - it leaves a lot of hanging threads in Lantern and it's one of the reasons why a lot of people feel dissatisfied with Lantern's story now.

The Scribe has a direct connection with The King(s) and The Hand(s), but the details of this remain elusive. His book can be encountered separately from himself in hunt event 84 (Scribe's Book) and settlements who have invented Pictographs can write in his book with varying effects on themselves (the more they understand, the more powerful the effects are). This indicates that the languages that all survivors learn to write with are born from the same foundation as the Scribe's own one. 

The Scribe also functions as Adam's proxy into the world, it writes the survivors into existence, the way that he did and that is why I called it a Mary Sue.  Finally, like Satan, The Scribe has created survivors directly in his own image, specifically those of the Allister template. Again this has come to not pay off in any manner, so far, but the Satan survivors in the Ivory Dragon expansion may shed some light on things.

Otherwise it functions as a father god, like Zeus, Odin and so on.

We'll now look at the other two known parts of this organisation, though sadly we don't really understand how the Scribe works with them or even really much about their organisational structure, because The Hand appears to be much more important and powerful than The King despite the apparent lower position in the hierarchy. 

The King

The rhythmic scape and clang of the King's Men's march heralds the arrival of the King. The King's ornate carapace is wrapped in shifting robes that hide the ravenous creature within. Everyone in the King's path is consumed without mercy as the King's Men look on from behind their passive, cherub masks.

There was once a monster that was to lead its master's regal procession. First the monster came as a herald, then its hungry masters. So fierce were the monster's masters that it never thought to protect its own back, knowing what horrors lay behind it. -- King's Man Lore
 

The Hand

The Hand are the King's highest ranking guard. They see through the eyes of every Kingsmen that patrols the King's territory. The Hands are highly intelligent and master swordsmen. 

There was once an entity that knew everything, but never spoke. For every secret that escaped, it became weaker and its enemies stronger. 

They say that The Hand once trained a great, horned beast to be ridden by him alone. As the beast carried The Hand from one terrible task to the next, it's appetite grew, and its horns took on twisted shapes. -- Mad Steed Lore

There was once a fearsome monster that was trained by the Hand to be a steed for the Goblin. However, upon smelling its new master, the monster's mind shattered and it ran into the unknown, foaming at the mouth and biting the noses off the stone faced floor. -- Screaming Antelope Lore

Its very fair to say that it seems The Hand is far more active and connected to the world and the other Entities than the King is, which is why I'm not clear if The Hand is actually more powerful than The King or not. The Lantern Festival would have probably cleared this up, but that one seems a bit lost and dead.

Satan

So great was Satan’s self-obsession that it split into twin hermaphrodite lovers to share the world with itself. They roam Kingdom Death, drunk with self-lust and power, trapped by their own vanity in fragile human frames. Their armor of living tongues shares the taste of the world between the twins. Satan is a vicious masochist, poisoning the minds of any it comes across. The pair is well hated by other entities, as they only seek to disrupt balance for their own satisfaction. 

Satan, here after referred to as Stan, is a three part being, there is Stan (Satan X), Stanley (Satan Y) and Mega-Stan (Ivory Dragon/True Form) - remember that Stanley has a Y in the name, plus it forms a ponytail with the Y and you'll never get them mixed up. So, Satan is going to be explored in more depth and we're just starting to get the hints coming.

Satan is one of the oldest living organisms in Kingdom death, capable of dividing itself many times over. Depending on the passed on genetic code, these "offspring" may or may not have any idea, that they are part of something bigger...

In addition, we have reference to Stanley's obsession with dismembered members in the manstealer event and Stan makes an appearance on the Stranger in the Dark where it causes chaos in your settlement, distracting all the menfolk and angering the womenfolk. 

The removal of the Guidepost shows that Stan enjoys disrupting the plans of other entities, which is consistent with what we know from the text above. It functions like a trickster god, and has close parallels with Nyarlathotep, Coyote, Raven, Loki, Mercury/Hermes, Anansi and more. 

If you want to learn more about tricksters I'd recommend watching these three videos:

• Anansi  
• Hermes and Loki 
• Raven and Coyote 

As you're hopefully beginning to notice, the Kingdom Death Entities are all loosely based on ones from our own pantheons, ancient (Greek/Roman/Norse/etc) and modern (Cthulhu).

Gold Smoke Knight

There was once a fertile land of golden grass and prideful lions. Uncounted centuries ago, a parasite took root and over time a corrupted city grew to engulf the plains. The Golden Knight, a mysterious guardian of these lands, waged a losing war against the corruption. As futile years passed, the knight’s appearance grew twisted and haggard as the land itself. It’s glorious mane fell out, replaced by angry wailing smoke billowing in its place and the Gold Smoke Knight was born. 

The following includes information paraphrased from Adam's own words. It's hinted at in PotLantern and the hunt events and mentioned in interviews. It's close to cannon at this time.

Sadly, the way that the Gold Smoke Knight was included into People of the Lantern did a lot to harm it's position and reputation. It is vital to understand that the Gold Smoke Knight's lore text references from the very beginning have referred to The Plain of Stone Faces, The Silver City, an as yet unidentified Entity and the Watchers. 

The Gold Knight was a "Gaea type", linked to the land and protecting it. However, as time has passed the corruption visited by the unknown Entity, a part of which is manifest in the Watchers and the Lantern Horde, has spread. The Prideful Lions have fallen and their Silver City has become ruin, lorded over by an infested Lion God(s). 

The Gold Smoke Knight's (GSK) impact appears in hunt events, and unfortunately no timeline events - so many people miss the story and just have 'this gold faced dude with a hammer turns up and kills you all' for their ending. Golden Ember is the important hunt event, because it shows that the Gold Smoke Knight's agenda is to destroy Watchers and Watcher corpses, then cauterize the wound left by the settlement (which has been corrupted by Watcher technology).  This last point is very important, the GSK has no interest in the settlements of The Sun or The Tyrant because they're not involved with the Watcher corruption. The GSK doesn't go there and never would.

Additionally Golden Ember shows us that the GSK is aware of the Twilight Order and appreciates that they're opposed to Watchers as well. They're not allies, but the enemy of my enemy...

Adam admitted that the team did not do the best job in integrating the GSK into People of the Lantern with the 1.5 changes, and to paraphrase his explaination. The GSK is the protector of the land and seeks to destroy Watcher corpses and Watcher based technology when they wake up. Cleansing the land like popping a boil and then cauterizing the wound.

The Flower Knight is a similar kind of Entity to the Gold Smoke Knight, though it appears it's a far weaker creature.

Golden Entity

Here's something people get mixed up, The Golden Entity doesn't have a lion motif because it's linked to the Gold Knight/Silver City, it has them because it was envious of the Silver City and sought to destroy it and supplant it's power. 

The Golden Entity's closest link is actually from Warhammer 40K, it's the Emperor of Humanity. We have a hive like society, based around building oversized super-"human" warriors encased in armor, with multiple Primarchs (Lion Knights) who have failed. There are more links if you look for them, such as links to the forges of Mars/Adeptus Mechanicus and so on.

We have plenty of hints about the Golden Entity from the various resin lines and here they are:

Forge God

The Forge God minds the furnaces of the Holy Lands, a massive creature whose very pores produce the holy steel that the edifices of the Holy Lands are made of. He is consumed by the desire for perfection in his works, the Mothers, Grandmothers and White Knights are his personal masterworks.  

Chosen

The apotheosis of the Entity's bottomless narcissism, the Chosen are created in the Entity's self-image. Its glory made flesh. Imbued with savage beauty matched by their intense vanity. The grinding machinery of the Holy Lands freezes wherever they pass. Through their eyes the Entity casts its self-loving gaze upon the vastness of its creation.  

Although they walk the land unchallenged their impetuous rage leave swaths of smoldering ruin in their wake. 

It's worth noting the use of apotheosis here, as there are apotheosis characters coming in the Inverted Mountain campaign. They also share aesthetics with Blood Angels and classic Angels in general.

Grandmother

Few chosen victims survive the treatment of raw god metal that prepares a womb to withstand and nurture the ghastly cocktail that gives rise to the monsters of the Holy Lands. The truly holy mothers are beatified as Grand Mothers, transformed into creatures embodying the maternal life-giving ideal of the Entity. These special few give birth to the Entity's most precious children, the massive winged Blessed Ones. The Grand Mother's womb is braced heavy ornate gut plates. Within, a hostile furnace of creation churns. She has a mouthed cord growing from her belly that devours male organs of her mates to better the chances of divine conception.   

The Grand Mother is a rare, horrifying foe, possessing a master the Other and protected by the watchful eye of the Entity itself. 

Mother

Drinkers of the white god-gold, inheritors of the steel womb, Mothers fill the air with a mixture of dread and allure. Heavy with pheromones, the Mothers steal through the Holy Lands, their shrouded presence driving the Holy Landers to frenzied orgies that ensure the population's continual growth. In their steel-reinforced, furnace-like wombs the Mother's carry the White Knights, gleaming soldiers of the Golden Entity. They are also expert manipulators of the other, their god-gold plated organs can channel far more raw other energy than frail human bodies. 

 Wet Nurse

The Wet Nurse is a single minded monster that serves the Entity of the Holy Lands. Its only purpose is to nourish the creatures born in the Holy Lands with the molten milk it produces. This is the nutrition that carries within it the imperatives and instincts to serve the Entity of the Holy Lands. The monsters birthed by the Mothers and Grand Mothers of the Holy Lands are taken by the Wet Nurses who's milk is the very will of the Entity. Humans taken from their mothers at birth are nursed by the Wet Nurses to create the mindless shambling masses of Holy Landers that live in the Entity's fiefdom. 

Lion Knight 1st

The first Lion Knight was a failure. Its vision permanently fixed a few moments into the future, it was driven mad living outside of time and deemed too unstable to lead the Golden Entity’s armies. Now imprisoned deep within the Golden Labyrinth, the first Lion Knight stews in its derangement, the heady stench attracting Wailing Smoke from all corners of the abyss. The first Lion Knight spends its lonely days in lively conversation with them. 

Lion Knight 2nd

Three brother generals command the vast armies of the Golden Entities domain. Each imbued with a different temperament and a strong will of their own. The middle brother is the most attached to the human industry and artistry. He cultivates a courtly civilized appearance and graceful swordsmanship, surrounding himself with human thralls allowing them to enjoy their short tragic existence in his awesome presence.

The Lion Knight is the most human of the Golden Entities creations and is forever obsessed with truly understanding man.

Ash, Ryan, and Sam are scholars raised and educated from the Lion Knight's private museums. They share a life of luxury and discovery, often traveling with the Lion Knight on grand art collecting expeditions. Their unique life makes them some of the most knowledgeable women in all of Kingdom Death. Granting them domain over even some White Speaker stories, including the secrets of ageing, giving them eternally healthy and youthful bodies.
 

White Knight + White Knight Heavy

The glorious White Knights are the military might of the Holy Lands and enforcers of the Golden Entity's capricious whims. Their exquisitely crafted white and gold armor makes no sound as they march through the dark, narrow passages of the Holy City and beyond. What dwells inside the fully-enclosed armor is a mystery. Many speculate they are born from the furnace guts of the Mothers, unfeeling, loyal byproducts of human birth experimentation. 

 The glorious White Knights are the military might of the Holy Lands and enforcers of the Golden Entity's capricious whims. What dwells inside the exquisitely crafted armor is a mystery born in the furnace guts of the Mothers. A byproduct of generations of eugenic experimentation transforming the people of the Holy Lands in the service of the Golden Entity.

The White Knight Heavy is the backbone of the military ranks, their enormous weapons bringing up the rear of the Holy Lands' brutal martial forces. 

See? They're like twisted Space Marines. 

Manhunters

Hailing from a far away city, the Manhunter is a sadistic killer. It brutally executes survivors, cowing settlements into willingly submitting people to it. No one knows why it abducts survivors, or what they're used for, only that once taken, they are never seen again. Settlements will have to choose: take up arms against their fellow man, or accept the blood tax.

The Manhunter is a brutal foe, preferring to break enemies' bodies before ending their lives. If it can be defeated, the scarred survivors will benefit from the monster's invaluable hunting tools. If not, the settlement can submit to its will and trade their kin for resources.

Thanks to someone over on the kingdom death wiki drawing the incorrect conclusions, a lot of people believe Manhunters come from the Great City instead of the Holy Lands, which is where all the logical clues point.

It could be either one, but given the themes I firmly believe that they're from the Holy Lands. I've taken my position on this and I'm happy to have Adam prove me wrong in the future.

White Lions

Huge terrifying lions with a strange human curiosity and human hands. Their white fur shines with flecks of gold when the sunlight hits them directly, a strange contrast to their bloated and sad faces. They are a dominant predator in the holy lands and have become a symbol of inspiration and beauty for the entity that resides over all. Occasionally they are trained and kept as partners by Man-Hunters.
 

This section is more than anything the smoking gun that proves the Manhunters are from the Holy Lands. But it's pretty clear to me when you look at all the other indicators. Say 65/30/5 on the odds they're from Holy Lands over the Great City or some other Random place.

The Holy Lands was intended to be the setting of the original Kingdom Death: Labyrinth game, which was planned to occur before Monster, it would have been a Warhammer Quest inspired dungeon crawl, with the players taking the role of White Speakers, Preachers, Twilight Knights and so on. It may still come to light one day, and that's when an exploration of the Holy Lands will become really possible.

We're going to have to leave the rest till next week I'm afraid, there are so many to go through because Kingdom Death has a crazy number of Entities in its pantheon!