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THON (J.R.Vosovic)

THON, J.R.Vosovic offeriert sein Science Fiction Tabletop Rollenspiel auf der Crowdfunding-Plattform Kickstarter.
Das Spiel verein verschiedene Spielmodi – Versus (1 gegen 1 Skirmish Tabletop), Pen & Paper Rollenspiel und Casusual Design, Free-For-All (Multiplayer-Modus).

„THON is a fast-paced, 28mm tactical wargame, pitting the Starlight defending Thonians against the ruthless Sons of Ord.
I have been working on Thon for decades as a pet project, with your help we can now make it a reality.

I have brought the game as far as I can, it’s entirely up to you now. Together with this Kickstarter we can bring my visions of glorious utopian sci-fi worlds and the epic struggle between the Thonians and the Sons of Ord to your table.
This Kickstarter for THON will fund the mass production of the plastic injected game models on sprue (assembly required), rulebooks, custom dice, markers and packaging and get the game into your home.

The game’s Core Set consists of a skirmish sized army from both the Sons of Ord and the Thonian Alliance, dice, markers, reference cards and rulebook.
THON is three games in one; Versus, a 1v1 head to head battle of tactics and wits, a traditional pen and paper style RPG and a casual design your own free-for-all.

Thon pits the Starlight defending Thonians against the ruthless Sons of Ord. The Thonians control the Acquiry; the inter-Starlight Communications network. The Sons of Ord control the Orrery; the inter-Starlight Mining and Terraforming Conglomerate. When Ord resists the Alliance’s Starlight unification, war is imminent.“
– THON product management

THON: Starlight Gengar, Home to the Sons of Ord (J.R.Vosovic)

Hybride Skirmish Tabletops und Rollenspiele sind offenbar im Kommen. Nach Wreck Age gibt es nun mit THON einen Mehrzweck-/Kombinationsspiel bei Kickstarter im Angebot. Interessanter Ansatz, wenngleich Miniaturen und Spielfelder die Fantasie gewissermaßen limitieren.

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07.03.2013

Mutant Chronicles: Warzone Resurrection Beta-Version & Website

Prodos Games verpasst ihrem Mutant Chronicles-Tabletop Warzone Resurrection ein neues Gesicht mit einer rundum überarbeiteten Website.
Darüber hinaus stellt der Hersteller dort eine Beta-Version der Spielregeln zum Download bereit.
Die gegenwärtig laufende Kickstarter-Kampagne gewährt Interessenten umfassende Einstiegsoptionen in die düstere Zukunftswelt von Bauhaus, Cybertronic, der Bruderschaft und der Dunklen Legion.

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06.03.2013

Zombicide: An interview with co-author Nicolas Raoult

Zombicide (Guillotine Games/CoolMiniOrNot)

Zombicide: Season 2 offers more play material for last years smash hit on Kickstarter: Zombicide!
The original collaborative survival horror board game is still a favourite on the gaming table – not only for the hardcore fans of the walking dead. Components, miniatures, rules and theme – everything fits together in a convincing cohesive package.

Zombicide by Guillotine Games and CoolMiniOrNot is in my opinion one of the coolest games of 2012. I was a little bit late to be an early bird, but I backed Zombicide: Season 2 without hesitation.

I want to see what the future brings for the survivors and the undead. Nicolas Raoult, the co-author of the game, was faster than a blood thirsty Runner to answer my questions. Beware English is only the second language for myself and Mr. Raoult.

Zombicide: Amy Dashboard (Guillotine Games/CoolMiniOrNot)

obskures.de: Hello, your Kickstarter Zombicide Season 2 takes off like rocket. The project was funded within 2 minutes? Who are the people behind this project? Which gaming histories do they have?
Nicolas Raoult: Zombicide is the work of a French crew of eight people coming from the gaming industry. Most of us used to work in a famed miniature company and designed wargames for years. There are game designers, sculptors, illustrators and production managers among us. We’re used to work with each other, know our strength and weaknesses, and complement each other very well. That helps a lot for our projects!

obskures.de: The new campaign offers two major and one small expansion. Give us an elevator pitch about them?
Nicolas Raoult: Zombicide Season 2: Prison Outbreak is a standalone box. A new player can discover the Zombicide universe with it, and a seasoned player will find new contents to expand his gaming experience. As the name implies, the action is mostly set in a prison, with narrow corridor and numerous cells. The game features two kind of zombies, traditional ones and “berserker” ones immune to ranged weapons. Prison Outbreak relies on melee combat more than Season 1, with a claustrophobia effect and numerous interactions with the game environment (switches, security doors, etc.)

Zombicide: Abomination (Guillotine Games/CoolMiniOrNot)

Toxic City Mall is an expansion to both Season 1 and Season 2. It features bright tiles in a shopping mall, where toxic zombies roams. Toxic zombies release toxic blood spray, wounding their assailant on contact. The best way to deal with them is from afar. Toxic City Mall also offers barricades and rubble tokens to change your gaming boards.

Of course, Toxic City Mall and Prison Outbreak are fully compatible with the Season 1 core game. Combined, these products offer a great game experience and many tools to play with and create your own stories.

The second Kickstarter is also about zombie dogs, dangerous creatures running in pack around the board looking for survivor blood. These new opponents are fearsome indeed and give a real “speedy” effect to any Zombicide game. These vicious dogs should be the primary targets in any case!

This Kickstarter holds many surprises as well, as you may soon discover. :)

obskures.de: If I recall correctly, at least some of the team members worked on Rackham’s fantasy skirmish tabletop Confrontation. What was the initial idea behind the Zombicide board game. Why a collaborative zombie board game?
Nicolas Raoult: We wanted to create a cooperative board game because we wanted players to experience the spirit we have working with each other. After designing wargames for years, we wished to play with each other, not against each other. As for zombies, they are universal opponents, faceless, numerous and already dead. No one fears nor regret killing zombies.

obskures.de: What do you think is the best part of the Zombicide game and what is the most critical?
Nicolas Raoult: We like being able to pit survivors with a fighting spirit against hordes of killing machines. The zombie set is classical, but the strong team spirit and “pulp” atmosphere is more unusual. The town is not big enough for two dominant species!

obskures.de: Did you expect the success of your Kickstarter campaign(s)? What do you think are the main reasons for the in my opinion justified attention?
Nicolas Raoult: We didn’t expect the success we met, and it was a great boost. I don’t think there is a single reason for this success. Players thought we did a good job and wanted to jump in the adventure, shooting zombies with friends and family. Perhaps it was the nice and numerous sculpts. The atmosphere. Simplicity of the rules. It’s a mix of all these things, likely!

obskures.de: Prison Outbreak reminds me a lot of a story from the very popular Walking Dead comics and TV show. Where do you find your major inspirations or design principles for Zombicide?
Nicolas Raoult: We come from various background and have very different tastes. We like Walking Dead as we like classical (or not so classical) zombie-inspired art, comics and movies. Zombicide reminds us of action movies as well. We like action, rock’n roll and tactics. I hope we find all these things in the game, and setting Season 2 in a prison seemed a good idea to us. Battling zombies in close quarters, in a gloomy atmosphere, is a good challenge for a tight-knit team.

Zombicide: Wanda (Guillotine Games/CoolMiniOrNot)

obskures.de: A question about the fantastic comic art style. For me there are some graphic similarities to Crimson by Humberto Ramos and Brian Augustyn. Who or what inspired the enthralling visual language?
Nicolas Raoult: Our graphic designers and graphists have a style of their own. They perfectly understood Zombicide’s mood, the Guillotine spirit, and added a (great) value to the game. They took inspiration from pop culture, pulp comics and classic zombie movies characters.

obskures.de: Some pledge levels indicate there will be a Zombicide Season 3. Please let us know a bit more about the upcoming expansion(s)? When can we expect this project – next year?
Nicolas Raoult: For now, this is a surprise. ;)

obskures.de: What about an expansion of the Zombicide line to other product types like books, comics, roleplaying games, shirts, tabletops, video games and other merchandise?
Nicolas Raoult: We would like to develop such products. It may come. Later. For now, we have a board game and a universe to expand.

obskures.de: France has some really creative people in the hobby market. To name a few – Dixit won the Spiel des Jahres 2010 prize, the Shadows of Esteren RPG surprises international tabletop roleplaying scene and then there is your collaborative Zombicide board game. What makes the French community and designers special?
Nicolas Raoult: I’m not sure about the answer(s). France is a cultural and geographical crossroad. French people share a northern and southern culture, language and climate. French people share ideas born from everywhere under a common banner. Their designers are no exception.

obskures.de: Finally, some fun and quick questions. We start with: Gaming is …
Nicolas Raoult: Vital. Gaming is a fertile ground for imagination, ideas, social interaction and learning. All these aspects are crucial for the human mind.

obskures.de: Coolest survivor so far?
Nicolas Raoult: We all have a different favoured Survivor. And that’s cool.

obskures.de: Coolest zombie type until now?
Nicolas Raoult: The answer is quite the same. One of us like Walker for their sheer amount. Another love Zombie dogs. Another would love the different runners for their sculpts. The fact we don’t have favoured survivors or minis is, in my opinion, a testimony to the game’s value.

Zombicide: Scenario 3 (Guillotine Games/CoolMiniOrNot)

obskures.de: Prefered Zombicide mission?
Nicolas Raoult: We like “Might Makes Right” from Season 1, because it’s easy to show the game and its spirit. It’s good for demoing, despite its difficulty.

obskures.de: A tip for new or established game designers?
Nicolas Raoult: I think it would be unwise. We do not feel puff enough to give lessons to people.

obskures.de: A tip for people who want to share their ideas with the help of crowdfunding (e.g. Kickstarter)?
Nicolas Raoult: A Kickstarter need a real and solid preparation. Be ready.

obskures.de: What is your favourite board, roleplaying and/or video game of all time and in recent years?
Nicolas Raoult: We share different tastes. The most common thing we share is a love for metal music.

obskures.de: Favorite game designer and/or artist?
Nicolas Raoult: Let me think… mmmmh no, no name arises. We love many things and many artists, but none of them is common enough to be cited.

obskures.de: I get the best ideas for my games when … or I am most creative when … ?
Nicolas Raoult: We are together. The creative power of the Guillotine team is wonderful.

Zombicide: Grindlock (Guillotine Games/CoolMiniOrNot)

obskures.de: Thank you. Anything else you want to share with the fans?
Nicolas Raoult: Many, many thanks for your trust and support. We like it a lot. :)

You can learn more about the Zombicide: Season 2 and the mentioned surprises on Kickstarter. The Guillotine Games website offers among other things a nice gallery and more downloadable missions.

Images: Guillotine Games/CoolMiniOrNot

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06.03.2013

Torment: Tides of Numenera via Kickstarter

The Cold, Calculating Jack (by Nils Hamm, inXile entertainment)

Torment: Tides of Numenera, das neue PC-Rollenspiel von inXile entertainment (Wasteland 2, etc.) wird über Kickstarter finanziert. In der Tradition von Planescape: Torment basiert es auf dem ebenfalls mit Hilfe von Crowdfunding entstandenen und bislang noch nicht erschienenen Numenera Pen & Paper RPG von Monte Cook.

„Torment: Tides of Numenera is a game set in the world of Monte Cook’s new tabletop RPG setting, Numenera. Torment continues the thematic legacy of Planescape: Torment, a critically acclaimed role-playing game from 1999 that’s considered by many to be a hallmark for storytelling in computer RPGs. With Torment, we’re striving to create a rich role-playing experience that explores similar deep, personal themes.

Here’s the scoop:
•Torment is a single-player, isometric role-playing game.
•You will play a single, specific character, though you will encounter optional NPC companions you may choose to include in your party.
•The story-driven game will have a rich dialogue system and approach similar to that of Planescape: Torment.
•The game will be developed in the Unity engine for PC (Windows), Mac, and Linux platforms.
•The game will be available in English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Spanish.
•The game will be distributed DRM-free. (You’ll be able to get it from Steam, and other DRM-free download options will be made available.)“
– Torment: Tides of Numenera product description

Ich unterstütze Brian Fargos neues Projekt zunächst einmal, wenngleich es mich irritiert, dass sein erster Kickstarter, Wasteland 2, noch nicht fertig gestellt wurde und seine Firma nun bereits für Torment: Tides of Numenera Geld sammelt.

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05.03.2013

Monsters & Magic – An Old School Renaissance fantasy RPG by Sarah Newton

Monsters & Magic (Mindjammer Press/Chronicle City)

Monsters & Magic is a new fantasy roleplaying game written by Sarah Newton (Mindjammer, Legends of Anglerre, Achtung! Cthulhu). The partnership of Mindjammer Press and Chronicle City will produce a print version.

„Monsters & Magic is a modern fantasy roleplaying game which mixes cutting edge rules mechanics and narrative techniques with traditional fantasy roleplaying concepts. Specifically designed to be used with classic fantasy supplements and adventures with little or no conversion, it allows players and GMs to pick up their favourite fantasy campaigns and characters and bring them to brilliant new life. It’s a game firmly in the “Old School Renaissance” spirit, and works seamlessly with classic fantasy products, new and old.“
– Monsters & Magic product announcement

I expect a mixture of the Fate, Dungeon World and the classic Dungeons & Dragons RPG, though I am not sure. The „little or no conversion“ aspect is interesting to me. I prefer K.I.S.S. („keep it short and simple„) games. As soon as possible more …

Image: Mindjammer Press/Chronicle City

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05.03.2013

Busty Barbarian Bimbos via Kickstarter

Busty Barbarian Bimbos, ein leichtherziges Pin-up Girl Fantasy-Rollenspiel von Burrowowl mischt gerade ein wenig Kickstarter auf.

„A lighthearted fantasy roleplaying game wherein the players take on the role of the pin-up girls from fantasy artwork.

For decades, games have been marketed with scantily-clad, shapely young women prominently displayed. All too frequently these games aren’t about those cheesecake pin-ups at all. The girl is a damsel in distress or villain, and the majority of play revolves around sweaty muscle-men running around being manly. Not so with Busty Barbarian Bimbos. Here the players take on the roles of the titular characters in a world that is dominated not by bearded wizards and savage swordsmen, but by the values of aesthetic beauty, fashion, and social standing.

Core design concerns, taken into account whenever possible, include

Pretty girls get preferential treatment. They are treated better by other characters. They are treated better by their clothes. They are treated better by the rules.
Disdain for slavish book-keeping. Book-keeping leads to math, math leads to tedium, and tedium isn’t what games are for.
Disdain for verisimilitude. While the assumed setting is essentially a post-apocalyptic swords & sorcery environment, getting too serious about questions like “what kind of economic and industrial infrastructure is present to allow for the supply of lip-liner and daiquiris?” is a buzz-kill.
Dismissal of manliness. Men don’t matter. The heroines aren’t encouraged to solve problems by emulating manly characters from other games. We aren’t taking Conan the Cimmerian and photoshopping a bikini onto him. Not to knock Red Sonja, but the model of empowering girls by having them act like boys is not the goal here.
Busty Barbarian Bimbos has been through a lot of changes through playtesting and high-concept debates regarding both tone and mechanical systems. The result is a sleek, extremely math-light system that facilitates extemporaneous, spontaneous storytelling.“
– Busty Barbarian Bimbos product description

Der Titel umschreibt das High Concept vortrefflich. Was sagt man(n) sonst dazu? Macho Women with Guns? Ansonsten fehlen mir die Worte …

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05.03.2013

Sails of Glory via Kickstarter

Sails of Glory – Miniatures Ship Combat, Ares Games setzt die Segel und bietet nach dem Fliegerspiel Wings of Glory (ehemals Wings of War) nun ein vergleichbares historisches Seeschlachtenspiel von Andrea Angiolino und Andrea Mainini via Kickstarter an. In gewohnter Manier verbindet das Spiel vorbemalte Miniaturen, Karten- und Brettspielelemente.

„Sails of Glory is an „Age of Sail“ tactical ship-to-ship miniature game, inspired by the best-selling Wings of Glory system.

Created by Andrea Angiolino and Andrea Mainini, Sails of Glory merges miniatures, cards and board game mechanics, using the same intuitive system of Wings of Glory, which features a special deck of maneuver cards to represent the different movement capabilities of each model.

The game will be supported by a range of painted and assembled 1/1000 miniatures.
In Sails of Glory, each ship is represented by a fully painted and assembled ship model, mounted on a special game base. The base provides at a glance information on the ship’s offensive and sailing capabilities.

Each ship is controlled using a specific maneuver deck. The maneuver deck enables each player to plot and execute the movement of the ship easily, taking into account its sails and the position to the wind, in a simple but realistic way.

The ship log (game board) included with each ship shows at a glance its combat stats, the abilities of its crew, and the actions that you plan. It also provide a simple way to track damage for the ship and to see how the abilities of the ship are affected by the damage.
The beauty of the Sails of Glory system is that at the same time it is simple to play and a very good simulation. This is possible due to its „hidden complexity“ – the combination of ship base, maneuver deck and ship log provides all the realism and details that fans of wargaming may desire, while keeping the the game rules very simple, and gameplay fun and exciting at all times.“
– Sails of Glory – Miniatures Ship Combat product description

Die Welt erfreut sich gegenwärtig an dem Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game von Fantasy Flight Games, einer offensichtlichen Kopie von Wings of War (Wings of Glory). Aufgrund des mittlerweile saftlosen Hintergrunds für mich mehr oder minder uninteressant.

Zunächst einmal klingen historische Seeschlachten im 18. und beginnenden 19. Jahrhundert in meinen Ohren sehr spannend, wenn da nicht die „lächerlichen“ Transportkosten (aktuell unter Umständen 60 $!) wären. Nach dem Kickstarter soll die Starterbox mit 4 spielbereiten Schiffen übrigens um die 90 $ kosten.

Schöne Idee, aber leider mit einer Preisgestaltung, die bei mir Bauernfänger-Assoziationen weckt. Ich bin erst einmal raus, schau aber sicher wieder vorbei.

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04.03.2013

Armes Trollland – In der Hand des pöbelnden virtuellen Lynchmobs?

Werte Leserin,
Werter Leser,

ich bin müde. Ich mag nicht mehr! Fremdscham treibt mir immer wieder die Röte ins Gesicht.
Diese Glosse verleiht meinem Unmut eine Stimme, zeichnet eine Demarkationslinie. Im großen kleinmütigen Netz der hasenherzigen Gesichtslosen zeigt manch einer überaus couragiert sein pseudonymes Alter Ego – die dreist verzerrte Fratze eines lauten flegelhaften Trollmarodeurs.

Der digitale moderne Troll, ein bemitleidenswertes affektgesteuertes Opfer seiner selbst, kennt keine Zurückhaltung. Sein enthemmter Wesenskern verlangt vielmehr, unmittelbar und überaus draufgängerisch jeder noch so übel riechenden geistigen Flatulenz nachzugeben.
Der Troll brilliert nicht mit schlagfertigen Argumenten, stattdessen erstickt der überschäumende Stänkerer abweichende Gedanken, Ideen und Meinungen bereits im Keim mit seinem giftig-faulen Vulgarismus. Auf diesem Nährboden gedeihen vorzüglich ebenso unflätige Gesinnungsgenossen anstelle einer offenen Diskussions- und vitalen Streitkultur. Die Krawallmacher folgen dabei dem irrigen Credo, wer am lautesten schreit, hat am meisten Recht.
Die durch den Schreihals angestachelte in die Hetze einstimmende rufmordende Meute verliert dabei jeglichen Anstand. Diese Spießgesellen vergessen gleichwohl, dass diejenigen, die mit Dreck werfen, mit Sicherheit diejenigen sind, die sich dreckig machen, meist gar dreckiger als alle anderen.

Der Philosoph Spinoza wusste bereits, was Paul über den Peter sagt, sagt mehr über den Paul aus als über den Peter.

Niemand verwehrt sich gegenüber einer geistreichen Kritik, insbesondere wenn diese unterhaltsam vorgetragen wird.

Augenscheinlich leiden Trolle jedoch unter einer immer weiter um sich greifenden kognitiven Dissonanz.
Meinungsfreiheit bedeutet weder, die Freiheit von Meinung noch die Freiheit unter dem Deckmantel einer Meinung Andersdenkende zu beleidigen oder zu diffamieren.

Freiheit und Verantwortung sind untrennbare Kehrseiten derselben Medaille.

Jedem Troll steht es frei, den eigenen Gedankensondermüll bei sich zu Hause in der Heimathöhle zu hegen und zu pflegen. Zumindest wir Menschen üben uns darin.
Die für das Verkippen im weltweiten Datenmeer notwendige Energie lässt sich freilich anderweitig durchaus sinnvoll nutzen. Dem misslichen Trolldasein ohne Aufmerksamkeit und Liebe kann der eine oder andere eigenständig durch das Üben von konstruktiver Kritik, von Wertschätzung oder gar persönlicher Schaffenskraft entkommen.

Trollen, die weder über diese Fähigkeit, gewitzten Charme oder eine schickliche Kinderstube verfügen, trollen sich idealerweise zur nächstbesten Lektion zum Thema Streitkultur.

Ich bin müde. Ich mag nicht mehr! Deshalb …

„Und manchmal glaube ich, dass ich zu leise bin.
Dann schrei‘ ich lauthals meine Lieder in den Wind.
Doch viel, viel lauter noch sind die, die nix zu sagen haben.
Und wenn das stimmt, dann halt‘ ich lieber mein Maul.“
– Gisbert zu Knyphausen – Sommertag

PS: Weder Splittermond noch Das Schwarze Auge liegen mir sonderlich am Herzen, eher im Gegenteil …
Ich präferiere jedoch Meinungsvielfalt gegenüber Meinungseinfalt und der Ton macht die Musik!
Das räudige Verhalten so mancher Netztrolle betrachte ich schlichtweg als inakzeptabel.

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03.03.2013

Fate RPG: Age of Arthur by Wordplay Games

Age of Arthur, ein historisch-fantastisches Fantasy-Rollenspiel von Wordplay Games befindet sich seit kurzer Zeit im Angebot von drivethruRPG.

Dieses an den historischen Aspekten der Legende von König Artus ausgerichtete Rollenspiel basiert spielmechanisch auf dem Fate-System oder genauer gesagt mit Abwandlungen auf der Science Fiction-Interpretation Diaspora.

Der Herausgeber bietet das erste Kapitel als kostenlose Vorschau zum Download (PDF) an.

„Dark Ages Roleplaying in War Torn Britannia

Age of Arthur is the forthcoming pen and paper roleplaying game set in Britannia, two generations after the withdrawal of the Roman Empire.
Using a variant of the Fate gaming engine, Age of Arthur takes you back to an age of desperate heroism, when a brave few battled for freedom against an ever growing invading power.

Take up your spear and shield, draw up the power of the old gods, make binding oaths of honour and create your own ballad fighting for a united Britannia, the old ways, for the memory of Rome, when all is crumbling into barbarism about you.

Take a look at the first chapter, to get a flavour of what is coming (large 5+ MB file).

Age of Arthur: Heroism in the Dark Ages
By Paul Mitchener & Graham Spearing“
– Age of Arthur product description

Auf den ersten Blick sieht Age of Arthur ganz gut aus. Bei Gelegenheit schaue ich es mir auf jeden Fall genauer an.

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03.03.2013

Game of Thrones Season 3: Trailer – Extended Version

Game of Thrones Season 3 trailer – extended version is available! Slowly but surely I am getting nervous.

„The darkness that will swallow the dawn.“
– Game of Thrones quote

I loved the books when they came out in Germany. Armageddon Rock and Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin made me a fan before.
I think the first three books of A Song of Ice and Fire are the best fantasy books so far. I am really tired of the usual good-evil scheme. The setting of the series might be fantasy but the struggle for power and supremacy is very real. Unfortunately!

„Show them how it feels to lose what they love.“
– Game of Thrones quote

The trailers for the 3rd season raise my expectations of the upcoming TV show.

There’s a beast in every man and it stirs when you put a sword in his hand.“
– Game of Thrones quote

By the way: The well chosen creepy anthem „Bones“ by MS MR has something.