Kenshi
Koomatzu  [developer] Sep 7, 2016 @ 3:39am
Tell us your stories
Hi everyone :-)

I’m trying to gather some cool player stories to use in our marketing material and was hoping you could help! Kenshi’s all about the random stories and the personal experiences after all.

So, we want to hear your experiences, all about your favourite characters. The theme is attachment, attachment to your beloved squad members and the feels when you lose them to a gruesome death, or the pride when they finally grow into a badass swordsman from a pantless drifter that could barely carry his rusty sword.

To say thanks, we’re offering a free copy of Prison Architect on Steam in exchange for the best story :)


EDIT: Was told on our other forum that my criteria was too vague - It can be any length from a few sentences onwards, although I'm not looking so much for fan-fiction as I am more simple accounts. Like, 'I rescued a malnourished slave called Inu, trained her up from 0 skills and stole food until she became a mighty warrior. Then, after taking down 20 cannibals single handedly, she got captured on a rescue mission of her ally, Renley, and I ended up watching her get eaten alive and cried myself to sleep that night'. Obviously that's a terrible example though, hence why I need some valuable player inspiration.
Last edited by Koomatzu; Sep 8, 2016 @ 1:52am
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Showing 1-15 of 18 comments
Tommygun Sep 7, 2016 @ 4:26am 
.........Well there is that one story about Bob and the cannibals.......we did manage to rescue him......a little late.......
We did right by him though......at least I think we did. He's now the greeter at our outpost's main gate.
Well he's actually mounted to the gate. We use him as a big door knocker.

OK maybe that's not a good story. I'll try and come up with something better.
Oh, there was that time I pick up Hastune in a bar...........OK I'll stop now..........
Koomatzu  [developer] Sep 7, 2016 @ 4:33am 
Originally posted by Tommygun:
Oh, there was that time I pick up Hastune in a bar...........OK I'll stop now..........

Poor Hatsune >.<
Erei Sep 7, 2016 @ 5:11am 
Not much, but as I was showing the game to a friend IRL, I was playing rather poorly. I didn't notice but my slow group member "Ice" (I never changed the name), which is like the 3rd guy I recruited, a shek and my "tank" (heavy armor, taunt everything) was lagging behind my team. To put thing in perspective, I think he started as a "nobody" or perhaps he had like 10/10 offensive/defensive stats.
A bunch of hungry bandit decided he was looking tasty or something, so they attacked him. He killed them all with 2hits, 2 at once.

I couldn't help but imagine this big nasty Shek with a mighty 2 handed sword (a long cleaver), taunting people around and basically cutting them in half. Some limbs were lost. Then he moved to the base like nothing happened.
ForgeTec Sep 7, 2016 @ 9:26am 
my team of 4 bulls and trader were running through the swamp being chased by beak things - ran out of forest with around 10 beak things chasing me right into a holy empire squad - and that sir is how I got my wonderful new suit of paladin armor

my char pulled a pack of swamp raptors into a empire town and the guards / vendors attacked them - ran into the backpack shop for safety and realized the vendor had been knocked unconcious so I figured hey lets test the thief system out - so I stole a large backpack and stuffed it full of goods from his store and ran before he woke up - 2 days later I run back into town not thinking wearing the backpack and the guy started screaming thief - ran out of town screaming with a squad of empire goons on my tail right into a pack of raptors that then attacked them - kidnaped the paladin dropped him in the shek town when he woke up he attacked took out half the guards and gave himself a huge bounty and I turned him in once he was knocked out - now theres a paladin in jail wondering what the hell happened and why he woke up in a cage naked

I have more but the rest is generally me running around screaming - or using beak things as weapons of terror (really wish I could tame those they hurt and look awesome - or could ride one!)
Him Sep 7, 2016 @ 9:42am 
Walking within the realm of the holy nation, just recruited this big guy, better than average with a sword. He told us about himself vaguely. We call him Fish, since Fish was better than most of us with a sword he accompanied us on the frequent runs to blister hill. Today was like any other, we loaded up the pack bull as well as our own back packs and headed north east from our outpost known as Loners peak. Going about our day as usual we begin to journey, with grandeur in hearts and swiftness at our feet. While listening to the metal reverberating up from gate to wall, thoughts of new clothing schematics and weapons dance in our heads. Now traveling for about an hour or so past the wild dogs and beak things, we see a heard of bull just before a patrol of the holy nation screams "halt"!. we don't want trouble so we stop, there were no ladies present in our expedition today, so I'm sure we will not need to listen to how shes unclean and a temptress. The words that follow let my party and I know that this land is unrelenting, with authority in his voice he spoke, "I must take all non-humans in your party and send them for cleansing". Fish is a Shek.
Last edited by Him; Sep 7, 2016 @ 10:00am
Henry Sep 7, 2016 @ 11:32am 
Well, in every game that you can put names i always use my best friends names, so then i started with Henrique, João, Erick, Romulo, Lucas and Pedro.

I was still new to game and was searching for a place to setup, when i arrived at this enormous big green flat area with iron, great fertility and copper nearby. We built our shack, started researching and started mining and farming, everything was fine, we were escaping from our opressors and forging our own destiny together... Well that until river raptors came, destroyed our crops and KO'ed Henrique,João and Pedro. After some time i discovered that our Trained soldier (Romulo) could deal easily with them, so i set up patrols with him for possible invasion routes of the Raptors, it was a great sucess. After days of mining we finally had enough materials for a nice wall so we could protect ourselves from potential invasors, although the Holy Nation soldiers were nice to me...

After setting up a nice bakery it was time to start making money, so i sent my fastest companion Henrique to sell 20 Breads and return with more Scientific books and some workforce, the bread price at the time was absurd, we got rich pretty quickly, we bought the entire research book stock from the entire city and hired three more companions: Marcus,Gabriel and Igor. We've built and developed even more, in no time we had a bustling city with an emerging economy, i called it Libertalia, not only because is a cool asf name, but because it means liberty, no one shall be a slave here, people are free to come and go when they want.

Well, it was just another day, when i suddenly heard loud text messages in the screen, i was wondering what the hell was happening, apparently a Holy nation scout was demanding something from me, actually, i haven't been completely honest with you, our trained soldier Romulo... Was a Shiek. It was the first time i have been in the greenlands and this information was not known by me, we fought a hard battle and managed to drift them away with our turrets, but now we are hunted by every single paladin avaiable in the entire Build with orders to kill us in sight, we can't trade anymore, we can't go away because we always get slaughtered mid-way, all we can do is stay in our walls, and defend from sieges... On that day, we received a grim reminder. We lived in fear of the Holy nation, and were disgraced to live in these cages we called walls. And thus started... ATTACK ON KENSHI *plays opening
caliwish Sep 7, 2016 @ 1:43pm 
We were a team of newbies plus the Old Soldier just training our skills up by luring one Dust Bandit at a time. Well, word must have got around, and the next thing we knew is that the whole camp was after us! We ran and ran into the desert until we were so tired of running we decided to make a stand. Just then the wind started to gust. We ran some more hoping to lose them in the dust storm. Finally, we turned to face our pursuers to find that only 5 remained. After a long battle, we were victorius and started to patch up the wounded and unconscious. We then turned to the bandits and started looting them. The wind started to kick up again, and the Dust Bandits we buried before our eyes. Never to be seen again... Best game ever!
mid endian Sep 7, 2016 @ 2:49pm 
I basically was a nomad wandering the outskirts of civilization, exploring the rocky areas around the holy nation cities. got injured by some wild dogs, found myself limping and without a splint. followed a passing patrol that was heading north, wasn't sure if they were leaving or going to one of their cities. I followed them north for a bit, watched them cut down an escaped slave then move onto another.

I was about to loot the body, but realized that this slave was a prisoner of the holy nation. I patched him up with my medkits, picked him up, and limped off into the taller rocky areas until I got to a high spot that was relatively flat. I set up a bed, placed the escaped slave in it, then then collapsed into another I made for myself.

the slave woke up, and begged me to take him with. he was a better fighter than I was. we cleaned him up, gave him a proper name and a new appearance so the Holy Nation wouldn't recognize him. I then decided that I'd find more slaves that are in need of help who didn't escape the knight patrols, and hope they join up with my small band.

our numbers are currently at 7, and I have more attachment to all of these former prisoners than I would for any mercenary hired in a bar.
Sorry for the length, but it's a long story :)

Kheldar was a very successful trader. Growing from just Bruce and Frida, a wild bull and his first dog, to a sprawling caravan of 6 domesticated bulls each laden with luxurious trade goods, rum, narcotics, and enough materials to build a town. Kheldar thought that since his bulls were each protected by two dogs he should find some apprentices to lead the caravan team so he could settle down on a small farm.

After finding two greenhorns, Ice and Garian, in the next bar he set out to train them. While on the last leg of the first caravan journey showing his apprentices the best routes between towns they were attacked by a pack of beak things. As Ice and Garian attempted fruitlessly to defend themselves against the onslaught, Kheldar and Frida fought their way through the pack to save them.

They arrived bloodied and badly wounded as Ice collapsed and Garians arm was broken.

Surrounded by the fallen caravan, Kheldar and Frida launched their attack on the final member of the beak thing pack. But Kheldar could not keep up the fight after a blow to the head left him bleeding and unconscious. Leaving just Frida and the beak thing, tearing at each other in a primal rage until, bloody but unbowed she landed a deathblow.

Padding over to Kheldars still form she waited for him to get up, waited for a kind hearted stranger to come along and bandage his wounds as had happened so many times before. But there was only Bruce limping towards her, horns dripping with blood.

Garians eyes burst open, his head aching and arm twisted. Gathering himself he gazed at the destruction that lay before him. Ice was near, unconcsious but alive. He ran over to Frida and Bruce.

Grabbing his medkit he tried to bandage Kheldar, but it was too late. His mentor lay dead, his dreams trampled in his effort to save his apprentice.

Determined to carry on, he bandaged Frida, Bruce, and Ice. They filled the packs with everything they could carry. Ice threw Kheldar's body over her shoulder and they began walking.

As the sun fell Ice leaned Kheldars body on the ground and the four stopped to eat. Gazing at the plain in front on them Ice turned to Garian and spoke for the first time,
"I'm not cut out for this adventuring. I'm going to set up a farm here, you're welcome to stay."
"I'll help you build, but after that I'll be on my way." said Garian, "Kheldar wouldn't want his caravan to stay this small for long, I'm going to make it even bigger than he managed too."

"Very well, just remember to come back every once and a while."

Garian smiled, a tear rolling down his cheek, "I'll have to, I don't think Frida is coming with me. She's still standing next to Kheldars body, I don't think she'll follow anyone else."

Garian kept his promise to return, bringing Ice news of the world and occasionally greenhorns that realized they weren't cut out for adventuring after a tour with his ever growing caravan.

During one visit the two went for a walk in the nearbye hills. On their way back they stopped to look at the farm from above.

"That's no farm anymore," commented Garian, "it's a village."
"It's Kheldaville" Ice said quietly, "Forever a reminder of opportunity, protected by the most loyal beast in the world"
lemons4sail Sep 7, 2016 @ 5:16pm 
This offer still going on?
Griffinhawk Sep 7, 2016 @ 6:07pm 
Originally posted by ForgeDrake:
my team of 4 bulls and trader were running through the swamp being chased by beak things - ran out of forest with around 10 beak things chasing me right into a holy empire squad - and that sir is how I got my wonderful new suit of paladin armor

my char pulled a pack of swamp raptors into a empire town and the guards / vendors attacked them - ran into the backpack shop for safety and realized the vendor had been knocked unconcious so I figured hey lets test the thief system out - so I stole a large backpack and stuffed it full of goods from his store and ran before he woke up - 2 days later I run back into town not thinking wearing the backpack and the guy started screaming thief - ran out of town screaming with a squad of empire goons on my tail right into a pack of raptors that then attacked them - kidnaped the paladin dropped him in the shek town when he woke up he attacked took out half the guards and gave himself a huge bounty and I turned him in once he was knocked out - now theres a paladin in jail wondering what the hell happened and why he woke up in a cage naked

I have more but the rest is generally me running around screaming - or using beak things as weapons of terror (really wish I could tame those they hurt and look awesome - or could ride one!)
Beak Thing Cavalry would be awesome.
Last edited by Griffinhawk; Sep 7, 2016 @ 6:18pm
Glotglot Sep 7, 2016 @ 6:11pm 
Originally posted by Qabu:
This offer still going on?

Koomatzu hasn't it was over so I guess the offer is still on. Come, join us by the fire and tell us your tales of death and misery.
Last edited by Glotglot; Sep 7, 2016 @ 6:13pm
hyperlightdragon Sep 7, 2016 @ 8:03pm 
All alone, Suna--the adopted Sand Jounin--wanders the world, looking for the interesting and the wicked alike. Swimming for miles with full backpacks, outrunning the shriekers of the forests, and taking in the pleasant views of age old pasts, Suna finds happiness where others would fade away. One day, the lovely lady found herself in quite the predicament, having been able to sneak her way into a wayward lab, but unable to get herself out. Spidermech upon spidermech assaulted the poor girl, and no matter how many times she found herself able and willing to part ways with the legendary finds within, the mighty Suna could not depart. Upon being defeated once more, she lay at the robotics' feet, her life flashing before her eyes.

Elsewhere, south of the states of Okran, north of the dreaded swamp lands, and nesteled smoothly between the purple rain forests and the bandit lands, lay the homely base from where Suna once set out from. Toiling away at the research bench, the leader of this motley crew, Amaya, was overcome with a terrible feeling. "Suna has not come back for a long time," she whispered to her Shek friend, before eyeing Burns, the medical robot. "I advise to take the biggest weapon," he responded, his spikes rustling at the thought of combat. Heading over to Burns, his recent batches of med kits and splints lay at the station, ready for the task ahead. Picking up the largest of them, Amaya headed quickly for the weapons rack, swapping out her normal slim katana to her backup holster while she equipped the legendary Fragment Axe. "I won't be able to use this very well, but if I can find Suna quickly enough, this will help her, I'm sure."

Waving goodbye to the other Greenlanders in the nearby farm fields, and giving the bull and pup a quick scritch behind the ears, Amaya looked up at the towering gates that one of the other sand ninjas was raising. "She has to be okay, she absolutely has to," she kept murmuring to herself. As soon as the gate was raised, Amaya ran full tilt to their outpost in Obedience. Along the way, she dodged packs of dogs, religious patrols, deadhivers, and what seemed like never ending Fogmen. Up, down, through the pea soup fog, and finally arriving at the glassed lands, Amaya took rest along the half-finished bed in their only fortified position this far north of the Holy Lands. At sun set, the hearty lady snuck out from the outpost, dodging spidermechs and robots with ease as she headed even further north. The only place Suna could go and not return, Amaya thought, are the ancient labs in the dreaded Floodlands.

Never ending rain drizzled unhappily upon the little leader as she slogged her way around the lake, dodging line sight after line sight. Popping around a slanted tower, she came directly into the face of a ferocious monster bot, its many steel limbs ready and waiting for a hapless adventurer. Pulling out the Fragment Axe, Amaya tried to block, but was not in time. Slumping over, she passed out in the doorway as the creaking bulk of the spidermech continued on in its eternal pursuit of mostly imaginary enemies. Some time later, Amaya stirred from her blackout. "How long have I been out," she wondered, looking at the inside of the slanted tower. Patching herself up, she peeked out of the safe haven to make sure she was alone this time. When the coast was clear, and the spidermechs were marching away in the distance, Amaya's gut told her she was close to her long-time companion.

Not far from the slanted tower lay one of the few still standing research labs, and the first one that Amaya had ever visited with Suna. Although they had cleared it out in the past, nothing was ever permanent. With the last bit of land gone, Amaya swam the remaining distance to the barbwired point, and then floated around to the stairs leading up to shallower depths. "I'm close, I can feel it," she thought, readying her weapon. Sneaking around to the only entrance, she spied several spidermechs, but they were all facing away. Smiling, she kept low and slow, sneaking quickly to the far stairs. Circling upwards on the staircase, Amaya popped her head above the last stair to see a lone robotic worker, idling silently. It too was facing away, to which she sighed a breath of relief. Several minutes passed as she snuck up the second staircase to the third floor, which contained arrays of battery banks and a small cache of supplies. If anywhere, this place would be where Suna was stuck. Sure enough, as Amaya popped her head over the last stair, a ferocious spidermech reared its mechanical head. Without delay, Amaya eschewed combat to sprint for the cache's room, barely making it before being konked on the head. Falling over, she spied Suna crumpled in the corner.

What seemed like an eternity later, Amaya awoke with quite the headache. "Ugh," she vocalized, before coming around enough to realize that emitting sound here was a bad idea. Grimacing as she bandaged her head, she wobbled over to her lone adventuring companion. "Suna," she whispered, looking over the grave wounds present on her dear friend's torso, "Please be well!" Working through the night, Amaya bandaged every hole, puncture, break, and bruise, all to the dreadful tunes of the churning gears in the labs around her. Well into the second day of being holed up on the third floor, Suna had not yet awoken, but she had not yet passed on to the next life, either. "Come on, sister, let us try and leave," she let slip, picking up the comatose patient. Popping her head out from the room, Amaya could hear louder creaks from the left, than the right, and guessed that the only safe way to go would be the quieter route. As luck would have it, she made it all the way down to the first floor before being ambushed by the front entrance.

With no recourse other than to defend herself or flee, she decided that trying to wield her weapon with her friend on her back would be impossible, and set Suna down as quickly as she could without hurting her. Just in time, a spidermech's arm clanged against the metal of the Fragment Axe, sparks spewing off into the shallow waters behind our plucky leader. "Rargh," she screamed, pulling all of her might into the largest attack she could muster. As the weapon dented the attacking spidermech's arm, the heavens deemed it time for Suna to awaken.

Picking herself up, Suna placed a hand to her head, her dizzyness not subsiding. Turning the wobby vision about, she realized that Amaya had come to her aid, and that the both of them were in deep trouble. As if time had slowed to a pause, Amaya's hand let loose the sword-like axe to her companion, and then pulled out her slim katana to defend and aggro the fiendish death contraption. Catching the Axe, Suna knew just what to do as time sped up. Flanking the hulking opponent, she gave it the good ol' one-two on the legs, crushing both in mere moments. Rearing its forelegs up in frustration, the spidermech turned just as Suna swung again, claiming its only method for attacking. With no way to deal with the situation, the monstrosity attempted to stumble away as the two woman squad went to pure offense. If they left it alone, it would surely heal somehow, and continue on its rampage, to which they could not afford. Moments later, the spidermech crumbled to its knees, opening itself to plundering. Coming down from being enraged, Suna put her weapon away as she thrust an arm deep into the pile of circuitry and junk, ripping out whatever she could find. After throwing everything onto the ground, the mech lived no more. Glancing up her bestie, Suna's eyes watered. "I thought I was going to die," she said, wavering unsteadily on her feet. "I missed you too," Amaya replied, indicating that they should quickly depart. Nodding towards the most favorable suggestion, Suna fell in line behind Amaya as they swam for the nearest haven, the slanted tower. After a night's rest, the duo spoke up about their intuitions, and Suna presented a legendary find in the manner of an A.I. Core. As the wounds continued to heal, they made their way slowly back to the outpost in Obedience, and then finally to home, safe and sound.
Koomatzu  [developer] Sep 8, 2016 @ 1:33am 
Originally posted by Qabu:
This offer still going on?
Of course, I'll leave it running on here, Facebook and Lo-Fi for another week, although there are already loads of cool stories tbh. Thanks for all your help so far.

Originally posted by ForgeDrake:
I have more but the rest is generally me running around screaming
Possible quote to add to our next trailer right there ;P
yamnoa Sep 9, 2016 @ 5:58am 
well for me the best part is bulding my own trade base right now i am craeting a home base for my jewish trader i am a jew so i named him as amnon like my name trying to crate the base with insparation from the trade base of france in nothern african in the river near the desert its awousome the last version no attacks just doing my own thing and you should really do some more help like in youtube conecting all craetors with some contest and we need to have 100 episodes of this serie to have one minute of our videos in the trailer it should be great publicity for you guys on youtube anyway my best part is do your own thing crate whatever i want have your own industry its amazing
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Date Posted: Sep 7, 2016 @ 3:39am
Posts: 18