- This article is about the boss enemies in Kingdom Rush: Vengeance. For the eponymous level where these bosses appear, see The Ancient Ghosts.
The Ancient Ghosts are dual bosses faced in the Haunted Wasteland, the fifth environment of Kingdom Rush: Vengeance, introduced in the Cursed Bargain Mini-Campaign. Both ghosts must be defeated in order to finish them off for good. They are also possibly one of the overarching antagonist of the Kingdom Rush series as Vez’nan made a deal with these bigger bads.
Overview[]
Two spectral brothers that want to claim the price of using their army and power, with a big interest included.
After Wave 15, the ghosts will travel from the upper left path and upper right path down the left fork. The path they choose is random.
Quotes[]
Opening:
You didn't send us the souls of our contract.
- Now you will pay with your own soul. Steam: Now you will pay with half the souls of your realm.
During Battle:
- No one's gonna save you.
- Do you wonder if you'll ever see the sun again?
- We can't be defeated; we can't be stopped.
- Those souls belong to us!
- Darkness falls across the land...
After Wave 15:
- The shadows hover over you.
- Prepare yourself!
Aside from the opening quotes, the other lines are not attributed to any particular color ghost. During battle, they will both utter the same lines and after wave 15, it depends entirely on where the heads have stopped moving.
Lore[]
The Ghost Kings[]
Fear is the path to the dark side..
The princes Tristan and Umber were born within seconds of difference, some centuries ago. The birth of not only one, but two heirs to the crown was a joyful occasion for the Kingdom of Valardul.
Who was the first one to leave their mother's womb remains a secret until these days.
The brothers were the pride and joy of their father, and every little whim they had was immediately fulfilled. There was nothing too extraordinary or fancy they wouldn't get. After all, they were the princes of Valardul, one of the wealthiest and most fertile kingdoms in all the explored lands.
When they came to the throne, they ruled the Kingdom together, as Diarchs. The first few years of their ruling were fruitful, the lands and villagers thrived under their command. However, soon the brothers grew greedy and decided to conquer the western territories. They started a long and devastating war that would last over 20 years, consuming the resources, lands, and lives of the inhabitants of Valardul.
The brothers fought with everything they had, but Linirea's forces were stronger and day by day pushed them back. The Diarchs sent their best knight, Jack, to fight Linirea’s King's knights on the Lush Forest (how the now infamous Rotten Forest was known at that time).
He launched a direct attack and almost managed to turn the battle around when the Diarchs ordered their general to fire cannons at the battlegrounds. Jack and his men were caught off guard by the cannon shots as they were fighting hand to hand with the enemies.
It was one of these shots that ripped Jack's head off and killed most of his squadron, allowing the knights to advance. Jack’s body was never found and remained on the Rotten Forest forever, but his spirit rose to avenge and terrorize his former allies.
In utter desperation, the brothers consulted with dark warlocks to find a way to destroy the enemies’ army. They were warned the price would be steep, but they agreed without a moment's hesitation.
The Spell the Warlocks cast did destroy most of the enemies’ armies but also doomed the kingdom and its inhabitants to eternal damnation.
Ever since that dreadful day, Valardul ́s lands became a barren wasteland. The brothers were reborn as the Ghost kings and their kinsmen transformed into terrifying beings cursed to roam the earth and obey their masters’ will for all eternity.
The Pact[]
Be careful what you wish for
Vez'nan stepped back and admired his work, his pentagram conjuration ready. His plan to conquer Denas’s castle was in motion. The Dark Lord knew he had the element of surprise on his side, as no one had dared to attack Linirea since ancient times. All he needed now was an army that would grant him his victory.
There was nothing he wouldn’t do to make sure his campaign was successful, and making pacts with ancient entities was something he needed to do. He was fully aware that alliances like this demanded hefty payments, but since his soul was already bound a previous pact he had made, he would have to bargain with something else.
He smirked at the thought of his old teacher, Nivus, finding out about his plans. The old wizard would find his actions despiteful and think of him as an abomination. But the old man had never had as much power in his hands as Vez’nan had now, nor did he ever feel the intoxicating pulse of magic emanating from the jewel that whispered to him from the tip of his staff: the magnificent Tear of Elynie.
It was time. As soon as he started chanting his conjuration spell, the grass surrounding the pentagram rotted and the air became tainted with the stench of rotten flesh and sulfur. Soon the heat became almost unbearable as the Ghost Kings materialized on the now corrupted field. There was something utterly unnerving about the ways the brothers mirrored each other’s movements as both pairs of hollow eye sockets fixed on him.
Vez’nan started with the negotiations immediately. He wanted to be done with this deal as fast as possible to be able to focus on the next step of his plan. There was no time to lose. After much discussion, the kings agreed to grant him the command of their undead army to secure Linirea’s throne. Their price was also set: they required the souls of every enemy soldier fallen in battle. The price did not bother Vez’nan at all, as it was merely collateral damage. A means to an end.
They signed the contract with blood and soon the kings disappeared from the field. The deal was done.
“Now we are ready,” the crimson red tear whispered to Vez’nan. “Let the journey begin.”
Strategy[]
- Always a good combination of archers and mage towers on both sides of the battlefield since a player will not know which way the heads stopped moving.
- Barracks does nothing to the heads, since the boss cannot be stopped and must be treated as a stronger version of Ghost. Elite Harassers, however, still have a ranged attack capable of harming the blue Ancient Ghost.
- When both Ancient Ghosts are defeated, then all of the enemies remaining in the battlefield will also be killed immediately.
Appearances[]