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Audho cries: Hurry! We’re nearly there! The entrance to the city is ahead.
Without warning, the ground erupts beneath your feet as dozens of roots emerge one hundred feet behind you, weaving together into a massive creature resembling a twisted, thorn-covered butterfly standing over twenty feet tall. It cries eerily as it slowly lurches toward the fleeing group.
A dozen Bhopanese citizens lurch into the creature's path, slashing at it in their madness. The creature ignores them as its flesh knits together rapidly. Suddenly a mass of thorns and tendrils explode from the creature’s flesh, skewering the attackers. They are lifted into the air. A terrible slurping sound fills your ears as the corpses sway on the manifestation’s tendrils like grim fetishes on a string, shrinking as the avatar drinks their blood. Rejuvenated, the creature flutters to you with terrifying speed.
Run! cries Audho.
You can approach these scenes in any initiative order, but cannot go again until everyone has made a check. I will set each scene for you and tell you what skills are needed to overcome the obstacle. You can then use any turn order you want for the round, but players cannot roll again until everyone in the group has made a check. After everyone has made a check, everyone becomes available to make another check whenever they want. This means that you can use strategy to try and avoid PCs getting forced to make checks they are not good at. If you move quickly enough past an obstacle the PCs who haven't gone yet might be better equipped at the next obstacle.
Let's say you need 4 Athletics or Acrobatics successes to clear Obstacle 1 (the GM knows how many successes you need and won't tell you, but for the sake of this example let's peek behind the GM screen). Pip decides to go first, followed by Gurmire. Both fail the check. Packet crits it, and Zarindlara does too. That's 4 successes! But now only Varret and Antonella are available when you move on to the next obstacle. This next obstacle can only be cleared with a Perform check or a Thievery check and needs 4 successes. Unfortunately, Varret and Antonella HAVE to attempt a check before anyone else can go again; they both critically fail because they're terrible at this skill. Now you need 6 successes to clear the obstacle. You bemoan your lack of strategy in allowing the worst-equipped PCs to attempt the checks first at the previous obstacle. If you had allowed the more skilled players to hit the athletics checks first, you would be set up for success on this obstacle. Instead, you will probably be stuck here for 2 rounds and Qxal will catch up.
So the overall strategy seems to be (in my opinion at least): Decide the turn order as you go, using your strongest available team members for on the check.
I have updated the google slides with a map of the island ; it has boxes that we'll use to track your movement across the island — and how close the Avatar of Qxal gets! We'll see if they can catch you! I will use Pip as the party token as she carries the crown and has Bhopanese connections. I also moved the skills sheet to Slide 2, so you can reference whose good at what.
Also Antonella, have a Hero Point!
Antonella -8 HP
Gurmire -2 HP
Packet -4 HP
Pip -0 HP
Varret -0 HP
Zarindlara -1 HP
Out here, the chaotic outskirts of Hoba Dukuza are filled with panicked mobs fleeing fey and fire alike! They are pushing towards the harbor and the Unsinkable — unfortunately, it's the opposite direction you want to go. The horrific avatar of Qxal is a mere block away. As the manifestation flutters up into the sky the drop several desiccated corpses like rotten fruit; the citizens howl and rush towards salvation.
You may make an Acrobatics or Athletics check to weave or push through, or a Society check to efficiently follow the ebb and flow of the crowds.
Bold can make checks at any time:
Antonella
Gurmire
Packet
Pip
Varret
Zarindlara
Zarindlara leads the way from the roofs while the streetwise Packet and Gurmire weave the way through the crowds, and you easily slip out of Hoba Duzuka; urmire's knowledge really helping the alchemist dart along.
Immediately outside of Hoba Dukuza is a thicket of dense foliage and plant matter, the greenery yellowed by the roaring flames engulfing the city in the distance. The avatar of Qxal rises behind the palace and hums with energy. The myriad leaves and branches in the thicket attempt to restrain you! It seems that Qxal is able to turn the island itself against you… this slog back to the boat won't be much more fun than the slog to get here… and you know Blackthane doesn't throw fancy masquerades on the Unsinkable either.
You can shove through with Athletics of make a Nature or Survival check to find the path of least resistance Using brute force looks a little more difficult than using your knowledge.
Bold can make checks at any time:
Antonella
Gurmire
Packet
Pip
Varret
Zarindlara
Thanks to the help of Audho, Pip manages to speak to the plants, turning them away from the influences of Qxal! Varret leverages his knowledge to forge on ahead…
Bold can make checks at any time:
Antonella
Gurmire
Packet
Pip
Varret
Zarindlara
Pip's faith is well-founded. Antonella bursts through the clinging vines!
Clinging Vines! Bold can go at any time:
Antonella
Gurmire
Packet
Pip
Varret
Zarindlara
At this point, the avatar of the Thorned Monarch approaches the crowds of Hoba Duzuka! It looks like the streets are clear now — good for the Bhopanese, bad for you.
"Woof!"
Bailiff barks at the vines, hoping to convey Pip's urgency!
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Pip's exhortation to the crown is so compelling that the rest of the vines let go! The avatar waves its moth-wings angrily in frustration!
You move on to the next challenge.
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Bailiff wags his tail as the vines retreat from his fearsome barking.
I'm such a good dog!
You near the open plains along the coast. But there's a cloud of dust approaching… a herd of feral wildlife is stampeding! Qxal has disturbed the burrowing creatures of the island, turning all the lovable weasels, rabbits, chipmunks, and ferrets into a horde of fury!
You can make a Deception check to misdirect the herd, an Intimidation to cow the animals, a Stealth to sneak past them, or a Nature to treat with them to stand down. You think treating with the animals would be easiest, and tricking them the most difficult.
Stampede!
Antonella
Gurmire
Packet
Pip
Varret
Zarindlara
Packet and Zarindlara sneak by the horrible bunny rabbits while Varret distracts them by leading them to an herb patch.
Stampede!
Antonella
Gurmire
Packet
Pip
Varret
Zarindlara
The chipmunks are bemused by the treats Gurmire offers, but at least they don't attack!
Qxal flutters closer, hovering over the thicket. The vines seem to pull back from the moth in pure terror…
Stampede!
Antonella
Gurmire
Packet
Pip
Varret
Zarindlara
The squirrels look at Packet's shadow, but he doesn't provoke an attack. Nevertheless, the malicious fey light glimmers in their eyes…
While they're distracted, Zarindlara slips by!
Stampede!
Antonella
Gurmire
Packet
Pip
Varret
Zarindlara
Many of the squirrels and weasels listen to their friend Pip! You're almost past the stampede!
Stampede!
Antonella
Gurmire
Packet
Pip
Varret
Zarindlara
You come to a clearing near the edge of the forest, and a chill mist descends. When you breathe the mist you experience figments of your most terrifying and unpleasant memories!
Glade of Screams!
Antonella
Gurmire
Packet
Pip
Varret
Zarindlara
"Woof!"
Bailff growls while he waits for Pip's turn, not liking this glade at all.
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"Woooof! Woooof!"
Bailliff barks to let the squirrels in this glade know that he is not messing around.
Antonella manages to use her knowledge of the occult to fight off the bunny-slippered vision! '
Gurmire, meanwhile, is too distracted by Bailiff to help anyone make progress.
Qxal moves closer— the stampeding squirrels and weasels flee…
Glade of Screams!
Antonella
Gurmire
Packet
Pip
Varret
Zarindlara
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Pip tries to shush Bailiff, and then suddenly is assailed with illusions.
Her family being carted off to jail, crying, "Pip! Save us! We're innocent!" as Absalom's city guard sets fire to their business.
Lelzeshin leaning over the bodies of murdered servants in alcoves, muttering, "This is ALL your fault, Pip. They could have lived, if it were not for you."
The people of Bhopan, throwing rocks at her. "You're not one of us! Go back to your safe little Pathfinder life, and leave us be!"
Then she closes her eyes and remembers Grandma Mahana. Grandma Mahana, who always smelled of cinnamon bark tea, and who had chats with animals at her windows. In her mind's eye, she sees Grandmother Mahana singing a song with her, and a few minutes later, Pip joins in.
♫ It's a moment of magic
It's a momentary delusion
No need to panic
It's just a fey illusion
Evil's trying to hunt you down
It's scared and jealous
You're wearing that crown
So, be brave and tell us
What fears are lurking?
What's holding you back?
Qxal is on the move, jerking
You around (time to get him back!)
It's a moment of magic
It's a momentary delusion
No need to panic
It's just a fey illusion
This is what you've always wanted
A place that you can belong
So what if this Glade is haunted
You can defeat it with a song
So Qxal's rushing behind you
You're doing this to save Bhopan
Do I need to remind you
You have one chance to right a wrong?
It's a moment of magic
It's a momentary delusion
No need to panic
It's just a fey illusion
Though we're apart
Know I'm always with you
Your own heart
Knows what is true
The thorned monarch is coming
Time to open your eyes
And finish up your humming
Girl, it's time to get wise!
It's a moment of magic
And there's one conclusion
No need to panic
It's just a fey illusion
It's just...
a fey illusion ♫
Pip shakes her head, and shouts,
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Varret stumbles as he walks through the glade, stopping in his tracks as he stumbles on something and hears a groan from the mist-shrouded ground by his feet. Crouching down, he touches the form, bringing his hand up out of the mist covered in blood. A week voice calls to him in his native tongue, begging for help as the sound armor-clad footsteps approach from the south. Angry voices call out in from the edge of the glade, and are answered in a harsh, evil tongue. As quickly as he can, Varret tends to the wounded warrior, torn between his dying comrade and the approaching threat. The warrior's breathing gets shallow, ragged, then stops altogether. Quiet returns.
Pip and Varret fight off the illusions, each coping with the tragedies of their past in their own way — a song or solemn silence. The mist is very thin now… you can almost see the way out!
Glade of Screams!
Antonella
Gurmire
Packet
Pip
Varret
Zarindlara
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For a moment, Packet wanders through dark corridors, whispering voices leading him ever onward. The final clue is just around the corner. Everything will make sense then. Just one more turn.
But then he shakes off the illusions, to find himself back in the glade with Bailiff barking and Pip singing.
Packet himself is the final clue you need to make it past Qxal's illusions! The moth chitters with frustration, still not far behind but seeing you pull ahead.
Ahead is a mire… it looks more difficult than any challenge yet. The quicksand-like mud here isn't soaked in water, but in blood that weeps from open sores that Qxal has created in the land!
You can make an Athletics check to pull yourself through the muck, a Medicine check to bandage the earth's open sores, or a Crafting check to coagulate the blood and make it easier to pass through.
Bloody Mire!
Antonella
Gurmire
Packet
Pip
Varret
Zarindlara