Mask Campaign Chapter 6d: Obstacle Course

   The party has retrieved The Mask of Necromancy from the temple but has unknowingly triggered the islands guardians to life. Exiting the temple will be no problem till they reach the main doors. There they will encounter the first of the islands guardian golems (see Island of Eternal Vigilance for details on the golems).

   This creature, like all the others, seeks to 1st kill all party members and 2nd return the mask to its resting place. However it (they) will attack anyone holding the mask first in an attempt to retrieve it. Black Lily will of course be holding the mask initially but will pawn it off onto a party member to hold once the golems intentions become obvious. When the party defeats the first golem, smashing it to rubble they will notice that it begins to roll back together-regenerating. Once the creature reached 50% hit points it can continue the battle or begin to slowly follow the party. It will also become obvious that the other golems on the island are headed toward the party albeit... at a slow pace.

   A suggestion will be made "To run for the boat!" However, the party must still make its way over the treacherous ground that they climbed to come here. They will encounter new golems twice more during their descent. When they finally reach stable ground and can look for the longboat they will see that the golems from the islands edges have also come to life and several(6) are blocking the path to the boat.

   If willing to risk a jump from a cliff (60'-100' height) they can reach the water but otherwise must fight their way through. One possibility would be to give the mask to someone who would then lead the golems away from the boat. Black Lily will suggest this course of action if no players do. She will suddenly prefer to live rather than steal the mask. None of the pirates will volunteer of course, only a player might be noble enough to make this decision. If someone does try this action it will work. The golems follow and attack someone with the mask before any others.

   Those who make a run to the boats may still have to duck 1 or 2 golems, DM's discretion here. The player who has decided to play bait may be able to make it back to the boat or perhaps dive into the ocean. The golems cannot be tricked by invisibility or illusions but if anyone makes it off the island they cannot and will not pursue. If the mask itself is taken away, then the golems begin to revert back to un-living stone and walk back to their assigned places on the cliff shores.

   In the longboat the group will wait off shore, at the pirate queen's insistence, for the person who has the mask to rejoin them before heading back to the Tempest. But all is not safe yet for no crew can be seen aboard the pirate ship as the longboat returns.

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