The Peril of Palm Heart Island

The adventure begins with the player characters onboard a
boat, heading directly for Skullcano Island. Unusually, there
aren’t many competitors racing alongside them this time—
because Skullcano Island wasn’t always Skullcano Island.
And when a giant skullcano appears on what used to be a
glorious tropical paradise, even the extremely curious tend
to stay away. But not our heroes! They’re responding to an
impassioned plea for help from a group of fellow awakened
animals. And hey, if finding out happens results in them
finding a valuable genius loci… well, where’s the harm in that?

The harm comes in the form of a local goblin chieftain
who encountered the island’s genius loci, a smooth wooden
mask, and somewhat unwisely, put it on, and it granted
him astonishing powers of control over liquid rock. The
goblin’s mind was soon overwhelmed by the visions of
conquest the genius loci showed him. With the power of the
island coursing through him and his growing clan of goblins
around him, Pookle Prisk (the goblin chieftain’s name,
naturally) began to turn the once verdant island into a
rocky fortress.

his, of course, isn’t exactly ideal for the small, peaceful
community of awakened animals who dwell on the island.
Their beautiful tropical haven is being quickly destroyed as
Pookle turns the island into something truly horrible—with
a great big skullcano at the centre. The island always had a
volcano at its heart, but turning it into a giant skull… well,
it’s a valuable insight into Pookle’s mind.

The player characters need to make their way to the
skullcano, through the remnants of the thick tropical forest
still clinging to the island. There’ll be some trouble on the
way, of course. Pookle’s deep connection with the island
via the genius loci means he’s aware of the player characters
as soon as they set foot on the island—which also means
goblins are soon dispatched to take care of the interlopers,
and, if that doesn’t work…Pookle has the power of living
rock at his disposal.

Overcoming these obstacles won’t be easy, but, if the player
characters can make it to the skullcano, then they have
some hope of stopping Pookle. How they do that, of course,
is up to them. Before he donned the genius loci, Pookle
was a reasonable, intelligent creature. Perhaps he can be
reached? Or perhaps the only option is the language of the
sword. However they resolve Pookle and the genius loci,
once Pookle’s grip on the living rock is broken, much of it
dissolves into magma, requiring the player characters to surf
down a torrent of lava to escape. And everyone knows what
lurks in lava, right? Lava sharks, of course! Negotiate this
final threat, and the player characters have saved the day
and the island!

This adventure is designed for player characters of 3rd
level. It’s challenging, but some thought and some clever
strategies should seem them through unharmed. It’s
definitely worth reminding the players at the start — not
every enemy has to be defeated through fighting. There are
plenty of opportunities for negotiating your way out of a
fight in this adventure, should the player characters want to
take them!

The day is bright, the sea is placid, and the boat the player
characters are aboard is small but fast and well equipped.
It’s captained by a chihuahua named Snippy and crewed by
a raccoon (Stripy) and an otter (Stan). All three are residents
of Skullcano Island. They came to town seeking aid, and the
player characters were the only group who responded.
The player characters were told the following:

• The island spotted emerging from the mists by the
  observatory was, initially, thought to be new. Its main
  feature is an enormous skullcano—or a volcano, shaped
  like a skull, just to be clear.
  
• The truth, revealed by Snippy, Stripy, and Stan is
  somewhat different than what the researchers believe.
  Skullcano Island (as it’s quickly become called) used to
  be known as Palm Heart Island. It was once a tropical
  paradise… it isn’t any longer!
  
• The chief of a clan of goblins who dwell on the island,
  Pookle Prisk, has discovered the island’s genius loci—a
  sinister mask—which he’s using to reshape the island
  into a rocky fortress.
  
• In doing so, he’s destroying the village, orchards, and
  fishing spots of the awakened animals whom Snippy,
  Stripy, and Stan represent.
  
• They used to have good relationships with the goblins,
  and Pookle was considered a friend by Snippy, but since
  he found the mask… things have really changed.
  
• They believe Pookle wants to finish reshaping the island
  into a fortress and then possibly attack Flotsam!
  
• The journey from Flotsam to Skullcano Island is about
  an hour, and the player characters are able to ask any
  questions they like of Snippy, Stripy, and Stan. The trio
  are willing to share information and answer the player
  character’s questions as best they can, mainly rehashing
  the information above. They’re clearly unsettled by
  what’s happened on their island and are deeply fearful of
  what might become of their small community.

The trio come from the small village of Palm Heart
(which, until very recently gave the island its name) is
a well-established, agrarian community. It’s populated
exclusively by awakened animals of all different species,
living in harmony with the island and each other and even,
until Pookle Prisk’s discovery of the genius loci, the goblins.

They also explain that Pookle is able to use the genius loci
to move and shape rock, becoming liquid and reforming at
his command. They are extremely scared of this power, as
Pookle has used it to claim much of the land the Palm Heart
community used for growing food. Beautiful volcanic lakes
are now turned into something like stony ramparts; groves
of beautiful palm trees are now defensive walls. There is
increasingly little of the once-idyllic island left.

Once the player characters have spent some time interacting
with the crew of their boat, they arrive at Palm Heart.
The village is extremely small, with only a little jetty for
the various fishing boats and other small craft the villagers
use for their daily lives. Palm Heart is, when the player
characters arrive, extremely quiet.

Snippy explains: Since Pookle started wearing the mask…
well, everyone thinks it’s safer to stay inside, frankly Keep out of
the goblin’s way We’re not adventurers here We’re famers, and
we’re not going up against goblins Especially as some of them we
counted as friends

Stripy and Stan, upon mooring the boat and thanking the
adventurers for their agreeing to help, immediately head
back to their homes. Snippy, however, offers to accompany
the player characters on their hike to the skullcano (see page
159 for more information on Snippy).

A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that
he’d much rather not do this, and is deathly afraid of doing
so, but considers it his duty. Should a player character say
to Snippy that he doesn’t need to accompany them, Snippy
looks uncertain for a moment, before sagging in relief, and
grasping the player character’s hand. He searches in his
small pack for a moment and offers that player character
a potion of healing If the player characters decide to take
Snippy with them, he uses this potion when it’s needed—but
is as likely to use it on himself as on an adventurer.

If Snippy goes with the player characters, he leads the way
out of the silent village. Otherwise, he points the player
characters into the interior of the island, where strange rock
shapes loom up, casting ominous shadows across the earth,
and the remaining trees form a dense and impenetrable
tangle. The journey to the skullcano has begun!

A short distance from the edge of the village begins the
Flaming Forest. The trees aren’t actually on fire, but their
long exposure to the seething magma roiling beneath the
island and the strange influence of the genius loci has resulted
in the trees of this forest becoming wreathed in roots and
branches which resemble glowing lava. Despite the dense
tangle of trees, the light here is even brighter than it was in
the village—but the light possesses a deep, red glow.

Volcanic gases seep from a few small vents in the earth,
giving the entire forest a heady, almost intoxicating scent.
Indeed, upon entering the Flaming Forest, every player
character (and Snippy, if he’s there) must succeed on a
DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become stunned as
the gases take hold. Any player character affected by the
gas can try and shake off their lethargy, with a subsequent
Constitution saving throw, made at the start of each of their
subsequent turns.

The gas isn’t entirely natural. Pookle is aware of almost
everything happening on the island. Wearing the genius loci
has, in some sense, made the erstwhile goblin chief the island.
As soon as the player characters had set foot on the island, he
was aware of them. These sweet-smelling gases are designed
to weaken the player characters and make it easier for the
player characters to be swiftly defeated by his goblins, goblins
that are currently rushing to intercept the player characters.

The player characters might be able to detect the sound
of Pookle’s goblins, with a successful DC 16 Wisdom
(Perception) check. The goblins are too used to this terrain
to be easy to hear, or spot, as they’re intending to ambush
the player characters. If none of the player characters
manage to hear or spot the goblins, then the goblins have
managed to surprise the adventurers. There are twice as
many goblin followers as player characters,

The goblins’ tactics are simple; they begin by firing arrows
at the player characters (hoping to do some damage before
the adventurers even realise that they’re there). Once this
initial flurry is over, half of the goblins draw their swords
and close with the player characters, aiming to hold them
in place. The rest scurry over to the trees. They clamber up,
grab coconuts, and hurl them at the player characters. These
coconuts are the same glowing, lava red as the roots and
branches of the trees, and, when they land, explode with an
unpleasant squelching sound.

Any creature struck by a magmanut (as they’re more
properly called) suffers 1 point of bludgeoning damage. The
true danger with magmanuts comes later. Any magmanut
striking a player character will land in the earth. After 1d3
rounds, it suddenly explodes like a tiny organic landmine!
Any creature within 5 ft. in any direction of the magmanut
must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or suffer
1d6 fire damage and be knocked prone.

If the player characters approach the trees and try to climb
them—requiring a successful DC 14 Dexterity (Acrobatics)
or DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check—the goblins sever one
of the glowing veins in the tree, sending lava spewing down
on the player character. A player character must succeed
on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw to avoid damage. A
failure results in the player character taking 1d4 fire damage
and falling from the tree, becoming prone and taking an
additional 1d4 bludgeoning damage. Any player characters
who are prone will have a magmanut thrown towards their
head by the goblins.

Of course, the player characters don’t have to climb the
trees, at all. They can cut them down or simply fire arrows
into the trees.

They can also try talking to the goblins, if they wish. The
goblins are very loyal to Pookle—after all, a leader with
a magical mask capable of reshaping volcanoes tends to
inspire a degree of loyalty—but they also know that things
aren’t right. A successful DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion)
or DC 18 (Intimidate) check, along with a sufficiently
impassioned argument, is enough to make them consider
whether the promises of power and glory Pookle has made
them are actually better than the life they had before. Should
a player character bring up friendships with the inhabitants
of Palm Heart or refer to Snippy (whether he’s there or not),
then they may make their Charisma check at advantage. If
the player characters don’t succeed in swaying the goblins,
then the goblins fight until three-quarters of their number
are killed before fleeing deeper into the forest.

The player characters can give chase, if they choose,
although it is difficult to keep up with a goblin running for
their life across terrain they know well. Should the player
characters pursue one or more of the goblins, it requires
a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Survival) check to track the
goblin across rock and through tangled jungle.

Whether the encounter ends peacefully or the player
characters manage to seize a goblin to question, the goblins
don’t reveal much the player characters don’t already know.
Finding the genius loci (or Pookle’s mask, as the goblins call
it), changed their chief from being a decent, hospitable,
friendly sort to being a tyrant-in-training. They follow him
still, because that’s what they’re meant to do. If the player
characters persuade the goblins to give up the fight, they still
refuse to lead the player characters to Pookle—they might not
want to obey their leader’s orders, but they won’t betray him.
If the player characters are with Snippy, he knows the way.
Otherwise, a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) or
Wisdom (Survival) indicates the direction to the skullcano.
After all, it’s an enormous skullcano in the centre of the
island. It’s not that difficult to find.

The forest continues for another two or three hundred feet,
with the player characters having to force their way through
more glowing lava trees. The trees give way to a large, rocky
outcrop, where the stunted, petrified remains of trees dot the
edges of the cliff. Clearly, Pookle’s power was used to create
this place—as a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check
reveals, should the player characters be interested.

An enormous, deep gorge splits the rocky outcrop. There
is no bridge across the gulf—the goblins destroyed it at
Pookle’s instruction when the player characters arrived on
the island—and there’s certainly no easy way across.

There’s also the fact that drawing near is one of the island’s
strangest inhabitants. It’s the slow, creeping menace of the
hellish snail, exiting the forest from 40 feet to the left of
the player characters. This unusual and highly dangerous
creature is a real threat. With a shell formed from obsidian,
an underside virtually immune to any form of heat, and a
series of lava tendrils sprouting all around it, it’s a deadly
foe. The failure of his goblins to prevent the adventurers
from drawing ever nearer to the skullcano lair where Pookle
plans his next move has resulted in a severe reaction!
The player characters are in a tough position. The first
problem is how to get across the gorge safely without the
bridge. The second is the creeping menace of the hellish
snail, inexorably closing in.

The gorge itself is 20 feet across. Long vines hang down on
both sides. Should a player character want to attempt to
leap, it requires a successful DC 16 Dexterity (Acrobatics)
or Strength (Athletic) check. If a player character fails
this check, they must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity save,
grabbing one of the hanging vines to arrest their plummet
into the depths. If they fail this Dexterity save, a fellow
player character can attempt to rescue them, using magic—
or even a well-placed arrow—pinning them to the gorge-
side by their clothing. Any such attempt is made at DC
14. Should all these chances fail, then the player character
plunges into the depths… But don’t worry! They’ll be back
as prisoners of Pookle in the next scene (that doesn’t mean
you need to tell the players that though)!

Alternatively, there are any number of methods by which
the player characters could get across the gorge. Magic is
an obvious route, or they could try chopping down one of
the forest trees and improvising a bridge that way. Whatever
crazy, or brilliant, ideas, the player characters come up with,
the GM should feel free to indulge. Let them be as bold and
creative as possible.

Don’t, however, let them forget the impending threat of
the hellish snail. It might be a little slow, but it’s coming for
them. And when it gets there? Well, it’s extremely tough. If
the player characters start to forget about the hellish snail,
they may soon regret it. As soon as it’s within range, the
snail unleashes its lava tendrils, attempting to inflict some
nasty wounds and split the party up. Then to the tendrils will
swarm over a nearby magic-user. Hellish snails are attracted
by the scent of magic and are able to detect those who
employ it regularly as they make for the most delicious meal.

Whatever the player characters choose to do, whether they
ignore the hellish snail and simply escape over the gorge,
leaving it forlornly on the other side, or duel it to the death,
this should be a tough encounter. The hellish snail is a
difficult fight for a party of third-level player characters,
and finding a way to get all of the player characters over the
gorge is not going to be easy. Use this scene as a puzzle with
a very angry, very dangerous timer in the form of a rapidly
approaching hellish snail! Test your adventurers; these
islands aren’t meant to be easy, and Pookle isn’t going to
make things trouble-free!

Getting across the gorge might not be easy, but at least it
means the adventurers are closing in on the skullcano and
Pookle. The skullcano now looms over the player characters,
a vast edifice glowering down at them. It’s an unsettling
vista, an enormous, laughing skull, the eyes of which blaze
with volcanic, orange life. A stream of the same lava cascades
from the skullcano’s mouth, emphasising the sinister, lurid
atmosphere of Pookle’s lair.

The approach to the skullcano is a series of huge piles of
rock, with a path wending between them. It isn’t quite a
maze, but it’s not far off. Pookle clearly constructed this
corridor to make the journey to the skullcano as dangerous
as possible. The boulders make perfect vantage points for
goblins to hide behind and hurl down rocks or magmanuts,
enabling the goblins to scurry away before the player
characters can take their revenge. There are six goblin
followers on the stone ramparts, each with a sack filled with
various blunt, heavy items that are going to hurt if dropped
on an exposed head.

These goblins are constantly on the move, using their action
to make a ranged attack with either their bow or with a
magmanut, then relocating to a different pile of rocks. Their
shifting locations make it difficult for the player characters
to coordinate a response. The player characters are always
aware of the goblins’ presence, however. As soon as the
player characters near the rocky approach, they are greeted
by a chorus of harsh, giggling and taunts. These goblins
are Pookle’s most ardent supporters—they’re really quite
attached to the idea of conquering Flotsam and making
themselves the real power in the Faraway Sea. As a result,
they’re nasty foes and have no real interest in listening to the
player characters if they attempt to persuade them to resolve
things peacefully.

Of course, the adventurers don’t have to take the path at
all. It’s completely possible for them to do what the goblins
themselves do, climb up onto the rock piles and walls,
fighting the goblins on their own ground. This is an effective
tactic and certainly throws the goblin’s plans off. If the
player characters do make this approach, the goblins will
endeavour to stay away from the adventurers, keeping up a
steady barrage of arrows and magmanuts.

These goblins don’t flee. They’re totally committed to
Pookle’s vision, and they aren’t going to go down without a
fight. Once the goblins are dealt with, and the path through
the rocky ramparts followed, the player characters are
confronted by the skullcano itself!

Getting into the skullcano isn’t difficult. A winding path
leads upwards to a large fissure in the stone of the glowering
mountain. The way is entirely undefended. Player characters
can make a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) or
Wisdom (Insight) check to confirm this is the case. There
are no goblins concealed behind the small heaps of stone.

The player characters have overcome Pookle’s various
attempts to slow them or deter them, and he’s decided the
best way to deal with them is to bring them inside his lair,
overwhelming them with weight of numbers on unfamiliar
terrain. Then, he can do with them as he likes.

Upon reaching the fissure, the first player character to
arrive should be allowed to make a second DC 12 Wisdom
(Perception) check, with a success discovering that the
doorway is booby-trapped and a failure activating the trap.
Pookle might want to draw the player characters into his
lair, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to hurt them
a little bit too! A tripwire stretches across the entrance,
and breaking it—whether on a failed check or for any
other reason—deposits a large pile of heavy rocks on the
unfortunate entrant’s head dealing 1d10 + 2 bludgeoning
damage. Should the player characters spot the trap,
however, it can be disarmed with a successful DC 14
Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. This leaves a large pile of
rocks perched above the entrance, which a well-aimed arrow
or any other successful ranged attack could dislodge—
something for the player characters to bear in mind?

The interior of the skullcano is a classic evil lair. Streams
of lava course down the walls, pooling into an enormous
lake of seething, glowing lava. In the centre of the pool is
an island surmounted by a strange, rough, pyramid-like
structure. This is Pookle’s sanctum, where he retreats
to commune with the island itself and to plan his grand
strategies. The lake is fringed by a narrow walkway (10
feet across), and the island in the centre of the lava lake is
reached via a bridge (also 10 feet across).

Pookle is, at the beginning of the encounter, within his inner
sanctum and watches the efforts of his underlings, hoping
they can deal with the player characters so he doesn’t have
to draw on the magic of the genius loci. He will, of course,
but the process exhausts him, and he has much grander
designs for his powers.

His underlings are eight goblin followers, positioned
around the edge of the lake, and four of his biggest and
most dedicated goblin acolytes standing guard about the
sanctum. The eight goblins around the pool launch a hail of
arrows, before closing with the player characters, in order to stop them nearing the bridge. They attempt, where possible,
to work in pairs. One engages the player character directly,
manoeuvring them into position for their fellow to shove the
unfortunate victim into the lava pool.

Dealing with these goblins is difficult—the proximity of
Pookle means they are unlikely to surrender or be susceptible
to the player character’s attempts at persuading them to
abandon their leader. Should the player characters try such
an approach, then a successful DC 18 Charisma (Persuade)
or Charisma (Intimidate) will be required to convince these
goblins that standing by Pookle is strongly inadvisable!

If the player characters managed to dissuade the goblins
from fighting them in the woods (or if they have Snippy with
them), then they gain advantage on this check. Of course,
they might not feel particularly inclined to extend such
empathy to goblins attempting to hurl them into the lava.
The goblins also hurl magmanuts, aiming to use these to
knock the player characters into the lava.

Falling into the lava is extremely inadvisable. If a player
character is knocked into the lava, they immediately suffer
4d6 fire damage, and suffer an additional 4d6 fire damage
per round until they manage to clamber out.

If the player characters manage to deal with the goblin
followers around the lava pool, then the four goblin acolytes
around the sanctum immediately prepare for battle. Two of
them move to obstruct the bridge, ensuring that crossing
that narrow span is going to be an extremely difficult
process. Unlike the goblins around the lava pool, these are
Pookle’s acolytes and are unsusceptible to even the most
impassioned pleas for peace.

At this point, Pookle, too, decides to make an entrance. He
immediately begins to utilise the magical powers granted to
him by the genius loci, sending streamers of lava at the player
characters or hurling gigantic rocks at them (see Pookle’s
statistics on page 147 for more). The player characters have
two ways of dealing with Pookle. The first, and most direct
way, is simply to kill him. If they do, as soon as he dies, the
skullcano begins to rumble, before chunks of it fall from the
roof, and the entire edifice starts to crumble!

Alternatively, if the player characters wish, they can try to
wrestle the mask from Pookle. Doing so restores the goblin
chief, suddenly, to himself. Freed from the endless visions
of power and destruction which the mask has filled his mind
with, he immediately calls his acolytes to his side, to stop
any fighting. Getting the mask off Pookle is not easy, and he
resists frenziedly. He must be successfully grappled and held for two turns. As soon as the mask is removed, however,
he ceases to be hostile. He also points out that without his
focus to keep the skullcano in place, it’s about to collapse.

Getting out of the skullcano alive is the player characters’
main concern at this point. Huge chunks of rock fall from
the ceiling, threatening to leave them as a red smear rather
than a heroic animal adventurer. As the player characters run,
each must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity save or be struck
by cascading rock, suffering 1d8 + 2 bludgeoning damage.

Once out, the player characters are triumphant! Pookle’s
madness has been stopped, one way or another. The
skullcano collapses in on itself, a pile of smouldering rock,
covering over the volcanic lake. The player characters
can trek back to Palm Heart to inform the villagers that
the terror is over. If Pookle survived, he goes with the
characters, along with a number of his kin, to apologise for
the madness which overtook him and start rebuilding the
once strong relationship between the two communities.

If the player characters thought to collect the genius loci
before the skullcano collapsed, the animals and goblins of
Palm Heart offer it to them as a reward for their assistance
but insist on a promise not to use its power while on the
island, where it is clearly too strong. The animals also offer
400 gold pieces they’ve collected between them, as a thank
you for saving their home.

Beyond any additional time the player characters want
to spend on the island—perhaps to aid in the renewed
cooperation between the animals and the goblins—the
adventure is over! Snippy, Stan, and Stripy are happy to take
the player character back to Flotsam, whenever they choose.

EXPERIENCE
The player characters should earn enough
experience from this adventure to allow them
to reach the next level.