The Lost City

The creeper vines have burrowed into their skin. The captive Tangani once freed, are incredibly feeble and near death, but could be saved by determined and skilled healing arts. They are all but incapable of speech and terrified of both their Xhotatse enemies and the strange people you are.

The Xhotatse guide, Tembo, shakes his head. "They very crazy animal." He's pointing at the rival tribesmen.

You could make an Alchemy check. Quite difficult, but possible.

Driven to the point of insanity, one pathetically attempts to draw his rusting dagger and stab weakly at Jarik, but it's easily avoided.

The Xhotatse warrior guide Tenbo pulls his own blade and with hatred, will kill them both. Do you stop him?

Tembo then explains a little. The Tangani are known as the "dreaming" tribe because of their fondness for certain strange herbs and drugs which they grow and consume in great quantities. They are crazy and attack the other tribes for no reason.

Then, the bellow of the Feathered Ape leads your hunting party through the lush, dark chambers and thickets of Zukundu. At last you spy the bestial killer at a distance — the fearsome Feathered Ape! It just murdered and beheaded a Xhotatse fruit gatherer who wandered too far from the protective walls of the Ebony Keep.

The Feathered Ape is an unnatural, nightmarish monster. Far larger than a man, its posture is stooped, like a gorilla making mock of a man. From its powerful chest protrude thick, overlong arms. Both its hands and feet are tipped with gleaming red claws. Most strikingly, its hairy simian hide is interspersed with gaudy colored feathers. Small, cunning eyes gleam from sockets set deep within a great brutish head.

It dashes off. You can make a Dire (D4) Athletics test to try and close the gap, but you might become spreadout with the faster if you outdisdancing the slower.

Choosing to stay together you race off after the feathered ape across the city-palace.
Tembo says at one point, "We are entering the Mekutu territory. It is forbidden," but he continues with you.

You follow the ape into the ruins of a great stone arena, constructed of pillars and arches checking a large dark pit. The pit looks deep and cluttered with collapsed masonry and vines. A great fallen tree spans its length. It is to dark to see the bottom.

The ape nimbly skips along the great fallen tree, it rocks precariously but its claws give it purchase.

A Daunting (D3) Agility test or Challenging (D2) Acrobatics test is required to cross the shaking tree without falling.

You can take your time, cross safely and try and track it. It seems to be leaving a trail of broken vegetation.