https://vimeo.com/user44259461/review/347983037/1d348e341c
Ok, wow. So, I'm testing my ranger/chanter to see a leveling path. All challenges on except expert and Wael and TOI. I have 52 days left (27 until Maw), I'm in Nekataka, and the huge thing is that Nemnok is dead, which gave me a ton of xp, gold, and, importantly, I don't have to sail back out there later. And I'm lvl 19 (which is critical for my char, as you then get ancient weapons and can do the Maw). My only deaths have been in testing some new things, but I have no deaths from difficult situations that I can't avoid (such as a hard stealth or dangerous combat). There will be some relatively difficult combats later.
This means that I should be able to easily do the Eothas challenge, with a lot of room to spare. Also, I have a zillion withdraw scrolls, and all my bond points. I'll just have to win fights that I've already won in testing (although Galawain's can always throw in some surprises). I'm not actually doing Ultimate in this run. This is a mirror. But that turned out far better than I expected, xp-wise.
Being able to do Nemnok at lvl 16 after visiting that middle-north Huana island for the Crookspur slave master is huge in terms of travel time and xp and all that. The key to Nemnok is to use Wurms and stay pretty far away, so you don't trigger him teleporting, and very rarely trigger his Siphon. Then, it is just a matter of time (took me about 2 hrs in real life of doing about 20 hps a turn, as he has 15 fire armor and a zillion hps; it feels like he has more hps than Dorudugan or something, although that probably isn't true).
In the video, I scroll through my saves to show my general path, but it should be noted that I tried going to Tikawara but reloaded and did not actually go there yet in this run. I'll go there at some point, probably next, and then I'll probably do the mega-bosses.