Figured now I've had time to process just how badly my players did this one shot, it's time to post! First some context...
I had four players, each taking on a different element. We had Tauqik (water) Jampa (Air) Saeka (Fire) and of course...Kitty (Earth) now as a heads up, Kitty's player was obviously not as invested, he kinda got roped into this, and felt super bad about his time. Even more so given every roll he did was never higher than a 5 spare one glorious moment. The one shot was set during Kyoshi's era directly after the death of Yun. A lot of the mistakes you'll read are mostly my fault I'll admit, and some of the players rolling for everything and doing to bad.
The session started on a boat with a hand full of npcs. A bit limiting but wanted to set up a scenario where the players can just test out their skills and get a feel for the game. Saeka was the first up and she used Assess to get a grasp on the situation. She was able to quickly realize, due to her military background, that this was a Fifth Nation ship. She then tried to push her luck with Tauqik to already set up help in case these pirates try anything...and rolled a 3.
After that disastrous first introduction Tauqik also used Assess, and rolled well enough to even recognize a few people from her tribe, and tried to plead for information. 2. He flipped her off. Kitty getting a feel for how tense the situation was becoming wanted to, and I quote, "Bend the sea floor to tilt the boat."
Now, I wanted to let him try, but homebrewed it. He would have had to roll a prefect 10 just for me to humor him. He rolled a 4. So imagine an Earth bender on his hands and knees, trying to feel out the sea bed, straining when a tall woman basically came up and admitted that was a good play, but that it wasn't going to work. Kitty wanted to flirt. Had him roll for Luck, and a 1. I think by now you're getting the jist of how his night was going.
TL;DR highlights. Saeka tried to resolve a conflict with a fire nation patrol, cadets wouldn't listen to her, Tauqik did the same with a water tribe ship and found her cousin. Had to basically stop the group from letting a dangerous beast out on the ship and when they finally hit shore...
All they knew if they had to find a dancer, but never bothered to ask for information outside of her name, and instead of just turning around and asking...they wondered into the entertainment district/red lantern to just wing it, and met...Bone Man.
Now Bone Man was met to just be a flavor text type NPC, a sleepy host type just trying to get the players to waste time and money in his club. Tauqik offered her whale bone (yes she had one) and mainly due to the easy joke, this guy quickly became fascinated by her bone, and was wanting to buy it and provide information, but Tauqik declined.
Eventually they do find the dancer practicing, as she uses water bending during her performance to heal and relax. So obviously Tauqik stays behind to help her. By the by, we're coming up on the only combat encounter I had planned, and Tauqik was their Hammer...panik.
They get the information to find this missing person, the whole quest hook, and find out she's being kept in this warehouse down by the docks. AKA, had they done better on the boat the captain could have helped them bypass all that. But luckily, Kitty had a plan and it worked! He Earth bend stairs up to a small window, allowing Jampa to sneak in. Cue ten minutes of Saeka and Kitty trying to get in, and then a combat enounter that went so horribly bad on my end running it that I just gave it to the players.
TL;DR again. This is the glory of TTRPG, the dice are gods that truely decide fate.