Hit Protection and damage

Damage is dealt first to a creature’s Hit Protection (HP). This represents the creature’s ability to avoid or shrug off real damage.

Once HP is depleted, damage is dealt to STR.

Critical Damage

After taking STR damage, the creature must make a STR save. If they succeed, they are still able to fight. If they fail, they take critical damage.

When a creature takes critical damage, they take an Injured Condition, and are incapacitated until tended to by an ally and take a short rest.

If an incapacitated creature is left untended for 6 exploration Turns, they die.

Summary

Lose HP first, then STR.
Critical Damage - on STR Damage, make STR Save. On failure take critical damage- Gain Injured Condition and are incapacitated. If not healed in 6 turns die.