Deep Carbon Observatory adventure log - Session 15

 Session 15

Sunday the 7th, from to 18.00

Monday the 8th

Tuesday the 9th

Wednesday the 10th

Thursday the 11th, up until 9 am

Player Characters and Retainers present at the beginning of the session:

• D. - Oobl, Level 5 Mossling
• James - Tomkin, Level 3 Hunter
• Marcus - Melysee, Level 4 Human Knight
• Peter - Albert, Level 4 Woodgrue
• Ythan - Clement, Level 5 Human Enchanter
• Clement is followed by Max Kosciusko - Level 1 Hunter (likeable sailor covered in tattooed monsters; loves oranges) and owns Elain the dog.
• Oobl is followed by Rex, a Level 1 Fighter (pox-scarred and with a prominent gold tooth).
• Tomkin is followed by Osric, Level 1 Fighter (an exotic look, with a strange accent, green-tinged skin and an unusual 2-handed sword) and owns Zoe the dog.
• Albert is followed by Petra, a Level 1 thief (Lovely perfumes and dressed in colourful silks, very elegant) and Ella, a Level 1 Bard (a prominent shack bite on her left shoulder).

The breached Dam - this picture has been modified from the original

Sunday the 7th – Evening

The Magpies spent the evening in the shallows outside Polnogallum after the Sparrows found them there. The Magpies bartered some riches and a magical ring for a potion of invisibility. They also exchange some magical mushrooms for provisions.

• Oobl spent some time training and became at last proficient with Echo's Kusarigama.
• Tomkin trained with Zaghouan's crossbow, making some progress but not reaching proficiency yet.
• Albert exchanged stories with the Sparrow's bard.
• Clement and the retainers attempted fishing unsuccessfully.

Monday the 8th 

Part of the group, led by Clement, made an expedition toward Pollnagollum, gathering wood and tools to construct wheels for transporting their boats on land. 

The other half, led by Tomkin, enjoyed an exceptionally successful hunt, killing a red deer and preserving approximately 35 rations of fresh meat. 

In the evening, they noticed the Laputa (Zaratusa's ship) sailing north upriver. 

The tamed Horse-Shoe Super-Crab

Tuesday the 9th 

The Magpies discovered strange driftwood floating in the river, encrusted with golden metal. They were carrying it with them in place of one of the two golem gears they had been carrying.

They spotted the Laputa again, now moored against a rock roughly one mile south of the dam. To avoid the sailors, the party moved through shallow water and muddy banks, completing the assembly of their wheels. 

During this time, they surprised a Horse-Shoe Super-Crab emerging from the mud. Albert suffered a nasty bite after managing to pacify the creature, and Tomkin successfully tamed it. The party found footprints of Kapeks moving north. 

That evening:

• Melysee learned how to fight while mounted on the crab.
• Oobl and Albert dried some of Oobl’s symbiotic fungus, producing a smokable tobacco that allowed breath underwater.
• Clement experimented with reinforcing the boat using the unusual metal-encrusted wood and made some progress on the work.

The mastodontic Eagle feeding on the smashed crab

Wednesday the 10th

At dawn, the Magpies witnessed a colossal eagle flying south from Reed Lake, clutching a different Horse-Shoe Super-Crab in its talons. The eagle dropped the crab onto the rocks near where the Laputa was moored and began feeding on the innards of the smashed crustacean. The Laputa hastily moved away to avoid the creature. 

The Magpies proceeded north, riding their tamed crab and wheeling their boats behind them. They reached the base of the dam, observing a golem several miles to the east; six massive sluice gates are embedded at the dam’s base; a barge was moored near the structure, and they noticed a chamber inside the dam on its eastern side of the broken section. 

Using one of the recovered golem gears, they opened an entrance and brought one of the boats inside. As the golem approached, they abandoned the tamed crab and the second boat outside. 

Inside the dam, the party ascended internal stairs, hauling the boat with them over many exhausting hours. They reached the top of the dam after sunset and made camp there. 

During the night, they heard screaming coming from the area where the dam had collapsed. 

The golem of Mintaka, at the base of the Dam

Thursday the 11th 

At dawn, the Magpies stood atop the dam, overlooking the flooded Lock Valley to the south and Reed Lake to the north. 

They spotted the Laputa moored at the base of the dam and observed a group of Kapeks gathering on what had once been the lakebed. 

Using a scroll, Clement cast Move Terrain, creating a ramp that allowed the group to descend safely into the lake basin and enter the profundal zone.

XP for session 15

Feats of Exploration

• Discovered point of interest: Polnogallum
• Tamed the Horse-Shoe Super-Crab
• Produced wheels to transport a boat on land
• Used a Golem gear to open a slushgate
• Used a scroll to descend from the top of the dam
• Surpassed the Dam

Treasure recovered

• None

Adversary defeated

• Horse-Shoe Super-Crab

Totals:

• Tomkin gains 1663 XP and reaches 8968 XP; they have 99% of the necessary XP to progress to level 4
• Oobl gains 2494 XP and reaches 21120 XP; they have 20% of the necessary XP to progress to level 6
• Clement gains 1663 XP and reaches 19751 XP; they have 41% of the necessary XP to progress to level 6
• Albert gains 1663 XP and reaches 14360 XP; they have 79% of the necessary XP to progress to level 5
• Melysee gains 3326 XP and reaches 18872 XP. LEVEL UP! Character ascended to level 5

• Zoe gain 831 XP and reach 1895 XP.
• Elain gain 831 XP and reach 5120 XP.

• Max (Hunter) gains 831 XP and reaches 1709 XP.
• Osric (Fighter) gains 831 XP and reaches 1709 XP.
• Rex (Fighter) gains 831 XP and reaches 1709 XP.
• Petra (Thief) gains 831 XP and reaches 1709 XP. LEVEL UP! Character ascended to level 2
• Ella (Bard) gains 831 XP and reaches 1709 XP.

Join my Discord Server. We only play in person, but you are welcome to pop in to say hi

All the details about Deep Carbon Observatory belong to Patrick Stuart - Buy the module - His Blog - My Review - Video Review

All the art belongs to Scap Princess - Buy her stuff - Her Blog

All the elements of Dolmenwood belong to Gavin Norman - Buy the system - Video Review

Deep Carbon Observatory adventure log - Session 14

 

Session 14

Polnogallum One-Shot

To ease back into the narrative after the Christmas break, we played a one-session adventure set in Polnogallum. Instead of their usual characters, the players took on the roles of the Sparrows—a group of local teenagers from Polnacrom and Polnogallum, led by Finn and North.

I usually stay very close to the material in Deep Carbon Observatory, but for this one-shot I took considerable liberties and essentially built an original dungeon around its themes. To do so I toke inspirations from The Waking of Willowby Hall by Questing Beast, The Alchemist's Repose by Questing Beast ant the example dungeon from Swyvers by Melsonia Art Council.

 

 Ythan sketches about several aspects of this adventure

Background - Mostly Unknown to the Players at the beginning of the game

Around fifty years ago, the children of Polnogallum attempted to kill a witch. They tried many methods and did not truly succeed, but they did manage to throw her down a well, where she remains to this day—alive, trapped, and dangerous.

About a week ago, Harrap, a magic-user from the same circle as Ruskin, Rem, and Tzani, arrived in Polnogallum while researching the ancient civilization of the dam builders. During her stay, she communed with the witch, gaining fragments of knowledge and a skeleton key. Harrap established a small base camp in the witch manor house, then continued north toward the dam. The day after the dam collapsed.

A few days ago—after the dam collapse—a group of the cannibal conspiracy sailed upriver from Polnacrom. They captured Ruskin (the corpulent magician from the Fool’s Duel) and brought him to Polnogallum. Their goal: to free the witch from the well.

Complicating matters, the well is choked with thick mud, and one of the dam’s guardian golems has settled nearby, attacking anyone who approaches. The cannibals have taken over the nearby manor, enslaved several villagers, and are forcing them to dig a tunnel from the basement toward the base of the well.

.

What neither the players nor the cannibals know is that this tunnel will breach an underground structure before reaching the well—a sealed chamber containing something far worse. If the PCs do nothing, the cannibals will accidentally release this ancient monstrosity. Many of them will die, but enough will survive to finish the excavation and ultimately free the witch.

Session start

The Sparrows approached the manor and discovered a cannibal’s corpse trapped in the mud in the upper part of the well. One character circled around the building, entered through the rear, located Ruskin, and freed him after extracting crucial information.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group crept up to the kitchen window and silently subdued the cannibal cook before cutting his throat. Further exploration followed, but a pair of cannibals emerged from the basement. The group managed to deal with them—though not before they raised the alarm.

Another group of cannibals was stuck in the parlor by one of the PC. Attempting to assist their comrades, they tried to escape through a window, where Ruskin expended his final spell to kill them. Unfortunately, this drew the attention of the golem, which promptly killed Ruskin as well.

The remaining cannibals attempted to rush upstairs but were driven back by a coordinated player action involving a pot of boiling human stew. They retreated into the basement, barricaded themselves in, and continued digging.

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With the golem distracted, the characters explored the rest of the manor. They accessed a hidden room—a sanctum containing alchemical supplies, a book of names documenting especially vile dead people selected by the witch “to be taken back”, and a stairway leading to a sealed underground chamber. From below came horrific, swine-like sounds. Wisely, the characters chose to leave it undisturbed.

They recovered several potions, freed an enslaved Polnogallum villager, and discovered a workshop containing a humanoid golem, similar to a small version of one of the dam guardians, complete with instruction tablets. They also found Harrap’s former base of operations and her notes, which filled in much of the missing background.

By the end of the session, the characters were unable to stop the cannibals from completing their dig. The sealed chamber was breached, and the ancient swine monstrosity was released. Several Polnogallum villagers died, but the Sparrows managed to avoid the creature and weakened the remaining cannibals enough to prevent them from freeing the witch.

All in all, it was a very good session. 

Join my Discord Server. We only play in person, but you are welcome to pop in to say hi

All the details about Deep Carbon Observatory belong to Patrick Stuart - Buy the module - His Blog - My Review - Video Review

All the art belongs to Scap Princess - Buy her stuff - Her Blog

All the elements of Dolmenwood belong to Gavin Norman - Buy the system - Video Review 

 

Everyone is Roddy

I made this for Roddy's birthday - his human asked all her friends to bring a present and a poem for Roddy, but I do not write poems... A one-page TTRPG seems like a suitable substitution.

Deep Carbon Observatory adventure log - Session 13

Session 13

Friday the 5th, from 15.00

Saturday the 6th

Sunday the 7th, up to 18.00

Player Characters and Retainers present at the beginning of the session:

• D. – Ooble, Level 4 Mossling
• Freddy – Trunchkin, Level 4 Friar
• Peter – Albert, Level 4 Woodgrue
• Ythan – Clement, Level 5 Human Enchanter
• Retainer – Selminimum, Level 3 Friar

The spectre of the Ghost-Like Folds of Cloth

The session opened with a retcon concerning the effects of Albert’s magical horn during the battle with the Golem of Kalevan. Roughly ten minutes after the fight, as the party’s battered boat drifted downriver, they witnessed a massive eagle assault the Alpha Platypus—only to be charged by the weakened golem, still staggering from its clash with the Magpies.

The eagle and the golem fought fiercely. The eagle ultimately tore the construct apart and then perched triumphantly upon its broken body while devouring the slain platypus.

The mastodontic Eagle

Upon returning to Pollnacrom, the Magpies helped the Latipan sailors continue to dismantle the dam in exchange for assistance repairing their ship.

That evening, Clement completed tuning the voodoo doll on himself while Trunchkin and Selminimum sorted through the loot recovered from the Crows and identified a folded piece of black silk as magical.

Albert donned the black fold and discovered he could see perfectly in absolute darkness. His excitement quickly faded when attempting to remove it summoned a spectral entity. The spirit declared that the blindfold must be fed a sentient soul either at the moment of its removal or within 24 hours—or it would feed on Albert instead. After briefly considering sacrificing a refugee, Albert ultimately chose to continue north and hope that fate would offer another solution before the deadline expired.

The next morning, several barges crewed by Latipan sailors arrived in Pollnacrom to fulfil the rescue mission funded by the Magpies. Max—the sailor the group saved back in Carrowmore—warned them that Captain “Snail Shell” Zarathusa intended to hunt the treasures of Reed Lake himself and now viewed the Magpies as rivals.

Max disliked this situation and offered to work with the party instead. The Magpies recruited Max and four of his companions and commandeered one of the barges—earning the ire of the remaining sailors.

The Alpha Platypus

Retracing their route back to the watermill, the party found what remained of the golem’s shattered body under the perch where the mastodontic eagle had slaughtered the Alpha Platypus. They attempted to extract venom from the platypus corpse but failed.

Continuing upriver, the party reached the 24-hour deadline for the blindfold’s curse without securing a sacrifice. As the spectre prepared to claim Albert, the group fought back. Using one of the sacred wafers from the Church of the Optical Good, Ooble repelled the spirit, forcing it to retreat.

Knowing it would return, Clement destroyed the blindfold. A spectral voice whispered, “I am free now,”. The Magpies lost track of it after that.

That night, camped on the south bank, Ooble practised using Echo’s kusarigama while Clement studied the Bible of the Optical Good.

The next morning, the Magpies spotted a golem hurling cuttlefish at noisy river birds. Deciding not to intervene, they instead investigated smoke rising from the north bank.

The Golem of Alnitak

There, they found a family of four camped in the mud, keeping a fire alive by burning ancient papers recovered from strange crates swept down the river. Selminimum identified the texts as writings of the prophet Ambatoharana and recovered two magical scrolls: MOVE TERRAIN and PASSWALL.

The Magpies retrieved the crate and scrolls, invited the family aboard, and continued northwest toward Polnagallum, planning to drop them off there.

Along the way, they noticed a log carrying three unnaturally still figures, but chose to ignore it and press on. They camped in the shallows about a mile from Polnagallum.

That evening, they carried out their usual activities—unaware of the scouts approaching from the town.

XP for session 13 

Feats of Exploration 

• Visited one new location
• Identified a previously missed magic item (Cloth)
• Understood the mechanism to use Truthbringer
• Understood the core functioning of Birdcaller
• Though about extracting venom from the Alpha Platypus
• Saved Albert by destroying the Ghost-like Fold
• Attuned the voodoo doll
• Found a strategic location to camp, protected by sandbanks 

Treasure recovered 

• 2 Scrolls: 5500gg
• 2 Crates of ancient documents: 1.000gg (potentially much more to the right buyer) 

Adversary defeated 

• None 

Totals: 

• Trunchkin gains 878 XP and reaches 14357 XP. LEVEL UP! Character ascended to level 5 
• Oobl gains 1757 XP and reaches 18626 XP. LEVEL UP! Character ascended to level 5 
• Clement gains 1757 XP and reaches 18088 XP; they have 29% of the necessary XP to progress to level 6 
• Albert gains 1757 XP and reaches 12697 XP; they have 58% of the necessary XP to progress to level 5 

• Gunter & Elain gain 878 XP each and reach 4289XP. LEVEL UP! 
• Selminimum gains 1757 XP and reaches 8047 XP. LEVEL UP! Retainer ascended to level 4 
• Max gains 878 XP and reaches 878 XP. 
• Osric gains 878 XP and reaches 878 XP. 
• Rex gains 878 XP and reaches 878 XP. 
• Petra gains 878 XP and reaches 878 XP. 
• Ella gains 878 XP and reaches 878 XP.

Join my Discord Server. We only play in person, but you are welcome to pop in to say hi

All the details about Deep Carbon Observatory belong to Patrick Stuart - Buy the module - His Blog - My Review - Video Review

All the art belongs to Scap Princess - Buy her stuff - Her Blog

All the elements of Dolmenwood belong to Gavin Norman - Buy the system - Video Review

Equipment cards for Dolmenwood

Armours and Weapons cards for Dolmenwood

Roughly compatible with OSE and other OSR games

Deep Carbon Observatory adventure log - Session 12

Session 12
Thursday the 4th, from 17.00 to 24.00
Friday the 5th, from 00.00 to 15.00

Player characters and Retainers present at the beginning of the session:

• Ash - North, Level 3 Elf
• D. - Oobl, Level 4 Mossling
• Freddy - Trunchkin, Level 4 Friar
• James - Tomkin, Level 2 Hunter
• Peter - Albert, Level 4 Woodgrue
• Ythan - Clement, Level 5 Human Enchanter
• Retainer - Finn, Level 3 Enchanter
• Retainer - Selminimum, Level 3 Friar
• Retainer - Ruskin, Level 5 Mage

The Golem of Kalevan

When the Magpies gathered, their ranks were still shaken from recent events: four retainers had been lost, and the rival adventuring company known as the Crows had been defeated. Much of the opening of the session was devoted to sorting out the practical aftermath—redistributing belongings, reassigning gear, and dividing up the spoils. Once these matters were settled, the party turned their attention to the refugees from Pollnacrom, helping them settle on the roof of the buildings, sharing provisions and preparing for a rare moment of peace. 

During the quiet of the evening, Finn struck up a friendship with Brom and Molly, two of the teenagers among the refugees. There was a brief debate about recruiting them, but the Magpies ultimately decided against it. North nonetheless encouraged them to consider the adventuring life and equipped them with a few spare items; in exchange, they offered their marbles as a small gift. 

While the camp rested, various characters kept busy with their personal projects. Clement continued fine-tuning the strange voodoo doll, managing another step toward completing its enchantment. Tomkin studied the Nameless Bow and made initial progress toward discerning its unusual properties. Oobl spent time foraging and managed to gather Grue’s Ears, while also coaxing more information out of Karl Kapek about the golems and the mysterious reed people—who, it seemed, understood very little about the constructs but were feared as necromancers. Albert carved himself a gaudy new pipe and began crafting additional ones for North and Oobl, while Trunchkin passed on the holy spells he had recently learned to Selminimum. 

Sometime in the night, Brom and Molly stole one of the Crows’ canoes and slipped away upriver. Their absence was discovered the next morning, around the same time that a curious rumour reached Tomkin: townsfolk claimed to have spotted a massive platypus just north of Pollnacrom, on the east bank. 

As morning advanced, two boats arrived from the south, manned by sailors of the Latipan, Zarathusa’s ship, led by Max - the sailor the Magpies had once saved from a lynch mob in Carrowmoe. The crew explained that their captain planned to sail the Latipan upriver and, to make this possible, they started dismantling the dam built by the golem. The Magpies managed to negotiate with them, offering a bribe of a thousand golden goats to persuade Zarathusa to ferry the Pollnacrom refugees back to Carrowmoe. 

Before setting out, the group cremated Tzani’s remains. Then they pushed north again, meeting a band of Kapeks floating downriver on a log in search of Karl. A reunion followed, and Karl urged the Magpies to consider joining his people in their impending war against the Reed folk. The Kapeks also reported having seen a great golem half-submerged near the eastern bank, not far ahead.

The Alpha Platypus

While the Kapeks kept close to the western bank to avoid the construct, the Magpies chose instead to investigate a watermill they had glimpsed across the river. There, they spotted a golem crouched in the shallows, marked by a hexagonal gear embedded in its head and seemingly fixated on the mill’s turning wheel. 

Inside the structure, they could see a huge nest—empty at the moment—but as they watched, the great platypus surfaced and hauled itself toward its home. This sudden movement made the golem rise and lurch after the creature as if to drive it away. Seizing the moment, the Magpies launched an attack. Clement attempted to disable the golem but failed, and although Ruskin struck it with lightning, the blast did not stop it. 

The construct responded with terrifying strength, hurling a boulder that shattered the barge and left Finn badly injured yet again. As the party attempted to retreat, the golem hurled another stone - this time striking the lifeboat and killing Ruskin outright. Battered and shaken, the survivors retreated to Pollnacrom to recover and take stock.

This art is from Yrhian - North and Finn leaving the Magpies

Finn, mauled by yet another near-fatal injury, became the focus of a difficult discussion. The Magpies concluded that continuing to expose a thirteen-year-old to such dangers was unacceptable and decided to release him from service. 

North vehemently disagreed with the decision and, unwilling to abandon the boy, left the company alongside him. Those who remained overheard their former companions discussing - As North and Finn left the camp, the Sparrows were born.


Eulogy

Ruskin, a powerful magician from Carrowmore, after surviving a duel with a pair, abandoning the Crows mid-battle and taking down a golem, was killed by a different boulder-throwing construct on their way to the Dam. 

XP for session 12 

Feats of Exploration 

• Collected rumour of the platypus location and verified it
• Collected rumour about the golem position and verified it
• Visited one location
• Learn information lore about the Reed people
• Figure out facts about the Golems
• Supported refugees and honoured your dead
• Further improved relations with the Kapeks 

Philanthropy 

• 1000 gg for the safe passage of the refugee 

Treasure recovered 

• None 

Adversary defeated 

• None 

Totals: 

• Trunchkin gains 1554 XP and reaches 13479 XP; they have 92% of the necessary XP to progress to level 5 
• Oobl gains 1554 XP and reaches 16869 XP; they have 91% of the necessary XP to progress to level 5 
• Clement gains 1554 XP and reaches 16331 XP; they have 16% of the necessary XP to progress to level 6 
• Tomkin gains 1554 XP and reaches 7305 XP; they have 62% of the necessary XP to progress to level 4 
• Albert gains 1554 XP and reaches 10940 XP; they have 36% of the necessary XP to progress to level 5 
• Selminimum gains 777 XP and reaches 6290 XP; they have 79% of the necessary XP to progress to level 4 
• The 3 Dogs gain 518 XP each. Gunter & Elain reach 3411XP. Zoe reaches 1064XP and LEVELS UP!

Description of the magical items found in the Crow's stash 

Birdcaller: A slender, reed-carved horn bound with woven marsh-grass. When blown, it releases a bird-like chirping sound. 

Truthbringer: This slender club of pale ash wood is etched with curling fairy sigils that shimmer with hoarfrost. Its surface is always cold to the touch. The word Truthbringer is etched on the handle in sylvan. 

Ruskin’s Spell book 

Rank 1 

• Vapours of Dream
• Shield of Force
• Fairy Servant
• Ventriloquism
• Glyph of Sealing 

Rank 2 

• Mirror Image
• Web
• Arcane Cypher 

Rank 3 

• Lightning Bolt
• Paralysation

Holly spells unlocked through the study of the relics found in Pollnacrom's Church. 

Prayer of the Veiling Light 

Sanctuary - Rank 1 Holy Prayer of Saint Lumea the Clear-Sighted 

Before touching the one to be warded, the cleric murmurs the ancient invocation:

“Saint Lumea, Lantern of Mercy,

Who bends the wicked eye and turns aside cruel intent,

Cast now Your Veiling Light upon this humble soul.

Let no hostile gaze find its mark,

let no wrathful hand discern its path.

As mirrors confound the hateful,

so let Your refraction shield the innocent.

In stillness shall this blessing hold

For as long as the heart knows no violence.”

SANCTUARY – Leve 1 Holly spell 

DURATION: 2 rounds + 1 round per level 

RANGE: Touch 

Upon completing the prayer, a soft shimmer - like heat-haze or the glint from polished glass - settles over the touched creature. This protective ward disorients the perception of foes.
Any opponent attempting to directly attack the warded creature must first SAVE vs SPELLS.
If the save fails: Their eyes slide away as though the target were a trick of the light; they cannot follow through and must choose another target or lose the attack this round. If the save succeeds: The opponent’s gaze pierces the veil, allowing them to attack the warded creature normally for that round. Area effects bypass the ward entirely. If the warded creature commits any offensive action, the light disperses instantly. Non-offensive spells (such as cure light wounds) do not break the blessing.

Prayer of the Disappearing Step 

Stalk - Rank 2 Holy Prayer of Saint Umbreth, the hidden lens 

Before laying a hand upon the recipient, the cleric intones this whisper-prayer:

“Saint Umbreth, Shadowed Lens of the Dawn,

Whose eyes pierce the veil,

yet whose foot leaves no trace,

Draw now Your holy shroud about this servant.

Mute their tread, cool their scent,

and bend the searching gaze away

as reeds bend to the wind.

Let them pass unseen among Your living groves,

as a mote in a sunbeam, hidden by brilliance.

Guide their breath, their step, their spirit

Until their purpose is complete,

and the world turns its face away.”

STALK – Level 2 Holly spell 

DURATION: 5 rounds per level
RANGE: Touch 

The recipient of this spell becomes nearly undetectable in natural surroundings. Effect: The creature is almost silent, and its scent is masked. It is invisible to non-magical detection while stationary and beyond 30'. Movement does not break the spell but allows for normal chances of detection. Breaking the spell: The spell ends immediately if the recipient makes an attack, enters an area of non-natural surroundings, or casts a spell.

Deep Carbon Observatory adventure log - Session 11

Session 11

Thursday the 4th, from 11.00 to 16.00

Player characters and Retainers present at the beginning of the session:

• D. - Oobl, Level 4 Mossling
• Freddy - Trunchkin, Level 4 Friar
• Marcus - Melysee, Level 4 Human Knight
• Peter - Albert, Level 3 Woodgrue
• Ythan - Clement, Level 4 Human Enchanter

• Retainer - Fiona, Level 3 Fighter
• Retainer - Fenrich, Level 3 Fighter
• Retainer - Finn, Level 1 Enchanter
• Retainer - Selminimum, Level 2 Friar

The Golem of Kabibona’kan

Thursday the 4th; 11.00 - 14.00

The session opened with the Magpies standing on the rough dam across the river Lock, the twelve-sided gear golem bearing down on them from the north. In the water just south of the dam, the By Frosen siblings fought with Karl Kapek, while Ruskin the magician quietly emerged from the flooded ruins of Pollnacrom, climbing out through one of the few structures still standing.

A scaled-down version of the combat map

Ooble immediately plunged into the river to help Karl, and together the two of them finished off the remaining Crows. While they were fighting, Ruskin told the party that the Crows kept a stash inside Pollnacrom’s church. He also offered to help bring down the golem in exchange for help in recovering his spellbook. 

To buy time, Clement rode the lifeboat directly into the creature’s path, drawing the golem away while the raft slipped toward the town. The distraction worked, but at a heavy cost: the golem seized Fiona and Fenrich - two of the group’s retainers - and crushed them within its vast mechanical fists. 

In desperation, Selminimum called out to the construct, begging it to stop and offering the party’s aid in continuing the dam’s construction. Something in that plea reached the golem; it halted its assault, and the Magpies feigned cooperation while planning their next move.

The lifeboat was once more used as bait, this time drifting downriver just fast enough to stay out of reach. Meanwhile, Melysee and Trunchkin ferried Pollnacrom’s surviving townsfolk to safety in a nearby field. Albert slipped into the church, uncovering both the Crows’ stash containing an ornate mace and an enchanted horn decorated with bird hatchings and two relics. 

Before long, the golem abandoned its pursuit and lumbered back toward Pollnacrom, tearing into another building. Clement and Ooble, still out on the lifeboat, drew its attention yet again and narrowly avoided a massive stone hurled in their direction. 

The party decided to destroy the construct. Ruskin unleashed a lightning bolt and then trapped the golem in thick strands of conjured webbing. Trunchkin peppered it with sling stones, while Albert experimented with the enchanted horn to uncertain effect. Melysee charged in and grappled the machine, creating an opening that allowed Finn to climb its metal frame and strike at one of its gears with a magic blade. The golem managed to seize Ruskin but failed to crush him before Karl delivered the finishing blow, felling the colossus with a perfectly placed shot from his slingshot. Albert pulled the dazed magician free from its dying grip. 

The session closed with the Magpies examining the etched prayers on the relic tablet, only to be interrupted by a storm of blood-drinking strigae sweeping over the ruins. Forced to seek shelter, the party and the villagers fled - some climbing into the bell tower, others hiding in the nearby field - while the sky grew loud with the beating of hungry wings. Albert killed many of them, forcing the finds to inbibe on each other before the rest few off in frustration. 

Obituaries

Fiona, proud daughter of Broken Huts, had been working for the group since the very beginning. She was smashed into pulp by a very angry golem. Her mortal remains became part of its dam.

Fenrich, mighty archer and dear brother, died next to his sister, attempting to distract a golem. His body became construction material for a dam on the river Lock.

XP for session 11 

For this XP calculation, I assume you are taking in Ruskin as a retainer with a 1/2 share payment. 

Feats of exploration 

• Using the lifeboat to distract the golem was incredibly dangerous but very effective.
• Offering the golem help in building the dam was a great idea.
• You manage to save the townsfolk.
• Grappling the golem and escalating it, Shadow of the Colossus style was incredibly stylish.
• Mad revelry is stupidly powerful, and you used it with good effect
• Fishing the Crows' bodies with the detached eyeball was a brilliant idea. 

Adversary defeated 

• Twelve-sided gear golem
• Siblings By Frosen - Karl claims XP and equipment of Hoolloch
• 16 Strigae

Loot recovered 

• 2 relics of the optical good - 3.000 gg
• Thruthbringer - 2.250gg
• Magical horn - 5.000 gg
• 1 kg of opium - 250 gg
• 1 vial of poison 250 gg
• Collection of wedding rings - 800 gg 

The remaining content of Echo inventory seems unremarkable - and you have already received XP for the poisonous ring, you will not double dip!

Totals 

• Melysee gains 3051 XP and reaches 15546 XP; they have 72% of the necessary XP to progress to level 5 
• Trunchkin gains 3051 XP and reaches 11925 XP; they have 70% of the necessary XP to progress to level 5 
• Oobl gains 3051 XP and reaches 15315 XP; they have 74% of the necessary XP to progress to level 5 
• Clement gains 3051 XP and reaches 14777 XP. LEVEL UP! Character ascended to level 5 
• Albert gains 3051 XP and reaches 9386 XP. LEVEL UP! Character ascended to level 4 
• Finn gains 1526 XP and reaches 3881 XP. LEVEL UP! Character ascended to level 3 
• Selminimum gains 1526 XP and reaches 5513 XP; they have 57% of the necessary XP to progress to level 4 
• Ruskin gains 1526 XP and reaches 21526 XP; they have 7% of the necessary XP to progress to level 6 
• Gunter & Elain gain 763 XP each and reach 2893 XP