Deep Carbon Observatory adventure log - Session 08

Session 08

Tuesday the 2nd, from 15.30 to 24.0

Wednesday, the 3rd, from 00:00 to 13:20

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

• Ash - North, Level 2 Elf
• Deryn - Oobl, Level 3 Mossling
• James - Tomkin, Level 2 Hunter
• Marcus - Melysee, Level 3 Human Knight
• Peter - Albert, Level 2 Woodgrue
• Ythan - Clement, Level 3 Human Enchanter

• Retainer - Fiona, Level 2 Fighter
• Retainer - Fenrich, Level 2 Fighter
• Retainer - Finn, Level 1 Enchanter
• Retainer - Tzani, Level 1 Mage
• Retainer - Curtis, Level 0 Torchbearer
• Retainer - Selminimum, Level 1 Friar

Zolushika Von Der Linth from the Crows

Tuesday, the 2nd (15:30 – 24:00) 

The Magpies began by dealing with an unpleasant stowaway — a zombie clinging beneath their barge. They pried it loose, tied it to a pew, and set it drifting downstream before settling to rest in the old Church of the Optical God. 

Within the sanctuary, Selminimum Tem anointed Melysee, formally naming her a true knight of the Optical God. He also shared fragments of his theology with Oobl, and tried - without much success - to help Clement interpret the cryptic Laxiat Bible. 

Their rest was far from peaceful: through the night, four separate zombie attacks struck the church. Each was swiftly dispatched, but the sleep denial tactics of their enemy left the group groggy and irritable, but not exhausted by dawn.

The following morning, another zombie was discovered clinging beneath the barge and promptly destroyed. 

In the morning, Albert used his magic to force Tzani to confess - she admitted to being a spy for the Crows. The Magpies chose mercy: instead of punishment, they gifted her Rem’s magic book, which she accepted as repayment for her stolen scrolls. 

The party instructed their retainers to create a decoy, using the boats to make it seem the Magpies were continuing upriver. Meanwhile, the adventurers struck out on foot toward the hills. As they climbed, they spotted two rafts approaching their retainers’ position. 

Clement split from the group to warn them, while the rest pressed on. 

The Magpies first stumbled upon a false camp, then located the true camp of the Crows. There, they found two bedraggled survivors—one a retainer of the Eagle, the other a townsfolk from Carrowmore. Both described the four members of the Crows before the party tended to their wounds, fed them, and sent them safely back downstream. 

Meanwhile, Clement surprised a young magician standing on a hill near the river, surrounded by two dozen zombies. He tried to charm her, but when that failed, he used magic to suppress all her spells and enchanted items - leaving her helpless as the undead tore her apart. The Magpies later recovered her possessions and discovered her doll was magical. 

North and Albert hurried back toward the retainers, finding them conversing with Carrowmore folk aboard the two rafts. Oobl descended the hill more cautiously and spotted three figures launching canoes and rowing upriver. She called out to one of them - a mosling, by the look of it - and was nearly shot from nearly five hundred feet away.

Session 08 XP 

Feat of exploration 

• You learned new lore about the Optical God
• In Session 06, you already gained points for suspecting Tzani — now a top-up for following through and unmasking her.
• Using the church as a fortified camp and choosing carefully who would mount guard, you mitigated the sleep denial tactics of your enemies.
• You devised and executed the fake-boat stratagem, allowing you to reach the Crows’ camp undetected.
• You freed the Crows’ victims and learned valuable information about the group.
• Your dog learned to recognize the scent of the Crows. 

Opponents Defeated 

• 9 Zombies
• Zolushika von der Linth 

Treasure Recovered 

• Zolushika’s staff
• Her personal belongings 

Totals

• Melysee gains 1859 XP and reaches 9590 XP. LEVEL UP! Character ascended to level 4 
• Oobl gains 1859 XP and reaches 9359 XP. LEVEL UP! Character ascended to level 4 
• Clement gains 1859 XP and reaches 8821 XP. LEVEL UP! Character ascended to level 4 
• Fiona gains 930 XP and reaches 4813 XP. LEVEL UP! Character ascended to level 3 
• Fenrich gains 930 XP and reaches 4813 XP. LEVEL UP! Character ascended to level 3 
• Tomkin gains 1859 XP and reaches 4114 XP; they have 82% of the necessary XP to progress to level 3 
• North gains 1859 XP and reaches 8552 XP. LEVEL UP! Character ascended to level 3 
• Tzani gains 465 XP and reaches 1402 XP; they have 56% of the necessary XP to progress to level 2 
• Finn gains 465 XP and reaches 902 XP; they have 51% of the necessary XP to progress to level 2 
• Albert gains 1859 XP and reaches 5067 XP. LEVEL UP! Character ascended to level 3 
• Selminimum gains 930 XP and reaches 2534 XP. LEVEL UP! Character ascended to level 2 
• Each of the 2 dogs gains 465 XP and reaches 1267 XP

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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