diff --git a/internal/plugin/message_sink_test.go b/internal/plugin/message_sink_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f8b2c49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/plugin/message_sink_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+package plugin
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"maunium.net/go/mautrix/id"
+)
+
+// captureSink is the test implementation of MessageSink. It records every
+// outbound message a handler emits so a test can assert on a handler whose
+// only observable output is a DM or a room announcement — the paths that had
+// no seam below the live client before this. Install it with installSink.
+type captureSink struct {
+	msgs []outboundMessage
+}
+
+func (s *captureSink) Capture(m outboundMessage) (id.EventID, error) {
+	s.msgs = append(s.msgs, m)
+	// A stable, non-empty id keeps the *ID send variants honest for callers
+	// that expect an event id back (e.g. one they would later edit).
+	return id.EventID("$sink"), nil
+}
+
+// dmsTo returns the text of every DM captured for a given user, in order.
+func (s *captureSink) dmsTo(user id.UserID) []string {
+	var out []string
+	for _, m := range s.msgs {
+		if m.ToUser == user {
+			out = append(out, m.Text)
+		}
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
+// roomMsgs returns the text of every room message captured for a room.
+func (s *captureSink) roomMsgs(room id.RoomID) []string {
+	var out []string
+	for _, m := range s.msgs {
+		if m.ToRoom == room {
+			out = append(out, m.Text)
+		}
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
+// installSink points a plugin's outbound sends at a fresh captureSink and
+// returns it. The Base carries no client in these tests, so without the sink
+// SendDM would silently no-op — which is exactly why these paths were untestable.
+func installSink(p *AdventurePlugin) *captureSink {
+	s := &captureSink{}
+	p.Sink = s
+	return s
+}
+
+// TestMessageSink_CapturesDMAndRoom is the seam's own unit test: it proves both
+// the DM and room-message routes divert into the sink with the right target and
+// text, and that the *ID variants report back the id the sink chose.
+func TestMessageSink_CapturesDMAndRoom(t *testing.T) {
+	p := &AdventurePlugin{}
+	sink := installSink(p)
+
+	user := id.UserID("@player:example.org")
+	room := id.RoomID("!hall:example.org")
+
+	if err := p.SendDM(user, "a direct message"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("SendDM: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := p.SendMessage(room, "a room announcement"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("SendMessage: %v", err)
+	}
+	evID, err := p.SendDMID(user, "an editable dm")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("SendDMID: %v", err)
+	}
+	if evID != "$sink" {
+		t.Errorf("SendDMID returned %q, want the sink's id", evID)
+	}
+
+	if got := sink.dmsTo(user); len(got) != 2 || got[0] != "a direct message" || got[1] != "an editable dm" {
+		t.Errorf("DMs to %s = %v", user, got)
+	}
+	if got := sink.roomMsgs(room); len(got) != 1 || got[0] != "a room announcement" {
+		t.Errorf("room messages = %v", got)
+	}
+	// A DM must not leak into the room bucket, or vice versa.
+	if len(sink.roomMsgs(id.RoomID(user))) != 0 {
+		t.Error("a DM was miscaptured as a room message")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestExpeditionCmdLeave_DMsBothEnds drives the real handler behind review
+// fix #2 end to end — the member soft-lock path — and asserts on the two DMs it
+// sends. Before the sink this was unreachable in a unit test: SendDM no-ops
+// without a client, so nothing could observe that the leader was notified and
+// the departing member was told they turned back.
+func TestExpeditionCmdLeave_DMsBothEnds(t *testing.T) {
+	setupEmptyTestDB(t)
+	owner := id.UserID("@lead-leave:example.org")
+	member := id.UserID("@member-leave:example.org")
+	seedExpedition(t, "exp-leave", owner, "active")
+	seatLeaderFixture(t, "exp-leave")
+	if err := joinParty("exp-leave", member); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p := &AdventurePlugin{}
+	sink := installSink(p)
+
+	if err := p.expeditionCmdLeave(MessageContext{Sender: member}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expeditionCmdLeave: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// The departing member is freed and told so.
+	memberDMs := sink.dmsTo(member)
+	if len(memberDMs) != 1 || memberDMs[0] != "You turn back for town. Your supplies stay with the party." {
+		t.Errorf("member DMs = %v", memberDMs)
+	}
+	// The leader is notified their party shrank.
+	leaderDMs := sink.dmsTo(owner)
+	if len(leaderDMs) != 1 || leaderDMs[0] == "" {
+		t.Fatalf("leader DMs = %v, want one departure notice", leaderDMs)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(leaderDMs[0], "turned back") || !strings.Contains(leaderDMs[0], "supplies stay") {
+		t.Errorf("leader notice = %q", leaderDMs[0])
+	}
+
+	// And the DB actually reflects the departure the DMs described.
+	if n, _ := partySize("exp-leave"); n != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("after leave, partySize = %d, want 1", n)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/plugin/plugin.go b/internal/plugin/plugin.go
index 39f7529..7f93839 100644
--- a/internal/plugin/plugin.go
+++ b/internal/plugin/plugin.go
@@ -92,6 +92,30 @@ var (
 type Base struct {
 	Client *mautrix.Client
 	Prefix string
+
+	// Sink, when non-nil, receives every outbound message (DM or room) the
+	// plugin would otherwise hand to the Matrix client, and the client is
+	// never touched. It is the test seam for handlers whose only observable
+	// output is a DM — beginCombatTurn's terminal close-out,
+	// expeditionCmdLeave, the arena season announcement. Production leaves it
+	// nil, so behaviour is unchanged. See captureSink in the test files.
+	Sink MessageSink
+}
+
+// outboundMessage is one message a handler tried to send. Exactly one of
+// ToUser (a DM) or ToRoom (a room message) is set.
+type outboundMessage struct {
+	ToUser id.UserID
+	ToRoom id.RoomID
+	Text   string
+}
+
+// MessageSink captures a plugin's outbound messages in place of the live
+// client. Capture returns the event ID to report back to the caller, so the
+// *ID send variants keep working. Unexported param by design: only in-package
+// tests implement it.
+type MessageSink interface {
+	Capture(outboundMessage) (id.EventID, error)
 }
 
 // NewBase creates a Base with default prefix "!".
@@ -560,6 +584,10 @@ func textContent(text string) *event.MessageEventContent {
 
 // SendMessage sends a message to a room, auto-formatting Markdown as HTML.
 func (b *Base) SendMessage(roomID id.RoomID, text string) error {
+	if b != nil && b.Sink != nil {
+		_, err := b.Sink.Capture(outboundMessage{ToRoom: roomID, Text: text})
+		return err
+	}
 	content := textContent(text)
 	_, err := b.Client.SendMessageEvent(context.Background(), roomID, event.EventMessage, content)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -570,6 +598,9 @@ func (b *Base) SendMessage(roomID id.RoomID, text string) error {
 
 // SendMessageID sends a message and returns the event ID.
 func (b *Base) SendMessageID(roomID id.RoomID, text string) (id.EventID, error) {
+	if b != nil && b.Sink != nil {
+		return b.Sink.Capture(outboundMessage{ToRoom: roomID, Text: text})
+	}
 	content := textContent(text)
 	resp, err := b.Client.SendMessageEvent(context.Background(), roomID, event.EventMessage, content)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -707,6 +738,10 @@ func IsDMRoom(roomID id.RoomID, userID id.UserID) bool {
 // No-op when the Matrix client is nil (which happens in unit tests that
 // construct plugins without a real client).
 func (b *Base) SendDM(userID id.UserID, text string) error {
+	if b != nil && b.Sink != nil {
+		_, err := b.Sink.Capture(outboundMessage{ToUser: userID, Text: text})
+		return err
+	}
 	if b == nil || b.Client == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -719,6 +754,9 @@ func (b *Base) SendDM(userID id.UserID, text string) error {
 
 // SendDMID sends a direct message and returns the event ID (for later editing).
 func (b *Base) SendDMID(userID id.UserID, text string) (id.EventID, error) {
+	if b != nil && b.Sink != nil {
+		return b.Sink.Capture(outboundMessage{ToUser: userID, Text: text})
+	}
 	roomID, err := b.GetDMRoom(userID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err