Our fourth session saw us returning to the first scenario in Flowers of Algorab, The First and Last Man, after a diversion into The Sky Machine from the Quickstart rules. I was away with work during the day but managed to get back in time to run, despite the A1 throwing me a few curve balls with congestion and accidents on the way home. Everyone was available to play except Paul (Meristo), and we started the session with resolution of experience and development of characters.
It was at that point that I encountered my first technical issue of the night. My mesh network decided that it didn't want to talk to my MacBook (which had been switched off for the last 48 hours) and needed a reboot, but my better half was in a Zoom meeting. I struggled on with a backup connection (which is why I know it wasn't the computer) for the next twenty minutes or so, and then rebooted the router, mesh and all. Twice, as it didn't want to play.
I connected back in as the players finished their experience builds and then we began. Everything was going nicely for the first four minutes when my back up set of bluetooth earbuds disconnected. I restarted them and reset the audio recording, only for it to happen again. So I switched to a more robust bluetooth headphone set which managed to work right until a strange noise happened, and needed another restart. I reset everything but from that point lost the audio recording for tabletoprecorder.com, which I only realised at the end. As I write this, a day later, I'm listening to the audio over a wired set of headphone monitors. 3.5mm analogue, it's the way forward.
The scenario is a mystery investigation, with the characters commissioned by Master Moska of the Explorer's Guild to investigate a suspicious death of a retired Guild member. Of course, I managed to call Master Moska "Madame Moska" and it hooked into my brain throughout the session, not matter how many times I tried to avoid it!
Our Crew
- Arda Qamar, a Guild Surveyor and Traveller who came from the Far Colonies from a Mining Combine operation. She’s the bird handler and Scout for the team. (Played by Hattie).
- Meristo Koulas, an Esoteric Coriolite Seer who grew up in the Fog of the Haze, and has ties to the Black Toad. (Played by Paul).
- Lieto Miesma, a Scholar specialised in Builder Archeology who came from deep inside the Factory City of the Turbine Halls, with a background in the Machinist's Guild. (Played by Graham)
- Fassour Faradi, a roughneck deep miner who also came from somewhere the eternal fog of the Haze, and - like Merits - has ties to the Black Toad. (Played by Simon)
- Rashid al-Masri, a scoundrel Hull Cutter who came from among the hulks and wrecks of Hull Town, and has connections to the Gardener's Guild. (Played by Andy).
- Corvus the Bird, a specter; cobalt blue, with a long beak, always observing. Usually handled by Arda.
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| The New Seekers (Corvus, Arda, Meristo, Fassour, Rashid and Lieto) |
The Session (Spoilers for The Flowers of Algorab).
Source - Tabletoprecorder.com, edited for names, clarity and brevity with some parts injected to explain or catch elements missed in the summarising, plus manual write up for the Bird Market section.
In the heart of Ship City, within the City of the Dead, our intrepid explorers—Rashid al-Masri, Fassour Faradi, Arda Qamar, and Lieto Miesma—gather under somber circumstances. The guild's venerable Master Moska, cloaked in authority and mystery, invited them to the funeral of the famed explorer Levon Najjar. Here, amidst pillars, mosaics, and lantern-lit gloom, they learn of a dark undercurrent surrounding the death of Levon. The beloved explorer had disconnected from friends and had supposedly succumbed to a spiritual malaise before his untimely demise.
Najjar’s passing, ruled a suicide after a fatal fall from his balcony, carried hints of foul play. A message left for Master Moska three days before his death spoke of a discovery that could "change everything," stirring interest and concern. Levon had accessed a mysterious ancient tablet shortly before his death, which promptly disappeared.
Before they left the Hall of the Departed, the Warden of the Well, Ser Aren Mir-Bilal, came to pay his respects, The Coriolite priest was swathed in grey robes, but had doffed his silver mask to take take tea. His white-painted face was gaunt and he seemed to show very little interest in the crew, just trying to understand their connection with Najjar. As their Guild Master made her excuses, the Warden lost interest in the crew and was soon away.
It was only after he left that Arda recalled that this Warden had presided at the passing of the last archimandrite, perhaps some forty years ago, and yet he only looked a few years older. They wondered just what heirloom or builder technology the Coriolite had access to so he was in such good health. The enigmatic presence of those who age little yet wield much influence hinted at deeper, perhaps darker, secrets woven into the fabric of the guilds and the city itself.
Tasked by Master Moska, our heroes now find themselves probing the shadows of a conspiracy. With new purpose, they venture forth, leaving behind the sanctuary of the City of the Dead to delve into Najjar’s apartment on the fifth ring of the Chasm.
Their journey through Ship City is punctuated by a precarious cable car descent, illuminating the sprawling tiers of habitation that cling to life in this colossal cavern at the heart of an asteroid. However, their investigative path is not free from observation; enigmatic figures with obscured motives and faces cloaked behind gold masks monitor them from the shadows, always just out of site.
Upon reaching Najjar's apartment, they encounter a young, overly-polished Zapti constable barring entry. Efforts to negotiate passage through the display of guild sigils and mentions of Master Moska’s authority initially falter. Their argument, embroidered with mentions of guild duties and the retrieval of property, is a dance of influence and persuasion. Amidst this social skirmish, our courageous explorers employ their unique skills to persuade the conscientious but naive constable to allow them entry.
The persuasive efforts bear mixed results, highlighted by Rashid invoking the risk of spiritual unrest, Lieto emphasising the significance of their guild duties, and Arda appealing to the legacy of the guild's founders. Despite these valiant attempts, the group earns entry primarily through veiled threats of later repercussions from their guild master, convincing the constable that cooperation might safeguard her fledgling career.
Once inside Levon Najjar’s damaged apartment, the party discovers clear signs of a violent search. Amid the chaos of overturned furniture and scattered personal belongings, they contemplate the despair or duress that might have driven Levon to suicide. Their sleuthing skills come to the fore as the team meticulously searches for any clues. They collect information and talk through the possibilities interlaced with observations that ricochet between the logical and the absurd.
The crew, working together and using Rashid, Arda, and Lieto's sharp insights, spot several compelling items: mysterious books regarding the Builders and a blue Garuda feather, suggesting a narrative far more complex than a mere suicide. Fassour's interaction with a small metallic spider, believed to be heirloom technology, unfolds a potential lead. The spider, initially attempting to flee, responds to Fassour's diplomatic address and approaches him only to cause alarm with an unexpected bite, which Fasour narrowly avoids.
The spider escapes by extruding a monofilament web and dropping off the balcony into the depths of the Chasm, leaving on the remains of a crystalline metal web in the corner of the room to show that it was ever there. Lieto takes a shot at the spider as it drops with his Fusilard Pistol, missing. Hopefully the bullet didn't hit someone in the houses on the other side of the Chasm.
Amidst this chaos, the constable bursts into the room, weapon drawn, demanding an explanation for the clamour. Fassour Faradi quickly takes charge by deflecting the constable’s concerns, weaving a narrative of mistaken actions and guild responsibilities. The explorers' dialogue seamlessly blends explanations and distractions, leading them to lobby accusations back at the constable, suggesting her negligence for allowing them into such a perilously booby-trapped environment. The constable, taken aback and somewhat convinced by their persuasive façade backed by the tangible evidence of the monofilament's danger, ultimately succumbs to the explorers' reasoning. She is cajoled into stepping outside, leaving the team to handle the situation on their own. This allows them to press on with their investigation, albeit momentarily hindered by the disappearance of the mechanical spider, an enigma that dangles yet another thread of mystery before them. Discussions turn towards the factions that could possess such advanced, heirloom technology, hinting at the depths of intrigue that envelops the city. The mention of a Coriolite connection adds another layer of complexity to their quest.
Meanwhile, they find a torn notebook page, with a sketch of a stone-tablet made by the Builders and a handwritten code that looked like a reference to a section of the Old Archive of Jumuah in the depths of the Chasm.
Lieto chooses to physically interact with the suspicious monofilament thread, a vestige of a high-tech booby trap set within the room. As he takes hold of the dangerous filament, it slices his finger, leaving a nick in the outer layer of his skin without drawing blood—a clear reminder of the peril they face. Rashid al-Masri works to accentuate the tension by highlighting the complexities of their situation and pointing out the trap’s location, a diligent effort to ensure the team's safety.
The crew consider their next steps, unaware of how deep, or how perilous, the rabbit hole of Levon Najjar's death may go. What truths lie buried in the heart of Ship City, waiting to be unearthed by those brave or foolhardy enough to seek them? This is yet to be seen.
They decide to split into three groups. Meristo will take the evidence that they have found - with the exception of the blue Garuda feather - to the Guild to secure it. Rashid, Arda and Corvus will go to the Bird Market to find out more about the feather, and Fassour and Lieto will go to the Old Archive.
The Bird Market is located on the fourth ring of the Chasm, a place with staircases linking sections with shacks and workshops around the central market area. It's a busy, raucous and crowded place with traders, shoppers and people just taking the time to enjoy the spectacle of the beautiful biomechanical birds. Corvus calls out to its fellow children of the Builders, and seems more alert than ever.
Of course, such markets are often beset by petty felonies, and there is soon a cry of 'Stop, Thief', and a young girl comes running, clutching a box of minor bird related artefacts. The shop keeper, she's running and trying to catch up. Rashid manages to pull the girl into a side alley, fortunately unseen because Corvus makes a load display. He quickly ascertains that the teenager has stolen the box to make the next payment for her brother, who is in debt to the Black Toad. She reminds him of his poor upbringing, and he pays her the 50 rukh she needs and lets her go. He turns, walks out the alley and tells the shop keeper that the thief dropped this.
She's extremely grateful, so Arda leverages this to ask about the feather. The shopkeeper doesn't know much about it, but does know someone who can help, Siran Gaffari. She takes them and makes an introduction high on the edge of the ravine. It's a small workshop, and Gaffari appears to be a researcher into the mysterious birds. A degree of haggling and payment is needed, probably complicated by Arda spinning the tale -badly - that she needs an answer to settle a debt, but they soon find out that the bird is feather is from one of the Sirra batch, found in the Cave of Sirra in 185. Prized for their ability to create an illusionary veil, many of them have been bought by clandestine organisations like the Black Toad.
They're about to leave when Gaffari tells them that she'll tell them who the owner of the bird is, if they pay her more. They acquiesce, and she tells them that it is owned by Gar Boutaleb, a retired ruin-delver associated with the Black Toad. When they ask were he could be found, she suggests in a ditch in Aluminium Bay. It's clear she has some bad feelings towards him. She warns them to be careful asking around in areas controlled by the Toad and then they depart.
To be continued.
11 March 2026
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