Episode 5 saw us digging deeper into The First and Last Man, as the party dug into the mystery of Levon Najjar, a Guild Explorer who had died in suspicious circumstances.
We had a full house with all five players, and the changes to tech that I'd made (with wired headphones to monitor audio) meant that the technical side went smoothly. As a reminder, I capture the audio from Role (running in Safari) with Rogue Amoeba's Audio Hijack, then drop it through TabletopRecorder to get a transcript and summaries.
We did have an interesting discussion at the end of session on whether mystery stories are inherently railroads in terms of the plot. I think our tentative conclusion was that they could be seen in that way, but it depends on how open the routes are through the scenario. If it was a linear clue path, then it's more like a railroad. This scenario isn't a linear clue path...
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.
The Session (Spoilers for The Flowers of Algorab).
In the Ship City of Jumuah, our intrepid adventurers delve deeper into a web of intrigue and mechanical monstrosities. Last session's investigation had led them along a dangerous trail left by the suspicious death of Levon Najjar, their colleague from the Explorer's Guild. They found a note hinting at a store of knowledge hidden in the Great Archive, suggesting a deeper mystery.
Faced by a heirloom technology based cybernetic spider, the adventurers narrowly escaped its venomous bite, which spurred them to further unravel the secrets sewn into the fabric of this dark affair. Rashid and Ada sought the secret meaning of a blue feather linked to the nefarious Black Toad organisation, which seems deeply entangled in this plot, in the Bird Market.
Meristo Koulas, returning to safely store valuable clues at the guild, ventured alone through Ship City. The underbelly of the city brought threats of its own as two more robotic spiders and a cloaked and masked figure followed him, echoing with metallic pitter-patters in the shadows. A sudden and fierce encounter ensued. At the brink of peril, Meristo's quick thinking and swift actions saw him narrowly escaping the jaws of his pursuers, utilising his surroundings in a daredevil display of parkour to vanish from his foes, changing levels to evade his pursuers.
Meanwhile, Fassour and Lieto, oblivious to Meristo's distress, ventured into the Grand Archive of Jumuah. Their search steered towards the mysterious reference "122y," inadvertently stepping on the trail of previous inquiries by other parties, including Levon and the enigmatic Gar Boutaleb. The archivists, with a little pressure from our heroes, revealed subtle cues about these tied connections and visits relating to their query, unraveling names from the past and hints of collusion or perhaps conspiracy among the guildmembers.
In the shadowed aisles of the Great Archive, amid the scent of old paper and dark Kuan wood, our heroes delved further into the mystery at hand. Led by a buzzing firefly drone, Fassour navigated past bickering archivists, guided to a secluded section where evidence of recent tampering whispered of hidden secrets. Amid the crates labeled "Dig Site 12," Fassour's sharp eyes spotted signs of intrusion—a few splintered pieces scattered around an opened box. His suspicion piqued, he scrutinised the area, discovering evidence of the crucial missing artifact: the packaging that had stored stone tablet marked "122Y," a key they had hoped would unlock further secrets of the past expeditions chronicled in their quest.
As Fassour and his companion Lieto made their discoveries, an unforeseen danger lurched from the shadows. A shelf, heavy with history and dark intent, thundered down upon them. Quick reflexes barely saved them from being crushed, though both bore the harsh brunt of the assault. In the chaos that followed, Fassour's keen senses caught the fleeting glimpse of a nefarious figure, clad in a gray robe, fleeing the scene—the orchestrator of their near demise, leaving only whispers and the urgent need for pursuit.
Outside the Archive, Rashid and Arda arrived precisely as chaos spilled from its doors. With clever misdirection and quick thinking, Rashid intercepted the fleeing figure, and through a blend of intimidation and cunning, they extracted the truth. The attacker, now revealed as a pawn under the hire of a masked stranger, had attacked under orders, driven by desperation and the promise of rukh. The archivists called the Zapti Constables to arrest the trespasser.
The team, all gathered together once more as Meristo had returned, stopped at the bar the thug had been hired from, down the street in sight of the archive for refreshments and to plan their next move. They observed the Zapti constables in action, arresting the suspect involved in their tangled mystery. Among the constables was a notably distinct woman, clad not in usual uniform but in a practical ensemble with black boots and a blue cuirass, her keen gaze measuring the guild members. The adventurers speculated her identity, guessing she might be undercover or a significant figure disguised amidst the constables, perhaps the official that had order Najjar's apartment to be closed off.
The discussion pivoted to potential infiltrations by the elusive Black Toad organisation within the law enforcement ranks, underscoring a web of corruption possibly extending into the constabulary itself. Meristo hinted at his intricate knowledge of such covert operations, heightening the sense of looming threats and deeper conspiracies.
Turning their focus to the guild records, the team decided to probe into past expeditions and personnel which could shed light on their current dire straits. This probing revealed ties between mentioned individuals and the enigmatic Black Toad, confirming suspicions and threading more pieces into the puzzle of guild politics and clandestine affiliations.
Following up on "Dig Site 12", they established it was one of the first sites explored in the Jumuah system, and was on the same asteroid that Ship City was constructed out of to give a new home. This linked a significant archaeological finding—The Ramda Obelisk, part of a previous dig, to current events. This obelisk, guarded and secluded on the asteroid surface, held the echoes of past guild endeavours and possibly secreted knowledge critical to understanding the broader scope of machinations they faced. As they pieced together these fragments of history and deceit, their path seemed to point towards visiting the dig site to uncover what lay buried, shadowed by time and guarded by those with vested interests.
However, before that, they wanted to follow up a matchbox they found dropped at the scene in the library. This pointed to a bar, The Golden Ape, located in Aluminum Bay, a venue Meristo and Fassour recognised as being favoured by the Black Toad. Before they left, they visited the market and kitted themselves out with light protective armour, just in case there was trouble when they stepped cautiously into the underbelly of a society where knowledge was both a weapon and a shield in the silent wars waged between the Guilds. Rashid sought solace and guidance from his Horus eye amulet, hinting at a cursed luck that dogged their steps.
Arriving Aluminum Bay, the lifts opened into a busy area of docks, where they navigated to the neon-drenched locale known as the Golden Ape, a cantina under the clingy fingers of the Black Toad itself. Here, Fassour dealt nods with old contacts, flashing gang symbols to garner safer passage and maybe easier conversations. The cantina’s air was thick with the scent of spiced beer and tobacco, betraying layers of old allegiances and talking points leading them to Maisi Midoun, a former crane rat and ex-Toad member. Fassour and Meristo tugged at strings of information about others, including a mysterious Coriolite in a golden mask and illicit tech dealings, steering their course through murky narratives.
Each revelation—spied corners in the bar, conversations with Maisi, and maneuvers around the Zapti Constables—brought them closer to the underbellies of their city’s conflicts. As strands of their investigation crossed old gangland ties and dug up names like Gar Boutaleb, the adventurers started to connect dots between the clues they had, finding out that Boutaleb usually stayed at The Sadaalian Rose
Their night teetered on the cusp between indulgence and functionality, with Rashid ensuring they kept a relatively cool head, balanced between seeking information and avoiding undue intoxication. Yet, everywhere they traversed—from the thrumming energy of The Golden Ape to the dodgy recesses of The Sadaalian Rose—painted a grim tableau of the sticky adventures in which they had embroiled themselves.
The Sadaalian Rose revealed its thorns as they probed for more clues. Here, the oily charm of bribery and the sheer necessity of navigating through underworld personalities played out, with Rashid slickly managing hotel insiders to secure a guided path to their next clue. Every floor ascended and every door manipulated open with skilled intrigue brought them face-to-face with the dank reality of their quest—a melange of risk and necessary alliances dressed up in the thick smoke of drug dens and the occasional necessary bribe.
As their night drew to a close, gun in hand and allies at the ready, the adventurers positioned themselves before yet another door, another potential reveal. What lies behind it could thread more danger or answers, or like much of their journey so far, a complex weave of both. Their saga continued, embroiled in the grit and grind of the city's shadows, every step a dance with danger and discovery. As they inched closer to unveiling the mysteries that might lead them to the truth or deeper into peril, only the sharpness of their wits and the readiness of their arms would tell.
In a dimly lit room cluttered with the detritus of hurried research and abandoned personal effects, our adventurers, led by Fassour Ferrari, surveyed their surroundings. The room, though empty of its occupant, brimmed with clues: a messy bed, scattered papers, and books with esoteric contents suggesting frantic studies of Builder artifacts and other mysterious topics. Arda Qamar's eyes caught the subtle symbol of the Black Toad on a broken pendant, hinting at foul play or a hasty departure.
While the room offered no direct signs of their quarry, Gar Boutaleb, nor any paths leading to hidden chambers beyond a small toilet, the residue of his urgent exit lingered in the air. Notably absent among the chaos were any references to the much-discussed "Site 12," though an alluded “Station 11” marked on an abandoned ferry ticket drew their attention as a potential lead.
Arda probed for any traces of an unusual bird amid the room’s mess but found only an empty biomechanical nut package; its fleeting owner's whereabouts as inscrutable as the whispers of espionage that danced through their minds.
Meristo Koulas pondered the implications of their findings, the broken pendant suggesting violence or desperation. Fassour, his mind attuned to the missing gaps in the research sprawled before him, acknowledged the discouraging dearth of solid evidence with which to reconstruct a clearer picture.
Outside, on a vulnerable fire escape, Fassour carefully scrutinised the docks, piercing the veil of the mundane with his sharpened perceptions to spot a fleeting figure linked to the Jade Scorpions, the gang whose member had attacked them in the Archive, a minor yet curious detail in their woven tapestry of conspiracy.
As the session wound down, the adventurers' debate continued. Should they consider the theft of potentially valuable information from Boutaleb's room? The moral quandary was brief; their intentions were not aligned with betrayal. Locking the room behind, Rashid Al-Masri reaffirmed their noble purpose—to probe the mystery of a shared past, perhaps intertwined with the whereabouts and well-being of Mr. Boutaleb. An intriguing hint about his recent acquisition of Cira Cira, a healing agent, suggested preparations for either recovery or an expedition, thickening the plot with possibilities of his motivations or destinations.
As they concluded their search, the adventurers resolved to pursue the lead indicated by the ferry ticket pointing to Station 11, hoping the next session might unveil more about the winding paths that Gar Boutaleb and their own destiny might trace.
Source - Tabletoprecorder.com, edited for names, clarity and brevity with some parts injected to explain or catch elements missed in the summarising.
30 March 2026
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