Call of Cthulhu Part Five: October 5-October 10, 1925

October 5 , 1925

Note: Having talked to some of my players, I've come to the decision that I will not be posting any more BGAs or their responses. Hopefully, the write-ups will do enough explaining on their own.

After an exciting couple of days of personal research and self-arming, the group converged at Judge Putnam’s house for a party (hosted by the judge, but prepared and staffed by Johnny), and a sharing of information.

Johnny: Mentioned that he watched James Clark’s apartment for a time. While there, Maximilian Reed (Mr. Stanford’s driver) broke in. He came out shortly thereafter and locked the door with a key, but Johnny suspected that he was unable to find what he was looking for.

Mikhail: Said that he visited the Grand Masonic Lodge in New York and found what Reed might have been looking for at James’ station. He produced a silver ring, with a black stone and a silver inlaid symbol. Those who looked at the symbol pronounced it “Middle Easterny” in nature.  Mikhail also mentions that one of the Lodge brothers, Von Varnstein, is a director working with the new lodge in Syria/Lebanon to get the rights to shoot on location for his new motion picture—something about Babylon.

The Symbol on the Silver Ring

Dr. Black: His research took him from City Hall to the New York Historical Society, where he tracked down the original survey of the property upon which the Silver Twilight Lodge was built. It was once a farm owned by a “Herr Scott.” Currently, the lodge house is owned by a Joslyn Peterson, who purchased it in 1912.

Judge Putnam: Explained that he discovered other evidence that corroborated Dr. Black’s findings. He also said that he found an article about a missing infant, from about 80 years ago, in which a “Karl Sanford” was a prime suspect.

Curse you, Karl Sanford!

Vivian: Discussed the research that she, Mikhail, and Ron had done at the NY Public Library, including their findings on The Knights of Argent Twilight, a supposedly “demonic Templar order.” Vivian was also in the process of trying not to have a nervous breakdown about how weird things had become and how this was just like, “that thing with the trumpet.”

Kane: Explained that he had gained access to the Silver Twilight Lodge under the pretense of “checking out the acoustics” so that his band could play during the Lodge’s Halloween soiree. He was able to give the group a full layout of the first floor, including the locations of stairs that led up to the basement and down to the second floor.

Kane's Memory of the Layout of the First Floor 

Ron: Tried to explain that he had visited his brother-in-law, Darragh MacGowan in the hospital, where he had been warned that “Big Grin” Bianco was looking into Boss Bonano’s untimely death. This mostly had to wait until Mikhail was out of the room. Ron was strongly advised by everyone in the group not to spill the beans about what actually happened to Vincenzo Bernouse. At the end of the night, Mikhail, a criminal trial attorney, handed Ron his card.

Final Thoughts:  The group were in agreement that something untoward was going on at the Silver Twilight Lodge. Judge Putnam told the group he had already sent his intentions to join the group, provided that they were discreet about his membership. Johnny, Dr. Black, and Kane also planned to join.  The Judge suggested that they meet again next week.

After the Party 

Kane: Kane took a drawing of the symbol on the ring to “Papa Doc” Horus, who identified it as the sigil of a particularly evil and grasping spirit. He described the symbol as, “representing the one who is the gate, as well as the one who stands beside that gate and holds the silver key.”

Vivian and Ron: After the altercation with his wife a few days prior, Ron decided to take Gabriella (his girlfriend) out of her apartment and move in with him on the guest house at the Bernouse estate.  Vincenzo was fine with this. Vivian was also fine with this.

Vivian was slightly less fine to discover, when she finally met Ron's new girlfriend, that it was her old schoolmate Gabriella Pugliesi.

"RON is the hot made guy you've been telling me about?"

"Oh yeah, isn't he just a doll?"

Later That Week

All those who were interested in joining the Silver Twilight Lodge are invited to an initiation ceremony that Saturday.  Mikhail said that he wouldn’t join the Order, but that he might use the initiation night as cover to sneak into the Lodge. The rest decided to stay well out of it, but promised to keep vigil at a nearby jazz club in case things went south.

October 10, 1925

The group that planned to join the Lodge (and Mikhail) arrive in separate groups. They meet their acquaintance, Dr. Call, who is delighted to see Dr. Black and the others. After a brief bit of mingling, most of the current members filter upstairs, leaving the group, Dr. Call, and Mikhail downstairs with Carl Stanford. Mr. Stanford instructs them to proceed through the dining room and up the stairs, where one of the serving staff will help them with the next steps.

At this point, Mikhail excuses himself to “get something he forgot” and runs outside, only to wait a few minutes and sneak back inside. Mikhail is very fortunate that everyone has gone upstairs for the ritual. More on him later.

Judge Putnam, Dr. Black, Kane, Johnny: Are escorted into a preparation room, where they are dressed in the white robes of the initiate. They are helped in this endeavor by Jack, the servant who “prepared” Judge Putnam’s dinner during the group’s first visit to the Lodge. Once they are appropriately dressed, Jack has the group blindfold themselves and says that he will escort them into the lodge, where their initiation will commence.

The group are brought into a large room to a fanfare of trumpets, where they are made to kneel. The principles of the Order of the Silver Twilight are related to them, and each of the group are made to swear an oath to support the Order. The group is taught the secret handshake, and hear various readings on the nature and purpose of the order. After this point, their blindfolds are removed and they are permitted to stand.

They find themselves before the assembled members of the Order, dressed in black, grey, or white robes. John Scott, Noble Philosopher, presides over the meeting from a dais at the far end of the room, which stands before a drape of red velvet. He wears a black robe with a gold stole.

Mikhail: While the initiation is underway upstairs, Mikhail sneaks through the empty first floor and, thanks to Kane’s directions, finds the staircase leading down into the basement. He enters a large room with a bare earthen floor and stone pillars. Annoyed that the secrets of the Lodge haven’t been revealed to him, he passes through another door into a similar, smaller room. There, he sees a secure door locked with a padlock.

Mikhail is not much of a locksmith, but he manages to pop the rusty old lock open with one swing from the butt of his gun. He passes through the door into a room where large stone slabs are set into the floor, but which have no mortar to hold them together. He checks for traps by removing his shoe and tapping it against the tiles. Once he’s sure the room is safe, he enters and tries to lift the slabs. He realizes that he is not strong enough to do this, so he escapes the Lodge and runs over to the jazz club to get backup.

Meanwhile, Upstairs: The newly initiated group have drinks and dinner with their new brothers. Johnny goes full lower class and enthusiastically introduces himself to as many of the other members as he can. He meets several new people, though only one of them, Gregori Bernaur, is even remotely friendly. Several members of the group also have run-ins with Barry Pollard, Headmaster of an all-girl’s private school and condescending racist asshole.

Judge Putnam discusses the possibility of “extending his life” with John Scott. Scott advises him to come by some time during the week. He says that he is happy to instruct the Judge on several forms of meditative exercises that rejuvenate the body and mind.

Kane talks to Carl Stanford, and Stanford is delighted to learn that Kane is interested in seeking deeper knowledge. He says that someone who is self-directed and driven like Kane will go very far in the order.

Dr. Black and Kane both notice that several of the serving staff wear rings identical to the one that Mikhail found at the Masonic Lodge.

The new members are given keys to the Silver Twilight Lodge, and are encouraged to visit and use the library any time.

Little else of note happens at the party. Eventually, the group goes their separate ways and return home.

At the Jazz Club: Mikhail explains what he found to Vivian, Ron, and Gabriella, who is also here for some reason. The rest of the group decides that they will not follow Mikhail back into the basement of the Lodge. At least, not tonight.