Note: After the destruction of the Lodge and the conclusion of the last adventure, I decided to give my players a bit of a timeskip, so that their characters' lives could go back to normal for a bit. What actually constitutes "normal" for these characters varies wildly, but they were grateful for the time off and used the next few months to unwind, take care of themselves, celebrate the holidays, and recuperate from nearly fatal gunshot wounds. I presented this time period, and what sorts of interesting things happened during it, in the following little document.
Time marches on, as is its wont, and things gradually return to normal. You may use the period of relative quiet that follows to reflect upon your most recent adventure, learn more about the strange world you have now twice stumbled upon, or try your best to forget.
The Hermetic Order of the Silver Twilight
You are not quite sure how well your desperate, final
operation against the Lodge went until the story hits the next morning’s
papers. You learn that, with a great noise and a heaving of the earth, the
Lodge (as well as bits of city block all around it) vanish into a precipitous
sinkhole, gone forever. The event baffles geologists, who were certain that
that part of the Bronx rested on stable bedrock, not sediment. Future study in
the area leads to the discovery of several disconnected cave systems. It is
eventually determined that the accident was caused by a structural instability
of an undetected cavern that ran directly beneath the Lodge. The geologists
never discover just how right they were.
The strange story is the talk of the town for perhaps a week, at most before falling off the pages of the Grey Lady and into obscurity. Those who venture out to the site see a cordoned off hole and city workers attempting to fill in and pave over the gaping hole. Aside from the usual onlookers, you see no one suspicious lurking about the site.
It appears that the destruction of the building also effectively decapitated the Order itself. The obituaries of thirty or so great men soon crowd out that particular section of the times. Johnny notes, with some satisfaction, that the previously missing police sergeant Logan Terry is soon listed among those who presumably died when the Lodge collapsed. Those who follow the obituaries and the social register note that various scions move to places of hire prominence and inheritances are dolled out according to various wills, but not much changes aside from that.
James Clark
James spends the rest of October and part of November
recuperating at home. He returns to work just before the Thanksgiving holiday,
only to have a stammering, sobbing breakdown in court during a witness cross
examination. He is committed for nervous exhaustion and remains so throughout
the winter. Angie, at the very least, visits him frequently.
The Band Played On
Shortly after Thanksgiving, Kane Eastman receives, through
his agent, a package from “Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Orchestra.” The package
contains a brief letter of thanks and a record. The A side contains a song
you’ve never heard before. The B side contains, “Dead Man’s Stomp, recorded by
Mr. Leroy Turner (on new instrument).”
The Holidays
They come and they go. For some of you, they are more
festive than usual, owing to the fact that you didn’t think you’d survive your
ordeal with the lodge. For others, especially for Ron DeLuca, they bring with
them quite a bit of sadness. For others, who knows?
The DeLucas
It seems as though the DeLuca marriage does not survive the
ordeal of the last few weeks. Connie, Ron Jr., and Liam all move back to the
brownstone in Brooklyn. Ron moves back to the guest house on the Bernouse
property. Alone. There is some contact between the two parties, but it is much
more cordial than previous encounters. Billy Young, seeming exhausted by the
whole ordeal, vanishes from the scene and presumably goes on to less stressful
endeavors—like sticking his hand in an industrial blender.
At some point, Ron goes to check on the status of that damned necklace, only to find that it has crumbled to gold and green dust. A last “favor” by Nathan Torpley, perhaps. Who can say?
Your Activities During This Time
Are many and varied, and will be dealt with in upcoming BGA
responses. Did you keep in touch? Did you celebrate the holidays together? Did
you get one another gifts? Did you ring in the New Year? Or did you hole up and
try to forget anything weird ever happened?
February 6, 1926
Just as you are all finally letting out held breaths and
letting life return to relative normalcy, Judge Putnam receives a letter in his
mail on an otherwise unremarkable Friday afternoon. It seems to be a personal
letter from his now-retired attorney, Raleigh Rothschild.
The contents of that letter will no doubt have you remembering the events of the past, whether you like it or not. What may surprise you is that the letter may also force you to…
LOOK TO THE FUTURE
SHADOWS OF YOG-SOTHOTH: CHAPTER TWO
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