1-on-1 Sessions: Expeditions in the last four years

https://www.prosperopublishing.com/2021/05/17/random-events-nyc/

Ideas

Hayes sees a pharaoh in black walking down the hall outside her hospital room, lights flickering, black smoke. He stops, turns head to her, tentacles moving out from his face.

Dreams of the funeral where everyone is Larkin, see Facebook

Call from Hayes' friend, the stable hand, telling about her grandmother, declining health, he's got it under control.

Follow-up

Letter from Horace Byers to Heidi, should be some eerie times, perhaps connecting to England chapter

Call from Vance's deceased friend, warning about something

Nurse who tended to Hayes has missed her shift, gone missing

Meeting with Erica Carlyle

Meeting Bradley Grey to set up meeting

• Contacting Bradley Grey
• Face-to-face vetting meeting with Mr. Grey
  • wishes to know why the investigators want to see Miss Carlyle
  • Grey’s interest may be attracted by implying that Roger Carlyle is alive
  • Alternatively, he may set up a meeting for the investigators if they impress him with their credentials, state they intend to write a “favorable” account of the Carlyle Expedition, or some such account that will not tarnish the Carlyle name.
  • A successful Credit Rating or Persuade roll also does the job.

Meeting Millie Adams

• Shosenburg will contact the investigators and set up meeting with Millie on Jan 21st.

• Meeting at the Lafayette Theater

  • Millie Adams and Shosenburg are waiting for the investigators under the theater’s marquee.
  • Once everyone has arrived, Millie Adams ushers the investigators into the smart lobby, past the ticket booths and cloakrooms, and through into the stalls. (Various cleaners and other members of staff smile and greet Mrs. Adams as she passes. They also seem to know Miss Shosenburg.)
  • The house lights are fully up in the main auditorium as Millie shows the investigators to seats in the center of the stalls.
  • Cagey investigators may wish to check to make sure that they are alone in the auditorium —> if the investigators fail a group Luck roll, then a cult spy is lurking within earshot. If spotted with a successful Hard Spot Hidden roll, a chase through the theater and out onto the streets of Harlem might ensue

  <aside> 👉 If the Keeper calls for a Group Luck roll, the player whose investigator has the lowest Luck score (among those present in the scene) should make the roll.

  </aside>

  • Millie Adams is understandably guarded when it comes to speaking with the investigators.
  • Talking to her about Elias and their investigations so far convinces her that they may be able to prove her husband’s innocence.
  • If asked why the meeting is taking place at the theater, she replies that she’s worked there as a musician and singer since it opened. Until she took the measure of the investigators, she wasn’t going to invite them into her home.

• What Millie Adams knows

  • Although her husband didn’t confide to her everything he knew about the deaths and disappearances in Harlem over the last few years, he did tell her one or two of his suspicions.
  • Millie asks the investigators to make a deal: if they agree to try and exonerate her husband, she will provide them with information that may lead to the true killers. Now that Hilton’s friends have apparently given up the fight through fear and intimidation, she has no one else to turn to, and she knows the authorities don’t take her suspicions seriously.
  • Concerned about local disappearances, Hilton and his Harlem Hellfighter friends from Teddy's saloon organized patrols and investigations after the police dismissed the issue.
  • Despite finding mutilated bodies, the police attributed the deaths to gang violence, ignoring claims of an African death cult by Mordecai Lemming. (“some old crackpot with too much time on his hands” (Robson’s description of Mordecai Lemming).
  • Hilton's research led to a reference about an East African cult in the New York Public Library, with a significant red cloth bookmark in his confiscated journal.
  • The police and conservative community members criticized Hilton's group for their investigations, fearing it would tarnish Harlem's reputation.
  • Hilton believed a cult in Harlem was bribing the police, similar to other criminal gangs.
  • Before his arrest, Hilton mentioned "Ju-Ju House" to his friend and reporter Needham Johnson.
  • Hilton was arrested in 1924 near the library, accused of murdering a man with his army knife, though his wife recalls he never carried it on patrol.
  • About Ju-Ju House
    • Millie identifies Ju-Ju House as an African art shop in Ransom Court run by Silas N’Kwane.
    • After her husband's arrest, she observed monthly gatherings of 20-30 diverse individuals at the shop, aligning with her husband's patrol timings.
    • Millie once saw crates delivered before a gathering, speculating they might be for a speakeasy or have a darker purpose, given the coinciding disappearances.
    • She's seen police detectives at Ransom Court, suggesting possible payoffs from N’Kwane, hinting at precinct corruption.
    • Millie avoids direct confrontation with the shop, having once narrowly escaped detection from a nearby tenement.
    • A Hard Psychology ****roll reveals Millie's withholding information; a successful Hard Charm or Persuade roll reveals her fear for her and her husband's lives, but she's determined to seek justice.

Bradley Grey

projects a professional manner and urbane charm, which sometimes strays into overfamiliarity. He often touches people on the arm or knee while talking to them, although not in a solicitous manner. This superficial charm evaporates when he is frightened, leaving him flustered; when this happens, he reddens visibly and develops a slight stammer.

1. (Smoothly, with a charming smile) "Ah, the Carlyle affairs. A complex web, but nothing too knotty for Dunstan, Whittleby, and Grey."
2. (Dismissively, with a wave of his hand) "Roger? Not my cup of tea, I must admit. Erica, on the other hand, is a real go-getter."
3. (Flusteredly, reddening) "I-I'm not sure what you're implying. I've always acted in the best interest of my clients."
4. (Overfamiliarly, touching the investigator's arm) "You seem like someone in the know. Perhaps we can help each other out, see?"
5. (Confidently, leaning in) "If you've got the goods, I can arrange a sit-down with Erica. But it won't be a snap, understand?"
6. (Slightly foppishly, adjusting his tie) "In this line of work, appearances matter. One must always be on the up-and-up."
7. (With genuine concern, furrowing his brow) "The shift of control over the Carlyle fortune has been... challenging. But we're navigating those waters with finesse."
8. (Panicking, stammering) "I-I don't know where you got that information, but it's imperative that it stays under wraps."
9. (Reassuringly, with a brilliant smile) "Trust me, I've been in this racket for years. The Carlyle name is in good hands."

To roleplay Mr. Bradley Grey effectively, focus on his urbane charm, his overfamiliar mannerisms, and his professional dedication to the Carlyle name. His ability to maintain composure under most circumstances, contrasted with his tendency to panic and stammer when truly cornered, should make for a dynamic character in your Call of Cthulhu game.

Millie Adams

has learned to be careful with people she doesn’t know and is initially quiet when meeting someone while she gets their measure. Once she has judged that an investigator is trustworthy, her reserve drops and she becomes friendlier. She is also tenacious, especially regarding her husband’s situation and the people responsible for it

1. (Determinedly, with a hint of desperation) "Every moment counts, and I ain't gonna sit tight while Hilton's on the hot seat. I'm gonna get to the real lowdown."
2. (Cautiously, sizing up the investigator) "You seem solid, but I've been played before. What's your jive here?"
3. (Passionately, with tears in her eyes) "Hilton's straight, you dig? He wouldn't harm no one. This whole mess is a bum rap, and I'm on the up-and-up to clear his name."
4. (Gratefully, with a soft smile) "If you're truly here to lend a hand, then you're the cat's meow. Felt like the whole world's been giving me the icy mitt."
5. (Urgently, leaning in) "There's buzz 'bout that Ju-Ju House joint. Some real hinky stuff. If you're looking for the skinny, might wanna start there."
6. (Defensively, straightening her blouse) "Times are tough, but I ain't gonna let Harlem see me down. Gotta keep my front up, for Hilton and for me."
7. (Skeptically, narrowing her eyes) "That Robson's a real four-flusher. Don't buy any of his gas."
8. (Warmly, with genuine appreciation) "If you can find the straight dope to clear Hilton's name, you'll be my main squeeze."
9. (Resolutely, clenching her fist) "They've tried to put me on the shelf, scare me off the scene. But I ain't no easy mark. I'll find the truth, no matter the beef."