Who Is Carl Sanford?
A Preview of The Investigators of Arkham Horror
“I’ve known about the Silver Twilight Lodge since I came to Arkham. There’s no Masons in Arkham, no Moose Lodge or Elks Club. Only the Silver Twilight, but it has much the same purpose; charity work for the old and funding drives for kids when they head back to school. A big holiday supper every year and a rummage sale on the lawn every summer…"
–Joe Diamond: The Private Eye
There is more to the sleepy old New England town of Arkham than our five senses can directly perceive. There are ancient secrets hidden beneath its gambrel roofs. There are eldritch energies coursing through its streets. There is a corruption that festers within its soul, and it does so almost entirely undetected…
Still, there are a handful of daring individuals who—by chance or by their wits and guile—have gained some inkling of the darkness that swells within the city. And once they have seen beyond the veil, they can never again regain their old view of the world. Nor can they mistake Arkham for anything other than what it is—a mysterious nexus of otherworldly and unfathomable horrors, all pulling at it from directions beyond our reality.
With its fifty-two thrilling tales of terror, The Investigators of Arkham Horror recounts the tales of the brave men and women. It allows us to walk for a time in their shoes and see through their eyes. It allows us to experience their dread. It also offers a greater picture of Arkham's struggles, greater than any one of these investigators may be able to recognize.
The truth is that The Investigators of Arkham Horror isn't just a thrilling collection of stories, it's an immersive introduction to the larger world of the Arkham Horror Files universe. As you read its stories, you'll gain greater knowledge of the Ancient Ones and their cults. You'll see more of Arkham and the neighboring towns, Kingsport, Dunwich, and Innsmouth. You'll return time and again to the region's various landmarks. And you'll recognize sinister patterns that hint at darker truths behind such organizations as the Silver Twilight Lodge…
The Order of the Silver Twilight
The Silver Twilight have been a part of Arkham nearly so long as anyone can remember, and its membership reads like a "who's who" of the wealthiest and most influential people in the city. Still, for all the names associated with the Lodge—also known, at times, as the "Order"—there is one that tends to stand out. That name is Carl Sanford.
A tall and elderly man with a slight build and an air of refinement, Sanford has insinuated himself among the members of nearly every Arkham organization of note. He's an antiquarian with pale blue eyes, and those who hold his gaze for extended periods of time often claim they recognize something cold and calculating behind those eyes.
His secrets, however, are carefully guarded, and like the Lodge with which he's nearly synonymous—he's acquired something of a... reputation. Sanford inspires fear and respect. And we see this throughout The Investigators of Arkham Horror. We witness the despair of a father who tells Joe Diamond that Sanford and the Silver Twilight are responsible for the death of his daughter; he says he has the proof, but no one will listen to his case. The more we learn of Sanford's history with Preston Fairmont's dead father, the more we, like Preston, desire to avoid him. And we see more of Sanford revealed, as well, in the stories of Charlie Kane: The Politician and Diana Stanley: The Redeemed Cultist.
By presenting the Silver Twilight's influence to us from multiple points of view, The Investigators of Arkham Horror offers a more rounded view than we might otherwise receive. After all, even a lengthy piece of exposition about the Silver Twilight, its origins, and its history would have to be written from one point of view or another, and who's view would that single story likely represent? The smart money says it would be Carl Sanford's.
Piecing Together the Evidence
The secrets of the Silver Twilight Lodge aren't the only ones you'll encounter from multiple points of view within The Investigators of Arkham Horror. The ripples of unreality you may sense in one story may find an echo elsewhere in the word, "Azathoth." You may find that parties of all sort have taken interest in Miskatonic University's Rare Books Collection. You'll find ties to the "Witch House" and more of Arkham's most infamous locations. And you'll watch as multiple investigators stumble across different portions of a larger picture they cannot grasp—each unaware of the others' perspectives.
…But you? You won't be so limited in your perspective. You'll find fifty-two different sets of eyes through which you can view the city of Arkham, its secrets, and its struggles. In the end, you'll have as complete an understanding of the forces acting upon the city as does anyone. But what then? Will you be driven to despair? Or will you be ready to save the world—ready to go back to your tabletop and look for ways to stave off the ancient ones in your next game of Arkham Horror, Eldritch Horror, Mansions of Madness, or Elder Sign?
Just beware! The omens that you first encounter in The Investigators of Arkham Horror may lead you to a deeper understanding of these games than your mind can withstand…
Will you take your next step into the mythos? Contact your favorite local game store to pre-order your copy of The Investigators of Arkham Horror today!
