"Candela Obscura: Seeking Serenity" (CO4x01) is the first episode of Candela Obscura's fourth chapter, featuring the Circle of the Crimson Mirror. A new voyage begins...
Synopsis[]
Introduction[]
Catastrophe lies at the edge of the Vastchasm for any circle daring enough to tempt fate, though when stakes are high, great risk is a calculation worth taking. A long lost and dangerous relic has surfaced from the depths of time. The assignment we've handed to our investigators is simple: Parley with the dealer, recover the artifact, and return to the Pharos. But a circle is at its most vulnerable when a threat is underestimated. And for those lucky enough to return home, Serenity awaits. The Circle of the Crimson Mirror. Assignment #4149: Seeking Serenity.
Episode introduction[]
A vision of footsteps in a throbbing pink-red sea of color, tinged with a sense of deceit, guilt, and fear. A large face staring in horror and disbelief at an undulating bloom of dark blue and black that becomes an immense angel.
Part I[]
A storm is tossing the SS Dandridge, a small tramp steamer on its way back to Newfaire but approaching dangerously close to the Vastchasm, a scar in the earth remaining from the calamity that swallowed Oldfaire. Aboard, the Circle of the Crimson Mirror has almost completed their current assignment: to rendezvous with the Red Hand (traffickers in rare objects) and secure the remains of Atia Griffia, an Oldfairen alchemist, whose bones radiate an unprecedented level of bleed. They now have the bones and are on their way back to Newfaire, but a vicious storm has arisen.
On deck, multiple barrels break free and two crewmembers try to corral them back into place. The man, Sunny, is crushed by one of the barrels as the woman, Gabi, tries to aid him. Malcolm Trills sees it happen and runs out to assist, dragging the barrel away, but Sunny is mangled. From inside their cabin, the finely dressed Leo Amicus watches and between him and Malcolm, they are able to keep the door open enough to drag Sunny inside. Upstairs at the helm, Dr. Edgar Lycoris is with the frightened captain and mate until he sees the injury below and rushes to help, tending Sunny's painful wounds. Meanwhile, in the hold, Grimoria sits with the bones of Atia Griffia in their gold-lined coffer which protects the ship from their massive bleed energy, attempting to keep it from sliding or breaking free.
Suddenly a massive wave crashes down. Malcolm and Sunny are thrown across the room, further injuring Sunny. While Leo distracts Gabi, Edgar continues working on Sunny's wound, cauterizing it. Malcolm goes outside to help rescue a crewmember washed overboard. When another wave hits both Leo and Edgar are thrown hard into the walls and below decks, Grimoria's head strikes a post. A mast breaks free and crashes through a hatch, allowing water to pour in, breaking open the golden chest, and freeing some of the bones, which radiate magickal bleed. It is so bright, Leo and Edgar can see it from the cabin window. Alarmed, they call to Malcolm, who is going overboard in an attempt to reach two drowning crewmembers, but he doesn't hear.
Semi-conscious, Grimoria pulls out her journal, finding notes on magickal wards, and realizes the circular disc-like ward on the chest has broken. Malcolm reaches and rescues the crewmembers. Leo and Edgar reach the hold, seeing not only the broken chest but also an unconscious crewmember with the side of his face eaten away and colorful particles wafting from it, a sight apparently familiar to Edgar. Grimoria uses The Prestige to summon the aid of the spirit of an ancient Oldfairen high priest, ceding control to him, and allowing him to read and understand the sigils on the lock.
Malcolm joins the others below, seeing the crewmember's face continues to be eaten away, and absorbing some of the bleed into his containment vial. Edgar puts on gloves and cautiously grabs each loose bone while the others tilt the chest upright again. He drops the bones in and the others slam it shut. Grimoria is narrowly able to relock the sigils, resealing the bones within the chest, but she collapses, unconscious and scarred.
The worst of the storm passes. The others carry Grimoria and the now-dead, ravaged crewmember to their cabin, where the captain tells them there is a lot of work for the doctor, due to the storm.
Break[]
- Candela Obscura Core Rulebook now available.
- Trailer for Midst Season Three.
Part II[]
Character maintenance[]
Since technically the Circle's assignment has been completed and they are traveling back to Hallowharbor and the Fourth Pharos, they take some time to deal with gameplay matters. Grimoria now has a scar, and chooses to move a Move to Sense to represent her increased ability to sense auditory presences from beyond. She and Edgar also take a Stitch each.
Back to the story...[]
In the morning, Edgar is on deck when Gabi the cook thanks him for his help last night and mentions the death of Heath, the crewmember whose face was eaten away. Edgar tends Sunny, the crewmember whose leg was wounded, then visits Grimoria, who is bruised, battered, and suffering hearing distortions. Gabi tells them the Captain wants them in the radio room and they go join the others before being called in to receive a radio message from their Lightkeeper, Zora Manning. Zora was worried for them and is relieved they're all right now. She'd also like them to check on Decklan Murphy, their former mentor and fifth member of the Circle of the Crimson Mirror, now reassigned to another circle. Decklan left for his childhood home of the isle of Serenity a few weeks ago and has not been heard from since. He had been on a prolonged secret mission and Zora is somewhat concerned it's getting to him.
Edgar goes to examine the body of the dead crewmember from last night. The faint black fog Edgar saw drifting from it has disappeared. Grimoria uses Let Them In to learn that Atia Griffia held a high position in government in Oldfaire, but in addition was a highly powerful alchemist under Emperor Calinus. Calinus was the ruler at the time the Vastchasm erupted, ending the city of Oldfaire. It appears that there was a split between the two and she may have fled the city before its destruction.
Malcolm is approached by another crewmember who thanks him for saving her friend last night. She was also in the military, and they talk about that. Leo overhears and tells Malcolm that risking his family for a stranger, which he did last night, was more his brother's normal behavior than Malcolm's. Malcolm is more idealistic than Leo and sees it as his duty. Leo then seeks out Grimoria and she reads to him before bedtime. The next morning, Leo is approached by one of the crewmen who invites him to his cabin for recreational purposes.
Around midday, they reach the beautiful, remote, rural isle of Serenity and dock in a tiny village with a run down pub. The barkeep tells them the island was also hit by the storm last night, and they notice an older woman and small boy in one corner. Leo buys a round of whiskey and asks about Decklan Murphy. He's directed to the Murphy home two miles away, and told they keep mostly to themselves, but Leo senses he's not telling them everything. Malcolm questions the drunk old woman but learns little, while Grimoria entices the child into a game of jacks and learns that a stranger has been there recently and went toward the Murphy home. Meanwhile, Edgar and Malcolm have headed off toward the Murphy house, encountering an elderly man who confirms the Murphys' son is in town. As the circle proceeds, they run into a couple at a slight distance along the road, who stare vacantly at them and don't respond to waves. When they approach, the couple moves off. Further on is an old woman who is very suspicious, telling them they don't get many visitors.
Eventually they reach the Murphy home, where Decklan's sister Gráinne opens the door and tells them Decklan's not home right now, and Nora invites them in. Decklan's gone out for a walk, up by the fairy homes, old stone huts that have been there for ages. Margaret, the mother, is worried about this, and tells Grimoria, "It's not right, poor boy." As she does, Pegeen, the third sister, whacks her on on the head with the iron poker, splitting her skull. Gráinne runs up and blows something into Malcolm's face and nose, while Pegeen turns to Grimoria who sets off a smoke bomb. Nora and Pegeen begin coughing in the fog, and they hear the poker swing and Nora cry out in pain. Leo sees Gráinne running away from the house out the back.
As the smoke clears, Nora is on the ground, bleeding, and Pegeen rushes at Malcolm with the poker. He evades, but falls to the ground where she hits him with the handle. Nora attempts to stab Edgar with a knife, while Pegeen attempts to strangle him with the poker. Edgar retaliates with a scalpel but she still has the poker pulled against his throat, so Grimoria grabs it away but everyone is in a writhing heap on the floor. Nora staggers to her feet and stabs Malcolm in the chest, but Leo retaliates by stabbing her with a kitchen knife. Leo and Pegeen fall into the fire while Nora attacks Edgar, who slices her tendons. She begins trying to crawl out the back door. Pegeen is on fire but begins walking away, and Leo knocks her down until she slowly falls dead. They move her back inside where Nora also slowly dies. At a distance, Gráinne is still moving away but Edgar tends to Malcolm before they pursue her. From the bodies, Grimoria senses only emptiness and no souls. Searching, Leo finds a sack of powder in a cabinet with a faint magical essence that looks like the powder Gráinne blew in Malcolm's face.
Moving up the hill in the direction Gráinne went, they reach an egg-shaped structure, one of the fairy houses. They recall that Oldfaire was surrounded by other cultures, some of which lived in stone structures like these. As they approach, they hear breathing inside, and Malcolm enters, gun drawn. Gráinne immediately attacks with an axe and although he dodges the blade, he is hit with the handle. Edgar charges but gets whacked as well. However, across the hut he sees Decklan cowering in a corner, face a mottled white and a growth around his eye. Malcolm shoots Gráinne dead, but Decklan runs past them to the door, running into Leo outside, chunks of his face detaching as he falls into Grimoria. He is radiating bleed, a phenomenon now. Decklan keeps running but Malcolm catches and holds him - his soul is present, but he is not responding to them. Edgar uses chloroform to knock him out and they carry him away. Covering his nose, Leo investigates the hut and finds white powder similar to that in the sack.
They decide that since Decklan himself is now a bleed source, they should take him back to Candela. Stealing a rowboat to avoid the village, they row back to the Dandridge with Decklan still unconscious.
Featured characters[]
Circle of the Crimson Mirror
- Edgar Lycoris, Doctor
- Grimoria, Medium
- Leo Amicus, Journalist
- Malcolm Trills, Soldier
Candela Obscura
- Decklan Murphy, a Candela operative, mentor and former member of the Circle
- Zora Manning, Lightkeeper
Mentioned
- Aroka Tama-Kai, a power in the Red Hand
- Atia Griffia, a powerful alchemist of ancient Oldfaire
- Calinus, the last Oldfairen emperor who dethroned Iomene
Crew of the Dandridge
- Burke, saved by Malcolm from drowning
- Devir, Captain
- Doug, radio room
- Gabi, cook
- Heath
- Joan
- SungJin ("Sunny"), injured in the storm
Inhabitants of Serenity
- Beatrice, an old woman
- Dermot Gallagher, the barkeep
- Gráinne Murphy, Decklan's sister, a bit of a bitch
- Margaret Murphy, Decklan's mother
- Ned, an old man
- Nora Murphy, Decklan's sister
- Pegeen Murphy, Decklan's sister
- Rosheen, an old woman
Quotations[]
- Leo: (about his journal) There's nothing better than looking back and seeing what an idiot you were.
- Leo: Putting a stranger ahead of family, risking your family for a stranger, that sounds more like your brother to me, doesn't it? And if you're going to emulate your brother, I would prefer if you found a better trait to emulate. Do you understand me?
Malcolm: Yes, I understand.
Leo: I doubt that.
Malcolm: Well, you need to understand something, too. The reason why we do what we do is not just for our own gain, it's for the protection of those that we are supposed to be serving within the shadows. That's everybody. That's anyone.[...]
Leo: Get your head together. I can see too much of your family in you and it's disappointing. You're better than that, I swear it.
Trivia[]
- In his Instagram takeover of the Critical Role account 25 April 2024, Liam O'Brien confirmed that the feel of the landscape and the topography used in this episode was inspired by locations he's visited in Ireland, particularly The Burren.
- Imari Williams began calling a "6" rolled on his dice a "Candela", and the other players quickly also adopted this custom.text.[1]
References[]
Art:
- ↑ Fan art of the storm, by SuzySnoo (source). Used with permission.
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