# Session S00: The Box of Suffering > [!overview] > [campaign:: [[Candela Obscura - Circle of Uncut Diamonds|Circle of Uncut Diamonds]]] > [session:: S00] > [next:: [[2024-03-10_S01]]] > [session date:: 2024-03-03] > [campaign date:: ] > [my pc:: [[Sadie Cavendish]]] > [dm:: [[Andrew Pontious|apontious]]] > [player:: [[Nicole van der Hoeven|Nicole]], [[demonem|demonem]], [[+10 Broadsword]], [[Rezin]]] > [pcs:: [[Leopold Maxwell]], [[Celine Valterra]], [[Lily Sinclair]], [[Edward Dedrik]], [[Sadie Cavendish]]] > [active npc:: [[Madam Fidovich]], [[Thomas Cavendish]]] > [active locations:: [[Obelisk House]]] > > --- > > (tldr:: Five strangers get pulled together by a mysterious object at an auction house in the [[Groundswell]].) > [!question] Questions to answer during Session Zero > - How is your character connected to the criminal world? > - How is your character connected to magick? > - Why were you at the Obelisk House, attending the auction, that night? > - What about your circumstances compelled you to accept membership in Candela Obscura, and a dangerous first mission? > > You do _not_ need to know all these things going in to Session Zero. But feel free to think about ideas beforehand! ## Notes - Theatre of the mind, mostly - Roll 20 for character sheets - People - Andrew (GM) - Mike "+10 Broadsword" » [[Leopold Maxwell]] ([[Slink]], [[Detective]]) - Emma » [[Celine Valterra]] - Nicole » [[Lily Sinclair]] ([[60 Games/61 Tabletop/Candela Obscura/Details/Role/Scholar]], [[60 Games/61 Tabletop/Candela Obscura/Details/Specialty/Doctor]]) - Rezin "Ree-zin" » [[Edward Dedrik]] - Leah » [[Sadie Cavendish]] ([[60 Games/61 Tabletop/Candela Obscura/Details/Role/Weird|Weird]], [[60 Games/61 Tabletop/Candela Obscura/Details/Specialty/Medium]]) - Safety Tools - Looking for an outline about our character, not a novel - Knowledge on Candela Obscura (Sadie knows 80% accurate information) - Number 1 (everyone believes) - (TRUE) Candela Obscura runs the lighthouses that dot the Fairelands outside of NewFaire. They are meant to warn people away from magickal danger. - Number two - (TRUE) Candela Obscura is divided into local chapters and each of these chapters operates mostly independently. - (FALSE) Candela Obscura is divided into local chapters, which often have bitter feuds with each other that sometimes break out into open eldritch warfare. - Number three - (FALSE) Candela Obscura pretends that terrible magickal monsters exist in order to gain political power behind the scenes. - (TRUE) Candela Obscura protects the normal world from terrible magickal monsters from beyond. - Number four - (FALSE) Candela Obscura coordinates closely with the Periphery’s Office of Unexplained Phenomena (OUP) to cover up magickal incidents from the public. - (TRUE) Candela Obscura coordinates does not coordinate with the Periphery’s Office of Unexplained Phenomena (OUP) except in localized cases. - Number five (Sadie believes the false version) - (FALSE) Candela Obscura coordinates closely with a group of supernatural assassins called the Pyre to eliminate its enemies. - (TRUE) Candela Obscura works with a group of supernatural assassins called the Pyre when necessary, but generally opposed or avoids them. ## Opening Scene > During a memorable, rowdy auction one night at the Obelisk House in Groundswell, each of you was recruited to Candela Obscura by the Lightkeeper [[Madam Fidovich]]. > > While you are all very different, and you were all there for your own reasons, each of you has both some connection to the criminal world, and some connection to magic. > > You have all heard of Candela Obscura, though the accuracy of your knowledge varies wildly. > > Something in your current circumstances compels you to accept the offer, and its first mission: to retrieve a magical necklace from a particular building deep in OldFaire. > > You know this will be well-nigh impossible. > > You know this is a test. > > You must each use your connections and knowledge to prepare, and work as a team with four others strangers, to succeed. - Chairs on third floor facing the podium, auctioneer » The Scarlet Auction - [[Madam Fidovich]] is among the attendees - Third item: The Box of Suffering; 8" cube - [[Madam Fidovich]] bids and wins this item, and then exits the room - [[Sadie Cavendish]] sits on a chair to the side of the room of The Scarlet Auction - Plain but expensive clothing, long silk gloves, frail to the point of looking gaunt - Watches the auction, watches the items as they are sold, watches [[Madam Fidovich]] leave the room - [[Thomas Cavendish]] comes from a side door and sits down next to Sadie and asks for an update, then to do the rounds - [[Madam Fidovich]] surprises her in the hall, asks her to meet by the obelisk at the end of the auction if she wishes to join Candela Obscura - [[Madam Fidovich]] wears a knowing smirk - She very much flinches at the object in her hand, hearing that the object hums as it comes close to Lily - [[Lily Sinclair]] is at the Amber Auction, seated alone and towards the back - Counting the items; clocking it on a small ring - The Mitre of Air » this is the object that Lily is interested in - [[Madam Fidovich]] makes the same offer to Lily - Lily starts making notes on the box - [[Celine Valterra]] is interested in The Scarlet Auction, who is there, and what they buy - Dressed as a very well-dressed uniformed auctioneer assistant - [[Madam Fidovich]] does the same deal with Celine - [[Edward Dedrik]] is also at The Scarlet Auction - His clothes are fine, but not *as* nice as everyone elses in the room. He wears a pair of leather gloves with padded knuckles. Trying to make it seem like he belongs there, even if he does not. - Hasn't bid on anything yet tonight, but is in the bidding chairs. Has been waiting on a particular item, but it has a brisk bidding war between two other bidders (an elderly couple wins it, sends their servant to pick up the item). - The management has noticed that [[Edward Dedrik]] doesn't look like he belongs at the Scarlet Auction; the guards very politely ask him to leave the room. - [[Madam Fidovich]] suprises him in the hallway… just like Sadie and Celine. But he hides his surprise. She does her speech… and he's like, "Cool. I'll be there." - [[Leopold Maxwell]] waits outside of [[Obelisk House]], waiting in the pouring rain. - He's off to the side, trying to be inconspicuous. Small, slender man, with a robust moustache. Intensely watching a younger man. The younger man picks a man's pocket, but Leopold doesn't intervene. - He flat out sees [[Madam Fidovich]], she walks around and near everyone… until she spots Leopold, and walks purposefully towards him. She says the same thing to him that he said to everyone else. - He asks if it's true that Candela Obscura could make one whole… There are ways, but everything comes with a cost. - "You're the last, so you get to hold onto this." And hands him the bag. "Don't touch it with your bare hands." - He looks physically pained when he takes the bag. - He dabs at his eye; it's kind of black. He says he knows more than others that holding objects like that aren't safe. - She sighs and walks out. - We all meet outside by the obelisk - Celine looks like herself, wears all black - We head in [[Edward Dedrik]]'s vehicle to his place; looks like a rundown penthouse from the outside, but the inside is clean - In [[Varnish]] - It's one of many places he has - We look at the object on the table - It has five faces with symbols on it, but one face without. It seems like the base (heaviest) is the face without a symbol on it. - Buddha smiling face with closed eyes - Drama masks: smiling & frowning face - Snake - Lightning symbol - Hand (five fingers) - Lily suggests we touch it (with gloves) - [c] She touches the hand one (with gloves)… nothing else happens. It just keeps humming. - [p] Leopold touches the Buddha smiling face » the humming gets louder, and a third eye appears above the closed eyes - He falls backwards taking a brain point - Sadie cold read - A sense of loss, not knowing who the faces are, watching his eyes change - A sense of crime scenes, from the perspective of the investigator… and the murderer - Sadie pulls her hands back, fearfully. Leopold notices her reaction. - [p] Celine touches the comedy/tragedy masks - It comes out a bit, and shakes. The face blurs. Takes a brain mark. - She closes her eyes, and the pain stops. - [p] Edward touches the snake - The snake animates and bites him > takes a body mark - [p] Lily touches the lightning symbol, and there's a crackle of electricity » takes a body mark - [p] Sadie hesitates and touches the hand symbol - It grows claws. It's not physical or mental » take a bleed mark - The cube opens and unfolds into a sheet of metal until it softens into like a canvas - A map appears on the map - A dense city; a large golden dome » X marks the spot - Next time » [[2024-03-10_S01]] - [?] Whenever you take 1 or more Bleed marks, you also gain additional information about the phenomenon that harmed you. Ask the GM one question about the source of the bleed. - Figure out circle - Swap out Illumination Key: *Comfort Someone* instead of *Make a Scene* - First adventure: What is this map? - Who would we go to, to find out more about the map? [[Madam Fidovich]] is in the wind. » Identify someone. - Second adventure: Basically a dungeon crawl, exploring the map.