# Session S01: The Golden Dome
> [!overview]
> [campaign:: [[Candela Obscura - Circle of Uncut Diamonds|Circle of Uncut Diamonds]]]
> [session:: S01]
> [prev:: [[2024-03-03_S00]]]
> [next:: [[2024-03-17_S02]]]
> [session date:: 2024-03-10]
> [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:: ]
> [discussed npc:: ]
> [active locations:: ]
> [discussed locations:: ]
>
> ---
>
> (tldr:: Summary.)
### Starting notes:
- [?] To start: 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.
- [x] Figure out circle ability: [[In This Together]]
- [x] 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.
%%
Contacts Sadie would reach out to:
- A professor of Oldfairen architecture from her time at [[Briarbank College]] (though one who wasn't in the room when the student touched the object and basically massacred everyone else)
- Not a contact, but a likely risky opportunity to look through [[Thomas Cavendish|her husband's]] library for information or resources. Thomas has his own large collection of items and resources, though it's questionable how much Sadie has access to. (This may be too much of a tip-off that he's a bad guy for Red Hand reasons, not just for being a controlling jerk.)
%%
## Notes
- More on the map and the Gold Dome
- Instructions in a language we may not know
- Seems to provide linear steps for once we are at the steps… sketches
- Stairs
- Ghost
- Bridge
- Snake
- Mulitple faces/masks
- Bird
- How characters react to the map
- Celine is intrigued, but not surprised
- Shoulder-length black wavy hair, practical black clothes, overcoat.
- Always wears gloves.
- Leopold
- 5'9", tweed suit, monocle on a chain, silver-headed cane for style not use, pocketwatch, revolver
- Reacts by saying "oh damn it"
- Sadie
- Had her hood up while outside, has only taken it down once inside
- Reacted strongly to the object, pulled back as though in pain
- Very clearly look back at the map with interest, but keeping her gloved hands at her side and far back from the map
- Her background: she can't read Oldfairen, but could recognized it
- Lily
- Studies it but doesn't understand it
- Respectable… but hidden tatoos, suggesting a whole lot more happening bellow the surface. Device she nervously fiddles with (a counter)
- A doctor in a PhD sense, not a medical sense
- Venderberg College, also in [[Briar Green]] » a rival of [[Briarbank College]]
- GO VULTURES!
- Edward
- He describes a scene: Caused a scare and a panic; had put him and the Professor in danger… maybe he would know more about the knowledge. Edward just gets the artifacts, not study them.
- Professor Hemslock, at Venderberg
- They introduce themselves to each other
- Edward starts
- "Detective Maxwell, but you can call me Leopold." » Edward visually reacts negatively
- Dr. Lily introduce herself at great length
- Sadie *just* introduces herself as "Sadie" » that's it! That's the introduction.
- Celine, Council of Voluterra, with the Premacy (the government, international relations)
- Sadie would know there are no papers from Oldfaire… no papers, no books… everything was destroyed in the flood
- There are no known maps of Oldfaire » this would be extremely valuable
- Why should we trust?
- Edward has a ride!
- Lily just wants to know how things work.
- Sadie believes assassins would kill them if they weren't trustworthy…
- Looking for information
- Celine would go home and write a report of the evening's events
- Reaches out to contacts about rumours about a golden dome
- Has an assistant (Giles) who lives at their house, dressed to blend in…
- Wants him to check in with their Red Hand contact about a "golden dome"
- It's a risky roll » 6
- He comes back and is more subdued than usual
- Was able to talk with Cedric (Red Hand), had never heard of anything called the "golden dome" and would ask around… but that was the last he ever heard from…
- "Golden dome" gets negative attention… don't mention it
- We agree to meet up at a café called "Brewed and Lightning: Teas and Coffees"
- Lily & Sadie head to [[Briarbank College]]
- Sadie's contact: [[Professor Faith Creedance]] (female, 50s), Department of Antiquities
- Sadie graduated 4 years ago; married 3 years ago
- New building on campus, 3rd floor
- Flicker of recognition for the name "[[Thomas Cavendish]]" and a look of fear from the professor for Sadie
- Shows the sketches of the 6 figures, cultural significance » mixed success
- Three answers, 1 is false
- Ghosts » about connecting with the dead (séances)
- Masks » about identity and hiding identity
- Bird » more than a bird, but a phoenix
- Rebirth, rise from the ash
- Very powerful mythos
- Sadie speaks in very obvious lies and half truths
- She's "researching" symbols from a dig that her husband is sponsoring
- She says she won't take risks, almost laughs at the thought that it would be something she'd do
- Professor Creedance says if we're asking about Oldfaire and things like this, there's already risks
- The professor looks at Sadie with deep concern during the conversation (knows she's lying) and also anguish while looking after her when she leaves » Lily sees this
- Lily sees this and asks if Sadie is okay as they're walking out
- Sadie mentions there was an altercation with a student in her final year
- Sadie keeps her eyes on the ground as she's walking out, not wanting to look at the photos and walls of the antiquities
- Lily's contact: [[Dr. Isabel Redcliffe|Dr. Isabel "Isa" Redcliffe]], Department of Linguistics
- It's been 8 months since they've seen each other… ex-lovers
- Lily doesn't even knock… just opens the office door.
- She looks at her with absolute fury
- Lily says she's not alone, pulls in Sadie as "I'm not alone" shield
- Sadie seems to be enough to keep Isa from escalating with Lily
- Lily is delightfully tactless when talking to Isa
- And it's reciprocated
- The writing has Isa's full focus » 6
- She gets enough of a sense of what they all mean (may not be exact translations)
- **Stairs** » “Sense the steps of death and avoid them as you walk down the stairs”
- **Ghosts** » “One alone must remember a beloved ghost of five to open this passage for all.”
- **Bridge** » “Use the [[Dagger of Sorrow]] before crossing this bridge, or it will crumble.”
- **Snake** » “Pass through the hall of deadly snakes to continue.”
- **Masks** » “See the faces in the hall, and find the one that does not match, to continue.”
- **Bird** » "Choose one to renew."
- Lily has heard of the [[Dagger of Sorrow]] before
- Lily is able to get the papers back from Isa
- Isa thinks Sadie is Lily's new girlfriend, and has been sitting there basically as a silent wallflower for 2–3 hours while Isa was studying the writings
- Lily has burned Isa as a contact… she'd be more likely to talk with Sadie again, and showed some "interest" in her.
- Sadie decides she'll go home first before heading to meet the rest of the group.
- To be continued…
- Circle Park: where Leopold and Edward go to meet the professor…
- …on the way, Leopold meets his contact… a paperboy
- Edward notices that the headlines he's saying are different than what the other paperboys are saying.
- Leopold is interested in "back issues" that the boy ([[Finnegan Moon]]) may have… and shows a couple of the photos secretly.
- The boy stares intently… shows some more… and slips him some money.
- The boy calls him "Mr. Max"
- He stops, closes his eyes, and holds out his hand… sensing.
- Pulls a back story from a tabloid, about a scientist cracking the alchemist's formula (lead into gold)
- Edward goes to meet with the Professor ([[Professor Hemslock]])
- "What have you got for me today, my boy?" "It's Oldfaire… it may be one of a kind."
- It looks like a scroll case.
- Leopold is surveying the area. No one is close enough to hear what is being said… but Leopold does notice there is someone in the park, watching them.
- The Professor identifies that this is a quest… steps towards a great reward. More a puzzle than a story.
- Edward asks if it correlates with any of the current roads of Newfaire
- They don't correlate with anything he knows of related to Oldfaire, and right to take precautions.
- There's the Endless Climb (no one has made it alive to the bottom…)
- Profesor: "There's that nice gentleman from OUP who's been watching us this entire time… give him the slip, won't you?"
- They pre-planned to leave in separate directions…
- Edward takes off towards the trees, the Professor gives a wave to the OUP person, and walks in the other direction…
- Leopold sits on the bench and reads the newspaper
- The newspaper article suggests you can reverse the process if you do something wrong (gold to lead)
- Leopold is followed by the [[Office of Unexplained Phenomena|OUP]] agent » rolls a 6, and gives him the slip.
For next session » [[2024-03-17_S02]]:
- We'll regroup on information gathering
- Sadie still plans to go home first before meeting up with the group.