Transcript:Creating Characters for Candela Obscura: Vassal & Veil
MATT: So today, we're going to be doing our little session zero character building for the upcoming episodes of Candela Obscura. As part of this process, we're going to make our characters. We're going to discuss where you fit in the world and have some fun little questions and mysteries to discuss and/or volunteer for. So as part of that, I guess, first off, let's go ahead and go through the options we have for characters. We've done a couple playtests. I wanted to get an idea for you to all start filling out what kind of character you want to make for the series. You guys have a clear idea?
ANJALI: (uncertain creaking noises)
ROBBIE: I do!
ANJALI: Clear is a strong word.
MATT: Whatcha you got here?
ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah.
LAURA: Robbie has a page printed out that he already--
MATT: You already prepped for this?
ROBBIE: The color coding was your idea.
LAURA: Well.
MATT: I love it, I love it.
ROBBIE: I just stole it and refined it.
MATT: Teacher's pet.
ROBBIE: Yeah, I--
LAURA: ♪ I want to be ♪
LAURA and ASHLEY: ♪ Teacher's pet ♪
(laughter)
ROBBIE: I kind of like the idea of an overly cerebral, sort of skeptic denier in this world of fantasy and macabre horror, so I've chosen the Professor class, or specialty, I should say, specifically the Scholar. I've got a few things picked out here that maybe we should wait until they pop up in the play to go through. But yeah. I mean, how deep do I go? Do I just say who I think he's going to be?
MATT: Yeah, in fact, I'll put this out here. Unless you feel like particularly sharing your character's abilities, you don't have to. Also, as far as your catalysts go, your question, necessarily, let's hold off on those until we have the characters decided because there's a couple fun things I'd like to do here. So we have a what?
ROBBIE: I have a Scholar, and he is a Professor.
MATT: Got you. Professor, Scholar.
ROBBIE: Professor Howard Margrove.
MATT: Howard Margrove.
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah. PhD, PhD. Not MD, but a PhD.
LAURA: Oh, you changed it. Okay, Margrove.
ROBBIE: Margrove, yeah. Yeah, yeah, Professor Howard Margrove.
LAURA: I've got to get my notes going.
ANJALI: Oh my gosh, you guys. I have a note here that says, "Who's the dude?"
ROBBIE: It's me!
MATT: That's the dude!
ROBBIE: Speaking of which--
ANJALI: That's the dude!
ROBBIE: Speaking of which, he does identify as a he/him, so that is his persuasion of sorts, and I am going to keep my catalyst and style to myself. I'm going to keep my special abilities to myself, and my gear, is that okay?
MATT: Hold onto that.
ROBBIE: Would you like to know?
MATT: I'll eventually want to know, but for the purposes of this session zero--
ROBBIE: I've got a knife.
MATT: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Okay, good.
MATT: Just email me your already pre-developed character sheet when you get the chance, don't worry.
ASHLEY: You're like, "I need to play right now already."
ANJALI: I need to catch up.
ROBBIE: But that said, I am totally open, I'm not married to anything. I'm totally open to changing it up if it doesn't suit what everyone's doing.
ASHLEY: So you would be fine if I did that character for myself.
ROBBIE: You may have it, if you want.
ASHLEY: For myself.
ANJALI: I mean, it's already done.
ROBBIE: Only if I get to wear my hair in a messy bun.
ASHLEY: Great, great, great, great, great.
ANJALI: I love this trade.
ROBBIE: But yeah, I'm really, I've been thinking about this character since we've been messing around with this, so yeah.
MATT: Heck yeah, that's exciting. Awesome. Who else wants to hop up here with a character class and profession you're looking at?
ROBBIE: That's the face of confidence.
MATT: Role and specialty, I should say.
ASHLEY: You know me, Confident... Connie.
MATT: Is that your character? Confident Connie?
ASHLEY: That's actually what I'm going with.
ANJALI: I love it! That's fun, I love a little alliteration.
MATT: Perfect.
ASHLEY: I'm toying with two.
MATT: What are you feeling?
ASHLEY: I'm toying with two. But I want to hear what everybody else is going to do.
LAURA: To make sure that--
ASHLEY: To make sure, because I have two. I have one that could be a little bit more fun, a little bit more--
MATT: Be the one that's more fun.
ASHLEY: -- funny, I guess. Or there's one that's a little bit more serious.
MATT: Okay, I see what you're saying.
ASHLEY: Depending on tone, where I'm like, "Okay, this could be fun." Do I want to do drama, or do I want to do comedy? You know.
MATT: All right.
ASHLEY: Not that it has to be one or the other, but I feel like they're both very different.
MATT: Yeah, there's a middle ground, depending on how you build it. Okay, so we'll put you on deck for the time being.
ASHLEY: Okay, put me on deck.
MATT: All right. Laura, Anjali. Who wants to step up?
ANJALI: Laura does.
LAURA: Okay. I'm thinking of being an Occultist.
MATT and ANJALI: Okay.
LAURA: Yeah.
MATT: And to remind everyone, for the setting of Candela Obscura, magick, supernatural stuff, is very, very, very not known. It is not widespread. Magick doesn't exist in this world as far as 98% of the population is concerned. The rest of it's superstition and the handful of people that are aware.
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: Which is why an Occultist is a really, really cool, very unique individual to have that perspective. So keep that in mind as you develop your character.
ASHLEY: Cool.
MATT: It's not like you go to the store and be like, "I'm an Occultist."
LAURA: Right, definitely not something they would admit to.
MATT: Correct.
LAURA: All right.
ANJALI: You could just say, "I'm a cultist" and it'd be totally fine.
LAURA: I am a cultist.
MATT: Plenty of cultists out there.
ANJALI: That's fine, totally fine.
MATT: Yeah.
LAURA: I have five husbands.
(laughter)
LAURA: My name, we're sharing that, is Arlo Black.
ASHLEY and ANJALI: Ooh!
ANJALI: I like it!
LAURA: Thank you. Thank you. I don't know, how much do we say today?
MATT: I mean, you could say as much as you want to. Like I said, holding off on catalysts for the moment, because things might change as we go, but you can talk about the vibe of your character, if you want to.
LAURA: She... It's kind of all wrapped up in the catalyst, though.
MATT: Okay, okay, well, if you want to keep that catalyst a secret, just describe how you see them in your head.
LAURA: I see her kind of as slight of frame, with kind of a stare that kind of goes past people sometimes. She's distracted. And she has one arm that is slightly gray in tint.
MATT: I'm sure that's fine.
LAURA: That's normal.
MATT: Okay, cool, so we have--
LAURA: She wears a glove, though. Most people wouldn't know that, unless you're part of our group.
(laughter)
MATT: Perfect.
ANJALI: Does she talk like that?
ROBBIE: One of these gloves.
ANJALI: Because I would love it.
ROBBIE: A fancy glove.
LAURA: (exaggerated old-timey) Everything she says!
ANJALI: Everything she says.
LAURA: It's a fancy glove. It's satin, and she talks like this. No, she doesn't.
ANJALI: Please do! Please do.
MATT: I'm here for Arlo Black like that.
ASHLEY: What are you thinking for accent?
LAURA: (lightly) I think she's just going to talk. I'm not going to do, yeah. I wasn't planning on doing an accent. Just kind of an affectation, a little bit.
MATT: I like that.
ASHLEY: You're so good.
ANJALI: She's very sweet. She's very good at that. You should be a voice actor.
ASHLEY: She can make her voice sound so different.
MATT: She's like an indoor kid Judy Garland.
LAURA: Yes!
ASHLEY: Yeah, yeah. Oh, that's so lovely.
MATT: I say, as an indoor kid. All right, so yeah, that means that brings us to, we have a Scholar who's a Professor, and of the Weird role, we have an Occultist.
LAURA: I'm weird!
MATT: All right.
ANJALI: My character's name is Charlotte Eaves.
LAURA: Ooh!
ANJALI: You can call me Charlie.
ROBBIE: Charlotte "Charlie" Eaves.
ANJALI: Charlie Eaves, or just Charlie, because Charlie Eaves is weird. What can I tell you? She's rather smooth. Just like you have a look that looks right past you, she has a look that looks right at you. Always trying to size everyone up. What else can I tell you about her? Catalyst, won't be telling you that. Not yet. Skip to the end. She is absolutely obsessed with learning about magick. Obsessed, but using it for what, you don't know. Don't know if she's going to be sticking to this accent. We'll find out. She is quite eager to be all of your friends. Very eager.
MATT: So Slink is the role you're going with over here.
ANJALI: Slink.
ROBBIE: You went with Slink?
ANJALI: Slink in my slinky gowns.
LAURA: I don't even remember seeing Slink.
MATT: Slink is one of the roles, and the specialties are beneath that.
LAURA: Oh.
ASHLEY: Two things I'm toying with, and I'm going to need, since I have a really hard time making a decision.
MATT: Okay.
ASHLEY: I'm toying with the Soldier, or kind of like a Newsies kid. You know, 19, has been a ward of the state, because something happened to her family, and has just been living on the streets, pickpocketing. (snapping) Eyy! You know?
(laughter)
MATT: That's got my vote, just based on that.
ANJALI: It that how it is?
LAURA: Based on, "Eyy!"
ASHLEY: I love the Soldier, but I feel like this'll be more fun, because I know with sometimes making those really sort of characters like that--
MATT: Stoic character.
LAURA: Uh-huh.
ASHLEY: I can end up being a little quiet.
MATT: No, that makes sense.
ASHLEY: So I'm wondering. I think I'm going to go Newsies kid.
MATT: Let's do it, let's do it.
ASHLEY: I'm going to go Newsies kid.
ROBBIE: It sounds like you're gravitating towards it.
ANJALI: We definitely have some story overlap, then.
ASHLEY: Okay.
ANJALI: Which is great.
ASHLEY: Okay, so I am going to go with Magician. But I'm not necessarily playing it like she does tricks. It's more of, the kids in the streets being able to pick pockets, being able to take stuff, being able to--
ANJALI: Should we be switching?
LAURA: Distraction sort of thing.
ASHLEY: Distractions.
ANJALI: Should we be switching with this, then? Do you want to play this? Or does that make sense?
ASHLEY: It is totally up to you.
ANJALI: No, I'm asking.
ASHLEY: Because I actually have things I could do from this one, and I have things I could do from this one.
ANJALI: I could make sense in either of these.
MATT: That's the thing.
ASHLEY: Pick which one you like. Whatever you like.
ANJALI: I'm not capable of doing that, making decisions.
MATT: You can play the same things and choose different features from each and have different specializations and different builds and feel very different, so don't feel like you're not allowed to overlap.
ANJALI: This makes sense for my story, but that makes sense for how I want her to play.
ASHLEY: This?
ANJALI: This.
MATT: You can be a Magician who has a Criminal background.
ANJALI: Can I? Please, sir, can I? All right, let's do it, let's do it.
MATT: You're only bound by your imagination, love.
ANJALI: Right, right, right. You can't take the top part and the bottom part and smoosh them together, right? They're two different sheets? You can't. It can't be--
MATT: There are some options in long term play where you would be able to take abilities from other specialties, but until we get there, if we get there, play what feels best for what you want to do in the game and where your character is now. If you feel they have a background as a Criminal, but their current position in life leans more Magician, you want to blend those two together narratively, then that is completely fine and you can choose one or the other.
ASHLEY: I'm going to go with the Newsies kid. I'm going to think of a name while you're looking.
MATT: Okay.
ASHLEY: I'm thinking... What were you going to say?
MATT: No. I was just saying, so you're choosing Newsies kid, and--?
ASHLEY: Do we like the name Alice, or do we like the name August? Auggie.
ANJALI: Auggie. I love a name with a good, short--
MATT: Auggie's pretty good.
ASHLEY: I'm going to go with August, Auggie for short.
LAURA: Cute.
ASHLEY: Let's go August James. Auggie James.
ANJALI: Auggie James!
LAURA: Adorable.
ASHLEY: Because James is kind of, you know--
ANJALI: I already want to pinch his cheeks.
ASHLEY: (NYC accent) I don't really have a last name. James, it's what they give everybody in the orphanage. Is this what I'm doing? This is weird.
ANJALI: Apparently this is--
ASHLEY: This is too much, right?
MATT: No.
ASHLEY: You're all looking at me a little funny.
ANJALI: I'm just trying to read this, because I'm blind.
ROBBIE: It's a look of anticipation.
LAURA: I feel like I'm watching Gale at work right now.
ASHLEY: Yeah, it's a little bit Gale. Wait, I feel like... Okay.
MATT: I love it. I think it's great.
ASHLEY: Okay, okay.
MATT: Okay.
ASHLEY: Auggie. Auggie James.
MATT: Okay, Auggie James. Auggie James feeling a particular role or specialty?
ASHLEY: I think I'm going to go with Criminal.
MATT: Okay.
ASHLEY: Because there's a couple of these that work with the narrative that I'm doing.
MATT: Let's do it. All right.
ASHLEY: Especially Saw This Coming. Ah, I saw this coming!
MATT: I love it. I love it, great. Now that we have your characters, let's go through the character creation basics. So first off, choose any action with a zero in it and raise it to one, so that'd be any of the stats under your Nerve, Cunning, or Intuition. Find one that says zero and add one to it. There you go. Fill it in.
ROBBIE: I'm doing it.
MATT: I'm proud of you.
LAURA: Good job.
MATT: Then distribute three action points however you'd like, so anywhere in any of your character's actions there, you can increase them three points up to a maximum of two. Feel free to discuss.
ANJALI: I'm worried about this top block.
LAURA: I know, I don't ever choose anything up there.
ANJALI: But I feel like someone has to.
LAURA: You got some stuff up there.
ROBBIE: I got a specialty top block here.
LAURA: Okay, that's good.
ROBBIE: I'm not much for mobility or finesse, but I've got some punch, break, stab, attack. My guy's kind of a smarty, so I'm okay. I'm doing pretty good on Survey and Focus.
ASHLEY: Okay.
ROBBIE: But obviously--
LAURA: I have a good Focus and Sense.
ANJALI: I have no Sense!
ROBBIE: I have no Sense.
LAURA: Okay.
ANJALI: Excellent!
MATT: Makes sense for the Occultist.
ASHLEY: I feel like I'm going to be more in Cunning.
LAURA: That's how you're going to play it more?
ASHLEY: I think so.
LAURA: Okay. Maybe I'll be bad at hiding, but I can talk to people. I'm good at reading people.
MATT: Good at reading and talking is a pretty useful skillset for somebody to have.
ANJALI: I've got a little bit of Read, and a little bit of Sneaky McSneakerson.
LAURA: What is the Control for? Drive, shoot? Oh, actually driving an automobile?
MATT: Trying to drive a vehicle. If you're trying to chase something or get away from being chased or going through a dangerous area. That also is aiming a gun if you're trying to shoot something or throw something. Finesse, you're very carefully utilizing something that requires very delicate movement.
LAURA: Okay, I want to do that.
MATT: So now that you've filled in your character actions, you can spend six drive points. So already on your character drives, you should have a couple of, at the bottom, small boxes filled in. Those come automatically. There are six more of those that you can fill in however you like, but no drive can start above a six.
ROBBIE: I only put my minimum drive in the stuff that I'm good at, because I got this regen ability. It makes me nervous just looking at it, though, because I'm supposed to be like, that's what I'm supposed to be good at.
MATT: But you're also rolling two dice every single time.
ROBBIE: Exactly, yeah. I don't know.
MATT: Depending on how you set it up, one of them may be gilded, which I don't think you have marked there.
LAURA: What'd you get?
ROBBIE: Nothing, just two twos.
ANJALI: So we're supposed to have--
ROBBIE: Just testing the theory.
ANJALI: -- six drive overall.
MATT: Six drive overall that you've added, and there should be three on there that's already filled in, so.
ANJALI: Six drive we've added? Ah! Okay.
ASHLEY: I'm doing Control and Hide.
MATT: Now, everyone gets to choose one ability from your role and one from your specialty, if you haven't already. I'm sure many of you have been eyeing a few of those. If you've already chosen them. Has everybody gotten their abilities?
LAURA: I've got my first one.
MATT: Okay.
LAURA: My specialty. I'm still looking out.
ANJALI: Yeah, it's the section--
LAURA: (groans) This sounds like so much fun, but it's so specific that I don't know how often it'll ever come up.
MATT: Which one?
LAURA: Don't do this. Ritual.
ANJALI: Yeah, that sounds like the last one on mine, where you're like, "Oh, it's only one option, but it's so good in the moment."
LAURA: So great.
ANJALI: Great storytelling.
MATT: Here's the thing. If it sounds like fun, do it. If it seems like it's something that's rare, try and find opportunities to utilize it.
LAURA: I just constantly--
MATT: It's also my job to make sure you're not going to build a character who's like, "I'm really, really good at this one thing!" And then I'm like, "Cool. That thing's never going to come up in the story. Hope you had fun!" You know? I'm going to try and create scenarios where you guys can do cool things and, you know, feel your characters are useful.
LAURA: Okay, okay.
MATT: All righty. Has everyone chosen their abilities?
ASHLEY and ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: Okay, cool. So now, that's going to bring me to my next question. One of you, you don't have a catalyst yet. The first episode is going to open with your catalyst, that I get to decide.
ASHLEY: Ooh!
MATT: Which one of you wants to be the volunteer to have the opening episode sequence?
ASHLEY: Should we Rollies it? Or do you guys have--
MATT: If your character has a pretty strong catalyst and you don't want to volunteer for that, then don't, but I'm saying if there's anybody here that is viable for that.
LAURA: I feel like mine's pretty set.
MATT: Your character is an Occultist, probably had a catalyst a while back, so it probably doesn't fit for you. You know.
ROBBIE: I would maybe go in that same zone, maybe?
MATT: Okay, yeah.
ROBBIE: Just because, yeah, I feel like the mission is strong, so.
MATT: Yeah, that makes sense.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
ASHLEY: I could do it.
MATT: You want to do it, Ashley?
ASHLEY: Do you have a--
ROBBIE: A main young buck?
ANJALI: A young buck makes sense.
MATT: Young orphan newsie living in the streets? That might actually work pretty well.
ANJALI: It kind of makes--
MATT: You want to go with that?
ANJALI: -- crazy pants sense.
ASHLEY: Do you want to do it?
ANJALI: You take it. You take it. I like that story.
ASHLEY: (excited growl)
ANJALI: It's fun!
MATT: All right, cool. Cool.
ASHLEY: Okay, I'll do it, I'll do it, I'll do it, I'll do it.
ANJALI: It's so fun.
MATT: You don't have to worry about your catalyst specifically.
ASHLEY: Yeah, but then I'm going to be alone at the table in the beginning, right?
MATT: Yeah.
ASHLEY: Fuck.
(laughter)
ANJALI: Come on, take it.
ASHLEY: I'm scared, I'm scared!
(laughs)
ANJALI: But you picked the fun one. Dive right in, baby. Dive right in.
ASHLEY: Okay, okay, okay, okay, I'll do it.
ROBBIE: (laughs)
ASHLEY: (groans)
MATT: So cool.
ASHLEY: All right, all right now.
MATT: I'll work with you a little bit, out of here, create a couple characters. By the way, for the record, if there are any characters you develop in your backstory after this, or even here at the table, that you want me to incorporate into Newfaire, you've all been living here or around here for a while, so you would have a handful of people that you know, that you can lean on. So feel free to make a list of two or three or more NPCs that live in this city that could be of some history or connection to your character. What I might do here then... The rest of you are pretty confident on your catalysts then? You don't have to say them out loud here. Who here is very confident in their catalyst? Okay, Laura, you put your hand up first. I'll get the rest of you to shove off for a little bit.
LAURA: Oh no.
ROBBIE: Yeah! Mamma mia.
ANJALI: Pew, pew, pew!
LAURA: I mean, I have the basic stuff, but I haven't sorted out, you know--
MATT: We're going to talk about it here.
ANJALI: Okay, bye!
LAURA: All right, all right, all right.
MATT: We're going to talk about it. You guys can hang out here for a little bit. We're going to talk jazz on your story for a minute here.
LAURA: Oh gosh, okay.
MATT: So for your character, for Arlo, what sort of catalyst are you thinking?
LAURA: Well, I was thinking that she was betrothed. It was a friend of the family, that they'd grown up together, kind of a shoe-in, and he played around in things that he shouldn't have. And an event happened. I don't know if he was trying to summon something or what, but the ground opened and he disappeared. I walked in and saw something happening and I tried to grab his hand and was unable to stop that from happening, but my arm was exposed to the bleed.
MATT: Okay, that's pretty cool.
LAURA: Since then, I've felt almost half in and able to see things that other people can't, but also, I'm affected by it.
MATT: Okay, I like that.
LAURA: Yeah?
MATT: So let's say that you're betrothed. You can develop more of these details and send me a backstory after this. You're betrothed, also probably an affluent figure, probably a family name that's been well known pre-war, and maybe had, like a lot of affluent individuals did, some stake in the prosperity of military times. He made quite a bit of cash from that. Would you say his interest in this was direct, meaning he had a secret obsession with the occult? Or did he fall in with the wrong crowd and maybe was interested in weird supernatural things? Was it a hobbyist?
LAURA: Yeah, he always had an interest in it since he was young and would joke around about things, but it seemed harmless. It wasn't until he got older and went off to school that he started to really become obsessed with it.
MATT: Okay. So I'll say, what you would know, is he probably fell in with a few friends that also found a fascination, almost like the young man... Oh, what's the word I'm looking for? Like a fraternity version of Bloody Mary games.
LAURA: Yes.
MATT: Where they were like, "I have an uncle who told me this story about this thing, and I found this weird locket that I keep having these odd dreams when I sleep." Like if you say this person's name three times in front of the thing, you're supposed to have a spooky thing, but it seems silly. But there are a lot of, especially elite, fraternities--
LAURA: Yeah, because he has the money, he can have access to things.
MATT: There's some weird superstitions and there are some weird traditions. I would say, because of his monetary connections, that his family also had involvement with a number of art galleries and collectors through the city. The one name that came to your mind that your betrothed told you right as this was happening was he was introduced to a collective of distributors throughout the city that he was really excited about. He spent few months trying to angle his position and his family's notoriety to finally have a meeting with somebody. All that he mentioned was they were a flow-through for something called the Red Hand. You can decide what relic this was, what ritual this was. But using that context for your character as background, you can expand upon that. But that's the source of this. It was this weird name that he said. He's like, "I'm in contact with this group called the Red Hand. I was able to finally buy something of actual Oldfairen history." And that's the key, Oldfaire. Oldfaire is the city that exists beneath Newfaire. Like Old Rome, if Rome had been destroyed by some terrifying cataclysm that is not fully understood. So something from Oldfaire is like saying it was pulled from ancient Sumeria and has some sort of connotation to ancient superstition. So, yeah. So you can expand upon that if you'd like.
LAURA: I love it. I love that.
MATT: So you put together that character history. You can email me and we'll take it from there.
LAURA: Okay.
MATT: That is your catalyst. Hey, Anjali.
ANJALI: Hello.
MATT: All right, so for your character, Charlotte Eaves, what are you thinking for your catalyst?
ANJALI: So when she was a child, well, not a child, when she was a teenager, she met a woman who dabbled in magick and said she would take her on as her apprentice, but her parents wouldn't let her hang out with this woman. They didn't trust her. They thought she had some ulterior motives. In a moment when she got so, so, so angry that she ran away, when she came back, as she was entering the house, the entire house got sucked in, like crumpled into nothingness. It just disappeared.
MATT: That's awful.
ANJALI: Yeah. So she doesn't know if she caused it. She doesn't know how it happened. She doesn't know where they are. All she knows is there is some kind of mysterious power out there in the world and she can either be owned by it, like what just happened to her parents, or she can harness it.
MATT: Okay.
ANJALI: So she went back and connected with this woman, who happened to be a member of Candela Obscura, and that's how she stayed there. So now she's very intrigued and obsessed with trying to learn more and more and more about magick and if there is any way that she can harness, learn about a power that she can harness for her own safety.
MATT: Okay, how old was she when this happened?
ANJALI: 16.
MATT: 16, okay. And how old is she now?
ANJALI: 31.
MATT: 31. So how long has she been with Candela Obscura?
ANJALI: I think that her mentor brought her in around when she turned 21. She was like, "You're an adult, you're ready."
MATT: So she's been pretty established in this group for a while.
ANJALI: Yeah.
MATT: Okay. That would likely make you the senior member of this circle?
ANJALI: I'm always the oldest. I'm used to being the senior member in real life, too.
MATT: (laughs) But to acknowledge when this circle-- The circle will likely be, and I'll talk about this with other people in the group, but it'll be already pretty much preset, or is about to be pacted, between you, Robbie, and Laura, with Ashley's character being the new recruit, to lock in this new circle. So there'll be a little bit of conversation between the two of us that'll involve your history with the group, because it's not like you're working for them full time. Once every blue moon, once or twice a year, they'll reach out to you and bring you in on something. So you may have possibly seen weirder stuff than most in this troop.
ANJALI: I also think that she has gotten by since her parents have been gone. It's not exactly that she's gotten by being like... She's not been a pickpocket or that kind of a criminal, but she's definitely into some underhanded dealings. She's very convincing. She's definitely a sweet talker.
MATT: I like it. Cool. Okay, so we'll talk a little bit, back and forth, in email.
ANJALI: Okay.
MATT: I'll have you write this backstory up, think about these things as you go, and we can define elements, ask any questions, and we can shore up any things that you want to pursue before we start recording the first session, but--
ANJALI: I do think, based on what we know so far, I think I very much see myself in Auggie.
MATT: Fair enough. Of anybody here at the table, you likely are the one person who knows who this is or who has maybe crossed paths with him once or twice. We'll discuss that here in a little.
ANJALI: Okay.
MATT: We'll establish some player-character relationships here shortly.
ANJALI: Okay.
MATT: While Auggie's probably the newcomer, more than anyone, you are probably the only person that may have crossed paths with him at this point.
ANJALI: Okay. Is it better? I know it's storytelling. There is no better, there just is.
MATT: Yeah.
ANJALI: But is it better if we're all closer to the same experience in this? Or do we need me to be younger?
MATT: No, not at all. Not at all. You'll just be the most established, to the point where this isn't your first rodeo.
ANJALI: Right.
MATT: Now, mind you, some of these things that you pursued might've ended up in confirmation of it being hearsay.
ANJALI: Right.
MATT: You know, Candela goes to many different things, and a number of them are indeed tied to some really terrifying supernatural events and some realities in the world that are still not very well understood. Part of the job of Candela is to investigate them, procure them to make sure they don't fall in the wrong hands or are left uncontained, unstudied, and also to investigate things that turn out to be hoaxes, turn out to be a bit of hysteria. Which, honestly, not that uncommon, either.
ANJALI: Right. It also makes sense, as you talk through this more, it makes sense to me that she's a little bit older because it would take a while to get over that trauma.
MATT: Yeah, and I think--
ANJALI: Not even get over it, but just be functional.
MATT: Yeah, and I would say it would be less like the house vanished and you went to your mentor and went, "Hi, teach me about magick."
ANJALI: "Hi, the house vanished." Yes. No, clearly.
MATT: You know. Were they also like your caregiver for a short time while you were coming through this trauma? Or were they just a close friend and confidant, that, over time, eventually, when you were--
ANJALI: I feel like they were like the cool auntie, even though she was more like the next-door neighbor or the lady down the street.
MATT: Yeah.
ANJALI: But she became very much my confidant because I wasn't close to my parents. I was definitely at the age, when I was 16, I was at the age where, "I hate you guys," and all of a sudden, those people that I've been mean to, because I'm at the age where I hate them all, something horrible happened to them.
MATT: Is this a circumstance where the experience was so odd and traumatic, seeing this happen, that you didn't process it for a long time?
ANJALI: Yes, absolutely.
MATT: Probably didn't even mention it to her for a while?
ANJALI: Yeah.
MATT: Then she saw there was something beneath the surface and for years took care of you. 21, or whenever you felt it was viable--
ANJALI: It was when I could share it with her.
MATT: Yeah, she helped you understand this, and by the time you began to really relay what happened, remember it, and parse it out, maybe even through a form of low-end hypnosis.
ANJALI: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
MATT: Fair point? No?
ANJALI: I like that.
MATT: Recalling this event, that's when she realized, "Oh, you've experienced something that is not of normal--"
ANJALI: It's so not normal. Yeah.
MATT: Then wouldn't have told you immediately about Candela, but may have begun to prime you, see whether your curiosity for this may have been unlocked at the moments of this discussion. They began to guide you a bit. Then, eventually, when you began to ask enough questions, decided to bring you into that fold a bit.
ANJALI: Right. So it'd be more like 25-ish when I came in.
MATT: If you feel that feels natural.
ANJALI: I mean, well, just asking. Whatever, yeah, yeah.
MATT: It's whatever makes sense for you logically.
ANJALI: Yeah.
MATT: I'll follow your lead in this. Just like blotching out the points of advancement, so.
ANJALI: Yes.
MATT: So, yeah, over the years, you've likely been called, on Candela's behalf, with your mentor. You can decide what your mentor is doing now, if they even survive this long, which is possible, too.
ANJALI: I don't know. I don't know what she did.
MATT: You can think on it.
ANJALI: Yep.
MATT: And how that may have changed your story. Those are all things you can decide upon before we start our first session.
ANJALI: Okay.
MATT: But, yeah, I think this is a fun trajectory to consider. With this story, we'll begin with you essentially be given... This is your first time leading a circle, if that makes sense.
ANJALI: Yes, it does, which is great because this is Anjali's first time leading a circle.
(laughs)
MATT: Perfect, perfect.
ANJALI: Now I do have a question about being the most senior member. Does that mean I get to spin that wheel like "The Price is Right" wheel at some point during the show?
MATT: Yes.
ANJALI: Because I really, really--
MATT: Yeah.
ANJALI: -- ever since I saw it.
MATT: You absolutely can.
ANJALI: I want a Showcase Showdown.
MATT: Yeah, no, we'll make sure we get in the people from Flip This Bitch that built it in here to watch it happen.
ANJALI: Excellent.
MATT: Then you guys can fight it out after.
ANJALI: I love that story.
MATT: Great.
ANJALI: Big shout-out to them because that thing is freaking cool.
MATT: It's really cool. Cool. You feeling comfortable?
ANJALI: Yeah.
MATT: Awesome.
ROBBIE: Hello.
MATT: Hey, buddy.
ROBBIE: Hey.
MATT: Welcome, welcome.
ROBBIE: I'm glad to be here.
MATT: Yeah. So let's talk for a minute here about Howard Margrove.
ROBBIE: Sure.
MATT: What are you thinking about his history into his catalyst? What do you got in mind?
ROBBIE: Oh, man. You tell me if it's too dark, all right?
(laughs)
MATT: Okay. Okay.
ROBBIE: So my idea was that he's this over-analytical man. He's got this PhD in philosophy. His specialty is in medical ethics. And so I wanted him to have some type of otherworldly experience that he denies, right? That would be his catalyst, I suppose. Then this question he's searching for is he's looking for a way to justify these things, like in a reductionist physical world thing. Everything can be explained. He admits to the fact that there's something beyond his explanation going out there, but not to the fact that he can't explain it.
MATT: Right. It's not that it's magick, it's that nobody yet has been able to break down the truth of what it is yet, and it is likely just scientific and misunderstood.
ROBBIE: Right, exactly.
MATT: Gotcha.
ROBBIE: So I was thinking of ways to have that happen and I love the idea, storytelling-wise, of things externally that happen to people. Because that's life, right?
MATT: Yeah, yeah.
ROBBIE: You get in a car accident. You know, there are things outside of our control. I was sitting out there thinking, what if it was not only something that he brought upon himself, but something that he's struggling with? So I had the idea that one night over cigars and scotch and a heated academic squabble that he murdered his dean and that he's a literal murderer.
MATT: (laughs)
ROBBIE: So--
MATT: That's dark, but I like it.
ROBBIE: Maybe by accident, or what I think--
MATT: He recalls it as an accident.
ROBBIE: He recalls it as an accident. It was a crime of passion, or whatever, that he was capable of covering up. But then the spirit, the essence, however that is in this world of this dean, immediately starts tormenting him and haunting him. He's convinced it might be his own madness, but I think, in reality, it might actually be an otherworldly, vengeful spirit.
MATT: So it continues to haunt him to this day?
ROBBIE: From time to time.
MATT: From time to time. But what does he use to cope or keep it at bay?
ROBBIE: Oh, I've never really thought about that, that's--
MATT: You don't have to decide right now.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: But that's a question to think in mind.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: Because everyone eventually finds a coping mechanism, especially a mind of somebody that doesn't believe the thing that's happening before their eyes.
ROBBIE: Okay.
MATT: You know, so something to ponder to that regard.
ROBBIE: Yeah, I'd probably stay away from a stereotype like booze, or something like that,
MATT: Yeah, yeah.
ROBBIE: Maybe make it a little bit-- Yeah, something, I don't know.
MATT: Is it work? Does he immerse himself in his work? Does he take weird, unexpected, random vacations beyond Newfaire and disappears into the woods for two weeks and nobody asks questions?
ROBBIE: He probably did that before. (laughs)
MATT: Yeah, valid. That's valid. (laughs)
ROBBIE: A coping mechanism, that's a really cool idea.
MATT: Something to think about.
ROBBIE: Okay.
MATT: Very cool, Okay, so definitely haunted. Definitely-- As you develop the story, and I'd like if you can, to write this up a bit and send an email.
ROBBIE: Yeah, of course.
MATT: Where that investigation led. Because of course, the disappearance of a dean at the university is going to make waves. So is it, how long has it been since then? Has the investigation kind of gone cold? Is it still active and you're kind of day-to-day living in this nervous wreck state--
ROBBIE: (laughs)
MATT: -- of waiting for someone to find out? Or yeah. Think about that, and implement that into your story.
ROBBIE: Okay.
MATT: How did you cross paths with Candela Obscura? Did you seek them out? Did they seek you out? Was it a happenstance? What keeps you occasionally wanting to work with them if they call you in for certain investigations?
ROBBIE: Yeah, I think that's got to be a source of him trying to figure out his own issues.
MATT: Mm-hmm.
ROBBIE: He's, I think, stumbled across is a good word for it, like he was looking for something deeper and got himself in too deep in his own solo ventures, because I don't think he's by nature a team guy.
MATT: Yeah.
ROBBIE: But if you know anyone in academics, you know that it's part and parcel to the job. You have to be able to work with a team, even if you despise it.
MATT: Yeah.
ROBBIE: I think maybe that's where Howard finds himself at most times. But he's not a total-- He's not totally devoid of a heart and feeling.
MATT: Yeah.
ROBBIE: He's-- He's redeemable, there are good things about him, but I feel like watching everybody else create their character, I feel like there are things about them that could bring out the better parts of Howard, maybe. Maybe.
MATT: Cool, maybe.
ROBBIE: Maybe.
MATT: Maybe. (laughs)
ROBBIE: Or maybe he kills them all, I don't know. (laughs)
MATT: Maybe.
ROBBIE: It depends.
MATT: Oh, that's rad.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: All right, cool. So I think as you kind of develop the backstory, and kind of contemplate that journey, consider the things about Candela that continue to give Howard a reason to agree to investigate on their behalf. Does he consider himself really a member of Candela Obscura? Or does he see it as a means to his own curiosity? Does he believe in what they're doing? Or does he use them as a tool to eventually show everyone else that what they believe is absurd?
ROBBIE: I mean, as you say it out loud, that's more what he leans to.
MATT: Okay.
ROBBIE: But again, I don't know what his experiences are going to be, so.
MATT: Yeah. As far as, you know, I'd say consider how long you've been--
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: How long ago this system, how long has it been haunting him?
ROBBIE: Mm-hmm.
MATT: And when did that crossroads with Candela happen, and how long has it been since he's begun working with them? Sometimes, for the instance of people that Candela reaches out to, it'd be kind of-- They have a dossier of different people, different experiences, and skill sets, and when an investigation comes up, they might reach out to you once every six months.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: You know, a few times a year to look into something. Sometimes it's a hoax, sometimes it's very odd, and you come back with a very (chuckles) logical explanation as to what happened, and they go, "Thank you, Professor, for your work."
ROBBIE: (laughs)
MATT: Put it in the box, seal it.
ROBBIE: Sure.
MATT: "We'll be in contact," you know. I imagine there's probably a little bit of tension with some of the contacts and people you've worked with there, and if you want to create one or two people within Candela Obscura that you may have a relationship with, positive or negative, you are welcome to. Because you do have some experience with there, and you have a personality and a history that already puts you slightly philosophically at odds with the overall organization. You can decide whether or not that's crept up during previous investigations and whether or not that's affected relationships with one or more people in the crew.
ROBBIE: Okay.
MATT: But yeah. These are all fun thoughts to build on, and we can discuss via email before our first session on where it lands.
ROBBIE: Yeah, I'll type some stuff up.
MATT: So I had a chance to talk with some of you, and we'll discuss independently via email and stuff, shoring up some of your story elements. So the three of you will have, when we come into the story, will have already worked with Candela to a certain degree, and will be essentially assembled as a new circle that will take in a new fourth member, which will be yours.
ASHLEY: Eyy!
ANJALI: Eyy!
MATT: We'll figure out as it happens, how that transpires.
ANJALI: I swear.
MATT: Likely, the three of you will have some dynamics. You may have crossed paths, or worked in a previous investigation or two in the past together, or at least know of each other. You can decide what those dynamics may be. When it comes to Ashley's character, which is Auggie-- The only person that likely has any history with Auggie would likely be yours, Charlotte.
ANJALI: Mm-hmm.
MATT: Whether just a passing history or actually do know each other in the past, you both can decide, but here's some fun, interesting relationship questions that are part of the Candela book that can help kind of spur some of this conversation. We'll start with here, Arlo. Of Charlotte and Howard, what do you see one or the other as? Let's pick one, let's go with Howard. Howard, do you see them as an old friend, as a rival, as a mentor, as just a coworker, a confidant? Do you see him as a bully?
LAURA: Hmm.
MATT: Do you see them as an absolute stranger, even though you've maybe worked together once?
LAURA: No. You work at the college, right?
ROBBIE: Yes, I do.
LAURA: Yes.
ROBBIE: Thank you for remembering.
LAURA: Yes. That is-- I live in the Briar Green, so I'm sure we've crossed paths. What are you a professor of?
ROBBIE: Philosophy, yeah, medical ethics.
LAURA: Yes, I've taken your classes.
ROBBIE: Oh, are you certain? I remember most of my students. What grade did you get, do you recall?
LAURA: I didn't pay much attention at the time, so I assume I didn't get a very good grade.
ROBBIE: You were auditing the class then?
LAURA: Yes, philosophy wasn't a large priority for me.
ROBBIE: Oh, it rarely is. (chuckles)
MATT and ANJALI: (laugh)
LAURA: Yeah.
ROBBIE: A former student?
LAURA: Yeah, that's kind of fun, right?
MATT: That is fun.
ROBBIE: Sure. That's really fun.
MATT: So did you consider that kind of a mentor?
LAURA: Yeah.
MATT: Okay, you want to choose one of those questions under mentor to ask of the two of you?
LAURA: Hmm. Oh, that is a good-- Maybe that is-- Okay, here's a question. Would I have known? Is your membership in the Candela Obscura a secret?
ROBBIE: Yeah, absolutely.
MATT: Yeah, for the most part--
LAURA: Absolutely.
MATT: -- anyone's membership to Candela--
LAURA: Most people are secret.
MATT: Most people don't even know about it. It is a very, very, very secretive society.
ROBBIE: I'll take it a step further. The Arlo-- Sorry, I'm using your character. The Howard that you just got was Howard, your professor.
LAURA: Uh-huh.
ROBBIE: Has nothing to do with the Howard that will probably be present when we're working.
LAURA: Right. Completely different person.
ROBBIE: You just got the mask.
LAURA: The mask.
ROBBIE: For sure.
LAURA: Solid. Amazing.
ROBBIE: Yeah. Do you know roughly how old your character is?
LAURA: Yes, my character is very early twenties.
ROBBIE: Oh, okay. So a recent--
LAURA: Yes, yes.
ROBBIE: -- a recent student? Okay.
LAURA: Right? Yeah, because I would like this to have-- Yeah.
MATT: Yeah.
LAURA: -- been kind of recent. Should I-- Because I was thinking maybe-- (sizzling)
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
LAURA: Once this happened, once I wanted to seek out Candela--
ROBBIE: Uh-huh.
LAURA: How, if I would have gone, somehow found it through you, or maybe the first time we showed up, and I was in an assignment with you, it would be kind of fun to be surprised to see you.
ROBBIE: Oh. Yeah, absolutely.
LAURA: That's more fun.
ROBBIE: Like seeing a professor at the club?
LAURA: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
MATT: (laughs)
ROBBIE: For sure. (laughs)
ANJALI: You're a real person?
ROBBIE: Is that just me? Is that only because I went to school in Vegas? I-- (laughs)
ANJALI: I didn't go to clubs, so I don't know.
ROBBIE: Well there you go.
LAURA: I like that--
ROBBIE: That's very fun.
LAURA: Though this one, there's a couple on here that, what lie did this person teach you about the world?
ANJALI: Ooh.
LAURA: That's kind of a fun one.
ROBBIE: Oh yeah.
LAURA: Or--
ROBBIE: Well, as an Occultist, you're a true believer, right?
LAURA: Uh-huh.
ROBBIE: I'm a supreme skeptic.
LAURA: Right.
ROBBIE: So that could be super fun.
ANJALI: Ooh.
LAURA: Yeah.
ROBBIE: Okay.
MATT: All right. So as comparably newer, or at least lesser experienced members of Candela Obscura--
LAURA: It's been a couple years now, I assume, right?
MATT: Yeah.
LAURA: Yeah?
MATT: A handful of times over the past year or two, depending.
LAURA: Okay, yeah.
MATT: If that's what you'd like. Charlotte has been with the organization quite a bit longer.
ANJALI: Mm-hmm.
ROBBIE: Ah.
MATT: So I will say, how do you both see Charlotte in the times that you've encountered?
ANJALI: She sizes people up a lot. You would know that I have been on many, many, many, many missions, and you would've heard through-- Let's find that accent again. You would have heard through other people that she's seen some shit, and that's all.
ROBBIE: Tough to admit. Oh, well that sounds like fun. We both share an ally that seems to be in conflict with our rivalry. Who is it, and why are you tied to them? I think it would be--
ANJALI: The ally that seems to be in conflict to our rivalry?
ROBBIE: With our rivalry. I feel like, so--
LAURA: Oh, like you both have a common friend?
ROBBIE: Well--
ANJALI: Oh, we have a, yeah, a middle person.
ROBBIE: I would immediately think you, because, you know, if I come into this where she's my surrogate student.
ANJALI: Mm-hmm.
ROBBIE: Then we are in this thing, and you are the person in charge.
ANJALI: Yes.
ROBBIE: I don't know.
ANJALI: Also, I've heard some of the things that you've taught her.
ROBBIE: Well yeah, and she vibes with what you're into more, you know?
ANJALI: You told her what?
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah.
ANJALI: Yeah, I like that.
MATT: That's fun. So you're both almost fighting over the worldview of this young and somewhat bleed-touched woman. Okay, that's cool.
LAURA: Mm-hmm.
MATT: That's cool. All right, now--
LAURA: Woo me. (laughter) Win me.
MATT: Anjali.
ANJALI: Yes?
MATT: If you want to look at this list and see if there's a particular relationship dynamic about one of the other player characters that you'd like to ask and develop based on these?
ANJALI: And Auggie too, right?
MATT: Auggie as well, because you have possibly a relationship with Auggie, you may.
ANJALI: Yeah, I-- I'm going to go with the soulmate.
MATT: Mm-hmm.
ROBBIE: Ah.
LAURA: Aw.
ANJALI: What do you see in this person that they don't see in themselves?
MATT: Aw.
ANJALI: I see grit in the face--
LAURA: (laughs)
ASHLEY: I got grit.
ANJALI: Grit in the face of fear, in the face of-- I understand that they have fear underneath them, and they might have a-- Actually, let's-- You've lived your life by grit already, so.
ASHLEY: Mm-hmm.
ANJALI: I think it's that I see the fear.
ASHLEY: I got fight. I got grit.
ANJALI: But I see the fear, and I know if you are able to harness that fear, and not conquer it, but make friends with it, you will actually be even stronger and more cunning. Yeah, there's something about--
ASHLEY: I love it.
ANJALI: I see in you what I was when I was younger.
MATT: Hmm, and potential to be greater if fostered properly.
ANJALI: Mm-hmm, yeah.
MATT: Huh.
ANJALI: Yeah.
MATT: Okay, okay.
ANJALI: Hmm.
MATT: Auggie, how do you see Charlotte?
ASHLEY: I do like this mentor, because I feel like that makes sense. This person once saved your life, what happened?
ANJALI: Mm!
ASHLEY: Maybe there's something, there was a moment between us?
ANJALI: If it's in the real world, what about if you pickpocketed some other thieves, or something like that, and I saw it happen, and they were going after you, and I sweet talked them out it. Or I knew them, and they knew me, and they knew better than to cross me?
ASHLEY: I like it.
MATT: That's pretty fun.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
ROBBIE: I know this is weird. Can I say maybe I don't want to pick the rivals?
MATT: Sure, yeah.
LAURA: Of course!
ROBBIE: I know--
ANJALI: No, I love that you said that.
ASHLEY: No, you made that decision already.
ANJALI: I actually had that--
ASHLEY: You have to stick to it.
ROBBIE: Yeah. (laughs)
ANJALI: I had that moment, too, when I was thinking the same thing.
LAURA: (teasing) It's already decided. It's been decided.
ROBBIE: It feels good to the story, and it makes sense, but we've got a lot of mentors and students going on, and I just don't want to fight with you again.
ANJALI: I-- You're right.
ROBBIE: I know that sounds weird. Can I see the sheets?
ANJALI: ♪ I don't want ♪ ♪ to fight anymore ♪
MATT: No, of course. By all means!
ROBBIE: I don't know.
ANJALI: Thank you, I love that.
MATT: That's not weird at all. I think that's great perspective.
ANJALI: Yeah, yeah.
MATT: And an opportunity to change the dynamic.
ROBBIE: I'd like to go with enemy.
(laughter)
MATT: All right, crank up a bit.
ASHLEY: There's another cool prompt there. The confidant, which is they know a deep, dark secret. What is it? That's kind of interesting too
ANJALI: Is it a deep dark secret, or is it the catalyst?
ROBBIE: Boy.
ANJALI: Oof.
ROBBIE: Boy, that could really cook into what we were talking about earlier
MATT: That's true.
ROBBIE: If she's the confidant, and the only-- Are you game for that? All right.
MATT: Yeah, I'm game for that, especially--
ANJALI: So I'm the only one that knows your secret or vice versa?
MATT: No, it's--
ROBBIE: I think you got to know mine.
ANJALI: Okay.
LAURA: Well, what is it, though?
ROBBIE: What?
(laughter)
LAURA: What are you doing?
ANJALI: But Laura and Ashley--
ASHLEY: Secrets don't make friends.
ANJALI: -- if you would leave the room?
MATT: Yeah, you guys--
ASHLEY: Yeah.
MATT: We can back channel, and discuss that.
ANJALI: Yeah, yeah.
ROBBIE: Sorry for making a decision and then backpedaling,
MATT: No, no.
ROBBIE: But yeah, yeah, yeah.
MATT: That's what session zero is about.
ROBBIE: Okay.
MATT: It's all soup. Now, Auggie.
ROBBIE: All right.
MATT: No, you guys can stay here for this, since you'll be watching this with us when we get to watch how your world gets turned upside down in this first episode somehow, but tell us a little bit about Auggie. Where do you see their background, their story, their history? What got them to where they are now in Newfaire?
ASHLEY: Well, I think they grew up in the, you know, the orphanage. Okay, I think Auggie grew up in the orphanage.
MATT: Mm-hmm?
LAURA: What orphanage?
ASHLEY: The...
MATT: More industrial one, or the more--
ASHLEY: Yeah, let's go more industrial.
MATT: Religious? That'd be The Steel.
ASHLEY: Okay, so grew up in the orphanage in The Steel, and I think the headmaster of the... The headmistress of the orphanage.
MATT: Orphanage.
ASHLEY: I think a lot of the kids would have to work in the industrial complex.
LAURA: In the factories?
ASHLEY: In the factories.
MATT: Gotcha.
ASHLEY: So, you know, I've had a job since I was a kid, and I think Auggie's now 19.
MATT: 19, okay.
ASHLEY: So out of the system, but has been a ward of the state, or you know, and is now grown up on the streets, got into a little bit of trouble, knows how to pickpocket, knows how to sell shit, (snapping) wheeler-dealer, what do you need? What can I get ya? But... really doesn't have a closeness with anybody, except the situation that we had when I first met you, and was kind of the first time anybody stood up for me before.
MATT: Okay, cool.
ASHLEY: And that was a weird thing to experience.
LAURA: Did you age out of Miss Flannigan's or did you--
(laughter)
LAURA: Did you leave before you turned 18?
ASHLEY: Oh, that's a good question. I left because I didn't like what was going on and how Miss Flannigan was running shit.
LAURA: Mm-hmm.
ASHLEY: So I left when I was 16 and I've been living on the streets since then.
MATT: Okay.
ANJALI: So you've been hiding out?
ASHLEY: I've been hiding out. I've been, you know?
LAURA: Do you have dreams of Santa Fe?
ASHLEY: ♪ Santa Fe ♪ (laughter) ♪ Here I come ♪
(laughter)
ASHLEY: Yeah.
LAURA: I love it.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
LAURA: I love it so much.
ASHLEY: I've been, you know, I work for, I mean, if we can lean into it, you know, maybe there's, whatever is the popular paper, you know? I'm selling the papes.
MATT: Yeah, yeah.
ASHLEY: I'm getting stories, you know, I get--
ANJALI: Hmm.
ASHLEY: I'm going in, I'm spying for people.
MATT: Yeah, making a little scratch on the side.
ASHLEY: Making a little scratch on the side.
MATT: Probably living from abandoned homestead to abandoned apartments. There are a number of warehouses--
ASHLEY: Yes.
MATT: -- and spaces that often, for periods of time, are vacant and a lot of the street rats and the go-getters of the gutter, if you will, will build temporary communes in some of these spaces before they eventually get raided by the Periphery and then pushed back out to find their next homestead and the cycle continues. So you probably have a network of people that you may trust to a certain degree, but it's largely a survival based trust.
ASHLEY: Yes.
MATT: And it's up to you. So if you want to establish some other street kin folks that you have a network surrounding in the city, you can develop a handful of names and people that you want to create in that space.
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: You can develop them as part of your history and send them to me.
ASHLEY: Okay.
ANJALI: And I'm not, correct me, I'm not a leader so much as, in age, I'm the most senior member here--
MATT: Correct.
ANJALI: -- so I'm not necessarily someone who would've conscripted of this, just of this group.
MATT: Not necessarily. I mean, when you say conscripted, you may have been sent to talk to them. There are Lightkeepers of Candela Obscura, and they are the highest members there. They're the eldest, and many have been around for a very long time. Many of them themselves were investigators for many years and then retired because they absorbed too much bleed and themselves it was too dangerous to go back out. So instead, they oversee and organize new talent and people that are doing exactly what you're doing. So no, you're not a Lightkeeper, necessarily, but you're more experienced than anyone else in this circle would be. You can decide whether or not that's a dozen or so investigations. A number of them probably didn't amount to much, and then some of them, some weird shit went down, and you have a little bit of experience on that, yeah.
ROBBIE: I imagine it like, we're accidentally on a Candela mission and we just don't know it. We're investigating something that's--
LAURA: There's something that they're also investigating.
ROBBIE: -- walking us down this path.
LAURA: Yeah.
ROBBIE: And then we have the--
ANJALI: Someone else shows up, okay.
ROBBIE: Encounter the official person and we realize you're in too deep.
MATT: That's fun, I like that, okay.
ANJALI: They've seen too much.
ROBBIE: But that happened a while ago,
ANJALI: A while back, yes.
ROBBIE: That was our session zero and since then we've been--
MATT: When we say a while back, could've been like a year ago.
ROBBIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
ASHLEY: What do you do outside? Who would you be--
ANJALI: In the outside world?
ASHLEY: -- to me in the outside world?
ANJALI: I think there are businesses out there that everybody knows are fronts for the gangs, and, not necessarily the mafia, but like that kind of--
ASHLEY: They may be moving some product, they be moving some scarlet.
ANJALI: Yeah, I think I am someone who is part of the front for a business.
ASHLEY: Okay.
ANJALI: Hold for talent, let me think.
MATT: There is like a pseudo Prohibition era currently enacted against scarlet.
ANJALI: What I want is for this character to, she has lots of connections because she knows a lot of people, a lot of seedy people in bad nefarious things.
ASHLEY: Okay.
ANJALI: So she has a lot of--
ASHLEY: That would make sense why.
ANJALI: She has a lot of spies. She has a lot of people. I probably, if I have a lot of other people looking out for getting us information, I might have seen you do that before I even met you. Like understood, heard that you were out there providing information for people before I even met you.
LAURA: Are you like a club owner? What is it that you do?
ANJALI: I want to say, if it's pseudo Prohibition area, let's make it an underground speakeasy.
LAURA: Like a speakeasy?
ASHLEY: Yes.
LAURA: I love that.
MATT: Now, are you running it or are you just one of the partners?
ANJALI: I'm the proprietress.
MATT: Okay. Because I'll say, in this sort of a business, there are benefits to being higher up on the overall structure. And there are--
ANJALI: Huge bad.
MATT: Huge drawbacks to it as well. So you get to decide how involved you are in that business and you can develop that as part of your backstory as well. Just let me know.
ASHLEY: What's the speakeasy called?
LAURA: I know, what's it called, what's it called?
ASHLEY: Okay, we'll think of a name.
MATT: Yeah, you can either--
ASHLEY: Love this.
MATT: Think of some people that you work with in that business as well, and you can develop those characters, NPCs, and send them to me and--
ANJALI: And I'll see if I can figure out a different criminal front, too if it's not necessarily a speakeasy, because I don't want.
LAURA: I love a speakeasy, though.
ANJALI: I mean, speakeasys are just fun.
LAURA: And then we can just go to a speakeasy after we shoot.
ANJALI: And then we can do research. by going to a speakeasy.
LAURA: Or before we shoot. When we shoot.
MATT: I'm here for it.
ANJALI: Absolutely, I love that.
LAURA: Let's go now, let's leave right now.
ANJALI: What exactly is the budget for that, everyone? Anyone?
ASHLEY: God, I'm wondering if I want to change my thing now. I love the idea of you saving Auggie's life, but with that, there's some others that I like, like you admire this person above all others, what makes you feel that way? Probably seeing how you run the business--
ANJALI: The power.
ASHLEY: -- and how you're just a boss. Or what lie did this person teach you about the world? Do they know you've uncovered the truth? Could that tie in anywhere, or would that be--
ANJALI: I don't know that I would ever lie to you.
ASHLEY: Okay.
ANJALI: Not to you.
ASHLEY: I think we keep--
ANJALI: To plenty of other people.
MATT: Okay.
ASHLEY: Yeah.
ANJALI: But not to you.
LAURA: I like that for you, though, you taught me that you don't have to be what you present to the world, you can be something else.
ROBBIE: Yeah.
LAURA: Right?
ROBBIE: Yeah.
MATT: Mm-hmm. Okay.
ASHLEY: Cool, okay.
MATT: That's cool.
MATT: All righty, any other questions, concerns, curiosities? Any other "c" (hard c) sound words?
LAURA: (hard c sounds)
ANJALI: So many. As soon as we leave, I'm going to remember. I'm going to think--
MATT: And that's okay. You can email, text, call, whatever the case may be. I'm at your disposal until we play this first game. But let's just review one more time as we go around the table here. Robbie, your character name, your role, and your specialty.
ROBBIE: I am Professor Howard Margrove, PhD. I'm a scholar and a professor.
MATT: Fantastic. Laura?
LAURA: I am Occultist, Arlo Black.
MATT: Fantastic, the Weird role.
LAURA: Of the Weird variety.
MATT: Wonderful.
ANJALI: I am Charlotte Eaves, and I'm a Face, a Face Magician. I make magick with my face! Yes, I'm a Face, Magician.
MATT: Beautiful, love it. Ashley.
ASHLEY: I am Auggie James. He's a bit of a Criminal.
(laughter)
MATT: All right, all right.
ANJALI: Ding ding-a-ding, ding.
MATT: I love it. I love it. Little Slink Criminal over here. Well, perfect.
ASHLEY: Slink, slink, slink.
ANJALI: Slinky.
ASHLEY: That's right.
MATT: That's all good. Well, thank you all. I'm super excited to play this with you.
(cheering)
MATT: Should be fun.
ANJALI: Oh my gosh.
MATT: Jump into Newfaire, soon enough.
LAURA: I can't wait to see what everybody's dressed like when we finally shoot.
ASHLEY: I know, me too.
ANJALI: (excited noises)
MATT: So because you all have a circle that you do craft together, if you want to take a look now and decide in advance on both a name and the sort of circle ability that you want to pick.
LAURA: What kind of names-- What kind of names are other circles?
MATT: Well, here you go. Here's some of the examples they have here on the sheet. It says, circle name options. The circle of something,
LAURA: Oh right, right, right.
MATT: The Circle of Fire, Circle of Blades, Circle of Whispers. Circle of Hope, Circle of Darkness, Circle of Venom. Circle of Womb? Okay. Circle of Jade, Circle of Atlas. Those are examples.
ANJALI: The Circle of Darkness, I mean clearly, the Circle of Darkness.
ROBBIE: Circle of-- All right.
MATT: Circle of the Serpent. Circle of the Descent.
ANJALI: Circle of the Circle.
MATT: But you can also diverge from that if that doesn't feel inspiring, necessarily.
ASHLEY: Hmm.
MATT: But we do have some circle abilities in the circle sheet. If you look at it over there, you can look through the different circle abilities and get an idea for what you might pick, or at least get a feel for what your options are in advance. So when we do bind the circle, you guys can choose what you like.
LAURA: (thinking noises) I think, hmm. I feel like the one that makes the most sense for our first session together would be Trauma Bonding.
ANJALI: Yeah.
MATT: Okay.
ANJALI: I like the Trauma Bonding thing because it rewards us for helping each other out.
LAURA: Helping each other out.
ANJALI: Rather than feeling like I have to, I mean, it's nice, you are making a sacrifice, but you are potentially also being rewarded for it.
LAURA: Right.
MATT: Yeah, given that the three episode arc that we're playing this out with this circle, it would likely, if you were to level up your circle, it would likely end this arc with leveling up. So you likely won't be able to choose a secondary ability for this particular series of games that we're playing. But in campaign play, that would signify pretty much when it levels up.
LAURA: Got it.
MATT: But that also lets you know that all the different resources that your circle has are pretty much what you got until the end of these three episodes.
LAURA: Yeah.
MATT: So--
ANJALI: Oh gotcha, right, because we don't have extra stuff.
LAURA: Okay.
ROBBIE: And there are really cool XP boosters built into all this, but none of them make sense to--
LAURA: Not to start with.
ROBBIE: -- pick that we're if we're just doing a limited run.
LAURA: Yeah, Trauma Bonding seems like the best choice.
MATT: Okay, cool, so we'll pencil in Trauma Bonding for the time being and should that change in the interim, but when we come around to actually forging this-- Laura got there first! You were so close.
ROBBIE: I know.
ANJALI: What are words for like the hidden and the seen?
LAURA: Yeah.
ANJALI: Well, those are words for, words for the hidden and the seen are hidden and the seen, but also like circle of the Seen and Unseen. Circle of the, I mean, I like circle of the Unseen.
LAURA: Circle of the Unseen?
ASHLEY: Circle of the Unseen is so cool.
ANJALI: But that's only one. Do we have to have two?
MATT: You don't have to.
LAURA: It doesn't have to be two. Circle of the Unseen.
ANJALI: Let's do Circle of the Unseen. We're unseen, because we're seen, but we're unseen.
ASHLEY: Where'd they go?
LAURA: Yeah.
ASHLEY: I kind of like it.
ROBBIE: Sure.
MATT: Circle of the Vassal and the Veil, you know?
LAURA: Oh, that's way cooler--
ASHLEY: Ooh!
LAURA: -- than anything--
ASHLEY: Jeez Louise!
MATT: I'm just throwing that out there. I name shit for a living, okay?
LAURA: The Vassal and the fucking Veil.
ANJALI: The Vassal and the Veil.
MATT: That's just a name, it's just an idea.
ASHLEY: How do you spell vassal? I don't even know what that means.
ANJALI: V-E-S-S-E-L
MATT: V-A-S-S-E-L.
ANJALI: Oh, did you say vessel or vassal?
MATT: Vassal is what I said, but--
LAURA: What does vassal mean?
MATT: A vassal is a person under protection of a feudal Lord.
ANJALI: Yeah, it's like a serf.
LAURA: Oh.
ASHLEY: And veil, like a veil.
LAURA: Like a mask.
ANJALI: Well it could also be the veil, the magickal veil.
MATT: Referring more to like, you know, the commoner in the shadow.
ANJALI and LAURA: Right, right.
ASHLEY: Holy shit.
LAURA: Vassal and Veil is--
ANJALI: I mean, who doesn't love a good alliteration?
ASHLEY: Yeah, it's true.
ANJALI: The mood lighting has proven it to me.
LAURA: Yeah. You did that.
MATT: Decide. I didn't-- I just wanted to fuck with the lights.
ASHLEY: Circle of--
LAURA: (laughs)
ANJALI: I think that was basically the lighting helping us decide. It's like my dog picking his name.
LAURA: That's the one.
ANJALI: If it responds, it responds.
LAURA: Yeah.
ASHLEY: Vassal.
(laughter)
ASHLEY: A person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he has vowed homage and fealty.
LAURA: Yeah, that's great.
ANJALI: I mean, it's pretty good.
LAURA: Like we vowed fealty to Candela.
ANJALI: Mm-hmm.
ANJALI: Okay, and it's behind the veil. The magick behind the veil. Yeah. I'm cool with that.
ASHLEY: I like it.
MATT: I didn't mean to name your circle. I was just putting a suggestion out there to get creativity flowing.
LAURA: No, it was better than--
ASHLEY: But it was like a really good one.
LAURA: It was really good.
ANJALI: Yeah, it was really good. And we only had one--
MATT: Congratulations.
ANJALI: We only had one with one word that we were even remotely close to.
(laughter)
ANJALI: So having two words.
LAURA: The Unseen is good.
ANJALI: I still like it, backup.
MATT: Unseen's good too.
ASHLEY: What if the speakeasy is like The Unseen?
LAURA: Oh yeah.
ASHLEY: The speakeasy could be a really fun name.
ANJALI: Mm-hmm, yep.
ROBBIE: The Unseen is perfect for a speakeasy.
ANJALI: Oh yeah, no, I'll use The Unseen if we ain't using it for our circle.
ASHLEY: Something Unseen could be cool. God, I love that you have a speakeasy! But you're the proprietress.
ANJALI: I mean, we're figuring that out.
ASHLEY: So you work behind the scenes.
ANJALI: We're figuring that out, because I don't don't know if I want to take the potential danger that that involves.
ASHLEY: Because it's kind of like--
MATT: Sight Unseen--
ANJALI: Also, if I run off and go do like--
LAURA: The Sight Unseen. Oh, that is really good.
ANJALI: I go off and do things-- The Sight Unseen for a speakeasy.
ANJALI: You know, for Candela.
LAURA: It's really good.
ANJALI: And what happens to my--
MATT: Well, thankfully, Candela stuff is rare. You know, it's only a handful of times a year, maybe.
ANJALI: Right, so I'm going away to meet my sister, aunt. Yeah, I'm going to decide--
MATT: Yeah, figure it out.
ANJALI: -- over the course of, yeah, whether or not I'm the proprietress.
ASHLEY: I love it, though.
MATT: Figure it out.
ANJALI: Yep.
MATT: Figure it out!
ASHLEY: A boss-ass bitch, running a speakeasy.
LAURA: Figure it out. Yeah, that's really cool.
ASHLEY: Give me a break.
LAURA: Plus, it gives us a--
ASHLEY: That's so fucking cool!
LAURA: -- fun location to meet up in.
ANJALI: Yeah.
LAURA: You know, if we wanted to. Maybe we showed up at your speakeasy a couple times to see what--
ANJALI: Belongs to my "brother." Or something like that. But yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
ROBBIE: I can't wait to interact with the person with no education, this is going to be-- (laughs)
ASHLEY: Oh yeah, zero.
ANJALI: Fun.
ASHLEY: Zero education.
ANJALI: But he's got smarts.
ASHLEY: No, I learned some things.
ROBBIE: Street smarts.
ANJALI: He's got tons of smarts.
ASHLEY: I know how to make shit.
ROBBIE: That's why I said education, not intelligence.
ANJALI: Yes, very true, very, very--
ASHLEY: True, it's true.
MATT: It is a whole different type of learning.
ROBBIE: I can't wait until the end of the session. We're all going to be going, "Eyy!"
ASHLEY: Eyy!
ROBBIE: We got another ghost, baby!
(laughter)
ANJALI: Charlotte's going to start sounding very regal and then gradually--
MATT: Thank y'all for watching Candela Obscura, been a good time.
ROBBIE: At your local toy store, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
ANJALI: I like Sight Unseen.
LAURA: The Sight Unseen is a really good speakeasy name.
MATT: Well, fantastic.
ASHLEY: I'm excited.
MATT: I think let's run off to the four corners, figure this shit out and come back and play this fucking game!
LAURA: Yay. (hands clapping)
ROBBIE: Let's do it.