Candela Obscura’s second chapter, featuring Marisha Ray and Brennan Lee Mulligan, plans 5-hour cinema premiere

Candela Obscura might be fresh off its inaugural season of frightening roleplay in an alternate universe 1920s, but the Critical Role offshoot is already rolling out information on a second chapter.

According to a San Diego Comic Con announcement, the next crop of players is highlighted by Dimension 20’s Brennan Lee Mulligan and Critical Role founding member Marissa Ray, and Candela Obscura lead designer Spenser Starke will fill the facilitator hot seat.

The rest of the crew include Travis Willingham, Zehra Fazal, and Luis Carazo, and together they comprise the Circle of Needle and Thread. In Candela Obscura, a Circle is a formal organisation of paranormal investigators unified in protecting people and society from the threat of the paranormal, dangerously magical and weird.

Chapter two will reportedly focus on wholly new characters and villains with no immediate connection to the first narrative, which was mastered by Matthew Mercer and introduced players both to the mystical world of the Fairelands and the Candela Obscura system, designed by Starke and Rowan Hall. New watchers

The Circle of Needle and Thread’s adventures will play out over three episodes, the first of which will be streamed on Critical Role’s Twitch and Youtube channels at 7 p.m. Pacific on August 31st. Cinemark will also screen all five hours of the opening chapter in select theatres throughout the US concurrently with online streams.

The wartorn Fairelands are haunted by shadows of the past and present, as the circle of Needle & Thread will soon discover...

Candela Obscura, Chapter 2 premieres on Twitch, YouTube, AND in Cinemark Theatres at 7pm Pacific on August 31st!

Tickets https://t.co/jKEiyXt8ga pic.twitter.com/1bvXnkRg0j

— Critical Role (@CriticalRole) July 23, 2023

Derived heavily from John Harper’s Blades in the Dark, Candela Obscura is the first game system built using Darrington Press’ Illuminated World ruleset - itself created by Stras Acimovic and Layla Adelman. Illuminated Worlds has been propped up as a core feature in the publisher’s non-Critical Role actual play plans.

More information about Candela Obscura and the cinema screening can be found on Darrington Press’ website. Read Dicebreaker’s thoughts on the free quickstart rules for Candela Obscura ahead a full sourcebook planned for later this year.