Critical Role’s Candela Obscura series, explained

polygon.com:

Earlier this week, Critical Role released a trailer unveiling a brand new horror-themed actual play series, Candela Obscura. The monthly show will debut May 25, 2023 on Twitch, and will not only feature beloved recurring guests Anjali Bhimani (Ms. Marvel) and Robbie Daymond (Exandria Unlimited), but will also showcase Illuminated Worlds, a brand new tabletop role-playing game system from Critical Role’s Darrington Press publishing arm.

Candela Obscura follows a group of characters ranging from criminals and professors to mediums and magicians as they come together to fight a mysterious, chaotic magical force. The series was announced in a suitably atmospheric trailer, helmed by eldritch daddy Taliesin Jaffe (whose spookier Critical Role credits include running the Thursday by Nighttwo-shot Vampire: The Masquerade game and Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Crystal Palace). Jaffe will serve as the game’s Lightkeeper (see below), with Matthew Mercer serving as game master. The series’ first arc will span multiple episodes, taking players through a world tinged by monsters and the arcane.

According to a blog post on Critical Role’s website, a Lightkeeper is an “enlightened veteran” of the game world whose role is to guide the other players through the twists and turns of the world. Co-stars Bhimani and Daymond will be joined by Critical Role regulars Laura Bailey and Ashley Johnson. Together, the cast will serve as a group of investigators tied to the Candela Obscura, an esoteric order that fights back against various sinister magical threats. As Lightkeeper, Jaffe will appear at the start of each episode, providing prologues to set the stage for viewers.

Candela Obscura takes place in the fictional world of the Fairelands, a