Brennan Lee Mulligan Discusses Candela Obscura Chapter 2, Sean Finnerty, And The Importance Of Laughing At Fear

Candela Obscura has returned with Season 2 with the Circle of the Needle and Thread. Having gotten our first look at Sean Finnerty, Brennan Lee Mulligan's character, we had a chance to talk with Brennan Lee Mulligan about Sean, the Circle, and his approach to the horror-filled world of Candela Obscura.

This isn't the only peek behind the curtain we've had about Candela Obscura as we were able to talk to Spencer Starke about being not only one of the developers of the game, Candela Obscura, but also about his approach to DMing and where we begin Chapter 2's story.

Who is Sean Finnerty of the Needle and Thread?

Brennan Lee Mulligan is playing Sean Finnerty, a 20-something-year-old veteran of the "Last Great War." While in his 20s now, it was when he was 16 or 17 that he enlisted in the army.

Candela Obscura is traditionally a darker story that many are likely used to seeing in the world of Actual Plays. This is further doubled down on as we learn more about Sean; his parents deceased, and his two brothers both killed in the same war they all served on.

In terms of who Sean Finnerty is mechanically as a character in the game Candela Obscura he is "a Soldier, a specialty within the Muscle role." This is one of the Classes whose info was not included in the Playtest Material.

Each Class has its own unique set of abilities, but so far the most we've seen Sean use is a shotgun and a grenade, one with a more positive result than the other.

How does a veteran fit into the Needle and Thread?

Asking Lee Mulligan about what kinds of relationships he has with the other members of the Needle and Thread he explained "Sean grew up with Marion, with Auntie B as a maternal neighborhood presence"

Marion, played by Luiz Carazo is the Medium of the group, shares a brotherly joking relationship with Sean. A recurring joke that is frequently brought up is the need to pee on one another to help heal a wound (It's much more touching when you actually see them in action).

This was part of Lee Mulligan's methodology in creating Sean "I made him try to be funny, the only logical response to living in a horrifying world". This kind of forced humor in the face of danger is a constant theme throughout the premier episode of Candela Obscura Chapter 2.

Auntie B also known as Beatrix Monroe, as played by Critical Role's Creative Director and primary cast member Marisha Ray, shares a sad history with Sean too. Promising Sean's mother that she would keep him safe, something she does now as a member of Candela Obscura.

Another strong relationship that Brennan was able to act out was that between himself and Travis Willingham's Nathaniel Trapp, his former commanding officer.

These relationships pull Sean between the different roles of adopted brother, adopted son, and ward allowing for Brennan Lee Mulligan to create a varied performance.

For a character with so many strong bonds in the present, but one with a harrowing past filled with violence and loss I wanted to see if there was any real-life or fictional influences that he drew from in the creation of Sean Finnerty and what I got back was the most peculiar answer.

"Sean is the anthropomorphization of a feeling I can never shake when consuming Eldritch Horror - and if I told you what the feeling was, I’d spoil the story!"

The game of Candela Obscura

Brennan Lee Mulligan is known to many as the creator and primary GM of Dimension 20, a shorter form TTRPG show on Dropout.tv. Recently he's dabbled in horror himself in the D&D 5e series, Neverafter, where fairy tales have been corrupted by malevolent forces.

When asked how it was jumping into the brand new Candela Obscura system Lee Mulligan remarked that all were "A joy! Spenser, Rowan, Steve, the whole squad working on Candela did such an extraordinary job - truly delighted to dive into their wonderful creation!"

An aspect of the game that he hadn't quite expected, especially with this first episode beginning in the middle of the party attempting to steal a dangerous item from a train, was just "How punishing it is! This line of work is not for the faint of heart, and the shelf life of the average investigator is pretty limited!"

While there's still a lot more of Sean's exploits that viewers (and I) can expect to see over the rest of Chapter 2 of Candela Obscura, we'll have to wait for the next episode to air. Most interestingly might be what different abilities and secrets that the Soldier class has still to offer.

TechRaptor would like to thank Brennan Lee Mulligan for taking the time to talk with us about Candela Obscura Chapter 2.