Noel Devereaux — The Candleless
Excommunicated Deacon, Hedge Practitioner, Dirty Troubleshooter
He has a line he does not cross. He has spent eight years finding out where it is.
Noel Devereaux
Composure Initiative: 4 Corruption: 1 Magical Tier: 2 (–2 permanent WP)
Faction: The Candleless Passive: Ugly Solution (once per session, declare that you already have a dirty solution in place; GM adjudicates what "in place" means and what it will cost)
Background
Noel Devereaux was ordained as a permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of New Orleans at thirty-one. He was excommunicated at thirty-five following what the Church's internal documentation describes as "unauthorized use of forbidden material in the context of a pastoral case." What the documentation does not describe is that he saved the person's life.
He kept working after that. What he stopped doing was pretending the work happened inside a sanctioned structure. The Candleless had already noticed him operating on their methods without knowing their name; they made an offer of better materials in exchange for worse company, and he signed on because the caseload was only growing.
He carries Corruption 1 from a choice he made two years ago. He calls it the right choice. He believes that more easily in daylight than at three in the morning.
There is a clean way to do this and a way that works. Those are sometimes the same thing. Noel Devereaux, The Hollow
Build
Background: Criminal Career: Ritualist Faction: The Candleless
| Skill | Rank | Skill | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forbidden Rites ★ [R] | 3 | Dead Languages ★ | 2 |
| Occult Lore ★ | 2 | Black Market ★ [HG] | 1 |
| Deception ★ | 2 | Streetwise ★ | 1 |
| Infernal Contacts ★ [HG] | 2 | Composure | 1 |
Starting XP Spent: 110 / 110
Free Talent (Core): Call the Small Thing (Summoning Tree 1): Summon a minor spirit, shade, messenger, or local presence under controlled circle conditions; it may answer questions but is not compelled to be truthful. (Uses his Magical Tier 2 access; requires Forbidden Rites 1+.)
Faction Starting Talent: Read the Filth Correctly (Forbidden Rites Tree 1): Add 1 Boon die to Forbidden Rites checks made to assess whether a forbidden procedure is functional, a trap, or bait before attempting it.
Equipment
- Infernal text (Class II) — a demonological procedural he acquired through Candleless channels; it does what it says it does; he has used it four times; he documents the results in margins written in code
- Forbidden Rites kit — chalk, salt (configured differently than warding salt), iron powder mixed with specific mineral compounds, three items he does not show to the team unless necessary
- Infernal Contacts list — maintained in a coded ledger; fourteen contacts of varying reliability and price; none of them are friends
- A relic he should not have — Class III, acquired through means he does not explain; it is useful and he is aware of the cost of using it; he uses it anyway when the situation warrants
- Deacon's kit (vestigial) — he still carries a small portion of his original ordination materials; not for use, for what they cost him
What I Bring
Ugly Solution means the team can access options that no sanctioned operator can touch. When the clean solution does not exist, or does not exist in time, Noel is the call: Forbidden Workings, infernal legal structures, black-market materials, deals the Order of Mercy cannot officially know about.
Every session the GM should ask: what dirty thing has already been set in motion, and is it the solution or a new problem?
The Six at a Glance
| Character | Faction | Expertise | What They Bring | Combat Role | CI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Father Daniel Osei | Order of Mercy | Formal Exorcism | The only one who can lead a full five-stage exorcism | Support/Authority | 5 |
| Abigail Torres | The Watchfires | Deliverance / Righteous Fire | Spiritual suppression, Passion-powered, pastoral strength | Support/Spiritual | 5 |
| Petra Vance | Lyncean Office | Investigation / Forensics | Impossible Evidence passive, federal authority, picture-building | Non-combat / Investigative | 4 |
| Tomás Echeverria | Black Road | Monster Hunting | Kill It Right on confirmed weakness; highest Might; the end of investigations | Primary Combat | 3 |
| Miriam Schalk | Lantern Index | Research / Dead Languages | The Older Version passive; archive access; inscription reading | Non-combat / Research | 3 |
| Noel Devereaux | The Candleless | Forbidden Rites / Infernal Contacts | Ugly Solution; the dirty option when the clean option fails | Occult / Utility | 4 |
The team covers: formal exorcism, spiritual suppression, investigation, monster hunting, deep research, and forbidden solutions. No two characters occupy the same lane.
The gap: no dedicated medic or field tech. Characters with Medicine or Technology should add those skills during play if the campaign demands it.
On Starting Corruption
Noel Devereaux begins with Corruption 1. This is intentional. It represents years of compromised work and one specific choice he has not resolved. The GM may ask him to name what that choice was during Session Zero or the first session. His path back is available if he takes it. His path forward is available if he does not.
All other pregens begin at Corruption 0. This is not virtue; it is a starting point. The Hollow is designed to change these numbers.