Neverburn Candle

History

Light, in its many permutations, is ever precious to people. Since ancient times, innumerable civilizations have cultivated forms of light to push back the veil of night, eeking out that much more time for themselves. Of these different forms, candles are something of a universal staple, found in the tiniest of wicked basins to monolithic pillars of wax that burn for centuries at a time. Their availability, desirability, and maintenance thereof, have always carried a certain appeal and esteem, making candles quite the staple of all kinds of lighting arrangements.   All candles, however, have one universal problem: they burn.   Even the tiniest, most inconspicious flame is still a flame, and all it takes is a little bit of fuel. Once it goes up, anything in reach soon follows, and so numerous flaming catastrophes have happened from wayward candles. People learn, of course, to place them better, safeguard their precious flame, and all manners of precaution that minimize the risk, but never eliminate it. Those driven to eliminate that risk would, invariably, create some form of the neverburn candle.   It's impossible to say who the original inventors might've been. Similar, or exactly identical, forms have been excavated from ruins stretching back millennia. Long-lived immortals, similarly, keep neverburn candles around older than some civilizations. Thus, many scholars point instead toward the urni, whose mainly nomadic lifestyles and sunlight-aversion led them to create the popularized, modern form of the neverburn candle. Of them, the urni of Fauverngarz, in particular the Sunspitter Tribe, are further accredited, though some contention does arise around the matter.   One of the larger trader nomad tribes, the Sunspitters meticulously crafted their special neverburn candle over many generations. Compactness, simplicity, reliability, and many more concerns governed their candlemakers, who also had to contend with their caravan carts burning down once in a while. This eminent need pushed them to newer, stranger designs, turning candles into all sorts of bizarre mixtures of wax, honey, bonemeal, and otherwise. They, like many before them, eventually innovated upon the critical, and most expensive, component: fire crysium.   The essence of fire, and thus transformation, fire crysium almost always carries incredible demand. In many cases seen used in the highest forms of metallurgy, magical arts, and otherwise, it's often simply too rare to actually use in something at the scale of a humble candle. There are other forms of fire crysium that don't suit for such expensive needs; so-called 'low-grade' or 'impure' fire crysium, depending on which gross misclassification is used. It is these forms of crysium that the Sunspitters experimented upon and soon created their prized candles with.   It didn't take long for others to notice their caravans covered and lit by arrangements of candles that, ordinarily, would be far too dangerous to do. Intrigue spurred trade, and soon the Sunspitters found themselves constantly out of stock for their new type of candle. Demand spurred copy cats, and eventually farther away regions, having no Sunspitters to trade with, innovated on their own. Bad news flies at the speed of a wyvern, while good ones meander like a human, as some say. It took decades, but the neverburn candles continued to spread as soon as anyone of prominence or ability saw them.   At some point, harpies, wyverns, or someone else with flight ability took the neverburn candles with them and went further abroad. Within a few centuries they'd spread to Aerthen, Nerzin, Lophern, Honokom, and so on. Once ubiquity was achieved, tracking its spread became functionally pointless. The only thing that tied these many versions of the neverburn candles to the Sunspitters was the particular and specific manner in which the fire crysium was arranged. A sort of inventive fingerprint that no one was able to erase as it destroyed the candle's functionality. Whether by design or otherwise, it meant the Sunspitters maintained some identity over the candles' invention.   The rest became simple history from thereon out.      

Properties

Appearance / Forms

The yellow-white, creamy hues of the neverburn candle's wax are bespeckled by flecks and shards of fiery reds, oranges, and blistering whites. While no two neverburn candles have an identical outer appearance, letting candlemakers decorate as they wish, their internal structure is always the same. Care is given that, for any decorative alterations made, nothing upsets the fiery nature of the candle nor the crysium itself. Doing so risks undermining the functionality of the candle, at worst making it not work, or more likely simply causing it to burn itself out.   Because of its ability, the wick of the candle itself doesn't need to only be nestled near the wax, it can be extended up to a couple feet. These long, smoldering cords create a distinct look and feel reminiscent of burning tree roots, leading to some religious connotations and symbology. In some cases, the wax core of the candle itself is buried inside architecture, leaving just the wick and its arrangement for display purposes.    

Creation

The neverburn candle itself is traditionally made from wax that the Sunspitters fashioned from animal fat, bieneren honey, and suitably compatible forms of tree sap found along their migratory route. More economical versions would be made from mostly animal fat than anything else, depending on availability. A double-helix of specially refined fire crysium is fashioned around the central wick, which itself is made of tree-sap glazed plant fibers. The height and width of the helix informs the candle's overall intensity, with wider helixes being less intense and vice versa. The helix itself is bound together at the base of the candle and at the top, which locks the wick 'core' into place.   Generally, the helix structure is covered in wax to protect it for long term purposes. This wax also acts like a heat sink for the constant temperature exuded by the fire crysium, and when mana is coursing through it to 'turn it on'. If it starts to melt, the neverburn candle is receiving too much mana and needs to be turned off or cooled down somehow. The wax entombing process around the helix core is where most artisans add their decorative flairs, if the wax itself is their target. Once formed, the neverburn candle can be situated into any suitable cradle so long as there is some kind of mana channel that connects its base to the cradle. Otherwise, one must directly imbue mana into the neverburn candle to turn it on.    

Characteristics

The constant warmth of the neverburn candle was an unusual side effect of its creation, but something many people learned to exploit. With a temperature just below an average spring day, it's a useful shield against winter's chilly advances. One candle alone is not remarkable, but many hundreds throughout a building have a tangible effect on staving off the worst chills. Central heating is still necessary to some extent, so fireplaces aren't out of a job, but less overall raw fuel is needed to heat a household to a suitable level. For those in hotter climates or months, some regulation of their usage is needed to prevent things from becoming unbearably hot.   The titular 'neverburning flame' of the candle itself is, itself, quite mundane looking as an ordinary orange-red flame. Some versions of the candle use specialized wicks to produce different colors, but the overall nature remains the same. It can be touched in all sorts of ways that doesn't burn the toucher in the slightest, even if they do get warmed by it. As the flame itself is controlled by the fire crysium that fuels it, simple magical enchantments are what prevent the risk of burning itself. In a sense, the 'changing force' of the flame is directed into the wax surrounding the helix core, while the light emission is a 'byproduct' that is exuded through the wick.   A marvellous example of ingenuity and clever design, really.    

Maintenance and Life Cycle

Neverburn candles are remarkably stable creations, more at risk from enviromental factors or misuse than anything it does on its own. Overcharging it with inappropriate amounts of mana is the most common failure point, as it causes the wax to melt or the fire crysium helix to disintegrate. At such temperatures, actual ignition becomes a threat to anything flammable nearby, so wise owners treat such candles the same as a regular one with a burning flame. Replenishing the wax is, itself, a not-too-difficult affair, though the cosmetic appearance of differently aged waxes melding together is a contentious matter.   Expectanct owners can, presuming proper care, expect their neverburn candles to last for decades, if not a century or two. The life span of the candle itself is reliant on the fire crysium helix and its overall stability: constant and appropriate mana fueling it keep its in a state of neutral growth. Depriving it of mana by turning it off slowly consumes its own internal supplies, leading to worse and worse degradation over time. For those using them as 'on/off' lights, their life span is usually around a decade or two. Those more concerned about maintaining them will keep them on 'constantly', but use various snuffing lids to block the flame's light instead. As their flame is inherently magical in nature, the lack of oxygen is less an issue.      

Utilization

Adopting Civilizations

The ubiquity of the neverburn candle being what it is, it can be found almost everywhere on Veltrona. The notable exception to this is Atenkhet, which prefers its own 'pure', light-based crysium lights instead of a flame of any variety. For those who are noteworthy in using it, the many civilizations of Fauverngarz, from urni tribes to city-states like Polkua, make prominent use of the neverburn candles. Light and heat alike are commodities in such a cold continent, and something that provides both at such 'low' costs is truly precious. The island civilizations of Prak are also notable users, as the neverburn candle's great resistance to high altitude conditions make it very reliable. The Aerthen Imperial Federation, and particularly their faith of Volapaws, consider neverburn candles with a religious reverence, and so it sees great usage in ceremonial, artistic, and other important roles.    

Cultural Significance

Candles of all shapes and sizes carry with them the safety of warmth and light, often in places of special meaning. For a home, comfort. For a temple, reverence. The neverburn candles, unfortunately, due to their reliance on fire crysium (itself a rare material) means they're often somewhat rare or hard-to-get. This means the upper echelons of society tend to hoard or control their distribution, often creating connotations of wealth, richness, or nobility around the neverburn candle itself. There is also that, since a source of mana must be supplied for it to work properly, those without the particular skill or training will find them largely useless.   Hence, for some cultures, they're icons of the rich and powerful. For others, a sign of community caretaking and wellbeing as mages go around maintaining such useful light sources. Ironically, for all its simplicity, the neverburn candle truly does reveal a civilization's character even in the darkest places.    

Ceremonies and Religion

A certain sense of specialness tends to surround the neverburn candles. Thus, it is never far from ceremonial or religious purposes, if as a subtle form of decoration if nothing else. For those who worship or revere fire, however, it takes on a deeper meaning. Volapaws is one such religion that, venerating the forge, hearth, and flame, consider fire a holy thing unto itself. It is the vessel of the divine, and the means by which a person can change the world. What kind of change varies, for flame comes in many forms, and so the neverburn candle carries the hope and spirit of many nebulous wishes within itself.    

Spiritual Connections

Spiritual and divine beings particularly like the neverburn candle, especially as it is a conduit through which mana flows. It tends to attract small and quaint spirits who, often brushed aside or assailed by stronger forces, find refuge in its gentle flame. Many homes have found themselves visited by such wandering spirits who dance, play, and lounge around for all their own reasons. Greater powers, while concerned with more extravagant things, may sometimes turn their attention through the neverburn candles as well. Though it's unclear what they seek to gain from it, for the mundane peoples, sometimes more than they know is not that far away at all.    

Domestic Applications

The neverburn candle is at home providing, well, light to a home. It suffices best for any application where low-to-moderate light is required, as well as can be supplied mana on the regular. Since this usually means a mana conduit or channel of some manner is required, the infrastructure to support it is more complex than regular candles. However, once setup, a person need only control the mana supply, rather than lighting / snuffing potentially dozens, or hundreds, of candles. There is also the benefit of that, since it doesn't 'burn' anything, the neverburn candle doesn't produce unwanted scents or odors. Since a well-maintained one also doesn't melt, some people choose to add extra wax onto it to give that 'used' aesthetic a regular candle may have.    

Agriculture and Industry

The obvious light applications aside, while not strong enough to grow nearly any form of crops, neverburn candles can fit in within farms that cultivate fire-aspected flora. In such cases, the continual fiery mana of the candle helps to feed or sustain such flora, becoming a reliable 'nutrient' source. This is a roundabout manner of providing mana to such flora, but the ease of distribution and relative consistency makes it very good for low-requirement flora, such as certain herbs. The so-called 'candle farms', as a result, tend to be prominent and bizarre looking locations that children mistake for places that 'grow candles'.   In a similar vein, where sources of accessible fire mana are needed, neverburn candles can help substitute. Their incredibly low intensity makes them useless for things like melting ores or metals, but they can help for igniting combustibles like wood or coal. In such cases, mages, smiths, or otherwise with fire magic will use the neverburn candle as an 'igniter' to start their own magic.    

Military

The neverburn candle's availability as a resilient 'ignition' source gives it a vital, if niche, role in the military world. Fire magic can use it as an ignition spark, setting off their own magic for combat. It can also be used to potentially ignite combustible weapons or mixtures, such as flaming oil bottles, even in rainy conditions. While not exactly a frontrunner choice for military applications, its ease of care and use make it a reliable choice to keep around. There are those who, for one reason or another, do develop a fascination with using the neverburn candle as part of their answer. Once they get around to engineering their own changes to it, though, it ceases to be the neverburn candle of renown and more some kind of weaponized candle entirely.    

Magical Arts

Fire mana carries a strong temperament and unwieldliness to it even on the best days, and controlling it is a daunting challenge. For many starting out in such a perilous artform, the neverburn candle is a dutiful teacher. Through it, they can access a relatively tame and controlled form of fire mana through which their own arts may begin practicing. For seasoned veterans or mistresses, the neverburn candle is an easy igniter to have on hand that's always useful for such purposes. The fact it can operate in many conditions regular flames cannot also helps to broaden the availability of fire, a fact that is difficult to overstate in its usefulness.      

Design Notes