Dissero
Breaking Even
= B A B Y L O N - C A N D L E S =
A Marrow & Illskins Exclusive
A Marrow & Illskins Exclusive
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To codify an artifact that was created years ago on another forum for Chaos canon reference and purposes. To submit yet another item to be sold at Marrow & Illskins.
- Image Source: From the movie Stardust
- Canon Link: N/A
- Restricted Missions: N/A
- Primary Source: This is a re-submission of the older, outdated sub (this submission was archived, never denied.)
- Name: Babylon Candles
- Manufacturer: Great Leap Forward Inc.
- Affiliation: Closed-Market - Must be purchased through Marrow & Illskins Marketplace
- Modularity: No
- Production: Semi-Unique
- Material:
Wick: Epicanthix Hair Fibers, Avabush Fiber
Wax: Kloodavian Brain Matter, Falleen Blood, Ground Kasha Crystal
- Classification: Artifact
- Size: Small
- Weight: Light
- N/A
Babylon Candles provide one notable use: they reveal visual truths to the user that might otherwise be hidden or falsified by the Force such as illusions, camouflage, and spellcraft/sorcery.
The candle's ability to do this relies entirely upon the user in question as detailed below.
Weaknesses:
- Babylon Candles are delicate and do not fare well for wear, tear, or general physical abuse
- They readily melt under high temperatures and will lose effectiveness of both range and duration.
- Lit candles give off a heinous odor akin to burning hair and flesh, making it impossible to use secretively.
- Candles draw on the energies of the holder, causing rapid exhaustion that requires a period of rest afterwards. Lesser users like NFUs and low-ranked FUs have been known to black out after a full session of use.
- Excessive use of Babylon Candles (multiple candles in a row) holds the potential of drawing on the mind of the wielder, permanently erasing both memories and knowledge. NFUs and low-ranking FUs run the risk of insanity and death.
- Candles are sensitive to degradation by residual Force Powers cause by other powerful artifacts of either alignment
- Candles have no nullifying effect on hallucinations caused by naturally occurring physical illness or trauma
- Candles have no nullifying effect on technology based disguises, cloaking or camoflage
- Level of candle's effect depends upon the level of power the user has [NFU/Apprentice, Knight, Master] and the power of the illusion/spell it is attempting to counteract. For example: a Master Level FU hiding or disguising oneself through sorceries might only be fully revealed by a Master Level FU wielding a lit Babylon Candle. Whereas an NFU or Apprentice-level FU holding the candle may only be granted the red glow indicating that an illusionary spell or power is in effect.
- Direct exposure to esoteric Force Powers, Nexus, amulets or artifacts will typically destroy a candle
- For unknown reasons, exposure to an Ysalamir field will also destroy a Babylon Candle
- Candles are exceptionally expensive to purchase and complicated to make, keeping their supply minimal and their use special and specific.
DESCRIPTION
The flame of these candles reveal truths and paths to the wielder that might otherwise be hidden or falsified. Drawing upon the inherent nature of the ingredients used to craft it, the candle expels a Force aura around the user when lit that weakens and may nullify Force-based illusions, tricks, and mental illusory effects/powers when the user is within the illumination sphere. It can also help to reveal things hidden or otherwise not readily visible to the naked eye such as Force-based: camouflaged/disguised creatures/figures; hidden passageways; invisible inks; and other secretive things of this nature by highlighting their presence with a particular red glow.
The candles have no effect upon technology-based: cloaking; camouflage or disguises; nor chemically or physically-induced [IE brain trauma, dehydration, illnesses of the mind, etc.] hallucinations, as well it has no effect upon inorganic things such as droids.
Crafted originally by Dissero’s ancestors, the ritualized creation of the Babylon Candles involves powers and spells requiring a High Knight or Master level skillset of Organic Alchemy and Sorcery/Witchcraft. The process, passed down to him by his mother Lorelei Darke, is delicate and can be ruined by the slightest deviation of recipe, spellcast error, incantation mumble, or poor ingredient measurement. It takes one full moon cycle to create just five Babylon Candles.
While immeasurably useful in their finished state, Babylon candles burn so fast and can be so costly and complicated to make that it is, inexplicably, a highly niche craft skill with the knowledge of their creation being exclusive to the point of becoming a lost art.
Candle Levels of Effect:
- When lit, the candles magic requires the user to be the illumination sphere in order to draw upon their Force energies to enact the magic crafted within.
- In the hands of a an NFU/Apprentice/Padawan its effects are minimal - serving only to weaken cast illusions within the sphere of influence and may only offer brief glimpses of what is true or real.
- Knight-level users will experience heightened drain and effects, allowing them to better ascertain the origins and nature of the power around them.
- Powerful Force Users of High Knight and Master rank experience the most flawless use of the candle in where it can nullify illusions or tricks within its sphere of influence by drawing on their more potent energies.
- High Knights and Masters can extend the range of light a Babylon Candle sheds by channeling their powers even more through the candle for Enhanced Use when lit, but this in turn causes the candle to burn even faster and considerably raise the drain on the user’s energy, typically resulting in a black-out once the candle is spent.
Candle Usage:
- Normal Babylon Candle use will grant the user 5 posts worth of its power. The radial illumination range of an un-enhanced candle is approximately 3m (~10ft).
- Enhanced Babylon Candles last only 3 posts with a bolstered range of max 9m (~30ft).
- A Babylon Candle can be put-out after lighting for short instances of use and re-lit until all five (or three) posts have been used up.
- Babylon Candles can be used by both FUs of any alignment and NFUs with equal results, high-ranking and Enhanced FU Use notwithstanding.
- Babylon Candle wicks and wax, when lit, dissipate rather than melt and so cannot be collected or saved to make new candles.
- A burning Babylon Candle gives off a terrible odor due to the ingredients and magic used to create it and so makes using it secretively a difficult task.
- A melted candle (due to high heat) can be reformed if the heat was of natural origin and not Force-derived, though will only burn for 3 un-enhanced posts due to degradation of the wax.
- After a Babylon Candle has run its course there is nothing left behind of it. Magick.
For use, the candles can be placed within any normal candle holder, though a lantern box is recommended to protect the candle during use. It is not recommended to hold the candle in one's hand while lit as the candle burns so quickly and body heat may melt the wax. It is recommended to use only normal matches or lighters to light the candle as Force-Based fire or lightsabers usually have adverse effects on the power of the candle in question.
Candle Storage:
Babylon Candles are sold in satin or velvet lined, padded wooden boxes, the boxes of which are lacquered in mid-grade Force Nullification Resin to protect the candle while in storage from the effects of other Force artifacts or Users that may be stored or living nearby. Stored properly, Babylon Candles have an extremely long shelf life and have been observed to be viable even after several centuries.
