Continual Flame

Continual Flame is the spell that changed how rich people spend their nights. This spell is mostly an arcane spell exclusive to Wizardry, though Solars can also cast it using their special divine Life Magic, which produces a permanent unquenchable heat-less magical flame. This is an intermediate-level spell, beyond the abilities of basic professionally trained casters but within the reach of most capable wizards and solar-clerics.   For centuries, Continual Flames were a special gift and trade good of Solar nomads that marked a special relationship between them and the settled world. These magical lights came to hold special religious and political meaning, as they were a common gift of the Wandering Lunar God Haru, and they were usually only owned by great kings and temples. Over time, the Empire of Shirpatra came to make a great fortune producing and selling these lights, which became more and more common in major palaces and cathedrals all around the world.    The invention of wizardry in 1001 ME in Stildane opened avenues for non-solars to finally produce their own magical lights, but such arcane crafts took many centuries to spread around the world and be refined to a point where they could focus on producing lights. The rise of academic institutional wizardry in the Suneka led to the aggressive expansion of Continual Flame production. The Shirpatrans followed suit and escalated their own production, creating substantially more lighting for the market.   Continual Flames are not cheap or widely available just because of this upscaling of production. These remain the lights of the rich and the influential, found in manors and temples and rich districts. Some major cities have installed Continual Flame lanterns in market districts as a way to stimulate nightlife and trade, but these are notable rarities. For most people torches, candles, and oil lanterns remain the only way to navigate by night. But the manors of the ultra-wealthy can now ignore the cycle of day and night entirely. Some middle class homes have continual flames, but these are understood as major household appliances worth keeping safe (and proudly displaying to guests).    A Continual Flame requires 50 gold pieces worth of ruby dust, consumed upon casting. Anti-magic spells can destroy these lights (but why would you do that?!). These lights do not require oxygen and operate cleanly underwater, making them especially valuable in commerce with Cephaperson societies and elites.