A Chunk of Fantasy 2.05 – Lamp of Carthas [Artefact]

“Behold, ye who speaks the sacred chant will find their way, your foes shall not approach and yea shall find tranquillity. Beware lest the oil run dry, for the lamp will draw on thy life force and turn you into that which you fear…”
Scroll IX of the Legendary Items of Franner collection.

The Lamp of Carthas is an old, very old artefact. A few stories say it was the first made during the Great Mage War, but this cannot be proven one way or another. The lamp gets its name from the first person that legends say possessed it, even though Carthas is recorded as saying it was never made by him, that he got it from someone else.

As with many artefacts from that era, the lamp itself is very unassuming to look at. It has a simple frame, glass panels and a handle to carry it. There is a well for oil or other fuels and a panel that open so it can be lit if needed. Everyone who sees it thinks it’s a boring, yet serviceable bit of equipment. To those with arcane sight or who can sense magical energies, the item glows with an immense aura of power, to the point that those who are not used to being around it feel very uncomfortable and a bit ill.

The lamp has many know powers and stories suggest that the ones known are just the tip of the iceberg. As with all lamps, it requires fuel. However, the type of fuel determines what effect the light it projects would have. Then the command phrase must be spoken to turn on the lamp, which must be said in reverse to turn it off again. Simple oil causes a bright light to shine forth. This can be directed or focused into one are by other commands words such as “Widen” or “Focus” when spoken in Old Helanic. The real power of the artefact comes into play when other liquids are placed within the fuel chamber. Any liquid can be used to fuel the lamp – literally. Milk, blood, water, even magical potions and each has an additional effect. Milk, for example, produces a soothing calming aura to all those within the area of light, water puts out minor non-enchanted flames. If a magical potion is placed within it, the effect of the potion is applied to all caught within the light beam. For example, a healing potion would heal everyone for as long as they were inside the light from this lamp. It uses the “fuel” at the same rate as other more mundane oils.

In an emergency, the user’s life force can be used to empower the artefact. However, one must be extremely careful when using this as if you die when this emergency power mode is on, you are brought back to life as an undead monstrosity, forever doomed to stalk the users of this lamp until your destruction. Resurrection from this is not possible, not even by the gods as you soul no longer exists. This effect also triggers if the fuel runs out when the lamp is still “on” and it uses the life force of the user to continue the last effect is was projecting. The stronger the effect, the faster this drain occurs.

The LoC was last officially seen several years ago at the Battle of Baden Mill. A search for the artefact was undertaken but it was not found. Rumours persist that it is still there, but as yet, no-one has yet found this ancient and powerful device, or, to be more correct, if they have, they have not used it and are keeping quiet about it.