Luminaire

The same glass used to create the Lesedian Mirror can be shaped into lanterns and lamps that generate, direct, and control the bright.

The Lesedian Mirror

In the skies of Gyrah there is a city-state known as Lesedi sitting upon a small chain of islands nestled permanently amongst the cloud mountains. Around the city is the forest known as Sekgwa, the Lightwood, the Forest of Light, the Shining Forest, the Forest of Crystal Leaves, and within that forest, high on a hill surrounded by shining waters, is the Lesedian Mirror. Standing 33' tall, 16' wide, tall and angled into the side of a mountain, in front of a waterfall, it is made of a kind of ancient, aetherial glass known as seichebo. All light that touches Shem touches the Lesedian Mirror, and all light that touches the Mirror becomes the bright. All spiritual powers also flow from the Mirror. None know how it was made.

To look upon the Mirror while the sun shines upon it is more than any mortal can bear without supernatural aid, so most go to see it in the dark hours. Even then, its own power shines so greatly the world around it seems brighter even than day in the white deserts below. It is tended by women called seipone and visited by thousands of pilgrims per day. The Lesedian Guard patrol the roads to it, and children looking for extra coin scour the grounds of the forest near it, gathering up seichebo for the lamplighters down in the city, who fashion magical lamps and lanterns for the esotericists known as luminaires.

Lamps and Lanterns

The lamps and lanterns used by luminaires are made of seichobo, bjarthurnam, and the wood of the Lesedian aspen trees, all of which are found within the Sekgwa Forest. The trees are common in the higher grounds, and the metal is present within the cloud rivers. Lamplighters, special luminaires who are crafts folk, create the lamps and lanterns.

Lamps are stationary, massive structures designed for use by the city, companies, skyships, and other large structures or places. Their power is to direct the flow of the bright and other aethers and spiritual energies to maximize their powers and protect their location. Luminaires tend them, lamplighters repair them, and tourists have to be kept away from them, as they have fragile bulbs.

Lanterns are handheld, ranging in size from ones that fit in your hand to large, heavy boxes held by handles, sometimes carried by multiple people at once. Lanterns have special shutters made of bjarthurnam that can be opened and closed via a crank or by hand. Fine meshes and filters can be attached to each lens to alter the powers of the bright flowing from it. It cannot be allowed to go out - if it does, the lantern dies and must be rebuilt.

Lantern and Lamp Settings

Some settings for lanterns and lamps include

• Power: the intensity and power of a lamp or lantern affects how far it reaches and how strong it is when it is used against something. Settings for power are Soft (weak, cold light); Medium (moderate, warm light); Hard (strong, hot light); Luminous (wide, bright, cold); Full (vast area, bright, hot), and Mega (dangerously bright, varies in temperature).
• Type: the type of light is determined by filters on the lenses. Types include but are not limited to Diffuse, Softlight, Ambience, Flickering, Sparking, Flashing, Shine, Glow, Bold, Beam, Orb, Spread, Spotlight, Dazzle, and Focused:
  • Diffuse - soft, weak, cool, just illuminates.
  • Softlight - soft, weak, self-focused only.
  • Ambience - wide range, all-encompassing, but undirected and weak powered.
  • Glow - soft, weak, directed by not focused.
  • Flickering - soft bursts, weak effects, but fast and many.
  • Sparking - hard bursts, moderate effects, but fast and many.
  • Flashing - extended bursts, strong effects, moderate speed and many.
  • Shine - continuous illumination, moderate effects, decent range.
  • Bold - continuous illiminate, strong effects, long range.
  • Orb - very focused, controlled, unnatural in movement.
  • Spread - focused but not tight, moderate to strong.
  • Dazzle - rapid, strong flashing with strong effects.
  • Beam - wide, strong beam, long-distance, small area.
  • Focused - narrow, strong beam, long-distance but no area.
• Volume: the amount of light released is partly covered above, but largely determined by the number and kinds of shutters opened or closed.
• Wick: wick is the amount of fuel; the fuel is raw the bright aether, but it is often called wick by the luminaires. Wick is measured in candle-hours.

Luminaires spend much of their time oiling their lanterns with moth oil, a substance that attracts moths, who are good luck to luminaires, and keeps the glass and metal tarnish free.

Powers

Here are few of the effects lanterns can have:

• Illumination: like regular light, the bright can be used for illuminating an area.
• Illuminated manuscripts: the bright can be infused into writing to make it easier to read and understand.
• Brightfire: if the bright is focused and hot, it can set things aflame and burn them physically and spiritually.
• Luminosity: the bright can be infused into something to make it glow.
• Revelation: the bright can be spread over and area to reveal that which is hidden within it.
• Light-walking: if the bright is imbued into footwear or feet, it may, with a great deal of power, allow the person to walk on light itself.
• Lightspeed: starships equipped with giant bright lamps can be made to go the speed of light or faster using the bright.
• Photonstream: luminaires may be able to access the flow of photons with the right lamps, which allow them to see it and thus enter it, which is a form of teleportation.
• Shining aura: luminaires may bask themselves in the bright to give themselves protective auras.
• Spiritual flow: the bright can reveal spirits and let a luminaire communicate with them.
• Blinding: the bright can blind people much as light can, though it hits on a metaphysical level as well.
• Confusion: flashing bright can cause people to lose track of where they are, who they are, or why they are.
• Brightwave: brightwave is taking the waveform of the bright so one might pass through matter.
• Finding: the bright may be used to reveal something specific, especially something lost.
• Inner light: the bright may be used to unleash one's inner light, giving one insights into themself and their own abilities.
• Guidance: the bright may guide a luminaire to where they wish or need to be.
• Light-self: powerful luminaires may risk becoming light, though they may not be able to return.
• Greater sight: the bright can improve the vision of someone if used correctly, a softlight bath upon the eyes.
• Bright spark: bright spark is to the bright as lightning is to light. It is the most potent, dangerous, destructive form of the energy, and only used by those who are in danger of attack.

Other powers exist that are not listed here.

Becoming

Anyone may pick up a bright lantern or crank a bright lamp, but one becomes a luminaire if and only if they can control the bright that comes forth. For this, one needs to go to the Lesedian Mirror and face onself within it. There are different ways to do this. The most potent is to go at high noon and somehow see past the blinding lights, but most novices cannot do this. Instead they go under the triple new moon and test themselves against faded distortions of themselves in order to gain a little control that they can build upon over time. True mastery only comes if one faces one's full self, however. Such luminaires are rare, and usually only veterans who return to the Mirror to become stronger.

Variants

Some variants include

• Bright surgeon: luminaires can work as optical surgeons with the bright, fixing eyes.
• Faceter: a luminaire who facilitates lightspeed travel through space.
• Flashing Molly: a con artist who blinds and confuses people in the course of complicated hoaxes using the bright.
• Hyperphotonist: a particle physicist who uses their science to improve their luminous powers, or vice versa.
• Lamplighter: those who gather the materials and make the lamps and lanterns.
• Metaluminaire: those who use the bright to hack computer systems and the Metanet.
• Mofuputsi: those who use the bright to reveal hidden things, find lost children and spouses, and investigate the unknown.
• Moletsi: those who use special flute music to cause the bright to dance.
• Ologba: those who use their lamps and lanterns to create beautiful crystal gardens of light and rare plants.
• Refractor: those who turn the bright into focused, dangerous lasers for use in battle.
• Setlhomo: those who use or make cameras (still and movie) with the bright.

Lesedian Guard

The legendary Lesedian Guard wear armor of mirrored glass, carry bright lanterns, and wield daggers made of seichebo. They are elite warriors who can slash the bright through air in arcs of golden fire, blind and stun with their lamps, and reflect esoteric powers with their armor.

Seipone

The ancient women who service the Lesedian Mirror practice witchcraft alongside their luminous arts. They recruit from the city and only teach their arts to those who will be loyal to the Mirror and all its secrets.

Persecution

Outside of Lesedi, luminaires are usually killed as heretics, witches, and criminals because of the threat they pose to ruling powers.

Skills

Some skills include

• Glassblowing
• Mirror care
• Lantern care
• Moth care
• Illuminated writing
• Particle physics
• Electrical engineering

Stats

Modifers from base of nation/species:

PRO +1
ATH +1
STR -2
AWA +6
WIL +4
STH -2
PRS +3