Firelance

Firelances are the primary weapons of the rank-and-file lancers of the Radiant Guard, and are perhaps the single most important factor in their near absolute dominance of any battlefield even with facing substantially higher numbers. Only about five feet in length, and narrower than a person's wrist, the lances flare out slightly at the bottom before flatting out, providing both a convenient base for resting them and a heavier backend for clubbing anything that gets too close. The business end of the lance is a sharped steel head, almost spear-like in appearance, but longer and narrower. Although it is rarely used for such, it is kept serviceably sharp, and can be used as a traditional weapon in desperate situations.
The firelance carries a magical charge that allows the user to send concentrated bursts of destructive fire from its tip, emulating the Fire Bolts favored by many mages. When facing large numbers of clustered enemy forces, however, the entirety of the magical charge can be used for a single, continuous beam of fire that is swept back and forth across the enemy line, lasting several seconds before depleting the charge entirely.
Firelances are extraordinarily closely guarded, both because of the time and expense of their construction and charging, but also because of the tactical advantage they provide the Radiant Guard. The loss of a lance in combat due to misuse is grounds for severe disciplinary action or even dismissal from the Guard. If a lance is misplaced or stolen, entire units are mobilized to re-acquire the weapon. Enlistment of a Seeker is not unheard of. Negligent loss of a lance results in immediate dismissal for the lancer, fines, and potentially even imprisonment. Theft of a lance is a capital offense in all areas administered by the Radiant Guard except for Greenlawn, which outlaws capital punishment (although there, the theft of a lance will earn a person a life sentence).
The construction of lances is a jealously kept secret known only to a few master artificers that work in secret for the Guard. Their identities are not widely known even among the highest ranking members of the Guard. The making of the various components is distributed across scores of individuals in a redundant network across the Fey Coast, and craftsworkers are encouraged to not brag too widely about their involvement. It is unknown how time consuming and expensive the construction of a lance is, but given that only a few score are put into use each year in the entirety of the Coast, they are likely to be immense. More deeply mysterious still, the manner of recharging the lances is a near complete enigma. Depleted lances are swapped out for charges ones, packaged away for transport, and then returned to circulation at a later date.

Item type

Weapon, Ranged