Alfen Lances

"The high elves love convenience, so it was only a matter of time before they attempted such a wild idea. The one thing that could make magic even easier and even more convenient is to not have to even worry about expending the energy and thought to cast a spell at all. Leave it to the elves to do just that."

— Simon Grey

Cover Art by wolfies73

While the inventor is unknown, it is known that the alfen lances were first invented after the process of creating them was discovered by an elven student many ages ago during the time of the Alfen) empires. The alfen lance is a weapon or tool designed to focus, and cast a specific spell and can do so constantly over long periods of time with little to no effort from the caster. The student wanted to make magic more viable if an Arcanist was ever caught too close to the front lines of a battle, which is the bane of most practitioners of The Arcane.

Producing Wonders

Lances can be difficult to craft, and therefore difficult to find, make, or at the very least difficult to afford. However, anyone with the patience can purchase a housing (the lance itself without enchantments) fairly cheap from high elf merchants and attempt it themselves.
The problem with alfen lances is their enchantment formulas. The alfen used strange, ancient, and more instinctive forms of Arcana Formulae. One often has to sit through numerous failed tests till they start getting somewhere using the modern forms of the genre. Particularly skilled and experienced enchanters have it a little easier as they know the tricks and loopholes that go into each part of the formula.

When making or buying a housing one must first determine if they want it tipped or barreled. A tipped lance is generally designed for contact or up close effects whereas a barreled lance will be more for range. After that the maker must sit and write out potential formula for the enchantments. This process can take days as they close loopholes, fix conflicts in the formula, and establish fail safes. Then a power source is added, usually a stone or elven orb, to power the enchantment. One then tests the device in all ways and if it is working, which it wont be but you one can always try, than the weapon is finished. More than likely it is not working perfectly and the maker will return and add to the enchantments to maximize effect and fix any issues. Some crafty elves discovered that a lance does not have to be a lance but the same principles can be applies to any weapon of any size. The lances on Estoyan War Wagons are massive barreled lances that are far more sophisticated than their inspirational source.

Lances Vs. Catalysts

Many ask what the difference is between and elven lance and a staff, rod, wand, or any other catalyst. The main difference is the fact that a catalyst focuses and channels power whereas a lance is a prepackaged spell that takes nothing but the thought of casting to work. One still must learn the ways of the arcane to use a catalyst but any random person could pick up a lance and use it.

A tool of many uses

The Lance is used as a weapon and a tool depending on the specific spell its designed to cast. An example would be a fire lance, which is designed to employ fire in a steady stream of raging flames. Useful for assailing your enemies but also useful for burning brush, setting a house ablaze, or purifying a pile of corpses during a plague. Though some particularly patient enchanters can create numerous methods of using fire to a single lance, never can a lance use more than 1 spell.