Fire craft

As old as the Ages, the ability to start a fire is one of humanity's greatest skills. In the distant past, it would have taken preparation, knowledge, and care to kindle and maintain a fire, but - since the democratisation of magic at the beginning of the Third Age - that knowledge has been nearly lost. When most homes have a familiar or house-spirit to mind the hearth and a simple mage light is often the first spell a child learns at home, the common knowledge of domestic fire craft and its associated technologies have all but disappeared.

A new need

The need for manual firestarting tools has increased dramatically as a result of the Mage War, which left half a generation ironbound and unable to kindle even the simplest spells. Over the last three years, civil and disability rights groups have eroded the stigma of being ironbound and made the need for manual firelighters one of their foremost demands. In response to the movement - and motivated by economic necessity - governments across Ewura have offered a multitude of rewards to inventors who can come up with cheap, portable ways to help Mage War veterans regain some measure of independence.

Classism and social restriction

The obvious solution would be to offer or issue arcane tools, such as captive fire spirits or fulgurite-based lighters, and these are popular options for commissioned officers who only need to light a lantern or cigar. However, enlisted soldiers and non-commissioned officers remain subject to a keenly-felt class division within magical traditions that keeps arcane firestarting tools artificially expensive and legally restricts the keeping of elemental spirits to those over a certain income or educational threshold.