Soul Forges

A controversial creation, while it fundamentally changed the method of the creation of arcane devices ultimately solving an issue, the unreliability of arcane items for keeping their enchantments. The solution of which has evaded most magi and mortal men till the rise of The Kirithan Empire. These devices have shown to be capable of reliably creating the most powerful of arcane devices and render the enchantments upon them as far as history has shown never fade. The controversy though comes from the notion that power demands sacrifice. The sacrifice of living beings to be exact. While it is entirely possible the use of plant and animals, men and women are far better fuel and normally require far fewer to properly infuse arcane devices. Those of the witch blood, magi, though are the greatest fuel. Their very life essence can burn for mere hours to days, screaming even as they nothing of their bodies left. Its fires being used to create magical artifacts that can maintain their power permanently.

Utility

It can be used as one of the few methods to create magical items in a permanent fashion, this had illuded magi for numerous ages. Most permanent magical items throughout history either occurred naturally the items gaining powers of their own accord or been given simple elemental modification by alchemist magi. Most items with any amount of complex magic that have been created are finite in the power they give. One item might last for mere hours or some may last for thousands of years, many seem to only last until the death of its creator and their magic will either sporadic unbind or fade away in a process that is normally unpreventable. Arcane items created in a soulforge seem to maintain their bindings and power without end. It has though been widely used by The Magistrate in the construction of arcane devices. The empire, however, uses it for a much more symbolic gesture. When a mage has broken the laws of the Magistrate and become a witch, there are many punishments. No punishment though is more feared than being burned alive in the soul forge. It is sanctioned in only the greatest of offenses but there are no more horrifying deaths for a mage. Most creatures will have their bodies and souls quickly and near painlessly burned away to fuel the creation of devices, magi are bound to flow of life itself their souls are strong and regenerate quickly. Even after their bodies burn away, their screams can be heard for upwards of hours while some forges allow one to witness their souls writhing in horror till the forge goes cold.

Inventor(s)

Emperor Azariah Kirith of The Kirithan Empire

Access & Availability

While they were once a widely spread devices, the Soulforges are now for almost exclusively controlled by the Colleges of Magi and the Venatione Order, also known as the witch hunters. A number of them exist outside of the these though as it is know that the Sternlicht College of Sciences posseses one.

Discovery

The first forge was created by Azariah Kirith, the soon to be emperor of the Kirithan Empire. It is unknown whether the forge was intentionally created but the chamber which became the first forge was made to gather hundreds of magi and resources to cast a singular spell. This spell had been meant to find some solution to their powers fading away during the age of decay where many magi would burn away if they pushed themselves too hard. Many saw this as their one chance to not only protect their magic but to prevent the age of decay from becoming the end all of life. Legends say any amount from two hundred to two thousand magi gathers their resources and followed Kirith's plan's to create a chamber to channel their magic into one peerless spell. It is not known what the original intention of the spell was, but the spell consumed the life of all but Kirith and from the chamber, he walked out with the jewel of his empire. An artifact of arcane power that has yet to be matched. The forge would become a shameful staple of the empire, the mage-lords used it with numerous animals to use the arcane power its releases to power their spells. While a creation of great respect for a time the need for more and more power to fuel experiments saw them round up people rather than animals and eventually some of there own kin just to fuel the works of that lost empire.

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