Thoughtbearer candle

burnt memories

A crushed-in, human skull with a candle inside would be the easiest ay to describe thi smagic item, or undead construct during use. These items can be created by necromancers and their primay use is to allow to directly inspect the memories of a deceased creature.
Inate the candle is snuffed out and the item doesn't behave different, than a normal skull and a candle would. Should the canlde be lit, however, the item is aliive and running. It should be noted, that the candle has to be ignated via a flame created by magic and will not produce any heat at all. Upon activation the flame will turn into a colour predetermined by the caster and two little flames will appear in the eyesockets of the skull darting back and forth.
To use the item in question the user simply stares into the two little flames in the eyesockets, wich will notice the focus and stare back intently. The next thing the user percieves are the memories o fthe individual the candle is manufactured from. The quality of the memories is highly dependant on the skill ofthe creator and only powerful necromancers are able to create flawless replicas of the memories of the individuals. During use bystanders will hear a quiet, ominous whisper eminating from the skull, while the eyes of the user glow in the same colour as those of the skull.
The duration of this items durability is based on the candle itself. Candles used for this process are created via a special process and therefore deplete quite quickly, the maximum duration such a candle can last is about 12 hours. The initial duration is how far the user is from experiencing the death of the individual with the moment the candle dies out being the moment of death.
The information held in some of these candles can be very valuable and any merchant will carefully choose wich ones to aquire, to a certain price of course. However, should you require a custom candle made, there are some shady services involved with it, if not even creating it yourself. In most cases it is not advised to search out the kind of person who creates these, if you aren't a professional.
Culture is a very important part of this items availability, with some even selling them as expensive keepsakes and such, but in most of the known world posessing one of these rightfully shows the owners connection to necromancy and its users.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

The two main components of this item are the skull and the candle. While the skull serves as a vessel for the memories, wich are actually all saved within the bone itself, due to a ritual, the candle contains a specialized reanimation spell akin to those wich enable speaking with the dead. These are most things involved in its function.

Manufacturing process

The manufacturing process has to be done by a necromancer, who will perfrom most o fthe enchanting for over a week. Firstly the skull with any available body parts has to be put through a ritual of about 8 hours in length for a full body, to transfer energies and memories to the skull. After that the candle has to be made, wich requires he user to once again perform a six hour ritual. After that both components get added together and bet enchanted togetether over several days, the enchantments bond them together, but also make the construct more stable, while also protecting and stabilizing it. The protection prevents destruction from minor causes, smashing, or dropping it can destroy it still though.

Significance

While most Thoughtbearer candles have some kind of personal, or entertainment value, most are purchased for the person they represent. The candle of an important noble will be coveted, while one of a simple farmer will not be interesting at all unless something iteresting killed him.

Item type

Magical

Rarity

These items are not regulated, but can be found in some blackmarkets, with each one being unique. Real treasures beneath Thoughtbearer candles can be extremely rare, especially in higher qualities.

Weight

ca. 500g, wich can vary depending on candle and skull used

Dimensions

about 25x20x15 cm in average with extremes in both directions

Base Price

20gc (low quality), 60gc (medium quality), 200gc (high quality), 600gc (legendary quality), these are ownly the costs of creating the items, the information contained and individual respresented can alter the price to be a bout ten times the normal price

Raw materials & Components

at least the head of the corpse, the more of the corpse is available, the higher the quality of the candle will become. In addition to this, wax for the candle has to be qauired, wich has to be wax having been stored for fifty years in a barrel with black chalk.

Tools

Most likely needed are a ritual circle, tools to skin skulls, while also having materials to create a candle.