Lamp Master

The Lamp Master is an exceptionally important and prestigious profession in Serelarin. It is thanks to them that the towns of Serelarin are safely lit up at night. Yet, like almost everything in life, this profession also has its downsides. For our readers, we would like to shed light on both sides of the coin and, above all, give a better understanding of this profession to those who have never had the chance to witness their work first-hand.

Daily Routine

First of all, let’s look at what a Lamp Master actually does. This should make it easier to follow the subsequent explanations. In general terms, one could say that the Lamp Master provides light in the cities of Serelarin at night. However, this would be a very broad generalisation, as most of Mirintha’s cities have street lamps. Whilst these usually run on lamp oil or similar methods, the Serelarin rely on a method that many consider to be significantly safer: magic! You may be wondering exactly how this works. The most obvious conclusion would probably be a fire spell, something like the Floating Flame. However, the range of this spell is limited and, moreover, it must be maintained continuously. It would take a disproportionate number of Lamp Masters to light up an entire city over such a distance. Furthermore, even magically generated fire is, at the end of the day, just fire and would therefore not really be a safer alternative to tried-and-tested methods. So what is being done instead?

Lamp Masters use light spirits to illuminate the cities. During the day, these spirits rest in Vaelora – or, more precisely, in Solmira, the home of Cahaya. At dusk, they are then summoned in the city’s Lamp Hall. This ritual requires extensive preparation by everyone involved.

It all begins with sourcing and processing the ingredients required to make the incense paste. The ingredients consist of sunstone, the pollen of the sun willow, dried blossoms of the dawn lily, as well as water consecrated by a Cahaya priestess, and the finest charcoal. First, all the dry ingredients are ground into a very fine powder before being mixed with the water. The resulting paste is then pressed into sun-shaped moulds and subsequently dried. The quality of the ingredients is of essential importance, as this is the only way to ensure that the subsequent summoning of the Light Spirits will actually work.

As well as producing the burning paste, it is also the Lamp Master’s job to look after all the city’s Lamp Houses. Lamp Houses, in turn, are essentially lanterns. However, they differ greatly in appearance from traditional lanterns or simple torches, as they are actually small miniature houses standing on a tall pole. It is precisely into these houses that the Light Spirits fly after they have been summoned, but more on that later in the text. And since the Light Spirits are not soulless minions but possess their own free will, it is absolutely essential that they feel at home in their night-time abode. Otherwise, a Lamp House might remain unlit. The Lamp Master’s job is therefore to ensure that all the houses remain intact. Every now and then, a house needs repairing; sometimes it needs a lick of paint, or the pole needs replacing. And to check whether any of the little houses need attention, the Lamp Masters, or to be more precise their apprentices, have to walk the length and breadth of the city, looking for damage.

Oh my goodness, what adorable little houses!

The small lanterns are open at the bottom. This allows the spirits to fly straight in, and the light is emitted downwards, illuminating the street but not the night sky. Furthermore, this means that residents living in the immediate vicinity of the Lamp Houses are less disturbed by the night-time light. Sometimes it can be observed that the lamps grow dimmer as the night progresses and then become brighter again towards morning, before the Light Spirits leave them for the day.

Career

Training to become a Lamp Master comprises three stages, much like most apprenticeship programmes. The length of time a trainee spends at each stage varies from person to person and is not tied to any fixed milestone. Anyone aged 16 or over is free to apply for one of the apprenticeship places. In most cases, however, trainees are considerably older. We’ll explain why this is the case later on.

Qualifications

Generally speaking, no specific prior qualifications are required to become a Lamp Master. Handicraft skills are an advantage, but not essential, as these skills are the easiest to learn. A meticulous approach to work is essential if the actual summoning ritual is to be performed at all. Magical talent is also a basic requirement, but as all Serelarin are born with a natural gift for magic, this is not an obstacle.

The greatest challenge is posed by the highly variable working hours. As the ritual is only performed at sunset, this means late working hours for the Lamp Masters in summer. Young Serelarin who are just figuring out which course of training they want to pursue would much rather spend those very late evenings hanging out with their friends, sitting in the city’s gardens or cooling off in the water, than meticulously performing a ritual in the Lamp Halls. This is the very reason, why most apprentices of this trade are a little bit older, normally around 30 years.

The Spark

The apprentice starts out as a Spark. Their duties involve processing the ingredients required for the burning paste, as well as making the rounds of several Lamp Houses. They check these for defects and damage and then report any issues to the Lamp Hall. They are only passively involved in the summoning of the Light Spirits. Not every Spark manages to rise above this rank, and some Sparks are so content with their position that they do not aspire to anything more.

The Ember

A Spark who demonstrates sufficient diligence and talent is promoted to Ember. It falls to them to produce the actual burning paste from the prepared ingredients. They are also responsible for selecting new ingredients at the market, whilst paying close attention to quality. Furthermore, they deal with any damage reported by the Sparks. Finally, it falls to them to draw the ritual circle every evening, through which the channel to Vaelora is opened.

The Blaze

The final stage of training is that of the Blaze. It is they who ultimately perform the summoning ritual. Most of them are on a par with the Lamp Master; however, in larger towns there is, in theory, only one Lamp Master – usually simply the person who has held the office the longest. It is also the Blazes who are responsible for managing the Lamp Hall’s finances and for carrying out the final inspection of the ingredients for the burning paste, as well as of the paste itself and the ritual circle.

I don’t think I’d be satisfied with just being a Spark. Summoning the Light Spirits is the best bit, after all.

The summoning

The actual ritual of invocation is the most important part of the Lamp Masters’ work. First, the Embers must draw the summoning circle. We have been forbidden to describe its exact appearance in detail here, a request we naturally wish to respect. Next, a large golden bowl is placed in the centre, into which the burning paste – which is already shaped like a sun – is placed. The Lamp Master themselves, or one of the more experienced Blazes, then lights it.

The Lamp Masters then call upon Cahaya in a sort of prayer, asking her to send forth her Light Spirits so that they may illuminate the streets. It is important to note that this is not a summoning, but a request for their appearance, as the Light Spirits appear of their own accord. Whilst the prayer is being recited, one can observe how the column of smoke from the burning paste rises ever more straight up until it begins to glow, widens and, as it were, forms a pillar of light reaching up to the ceiling of the building.

The prayer recited to summon the Light Spirits

"Cahaya, Guardian of the Dawn, hear our plea.
Open a path from your realm to ours,
and let those who bear your light come to us.
May they bestow your light upon us
and return to you at daybreak.
Just as their light illuminates our streets,
may your hope illuminate our hearts."

It’s a lovely perspective. So respectful and somehow awe-inspiring. I really like that.

The Light Spirits then gradually emerge from the pillar of light. First just a few, then more and more – just as many as are needed to occupy all the Lamp Houses. Together, they leave the Lamp Hall through an open gate or, as is usually the case in larger towns, an open skylight. From there, they flit off through the night sky in all directions and make their way to the little Lamp Houses that await them. Everything usually comes to a standstill during these few minutes. The city grows quieter for a moment and most people – even those who have seen the spectacle thousands upon thousands of times – watch the spirits fly away with a smile. Children, in particular, are always fascinated by the spectacle, but travellers, too, have the fascination written all over their faces.

Social Standing

Lamp Masters are held in high regard throughout Serelarin, as it is thanks to them that fires caused by accidents involving lanterns or even torches are now a thing of the past. This, combined with the fact that Lamp Masters deal with Cahaya’s light spirits on a daily basis, means that many young children in particular dream of pursuing this profession one day. As most Serelarin have a deeply rooted faith in Cahaya, for children the profession of Lamp Master represents a good way of being close to Cahaya without becoming a priest directly.

It’s understandable that children are so fascinated by this profession.

On my last trading journey, I visited one of the Serelarin cities for the first time. We had to stay overnight and witnessed how the Serelarin light up their cities at night. Well, not the actual ritual itself, but suddenly, just as the sun was sinking below the horizon, it grew completely still and then, all of a sudden, these little lights were flitting through the air everywhere – dozens, no, hundreds! It was almost as if the stars were coming down from the sky. And then these little lights flitted all through the town and into those cute little houses. I’ll never forget that sight for the rest of my life.

— A well-travelled trader recounts his experience of summoning the light spirits

As the Lamp Masters serve the public, their salary is paid by the city for which they work. They receive a salary which, depending on their area of responsibility, can be quite substantial and enables the Lamp Masters to enjoy a good standard of living. They are unlikely to become rich through their work – at least not financially – but spiritual wealth is, after all, also worth striving for. The Serelarin believe that Lamp Masters are more likely to become light bearers than the average Serelarin, which is yet another reason why the profession is held in such high regard by devout Elarin.