Eternal Flame

The name of this spell comes from a poetic name for magic attributed originally to the elves. Eternal flame can be cast to affect an item or a body. If this spell is cast on an object or body that has a volume more than twice that of the caster, it fails and is wasted.

Transmitted only by direct touch, this spell imbues an item with a receptive neutral enchantment that causes it to readily accept later magics cast or transferred by dweomerflow spells, for example) into it. In other words, eternal flame allows magic to be fed into an item simply by casting spells in the normal way and choosing the item as the target, but then willing the spell to enter and not harm the item. (In other words, it makes a dweomerflow spell unnecessary unless a spell is being transferred from another item such as a focal stone.) One spell or magical effect per level of the caster of the eternal flame can enter the affected item without a saving throw being needed for the item, any chance of the transfer failing, or any damage occurring to spell or item. There is no time limit to this entry of powers, but the opportunity to imbue them is ended by the casting of an awakening spell on the item.

Note that unlike the enchant an item spell, eternal flame merely allows an item to hold enchantments within itself – it does not enchant the item so as to allow it to emit enchantments flowed into it as controllable powers. In other words, an item affected by an eternal flame spell bears a dweomer and can hold magics within it, but it is not a usable magical item until the magics to give it powers have been conveyed into it and an awakening spell successfully cast upon it. (In other words, this spell handles only the very beginnings of the process that the enchant an item spell encompasses.) Unless or until power transfer occurs and an awakening spell is cast, the item is an item storing magic that no one can call upon in any controlled way – though if the item itself is shattered. the magics within it usually find instant and explosive release.

This spell can be cast on living, dead, or undead mammalian bodies by touch. It completely attunes body tissues to fully receive a spell. The next spell to come into contact with a body prepared by an eternal flame spell takes full effect, exhibiting maximum possible duration, beneficial effect, damage, or whatever – even if a saving throw is normally necessary for the body to be affected at all – and does not require the affected being to make any saving throw, system shock survival roll, or resurrection survival roll, even if one is normally imperative (a turning attempt is not a spell.) Two schools of wizardry spells are exceptions to this: enchantment/charm and illusion/phantasm. An eternal flame does not cause the effectiveness of enchantment/charm or illusion/phantasm spells to be changed for the affected body at all.

The material component of an eternal flame spell is a spark struck by the impact of an item bearing a dweomer from a rock, bladed weapon, or metal item that bears some sort of dweomer. (Neither item is harmed in any way by the spell.)