Sun Censer

"The only thing Veross took was the Sun Censer - the old brass box that remained in the brazier of the altar room. He had filled it with Embers - few, but enough to make the cut-outs on the box dance with a gold-orange glow. Rahmahlz followed after him, shouting and screaming all sorts of obscenities and curses at him, but Veross paid him no mind. He only stopped one more time next to the remains of Hihrol's pyre - to remove one Ember from it to add to the Censer's collection."

— Cult of Embers Sheep

A Sun Censer is a small box made of brass and gold. They are often decorated in cut-outs depicting hellish scenes and visages of the Cult of Embers's god, Okẽpluyxtai. It is used as a container for Embers - literal coals used in the ritual of creating Ember-Hearted.

Description

A Sun Censer is usually between 6" x 3" x 4" and 8" x 5" x 6", often with a sloping lid. The bottom of the box is solid, but its other surfaces are cut out in depictions of scripture scenes and images of Okẽpluyxtai. Each of the top four corners contains a hook attached to a length of chain, which ultimatley meet up in the center to be attached to one single chain length. The boxes are always made out of brass, and often have gold components added over the top as decoration. Despite their materials, they do not warp, melt, or break in fire, and are traditionally left in the lit ritual brazier when not used to carry embers.
Each Censer is unique in its final design and specifications - no two look the same. It is unknown who originally produced them or when, or exactly how many exist - but it is thought there are between four or five.

Properties

A Sun Censer's main purpose is to carry Embers between ritual sites, mostly only used when a Cult branch moves to a new 'foraging ground'. The Sun Censer protects the Embers from extinguishing on what may be a several-year journey in which the Cult does not have steady access to sacrifices and the preferred metaphysical energy needed to keep Embers burning. While they still must be fed, the Sun Censer's magic helps to turn less-desired material (like wood) into energy for the Embers to thrive on. It is unknown if the Embers could survive perpetually within a Censer, given consistant feeding.

History

The origins of the Sun Censers is unknown, though it is suspected that they originated from somewhere in the Underworld. They, and the Cult of Embers itself, were first reported early in the 7th era, but both the Cult's isolationist and otherwise aggressive attitude has made learning about the Sun Censers difficult.
Even within the Cult, knowledge of the Censer's origins are understood to be lost - as is much of their history.

The Sun Censer of Veross the Pyre-Hearted

Item type

Religious / Ritualistic

Current Holder

Veross the Pyre-Hearted

Owning Organization

The Cult of Embers

Related Condition

Ember-Hearted

Rarity

Extremely Rare

Dimensions

6" x 3" x 4" - 8" x 5" x 6"