Coinneal Brùnaidh (ˈkʰɤɲəl̪ˠ ˈbɾuːnəɪ)

After they had eaten, the brownie and the cobbler fell to talking, as they had in days of old. The night stretched on and on as they spoke. Eventually, the cobbler remarked on how the time had flown by and was surprised that the candle had not burned down even an inch. "Oh," said the brownie, "my candles never burn down." - excerpt from The Brownie and the Cobbler, an Albannach fairy tale

The Coinneal Brùnaidh, or Brownie Candle, is a magical item found in some households in Northern Ynys. It is a product of Folk Magic, and only retains its powers when it is among the folk group whose stories and legends empower it. It has the exceptional quality that it will never burn down, no longer how long it remains alight. It can be snuffed and relit; doing so does not remove its ability to remain lit indefinitely.

A side effect of the coinneal brùnaidh is that it emits a variety of pleasant household aromas while it is lit. This is most often the scent of baking bread, but it can also be any kind of food, or a non-food smell such as fresh laundry. The scent will change over time, and it does not seem to follow any particular pattern.

Physically, a coinneal brùnaidh resembles a normal candle made of white, brown, or cream-colored wax. They are typically about a foot high, and thick enough to stand on their own without any additional support. The wick is thick and dark, and always charred. The wax at the top will seem to melt like a regular candle, but it will never melt so much as to expose more of the wick.

Item type

Magical

Raw materials & Components

The recipe for a Coinneal Brùnaidh is a family secret, known to only a few people among the Albannach clans of northern Ynys, mostly in the Kingdom of Rheged. While most of the ingredients are unknown, the wick is said to be made of the Brownie's own hair.