Candle

A candle is a portable light source consisting of a solid block of wax or tallow with a burnable wick. Candles appear in Ultima VI, Ultima VII, Ultima VII Part Two, Ultima VIII, and Ultima IX, as well as in Ultima Underworld, Ultima Underworld II and Martian Dreams.

Description

Candles have long been used in Britannia and on other worlds as a means of providing interior lighting. While not as well-suited for the needs of adventurers and explorers as torches, candles can nevertheless be used when better options are not available to provide some scant illumination in the dark.

Candles in Ritual and Magic

Candles frequently feature in ritual magic, and are often used to mark the boundaries of binding circles or to symbolically denote a spiritual presence (many spells which rely on formations of candles may be disrupted by moving one of them out of alignment). There also exist specific candles of unique symbolic and magical significance, such as the Candle of Love or the Taper of Sacrifice.

Trivia

• In Ultima Underworld and Ultima Underworld II, it is possible to manufacture candles by combining wax and thread. The Avatar may also opt to eat candles, although this is not a particularly wise course of action unless the hero has absolutely no access to other foodstuffs.