The bard smiled at the small crowd that had gathered around the lantern-making supplies, proud of how well the informal little festival had all come together. Perhaps it was more of a party then a memorial at the moment, but when the lanterns began to rise he hoped the stories of those they honored would follow.
”The paper is mostly cut to size already, to make it a little easier on everyone,” he said as he joined the group. ”Though you can make yours smaller if you wish. But we’ll need to share the gluepots as we go around. If you want to decorate your lanterns, this is the time to do it, while the paper is still flat, but be gentle with it.” He nodded solemnly to Seren, the smallest of those listening. ”This is a very thin, light paper that will tear easily. If you put too much decoration on it, the lantern will be too heavy to fly.”
He pulled a sheet of simple pale blue rice paper from the pile with careful fingers and used the brush from the glue pot to lightly seal the short ends together, making one end of the resulting cylinder a little smaller, and one end wider. ”There are fancier ways to go, but for a simple lantern we can do this to make the sides.” He reached for a second stack of the lightweight paper, this one cut into squares, selecting a larger one that could cover the top of his cylinder. ”And of course, we need a way to trap the candle’s heat. It should be firmely attached to the sides so none of the hot air leaks out.” A few deftly-folded creases at the corners gave it a slightly ballooned shape at the top as he carefully traced the glue around the outside of the original cylinder and then rolled the square sheet over the top edge so that it created an enclosure on all sides except the bottom.
”Now, we need a support for the candle…” Slender hoops of a lightweight wood with delicate crosses of even thinner wooden cords attached within were already prepared and secured into shape, and he chose one that would fit the bottom of the cylinder. ”This will keep the bottom half of the lantern from getting blown into the flame too soon, and will give us the frame for the rest of the base,” he explained as he worked. ”You can glue the paper to the outside of the hoop, or fold the paper carefully over the hoop except where the framing struts attach and glue the paper to itself to enclose the hoop within it.”
With the lantern’s body made he grinned over at Melita . ”Now we just need something to light it with! A regular candle is too heavy and doesn’t make enough heat, so we use special candles for this, and wax-soaked strips of cloth to make it lighter and ensure it will eventually burn up and not cause problems later.” He reached for the pile of thin strips of wax-impregnated linen and wound one tightly around the length of one strut to guide the fire out towards the hoop and paper when the flames burned down and reached that point. ”Tie the second strip into knots around the center of the cross, and use it to secure the candle stub,” he demonstrated. A small disc of a candle that looked to be as much fiber as wax, with a thick, fluffy wick was knotted into place.
He nodded towards a fire that had been dug into a sandpit on the beach for cooking – and for lighting tapers and lucifers from. ”It’s easier with two people,” he admitted a bit ruefully. ”One to hold the lantern up and one to light it, but you can manage with one if you’re careful and gentle with the paper.” So saying, he carefully held the lantern up to the breeze to get it puffed out before bringing it back down and balancing the hoop in one hand while he reached up within to touch a magefire-lit finger to the wick. He withdrew his finger and shook it out, then smiled around at those who had stuck around for the full lesson, holding the lantern while the fire within began to burn in earnest and fill the paper balloon with hot air. ”It will take a moment before it’s ready to fly. Hold it lightly while you say your prayers for the soul it’s meant for, and when it starts to rise within your hands… let it go.” He bowed his head for a moment, casting his thoughts back to a friend he had lost too soon, before he had been able to swallow his pride and apologize properly to her.
”This one is for Edrei, a woman who burned with passion outside and in, and a fire mage of great skill. She fought off Vampire Gourds with me, and helped me make vodka from them. She was foul mouthed and hot tempered and kind hearted beneath her fiery exterior, and I miss her still. I hope that Ludo led her soul to peace in Mort’s realm, and that there are plenty of things there for her to set on fire and seduce,” he added with a smile that was both sad and fond as the lantern in his hands rose slowly, the breeze causing it to drift out to sea after the prior glowing speck in the distance.
Feel free to make and launch your own lanterns, and share stories of who they’re for if the spirit moves you!
”The paper is mostly cut to size already, to make it a little easier on everyone,” he said as he joined the group. ”Though you can make yours smaller if you wish. But we’ll need to share the gluepots as we go around. If you want to decorate your lanterns, this is the time to do it, while the paper is still flat, but be gentle with it.” He nodded solemnly to Seren, the smallest of those listening. ”This is a very thin, light paper that will tear easily. If you put too much decoration on it, the lantern will be too heavy to fly.”
He pulled a sheet of simple pale blue rice paper from the pile with careful fingers and used the brush from the glue pot to lightly seal the short ends together, making one end of the resulting cylinder a little smaller, and one end wider. ”There are fancier ways to go, but for a simple lantern we can do this to make the sides.” He reached for a second stack of the lightweight paper, this one cut into squares, selecting a larger one that could cover the top of his cylinder. ”And of course, we need a way to trap the candle’s heat. It should be firmely attached to the sides so none of the hot air leaks out.” A few deftly-folded creases at the corners gave it a slightly ballooned shape at the top as he carefully traced the glue around the outside of the original cylinder and then rolled the square sheet over the top edge so that it created an enclosure on all sides except the bottom.
”Now, we need a support for the candle…” Slender hoops of a lightweight wood with delicate crosses of even thinner wooden cords attached within were already prepared and secured into shape, and he chose one that would fit the bottom of the cylinder. ”This will keep the bottom half of the lantern from getting blown into the flame too soon, and will give us the frame for the rest of the base,” he explained as he worked. ”You can glue the paper to the outside of the hoop, or fold the paper carefully over the hoop except where the framing struts attach and glue the paper to itself to enclose the hoop within it.”
With the lantern’s body made he grinned over at Melita . ”Now we just need something to light it with! A regular candle is too heavy and doesn’t make enough heat, so we use special candles for this, and wax-soaked strips of cloth to make it lighter and ensure it will eventually burn up and not cause problems later.” He reached for the pile of thin strips of wax-impregnated linen and wound one tightly around the length of one strut to guide the fire out towards the hoop and paper when the flames burned down and reached that point. ”Tie the second strip into knots around the center of the cross, and use it to secure the candle stub,” he demonstrated. A small disc of a candle that looked to be as much fiber as wax, with a thick, fluffy wick was knotted into place.
He nodded towards a fire that had been dug into a sandpit on the beach for cooking – and for lighting tapers and lucifers from. ”It’s easier with two people,” he admitted a bit ruefully. ”One to hold the lantern up and one to light it, but you can manage with one if you’re careful and gentle with the paper.” So saying, he carefully held the lantern up to the breeze to get it puffed out before bringing it back down and balancing the hoop in one hand while he reached up within to touch a magefire-lit finger to the wick. He withdrew his finger and shook it out, then smiled around at those who had stuck around for the full lesson, holding the lantern while the fire within began to burn in earnest and fill the paper balloon with hot air. ”It will take a moment before it’s ready to fly. Hold it lightly while you say your prayers for the soul it’s meant for, and when it starts to rise within your hands… let it go.” He bowed his head for a moment, casting his thoughts back to a friend he had lost too soon, before he had been able to swallow his pride and apologize properly to her.
”This one is for Edrei, a woman who burned with passion outside and in, and a fire mage of great skill. She fought off Vampire Gourds with me, and helped me make vodka from them. She was foul mouthed and hot tempered and kind hearted beneath her fiery exterior, and I miss her still. I hope that Ludo led her soul to peace in Mort’s realm, and that there are plenty of things there for her to set on fire and seduce,” he added with a smile that was both sad and fond as the lantern in his hands rose slowly, the breeze causing it to drift out to sea after the prior glowing speck in the distance.
Feel free to make and launch your own lanterns, and share stories of who they’re for if the spirit moves you!
