Chainfire (spell)
From Sword of Truth Wiki
- "A Chainfire event had the very real potential to unravel the world of life itself."
- — Richard Rahl
A Chainfire Event is a powerful spell. It uses Subtractive Magic to remove all traces of memory of the person it is cast over, from everybody else's mind, causing them to forget the person even exists, even moments after seeing them.
There is a book of the same name that instructs on the use of the spell.
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[edit] Effects
A Chainfire event has the following effects:
- It removes all memories of the victim from everyone's mind, except someone touching the Sword of Truth at the time of the Event.
- It replaces memories that deal with the victim, making it seem as if similar events occurred without that person's presence (Example: instead of Nicci using the Maternity spell on Kahlan to capture Richard, she remembers it as her simply overpowering Richard on her own). In situations where the victim's absence would have made the event impossible otherwise, the others simply don't remember the event (Example: Cara has no memory of how Richard got to the Temple of the Winds, or why they went to the Mud People at the end of that book).
- It erases all text in Prophecy mentioning the victim.
- Because of the contradictions between reality, it begins to unravel life and reality, causing the eventual destruction of reality.
- The Chainfire event also acts as mind-influencing effect, causing anyone who sees the victim to immediately forget them.
- As revealed in Phantom, those who are the victims of Chainfire have their own memories destroyed as well; in the case of Kahlan Amnell, this means that she will never be able to remember who she is or who Richard is ever again.
[edit] Counters
Only two counters to a Chainfire Event are known:
- Anyone touching the Sword of Truth when the Event is triggered is immune from the effects. Likewise, it interrupts the ongoing effects of the spell to anyone who touches it thereafter. Memories lost or altered because of the spell are not restored by touching the sword, however.
- (Example: In the book, Richard mentions that Samuel now remembers Kahlan because he was given the Sword of Truth, even though he was not in possession of the sword at the time of the event. But Richard, having lost the Sword, does not suddenly forget Kahlan either. Kahlan herself, upon touching the sword, still does not have her memories back, but she remembers being a Confessor again.)
- The magic of Orden was created as a counter to a Chainfire Event, and only through the use of it can the Event be stopped from unraveling life and reality. Also, Orden is the only thing that can restore lost and altered memories.
Still, the witch woman Six was not affected by the Chainfire event and can remember Kahlan. Also Jagang was protected from Chainfire by being in the the minds of the Sisters of the Dark when they performed the spell, as their bond to Richard failed to protect them from his powers as they did not truly devote themselves to him.
[edit] Resistances
Pristinely ungifted can have their memories erased by the Chainfire Event, because it is triggered with the use of Subtractive Magic. However, due to contamination of magic by the unleashing of the Chimes into the world of life, the Chainfire spell cast over Kahlan Amnell is faulty and has produced several anomalies who are unaffected by it, such as Orlan and Jillian and several Imperial Order soldiers.
Although Shota could not remember Kahlan or any events likewise related, it was she who was able to give information surrounding the Chainfire Event.
[edit] Uses
It has only been used one time, on Kahlan Amnell the Mother Confessor. It was placed on her by the 'free' Sisters of the Dark; Ulicia, Tovi, Cecilia and Armina.
