Let's face it: virtually everyone uses Nightvision mode. All the fancy flickering lights that our beloved devs poured so much effort into - they just go unnoticed, 'cept for screenshoting purposes of fellow devoted Hearthlands' beauty seekers.
So, here's my suggestion. Really easy way of making Lanterns, Irr-lanterns used again (and giving the irreplaceable Torch even more uses) would be to slap some +Perception and +Exploration on a light source when it's lit. A lit torch may give just token amounts for sprucecaps, it's useful as it is, but a nice quality Lantern should be comparable to a monocle, no less. Irr-Lantern - even overshadow said monocle with it's immense bonuses!
That way, even with Nightvision mode on, foragers and scouts will wander the wilderness and brave deep uncharted caverns holding a bright light in their steady hand, shadows dancing around them. I think that would be a nice cosmetic touch, and it would also give a non-cosmetic purpose to rarely used items. Even better, that purpose has perfect logic to it: you wanna see more stuff? Grab a lantern, you'll see more stuff!
