Relics and Hallows
Relics and Hallows are objects imbued with Ley energy, either naturally over time or through deliberate ritual working.
- Relics are naturally occurring or accidentally imbued objects. Their purpose may be undefined, and their effects can be unpredictable.
- Hallows are purpose-made through ritual working, with a specific purpose established at creation. Creating a Hallow carries a significant Price.
- Dark Relics are objects imbued through blood sacrifice or Shadowbinding and carry Shadow corruption.
Only someone with Elder Race lineage can fully activate a Relic or Hallow. They cannot be mass-produced; each is unique. Hallows may be inherited or passed through bloodlines.
A Hallow is never free. The greater its purpose, the greater the Price paid by its maker.
Dragongems
Dragongems are powerful Ley amplifiers, not sources of magic. They can strengthen a working a trained magic-user could already perform, but cannot create a Gift or bypass the bloodline and training required to access the Ley.
Dragongems are oval or teardrop-shaped and cannot be cut or polished. They are harder than diamond and may be mistaken by an ordinary jeweler for unusual opals. Those carrying Sídhe or Drakeri blood can recognize them.
Origins of a Dragongem
When a Ddraig voluntarily Crosses Beyond the Veil because of age or injury, its eyes remain behind as dragongems. These gifts are scattered and hidden throughout Aereth rather than appearing where the dragon died. Crossing Beyond the Veil is the shared Elder Race term for the natural passing of one of their own.
Shadoweyes and the Drakhmar
If a dragon's eyes are forcibly taken while the Ddraig still lives, the dragon's connection to the Ley and its ability to Cross are compromised. It rises again as a flame-eyed Drakhmar, bound to Dral'gath. The resulting gems, called shadoweyes, are tainted.
Shadoweyes tend toward darker colors, with sullen reds and oranges and occasional pale green. Their corruption may encourage obsession in those who possess them. True dragongems may be deep blue or black, but their inner fire remains bright and varied. An ordinary observer cannot reliably identify the difference by sight alone.
Lost Relics and Hallows of Legend
The following objects are legendary. Their histories survive in fragmentary records, songs, and traditions; their present existence, condition, and location may be uncertain. No player character may begin play possessing one.
The Dragonbinding Horn
An artifact said to compel a Ddraig against its will. The Ddraig consider its existence an abomination and a declaration of war against Dragonkind. Its current location is unknown.
Dragonforged Steel
Ancient weapons and armor forged in dragonfire infused with Ley energy. Surviving pieces are exceptionally durable, hold an edge for generations, and are especially effective against Shadow creatures and Drakhmar. The true ancient method is lost.
The Seeing Stone of the Elder Sídhe
A legendary artifact said to allow its user to see across vast distances and, in the hands of a powerful practitioner, glimpse shadows of past or future events. Its present location is unknown.
The Chalice of Danu
A legendary healing Hallow said to purge Shadow corruption from a willing recipient. It is one of the few objects said to be capable of fully restoring a Shadowtouched person to Lightborn.
Lia Fáil — The Stone of Sovereignty
A great stone is said to cry out beneath the feet of a rightful ruler chosen by the Tuatha Dé Danann. It cannot be deceived or compelled. Its present location is unknown.
Sleá Bua — The Spear of Lugh
The legendary war spear of Lugh of the Long Hand. Ancient accounts say it strikes true regardless of the wielder's skill and always returns. Its present location is unknown.
Claíomh Solais — The Sword of Nuada
The legendary blade of Nuada of the Silver Hand, described in surviving tradition as invincible. It vanished from history after the ancient wars.
Coire Ansic — The Cauldron of the Dagda
The legendary cauldron is said to restore health and replenish spent magical ability. Tradition also claims that pure, uncorrupted water placed within it can cleanse Shadow taint, though it cannot by itself fully restore a Shadowtouched person to Lightborn.
The Four Treasures
The Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann are traditionally associated with the ancient cities of Falias, Gorias, Findias, and Muirias. Their present locations are unknown.
Geasa
A Hallow or Relic may, in rare circumstances, transmit the creator's will to a person who possesses it. Such a compulsion is known as a geas. A geas is itself a magical working and is not a free feature of every Hallow.
A dragongem cannot itself be bound by a geas through ordinary Hallow-making, although Shadow lore claims Dral'gath may impose his own form of compulsion upon shadoweyes.