Elements

History

The planet Aegic, on which Icesus is situated, was born from five elemental forces: Fire, Water, Earth, Air and Magic. During a cataclysmic event the god of Magic was annihilated by the goddess of Fire, Zrammas, sundering the elemental energies of Magic across the valley of Icesus. Without a god to hear their prayers, the followers of Magic dwindled through the ages and the worship of Magic died.

Nevertheless, these elements still comprise the essence of everything. Most creatures are attuned to a single element and gain additional benefits when that element is in power.

Worshippers

The four remaining elements still have living gods and active worshippers. Followers travel to the altars of their god to sacrifice worthy items in exchange for Divine Favours — a sign of the god's benevolence. Some zealous followers make pilgrimages to the main shrine of their deity, where time spent in the altar room blesses them with increased healing.

Tip: Sacrifice items for Divine Favours. You can use them to gain blessings from your god.

Over the years, devout followers organised priesthoods to spread their beliefs. The priesthoods are bound to a patron city where they have established a main guild:

• Priests of Air, followers of the Goddess Pthuule — Vaerlon
• Priests of Fire, followers of the Goddess Zrammas — Atherton
• Priests of Earth, followers of the God Dhubr — Graemor
• Priests of Water, followers of the God Albila — Cenedoiss

Magic has no priesthood today. Read Aegic and Legends for the full lore.

Altars and shrines

To become a follower, travel to the altar dedicated to the desired element and type worship. The choice is binding until reincarnation — see Reincarnation.

The shared altar in the Monument of Stonement in Vaerlon accepts sacrifices from any worshipper, but gives less DF than a dedicated altar. Dedicated altars stand in shrines scattered through the outworld — some close to Vaerlon, some far. Each element has its own temple, usually in rough terrain far from any city; only worshippers of the matching element can sacrifice on the main temple altar.

Tip: To worship an elemental god, find the appropriate altar and type worship.

Map of shrines around Vaerlon

The elemental shrines around Vaerlon:

1. Vaerlon
2. Water Shrine
3. Earth Shrine
4. Fire Shrine
5. Air Shrine

Province shrines

After the Unraveling, the new barrier around the valley runs on shrines tended by player-claimed provinces. Each province built around a shrine can be consecrated to one element. Sacrifices and consecration there earn DF, harden the barrier in that territory, and matter to everyone who passes through. A neglected shrine weakens — the barrier thins, the cold creeps back, and creatures find their way in.

Tending a shrine of your own element is the closest thing Icesus has to becoming a steward of the god you worship.

Sacrifice bonus by remoteness. Sacrificing at a province shrine is worth more than at a city altar. The further out the province sits, the bigger the bonus:

Remoteness	DF bonus per sacrifice
Settled	+0%
Borderland	+3%
Distant	+6%
Frontier	+10%

The shrine blessings you can receive at a province shrine scale the same way: more remote shrines give stronger blessings with longer durations than city altars do. Sacrificing at a province shrine also builds your standing in that province, which unlocks its other services.

See Provinces (game feature) for the claim process.

Blessings

Certain blessings may be gained by spending Divine Favours, granting body and skill bonuses beyond your trained ability. There are four types:

• Minor — modest effect, lowest cost
• Normal — stronger, requires the matching minor first
• Major — strongest, requires the matching normal first
• Constant — paid in Permanent Divine Favours only, no upkeep

Blessings are gained at the Temple of Elements in Vaerlon; the sign there spells out the commands. Full breakdown at Blessings.

Phases

The strength of each element waxes and wanes in a cycle of five phases:

magic » fire » earth » water » air » (back to magic)

The length of each phase is identical to the orbit of Aythzilla, one of the Icesusian moons — 23 game days. An element is strongest during its own phase and weakest during the phase of its opposite.

Opposites:

• Fire ↔ Water
• Earth ↔ Air
• Magic has no opposite

During an element's phase, followers of that element gain additional Divine Favour from sacrifices, random beneficial effects, and improvements to abilities sensitive to elemental fluctuations. Strange things are said to happen during the phase of Magic — people speak of them in low voices.

Type time to see the current phase.

See Also

• Element costs — stat cost modifiers per element
• Divine favor — earning and spending DF
• Permanent divine favor
• Blessings
• Magic
• Provinces (game feature) — claiming and tending a shrine
• Aegic, Legends

In-game help:

help blessing
help divine favor
help elements
help element costs