Relics

Relics are one of the Great Mysteries, powerful and ancient items of unknown origin with a mind, will, and purpose of their own. They carefully select their owners and bend the tides of fate to reach a hand that will wield them and, when the time is right, seek a new hand. Relics are so exceptional and powerful that they are often celebrated and remembered just as much as the heroes who wield them, the legacies of hero and Relic bound together. These exceptional items do not require Attunement, having their own soul and pool of energy with which to sustain their power. Due to their rarity and hero-defining nature, it is unlikely that a hero will ever acquire more than one or two Relics in their lifetime.

Since they have a mind and purpose of their own, Relics are selective about the heroes they choose. Each has an identity of its own, and will seek a hero whose personality closely match (or contrast yet compliment) its own. If ever its master comes to no longer shares its ideals, a Relic will seek a new master and will eventually wriggle off its old masters finger, slip from his scabbard, or otherwise be lost until a new, more fitting hero is drawn to it.

With a mind and will comes the ability to learn and grow. Relics gain ExP just like player characters do. Reaching a new Level unlocks new abilities and bonuses that the Relic will bestow upon their master. These Levels are forfeited when the Relic leaves its old master to seek a new one and must be learned again from the beginning once a new hero takes up the Relic.