Overview
Shard wielders carry a shard or shard mark, usually in the palm, and can use power from it. Specific roles include wielder of Tianlei, shard wielder of Nerissa, wielder of the moon shard, and spiral shard wielder.
The shard can be a visible crystal, an embedded mark, a glowing symbol, or a form that can be hidden. Shard forms include lightning, sun, moon, wave, lava, hurricane, hourglass, and spiral shards. Former wielders once carried a shard and later lose it.
Choosing and Replacing Wielders
Gods choose wielders. Tianlei chooses Ren Wuye and later Jin. Xoh’Tenol chooses Kaelion. Xoh’Metztli chooses another moon-shard wielder after an earlier wielder is killed. Ozaith chooses Nadun before choosing Maia as Ozaryn.
Wielders can change. Jin becomes a former wielder of Tianlei, Vianna becomes a former wielder of Pyrathalor, Maia becomes a former wielder of Ozaith, and Raphael loses Gabriel's shard. A shard can pass to another person, become dim, crack, deplete, or be removed.
Use
Shard wielders use the shard for combat, travel, protection, communication, and large-scale magic. Gods can speak to their wielders, shield them, descend near them, or focus power through them. Some wielders hide the shard or mark when secrecy matters.
Shard power varies by wielder and by shard. Strong wielders can force armies to change plans. New, depleted, or injured wielders can lose control, exhaust the shard, or be defeated.
Wielders
- Tianlei: Ren Wuye, Jin
- Xoh’Tenol: Tazarin, Kaelion
- Xoh’Metztli: earlier moon wielder, Meliora
- Nerissa: Remiella, Nero
- Nahm: Virel
- Pyrathalor: Vianna
- Ozaith: Nadun, Maia
- Kharvos: Maric
- Gabriel: Raphael, Azarion
- Spiral shards: Jorhan / Xol'Zahir, Eira, Aurion, Aldar, Alistair
Military Effects
Ren Wuye descends into the Shaoying army, shatters barriers, and kills hundreds. Nero carries Nerissa's wave shard during the Thiravos-Theryssa Civil War, and Nerissa and Gabriel fight on his side against Xalmyrra. Aldar's spiral shard traps forces inside Cyndarel. Gods often descend abruptly or focus all their power on wielders when the wielders are in danger.