More Relics of Atlantasia

In a previous post, your humble host provided some information about 'relics' in John Holland's fantasy role-playing game The Realms of Atlantasia. The relic well isn't dry yet, so here is another post.

When a character dons the 'Mantle of Justice' (as described on page 232), there are several effects. One effect is that “the character can see through any disguise (even magically induced).” OK, cool. However, another effect is that the character “immediately goes blind (for justice is blind after all).” The blindness is permanent. That's right, this relic has contradictory effects. Although blind, the character can somehow “see” through disguises.

Holland tells us on page 233 that when “a dedicated to Kahlah [sic] (priesthood or bard)” uses the 'Lyre of Symphony,' that unspecified noun “gains -20% to defense.” That's not really a gain, it's a penalty. It seems that Kahlah wants her dedicated, unspecified nouns to suffer in combat. On the other hand...

Any who is not dedicated to Kahlah that picks up this lyre will immediately forget their entire past (including name) and restart their life as a bard dedicated to Kahlah. They do gain the ability to play 10 epic songs instantly.

Awesome. All of the development that you've put into a character – all of the plot hooks, all of the motivation, all of the personality – gone in an instant, just because that character picked up what seemed to be an innocuous musical instrument. Oh wait, this is Atlantasia – never mind.  As compensation there's the ability to play ten epic songs! What's an epic song? I have no idea; the only time Holland uses the word “epic” is in the above quote.  There are no epic songs.

According to page 234, the 'Marysh-ae-scand-zymurr' is a “1/4 staff” made “by the elven God Ccorr-yll-ae-lyrr.”  It is useful only to shamans of Ccorr-yll-ae-lyrr but if any evil person should pick up this relic, “they die immediately.”  That's what you get for being evil and picking things up.

On page 238, Holland describes another elf relic. The 'Shry-ae-ghan' is some kind of bow “donated to the world by the elven God Pprae-gahn.” Elves get special bonuses when using this item and Holland lets us know “these bonuses for elves is NOT added to the bonuses for everyone else.” [sic] I think Holland means that the elf bonuses are not cumulative with the bonuses that non-elves receive.

Yet another elf relic is described on page 241.  The 'Ahryss-ae-scand' is a “a full map of Atlantasia that is covered in sparkling runes” made “by the elven God of Magic Llugh-ae-caan.” The possessor can use it to 'translocate' to anywhere depicted on the map. “After 5 uses, the map will disappear.” If the character is an elven mage, he or she gets a telepathic link with Par-Traxx!  However, the relic disappears from the elven mage's possession “During the next Season of Chaos” (or, I guess, after using it five times – whichever comes first).

Speaking of Par-Traxx, it seems I was in error when I referred to his 'Staff of the Cosmos' as an artifact; it is a relic since it was fashioned by the demi-god Chaos Dragon Traxx-ell-rann-brer.  Did I mention that the possessor of the 'Staff of the Cosmos' get free access* to the never described Dragon Isles?  Well, he (or she) does.

When the 'Orb of Religion' “enters an unstable country, war breaks out within 1/2 cycle.”  Also, according to page 243, “if it stays in the proximity for 1 full season, friends will turn on friends.”  Why would John Holland call this the 'Orb of Religion'?

Remember the 'Crown of Power' from the previous post?  It was created “by the Shadow Dragon demi-god Pael-zar-grann-dazz.”  (Is anyone surprised that Atlantasia has a Shadow Dragon demi-god with four syllables and three Z's in its name?)  This relic only benefits mindweavers.  Anyway, according to page 228, this relic...

...gives the mindweaver the ability to link with all mindweavers (except Anton who has discovered a way to block this)...

Anton.  That's nice.  Who the hell is Anton?  (Is anyone surprised that John Holland names a non-player character but never bothers to explain what he's talking about?)  Thanks for telling us that someone we don't know anything about isn't affected by some obscure relic; that's much more important than knowing how fast our characters can move.


*  Actually, access to the Dragon Isles isn't so expensive (especially in the off-season), but the cost of parking is horrendous.