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Relics and Runes System
August 6, 2026 at 10:29 PM
Separated Relics and Runes, which were previously described as the same thing, and added Relic Energy, Ancient Memories pickups, and the post-launch changes to how Relic Energy is earned
Relics are the central progression system of The Relic: First Guardian, and they replace the experience-and-levels structure used by most RPGs. The Guardian grows by collecting these memories and equipping them, and the combination chosen defines the kind of Guardian you become. Runes are a related but separate layer, and relic energy is the resource that powers skills.
These three terms are easy to confuse because they all sit inside the same progression loop. The developers list them separately when describing how a character is built, alongside equipment.
Term | What It Is |
|---|---|
Relic | A fragment carrying the memories and emotions of someone who lived in Arsilthus before its fall. Each grants a passive effect |
Rune | A separate equippable modifier. One added after launch increases consumable items, which shows they can affect resources as well as combat |
Relic Energy | The resource spent to equip skills onto your chosen weapons. Also called Ancient Memories where it appears in the world |
Sealstone | A named kind of Relic tied to hidden dungeons |
In the fiction, Relics are fragments imbued with the emotions and wishes of those who lived in Arsilthus before its fall: promises, waiting, fear, and love given lasting form. Collecting them is described as gathering memories. Mechanically each Relic carries a passive effect, and there are more than 70 unique passive effects in total. They can be swapped freely, so a build is not a commitment.
Effect Type | Description |
|---|---|
Reshape skill behaviour | A Relic can change how an existing skill works, altering its function rather than just boosting a number |
Alter combat tempo | Some Relics shift the pace and rhythm of combat, changing how aggressively or defensively you can play |
Enhance weapon styles | Certain Relics strengthen specific weapon styles, rewarding builds that lean into one mastery |
Infuse weapons with special attacks | Relic powers can imbue a weapon with special attacks on top of its base moveset |
Relic energy is what you spend to equip skills onto a weapon, which makes it the practical gate on how much of a skill tree you can bring into a fight. It is picked up in the world as Ancient Memories. How it is earned changed after launch: standard monster rewards were switched over to relic energy, making ordinary combat a reliable source, and skill upgrades were made faster in response to player feedback. An early bug where Ancient Memories in caves blocked player interaction was also fixed.
One named kind of Relic is the sealstone. Completing narrative events during exploration rewards sealing stones, and these grant access to hidden dungeons, tying progression to what you discover rather than to experience points. That makes exploring Arsilthus one of the main ways to advance. The paid add-on includes a named example, the Sealstone of the Undying Ember, paired with its own dungeon; see the Editions and Pre-Order Bonus page. How many sealstones exist, and how they slot alongside other Relics, has not been detailed.
Because there are no character levels, Relics are the main lever for growth. Equipping different Relics lets players define their own destiny and shifts progression toward what they find in the world. A player who favours fast, aggressive play can build toward that with Relics that alter tempo, while a player specialising in one weapon mastery can stack Relics that enhance that style. Relics work alongside the game's other growth tools: equipment, crafting, and Runes.
The full list of the 70-plus passive effects, and the rules for how many Relics can be slotted at once, has not been published, so this page covers the confirmed framework.
