Dragon Shrine

[Masque]

What *is* the Dragon Shrine? I don't have it unlocked, according to the achievements, and yet I found one on a run. It looked like a giant pine cone on the top of a pillar, with a two-minute countdown timer.

I ran around killing stuff until the timer expired and (I think?) it made my bird absolutely gigantic, like 3x bigger than normal (the one that circles and fires projectiles) and it (and its projectiles) stayed giant for the rest of the run.

I don't get it, and I can't find any more (as I don't have it unlocked, apparently, even though I definitely encountered one?)

What would it have done if I didn't have the bird?

[BrziKorak]

My guess is you found it in a daily challenge or nightmare, in some modes the dragon egg is unlocked by default - not tied to the achievement. It gives you a top rarity relic for free after the timer runs out. Your bird becoming a giant looks to be the effect of an ascension crystal rather than a relic upgrade.