Artifacts

Collection of powerful relics of the past that possess unique properties and aid your hero in surviving the harsh world of Stoneshard. Some of them require activation, while others grant their boon directly from the inventory.

Introduction

Artifacts will either offer passive bonuses to your character once they are in your inventory or can be activated within your inventory (usually once per day) to receive their particular time-limited bonus. The time-limited bonuses of artifacts usually range from 1440 turns (half a day) to 2880 turns (full day).

To discover an artifact one must travel to a distant dungeon. These dungeons do not have contracts associated with them, are much further from the settlements than regular contract dungeons, and are also inhabited by deadly high-level enemies. Unlike contract dungeons, artifact dungeons also lack roads leading to them. All 3 enemy factions in StoneShard - human Brigands, cultist Proselytes and undead Order - have their own respective distant dungeons.

So far the only way to obtain an artifact is by looting a chest within a miniboss room (though, this might change with future updates). Miniboss rooms can be found at the lowest level of these artifact dungeons and are usually large rooms occupied by a special uniquely named miniboss accompanied by a group of regular enemies. Brigand chests are locked, while Proselyte and Order chests can be found at an altar.

Updates:
- 18/11/2021: first 6 artifacts were added to Stoneshard with the City of Gold update;
- 5/8/2022: additional 3 were added with the 0.8 Forgotten Lore update;
- 15/9/2023: content patch 0.8.2.3 added the 10th artifact (Barbador the Lame's Atlas of Aldor);
- 16/12/2024: Rags to Riches update expanded dungeon layouts and updated the tier system.

Rags to Riches Addendum

With the recent RtR update, fixed tier system of 1-5 skulls signifying the difficulty has been added to all dungeons. The artifacts themselves can still only be found from the distant dungeons, which now have a difficulty rating of 4-5 skulls. Furthermore, high difficulty dungeons now come with special conditions, like entrances that will be locked after you enter or miasmas that will make your hero cough and alert the enemies.

The locations of artifacts spawns has remained the same (chest within the miniboss room), however, the artifact will no longer spawn when you open the artifact chests as it was before. Now the artifact gets spawned along with the dungeon the moment you walk down the stairs to the lower level of that distant dungeon. So, if you are not happy with your artifact drop or you didn't manage to get one at all, you will have to fight through the lower level of that dungeon again by making sure you save before you enter. The game will always spawn a new dungeon and a new potential artifact when you load that save and re-enter the lowest level.

PS: This list is currently not comprehensive and will be updated as the game is still in early access.

Barbador the Lame's Atlas of Aldor

EFFECTS: Using it once reveals the terrain outlines of the entire global map - forests, roads, mountains etc., as well as certain locations, like settlements. When kept in your inventory, grants +20% Fatigue Resistance and +10% Energy Restoration.

SIZE: 3x2

PRICE: 1600

LORE: The maps drawn by the renown Aldorian traveler, Barbador the Lame, are valued not only for incredible accuracy, but also for their powerful talismanic properties, which can fortify one's resolve during the most arduous of journeys.

Blessed Aquamanile

EFFECTS: Can be activated once per day. Replenishes 50% Thirst, 25% Max Health, and 15% Condition of each wounded body part.

SIZE: 2x2

PRICE: 600

LORE: A bronze jug in a form of a lion, expertly crafted on the Bronze Isles by an unknown master. Somehow this aquamanile found its way to Aldor, where it was blessed by the Archtheurgist of the High Hieron himself to serve as an eternal source of water to those dying of thirst - whenever emptied, it miraculously refills itself.

Casket with St Wald's Relics

EFFECTS: While in inventory, grants +30% Unholy Resistance and immunity to Curse of Decay and Curse of Agony.

SIZE: 2x2

PRICE: 1000

LORE: St Wald, one of the first Aldorian saints, left his mark in history as a great preacher and an implacable enemy of heretics and the wicked. His relics are said to possess miraculous properties, capable of warding off the evil eye and cleansing malicious curses.

CURSE OF DECAY:
- lowers Max Health, Energy, Healing Efficiency and Energy Restoration. Being under the spell of the curse will increase the effects of the curse up to 4 stacks. Once reaching the 4th stack, the curse will start to lower the condition of random body part every turn by 1%. Basic strikes, shots and the use of abilities will lower the stacks.

CURSE OF AGONY:
- lowers Unholy Resistance, Weapon Damage, Magic Power, Fortitude, while increasing Pain Change +1%. The penalties of the curse will change dynamically depending and increasing with hero's Pain number.

Cleansing Chalice

EFFECTS: Needs to be filled with water before use. Can be filled with a waterskin using the "Merge" option. Replenishes 10% Max Energy and removes all negative Physical and Magical effects. Each removed effect reduces Fatigue by 1%. Additionally extinguishes Thirst by -25% and grants -0.01% change to Pain and Intoxication for 2880 turns.

NB: Cleansing Chalice cannot be obtained from an artifact dungeon.

SIZE: 2x2

PRICE: 600

LORE: Before being lost during the Crimson Plague outbreak, this ancient relic had been used in healing rituals of the High Hieron. According to rumors, it was stolen by an unknown monk, and any attempts at tracking him down proved to be unsuccessful.

LOCATION: Found at the bottom of a well at the center of Plague Village.

Codex of the Triune Hand Order

EFFECTS: While in inventory, killing an undead Order or cultist Proselyte enemy has 25% chance to grant Blessing for 100 turns.

SIZE: 2x2

PRICE: 800

LORE: This hefty tome is written in the Order's notorious code which no one has yet managed to crack. It's rumored that this book was blessed by all three Hands of the Host, and that it contains the full history of the Order and every mystery of creation they were privy to...

BLESSING:
- Sacred Damage +1
- Unholy Resistance +9%
- Crit Avoidance +3%
- Experience Gain +5%

The Conquest of the Hills Tapestry

EFFECTS: While in inventory, grants +15% Weapon Damage and -10% Damage Taken.

SIZE: 4x2

PRICE: 600

LORE: Conquering the Firn foothills was a major milestone for the Kingdom of Aldor. This tapestry was created by a nameless weaver to honor that grand victory and has been considered lost until now. Legends say that whoever has it in their possession is destined for great deeds.

Crown of Benor the Dauntless

EFFECTS: Slowly restores Morale and Sanity when equipped as headgear.

SIZE: 2x2

PRICE: 1200

LORE: Benor the Dauntless, the last king of Sentia, earned his eternal glory through great martial feats. Even the Alds, his sworn enemies, deeply admired his bravery. After finally slaying the king in battle, the Alds constructed a tomb, where he was respectfully buried with his full royal attire.

Ethnarch's Funeral Mask

EFFECTS: Once per day negates lethal damage, while also replenishing 20% Max Health and 35% Max Energy. Does not need to be equipped as headgear.

SIZE: 2x2

PRICE: 600

LORE: Ancient Axonians held a belief that many thousand years in the future all the dead would be resurrected into this world. That's why no expense were spared on Axonian kings' burials - it was especially important to preserve the visage of deceased rulers, so that after countless centuries of waiting they could get properly restored to their full glory.

Foremother of Snakes Statuette

EFFECTS: Reduces Intoxication by 50% and removes the effects of Bad Trip, Poisoning, Drunkenness, as well as Aftermath of every type of drug. Can be activated only once per day.

SIZE: 2x2

PRICE: 600

LORE: No one knows where this statuette came from: some believe it was made in Axonia, while others claim it to be an artifact of an even more ancient civilization. One thing can be said with certainty though: it depicts a long-forgotten goddess or high priestess, a prayer to which provides a blessing that can cure even the deadliest poisons.

Hazzun Celestial Sphere

EFFECTS: Can be activated on the surface once per day. If activated during day time, grants for 1440 turns either Life Drain or Sturdiness. If activated during night time, grants for 2880 turns either Energy Drain or Receptiveness.

SIZE: 2x3

PRICE: 600

LORE: An extraordinary large, spherical morion with a detailed celestial map inscribed on its finely-polished surface. This artifact used to hold a prominent place in the rituals of Hazzun oracles - that is until it was captured by King Etbert's soldiers during the last of the Radiant Wars.

LIFE DRAIN:
- Life Drain +20%

STURDINESS:
- Max Health +22
- Health Restoration +1.5%
- Fortitude +25%

ENERGY DRAIN:
- Energy Drain +20%

RECEPTIVENESS:
- Psionic Resistance -25%
- Backfire Chance -10%
- Experience Gain +10%

Nikos of Arpheon's Astrolabe

EFFECTS: Can be activated on the surface once per day during night time. Grants Clear Vision for 2880 turns.

SIZE: 2x2

PRICE: 600

LORE: Nikos of Arpheon was perhaps the greatest seafarer known to the world. He was the first one to make a successful voyage around the Continent about a century ago. Even in the eye of Southern storms or amid icebergs of the North, Nikos's unparalleled skill as a navigator allowed him to always keep his ship on the chosen course.

CLEAR VISION:
- Bonus Range +1
- Accuracy +10%
- Crit Chance +5%
- Vision +2