Relics are mythical objects in Age of Mythology that each confer a different bonus to a player once garrisoned in a Temple. Players can collect and garrison multiple Relics, though each Temple can only store five. They can only be picked up by heroes, and only after a Temple has been constructed. Regular maps spawn at least two, on some types three, Relics across the map per player.
There are 50 Relics in Age of Mythology. In Retold, 10 more were added while Harter's Folly was removed, and Flagstone of Buhen, Gaia's Book of Knowledge, and Shen of Nekhbet were disabled from spawning in random maps, resulting in a total of 56 Relics in standard matches. Immortal Pillars introduced 11 more Relics for random maps, with 2 more for campaigns, and 1 more which was initially available in random maps but subsequently disabled.
Note: The player must have built a Temple at least once to be able to pick up Relics with any hero.
The Greeks can train heroes from the Town Center in the Archaic Age, and as heroes are trained in a parallel queue in Retold, they can be produced early to collect Relics without pausing Villager production. Thus, the only prohibition becomes the (relatively low) resource and population cost of the hero.
The EgyptianPriests can pick up Relics only once Hands of the Pharaoh is researched. Their Pharaoh can do so from the start, but he may often be better used to empower resource drop sites instead. These considerations makes securing Relics the hardest for the Egyptians.
The Norse have to build a Temple and train a Hersir to be able to start collecting Relics early. While Hersirs are not cheap, it may still be preferable, as Hersirs also passively gather favor and can construct buildings, unless following a tight build order.
The Atlanteans can upgrade their Oracles or Citizens to heroes to collect any Relics they come across in the early game. They must also construct a Temple for the heroes to be able to pick up Relics. The relatively high cost of heroizing units becomes the main hindrance. Gaia players start with hero Citizens. Even so, sending hero Citizens away to collect Relics instead of gathering resources is not advisable, unless the Relic has spawned very close to the player's base. Players who have advanced to the Classical Age with Prometheus can also heroize units for free using Valor to ease gathering any Relics that others have not yet collected.
The Chinese start with a Pioneer, a hero scout. He cannot pick up Relics until the player researches Divine Light at the Temple. The Temple can also train additional Pioneers to make scouting and Relic collection faster. Nüwa players can pick up Relics with their Kuafu (Hero) without requiring a Temple.
The Regent, a special hero available to all players in the regicide game mode, can never pick up Relics.
Adamantine Shingles[]
“
You have recovered the Adamantine Shingles, which increase House hitpoints.
”
—Garrison text
Houses have triple hit points and Manors have double. Named Shingles of Steel and effect was Houses have triple hit points and Manors have 50% more hit points before Retold.
Strategy: This is a huge multiplier, and makes it considerably more viable to use Houses as defensive walls to obstruct enemy movement.
Reference: Adamant is a generic mythological term for an extremely strong material. Steel is sometimes used as a material for roof tiles on account of its durability, though it is more expensive than other materials.
Ankh of Ra[]
“
You have found the Ankh of Ra, which brings extra Favor from the gods.
”
—Garrison text
Produces a trickle of 3 favor (2.4 before Retold) per minute.
Strategy: 30favor every ten minutes is roughly equivalent to the favor cost of one extra myth unit. As with the Ring of the Nibelung and Ship of Fingernails, it is nice to have, but unlikely to be game-changing.
Reference: The ankh was a symbol of eternal life in ancient Egypt. Egyptian gods are often portrayed carrying it by its loop, notably Ra.
Anvil of Hephaestus[]
“
You have recovered the Anvil of Hephaestus, which makes Armory improvements cost less Gold.
”
—Garrison text
Armory technologies cost -50% gold (all resources 10% less before Retold).
Reference: Hephaestus was the blacksmith god and was commonly identified with an anvil.
Archimedes' Ledger[]
“
You have recovered Archimedes' Ledger, which makes siege weapons take less population space.
Strategy: Of limited use in most cases due to the lower number of siege weapons produced, and their utility only in the late game. Of more potential use to the Atlanteans who can use it for Cheiroballistae and their hero forms.
Reference: Archimedes, a great ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, inventor (famously of the Mirror Tower), engineer, and astronomer.
Armor of Achilles[]
“
You have recovered the Armor of Achilles, increasing the hack armor of your infantry.
”
—Garrison text
Infantry units have 5% less vulnerability to hack damage.
Strategy: A minor bonus, useful for any player producing a substantial amount of infantry.
Reference: Achilles, the legendary Greek hero who was invulnerable in all but one spot - his heel. After the Trojan War, Ajax and Odysseus competed for possession of Achilles' armor.
Arrows of Heracles[]
“
You have recovered the poisoned Arrows of Heracles, which increase the attack of ranged soldiers and ranged heroes.
Before Retold, it was named The Toothed Arrows, and granted archer units, Fire Lances (omitted by the Relic description), Ballistae, and Throwing Axemen (since Tale of the Dragon) 5% more attack.
Strategy: A decent bonus compared to The Girdle of Hippolyta, as archers benefit from attack much more than they benefit from hit points.
Reference: Heracles was a famed ancient Greek demigod and warrior, with expertise in various weapons including bows and arrows. He defeated the sons of King Eurytus in an archery contest. His bow and arrows were retrieved and used in the Trojan war. Before Retold: A toothed (or broadheaded) arrow is a type of arrow that had barbs on the back end of the head. These caused tremendous pain and a high risk of infection, as they would become lodged in a body part and were challenging to remove.
Arrows of the Alfar[]
“
You have found the Arrows of the Alfar, which increase the ranged attack of buildings.
Strategy: Good for any player, especially for defensive ones.
Reference: Alfar is the Old Norse word for 'elves'. The elves lived in Alfheim ('Elfhome'), one of the nine worlds of Norse myth.
Black Lotus[]
“
You have found the Black Lotus, which increases farming rate.
”
—Garrison text
Workers collect food from Farms 10% faster. Named A Black Lotus before Retold.
Strategy: Very powerful, as every player will build Farms after the available hunt, herdables, and Berry Bushes have run out.
Reference: In the Odyssey, Odysseus encounters a "lotus tree" with a narcotic effect. In Hinduism and Buddhism, the lotus flower serves as a symbol of elegance, purity, and perfection. "Black Lotus" could be a reference to a famously rare, expensive card from Magic: The Gathering. In real life, plants with deep purple flowers, so dark as to appear black, have been bred in many species of ornamental flowers.
Blanket of Empress Zoe[]
“
You have the Blanket of Empress Zoe, which makes buildings more resistant to siege weapons.
”
—Garrison text
Buildings have -15% (-5% before Retold) crush vulnerability.
Strategy: This is a very minor bonus that is unlikely to substantially prolong the life of the player's buildings.
Reference: "Empress Zoe" may refer to the either of the medieval Eastern Roman empresses Zoe Porphyrogenita or Zoe Karbonopsina.
Blue Crystal Shard[]
“
You have recovered the Shard of Blue Crystal, which increases Wood and Gold gather rates.
Note: Before Retold, due to requiring finishing animation cycles to gather resources, this Relic does not provide any benefit in most circumstances (increasing the amount of resources villagers take from the resource every cycle by 5% in most cases does not cause them to reach their carry capacity limit any faster). In Retold, due to gather rate being unrelated to the animation cycle, the Relic's bonus applies as intended.
Bow of Artemis[]
“
You have located the Bow of Artemis, which makes ranged human soldiers and ranged myth units cheaper.
Strategy: A significant resource saving for anyone producing a lot of archers. Particularly useful for Hades players in the late game given the substantial wood cost of Gastraphetoros.
Reference: Artemis, the virgin Goddess of the Hunt, was a master archer.
Bridle of Pegasus[]
“
You have recovered the Golden Bridle of Pegasus. A Pegasus will periodically appear at your Temple.
”
—Garrison text
Summons a Pegasus for free as soon as the Relic has been garrisoned. When killed, another Pegasus will respawn at the Temple after a minute. This Pegasus does not cost any population space. Before Retold, the first spawn was one minute after garrisoning.
Note: Before Retold, if a Greek player already had at least one Pegasus, this Relic did not spawn additional Pegasi. In Retold, it spawns a Pegasus which respawns when killed, no matter how many normally trained Pegasi the player has.
Strategy: Vast improvement to scouting for the Egyptians, Norse, Atlanteans, and Chinese. For the Greeks, it can be beneficial to players who have not selected Hermes as their Classical Age minor god, as it will save them 50 food.
Reference: Possibly the same bridle used by Bellerophon to tame the original Pegasus.
Canopic Jar of Imsety[]
“
You have recovered the Canopic Jar of Imsety, son of Horus, which makes infantry train faster.
”
—Garrison text
Infantry units are trained 25% (15% before Retold) faster.
Strategy: Allowing the player's infantry reinforcements to consistently get into the action faster than the opponent's, this Relic grants a small edge, especially in the late game.
Reference: Canopic jars were used in mummification in Ancient Egypt. Imsety was one of the four sons of Horus and is commonly depicted as a mummified man.
Chariot of Cybele[]
“
You have captured the Chariot of Cybele. Her pair of Lions will periodically respawn at your Temple.
”
—Garrison text
A pair of Golden Lions appears at the Temple; they respawn one minute after both are killed. Named A Pair of Golden Lions before Retold, and appeared a minute after garrisoning the Relic.
Note: The Relic always spawns two Lions at a time. If a single Golden Lion has been killed, the other one must also die before the pair are respawned.
Strategy: The Lions are much faster and can take more arrow hits than the Monkeys from the Monkey Head. They are useful in Classical Age fights, but fall off later.
Reference: Cybele was a Phrygian goddess who was adopted into the Greek pantheon when Greeks settled Anatolia. Lions are a common symbolic motif across human cultures.
Charon's Obol[]
“
You have found the payment of the Underworld ferryman Charon, allowing fallen Villagers to return part of their cost.
Strategy: The loss of workers in the early game can snowball as the game progresses. The amelioration of the losses by this Relic is very minor compared to the lost resource collection. In the late game with a fully developed economy, however, this Relic helps significantly to remedy against losses in raids.
Reference: In Greek funerary customs, Obol is the name of the coin placed on the dead for their Shades to be able to pay Charon to be ferried across the River Styx in Erebus into the afterlife.
Demeter's Throne[]
“
As long as you welcome Demeter into your home, Dropsites, Ox Carts, Houses, and Manors will cost less and build faster.
”
—Garrison text
Reduces House/Manor, resource dropsite, and Economic Guild cost by 50%, and their build time by 75% (they are built 300% faster).
Reference: Demeter is the Greek goddess of agriculture and the harvest.
Dwarven Calipers[]
“
You have recovered the Dwarven Calipers, which make siege weapons cheaper.
Strategy: This is a decent saving that continues to pay off as long as the player is training siege weapons.
Reference: Dwarves were said to be master smiths and craftsmen, capable of creating almost any object imaginable, from Mjöllnir, Thor's hammer, to Gullinbursti, Freyr's animated golden boar statue.
Dwarven Horseshoes[]
“
You have found the Dwarven Horseshoes, which increase the movement speed of cavalry.
”
—Garrison text
Cavalry units move 5% faster. Named The Mithril Horseshoes before Retold.
Strategy: Good for any player using cavalry; slow cavalry such as Jarls get a welcome speed boost while fast cavalry become even faster.
Reference (before Retold): Mithril is a fictional metal found in the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, described as resembling silver but being stronger and lighter than steel.
Eye of Horus[]
“
You have recovered the Eye of Horus, which lets Town Centers support more population.
”
—Garrison text
Town Centers support +4 (+2 before Retold) population.
Strategy: Population is a very scarce resource. The +6 population from three Town Centers with this Relic enables the player to have three extra archers, two extra cavalry, or one extra myth unit compared to their opponents.
Reference: The Eye of Horus, also called the left Wedjat Eye, was a symbol of protection, good health, and royal power in ancient Egypt.
Eye of Ornlu[]
“
You have recovered the Eye of Ornlu the Wolf, increasing the attack of counter-infantry units.
Reference: After Nüwa drowned in the Eastern Sea, she was reincarnated as the bird Jingwei and carried twigs from the mountains to fill up the sea so others would not have to perish as she did.
Fetters of Fenrir[]
“
You have recovered the Fetters of Fenrir, increasing the attack of Villagers.
”
—Garrison text
Worker units have +30% attack. Before Retold, the effect was that worker units could kill nearly all wild animals in a single shot.
Strategy: By the time the player is able to send out a hero to collect Relics, the time that this would have been useful has already passed. It may be helpful against Set players, as it also applies against all Animals of Set.
Reference: Gleipnir, the ribbon said to hold the monstrous wolf Fenrir (or Fenris) shackled until Ragnarok comes, when he would break free of its bonds.
Five Colored Stone of Nüwa[]
“
You have found the Five Colored Stone of Nüwa. Your buildings now cost less to repair.
Reference: Nüwa famously used five-colored stones to patch up the sky, after it had been damaged when Gonggong smashed his head against Mount Buzhou, one of the Eight Pillars holding the Heavens.
Flagstone of Buhen[]
“
You now own the Flagstone from the Citadel of Buhen, which makes Gates free.
”
—Garrison text
Changing a wall section into a Gates is free. It does not spawn in random maps. Before Retold, its effect was walls cost 25% less resources.
Strategy: Walls are not very expensive, and once the player has fully walled their base, there is no need to build any more, so the savings from this Relic are minimal.
Reference: The ancient Egyptian town of Buhen, known for its fortress.
Fur of Boyi[]
“
As long as your heroes don the Fur of Boyi, they will regenerate hitpoints.
”
—Garrison text
Heroes regenerate 0.25 hit points per second. This affects the Son of Osiris as well.
Strategy: A useful Relic for any culture, especially for those with numerous heroes like Norse, Egyptians, and Atlanteans. For the Egyptians, it is especially useful as it allows Son of Osiris to regenerate, who can otherwise not be healed by conventional methods.
Reference: Bo Yi was a mythological character from ancient China who helped Emperor Yao control the Great Flood.
Gaia's Book of Knowledge[]
“
You have discovered Gaia's Book of Knowledge, which increases the damage that infantry does to Titans.
”
—Garrison text
Infantry (and infantry heroes) bonus multiplier against Titans increased by +3.0. Before Retold, this did not apply to infantry heroes.
Strategy: While this is an absolutely enormous multiplier, the Relic is completely useless in any game in which the enemy does not build a Titan, and its value if the enemy does build a Titan is questionable. It does not give infantry any resistance to the Titan's ground smash special attack that stuns most units, so mass heroes, siege, and ranged units will still be more effective. The Norse arguably can get the most out of it with Throwing Axemen, though in Retold they are handily outclassed by the Godi.
As long as you hold Odin's Wand, Temple improvements are cheaper.
”
—Garrison text
Temple technologies are 25% cheaper. It does not affect Omniscience. Before Retold, it was named Odin's Wand, and provided a discount of 20%.
Strategy: This will save the player a few hundred resources over the course of a longer game. However, once they have researched all the Temple technologies they need, it provides no further benefit.
Reference: Odin was also called Gondlir, which means Wand-Wielder or Wand-Bearer.
Girdle of Hippolyta[]
“
You have won the Girdle of Hippolyta the Amazon, which increases the hitpoints of ranged soldiers.
Before Retold, it affected Toxotes, Chariot Archers, Throwing Axemen, Arci, and also Chu Ko Nus (omitted by the Relic's description), and provided +5% hit points.
Strategy: Archers do not have large hit point pools to begin with, and hit points are less valuable for ranged units compared to melee, so a +10% increase may not have much impact, but can nevertheless be quite useful for archer-focused playstyles.
Reference: Hippolyta was the Queen of the Amazons. One of Heracles' Twelve Labors was to steal her girdle.
Gungnir, Odin's Spear[]
“
You brandish Gungnir, Odin's Spear, which increases the attack of counter-cavalry units.
Strategy: The bonus is minor and it only affects a small number of units. By the time the player has heroes out to collect Relics they are likely to have done their most important scouting already.
Reference: Harter's Folly may be an indirect reference to Harper's Folly, a fishing ground near Charleston, North Carolina, USA. Additionally, it might reference Harter Ryan, an Ensemble Studios employee.
You have recovered the Head of Orpheus, which increases buildings' line of sight.
”
—Garrison text
Buildings gain +8 Line of Sight.
Strategy: A benefit to any player, especially defensive ones.
Reference: Orpheus, the ancient Greek poet, musician and prophet who failed to rescue his beloved Eurydice from the realm of Hades. He fell so deep into mourning that a group of maenads tore him to pieces, thinking that he was spurning them. Despite this, his severed head continued to sing.
Hekate's Torches[]
“
As long as you keep Hekate's Torches aflame, your God Powers will recharge faster and cost less Favor to recast.
”
—Garrison text
God powers recharge faster (-10% cooldown) and cost -10% favor to recast.
Reference: Hekate is often depicted with a pair of torches, and her nymphs (named Lampad) hold torches. These torches are said to possess the power to drive people mad.
Hermes' Winged Sandals[]
“
You have acquired Hermes' Winged Sandals, which improve the speed of heroes.
”
—Garrison text
Hero units move 5% faster. Named Boots of Kick Everything before Retold.
Strategy: Very useful both in combat and to collect other Relics, especially for the slow-moving Egyptian heroes.
Reference: Hermes has a pair of sandals with wings that enable him to fly at great speeds. The name of the Relic prior to Retold is simply a joke.
Hestia's Hearth[]
“
As long as you venerate Hestia's Hearth, your Villagers will train faster.
Strategy: Especially useful for the Atlanteans, whose Citizens are particularly slow. Other civilizations will benefit from decreased time spent travelling between resources and drop sites.
Reference: The kithara was a Greek musical instrument, a variant of the lyre and ancestor of the guitar. Apollo was the God of Music.
Kui Drum[]
“
You have found the Kui Drum, which increases the damage that heroes do as they lose hitpoints.
”
—Garrison text
Heroes deal 0.25% more damage per 1% hit points missing.
Reference: The Kui (夔) was a one-legged mountain demon that resembled a yak or buffalo. The Huangdi is said to have fashioned a drum from the beast's hide, which he used to invoke the sound of thunder. In other legends, the Kui was a demon in the shape of a drum.
Nine Cauldrons[]
“
You have recovered the Nine Cauldrons. Your soldiers trained at fortress-type buildings now have more hack and pierce armor.
”
—Garrison text
All human soldiers and heroes from fortress-type buildings have -5% hack and pierce vulnerability.
Reference: The Nine Tripod Cauldrons were a collection of nine ding cast by Yu the Great that are seen as a symbol of authority. Despite the Nine Cauldrons being described as the round, tripod type, the icon, which is exclusive to this Relic, presents a rectangular, four-legged type cauldron, or fāng dǐng (方鼎).
Nose of the Sphinx[]
“
You mount the Nose of the Sphinx above the doorway of your Temple. Your buildings now have more hitpoints.
”
—Garrison text
All buildings have 15% more hit points.
Strategy: Particularly good for defensive play, but useful to everyone, as every player has buildings.
Reference: Sphinxes were creatures from Greek and Egyptian mythology that had the body of a lion and the head of a human. This relic is a reference to the missing nose of the Great Sphinx of Giza.
Oseberg Wagon[]
“
You have recovered the Oseberg Wagon, which makes Caravans cheaper and move faster.
”
—Garrison text
Caravans are 25% cheaper and move 10% (15% before Retold) faster.
Strategy: This is an absolutely huge advantage once all the gold mines have been exhausted and players are reliant on trade for their gold income. It also provides a substantial food saving during the transition from mines to trade.
Reference: Oseberg is the name given to a Viking ship that was discovered intact.
Pandora's Box[]
“
You have recovered Pandora's Box, which unleashes evil upon the world by making myth units cost less Favor.
Strategy: May be situationally useful if the player is producing a lot of myth units, though favor remains the biggest limitation.
Reference: In Greek myth Pandora was the first human woman, created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus. She was given a storage jar (later mistranslated as a box) that contained sickness, death, and various evils, which she released into the world.
Pelt of Argus[]
“
You have recovered the Pelt of the many-eyed Argus, which improves all units' line of sight.
”
—Garrison text
All units gain 6 Line of Sight.
Strategy: Having a Line of Sight advantage means the player can see the opponent's army before they can see the player's, enabling the player to gain the initiative; the bonus on this Relic is both larger than that of Harter's Folly and affects all units rather than just scouts.
Reference: Argus was a giant with a hundred eyes covering his body.
Ptah's Sceptre[]
“
As long as you hold Ptah's Was Sceptre, Farms are cheaper.
Reference: Ptah is usually depicted holding a scepter ("was") bearing the symbols "Ankh" and "Djed".
Pygmalion's Statue[]
“
You have recovered Pygmalion's Statue, which increases Villager hitpoints.
”
—Garrison text
Worker units have 40% more hit points.
Strategy: Every player has worker units; this makes them significantly more resistant to enemy raids and wild animals.
Reference: Pygmalion was a sculptor in Phoenician-Greek mythology who fell in love with one of his creations, an ivory statue. The statue became a real woman when blessed by Aphrodite.
Rheia's Crown[]
“
As long as Rheia's Crown is mounted in your Temple, your Town and Village Centers will cost less and generate Favor.
Reference: Rheia was a mother goddess in the ancient Greek Titan pantheon before the rise of the Olympians.
Ring of the Nibelung[]
“
You have unearthed the Ring of the Nibelung, which provides a steady income of Gold.
”
—Garrison text
Produces a trickle of 30 gold (18 gold before Retold) per minute.
Note: This Relic has a similar effect to the Relic in Age of Empires II and Age of Empires IV, albeit with a lower gold generation rate.
Strategy: 300gold every ten minutes is equivalent to about one additional myth unit; or having an extra ⅓ of a gold miner (with no upgrades) gathering gold. As with the Ankh of Ra and Ship of Fingernails, it is nice to have but unlikely to be game-changing.
Reference: Nibelung was a member of the dwarven race who hoarded gold and magic. They were led by the leader of the same name, and came from Nibelheim, Land of Mist. The name is also a reference to Der Ring der Nibelungen, an opera by Richard Wagner.
Scales of Echidna[]
“
You have found the Scales of Echidna, which make myth units cheaper.
”
—Garrison text
Myth units cost 15% less food, wood, and gold. Named The Wedjat Eye beforeRetold and the discount was 10%.
Strategy: Saves 30 resources per myth unit, on the most expensive units. As favor is unaffected, it may not result in many more myth units but the savings can be put into a few more human soldiers or the like.
Reference: Echidna was a monstress in Greek mythology, and the mate of Typhon. Before Retold: The Wedjat eye is personified in the goddess Wadjet, and is used to denote the Eye of Horus (left wedjat eye) and the Eye of Ra (right wedjat eye).
Scales of a Catoblepas[]
“
Your Scales of a Catoblepas make myth units more resistant to pierce damage.
”
—Garrison text
Myth units take 15% less pierce (20% less crush before Retold) damage.
Note: Before Retold, the message sent when this Relic was garrisoned stated that it causes the player's myth units to take less damage from other myth units: this was only the case for enemy myth units that dealt crush damage, though. Siege weapons also deal crush damage, so this Relic protected myth units from them as well.
Strategy: This is not particularly useful, as the main weakness of myth units is heroes, and Polyphemus is the only hero with a crush attack. Crush damage from non-hero units is at best a soft counter to myth units. While this Relic appears to increase the crush armor percentage in the in-game help section, it actually functions as a 0.8× damage multiplier on all crush damage the unit receives, applied independently of the unit's armor. The shift to pierce resistance in Retold does make it a bit more practical, particularly for flying myth units.
Reference: The Catoblepas was a mythical beast from Greek folklore. Described as having the body of a bull with a scaly back and a shaggy, heavy head, its gaze or breath could petrify people.
Shen of Nekhbet[]
“
You have recovered the fabled Shen of Nekhbet, which increases naval myth unit attack.
”
—Garrison text
All myth units do double damage, despite its description, in Retold. It is also no longer spawned in random maps. Before Retold it was named Reed of Nekhbet, affected only naval myth units as stated, and could be spawned in random maps.
Note: This Relic was deemed overpowered and was removed from the Relic-spawn list in The Titans. It returned as the campaign Relic "Shen of Nekhbet" in Age of Mythology: Retold.
Strategy: This Relic effectively guaranteed that the player who captured it would win water control on any map with water. It is therefore no surprise that it was removed.
Reference: Nekhbet was a Predynastic Egyptian goddess who resembled a vulture. Shen is a ring which was carried by her.
Shennong's Ochre Whip[]
“
As long as you crack Shennong's Ochre Whip, technologies that improve Farm gather rate will be even more effective.
”
—Garrison text
Standard Farm upgrades grant an additional 5% Farm gather rate. (For a total of 15% additional farm gather rate when having researched Flood Control)
Reference: In mythology, Shennong possessed a magical whip, called the "Ochre Whip", with which he would beat various herbs one by one. The herbs, when beaten, would reveal their essential properties, allowing Shennong to use them for medicinal purposes.
Ship of Fingernails[]
“
You have recovered the Ship of Fingernails, which provides a steady income of Food.
”
—Garrison text
Produces a trickle of 30 food (24 food before Retold) per minute.
Strategy: 300food every ten minutes is equivalent to about one additional myth unit; or having an extra ¾ of a farmer (with no upgrades) gathering food. As with the Ring of the Nibelung and Ankh of Ra, it is nice to have but unlikely to be game-changing.
Reference: The Ship of Fingernails (Naglfar, 'nail ship' in Old Norse) was a mythical ship made entirely of the fingernails and toenails of the dead.
Sistrum of Bast[]
“
You have recovered the Sistrum of Bast, which makes Villagers cheaper.
”
—Garrison text
Worker units (does not include Fishing Ships) cost -15%. Before Retold, its effect was that worker units cost -10% food, so the Atlantean Citizen wood cost was not discounted.
Strategy: Saves the player about 300food for every ten minutes of worker production (from one Town Center). Similar to the Ship of Fingernails, this is equivalent to roughly one extra myth unit, or about ⅔ of a farmer with no upgrades; however, it provides no benefit if the player is no longer producing workers.
Reference: A sistrum is an Egyptian musical instrument. The sistrum can be seen being held by Bast in Egyptian hieroglyphs.
You have found the Skulls of the Cercopes, which grant a group of respawning Monkeys.
”
—Garrison text
Summons 6 Relic Monkeys after garrisoning; they will respawn if all are killed. Before Retold, it was named The Monkey Head, spawned three Relic Monkeys, and the first spawn occurred 1 minute after garrisoning.
Note: The Relic always spawns six Relic Monkeys at a time. If a Relic Monkey has been killed, the others must also die before the six are respawned.
Strategy: The monkeys are very weak. They may tank an arrow hit that would otherwise have gone to one of the more important units, but their slow speed potentially makes them more of a liability than an asset.
Reference: Cercopes are mischievous forest creatures in Greek mythology. The Monkey Head is a recurring gag in the Age of Empires series since Age of Empires II. It is also a reference to the cheat in The Age of Kings, "I LOVE THE MONKEY HEAD".
Staff of Dionysus[]
“
You have found the Staff of Dionysus, which allows Villagers to regenerate hitpoints.
”
—Garrison text
Worker units regenerate 1.0 hit points per second. Before Retold, it increased the food carry capacity of worker units by 20.
Strategy: Provides a boost to worker resource gathering, especially hunting and farming, as they have to walk to the drop site less frequently. Of no use to the Atlanteans.
Reference: A thyrsus was a staff made of giant fennel and ivy, associated with Dionysus, used by the Ancient Greeks in festivals and religious ceremonies.
Svadilfari's Sledge[]
“
Now that you harness your draft animals to Svadilfari's Sledge, your Fortress-type buildings no longer cost Favor.
”
—Garrison text
Removes the favor cost of Fortress-type buildings.
Reference: Svadilfari is a legendary horse in Norse mythology, and the progenitor of Sleipnir.
Tail of Cerberus[]
“
You have seized the Tail of Cerberus, which lets myth units use their special attacks more often.
”
—Garrison text
Myth units' charged ability recharge time reduced by 25%.
Strategy: Increases the effectiveness of myth units against human units and most other myth units. It is especially useful if the player has access to Medusai, Mummies, or Argi, which have instant kill abilities.
Reference: Cerberus was the three-headed dog that guarded the Underworld in Greek mythology, keeping the dead in and the living out.
Tail of Fei[]
“
You have seized the Tail of Fei. A Fei will periodically appear at your Temple.
”
—Garrison text
Note: This Relic was deemed overpowered and was removed from the Relic-spawn list in update 18.21333.
Summons 1 Fei, which respawns every 120 seconds. Unlike the god power version, it does not lose health over time.
Reference: Fei are beasts in Chinese folklore that poison the ground they stand on. They have a single eye and the tail of a snake.
Texts of Imhotep[]
“
As long as your Villagers study the Texts of the famed architect Imhotep, they will construct buildings faster.
”
—Garrison text
Reduces building build time by 10%.
Reference: Imhotep was a high priest of Ra in ancient Egypt, who was posthumously deified. In life, he was famed as the architect of the step-pyramid at Saqqara.
The Khopesh of Horus[]
“
You now wield the Khopesh of Horus, which increases the damage that heroes do to myth units.
”
—Garrison text
Heroes' damage multiplier against myth units is increased by one.
Strategy: Helps heroes kill tanky myth units such as Colossi faster, though myth units are already extremely weak against heroes.
Reference: The khopesh was a type of curved edged weapon in ancient Egypt. Horus wielded a khopesh against Set in his bid for the throne.
The Scarab Pendant[]
“
Your Scarab Pendant increases the crush damage dealt by close-range siege weapons and myth units.
Strategy: Enables the player to demolish enemy bases faster, though it only affects short-ranged and melee siege weapons, so it provides no advantage to players using Petroboli, Catapults, or Onagers.
Reference: The scarab was a common symbol of Ra, and pendants in its likeness were very common accessories among ancient Egyptians.
The Titan's Treasure[]
“
You have found the Titans' Treasure, which reduces the cost of advancing to the next Age or researching Secrets of the Titans.
”
—Garrison text
Age-ups and Secrets of the Titans cost -10%. Before Retold, it only made the Secrets of the Titans technology 25% cheaper.
Strategy: this is a good discount which will help smoothen each age-up and will allow the best players to hit faster timings.
Thundercloud Shawl[]
“
You have recovered Hera's Thundercloud Shawl, which increases your soldiers' pierce armor.
”
—Garrison text
All human soldiers and heroes except Atlantean heroes (but including Oracle heroes) have -5% pierce vulnerability. Before Retold, all human soldiers as well as Atlantean human units upgraded to heroes take 5% less pierce damage.
Strategy: This is a minor bonus, but it affects all human soldiers, so it is useful in every game.
Reference: Hera, wife of Zeus and Goddess of motherhood and marriage. The Thundercloud Shawl in question is probably an allusion to her husband's role as God of Thunder.
Tower of Sestus[]
“
You have found the Tower of Sestus, home to Hero and Leander, which increases Tower attack against myth units.
”
—Garrison text
Towers have +100% attack vs. myth units. Before Retold, its effect was towers have 30% extra ranged attack and 10% extra boiling oil attack.
Strategy: This is a very substantial attack bonus that makes defenses much more effective against raiders.
Reference: Sestus was a Greco-Thracian town near the Hellespont (modern Gallipoli). In Greek mythology, the priestess Hero lived in a tower at Sestus, where she would light a lamp each night to guide her lover Leander's way to her.
Trojan Gate Hinge[]
“
You have recovered the Gate Hinge of the fallen city of Troy. Your Walls now have more hitpoints.
”
—Garrison text
Walls have 40% more hit points.
Strategy: If the player has walled in their base, then this will make the walls delay the enemy slightly longer; otherwise, it does nothing.
Reference: The Trojan Walls and Gates were impenetrable, if the events of Homer's Illiad and Virgil's Aeneid are any indication.
Tusk of Dangkang[]
“
You have recovered the Tusk of Dangkang, which periodically grants a pair of Pigs.
Reference: Dangkang is a boar-like creature in Chinese mythology who is said to be the harbinger of harvest.
Tusk of the Iron Boar[]
“
You have found the Tusk of the Iron Boar, increasing cavalry hitpoints.
”
—Garrison text
Cavalry units and Chariot Archers have 10% more hit points.
Strategy: Cavalry have the highest base hit points of all human units, so this bonus is rather substantial and will enable them to tank at least one or two extra hits before going down.
Reference: As with the Eye of Ornlu, this is a reference to Age of Empires II. The Iron Boar was a creature that Attila the Hun hunted in the first level of his campaign.
Tyrfing, Angantyr's Sword[]
“
As long as you wield Angantyr's cursed sword Tyrfing, your heroes will regenerate hitpoints while fighting enemy units.
”
—Garrison text
Heroes regenerate hit points while fighting enemy units (10% contribution, does not affect Son of Osiris).
Strategy: A powerful effect for all heroes.
Reference: Tyrfing was a powerful but cursed magic sword in Norse mythology, held by various characters some of whom were named Angantyr.
Ullr's Bow[]
“
You have recovered Ullr's legendary Bow, which increases the range and line of sight of ranged soldiers.
”
—Garrison text
Archer units and Fire Lances (omitted by Relic description) have +1 Line of Sight and range. Also affects Throwing Axemen since Tale of the Dragon. Named The Trios Bow before Retold and provided a bonus of +2.
Strategy: Archers will always benefit from more range, so this is a good bonus.
Reference: Ullr is the Norse god of archery and skiing.
Wuhao, Bow of Huangdi[]
“
You have recovered Wuhao, the legendary Bow of Huangdi. Your human soldiers' ranged attacks will temporarily slow down enemy units.
”
—Garrison text
Ranged soldiers attacks now snare targets, which slows them by 15%, for 2 seconds.
Reference: The Huangdi is credited with many inventions, including the bow and arrow. Wūháo (烏號, 'bow of wailing') was the name given to a bow left behind by the Huangdi when he ascended to Heaven, due to the sorrow felt by his followers down on Earth.
Xirang[]
“
You have acquired the magical soil Xirang, which allows Walls to regenerate hitpoints.
Reference: Xirang was a magical soil in Chinese mythology that grew continuously. Gun and Yu the Great used it to stop the Great Flood.
Campaign Relics[]
This section is most likely incomplete and may need expansion. You can help by adding to it.
Several Relics are only used in the campaigns or Arena of the Gods game modes. Some of these Relic effects mostly imitate standard Relics, and seem to exist only to be more thematic to the region where the scenario is set in (so no Egyptian-theme named Relics are found in Norselands scenarios, etc.), while other Relics affect only campaign-exclusive objects, or affect generic objects but are too powerful for random maps.
Cup of Dionysus[]
Grants one use of the Bronze god power when picked up.
Reference: Xuanyuan (軒轅) was another name of the Huangdi. The Xuanyuan Sword is a reference to the Taiwanese fantasy video game series Xuan-Yuan Sword.
Oracle Bone[]
“
You have found the Oracle Bone, which increases the Favor generation rate from Chinese Favored Land.
”
—Garrison text
Doubles the Favor generation rate from Chinese Favored Land.
Reference: Oracle bones were pieces of animal bone (usually ox shoulder blades or turtle shells) that were used in ancient China for divination purposes. The logographs carved into these constitute the earliest known Chinese writing system.
Trivia[]
There was a Relic in the beta version called "Aeolus Bag of Winds", which boosted ship speed.
The Aeolus mentioned is the Greek God of Winds, who instead of aiding Odysseus and his men, gave them a bag filled with wind, which when opened by the curious sailors, blew them in all directions.
There are some Relics that appear in the The Ancient Relics scenario that grant god powers. The effects of these Relics are done via triggers.
At one point in development, every Relic had a unique appearance. This idea was dropped, but the models for some of the Relics are still present in the game's files.
Every hero has a unique bored, walk, and idle animation whilst carrying a Relic.
If a Kronos player Time Shifts a Temple with Relics inside, the Relics will be automatically ejected and will stay next to the Temple's original position.
Unlike in Age of Empires II, players initially could not garrison Relics into an ally's Temple; this has been changed since patch 2.8.
In versions before Retold, there are a few bugged Relics found in campaign scenarios. They do not have an icon, name, description, message when garrisoned, and just generally do not have any effect at all. Possibly a result of general gameplay changes, like the removal of Reed of Nekhbet, that were not properly handled for campaign scenarios.
After a Relic has been garrisoned in a Temple, other players (including the player) will be notified with what Relic has been captured, including the Relic benefits (as seen on the left hand side of the screen).
Relics garrisoned in a Temple. Hovering the cursor over one of the Relic icons (lower center right of the screen) will show the Relic name as well as its benefits.
Turkey Relic skin of the Relic (top left) in the "Holidaze" event (Nov–Dec 2024) in Retold
Unique models of various Relics that were originally intended, but did not make it to the final release, thus becoming cut content
The Mythological Relic icon for the Ethiopians in Age of Empires III
Adamantine Shingles
