True artifacts are unique objects with Celestial significance great enough to sustain the spark of consciousness through sheer force of concentrated magic. The 'consciousness' of many artifacts is vegetative at best, but some even exhibit sentience. In such cases, this 'mind' can be considered the source of more esoteric, quirky, or otherwise inefficient effects. Physical artifacts are outliers; things which only gods could hope to forge intentionally. They exhibit effects which may be theoretically possible, but so far beyond understanding that they may as well be miracles.