(Moved to non-canon while awaiting a rework.)
A Talen relic is an object that has become possessed of unnatural attributes or capabilities as a result of the stories told about it; ranging from effects such as indestructibility, to being incredibly hot to the touch, or the ability to heal even fatal wounds. These are most commonly weapons or armour, but can be any item of a sufficient enough notoriety to be spoken of in legend.
Becoming a Talen Relic
The criteria for an object to become a Talen relic is first that it must be unique. Talen relics cannot be groups of objects, such as an entire make of weapons or a set of jewellery; they can only be one single item, and must be actively distinguished from other items within the context of the stories in which they are spoken of. Next, the object in question must have a name. It is impossible for an item to possess an individual identity without a name, and so one is a necessity for becoming a Talen relic. Finally, the object in question must more often than not have been lost or otherwise inaccessible at the time that stories are told about it. This is due to the fact that otherwise, it would be possible to immediately disprove any stories told about the effects of a Talen relic, seeing as they would not yet have taken hold in the early stages of a story's propagation, and so people would be likely to discard it as fake.
An object becomes a Talen relic when stories are told about unusual qualities that it possesses, and that they both spread to a significant number of individuals upon the continent and are believed by them. The exact number of individuals necessary for this to happen is unknown, and generally, the phenomenon of Talen relics is not understood by the people of Pretheya. Assuming this occurs, once enough people have heard and put stock in the story, the affected item will eventually begin exhibiting the qualities attributed to it.
Effects of Talen Relics
Each Talen relic has a name and a suffix; the former of which is required to identify it, and the latter of which serves to depict its function or qualities, and often as a reference to the stories from which it draws its power. Upon touching a Talen relic, an individual immediately becomes aware of its name, but not its suffix. Knowledge of a Talen relic's suffix is necessary in order to utilise its full potential, without which its power remains dormant when wielded, and it functions identically to how it would if it were simply a mundane object.
Talen relics derive their power from the stories told about them. Both their usage and functionality stem from these stories, with certain relics having specific criteria needed to activate their effects, such as for example Isalendar the Huntress' bow, Firestorm; which required a phoenix feather be tied to its string in order for its power to awaken. The abilities of a Talen relic are dependant on what they are said to be capable of in the stories told about them: For example, the very first and most infamous Talen relic ever created - Ormrslayer, Butcherer of Immortals - was spoken of as having cut clean through the diamond-hard scales of Forfir the Wyrm Lord's neck, and severed his head in one swing, killing him instantly despite his immortal nature. As a result of the widespread recital of this story, the weapon became a Talen relic with the power to cut through even the thickest of armour with ease, alongside the ability to kill even genuinely immortal creatures such as phoenixes and certain members of the Blessed.
Cultural Significance
Talen relics are by definition culturally significant, due to the fact that they must be spoken about at great length in order to obtain their powers, and must continue being spoken of lest they lose them. The vast majority of them are weapons or armour that once belonged to long-dead kings or famous warriors, and are usually either thought destroyed or have not been seen for centuries, owing to the requirement for them to be absent in order for stories to circulate about them without being debunked. Therefore, most Talen relics that are actually in someone's possession are those which were lost for a great period of time, but were since recovered and in the time they were lost became endowed with power they did not previously possess. Many of these recovered items gain an even greater significance within their communities; often coming to be regarded as the prized treasures of the family or house that owns them. Some, like the Crimson Mantle that resides within the Alight's possession, instead become religious symbols of great import; to be brought out and paraded around during festivals or celebrations.
