Now that the dust has settled a bit on New Frontiers, it is apparent that it is too easy for a dominant Realm to take all Relics and hold on to them. Because of this, we are making changes to ensure that it remains relatively difficult to take enemy Relics, but is much easier to get yours back if they do get taken. Captured enemy relics now must be placed in a keep controlled by your realm in your realm's frontier. Your realm's relics are still placed in your realm's relic towers.
With our revised relic system (your own relics are behind the relic gate, but enemy relics reside in less protected keeps just outside the relic gate), we will be moving relics as part of this patch. Any of your own realm's relics that your homeland controls will still be in the relic temple. Any enemy relics that your realm controls will be moved to the keeps nearest the relic gate, with no more than one relic per keep.
Remember that after today, an enemy relic may be placed in ANY homeland keep that your realm controls.
Relic temples are located behind the relic wall. To pass through your realm's milegate, right click on the gate. You will automatically teleport to the other side. The locked mile gates on each relic wall prevent enemy access, but only if the realm's defenders maintain control of the supply chain leading to the relics.
If the Realm loses its keeps in the supply chain leading to the relic keep (please see the transportation section for more information), then the mile gate doors will unlock. The relic temples will, of course, still have a full complement of guards. Sixteen invaders must be present within the temple, and one person must step on the switch pad at the base, before the relic will descend from its column. This descent will take about five minutes, during which time loyal defenders may mount a last ditch attempt to repel the enemy.
There is a two hour relic reset timer, meaning that a stolen relic must be placed in a shrine before two hours pass. If the relic isn't installed in its new home by that point, it will instantly teleport back to the temple it was taken from.
Anyone carrying a relic must have an honor guard protecting him, for he cannot use speed enhancements, swim underwater, use a portal, or zone into the homeland. (He can run into the RVR dungeon that connects the three realms, if he's got enough of an army guarding him.)
Please note that on Mordred, it only takes four people in the temple with one on the switch pad to get the relic to start descending.
There are two milegates set into each of the walls that guard the relics. These gates cannot be destroyed or otherwise fought through, but are opened or closed based on territory control. In order to open the first milegate for each relic, you will need to take a set of three keeps. Opening the second gate requires the same three keeps, and one more besides.
You only need one milegate open to pass through the relic wall to reach the temple. The second milegate is situated closer to the relic temple, however, and may allow for the quickest retreat once the relic is in hand. These are among the many tactical decisions facing a leader before beginning a relic raid.
The system for each realm's relic and milegates work as follows:
