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For the relics from the Beacon Academy Initiation, see Beacon Academy Initiation#Relics
Creation, destruction, choice and knowledge were the ideals upon which Humanity was made. Now, I leave them behind with the hope that you will learn to remake yourselves.

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The God of Light presenting the four Relics to Ozma.

The Relics are four powerful, magical objects created by the God of Light.[1] They are the centerpieces of Salem and Ozma's plans and are the main driving force of the plot of RWBY.

Description[]

The Relics are the physical manifestations of the four gifts to Humanity as bestowed by The Gods. These gifts are knowledge, creation, destruction and choice. The Relics were left behind when the two brothers abandoned Remnant. It is said that each contains great power, and if anyone were to wield all four they could change the world. In truth, bringing the four together will summon the God of Light and God of Darkness back to the world where they will pass judgment on Humanity. If the Human race has come to accept one another and learned to live in harmony, the Gods will live among them as before and make them whole with the ability to use magic again. If Humanity remains divided and demanding of them, however, the Gods will destroy Remnant and all its inhabitants.

Ozpin's predecessor had the Relics hidden in each of the four Huntsman Academies to protect them from Salem and to prevent mankind from using them against each other. The Relics are in some form of chamber that acts as a secure Vault, with only one Maiden capable of opening each. When outside of the chamber, they faintly attract the Grimm. In "Fault", Salem states that her forces are unable to locate the Relic of Choice under Beacon Academy, leading her to believe that Ozma has hid it more differently than the others.

The chambers themselves seem to disappear once their Relics are removed, as seen in "The Grimm Reaper". How this works is unknown.

Relic Appearance Abilities Maiden Vault Location
Choice Crown Grants its user visions of the future. Visions are random and cannot be controlled.[2] Fall Beacon (Unknown) Unknown
Knowledge Lamp

Houses Jinn who can answer any three questions per century except pertaining to the future. Can change size and stops time when used.

Spring Haven (Removed) With Salem
Creation Staff

Houses Ambrosius who is capable of creating anything, but requires details to do so. Can only be used for one task at a time and is forbidden from resurrection. Can change size and stops time when used.[3]

Winter Atlas (Removed) With Salem
Destruction Sword Unknown Summer Shade In Vault

History[]

Following the creation of the Relics, they were initially scattered across the world of Remnant. Eventually Ozma managed to find the Relic of Knowledge and ask the spirit inside his questions, one of which being the location of the other three Relics. By the time of the Great War, Ozma came into possession of all four Relics. In the aftermath of the war, the Huntsman Academies were built in order to protect the Relics, with each being inside a Vault under their respective school.

Present Day[]

Relic of Choice[]

In her quest to obtain the Relics, Salem first targeted Beacon Academy to obtain the Relic of Choice located there. She created a method to siphon the power of the Maidens from their host into one of her choice, that being Cinder Fall.

Cinder later ambushed and stole a portion of the Fall Maiden powers from Amber, having been unable to obtain the rest due to the interference of Qrow Branwen. Despite this set back, she was able to orchestrate the Fall of Beacon and gain the remaining half. Now in control of Beacon, Salem begun having her Grimm search the school grounds to locate the Vault.

Despite her efforts, the Relic could not be located by her forces. This was later confirmed when she questions Oscar Pine on its location, as she deduces that Ozma hid it differently than the other three Relics. However, Oscar states he does not know, with her belieiving him due to knowing Ozma would keep that information secret for as long as possible and instead changed the subject by asking the password for the Lamp.

Relic of Knowledge[]

Following the Fall of Beacon, Salem has been searching specifically for the Spring Maiden, because she is needed to open the chamber to the Relic of Knowledge. She puts that search on hold in favor of hunting down Ruby Rose, but only temporarily as Tyrian Callows, who is tasked to hunt Ruby, gets severely injured in the process.

Salem is later informed that the Spring Maiden, who is believed to be Vernal, is in the possession of Raven Branwen, and she tasks Cinder, Arthur Watts, Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black to find Raven and convince her to cooperate. Raven agrees on the condition that her brother Qrow is killed because he knows that Vernal is with her.

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The Relic of Knowledge.

During an altercation in the Haven Vault, it is revealed that Vernal was a decoy Maiden and the true host of the Spring Maiden power is Raven herself. Raven opens the door to the Relic of Knowledge after defeating Cinder in combat, but Yang Xiao Long enters the Vault before she can claim the Relic. After a heated argument, Raven allows Yang to retrieve the Relic, and Yang brings it to Qrow safely. Oscar then relays Ozpin's message to Qrow that they need to bring the Relic to Atlas.

Before the team takes the Argus Limited to start their journey to Atlas, Ozpin explained that the Relic of Knowledge could answer any three questions every century so long as they don't pertain to the future, but claimed he all had already used up the questions before he hid it in Haven's Vault. After Grimm attracted to the Relic attack the train, the group are stranded in the middle of a snowfield. Oscar manages to temporarily break free from Ozpin's control, and he tells Ruby that Ozpin fears she will use the Relic to find out what he is hiding and reveals how to activate it. Ruby follows the instruction, and Jinn comes out of the Relic, revealing Ozpin's deception and that she is still able to answer two questions in the current era. Despite his attempts to stop her, Ruby proceeds to ask Jinn what Ozpin is trying to hide from them, much to his horror.

Following the failure to destroy Haven, Salem initially informs her subordinates to hunt for the Relic of Destruction in Vacuo before Hazel Rainart reports that Ozpin has reincarnated into Oscar, and is taking the Lamp to Atlas. Watts worries that Ozpin can get to James Ironwood, complicating the situation, but is unable to finish his thought before Salem orders everyone to leave.

After learning of Ozpin's secrets, the team makes their way to Brunswick Farms where the Apathy living underground begin to slowly drain them of their will to go on. As they start to wonder what the point of keeping the Relics from Salem is if she can't be killed, Ruby drops the Lamp in the well. The others are hesitant in going after it, but thanks to Ruby's insistence and Maria's help, they retrieve the Lamp and later are determined to get it to Atlas.

During the fight against the Leviathan in Argus, Ruby panics and calls Jinn's name as a way to buy herself time. Despite her annoyance in being used like this, decides to "let it slide" for that occasion, but warns her that she would not allow it again.

Following the Battle of Mantle, Neo infiltrates Atlas Academy and fights off Oscar, Jaune, Nora, and Ren, managing to steal the Lamp and escape. She later presents it to Cinder. Afterwards, the two take an airship to Monstra, upon which Cinder gives the Relic to Salem and takes credit for stealing it, upsetting Neo. Salem would later send The Hound after someone who can show her how to activate the Lamp.

When The Hound returns with Oscar, she questions him on the password for the Lamp. When he lies and says it is out of questions, she tortures him with an energy beam, before leaving him to be beaten by Hazel.

The Lamp is later stolen by Neo, and is used by Cinder to discover what Ruby's Group is planning. With this, she and Neo infiltrate the Evacuation Central Location and begin to attack the heroes. After a long fight, Cinder betrays Neo and retrieves the Relic of Knowledge. She also steals the Relic of Creation. After leaving the portal, she hands both Relics to Salem.

Relic of Creation[]

After arriving in Atlas Academy, Ironwood explains how the Relic of Creation is secure in the Vault and the Winter Maiden is also in stable condition. He decides to let Ruby keep the Relic of Knowledge for the time being after having it been delivered to him by the Ace Operatives as a sign of trust.

Before leaving with the others to go on their mission, Ruby and Oscar decide that he should stay behind to keep the Lamp safe.

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The Vault housing the Relic of Creation.

After a training session, Winter Schnee reveals the Winter Maiden Fria to her younger sister, Weiss Schnee. To keep the Maiden power and the Relic of Creation out of Salem's hands, Ironwood positioned Winter as the successor to Fria, who is old and living her last days.

Following the election, Ironwood brings Oscar down to the Vault and tells him the Relic's abilities, stating that it is actually the Staff that keeps Atlas afloat, not Gravity Dust. This idea was suggested by a previous incarnation of Ozma, theorizing they could be able to go as high as they want.

After learning that Salem was on her way to Atlas, Ironwood decided to apply his plan for Amity Colosseum to the city by using the Relic to raise it into the atmosphere, ensuring that the Staff, the Lamp, and the Maiden are kept away from her grasp. However, he was prevented from doing so when Penny Polendina became the new Winter Maiden and fled with Ruby's Group.

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The Relic of Creation.

They used Penny to unlock the Atlas Vault and access the Relic of Creation to summon its spirit Ambrosius. After having him save Penny, Team RWBY explains to Ambrosius that they would like him to create portals throughout Atlas and Mantle that will all lead into a pocket dimension similar to the Vault. From there, everyone will be able to travel to a singular portal that opens into Vacuo. With the logistics explained and maps presented to him, Ambrosius makes it so, and just before they enter the portal near them, he warns, “Do not fall."

Cinder infiltrates the refuges and starts attacking them with Neopolitan. After a long fight she betrays Neo and retrieves the Relic of Knowledge. She also steals the Relic of Creation. After leaving the portal, she hands both Relics to Salem while stating she made the portals vanish by asking for "more flames to be added to the fires of Atlas", after which Arthur Watts is shown attempting to escape the control room where Cinder has apparently trapped him while fire rages around him.

Trivia[]

  • Although there are rules to the Relics, they are not hardcoded. So long as you follow the intent, even if its not the letter, they will still give you what you want.[4]
  • It is possible that the ideals the Gods bestowed to Humanity are the same ones given to them by the Great Tree upon their emergence, as creativity is similar to creation and destruction is the exact same.
  • The symbol of each Kingdom appears to correspond to the Relic hidden within its Huntsman Academy.
    • The Relic of Choice takes the form of a crown and is situated in Vale, whose insignia features a laurel wreath surrounding a pair of axes.
    • The Relic of Knowledge takes the form of a lamp and was situated in Mistral, whose insignia forms a stylized lantern.
    • The Relic of Creation takes the form of a staff and was situated in Atlas, whose insignia was a staff situated among stylized gears.
    • The Relic of Destruction takes the form of a sword and is situated in Vacuo, whose insignia is three swords.
Vale Mistral Atlas Vacuo
Crown Lamp Staff Sword
Indecisive 3
V6 06 00023 relic cropped
Vol8 op Creation infobox
Relicblackswordcropped
Wreath Lamp Staff and cogs Swords
Vale Symbol
Mistral Symbol
Atlas Symbol
Vacuo Symbol

References[]

  1. RWBY Reddit AMA with Eddy Rivas
  2. RWBY: Fairy Tales of Remnant
  3. Creation
  4. RWBY Volume 8 Directors' and Writers' Commentary Chapter 12
Setting
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