World Seal

Summary
The World Seal was an ancient artifact that protected the world from the endless Elemental Void that surrounds it. When the World Seal was broken by the Great Destroyers and The Ravaging ensued, the remaining pieces were faceted into the Shards of Grace, powerful devices in their own right that hold the world stable.

Construction and Use of the Shards of Grace
Knowledge of how to create new shards of grace has been lost for thousands of years. How they were made is so mysterious that many believe adamantly that they were created by the gods to protect their mortal followers.

The shards range in size from coins to 25 foot tall monoliths. A small number of the shards and made to be worn or carried: there are a few rings, pendants, and even a sword (though swords are highly outmoded). Carrying a shard of grace protects the bearer from the effects of the Chroma, and perhaps assists them in slaying manifested Geists, though they are so few in number that little concrete evidence exists.

Typically, even the smallest Shards of Grace are protected and kept in the center of a settlement. The Shards of Grace are the only things that allow civilization to continue. The combined effects of the many tens of Shards enables the island of Tonis and the continent of Kazael to remain stable, though no one shard has 'safe range' of more than 100 miles. Even a small shard (say, the size of a melon) can force the majority of Geists to take on a wholly material form within a few miles.

Shards of Grace are as heavy as solid metal, so it's unreasonable to carry even small ones long distances. The inland tribes are known for carrying them in their caravans, but the risk of losing one deep in the Chroma disinclines them to take them far or for long from the coast.

Mystique of the Shards
The Shards are in many ways, mysterious to the very people whose existence they allow. As already discussed, their origins and making are unknown. In addition, they are hidden from the people in a literal and figurative manner. Their positions within a settlement are kept secret (if known at all), and if known they are locked or sealed away.

There is set of nearly religious beliefs surrounding the Shards. The belief among many is that the Shards were created by the gods and that the shards ought to be worshiped and prayed too as a they act as a proxy for worship.