Shipheart

A Shipheart is said to be the core of the engine from each ship that bore the four tribes to Abeth. It is not known how many Shiphearts exist, but old books claim there were once 1024; curiously the same number of pillars in the peculiar forest near the convent of Sweet Mercy. The Empire possess at least two: one in Sweet Mercy and another in the Noi-Guin Tetragode. The Scithrowl are also said to possess two. However, there may be many more, since Sister Pan says "I know of fewer than half a dozen shiphearts in all of the empire, and that number would not double even if you were to scour Durn and Scithrowl too."

A Shipheart is descibed as a "blue-white ball of wonder, its surface a multi-layered thing across which floated the ghosts of forms". It gives off light and immense energy; Sweet Mercy uses their Shipheart to heat the entire convent including the bathhouse. They are highly valued, as they greatly enhance the magical abilities of Quantals and Marjals; Arks do the same thing to an even greater extent. But they are also very dangerous; Yisht becomes possessed by numerous Demons through contact with the stolen Shipheart. Shiphearts also beat a rhythm like a heartbeat, that some rare Quantals can sense such as Nona Grey.