Added D-305 A Relic is one of two things:
- strange matter: a piece of the Tower or of an apex creature, with properties beyond ordinary Tower stone; or
- a lost human masterwork: exceptional gear or an instrument made by humans, lost with an expedition and recovered from a boss's lair or a Cairn.
A Relic's inspect text says which. Why a Relic does what it does is not explained.
Amended D-325 In the world, relics are not unique: many exist, they change hands, and the powerful wear them (§36). That each of the player's Relics is one of a kind, comes from bosses and Cairns and is never sold (D-041, D-042) is a game rule, not a fact about the world, and lore never explains it.