Started working on creating trainable spell casters. I'm probably going to hold on off on doing too much before release day, but basicaly a new ability will be given when a shard is under your control: Fracture. Fracturing a Shard will give you a new set of materials to work with called fragments. Fragments work like crystals in that they allow construction of various weapons, staffs, and magic items. There might be a slight chance of things going terribad when doing this...fires, floods, earth quakes, continent sized storms... planning for the essence and intelligence of the faction's sovereign to increase that risk the higher it is. Wisdom will lower it. Hopefully.

• Fire Fragments: Allows production of Firestaffs, Firewands, Amulets, Rings, +Inferno Forges for the Empires

• Water Fragments: Allows construction of Healing Fountains for Kingdoms that increases prestige of host city, doubles healing rates of units stationed, can also produce buffed healing kits for field medics that enable hitpoint restoration in battle.

• Earth Fragments: Allows the construction of magical siege engines, extremely magic resistive armor (when/if damage types are available)

• Air Fragments: Allows the production of repellent shields (small chance of knock back when attacked, (havent seen any onhit defense triggers yet though), Lights of Wonder world achievement: Research bonus to all cities owned by the player.

Of course the hardest thing in any mod is balance, and considering the value of shards...this will be very tricky.