Relics are a brand new tile-type: the pieces of them are smaller and diamond-shaped, and are 1/3 the size of a regular I·C·E hexagon tile. But when put together, they can make a full hexagon image of a completed Relic. When assembled, they also unlock a new way of scoring for that player!
The game play of RELICS will rely on trying to assemble the pieces - and depending on how many of one Relic you are able to piece together, it unlocks powerful new abilities.
Players can swap discovered Relic pieces, but once at least 2 of the 3 pieces of a Relic image are obtained, they are "locked" and can't be swapped.
The Preachers guild specifically makes use of the new Relics with their unique ability, while the Telepaths are able to take over other player's Leaders and use them as their own.
—description from the publisher