Runes

The fish you catch aren't just for show - they're juicy with fish essences that can be squeezed into your gear to empower them, acting as runes.

Every fish is full of oils that can be used as a rune.

Each fish species provides different bonuses when equipped, and higher-tier fish provide stronger bonuses.

You can only equip fish essences to "body" slots: helmet, chest, leggings, belt, boots, and gloves.

Upgrading Fish Essences

The power of fish essences starts out weak, as a single fish has little density of essence. To draw out more power, you can combine 4 fish of the same species to gain stronger bonuses. Rarer fish may also gain additional perks when upgraded!

Combining 4 of the same fish upgrades its essence.

Combining fish creates a new one of a higher tier, with tier 3 being the maximum. To upgrade to the next tier, you must combine fishes of the same tier.

Higher-rarity fish require Loremaster to identify their effects:

Rarity	Loremaster required
Common, Uncommon	0
Rare	1
Epic	2
Legendary	3

Combined fish require higher Loremaster to identify, with each tier adding +1 to the requirement. You can however equip fish essences even if unidentified - you'll just have no idea what they're doing to your gear.

A full fish essence list is intentionally omitted here to avoid spoilers for the time being. It will be added in the future.