A Spirit Vein is the way through which Qi enters the map.
Locating the spirit vein[]
At the start of the game, a number of spirit veins will be distributed across the Sect map. The number of spirit veins depends on the size of the map:
- Small maps get 1 spirit vein
- Medium maps get 2 spirit veins
- Large maps get 3 spirit veins
The spirit veins will usually be distributed in a Rocky Terrain region of the map, under one of the mountains. They will always start with 197 Qi on tile. After the game has been running for a period of time, the spirit vein will eventually become difficult to locate due to the spread of ambient Qi throughout the map.
The MoreGridInfo Mod shows the ambient Qi on tile, and thus allows a player to locate the spirit vein.
Spreading of Qi[]
Increase of Qi[]
The Qi on the Spirit Vein's tile is set at a minimum of 197. When the Qi on neighboring tiles becomes lower than this value, Qi will spread into them from the Spirit Vein. This increases the total amount of Qi present within the map.
Decrease of Qi[]
Qi may also be lost from the map. This happens through a variety of methods:
- Ambient Qi loss: The amount of Qi on a tile naturally decays over time. The rate of decrease is higher when the amount of Qi on tile is higher, and increases significantly when the Qi on tile exceeds 2500.
- Absorption by items, plants, or buildings. Some items can absorb Qi from the Qi on tile. This decreases the amount of Qi available on the map. Most buildings and plants absorb Qi, with Spirit Roots (especially the cursed variety) absorbing a large amount of Qi. Buildings and items made from Spirit Stone do not absorb Qi.
Blockage of the spirit vein[]
It is possible to block the spirit vein through having too much Qi Gathering on the spirit vein's tile.
Since Qi Gathering increases the Qi on the tile, if the Qi Gathering on the spirit vein exceeds 197, Qi will no longer enter the map. This will eventually lead to the entire map running out of Qi due to the natural decay and absorption mechanisms described above.
To prevent this, locate the spirit veins at the beginning of a game, and mark them with a Storage Area with no items, so that you will not accidentally build Qi Gathering arrays in the vicinity of the Qi Vein.