The definition of a shard of something is: "A piece of broken ceramic, metal, glass, or rock." Pretty much a fragile object that can be fragmented into sharp objects. To me, this screams "mark". What happens when you destroy someone's mark? It looks like, and seems like, something that should shatter into shards.
Now that shards have become members of their respective element, I propose that the shards came from lone marks, which were destroyed in the wars of elements by creatures of elements. After much effort collecting the shards, you may undergo a journey to weld these shards back to their former glory.
Zans has been juggling the idea of the trials, and I believe this is a perfect implementation of a trial. It may even be able to complement his own ideas for a trial, or be a tangential trial. My idea is that after completing the trials, but facing a god of an element (stronger than a False god), and winning, you prove that you are a master of the element and he will mend your shards of that element. You must have all six of the shards you wish to mend inside of your deck, and the mark pertaining to that shard. You and the God are confined to using cards exclusively from that element, but to give you even a modicum of a chance for success, you may drop one extra element into your deck. However, this second element can only be one that complements your current element of challenge. For example, you cannot splash death into the life challenge. I think it'd be fair to allow only up to four types of elements to be splashed.
Should you win, you will lose those six shards (which must be upped), and gain a permanent increase to that mark for single player mode. This will cap at only three. I believe that you will still be weaker than False Gods with only 100 hp and no double draw, and besides you'd need to sacrifice twelve shards of an element, and obtain six more to use that shard.
The True God will also be more powerful when you attempt to earn a 2nd mark from him, since he's already granted you immeasurable power. Perhaps it could be a challenge mode this time where you and the god are both given a set of random cards in that element with which to make a deck. Or a completely random selection of a deck. The only idea I have for sure is to give the True God a mark x5. Triple draw may be far too overpowered, but as a God of elements, he ought to have mastery of nymphs. Or even a unique card, available only to Real Gods, as a signature card. For example: Life God, 10/10, heals +5 per turn, airborne, cost 10.
I do not think this would break elements if we confine it to single player mode, like fighting false gods. We can allow this specific trial to be attempted as many times as we please, however the option for shard mending at the end is optional (you must still abide by the rules to challenge this True God, whose location is sacred and cannot be unceremoniously disturbed). For multiplayer, it ought to be simple to add a line or two of code that simply floors your mark count to one, irrespective of its single player value.
This will allow a player countless hours in single player mode attempting to earn more upgrades, and more time in the arena to earn more shards. In terms of being too powerful, he'll likely be able to compete in platinum arena by the time he can forge one mark, and be over 80 by the time he forges all marks. This can also be a way to reward players for their, no doubt, many years worth playing Elements, without destroying its multiplayer aspect.
