How to use the Shrines in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

There are plenty of map icons you’ll come across and discover in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, but one of the more mysterious icons is the one for Shrines.

From random traders to quest tipsters to fast travel waypoints, your map is always going to be full of icons, especially in towns. Most towns will also have a Shrine, however, which is usually located at the center of a village and looks like a stone birdhouse with a roof and a Jesus symbol. When you first stumble upon a Shrine, the game makes a note to say you’ve discovered it but doesn’t offer any other details.

So what exactly are Shrines used for in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2? Keep reading the guide below to find out.

What are Shrines in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2?

One of the many Shrines in Trosky. Screenshot by Destructoid

At the start of your playthrough in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Shrines seem like they should do something. They’re given a map icon and stand alone in the center of towns, which usually indicates an item of significance.

Unfortunately, for the bulk of the early game, Shrines don’t do anything. You can’t interact with them nor will you be able to get any use of the stone objects. However, you still want to try and collect as many Shrine icons as you can, as they are quite useful later on in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.

Specifically, a Shrine’s ability is unlocked after you gain a certain perk in the Scholarship section of your skills menu. To find the skills menu, go to your inventory, click on the “Player” tab at the top of the screen, and then go to the skills section. Here, find the Scholarship entry and click on the arrow right to the left of it. This brings up all the available perks for the Scholarship skill that you can unlock by leveling it up.

Shrines unlock dedicated icons on the map. Screenshot by Destructoid

The primary perk you’re looking for under the Scholarship skill is called “Fundamentals of Theology.” This perk allows you to pray at Shrines and other religious sites across Kuttenberg and Trosky. Praying at a Shrine gives you a buff that “can protect you from mortal injury in combat and restore 25% of your health.”

This buff lasts for 12 in-game hours or until you need the buff, which might be in your next combat engagement seeing as how difficult fights can be in Kingdom Come 2. To get the buff back, you need to go and pray at a Shrine again, which is why I recommended to try and uncover as many Shrine icons as possible during the early game.

How to unlock the Fundamentals of Theology perk

The next question you might have is how to get the Fundamentals of Theology perk so you can start praying at Shrines. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to access this Scholarship perk for quite a while. You need to be level 14 at the minimum to unlock the perk and it requires you to have the Liberal Arts perk unlocked as well.

The all-important Fundamentals of Theology perk. Screenshot by Destructoid

The best way to start leveling up your Scholarship skill is to read as many books, letters, and other texts as you can get your hands on. Reading more levels up the skill and allows you to unlock more perks for it. While you won’t be able to unlock a new perk for every Scholarship level you obtain, you will eventually get enough points to unlock the Liberal Arts and Fundamentals of Theology perks. Remember, though, you need to be at least level 14 in Scholarship.

The longer you go without the Fundamentals of Theology perk, the longer Shrines have no effect whatsoever in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. So I’d advise you to hit the books and get Henry as smart as he can be.

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