Will Sasha’s new shield be circular in shape, similar to a Hoplon? Perhaps it can also be made from a tougher material than her last one, even near indestructible? (The tougher material symbolizes her growth as a defender)
Yeah, it's gonna be circular. Really good at distributing force. And it'll be made of a special metal which has lore/worldbuilding reasons. Basically, it's related to the three gemstones and how they arrived to Amphibia.
I imagine the stones being originally meteorites that crashed onto Amphibia at 3 distinct locations. The meteorites are huge and carry a lot of precious material and energies, so much so that people started wars around them. The temples for each gem are built from these meteorites and the gems came from the meteorites' very core.
So the reason why the temples are hard to find is because the meteorites' energies literally changing the landscape, and controlling them gives you a huge boost in influence.
The Wit Temple caused the surrounding area to turn into dense jungles, full of special trees that is used as armor by the local populace. It would also confuse you in where to go if you explore it, causing a lot of missing persons. I'm not sure how to incorporate this with Marcy but I'll figure something out.
The Heart temple has a healing effect. Anyone that touches it feels a lot better, curing diseases and fixing up injuries (to a limited degree). That effect can also be spread by taking a piece of it and puting it into some water. It also caused the heavy blizzards that make traveling to it difficult. Note: Anne's blue sword is made out of the same material, which is why it glows.
The Strength temple is full of rare and heavy metals, making it perfect for weapons. Armor, however, can be difficult because the metal has a debilitating effect of sapping away your strength. So unless you are incredibly hearty, you're probably gonna die just by holding it. The power of the gem pretty much turned the area into an active volcanic zone. Sasha's shield will be made by this same material but due to her powers, it doesn't really affect her. It does, however, affect everyone else, including Anne and Marcy.
I was wondering whether I should give her a heater shield or a round one like a buckler. They both look pretty cool.