What are they? They are elements that protect and give your characters strength. They are also a 'special attack' to be used. Most likely you will NOT be able to use the attack until a good while into the game simply because the battles do not last long enough and the enemies don't cause enough damage. Don't worry though, you'll have more than enough opportunities later on, more than you care for. You start off with the 1st Pedra, depending on how you answered Hugo's last question in the very beginning of the game. Later on you will be able to collect the others. Read below for that info.

Obtaining the other Elem Pedras:

2nd Pedra:

Train Magnus' unit at Mylesia (after mission 4)--You will have to train a total of 5 times, most likely, before you fight a unit w/ a Dragon Master and a powerful dragon. Some TIPS: 1) You can train other units in the first 4 battles, but make sure Magnus trains the 5th time, and 2) The dragon is usually pretty darn powerful. The dragon will be related to the Elem Pedra you are fighting for, so if you see a Queztcoatl then you know which Elem Pedra you are fighting for, the Wind Pedra.

What I did for the second Elem Pedra was put two Clerics (one was Katreda) in Magnus' unit as well as Asnabel on the far left first row so he could strike the dragon. I equiped him w/ a Flame Flail that I earned defeating a stage and the Helm of the Fearless (Gunther Piedmont, Kinseya). But the key was putting a Ghost in the back row w/ the battle strategy, "Attack Strongest". I had to fight a Hydra and it kept doing major damage to all my people and putting them to sleep and couldn't win (Magnus was lvl 7 at time), but when I put the ghost in the unit the ghost kept the Hydra asleep ...he he heh. Since it is training, I did not take an Ali hit for having a Chaotic ghost in my unit and I got the Pedra with no trouble. =)

3rd Pedra:

-Train Magnus' unit at Mount Ithica (after mission 15)

4th Pedra:

-Train Magnus' unit at Gules Hills (after mission 20)

Pedra of Bane:

-Soathon, Jiram - Talk to kid about his missing dog (after Mission 12)

-Soathon, Jiram - Take a unit w/ a hellhound in it to the kid to receive the Pedra of Bane. Any hellhound will do, they can be found in the Barren lands ...in case you need to find one.

Pedra of Virtue:

-Gules Hills, Muji - Talk w/ man about his daughter in Volmus Mine (after Mission 20).

-Volmous Mine, Volmous Mine - Look for daughter, discover she has gone to Mount Ithaca (after Mission 20).

-Mount Ithaca, Caltovich - Deliver letter from man to daughter to get Pedra of Virtue (after Mission 20).