Runecraft
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Divine Magick |
On Runecraft
Runecraft as a style of Magick
As a style of magick, runecraft is old, very old. Possibly, it existed before the human varieties of sorcery; the fact that even today, runes are found in ancient and forgotten complexes indicates that the magick was once spread all over Tazlure. Although still practices by the adhiel cultures and some inhabitants of Trothgard, the style is not as widespread as it once may have been. Discarded as slow and not versatile enough, most races have turned to the practice of normal sorcery over runecraft.
As a general style, runecraft is rather simple: it involves the crafter to inscribe runic symbols into a natural surface. At least two of these, properly combined and connected, form a runic sentence. Such sentences can be triggered, causing a magickal effect much as any other weaving would. The difference with other kinds of magick is that runic sorcery is never direct; after inscribing a runic sentence, it will not actually trigger until certain conditions (such as proximity, touch, or a trigger word) are met. This makes runecraft an excellent tool to build magickal traps; and while it does have additional uses, the style of magick isn’t too versatile when used offensively or on short notice.
Runecraft as a style of Sorcery
What isn’t immediately clear (and is, actually, unknown to most non-runic mages) is that runecraft isn’t a kind of magick on itself, but actually just a kind of sorcery.
Normal sorcerers employ mental techniques to attune themselves to the flow of energy around them, and grasp out at those strands with their willpower in order to weave a spell with them. Runic mages actually mostly do the same, only though a different technique. They do not use mental techniques; instead, they learn which runes influence what sort of energy, and use especially prepared tools and artistic mastery to craft these runes. When done properly, the runes capture energy within them, weaving it into a spell just as sorcery weaves energy into a spell.
However, as a style of sorcery, runecraft is not taught in the university of magick or in the colleges of World's Mouth, nor in any other human institution throughout Tazlure (except in remote forest areas). Private tutors may teach it; mainly, though, it is the magick of the adhiel and, in a twisted version, of Trothgard.
Crafting Basics
This is where it gets tricky. If everyone could just craft the runes of power into a surface with some stolen tools, the magick style would have become vastly more popular a long time ago. Unfortunately, there are very strict conditions regarding the way runes are engraved, how it is done, with what it is done, and most importantly, what it is engraved into.
Runemages inscribe their runes into a natural surface, using properly empower tools (usually tools which are cleansed and infused with a small magickal charge through ritual). A rune doesn’t necessarily have to be crafted in its exact likeness, but it takes a very expert mind to figure out what variations work and what just cause the rune to become useless. The crafter chooses two or more runes, which together form a runic sentence, or a ‘crafting’. Runic sentences might trigger under certain effects, or simply endows the object it is inscribed in with some effect or other; this depends on what conditions and effects the runecrafter put into the sentences.
Surface and Tools
It is very important that runes are inscribed into natural surfaces; metal, or other man-made objects won’t work, because they interfere with the natural flow of energy (note that this doesn’t mean that a sorcerer can’t cast while wearing manmade objects!) Even if the material was originally natural, it may still become unusable if altered too much by mortal hands. A good example of this is the quarterstaff: while it is of wood and thus of a natural material, the fact that it was crafted by someone makes the use of runes nearly impossible on such an item.
Runecrafters usually use either a pen-sized branch or a small stone as tool for their craftings. When properly empowered, these tools aren’t broken during crafting, and may be used as often as the crafter likes. There is no actual need for the crafting tool to be completely natural, though; some runic sorcerers use woodcraft to fashion a nicely decorated pen for themselves, or chisel one out of stone so that it doesn’t easily break. In a pinch, any natural item will serve for crafting, however, and the twig snatched from beside the sorcerer’s left foot serves just as well as an intricately crafted stone pen, as long as the item is properly empowered before usage.
A master does rise above some of these restrictions, though. Although manmade surfaces still interfere with the flow of energy, a master will gain an almost intuitive grasp of rune variation. Because of this, many masters can achieve the most powerful craftings with only one or two runes; aside from that, they may cast directly, without the conditions of the runes being met; in this way, for example, the runecrafter might put someone to sleep but simply etching the sleep rune into a piece of wood he’s holding and looking at his target. Note that a runecrafter must still actually know the rune before he can use an intuitive variation casting. Also, the crafter cannot use the fourth, most potent starting rune in such craftings.
Additionally, a Master rises above the need of especially empower tools for the crafting. Instead, he may trace runes with his fingers, leaving magickal lines that are as good as any engraving. Such runes are all but invisible, except when examined closely, when they are revealed to glow ever so slightly.
A Process of Casting
The runic mage begins his spell by selecting a piece of suited material. This need only be as large as to contain the runes; thus, a runic sentence of only two runes might be inscribed onto a smaller stone, or a piece of bark. Runecrafters might break an object to reduce it in size, but doing this more than once or twice will mean it is no longer viable for use with runes, as it has become too much man-made.
The runic sorcerer then starts the spell sentence by inscribing one of the four runes of power. These runes represent four steps in the potency of the spell; starting with the lowest, which is the least intricate to craft correctly, and ending with the most powerful, which is very complex and requires an experienced runemage to craft.
The runemage then has the choice of a number of runes. Each rune represents a force or a mystical method; in this way, a runic sentence is much like a normal one.
For example, a runemage could craft [Sha] [Fogu] (Cast Sleep); this would require one of the casting runes (a rune of power), and the rune for sleep. This spellsentence would cause the first person to touch it to fall asleep, and would then fade. However, since no duration was specified, the affected person will only fall asleep very shortly.
A mage can add runes that deal with duration to the sentence. These vary; more powerful runes can be used for a more lengthy duration. For example, the rune mage could craft [Sha] [Saeden] [Fogu] (Cast Extended Sleep), which would result in a much more lengthier sleep. Up to three runes may be used to extend duration; in such a case, the “enhancing” runes are used.
Enhancing runes add potency to the runes following them. So for example, if the runemage wanted his sleep spell to last even longer, he could craft [Sha] [Gho] [Saeden] [Fogu] (Cast Greater Extended Sleep), which would cause the sleep to last longer. Or he could craft [Sha] [Saeden] [Gho] [Fogu] (Cast Extended Greater Sleep) which would cause the sleep to be deeper.
Additionally, the runemage can specify the condition under which the runic sentence activates. Traditionally, this is upon contact with the spellsentence itself; if the mage wishes that condition to change, he can specify this by adding a last, fifth rune. For example, the runemage could extend the spellsentence above, inscribing [Sha] [Gho] [Saeden] [Fogu] [Nergal] (Cast Greater Extended Sleep On approach), which would cause the spell to trigger if someone comes near the runic sentence.
When a spell sentence is complete, the runemage connects the runes by enclosing them between lines (such as encircling them, or drawing a square around them). The spellsentence will then activate as soon as its conditions for doing so are met. If this means it would trigger immediately, it won’t trigger until the next time those conditions are met. This is only logical; if a runic sentence meant to cause sleep would go off as soon as it was carved, it would always put the crafter to sleep and never the intended target.
Special runes might also be added to the runic sentence. These are all extremely powerful runes, which must be handled carefully, and in some cases, very specifically.
Permanency is one rune that might be used. It is added instead of the duration rune, and cannot be empower with an enhancing rune. The permanency rune can only be inscribed if the stronger rune of power is used to begin the runic sentence. If, for some reason, the spellsentence is damaged or destroyed, the effect ends immediately.
The preservation runes can be used to give a spellsentence multiple charges. Starting at “one” and progressing upward in number as well as intricacy, the preservation runes prevent the runic sentence from fading until its number of charges are up. The rune is usually used instead of an enhancing rune; only the Masters among runemages can use a preservation rune and an enhancement rune in one spellsentence.
Example of a Crafting
Taelu glanced around the grove. Yes, this would do nicely.
Tomorrow, the orc invaders would be reaching this place. They would either set up camp or try to tear down as many trees as they could in order to make sure the place would no longer be a location of power for his people. He couldn’t let that happen.
Scanning the ground, Taelu found a large piece of bark. Somewhere, a bear had been clawing at a tree – perhaps to get at a bee nest – and this large section had fallen off. That suited the runecrafter just fine.
Sitting down, he picked up a large twig and the piece of bark. Gripping the twig in both hands, the sorcerer closed his eyes and mumbled something about dedicating it to the streams, the woods and the sky; then, while holding it with one hand, he made a few vague gestures over it with the other. Finally, he took a few leaf, and crushed it, dipping the twig’s tip into the pulp that remained. Now he was ready.
Setting to work, Taelu’s brow furrowed in concentration. First came the Nith rune, one of considerable power; after all, he needed to encompass the whole grove. He engraved it slowly into the bark, taking care to get every curling and every dot correct. As the twig’s tip traces over the bark, it parted slightly as if it was wet clay. Next, he added a simple rune: Esh, for triggering at proximity. Then Litha for growth, Taram for thorns, and Laerei to give them to the wind. Finally, he added a small rune which signified orcs.
Smiling despite himself, Taelu drew a tight circle around the runes he’d engraved. As soon as the lines met, he felt a slight tingle, the sort of feeling you got just before your hair stood on end. The runes were absorbing their energy, he knew, and the crafting had been activated. Slowly, he stood, holding the piece of mossy bark in his hand as if it were a relic. He placed it in the center of the grove, and went as silently as he came.
When the orcs reached the grove, the trees had an especially nasty surprise for them…
