Between the Lines

A play-by-email campaign within the world of Elendar,
run by Deb Atwood ( d-singer@albany.net).
August 1999 - Current

Runelord Magic


Runelords are the users of extemporaneous magic, casting their magics by drawing runes, either in the air or upon a surface. Once the runes are drawn and a power rune given, the spell will activate. Runelords may string runes together to create 'sentences' to spell out their spell.

But Runelords are not merely mages. All Runelords are trained in weaponwork as well, strengthening their physical capabilities as well as their magical capabilities. They are not so immersed in learning as their colleagues, the Academy Mages, nor so immersed in theory as the Webmasters. Runelords are practical, taking the world as it is, and living within it. Their magics come to them as they will, and are used as necessary. They are well skilled at adapting as necessary to a situation, whether it requires physical or magical ability.

The runic language is drawn from the language of magic, which is older than the Fey or Elven languages, but there are many similarities. In many cases, the sounds may be the same, while the writing of the actual rune is different than the modern written language.

A runelord may have some of the following runes, but will likely not have all of them, although he may gather more in his travels and studies.

The syllable "ta" means that a rune is reversed in its drawing, and in its meaning.

The vowels are consistently pronounced as follows. There are no silent vowels or syllables.

a -- ah
e -- eh
i -- ee
o -- oh
u -- oo (as in foot)
y -- ee

Power Runes

There are six power runes, each more powerful than the last. Using the rune of Mor releases minor power, perhaps enough to light a candle flame. Each rune doubles in power, until T'shall is enough to place a heavy geas upon a person, until a quest is completed.

Mor
Tyr
Fyre
Sere
Ala
T'shal

Basic Runes

Each of the basic runes adds a certain amount of power, roughly equal for all runes, that is then multiplied by the power rune at the end.

Aam -- weapon
Afyr -- now
Amir/Amirta -- fire, heat / cold
Befyr/Befyrta -- before / after
Cahm -- return, summon
Cahmal/Cahmalta -- change, transform(ation) / statis
Cil/Cilta -- language, dream, magic / mute
Eyr -- air
For/Forta -- shield / broken
Fra/Frata -- light / dark
Fratamal -- night
Havn -- forest
Holm -- home, house, dwelling
I/Ita -- sound / silence
Ikili -- music, speech
Ili/Ilita -- hard / soft
Kil/Kilta -- motion / stopped, still
Kiliam -- missile weapon
Mal -- time
Malur -- birth
Pri/Prita -- energy (lightning) / powerless
Som/Somta -- away / near
Ur/Urta -- life / death
Walen -- water
Yrth -- land, world, earth

Identification Runes

Each identification rune is used to target the spells. The runes which are non-specific targets (me, not me, him, her) utilize about as much power as the basic runes. However, more targeted identification runes (Fey, elf, human) cost the castor twice as much power, and utilizing a true name costs 4 times the power of a basic rune. However, the more closely targeted the spell, the truer it will be.

The appendix "to" is a bastardization of the negative "ta" and is taken to mean somewhere in between not being, and being, that creature. Hence, if Den is an elf, then Dento is a half-elf.

Hli/Hlita -- me / not me
Sur/Surta -- him / her

Chim -- mortal human
Den -- elf
Dento -- half-elf
Faer -- Fey
Faerta* -- unblessed of Mirya
Faerto -- faerling

* Faerta is actually a vivid and intense insult in the Fey and Elven languages. The complete meaning is untranslatable, but roughly it means the unblessed of Mirya, or a child who has lost Her blessing.