Runecraft
Similar to Sigils in Witchcraft, runes are a means of storing specific magical energies within an object to be used at a later time. Unlike sigils, there are only a few runes with rather specific functions.
There are 12 runes that are divided into two categories:
Elements: Cold, Heat, Light, Wind, Life, Destruction
Elemental runes are those which are inextricably linked with a particular Elemental power, though they cannot simply create the Element they are related to. While these Runes possess a lot of militaristic applications—making Runecraft a fairly popular branch of Magic—they are also often used in everyday life. For example: most houses have a pantry enchanted with Cold Runes to keep perishables fresh. Many houses in larger cities also have Light runes carved into or applied to various surfaces to keep the danger of an unattended candle allowing a fire to break out to a minimum. Some farms may hire Mages to set Runes into their implements for a better harvest, while miners might commission a Mage to apply Runes to their tools to make mining easier
Augments: Protection, Power, Luck, Strength, Precision, Link
Augment Runes are those which augment an already existing object. A Shield Rune applied to a piece of armor will make it stronger, while a Power Rune applied to a cannon will put more force behind its projectiles. A Luck Rune placed on a glass will prevent it from shattering when dropped accidentally, and a Link Rune can magically connect two separate objects. Of course, there is a limit to how much power an Augment Rune may imbue into an object. No amount of Strength Runes will prevent a wall from collapsing under cannon-fire, and while Precision Runes may theoretically be engraved onto any projectile, it would be a needlessly time-consuming task to do so. A common, more practical application of Precision Runes would be on instruments such as a compass.
Utility
Runes can be used in one of two ways:
1. To store and use Energy, keeping the Rune powered and working at all times. This requires a Mage who is well-versed in Runecraft to be able to manage it with any effectiveness. This is about as close to Enchanting an object as a Mage who doesn’t also practice Witchcraft can get.
2. To filter energy in much the way a Sigil would. This is a much more common form of Runecraft that most Mages at least have a grasp on. Runes applied in this way are inert until Magical Energy is dumped into them the same way a Mage would put Energy into casting a spell, activating them to serve a particular purpose. A common use for runes like these is on household items, such as kettles, glassware and the like, though only Mages possess the ability to actually use them when applied this way.
Manufacturing
Application may involve anything from inlaying or carving Runes professionally into a surface to scratching them onto an object while in a hurry. Runes may also be marked on an object less permanently, such as applying a Rune with a wax pencil, however it is commonly accepted that this method makes the Rune more likely to become inert with enough wear or to act similarly to an improperly applied rune.
Runes may also be layered on top of each other, if the Mage applying them is particularly clever and precise. For example, Heat and Wind runes may be layered on top of each other to give weapons an electrical charge. Similarly, Protection and Cold or Heat Runes can be layered to make clothing more resistant to the elements.
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Access & Availability
Runecraft, while a popular, is an uncommonly practiced branch of Magic among Mages, simply because it requires a lot of precision and a fair amount of clever thinking to master them. Runecraft is classically difficult to study, due to the fact that Runes tend to act unexpectedly if not properly applied, which is thought to be due to the relation between Runecraft and Witchcraft, however distant.
Technically, anyone who studies Magic at the College of Chenya will have access to Runes and Runecraft, as there is always at least one practiced Runecrafter present to study under.
While it is possible for anyone with enough money to possess an item that has been engraved with Runes, it’s fairly likely that the Runes themselves, as well as the manner of application has may prevent them from being able to make use of it if they lack Magical talent.
Complexity
Runes are deceptively simple to create. Their forms are very basic, but to apply one improperly can be disastrous. An improperly applied rune might not work as intended or may leak power, causing strange occurrences near the object, or may rip itself apart due to instability, which usually results in large amounts of destruction due to the nature of Magical Energy itself.
Discovery
Runes are, technically speaking, a type of Sigil, and were created back when Witchcraft and Magecraft were essentially the same thing. However, as the two types of Magic separated into distinct categories, Mages lost the ability to create and add new Runes to those already in existence.
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