Rune Ink

What

Rune Ink is a special type of ink created from the wings of the Rune Butterfly used for record keeping due to it's long-lasting nature. Shown to the central countries by the nomadic tribes of the Lonthan Desert, Rune Ink has become the preferred ink among the Temple, to be used in wells and pens created from the trunks of the Suli Tree in the Surli Forest.

Rune Ink is loved not only for it's long-lasting nature, but it's durability. Rune Ink remains smooth and easy to write with in all temperature and humidity levels found throughout the Southern part of Edith.

The Temple imports Rune Ink in large quantities and distributes it to each satellite Temple throughout the continent. The use of Rune Ink has enabled The Temple Archives to store larger quantities of work for longer, increasing the amount of time that can pass before the work has to be copied almost indefinitely. As such, the Temple has broadened its use of oracles and it's record-keeping functions not only for soul-related documents, but for history of the countries, lineage tracking, and astrology as well.

Original Functions

While well loved among the central countries for its use in archives and universities, both Eastern and Western nomadic tribes had their own uses before widespread distribution.

The Lonthan nomadic tribes often used Rune Ink in tattoos. These tattoos were often used for things related to the Cardinal Souls. Long before the Temple placed satellite locations with either the Forest or the Desert the Seers of the nomadic tribes would perform many functions of the oracles within the central countries. This would include middle names, destinies, and patron souls, and would often inscribe the corresponding runes upon the newborns upon the request of the parents using Rune Ink.

The Surli nomadic tribes, in contrast, would use Rune Ink to place markers into trees and stones throughout the forest. These marks last for decades, sometimes longer, until the forest reclaims the mark and the ink has to be placed anew.

Suli Tree

The use of the Suli Tree wells and pens with Rune Ink was introduced by Midden, whose western border lines up with Surli Forest. The Surli Tribes had told them that the Forest reclaims the ink slower when they used the branches of the Suli tree to write their markers and runes. With that information a Temple on the edge of the forest ran numerous experiments with Rune Ink and Suli Tree tools to find that the use of the Suli Wood helped keep the ink from drying in its well, kept it from drying out, and kept it from fading. These experiments helped Suli tools and Rune Ink to become the main writing tools of the Temple.

Variations

Rune Ink has several variations based upon the butterfly from which it is made, though many who use it would have trouble telling the difference between each kind. The four main kinds and their particular uses include:

• Original Rune Ink: This is the ink made from the wings of the Rune Butterfly in the Eastern Deserts found largely around the bases of old temples, believed to have been made by the predecessor of the People. These Butterflies are unique due to the runes seen on their wings that match that of the writing found within the temples that they're found in. This ink has no special properties beyond it's long lasting nature, though when used with Suni materials, it can also show other properties related to temperature and humidity.
• Ice Rune Ink: This Ink is made from Blue Rune Butterflies found along the southern coast, including those on many of the southern islands. This ink, like the butterflies it's made from is notable due to it's coloring. The ink itself appears to be white and dries blue. This ink is featured in several southern myths to have the ability of truth: One cannot use it to write a lie. The Temple has looked into and found no evidence to back these claims, but still this particular Rune Ink is favored for it's coloration.
• Fire Rune Ink: Created from the Red Rune Butterflies found deep in the Western forests this ink has a slight red shine to it when used and dried. This ink when dry is impervious to fire, though when wet and in liquid form is very combustible.
• Barrier Rune Ink: The rarest of the Rune Inks Barrier Rune Ink is made from the Barrier Butterfly. These rare butterflies are found high in the Barrier Mountains. Before the Silver Tongue gift went all but extinct, it was said that this ink allowed for a silver tongue to not only speak things into existence, but write them into truth as well. Due to the rare nature of both the ink and the gift, this claim has yet to be tested. The ink on its own has a cloudy appearance and dries into a dark grey. Once used it is almost indistinguishable from normal Rune Ink. Still, when obtained the Temple marks Barrier Rune Ink to be used only for the writing of prophecies by the oracles.