Runescribing

Runescribing is based around the use of runes to create magical results. These runes are written with thaumic essences of specific domains relevant to their effects. These come in three main schools: elemental, arcane, and abstract.

The effects of scribed runes are temporary, and feed off the thaumic essences used to draw them. For example, to summon a wall of ice, a runescribe would need to draw the proper runes in frost thaumic essence. Because the essence itself is used up as fuel, runescribed magic is more powerful than runesmithed magic, though runesmithed effects are often permanent.

Though formally trained runescribes all use a standard set of runes, individual practitioners often use their own systems, or even none at all. Some families have their own systems, passed down through generations.

Commonly Used Essences

• Flame: Dragon ash, Flame blossom pollen, Fireweed, Phoenix tongue pepper oil, Scorchwood bark
• Storm: Stormgrass, Windreeds, Sparkstone powder, Stormleaf sap
• Earth:
• Frost: Frost reeds, Frostpepper oil, Frost slime
• Water: Powdered lapis, Seadrake powder,
• Force: Spikethorn fruit, Black slime
• Mind: Gestalter powder, Mellowshrooms, Venge-eye powder
• Light: Pearlescent rose petals, Light berry juice,
• Shadow: Tulgu bark, Shadowweed
• Spirit: Heartwood laurel bark, Wisp willow sap, Hollow vines, Heartmoss, Withering willow sap
• Void: Void sprite leaves, Voidvine thorns, Voidapple juice,
• Form: Twist-vines,
• Gravity: Weightmoss
• Growth: Witch tree thorns,
• Decay: Dread flower petals, Wither tooth oil, Fell jelly

Classifications of Essences

• Common: 0.1 to 1 Θ/g
• Uncommon: 2 to 5 Θ/g
• Rare: 7 to 12 Θ/g
• Epic: 15 to 35 Θ/g
• Legendary: ~75 Θ/g

Alternate Forms

Necromancy: Necromancy is any form of runescribing used to animate the dead. It consists chiefly of mind, force, and spirit magic, though other domains may be used as well. It is outlawed in most places.
Brinsig: A form of runescribing that uses only light, shadow, water, and stone (earth) magic. A traditional Mycotan magic used predominantly by Interrs.
Runescripting: An archaic term for runescribing. Runescripting consisted solely of four elemental domains; earth, water, flame, storm; and four arcane domains; light, shadow, mind, force.
Windsailing/Stormsinging: An early form of runescribing used by Sungals predominantly to sail whistling canoes, an early form of airship. It consists only of storm and gravity domains, but within this system are further split into wind, lightning, heavy, and lightweight. Rather than the intricate shapes used by southern runescribes, windsailing uses sound to give life to runes, through speaking, singing, or often whistling.
Essence Candles: A niche form of runescribing, in which essences are made into candles. These candles release a continuous effect as they “burn”, and are lit by a simple touch and desire for them to burn. Once lit, an essence candle will not extinguish until it is used up. These candles are used rarely for longer lasting runescribe spells, but more often as a cheap alternative to a disruption staff. When used as the latter, a large quantity of candles is placed throughout an area and lit. This creates a temporary thaumic desert in the surrounding area.
Warding: Very small and weak runes of a single domain are placed extensively throughout an area in order to make it a thaumic desert. This is often used to defend against magical assailants.