Sarnian rune alphabet

Originally the writing for the now extinct dwarven language, the rune alphabet was recorded by the ancient Sarnians during the Dwarven Dusk and slightly modified over time to a more characteristically Sarnian style of writing.

Whilst not commonly known throughout Sarnios, the rune alphabet is in use as a secret script that is only decipherable by the initiated, used primarily as a means of safe communication during war or clandestine operations by the Iethonai during peace.

Each rune is a symbol representing a single word or phrase, consisting of several lines and simple geometric shapes that can all be drawn with a single stroke. With the expansion of the limited original dwarven vocabulary, more runes were introduced over time, requiring a larger amount of lines and increasing complexity in order to remain unique. This is why old runes, such as Sky or Shield, tend to be very simple to draw, while many of the newer ones such as Perseverance or Windmill require much more practice to learn and master.
Apart from their increased complexity, Sarnian runes also have a different style of drawing than their predecessors. Dwarven runes were usually etched into stone with thick and deep lines. Modern runes are usually written on parchment and thus tend to have narrower, more elegant lines and a generally lighter feel. Runic calligraphy is a popular pastime in the higher echelons of Sarnian society, despite most people's lack of knowledge regarding the runic alphabet. This gave rise to several alternate, or as some would say, made up, alphabets with runes that are designed to be more aesthetically pleasing. While most of these modern artistic runic systems lack the vocabulary and thus the practicality of the established runic alphabet, some have become, through sheer enthusiasm and dedication of the artists, quite complex almost to the point of being usable outside of artwork.
A notable alternate runic alphabet was composed and popularized by the famous Sarnian calligrapher and painter Venadoros, whose popularity and the amount of aesthetic and linguistic detail in his work caused his version to become widespread among artists and constantly being improved upon. Despite its popularity, though, the Venadoric runes are still lacking in vocabulary and completely different from actual Sarnian runes, thus not diminishing the latter's value as a safe and effective means of communication in clandestine and war-related matters.