As you follow the directions of the local folk to the house of the wise old man down the road, you stumbe upon a home that stands out from the rest of the street. The bay windows seem more well maintained than any other building in sight. The white window frames gleam in the sunshine that basks on you and the flower beds are full of beautiful yellow and pink tulips give the street a sweet scent that is very much desired. You knock cautiously on the front door and are greeted by a short and wrinkly old man who invited you in to discuess what is on your mind.
Ah yes, the Rune Codex, I'm surprised you don't know. Have you been living under a rock? A rather large perhaps? Hmm, maybe you're just uneducated based on your expression (and you're choice of robe). Nevertheless I shall explain to you because you asked so and it it is very good knowledge to know for all sorts of reasons. Reasons such as, oh I don't know, how to read runes. Perhaps write a few to make a living or topple a long standing kingdom. All examples of course.
The What
Now, we must start with what the codex actually is. And quite plainly put it is a recording of all known and stable runes used across the continents. That are used in a variety of ways, whether that is to activate a spell without the use of an incantation of to summon peculiar and deadly creatures from alternative realities. The range of them is quite spectacular I must say, I mean you can do practically anything with them. Even those funny little dice that used in that sport everyone seems to enjoy so much, was is it...
The Golem Game that's it, yes. Very well done for remembering. But I have to ask, if you didn't know what the codex was, do you perhaps know who wrote the original copy? No, I wouldn't suppose you would. Well, you are getting quite a extended lesson today aren't you.
The Who
The original author of the book was none other than Ru-Nae, The
Acuran of Runes and Sigils. Living all the way back in the Ancient Era, so dates might be a tad bit fuzzy. But what we are quite certain of is that Ru-Nae almost certainly wrote the original copy in their journal. The name is far too similar for them not to associated. A rather artistic character one might say, who accidentally discovered the primal runes whilst waving a paintbrush around, yes I know quite exciting. And the repeating of such line strokes and patterns became the very runes we use today. All written down so that they could be referred when one has had too much wine on the evening before and requires to be performing a demonstration in fifteen minutes. Not that I would know anything about such things, I only drink in the mornings.
The How
But how does everyone but you know what this book is? You must wondering to yourself, well it has quite a simple really. There was copies made of course. Edited with even more runes found by arious rune scribes across
Cytal and
Ascor all neatly packaged into the pages of the first official Rune Codex. Published and distributed across the lands a short while after the founding of
Birohhal I believe but my memory of dates is not it use to be. Anyway, these books are found in most libraries and schools. On the bookshelves of Rune Scribes and even the occasional home of a blacksmith, it is a rather useful book for them too.
The Where
Now the... what's that? Oh the orignal copy? Ah, that that is somewhat of a tragedy I'm afraid. The story goes, as they say, was this. The book of Ru-Nae was passed down the family, generation after generation for hundreds of years. Until the latest in line, who was living in Presalin at the time, was brutally murdered in the collapse of the city. In fact the entire kingdom of
Eyaton was destroyed in early age of
Acuran. It is presumed that the codex was simply destroyed in the process, or at the very least buried under the rubble of the city. No one has been able to find it and if it can't be found then I can't really exist now can it?
The Others
Just to get back on track to what I was saying before, the Rune Codex is the official book of runes however there is multitude of unofficial copies scattered around. Some containing experimental runes, others with unstable variants and I would imagine dark magic runes that could bring about the destruction of everything we know and love. But that last one is more speculative of course. The point I am making is this, there is a lot of these books around. And the fact you have not come across, let alone heard of them before, is baffling to me. Where did you say you were from again?
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