Friday, 20 April 2012
R is for Rune Magic
Of all the races throughout the Old World, no one seems more beset by decline than the Dwarves (or Dwarfs if you prefer the alternate spelling). The High Elves and their kin the Druchii war endlessly over gods. The Wood Elves are beset by Man encroaching on the great forests, and the Halflings are crowded in their idyllic, and ever, shrinking reservation.
And yet the dwarves, stalwart allies of man and ever bitter toward elves of any stripe, are driven from their mountain homes by enemies too numerous to mention. And magic remains both a boon and bane to them. As a boon, dwarves are highly resistant to magical winds and energy, yet this boon is their bane as they cannot wield magic as other races can. However, in ages past the master craftsman of the great dwarven clans found that they could bind magical energies into runes. Thus was born Rune Magic.
Only dwarven craftsmen appear to be capable of this magic, not even elves appear to have the same talents, though it is known that High Elves have a similar runic magic (whether it behaves the same way is unknown, or if whether it was stolen from the dwarves is another matter).
The secrets of rune magic are closely guarded by the craftsmen that work the forges. Apprentices are chosen at a young age if they are recognized to possess the affinity for magical winds (though not the same affinity found in man and other races as dwarves are incapable of the "witch sight," the direct perception of the magic winds constantly flowing through all things).
Objects such as rings, shields, talismans, and weapons can be bound with terrifying power of the magical winds in runes that can be invoked by the words represented in the runes. The martial tools of rune magic are highly sought throughout the Old World.
Rune Magic is very time consuming, especially given the dwarven craftsmen tendency toward perfection. But having a sword or hammer engraved with runes of power can be the balance in your favor. Sigmar Heldenhammer's great warhammer Ghal-Maraz, or Skull Splitter, was such a weapon.
And yet the dwarves, stalwart allies of man and ever bitter toward elves of any stripe, are driven from their mountain homes by enemies too numerous to mention. And magic remains both a boon and bane to them. As a boon, dwarves are highly resistant to magical winds and energy, yet this boon is their bane as they cannot wield magic as other races can. However, in ages past the master craftsman of the great dwarven clans found that they could bind magical energies into runes. Thus was born Rune Magic.
Only dwarven craftsmen appear to be capable of this magic, not even elves appear to have the same talents, though it is known that High Elves have a similar runic magic (whether it behaves the same way is unknown, or if whether it was stolen from the dwarves is another matter).
The secrets of rune magic are closely guarded by the craftsmen that work the forges. Apprentices are chosen at a young age if they are recognized to possess the affinity for magical winds (though not the same affinity found in man and other races as dwarves are incapable of the "witch sight," the direct perception of the magic winds constantly flowing through all things).
Objects such as rings, shields, talismans, and weapons can be bound with terrifying power of the magical winds in runes that can be invoked by the words represented in the runes. The martial tools of rune magic are highly sought throughout the Old World.
Rune Magic is very time consuming, especially given the dwarven craftsmen tendency toward perfection. But having a sword or hammer engraved with runes of power can be the balance in your favor. Sigmar Heldenhammer's great warhammer Ghal-Maraz, or Skull Splitter, was such a weapon.
Posted by at 3:21 PM in d10
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