Alter Aeon The Great Library

Welcome to the Alter Aeon Historical Archive!

Note - as with any topic, researchers should question the reliability
and veracity of these texts.  The library's aim is to preserve
documents, not verify accuracy.

AABN:  13770
Title: a book entitled "Runes: The Language of Magic"

"Runes: The Language of Magic" by Professor Gisela Aalfhaus

Runes are symbols used in the diverse arts of spellcraft. They are found on
scrolls, wands and staffs, but can also be carved, etched, embroidered or
imprinted onto nearly any object.

The major branch of runecraft today is the Northern tradition, which comes
from the continent of Ramanek. These runes are made primarily of straight
lines and arcs. The less known script or calligraphic form, Kanji, orginated
on the continent of Suboria. They are used in the Kurita Province, and in
both ancient and modern Quelese-style magecraft. Northern and Kanji runes
strongly resemble one another, as they both descend from the druidic runes
used by faeries, dragons and giants of old.

Runes are most commonly associated with druidic rituals, but other magic
users also employ runes in a more limited fashion.

Mage-crafting often employs the use of elemental runes. Elemental runes
usually denote numbers and variables which are used in complex formulas
involving precise calculations. They sometimes incorporate lines and
geometric shapes. Runic circles are used to contain summoned elementals.
Channel casting also involves the use of elemental runes.

Necromancer runes are almost always either written in blood or carved and
then filled with blood. They follow some of the magical traditions used by
mages, though they are generally written in Demoniac characters. They are
primarily used to form barriers to contain summoned demons. More rarely
they are used to bind necromantic power to items or corpses.

Cleric runes, also known as Sigils, are said to have been derived from the
languages used by gods and angels. These runes are generally written in the
form of commands addressed to the items on which they are inscribed. Many
are direct transcriptions from relevant sacred texts. They appear most
often on holy symbols and architectural wards. Runes denoting the cardinal,
secondary and tertiary directions aid in the creation of permanent
waypoints.

Rarest of all are runes used to manipulate shadow magic. These are most
often employed by demons, though a few skillful mortals learned in the arts
of stealth have mastered them.

Druid runes invoke hidden magical properties that are locked within the
items on which they are carved. They form a simple pictographic language.

This list is of some of the more commonly known Druidic Runes, less often
known as Glyphs.  Because each rune represents a word or concept rather
being part of a magical formula or diagram such as mages use, they are
easier to learn and create.

Verbs:
Ber   - 'shatter' or 'to break'
Xix   - 'to grasp' or 'to hold'
Alu   - 'to remove' or 'weaken'
Ort   - 'to push'
Mun   - 'to separate'
Tal   - 'to strengthen'
Cava  - 'to transform' or 'to change'
Gesu  - 'to protect'
Luk   - 'to bind'

Note - 'Luk' is one of the strongest binding runes, but also
one of the most fickle.

Nouns:
Jah   - 'power'
Vin   - 'luck'
Rava  - 'blood'
Ilnak - 'magic'
Plat  - 'earth' or 'mud'
Stal  - 'stone' or 'rock'
Gark  - 'wood'
Pil   - 'water'
Nar   - 'wind'
Faru  - 'fire'
Zeki  - 'crystal'
Ciru  - 'ice' or 'cold'
Char  - 'lightning'
Fell  - 'poison'
Shul  - 'health'
Arim  - 'endurance'
Khil  - 'accuracy'
Stis  - 'intelligence'
Freth - 'wisdom'
Oshi  - 'dexterity'
Hett  - 'charisma'
Kama  - 'speed'
Kenn  - 'healing'
Ganta - 'reliability'

Miscellaneous:
Ral   - simply 'together'.  It is typically used as a connecting
rune in rune words.