Ancient Magic Chapter Nine: Rune Magic
See Also
- The Ars Magica Reference Document
- The Ancient Magic Open Content page
- The Ancient Magic product page on this wiki
Chapter Nine: Rune Magic
In the cold and distant lands of the north, in the centuries following the death of Christ, a form of ancient magic developed that was based on simple inscriptions, using a special alphabet of letters called runes. These runes could be used to communicate in writing, but also had unique powers, with each of the many symbols summoning a particular form of magic. These carvings were inherently powerful, imbued with lasting magical effects very much like enchanted devices, all of which were unhindered by those powers that could normally resist them, including the Parma Magica. Because of this, the wizards who made these runes and the warriors who served them were nearly invincible in battle, and powerful enough for the Order to consider them their greatest enemy.
The Order of Odin
At that time all members of the assembly, along with the arrogant usurper Vortigern, are blinded; such is the protection they find for their country (it was, in fact, its destruction) that those wild Saxons, of accursed name, hated by God and men, should be admitted into the island, like wolves into folds, in order to repel the northern nations. . . . Then there breaks forth a brood of whelps from the lair of the savage lioness, in three cyulae, as it is expressed in their language, but in ours, in ships of war under full sail, with omens and divinations. In these it was foretold, there being a prophecy firmly relied upon among them, that they should occupy the country to which the bows of their ships were turned, for three hundred years; for one hundred and fifty — that is for half the time — they should make frequent devastations. They sailed out, and at the directions of the unlucky tyrant, first fixed their dreadful talons in the eastern part of the island, as men intending to fight for the country, but more truly to assail it. To these the mother of the brood, finding that success had attended the first contingent, sends out also a larger raft-full of accomplices and curs, which sails over and joins itself to their bastard comrades. From that source, the seed of iniquity, the root of bitterness, grows as a poisonous plant, worthy of our deserts, in our own soil, furnished with rugged branches and leaves.
— The Ruin and Conquest of Britain, Gildas (516?-570?)
The first rune wizards are said to have been followers of Odin, a god the peoples of the North called the All-father, whom legend tells learned magic through a great ritual of sacrifice, and who taught this knowledge to his followers. Like the wizards in the lands further south, those with his Gift of power inspired supernatural feelings of envy and dislike in the common people, but as priests of Odin they were also respected and feared by them, and had strong ties to both the ruling class and the leaders of the pagan faith. Unlike the Roman Mercurians or the Celtic druids, the early rune wizards were much more integrated into their primitive communities, often holding positions of absolute authority over them.
Very little is known about these early chieftain-priests. They were said to have been recognized for their prowess in battle, dressing in bear skins (they were sometimes called bersarkrs for this reason) and supposedly never tiring, fighting until all of their enemies were slain. Some of their earliest rune carvings may still be found in the remote places where these proto-Vikings dwelled, on gravesites and ancient monuments called runestones, in the rock of magical caves deep beneath the mountains, and in the stones of the buildings in their oldest cities.
These early people were also exceptional shipbuilders and sailors, and in the fifth and sixth centuries they spread throughout much of Scandinavia and all of eastern Britannia. Many of them came from Saxony and a part of Denmark called Engle, eventually developing into what modern historians call Anglo-Saxons. Chronicling the events of this period, a monk named Gildas wrote in his history of Britain that this invasion succeeded as God's punishment for the Britons' many sins. By the end of the eighth century the rune wizards had managed to seize and settle all of what would become England, ruthlessly fighting back the Welsh in the west and driving off the Celtic peoples in the south, though they also suffered great losses in these battles. It was primarily these wizards who ruled the island during these years, who drove the people to conquest and victory, and it is said that in those days every village had its own rune master instead of a lord.
Over the next 100 years, through wars and trade with the many other peoples of England, the Anglo-Saxon people began to be assimilated into the Christian culture, and their model of a community ruled by a rune wizard as chieftain began to break down. Surviving descriptions of these followers of Odin make them sound like crazed fanatics, with such a powerfully negative air of magic about them that none could bear to remain in their presence. Similar to what would later happen in Scandinavia during the ninth and tenth centuries, the rune wizards began to lose the respect and obedience of the general populace, and soon came to be considered closer kin to madmen and devil-worshipers than lords and leaders, while the Dominion began to spread throughout the land and take hold of the people's hearts.
Not-so-ancient Magic
The ancient magic of the rune wizards is much less ancient than the other traditions in this book, having been practiced within the living memory of the oldest magi in the Order. It is even conceivable that some of these rune wizards still live in the wild lands north of Mythic Europe, or hide in the lands once settled by their ancestors, practicing their traditional rune magic as a type of pagan hedge wizardry. Most magi believe the Order of Odin is dead and buried, however, and consider them a magical tradition from an earlier time and a distant culture. From this perspective, the magic of the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons is ancient magic, since they no longer live in the lands where it might be found. Thus, discovering their secrets is seen as a task for Seekers of ancient lore, not magi who integrate hedge traditions into Hermetic theory.
War Against the Order
By the late 700s, Viking raiders had begun attacking sea-towns and settlements, and these war parties were often accompanied by Norse rune wizards acting as lords and generals. Their lands further north and east were becoming overpopulated, and so the most enterprising of them had set sail for Christian shores, believing that their magic and battle-prowess would bring them great wealth and power if they struck swiftly. They pillaged the coastlines and demolished villages and monasteries, taking anything of value: silver, vis, food, weapons, and slaves. What they did not value, they burned. These enterprising Vikings often attacked the Anglo-Saxon settlements in addition to those belonging to the Welsh and Britons.
And so, in about 800 AD, the most powerful rune wizards in Britain allied themselves with a Pictish sorcerer known as Damhan-Allaidh, or "the Spider." Together they proposed to eliminate all of their rivals from across the sea, the Vikings of the north as well as the Hermetic magi from the south. Many have speculated that Damhan-Allaidh belonged to their magical tradition, or at least a similar branch that used writing to produce magical effects, and that from their alliance a new form of rune magic was developed. In any case, their combined magical powers drove the Scandinavian raiders away, forcing them to strike at easier shores, but also drew the notice of Pralix and the Order of Hermes.
The Spider and his allies seem to have wanted to lure their Hermetic enemies to England to attack them directly, for their power was far greater when defending themselves and laying traps than when attacking. At first, this plan was successful, and many magi fell trying to confront Damhan-Allaidh and his army, but when Pralix managed to gain a foothold among other hedge wizards on the island, the Spider and his allies were forced to take up the offensive against them. This proved to be the downfall of the Anglo-Saxon rune wizards, for while they were fearsome in battle, they were much more vulnerable to magical counter-attacks, and the war soon took its toll on their ranks. According to the members of the Ordo Miscellany, all of the rune wizards were either defeated in the final battle or later hunted down and destroyed, completely driven from the shores of England in the years that followed.
The Viking Invasions
Independent of the war against Damhan-Allaidh, the rune wizards and warriors from Scandinavia and other places to the north continued their attacks on central Europe and other parts of Britannia. Starting in about 830, the Vikings led a major assault against Ireland, sending over an army of raiders on a great fleet of ships. They landed on the eastern shore of the island and built fortifications from which they could attack the entire country. From their main stronghold in Dublin, they ravaged the whole of the Emerald Isle, and it was said that no village was safe from them.
It was there that the Scandinavian rune wizards first encountered representatives of the Order of Hermes, in the form of a group of Diedne magi from a covenant several miles northwest of their camp. The two groups clashed on the Diedne covenant grounds, unable to communicate anything more than threats to each other, each assessing the other's magical strengths and weaknesses. Although much of the rune wizards' magic was unhindered by the Parma Magica, they were generally unable to affect the magi directly, and the Vikings were eventually routed. However, the magi realized that they were unusually vulnerable to these attackers, and they were troubled. They brought word of these strange northern wizards to the Grand Tribunal of 832, where those who had heard of their pagan faith and their Anglo-Saxon kin dubbed them members of "The Order of Odin."
In 837 a delegation of primarily Irish magi from many different Houses, led by Máel-tuili of Merinita, sought out the rune wizards and attempted to parley with them. At first, the Viking leaders were abusive and demanded to know their secrets, but after hours of negotiation the rune wizards eventually agreed that they would leave in peace if the magi paid to them a tribute of 3,000 pounds of silver and forty pawns of vis. This price was arranged, but soon after they had it in hand the Vikings reneged on the deal and attacked. The leaders of both parties fell in the subsequent battle, and many other magi and wizards were killed. The news of this betrayal stirred equal parts of outrage and horror in the local magi and throughout the Order, but no immediate action was taken.
Soon more Vikings arrived in Ireland and reinforced their camps, and the frequency and range of the periodic attacks increased as the Norsemen realized just how much wealth there was to be had. The invaders came in even greater numbers, and other bands landed in Scotland, England, France, Germany, and Russia. A substantial raiding party nearly captured Paris in 845, and in 865 a great army of Vikings landed in East Anglia and proceeded through kingdom after kingdom, subduing or killing everyone who opposed them. For most of the latter part of the ninth century, the Vikings were a terrifying menace to all of northern Europe, and the so-called Order of Odin seemed a very real threat.
Many of the magi in the northern Tribunals felt that it was the interference of Máel-tuili that had endangered them all and brought ruin upon their lands. Instead of joining in war against the rune wizards, most of these magi went into hiding, especially the magi of House Diedne. At the Britannian Tribunal of 851, the Diedne Primus Obregon declared that the magi of his House would "no longer protect our undeserving sodales from the enemy," but instead would "respect the Code from within the safety of our secret mounds and hidden dales." Nearly all interaction between covenants and magi in the region broke down for about 20 years, and remained sporadic for much of the following century, but forever after the Irish Diedne remained apart from their sodales and never participated in the local Tribunals again.
The rune wizards may have seemed to the magi of the Order of Hermes to have been united as part of a great organization with plans to invade Christendom, but it is more likely that they were simply opportunists who had allied themselves with bands of warriors in search of adventure, property, and status. However, the idea of the "Order of Odin" became so well-known that some of the rune wizards proudly took the name during this era, as a sort of battle-cry or badge of honor. A great many magi distinguished themselves in retaliatory strikes against the enemy's camps and ships, and made forays into the North to wreak havoc in their homeland. Though war was never declared, nonetheless a great many Hermetic war heroes emerged from these conflicts.
As both rune wizards and magi were killed off in these skirmishes, the invaders' non-magical kin began to settle the lands they had captured, and by about 950 the raids had almost entirely ceased. The attention of the Order of Hermes soon turned to other matters, including the Schism War, and over time the Christian faith spread among the Norse peoples in their homelands and the lands they had conquered, bringing with it the Dominion and a disdain for the old, warlike ways of their pagan ancestors. Most of the rune wizards that remained in European lands are believed to have either joined the Order or retreated into the wilderness, to hide from their own civilization and culture, and soon they became nothing more than a legend, even among their own people.
Discovery
By 1220, the rune wizards of old seem to no longer live within the lands of the Order of Hermes, and many magi believe that their ancient magic has been forever lost. Yet some remnants of their power may still remain in the places they conquered, and Seekers interested in the magic of the North might be drawn to study these artifacts, to discover what made their rune magic so dangerous, and perhaps find a way to adapt it to the Hermetic Arts. To do this, they must track down an example of active rune magic, investigate it in the lab, and learn from its secrets. There are three possible means by which a magus might accomplish this task: by heading north into the territories where the rune wizards of the Order of Odin supposedly still reside, by seeking out barrow-markers and grave goods in places where rune wizards once lived and fought, or by making contact with ancient faeries who practice a similar sort of magic.
The Mythic North
One method of finding active rune magic may be to find a living rune wizard, for though they have not been seen for many years, many magi believe they still live in the lands north of Mythic Europe — Denmark, Scandinavia, Iceland, Greenland rebuilding their strength and preparing for another strike. The question of whether or not they survive is a point of great political contention within the Order of Hermes, for some say that the Order of Odin has been destroyed, and others vehemently maintain that they have not. Seekers in a position to definitively answer this question will likely encounter resistance from one side or other, and so it should be with some trepidation that they embark on such a quest.
A good place to start would be to try and make contact with the covenant of Heorot, in the Kingdom of Denmark. Just after the meeting of the Rhine Tribunal in 1214 AD, three magi decided to establish a covenant on the island of Zealand. They chose a site in Lethra, a ruined town that was abandoned sometime during the sixth century, but which was once the seat of the Danish kings and a thriving town at the center of the island. The main building is a great hall built on the site of the original structure, the hall of the famous King Hrothgar, and it was during his reign that the epic tale of Beowulf took place. Heorot was built as an authentic recreation of the great feast hall, with laboratories and housing in the surrounding area. Beyond the defenses at the edges of the covenant are marshes that are still prowled by fearsome monsters descended from the creature Grendel. These trolls are not invincible, but they still pose a powerful threat to those they catch in the wild.
The Heorot covenant has only existed for six years, and has yet to attend Tribunal and become officially recognized (see Guardians of the Forests, page 90). The magi are not convinced that the Order of Odin is dead, and one of the magi is reputedly interested in locating a rune wizard and studying his magic. He is afraid to leave the safety of the covenant, but perhaps he would be willing to collaborate on his investigation with anyone who can bring reliable information to him.
Another potential source of aid is the pirates of the Hermetic covenant of Waddenzee, a group of aggressive magi that sails in the Baltic Sea, raiding villages and other ships. They regularly strike at the settlements on the shores of Norway and Sweden, and often push deep inland on exploratory expeditions. They claim that they have found both great amounts of vis and members of the Order of Odin, all of whom they hunted down and killed. They might be convinced to allow a Seeker to travel with them for a while, or direct him toward areas where he might be likely to come across rune wizards and their descendants.
Even farther north are Iceland and Greenland, both of which could have evidence of rune wizards hiding within their Christian communities or living in the wilderness beyond the borders of the Dominion. Perhaps a Seeker might join up with a group of other characters with their own reasons for traveling into the Arctic islands, and spend time assisting them with their own adventures while searching for signs of the Order of Odin. There, they may even hear stories of Viking settlements even further west, where rune wizards might have fled, including the land of Vinland described in The Saga of Erik the Red.
Heirlooms and Artifacts
Even if those who practiced the magic of the runes cannot be found, evidence of their spells can still be discovered. It is possible that magi might even come upon some examples of magical relics but have no idea what it is they have discovered. Because of the way that rune magic changes the nature of its target, objects with active effects do not seem magical to Intellego Vim spells. The only evidence of rune magic is the inscription, and the effect it has on its surroundings. This effect is entirely natural, however, and can only be divined by observation or through intensive magical investigation.
Rune wizards are said to have woven curses on gravestones and blessings on their swords, and by digging up their battlefields magi may unearth some examples of these sorts of items. Seekers may not be able to move the monumental rune-stones or grave-markers that dot the northern landscape, though they may be able to study these relics in the wild. Or perhaps a Seeker may discover a discarded wooden wand, carved with strange vertical and diagonal runes, that does not seem to be a magical device but clearly has a magical effect on its surroundings.
However, magi are more likely to discover runes that they think are magical but upon further investigation are found to be entirely mundane, either because age has damaged the runes or because they were never enchanted at all. Another aspect of rune magic that Seekers might stumble upon is that runes with active magic are lasting Arcane Connections to the caster. Simple Intellego Corpus spells might reveal that a rune-stone is connected to a dead body, and this is one way to prove that its magic is genuine and still in effect.
There may be other places in European lands settled by the Vikings or the Anglo-Saxons where the old faith is still practiced, or at least the old stories are remembered and told. From such folk wisdom, a Seeker might learn the story of how Odin learned the magic of the runes, a ritual in which he hung from a tree with his side pierced for nine days, and afterward received enlightenment. Perhaps a magus can locate a tree that is said to have been used in such a ceremony, or undergo a similar ordeal in hopes of achieving the same insight.
Many Seekers believe that the Norse gods were actually the primeval originators of magic, known as the Old Ones, believed to be the first wizards ever to walk the earth. It is said they eventually overcame their mortal forms and ascended to godhood, becoming the figures of legend told in the tales. It is also possible that they are very powerful faeries. Finding one of these beings is a worthy quest on its own, not just for the purpose of learning the secret of the runes. However, a Seeker who discovers a way to communicate with the Norse gods may be able to convince them to teach him rune magic, and while the magnificence of meeting a god is an awe-inspiring experience all to itself, it is also an opportunity for knowledge that a true Seeker should not overlook.
The Dvergar
The rune wizards are not the only ones in the lands of the far North who practiced rune magic. The ancient race of beings called the dvergar also knows the secrets, and practiced it long before Odin taught men. They are unfriendly beings who dwell in Faerie regiones deep within the bowels of the earth, or in Arcadia, accessible only through the cellars of abandoned buildings or in tunnels hidden under mountains in lands where the rune wizards once lived. They use the power of the runes to craft fantastic magical items, the like of which has never been seen in Christian lands.
A Seeker who finds his way into Nithavellir (the underground land of the dvergar and other dark faeries) may locate a dverge and convince it to construct him an artifact. Dvergar do not have items for sale, as each one is handcrafted for a particular person and purpose. The Seeker must describe what he wants the dverge to make and why, for these beings do not waste their time for just anyone, and legend tells that a person who receives an enchanted item from them is destined for greatness, a heroic but ultimately unhappy life. Then the dverge begins the process of forging the item, a long and tedious process, in its workshop, and after many seasons of calculations, reciting litanies, and hard labor, the artifact is complete.
Dverge-forged items differ from the runes that rune wizards carve in a few small but meaningful ways. For one thing, the runes may be hidden where they cannot be seen at all, such as on the inside of steel or woven with black thread into black cloth. The runes of the dverge are also said to allow effects that are not possible with typical rune magic, such as gold rings that can multiply themselves or runes that bring men back from the dead. Finally, dverge artifacts resemble Hermetic devices, in that they can have multiple uses per day, triggered effects, increased Penetration, and activated Powers. This makes them much more valuable than anything the rune wizards ever crafted.
However, faerie runes also typically affect the wielder, changing him in subtle or not-so-subtle ways — those with dverge-forged devices may find they do not feel comfortable being without them, or talk to them, or develop other strange personality quirks associated with their relationship to the object. Madness and a thirst for violence are common side effects of interacting with the Norse fae.
Once the item has been constructed, the Seeker must pay for it. The price is set after its creation, and since dvergar do not haggle and despise those who do, the Seeker must either accept or refuse. Being faeries, dvergar usually ask for things that seem alien, things that human beings take for granted. The price may sound simple and mundane, but it always has hidden costs. For example, a dverge might request that the Seeker give his heart's desire, and if the Seeker agrees, he finds that the faerie hasn't taken the thing that was his heart's desire, but rather his actual desire for it. Some other example dverge-prices might include:
- the edge of his sight
- a bit of his luck
- two of his toes
- two of his fingers
- the color of his eyes
- his height
- his hair
- his friends
- his good name
- his fondest wish
- 100 words
- the first thing he sees upon returning to his home
- seven years of his life
Dverge-made items only function for the person for whom they were crafted, though they may be inherited by a blood relative (and still include the hidden costs for the new owner). Even if the heir cannot use these items, such artifacts may still be investigated by those seeking to learn rune magic, and the craftsmanship is such that they always fetch a high price simply for the quality of the object.
Hermetic Integration
Once a Seeker investigates an example of active rune magic, he learns that the runes inscribed onto a target actually change the nature of that target to conform to the qualities of the rune, and that this effect lasts for as long as the rune does. These unique aspects of rune magic may be adapted to Hermetic theory through investigation and experimentation
Enchantment Runes
Magi who possess Hermetic Rune Magic may also invent enchanted devices that use the magic of the runes. They must open the item as usual, and then spend another season designing the effect, but using the Rune Duration and Inscription Target, and they must inscribe the runes onto the item as part of investing the effect. They can then make further modifications to the effect. Note, however, that if the runes are damaged, the effect ceases to function, just as if the device itself had been destroyed.
Because of the resonances between the magic of the runes and the secrets taught to Verditius by Wayland Smith, Verditius magi who have initiated the Mystery of Elder Verditius Runes may add their Rune Magic score to their Lab Total instead of the +2 bonus they normally receive for matching a particular type of wood, and they always know a rune that can provide the magical focus they seek, rather than using the table of Arts given in Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, page 127.
(a Major Breakthrough requiring 45 breakthrough points), producing the new Hermetic Rune Magic Virtue, described below.
Surprisingly, deciphering rune magic is not as difficult for magi as might be supposed. This is because rune magic is similar to Hermetic magic in several ways, most notably in that rune spells typically have a rune that describes the effect and another rune that describes the target, what magi might call the Technique and the Form. As magi investigate examples of rune magic and better understand the minds of the rune wizards who practiced it, they likely learn the meanings of the different runes as well as the different alphabets that were used to write them. To represent this knowledge, magi may learn a new Arcane Ability called Rune Magic, also described below.
There are three ways to formulate a rune spell. In the first formula, the caster inscribes his name and the effect in the first person, as in "I, Eirik, carve the runes that heal flesh." This method generally means that the spell affects the caster, or that the effect is centered on the caster. In the second formula, the runes that describe the caster and the effect are written in the third person, as in "Eirik carves the runes that create fire." This formula usually means that the spell affects something other than the caster, or is centered on an object rather than the caster. In the third case, the runes give the caster's name, but do not describe an effect. This simply associates the object on which the runes are carved with the caster, which magi might use to create an Arcane Connection that is lasting but not permanent (see below).
New Virtue
Hermetic Rune Magic
Major, Hermetic
This Virtue gives the magus a new Rune Duration and Inscription Target for his spells, through which he can make use of the power of the runes. When used, these ensure that the effect lasts almost forever (or at least for as long as the runes remain undamaged), and that for that duration, the magic is a true and natural change, similar to the effects of a Creo Ritual spell. The target of this sort of spell does not become a magical thing for the purposes of Magic Resistance, allowing the magus to enchant objects and people with raw, natural power that does not require vis. Spells that directly target a being with Magic Resistance must still penetrate, however. For example, a Creo Ignem spell using rune magic would not need to penetrate, because the flames are considered natural for the duration. A Perdo Corpus spell would need to penetrate, because the effect targets a person who is protected against magic.
Rune (Duration): This spell must be cast with an Inscription Target, and lasts for as long as the rune or runes that form the inscription remain undamaged and whole. The moment they are worn away, broken, or changed, the effect ends. If the runes are carved upon an object, like a wand or stone, the effect also ends if the object is damaged significantly, in the same way that a magical device can be ruined. This Duration is equivalent to Moon, adding three magnitudes to a spell's base level.
Inscription (Target): This spell must be cast with Rune Duration. It is the same as Individual, except that the spell requires the caster to write on the target or an object that the target wears or carries. If the spell does not target the object upon which the runes are inscribed, the inscription must include an Arcane Connection to the target, or else the inscribed object must touch the target. If this object is removed, the effect is interrupted, but it does not end as long as the runes are still whole.
The inscription must be made while the spell is being cast. Like spells that use a circle, the magus may use magic to carve the words, but at no greater distance than Touch, and he must still physically trace out the runes, as if he were carving them with a tool. When using organic material such as wood or horn, an inscription can be made in the same amount of time it takes to cast a Hermetic spell, and it generally takes about two minutes to scratch an inscription in stone or metal. These spontaneous runes are unlikely to last more than a few days before wear causes them to fall apart, however. For lasting effects, at least several hours of craftwork are necessary, or as long as a season for a masterpiece intended to outlive the caster.
When casting rune magic spells, a magus must inscribe his name and a concise description of the intended effect, or else he suffers a penalty to his Casting Total. If the magus does not inscribe his name into the inscription, he receives a –5 penalty. He can choose to hide or encrypt the runes in some way, by combining the stems of several runes together in a design that requires a contested Intelligence + Rune Magic roll to decipher (see Rune Magic, below), and this gives him a –2 penalty for hiding his name and a –5 penalty for obscuring the description. Or, he can omit his name and simply carve single runes for the Arts used in the effect, rather than describing them fully in the script, for a –10 penalty.
If the runes that are used to describe the effect or the target are emphasized, either by repeating a particular rune three times or by spelling out the entire alphabet at the beginning of the script, the magus receives a +1 bonus. This is quite common in rune magic, since it is rarely any additional trouble, but it makes it very easy to recognize the inscription as rune magic rather than a simple adornment. If the magus spends extra effort on the inscription, coloring in the runes or working them into an intricate pattern or design, this doubles the casting time and gives him another +1 bonus to his casting total.
| Variation | Modifier |
|---|---|
| Hidden name | –2 |
| No name | –5 |
| Hidden description | –5 |
| No description | –10 |
| Extra effort | +1 |
| Emphasis | +1 |
Alternatively, when he is inscribing runes, the magus can make a Dexterity + an appropriate Craft Ability roll against an Ease Factor of 15, using a simple die. If he succeeds, he can disguise his rune script however he wishes, without any penalty. If he fails, he must cancel the spell and start over from the beginning with a new inscription, discarding the object on which he was carving the runes.
Hermetic Rune Magic has two major drawbacks. Firstly, the runes are a lasting Arcane Connection to the caster, and beyond that they function in a manner similar to the spell Opening the Intangible Tunnel (ReVi Gen), in that other magi can target the caster by targeting the runes. That is, a rival magus could cast a Touch spell at the caster simply by touching the runes, as if he were touching the caster. The Intangible Tunnel has the same level as the runic effect. Secondly, every spell that uses the Rune Duration and the Inscription Target is considered a powerful mystical effect, which always gives the target a Warping Point. There is no way to design a rune spell not to Warp a particular target as with other Hermetic spells. These two weaknesses explain why rune wizards are said to have become Warped much more quickly than Hermetic magi, and traditionally guarded their runes very closely, destroying them after they had served their purpose.
A magus who possesses this Virtue can easily make lasting Arcane Connections to himself, by simply inscribing his name on an object and imbuing it with his magic. He must make a roll as if casting a spell, using his Casting Total for any Technique and any Form, but he succeeds so long as he achieves a positive result and does not botch. As with any rune spell, the object becomes an Arcane Connection to the magus for as long as the rune remains undamaged, and may be targeted by other magic as if the object were the caster.
New Ability: Rune Magic
This is the rune wizards' version of Magic Theory. It is knowledge of what the magic of the runes is and how it works, dealing with the symbolism of each rune, how they may be used, how to formulate a rune-script, and how to encrypt the runes so that they are harder for others to recognize. Without The Gift it has few practical applications, though like Magic Theory, a basic understanding is essential for accurately copying books on Rune Magic. Specialties: hiding runes, identifying rune magic, runes associated with a particular Art. (Arcane)
Rune Alphabets
Magi who have learned Hermetic Rune Magic may use any form of writing to inscribe their magical effects, though they probably favor the same runes used by the wizards of the North, since they are likely to have learned them while they investigated Rune Magic (raising their Artes Liberales score accordingly to accommodate knowledge of an additional alphabet). To make it easier for players to incorporate these symbols into their characters' magic, these three systems of runes are briefly described here.
Rune Magic and Creo Spells
Because of the way rune magic causes natural effects and must be inscribed on the target, Hermetic Rune Magic can interact with the Art of Creo in one of two unusual ways, depending on whether the spell is designed to create or to heal. If the effect creates a target, the runes must be written on an Arcane Connection to that target, and the target is only created if it does not already exist. For example, to create an ox, the magus must have something that is part of an ox that is no more, such as a horn from a dead ox, and the spell essentially transforms the horn into the ox. If the ox upon which the spell is based still lives, the spell has no effect, so that casting such a spell twice does not create two oxen. To enchant a cloth so that it will create a great feast, the magus must first lay out a great feast upon it. From then on, that same feast will be created by the runes whenever the cloth is activated, but if the created food and drink is simply set aside, the magic has no apparent effect.
Healing spells like The Chirurgeon's Healing Touch take the place of natural healing for the duration of the spell, so that if the rune remains on the target as long as it takes to heal the injury naturally, the wound does not reopen when the effect ends. For example, a silver ring with runes that heal a Light Wound must remain on the target for at least a week, the recovery period for a Light Wound. If the ring is removed or damaged during this time, before the wound would have healed naturally, the character must make an immediate Recovery roll for that injury (ArM5, page 179). If this equals or exceeds the Improvement Ease Factor, the wound remains healed. If the roll equals or exceeds the Stable Ease Factor, the Light Wound reopens. If this roll is less than the Stable Ease Factor, the wound worsens, becoming a Medium Wound.
Consequences
The runes and Hermetic Rune Magic have the power to revolutionize the Order, as they can create natural and lasting effects that do not require vis. The magical devices that can be made with rune magic are truly amazing, and those magi who build them soon replace the dvergar of the North as the great masters of the magical crafts. House Verditius might desire to keep such a great discovery as a House Mystery, and begrudge those who share the secret with others.
The re-emergence of the rune magic of the Order of Odin could also have exciting consequences for the magi of the Order of Hermes. Politically, the rune wizards and their magic are dangerous topics, as there are many who use the idea of them as reason to keep the northern Tribunals prepared for war, and to leave the lands of the Norsemen uninhabited by magi. Characters who can confirm or deny that the rune wizards have been wiped out — and who can report the true state of affairs in their northern homeland — are very unpopular among these factions at Tribunal.
Yet as rune magic begins to spread through the Order, perhaps the magi find that one day it suddenly ceases to function. Why? It might be because Ragnarok, the "Destruction of the Powers," has come. On that day, when the great serpent and the Fenris wolf are freed, the great horn of warning is blown and the gods must don their armor to fight the invading giants in the great battle at the end of the world. From that day forward, the magic of the runes no longer has any effect, for the gods have turned away from the world, and the power of Odin's runes has gone with him to Asgard and whatever lies beyond.
The Rune Poems
Characters who are interested in learning about Rune Magic can track down a study source in the form of a "rune poem," rare and valuable works written by the wizards to teach their followers the basics of rune carving and the magic of the runes. These texts name each rune and give a brief description in verse. The verses are typically four lines long, one verse for each rune, and describe the rune's mystical properties through imagery, such as "Wealth / source of discord among kinsmen / and fire of the sea / and path of the serpent" or "Hail / cold grain / and shower of sleet / and sickness of serpents."
There are three rune poem texts that might be found in Mythic Europe: the Icelandic Rune Poem and the Norwegian Rune Poem, both of which use the Younger Futhark alphabet (see below), and the Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem, which uses the Futhorc (also described below), but which was translated into Latin by Christian monks who made many changes to the text. The two former books might be Rune Magic summae of Level 5, Quality 7; the latter Level 5, Quality 3.
The Elder Futhark
The oldest version of the runes is called the Elder futhark (the word futhark refers to the first six letters in the alphabet), and was known to the rune wizards of Scandinavia and Iceland. Since it is believed to comprise the original runes that were taught by Odin to his followers, it is considered to represent rune magic in its purest form. It consists of 24 letters, broken up into three aetts ("eights") of eight letters each.
Letter Rune Name Pronounced Meaning Letter Rune Name Pronounced Meaning F ? Fehu FAY-hoo Wealth Y ? Ihwaz EYE-vaz Yew U ? Uruz oo-ROOZ Auroch P ? Perth PAIR-th Cup TH ? Thurisaz THUR-ee-sahz Ogre Z ? Algiz AL-gheez Elk A ? Ansuz AN-sooz Mouth S ? Sowilo SOH-veel-oh Sun R ? Raido RYE-doh Riding T ? Tiwaz TEE-vahz Tyr K ? Kauno COW-noh Pain B ? Berkanan BARE-kan-ahn Birch G ? Gebo GHAY-boh Gift E ? Ehwaz AY-vahz Horse W ? Wunjo VUN-yoh Joy M ? Mannaz MAH-nahz Man H ? Hagalaz HAH-ghah-lahz Hail L ? Laguz LAH-ghooz Water N ? Naudhiz NOW-thiz Need NG ? Ingwaz ING-vahz Lord I ? Isa EE-sah Ice D ? Dagaz DHAH-ghaz Day J ? Jera YEH-rah Year O ? Othila OH-thi-lah Inheritance
The Younger Futhark
In Denmark and Germany, the futhark began to develop over time as it was used to communicate as well as work magic. Many of the names of the runes and their meanings changed as the language became more compact, and the runemasters began using fewer characters, eventually settling on a set of 16 runes instead of the original 24. Instead of three aetts made up of eight runes, in this system the first aett had six runes and the other two had five. This variation came to be known as the Younger futhark.
Letter Rune Name Pronounced Meaning Letter Rune Name Pronounced Meaning F ? Fe FAY Wealth I ? Iss EES Ice U ? Ur OOR Drizzle J ? Ar AHR Year TH ? Thurs THURZ Ogre S ? Sol SOHL Sun A ? Ass AHSS God T ? Tyr TEER Tyr R ? Reidh RAYTH Ride B ? Bjarkan BYAR-kahn Birch K ? Kaun COWN Sore M ? Madhr mah-THUR Man H ? Hagall HAH-gall Hail L ? Logr lah-GHUR Water N ? Naudhr NOW-thur Need Y ? Yr EAR Yew
The Anglo-Saxon Futhorc
In England, the rune wizards instead expanded their alphabet, eventually adding more runes and altering the meaning of many of the others, producing a very different set of runes, called the futhorc. Scholars agree that it included these 28 runes, though there are several other letters that may also have been included.
Letter Rune Name Pronounced Meaning Letter Rune Name Pronounced Meaning F ? Feob FAY-oh Wealth X ? Eolhx OHLHK Elk U ? Ur OOR Auroch S ? Sigel SIGH-gel Sun TH ? Thorn THORN Thorn T ? Tir TIRE Star O ? Os OH-ss Mouth B ? Beorc BORK Birch R ? Rad RAYD Riding E ? Eh EH Horse C ? Cen KEEN Torch M ? Mann MAHN Man G ? Gyfu GUY-foo Gift L ? Lagu LAH-guh Water W ? Wynn WIN Joy NG ? Ing ING Hero H ? Haegl HIGH-gull Hail D ? Daeg DYE-gh Day N ? Nyd NID Need OE ? Ethel EE-thell Homeland I ? Is EYE-ss Ice A ? Ac ACHE Oak J ? Ger GEAR Year AE ? Aesc EYE-sk Ash Y ? Eoh EE-oh Yew YR ? Yr EAR Bow P ? Peordh POHR-th Cup EA ? Ear YAHR Grave
Further Reading
Ankarloo, Bengt and Stuart Clark (ed.) (1999) Witchcraft and Magic in Europe: Ancient Greece and Rome. University of Pennsylvania Press
Bradley, R. (2005) Ritual and Domestic Life in Prehistoric Europe. Routledge
Faraone, Christopher and Dirk Obbink (ed.) (1991) Magika Hiera: Ancient Greek Magic and Religion. Oxford University Press
Gager, John (1992) Curse Tablets and Binding Spells from the Ancient World. Oxford University Press
McKinnell, John and Simek, Rudolf with Düwel, Klaus (2004) Runes, Magic and Religion. A Sourcebook. Verlag Fassbaender
Mellinkoff, Ruth (1981) The Mark of Cain. University of California Press
Meyer, M. and P. Mirecki (eds) (2001) Ancient Magic and Ritual Power. Brill Academic Publishers, Ltd
Murdoch, Brian (2003) The Medieval Popular Bible: Expansions of Genesis in the Middle Ages. D.S. Brewer
Ogden, Daniel (2001) Greek and Roman Necromancy. Princeton University Press
Riley-Smith, J. (1991) The Atlas of the Crusades. Facts on File
Saggs, H.W.F. (2000) Peoples of the Past: Babylonians. University of California Press
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