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RUNE INTEGRATION IN GLORANTHA

Runes are Glorantha’s foundations. In a universe founded upon principles of magical law, the runes are the laws themselves. They shape

Gloranthan reality, allow it to function and underpin its very existence.

Every culture and magical order has its own beliefs on just what runes are. Whether they are the concentrated magical energy of Glorantha itself or blood from wounded gods in the Great Darkness, they represent one of the most valuable and powerful commodities in the mortal world. Peasants, adventurers, priests and kings alike all seek runic mastery, in the hope of attaining membership in their chosen cults or simply furthering their own goals through magical infl uence.

This product deals with runes themselves, notably how they relate to characters and highlighting options for those Gloranthan souls that wish to become (or already are) runecasters.

Manifestations of the FundamentA God Learner speaks:

The world, the universe, reality itself – all are shaped by the foundations upon which they stand. Physical and magical laws shape existence, forming all we discover and all we see around us. Runes are the evidence of these magical laws, concentrated, refined and distilled into a powerful new element that any sentient mortal being can use. For the simple-minded, it is easiest to consider runes as the solid manifestations of the laws that shape our universe. For those with the capacity and vision to see the truth of the matter, the answer remains the same. It just uses a great many more words in explaining it; words which you are unlikely to understand without a great deal of time within one of our libraries. Incidentally, no, our archives remain sealed to your kind. My apologies.

Blood of the Storm TribeAn Orlanthi cultist speaks:

The Gods bled in the True Darkness. Oh, how they bled. They fought and died in great numbers, falling to Chaos, the Devil and often to each other. It was an age of conflict but one that offered special gifts to mortals of later ages. Wherever mighty Orlanth bled, wherever his god-blood spilled across the Gloranthan soil, we now find the physical echoes of his suffering. Each time one of the storm gods took injury in defence of the world and each time one of the dark gods died trying to destroy it, their life’s fluid rained down and created runes when it touched the land. This was natural reaction to such divine power meeting mortal earth. This is why we carry runes now, because it is natural that we do so. Some people will tell you that we dishonour the gods by seeing opportunity born in their pain but runes are a gift from the Heavens, not a lesser echo of the war. The gods knew what their blood would do for us. They are gods, after all.

Lesser Gifts of the Mortal PlaneA Dragonlord speaks:

Even a flawed gemstone has aspects of beauty. The same is true of Glorantha and its runes, where even a flawed world has aspects that can be considered almost perfect. Runes provide us with mastery over a lesser magic – a common magic – but they are not to be overlooked out of elitist spite or ignorance. Where our own powers are bound in shackles of prudence and necessary restraint, runes allow manipulation of magic without endangering the Great Dragon To Come. For all its flaws the world has some features that we would be fools to ignore in the quest for ascension. Runes are chief among these, though we acknowledge that all such power will be cast aside in the purifying time before the Great Dragon rises.

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RunecastingTo work any Rune Magic, the caster must be free to chant and able to hold his runes while he casts. Failure to do either of these warrants an automatic failure to work the magic. Clutching the runes makes a physical connection between the mortal caster and the metaphysical concepts he is channelling. The chants are a means of reaching out to the Essence World and connecting the magician to the force he is seeking to manipulate.

To use a real-world equivalent, the Hindu concept of Aum (or Om, Ohm or any one of a dozen spellings) is the one intonation that connects the mortals with the Infi nite. It is considered the primal sound, symbolising the entire universe. Runecasters chant or utter similar sounds and syllables, associated with the force they are channelling.

Gaze of the GodsA Rinliddi tribesman speaks:

Vrimak sees all. This is why we call him the All-Seeing. With eagle’s eyes he watches all that goes on below in the world of blood and flesh, air and stone. Where he stares longest, the world changes. Under his gaze, the land changes to show that our gods have been watching us. It is from these gazes that runes are formed. It is because of the runes that we know Vrimak still sees all. Let not the others deceive you with tales of destiny, privilege and power. It is always in the greatest humility that we use the markings of the gods’ attention to create magic for our people.

Necessary OfferingsA Teshnan jungle-dweller speaks:

True magic, the magic of the gods themselves, is a rare and treasured gift. Rune Magic is like a shadow of their true power. Our gods teach us to look within for power but they know it cannot always be done by everyone. Because the fire gods are compassionate for all their distance, they created runes on the face of the world to help us in our everyday lives. These offerings take the shape of jungle leaves, small stones and sometimes even special animals. Though Rune

Magic is a lesser gift, this is to be expected. The fire gods would be disappointed and might turn from us completely if we relied entirely on their blessing. It is right that we seek power for ourselves and consider the runes as a common form of weaker, less honoured magic.

Locat ing RunesLocating runes is not always an easy feat. Discovering them in the natural world is a matter of both chance and discernment. Being embodiments of the fundamental aspects of the universe, runes tend to manifest near areas of where their conceptual force is strong. When a warrior dies in battle, a Death rune might manifest on one of the pebbles that gets soaked in his blood. A sedimentary rock on a riverbank may bear the Water rune upon it. Whether a rune is conceptual or elemental in nature, it still tends to form close to a nexus of its prime association.

In the Imperial Age, the only spells that achieve any real effi ciency at detecting the location of runes are those possessed by the God Learners. In the fi nal decades before they damn their Empire into dust and echoes, the God Learners have mastered ways to locate runes that far surpass any systems employed by other nation, culture or magical ideology. This is but one testament to their mastery, detailed in Magic of Glorantha as an aspect of RuneQuest Sight.

It might not be considered fair that the Jrustelans are the only culture to have perfected this art but the God Learners will pay the price for their power soon enough.

Runic PowersAlthough it is simple to integrate with a rune from a game mechanic standpoint, the act itself is a signifi cant one for any character. The enhancements offered by such conjunction are powerful to say the least, offering both an innate understanding of runecasting and a special runic power that alters the caster’s inner magical energies according to the type of rune integrated.

The following section details each of the basic runes listed in RuneQuest, presenting them in greater detail for Games Masters and players to work with. The lists of runic powers available to runecasters are noted in each

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Bonding with Two Identical RunesIt is not normally possible to bond with a particular rune type twice. In other words, a character cannot bond with two Death runes in order to gain two of that rune’s powers.

However, if a character of Hero-level or greater experience wishes to, he may attempt to integrate a second rune of a particular type. This applies a –100% penalty on the necessary Persistence test and if successful, the Rune Touched loses two points of POW. He does, however, gain a second runic power associated with that rune.

One side-benefi t of becoming integrated with two identical runes is that the character may now permanently sense the exact location of any other runes of that type within his POW x 10 in metres.

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rune’s description, as are the sensations involved in attuning oneself to any given rune. The sensations felt during integration are those also felt each and every time the character uses magic associated with the appropriate Runecasting skill.

When players integrate with a rune, they roll a D6 to determine which of the runic powers they receive, based on the type of rune they now possess. Games Masters might allow players to select their unique powers if they choose but the default system allows for the mutability and randomness inherent in runic integration.

Most of the powers below are self-explanatory in how they apply to a character integrating the rune. In the case of a character receiving a bonus on the Runecasting skill associated with the rune, the spellcaster’s synergy with his new rune allows for greater control in magical manipulation and a deeper understanding of the rune’s position in the foundations of Gloranthan magic.

To bond with an Air rune is to feel, just for a moment, that you are the heart of a storm. Your blood runs cold like rainwater, your breath howls in your hears like a roaring wind and every inch of skin tingles like you are staring up at a bank of black thunderheads rolling across the heavens towards you. The sensation fades quickly but it comes flooding back whenever you use the magic, always with the same intensity as the very first time.

–– Jeddika the Grey, Acolyte of Orlanth Adventurous

This rune is associated with storms, confl ict, breath and of course air itself. The symbol is a short spiral, circling clockwise outward from the centre. The Greater God responsible for the management of the Air rune was Umath, though he was succeeded in death by his son Orlanth.

Air runes are among the most common runes to take the form of leaves. Many appear as lightweight stones

bearing the spiralling rune as might be expected but Air runes are also frequently known to manifest as unbreakable (though still near-weightless) leaves with the runic symbol ‘cut into’ the leaf, as if gnawed through by ants or some other insect.

Air Runic Powers1: Rune Touched reduces damage from falling by half and adds +10% to Athletics skill when jumping.2: Rune Touched can hold his breath for three times the standard duration (see the Adventuring chapter of RuneQuest).3: Rune Touched reduces all Ranged Combat penalties of wind effects by 20%.4: Rune Touched gains +10% on all Runecasting (Air) tests.5: Rune Touched rolls a D12 to determine his Strike Rank, rather than a D10.6: Rune Touched gains +30% on all attempts to resist or counterspell spells that employ the Earth rune.

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BEAST

CHAOS

Integrating a beast rune is an enlightening process. Imagine that you feel the fear of prey beings, their racing hearts and thundering panic. Now imagine you can feel the measured pulse of a predator, where even your heart’s blood beating around your body seems to reassure you that you’re capable of great strength and physical power. Your instincts heighten, your senses sharpen and the world never looks quite the same afterwards.

–– Fiacra, Horse Nomad

The Beast rune is tied to all animal life, be they predator or prey. It is associated with the god Hykim, a deity of beasts in several Gloranthan pantheons. The symbol itself is a stylised, inverted triangle with lines from the three points meeting in the middle.

Many Beast runes are stones, often plain and dark-hued with the rune itself seemingly carved into the surface. Others have been known to appear as strips of bark, likewise with the rune carved into their surface as if by a tusk or claw.

Beast Runic Powers1: Rune Touched gains Survival (or +10% to Survival if it is already possessed) and +5% to Lore (Animal) and Resilience.2: Rune Touched gains the ability to speak telepathically with one type of animal (for example lions, horses, deer, eagles) as determined by the Games Master. Usually the connection occurs with an animal that the runecaster has spent a great deal of time with, such as horses for a cavalryman or falcons for a lord’s master of hawks.3: Rune Touched gains +10% on all Runecasting (Beasts) tests.4: Rune Touched gains the heightened sight of an animal such as a bird of prey, granting +10% to all Perception tests involving vision and +5% to all Ranged Combat tests.5: Rune Touched gains the heightened sense of smell of an animal such as a wolf, granting +30% to all Perception tests involving scent. 6: Rune Touched gains the heightened hearing of an animal such as a hare, granting +20% on all Perception tests involving hearing.

There is darkness within everyone. Some part of every soul has a black patch, where the person is capable of thinking and doing horrendous things. In some, this patch spreads across the soul, allowing a mortal to feel joy in slaughter, to smile at rape and to laugh at destruction. This is what I feel every time I use my magic. I bound myself to this Chaos rune because I needed the power it could give me, not because I believed it offered easy magic. In this, I was prepared for the blackness that creeps over my soul and I am ready to fight it. Others are not so prepared and they do not fare as well as I.

–– Priag, Praxian Shaman

The Chaos rune is tied to entropy, the inevitability of destruction, the corruption of the innocent and pure evil itself. It is associated with the force of Chaos itself and to Wakboth the Devil, the avatar of Chaos. The rune’s symbol is a stylised motif resembling a horned circle.

Many Chaos runes resembled small chunks of fl awed, impure metal and rock. Shards of copper and tin that are unfi t to shape into bronze are the most common manifestations of this rune, with the stone’s surface decorated with fl ecks of the metal that take the shape of the runic symbol.

Chaos Runic Powers1–3: Any spells with the Instant trait cast by the Rune Touched infl ict a –30% penalty on attempts to resist or counterspell them.4: Rune Touched gains +10% on all Runecasting (Chaos) skill tests.5–6: Rune Touched gains +30% on all Infl uence tests with broo, as they sense something of their creator within the character.

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COMMUNICATION

Consider this for a moment. You are on top of a mountain, looking down at the world below. Around you is ice and snow, even above the clouds. Feel the thudding aches in all your bones as you stand in temperatures that will kill you if you lack protection. This is the strength of coldness, the power of its effects on the mortal form. All you are doing is standing in its element and yet you will die because of its presence. There is much to be intimidated by where cold is concerned. Just because the influence it has on the world is not as dramatic as fire, it does not mean the results are any less significant.

–– Tavell, Wandering Freebooter and Mountain Ranger

The Cold rune is associated with myriad gods of various pantheons, tied as it is to weather and the elements. The symbol itself is a dark circle with a small central circle of light.

Cold runes frequently manifest as stone-sized shards of ice or rock-hard snow, with the rune imprinted on the surface as if scratched into the material. Others appear as normal stones, with the rune appearing as glistening frost on one side of the pebble. Cold runes often remain chill to the touch at all times.

Cold Runic Powers1–2: Rune Touched ignores negative effects from exposure to non-magical cold environments.3: Rune Touched gains a +10% on all Runecasting (Cold) skill tests.4–5: Rune Touched reduces any damage from cold- or ice-based magic by half.6: Any Rune Magic spells involving ice or cold cast by the Rune Touched infl ict a –30% penalty on attempts to resist or counterspell them.

All sentient and reasoning life is bonded by the ability to interact and communicate. This is one of civilisation’s pillars. Now imagine that you intuitively understand, without any research, the significance and impact that the ability to communicate has had on our world since the dawn of time. Think of every war that was averted and every other that raged. Think on how every birth was the result of communication between two beings. Consider how each glorious city in the Imperial Age was founded on the basis of mortals communicating with one another. Now imagine feeling flush with that knowledge, that sense of significance, every time you use a spell with this rune. This is why we God Learners will never abandon Rune Magic. It is simply far too important.

–– Zincux Ormal, God Learner Gate-Scout

The Communication rune is associated with Issaries and several other gods of trade and travel. The symbol attributed to the rune is an ‘H’-shaped motif with a lengthened horizontal cross-line.

Communication runes have been known to appear as natural gemstones but they are far more commonly plain stones with the symbol seemingly burned into the surface. As a lesser rune concept, there seems to be less individuality in the variety of manifestations.

Communication Runic Powers1–2: Rune Touched gains +10% to Infl uence skill and a new Language skill.3: Rune Touched gains +10% on all Runecasting (Communication) skill tests.4: Rune Touched gains two new Language skills.5: Rune Touched gains +1 to CHA.6: Rune Touched receives +30% to resist any spells or magical effects that would silence them or interfere with their thoughts and speech.

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DARKNESS

DEATH

There is great comfort in the night. Darkness need not always be the haven of enemies and dangers. In darkness we find rest from the day’s work or solace from those who would harm us. As children we instinctively fear the darkness, for it is in our nature to balk at what we cannot see and do not know. My bond with this rune shows me two things every time I command my magic. Firstly it shows me that a lightless night is as natural as light and that there is nothing to fear. Secondly it shows me that if one can master the darkness, then it is possible to become what others fear when they squint into the blackness of night. These are both good lessons to learn.

–– Ferrisia the Black, Petty Thief

The Darkness rune is bound to those few gods that focus on secrecy and the night. The symbol of this rune is a simple circle of black, resembling an eclipse or a dark moon.

It is common for Darkness runes to manifest as lumps of black material such as coal or volcanic glass such as obsidian. In these instances, the circular rune can be diffi cult to make out against the dark surface of the stone. Other Darkness runes have been discovered in the shape of marble chunks or plain stones, always clearly marked with the distinctive dark circle.

Darkness Runic Powers1–2: Rune Touched gains Dark Sight and +10% to Stealth skill.3: Rune Touched gains +10% on all rolls involving the Runecasting (Darkness) skill.4–5: Rune Touched gains +20% to Stealth skill.6: Rune Touched rendered immune to any spell or magical effect that would blind him.

All things die. Life is a path that inexorably leads to death. My rune lets me face that without fear and allows me to deal out this ending to others as I see fit. Death is a concept that entered our world through the actions of Erumal when he deceived Orlanth. When I channel my magic, I not only forgive the Trickster for his actions, I plainly see why he did what he did. Life without death is meaningless. This rune might chill my blood and slow my heart each time I tap its power but I see the sense and nobility and inevitability behind all darkness and danger. This is a great comfort to me and I bring the same comfort to those I defeat in battle.

–– Garmol, Orlanthi Mercenary

The god Humakt is considered the primary guardian of the Death rune across much of Glorantha, though smaller cultures apply different deities to this grim and vital position of authority. The symbol of the rune is a cross with a lengthened lower line.

The Death runes that do not appear as simple stones have some interesting origins. Many manifest as dead leaves,

rotted sections of bark, petrifi ed sections of branches, and the small bones of animals such as rodent and bird skulls or the rib bones of great cats and bears. It seems that the cross of death only appears on these objects after they have died or on things destined to die soon.

Death Runic Powers1–2: An opponent suffering a Major or Serious Injury infl icted by the Rune Touched’s close combat attack suffers a –10% penalty to Resilience tests to stay conscious or avoid death.3: An opponent suffering a Major or Serious Injury infl icted by the Rune Touched’s ranged combat attack suffers a –10% penalty to Resilience tests to stay conscious or avoid death.4: Rune Touched gains +10% on all Runecasting (Death) skill tests.5: Rune Touched increases his critical score when making close combat attacks by +1.6: Rune Touched can never be raised as an undead after death and will never return as a ghost.

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