As you may have noticed, the game is called Runerealm. So, what's Runerealm without runes, right? Well, runes are the source of magical power in the realms. Anyone can use magic, so long as they have runes. Now, not just any old runes will do, you've got to have runes with the appropriate magic imbued in them. Only the most powerful of magic users (masters of the guilds, for example) can imbue a rune with magic. Thus far, there are 15 known runes. These runes are seperated into three categories. The Elements, the Powers, and the Concepts. Each of the runes is explained below, with their translations into common, and a general description of what they're used for.
Ignis
Translation: Fire
Related stats: Dexterity, Luck
Fire. The maker of mankind, the savior of men, and the destroyer of men. Fire is a dangerous servant, and a terrible master, they say. Combined with Creo, one can conjure just about any form of fire you can think of, from a firebolt to a fireball, to a blazing efigy with the use of Corporis. Or, you can combine it with other elements for highly disasterous effects, such as scorched earth using Terra. Most Ignis spells that deal damage have a special feature of bypassing armor when dealing damage. This can bring the most powerful of knights down to the level of a lowly pesant. Did I mention that fire is the great equalizer? Dangerous, but powerful.
Aqua
Translation: Water
Related stats: Strength, Wisdom
Water has always been a necessity for life. To control this power, is to determine the temperature of pre-existing sources of water, or in conjunction with the Creo rune, conjure your own water. This may seem like small stuff in itself, but you can also use it with the Aura rune to create a waterspout. Sound a little more interesting? The masters of the Aqua rune are, of course, water dwellers themselves, who are reluctant to share their knowledge with the rest of the world. Thus, the full potential of the Aqua rune has yet to be realized.
Aura
Translation: Air
Related stats: Dexterity, Intelligence
To control air is to control everything around you. Anything from the air we breathe to the winds that bring and sweep away storms. Common uses of the Aura rune usually involve the Corporis rune as well, to move yourself or someone else through the air. Mutatio can also be used to move non-living things via telekenesis. Corporis Aura can also be used to knock someone over with a gust of wind, and thus leave them open for an easy kill. Air is extremely versatile, and can get into almost anything.
Terra
Translation: Earth
Related Stats: Strength, Constitution
Terra is pure defensive power. The capacity to erect a stone wall to stop your foes, as well as combining with Ignis to scorch the very earth beneath their feet. For that matter, Mutatio Terra could create an earthquake. The earth rune has the power to both create and destroy. It's all a matter of how wisely it's used.
Fulgur
Translation: Lightning
Related stats: Strength, Luck
One of the more recent discoveries, Fulgur was initally found to be used by tribal shamans to unconciously call forth the "powers of their gods", as they put it. In reality, they were using quite a bit of their raw natural power to call forth lightning without the aid of a Creo rune. They'd have the rune imbued upon their bodies in the form of a tattoo in a ritualistic right of ascention, in conjunction with several other appearantly non-magical runes that were set to react in the same way that the Fulgur rune did when it was used. Thus, it a fair amount of time an coersion to find a shaman who was willing to discuss the process in detail, and allow studying Magi to figure out exactly what was going on. When they did, They managed to get their guild master to create a new rune, Fulgur, and add a sixth element to the list. Now, the Fulgur rune has gained much wider acceptance and use by all of the magic-using guilds, though it's still a bit difficult to find, due to how new it is. Also, not many spells have been developed for it, since Magi are still trying to sort out the ritual from the actual spellcasting, and incorperate the appropriate comjunction runes for the shamans' powers. The Sages are working on a spell to use to aid the Magi in their efforts. For now, Creo is the only rune they've managed to find anything for.
Virus
Translation: Poison
Related stats: Constitution, Dexterity
The Virus rune not only pertains to poison, but also to acid. Another sub-element of Virus is disease. Although it does have a few appropriate uses, the only people who carry Virus are Healers, Magi, and Villans. Not only is Virus used in creating poison and disease, but it's a necessary component in curing such ailments, in conjunction with Vita and Coproris. Some higher level healing spells also requre Mutatio to cure serious acid damage, and Mentis to repair psycological damage due to a fevered state. Of course, a Villian or Thief (or anyone else for that matter) could easly use Virus to create a poison, infect someone with a disease, or conjure up some acid to remove a pesky lock, rather than trying to pick it. As with all runes, it's not the rune itself, but how you use it.
Vita
Translation: Life
Related stats: Constitution, Wisdom
The rune of life is a seemingly straightforward one. Normally, the only people interested in Vita are the ones who intend to be healers, such as the Apothecaries. Of course, some Priests have been known to carry such runes on them as well, so that they may heal those in need if they have yet to achieve the appropriate status with their god, or if their god, for whatever reason, doesn't grant healing powers to his/her believers. Though there very well may be other powers that the Vita rune possesses, only the Sages have made an effort to determine what, and they aren't about to talk.
Mortis
Translation: Death
Related stats: Constitution, Luck
Mortis is a rune that is normally only found in the hands of a person with a less than favorable reputation. Almost never is a good person found carrying the death rune, unless they are either a mage with many runes, or a healer, who needs Mortis for his most powerful of healings, Ressurection. Another, less common use for Mortis is reguarding un-death. Both Necromancers and Undead Stalkers use Mortis for most of their powers. Reguardless, almost anyone caught with a Mortis rune is thought of poorly at best, and put to death at worst. It's power can both help and hurt, but most people only see the evil side of things.
Vis
Translation: Magic
Related stats: Intelligence, Wisdom
Vis is a rather unusual rune to have exist by most people's standards. If they're all magic, than why is there a magic rune? Well, Vis involves pure energy, rather than an element. To generate a magical shield, a magic missile, or a magical weapon, Vis is required. The rune of magic is also used for the spell Tag Creature, where a Summoner is able to keep track of a specific creature to summon later. Vis is somewhat of a utility rune, with it's powers being more of a filler, doing anything that can't really be done by another rune.
Tempus
Translation: Time
Related stats: Luck, Intelligence
Time is a force so powerful that almost noone is capible of wielding it safely. That, and almost noone is even given the chance. Tempus runes are, as they say, "rare as dragon's teeth", due to the dangers that could occur if the wrong person got their hands on one. To date, the only guild authorized to hand out Tempus runes to their members is the Enchanter's guild, due to the fact that Tempus is required to make any spell permanent. Due to this fact, a major part of testing to get into the Enchanter's guild is personality. There are recorded incidences of mishaps reguarding the rune of time, as well as rumors of people having gone back or forward in time. With all of this suspicion rampant, a tight grip has been kept on Tempus.
Creo
Translation: Creation
Related stats: Widsom, Constitution
Creo is the main staple of any battlemage's rune set, as it grants the ability to create something from nothing, or bring something from one place to another instantly. Creo has it's own magical type, conjuration, as well as being required for all Summoning spells. Creo is, in all probability, the most common rune of all the known runes, and is also probably the most easily made by the guildmasters.
Intellego
Translation: Divination
Related stats: Intelligence, Charisma
A rune so powerful that it has it's own magic type associated with it, Intellego is a difficult one to wield. With knowledge being as important as it is, people well versed in Divination are in great demand. In fact, there's an entire guild dedicated to Intellego, the Sages. Due to the specialization that a Sage takes with the Intellego rune, few others have the courage to try to use it, not to mention the fact that few are able to find one. Outside of the Sage's guild, it is difficult to find an Intellego rune, and the Guild always makes good offers for any such runes found. Thus, few Divination spells are widely known, though many do exist.
Corporis
Translation: Body
Related stats: Constitution, Strength
The Corporis rune is used for any and all magic pertaining to the body, wether it be of the caster or the target. To cast a burining hands spell, Corporis is involved, it's needed to Summon creatures, as well as to fly. Charm and control spells also require Corporis, as they control the body as well as the mind. Corporis is one of the better known and readily available runes, and any magic-using guild often hands out.
Mentis
Translation: Mind
Related stats: Wisdom, Charisma
A mind is a terrible thing to waste, or so they say. Mentis deals with all things reguarding a mind, wether it be altering it with illsuion, reading it with divinitation, or controlling it with enchantment. Mentis is also used in some high level healing and necromancy spells that deal with ailing and curing the mind. In general, Mentis is an all-around rune, and has uses in almost every magic type.
Mutatio
Translation: Transmutation
Related stats: Constitution, Wisdom
Mutatio is the power of changing one thing into another. Anything that takes something that currently exists and changes it into something else involves the Mutatio rune. Wether it be combining with Terra to sharpen a weapon, or with Mentis to alter someone's perception of things via an illusion, Mutatio is key in many different kinds of spells. It's required for all illusion spells, a couple of healing spells, and shares the Enchantment list with Tempus. Mutatio is one of the less-noticed runes, but also one of the most versatile.
Chaos
Though there is strong evidence to support the existance of a Chaos rune (the Chaos Creatures), noone has seen one anywhere other than on the armor of a Chaos Being. And, of course, when a creature who has runes empowered upon itself dies, so do the powers of the runes. Therefore, until someone manages to capture a Chaos Creature, no rune will be able to be created for the guilds.
Order
The only reason that anyone believes that an rune of Order might exist is because a rune of Chaos does. To that effect, some searches are being made to find such a rune, and use it to combat the Chaos Beings.
Good
Another product of the Chaos rune, a select few people have begun theorizing that if there can be a rune of something as abstract as Chaos, than why not Good? No active searches have begun, though.
Evil
As with the Good rune, Evil is another concept rune that some people fear may exist. An occasional member of the Villan's guild has confessed to searching for such a rune, soon before being slain. As of yet, nothing exists to prove the existance of a rune of Evil.
