Hermetic Integration

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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 provides 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	–5
description
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. 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

Rune Magic and Creo Spells The Rune Poems

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.

systems of runes are briefly described here.

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

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.

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 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	Mea ning	Letter	Rune	Name	Pronounced	Mea ning
F	f	Fehu	FAY-hoo	Wealth	Y	y	Ihwaz	EYE-vaz	Yew
U	u	Uruz	oo-ROOZ	Auroch	P	p	Perth	PAIR-th	Cup
TH	x	Thurisaz	THUR-ee-sahz	Ogre	Z	z	Algiz	AL-gheez	Elk
A	a	Ansuz	AN-sooz	Mouth	S	s	Sowilo	SOH-veel-oh	Sun
R	r	Raido	RYE-doh	Riding	T	t	Tiwaz	TEE-vahz	Tyr
K	k	Kauno	COW-noh	Pain	B	b	Berkanan	BARE-kan-ahn	Birch
G	g	Gebo	GHAY-boh	Gift	E	e	Ehwaz	AY-vahz	Horse
W	w	Wunjo	VUN-yoh	Joy	M	m	Mannaz	MAH-nahz	Man
H	h	Hagalaz	HAH-ghah-lahz	Hail	L	l	Laguz	LAH-ghooz	Water
N	n	Naudhiz	NOW-thiz	Need	NG	q	Ingwaz	ING-vahz	Lord
I	i	Isa	EE-sah	Ice	D	d	Dagaz	DHAH-ghaz	Day
J	j	Jera	YEH-rah	Year	O	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	Mea ning	Letter	Rune	Name	Pronounced	Mea ning
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 F	Rune P	Name Feob	PRONOUNCED FAY-oh	MEANING Wealth	LETTER X	Rune Y	Name Eolhx	Pronounced OHLHK	Meaning Elk
U	Κ	Ur	OOR	Auroch	S	И	Sigel	SIGH-gel	Sun
TH	Þ	Thorn	THORN	Thorn	T	1	Tir	TIRE	Star
О	۴	Os	OH-ss	Mouth	В	₿	Beorc	BORK	Birch
R	R	Rad	RAYD	Riding	Е	М	Eh	EH	Horse
С	K	Сеп	KEEN	Torch	М	M	Mann	MAHN	Man
G	X	Gyfu	GUY-foo	Gift	L	٢	Lagu	LAH-guh	Water
W	P	Wynn	WIN	Joy	NG	×	Ing	ING	Hero
Н	Ħ	Haegl	HIGH-gull	Hail	D	M	Daeg	DYE-gh	Day
N	+	Nyd	NID	Need	OE	$	Ethel	EE-thell	Homeland
I	1	Is	EYE-ss	Ice	A	۴	Ac	ACHE	Oak
J	*	Ger	GEAR	Year	AE	F	Aesc	EYE-sk	Ash
Y	1	Eoh	EE-oh	Yew	YR	k	Yr	EAR	Bow
Р	K	Peordh	POHR-th	Cup	EA	4	Ear	YAHR	Grave