Modern Method
Most are too blind to see what is in front of them, and too deaf to hear to echoes resounding in the foundations that surround them. Those who seek the aid of the seer are those who rarely need the guidance... Unfortunately, these are the only souls enlightened enough to appreciate the wisdom of the casting runes. ~ Sister Cia, Seer of Astrid
While experienced seers still perform massive readings in holy sites across the land, very few who practice the craft are doing so at the behest of a panicked village and are doing so for personal insight or for another single quester. Rarely will you find a seer who maintains a dedicated slab or ritual grid; most carry portable slates with etched grids or lay out small grids expressly for the purpose of a single reading using methods described previously.
Attuned and learned Aislings may find great rewards in casting runes for foresight and fortune, but approaching a spiraling grid with a full set of runes can be a daunting task. Working with Sisters Cia and Deijer of Astrid, we have devised a simplified method of reading runes with modern proclivities in mind. In order to cast runes for simple readings, you will need a grid roughly three paces by three paces long; I recommend outlining the grid with a purifying element such as salt or silver.
You will need several precious gems, which you can acquire from the world market or harvested naturally in subterranean areas in Temuair. Mind you; the more polished a gem is, the clearer your communications with the Silent Gods will be -- as such it is recommended that you find finished gems for the ritual. Rogues are well known for dealing in such wares. Consult the manual below on how to develop your rune kit.
Once you have the required components, the seer must cast her grid; as with the traditional method, the top of the grid must face north. Each of the nine cells correspond with the core domains of the old methods, so be sure you have a fundamental understanding of the ancient method before attempting this modern take - for, though it has been simplified, we are still entreating with gods of an ancient age and should not do so carelessly. Please review the section on setting your grid if you have questions.
Unlike the ancient method, with this iteration the actual casting of the runes may be done by the quester and read by the seer. In this way, when casting on behalf of another's needs, you will get a clearer channel of communication. Remember that all who handle the runes must be disrobed; in this case the quester and the seer. In this sense, the arcane ritual is not for the modest or self conscious. Under no circumstances should forbidden runes be handled by anyone other than the seer that carved them.
Once the runes have been cast, all individuals aside from the seer must leave the grid while the reading is conducted. From here you will follow the procedure outlined by the traditional method. When the reading has concluded, be sure to erase your grid if using a temporary field, or cleanse it with incense and oil if using a slab. Once your work is done, rest. This spiritual work is exhausting and more than a few seers have forfeited their lives in pursuit of the rune's dreadful wisdom.
Attuned and learned Aislings may find great rewards in casting runes for foresight and fortune, but approaching a spiraling grid with a full set of runes can be a daunting task. Working with Sisters Cia and Deijer of Astrid, we have devised a simplified method of reading runes with modern proclivities in mind. In order to cast runes for simple readings, you will need a grid roughly three paces by three paces long; I recommend outlining the grid with a purifying element such as salt or silver.
You will need several precious gems, which you can acquire from the world market or harvested naturally in subterranean areas in Temuair. Mind you; the more polished a gem is, the clearer your communications with the Silent Gods will be -- as such it is recommended that you find finished gems for the ritual. Rogues are well known for dealing in such wares. Consult the manual below on how to develop your rune kit.
Once you have the required components, the seer must cast her grid; as with the traditional method, the top of the grid must face north. Each of the nine cells correspond with the core domains of the old methods, so be sure you have a fundamental understanding of the ancient method before attempting this modern take - for, though it has been simplified, we are still entreating with gods of an ancient age and should not do so carelessly. Please review the section on setting your grid if you have questions.
Unlike the ancient method, with this iteration the actual casting of the runes may be done by the quester and read by the seer. In this way, when casting on behalf of another's needs, you will get a clearer channel of communication. Remember that all who handle the runes must be disrobed; in this case the quester and the seer. In this sense, the arcane ritual is not for the modest or self conscious. Under no circumstances should forbidden runes be handled by anyone other than the seer that carved them.
Once the runes have been cast, all individuals aside from the seer must leave the grid while the reading is conducted. From here you will follow the procedure outlined by the traditional method. When the reading has concluded, be sure to erase your grid if using a temporary field, or cleanse it with incense and oil if using a slab. Once your work is done, rest. This spiritual work is exhausting and more than a few seers have forfeited their lives in pursuit of the rune's dreadful wisdom.
Crafting Runes
Before one can begin to cast runes, you must, of course, have the runes to cast. As mentioned, you will need a number of rare gems, all finely polished to a comfortable and uniform size. Please have these nine materials ready, as some of them can be difficult to find.
The lowest tier and most commonly found in Temuair is composed of beryl, coral and ruby, all of which can be found in the Grimlock mines of Pravat. Elemental pendants hold the next tier -- the earth, water and fire pendants are found in possession of destructive giants in Medenia's Lost Ruins. These gems are naturally lustrous and rarely, if ever, need polishing for our purposes. The highest tier is made of precious metals of Temuair; Hy-Brasyl and Talgonite - the very same metals we Aislings measure our accomplishments by as we near masterhood. These require the most working, as they must be mined from the deep Cthonic where they are coveted by all manners of the sinister denizens that reside in that wretched realm. With each gem sufficiently cut, sized and polished, you may finally begin to carve your runes.
The lowest tier and most commonly found in Temuair is composed of beryl, coral and ruby, all of which can be found in the Grimlock mines of Pravat. Elemental pendants hold the next tier -- the earth, water and fire pendants are found in possession of destructive giants in Medenia's Lost Ruins. These gems are naturally lustrous and rarely, if ever, need polishing for our purposes. The highest tier is made of precious metals of Temuair; Hy-Brasyl and Talgonite - the very same metals we Aislings measure our accomplishments by as we near masterhood. These require the most working, as they must be mined from the deep Cthonic where they are coveted by all manners of the sinister denizens that reside in that wretched realm. With each gem sufficiently cut, sized and polished, you may finally begin to carve your runes.
The Eight Modern Runes
While the ancient method employed a host of ominous runes to translate the twisted narratives of the silent gods, the modern method has condensed this esoteric language down to eight runes. Unlike ancient sets, which were often carved entirely for a singular material, each rune in the modern set is carved of a different element, which is believed to be attuned to the voices of those otherworldly beasts we seek council with. Below are the eight runes, their meanings, and the gemstone on which they must be carved.
Spreagadh
We cannot know all without the desire to learn, and yet, from where does that inspiration come from and where does it go when it abandons us mid-project to fend for ourselves?
Meanings: Guidance, unfinished business, new ideas, manifestation, council, metamorphosis, unrequited love, dedication, numbness., teaching, blindness Gem: Finished Hy-Brasyl |
Timthriall
By the time one season ends, another has already begun. A fallen oak feeds the soil that brings the bloom of new life. The world is a perpetual cycle, we are too small to object to it's endless pursuits.
Meanings: Futility, abundance, stagnation, wonder, ignorance, youth, inner peace, meditation, journey, change Gem: Earth Pendant |
Cuardaigh
We are all seeking something in this world; whether fame, fortune, power or obscurity. Some are gripped by mania, others by lethargy. Regardless of the endgame or the means, the search consumes us.
Meanings: Disconnection, avoidance, minutiae, wealth of knowledge, leadership, power behind the scenes, influence Gem: Water Pendant |
Chosaint
No single man is capable of being everything, and, no matter how strong you become there is always someone stronger yet to come. Safety is something we provide for each other, never for ourselves.
Meanings: Shelter, warfare, endless improvement, isolationism, fervor, mania, aggression, machismo, betrayal, strength Gem: Fire Pendant |
Deoraíocht
As we let go and spiral into that maddening black abyss, we then, only then, understand and appreciate the fragility of life. Being able to see the end is the mark of a master tactician; yet this grim wisdom is dismissed as macabre foolishness in our mortal thought.
Meanings: Forbidden wisdom, insanity, depravity, mortality, vision, acceptance, unseen realms, introspection, hunger Gem: Finished Talos |
Gean
Love and hate are mirror emotions; when one hates everyone near we dismiss them as curmudgeons, but what, then, of those who love everyone? To truly experience a rounded emotion, you must reach an equilibrium, for who could possibly know love that hasn't known pain?
Meanings: Rejection, self care, affection, misleading, cosmic tragedy, prosperity, beauty, passion Gem: Finished Ruby |
Éirim
Men and their possessions are so easily parted. No one has ever swindled another out of a memory of an accomplishment or a tender kiss, yet we measure our professional success by the material wealth we amass as we stumble around this vapid civilized world.
Meanings: Theft, lawlessness, destitute, charity, loss and gains, foolishness, karma, feast, generations Gem: Finished Coral |
Ordu
What force keeps society civilized? Some inner moral compass, fear of retribution from angry gods or the laws of man? At one point someone thought to be in charge, and since that day mankind has been subject to order.
Meanings: Fear, chaos, justice, dictatorship, oppression, confinement, selfishness, safety, provisions, misinformation. Gem: Finished Beryl |
Forbidden Runes
Sister Dreijer begged me to omit this from my work, but, as stated before, an archivist is a hypocrite if they pick and choose what is deserving of preservation. As with the ancient method, the modern method of casting runes also employs runes with the power to render one incapable of lucid thought. As with the other runes, the modern method has condensed these sacred symbols into a more potent form. Rather than the six forbidden runes of the ancient method, here we only have two. As always, please use extreme caution when casting these runes, as misuse can affect entire communities, not just the caster's own welfare.
If you wish you add the forbidden runes to your collection, beware! The ritual for inviting the voice of the cruelest gods into these runes is not for the faint of heart. One will need a cauldron boiling with the fresh blood of a young wolf, though my sisters in Western Temuair swear that a Kobold youth will more effectively pique the interest of the silent gods. Bring the blood to a boil and drop in a giant pearl and a vexing piece of conix stone - which alone has driven sane men to madness. Once they have been cleansed in the hot blood of the wolf, they will need to be shaped and inscribed with the signs. It is recommended that you stow these horrid runes separately from the rest of your set, as their dark influence is sure to throw the voices of your kit out of tune.
If you wish you add the forbidden runes to your collection, beware! The ritual for inviting the voice of the cruelest gods into these runes is not for the faint of heart. One will need a cauldron boiling with the fresh blood of a young wolf, though my sisters in Western Temuair swear that a Kobold youth will more effectively pique the interest of the silent gods. Bring the blood to a boil and drop in a giant pearl and a vexing piece of conix stone - which alone has driven sane men to madness. Once they have been cleansed in the hot blood of the wolf, they will need to be shaped and inscribed with the signs. It is recommended that you stow these horrid runes separately from the rest of your set, as their dark influence is sure to throw the voices of your kit out of tune.
Faoi Thalamh
There is something comforting about this darkness; a warmth in it's indifferent familiarity. We may fight it with every last ounce of our hot blood, but in the end we all succumb to the dreadful unknown of the chasm. What is there to be gained from drawing breath in this unenlightened realm when the one beyond the veil offers an infinite promise of bewildered grace?
Meanings: Void, suicide, freedom, selfishness, famine, divine understanding, pact, overcoming obstacles, unknown plains, mastery, slaughter, bountiful harvest, truth Gem: Conix Stone |
Pléascadh
Light is good and darkness is bad; arbitrarily, this was decided in times so ancient that all memory and record has abandoned them. Titles and concepts have no meaning to the dawn, nor does the darkened chamber care what sinister visions you see in it's corners. By attributing morality to these elements, you've given one the permission to enslave you in it's holy terror.
Meanings: Illumination, clear danger, fire, halted progress, lies and deception, twisted narrative, bashfulness, lucidity, societal prosperity. momentum, innovation Gem: Giant Pearl |
How to Cast Runes
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Conclusion
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