Runes

A rune is a magical enchantment set into a corporeal object. The rune is incredibly complex, and normally involves the setting of a spell, to go off with a set activation ‘code’. This code is selected by the mage, and it can be a connection to their own resonance, a specific word spoken in close enough proximity to the rune (not recommended), or even running a finger across the rune in a particular, precise pattern.

The ‘rune’ often colloquially refers to the entire spell entrapped within the physical object, but this is not true. The rune is simply the symbol placed on this object. This is common practice, but not a necessary part of the process. Most commonly, the rune is a symbol that denotes what spell is contained within. For the sake of clarity, the term ‘rune’ will retain its colloquial term in this excerpt.

The rune is divided into two major parts. The first, is the spell entrapped within. This spell is set by the caster beforehand, and can be of almost any spell imaginable. Obviously the larger the spell, the more taxing it can be. Setting a rune is significantly more taxing than normal spellcasting for a number of reasons. The spell is formed in its entirety by the caster, within its own spell matrix. The caster must then create a second spell matrix, and envelope the first within the second. This second spell matrix must then be subjected to a temporal distortion, so that the outer matrix (and by extension, the inner matrix as well as the arcana itself) degenerates at an inconceivably slow pace. The outer matrix must then be bound to the physical object of choice, and then allowed to exist of its own accord within the space of the physical object.

The second part of the rune is normally within the runic symbol itself, and is a second spell within a single spell matrix. What this spell is, is a tiny amount of highly concentrated arcana within a spell matrix. The reason this does not regenerate is that the high concentration allows for a constant recycling effect within the spell matrix (which is considerably smaller and less potent than the matrix for the first part of the rune). When the activation is made, this spell activates, and it is slammed into the outer spell matrix of the first part, effectively causing a small rip in the outer spell matrix. This causes the inner spell matrix to escape by the law of arcana diffusion instantly, and the spell will then activate as any spell normally does.