[Shelved][Rune Lore Addition] Flesh Runes 2.0

[chaotikal 2236]

Special Thanks to James Graham.

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

Kal’Asgol, the city beneath the southern wastes of Asulon was once a thriving community filled with exotic dwarves known as the Derva, once sons of Urguan, whom left alongside ancient elves (later known as Mori’Quessir) following the great exodus after the second war against Iblees. Arriving to Asulon, two communities were formed; The Dormar and Karikmar. These two groups of people created their cities, one into the dungeons and entwining caverns of Asulon, and the other into the very stone of Mount Karik.

Both shared their origins (Derva), but they both were very different. After Karik’s first fall to the Dragons leading to it’s initial abandonment, the king of the Dormar took them in, and such began a time of imperialistic expansion, with several tunnels ways being opened to the surface and the technology within both people being combined. The smithing ways of Karik arrived to Asgol and produced an industrial revolution, which lead to the modification of the entire city to focus around forging.

 

 

Flesh Runes were discovered by the arrival of the Doomforged into the ruins of Kal’Asgol following the fall of Kal’Karik to the Dragon awakening within the throne room. The Doomforged, following King Thorik’s guidance, found a tunnel to shelter within, and found the tunnel’s end to possess a large door carved with ancient etchings and carvings, ornate with gold and a dark iron-like steel. Entering into the depths of the abyssal cave, They found the remains of the Dormar, and inside the Forge room, a single tunnel, that stretched miles on end without a single light. Unknowingly that this hallway they had found told the history of Asgol, all of it, written in the walls like a book encrypted with runes of ancient ilk. It told of the many kings of Asgol, of it’s every inhabitant, of it’s every passing. One meter for one day minimum, it was like a collection of newspapers, detailing all of the menials and nimieties of the Dormar. Many of the technologies they talked about were a mystery to the Doomforged, but they understood that some of them had to be safekept, and so after years of exploring the tunnel, they began carefully transcribing everything on the walls of the hallway. Following several years, they found the methods of runesmithing that the Dormar had developed with the help of the Karikmar; Flesh Runes.

These were runes of great power, etched into the very bodies of the bearers. These were varied in purpose, from damaging the bearer to enhancing different traits, they became commonplace in the city’s military both as bearers and also to inflict torture upon criminals.

 

FLESH RUNES

Flesh runes can be grouped in two categories, depending on their effect to the one who bears it;

DAMAGE RUNES; or runes that damage or otherwise negatively affect the one wearing them.

POWER RUNES; or runes that empower or otherwise positively affect the one wearing them.

 

The first type, Damage runes were used as a form of torture and execution. They could influence the victim into a range of different afflictions, from migraines to an accelerated limb decay that would result in an extremity rotting away before the very eyes of the wearer. The execution runes were meticulous methods that were considered humane, such as the instantaneous combustion that would kill the victim in a matter of seconds, reducing their bodies to ashes.

Power runes, in contrast, give benefits to the wearer, from weather endurance to a more avid connection to weaponry, these runes were used for warriors, soldiers and other people of high reach within the society of Kal’Asgol.

Both of these rune types were written in a dialect that was developed for the purpose of least pain and easier carving, as they were carved into the tissue of people. When unactivated these runes were usually like red (or blue) markings into the body, tattoo-like scars, when activated, however, either by willing it so (power runes) or by saying a phrase (damage runes), they began glowing their respective color, red or blue, depending on the ink used.

Blue Flesh Runes were temporary, usually lasting up to five uses. They were carved more lightly into the skin, using shorter and simpler tools. They left little to no scarring upon expiring, and were used mainly in torture (damage) and for travelling purposes. (power). They are less powerful than their red counterpart but they leave little to no permanent damage.

Red Flesh Runes were permanent, they were usually etched deep into the skin of the bearers. They usually were stronger than blue flesh runes, and also had more significant scarring, and permanent side effects. An infected flesh rune of any kind is most likely fatal, as the carvings reach the veins, and activating an infected flesh runes will lead to thanium-like taint within the entire circulatory system, leading to a very quick, painful and certain death.

 

Flesh Runes are written in a language known commonly as Inithàr Lorvàthiik, a language solely acquainted to those who studied the walls of Karik and Asgol. It is not only a runic dialect, but also a verbal language that was created upon the merge of the Karikmar and Dormar.

This language is related to the Great Ancient Dwarvish language, a now unused ancient language found only in the most ancient of scriptures, a language that predates even Flexio.

 

Flesh Runes are always powered by the energy of the bearer, but can be activated through two mediums; Remotely; via a phrase or a word, or by will. The runes, if of red type, are known to drain out the bearer over time when activated, leading ultimately to the passing out of the bearer, or their death. Red type runes will become more painful as they are activated more frequently, regardless if they are activated or not. After a rune is deactivated, it goes on a cool down, turning black, This time varies upon how long the rune was used for. If it was used only for a few seconds, it will usually cool down in just a few hours. The longer it is used, the longer it takes for it to become reactivable.

It should be of note that whilst multiple runes can be activated at one, they will drain the user much quicker, and as such, bearers only activate one at a time.

 

TYPES OF FLESH RUNES

DAMAGE RUNES

Runes that are activated remotely, placed upon victims for the purpose of torture or execution.

Rune Of Decay

The Rune Of Decay is a very infamous form of torture. The rune is placed upon a limb, usually where the limb begins (The upper leg, shoulders). It can be used to perform a quick and clean execution by placing it upon the neck, heart or lungs. This rune is activated remotely, using phrases and other keywords. The carving of this rune takes a large amount of time and preparation; requiring the victim to be neutralized or subdued completely to allow this rune to be be inscribed.

 

This rune can work in two ways, depending on where it activates. If it is placed above just muscle, it will begin to tear away the limb, cauterizing a ring around it. It will only affect the limb, cutting away until it reaches bone, but if it is placed on the joint, it will decay the entire fluid within the muscle as well as eat through, hence its namesake. This rune is fabled as a Death Rune, and it was only reserved for traitors and other high-profile criminals.

 

Rune Of Torment

The Rune of Torment is well known as being one of the most common amongst the damage runes. It is a strictly non-lethal rune, used only for torture. The rune functions similar to the rune of decay, however, instead of wasting away flesh and muscle, it will inflict great pain upon the nerves. It is commonly placed in the back of the head, below the scalp, inflicting great pain upon the victim’s spine and producing a migraine that few can describe, as well as difficulty to move. This is not capable of inflicting any permanent damage upon someone and is used purely to inflict pain upon the victim of this rune.

 

Rune Of Stupor

 

The induction of sleep into victims was used since the beginning of the Flesh rune practice. It essentially places the victim under forced slumber, a coma if you will. If instead inscribed in blue, they could be used for anesthesia. It was used to neutralize criminals. Since it drew its energy from the bearer, as all flesh runes do, it slowly wasted away the bearer the longer it was kept activated, so it can’t ever be used as something prolonged. It was commonly used to display criminals, with the rune carved on the forehead of the bearer.

 

POWER RUNES

Runes that are activated by will, placed upon bearers for the purpose of enhancement of their innate abilities.

 

Rune Of Brawn

This rune is amongst the most common of flesh runes. It is simple in function, it increases the raw strength of the bearer, commonly used to wave the heavy weaponry that Dwarves cherish, more so the ancient warhammer-wielding guards of Asgol. However, it has some serious backlash. If you were to punch something, or someone, you’d most likely break all the bones on that hand while under the effects of the rune, being essentially incapacitated to fight. And if you were to miss your target with a hammer, it is highly likely you’ll break your shoulder rotator cuffs. This is a rune best used with weaponry, and it can only be used for a few seconds. If you were to keep it activated for longer than a few seconds, it’d begin to tear away at your muscles, tightening them and deforming them. This rune only adds strength to the muscle, but does not grant resistance or endurance to the bones or the tissue.

 

Rune Of Stoneskin

The Rune of Stoneskin is considered a keystone in the Flesh Runes. Used to enhance the bearer’s resistance to extreme weather conditions, it is necessary to work the fiery heat of the Doom Forge, as well as resist the colds of the mountain tops of the Dwarven Kingdom without hefty clothing. It was used by noblemen in journeys with a blue type, and red for Flesh Runesmiths. This would offer resistance to the base elements, however it would not effect anything fueled by mana.

 

Rune Of Grace

The Rune Of Grace was used primarily by the scribes of Asgol, used to become more efficient in their thought, Efficient due to the effect of clearing one's mind and allowing them to think more clearly, acting as a hallucinogenic. While off duty it is often used as a recreational drug. It allows the bearer to become at peace, and if left activated would create immersive hallucinations that will sometimes last past the deactivation of the rune. The effect does not allow the user to become smarter or know things they wouldn’t otherwise, but instead enhance their focus slightly. This focus however would be non-combat intensive and used for either recreational or writing purposes.

This rune has a much lower degree of pain, but it will still cause the same effects as the other with prolonged and repeated activations.

 

ON THE ADDITION  OF FLESH RUNES (OOC)

 

If new flesh runes came up in the future, in the form of language additions and so on, they’d be placed in the format above, as well as provided with examples of what the rune would be used as. As this is a more compact and less creative way of crafting runes, it should still hold space for expansion and more runes to be added, all balanced to the rhythm of magic in the server.

 

 

CARVING OF A FLESH RUNE

 

The process of carving a Flesh Rune requires two tools, a Thanium chalk and a Dagger, usually made of black iron found in Asgol, and sometimes Obsidian. These daggers go from being spiky and feeble in build for red flesh runes, to a stiletto design, with a fine sturdy blade that resembles a needle. Regardless of the design, the blade must be forged within the fires of the legendary Doom Forge. This Forge, which the Doomforged understood was important and so have been carrying it along all the realms, imbues magic upon the tool, allowing it to merge both the runic power of the thanium chalk, the runesmith, and the body of the bearer.

Thanium chalk is used to mark around the rune’s location, which is then carved out carefully. If the rune is deep enough, the whole area will begin to turn ashen. After the process, this tone will die down to a reddish black, and once activated begin glowing a strong blood red. If, however, its cut is superficial, it will glowblue when activated. It is generally accepted that this is due to the interaction between the magically infused rune and the blood of the bearer.

 

Flesh Runes take a while to become activatable once they are turned off, from hours to days, depending on the bearer and the rune.

 

GLOSSARY

BEARER; Those who wear Flesh Runes.

 

OOC

This lore is an addon to Runesmithing lore by Dizzy, Epicbeast, Beros, Lima and James. It aims to add the once canon Flesh Runes, used mainly by Doomforged and acquaintances of the clan. These runes, while never retconned or made futile, were completely outdated and I felt were also unbalanced and badly explained. These runes are carved in a dialect alternate to that of Mainstream Runesmithing, so I propose it to be learnt in RP, via a sub application to access the magic. This magic cannot be self-taught, and I’d like it to become also not self-taught by Runesmiths, since I would not like Flesh Runes to become commonplace, and Flesh Runesmiths, to run rampant.

The Addition of more runes is out of the question; It'll likely happen at one point or another, but I'm not yet sure how to add the flexibility of the command-like lexicon of mainstream runes to flesh runes, as such, these preset runes are meant to guide on any future flesh runes ideas.

By the way, if you feel this lore needs some help, instead of denying it, please add me on skype with your concerns, and I will do my best to fix them.

Also, the images of runes used are merely representative.

 

You should note that this magic has been around since 2012, but only got around to updating it in APRIL, due to the then-recent changes in Rune Lore. You should also note that this lore as is was finished in april, but due to some miscommunication with the Lore Team, the whole thing went kind of chaotic, me having to resort to lots of LMs and in the end, being told to simply submit it in the normal way.

 

 

Here's the past "IMPLEMENTED" thread, which was never really implemented or accepted as it was to be rebalanced with the help of James, which we did, so overall this lore IS accepted, just was due for some remodelling.

Spoiler

 

Revision Check log;

 

• Added an OOC excerpt on the addition of runes in the future.

• Added more to it by limiting the imbuement into a more asgolian fashion and giving one of the last remainders of the Magical Forges a more logical use than golem smithing; The dagger used to carve into the flesh must be forged within the Doom Forge, for it to imbue magic and combine both the rune and the body together.

• Edited rune of Torment to specify its capability of inflicting pain.

• Edited the Rune of Decay to become more ritualized.

• Clarified flesh-smithing as a sub-dialect of runesmithing. It is for this purpose an entire different dialect of the magic and must be learned separately.

• Removed resistance to cuts or stabs on the stoneskin rune. It no longer affects the user's ability to harden the skin and rather increases the user's resistance to fire and cold. This allows one to venture forth into the mountains with an innate resistance to the cold as well as forge in the ardent smithies of the Doom forge.

• Edited the rune of grace completely. Removed the granting of increased focus and made it  act more like a hallucinogen that gives clarity of mind, used for scribing and as a recreational drug.

• Base story edited.

• Rune of Dexterity is now Rune of Brawn, entire rewrite. Rune now grants strength but is a double edged sword, its most likely to harm the user as it does not grant endurance or resistance to the bone or tissue.

 

 

[HurferDurfer1 2584]

I demand bone runes.

[Papa Liam 960]

[Dtrik 330]

So all the Doomforged will learn it, their dark elf cousins will learn it, the entire edgy community will learn it. But no one else.

[Mr. Etan 2839]

So if I'm reading correctly, it's a sub magic for a circle-jerk guild.

 

I mean so long it isnt kept extremely private and guild locked I guess it would be cool

[chaotikal 2236]

1 hour ago, Dtrik said:

So all the Doomforged will learn it, their dark elf cousins will learn it, the entire edgy community will learn it. But no one else.

I never said that anywhere in the post. Flesh runes has been around the Doomforged since 2012, nothing is changing. I also have no intention whatsoever to purposefully give the magic to anyone but Dwarves. Also, edgy community? Eh.

 

21 minutes ago, Tox said:

So if I'm reading correctly, it's a sub magic for a circle-jerk guild.

 

I mean so long it isnt kept extremely private and guild locked I guess it would be cool

Nope, Runesmiths do not inherently know Flesh Runes, it was an art solely based around Asgol as it is explained. It problably won't be guild locked but private, and most certainly only kept around Dwarves.

[GDPR 014 23]

How dare you create magic and give it to few people. What monsters. HOW DARE you say that some people can't have this. GRRR SO TRIGGERED, it's just CIRCLE JERKY. REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

[Mr. Etan 2839]

Just now, Chaotikal said:

 

Nope, Runesmiths do not inherently know Flesh Runes, it was an art solely based around Asgol as it is explained. It problably will be guild locked and private, and most certainly only kept around Dwarves.

 

Kept around dwarves are fine but if its guild locked to a few individuals then I might as well go make a sub magic of one of the voidal magics make it extremely op and then guild lock it my self lmfao

 

Point Im making is if this is implemented dont turn it south, it's a pretty cool magic

[chaotikal 2236]

5 minutes ago, ArcanicFable said:

How dare you create magic and give it to few people. What monsters. HOW DARE you say that some people can't have this. GRRR SO TRIGGERED, it's just CIRCLE JERKY. REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

But I didn't even create it, Itechify created it, an admin from Asulon, I'm simply de-rekting/rewriting it from the most recent Rune Lore update by Dizzy.

 

5 minutes ago, Tox said:

 

Kept around dwarves are fine but if its guild locked to a few individuals then I might as well go make a sub magic of one of the voidal magics make it extremely op and then guild lock it my self lmfao

Flesh Runes have never been kept to a guild, but it has never become relevant enough to become an interest of anyone but a few Doomforged and those who spent time around the elders of the clan who knew about it.

[GDPR 014 23]

Just now, Chaotikal said:

But I didn't even create it, Itechify created it, an admin from Asulon, I'm simply de-rekting it from the most recent Rune Lore update by Dizzy.

I was meming, Darkjames, dw.

[Gladuos 857]

45 minutes ago, Tox said:

I might as well go make a sub magic of one of the voidal magics make it extremely op and then guild lock it my self lmfao

archons

I just never know about this kind of thing. Its scope of what it can do isn't very large, but I like what it does. I know this is already a thing, but I've never actually seen it in game. I think it's too controlled at this point. Why can't it be something any runesmith can learn eventually?

[chaotikal 2236]

Just now, Gladuos said:

archons

I just never know about this kind of thing. Its scope of what it can do isn't very large, but I like what it does. I know this is already a thing, but I've never actually seen it in game. I think it's too controlled at this point. Why can't it be something any runesmith can learn eventually?

Because it uses a different language from normal Runesmithing, and changing it would just be unnecessary retcon. Runesmithing isn't too controlled, it is simply too narrow, Dizzy taught very few people, and of those few people, even less continued being active in the Runesmithing scene, hence you don't really see many Runesmiths.

 

And Flesh Runes were always a part of Doomforged lore, but since their numbers have swung about, sometimes you really noticed them, and sometimes you simply didn't come across one to notice their runes.

[Gladuos 857]

Just now, Chaotikal said:

Because it uses a different language from normal Runesmithing, and changing it would just be unnecessary retcon.

 

Well the IC explanation is always existent due to OOC reasons. I just think it would do well by being more easily spread.

[Dtrik 330]

Just now, Gladuos said:

 

Well the IC explanation is always existent due to OOC reasons. I just think it would do well by being more easily spread.

Same. The Doomforged are rarely seen to be actual dwarves. Just dark elves with dwarvish heritage, waaaaaaaaaay back when they were first made. The dwarven community rarely sees a Doomforged, let alone one willing to rp in dwarvish areas. The Doomforged will just recycle their magic users making sure no one besides a dark elf or inactive doomforged, knows the magic. It would be better for experienced runesmithes to be able to discover it too as to make it so one community, one that is very distant from the community they are attempting to label themselves as, cannot have sole control. There needs to be an event or something along those lines, that allows those who already have the capability of creating active runes, to be able to learn and use the magic.

[Gladuos 857]

Honestly, flesh runes are seen even less than runesmiths in my experience. My characters at least know runesmithing exists. If it's a subtype of an already dwindling magic, it shouldn't be attempting to separate itself even further. I'm saying this because I actually really like this as a magic, but it's just never seen. I think I've interacted with one doomforged in the past 6 months. I want to see this around a little more, you know?