True Runes
From Greatelementrpg
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Story of the True Runes
The Story of Creation ...
In the beginning, there was "darkness." Then, the "darkness" shed a "tear." From that "tear," the brothers Sword and Shield were born. Shield claimed it could defend against any attack. Sword claimed it could slice through anything. The brothers began a legendary battle. At the end, both Sword and Shield shattered. Sword became the sky, Shield became the earth, and the sparks from the battle became the stars. As for the jewels, they fell to the ground and became the True Runes--The runes that all other runes were born from.
The 27 True Runes are the embodiment of existence itself. They're comparable to deities in the Suikoden World; they've governed history since it's beginning. They represent unavoidable truths, which are necessary for existence. They can be classified in three different aspects; Ethos, Logos, and Pathos. Ethos represent ethics and morality. Logos is logic and universal principal. Pathos is feeling and emotion.
The 27 True Runes are extremely powerful, with complete control over what they represent. More than any other rune, they're capable of creating elemental forms to use as their own physical bodies. They're known to take human hosts too, however; some Runes like the Rune of Punishment, always seek a human host. Empires have risen and fallen because of the True Runes. They seem to have their own sort of sentience and personality, even.
When being hosted by a human, most of their power is sealed away, and the host is only granted a small amount of it's power to use. However, this small amount is still more than granted by most runes. As such, True Rune bearers usually rise to positions of importance; though arguably, it could be said that often True Runes choose individuals whose natural talents would have them rise to prominence regardless.
True Runes have a few interesting effects on their hosts; firstly, they tend to change their personality a little. The bearer of the True Fire Rune for example, becomes slightly more aggressive. A more noticeable change however, is that True Rune bearers become ageless. If they acquire the True Rune while still a child, they age until their prime and then stop aging. If acquired during adulthood, they simply stop aging then. They also become immune to disease and other natural causes of death; however, they can still be killed in battle.
True Runes cannot be removed by normal means, nor can their dormant forms be forced out of their Orbs by normal means.
The True Runes
True Beast Rune
- Previous Bearers:: Various animals
- Current Bearer:: Moss
A true rune of the Pathos Class. This True Beast Rune represents simple animalistic passion. It governs the deep logic-less layer of the mind; the instinctual emotional part that lacks rational thought; simply, it represents unbridled emotion. It gives life the spark needed for creativity, motivation, devotion, love, and pleasure. However, it also makes misery, agony, envy, hatred, and rage possible.
It's not entirely known what powers the True Beast Rune gives it's host; it seems to turn them into a beast of some sort, giving them inhuman speed and strength, as well as greatly increased instincts. They also seem to know peoples emotions by looking at them, even if outward signs are different.
The True Beast Rune has been hosted by various great beasts throughout history; it has turned simple animals into legends. Many heroes met their demise trying to slay these beasts, but eventually when one hero did succeed, it would become dormant for some time before finding a new host.
During one of these dormant times in the recent past, a young man stumbled upon it's location, inadvertently attaching the rune to himself. This young man, known as Moss, has been cursed with bearing the Rune since, in a strange and powerful beast form.
Rune of the Beginning
- Previous Bearers:: Negean and Arceid
- Current Black Sword Bearer:: Unknown
- Current Bright Shield Bearer:: Unknown
The True Rune of the Ethos class represents creation, and the inherent dual nature of reality; as thus, it's always found in two separate components; The Bright Shield Rune and The Black Sword Rune. The Bright Shield Rune represents nurture and protection, but also lawlessness and impunity. In short, it represents free will and protection. The Black Sword Rune represents order; not Order as the Circle Rune perpetuates it. This order is not synonymous with harmony and bliss; it is an order which lacks free will, the simple aspect of existence which calls for irrevocable laws to existence, such as the law of gravity and other physical laws. Without a balance of these two aspects, life and creation would be unable to exist - without the aspect of order represented by the black sword rune there would only be chaos, and without the aspect of nurture and freedom of the bright shield rune life forms would not have a place in the completely axiomatic existance.
The hosts of these two runes are destined to fight each other until only one of them is left alive; the victor will be granted with the full True Rune, gaining the full power and agelessness of the True Rune of the Beginning.
The Bright Shield Rune grants great protective and healing powers, while the Black Sword Rune grants great offensive powers. It can only be assumed that the Rune of the Beginning grants both, but since the hosts of the Bright Shield Rune and the Black Sword Rune usually kill each other, thus resulting in a draw, the effects aren't known.
Two famous owners of these Runes were the ancient heroes Nagean and Arceid.
Blue Moon Rune
- Previous Bearers:: Blue Moon Village of Gale Forest
- Current Bearer:: Unknown
The Blue Moon Rune represents both destruction and compassion. It is of the Pathos class. It allows for the feeling of mercy, and for it to be applied upon existence. Like all other True Runes however, it does have its own duality; compassion is inseparable from sorrow and yearning. These forces balance out the original intention of compassion, due to the inherent destruction caused by these feelings . The Rune is known to have taken a host - the first vampire, but that name is lost to history.
Long ago, there was a small village of Runic Vampires that lived peacefully for many centuries, under the protection of the Blue Moon Rune. They lived peaceful isolated lives of contemplation in the village, which was in the middle of a large and dark forest. However, over time a certain Vampire known simply as Laracra persuaded other vampires to leave the village, and create world which they could rule without hiding. With the power of the Blue Moon Rune, they managed to conquer a large portion of the continent, easily defeating any humans that stood in their way. Within a decade, the Night Blood Empire had been created, the largest empire to have ever been created until the rise of the Ancient Gramm Empire. However, suddenly, the Blue Moon Rune abandoned the vampires, and lifted it's protection. Most vampires died, and their empire quickly returned to the hands of humans.
Rune of Change
- Previous Bearers:: Various Sun-Rise Clan Shamans
- Current Bearer:: Unknown
A rune of the Logos Class, this True Rune embodies one inevitable truth; all things must change, both good and bad. This True Rune represents disarray and instability, which are unavoidably created by the flow of constant change which can never be undone. However, because of this change, progress, growth, and adaptation are possibly. While perpetuating chaos through disorder, it also provided for the possibility for development, so that a sort of harmony may exist.
The rune of Change was said to be borne by the Shamans of the Sun-Rise Clan; an ancient nomadic tribe which traveled much of the world. They were known to be near invincible in battle; their swordsmen refined and paragons of their craft, and their scholars having knowledge of Runes that to this day is unparalleled. They were even great architects and engineers, designing structures impossible to duplicate in the current age. As they traveled the world, they left many signs as testaments to their great feats. But true to the nature of the Rune that led them, their elite knowledge was lost through the centuries of perpetual change, as they moved from place the place at the whim of the Rune.
The Sun-Rise Clan is known to have been wiped out in a great battle against the Night-Blood Vampires, as they fought alongside other tribes from the Cayes Grasslands. It is unknown what happened to the Rune after then; stories tell of the Rune disappearing into the sunrise, as the battle finished.
Circle Rune
- Previous Bearers:: Emperor Sargon Gramm
- Current Bearer:: None - Dormant in the Tomb of Sargon
A True Rune of the Logos Class, the Circle Rune represents order, which can bring peace and prosperity. The symbolism of the circle in itself represents the aspect of eternity and balance. However, the Circle Rune also represents the other side of Order; stagnation. The Circle Rune bears both a gift and curse which are invariably intertwined and inseparable. The Circle Rune does not seek to impose order as the Black Sword Aspect of the Rune of the Beginning; this order is an order of mortal beings, and order which creates the foundation for civilized existence. It encompasses chaos and accounts for it, but it does not seek to destroy it.
It is known to have been hosted by the great Emperor Sargon Gramm, founder of the Gramm Empire and conquerer of near all the known world. While it granted great prosperity to the Empire for many centuries, after Sargon's death, the Empire quickly became stagnant and corrupt. The Empire lasted only three decades later, with three short-lived succesors; the most famous being Arceid, who bore the Bright Shield Rune. The Circle Rune is said to have remained on Sargon's body after his death, though other sources say it transferred to his famous Silver Armor, in which he was buried.
Dragon Rune
- Previous Bearers:: The Great Six Dragons; Azhi Dahaka, Quetzalcoatl, Tiamat, Bahamut, Great Hydra, Fafnir, previous Captains of the Dragon Knights
- Current Bearer:: Captain of the Dragon Knights
The Dragon Rune allows Dragons to exist in this world. A rune of the Logos class, without it, Dragons could only exist in their own plane; the World of Wings and Scales. If the bearer of the Dragon Rune died, all Dragons in this world would die or be forced to retreat to their own plane, until the Rune found a new host. Because of this, the bearer of the Rune holds great responsibility and would never be allowed in battle. This is the true meaning of the rune; responsibility and justice, inherent in the nature of the dragons themselves.
The Dragon Rune doesn't grant any supernatural powers to it's host except being able to communicate telepathically with all dragons.
The Dragon Knights are an organization centered in the city of Melphy, and have great pull in the Kingdom of Rugney. They're dedicated to bringing justice, as well as protecting their homeland. It is said that the Dragon Knights began ages ago, when Six Great Dragons entrusted those living in the small village of Melphy with the Rune. These great dragons returned to the world of Wings and Scales, but left behind their offspring. These dragons were born into different types of dragons, resembling their parent . Though most dragons are born into the dragon knights, rogue dragons are also known to exist. They tend to be even more powerful than regular dragons. These rogue dragons are usually quite problematic to humans, though not always aggressive. There are also a number of dragon-like spawn, such as Salamndrs.
Gate Rune
- Previous Bearers:: Oracle of Audvera
- Current Bearer:: Embedded in a statue in the Pale Temple of the Gate
The Gate Rune, a True Rune of the Logos class, symbolizes passage. It embodies two distinct intangible aspects; knowledge, and hope. It allows for passage between worlds, as well as summoning; it is a passage way to and from the unknown. It's aspect of faith is symbolized by it's ability to summon; to summon you first must call that which you have not yet seen or know to exist. It shows how those with faith will find the way; but blind faith or no faith will only make one lose their way.
However, this Rune also grants knowledge. Those that have borne it have been cursed with great knowledge of things to come. This knowledge often clouds the sentiment of faith, leading to the demise of its bearers. It's only known bearer, the Oracle of Audvera, was said to have been a vivid and lively woman before acquiring the Rune; however, as she attained knowledge, she lost hope for the future, and resigned herself to her Temple.
The Gate Rune represents both the seen and the unseen, the seen and the unforeseen.
Hachifusa Rune
- Previous Bearers:: Uknown
- Current Bearer:: Open
