The Rune Smith

Mini Handbook

Author's Note: This material is meant to be supplementary:>

I will be adding as I adjust the plot.

[These details will be fleshed out, so please continue to read to enjoy The Rune Smith!]

Hello, and welcome to the wonderful planet of Lura, a beautiful land of light and beauty.

And a place of horrors.

Here is an introduction into the important parts of the world Alia lives in. I hope you enjoy!

The Planet Lura

Lura is divided into nine continents, each one with its own ecosystems and economy. However, Alia's story doesn't require a vast knowledge of more than three of them.

Those three continents are Lurris, Starris, and Sownis. Each are very closely related in both name and environment. They are named after the three most prominent sky elements, the moons (Lura has many moons), the stars, and the Sun. Lura was also named after its moons, which is why it is similar in name to Lurris.

Lura is a highly advanced world, very similar to Earth now, which combines the use of magic with technology.

Lurris specifically prides themselves in their lack of technological reliance, choosing instead to devote their time to runic studies. In direct opposition to Lurris, the majority of Lura prefers to study technology, as they believe that magic can only help them progress so far, which directly opposes the ideas of Lurris.

It is one of the many reasons there is great conflict between Lurris and its surrounding continents.

Society

Alia's home lies in Lurris, the smallest of the three continents in her story. Her life revolves around three societal levels: workmen (essentially slaves, but most people in Alia's world think the word 'slaves' is too derogatory), peasants, and the gifted, aka casters.

These three levels are present in very few continents, as many continents deem this an illogical division of the human population. The continents that don't support the workmen class are generally continents who are democratic in nature.

The level you find yourself depends on two factors: how much magic you possess and one what societal level your parents were on.

Magic Possession

There are three basic categories you can be placed in in terms of the amount of magic you possess. (There are subcategories, but there are a lot.)

The categories are: magicless, Forlorn, and caster.

Magicless:
If you are a magicless, unless you can read runes or have parents high up on the societal scale you will always end up a workman.

Having no magic means that anything ingested that holds magic has no effect upon the magicless ingester. No food grown through the use of runes can feed the magicless population, and that fact encourages the separation between the social pyramid sections.

No one with magic wants to feed the magicless population, so the king hires people who possess magic to force the workmen to grow food themselves.

The magicless essentially became slaves because casters assigned to the care of workmen can force said workmen to do as they wish. In addition, the word 'workmen' used as a euphemism for slave.

Casters:
Casters are automatically sent to the Imperial Academy, however they don't always end up on the 'gifted' level of society. They can also find themselves on the peasant level. Casters can end up with very limited spell casting abilities, and that makes them peasants.

Forlorn:
The Forlorn are very unique, and they have an excess of attributes-

They have magic of their own, but absolutely can not use it. Forlorn can also be made, but those types of Forlorn have no magic. Made Forlorn started with magic, but have their magic ripped from them. They end up as shells of their former selves.

Forlorn are very easily recognized, as they have no discernible race and grey skin. Each one is completely unique, so it is really easy to tell the difference between two Forlorn. They also have black blood, but that is because having magic that can't be used drains the Forlorn of their genetically based characteristics. (Made Forlorn are the only exception.)

Forlorn have no particular societal level, as they can be workmen and peasants. They can attend the Imperial Academy along with magicless with high ranking parents.

Magic Focals

Magic focals are magic runes that focus on a particular subject. They must be used by a caster whose magic is meant to cast that specific type of focus. It may sound complex, but it's actually really simple.

For simplicity: An elemental based caster use elemental focals. Professor Carnhill is a knowledge based caster, meaning that she can use any focal (focused rune) that relates to knowledge, along with Simples.

Types of Runes & Spells

Simples and focals are the basic rune types, but they are incredibly different.
Simples are type of basic magic- anyone can cast them as long as they possess magic. Focals require a specific magic casting ability. Not just anyone can use them, as they are normally for people who possess a large amount of magic.

Important Rules of Magic

No one is supposed to be able to read runes (also known as runic), although there are exceptions to that rule; only someone who can see nor read any writing in any language can hear them speak- it is a common misconception that rune smiths can read runes as one reads a novel. They must also have no magic of their own.

As runes cannot be read, they must be memorized. Once the spell using the rune is officially 'cast,' it changes to an unrecognizable state, ensuring that no one can be able to tell what the rune is simply because they have memorized it.

On top of that, no one without magic can eat any food made through the use of magic and receive any benefit from it. It is because of this fact that the workmen class was created- no one with magic had at any point wanted to do work that would feed someone else. (See 'Magicless' under the 'Society' category for specifics.)

This has been the mini handbook- Again, I will add more as time progresses.

I hope this helps you understand Alia's world, or it's interesting.

Stay sensational! :>
-Ennycema