Magic
Rune Wraiths
This page details the rune wraith trait, which may be applied to a character with a rune wraith slot from the Bits Store.
A subset of those revived through necromancy so rare as to be unheard of, even by those well-studied in magic.
Rune wraiths (known also as living runes, the rune-marked, etc) are created when a rune enhanced by necromancy is destroyed, and the energy contained within used to perform a revival. They retain the runic enchantment they were revived with, going against all conventional knowledge of runes, but at the cost of a powerful compulsion to complete the “purpose” of said enchantment. |
1.0 Creating a Wraith 2.0 Effects 2.1 Physical Effects 2.2 The Enchantment 2.3 Memory & Purpose 3.0 Rules & Guidelines 3.1 Backstory Requirements 3.2 Enchantment Limitations 3.3 Design Requirements |
The first and hardest stage of making a rune wraith is realizing that the endeavour is even possible. Necromancy-enhanced enchanted items are not unheard of in countries that practice either art, but few realize that these runes can then be used as a sacrifice in a revival. The discovery is usually made by accident - breaking a valuable enchanted item, and feeling the same sensation as if someone living had died before them.
The second step in making a rune wraith is to acquire or create an enchanted item whose power has been enhanced through necromancy. This is done by imbuing the life-force of a living thing - ideally a human or dragon - into the object. This process increases the magic’s strength greatly, though makes it somewhat finicky and “haunted”. Such enchantments behave in unpredictable manners, their outputs flickering or shifting.
The third step is to destroy it. If the object is broken, energy is released, and a necromancer can grab it like they could the life-force of a recently deceased person. After that, all that’s left to do is to revive your rune wraith to-be.
Using the energy for lesser forms of necromancy, such as creating minions, healing injuries, etc, does not appear to have the potential to confer rune wraith status. A full revival is necessary. Reviving someone with a rune wraith also does not transfer their “enchantment” on to someone else.
The second step in making a rune wraith is to acquire or create an enchanted item whose power has been enhanced through necromancy. This is done by imbuing the life-force of a living thing - ideally a human or dragon - into the object. This process increases the magic’s strength greatly, though makes it somewhat finicky and “haunted”. Such enchantments behave in unpredictable manners, their outputs flickering or shifting.
The third step is to destroy it. If the object is broken, energy is released, and a necromancer can grab it like they could the life-force of a recently deceased person. After that, all that’s left to do is to revive your rune wraith to-be.
Using the energy for lesser forms of necromancy, such as creating minions, healing injuries, etc, does not appear to have the potential to confer rune wraith status. A full revival is necessary. Reviving someone with a rune wraith also does not transfer their “enchantment” on to someone else.
This section goes over what aspects set a rune wraith apart from a regular revived person.
Along with the glowing eyes all revived receive, rune wraiths are marked with shining rune patterns on or hovering over their skin, matching the eye colour of the necromancer who resurrected them. Featured in the patterns are the runes from the enchantment used to revive them - going against conventional knowledge, they do not siphon the wraith’s life-force.
The design of these patterns varies by individual. While their runes appear in at least one area, secondary decorative lines and patterns have commonly been observed. These markings may be contained to a single area, or appear in several places, though never cover the whole body. They may be static, or shift/pulse/flicker. They may lay directly over but flush with the skin (covering tattoos and scars beneath them) or hover some distance away from it. Unlike other forms of revivals, rune wraiths seem unable to mutate features related to the disembodied soul they were revived using. This is likely due to the sacrifice’s body being long decayed and forgotten. (Ex; a human revived with a rune enhanced with a dragon’s life-force would not get draconic features from the revival). |
The most notable aspect of a rune wraith is, of course, the lingering remnants of the enchantment they were revived with. They become “living runes”, retaining part of the effect of the item the sacrifice’s soul was trapped within… as well as a draw to fulfill the purpose they were once bound to.
These enchantments operate exactly as they did before being bound to a person, though lose the instability characteristic of necromancy-enhanced runes. They are no more or less complex than in their original form; rune wraiths gain no ability to control or any immunity to the magical effect they received.
Certain effects are immediately or eventually lethal. Rune wraiths revived with “elemental” runes that create things - those who create fire, water, plants, minerals, air or lightning - are consumed by their element and die. Individuals with enchantments like repel fire or attract air are spared such grisly fates.
A sample of possible rune wraith enchantments are:
These enchantments operate exactly as they did before being bound to a person, though lose the instability characteristic of necromancy-enhanced runes. They are no more or less complex than in their original form; rune wraiths gain no ability to control or any immunity to the magical effect they received.
Certain effects are immediately or eventually lethal. Rune wraiths revived with “elemental” runes that create things - those who create fire, water, plants, minerals, air or lightning - are consumed by their element and die. Individuals with enchantments like repel fire or attract air are spared such grisly fates.
A sample of possible rune wraith enchantments are:
- A rune wraith with a repel illusion enchantment would disrupt illusions within a radius around them... including any they might want to use themself.
- A rune wraith with a plant fertility enchantment would make plants around them grow and develop better.
- A rune wraith with an attract necromancy enchantment would empower the magic of necromancers near them.
- A rune wraith with a stability enchantment would be more durable... though their enchantment would also affect other things near them, making it hard for them to break things.
- These are by no means the only possibilities for enchantments! See the full List of Runes here for what else you can work with.
Rune wraiths gain few memories from the individual bound to the rune they were revived with; their recollection of that past life quickly grows muddled, and very old necromancy-enhanced runes may contain nothing beyond a few flickers of especially intense moments.
What they do remember, however, is a period of time where they knew nothing but a singular purpose, an all-consuming drive to perform the enchantment that they were bound to. This compulsion does not fade with the revival, but transfers itself to the rune wraith. The older the rune, the more powerful these ‘memories’ become. These compulsions may be resisted, but it takes effort to do so.
For example:
What they do remember, however, is a period of time where they knew nothing but a singular purpose, an all-consuming drive to perform the enchantment that they were bound to. This compulsion does not fade with the revival, but transfers itself to the rune wraith. The older the rune, the more powerful these ‘memories’ become. These compulsions may be resisted, but it takes effort to do so.
For example:
- A rune wraith revived with an attract necromancy rune may feel the need to seek out and assist necromancers.
- A rune wraith revived with repel lightning may be more resistant to damage from electricity, but they will also have an irrational fear of it.
- A rune wraith revived with a plant and fertility rune will have a drive to care for plants and see them grow well, and would enjoy a career as a gardener or botanist.
- A rune wraith revived with varying kinds of illusion disguise runes may be compelled to sell their veiled appearance to any they come across... and if their illusory appearance is that of a real person, they may be inclined to mimic that person as closely as possible.
- A rune wraith revived with repel illusion may be afraid of or hate illusory disguises… or you could take it in a more metaphorical route, and they have an intense drive to reveal the hidden truths around them.
This section is written out-of-character and provides information on requirements for and limits placed on rune wraith characters.
The following notes should be kept in mind when writing a rune wraith’s backstory:
- Rune wraiths must be revived using a rune-enchanted item that was enhanced with necromancy. No other means exist to create a rune wraith.
- Other than in ways clarified in this section or on the rune wraith lore page, rune wraiths otherwise operate in the same ways as regular revived individuals.
- The term “rune wraith” is used on the site for the sake of consistency, but it is by no means the only or dominant term in-lore. The creation of rune wraiths are so uncommon that each individual tends to have their own words for what they are.
- There is no direct limit on the age of the runic enchantment used in the revival, however the sacrifice’s memories of their life before death deteriorate over time - those who were trapped in one for a long period will remember very little. This is to say, making someone revived from a 500+ year old rune will not give you access to any ‘secret lore’ that the sacrifice would remember from their past life. They might have some memories of events from the Realm’s recorded history, though.
Rune wraith enchantments must adhere to the following guidelines:
- Rune wraith enchantments should be balanced, and not be an instant win factor for your character.
- Rune wraith enchantments cannot emulate elemental magic (create fire, water, air, lightning, minerals, plants). Stuff like attract+air and repel+lightning are allowed, though!
- Rune wraith enchantments may only have one effect. For example, you couldn’t have something like “Repel+Fire+Lightning”. Effects should be focused to prevent them from being overly powerful.
- Rune wraiths are not immune to the effect of their own enchantment.
- Enchantments that would be lethal (repel+air, repel+life, combustion, etc) cannot be given to a rune wraith. If you can figure out how they
- We may make exceptions if you can come up with a good method for your character to not be dead, but generally these sorts of enchantments are to be avoided.
- Runic triggers are allowed, but should be used sparingly. You can use them to make the effect more specific or interesting, but it should not negate every drawback, or give total control.
- (Ex; giving a sound trigger to an air+illusion rune wraith so they have on-demand invisibility with no drawbacks would not be allowed. A dark trigger to a light enchantment would be perfectly fine, though - the character no longer glows all the time, but does not have full control over the power, and would struggle to hide in dark places).
- Effects of their runes cannot be disabled, controlled, toned down, etc. Someone revived from a repel illusion rune will always disrupt illusions, for example.
Character design requirements for rune wraiths:
- A rune wraith must have visible “rune markings” on their body. The colour should match that of their eyes.
- Rune markings may hover or sit flush to the skin, though are always slightly over the body - they would cover paints/tattoos/scars underneath them, but could be covered by clothing.
- They may have a simple “looping animation” where they shift, fade in/out, etc, though the colour should remain the same (or alternatively, could cycle between multiple colours if they were all present in the necromancer’s irises).
- Get yourself a rainbow-eyed necromancer for an RGB rune wraith, lmao.
- Get yourself a rainbow-eyed necromancer for an RGB rune wraith, lmao.
- While the markings are largely left up to creative freedom, the runes your character was revived with must be visible somewhere in the design. No runes unrelated to them should appear on the design. Other elements of the patterns are up to you!
- While you can apply things like Magical Mutation slots to the character, it would not make sense for them to have received the mutation from the rune-trapped soul they were revived with, as the individual’s body was long gone.