This!!

…is a spray nozzle. But you’re here about magic, so we can talk about this some other time.

Elder FUTHARK:

As I was saying, this is what the runes of Grim Legacy look like.

This is the Norse alphabet known as the Elder FUTHARK. It contains 24 characters which are also called runes.

The translation for rune means secret, secret lore, wisdom; magical signs; written characters.

There is another Norse alphabet known as the Younger FUTHARK, which Grim Legacy does not use, so it’s not depicted. But both versions are common place when it comes to fantasy settings that utilize written magic.

Rune Magic:

In Grim Legacy, each rune represents a separate cosmic force. These 24 different forms of energy are known as Aether. They are infinite, but they are locked behind a veil, which separates made and unmade reality.

Runes are also channels/corridors that allow the various forms of Aether to be accessed. But in order to do so, there are 3 requirements:

  1. Exact proportions

  2. Specific material

  3. Affinity with rune’s energy

You can think of them like the spray nozzle of a garden hose, where adjustments don’t change the spray pattern, they alter what emerges from the hose. Say the first one is water, but the second is fire. Turn it again and it’s air. But these are just elements and not representative of the actual forces beyond the veil. And it would likely require multiple runes to produce something like flame.

So, you see? That spray nozzle earlier was relevant. :)

1. Exact proportions

The rune has to have exacting proportions in order to open the channel to its specific energy.

2. Specific Material

There is a specific, increasingly rare, material known as Galdrauss, which is required to make a rune more than a simple letter of the FUTHARK alphabet. A wand of Galdrauss can be used to create magic channels on any material, albeit with a weaker flow, but carving runes into the surface of Galdrauss will allow the energy to flow more readily, requiring less affinity to access a specific energy.

A few individuals have managed to access Aether without the aid of Galdrauss in either form, but their access was barely a trickle and required a great affinity.

3. Affinity with Rune’s energy

Imagine building a fire, then picking up the actual flame with your bare hand and throwing it at someone/something. That’s probably going to hurt. Now, imagine any version of a flame elemental doing the same thing. The elemental didn’t even need to build the fire because the element is part of its identity. So, we could probably suggest that a fire elemental’s affinity with fire is 100%.

Now, imagine both you and the same elemental doing the same thing with a handful of water from a river. The human body is made up of roughly 60% water and it’s not going to hurt you to throw it around. But the same can’t be said for the fire elemental.

This premise works alongside how affinity behaves. It’s not your physical makeup, instead interfacing with your ability to interact with the energy without being harmed or consumed. The higher you affinity, the more readily you can access the energy across a runic channel.

4. Secret application

There is an alternate application for runic magic, which was discovered by Brandrrafn during his apprenticeship among Dwarven smiths. This method incorporates the obelisks, but the exact application won’t be expounded until the series reaches the point where Mioko learns of this technique.

Rune stencil:

With this stencil, all runes can be drawn.

Mioko’s Magic/Abilities:

Mioko’s magic is largely passive, enhancing her combat abilities and allowing her to persist in drawn out fights and unusual circumstances. Through a unique interaction with the obelisk bound to her, her affinity increases through exposure and her abilities adapt based on what her survival requires.

Mioko monitors her growth at three separate points across Twilight Wolf, the last one disclosing the following stats/capabilities:

Attributes: Innate increases to the body’s natural performance, surpassing that of a given race’s natural capabilities.

  • Speed: 5 Increasing her base movement speed.

  • Agility: 5 Increasing her base dodge/reaction speed.

  • Restoration: 3 Restores damaged tissue to include muscle exhaustion.

Abilites/Traits: Powers and characteristics that alter the function of a race’s natural capabilities.

  • Ocular Chrysalis - hardening membrane that encases and protects her eyes.

  • Equilibrium - sense of balance and stability regardless if she has unstable footing or is sailing through the air.

  • Hyperspeed - specifics unknown.

  • Iron Gut - suppresses motion sickness and disorientation through high-g maneuvers.

  • Rime Carapace - a thin coating of milky ice that she can manifest over her body as a protective layer.

  • World View - allows her to see and interact with the world in a way she can understand. All spoken and written languages are assimilated—heard and viewed as if they were her own.

  • Resistor - reinforces the flow of energy and prevents it from incapacitating her.

Lock related:

Note: Locks are portals, with lock-variations denoting portal augments.

  • Aerolock - an acceleration lock, where the exit resembles launching from a cannon.

  • Autolock - calibrated locks that allow for high precision entering and exiting.

  • Lock Bloom - an energy that coats Mioko’s sword. She can fling it ahead of her, where the portal entrance can travel farther away before opening. It then opens like an expanding parachute, where both sides can expand much larger than a standard lock.

  • Protolock - an invasive portal that can only create an exit at the tip of Mioko’s sword. The tradeoff is that she can open it in places she hasn’t yet seen, which is normally a requirement for her to open a portal to someplace.

  • Dyslock - a pair of locks where the exit opens flush against a solid surface. This creates the impression that the antelock is filled in and can be used as platforms or barricades.

Mioko’s abilities are further augmented leading up to the story’s conclusion, and again during the final showdown with Hnoss. Those adjustments aren’t disclosed with the exception of a new portal augmentation. The other adjustments will be defined at the start of book 2.

  • Lockstep - can step between local points, transitioning through the open air without opening a portal beforehand.