…

I’ve finished reading “Principles of Runescript.”

The book goes into detail explaining the complex mechanics of runescript. To be clear, runescript is not the same thing as runecrafting, but is instead a component of it. That is to say, runescript is the arrangement of arcane patterns that, when designed properly, results in a magical effect. In other words, runescript is the “software” side of runecrafting. Generally speaking, runescript is composed of interconnecting lines on a two-dimensional plane, patterns can be combined in an endless variety of ways to produce different effects.

It is both fantastic and frustrating.

“Principles of Runescript” does a good job at defining some of the different patterns that are frequently used and how they interact with other runic patterns. From what I’ve learned, I feel confident that I’d be able to design some basic custom runes. Think of it like a programming language, once you understand the terms and how they interact with each other, you can do almost anything. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you understand how the functions you’re using work. Most people don’t need to understand how a computer adds numbers in order to use a calculator. Actually, no, from what I know so far, magic is a lot more limited and furthermore, less understood. It’s more like knowing how to add only even numbers and not understanding what subtraction means. The theory is very incomplete.

Which gets me to why runescript is frustrating; at no point does the book explain how new patterns, on a fundamental level, are ‘invented.’ Or well, it does, but not in a way that’s useful to me. In addition to observing biology, as I’d previously speculated, runes are also discovered in precursor ruins.

But for the most part? Runic knowledge is “a gift from the gods.”

Yeah right! What a load of nonsense! What the book is really telling me is that no one actually understands how they work, therefore new runic patterns are never invented. Actually, that isn’t entirely accurate; I’d be more correct to say that new runic patterns are not intentionally invented. In certain lucky cases, new patterns are discovered by random trial and error, though the process is exceedingly dangerous. Well, for fleshy beings at least, Hehehe.

Indeed, the entire school of soul magic was apparently discovered when some daring mage decided to modify mana accumulation runescript.

The revelation that such a thing as soul magic exists is…disturbing, to say the least, as it implies the existence and tangibility of souls. I’m sure it’s just a scientific misunderstanding on the people’s part, but I can’t entirely out rule the possibility. After all, I did reincarnate…

Anyway, moving on, runescript is as useless without the other aspects of runecrafting as a software is without hardware to run it. Though technically outside the scope of “Principles of Runescript,” it did provide some very broad context. For example, while the size of runescript doesn’t necessarily have an effect on a rune’s magical output, in practice it does.

Recall that runic patterns are actually made from metal and/or other more exotic materials. There is a soft limit on how much mana can pass through the material of a rune which is determined by the quality, quantity, and type of material used, as well as manufactured precision. In other words, you can achieve identical magical effects by either using a large rune, or a small rune that is well-built and made from superior materials, among other combinations of the aforementioned metrics.

Of course, to achieve truly massive effects, you’re always going to be better off building larger runes in order to accommodate the extreme quantity/flow-rate of mana.

The book also goes on to briefly mention various obscure schools of runecrafting, such as three-dimensional runescript and the relatively new practice of using “kinetic runes,” which apparently involve moving parts that activate and deactivate patterns. There is so much left to learn!

At my current level of knowledge, I could probably design custom versions of each of the wands I’d already purchased, however, I need to put emphasis on design because I cannot, in fact, build them yet. The reason is simple; I lack the metalworking tools.

Sure, I could spend my time fabricating them right now, and I’m extremely tempted to do exactly that, but there’s just one thing…

I am scared.

All told, things have been going my way so far. I’ve even managed to gather my courage and interact with civilization! Even so, I’m still unsafe. If I was discovered and an influential group of people decided they wanted to end me, that’d be the end of the line. As it stands, my greatest defense is staying hidden, but I can’t bank on that forever. Sure, making runes myself would be beneficial, but it could be months or perhaps even years before I can fabricate enough equipment to produce runes to my admittedly high standards. Yeah, that’s another problem, I’m a bit of a perfectionist.

No, for the time being, I need to invest in activities with more immediate payoffs, just as I did when I put off reading for a time. That means building up my dungeon’s ecosystems and subsequently reinforcing my army, building traps, forging connections, and exploring both the world and its knowledge base.

But let me be clear here, just because I won’t be prioritizing metalworking yet doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll ignore it. I see no reason not to dabble in it on the side and who knows, I may even have enough downtime to realize that dream sooner than I expect! Also, there’s nothing stopping me from hiring other people to fabricate any designs I might come up with in the meantime!

Naturally, I might learn of something new that will shift my priorities, some new threat, arcane or otherwise, or a type of magic that I simply cannot do without. I’m nothing if not adaptable, so I’ll just take things as they come.

While ruminating over the future, I’m interrupted by the sound of an explosion originating near my recently claimed cavern…

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Finnikin hated the Hunt.

As a Feeder of the Seed, it was his job to procure food for his people. To do so, the other Feeders and himself would venture deep into the Outside in search of food. This was the great Hunt.

To the seedfolk, being a Feeder was one of the most honorable tasks, something any Person would be respected for, as they were directly carrying out the Seed’s will.

And Finnikin really did wish to please the Seed, it’s true! The trouble is… He was a coward.

Then why would he risk himself in the Outside, where the archer pods sprouted, siegelings burrowed, and forgotten beasts roamed? The reason was threefold; he truly wanted to support the People and the Seed, his family would’ve been disappointed if he’d refused the Call, and, well…there was a girl…

So here he was, on the Hunt. What’s worse, they had to follow Ugly Hinds around. He may be a mage, but that greedy old man was crazy! No one liked him, but he was one of a select few seedfolk who’d interacted with the Varnassi defilers; thus, he’d been educated on the intricacies of magic and owned an impressive set of bronze armor.

As the senior member of the Feeders, Hinds was the defacto leader on this excursion.

The Feeders marched down the narrow Way to today’s hunting grounds. They frequently rotated their search pattern so as not to tax the environment too much. The 22 seedfolk stealthily traversed the densely vegetated floor of the familiar tunnel leading to their destination.

As much as he hated Hinds, Finnikin was thankful for his presence, the last time they’d come this way, they’d encountered a Blind One! The crotchety old mage fired off just one bolt of lightning and managed to kill the beast instantly!

Perking up and swiveling his ears, Finnikin’s acquaintance Jangin said, “The Way isn’t echoing right, I think there’s a blockage.”

At his words, everyone else listened to the sounds of their footsteps and nodded in assent.

“Bah! It’s probably just a wayward tower-cap taking root where it doesn’t belong, I’ll smite it where it stands!” said Hinds.

No one acknowledged his boast, even though they knew it to be true. Hinds is many things, but a liar was not one of them. If they did indeed encounter a tower-cap, well, the result would be predictable.

Someone else spoke up, “No, from what I can hear, it has to be a cave-in.”

No one said a word; they knew that if this was accurate, the Hunt would be prolonged.

After a few more minutes of silence, the Feeders were met with their obstacle.

Being the first to acknowledge it again, Jangin stated the obvious, “That’s no cave-in, see how the stones are fused together? It looks like the work of siegelings, but I don’t see any paper.

With a crazed look on his face, Hinds yelled, “I was right you blasted fools! This isn’t a cave-in and it certainly isn’t the work of siegelings!”

Spitting all over the place, he continued, “This is an Imposter’s work! When I defeat and bring it to the Seed, I’ll no doubt be Anointed!”

“What about us?” Said a brave seedfolk.

Turning his gaze away from the wall, Hinds aggressively rounded on the person who spoke up and spit out, “What about you indeed? Do any of you magicless children actually expect to contribute at all? I’m going to have to do all the work, so naturally, the credit will be given to me!”

No one refuted his words, as a mage, he was by far the most capable amongst them.

Nearly everyone except Finnikin was brooding over their exclusion from the discovery. If anything, he was grateful, he wouldn’t be expected to partake in what was most certainly a dangerous task.

His ears not being what they once were, Hinds pointed at Jangin, the seedfolk who’d first noticed the resonant changes in the tunnel, and said, “Boy! Get over here and tell me how thick this barrier is!”

Well used to Ugly Hinds’ rough attitude by now, he jotted over without protest and placed his large ear against the stone’s surface. Tapping the wall in a few places, he listened carefully.

“I think it’s about fifteen hands thick,” said Jangin.

As a toothy smile climbed across Hind’s fuzzy white face, someone else blurted out, “But how do we know if the blood of Melk lies on the other side, that wall looks an awful lot like a stone scab, no?”

The smile instantly vanished from his visage when Hinds said, “You idiot! You’d be cooking where you stand if the blood of Melk was nearby! I have no time for foolishness, everyone, stand back!”

Hinds took out his wand and inserted five charged magicite crystals, a number that would give any experienced mage butterflies in their stomach. Next, he twisted a knob on the side of the hilt, which disconnected the input rune from the lightning spell and thus connected it to an airburst spell.

Knowing full well what was about to happen, everyone scrambled down the passage away from the insane mage. Needless to say, Finnikin leads the retreat.

It took ten minutes for Hinds to finish organizing the mana already in the magicite crystals so that he could cast his spell. Standing behind a rocky outcrop, Hinds reached his arm over and around to point his wand at the offending barrier. Pulling the trigger, he rapidly yanked his arm back and dropped to the ground.

Silence.

An earsplitting bang and a powerful pressure wave punched down the length of the tunnel causing dust to fall from the ceiling and dozens of dormant archer pods to launch their tethered harpoons simultaneously.

Every seedfolk understood the dangers of explosions, but Hinds was a well-known lunatic by now.

After a minute, the Feeders reconvened at the pile of rubble that was the former barricade and looked out upon their familiar hunting grounds. While nothing immediately jumped out as different, no one was willing to let their guard down.

There was an Imposter here.