Altha sat in silence with his thoughts, staring at the water, slow blinking.
On his lap rested the Eidolomancy Script, opened to Chapter Two: The Runic Language.
The Chapter read:
Chapter 2: The Runic Language
Eidolomancy, at its most accessible level, is built upon the manipulation of the four fundamental states of matter—Liquid, Solid, Fire, and Gas.
These are not merely symbolic but literal metaphysical categories of existence that form the base of all inscriptive magical manipulation.
The 24 Standard Runes are derived from these four and allow practitioners, especially Inscriptors and Arcanists, to modify, shape, and even combine elemental properties to construct complex magical phenomena.
This chapter delves into each of the 24 runes, their symbolic roles, practical applications, and how they interweave to form the bedrock of physical manipulation.
It also addresses the difference between their common elemental use and their personalized abstract resonance, reminding readers that while a rune like "Trajectory" might be used by one mage to guide fire through the air, another might use it to stream water through an internal bloodstream in healing magic.
That is to say that one's level of magic isn't solely based on their knowledge, although for most it does help to grasp the fundamentals. Aspect, Supposition, and Personal Taste can also factor for about 25-50% of an individual's Arcane ability.
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I.) Foundational Concept: Primary Elemental Categories
All 24 Standard Runes are organized into six rune sets per primary element, an oddly balanced framework.
These aren't just labels for Earth, Air, Fire, and Water but are deeper energy states:
> Liquid represents cohesion and adaptability.
> Solid symbolizes permanence and form.
> Fire conveys transformation and consumption.
> Gas manifests diffusion and intangibility.
From these, complex compounds like Steam (Fire + Liquid), Lightning (Gas + Fire + Path), or Explosion (Fire + Gas + Diameter) through simplification and the correct runic placements can be generated.
However, elemental fusion requires clear understanding of not just source runes, but how they are modulated through the 24 Standards.
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• The Six Runes of Liquid
Liquid is the domain of flow, absorption, and internal volume. It is the essence of continuity and reaction.
1. Flow – Governs natural directional movement. Controls rivers, blood, and sap. Its default behavior is adaptive; Flow bends before it breaks.
2. Containment – Defines boundaries; often paired with Flow to stabilize it. Used to encase poisons or contain molten metal within living tissue.
3. Viscosity – Adjusts resistance and texture. Essential in crafting oils or slowing down corrosive acids.
4. Solubility – Determines mixing potential with other elements or compounds. Helps bind potions or dissolve one spell into another.
5. Absorption – Allows an element to take in energy or matter. Often used in healing, toxin removal, or fuel siphoning.
6. Pressure – Governs liquid tension and compression. Vital in hydrokinetic propulsion or blood-manipulative techniques.
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• The Six Runes of Solid
Solid defines mass, structure, and integrity. It is the element of resistance, protection, and presence.
1. Mass – Denotes how heavy or dense an object is. This affects inertia, impact, and gravitational interactions.
2. Shape – Refines the form of a material. Used in crafting weapons or sculptures, or reshaping terrain mid-combat.
3. Hardness – Governs how resistant a structure is to change. Critical for shielding or forming impenetrable surfaces.
4. Cohesion – Ensures that multiple components stay unified. A building block in constructing golems or barriers.
5. Fracture – Induces cracks or separation. A tool for dismantling objects or manipulating fault lines in the earth.
6. Weight – Distinct from Mass, it determines gravitational pressure. Key in levitation vs. crushing applications.
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• The Six Runes of Fire
Fire is transformative and catalytic. It represents energy release, mutation, and chaos under discipline.
1. Ignition – The core rune for initiating energy. Sets fire, sparks reactions, or triggers energetic transitions.
2. Temperature – Adjusts heat level. Used in smelting, thermal healing, or cold fire applications.
3. Burn Rate – Controls how fast something is consumed. Essential in managing magical efficiency.
4. Combustion – Explosive and kinetic; unleashes power. Often used offensively or in volcanic environments.
5. Radiance – Affects light, visibility, and magical illumination. Important in glamours or radiant shielding.
6. Intensity – Measures ferocity or arcane saturation. Fire with low intensity warms, high intensity incinerates.
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• The Six Runes of Gas
Gas defines dispersion, reach, and atmosphere. It is the realm of communication, spread, and influence.
1. Diffusion – Enables an element to spread through a space. Used in airborne toxins or wide-range illusions.
2. Trajectory – Dictates movement path. Essential for projectile guidance or elemental manipulation in space.
3. Momentum – Carries forward force over time. Vital for wind-based combat or persistent kinetic effects.
4. Velocity – Controls speed. High-velocity gusts can cut; low ones may hover gently or carry scents.
5. Volume – Affects how much space gas occupies. Useful in controlling fog banks or lung-based techniques.
6. Conduction – Transmits effects (heat, sound, lightning) through gases. Fundamental in creating thunderous spells or voice projection.
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Combined and Modulated Applications
Where the Standard Runes shine brightest is in combinatory practice. For instance:
Steam Manipulation: Fire (Temperature + Intensity) + Liquid (Flow/Viscosity) = Steam Jet. Adding Gas (Trajectory) extends the range.
Glass Creation: Liquid (Pressure + Containment) with Fire (Ignition + Temperature) = Sand -> Glass.
Explosion: Fire (Combustion) + Gas (Volume + Trajectory) = Shaped Blast Radius. Add Solid (Fracture) to shatter terrain.
Lightning Bolt: Gas (Trajectory + Velocity) + Fire (Intensity + Radiance) = Pure electrical discharge.
Students are encouraged not to memorize fixed combinations but to experiment through their Aspect lens.
What feels like "Heat" to a Pyromancer might be "Irritation" to an Emotionalist or might manifest as "Dry Ice" for a Cryomancer if their Aspect is directly involved.
They can all wield Fire, but its context changes based on individual Aspects, Suppositions, Energy Types, and Personal Tastes.
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• Cultural and Historical Insights
The origin of the 24 Standard Runes is widely attributed to the Ancient Inscriptors, who are believed to have first discovered them etched in crystalline resonance upon the inner walls of the Old Sky and are thought to still remain in the Hollow Star—a now-lost fragment of the Old Sky.
This "Old Sky" was a Spire that once belonged to the Fueur Clan: House of the New Sun, before they were forced to flee during the cataclysmic event now known as the Encoded Event.
In the aftermath, the Fueur scattered to the far reaches of the world along with their people, the Wyrmbløds.
Most of the clan resettled in Leydrithia, where they became one of the most influential families in Runic scholarship, preserving and expanding the arcane knowledge of old. Bringing with them much of what is Runic Studies today.
Their contributions helped catalyze modern Runic Knowledge, and some would argue this very book may have been delayed by decades were it not for their legacy.
Their work—alongside other arcane houses—has advanced the field of Arcanum Studies, pushing boundaries toward a future where humanity's survival is more than just a theory.
A bold claim, perhaps, but in times of existential peril, every effort matters.
Notably, the Acustes Family: House of the Sunken Tempest, has led many expeditions into the scarred ruins surrounding the Hollow Star's last known coordinates. None have yielded conclusive discoveries.
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In Old Sky, it was said the first four elemental source runes "glowed when touched with their individual element"—a revelation that led to the understanding that Gas could be a visible arcane state, being the first to be recorded.
The explorers expected to find only three more runes—one for each remaining element—but instead uncovered glyphs for velocity, mass, force, and many more.
These became known as the Source Runes, which later informed the structure of the 24 Standard Runes. (See Volume II for expanded analysis.)
Each culture has since interpreted the runes differently.
The Skysylphs (although more commonly referred to as wind elves) taught that Flow and Shape were divine gifts from the Goddess of storms, oceans, and moons, "Weaver of Tides."
The Nomadic and secluded Chimerae used Burn Rate and Diffusion together in musical duels.
In Anor, the Dwarven Kin of Leydrithia forged war techniques with Hardness, Pressure, and Combustion inscribed in molten armor.
Some runes, like Fracture and Ignition, are treated with sacred caution in certain traditions.
Fracture was historically associated with apocalyptic magic, while Ignition ceremonies were used in rites of passage into adulthood.
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• Instructional Note: Rune Glyphs and Placement
In physical spellcasting and inscription, the placement of runes matters:
Proximal runes (close to the core glyph) affect internal behaviors like Absorption or Hardness.
Peripheral runes affect area or delivery—such as Trajectory or Volume.
Looped structures (circular arrangements) suggest continuous effects, like Pressure or Flow.
Stacked glyphs suggest hierarchical control—Shape governs Mass, then is governed by Duration (from advanced runes).
Students are encouraged to study mirrored rune arrangements in temple archives and trace the Standard 24 by hand until their muscle memory understands curve, break, and ratio.
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Closing Commentary
The 24 Standard Runes form the mechanical soul of Eidolomancy. They are not merely tools to bend fire or summon storms—they are metaphysical verbs that allow the Arcanist to speak the language of creation. Through them, an aspiring mage moves from imitation to invention.
Yet mastery lies not in rote application, but in the dialogue between the runes and the self. The Aspects we bring—our past, our perceptions, our paradoxes—alter how the magic listens.
Begin with Flow, and end with Silence. Each rune is a journey, and the more personally you understand their behavior, the more profound your spellcraft becomes.
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Placing the book aside, Altha stood barefoot at the fountain's edge.
The Eidolomancy Script lay open on the stone bench close by, the only one that wasn't broken.
Along with it lay his crimson cloak, black jersey, shoes, and white shirt—leaving him in nothing but his black pants and a black vest with grey geometric patterns threading faintly across it.
His personal Inscription Tome pressed lightly to his fingertips—its blank pages humming with readiness.
"It's been days without even a drop of water," he murmured. "Not anymore."
Gripping the silken page divider of his Eidolomancy Script, he twitched his fingers, and the silken page divider of his Script transformed into a pen of sorts and flew into his hand.
He tore a single page into four equal parts and began sketching runes.
—The first incantation incorporated two Liquid Runes—Containment and Pressure.
—The second was more complex: on one piece he wrote Containment and Absorption—Liquid Runes; on the other, Ignis and Intensity which were Fyr Runes.
—The third incantation transitioned to using Solid Runes—Weight, Mass, and Fracture.
"Alright... that should be good enough," he muttered. "I'd hate myself if I drained my Psyche completely in one go just to sate my own curiosity."
He placed the first incantation into the water.
A soft fizz followed.
Pulling it free, he watched as a ball of water floated in midair, the page dissolving slowly within—Containment holding, the Pressure rune lowering the boiling point.
"It worked and my Psyche feel relatively speaking: steady."
The liquid shimmered, trembled—and then boiled violently. The paper vanished desolving into the the water as it's consumed to complete the spell.
The orb fell, and he guided it into his mouth with a telekinetic pull.
"Good," he murmured. "How very promising. Lowering the pressure did help reach vapour pressure faster."
He moved to the second incantation. One slip of paper was lowered into the water, while the other ignited into flame and hovered above his palm. Pulling out the paper from the fountain it hovered above his hand as a ball of water.
The fire from the paper bent, drawn in. It spiraled into the water like ink into dye, fizzing with quiet fury, flowing into the boiling liquid.
Once the incantation was complete he drank the water.
Then, with focus renewed, he raised his hand.
Water streamed from the fountain, forming a sphere above his palm. He narrowed his Psyche, forcing the molecules to vibrate rapidly—accelerating, colliding, releasing heat.
The orb began to boil. Then he let it cool and telekinetically placed it in his mouth.
He exhaled a sigh of relief feeling he'd sated a desire he didn't even realize he had.
The rocks shuddered—then began to levitate a few feet off the ground, hovering in a pile.
Cracks spiderwebbed across their surfaces, fracturing them into miniature cuboidal shapes.
Then, all at once, they dropped—clattering like solid rain onto the stone floor.
---
"Alright. Not bad. Not bad at all." He tilted his head. "It's all… oddly intuitive." He looked at his right hand. "Seem"
He stared at the pile, mentally reconstructing how the debris had looked before—roughly blocky, but close enough.
Drawing from that, he conjured a 3D model of the bench, using the one intact bench nearby as a reference point.
The cubes began stacking—one by one—slotting together like ancient building blocks until they formed a vague but recognizable shape: a bench, reborn.
Altha placed his hands on his knees, breathing slow and deep.
Yet silent.
As though feigning ignorance to the exhaustion creeping into his bones.
---
Altha's lips quirked into a faint grin. "Not too shabby, if I do say so myself," he thought, a flicker of pride warming his chest.
A cold echo slithered through his mind, sharp and unbidden.
"Of course you'd think that. It doesn't take much to impress someone who's never done anything significant enough to call an achievement."
He rolled his eyes, the spark of pride dimming. "Such doom and gloom, self. How about you learn to shut up sometimes." He crossed his arms. "I said it's fine, and it is."
"Fine?" The voice sneered, "Is that what you're calling it? Sounds like the excuses of a failure to me." The voice echoed back.
Altha grabbed his Inscription Tome and sat down on the bench, looking at his reflection in the water.
"Improvement sometimes comes with accepting you might fail. It stands to reason then, that failure is not a crime, just a trasitional period to something more."
The voice was quiet.
"Why are you so quiet all of a sudden? Cat's got your tongue?"
It was a low, deliberate pause, then the voice returned, softer but barbed.
"No… it's just you sound so much like her. Do you think mimicking her absolves your guilt?" It spat, "Failure may be a stepping stone, but damn if it doesn't leave scars, you know of those consequences. I doubt I need to explain."
Altha's breath hitched, his fingers tightening around the tome.
"It is better to go wrong in your own way than it is to go right in someone else's just to please them."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night." The voice whispered, fading like a dying ember.
He blinked, jolted from his reverie, and realized he'd been staring blankly at his reflection, the pool's surface now still as glass.
His gaze drifted, eyes eventually lending on the stone bench he'd built—rebuilt.
"A failure, huh?" he said softly, a wry smile breaking through. "A free one."
He shook his head, and opened the Inscription Tome, its pages whispering promises of new beginnings.
"Now where was I? right my findings. Seems Using the Arcane really does take its toll on my Psyche even more than using my respective abilities."
He tapped his chin. "Makes sense really, Athar, Cogni, and Ether are all tied to the Aethear somehow, which is why they're able to cause all these effects but I don't use an Ethear Vessel so I don't possess any of those. So then the real question is why? Why don't I have one? Why a Psyche Factor?"
He pondered for a while but only theories and speculations found their way to him. He organized his stuff getting ready to leave but then he saw it.
He looked at the Rusted Rose Butcher
Everything looked the same, 8 slash wounds as per his finishing blow, Synthes for hands, and a metallic body and a 9th from the bridge.
He walked around it some more then finally he noticed it a bunch of small trails of smoke, nearly invisible but there, he investigated them and concluded their size and frequency made them likely piercing marks along it's armour.
Then he remembered something the jet of flame that had escaped the creature after he'd breached it's metal exterior and the smoke that kept accumulating before and after.
"Were you—were you already wounded before our battle?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
The sky darkened, as obsidian clouds swirled above the golden tree. It's insides pulsing like hot coals.
Altha looked over to the withered Rusted Rose (Butcher). It's metallic surface gleaming under the soft light of the barrier. He sighed.