Re: Three Runes

From: L C <lightcastle_at__PCwxV39GT_cWtgeiwHjKUjkgfqMD8YCVvb5ZSRy_SUVoVnFwYZRZ93FIVoZCTbF>
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:23:05 -0500

Douglas Seay wrote:
>
>
>
> I'm not tied to the "everyone has an element rune" bit. Would it freak
> anyone out if a Eurmali doesn't have any element runes? If there is a
> Heortling case for breaking the rules, it is those poor bastards.
>

I'm not tied to it either. (Hell, i'm not convinced yet that everyone has runes at all)
>
> I like the idea that many cultures have a primary rune. Many cultures
> have historically (mythically?) been tied to an element, so using that
> element rune makes a lot of sense. But not everyone. For Hsunchen I'd
> think it would be the beast rune, or specialized variant of it. What
> about Kralorela? Could they have something else?
>

Indeed. I think the "element" aspect doesn't necessarily hold. Kralorela could have Harmony, perhaps?
I also think even if we posit a "everyone has runes" thing, not every culture would have a rune associated with it. Some cultures may have no "dominant" rune.
>
> I'm not an expert on Prax, but I'd make the default rune for Men Death,
> and Life for the Women. Maybe Earth for the Oasis people, and Water
> along the Zola Fel?
>

The Right Arm Islanders are likely to have Water.

> I think this would make the conversion of Elder races easier. Most
> (all?) Mostali have the Stasis rune, likewise Darkness rune for Uz,
> Plant rune for Aldryami, and so forth.
>

Absolutely, and those exact three were the first I thought of, which is why I put the thing above about whether or not it was all man rune holders or just humans.
>
> To me this generalizes to
> culture specific rune
> power rune
> dealers choice rune
>

Hmm.... Why a power rune?
If the core runes are Element/Power/Condition/Form and we are deciding that Culture != Element rune but can have many forms, then why should everyone have a Power rune?
I could just as easily see the requirement for 1-Element/1-Power/1-Other seen in Heortling society to be the "culture" side of things.
>
> Rigid societies like the Dara Happans might mandate the culture rune and
> they just don't have any variation.
>

I wouldn't go that far. I suspect that the percentage of variation, or the likelihood you get punished/exiled/messed with due to variation changes. So DH it would be something like 90% and that other 10% is seen as a Big Issue That Must Be Dealt With while Sartarites have a 1 in 7 not following the classic element rune and no one really cares. They just find it interesting.
>
> More fluid ones (Heortlings) have
> the loser restrictions. such as any element will do. Maybe there is
> some odd ball culture that allows any three runes, but they'd lack the
> coherence of most cultures, and likely have been squished/subjugated.
>

I'm not sure I'd put them at such a disadvantage. (Although yes, some coherence helps.)
>
> What I've been wondering is if there is a way to change your runes, or
> add a fourth one.
>

IMG you can change a rune, although it takes an HQ. One of the characters I submitted to the Rule One contest had her Earth rune changed to a Darkness rune after being dragged into an Uz HeroQuest. (maybe it can be done with less drastic measures)

As was mentioned in an earlier conversation, do we have any reason to believe (if we are assuming everyone has runes) that everyone has three or that three is the limit?
>
> If you are Lunarized, to you get the change to gain
> the Moon rune? Could the EWF graft on a Dragon rune? Perhaps that is
> part of the magic of the Arkati: He changed from Death to Air to
> Darkness, and they can too.
>

Also, would it be "add the Lunar rune" or "Transform one into the Lunar rune"? (Same for Dragon.)

Again, the question becomes whether Runes are a nice bookeeping device for the game and for Theist magic or a part of every character. (Even if only Theists learn to ever draw on it directly for magic.)