Runemancy

Brief Overview

Runemancy is a type of magic that is fueled by sacrifices and based on ancient languages of divine power. It is used primarily by the Balane ethnicity of Humanity, however, rumors suggest that even Odeapessans could utilize it. Runemancy is written in the Balane language, Belani in their best attempt to recreate the language of the divines which they translated from ancient tomes and scrolls.

General Overview

The ability of a rune varies on its direct translation, meaning when using words of power that are based on context the Runemancer needs to be incredibly specific to reach the desired result. Each rune is powered by sacrifice. Sometimes these sacrifices are heavy prices to pay, like a limb or the soul, however, other more creative Runemancers have figured out how to use sentimental items, concepts, or even the Tari from magical items to power their runes.
Most basic Runemancers cast their runes from afar, at around a 15 ft range from their enemies, though their range increases as their abilities grow. Your more common form of Runemancy is that of a "Caster." Casters cast a magical ink onto their enemies which can't just be wiped off. It normally requires the spell "dispel," or similar magics with the same effect in order to remove a Caster's rune.
The less common, and severely taboo alternative form of Runemancy is performed by a "Carver." Carvers do as their name suggests, they carve their runes into the flesh of their enemies. This makes them twice as hard to remove depending on how deeply the rune was carved. What makes matters worse is that a skilled Carver can carve a rune into someone from afar just like a Caster, giving the prey much less time to react before the rune is engaged and triggered.

Manifestation

The power of Runemancy is manifested when the rune is activated. The process is as follows. The rune is written on something or someone. Then the Runemancer must activate the rune by sacrificing something to power it. Once active the rune can then be engaged at any time by the Runemancer.
In most cases, once a sacrifice has been made and the rune becomes active it remains active, allowing Runemancers to walk around with preset runes ready to trigger when needed. The most common example of this practice is displayed by the Balane people, who often tattoo their bodies in runes using permanent ink in order to make sure they have that power when they need it.

Localization

The effects or Runemancy are localized based on the rune cast. Most are mark upon a person, but many can be placed on objects, surfaces, creatures, and some runes even have a wide range, allowing them to have a larger area of effect.