Rune Salting

The use of runestones to cast magic has its own advantages and disadvantages. By grinding runestones into a fine powder, specialized mages can craft runestone ink and apply enchantments to living beings via rune tattoos. The flexibility of rune tattoos is prized by the giants of Uverfjell, paraded as a major milestone of arcane arts, but misuse has debilitating consequences such as a condition quite similar to a felnog’s arcane flux. It is called "skiltfare" (literally: "rune danger").
Though under normal circumstances Uvarfjellians are strong enough to withstand runic tattoos, those that have too many and cannot control their power will become overwhelmed by magical power. Symptoms include paranoia, intense migraines, and vomiting. There is no effective cure for this condition aside from having the tattoos removed, but the body will gradually adjust to the strong magic after a given period. Fortunately, runecasting's flexibility allows for a variety of fixes, including "rune salting."

The Method

Because skiltfare is caused by runic tattoos being too much for who bears them, Uvarfjellian tattoo artists created rune salting to temper the effects of skiltfare. By crushing ward runestones into a fine powder and spreading it across the skin, the power of the runic tattoos is quelled. This method isn't perfect and discomfort will quickly return if the individual affected by skiltfare staves off rune salting for too long. The proper way to perform rune salting is by dampening the effects of skiltfare for a period before undergoing a brief endurance period, slowly introducing the body to the effects of the new tattoos. Tattoo artists recommend that rune salting is only used for as long as it takes to properly adjust to the new tattoos because the body will lose its tolerance if it goes without the effects of tattoos for too long.