Grand Runemaster

Grand runemaster is a title only granted to those Alńe who are worthy. Grand runemasters are the most skillful rune cravers in the Dark Lands.
According to the legends, the first master was Iskat.
Most grandmasters have their own personal writing tool, as Iskat had his renowned Dagger.
Any alńe can recognize a Grand Runemaster from the rune they carry on themselves, interweaved with their soul during their appointment.

Requirements

There are no fixed requirements to earn the title of Grand Runemaster. Any master or spirit with the power to grant the title can individually decide whether a candidate deserves it or not, and what they should do to prove themselves worthy.
As a general rule, Grand Runemasters must be able to write any rune they are asked to, even composing it from scratch if it is something they never saw or thought about.

Appointment

Any Grand Runemaster can confer to another one the rank, or, to be precise, any alńe or spirit who can write a specific rune can grant the title.
The appointment consists of the giver drawing a rune on the soul of the candidate. In less than a minute, once the rune is complete, the ritual is over. However, especially in the Zatjal communities, it is part of a public ceremony, where both the older Grand Master and the aspirant hold speeches respectively to ensure and prove the candidate is worthy.
The rune has no magical effect and no other purpose than to show the person's status. Expert alńe and Runemasters can usually tell who drew the rune as if it was their signature.
In time, many spirits learnt how to cast the specific rune to grant the Grand Runemaster status. Most of them use this knowledge to lure aspiring alńe and ask them favours in exchange for the appointment. This favors trade had recently drawn the attention of the Zatjal alńe, who condemn it strongly. Many of them do not anymore recognise runemasters appointed by spirits, with some exceptions. They are currently in the process of writing a list of all reliable spirits.

Benefits

The rank itself does not confer any new ability, but it represents the final milestone in an alńe's life, the skill they already learnt. Whilst nothing concerning personal power changes after the Grand Runemaster ritual, the person will gain political importance in any Zatjal village and among any other folks as well.
A Grand Master opinion is always sought after, worth considering, or at least listening to. They often outweigh chiefs and other leaders, even when travelling in a foreign village where nobody knows them, as long as someone can detect the Grand Master rune.

Type

Magical, Honorific

Alternative Naming

Grand-master, Rune-master, Master Carver

Source of Authority

Other runemasters or spirits

Length of Term

Lifetime

First Holder

Iskat