Runes

Runes Runes are used by several races:
Varl - Varl use rune tattoos on themselves. They generally don’t do anything physical, but can mark tribes, friends, or brands for foes. Forged (faked) runes would not respond to a spell meant to activate it.
Dwarven - In crafting dwarves imbue create magic into items with their runes. This means dwarven runes become semi-permanent, or long lasting, enchanting the item. Because most dwarves are not magic users, the magic is permanently bound into the item, and requires a lot more effort at the time of forging.
Elven - In High Elf crafting, runes are simply added to items as an aesthetic, and on their own do not do anything themselves. Due to the relationship High Elves have with magic, all of them have access to it, letting them expend their personal magic to activate the runes when they need it. This means High Elf artisans need very little effort and material at the time of forging.