Runes

The language of Yanu

Runes are used to place magical spells on objects or even regions. They work by using a number of icons in a pattern to relay a message, and then imbue them with magic.
Because it is an iconographic language, it has many different symbols, each representing an idea, feeling or concept, that can be combined to make something akin to sentences. Because of the way the language works, it can never be translated literally into a normal sentence, and besides that, it also doesn't have a spoken version.
This also makes it so spells are very flexible and diverse, there are many different combinations of runes that lead to a similar spell, and this is a good thing, because while it is possible to dismantle runic spells, it can only be done if you possess knowledge of the runes used, and the material with which they were written.
The most common use for Runes is for protection against other mages and their spells, for example, to make city walls magic-proof. but it is also common to see people, if they can afford it, with short runic texts or even individual runes, embedded onto their tools, weapons, front door, you name it. these can be for a variety of purposes, for protection on your door, to keep your blade or axe sharp for longer, etc.