Rune stones
This article is about the stones used with runic magic. For other uses, see Runes (disambiguation).
Rune stones are magical foci used in the casting of runic magic. They appear in Ultima Underworld and Ultima Underworld II.
Description[edit]
The exact origins of rune stones are not known, as the magical system which utilizes them does not appear to be native to Britannia. The first known examples of rune stones were found in the Stygian Abyss by Cabirus' colonists, who eventually intuited their use in runic magic and crafted appropriate containers for housing them. Later, following Nystul's research into inter-dimensional spellcraft, several of these rune stones were imported to Castle Britannia, where the Avatar was able to make use of them during the disaster of the blackrock dome.[1][2]
Rune stones are each etched with one of twenty-four symbols that correspond to the magical Words of Power (although there are no rune stones for XEN or ZU). A magician may use up to three of these stones to craft a runic spell, holding them between the fingers of the casting hand, and will frequently be limited in his spell-casting by the number of different stones he possesses. Fabrication of such stones, at least the simpler ones, does not need a mage, as shown by their industrial production on Talorus. The more powerful ones, especially the FLAM and VAS stones, are highly valued.
Lore[edit]
| “ | We have discovered a way to cast magic which works only in the Abyss, and which does not require the user to carry a cumbersome tome with him. There are, scattered among the corridors in the depths, special stones charged with mystic potency. Each of these stones is inscribed with a rune identifying its nature. These rune stones are similar in function to the syllables of magic used in ordinary Britannian magic. Any spell can be cast by a mage who possesses the rune stones pertaining to that spell, unless the caster lacks the experience to utilize the spells of that Circle. – from Memoirs of Sir Cabirus (Ultima Underworld)
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| “ | In the practice of runic magic, there are no reagents to act as physical ingredients to the spell, and no magic syllables to be spoken. The principal component of runic sorcery is the runestone, a small rock inscribed with one of the twenty-four known runes. Each of these runes has its own significance, a particular meaning and application, which when combined with other runes becomes articulated in a spell, a focused release of magical energy which accomplishes a particular effect on the world. The casting of the spell is accomplished through a complicated set of hand gestures. Even if a runic mage obtains all the correct runestones for a given spell, the appropriate gestures may yet be beyond his or her skill. |
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The Trinket[edit]
In the original release of Ultima Underworld, a pouch with six metal rune stones was included as a trinket. These rune stones are supposedly the same as the ones in the game, as they do fit between the fingers exactly as intended and described. The six rune stones included are BET, IN, JUX, LOR, ORT and SANCT.
The rune stones as trinket
References[edit]
- ↑ Armintrout, W.G.. "Runic Magic". Memoirs of Sir Cabirus (Ultima Underworld). Origin Systems, Inc.: 1992. Pages 17–18.
- ↑ Grossman, Austin. A Safe Passage Through Britannia (Ultima Underworld II). Origin Systems, Inc.: 1992. Pages 18–19.