Runesmith

Runesmiths work spells with their hammercraft, binding the Winds of Magic into mighty runes of power. They are a suspicious lot and jealously protect the secrets kept in their anvils and hammers, guarding the knowledge that allows them to make magic items — weapons, armour, rings and talismans - of greater potency than items wrought by any other mortal race upon the world.

The ancient Guild of Runesmiths is one of the oldest and most respected institutions in all the Karaz Ankor. According to legend, its origins stretch back to the days of Grungni, the great Ancestor God of Mining, Master of the Forge and Lord of the Runes. The Runesmiths Guild claims descent from Grungni’s son. For this reason, the Runesmiths sometimes refer to themselves as the Clan of Morgrim, although they are not the only clan to claim descent from Grungni or his many sons.

The number of Runesmiths is not very great, and those remaining are related to each other, often in some very remote fashion. Each carries on his direct family’s traditions, learning the craftsmanship of blending magic and metal together by use of mighty runes of power. The greatest of their kind are known as Runelords; these elder masters do superlative work and are accorded the sort of reverence normally reserved for the Ancestor Gods. When a Runesmith judges the time is right, he chooses a young relative to be his apprentice and reticently teaches him, for an apprentice has to prove his worthiness to wring out even the most basic steps of the craft from his Master. Many powerful runes have been lost over time simply because a Runesmith could find no one he considered worthy enough to gain his innermost knowledge. Luckily, unless slain in battle, Runesmiths tend to live for a very long time, although they grow progressively more obstinate as they age. Currently, the most prolific of still-working Runelords is Thorek Ironbrow of Karak Azul, but the oldest living Runesmith is Kragg the Grim, Master Runelord of Karaz-a-Karak. Despite being a living link to a bygone era, Kragg has grown so stubborn as to be unbearable.

In battle, Runesmiths aid their side by dampening enemy magic - earthing spells harmlessly before they can wreak havoc amongst the Dwarfs. They do this in the same manner as they capture the Winds of Magic to forge magic items, and they often bring along rune-covered talismans to aid in this endeavour. Many Runesmiths bear weapons and armour of their own crafting, and they are eager to show their comrades exactly how effective they can be. Whether by some gift of Grungni, or perhaps as a side effect of centuries of beating magical runes into white-hot metal, when a Runesmith feels the rage of battle, his weapons, and those of friendly forces around him, begin to glow and radiate heat as if remembering the forgefires from which they were created. This aura of power has proven effective in helping blades penetrate the armour or toughened hides of any foe.

In times of great need, the most powerful Runelords will bring an Anvil of Doom to battle. The Anvils of Doom are the most ancient heirlooms of the entire Dwarf race. They are the very anvils upon which the rune weapons of legend were forged, and were, perhaps, the very creations of the great forgefather Grungni. The anvils are especially made to attract and hold the Winds of Magic, arcane powers which can be captured and subsequently unleashed by a Runelord. Separate runes struck in the right order can call upon the different Ancestor Gods — Valaya for loyalty, Grungni to boost the power of arms and armour, and Grimnir to unlock the energies of fury.

Source
Herreros Rúnicos
 * Warhammer Armies: Dwarfs (8th Edition).

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