Star People

Side Story 14

Runesmithing

March 28^th, 15 AE…

Andromeda City…

In the newly-built laboratory/forge at his home, Clurke sat at a worktable and was busy etching away on a piece of metal no bigger than a postcard. He wore safety goggles and looked like the stereotypical mad scientist or gearhead. After a few minutes, he turned off the nanotech micro-laser inscribing machine and admired his handiwork. At that moment, the main door to the forge opened up and in walked his son Vulkar.

The younger dwarf let off a low whistle as he saw the lines of runes on the metal.

“So how many were you able to inscribe, Dad?”

“You’re looking at five thousand manually-etched symbols. It’s a new personal best!”

“You know, you could have let the computer automatically create those runes for you, right?”

“As much as I love the technology here in Free Land, nothing beats putting in your own personal touch. I may let the equipment help me in making these runes, but they must be guided by my own hands and will. You know the reason why, right?”

“Of course. It’s the reason why dwarven runes work so much better than elf, imp or human-made runes. It’s also the reason why nobody but dwarves can make them.”

 “Right. When it is said that we put our hearts and souls into our work, it means so much more to us dwarves.”

“And thanks to Free Land tech, we can now etch more runes into an object and increase its magical potency. When we did it manually, the best we could do was up to 10 runes on a single sword. Now look at us! Using a nanotech laser, we can inscribe five thousand runes on something no bigger than an envelope!”

“Indeed. Praise be to the Pact!”

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March 29^th, 15 AE…

Polaris City, Research and Development Lab #7…

“Okay, so how does this ‘rune etching’ work?”  Researcher Jeremy Crittons asked as he and several of his colleagues gathered around a large work table. This included a few Kyteeri engineers, as they had the greatest affinity for psions.

At the head of the table was their instructor, a tall elf scholar named Sylvira. She was a relatively young woman by her race’s standards and was only 185 years old. She had long blonde hair, and sharp ears that pointed upwards. She wore glasses, had fair skin and a lithe figure. If she had light blue skin, she would have passed for a Kyteeri.

Sylvira was one of the top scholars at the Sage Academy of Magic in the elven country of Circel, located on one of the large islands off the northern coast of the Merdov continent. The academy was one of the world’s highest levels of magical education and research. Even the Kingdom of Naran could not compare. And then the Star Alliance came to Istaria, with their advanced late 22^nd century technology. Now even the greatest of magical achievements, paled in comparison to the wonders of faster-than-light space travel and meson power production. It seemed that the magical world had little to offer to the core races of Free Land.

Thankfully, with the development of the Teleportation Portal System or TPS, there was a renewed interest in learning the ways of magic, particularly the methods of rune creation. Since dwarven runes were essential to the Neo-Psion reactors and the circuits that directed the TPS, the researchers had decided to learn more about the magical markings. They would not be able to reproduce dwarf runes with the same potency, but at the very least, they could learn the fundamentals.

In exchange for educating Free Land on the basics of rune crafting, Sylvira’s nation would be given greater access to more advanced technology, so that her people could experiment in combining magic with science. It was their hope that the country of Circel would eventually come across a concept or idea, in which it can offer in exchange for their application for Star Alliance Membership.

“Now then,” Sylvira pushed up her glasses as she began the lecture. “The creation and usage of rune symbols can be divided into two main categories. The first category is called rune inscription, while the second is called runesmithing.”

“So what’s the difference between the two?” Angela Reddins asked. “Aren’t they both involved in the creation of runes?”

“Simply put, rune inscription refers to writing. It is considered simple and relatively easy to invoke. Allow me to demonstrate.” The elf pointed to a sheet of parchment, an inkwell with magic-imbued ink and a feather quill on the worktable. She picked up the quill, dipped the tip into the inkwell and then began writing a line of rune symbols on the parchment. After finishing, she spoke a few words in her native tongue, which caused the symbols to glow with a white light. The parchment sheet slowly lifted itself off the table and hovered two feet from the surface.

This event invoked quite a few exclamations of wonder and awe as Sylvira continued.

“What you are seeing is a simple levitation spell. Now unlike using a regular vocal spell, I do not need to maintain my concentration on the sheet nor continue to feed it magical power, what you refer to as psions. Thanks to the runes, the spell is able to continue without any further input from the caster. However…”

At that moment, the glow from the runes flickered out and the sheet of paper dropped back onto the table. The runes themselves faded away into nothingness.

“Now you can see one of the drawbacks of rune inscriptions. They can be created relatively quickly if you have a supply of magic-imbued ink, but the runes themselves will rapidly deplete the amount of magic or psions within the ink. As such, rune inscriptions are best used as temporary measures and in emergency situations.”

“I see.” Gerald remarked while stroking his chin in thought. “So what exactly are these rune symbols? Are they some kind of directions or instructions?”

“In essence, each rune symbol is a guide, which controls the flow and direction of the magic. So yes, you could refer to them as instructions. That line of rune symbols I created previously was the basic levitation spell which directed the flow of magic and creates the effect. Races such as elves, imps and dwarves have discovered their own runic symbols and determined that combining different symbols will create different magical effects. This system is referred to as the Runic Alphabet.”

“Hmmm, that kind of reminds me of the basics of computer programming.”

“I’m sorry… computer programming?” The elf woman cocked her head in puzzlement.

“Well, you know what a computer is, right?”

“Yes, I’ve seen those wondrous devices before. I cannot fathom how they are able to do so many different functions so quickly and effortlessly.”

“Well the computer can only do what you tell it to do. You have to give it directions, just like you use runes to direct a certain spell or magical effect.”

“Oh really? And what rune symbols do you use?”

“Just these.”

Gerald took out a small pad and a pen. He then drew a zero and the number one.

“Is that it?! That’s your entire Runic Alphabet?!” Sylvira exclaimed.

“For a computer, that’s all it needs.” Jeremy said with a shrug. “At its very core, a computer only needs to know two conditions, on and off. The number one means on and the zero means off. In simpler terms, the computer basically asks if the answer is yes or no.”

“This is the basis of what is known as the binary system.” Angela added. “Through a combination of ones and zeroes, the computer would know which component or pathway to take in order to achieve the result the user wants.”

“But… to have so limited of choices… that would mean that the permutations of combining ones and zeroes must be…” The elf scholar said in total disbelief.

“Astronomical? Yes, it’s quite a staggering feat to decipher that many ones and zeroes, but the beauty of computers is that they’re able to do so at speeds that are just as astronomical. And thanks to our Velor friends and their methods of data storage and analysis, our computers took a quantum leap forward in processing speeds. A simple pocket computer for a child could conceivably become the computer core for the entire Atlans Space Program.”

“We’re getting off track here.” Jeremy pointed out as he addressed the elf scholar. “So aside from the short-term and high-energy drain of rune inscriptions, what are the other drawbacks?”

Sylvira shook her head to clear it and focus. “Oh… yes, of course! As I said before, two of the drawbacks of rune inscriptions are that they don’t last long and will deplete the magical ink quickly. Furthermore, the process of creating magical ink is time-consuming, and quite expensive. Later on, enchanting objects became more viable and the process of rune inscriptions was seen as outdated. As a result, the art of rune inscription has declined.”

“Okay, so what about that other category you mentioned, runesmithing?” Gerald inquired. “Is that what the dwarves practice?”

“Indeed. Runesmithing is the process of physically creating the runes, mostly by engraving. Of course, the process itself is labor-intensive and time-consuming, but on the upside, it’s much cheaper and the runes last longer. They are also more efficient and can handle the stress of stronger spells. You are aware of the Divine Gate of Naran?”

“Of course.”

“It was initially engraved with Dwarf Runes, and would have lasted for centuries if not millennia, had the rulers of Naran not tried to discern how they were made. After ruining the runes, they were forced to replace them with inferior substitutes. I’m a bit embarrassed to say that even our best Elf Runes are still not up to the task as those made by dwarves. They need to be replaced every two years and they aren’t very efficient. We’re very envious of your Teleportation Portal System or TPS.”

“Well, we do need to give credit to the dwarves, since we do make use of their runes in the TPS.” Angela remarked. “After the invention of the Dwarf Rune Circuit or DRC, both the TPS and the Neo-Psion reactors have become far more powerful and energy-efficient. We’re just now experimenting with other applications with the DRC.”

“Speaking of which,” Jeremy asked. “Exactly how do those Dwarf Runes work? We’ve tried to analyze and replicate them, but we’ve come up empty. Of course, the dwarves won’t tell us. I respect their privacy, but still I can’t help but be curious.”

“You’re not the only ones who are puzzled by those markings.” The studious elf admitted. “The Sage Academy has spent centuries trying to decipher them. Same thing goes for the Kingdom of Naran, Atlans and even the former Empire of Euracon. None have been able to come close to getting the faintest idea as to how those runes function. We’ve even observed the dwarves creating those runes right in front of us, and still we cannot reproduce them.”

 “The same thing goes with us. Our best scanners can’t make heads or tails of that process, nor can they analyze the runes themselves.”

“If even the technology of Free Land cannot understand Dwarf Runes, then the dwarves are indeed the masters of their craft. In any case, basic runesmithing follows the general process…”

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An hour later…

Researcher Farena, a Kyteeri, nodded as she turned off the precision nanotech laser and raised her goggles. She and her co-workers admired her handiwork on the table, which was a small metal plate about the size of a 20^th century keyboard. Engraved on its surface was a series of numbers, specifically several hundred lines of zeroes and ones. It was simply a metal sheet of binary code. The engravings were so small; one needed a high-resolution magnifier in order to see them clearly. She had not simply etched the code into the metal, but used the magical rituals and her natural psion ability, to first prepare the material to receive and direct the magical energy through the code.

After letting the metal plate cool, Farena then attached a small device to the plate with a cable. This was a miniature Neo-Psion reactor and it was connected to a small tank of plasma fuel as well as a simple processor unit. She then turned it on.

To her amazement and that of her colleagues, the plate’s engravings glowed with a blue-white light and the metal sheet started to float off the table. A few moments later, it hovered two feet above the surface. Farena had written the same levitation spell Sylvira had done before and had it translated into binary code. Unlike before, the magical energy was being drained at a slow and steady rate, and the runes maintained their integrity.

The person who was shocked the most was Sylvira as she stared at the levitating plate.

“I don’t believe it! There are over 500 different characters in our Runic Alphabet! I used sixteen characters for that spell. And you were able to do the same spell with repeating variations of just two?!”

“What are the readouts?” Jeremy asked as he addressed Gerald. His coworker was holding a portable scanner.

“The field being generated by the binary runes is pretty similar to a g-force nullifier’s. Technically speaking, we’ve created a magical version of the anti-gravity pod. The energy efficiency is a bit lacking and doesn’t have the same stability we’ve seen with Dwarf Runes. I can detect negligible degradation, but I’m pretty certain these patterns can maintain the integrity of the effect for at least a year of continual use.”

“Not bad for our first try at runesmithing.”

Sylvira continued to stare at the floating plate in shock, as the Free Land scientists and engineers continued to take notes.

Two symbols! They were able to cast a spell with just two symbols! It would take a novice at least a month of diligent study and practice to get the same effect! They were able to do it in just over an hour! Their technology allowed them to engrave so quickly! And the speed and efficiency is beyond belief! No wonder the Elder Council insisted that we teach the Free Landers on the basics of magic! If they’re able to achieve such results as novices, then adding Free Land technology can give our magical abilities a tremendous boost! And if we can become part of the Star Alliance, then we would have the same access to such wonderful technology as the Dwarf Nations!

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April 6^th, 15 AE…

“Hey Dad! Did you hear the latest news from Research and Development?”

Clurke nodded as he put the finishing touches on his latest work. It was a new integrated circuit with over 6,000 Dwarf Runes, all perfectly etched within an area no bigger than a postage stamp.

“Yes, I’ve heard that the R & D department has extended its new Binary Rune System or BRS to have over 10,000 commands. Quite an achievement for novices who have only begun runesmithing.”

“These Binary Runes are most impressive! Despite having only two characters, they’ve been able to use them in so many patterns and combinations!”

“Well, it shouldn’t be too surprising.” The elder dwarf commented as he turned off the nanotech laser. “Remember that basic computer class we took? The Terrans had been using the binary system ever since they invented the computer centuries ago. So it’s not really that difficult for them to use that same system in their runesmithing.”

“It’s still not comparable to our runes, though.”

“Of course not! I will admit, our friends in the Star Alliance surprised me with how quickly they learned the basics of runesmithing, and that they already had a Runic Alphabet. Having only two characters makes the process less complicated, though the sheer number of ones and zeroes certainly boggles the mind. It is fortunate for them that they had already determined how many zeroes and ones goes into each command, though their newly-developed Binary Runes still share the same drawbacks as every other nation’s runesmithing works. Even though they are precisely-made and well-constructed, they will degrade and they cannot maintain the same level of potency that our runes do.”

“That’s because they never made a pact with The One.”

“Indeed, we have much to thank to The One.”

The Dwarf Race was one of the oldest species on the planet of Istaria. The only races that were older were the First Ones and the Divine Elves. Among the dwarves’ long history, there was an event in which an unknown individual came down from the heavens and began spreading the art of runecrafting among the races. He had no name, but was simply known as The One. When he came to the Dwarf Nations, he took a great liking to the diminutive people and admired their penchant for hard work and love of creation. As a result, both he and the dwarves formed a sacred pact and the dwarves were taught the deepest intricacies to runesmithing before leaving this world. As a result, dwarven runes became extremely powerful and long-lasting.

Due to the pact, which was ingrained into their very souls and life energies, the dwarves were able to imbue special characteristics into their runes, making them stand above all others. Unlike other races and their runes, the runes made by dwarves embodied their very spirit of creation and drive of hard work and effort. Not only did the rune characters originate from the ancient Dwarven Dialect; which was never written down, but they took an infinitesimal portion of their souls to create. As a result, only dwarves could create Dwarf Runes.

The other races had become envious and had believed that they could one day discover the method to duplicate Dwarf Runes. The tiny people were aware of this misconception, but let the other races continue to believe this assumption. This would only protect the truth even further and keep the dwarven people safe from being exploited. Now, with the protection of the Star Alliance, Clurke believed that rune crafting could reach new heights. They were already making great strides with the TPS and DRC. Now with Free Land inspired to create the Binary Runes, the possibilities were absolutely mind-boggling.

The process of creating runes had been on the decline once magical enchantment was discovered. Now, thanks to the Star Alliance and the creation of the Neo-Psion Reactor, Clurke could see a golden age for his people on the horizon, all because of the legacy left by The One, and his gift of runesmithing.

To be continued…