Rune-Working

The native magic of the Dwarves of the Underground Kingdom, similar in most respects to Taznikanze Runecasting, save that it is based on the Dwarven runic alphabet (Dethek) rather than Futhark. In the Dwarven tradition, the god Ilmarinen Heaven-Hammer created runes and gave them to the Dwarves as a gift. It's generally true that methodology and effects between Tasnican runecasting and Dwarven rune-working are basically the same, but different spells are necessarily spelled differently (since Dethek and Futhark are not in any way related languages).

The Power of Writing

Unlike Futhark, the rune-language of Dethek also serves as the native written language of the Dwarven nation. It has been noted by scholars who study Dwarven language that there are actually two writing systems within the Dethek language: the common written alphabet is blocky, and consists of squares, lines and hard angles. Each individual letter in Dethek represents a sound, either consonant or vowel, just like the Common alphabet. These letters do not carry magical capability.

A second alphabet, the Dethek Runes, are more fluid and cursive, comprising of curves and abstract pictograms. These are the Dethek runes of enchantment, the words that carry magical power.

Engraving and Rune-worked Items

Because the Engraving takes a great deal of time and artistry, rune-worked items are extremely valuable among the Dwarves, and Rune-workers are very highly regarded. Tomra, a Dwarven city in the south of the Underground Kingdom, is renowned for being the home of several prominent families of powerful and wealthy rune-workers.

You will almost never find disposable rune-worked items made by Dwarven hands; the very idea of Runestones (as they are known among Tasnican Runecasters) is anathema to the Dwarven approach to the practice. Far more common (inasmuch as such things are common at all) are rune-worked armor, weapons or tools; armor might bear a defensive enhancement that can be activated by the wearer tracing a finger over the runes, a weapon might be imbued with some constant passive effect or the ability to invoke a spell, and a tool might bear runes which grant an enchantment that enhances its ability to perform some task or labor.

The most famous rune-worked item from the Dwarven tradition is the hammer of the Dverkonnig, "Amnralthul," which roughly translates to mean "King's Grace." The making of the hammer represents the very unity of the Dwarven kingdom itself: the weapon was forged in Kokkol, then its handle was wrapped in Ironback leather from Bolbek, whereupon it was sent to Tomra and its head engraved with the runes "amn", "ral" and "thul", then it was wielded by Dorvoin Firebeard and the Hearthguard of Bazzakrak to defend the realm of Dwarfdom. The runes give the hammer an extremely powerful enchantment; the wielder of Amnralthul can invoke both fire and ice magic (the latter of which being so exotic and almost unheard of to Dwarves as to be terror-inspiring on its own) at the command of its wielder. The hammer can also, on striking an enemy, transfer its target's vitality to the wielder in order to regenerate the wielder's wounds. The hammer is lethal against demons, elemental fiends and undead, capable of destroying most of the lesser specimens of these types with a single stroke. Finally, the wielder is completely protected from harm wrought by either fire or ice-type elementals, and using this power is able to walk across the very magma of the Underground itself.

It should be noted that the runes of Amnralthul are featured on the national flag of the Dwarven Kingdom. In times past, Dwarven rune-workers would serve in the Hearthguard as flagbearers, and use such rune-flags in battle to invoke various magics. Though this is generally not practiced anymore, it is not known if modern Dwarven flags still possess their magic.