Dwarf Runes

Dwarfs are extremely resistant to magic and its influence, neither perceiving its presence nor feeling its effects. They have learned to use magic in a different way to other races, by inscribing it onto items such as hammers, axes and armor. The Dwarfs are the most successful of all the races when it comes to making magic items, indeed many of the most powerful magic weapons in circulation in the known world are made by the dwarfs.

A Dwarf who makes magic items are known as a runesmith. As Dwarfs have no direct equivalent to a human wizard, he is a very important individual. the runesmiths are a very ancient guild of craftsmen, and for thousand of years they have preserved the secrets on how to forge magic runes with incredible power.

The Dwarf language consists of runes, inscriptions specifically designed to be carved in stone or engraved on metal. magic runes are different to ordinary runes in shape and detail, but much of what makes a rune magical is how and when it is inscribed. magic runes trap magical energy - their presence binds and holds magic just as a nail would hold to pieces of wood. Most simple Dwarfs can trap weak amounts of magic if engraved in a special way, but magic runes can trap much greater power. Such runes include the awesome master runes and certain secret runes known only to the runesmiths of the temple of Grungni, Grimnir and valaya.

Sources

• Warhammer Armies: Dwarfs 7th Edition, pp 43