Runesmith
Runesmiths are the closest thing Dwarfs have to magic users in their culture. Runesmiths learn the ancient crafts of working metal and magic into Runes of power.
The oldest and most respected of them are the Runemasters or Runelords.[1a]
Contents
Anvil
Carved with rare and wonderous runes it is only when a apprentice makes their own anvil that they have completed their apprenticeship. No runesmith will ever use another's anvil. [5a]
Carving Runes
It is a long and arduous task to inscribe a rune onto an object and most Runesmiths will not carve a rune into an item that has not been specially created to take the rune. [5a]
Once the item is ready, the Runesmith must get themselves into the right frame of mind through singing ancient Rune Chants and meditation. The process of forgng the rune will leave the smith physically drained for days afterwards. [5a]
The most powerful runes often require rare ingredients such as dragon blood. [5a]
History
It was Thungni, son of Grungni who first brought the knowledge of Rune Magic to the Dwarfs but it was only with the aid of Grungni himself that a few of them could inscribe the Runes themselves. [5a]
The first runesmiths learnt their craft directly from the ancestor gods themselves and their ranks included Kurgaz, perhaps the greatest Runelord to have lived. Runelore became one of the most highly valued skills of the Dwarfs and vast quantities of rune items were produced including the Anvil of Doom and the Throne of Power.[4a]
However when the mountain realm was torn apart in the Time of Woe, many holds were shattered by earthquakes or volcanoes and others were weakened enough that they were overwhelmed by greenskins or Skaven. Masters of Runelore died without passing on their skills and much knowledge was lost forever. [4a]
Guild of Runesmiths
The Runesmiths are members of the Guild of Runesmiths, which is said to have its origins in the days of the Ancestor God Grungni. The Guild claims descent from his son Morgrim, and it is for this reason they sometimes refer to themselves as the "Clan of Morgrim", though they are not the only clan who claim descent from the mighty god.[2a][5a]
All Runesmiths are kin, although the relation is often somewhat remote. Each family hands down its craft through the generations. When a Runesmith feels that the time is right, he will take one of his young relatives as an apprentice, teaching him all he knows about the art of Rune making. However, Runesmiths are so protective of their knowledge that many of them fail to find a worthy successor, and end up taking their art with them to the grave.[2a]
The Guild of Runesmiths has great respect in their society. At the very least a Runesmith will have endured hundreds of years of harsh tutelage from their masters, and older Runesmiths will have centuries of runecraft and gathering of lost secrets reflected in the length of their beards and their tough, cantankerous demeanor.
Warfare
Runesmiths are able to earth and disperse enemy spells before they can cause harm, capturing the power in the same way as they draw in the Winds of Magic to create Rune items. They also radiate power, enhancing the power of their own and nearby allies weapons. [2a] Some Runesmiths of Barak Varr may join Dwarf fleets, especially if they have crafted artifacts of power for vessels within it. Once at sea they are able to defend against enemy magics and enhance their ships resilience and the power of its weapons through their runecraft. [3]
Weapons and Equipment
- 6th Edition: Hand Weapon. May have Great Weapon, Heavy Armour, Light Armour, Shield. May have Rune items. [1b]
- 8th Edition: Gromril Armour, Hand Weapon. May have Great Weapon, Shield. May have Ancestral Heirlooms and Rune items. [2b]
- W:TOW: Gromril Hand Weapon, Heavy Gromril Armour. May have Great Weapon, Gromril Full Plate Armour, Shield. May have Dwarf Runes. May have Oathstone. [6a]
Gallery
Dwarf Runesmith
Dwarf Runesmith
Miniatures
Dwarf Runesmith with staff (6th Edition)
Dwarf Runesmith with staff and hammer (6th Edition)
Sources
- 1: Warhammer Armies: Dwarfs (6th Edition)
- 2: Warhammer Armies: Dwarfs (8th Edition)
- 3: The Citadel Journal 1, Man O'War: Blood and Iron, pg. 44
- 4: White Dwarf 314 (UK)
- 4a: Secrets of the Runes, pg. 64
- 5: Realms of Sorcery (1st Edition)
- 5a: Runes and Runesmiths, pg. 98-99
- 6: Forces of Fantasy (TOW)
- 6a: Dwarf Runesmiths, pg. 16
