Editing Runic Alphabet

{{tocright}}[[Image:UA_Runic.jpg|center]]
An ancient series of runes can be found in use throughout the Stygian Abyss. Perhaps a remnant of a previous age, or something brought with one of the Underworld's inhabitants, these runes nonetheless are worth learning, as many challenges in the depths can be overcome (or avoided) with the knowledge they impart. Mages especially will need to know runic, as they are at the heart of the power of magic.

Only a subset of these runes (ᛒᛖᚺᛃᚲᛗᚾᚱᚦᛏᚢᛇᛉ) can be found as runes for casting spells in the Stygian Abyss. A couple of other runes (ᚠᛚ) can be found etched on wands, but since no rune exists for them, those wands are the only way to cast those spells.

{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" cellpadding="3"
! Icon
| Char
| Sound
! Name
! Meaning
! Purpose
! Type
! Rune
! Description / Notes
|-
| [[Image:ua-a.png|center]]
| ᚫ
| A
| [[wikipedia:Ansuz_(rune)|Ansuz]]
| God?
| ?
| n/a
| No
| (From the Loading screen "ᛚᛟᚫᛞᛁᚾᚷ" message.)
|-
| [[Image:ua-berkanan.png|center]]
| ᛒ
| B
| [[wikipedia:Berkanan|Berkanan]]
| Birch
| Create/Most
| Effect/Power
| Yes
| Symbolic of growth, fertility, and beginnings.
|-
| [[Image:ua-dagaz.png|center]]
| ᛞ
| D
| [[wikipedia:Dagaz|Dagaz]]
| Day
| Light?
| ?
| No
| Represents light and darkness, clarity and illusion.
|-
| [[Image:ua-ehwaz.png|center]]
| ᛖ
| E
| [[wikipedia:Ehwaz|Ehwaz]]
| Horse
| Move
| Effect
| Yes
| Associated with movement, transportation, and unbinding.
|-
| [[Image:ua-fehu.png|center]]
| ᚠ
| F
| [[wikipedia:Fehu|Fehu]]
| Cattle
| Beast
| Target
| Wands
| Literally "wealth", but associated with beasts.
|-
|style="vertical-align:middle; text-align:center;" | '''ᚷ''' <!-- Obsolete, needs fixing to match new loading screen rune: [[Image:ua-g.png|center]] -->
| ᚷ
| G
| [[wikipedia:Gyfu|Gyfu]]?
| Gift?
| ?
| ?
| No
| (From the Loading screen "ᛚᛟᚫᛞᛁᚾᚷ" message.)
|-
| [[Image:ua-hagalaz.png|center]]
| ᚺ
| H
| [[wikipedia:Haglaz|Hagalaz]]
| Hail
| Air
| Target
| Yes
| Signifies weather, air.
|-
| [[Image:ua-i.png|center]]
| ᛁ
| I
| [[wikipedia:Isaz|Isaz]]?
| Ice?
| ?
| ?
| No
| (From the Loading screen "ᛚᛟᚫᛞᛁᚾᚷ" message. Not used in magic.)
|-
| [[Image:ua-jera.png|center]]
| ᛃ
| J
| [[wikipedia:J%C4%93ran|Jera]]
| Harvest
| Plant
| Target
| Yes
| Symbolizes plant life, fruitfulness.
|-
| [[Image:ua-kenaz.png|center]]
| ᚲ
| C and K
| [[wikipedia:Kaunan|Kenaz]]
| Torch
| Fire
| Target
| Yes
| Fire, fiery power.
|-
| [[Image:ua-laguz.png|center]]
| ᛚ
| L
| [[wikipedia:Laguz|Laguz]]
| Lake
| Water
| Target
| Wands
| Water, the sea. Mastery of flowing or shapeless things.
|-
| [[Image:ua-mannaz.png|center]]
| ᛗ
| M
| [[wikipedia:Mannaz|Mannaz]]
| Mankind
| Person
| Target
| Yes
| Linked to fellow-beings, friends and enemies, and the social order.
|-
| [[Image:ua-naudiz.png|center]]
| ᚾ
| N
| [[wikipedia:Naudiz|Nauthiz]]
| Need
| Bind
| Effect
| Yes
| Denotes restrictions, delays, or bindings.
|-
| [[Image:ua-o.png|center]]
| ᛟ
| O
| [[wikipedia:Odal_(rune)|Odal]]?
| Heritage?
| ?
| ?
| No
| (From the Loading screen "ᛚᛟᚫᛞᛁᚾᚷ" message. Not used in magic.)
|-
| [[Image:ua-peorth.png|center]]
| ᛈ
| P
| [[wikipedia:Peor%C3%B0|Peorth]]
| Game piece
| Magic?
| Target?
| No
| Calls on fate, mystery, and hidden forces. Magic.
|-
| [[Image:ua-radhio.png|center]]
| ᚱ
| R
| [[wikipedia:Raido|Raido]]
| Journey
| Sense
| Aiming
| Yes
| Symbolically associated with discovery. Seeking after truth.
|-
| [[Image:ua-s.png|center]]
| ᛋ
| S
| [[wikipedia:Sowil%C5%8D|Sigel]]?
| Sun?
| ?
| ?
| No
| (From? Not used in magic.)
|-
| [[Image:ua-thurs.png|center]]
| ᚦ
| Th
| [[wikipedia:Thurisaz|Thurisaz]]
| Giant
| Destroy
| Effect
| Yes
| Indicates destruction, ruin, and naked violence.
|-
| [[Image:ua-tiwaz.png|center]]
| ᛏ
| T
| [[wikipedia:Tiwaz_(rune)|Tîwaz]]
| The Hero
| Spirit/Mind
| Target
| Yes
| Giver of law, leadership, and purpose; the guiding spirit.
|-
| [[Image:ua-uruz.png|center]]
| ᚢ
| U and V
| [[wikipedia:Ur_(rune)|Uruz]]
| Ox
| Strengthen/Much
| Effect/Power
| Yes
| Emblematic of toughness, health, and potency. (Sometimes drawn as "Λ")
|-
|style="vertical-align:middle; text-align:center;" | '''ᛇ''' <!-- Obsolete, needs fixing to flip: [[Image:ua-eiwaz.png|center]] -->
| ᛇ
| Y
| [[wikipedia:Eihwaz|Eiwaz]]
| The World Tree
| Earth
| Target
| Yes
| The fabric of the world, which is solidity and earth.
|-
| [[Image:ua-algiz.png|center]]
| ᛉ
| Z
| [[wikipedia:Algiz|Algiz]]
| Elk
| Protect
| Effect
| Yes
| A totem of stalwart strength and mighty defense.
|}

==Rune Stones==
{{main|Rune Stones}}
Scattered around the Abyss is an alphabet of rune stones, each inscribed with a runic letter. The Avatar discovers these stones as they explore the Abyss, over time building a vocabulary of spells used in [[Magic|Runic Magic]].

==Similarity to Earth Runic==

This runic alphabet differs sharply from the runic in the original ''Underworld''s, the ''Ultima'' series, and ''Shroud of the Avatar''.

Instead, Runic in {{UA}} is heavily influenced by the runic traditions of the world from which you came - Earth.

While they are not a perfect match for any of EArth's Runic traditions, borrowing as they do shapes or names from a variety of sources, their names, shapes and sounds will all be familiar to students of Elder Futhark, Short- or Long-Twig Younger Futhark, Anglo-Saxon, or Medieval runic traditions, or even the more modern spiritual rune-casting mythologies. Their meanings and purposes, too, follow the meanings historically ascribed to the runes, and from which many of them gained their shapes.

While 'Q' and 'X' do not exist in this alphabet, this is accurate: in runic writings these sounds are typically formed with 'KU' and 'KS' sounds respectively. The list as it is now may well be complete, as can be seen by comparing to [[wikipedia:Category:Runes|Wikipedia's 'Runes' category]] - the only common rune that might still remain unfound is [[wikipedia:Wynn|Wynn]], though that might instead just use Uruz' 'U' sound. There may also be some compound runes missing.

Because of this unusual level or research into the runes, players can learn this alphabet without concern that it will teach them bad habits for reading earth runic; if anything, the game may help aspiring students of Futhark.

==Trivia==
*In early prototypes, Thurisaz was called Thurs, with the meaning Thunder. Though the meaning is Giant, the rune Thurisaz is considered tightly bound with Thor and Thunder.
*In early prototypes, Fehu originally had the meaning "Chattel" rather than "Cattle": both meanings (and "wealth", and "beast") are appropriate for this rune.
*That all their sounds, names, meanings, and purposes are appropriate for each rune suggests they did some serious research into correct rune usage.
*Runic is often written phonetically, excluding unnecessary letters instead of being a simple letter cypher. For example, the [[T-shirt|Kickstarter exclusive Backer's T-shirt]] has "Kickstarter backer" on the back in runic, but uses the characters "Kikstarter Baker", eliminating the phonetically duplicate "c".
*The runes have changed a couple of times through the development process, with some logos using the Ultima runes and some using the updated alphabet.
*Algiz, Berkanan, Dagaz, Ehwaz, Eiwaz, Fehu, Hagalaz, Jera, Kenaz, Laguz, Mannaz, Naudiz, Peorth, Radhio, Thurs, Tiwaz, and Uruz were present in the first [[Prototype|Playable Prototype]] released to players. Of these, Berkanan, Ehwaz, Eiwaz, Hagalaz, Jera, Kenaz, Naudiz, Thurs, and Uruz could be used to cast spells.

==Pledge Reward==
Backers at the [[Legendary Hero]] tier and higher will receive a poster with a language and runic translation guide as part of their Collector's Edition Box.

==Previous Appearances==
*The [[ultima:Runic Alphabet|Runic Alphabet]] was used through the ''Ultima'' series, including both {{UU1}} and {{UU2}}. ''Shroud of the Avatar'' uses a similar [[sota:Runic Alphabet|Runic Alphabet]].
[[Category:Underworld Ascendant]]