Runes & Slates
Slate comes in three forms. A slab is imbued at a slate nexus into a rune. A vault is never imbued: it is fuel, stored magic that spells and runes burn. A shard of knowledge is a one-time unlock, usually given as a quest reward.
A rune works while it sits in an equipped rune pouch. Some change a step of your combo, some give a passive, and some spend vaults for a burst of power.
Runes
5Rune of the Fleet Stride
A rune cut with a single long stroke. Carried beside a charged vault, it
drinks the vault the moment you break into a run and lends your legs the
vault's stored pace for a while.
Rune of the Gathered Blow
A rune cut with one heavy, deliberate stroke. Carried in a pouch, it lets
a greatsword's wielder hold the blade back and gather a blow before it
falls — the longer the gathering, the harder it lands.
Rune of Aetherial Leap
A shimmering rune inscribed with aetherial glyphs. When placed in an
equipped rune pouch, grants the ability to jump a second time while
airborne. The rune channels ambient magic through the bearer's legs,
creating a brief platform of solidified air.
Frost Strike
Infuse attacks with frost energy. Adds a frost variant
at the charged heavy step.
Rune of Aerial Channeling
A rune carved with spiraling wind glyphs that channel magic into raw
upward force. When placed in an equipped rune pouch, momentum built in
unarmed combat can be released as a rising strike that carries the
bearer into the air — and keeps them fighting there.