Interpretation and Application of the Daedric Runes: A Primer

e manu: Drathyn Abelas, Master Calligrapher, Tel Vos

The Daedric runes are so named because of their origins and purpose - they are Daedric because they were devised by the Daedra, and runes not only because they are frequently carved into stone, but because of the secrecy inherent to their nature, their magickal properties notwithstanding. Mages employ the runes because of their associations of power and mystique (for showmanship is a necessary skill in their profession), and the people of my home province for their religious connotations. However, the runes themselves are more than a mere cipher, used to conceal or add gravity to the contents of a text. Their supernatural origins bestow upon them power hailing from the earliest hours of creation. The wizards of House Telvanni, including my own patron Master Aryon, have made some study of runic magic, as have the Questing Scribes of Summerset and certain reclusive witches of Skyrim and High Rock. Nonetheless the magickal community by and large has neglected the practice of runic magic, an attitude which I hope will soon be recognized for the willful ignorance that it is.

Every mage in the Empire is familiar with the standard 24 letter runic alphabet. Even non-practitioners may have seen inscriptions on scrolls or enchanted items, and visitors to or residents of Morrowind will doubtless be familiar with their prevalence here, being used in place of the Imperial alphabet for nearly all public signage. It is my belief that mages employ the runes because, their knowledge eroded by the passage of time to a distant echo of the truth, they are aware of the power flowing through the runes. However, knowledge of the runes themselves is insufficient to harness their innate properties. Only through careful study of their meanings can one hope to use them to their ullest potential, and only through composition, craftsmanship, and artistry can one actually exercise that power.

I provide a brief overview of the associations and uses of each rune below with a special focus on their uses in my homeland, as well as example applications of each. Though the list will doubtless prove valuable to the scholar or apprentice, it is by no means compleat or comprehensive. As always, the reader is advised not to attempt runic invocations without a formal education in magic, lest he endanger himself or others.

AYEM is the first letter. It is the beginning of the alphabet, and also the beginning of all things. It is associated with Azura and the dawn; in Morrowind it is associated with the mother Almalexia as well, for the womb is the beginning of all life. Ayem is anticipation, apprenticeship, and aspiration. A traveler might invoke Ayem at the start of a long journey, or a priest before a new-born child, for it ensures that a venture will begin fruitfully. Reversed, Ayem is a curse - an abortion, or an ill-fated start.

BEDT is the second letter. Bedt evokes Ayem in its shape, but it curves back in on itself. It is the rune of the Lady of Infinite Energies, Meridia. Likewise, it is associated with rebirth, renewal, and transformation. Bedt can heal the injured, and its regenerative properties repel the undead; however, Bedt must be used with care, for if used too freely it can prematurely age its target. Bedt reversed no longer repels the undead; it retains its virtues, but draws energy from other life forms like a leech to heal.

CESS is the third letter. It is cheer and contentment. Cess is the rune of Sanguine the Reveler, and it can be put to purposes in line with the Prince's own. The rune calms unquiet minds and turns them to thoughts of joy. It can shed light in dark rooms, and make friends of strangers. Cess is an arch rather than a door - it is a milestone more than an obstacle. Likewise, the satisfactions of Cess are ultimately trivial - it can forge no lasting bliss. Instead, when its glow fades and tempers return, it can enslave weaker minds with memories of pleasure if overused. A prudent man casts Cess sparingly. Cess has no reverse, for the rune is its own undoing.

DOHT is the fourth letter. Doht is freedom, confidence, and insight. It is associated with the Mad God, for his touch conveys all these, from a certain perspective. Doht permits the mind of its caster strange powers, from telekinesis to knowledge unbidden. Doht can be carved into the heel of a boot to protect the wearer from paralysis. If mixed into a drink it can make the drinker more charismatic, and if shaved into the head it improves memory. Of all runes, Doht is perhaps the most dangerous to use freely - the Fourth Corner is aware of his connection to the rune and has been known to exploit that. Reversed, Doht is a distraction, causing the mind to wander in circles or go on tangents.

EKEM is the fifth letter. It represents effort, energy, vitality, and endurance. Ekem is self-improvement and dedication towards overcoming hardship, and the persistence of the spirit thereunto. In Morrowind, it is associated with the East and the dawnwards migration of the Velothi. Ekem can be used to encourage or invigorate the weary, or rally troops; swallowed, it can give a burst of energy. The reverse of Ekem is futility and weakness - effort wasted or misdirected that frustrates an endeavor - or brittleness, strength that cannot persevere.

HEFHED is the sixth letter. It is associated with Hircine the Hunter, and sometimes with Molag Bal. Hefhed is strength, fire, and passion. On its own, Hefhed is not a rune of violence, but warriors can wield it to give weight to their blows. If Hefhed is burned into a torch, it will burn brightly and long; painting it on a hand allows one to kindle emotions with a touch. Reversed, Hefhed is inconsistency, brutishness, emotionality, and loss of control.

GETH is the seventh letter. It is the world, a claw and a root, the rune of wild things and the unspoiled wilds. It bears a resemblance to Ayem, for the earth is ancient and hearkens to the beginning of things. Likewise, it resembles Jeb, which has been straightened and bent to the will of mer and man. Geth is instinct and savagery, and is intimately connected with the wilderness. Drawn into the earth, Geth can lure animals; worn around the neck, it protects the wearer from attack by beasts of the field. In reverse, Geth corrupts, attuning to unnatural monsters and perverting the environment.

HEKEM is the eighth letter. Hekem is the void, the original blackness at the start of time. Linked with the Lady of Decay, it is a rune of dark and strange forces. Hekem is corrosion, creeping rot, and the inexorable gnawing of time. There is no metal Hekem cannot rust away or wood it cannot rot; there is no spell it cannot thwart, swallowing it whole or unravelling it completely. To master Hekem is to understand that death comes to all things great and small. Fortunately, Hekem is as potent against forces of evil as it is against those of good. Mages can use Hekem to eat away at the ties binding Daedra to the mortal world, banishing them. The reverse of Hekem is an unbirth in defiance of the natural order that reduces things to their beginnings rather than their ends.

IYA is the ninth letter. It is the spider's sting or the assassin's blade. Iya is affiliated with Boethiah, Prince of Plots. Like Neht, Iya is a statement of identity - it represents the willingness of the individual to survive and to use whatever means available to achieve that. It is associated with murder, poison, and treachery, and can bestow the power to act decisively. Often graven into weapons, it can also protect from these perils when stitched into clothing. Reversed, Iya is the thief of agency, and is linked with bitterness, slavery, and torment.

JEB is the tenth letter. It is judgment, jurisdiction, direction, and command. Jeb is associated with the Daedra Molag Bal, for it is aligned with his sphere of domination. Jeb conveys leadership, and demands obedience - unlike Seht, Jeb has no respect for existing authority: it usurps or overrides. Of interest to conjurers who seek to use it to enslave lesser daedra, Jeb can also seize control of weaker minds. More legitimately, Jeb can command respect. If painted on a shield it can intimidate enemies, or if hoisted on a banner, dispel mutiny. The reverse of Jeb is tyranny that invites rebellion, or weak rulership unworthy of respect.

KOHT is the eleventh letter. Koht is the rune of Mephala, and bears many characteristics in common with the Webspinner. It is chiefly associated with deceit, guile, and secrets. Koht can be used to disguise the wielder, or still a free tongue; it can find hidden things, or allow the flimsiest lie to pass unquestioned. Koht reversed is instability and confusion - a victim may find themselves beset on all sides or experience a sudden, painful revelation.

LYR is the twelfth letter. Lyr is as fast as thought, a rune of quickness and alacrity that roars with the voice of thunder. A rune of infinite utility, Lyr brings agility and power to the mind as well as the body. Pressed to the skull, it quickens ideas in a rush; tied around the waist, it lets the wearer move like a storm-squall, flying across the landscape with abandon. Set into a quiver, it will send an arrow straight and true. And graven in a ring, it can throw bolts of lightning, a physical manifestation of its unchecked energies. The reverse of Lyr is numbness and recklessness, a dyskinesia that hampers action even as it accelerates it into danger.

MEHT is the thirteenth letter. Meht is truth, and therefore more than itself, for all truths are homeomorphic. Thus Meht is every rune, and yet none of the others. Knowledge of Meht is powerful, for it grants the power of mastery over the world. Concerns of the body, the spirit, the mind fade under the harsh glare of truth. Tattooed on the body, Meht will allow one to endure hardships without suffering, and see through deception with clarity. Pain fades when Meht is invoked, as does anger or sorrow. A wielder of Meht must be prepared to sometimes reveal uncomfortable truths. Reversed, Meht is ambiguity, weakness or vulnerability to the intrusions of the world.

NEHT is the fourteenth letter. Neht is a denial, a negation and utter solipsism, the Here And Now with no regard for the past or future. It is a nullification, an abnegation of all else; consequently it is associated with the dwarven horror Numidium - the strength of Neht eroded its beginning, leaving it in an eternal present. Neht is also associated in Morrowind with the North and the marauding Nords. Neht is a dangerous rune - it can destroy an identity or a mind as easily as a spell or enchantment. A person under the influence of Neht will cannot distinguish his friends from his foes. The reverse of Neht is Not Not, an acceptance, inflation, and dilution that reduces Something to Everything.

OHT is the fifteenth letter. It is a door, a portal to another place. It is associated with Mehrunes Dagon, the Lord of Destruction and Change , as the door marks a boundary, beyond which one cannot step without being changed. A door must be opened before passage, so Oht also indicates a necessary obstacle to be overcome. This letter can be used for Conjuration, as it allows a spirit to cross from one realm to another. Etched into a key, Oht will allow the bearer to open many locks, and pass through walls as if they were doors. Oht has no reverse, for a door can open on either side.

PAYEM is the sixteenth letter. It is a rune often linked to Peryite for its relation to disease and disorder, though its sphere is broader than the Prince's. Payem is a rune of duality - sickness and health, order and chaos, life and death. Payem can banish disease or conjure it, improve a characteristic or damage it; it can curse as easily as it cures. It is a fickle rune - if applied wastefully it can turn against the user, and if neglected it may fail entirely when needed. Healers may massage their patients with Payem to banish afflictions. Reversed, Payem is an annoyance: it acts as a jinx, fixing one problem by causing another.

QUAM is the seventeenth letter. A strange rune, Quam is a rune of Creation From Something. Unlike Beht, Quam is a metamorphosis, not a renaissance. It fundamentally transforms its subject, giving it new properties - in this sense it is opposed to Yoodt, which fortifies existing virtues without addition. It governs the trades of the alchemist and the enchanter, for whom Quam is indispensable. The transformations of Quam can be difficult to predict or control; under an unpracticed hand, it can stymie an alteration, or overshoot its target, and even wrest control to undesirable effect. Quam has no reverse: the opposite of Change Now is Change Later, which is the same principle.

ROHT is the eighteenth letter. The rune is associated with Nocturnal, the Unfathomable, and it trails off into the nothingness that is her sphere. It is a rune of mystery and concealment, even more than Koht. The rune can hide an individual from prying eyes, or shroud them in a veil of darkness. A mage can draw a Roht in chalk and step through it to find sanctuary from his enemies. Stamped on a chest, Roht will ensure the contents are never found. The reversal of Roht is debilitating - it causes self-deception and blindness.

SEHT is the nineteenth letter. With its jagged teeth, Seht is a guardian letter. It seeks to maintain and restore balance - it is stability, authority, and protection from the vicissitudes of fate. Followers of the Tribunal associate Seht with the Lord Sotha Sil. It is also linked with elemental ice. In Morrowind, Seht is associated with the South and the cultural stasis of the Altmer. Seht carved into stone can be used to halt the ravages of time or keep watch over something, and worn about the neck it will allow safe passage. Reversed, it is weakness, unwelcome or ineffective authority, impotence, and sloth.

TAYEM is the twentieth letter. The rune depicts the unknowable forces that press against the waking mind. Thus it is linked with Vaermina, the Prince of Nightmares. Tayem is torture, fear, doubt, and imprisonment. A cruel rune, Tayem is best employed against one's enemies. A charm embossed with Tayem can give the wearer the power to terrify with a glance; hidden under a pillow, it can give a victim terrible dreams or imprison them in endless sleep; forged into a chain, it can ensnare the mind and soul of its prisoner as easily as it does the body. Tayem has few legitimate uses, except to tame those fears in its bearers and harden the mind against distraction. The reverse of Tayem is helplessness and apathy.

YOODT is the twenty-first letter. Although it resembles an inverted Oht, Yoodt is not a door but a spiral inwards toward the center. It is unification, the cohesion of the self, and the drawing of things inward. Yoodt strengthens by enriching and enhancing its subject; it is the whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. With Yoodt, a mage can reinforce a building, or create a magickal guardian. It can also enhance absorption spells, and coupled with Ekem it greattly aids learning. Reversed, Yoodt is a stray mark or a cracked brick, the presence of a small flaw that weakens the greater whole.

VEHK is the twenty-second letter. The two prongs of the rune are as the horns of Clavicus Vile, who is associated with the rune. In Morrowind, the rune is also associated with the god Vivec. Like both, Vehk is two-faced, and is linked with charm and bargains. It is a rune of illusion, creativity, and compromise. Merchants and diplomats who break the rune in twain find that they can make sales or deals more easily. Vehk can also inspire the artist to new creation. However, Vehk must be used with caution, as it can take as much as it gives, tripping a ready tongue or snuffing an idea at its height. For this reason Vehk needs no reverse.

WEB is the twenty-third letter. Web is luck, chance and suffering. The Daedra Prince Malacath is affiliated with Web, especially in Morrowind, where it is also associated with the West and the Empire. Web is the twisting of fortune: the trials of the unlucky, as well as the spoils showered on those favored by fate. As a curse-rune, Web is a favorite of warlocks - thrown like a throwing-star, Web can harm a foe physically and mentally. As a blessing, Web encourages daring and risk, rewarding boldness with riches and fame. Merchants may cast a die marked with Web before a venture, interpreting the results to predict the outcome. Reversed, Web is obscurity and doom; it drives its victim out of memory and sets their fates against their wills.

ZYR is the twenty-fourth and last letter. Zyr is the end, the final moment of life, and natural death. It is the other rune associated with Azura. Zyr represents realization, accomplishment, and completion. Zyr is best applied at the end of a project, to prevent complications from its achievement. At a funeral, Zyr might be tossed into the grave as part of the rites to protect the deceased from the interference dark powers. Zyr may also be burned to hasten the end of a conflict or dispute. The reverse of Zyr is an unsatisfying conclusion or premature end.

There are also two lost runes, neither of which can be used or even depicted under ordinary circimstances. It is unknown why they cannot be written, what their uses might be, or why their magics are inaccessible. Instead of describing their properties, I will only briefly touch on their histories for the sake of appeasing curiosity.

XAYAH - This rune is believed to be in the care of Hermaeus Mora, who jealously guards his knowledge. It is likely to be connected with Xarxes, whose name contains it twice and is a close associate of that Prince. Visitors to Apocrypha are few enough that no more is known - even its form is only guessed at, though there are rumors that other Princes have some power to use it and place it on their weaponry.

YAKHEM - This rune vanished from the world in the First Era. It has been lost since (and due to) the fall of Yokuda and will be until the rise of Lyg, a paradox unresolved. There is one known individual who has command of the rune - Divayth Fyr, born before the loss and thus capable of still commanding it. Those who visit Tel Fyr can see it for themselves on his banners, though they, like myself, will find themselves incapable of replicating it. Lord Fyr has made no comment on its powers.