Runes and sigils

[Cuusardo]

How would your average Joe or Jane Commoner react to such things, whether they be on clothing, weapons, or inked on somebody's skin?

For example, if you are northern and you come across something with a runic symbol for one of the elements, would that offend you?  If you are a southerner, would you just pass it off as nothing special?

And what if you don't recognize the symbols?  What sort of assumption would the average city folk come to?  Would this just be dismissed as some random hoohaw, or viewed with suspicion?

How about if you're exploring, and you find this deserted place with some sort of symbols carved into wood, or stone somewhere in the vicinity?  Would your average city commoner suddenly be overwhelmed with the urge to bolt?

[Praetorian]

Personally I would view it like this:  If you walked into a pyramid in Egypt and saw heiroglyphs on the wall, would it frighten you?  Probably not.  It might make you wonder though if it was artwork of some sort or actually had a deeper meaning.  With tattoo's you can pretty much assume that there is -some- meaning there, but a symbol by itself wouldn't raise much suspicion.  Now, if that same symbol in the tattoo is wreathed in flames, then yes - because you would wonder if that symbol is somehow tied with flame...and that would lead to wondering if that symbol was just maybe tied with something 'more' than flames.
In other words I would say it depends on the context of the tattoo or drawings on the wall.  If you see symbols on a cavern wall with images of dead bodies surround it then yeah - run like hell.  If you see a player whose skin is covered with runes you might wonder 'whats all that supposed to mean?' and ask them about it, but if those same runes were laced with skulls, blood, and flames, then again ... run like hell.
To put it into context, if I saw a Mexican gangster with the tattoo of a man on his arm I might wonder why - if that same tattoo had a blade through the chest and a skull and crossbones along with the phrase 'all gringos must die' then I probably wouldn't want to linger.

[wizturbo]

Look at the tattoo or rune as closely as you can.  If your a northerner, and suspect it in anyway has to do with magick, I'd say you should immediately be suspicious, ESPECIALLY if the person is a southerner.  A tribal, you might just assume its some kind of ritual tattoos, and think nothing of it.

[Whira's Luck]

I don't think it would matter (for the most part). Runes, symbols, and anything else indicative of writing would have to have some sort of meaning attached to it in order to find offensiveness in it. What is writing? It's little more than marks with some significance to it. Would you consider tallymarks writing? Well, they're marks with obvious numerical significance, but that significance exists only whoever is using the tallymarks (and therefore they don't really count as writing).

In order to attach any significance, suspicious or otherwise, to runic marks, one has to be aware that such markings have significance. I'd imagine that most commoners might simply look at them as a form of abstract artistry: the symbols and lines may have little significance at all to the observer. Has your character ever seen writing before? They may think it looks a little bit like writing, but since commoners can't read or write, they may just assume the person has 'pseudo-writing' tattooed on them. Likely, no real literary significance as a templar would have likely stopped them on the street if they did.

As far as elemental symbols I don't think they'd be viewed with hostility, even in the north. The elements are viewed in Zalanthas anthropomorphically. Having a flaming red man on a person's arm, or a pair of figures made out of water dancing may just be art, and if superstition, might be akin to saying 'Gesundheit' after sneezing. However, if it showed a man farting fireballs with runic writing surrounding it, had bright red hair and dressed in red and yellow and calls himself Suk-Krath's Furious Avenger, then yes, obviously eyebrows would go up (and should).

Again, it boils down to familiarity and the pc. A pc who views runic symbols with suspicion would likely view ALL runic symbols with suspicion, from the rune-carved blade to the rune-inked tribal to the rune-inked commoner Bob from next door. But likely, runes are just considered abstract lines and symbols with no more significance than the interesting pattern on the hem of a cloak Kadius released the year before.

[Marauder Moe]

I disagree with most of these responses.  A commoner who sees a strange pattern of marks that aren't artwork can only assume one of two things: that it is writing or that it is magick.  Since writing is usually kept out of public view, and on paper, I see nothing wrong with someone finding a rune carved/etched/inked/whatever item and assuming it has a magickal meaning.  What that means to a particular character, of course, would vary.  A Tuluki might drop it, run off screaming, and rub his hands with sands until raw.  A southerner might just grimace and toss it in a trash heap.


EDIT:

If you walked into a pyramid in Egypt and saw heiroglyphs on the wall, would it frighten you?

If I knew that the ancient Egyptians were still around and could do horrible horrible things to me with mere words, then yes, I might be very frightened.

[Seeker]

I'm kinda with Marauder Moe on this one.  

My PCs will react very differently to someone who is described as the squiggly-patterned tattooed man, as opposed to the rune-inked, pulsating man.  

If the word "rune" is used a descriptor, then you can expect that people are meant to take all the connotations of that words as being fully intended.  

When I see the word "runes", I think of magic sigils.  Shapes specifically designed for the controlling and channeling of magic forces.  Arcane markings carrying secret or forbidden lore.  Directions or components of ritual practices.  Creepy occult yumminess.

If that is not the intent, then use "odd markings" next time, or tell me to use my dictionary.  


Seeker

[Angela Christine]

Hmm,  I think Zalanthans are sophisticated enough to differentiate between big M spellcasting Magick, and small acts of wishfull-thinking magick.

Like the superstition of tattooing coins on your hands to attract money.  That might be considered magick in the same way that using the Way to tell your mom you are going to be late for dinner is mindbending.  So you might have a tattoo of the sun or a symbol for sun on your back or shoulders, so that the sun is always at your back and not in your eyes.  Or you might tattoo a picture or symbol for water onto your feet, so your feet will always lead you back to water.  Or you might consider having symbols for shade and water (drov and vivadu) on your body as being lucky.  The common runes for the elements are usually designed to look like very simple pictoral representations of those elements.  The runes for water and sun look like what you might expect a very simple line drawing of those elements to look like.  

The fact that mages misuse those symbols and pervert the elements in their foul magicks is a seperate issue.  You don't start hating water just because a vivaduan killed your father.


Angela Christine

[moab]

AC - those are great ideas.
*steals*

[lazycritic]

There are at least a few "runic" weapons around, north and south, that the shopkeepers accept. Seems like they aren't throwing a fit. My characters just  think they're strange designs in most cases - perhaps signatures or symbols for some sort of tribe or person.

People are to think whatever, though, I'm guessing. There isn't much documentation on it.

[Maybe42or54]

oohhhh A weird new design!!!!

I personally go as if it was Real life in this specific case.

How the hell do I know your tattoo of a rune actually has a real deep thought beside it?
I'd just think it is new art and pretty not what I want.

[Raesanos]

The things people have posted here are good thoughts.  It could vary from person to person, ranging from one person not giving it a second thought and the next person being very suspicious.  It all depends on the context and the individual involved, and none of the examples here seem to stretch beyond what I'd consider possible.

[Majikal]

I'm not sure that runic tattoos or pictures of elements would be found suspicious. You can get elementalist tattoos in the north at some of the shops. unless the tat is completly hinting to the obvious (an inking of a man engulfed in a whirlwind) I don't think a commoner would really find any interest in it other than "oh, that's neat."