> [!infobox|wikipedia] > # Rhun'zar > [![[Codex/Assets/Items/Rhunzar_small.webp|cover hsmall]]](Codex/Assets/Items/Rhunzar.webp) > ###### Basic Information > Attribute | Details | > ---|---| > Type | Item | > ###### Item Information > Attribute | Details | > ---|---| > Item Type | Arcane Focus | > Origin | [[Glimmerforge]] | > Used By | Dwarven Mages | > Materials | Iron, Copper, Silver, Gold (varies) | > ###### Status > Attribute | Details | > ---|---| > Status | Active | The **Rhun'zar** is an arcane focus unique to the dwarven mages of [[Valtorra]], fashioned as a personalised metal rune worn at the centre of the forehead. Each one is designed from scratch by the mage who wears it — a rite of passage marking graduation from the [[Glimmerforge]] Academy — making every Rhun'zar both a functional magical instrument and an irreplaceable expression of individual identity. ## Description #### Appearance No two Rhun'zar are alike. Each is a flat or gently curved metal plate, typically oval or circular, sized anywhere from a thumbnail to a broad coin's width depending on the bearer's preference. The face is etched with arcane sigils chosen entirely by the mage — patterns that reflect the school of magic they trained in, woven together with personal flourishes the bearer adds themselves. The choice of metal is left to the individual: iron and copper are common among practical or newly graduated mages, while silver and gold are favoured by those of means or a more theatrical disposition. Some are spare and geometric; others are densely detailed, the sigils overlapping and spiralling outward to the edge of the plate. When not actively channelling magic, a Rhun'zar is cool and still. During spellcasting the etched channels warm perceptibly, and the sigils emit a faint luminescence — the colour and intensity shifting with the nature and power of the spell being cast. ## Creation A Rhun'zar is forged and inscribed by the graduating mage in the final weeks of their studies, working in partnership with the [[Glimmerforge]] Academy's master artificers. The Academy supplies the raw metal, the tools, and conducts the arcane sealing ritual that binds the finished rune to its function — but the design itself belongs entirely to the mage. The only guidance given is that the sigils must at minimum reflect the bearer's area of study; beyond that, the arrangement, the decorative choices, and any additional symbolic elements are the bearer's own. Once the rune is complete, it is set via a minor procedure performed by the Academy's healer-artificers. A small anchoring plate is mounted flush with the forehead in a permanent placement; the Rhun'zar itself clicks into place over it. The anchor remains fixed for life. The rune plate, however, is fully removable — it can be detached safely, repaired if damaged, re-engraved if the bearer's studies evolve, or replaced entirely if lost. Many long-practising mages wear their third or fourth Rhun'zar, each one more refined than the last. ## Cultural Significance Among dwarven mages in [[Valtorra]], the Rhun'zar carries considerable social weight. An uncovered rune is an immediate signal of formal academic training — a mark that sets Academy graduates apart from self-taught or hedge practitioners. The design communicates at a glance: the metal choice, the complexity of the sigils, and the school of study encoded within them all speak to a mage's background, temperament, and ambitions. Most bearers wear their Rhun'zar openly and with pride. Concealing one — as some do when travelling outside dwarven society — can read as pragmatic caution or deliberate self-erasure depending on the context and the company. ## Notable Rhun'zar #### [[Dondar]] [[Dondar]], a dwarven mage and member of [[The Bloody Nails]], bears a Rhun'zar earned at the [[Glimmerforge]] Academy. During the party's visit to [[Sumara, The Shining City|Sumara]], he commissioned an elegant headband or circlet to wear over it — whether out of personal preference or to draw less attention in the elven city was not stated.