Wait okay what are YOUR magical tattoos like?
So we really have never talked about this!? My goodness, gurl, buckle up!
Apologies in advance if any of this is confusing to longtime followers - I’ve been updating and altering a lot of lore (especially geographically and culturally) to fit with the latest draft, so certain place and people names might be a bit different from what you’re aware of. I’ll be sure to denote them when I can!
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In the kingdom of Genesai, there exists an elite military faction known as the “Shadow”. These people throw away their own identities - forsaking family, fame, and even their own names - so as to best protect the most important people in their nation. Each Shadow is assigned to a high-ranking political official (or other person of importance, when necessary), tasked with following and obeying their every order.
But Shadows are no mere servants. Those they serve are meant to bring the light of the Dawnmother (known as the Earth Mother in former drafts) to the world around them while their Shadows must do the unruly deeds in the darkness that their pure counterparts should not be burdened with: espionage, assassinations, theft, intimidation, etc. All is fair game for Shadows.
But Shadows need tools at their disposal in order to accomplish their dangerous missions. While each is trained in various forms of weaponry, there is a more pertinent power available to them: the Dawnfont.
By inscribing the language of spirits into their skin, Shadows can access supernatural power otherwise unavailable to mankind. The process of inscription is inexplicably painful, most oft done in a healing spring or other bathing pool in order to soothe the now-weakened body and under the supervision of a senior Shadow in case of incapacitation therein. But once the process is complete, the Shadow need only touch this Dawnfont with at least one drop of blood and speak the command word to activate its abilities. Combining different runes into a string of commands can result in varying, often unknown, effects. One can know the activation process was successful because the corresponding runes will emit a dull glow - believed to be a sign of the internal light their Dawnmother imbued within all of mankind at creation now coming out of them.
What can these runes do, you ask? Good question! Whereas the Divine and Profane Seals control the seven elemental domains of Edenfell, these powers can affect one’s body, soul and spirit. Shadows primarily utilize these runes in order to: create illusory duplicates of themselves, temporarily blind others, silence their footsteps, cripple or paralyze opponents with fear, etc.
Shadows can have entire sleeves of these inscriptions, and the more one can endure, the more respected they are throughout the community. The physical toll it takes on one to endure the inscription process, let alone continually using the runes, is no small matter.
Certain Shadows specialize in different techniques and tactics. For example, one might prioritize runes that can alter emotions so as to control the atmosphere of political negotiations or citywide celebrations. Those burdened with more dubious assignments might choose to use runes that make one suffer from hallucinations, confuse their senses, etc. Nothing is off-limits to them. After all, it would be monstrous to mar human flesh! But who would care one whit whether a tool is left unblemished or carved to bits?
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That’s the basic rundown of my magical tattoos - the Dawnfont (known before as the Earthfont) - in Kingdom Come! Hope that was exciting to read for you. Thanks for asking, my friend :)
I know you’ve got your ridiculously cool tattoo lore with your elves, if memory serves. But if you wanna spill more about it that I might not yet know about it, you know I’m not complaining!