Runes

*This article uses material from the “Runes" article on the Shadowhunter wiki at FANDOM and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike License.*

**Runes,** also known as Marks, are symbols that grant beings various supernatural abilities, with both angelic and demonic runes known to exist. For Shadowhunters, runes are a complex runic language given to them by the Angel Raziel, which grants them powers beyond those of mundanes. Runes are burned into Shadowhunters' skin using steles, and are their most common tool in their fight against demons.

## History

Runes are markings given to the first generation of Shadowhunters by the Angel Raziel to assist them in fighting the demons they were tasked to eradicate. Every rune that is accessible to Shadowhunters is recorded in the Book of the Covenant, and have also been copied into the Gray Book, which is a specially crafted book with each rune placed in its pages. Copies of the book are rare because each book must be specially made, due to the fact that steles, made of the holy metal *adamas,* burn normal paper.

The first ever recorded Mark was the biblical Mark of Cain, set upon Cain, which protected him from harm, as any harm against him would result in the same harm rebounded upon the assailant sevenfold.

In 2007, a large number of Shadowhunters were forcibly Turned into demonically-aligned Dark Shadowhunters with the Infernal Cup by Sebastian Morgenstern, which resulted in their angelic runes fading from their skin. After being Turned, the Dark Shadowhunters were only able to apply demonic runes.

## Information

While runes do cause some uneasiness and a slight stinging pain, most runes do not actually cause harm against a Shadowhunter.

When young Shadowhunters are set to begin their formal training, usually around the age of ten or twelve, they receive their first rune. While the Voyance rune is normally the first rune given to young or newly-ascended Shadowhunters, it may be changed in special cases, such as when it was decided that the sickly Adele Starkweather should receive the Strength rune first. The first rune is usually Marked upon them in a formal ceremony done by Silent Brothers.

### Uses

While most runes are meant to be used on Shadowhunters' skin, many runes can also be applied on physical objects, giving a variety of effects and abilities. Many of these runes are placed on their weapons to prevent demons from healing when injured by them; others are used to lock and unlock doors, create fires, and a wide array of other abilities.

Runes are what make the Nephilim different from average humans, as they are the only beings who are able to bear the Angel's marks. When drawn on mundanes, they burn the skin; powerful marks could drive them insane and turn them into Forsaken. The demon disease that causes lycanthropy in werewolves prevents Marks from taking effect, while other Downworlders who are Marked cannot bear the runes and, like mundanes, may either go mad or die upon contact; the only exception is the Alliance rune, which was specifically designed to be applied to both Shadowhunters and Downworlders. According to Magnus Bane, angel runes can only be applied on the Nephilim because that's what the runes given to them are for, being part-angel themselves.

Runes are an integral part of an individuals' identity as Nephilim. When one violates the Law severely enough to warrant an expulsion from Shadowhunter society, or when one chooses to leave of his/her own accord, the Shadowhunter is stripped of their Marks, a process that is excruciatingly painful. While this will only typically turn a Shadowhunter into a mundane, the Clave has occasionally made it so that the former Shadowhunter will turn Forsaken to serve as torture or a punishment, though the latter has since been forbidden by their Law.

Though most runes have immense power, there are runes used by the Nephilim that are purely symbolic. The love rune, for example, is merely a symbol of two people's love and cannot create the actual feeling. The same can be said for the mourning rune; it cannot diminish the loss that its wearers feel and only honors the dead and symbolizes the pain of their loved ones' deaths. There are also runes of peace, seen in the Silent City and can be used to possibly soothe someone's mind to give them peaceful sleep.

Runes can be drawn as a whole while there are runes, depending on its purpose, that can be drawn partially at first and completed when the wearer wishes to activate it.

### Efficiency

The strength and efficiency of runes is based on and related to the inscribing Shadowhunter's talent for runic magic, specifically the strength and accuracy of the drawn Mark. Poorly drawn Marks would have no effect. Likewise, using the stele to draw random, non-runic symbols or writing will only produce the "icy hot" feeling similar to the one brought about by using it to draw Marks, but there will be no effect.

The placement of runes adds to their effectiveness. The closer a rune is placed to the heart, the more effective it is. Some runes are placed on hands and arms and legs because they target that particular area. The force that the rune is drawn with is also a factor in how long it lasts; the harder someone presses when drawing the rune makes it last longer.

In addition, Marks made by ones' *parabatai* upon another are stronger than other Marks, and there are Marks that only *parabatai* can use, because they draw on the partners' doubled strength. In another special case, Clary Fray, whose additional angel blood gives her the power to create new runes, can also place Marks on herself and others that are typically more powerful than those placed by regular Shadowhunters, although this ability has been known to sap her of energy.

### Longevity

When drawn on the skin, fresh runes appear black. Some runes on objects are drawn in different colors, such as red, silver, and gold, among others. Many runes are temporary and fade with time. These runes will almost always leave behind a faint white or silver scar as if as a reminder of the rune that was once placed there. These runes would need to be drawn again for their effects to be felt again.

Other runes, like the Voyance rune, the Mnemosyne rune, runes for weddings, *parabatai* rituals, and some for mourning, are permanent. These runes never fade and their effects constantly work on the Shadowhunter on whom they were placed. In the case of wedding runes, though they are permanent, they can be broken in half in a very painful process. As with *parabatai* runes, which fade when the bond is broken or cut (something much harder to do than the ending of a marriage), such as when one is made a Silent Brother or Iron Sister, these wedding runes may also dissolve and fade when the partnership is annulled.

### Resistance

Despite the innate capability of most Shadowhunters to bear runes, some Shadowhunters, though only a few, are resistant to Marks. For others, it may just be a bit more painful compared to the experience of others. However, some may reject the first Mark they receive entirely, which would send them into shock or madness, giving them excruciating pain and agony that would be suffered through a fever so intense that only stripping the Mark or cutting through it would save the life—and, no longer able to bear more Marks after as a part of the conventional treatment, would also end ones' life as a Shadowhunter, as these Nephilim are made to live out the rest of their lives as mundanes.

The fever may last for an indeterminable amount of time (weeks, months, possibly longer). While one could die during this time, if the Shadowhunter survives and lives through the ordeal with the Mark intact, which can be made to happen through sheer will, he/she can live and bear runes normally with no risk of future danger.

### Knowledge

While there are other existing runes, the only runes the Shadowhunters are permitted to use are the ones found in the Gray Book. Demonic runes, which are accessible to warlocks and often used in summoning, are forbidden to them by Law and also cannot work alongside the seraphic blood of the Nephilim. There are also other angelic runes that are said to have existed since time immemorial that were not given to the Nephilim for their use. The most well-known of these is the so-called first Mark, Mark of Cain.

Only the most common runes are referred to by their true names, while the others by their informal descriptive names. Their true names are in the language of Heaven; these names being the only words of the language human beings have ever been permitted to know.

There are some very powerful runes only accessible to those who become Silent Brothers and Iron Sisters. These runes are found in the hidden parts of the Gray Book and bestows upon them different magic, which allows them to perform their duties unique to their organization.

While normally, the underlying language of the Marks are incomprehensible to Shadowhunters, making them unable to create new Marks, Clary Fray has the ability to recall old runes that were not documented into the Book of the Covenant/Gray Book. This gift of runes was given to her as a result of the angelic blood of Ithuriel running through her veins, due to her father giving her mother tonics of it while Clary was in her womb. Because of her connection to Ithuriel, the angel is able to give her images or visions in her mind of ancient runes not found in the Gray Book. These runes are assumed to have already existed long before Shadowhunters, and are even possibly runes of Heaven, that date back to the time of angels. These Marks include the Fearless, Alliance, and resurrection runes, as well as the Mark of Cain, among others. These come to her in dreams, or visions, typically when she calls on them by thinking of something, or spontaneously in times of need.

## Known Runes

 **Accuracy** | Gives the Shadowhunter the ability to aim directly at a target. It also gives a Shadowhunter precise information to enforce significant detail.
 **Action** | This rune gives a Shadowhunter the ability to act and move nimbly and quickly. Allows a Shadowhunter to make quicker decisions.

 **Alliance / Bind To** | This rune allows Shadowhunters and Downworlders to safely share each other's abilities, giving the Shadowhunters access to the strength, speed, and magical abilities of their Downworlder partners, and giving their Downworlder partners access to the warrior skills of the Nephilim.
 **Awareness** | This rune puts the Shadowhunter's mind into conscientiousness and realization, almost as if they're having an epiphany.

There are also binding runes to prevent ones' legs from supporting their weight. Clary Fairchild's Alliance rune has been referred to as a binding rune.
 **Bridge** | This rune extends a Shadowhunter's knowledge and understanding of a situation, preventing misunderstandings from occurring. It connects facts using logic and reason.
 **Calm Anger** | This rune helps control a Shadowhunter's anger and decisions that could cause dangerous situations. The rune causes daydreaming in some cases. It helps fill a strong feeling of hostility and rage with peace and virtue.

 **Courage in Combat** | This rune provides Shadowhunters who wear it with bravery above and beyond that of a typical demon killer. It is painful to apply.
 **Craft** | This rune allows Shadowhunters to be creative and withhold an open mind when given the ability to have the skill of operating man-made machinery. Basically, a Shadowhunter can hack into any device or machine within their reach with this rune. It is often drawn by craftsmen and is one of the runes that ornate the walls of the Armory in the Armory in Alicante and the Adamant Citadel.

 **Destined** | Helps Nephilim to predict one's future with the help of known facts relevant to that specific person.
 **Endurance** | Helps empower a Shadowhunter in a tough situation. It allows a Shadowhunter to remain conscience with pain, giving them the capacity to withstand it longer than the average mundane.

### More Runes

* **Amissio:** slows blood loss and speeds natural blood replacement.
* **Compass:** Gives the Shadowhunter a sense of all four cardinal directions at all times. It is one of the first runes given to Shadowhunters.
* **Dexteritas:** Gives the Shadowhunter dexterity.
* **Farsighted:** Sharpens vision; allows user to see faraway things more clearly, though not without severe limitation.
* **Fortis:** Gives the Shadowhunter strength.
* **Mendelin:** Grants partial and temporary invisibility through glamour. As a healing rune, it strengthens the victim's constitution.
* **Necromancy:** Another rune image Clary conjured in her mind. Temporarily brings back a deceased Shadowhunter when drawn on their body. Clary meant to use it to let the deceased speak for a short time. However, the pain of having their soul forcefully pulled back to the world of the living would combine with the pain of their existing injuries, causing them immense pain, rendering them unable to speak. When the rune is destroyed, as Luke did with green acid, the resurrected dies once again.
* **Night Vision/Nyx:** Allows the Shadowhunter to see in the dark.
* **Opening/Unlocking Runes (Open):** A rune with several variations that ensure that no mundane lock, in theory, is closed to Nephilim.
* **Sangliers:** Blood-replacement rune used to transfer blood when the body needs it, but is extremely dangerous.
* **Thermis:** Keeps the Shadowhunter warm.
* **"To Hold Against Pursuit":** A curved rune that looks like a sickle, with three parallel lines and a rayed star. It can be drawn on doors to block it against pursuers, and its efficacy is largely dependent on the strength and accuracy of the Mark and the inscribing ability of the person who drew it.
* **Tracking:** Allows someone to track a person's whereabouts and, in some cases, see what the person is seeing, if one has a possession of the person being tracked. It is drawn on the back of the hand of the tracker, while gripping the object in the other hand. They are easy to learn to draw but difficult to use correctly. If used successfully, the Shadowhunter will see visions of the subject's location and may be accompanied by a knowing sense of orientation. This is often used by the Clave to track down criminals and even demons.

## Trivia

* Due to her extra angel blood, Clary Herondale is able to create new runes.