Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-26397825-20160419024928/@comment-24534644-20160502170756

Seeing as I'm gonna be putting up some OC templates soon, I might as well get this Semblance up now. By far my most technical one yet, which is appropriate really considering the theme.

-Name: Rune Inscription (based on the Nordic Rune system)

-User: Lazuli Laerd

-Type: Glyph

-Purpose: Utility

-Short Description: The Semblance can inscribe rune-like glyphs upon solid surfaces, with varying effects depending on the style of "rune(s)" used, for the purpose of imbuing power into other people or objects.

-Activation Cue: Normally, nothing save for visible concentration, aura glowing, and the appearance of a rune upon a chosen object or surface. At higher degrees of power usage, incorporeal rings composed of various runes (similar to spell-casting circles) appear floating around the user.

-Range: Short/Medium

-General Limitations:

---Runes must be placed on a solid surface, not in midair or on liquids.

---Requires great amounts of focus in order to utilize, especially mid-battle. User must mentally visualize each rune in order to form them with the Semblance, focus on the desired effect as well as where to place the rune, and manage the amount of Aura being used.

---Requires Dust in order to gain any notable offensive properties.

---Using simple, singular runes, or "shorthand", is faster and can increase flexibility, but the lack of a defined effect puts more strain on the user's focus if trying to get a more specific result, as well as being weaker than a multi-rune inscription (without the use of considerably more aura to compensate). Longer inscriptions have more defined effects, as well as being stronger overall, but can take a long time to visualize and set up due to their complexity, during which time the user is left rather vulnerable. In addition, longer inscriptions are generally much more taxing on focus, and losing focus or making a mistake (or being interrupted, by whatever means) ruins the whole process.

---Inscribing runes is much easier with physical contact and/or close proximity. Very possible at range, but more difficult.

-Passive Ability: None (at least nothing that can be directly attributed to her Semblance)

-Active Ability: Tier One: User can "enchant" allies by placing a rune directly upon them, with varying effects depending on the rune and/or the type of Dust used.

-Active Ability: Tier Two: User can inscribe a rune upon the ground or other solid surface, designed not to imbue power INTO the object, but to release it with a certain effect upon being made contact with. Essentially, rune-traps.

-Active Ability: Tier Three: In conjunction with the prior two abilities, the user can also string multiple runes together for a stronger or more precise effect, but this requires additional time and energy. 'Enhanced' inscriptions of this variety appear in circular format, giving the appearance of a spell-circle.

-Dust Interaction: Just... lots and lots of Dust Interactions. The Semblance is very dependant on Dust. I've yet to come up with all the effects, but it's a lot. Listing every possible eventual usage of Dust with this Semblance would take a while, but I'm doing my best to keep everything consistent.

-Notes: Obviously, the RWBY universe doesn't have ancient Nordic culture, and as a result doesn't historically have an actual ancient rune system (of this variety). This means that the 'runes' utilized in this Semblance are tied specifically to the user's personality and perception of the world, and are restricted by her own knowledge. The greater her understanding of the world around her, the more runes she will subconsciously formulate and uncover, and the more applications of said runes she will learn through experimentation.