Talskífa

^{Runic communication across any distance}

Gehe zur deutschen Version: Talskifa

Officers of the Rune Warriors often equip the short‑range communication rune during missions so they can issue orders or receive brief reports over greater distances. However, doing so occupies one of the armor’s rune sockets, which can then no longer be used for other important runes. Even so, the communication rune has proven to be one of the most significant runes of all.

Rune mages who, after completing their military training, committed themselves to several years of service became aware of this problem. After their formal discharge, some of them dedicated themselves to researching this rune. In Galdra, a small circle was formed that focused exclusively on its study.

The research progressed with astonishing speed. Biorn Sharp‑Tongue, an exceptionally talented mage, eventually succeeded in modifying the rune so that it allowed conversations with multiple people at once. From that moment on, the circle made tremendous leaps under his guidance, and the Talskífa was created: a palm‑sized disc of frost glass bearing the modified “Tala” rune.

Today, several variants of the Talskífa are in use.

Public Talskífa

The public Talskífa transmits spoken words loudly and audibly to another Talskífa that must first be explicitly “dialed in.” These variants are often housed in separate rooms to allow for privacy. Wealthy and influential individuals, institutions, and larger ships usually possess a permanently installed Talskífa. There are also a few publicly accessible versions that anyone may use — provided they are willing to pay for it.

Military Talskífa

In the military, the Talskífa is integrated directly into the rune armor. It permanently occupies a rune socket and has the peculiarity that it cannot be removed. After initial hesitation, it was decided that all rune armors should receive a Talskífa, as its usefulness far outweighs the loss of a socket.

This military variant is significantly more complex. It allows the use of selected counterparts via thought‑transmission or audible speech. This makes it possible to communicate exclusively with one’s own unit or only with the next higher officer. The Talskífa can also be set to “mute,” but this is rarely used, as it is often forgotten to switch it back to “loud” during operations. The preferred setting is therefore: active activation when speaking, continuous listening.

Additionally, the military Talskífa provides the user with an acoustic signal indicating the location of the counterpart. Thus, it enables not only communication but also tracking.

Distribution

The Talskífa is an enormous asset to the Rune Warriors and is used throughout the entire military sector. Civil service personnel receive a portable model after a certain probationary period, which can be attached to their uniform during duty. The military communication rune also allows units to access public Talskífas — though the reverse is not possible.