Agon (Self)
Resonances: identity, force of personality, the caster's own body/mind/soul
Example Spell: Agon -- “Assertion of Presence"
In a way, this is the quintessential Dragon Magic spell. The caster declares his existence so forcefully that others cannot ignore him; love or hate, they must acknowledge him. At weak levels, it can force a person averting her gaze to look up and meet your eyes, or grab the notice of a bureaucrat who would otherwise wave you on as Somebody Else's Problem. At moderate strength, it can rivet the attention of a theater audience, such that they will not doze or daydream during your performance (it is not, however, true mind control; people can still choose to leave, decide they hate your acting, etc.). And the mightiest Dragons declaring this simple rune can unstick the diplomatic inertia of a nation, bringing the question of “shall we make war on this Dragon or not?” to the forefront of its deliberations without any misdirective dross. The caster also becomes more difficult to affect by magics that directly alter who he is, such as shapeshifting and mind control, and easier to read by magics that divine who he is, such as scrying or telepathy.
Thaum (Fire)
One of several runes invoking the same forces as Elemental Intrinsic magic. Such runes are highly prized for their raw power and their flexible associations.
Resonances: heat, passion, technological insight, illumination, destruction
Example Spell: Thaum + Agon -- “Elemental Empowerment (Fire)"
The caster takes on the physical, magical, and psychological associations of the element of Fire. Her body temperature rises, her fire-related magics become stronger, she becomes vulnerable to cold and water attacks, and her mood wanders capriciously between compassion and fury. Those with a fire-related birthright find it strengthened for the spell's duration; those who lack such a birthright gain some of its resonance. For this reason, draconic mages commonly cast this spell before attempting any particularly important or difficult castings also involving the Thaum rune, as it brings them more in harmony with that truth regardless of their original birthrights.
Talor (Thing)
Resonances: inanimate objects, the belittled or oppressed
Example Spell: Talor + Agon -- “Living Instrument"
With this sentence, the Dragon metaphysically weaves together his own body and an object he is using. They become one entity, each a part of the other. This is the magic of the swordsman who moves his blade like an extension of his own hand, the marksman who follows targets through a scope as easily as tracking with the naked eye, the mechanic whose spanner shapes devices like a hand upon clay. The caster becomes incredibly difficult to disarm, and his movements with the weapon flow without thought. Since these are common runes, Dragons seldom have need of cyberware: why connect a smartgun or a PAD to your brain via gross physical wires when you can simply declare the computer and your mind to be the same creature?
Chir (Absorb)
Resonances: siphoning power from a source, consumption, utter overpowerment
Example Spell: Chir + Thaum -- “Draw the Flame"
The caster funnels heat or a blaze toward a specific point, pouring the fire's energy into that area. The flame vanishes, though depending on what absorbs it, a new blaze may very well ignite immediately. With the addition of Agon, the Dragon can consume this energy herself, adding power to her efforts according to the intensity of the flame.
Chassur (Destroy)
Resonances: damage, disrepair, undoing, vanishing
Example Spell: Chassur -- “Refusal"
This is the basic Dragon countermagic. The Dragon declares, “it is unmade,” and the force of his will comes to bear upon a magical effect, attempting to unweave it. The more the Dragon's personal domain encompasses the magic, the easier it is to dispel by this method. The draconic mage can also use this rune to undo one of his own spells, an effect that succeeds automatically (assuming Chassur itself is successfully invoked) unless the spell in question was cast with the “Eternity” rune.
Sahn (Other)
Resonances: sapient nondragons; the unknown; outcasts; opponents
Example Spell: Sahn + Talor (+ optionally Agon) -- “Slavemaster's Claim"
The Dragon's will overwhelms and belittles the target, imposing upon him the awful truth that in the affairs of incarnae, he is a mere object, another gem for the hoard. The effects vary based upon the relative power of the Dragon and her opponent. Where the Dragon's willpower and runic prowess far outstrip the target's own will and resistance, the person adopts a slave mentality toward his new “owner” for the duration of the spell, obeying commands unto destruction: “I am a mere toy to sport with or dispose of as She wills.” A more even match lowers the target's resistance to further force-of-personality attacks, but he can otherwise act freely, even fighting or fleeing the Dragon as desired. For the duration of the spell, the objectified person suffers from a diminished sense of self, and dreads that the Dragon will come to claim her own: a (delusional or true) feeling that the Dragon is stalking him; depression, various phobias, anxiety; nightmares of bondage and imprisonment; etc. A Dragon suffering from such hubris as to attempt this spell on a vastly superior opponent, however, is likely to suffer its effects in a rebound--like gazing upon an elder god, the realization that some beings Cannot Be Claimed crushes a draconic mage's ego like an eggshell.
Exeth (Bane)
Resonances: antagonism, vulnerabilities, vengeance, antithesis
Example Spell: Sahn + Exeth + Agon -- “Nemesis Oath"
The draconic mage declares, “Our fates are woven together in struggle,” and the universe believes it. For the duration of the spell, the Dragon and his sworn enemy are destined to cross paths in waylay, sabotage, and opposition. Their contracting firms side with warring interests, weapons of particular effectiveness against the other go on sale at affordable prices, and secret plans leak just in time for the nemesis to undo them. The drama and consistency of these effects, as with all such things, varies by the power of the Dragon in question and that of any other destiny-affecting magic (and much magic is, in some way or another) wrought in the timeframe. Adding Chassur slants the destiny toward opportunities for direct battle. Add “Eternity” to that, and you have one of the most brutal oaths known in Varius: Sahn Exeth Agon Ze Chassur. “We will rend each other's bodies until the end of time; only in annihilation shall we know peace. I have willed it, and so shall it be."
Ze (Eternity)
Resonances: permanence, immutability, the unknowable, time
Example Spell: Ze + Agon -- “Immortality"
Dragons are a long-lived species to begin with, but legends often speak of ancient wyrms who live on and on through the rise and fall of mountains, proud and unburdened by the centuries. Where these stories are true, this spell likely lies at their heart. The Dragon declares, “I am without end,” and the years no longer erode her; while she may grow and change, she does not know decline or decay. It does not render the caster immune to violent death, though if the truth of the spell is strong enough, even that may prove more transition than end, transforming the Dragon into an entity such as a dracolich or draconic shade. This is, of course, not an easy spell to perform. The whole of the universe shouts down the caster with its laws of cycle and entropy, and few souls are brave enough to deny their own mortality with the necessary conviction. Even should the casting prove successful, entropy turns to the spell itself where it can no longer touch the caster's body, meaning the spell must be renewed after some decades--varying by the caster's natural lifespan. Sometimes, wearied by unceasing experience, a Dragon chooses not to renew the enchantment, and drifts finally into the long-delayed twilight of life. In other cases, a draconic mage speaks the sentence and finds that, rather than preserve her current form, the words' inflections tell of the permanence in far nobler forms of existence than gross flesh, and she becomes ocean, or moon, or constellation.