Warhammer: The Old World Dwarf Runesmith

A Runesmith is a Dwarf who knows the secrets of inscribing weapons and other items with the secret Dwarf runes of his ancestors. This knowledge is almost never written down, but is passed from master to apprentice by word of mouth. Some Runesmiths never find a suitable apprentice and let their knowledge die with them. Most Runesmiths are over a hundred years old.

As Runesmiths advance in their calling, they garner greater skill in their craft and greater respect from their fellow Dwarfs. Middle-ranking Runesmiths are known as Master Runesmiths and the highest and most venerable, of which there are very few in the Old World, are dignified with the title Rune Lord.

In human lands, such as The Empire, Runesmiths are less respected outside their own community, since few humans can tell a Runesmith from an ordinary smith. Rune Lords in particular find this lack of recognition galling; asking a Rune Lord to shoe one's horse is a risky proposition, at best, and, at worst, can be fatal.