Summary
- Skyrim's NPC Rune has a mysterious backstory that has intrigued players for years, with no clear resolution to his origins.
- Rune was found as a child with no memory, bearing a mysterious rune symbol, and has no significant quests tied to his character.
- The prevailing theory is that Rune is an Easter egg referencing the adventure game called Rune, inspiring Bethesda's design and themes.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is quintessential among the roleplaying community, holding a special place in the hearts of many Elder Scrolls fans. The game is well-regarded for its quirky and unique characters, many of which have memorable impacts on the player’s journey. However, some of Skyrim’s NPCs are much more than meets the eye.
The fifth installment of The Elder Scrolls series has characters whose backstories and motivations remain a mystery. Players have spent years speculating about the deeper lore of Elder Scrolls titles, and Skyrim is no exception. Many feel that even more than a decade since the game was released, there are still more secrets to unravel. One mystery, that of the Imperial thief called Rune, has stood the test of time.
The Mystery Surrounding Skyrim's Rune Has Endured Since the Game's Release
As Skyrim players engage with the storyline surrounding the infamous Thieves Guild in Riften, they may come across a character called Rune. Odd name aside, conversing with this fellow larcenist reveals that Rune’s history is as perplexing as it is mysterious. This character bears no considerable significance to any quests, not even side objectives, so players may be naturally intrigued by him.
Rune explains that he got his name from the time he was a child, found washed up inside a shipwreck by a fisherman on the coast of Solitude in the north of Skyrim. The fisherman who soon adopted the boy nicknamed him Rune because of a small inscribed stone on his person, the only thing the child had in his possession. Rune himself remembers nothing of who he was before, where he came from, or what that mysterious rune symbol means.
While he finds it a real head-scratcher and does show interest in learning the truth, Rune also seems happy with his current lot in life. He reckons that, although he grew up poor, he considers the fisherman who saved him as a father. Rune now seeks adventure and fortune with the Thieves Guild and is content to live his life as it is. He makes a passing request that players keep their eye out for any information regarding his unknown origin and the stone in his possession.
Players search the province of Skyrim high and low for any sign of a side quest or some explanation to bring to Rune and satisfy the mystery but to no avail. There has only ever been a single clue, that of a note left behind by a man hired to find out more about Rune’s parentage. It simply says that Rune’s real parents have simply erased themselves from history, a fact that raised even more players’ eyebrows.
Despite the makings of an epic saga, this particular mystery never advanced any further. Theories still abound, and many believe that this quest was intended to be solved, but the content got cut by the time Skyrim was released. Nowadays, however, the winning consensus is that Rune is himself an Easter egg. His name is a reference to the adventure game called Rune, one with its own Nordic themes and art style were a great source of inspiration for Bethesda.
Whether players are ambivalent to Rune’s unsolved story or greatly disappointed it never saw the light of day, the Easter egg conclusion is still a wholesome one. It’s always heartwarming when games that end up being massively successful take a moment to acknowledge their inspirations. It also means that many players will inevitably take to the internet to learn more about the Rune character, only to stumble across the original game after which he’s named.
Easter eggs might seem like an effort to troll on the game developer’s end, and in some cases it is. But this particular homage highlights how a much older game like Rune can benefit from Skyrim’s access to a whole new generation of gamers. Rune the character may never learn of his true past, but discovering the adventures offered by his video game namesake is a close second.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is available now on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.