Rune is an Imperial thief and member of the Thieves Guild, based beneath Riften. He has one of the guild’s more intriguing backstories – and no quest to resolve it.
Where to find them
Rune spends his time in the guild’s hideout under Riften, alongside the other members such as Thrynn and Vipir the Fleet.
Quests
Rune has no quest of his own, but he chimes in during Under New Management, reminding you that Brynjolf wants a word about the Guild Master ceremony.
Personality & relationships
As a boy, Rune was pulled from the wreckage of a ship that sank off the coast near Solitude. A fisherman took him in and raised him, and the only clue to his origins was a small, smooth stone carved with strange runes – hence the name, which the fisherman chose and Rune never saw a reason to change. Growing up poor, he learned to steal early. He got into the guild after trying to pick Brynjolf’s pocket in the market and getting caught, which he blames on Brynjolf rather than himself.
Almost all the coin he earns goes into trying to read the stone. He has even taken it to the College of Winterhold, with no luck. A note on a cupboard shelf near the cistern ladder reports that one Athel Newberry has failed to turn up anything about his past either.
Good to know
You can promise Rune you’ll keep an eye out for anything about his past, but nothing comes of it. His dialogue looks like the setup for a personal quest that never made it into the game.
Quick facts
- Race: Imperial
- Gender: Male
- Level: levels with you (x1)
- Class: Thief
- Status: Protected
- Found in: Riften
- Factions: Thieves Guild
- Base ID: 000D4FDE
Also in Riften
Saerlund, Salvianus, Samuel, Sapphire, Shadr, Shavari, Sibbi Black-Briar, Svana Far-Shield, Syndus, Talen-Jei, Threki the Innocent, Thrynn.
Race, level, class and factions read from the Skyrim game files; story details checked against community wiki articles and written in our own words.