Runes in the second part of the franchise are the same as in the original game. They are ancient marks created by ancestors of modern people. Protagonists and other folks can carve runes independently using raw bones of whales. There are 47 runes in total, but you can craft more with special abilities. Also, you cannot carve 111 runes which are required for fill upgrading of all skills. That’s why you should invest runes wisely.
DLC for the second game does not feature runes so we will speak only about the single game. It’s a good idea to collect all valuable items so far as they can boost your skills and make the playthrough easier. Note that you also can refuse using supernatural powers at the beginning. In this cast all runes which you have found you will sell for 200 gold coins each. Find, create and purchase every artifact and the playthrough will be more interesting.
Let’s start with the 2 quest as the 1 one doesn’t offer runes for yours.
2 mission of main game
Firstly, praise the Outsider or just speak with him. After first mission that is formally the prologue you will choose one of the playable characters for rest of the game. It doesn’t matter will you choose Corvo or Emily after that accept the Mark of the Outsider. With it, you will be available to use runes and special powers. Receive the Heart and activate it to find your first runes. Grab them as you cannot finish this part of the quest without runes.
In the normal universe after trips in the Void explore a sunken ship to find next rune. Turn on the Heart again to reveal the exact location of an artifact. Note that this rune doesn’t belong to the mission and doesn’t affect your progress.
Well, now let’s speak about mission runes. To find all artifacts you should:
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Explore a dead whale and his mouth on your ship near the beginning of the quest.
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Buy next rune for 400 gold coins on the Black Market. If you don’t have enough money just use a special key for the previous shop in adjacent neglected house. Explore the topmost floor and glass box with infected insects.
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Explore the territory near the entrance to the home of Overseers. There are two guardians and some neutral NPCs. Crawl behind enemies and pick up rune from their tables.
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When you have explored entry rise to the 3 floor. There is a room with few objects. Our detailed article will guide you to unlock it. Read about the second safe there. The combo for it is always random, so follow our directions.
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Unlock the apartments of Amadeo Monte near the river zone. An Outsider Shrine is on the 2 floor and from it, you can acquire twice as much runes!
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Go to the pipes near guardians and their house. At the end of drainage zone, there is a wooden part that can be destroyed. Use crossbow bolts to keep silence.
3 mission of main game
Here are 6 runes which you can found pretty easily with our help. All artifacts are in the institute:
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2 floor and dining room. Find it in the left part of location. There are foes which you should neutralize. Or choose a harder stealth way in which you have to crawl through enemies, use objects above table and collect desirable rune.
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3 floor and recuperation room. Inside you will face aggressive bloodflies and their nest. Eliminate all monsters to grab reward.
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4 floor and VIP room. Rise to this place and use the Heart to reveal which room exactly you need. There are an Outsider Shrine and two runes near it.
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Tower on the topmost floor. When you are on the 4 floor go to balconies and teleport on the roof. From this place, you can access window of a tower where is your target.
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Lost and Found place on the lower floor. Firstly demolish the elevator and its wires. Then access new formed way and proceed to the building’s foundation. Use the Heart for help.
4 mission of main game
6 runes are divided into 3 different areas. We collected all locations in this paragraph:
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First zone in this place is filled with foes. Find the house where are fewer foes and more civilians. An Outsider Shrine on the 3 floor will grant you more than usual runes.
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The Black Market here also can sell you a new rune. Spend 400 gold coins or access the adjacent house. Remove the wall between buildings with several explosions of canisters.
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Face Howlers near the station and move to their cabinet. You may both kill all enemies or divert them while you teleport into the room to collect an item.
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In the 2 part of district, pass gates and open apartments just after it. Rise to the second floor where bloodflies and desirable rune are.
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Lastly, open the lab of Kim Jindosh. Activate the console to move a medical module, teleport there with special power or use a key that is located on the balcony.
5 mission of main game
Next mission also offers 6 runes for you with half inside the conservatory:
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Again, buy or steal artifact from the Black Market. If you want to save money break a chain from the street, find a special wheel and go to the shop from sewers.
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Pass first Wall of Light and find big red house with pub. Teleport inside and disable all traps there. You want to activate an Outsider Shrine with double portion of runes.
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In the mission location, proceed to archive zone and open it with super key. It is placed in the office near your position which you can access through window. Artifact is in archive zone in the breakable glass chest.
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Rise to the 2d floor and access office. You will face witches and many hostiles in the base room. Your desirable office in one of corners.
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Rise again to the 4th floor and try not to fight the boss of this mission. Don’t kill her, but go to the veranda and defeat monsters there. Use incendiary bolts to deal with briars.
6 mission of main game
Only 5 runes are available during this quest:
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Meet the Captain Foster at the start and come down to the previous floor. You should unlock lower door from outside.
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Enter first location and locate the Saloon. But you should access adjacent building which is infected by bloodflies. Teleport to the 2 floor and explore the wardrobe.
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And now return to the Saloon. Enter it and explore third floor apartments. An Outsider Shrine is in the room of Paolo and there are, you know, two runes.
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Overseer Building includes closed room with artifact on the 2d floor. Key which you should find can be stolen from one of enemies who all are sleeping.
7 mission of main game
One of the most interesting quest allows you to switch times. Here are 3 universal runes and 1 which requires special conditions. Let’s find how to collect all of them:
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Don’t switch anything and just go to the 2d floor. Hall on the floor above the entry to the manor will award you with new rune.
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Acquire the Timepiece ability and go to the foundation of the manor. Make your way to the past, eliminate foes and take a wheel there. Throw it directly in the wall, quickly return to the present and grab this wheel again. Use it to put the water away and collect rune.
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Find a bedroom on the 2d floor near the base room. Make your way to the past and immobilize or kill workers so they cannot finish windows. Return and rise through broken now window to enter new room. There will be guards which you can distract and open the chest.
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Last rune can be acquired only if you go out of the manor owner unconscious in the past. Respectively, in the changed future will be no guards. Leave the location and look rightwards. There will be big wooden construct with rune atop of it.
8 mission of main game
Only 5 runes are available during penultimate quest:
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Find the Black Market, but here you should not open it. Long road near it are blocked with wooden constructs in some places. Break one of them to gain access to small cave with an Outsider Shrine and more runes as well.
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Explore the building of Claudio near the guardian tower and windmill. If you start from top balcony move down, eliminate bloodflies and their nests as well as keeper of nest. Move down again and enter a bathroom.
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Move to neglected zone in the castle. Enter it through barricades in the gardens or with a secret path in the vault where you should break glass screen. Once you are in the water quickly dive and use the Heart to find treasures.
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Go to the rooms of First Captain. These apartments are on the 2d floor near the room for dinner. Rune is in the chest combo for which you will reveal on the 4 floor in the apartments of Duke. Check our guide about safes for further instructions.
9 mission of main game
The last mission also includes 5 runes:
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Yeah, here is our beloved Black Market again. To steal rewards find a key near the Dunwall Courier. This key is for storages near the Black Market through which you can go into the shop.
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During way to the final location find almost destroyed house. Proceed to the topmost floor and teleport from there to opposite building. There will be several foes and a barometer which you should activate to open a hidden room with an Outsider Shrine and two runes.
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Once you have entered the final zone go to the pump room with witches. It’s easy to remove them one at a time. Crawl under small stairs and you can acquire artifact there.
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In the final location proceed to the 2 floor and unlock the room of security. There just turn on power and explore a set of pipes.
Note that the Black Market runes aren’t available in the game mode without powers. You can choose a certain game mode at the start of dialogue with the Outsider.