The Rune Warriors were a creation of the circle mages.
They were mighty warriors or mages who were bound to rune stones by the power of the archfire. These rune stones established an all-encompassing control over a rune warrior for the owner of the stone.
the rune warriors were feared and hated by almost everyone throughout Eo due to the part they had played during the Convocation , thus most of the times they were referred to as "rune slave" or more politely "rune servant". these unfortunate souls were even despised by gods and ancient creatures, who saw them as abominations if not a tasty dinner.
Eternal life, experience and fighting[]
Additionally the owner of the rune could summon the respective individual from rune monuments into a new living body, if the rune warrior was killed during earlier fights.
That way the rune warrior would retain all of the skills and memories they had acquired before and after they were bound to the rune. This allowed the circle mages to have strong and loyal servants that grew on every battle. This also made them superior towards demons and undead since the rune warriors were able to surpass them through their experience.
| “ | Magical creatures are powerful, but generally inexperienced. Experienced soldiers, on the other hand, are mortal and of wavering loyalty. And so the Circle called the rune warriors into being. They forged the warriors' souls and life force to the runes and secured the fighters' loyalty. And all the things experienced in endless wars preserved within them. A perfect weapon | ” |
After the Circle's defeat[]
The rune power faded after the end of the Circle during SpellForce: Shadow of the Phoenix and with it the hero monuments. The rune warriors that were trapped without a body in their runes during that time were released from their servitude and perished once and for all. Those that owned a body during the time when the rune magic failed survived and could live their lives until their death.
SpellForce 3[]
Although being only a prototype the rune magic used by Rondar Lacaine in SpellForce 3, was pretty much the direct predecessor of the Rune Warriors. It enabled control and mind manipulation of affected beings and allows revival at Aonir's Godstones similar to the Bindstones.
Notable Rune Warriors[]
- Phoenix Bearer
A rune stone
Protagonist of SpellForce: The Order of Dawn
The hero of the Battle of Fiara and bearer of the Phoenix Stone. - Shadow Warrior
Protagonist of SpellForce: The Breath of Winter
Responsible for fighting both Aryn and the Fial Darg during the Aryn Crisis - The Messenger
Protagonist of SpellForce's Free Game Mode
Responsible for the creation of the Norcaine's pact with the Shadow. - Dunhan
A famous leader of the resistance in Mirraw Thur - Reowys
Another famous leader of Mirraw Thur's resistance
- Tahira
Rohen's old servant, she was the one to retrieve the Phoenix Bearer's rune. - Shaper Conqueress
A servant of Hokan Ashir and foster mother of his daughter Yasha Ashir
Trivia[]
- everyone in Eo seems to immediately notice if somebody is a rune warrior. this has never been explained how.
- what is even more puzzling is that in Breath of Winter, Cenwen mistakes the shadow warrior for a human but later when you meet her in Tirganach she expresses her disgust over "creatures like you", implying she has been informed of the difference.