As we all know, Elder Scrolls Online is famous for its wonderful story due to the many deviations caused by the main franchise of Franchise. For example, players use Runes found in Runestones, and this deviation may form more legends on its own.

These Runestones are so mysterious that no one knows their story, not even the inhabitants of Elder Scrolls Online universe know where they came from. There are many theories about their power and origin, but they ultimately remain a mystery. However, it is possible that they are from another world entirely.

Types And Functions Of Runestones

In Elder Scrolls Online, players can collect Runestones to create Glyphs to enchant their equipment. They divided these Runestones into three different types: Potency, Aspect, and Essence.

By combining each of the three types, players can create different kinds of magic without even using any ESO Gold to acquire gear. Each Rune contains a word, which seems to bring out the power contained in these Runes.

Telenger The Artificer describes this in an in-game book called “Words and Power”, “full form, full expression, conveying magic.” They carry this idea over to various games in Elder Scrolls series exploration, and Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is a notable example.

Potential Sources Of Runestones

This also raises the question of where exactly these Runestones are located in the late game of ESO series timeline. After all, certain NPCs noticed that Runestones were an easier method of enchanting than traditional methods.

While it’s never explained where they went, Runestones are likely artifacts of the past, and thus a limited resource. By the time of the later TES franchise, it may use them up, causing players to continue to return to traditional enchanting methods. But Elder Scrolls Online may be hiding an interesting secret about the unknown origin of these seemingly mundane objects.

Another book hidden in the game by Telenger The Artificer also provides new clues for players to solve the mystery of the Runestones. He pointed to two possibilities, one that they were accidentally created by an Ayleid wizard’s erroneous experiments.

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The other is more mysterious, pointing out that there are passages in the journals of Merethic era of Elder Scrolls Online that indicate that Runestones existed in Tamriel before the original Aldmer got there.

The latter is probably more plausible, since it’s hard to explain how exactly the experiments gave rise to the existence of Runestones across continents or even beyond them. Their history probably goes back much earlier than that.

The Mysteries Of Runestones

In Elder Scrolls Online, we believe that the world exists in cycles. Once the world has iterated through its course, Alduin comes and devours the world to reset it. We know this concept as Kalpa in Elder Scrolls Online.

Having said that, sometimes things and people manage to survive these kalpas. These Yokudans are said to have fled to the realm of Aetherius to escape the destruction of Kalpa in Doom.

It is also possible that Runestones are a product of a pre-Kalpa civilization, so they existed in Merethic era. There is even a dragon engraved on Runestones, likely representing Alduin himself.

Although little proven outside of theory, Runestones from previous iterations of Nirn could explain many of their mysteries. This is just one of the many secrets that Elder Scrolls Online hides in Shadows. There are more mysteries waiting for players to explore.