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Release date | 1 February 2010 (Update) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Members | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Voice Over | No | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Official difficulty | Novice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Quest series | None | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Age | Fifth Age | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rune Mechanics is a quest in which the player assists an apprentice at the Mage Training Arena with constructing a rune guardian.
Official description[]
Apprentice Clerval over at the Mage Training Arena is just a bit useless, which really isn't helping him to achieve his dream of being the first wizard in centuries to build a rune guardian from scratch. He might need some help to do some research, gather supplies, fix broken machinery, and, er, do everything else... (He really is useless.)
Walkthrough[]
Start point | ![]() |
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Member requirement | ![]() |
Official difficulty | |
Official length | Short |
Requirements | Skill requirements are not boostable unless marked with a [B] for boostable.
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Items required | Items from the tool belt are not listed unless they do not work or are not automatically added.
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Enemies to defeat | None |
First came the idea[]
To start the quest, talk to Apprentice Clerval in the basement of the Mage Training Arena. He will tell you he wants to create his very own rune guardian and ask you to talk to three different wizards: Wizard Dougal and Wizard Edvin, who are in the basement, and Wizard Shug (talk to him later to save time), who is by the Rewards Guardian on the upper floor.
Wizard Dougal[]
Wizard Dougal will tell you to craft steam, mind, and body runes. You must craft at least one steam rune, but you may buy the rest of the runes. He will give you the water talisman, fire talisman, binding necklace, and the essence to make five steam runes. To make a steam rune, use a water talisman on the Fire Altar or the fire talisman on the Water Altar, with at least one pure essence and a complementary rune to your talisman in your bag. Leave the room and search the southern or northern bookcases for a book on how to make combination runes if you are unsure about what to do.
Make sure you wear your binding necklace so you have a 100% chance of making all 5 steam runes. The fastest way to craft the steam runes is to run north-west of the Duel Arena and enter the Fire Altar. Use the fire talisman on the Mysterious ruins to enter, and then craft the desired number of steam runes by using the water talisman on the Fire Altar.
Once you have crafted the steam runes, you must take them back to Wizard Dougal for approval before giving them to Clerval.
Thinking with portals[]

Overview of the puzzle area

A map of the maze
Wizard Edvin will have you solve a teleport maze. If you are stuck in the maze, the corner of each square has a floating purple star. Once interacted with, the star will teleport you to the maze entrance. Each portal (there are 4 in each square) has a little icon next to it (the solution is west, north, north, north). The icons represent the movements of different chess pieces, less the queen.
- One dot represents a pawn – you will teleport one square north, regardless of which portal direction you choose.
- Three diagonal dots represent a bishop – you will teleport diagonally in that direction until you reach the edge of the puzzle.
- A cross represents a rook – you will teleport in the direction you are facing until you reach the edge of the puzzle.
- A square with a hole in the middle represents a king – you will teleport one square in the direction you are facing.
- Finally, a Tetris-like symbol represents the knight – you will move in a L-shaped pattern according to the pattern on the floor in front of the portal you choose.
Once the puzzle is solved (the room with the green "X" in box) click the exiting portal – it will be near the top left of the final room. Wizard Edvin will then give you a carving device; take this device back to Clerval.
Wizard Shug[]

A rune guardian being animated
Wizard Shug is on the top floor to the North, and will tell you that you need a total of 5 pizazz points (from any one Mage Training Arena activity or combined from all four activities). If you have never earned any pizazz points or if you have destroyed your Progress hat prior to the update when all progress would be lost upon destroying the hat, you will have to acquire the points by utilising the Mage Training Arena. (Take one of the four teleports in the north of the ground floor.) After you have 5 or more pizazz points, Wizard Shug will tell you about making the body of the golem, and how to enchant emeralds.
You will need to take either 20 pure or rune essence to Clerval and use the two (cut) emeralds on the workbench (not the animation table shown in the picture) in the basement next to Clerval to enchant them (no runes required); you also need to deliver the 5 body, mind and steam runes.
Finishing up[]

The solution to the wiring puzzle
After talking to Wizards Dougal, Edvin, and Shug, and delivering all the items, talk to Clerval downstairs. He will tell you he needs you to fix the animation table, which is done by completing an easy wiring puzzle (the solution is shown in the lower right image). This is done by dragging the "wire" to the correct spot. After completing the puzzle, click the green circle to confirm.
After recognising the puzzle's completion, Clerval will give you a carving tool and a lump of rune essence, and ask you to carve the golem. Use the carving tool on the lump of rune essence to create a Guardian head, Guardian body, Guardian arms, and Guardian legs.
After you have all 4 pieces of the rune guardian, talk to Apprentice Clerval again. A short cutscene will ensue where it will be brought to life on the newly fixed table, and you will then have the option to keep the rune guardian pet.
Congratulations, quest complete!
Rewards[]
- 1 quest point
- 900
experience
- 2,300
experience
- 1,850
experience
- Rune guardian pet
- Fire talisman or Water talisman
- Binding necklace, obtained during the quest with one charge
- 2 Treasure Hunter keys and 2 Hearts of Ice
- Music unlocked
- These Stones (When entering Mage Training Arena basement)
Transcript[]
Trivia[]

The quest was leaked on the Adventurer's Log before the update
- The day that the quest came out the spoiler read: "Thanks to Clerval's usual incompetence, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see the rewards."
- When Wizard Shug mentions a "far off land" where the "women were floaty", he is talking about Lunar Island.
- Although you need to start this quest at the Mage Training Arena, you do not have to play the activities if you currently have 5 Pizazz points at the arena. If you have previously earned points, but do not currently hold 5, then you will have to get more.
- After completing the quest, the 'Quest complete' text in the Adventurer's Log reads: With very little of Clerval's help, we managed to make a rune guardian Pet.
- When talking to Wizard Edvin, if the player has completed The Golem, they will mention that they know a lot about Uzerian golems.
Rune Mechanics | |
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NPCs | |
Items |
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Rewards |
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Locations |
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Music |
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Miscellaneous | Quick guide • Transcript |