Runestones act as the windows into the lore of Valheim‘s game world. They are eery and mysterious, offering insight into the tenth realm that was sundered from Yggdrasil so many ages passed. As of this writing and within the completed biomes of the early access version of the game, there are forty-three known runestones. Within the meadows biome, seven different runestones can spawn.
However, since the game is procedurally generated, none of these runestones can be found within specific locations, but instead, appear randomly within the confines of a biome. With that said, here are the seven runestones in the meadows and what they say.
7 Odin’s Sundering
Runestones in Valheim are quite varied in what they say and some even offer a kind of background narrative that can be pieced together. In the meadows, where a player is first brought into the realm of Valheim, it is only natural one would find a stone that sets the backdrop of the story. It reads:
“Long ages past, when the Allfather Odin united the worlds, he threw down the Vanir, the giants and those creatures older than any others. The greatest of them could not be killed but were instead Forsaken, exiled here to Valheim for eternity. When they tread the earth, the lesser creatures jump like crumbs on a drumskin. You will know them when you see them.”
6 Plea For Frey And Odin
Odin, however, is not the only god in the Norse pantheon, obviously. Vikings were farmers and settlers as much as they were warriors, so Vanir gods, like Frey, who presided over nature, were also important. Players can find a runestone in the meadows that seems to be beseeching both gods for blessings. It reads:
“Give thanks to Frey for the rain and sun/For the shoots that break the earth’s skin/And the fruits of the vine/Give thanks to Odin for the flesh and bone/The smoke from the cooking fire, the warm pelt/And the strength of your arm.”
5 Blessing Of Sky And Grass
Not all runestones that players can find contain sweeping poems, epic ballads, or life-saving advice. Some simply offer words of warmth and comfort for when the days have grown dangerous and the nights feel dark and terrible. A runestone in the meadows simply reads:
“Where the grass grows underfoot/And the sky is blue overhead/There will always be a hearth and a home”.
4 Astrid, Shieldmaiden Of The Forest
Within the aforementioned background narrative, some named characters are implied to be in the same situation as the player’s in-game character. One of these characters is a shield-maiden named Astrid. She, along with others, occasionally leave messages of advice as well as comments on the world around them. Her first stone says:
“I was Astrid, a shieldmaiden of the forest. I know nothing of my life before I came here but my arm remembers the sword and my eyes see the course of the arrow. Now the raven guides me and I fight the great beasts in Odin’s name.”
3 Advice On The Land And Boars
A runestone that offers advice in the meadows speaks on the land itself as well as some of its denizens. Namely, the boars. In speaking on the land, the advice is general. The meadows provide food and materials to survive and build shelter, so use them. The advice on boars though is slightly more interesting. Not only does it advise eating them, but it also hints at the ability to domesticate them, which is entirely possible so long as they are penned up and fed mushrooms. The stone reads:
“This land is hard and wild but we who are brought here are harder still. Take comfort, traveller, in the gifts before you, the good wood and stone, the fruits and flowers of the forest. Look also to the wild boar who roam these lands. They fear fire and the hand of man but they can be taught to obey it. Go quietly to them and let them eat off your stock. Roots of the ground are their pleasure.”
2 Ulf, The One Who Helps
Another one of these background characters, Ulf, is a man who writes often upon the stones to comment about his time in Valheim. Strangely though, based on things he says, it does not seem Ulf is a warrior like the rest of the players who were brought there. He seems to have fear of not dying a warrior’s death and therefore missing out on his chances of going to Valhalla. His first runestone says:
“Heed these words of Ulf, a poor settler in a strange land. You will find here good stone and wood, all you need to build a house. You will need to craft a roof to keep out the rain. Then you will need walls to stop the roof from falling. Finally, you must have a door or it will be much harder to go in and out. These things Ulf has learned for himself. Now he writes them on this stone to help others. Pray to Odin for his soul.”
1 A Warning On Eikthyr
The final runestone that can be discovered in the meadow biome offers a frightening warning regarding the first boss in the game, Eikthyr. Eikthyr is a large stag who possesses lightning powers similar to Thor. The runestone practically pleads with the player to leave well enough alone and simply live their lives in peace in the meadows. The author understands that the players were sent by Odin, but to anger the Horned One is to court death. The stone says:
“Hold, traveller, and bear witness to my warning. We are many who have come before you, carried here by Odin’s will to do his work. The path ahead is hard and the dangers great. If you hold your life dear, keep to these meadows and make your dwelling away from the trees. Fear the Horned One and spare his kin.”
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