Runes

Runes are decorated pieces of whale bone that are used to acquire and improve supernatural abilities; the more powerful the ability, the more runes it requires.

In Dishonored, a maximum of 39 runes are obtainable in a single playthrough, but 58 would be needed to fully upgrade every ability to Tier II. Therefore, Corvo Attano must assign them according to the approach he favors the most.

The Outsider claims that the first Runes were created centuries ago by an ancient and long gone civilization, saying that many of the runes in Gristol were found washed up from the water.

Granny Rags is able to create Runes with an ability given to her by the Outsider.

Locations

Dishonored

Available mission	Map	Location
First meeting with the Outsider.	The Void	Given at an Outsider Shrine.
Any time after meeting the Outsider.	The Hound Pits Pub	Available in Piero's store.
High Overseer Campbell	Hound Pits Pub	Reachable by swimming/using Blink along the shore.
	Distillery District	In Granny Rags' backyard with an Outsider shrine.
		On the second floor in Granny Rags' house, after completing her first quest.
		On the second floor in Granny Rags' house, after completing her second quest.
		In a bunk in the final section of John Clavering Boulevard.
	Office of the High Overseer	On the wall in the meeting room.
		In Campbell's secret chamber, locked in a glass case.
	Back Yard	In the workshop, accessed by breaking the window on the roof, pickpocketing an Overseer, or possessing a rat and going through the drainage.
House of Pleasure	Hound Pits Pub	In the sewer after the two weepers, in a chest.
		At exactly the same location as above, but in the water, after the bars.
	Dr. Galvani's offices	Third floor, in his secret laboratory, where the rat viscera was in the previous mission.
	Art Dealer's Apartment	Third floor, in his safe. The combination can be obtained by electrocuting Bunting in the Silver Room of The Golden Cat. The key can also be collected/looted from his ex-servant at the stairs between the bottom street and final section of Clavering Boulevard. Alternatively, the door on second floor is not locked.
	The Golden Cat	In a building between the main road and the Golden Cat, top floor. Easier to reach if accessing the map through the Captain's Chair Hotel.
		Second floor of the Golden Cat, in the room next to the main staircase. Two guards will be inside talking if the City Watch has not been alerted to Corvo's presence.
		In the room next to where Emily Kaldwin is being held, with a courtesan inside tidying up.
The Royal Physician	Southern Bridgeway	After Corvo exits the warehouse, in an apartment facing the railway. The main door is blocked, and the room can be entered from behind, or by shooting the door at close range with a pistol.
	Drawbridge	In Pratchett's safe in his house. A hint for the combination is found in a note in the same room and three paintings in his house, each with a number on it.
		The house beside Pratchett's, with a man yelling on the balcony and a dead body. The rune is on an Outsider shrine.
	Midrow Substation	The house Corvo is in as he enters this map, on a table.
	North End	In Anton Sokolov's laboratory on top of his estate.
Lady Boyle's Last Party	Estate District	In a weeper-infested apartment on an Outsider shrine. There is also be a bone charm in the nearby room. Note that the three weepers can make things difficult if Corvo doesn't want to be seen.
		In the end of the waterway leading out to (presumably) Wrenhaven River.
	Boyle Estate	In the underground vault, which can be accessed by possessing a rat or getting the key from Lydia Boyle's room (the one separated from the other two).
Return to the Tower	Hound Pits Pub	In Corvo's room if he spares at least one Boyle sister. There will also be a message beside the front door of the pub stating this.
		Find Emily after speaking to Callista Curnow. She will either be in Corvo's room, below her tower or beside the Abandoned Apartment.
		Lord Treavor Pendleton will give one to Corvo if he dueled with Lord Shaw during the party.
	Exterior	In the bunkhouse next to the Tower entrance.
		In Hiram Burrows' safehouse on top of the Tower. Although it is in the Exterior map, Corvo must navigate through the Tower to reach it. Burrows will be in the same room if he has been alerted to Corvo's presence.
	Dunwall Tower	In the torture chamber on the Outsider shrine. Guarded by the Torturer and his wolfhound.
		In Burrows' bedroom, stored in a chest.
The Flooded District	The Refinery	On the wide open plain. Note that the position is within some river krusts' attack range.
	Central Rudshore	After opening the door leading to the sewer with Daud's key, immediately before reaching the exit.
	Gateway Tunnel	On top of an apartment in the slum. Corvo will probably come across if he blinks toward the train.
	Old Port District	In the sewers, in Granny Rags' new home, on an Outsider shrine. Corvo will need the sewer master key, which is on Granny Rags, to open the door. It is possible to steal it, kill/knock out Granny Rags, or kill Slackjaw for the key.
		In the sewer where a group of survivors reside. Drop down the hole in the middle to reach it. Note that these survivors will become weepers in high chaos.
The Loyalists	Hound Pits Pub	Second floor in Piero's workshop, on the table.
The Light at the End	Exterior	In Kingsparrow Gatehouse. Corvo will have to enter the drainage from the maintenance room.

The Knife of Dunwall

Available mission	Map	Location
A Captain of Industry	Rothwild Slaughterhouse Yard	Automatically given to Daud by Billie Lurk at the start of the mission.
		Above the main entrance to the Slaughterhouse, blink up the guard house on the side, then up to the railing above the entrance.
		A gift from Granny Rags that requires Daud to obtain the ingredients for Granny's Recipe, and bring them to the floor located above the Slaughterhouse Yard Gate.
	Rothwild Slaughterhouse	Located high up top in the warehouse, in an alcove with a dead man. It can also be accessed through the Warehouse entrance by powering the crane and climbing the chain.
		Located in a maintenance tunnel that connects the Killing Floor to the Refinery. Can only be obtained if pre-mission favor is purchased.
		Located in the Whale Harvesting Room, near the power source for the electrical switch. There is a desk holding the rune.
Eminent Domain	Legal District Waterfront	Located under the ruined bridge near the entrance to the Legal District only if the pre-mission favor is purchased.
		Located near the gate that separates the Estate District from the Legal District, climb the chain down to the waterfront, and enter a small warehouse for the rune.
		A gift from Granny Rags that requires Daud to follow the steps of Granny's Recipe.
	Legal District	Found in the abandoned apartment of Timsh's former associate (Apartment 07), behind a painting.
		Found in the apartment of the cultist woman in league with Timsh's former associate (Apartment 10). Knock down a bookshelf to find an Outsider Shrine with a rune.
		Located inside Timsh's estate in the room with the statue of Delilah.
		Located in a locked chest on the main floor of Timsh's estate. The chest can only be opened with Timsh's key, located on his person.
The Surge	Flooded District	Located in the top floor of Daud's Hideout in the same room as Overseer Hume. The rune is in a locked chest at the foot of Daud's bed that can be opened with Daud's own key.
		In the room housing the Overseer's Assault Plans in a building opposite Daud's Hideout. The rune is in a crate near the plans.

The Brigmore Witches

Available mission	Map	Location
Choosing Your Mark	Daud's Base	In Daud's equipment chest.
		On top of a bookshelf outside the main room.
A Stay of Execution for Lizzy	Coldridge Prison	On the drained river floor, at the bottom of the stairs. Requires favor.
		On the desk in the interrogation room.
The Dead Eels	Drapers Ward Streets	In the canal, by the storm drain. Requires favor.
		On the wall in the Dressmaker's apartment.
		In the mechanic's apartment, by completing the Recreate Granny's Wedding side-quest.
	Drapers Ward Riverfront	By the Outsider shrine, accessible through the underwater tunnel.
		In the weeper area on the docks.
	Drapers Ward Textile Mill	Inside the mill, in the Dry Storage room.
	Drapers Ward Sewer	On the Outsider shrine in the ventilation room.
Delilah's Masterwork	Brigmore Manor Exterior	On top of the small building. Requires favor.
		In an open safe half sunken into the ground near the right corner of the manor.
		In the back yard, collect river krust pearls and use the sink in the dilapidated building to complete the Granny's Spell side-quest.
	Brigmore Manor Interior	In a chest in the attic room with several of them.

Audio

Description	Sound effect
A 'hissing' rune.
Sound when picked up.

Gallery

Runes tutorial.

A rune on a shrine in the Void.

Corvo holding a rune recovered from the Void.

A rune on Granny Rags's shrine behind her house.

Corvo locating a rune using the Heart.

A rune in Galvani's secret room.

A rune hanging above the fireplace in Campbell's meeting room.

A rune in Pratchett's safe.

A rune on the Mad Survivor's shrine.

Daud holds a rune.