Punishment True Rune

Previous Bearers: Queen of Obel, Graham Cray, Cray's Son, Rakghi's Father, Steele, Brandeau, Glen Cott

Current Bearer: Lazlo

Child Runes: Condemnation

The Rune which governs over Atonement and Forgiveness. The Rune of Punishment is known as one of, if not, the most dreaded of the True Runes in regards to their curses. While it may grant their bearer an enormous power, it will consume their life force in return, and should the host perish as a result, the Rune will immediately transfer to someone in the close proximity and further the cycle. This particular characteristic of perpetuating its presence within the world and choosing bearers seemingly on a whim is unusual among the True Runes, which often remain asleep for great periods of time and sparingly choose a bearer of their liking.

All but two of the known bearers of the Rune of Punishment have perished having their lives consumed by the Rune’s curse. Having being discovered by the Queen of Obel on the hand of a man who had sealed himself in the Obel Ruins and subsequently perished, she was chosen as the next host only to die after using the Rune only once, in order to save the Obel forces from a pirate assault. Eventually the Rune found its way to Graham Cray, the first of the only known survivors who could not stand the burden and severed his lower left arm to free himself. However, the Rune selected his son as the next host.

Following the boy’s unavoidable fate at the hands of the Rune, it moved through history, eventually finding its way into the hands of the pirate king Steele, who passed it onto Brandeau upon his death. After the latter’s demise due to his usage using of the Rune's power to destroy a group of Marine Knights from Razril, Glen Cott became the next unfortunate bearer. He would eventually use the Rune to protect Razril from a pirate attack, allowing the Rune to finally take Lazlo as a host.

However, and even though he was forced to make use of the Rune in several occasions, Lazlo bore the curse well, and through his forgiveness of his wayward friend Snowe Vingerhut and the power of the 108 Stars of Destiny, the Rune finally shifted from the state of Atonement into Forgiveness, freeing himself from the curse and allowing to make full use of the Rune’s power at will.

Although no word of him has spread to the foreign regions over a century and half after his adventure, it is believed that Lazlo still lives as the bearer the Rune of Punishment. According to Leknaat, should Lazlo ever give up the Rune, it would resume its cycle and once again consume the lives of whomever may come upon it.