I'm uh new to these boards kinda, never created an account, just watched everyone post and observed. And I always wondered about this one thing, and I waited for someone to post about it, as someone always did when I had a question. But no one ever asked this question. So here it is.

How did Harmonia end up with all these True Runes? Do they have a True Rune tracker? At one point didn't they possess like 5-7 runes? Thats a lot of True Runes considering we only know about 17 or 18 of them?

Has this been explained somewhere else? If so, please link me to it!

Thanks

Actually Arevus, I believe that it has been said that at one point all of the True Runes were once held in that region where Harmonia lies. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, though. But, it is certain that the True Fire Rune, Wind Rune, Earth Rune, Beast Rune, Sovereign Rune, Circle Rune, and Gate Rune (the Gate Rune clan was associated within the Holy Kingdom correct??) were once held by Harmonia and I'm of the belief that they hold more. It is not said whether they have a special device used to detect True Runes, but Harmonia is a country of vast knowledge, technology, and limitless resources. I think that footwork and various associations with many other countries allow for them to detect the whereabouts of the True Runes. I also believe that True Runes "call" to each other, as well. The simplest way to find a True Rune would probably be to follow the sounds of war. It seems that a True Rune is always involved in any major war. Also, Harmonia has given True Runes to other nations as a strategic method of building allies, but I believe it is for another purpose which definitely deals with their search for the True Runes. Sorry for the diatribe, but to simply answer your question, as of yet it has not been stated that Harmonia has a special way of detecting True Runes, but they do have a special technique used for sealing them and removing them from those that bear them.

Nah, current knowledge states that Harmonia never had every single rune in any point in their history. Alsoarmonia attempted to take the Gate Rune, but Leknaat and Windly split the runes and escaped capture. As far as this device detecting runes goes, I've never heard of it. True, wars usually center around a True Rune, but most people in their world don't know about the True Runes' existence. As for them giving True Runes away, most of the time it's their way of covering up that they lost the rune by:

1. Losing a war (Soverign Rune)
2. Having a True Rune wander off by its own will (Beast Rune)
3. Having it stolen (True Fire *by the Flame Champion* and True Wind)
4. So close to getting it, but so far (True Water, True Lightning, True Fire and Gate)
*Remember that Luc is part of Harmonia in Suikoden 3*

Out of all the runes they had, they currently only have (to our knowledge) True Earth and Circle.

_________________
http://www.suikox.com: Where the Tinto Republic continues to guide the masses through the sea of history.

That's what I want to know. They possessed, as you pointed out Ced, the Sovereign, Beast, Fire, Wind and still possess Earth and Circle. Did these runes just fall into their hands? Since people really don't even now what a true rune is, yet somehow this kingdom possessed six of the known 17 or 18 runes. When they raided the Gate clan, did they know that they possessed the Gate Rune? Same goes with Geddoe's village. I'm just asking how they came to once own these runes. Was it sheer luck, 'Oh hm, well this village looks like a nice place to raid. Oh whats this? A True Rune? I'll randomly raid places and hope they have more of these!' I wonder if that cleared my question up or made it more complicated...Do you think there is a True Rune Tracker?

It seems likely that the inner workings of Harmonia (Hikkusak's advisors, bishops, himself or someone) can sense such locations of a True Rune. whether a device is needed to do it, remains a mystery. But let's not forget that Sarah and Luc could sense the True runes' power, while other bearers don't have a clue.

_________________
http://www.suikox.com: Where the Tinto Republic continues to guide the masses through the sea of history.

So if Luc and Sarah can sense True Runes's powers can Sasarai sense them as well?

Luc and Sasarai are very special individuals. Luc's soul is intertwined with his True Wind Rune and Sarah was born with a Flowing Rune, therefore I believe that they have a special connection to runes in general. That may be the only reason they can sense them. But, I do believe that if you have been attached to a True Rune for a long time, you would probably develop the ability to sense the aura of other True Runes when they release their powers. I just think Harmonia locates the True Runes by research and strange events that occur and not by a special kind of device. And about the question of whether they just knew what a True Rune was, let's just say how did a caveman know what fire was? I'd guess that there were stories of amazing relics that hold astounishing powers and the creation story was passed down throughout time and eventually they put two and two together. Or it's possible that the first bearers of the True Runes were told by the True Runes themselves much like how the writers' of the Bible are believed to have got their stories from God himself. I just believe that throughout history major events occurred and amazingly these relics were always involved and stories were passed down about the powers that could be used by people who bore those strange relics/crests/symbols/runes and that's how people learned of them. And I still believe that the majority of the True Runes were originally found in the Harmonian region. I believe that at one time they were all gathered there and at some point they disperesed for one reason or another. I actually believe that it is possible that there was one major landmass similar to Eurasia before it split into the 7 major continents we know today and the 27 True Runes were all together before the landmasses of Suikoden split. That would be the easiest way to explain why many of the True Runes were in the hands of Harmonia. And yes, Ced is correct that many of the True Runes left Harmonia that we know they had and Harmonia covered this up by saying they gave it away. And was the Gate Rune clan situated within a region conquered by Harmonia? I know that Harmonia attempted to take Gate Rune by destroying the Gate Rune Clan, but I'm wondering if the caln was associated in Harmonia as well.