Runestaff
First Edition published as The Secret of the Runestaff
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| Author | Michael Moorcock |
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| Original title | The Secret of the Runestaff |
| Cover artist | Jack Faragasso |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The History of the Runestaff |
| Genre | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Lancer Books |
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Publication date
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1969 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 192 pp |
| ISBN | (reprint) |
| OCLC | 219817892 |
| Preceded by | The Sword of the Dawn |
| Followed by | Count Brass |
The Runestaff is a novel by British author Michael Moorcock, and was first published in 1969 under the title The Secret of the Runestaff.
The novel is the fourth in Moorcock's four book The History of the Runestaff series, and the narrative follows on immediately from the preceding novel The Sword of the Dawn.
Baron Meliadus is summoned to an audience with King-Emperor Huon, where he is threatened with dismissal if he does not learn the means of the escape of the Asiacommunista emissaries. Meanwhile Countess Flana wonders at the fate of Hawkmoon and her lover D'Averc.
Hawkmoon attempts to break free from his destiny by sailing to Europe, but finds his way blocked by numerous sea creatures which drive their ship to crash upon an island. On the island Hawkmoon and D'Averc meet the Warrior in Jet and Gold's brother Orland Fank who gives them a boat to continue on their original journey to the city of Dnark. Orland informs Hawkmoon that the inhabitants of Castle Brass are safe, though Elvereza Tozer has escaped. Orland stays with Hawkmoon's crew to repair their ship, while Hawkmoon and D'Averc depart for Dnark.
Hawkmoon and D'Averc arrive back in Amarehk and find themselves in a strange city of glowing organic buildings. There they meet a child called Jehamia Cohnahlias who confirms that this is the city of Dnark – the home of the mythical Runestaff and inhabited by the ghostly forms of the Great Good Ones. There they also meet Count Shenegar Trott, who claims to be visiting as a peaceful emissary of King-Emperor Huon.
The next day Shenegar Trott leads an army to capture Dnark, threatening to kill Jehamia Cohnahlias if Hawkmoon tries to stop him claiming the Runestaff. Hawkmoon and D'Averc are rescued from Trott's forces by the Great Good Ones, who transport them to the location of the Runestaff. There they confront Shenegar Trott and find themselves joined by Orland Fank and the Warrior in Jet and Gold. Jehamia Cohnahlias frees himself from Trott's grasp, revealing himself as the spirit of the Runestaff, into which he disappears. Hawkmoon summons the Legion of the Dawn and they begin attacking Trott's forces, but Hawkmoon is knocked out in the fight and as he loses consciousness the Legion disappears. By the time he recovers consciousness and the Legion returns The Warrior in Jet and Gold has been killed. Hawkmoon kills Shenegar Trott and his army is defeated by the Legion of the Dawn. Jehamia Cohnahlias instructs Hawkmoon to take the Runestaff to Europe and decide the battle between himself and Meliadus once and for all.
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