RuneFellowship

Rune Fellowship

Package 0.4.44 | game plugin 0.3.27 | optional desktop 0.4.41 beta

Basic companions work entirely in the game: press F6 to name and summon a companion, then use Follow, Stay, Defend, gathering and return controls. This package contains the game plugin, icon and documentation. The Rune desktop app and online installer are not included.

Build a fellowship of companions in Valheim. Use the in-game controls for basic companions, combat and a rideable direwolf. The separate desktop app adds voice, AI dialogue, its own companion profiles and advanced orders; it is optional for basic gameplay.

Want voice and AI conversations? Download the Rune desktop app

The Rune desktop app is a separate download from GitHub. It is not included when you install this mod through Thunderstore.

Download the optional Rune desktop app from GitHub

On that release page, open Assets and choose Rune-Online-Installer-0.4.41-beta.zip for a first installation. The source and update ZIPs are different downloads.

Without the app, you can still press F6 to summon and control companions, fight alongside them and ride your direwolf.

New in package 0.4.44

• Made the optional desktop app download prominent and linked directly to its GitHub release.
• Added the exact first-install ZIP filename. Game plugin 0.3.27 and all artwork are unchanged from package 0.4.43.

Added in package 0.4.43

• Added an in-game F6 menu with three saved companion slots, names and six appearances. No desktop setup is needed.
• Added direct Follow, Stay, Defend, Gather 20 wood/stone, Lend tools, Return and Unsummon controls.
• Kept F8 as the information overview, with a button opening the separate controls.
• Removed the desktop online installer from the archive.

Companion features

• Custom saddled direwolf with native wolf movement/combat, riding, jumping and biting.
• Corrected body rendering and saddle tracking, fuller chest/tucked belly, visible reins and mounted stopping logic.
• Clearer mount HUD/map icons and a distinct direwolf companion portrait.
• Compact overlay without skill levels or redundant team/proximity information.
• F8 companion overview with health, stamina, food, equipment, carried items and current work.
• New fellowship artwork and an expanded player guide.

Direwolf in motion

Looping Blender preview of the custom saddled direwolf's run cycle. Captured during development; in-game lighting and the latest body proportions differ. This shows the model animation, not a live gameplay recording.

Inside the desktop app

Actual Rune interface captures with example companions. Play and Settings are from desktop 0.4.29; Commands is an earlier 0.4.25 capture. Some controls have since changed.

Play and companion selection

Choose who receives your voice and typed orders. Companion cards show the fellowship, while notifications highlight updates and setup issues.

AI and voice settings

Choose Local, Hybrid or ChatGPT for conversation and commands. Speech recognition and companion voices stay local.

Commands and abilities

Browse supported intentions, examples and their requirements. Available actions depend on the companion's body, equipment and surroundings.

Install and start without the desktop app

1. Install this package in a Valheim mod-manager profile. BepInEx and Jotunn are required and declared as dependencies. For manual installation, install those dependencies and copy the supplied BepInEx/plugins/RuneFellowship/RuneCompanion.dll into the matching folder of your intended profile.
2. Open Steam and launch that modded profile into a solo world with a living character. Try a separate test world first.
3. Press F6 (also shown in the empty fellowship overlay). Select one of the three slots, choose a name and appearance, and select Summon. The default choices include Rune, Odin the direwolf and Eira.
4. Use the menu to Follow, Stay, Defend, gather 20 wood or stone, return cargo, or unsummon. Humanoids can borrow tools. Resource gathering still requires reachable resources and appropriate tools; wolves cannot use tools or armour.
5. Press F8 for health, food, stamina, equipment, inventory and current activity. F7 toggles the overlay. F6 controls can be rebound in the plugin configuration.

Companion identities and world state persist. Names and appearances for the three in-game slots are saved in the plugin configuration after a successful summon. To change a summoned local companion's body, first return cargo and borrowed equipment, then unsummon it and change the selection. A companion saved farther away is not duplicated or teleported: Summon reports its saved position. Unsummoning an occupied mount or a companion carrying cargo/borrowed gear is refused.