Iron Flame Signets and Runes: Full Guide With Printable PDF

Struggling with all the details in Iron Flame? I took hundreds of notes to make it easy for readers like you to learn and theorize. Here, you’ll learn everything you need to know about Iron Flame signets and runes to assist your reading of the Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros. So, get “fired” up!

Iron Flame Signets and Their Characters (With Spoilers)

I was influenced to read the Fourth Wing series, but I am a very logical person who usually struggles with learning about and understanding the worlds of the best books with fantasy. So, I decided to take very detailed notes (nearly 700 for this book alone).

Now, I’m sharing my notes on the Iron Flame signets to assist your reading experience. This post includes everything I read and annotated on this topic, including a list of Iron Flame characters with his or her signet.

You can download and print a PDF copy of my notes to use while you’re reading as well!

Character	Signet
Commanding General Melgren	seeing the outcome of battles before they happen
Xaden Riorson	shadow wielding; inntinnsic (Xaden’s second signet)
Dain Aetos	can steal memories with his hands
General Lilith Sorrengail	wielding the power of storms
Violet Sorrengail	wielding lightning
Mira Sorrengail	extending the wards
Rhiannon	retrieving
Imogen Cardulo	wiping short-term memories
Quinn	projects looking like someone else
Nora	detecting lies
Major Burton Varrish	seeing weaknesses
Professor Carr	can make fire erupt from his hands
Bodhi Durran	can counter signets
Ridoc	ice wielding
Cianna	wind wielding
Sloane Mairi	a siphon
Colonel Fremont	air wielding

Notes About Signets

I also took the following notes about signets that may help you read the book and/or predict what will happen next.

Relics can mask Melgren’s signet when they are in groups of three or more.

Mira does not excel at poisons. (page 287)

Mira can sometimes manifest wards on her own, but she has to be close to an outpost, like she’s just another thread. (page 289)

“Menders are not healers. Healers are bound to the Code of Chricton, sworn to aide all in time of need and never to harm a beating heart. Menders are riders. They’re only sworn to the Codex. They can as easily bring harm as heal.” (page 350)

“Though gryphon riders are not capable of producing signets, they are not powerless. In fact, some would argue that they’ve honed lesser magic, especially mind work, into the deadliest weapon of all.” (page 371)

“The only signet more terrifying than an inntinnsic is a truth-sayer.” (page 441)

“Xaden only moves shadows that are already there[.]” (page 534)

“Though her extraordinary signet allows her to extend the wards around herself and her dragon, Cadet Sorrengail lacks the consistent ability to produce her own wards without extreme emotional distress.” (page 564)

Cat can amplify emotions.

“The art of imbuing comes naturally to only a handful of signets, and automatically only to one: the siphon[.]” (page 703)

“Second signets only happen when a dragon bonds a rider in the direct familial line as its previous[.] […] But there’s an equal chance of it causing madness. From what Thoirt told me, that’s why Cruth wasn’t punished for bonding Quinn. She’s only the great-niece of her previous rider. Her signet’s more powerful but not entirely different. ” (page 710)

“There hasn’t been a distance wielder in centuries[.]” (page 738)

Being an inntinnsic is the only signet riders are killed for having. Xaden is a type of inntinnsic that can read intentions. (page 741)

Brennan can’t mend magic, a relic, or (probably) a rune. (page 811)

Notes About Runes

While runes aren’t signets, I felt they had a place here being that they are magic and new to the book Iron Flame, so below are my notes on runes to help you read along and predict the future of this romantasy series:

Runes are “strands of magic pulled from our power, woven into geometric patterns for specific uses, then placed into an object, either for immediate work or usage at a later date. We call the process ‘tempering.’ [..] Like wood, or metal, or whatever object the wielder chooses. That rune will activate when triggered and perform whatever action it was tempered for. Unlike alloy, which houses power, runes are tempered with power for specific actions.” (page 624)

“Every shape has meaning. The points where we tie the power change that meaning.” (page 625)

The shapes can change things like when the rune will activate and how many times. (page 625)

“Until it’s placed, it has no meaning, no purpose, and will fade quickly. It’s tempering the rune that makes it an active magic.” (page 625)

Making runes is “a skill the Tyrrish once controlled and perfected, but it was banned a couple hundred years after the unification of Navarre, even though many of our outposts and Basgiath itself were built upon them. […] You see, riders are naturally more powerful, given the amount of magic we channel and the signets we wield. […] But runes are the great equalizer[.] […] A rune is only limited to how much power you choose to temper, how long you want it to last, and how many uses it has before it depletes. They banned runes so they wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands. [Gryphone fliers’] hands, specifically. Get good enough at runes, and you can compete with a fair amount of signets.” (page 626)

Each of the children of the officers were given protection runes before their parents left for the Battle of Aretia. (page 633) “It was designed to counter the signet of the rider whose dragon would kill them. […] But it could only activate when killed by dragonfire. Which is the primary method of execution for traitors[.]” (page 634)