Runner

The **Runner** is one of the 5 ghosts players can currently face in Remnant Records (as of version 4.1.0). Runners are blind ghosts, but what they lack in vision, they make up for in hearing. They are the fastest ghost in Remnant Records, outrunning exorcists easily. Players can easily identify Runners at the start of the game by listening to its loud breathing.

### Exorcist's Diary

 During the exorcism, the runner's hearing is even sharper. It becomes its greatest strength, but also its weakness: if you find a way to emit a very loud sound, it won't survive.

### Behavior

When players load into a contract, the Runner will be sleeping in one of the rooms. The duration of its rest depends on the ghost difficulty, players are able to awaken the Runner prematurely by making loud noises near it during its rest. Just like the Mannequin, the Runner is always active and roaming the map.

Runners have very loud breathing, this can be used to hear both the distance and direction the ghost is from you, giving you an idea of where the Runner is.

Due to the Runners inability to see players, it roams the map slowly during the investigation phase, while listening for players. When they hear a noise, the barrier turns red (this is a useful indicator to know you've made a mistake). They will grunt and turn their head in the direction of the noise, then they slowly approach the place the noise originated from. When they are certain of what they heard, Runners speed up and sprint towards it. At this point a player is unlikely to avoid getting grabbed.

When a runner is close, don't make any noise! Experienced exorcists throw items to make the Runner start walking in the opposite direction, giving them time and space to get away. Try to keep heavier objects near you when playing against a Runner, a heavy toaster is better at distracting than a light bottle of pills!

Depending on how angry it is, the Runner may roar at a player instead of attacking them. After that it will run to another part of the map. Runners have higher chances to roar at players on lower ghost difficulties . This mechanic was implemented to let newer players know it relies on hearing without punishing them.

After the Runner has grabbed a player, it sprints away to a different section of the map, giving the player another chance (if they survived).

### Exorcism

When the exorcism is initiated successfully, the runner will roar, its senses will heighten and will even gain a new ability on ghost difficulties 3 and higher.

These heightened senses mean they can hear and detect players from farther away. Its new ability is the Runners **Red Eye**, with its red eye, the blind ghost regains vision. This means that Runners can see players when they get too close, this ability works with line of sight so players can hide behind objects to avoid being seen.

The exorcism can be completed by waiting it out, it can also be finished instantly by using its strength as its weakness. Players will need to repair a giant clocktower bell, **Bell Fragments** will spawn when starting the exorcism. When a player runs through a fragment, it makes a loud noise, attracting the Runner to the fragment. The player will have a glowing blue cord that he will have to connect to a second bell fragment by running through said fragment. When all the fragments are connected, players need to survive for a couple of seconds while the fragments float towards the exorcism board. These fragments gather to create a solid clocktower bell that will make noises loud enough to overload the Runner, finishing the exorcism instantly and enchaining the ghost's soul.

When playing alone, players will need to gather 2 bell fragments. On multiplayer however, players need to connect 3 bell fragments to complete the exorcism. These 3 fragments need to be connected in a solid loop, like a triangle with the fragments as its vertices. This means players need to loop back to the first fragment after collecting the third.

Any player can connect bell fragments, so it is not necessary for one player to make the entire loop. There's even a fun feature where 2 players holding a cord can connect their cords together to connect the fragments to one another.

### Strengths and weaknesses

1. Runners' great hearing can force players to move around the map slowly and meticulously, giving them more time to go in for the kill.
2. Due to having to stand still while a Runner is close, it is possible for it to passively roam into you, possibly killing you. Keep distraction items within arm's length to avoid this.
3. Runners are the fastest ghosts, no exorcist can outrun it.
4. Runners can hear exorcists talking, so they can make communication very difficult.
5. Runners are deadly on staircases and other chokepoints, such as smaller rooms or hallways, try to only encounter it in open rooms.

1. Runners' main strength is also its weakness, they will be attracted to *any noise*. Use items to distract the Runner.
2. The medium is a great counter to the Runner, she can easily track its footsteps.

Devise a strategy to work around its strengths and exploit its weaknesses.

### Strategies

* Use carpets to quieten your footsteps.
* Keep track of the ghost using you hearing and vision to avoid encountering it in bad positions.
* Throw (preferably heavy) items to distract the Runner and make it walk the other direction.
* Try communicating nonverbally with your fellow exorcists when close to the Runner.
* Don't try to outrun it, instead, hide and be quiet.