There is a good chance you will pick up the Depleted Mana Rune and have no clue what to do with it. It does not behave like a normal crafting item, and the game gives you very little to work with at first. That is part of the appeal. This small Expedition drop opens a hidden path to Runeseeker's Call, a wand built for players who enjoy stacking Mana and pushing rune effects further than ordinary gear allows. It is not a quick boss reward, though. You will need patience, a plan, and possibly some POE 2 Currency to borrow a different setup for a short while. The job is simple on paper: find the rune, charge it with an absurd amount of Mana, then take it to the right NPC. Actually getting there is where most players hit a wall.

Getting the Rune Started

The Depleted Mana Rune comes from Uhtred, the Stardrinker, an Expedition boss found in endgame content. It is a rare quest drop, so do not expect every Uhtred kill to hand one over. When it does drop, hang on to it. A few players have treated it like a strange vendor item or tossed it into a stash tab and forgotten about it. Speak to Farrow after you get it. That conversation is the nudge that tells you this thing has a purpose beyond being a trophy. The rune is tied to the character that finds it, which makes the reward feel more personal than a tradable chase unique. You cannot just skip the work by buying a finished quest item. Once you know what is required, the real issue becomes obvious: your character needs 10,000 current Mana at the exact moment you use the rune.

Building Enough Mana for the Infusion

Ten thousand Mana is a huge number for most regular builds. Even characters that use Mana as part of their damage loop may sit well below it in their everyday mapping gear. The important word here is current. You need the Mana pool available, not merely a theoretical maximum after buffs that have already faded. Start by checking equipment slots that can be swapped without breaking your build completely. Rings, amulets, body armour, and helmets with flat maximum Mana or high Intelligence can make a noticeable difference. Passive points matter too. It is often worth taking Mana clusters for one session, then refunding them later. Energy Shield-to-Mana interactions can be useful if your build has access to them, while Mana Overflow effects may provide the last chunk you need. People often make the mistake of opening their inventory after the overflow buff expires. Do not do that. Get your Mana above the line, keep the effect active, right-click the Depleted Mana Rune, and check that it has changed into the Infused Mana Rune.

Trading the Infused Rune for the Wand

With the Infused Mana Rune in hand, go back to Farrow and turn it in. That completes the hidden chain and gives you Runeseeker's Call, the unique Runic Fork Wand. The wand is especially interesting because it has five Augment Rune sockets, so it is not locked into one narrow damage setup. You can tune it around the runes your character already uses, then keep experimenting as your gear improves. Its rune effectiveness makes each socket more meaningful than it would be on a standard weapon, and Mana-focused spell builds can get a lot out of the package. There is also room to improve it through Runeforging, which is why some players see the quest reward as a starting point rather than the finish line. Before you commit to expensive upgrades, test the wand with your actual skills. A powerful-looking implicit is not always better than a rune arrangement that fits your playstyle.

Keeping the Process Affordable

You do not need to rebuild your whole character forever just to clear this requirement. In fact, that is usually the expensive way to handle it. Treat the 10,000-Mana setup as a temporary kit. Buy or craft a few high-Mana pieces, move passive points into Intelligence and maximum Mana, use any overflow mechanic available, then switch back once the rune has been infused. It helps to prepare the pieces before another Uhtred kill drops the rune, especially if you do not want to leave it sitting unused for days. Also, avoid clicking the item early just to see what happens. If your current Mana is too low, you have achieved nothing and may be left wondering whether the quest is bugged. Check the number carefully. Keep an eye on reservation costs as well, since an aura or temporary skill can quietly pull you below the threshold at the worst possible time.

Final Thoughts

The Depleted Mana Rune quest is one of those odd Path of Exile 2 discoveries that rewards curiosity more than speed. Uhtred provides the first lucky break, but reaching 10,000 Mana is the part that asks you to understand your own character. A handful of temporary gear swaps, a sensible respec, and well-timed overflow can turn a frustrating target into a manageable one. If you are short on pieces, using Path of Exile 2 Currency for short-term Mana gear can save a lot of time, especially when you plan to sell or replace that gear afterwards. Once Runeseeker's Call is yours, take time to set up its rune sockets properly. That is where the reward starts to feel worth the trouble.