Short answers, pulled from the story.
Suikoden IV was released in August 2004 in Japan and in early 2005 in North America and Europe. It was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and published exclusively for the PlayStation 2.
The Rune of Punishment is one of the 27 True Runes in the Suikoden universe. It governs both atonement and forgiveness, and it consumes the life of whoever carries it; when the bearer dies, it immediately transfers to the nearest person.
Suikoden IV sold 303,069 copies in Japan by the end of 2004. This was a decline from the 377,729 Japanese sales of Suikoden III.
Famitsu awarded Suikoden IV a score of 30 out of 40, with individual reviewer scores of 8, 7, 8, and 7.
An RPGFan review noted that a player collecting only story-driven characters could complete Suikoden IV in roughly 15 hours. Critics considered this brevity a significant weakness, as it limited character development particularly among supporting cast.
Suikoden Tactics is a spinoff game produced by Konami after Suikoden IV. It serves simultaneously as a direct prequel, a side-story, and a sequel to Suikoden IV.