RuneScape Forum Archive | Xau-Tak: God of the Horrors

Hguoh

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As an alternative to the 'unintended creation of an elder god' idea, perhaps Xau is a god that originates from across the Void and came through the tear in the fabric of reality that broke the elder blade.

Granted, I'll be the first to admit that the aesthetic of the Void Pests doesn't quite match up with what Xau appears to prefer. That being said, who is to say that, much like how our side of the Void has many biomes and planes that lead to a variety of species, the Void Pest's dimension is not inhabited by species other than the Pests (one of which Xau could have originated from).

As it is a different dimension to our own (as opposed to a different plane or a parallel universe), it is entirely possible for it to possess different physical laws to our own, enabling Xau to take our own dimension's laws as something more along the lines of a suggestion. Differing universal laws could also explain Xau having a godhood tier on a completely different scale to the ones used for the gods native to our dimension.

That, or Xau could just be imaginary. An idea that has become widespread and pervasive enough so as to make it seem as if Xau actually exists (like how Azzy convinced himself and the Zarosians under him that Zaros was talking to him when he first made the Communion Portal, just more successful and widespread).

13-Mar-2017 21:02:50

Handkerchief

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Uncle Harper said :
All good points. Also just wanted to point out, Sliske isn't unaware anymore. During Endgame he seems to have some knowledge of Xau-tak's doings and where abouts when he mentions him.
Cheers. And yeah, I could have clarified to mean he was unawares prior to that (I figured it was evident I'd done Kindred Spirits).

While it's nice to have a slow-burn story to mull over, I think we're ready for the next teaser. Continual disappointment is the spice of life.

13-Mar-2017 22:45:54

Jun

2006

P Caesar

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Regarding the Zaros/Seren/Xau-Tak answer in the Lore Corner, this is the question Lethalintent asked that Mod Rowley answered:
"Are Zaros and/or Seren aware of Xau-tak? Should the latter decide to stir and do any kind of harm, what's to stop the siblings from wiping him out?"
And Mod Rowley said:
"I'd be surprised if they weren't aware of these gods' existence. That they're not much mentioned probably suggests how unconcerned by them they are."
In Mod Rowley's answer, the first "they" refers to Zaros and Seren, and the "these gods' " - as well as the next "they" - would seem to refer to Xau-Tak, leading some people to bring up the possibility that Xau-Tak is plural somehow. However, in the context of Lethalintent's questions (the question just before this one being about Xau-Tak and the Queen of Ashes and how they should not be killed off as quickly as V), it seems obvious to me that "these gods" refers to Xau-Tak and the Queen of Ashes. Xau-Tak is probably not plural.

And when Xau-Tak's godhood tier was said to be the square root of one, or the imaginary number, I took that to mean that Xau-Tak's godhood isn't real. Of course, since I don't think we even really know what godhood and divinity are in Runescape, I don't think that helps us much. (But then, I'm also generally disdainful of the godhood tier system anyway, which I also don't think helps us much.) What's the most convincing ship in the game?

Zaros x Char: Charos!

14-Mar-2017 02:32:53 - Last edited on 14-Mar-2017 02:42:10 by P Caesar

Jun

2006

P Caesar

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One thing that has intrigued me for a while and that might be Xau-Tak-related, but that I have hesitated to mention because Mod Wilson was not, as far as I have been able to discover, connected to its creation, is the circumstance of Tarn Razorlor.

Of course, the assistant to the necromancer that lives south of Ardougne, near the Tower of Life, says that heroes keep coming in and killing the necromancer. The assistant says that the necromancer keeps resurrecting himself. That Tarn Razorlor seems to have done this isn't too weird, then.

But then there are the tentacles.

Why does Tarn Razorlor have tentacles?

I've compared the architecture in Tarn's temple to the architecture in the horror cave on Mos Le Harmless, and although the stones are mostly similar shades of green, and the mostly square shapes are mostly square in both places, I can't say the architecture is similar enough to really imply a connection. I wasn't able to find any black stone in Tarn's temple, and square tiles are pretty common.

(I've also wondered whether there's a connection between Tarn and his "Terror Dogs" to Tolna and "his" Angry beasts. Although Tolna's Rift might be Loarnab-related and not Xau-Tak-related, and "Terror Dogs" are probably just big dogs. Still, maybe there is something here?)

It's not a lot to go on, but a necromancer finds a mysterious, buried temple, dies, and comes back... with tentacles. Everything makes sense except for the tentacles. What's the most convincing ship in the game?

Zaros x Char: Charos!

14-Mar-2017 02:39:58

Jun

2006

P Caesar

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And this hasn't been mentioned on this thread yet - has anyone thought of this being connected to Xau-Tak? An excerpt from one of the Memorial to Guthix engrams, but a part that I don't remember reading when I first read the engrams - perhaps you had to prestige the Memorial first. I've now finished the Memorial four times, and this part of the "Elder Sword" engram is new and interesting:

"Calamity! I underestimated the ability of the Blade. I have sundered a planet.
It was a world of divine beauty and fabulous magic, a realm of wild nature where four ruling courts of the seasons were in constant conflict, yet maintained a tumultuous balance of power.
Yet, at the core of this world of light, I witnessed a great darkness. A corrupt, ravenous presence; a bloated parasite that fed voraciously on the living, whose appetite could never be satisfied.
Arrogantly, I sought to cut that devouring corruption from its host. Instead, I destroyed the planet, shattering its fragments across the cosmos.
Worst of all, I fear my actions have released corruption from its prison.
Its tendrils entwine the threads of mortality. It has taken root in pathways I have opened.
There are places I now dare not travel, for fear that corruption may probe deeper into the cosmos, and find a new host."

The world itself is interesting, as Mod Stu in the Lore Corner points out that that world became the Lands of Winter, Holly and Hawthorn, and Sunshine that we've seen in holiday events.

But this corruption, with tendrils entwining the threads of mortality, reminded me of Xau-Tak. The "tendrils" part reminds me of what V said, and obviously what with the threats from the afterlife, "mortality" brings Xau-Tak to mind. This corruption sounds like a parasite whose host is a world. What's the most convincing ship in the game?

Zaros x Char: Charos!

14-Mar-2017 02:51:27

Jan

2021

AesirWarrior

Posts: 1,060 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

P Caesar said :
Xau-Tak Xau-Tak Xau-Tak Xau-Tak... it's fun

Well, holy shit. It's all coming together now, isn't it? I'm 95% it's talking about Xau-Tak here. I like it. It's suitably different from the origins of the other gods, and fairly epic whatwith the world exploding and all that... yet it doesn't actually reveal anything, does it? We don't know how the corruption got there in the first place and to be honest I don't think I want to know. I think we can manage with a little mystery there. I think it's refreshing after how... "standardised" lore has become recently.

The planet exploding is pretty interesting. Aside from being too epic to ever appear in-game (like 90% of the gods' accomplishment), I wonder if this means there could be more than one Xau-Tak out there, unless all shards still have a shared consciousness.

I also wonder if the corruption itself is even sentient. Guthix mentioned it being capable of taking hosts, and I imagine the reason he's afraid of it is because he doesn't want to become one. Perhaps this corruption is some sort of primordial darkness, and Xau-Tak is the entity that came into being after it found a suitable host. A karamthulu perhaps? -

I have noticed your kind does tend to blindly stumble forward towards danger simply because it exists. What is your word for that?

- We call it being a hero.

14-Mar-2017 09:12:40 - Last edited on 14-Mar-2017 09:13:20 by AesirWarrior

Handkerchief

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That is friggin awesome. Definitely X-T. I'm really glad they're starting to pull away from our standard idea of a ""god"". The tiers idea was interesting at first, but I think the lore forum, in particular, got very carried away with it. The lore mods themselves got carried away creating similar backstories for each god, "they accidentally-on-purpose killed a previous god with an elder artifact/ate the elder artifact," which is soooo boooooooooriiiingggg. The narrative with the elder gods, younger gods, great revisions, etc. is just too tidy . They've pretty much written themselves into a corner with it unless they've intentionally deceiving us.

I admit I'm hoping for some retconning in the future to the effect of, "that's how you, the player character were able understand it at the time." Continual disappointment is the spice of life.

14-Mar-2017 13:09:17

Jun

2006

P Caesar

Posts: 778 Gold Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

AesirWarrior said :
P Caesar said :
Xau-Tak Xau-Tak Xau-Tak Xau-Tak... it's fun I'm 95% it's talking about Xau-Tak here. ... I think it's refreshing

The theory that Xau-Tak is from the Void is looking good. Did we ever find out who kept opening the Pests' portals after Greyzag was stopped? What's the most convincing ship in the game?

Zaros x Char: Charos!

14-Mar-2017 18:48:40 - Last edited on 15-Mar-2017 04:10:21 by P Caesar

Oct

2005

Wahisietel

Posts: 3,426 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

I.. do not recall this dialogue being around before.

Also TFW Xau-Tak is connected to the Land of Sunshine. You never were our brightest star, Khazard. 'Vermin slaughtered like lambs'? What does that even mean?

15-Mar-2017 14:07:31

Zulkir

Posts: 7,343 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Current train of thought:

Xau-Tak was this corruption and has now set its sights on us as its new host. The reason it hasn't done anything is because it CAN'T do much of anything without one, but a parasite has infinite patience, it's writhing, twisting, and feeding buried deep in our world, calling out to us through time to beckon us to what it believes will be our fate.

I believe this virus fed on the anima and ascended, but what exactly do you think bacteria would do if it gained even a degree of sentience? Carry on its warpath.

Zarosian Lorehound

Master Questcape Owner

Inconsistent Completionist

15-Mar-2017 16:35:08

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Xau-Tak: God of the Horrors