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Make Zarosians Great Again

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PercyJakks0n

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I’m back. So a while ago, and while I was gone from this sub-forum, I was browsing through the interwebs when I spotted something concerning the Kharidian desert bandits, and that got me thinking (even though I'm not Zarosian anymore).

Their glory days are long over; the desert bandits in the current in-game year are a shadow of what their ancestors had been; their ancestors lived in what could arguably be the greatest empire the world has ever known (YMMV obviously, some would say that Saradomin's was better), and they're living in an absolute ****hole.

However as the title says, I know how to make Zarosians great again.

How, you ask?

We look to the east, 'cause nowhere else is safe for Zarosians; not Varrock, not Lumbridge, not Falador, or Ardougne. We have to look to the Eastern Lands/Wushanko Isles. Luckily, there's already an area they can head for--the Loop, it's Zarosian territory, since Zaros "seems to have the most influence in this region compared to the other gods."

From here on, there's two ways it could go.

1) They re-settle in an empty area, be it a already existing small island, like Light Under Sea or the The Reef that Lies to Mapmakers (I haven't read anywhere that they're uninhabitable) or an empty area of a larger island, like Straits of the Oyster Pearl.

2) They re-settle on an island we've never seen or heard about. It's not completely implausible, when you take scale theory, but I didn't want to venture too far into this option, 'cause I didn't want it to be too fanfiction-y.

In either case, the desert bandits would be able to build their own communities, separate from everyone that wants to kill/harm them in some way, where they and their children can thrive without persecution. That is absolutely vital in securing a decent future for themselves and their children.

So what do you guys think of my plan?
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08-Apr-2017 09:09:02 - Last edited on 08-Apr-2017 09:36:10 by PercyJakks0n

Questcaping
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Questcaping

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Forgive me for taking this thread on a tangent right off the bat, but I don't think Zaros really cares about them. At the moment, he cares about Azzanadra, Nex, Char, Vindicta in a pinch, and the World Guardian. All of these are of direct use to him, aiding with his current plan. Wahisietel and Akthanakos? He has no role for them, so he leaves them out of the loop and does not involve himself with them. The same is the case for the desert bandits, with Eblis's dialogue post-FotG being similar to Wahi's in wondering why their god has forsaken them. They had a part to play in restoring the Temple at Senntisten, yes, but that's done with, and Zaros in his return has been all too happy to leave them out in the cold.

They deserve better.

As such, I believe the best option for them is to realise that their god doesn't care, that the Zarosian Empire is dead and buried, and that their Lord Azzanadra has no plans on restoring them to their former glory. This is easier said than done -- age-old beliefs don't just shift overnight. But if they can at least begin to get there, they can stop waiting for Zaros to "make them great again" and instead try and make things better for themselves. Or at the very least, find a god who cares.

Doesn't mean they'll immediately be accepted back into society, though. Long-standing prejudices stand firmly in their way. And as that's the case, then yeah, maybe moving to somewhere isolated from those who wish to destroy them (... as their current desert abode is, though yes, somewhere less barren in the Eastern Lands would be nice) would be a good idea for the meantime, so that they don't have to deal with any zealously misguided attempt at completing the Zarosian genocide as they try to rebuild.
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08-Apr-2017 10:27:45 - Last edited on 08-Apr-2017 10:51:32 by Questcaping

Zulkir

Zulkir

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Zaros has become a god that prioritizes quality over quantity, or to put it more accurately the notion of worship to him is entirely unimportant, even flat out saying he doesn't mind if we don't follow him and would rather we follow the path we're happiest with rather than try and convince us to be in awe of him.

But going back to my former point, the Zarosian faction isn't focused around being a pompus army like the white knights or the kinshra, nor is it a huddled "Let's keep each other safe!" Community like the Pigeons and the elves, it's a group of very powerful individuals who have stepped beyond the need for godly guidance and instead work "With" Zaros instead of "For" him like the followers of other gods do.

Sure I wouldn't mind a little gathering of Zarosian NPCs to give us some extra lore or flavor text, but it wouldn't make much sense for them to exist.
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08-Apr-2017 12:42:55

Raleirosen

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The desert bandits are just that: bandits. They're not an advanced civilization; I doubt they're even a really coherent society. There's no need for them to find a home or settle down somewhere else. So... no. Nobody cares.

Zulkir said :
...it's a group of very powerful individuals who have stepped beyond the need for godly guidance and instead work "With" Zaros instead of "For" him like the followers of other gods do.
Lol, you actually believe that? Zarosians are just as subservient to their god as any other faction, if not more so.
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08-Apr-2017 21:23:45 - Last edited on 08-Apr-2017 21:28:53 by Raleirosen

Lord Pyro I
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Zulkir said :
it's a group of very powerful individuals who have stepped beyond the need for godly guidance and instead work "With" Zaros instead of "For" him like the followers of other gods do.


They are less than followers now not more. To Zaros they are tools for his use, to be discarded if their own motivations threaten his plans.
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08-Apr-2017 23:45:07

Zulkir

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Raleirosen said :
The desert bandits are just that: bandits. They're not an advanced civilization; I doubt they're even a really coherent society. There's no need for them to find a home or settle down somewhere else. So... no. Nobody cares.

Zulkir said :
...it's a group of very powerful individuals who have stepped beyond the need for godly guidance and instead work "With" Zaros instead of "For" him like the followers of other gods do.
Lol, you actually believe that? Zarosians are just as subservient to their god as any other faction, if not more so.


They are in awe of Zaros as their god just like any other, absolutely. But Azzanadra, Nex, and Char all embody what Zaros preaches, they have power but also know when and how to use it just like he sees the same in us they have "Reached a state of total potential" as the wiki surprisingly nicely puts it. Curb the pessimistic angst a little bit. :p
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09-Apr-2017 00:21:00 - Last edited on 09-Apr-2017 00:23:36 by Zulkir

Hazeel

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Zulkir said :
it's a group of very powerful individuals who have stepped beyond the need for godly guidance and instead work "With" Zaros instead of "For" him like the followers of other gods do.


Oh come off it. Azzanadra wouldn't so much as sneeze without Zaros' guidance and would happily kill himself and everyone he cares about if Zaros asked him to do it. The higher up Zarosians are the ones who can't function without him and are most insistant on working for him. Hence why members like Wahisietel, Akthanakos and....well.... you are outside his inner circle.
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09-Apr-2017 00:39:05 - Last edited on 09-Apr-2017 00:40:12 by Hazeel

Swolllliosis

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They aren't going to migrate all the way to the Eastern Lands. They take orders from Azzanadra like sheep. Azzanadra is in charge of the bandits. He decides what to do with them. And what does Azzanadra do with them, you ask? Whatever Zaros tells Azzanadra to do (currently they are tasked to find the Elder Halls.) Zaros ultimately decides the fate of everything, even what happens to them when they die. That is what their religion decrees.

Zarosian follower in-game quote: "Lord Zaros, Empty Lord and arbiter of fate... All that happened here was inevitable, as you decreed it. I submit my will to you."

Soran: "Zaros is the Empty Lord. He is the master of fate and control; the one who watches over everything. Even now he is watching you. He watches over us all from the background. With Zaros as your master, you have a dauntless, all-knowing protector. His ways may not always be clear, but know that your part in his great plan is pre-ordained and essential."

Did your mom die from a plague? A Zarosian would say Zaros did it, and they would probably embrace this and call it a blessing. It was all part of his greater plan to make you emotionally stronger. Hurricane wiped out a town? Zaros did it for whatever reason. Zaros is in CONTROL of everything.

If I were you, I would ditch every little care for Zaros completely, and also, pray that all Zarosians realize they need to become responsible for their actions and that they are the ones that write their own destinies, not some purple hooded creep. If not, they will all die blindly walking off a cliff.
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09-Apr-2017 01:34:41

Zulkir

Zulkir

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Hazeel said :
Zulkir said :
it's a group of very powerful individuals who have stepped beyond the need for godly guidance and instead work "With" Zaros instead of "For" him like the followers of other gods do.


Oh come off it. Azzanadra wouldn't so much as sneeze without Zaros' guidance and would happily kill himself and everyone he cares about if Zaros asked him to do it. The higher up Zarosians are the ones who can't function without him and are most insistant on working for him. Hence why members like Wahisietel, Akthanakos and....well.... you are outside his inner circle.


Like I said previously, the Zarosians are very in awe of Zaros. I know that. But that doesn't mean they're incapable of functioning without him, they had done all the way up until TWW and managed to corner everyone else.

The higher ups are exactly who do not require his specific teachings, they have unlocked their power and they fully know how to use it wisely, which is why we haven't seen Entrana burn, Why Moia is still alive, and why Nex hasn't reigned several hells down on Falador probably.

My point is, they love him, but have nothing left to learn from him. They epitomize what he teaches and that's exactly why they are his higher ups.
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09-Apr-2017 01:35:33

Raleirosen

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Zulkir said :
...it's a group of very powerful individuals who have stepped beyond the need for godly guidance and instead work "With" Zaros instead of "For" him like the followers of other gods do.
Zulkir said :
The higher ups are exactly who do not require his specific teachings, they have unlocked their power and they fully know how to use it wisely, which is why we haven't seen Entrana burn, Why Moia is still alive, and why Nex hasn't reigned several hells down on Falador probably.

My point is, they love him, but have nothing left to learn from him. They epitomize what he teaches and that's exactly why they are his higher ups.
Your original post says that Zarosians work "with" Zaros -- this implies that they're on equal footing, like a partnership. An obviously absurd statement, which is what I originally took issue with.

But I also disagree that NPCs like Azzy and Nex are somehow these perfectly self-actualized individuals that embody Zaros' teachings. No; in Azzanadra's case, he's clearly obsessed with and to a certain degree dependent on Zaros. And Nex is an attack dog with limited agency; the reason she hasn't rained hell on Falador is because Zaros hasn't told her to, not because she's reached Zarosian nirvana. And Char? She's a far cry from the self-control and introspection that embody Zaros' self-help ideology.

I would go so far as to say that the Zarosian inner circle are the antithesis of Zaros' professed ideology. Another reason to believe his "teachings" are worthless hypocrisy.
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09-Apr-2017 02:02:31 - Last edited on 09-Apr-2017 02:09:02 by Raleirosen

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