RuneScape Forum Archive | draft intro to RS lore

AttilaSquare

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Fellow lorehounds,

Yesterday, I had an idea that’s prompted me to write a brief intro to RuneScape’s lore. I’ve seen requests for an intro to the lore several times in this forum over the last few years, and often the one who asks is simply encouraged to do the quests or to read the wiki. Good suggestions, but I don’t think very satisfying - please forgive me if I have overlooked any more comprehensive efforts to summarize the lore in the last few years.

I would have liked to provide a summary in the past but never felt quite up to the task. However, very recently I’ve begun to worry that the slowness of this forum is not only due to an exodus of lorehounds to other platforms but also because RuneScape’s lore has become so sprawling and complex as to discourage newcomers.

Therefore, I think an elegant introduction to the lore is a necessary element for RuneScape’s survival and success. (necessary but obviously not sufficient) Part of the problem is not knowing where to begin. To start with the elder goddesses is too grand, in my opinion. And the 6th age has thrown any other obvious starting point into flux.

But here comes yesterday’s idea: I was revisiting old versions of RuneScape’s world maps. The first map with which I became familiar was the first official map of RuneScape 2, of April 16, 2004. (I began playing at the start of August that year.) My idea for introducing the lore is to begin with the restricted geographic region presented by this map. So what follows is a brief introduction to the lore for new players that I offer to my fellow lorehounds for critique.

08-Jun-2020 16:18:11

AttilaSquare

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A brief introduction to RuneScape’s lore

Welcome to the world of Gielinor! Some years ago, everyone dated the events of living (human) memory to Gielinor’s 5th age. This is the time since humans discovered modern runic magics. Modern runic magics enabled us to defend large and sophisticated kingdoms for the first time since gods walked and warred among us thousands of years ago - a terrible time known as Gielinor’s 3rd age and the Godwars.

Much occurred in the 169th year of the 5th age, so much in fact that even our means of reckoning time has been thrown into confusion. A controversy for another time. For now, I will speak briefly on the state of a small portion of the world as it was some years ago - the region bounded by an old and yet still largely accurate map.

08-Jun-2020 16:19:26

AttilaSquare

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reserved for the map. I’ve never gone through the steps to post a picture - so if anyone wants to post it before I do, please feel free to do so. The map can be found on the wiki page for historical versions of the world map.

08-Jun-2020 16:19:52 - Last edited on 08-Jun-2020 16:20:05 by AttilaSquare

AttilaSquare

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By the 17th decade of the 5th age, humans upon the main continent of Gielinor had organized themselves into three kingdoms: powerful Misthalin in the east, sprawling Kandarin in the west, and fragile Asgarnia in between. Their settlements are as follows.

In Misthalin: the mighty city of Varrok, which guards civilized lands from whatever evils lurk in the scarred and haunted land of Forinthry to the north; the border town of Edgeville; Gunnarsgrunn, a village of Fremennik barbarians descended from invaders on crusade against the newfound power of modern runic magics over a century ago; the Dukedom of Lumbridge; and the County (probably more de facto than de jure ) of Draynor, home to a vampyre lord from the East and to the Wizards Tower, preeminent institution of magical research.

In Asgarnia: the city of Falador, nominally ruled by the elusive King Vallence but effectively ruled by the Order of White Knights since the expulsion of their rival, the Order of Black Knights, or Kinshra; the peaceful druid town of Taverly; the bustling Port Sarim; the town of Rimington, founded by refugees who fled the destruction of the city of Crandor in the flames of the dragon Elvarg; a large settlement of dwarves beneath Falador and part of Ice Mountain; a small village of goblins; and the unshown military town of Burthorpe.

08-Jun-2020 16:21:46

AttilaSquare

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In Kandarin: the immense city of Ardougne, divided by the River Dougne and the brother kings Tyras and Lathas, lying between mountains in the west and sea in the east; to the south, a vast frontier divided between the southern settlement of the gnomes under King Bolren and the Mahjarrat sorcerer Khazard; beyond these, the fortress-town of Yanille, which guards against the Ogres of Gu’Tanoth and the rest of Feldip Hills and which houses the Wizards Guild; north of the city and west of the Dougne, the northern settlement of gnomes under King Narnode Shareen and a small outpost of Fremennik barbarians; and north of the city and east of the Dougne, human villages and manors all the way to White Wolf Mountain.

From this brief survey, it’s clear that the main intelligent races who inhabit this portion of the world are as follows: humans, gnomes, dwarves, goblins, and ogres. Within the region of our map, we’ve already named the main settlements of these non-human races - though all of them have additional outposts elsewhere.

Outside the main human kingdoms, there are a few further settlements to note. In the desert: the Emirate of Al-Kharid, beyond which lies the vast, scorching desert, and the camp of nomadic Bedabins who live there. Upon the island of Entrana: the monastic compound and high church of Saradomin. On the tropical island of Karamja: in the north, Musa Point, which is little more than a large banana plantation, and Brimhaven, a pirate town; in the jungle to the south, the tribal village of Tai Bwo Wanni and the more sophisticated, walled, and occasionally besieged village of Shilo. Finally, in the wilderness of Forinthry: the dual settlement for outlaws just north of Ice Mountain and the Black Knights - a fortress and camp; in the far northeast, another castle for rogues; and also in the far north, an arena overseen by the wizard Kolodion.

08-Jun-2020 16:23:43

AttilaSquare

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Not too long ago, an average human citizen of one of the three main kingdoms may have known little more of the world than this. Geographical knowledge was restricted because, as I suggested before, Gielinor’s humans have enjoyed the ability to form and to defend their kingdoms for less than two centuries.

Against what have they needed to defend themselves? As far as we know, humans, gnomes, and dwarves have enjoyed good relations for some time, having shared the world since the 1st age when sapient mortals were first brought to Gielinor. Rather, the goblins and their cousins the hobgoblins posed quite a problem for humans before the 5th age, and presumably the ogres too, though the latter probably did not venture far from what is today Kandarin’s southern frontier.

Beyond these, our little portion of Gielinor is home to cats and dogs, squirrels and birds, all sorts of cattle and fish, camels and monkeys and bats and bears and unicorns - none of which represent a threat of any gravity. Slightly more threatening are the large spiders and scorpions and the giants and wyverns and throngs of undead things that dwell in desolate places. Though these too are of little concern.

08-Jun-2020 16:25:02

AttilaSquare

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Instead, the main threats to human life upon Gielinor since the start of the 5th age have been dragons, such as Elvarg who destroyed the city of Crandor, and demons and perhaps natural necromancers and sorcerers called the Mahjarrat. Thankfully, dragons mostly keep to themselves, like the three-headed King Black Dragon deep in the wilderness. Demons come in countless varieties, from the mundane and annoying imps and implings to terrible monstrosities. Only a few have proven significant, like Delrith, who threatened Varrock, and Nezikchened, who dwelt in Kharazi Jungle. The one vampyre from the East was easily dispatched, and the Mahjarrat were hardly a problem but for Khazard’s skirmishes with the gnomes - no invasions of undead from the north like in centuries past. The world seemed to many to enjoy relative peace.

08-Jun-2020 16:27:16

AttilaSquare

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Far more interesting than the political situation and the relative peace of the world are the religions that coexisted within our small portion of Gielinor. The vast majority of humans in the region under discussion belonged, and probably still belong, to the Church of Saradomin. Like the other gods, Saradomin departed from the world at the end of the 3rd age. But the worship of him has endured. The Church of Saradomin is impressive for having preserved a monastic tradition, but otherwise it seems to offer little more than institutionalized respect for law and order.

Beyond the religion of Saradomin, most humans belonged to one of two significant minority religions: of Zamorak or of Guthix. Zamorakian religion was likely more prominent a century ago. But in the 70th year of the 5th age, the Wizards Tower was burned down and blame was cast upon the Zamorakians. The backlash that followed drove them out of respectable society, so that today their chapels are found only in remote places. It is unclear whether the story or ideals of Zamorak - the story of a Mahjarrat who slew his god and plunged the world into millennia of warfare and who challenged all to grow strong or perish - were preserved through this backlash among human Zamorakians or if Zamorakian respect for chaos simply became a symbol for all those marginalized by Saradominist-dominated society.

Guthix was honored by most gnomes and among humans by the druids and perhaps also by the Fremennik barbarians, who venerate various local spirits in addition. He was the god of balance and nature. He first brought the mortal races to dwell upon Gielinor in the 1st age. Then he slept. He woke when a great cataclysm scarred the land of Forinthry, and he cast out all the gods from Gielinor, ending the Godwars. Then he slept again. Thus Guthixians were often pacifists, but sometimes were willing to take up arms, like the Guthixian Order of Void Knights, to defend nature and the balance of things.

08-Jun-2020 16:29:28

AttilaSquare

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In addition to the three main religions, there are/were three local religions. The desert dwellers honor a pantheon of eight gods, at least six of whom were not cast out of Gielinor but still are not often seen. The goblins, hobgoblins, and ogres worship Bandos, god of war, and honor victory, violence, and strength. The people of southern Karamja follow a little known religion that honors a family of gods Kharazi, Shaika, and Raharni and perhaps also their deceased god Gara-Dul.

Finally, beyond these local religions, even within the small portion of Gielinor under discussion, there are appearances of two ancient and, until recently, largely forgotten religions: of Armadyl and of Zaros. The only evidence of Armadyl was the Temple of Ikov, a ruined temple built above a series of tunnels in which live the last remnants of an ancient empire. These few humans are called the Guardians of Armadyl. For centuries, they preserved meager knowledge of their god and protected his powerful staff, the very weapon with which Zamorak had slain his god and ascended to godhood himself. Armadyl was once a bird-like creature called an Aviansie from the world of Abinnah. As a god, he brought his people, the Aviantese, to dwell in Gielinor, upon the mountains west of Kandarin and in floating islands in the sky. He governed both Aviantese and humans with justice. We know little of Ikov, except that he was a leader of humans under the rule of Armadyl. Why the Guardians of Armadyl were for a time defended by a creature called the Fire Warrior of Lesarkus remains unknown.

08-Jun-2020 16:31:45

AttilaSquare

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The only clear evidence of Zaros available to us on our small map is the dig site east of Varrock. Buried here are the ruins of what was once the capital city called Senntisten of an immense empire, stretching from Al-Kharid through all Forinthry - an empire in which humans, demons, vampyres, Mahjarrat and others dwelt side-by-side under the mysterious control of the god Zaros before the 3rd age. Having rediscovered this empire, we can identify the remains of the Zarosian settlements of Dareeyak in western Forinthry, Carrallanger in central Forinthry, and Annakarl in the far northeast, as well as the ruins of Paddewwa beneath the town of Edgeville. For a long time, the name of Zaros was utterly forgotten among the humans of the main kingdoms, and only recent events have brought the Empty Lord back into the light.

08-Jun-2020 16:33:25

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draft intro to RS lore