RuneScape Forum Archive | The Golden Compendium

May

2019

Captain Lime

Posts: 6,940 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“You may think this, yet mortals do not always see the purpose behind the ways of the immortal. For all that death is undesirable to the living, we must die or the lands would be overrun with our children and our children's children. Do not judge the deathbringer lest she judge you.”

Senliten, Pharaoh of the Old Kingdom

Hello and welcome to my latest thread! It’s been quite a while since I’ve sat down and wrote one of these, but since I have the time, I figured I’d put something together about a corner of lore that has been covered in confusion and misinformation for some time – the Kharidian Peninsula.

This area of the world is the most important in my opinion, with many of the most important moments in Gielinor’s history. Its history is long, deep, and rich. Its characters are a thousand shades of grey. However, with all that lore comes many unanswered questions, and much misinformation.

This thread will endeavor to procedurally go through all of Kharidian History, from the First Age to the modern day, with special considerations given to explain the Menaphite Pantheon of Gods, the royal line of the Desert, and other special connections the Desert has like the art of Golemtronics, trade with the East, Monkeys, and more!

So, Kharidologists, let’s dive right in!

^ "Some of those words were

STUPID.

" - Mod Raven

13-Apr-2016 01:35:51 - Last edited on 09-Sep-2016 16:51:11 by Captain Lime

May

2019

Captain Lime

Posts: 6,940 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Chapters and Appendices

Page 1

1. Introduction
2. Chapters and Appendices
3. The Promised Land
4. Theory I – Children of the Elid
5. The First Kingdom
6. Theory II – The Phantom Menace
7. Tumeken’s Scourging
8. Theory III – The Shadow of Tumeken
9. The Bad Age
10. The Bad Age, Part II – Saradominist*!

Page 2

11. Amascut Rising
12. A Tale of Two Cities
13. Theory IV – The Menaphite Wars
14. Into the Unknown
15. Conspiracy I – A Spider’s Schemes
16. Conspiracy II – The Den of the Lioness
17. Conspiracy III – The Queen of Ashes
18. Theory V – The Heir to the Throne
19. The Heroes of Kharidia
20. Straight from the Camel’s Mouth

Page 3

21. Annals I * The Great Ape Empire
22. Personae I – Tumeken & Elidinis
23. Theory VI – A Lion’s Redemption
24. Personae II – Icthlarin & Amascut
25. Annals II * How to Return to Life
26. Personae III – Het & Apmeken
27. Annals III * The Treason of the Mahjarrat
28. Personae IV – Crondis & Scabaras
29. Annals IV * The Zen and Art of Golemtronics
30. Personae V – Osman, Leela & Senliten

Page 4

31. Theory VII – The Heart of the Sun
32. Personae VI – The Pharaoh in Menaphos, and the High Priest in Sophanem
33. Theory VIII – A Sinister Machination
34. Personae VII – The Great Stone Giant
35. Annals V - The Tribes of the West
36. Annals VI – Defrosting Leftovers
37. Sources & Citations
38. Acknowledgements
39. The Compendium of Compendiums
40. YMNP ^ "Some of those words were

STUPID.

" - Mod Raven

13-Apr-2016 01:36:16 - Last edited on 09-Sep-2016 21:02:16 by Captain Lime

May

2019

Captain Lime

Posts: 6,940 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The Promised Land

The Kharidian Peninsula was possibly the last area on the main continent to be inhabited by the tribes of men during the first and second ages. The land was fertile back then, but it is very far from the World Gate, where humanity came through first. It’s likely that what would some day become the Menaphite peoples and Bedabin tribes are directly traced from those first tribes, as well as any seafaring humans that would eventually colonize the Wushanko Isles.

This land was quite fertile due to the river Elid, and had enough great pines in the eastern half to supply wood for all people who lived here back then. No Desert here! However, we do know that this land was still extremely hot, and that there were great plains near where Uzer would be founded. It’s likely the southern reaches also consisted of lush tropical rainforest.

Here, humanity would have prospered, and it’s also possible that the city of Ullek was first founded during this era, though this is purely conjecture. Nonetheless, this land was eventually inhabited by man and all manner of animals. But most importantly, two divine beings would eventually come to it. Their names were Tumeken and Elidinis.

Little is known about the early lives of Tumeken and Elidinis, as the oldest account of their arrival is the Legend of Tumeken’s Dream, which states that Tumeken came to this land and found Elidinis on the Banks of the Elid. We don’t even know if they are simply human Gods with transformed animal heads, or if they are intrinsically tied with their animal aspects – falcon for Tumeken and hippo for Elidinis. However, a few clues can be discerned, which can lead to an idea of how the Gods came to this land. ^ "Some of those words were

STUPID.

" - Mod Raven

13-Apr-2016 01:37:07

May

2019

Captain Lime

Posts: 6,940 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Theory I – Children of the Elid

The surest record of when these two Gods arrived actually comes in a very old quest – the Spirits of the Elid. In this quest, the three spirits of the Elid say that they have been wandering the land as spirits since the First Age (which further reinforces that humans have been here since then). They then say that Elidinis came and bound them to the Elid, and that they are now trusted guardians. This would indicate that when Elidinis came, she was already a Goddess, rather than being a human born on Gielinor or offworld. It would also mean that Elidinis came either in the First Age or near the start of the Second Age.

Unfortunately, Tumeken’s arrival isn’t as well documented.

The best record we can find of his arrival comes in the form of Tumeken’s dream, where it says that he arrived to the land already a God. Take this with a grain of salt – it is a legend, probably derived and mutated from a religious text. It even states that the land was a Desert way back before Tumeken arrived. It further states that Tumeken came upon the Elid, and found Elidinis after many days of travel. This would indicate that he arrived after Elidinis, sometime during the early Second Age.

Eventually, these two would sire a son and a daughter – Icthlarin and Amascut. This is the ONLY known case of a God having children while being divine, excluding the events that lead to Zaros and Seren’s birth. What separates these two from the other four Gods in the Desert Pantheon is also unknown, but it is possible that Icthlarin and Amascut were created when Elidinis and Tumeken sacrificed some of their own powers. It’s also possible that these Gods were formed through… more traditional methods, as Anubis, the inspiration for Icthlarin was. However, Sek*met, the inspiration of Amascut, was formed through stranger and more obfuscated means. ^ "Some of those words were

STUPID.

" - Mod Raven

13-Apr-2016 01:37:30

May

2019

Captain Lime

Posts: 6,940 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The First Kingdom

It was after Tumeken and Elidinis came, and likely during Icthlarin and Amascut’s formative periods, that the First Menaphite Kingdom was established! This nation was likely formed during the first third of the Second Age, after both Tumeken and Elidinis gained a following. A royal line was established, with the most well-known leader in all of Menaphite history being Queen Senliten, who was so great that the first pyramid was constructed to honour her death. However, she would come much later, during the Zarosian Wars.

It was during this period that the empire flourished, with many religious texts (such as Tumeken’s Dream) being established, and the art of making Menaphite steel, as described by Ipcress, who would eventually become Cres. The great city of Ullek would be established (Uzer coming much later, since it was a village of little import by the time of Senliten’s death), and townships formed at the mouth of the River Elid. These cities and townships would have blossomed as the centres for trade for the world * the door between the East and the West.

One of the blemishes of this period is that slavery was in full swing across Kharidia (compared to now, where slavery still stains Menaphos). My knowledge of Egyptology and Islamic cultures leads me to believe that only the rulers of the land had slaves, but it’s a high possibility that only the rich did. Nevertheless, life was agrarian, there were many fine arts, and justice was swift and severe. The only other thing we know about life in this kingdom was that honour and shame were the centerpieces of one’s life. If one were to suffer a great dishonour, he or she would gladly accept a grisly death.

It was also during this period that the lesser four Menaphite Gods were created – Het, Apmeken, Crondis, and Scabaras. However, not all was well with the Menaphite Kingdom, as a new menace would emerge to the far north – a Mad Shadow King with a bloody thirst for power. ^ "Some of those words were

STUPID.

" - Mod Raven

13-Apr-2016 01:37:54

May

2019

Captain Lime

Posts: 6,940 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Theory II - The Phantom Menace

So, here’s the problem. During Fate of the Gods, Zaros distinctly states that he never started any wars. However, he also did most of the invading of the Kharidian Peninsula, and the Menaphite Army movements, as described by the Book of the Gods, don’t make much sense in terms of an aggressor power.

So, it’s either someone started the war on their own terms, or Zaros is a liar. Although Zaros is a liar, I’m going to go with a middle-ground option of Zaros wanted the war to happen but did*’t start the war as much as provoked one.

Nevertheless, the Zarosian Empire’s war had most of the normal Casus Belli. Zaros, as he stated in Fate of the Gods, wanted to establish a world under his protection and his banner. However, I feel that there is even more there. The Heart of Gielinor is also located in the Kharidian Peninsula, as well as the gateway cities to the Wushanko Isles and whatever lies farther east.

In essence, Kharid served not only as a wealth of much needed natural resources and fertile farmland to feed the ever-growing empire, but also served to unify the world. In addition, it had a wealth of power that could be used to enhance the quality of life of the average person, and could have been a staging ground for further expansions.

This is why I believe the Kharidian Peninsula was one of Zaros’s first attempted conquests, and would continue to be an area for countless future campaigns * as the Roots in the Community Lore also tells us. The Zarosian Empire would continue to intermittently invade the Kharidian Peninsula in a generations-spanning conflict. The first conflict started before and ended after Senliten’s rule. The last conflict wouldn’t end until that fateful day when Zamorak put a spear through the Empty Lord. ^ "Some of those words were

STUPID.

" - Mod Raven

13-Apr-2016 01:38:17

May

2019

Captain Lime

Posts: 6,940 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Tumeken’s Scourging

One way or another, the Menaphite Kingdom is plunged into the first in a long, long, long, long, long, looooooong series of wars with the Zarosian Empire. The Zarosian Empire was largely the aggressor for this war, and the Menaphites were losing for the majority of it. The Menaphite Gods were fighting on the front lines, and yet it made little use against an unending horde of Zarosian Legionaries. The Zarosians also enjoyed an advantage of more widespread magic users, meaning its army had a large amount of wizards. All seemed lost for the Menaphites until Icthlarin and Amascut returned with the Mahjarrat Tribe.

The Mahjarrat instantly proved incredibly successful against the Zarosian Army, pushing them back to the Kharid-Et fortress. It should be noted, however, that nothing about this first conflict was quick. Pharaohs had time to be born, rule, and die during the course of this conflict, though to a Mahjarrat or a God, it happened in the blink of an eye.

Nevertheless, the Mahjarrat would eventually switch sides, leading to a disastrous series of events that led to Tumeken scourging the Kharidian Peninsula, leaving a large Desert in the middle of the subcontinent and annihilating all but a handful of the combatant armies, both friend and foe. The war would be over, but the cost was high.

Elidinis would presumably take the reins of the Menaphite Kingdom, and without doubt, there was uprising and civil unrest over this travesty. The Menaphites would begin their slow, humiliating backslide from glory. ^ "Some of those words were

STUPID.

" - Mod Raven

13-Apr-2016 01:38:44

May

2019

Captain Lime

Posts: 6,940 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Theory III – The Shadow of Tumeken

Now that Tumeken has shown off his sunny personality, we’ll now get to talk about what happened to him, which is one of those weird places in lore where it*s not that we don’t have any answers, but that we have too many. Surprisingly, they’re all from the same person: his own son.

Whether or not Tumeken is dead or alive is a pretty major topic right now, so here’s some background:

Icthlarin first says that Tumeken is not dead during the quest Missing, Presumed Dead. But then, during the 2015 Hallowe’en event, it is said that Tumeken DIED (word used specifically) for Icthlarin’s hubris and his Mahjarrat Mistake (a “Mahjastake,” if you will). Then, he gives a nonanswer during the quest Nomad’s Elegy. This leaves us, the player, extremely confused and also slightly hungry.

So, it’s probably going to be somewhere in between. As for other really obvious things, it’s likely that this is a lot deeper than Tumeken just deciding to have a nap. As for me, I have a bit of a crazy theory based on speculation and situational evidence.

I feel like Tumeken was mummified in a way. Rather than him actively being on the battlefield, and that the man who scourged the Desert was merely a projection. Tumeken’s dream can be read as various parts of himself being removed, much like how mummification involves removing various organs and preserving them in various canopic jars. Like the canopic god-jars from Icthlarin's Little Helper, but with the actual Desert Gods, and a huge diamond.

In addition, RuneFest 2016 references that Amascut is destroying Menaphos, hunting for Tumeken. Perhaps he was buried there, even mummified there! An adjusted mummification process may have been used on Tumeken, so that he may still influence the Desert. But if he did this, he is more powerful than we think. ^ "Some of those words were

STUPID.

" - Mod Raven

13-Apr-2016 01:39:38 - Last edited on 18-Sep-2016 17:10:35 by Captain Lime

May

2019

Captain Lime

Posts: 6,940 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The Bad Age

So now, our beloved Kharidians stumble its way out of the disastrous ending of the Second Age, and into the even worse Third Age. The Menaphites would see their kingdom chip away, piece by piece, in the warring of the Gods during the, get this, God Wars, and there was very little that the current government in Ullek could do about it.

That also implies that the government in Ullek *could* do something about it. Around this time, it was likely completely out of its league – Armies such as Zamorakians, Saradominists, and Armadyleans would have run across their northern regions! A legion of Zarosians, lead by Azzanadra (because he had nothing better to do than saving his dying empire besides ******** OVER THE MENAPHITES FOR NO REASON), were also rampaging across the hotlands! Even later, refugees from the Zarosian Empire had to be rescued (as if that empire wasn’t a bunch of jerks already).

These issues would have only barely been in the nation’s control, had they not also been undergoing a crisis of faith at the same time. By that I mean, Tumeken was now incapacitated, and Elidinis would have had to try and pull the nation together. We’ll talk more about her in the next post.

The final major thing is that it’s around now that desertification would have gone into overdrive. Already the region was a hot and dangerous place, but it was said that Tumeken and Elidinis infused themselves into the land itself. Thus, without Tumeken to control it, the climate would have gone completely haywire, and the abundant fields, lush rainforests and the great pine trees would become a thing of the past. ^ "Some of those words were

STUPID.

" - Mod Raven

13-Apr-2016 01:39:58

May

2019

Captain Lime

Posts: 6,940 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The Bad Age II – Saradominists!

Back to Elidinis – it turns out that she did pretty well.

Elidinis kept mostly everything in order for the entire third age. NOTHING TERRIBLE HAPPENED!

Most crucially, she made an alliance with Saradomin. This decision is probably the greatest decision that anyone in the Desert ever made ever, because it effectively ensured that the Menaphites would not have to start over at the end of the God Wars like almost everyone else.

You see, by this time, the Saradominists had already held the northern Desert after the Zarosians fell, and there were demonic Zamorakian Hordes hammering at the gates of Uzer. Despite the strength of Uzer’s walls, the Menaphite Kingdom was nothing near as powerful as it used to be, and without support, it would doubtless be completely overrun by demons. Elidinis did the smart thing and signed a treaty with Saradomin, guaranteeing her some aid!

What we don’t know is if this alliance is still in effect. It appears to have been a very fruitful alliance, as there appears to still be good relations between the Saradominist kingdoms and the Kharidian cities. It may be a thing to consider that the Menaphites could help out the Saradominists in the Sixth Age conflict.

Because of this decision, only most of the Desert was overrun, but it could have been much worse. Uzer was completely annihilated, but so was the demonic army that was attacking it, along with at least one VERY angry demon and at least one mahjarrat (which delayed that other demon army that would eventually invade even more). Not only that, Azzanadra, who had been rampaging across the Desert for whatever reason, had been imprisoned. Ullek may have been sacked and broken, but Menaphos still stood untouched, and you know what, at least there’s that.

By the end of the Third Age, there were seven or eight cities in the entire world still standing. The Menaphites had three of them.

^ "Some of those words were

STUPID.

" - Mod Raven

13-Apr-2016 01:41:16 - Last edited on 18-Sep-2016 17:59:58 by Captain Lime

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