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NadirDaT/CoM, rejuvenatedChildren of Mah, skeletal

Bilrach chathead

Bilrach (Children of Mah, rejuvenated) chathead

Bilrach (Children of Mah, skeletal) chathead

Bilrach (pronounced /bɪɫræk/ Bill-rack is a Mahjarrat fiercely loyal to Zamorak having been named the Right Hand of Zamorak. Azzanadra also refers to him as Zamorak's lapdog.[1]

Bilrach led an army of humans and other races, using them to dig and construct the dungeons of Daemonheim in search of The Rift, a place where the barrier between planes is weakened, and where he believed his god Zamorak resided. He is also responsible for the arrival of the many twisted creatures inside Daemonheim.

In addition to the construction of his underground complex, he created an ultra-secretive, highly-guarded and completely autonomous research unit with absolute authority and very large resources that did not depend on the consensus of fellow Zamorakian commanders and organizations.

As a result of these events, he has experienced a slow, brutal and irrepressible ascent to power, but certainly not surprising given the character of his coldness and implacability- character traits that are seen in most of his brethren. 

History[]

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Arrival to Gielinor[]

Like the other Mahjarrat, Bilrach lived on Freneskae, the realm of perpetual warfare, along with many other tribes. Here, they would live to survive the elements and the destructive power of the legendary "Mother Mah", an Elder God that created their race and whom they would prevent from wreaking havoc on Freneskae through the Rituals of Rejuvenation and Enervation, although at least one Mahjarrat regarded her as a mere myth and the rituals as superstitious traditions.[2] Due to the constant conflict with neighbouring tribes such as the Mahserrat as well as the frequent sacrifices at the Rituals, the Mahjarrat tribe never counted more than a few hundred members and was ruled kratocratically.[3]

In the Second Age of Gielinor, however, the two demi-gods Icthlarin and Amascut travelled to Freneskae in order to recruit the Mahjarrat to fight the Zarosian invaders of their homeland, the Kharidian Empire, in the Kharidian - Zarosian War. Some Mahjarrat opposed the proposal while others agreed to go, causing a large battle to break out. Both Azzanadra and Temekel argued that the Mahjarrat should go with Icthlarin and Kharshai was one of the most excited at the prospect of leaving Freneskae, as Gielinor is a much kinder realm than Freneskae was.[4]. Eventually, after the death of Salisard and the sacrifice of Abrogal, those in favour of travelling to Gielinor emerged victoriously and the entire Mahjarrat tribe accompanied the two gods to Gielinor.[3][4] There, Zemouregal aided the Menaphite warriors in driving back the Zarosian army, with success. During this time, they were known as the Stern Judges of Icthlarin.

However, as the Menaphites had almost ensured their victory a couple of years later, the Mahjarrat Sliske, who had got into a feud with Icthlarin over his methods in battle,[5] approached the Zarosian legate, a Chthonian demon named Duke Ceres, and made arrangements to desert the Menaphites and join Zaros.[6][7] Most of the Mahjarrat convened at the fortress of Kharid-et and soon emerged, joining arms with the Zarosians, proceeding to slaughter the retreating Menaphite armies.[8] The god Tumeken, father of Icthlarin and Amascut, swiftly interfered by sacrificing himself, his armies and half of his empire to repel the Zarosians; he used his powers of fire to create a massive explosion, turning half of the empire into a desert wasteland as well as obliterating his own army and most of the Zarosian one. Of the approximately five hundred Mahjarrat present, less than a fifth survived the explosion thanks to Azzanadra, who quickly erected a magical barrier as protection. Bilrach was amongst those to survive and join the remainder of the Zarosian on the march to Forinthry.[8] He was given the rank of pontifex in the Church of Zaros.[9]

They were Zaros' most valuable troops, but some grew discontent with the god's regime and decided to rally against him; the leader of these Mahjarrat and other rebels was Zamorak, who, with the aid of the Stone of Jas and Staff of Armadyl, defeated Zaros and was thrust into godhood himself, before being brought to Infernus by Avernic demons to aid in their insurrection against the Cthonians. Bilrach was one of the many who followed Zamorak. When Zamorak returned to Gielinor, now the god of chaos, he attempted to reclaim the Stone of Jas from Saradomin, who had stolen it, thus beginning the God Wars.

The God Wars[]

Not much is known about Bilrach and his role during the God Wars. In the Chronicles of Bilrach, it is revealed that he summoned the avernic demon K'ril Tsutsaroth, leading Zamorak to name him general of his army during the God Wars. In his other notes, he writes that he was appointed Zamorak's second in command, meaning he enjoyed more power than Zemouregal[10].

Role in Dungeoneering[]

In the Dungeoneering skill, the player can find books and journals called Chronicles of Bilrach. It appears that he is responsible for constructing the tunnels at Daemonheim. He ends his messages with the phrase "Zamorak be praised." During his entries he also calls Zemouregal a fool who underestimates his skill, meaning maybe Bilrach is only going along with Zemouregal to disguise his power or possibly the power source he was seeking. However, the 24th Chronicle of Bilrach reveals that he is attempting to reach the rift deep in the earth, a place where the barrier between realms thins, which he believes he could use to travel the realm Zamorak resides in and release him into Gielinor.

Since Bilrach is responsible for the summoning of the various monsters in Daemonheim, and has also converted the Kal'Gerion demons to his will, it is possible that he has reached a state of power comparable to Lucien's. On the other hand, it is possible that Bilrach has been led on throughout his journey in Daemonheim, it seems he has been guided by whispers that he has thought to have been Zamorak all along. Chronicles 1, 11, 13, 27, 29, and 30 reference these whispers, and you may begin to hear what they were when Dungeoneering on an Occult floor.

Bilrach is also responsible for the release of the Gorajo tribe in Daemonheim. In the year 1890 of the Fourth Age, while Bilrach was opening portals somewhere in the thirty sixth to forty seventh floor, he accidentally opened a portal to the realm of these sentient beings. At first he attempted to convert them, but they instantly became his enemies upon seeing his dark and cruel methods (including necromancy and demon summoning, which they strongly despise.)[11] He strongly hates this race for their constant meddling in his affairs.[12] Ramokee exiles may be converted Gorajo who have sworn allegiance to Bilrach, and thus are traitors to the tribe.

He became persuaded that it was necessary to ensure that his advanced research was beyond the control of other Zamorakians that had mocked him before as he mentions in the fifth Chronicle, and determined that servants who were working on certain projects, either out of fear or loyalty, had to be forced in some circumstances, at some point considering himself a slavedriver in the third Chronicle.

Bilrach’s compartmentalized section in Daemonheim has been put under protection by a cordon of security composed by specialists trained for this task in other sections. The stake of his work was capital and ultra-secret due to the strict security measures imposed by him, and also due to his brutal attitude which consisted in the systematic elimination of some  participants in his projects as part of premeditated digging operations conducted before Moia’s arrival, as described in his seventh and fourteenth Chronicles.

The reason for his ruthlessness was essentially structural as he had set up an underground empire made up of a handful of slave laborers that one could eliminate without problem when they became troublesome. The risk of espionage, leakage, sabotage and the infiltration of foreign agents into the hands of his workers and foreign soldiers were kept to a minimum by the employment of a workforce concentration for death and by the random rearrangement of floors, leaving Moia and the player as the only ones able to discover all floors.

Nadir[]

Nadir documents Moia's search for Bilrach following some unusual marks appearing around the Ritual marker. A year before the current date, Moia finds Daemonheim and manages to infiltrate the area through use of various disguises. Upon reaching the Occult floors, she starts to find portals that offer her some form of power up, boosting her life points and magical abilities.

At the end of the saga, Moia encounters Bilrach in a room with the Ritual marker. At first he is quite insane, (he cannot make a coherent sentence). His paranoia has become reinforced by the main consequences of his discoveries, which would imply that other Mahjarrat could have benefited from the fruit of his research.

After some further conversations he becomes sane, with implications that he has become possessed (characterized by his dialogue text changing in color). He explains that the portals provide a greater source of power restoration than the Ritual of the Rejuvenation does, making him far more powerful than any of the other Mahjarrat abroad, and that he is preparing to rule Gielinor once enough Mahjarrat slay each other.

Here we are very close to the image of a passionate Zamorak about the "underground" sciences, radically innovative solutions, keen on occultism and totally invested by research in esoteric magic.  As a result, his subordinates were forced into obedience to keep the truth about any breakthroughs hidden until long after his return, only laying his cards on the table when he required the trust of his other followers most in a quest.

What happens between Moia and Bilrach depends on the player's decision. Regardless of what choice they make, she will go along with him to grasp what lies beyond, both claiming their future roles in the Sixth Age.

Chelon-Mah[]

During Dishonour Among Thieves, it is revealed that Bilrach and Moia walked into the rift in order to search for Zamorak. They were torn from each other, however, and while Moia eventually found Zamorak, Bilrach ended up in Freneskae instead. It was there that he captured the last Chelon-Mah in existence, brought him back to Gielinor and sacrificed him upon his ritual marker beneath Daemonheim, causing the Strange Power incident. While he did this as justice for all the Mahjarrat he slew in the past, it allowed Bilrach to absorb all the Chelon-Mah's power, which he intended to use to bring back Zamorak. However, even this would not be enough to open a portal between the worlds.

The 18th Ritual of Rejuvenation[]

Bilrach did not attend the 18th Ritual of Rejuvenation. When speaking to Wahisietel after completing the Ritual of the Mahjarrat quest, he will discuss the strange power that occurred before Dungeoneering was released, and confirm that the strange power was "A case of the wrong Mahjarrat being in the wrong place at the wrong time.." and that it was "Such a waste of power." This hints that Bilrach perished upon reaching the rift, deep within Daemonheim. Now however, this is known to be untrue.

Sixth Age[]

After Zamorak's return to Gielinor and the Battle of Lumbridge, Bilrach has provided Zamorak with a hideout beneath Daemonheim, where he would be safe and hidden from his adversaries.

Sometime after Sliske's ascendancy, Zamorak began planning a heist to steal the Stone of Jas from Sliske. Bilrach did not participate in the heist proper, with Zamorak believing he was more useful at his side.

When the Mahjarrat began to weaken as a result of their power being drained faster than usual, they gathered at the ritual site south of Ghorrock to perform another ritual of rejuvenation. After hearing Zaros's proposal for one last ritual in Freneskae and Zamorak's urging to not listen to him, the Mahjarrat decided to travel to Freneskae since it was the only viable option they had left. While in Freneskae, Bilrach assumed his skeletal form and decreased his energy signature to be as low as possible in order to extend what time he had left.

After the ritual ended, Bilrach revealed that while the primary purpose of Daemonheim was to bring back Zamorak, it's secondary purpose was to create an army for his use. He also revealed that there is a floor in Daemonheim that only he has seen.

Post Sliske's Endgame[]

Bilrach did not take part in Sliske's Endgame. Instead, he has continued to work on an advanced program in terms of unconventional wisdom: portal magic. The majority of his latest projects are the mere descendants of his early experimentation with this relatively new form of magic, transporting monsters and resources from other realms to Daemonheim to help him in his latest efforts to revive Zamorak's depleted armed forces.

Trivia[]

Bilrach concept art

Concept art of Bilrach

Bilrach (unused)

Bilrach's unused model from Ritual of the Mahjarrat

  • Bilrach wears the same symbol that appears on the ring of kinship.
  • In Astea Frostweb's and Lexicus Runewright's journal, received in the Dungeoneering Skill, Lexicus and Astea mention Bilrach as "Bill" and that he is the master of Daemonheim. In addition, Lexicus gives the player clues as to what Daemonheim is for and more on Bilrach's nature. He mentions that Bill "believes it will be the magical discovery of a thousand lifetimes". On page six of his journal he says "Astea and I must confront him" after saying that "Bill would cast us all over into the darkest of darkness".
  • In her journal, Astea also mentions "Bill" and on page six says "Lexicus has uncovered a truth too horrible to comprehend. We must kill Bill. We go now to confront him, and end this madness." The phrase "Kill Bill" is a reference to the two-part Quentin Tarantino film and anime of the same name, or the slogan of various financial companies.
  • The last known entry in Chronicles of Bilrach was written in year 165 of the Fifth Age, 5 years before the current date in RuneScape.
  • According to the BTS of February 2013, Bilrach has sinkholes that contained his wealth and materials for his master plan.
  • Bilrach's power seems to be highly underestimated by his fellow kin. Whether or not this is a deliberate ruse by Bilrach is unknown.
  • Bilrach was first mentioned in Zemouregal's notes.
  • Bilrach had a model created for him during the development of Ritual of the Mahjarrat, but it went unused due to him not appearing in the quest. This model differs slightly to the one that was eventually used in Nadir, possessing a skeletal appearance, and some other minor differences. This model can be seen in the concept art for his Nadir appearance. It was also used for the basis of his skeletal design seen in Children of Mah.

References[]

  1. ^ Jagex. Postbag 44 - "Transcript:Postbag from the Heim.", Letter 4, by Azzanadra. RuneScape Postbags from the Hedge.
  2. ^ Wahisietel, "Wahisietel's memory", RuneScape.
  3. ^ a b Bilrach, "Bilrach's memory", RuneScape.
  4. ^ a b Jagex. Postbag 47 - "Transcript:Grumpy mermaids and sleepy dragons.", Letter 5, by Wahisietel. RuneScape Postbags from the Hedge.
  5. ^ Gram Kobold, "The Book of Sliske", RuneScape. "Icthlarin demanded that Sliske release his wights to him, so he could guide them to the underworld. When Sliske refused, Icthlarin took them by force. With a swipe of his hand, Icthlarin obliterated their ranks. Sliske narrowed his eyes and smiled. With a gesture he was gone, and Icthlarin never counted Sliske as a friend from that day."
  6. ^ Ralvash, "Ralvash's memory", RuneScape.
  7. ^ Jagex. Above the Lore - episode 4: The Secrets of Sliske Mods Osborne and Raven : "Was Sliske the first Zarosian Mahjarrat?" -"See, this is what I'd like to say... Well, after, you know, the God Emissaries story, then, I'd like to say he was." (24:24) Above the Lore podcast, 20 June 2013.
  8. ^ a b Kharshai, "Kharshai's memory", RuneScape.
  9. ^ Jhallan, "Jhallan's memory", RuneScape.
  10. ^ Bilrach, Mysterious Chronicle (Part 16), RuneScape. "I see now why He chose me as his second in command. If the creation and summoning of the mighty Tsutsaroth demon for Him wasn't a sign that I am worthy of that title, what I am doing now will be."
  11. ^ Bilrach, Mysterious chronicle (part 21), RuneScape. "I hazard to call it a disaster, but something grossly unwanted has happened. One of my portals malfunctioned and a race of troublesome creatures crept through without me noticing. They refer to themselves as the gorajo and they manoeuvred against me from the very start; their cultures despises the reanimation of the dead and the summoning of demons, it seems. The backward fools."
  12. ^ Bilrach, Mysterious chronicle (part 22), RuneScape. "Curse the gorajo! The air here is turgid with magic, and no matter how many times I close the portal to their realm, another reopens. I've decided to forge on; these pathetic creatures will pay later. I will reach the Rift soon and come back to destroy them once and for all."
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