Lowerniel Drakan/History

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The history of Lord Drakan is very extensive, not least due to the huge impact his actions in Morytania have had on Gielinor today.

History

Origins

Details regarding Lord Drakan's origins and time of birth are virtually non-existent. The earliest accounts of his existence date back to the late Second Age, but the vampyric race's enigmatic nature calls into question when he was born.

Although his origins are unknown, Lowerniel Drakan is an ancient being. When the god Zaros first left Freneskae in his thirst for knowledge, he arrived on Vampyrium after visiting Infernus. There, he applied what he had learnt from the demons to the vampyres, attempting to establish a society. Based on his comment that the resulting vampyric aristocracy still exists today, it is not impossible that Drakan and his ilk were present at this time, although this remains unconfirmed.

Regardless, Drakan is believed to have been amongst the first vampyres in Gielinor, arriving in the early Second Age from Vampyrium to aid Zaros in his conquest. Lowerniel and his siblings are likely amongst the few remaining examples of natural vampyres, as opposed to converted humans or possibly other races. Exactly how the vampyres arrived is unknown; Vanstrom Klause claims that the vampyre race's arrival predates that of the Mahjarrat, suggesting that the World Gate, which Zaros obtained from Seren only after the Mahjarrat had been brought to Gielinor, was not involved. Additionally, the power of Loarnab, used to transport the twelve demonic legions of Hostilius to Gielinor, had been depleted by that time.

Many myths exist concerning Drakan's origins. According to Histories of the Hallowland, he first surfaced during the God Wars inside Hallowvale itself:

Some reports say that he came from beneath the ground of a great castle that stands in the middle of Morytania, but reports claim that a huge city lies beneath the castle, this does not seem plausible. Yet others say that there are countless tunnels which lead into a flaming dark inferno, which it is claimed these dark creatures come from, even more unlikely.

These theories are less than likely, however.

Second Age

Allegiance to Zaros

Zaros, Drakan's master before Zamorak's betrayal.

Upon his arrival to Gielinor, Lord Drakan was amongst a number of racial factions to ally themselves with Zaros, or the Empty Lord, an exceptionally powerful deity who owned an already progressively growing empire on the mainland. In modern times, nearly all information pertaining to Zaros has been concealed by other religious groups as a result of the Zarosian Extermination; this, coupled with the immense amount of time since his reign, makes information regarding Drakan during this time very rare. He may well have held the rank of legate of tribune, thus possibly making him part of the military elite. With Drakan's assistance, Zaros's empire would continue to expand even until its very downfall.

Near the end of the Second Age, the Mahjarrat Zamorak, legatus maximus in the Army of Zaros, silently amassed the support of a number of the Empty Lord's most powerful followers. Despite Drakan's long service and contributions to the Zarosian empire, he allied himself to Zamorak and joined the rebellion, being promised the entire Icyenic kingdom of Hallowvale. However, despite the sizeable following Zamorak managed to gather, there existed no apparent way to overthrow Zaros, as his immortality made him impossible to kill.

It was only when Zamorak bought the Staff of Armadyl from a foolish thief named Rennard that a possibility emerged. The mage Dhalak, despite his devout worship of Saradomin, felt that Zaros should be removed from power, and therefore cast a spell of concealment upon the artefact, after hearing about it from Lennissa, his apprentice who was stationed as a spy amongst the Zarosians.

Rebelling against Zaros

Zamorak, now in possession of both the Staff and the Stone of Jas, formulated a plan to attack Zaros in his fortress alongside Drakan, Thammaron, Zebub, Hazeel, Zemouregal, and Viggora. The generals entered Zaros's fortress under the pretence of discussing war plans against the Saradominists and other religious factions that continued to engage in skirmishes along the nation's borders. Upon entering Zaros's throne room, Zamorak declared his victory over the Empty Lord and urged the assembled crowd to join him. At that moment, Zaros himself entered and ordered his followers to attack. Whilst Drakan and the rest engaged Zaros's bodyguards in combat, the vampyre overlord having fought the Chthonian Duke Sucellus personally, amongst others, Zamorak used the Staff to effortlessly parry Azzanadra's attack and engaged the Empty Lord himself. Zaros retaliated, but the group narrowly escaped his blows, giving Zamorak time to circle the god and impale him with the staff. Zaros, albeit weakened, duelled Zamorak and had the upper hand in the fight.

Drakan managed to hold his ground for the remainder of the battle, which ended when Zamorak was impaled upon the same staff and Zaros's powers were transferred to him just as the Mahjarrat was about to be suffocated by the Empty Lord, after a confrontation inside Zamorak's own mind. Zaros's body was destroyed and his spirit fled Gielinor to avoid death, while Zamorak, now a god, collapsed from sheer fatigue. Viggora and the other humans involved in the theft of the Staff of Armadyl were cursed to roam the Shadow Realm; while Viggora regards this to be Zaros's "death curse", stating that Zamorak's other allies were not visibly affected due to their magical essence, Lucien believes it to be a curse inherent to the Staff itself, which would mean Drakan was not affected at all.

Aftermath

Zamorak's demonic allies moved his unconscious body to Infernus where he would help the Avernic orchestrate a rebellion against the ruling Chthonians for the following nineteen years, while Saradomin and Armadyl appeared and took the Stone of Jas and the Staff of Armadyl, respectively, from Zamorak. As news of the events spread, groups of Zarosians rallied under Zamorak's banner, until a furious Azzanadra drove them out of Senntisten. However, he had insufficient forces to finish off the Zamorakian following, and Zaros's empire began to crumble as other gods started to invade. A Zamorakian religion began to develop and many theories arose about the former Mahjarrat's motivations to overthrow Zaros. However, the vampyres have always stated themselves to be godless and emphasise how their contribution to the rebellion was invaluable, viewing themselves as Zamorak's allies as much as he was theirs.

Eventually, Zamorak returned, followed by immense Avernic armies. Upon noticing the Stone of Jas had been confiscated from him, he claimed Zaros' former territory for himself and declared war on Saradomin and the other deities. Thus, the infamous and cataclysmic God Wars began, which would last for approximately four millennia.

Third Age

Invasion of Hallowvale

Lord Drakan entered the Third Age intent on claiming his reward for his aid in the rebellion: to conquer Hallowvale, the lush kingdom south-east of Kharyrll.

Hallowvale contained amongst the few true civilisations to survive into the early Third Age. The region's temperate climate, arable soil, and ideal location along the coast of the Eastern Sea made it one of the most prosperous civilisations in Gielinorian history. The Saradominist Icyene, who had been brought to Gielinor from New Domina by Saradomin in the Second Age, had lived in harmony with the area's human population since kingdom's foundation some eight centuries earlier, led by Queen Efaritay, along with her husband Ascertes.

Details regarding the Fall of Hallowvale remain scarce. The Icyenic fought back with considerable force, possessing powers harmful to vampyres. However, Drakan managed to capture Ascertes. Her husband taken hostage, Queen Efaritay was forced to surrender herself in an effort to save him, thus ending the days of Hallowvale. Queen Efaritay was taken prisoner while Ascertes was turned into a vampyre.

Although some of the inhabitants of Hallowvale were able to escape, some would come under Drakan's rule. To save themselves from him, they engaged in a special ritual, effectively ensuring a safe passage of their soul to the afterlife when they would eventually die.

Drakan was well aware of the existence of Efaritay's son, Safalaan, effectively the last Icyene of Hallowed name left. Drakan sought his elimination and, at an unknown point in time, tasked one of his closest vampyres, a cruel and powerful noble named Vanstrom Klause, to track down the young Safalaan and kill him. Safalaan somehow managed to evade Vanstrom, and has survived the Third, Fourth and Fifth Ages, although with increasing difficulty.

Establishing Morytania

The immense castle where the Drakans reside.

Upon capturing Hallowvale, Drakan claimed the Hallows' castle and appointed himself dictator of the region, quickly establishing a solid totalitarian government consisting of members of House Drakan. Drakan oversaw the first of many historical censorships, renaming Hallowvale Morytania, and splitting its capital into Meiyerditch and Darkmeyer, dubbing the south-eastern portions of the nation the Sanguinesti Region. Hallowvale's castle, formerly the home of Ascertes and Efaritay, was renamed Castle Drakan and made the home of much of the vampyric nobility and was appropriately adorned. Much of the region's land was divided into smaller territories granted to nobility such as Malak and Dessous, although most of this land is no longer used. Some structures, such as the subterranean ruins in south-western Morytania, may have been commissioned by Drakan during this time. It appears the Sanguinesti cities were built directly over Hallowvale's capital; ruins of old Saradominist temples still remain deep underground.

Darkmeyer, the new capital of Morytania.

Drakan, through unknown magical means, brought a permanent veil of storm clouds over much of the region, permanently blocking out the sun and bringing in rains so heavy that the once forested land of Humblethorn gradually became a largely impassable swamp, and the lush woodland Hallowglade turned into a vampyre-infested deadland. In some areas, such as west of what is now Port Phasmatys, flood waters rose to such heights that passage was virtually impossible.

Modern day Mort Myre, an atrocious swamp in the dark lands of Drakan.

The centre of Morytania, now known as Mort Myre Swamp, became uninhabitable, haunted by starved ghasts seeking nourishment. The flora and fauna native to Hallowvale were forced to undergo drastic evolutionary mutations to survive; some, such as Hirudinea acidia and Achatina acidia giganteus, have since grown to sizes ranging from several to hundreds of times their previous size that may be related to pollutants in the area's water, or sheer magical corruption. Some species, such as the elusive nail beasts native to Mort Myre Swamp, possess no discernible origin. The thick fog that now covers Morytania is dense enough to filter the light in eastern Misthalin during sunrise, effectively bathing the land in perpetual darkness. North of the Sanguinesti and east of Mort Myre, feral, ravenous vampyres stalked what are today known as the Haunted Woods.

Over the course of the following centuries, the vampyres would also valiantly attempt to eradicate the Blisterwood Trees that grew in Morytania. The magical wood's morphing nature allowed it to constantly change shape and thus bypass the vampyres' mind-reading abilities, which normally prevent them from being hurt since they can predict every attack, thus potentially providing material that could harm vampyres. Eventually, the tree disappeared from the lands and the vampyres thought it to have gone extinct.

In the north-west of the continent, just next to Forinthry's former border, the tainted swamp gradually began taking over the huge fortress that stood there. It was once a great castle owned by General Viggora, but after it was built, its foundations soon began to sink into the already swampy ground, which led Zaros' others generals to dub the fortress Viggora's Folly. After the demise of Viggora due to the mysterious curse, the fortress was abandoned. Drakan's manipulation of the lands appears to have accelerated the castle's dilapidation, adding to the eerie reputation of the area. Some time after, a Zamorakian mage of unknown origin discovered the castle and began to form armies for Zamorak in it during the God Wars. Groups of bloodveld, gargoyles, diverse kinds of undead and even abyssal demons, amongst others, were spawned in the name of chaos. Drakan did not seem to see any harm in this, or did not notice it and the castle remained as it was.

Living conditions in Meiyerditch have caused thousands of deaths.

The native humans and possibly Icyene that survived Drakan's invasion were quickly suppressed. In order to maintain control, the vampyres established the Vyrewatch, a brutal police force whose mind-reading abilities mean they are immune to conventional weaponry. The Vyrewatch appear to be made largely of vampyres converted from other races, as cremation of their slain bodies provides access to the worldy possessions of those Saradominists who had participated in the ritual to secure their souls' safety earlier. They would patrol Meiyerditch, which was built as a maze-like blood-farming ghetto with no evident way out. All previously existing entrances were sealed, leaving the city virtually inescapable. Meanwhile, the vampyres themselves inhabited Darkmeyer, while the highest of their nobility lived in Castle Drakan itself.

Bloodfarming

As Drakan solidified his control over Morytania, the living conditions of humans under his rule continued to deteriorate. Survival outside of Sanguinesti itself became virtually impossible; the hostile elements of the swamplands and aggressive followers of Drakan gradually eliminated any seeking to escape his control. The layout of Meiyerditch allowed Drakan to manage the city's inhabitants with unprecedented ease. The Vyrewatch patrolling the city were capable of flight, and as such needed no pathways, entrances, or ground-level transport to mobilise. Those thousands of humans on the ground, however, found themselves in a high-rise ghetto where structures were deliberately built to make movement nearly impossible. As a result, Meiyerditch has virtually no infrastructure whatsoever. The ghetto itself was likely built by those humans forced to inhabit it, as they are known to clean it up today if they have sufficient strength.

Prior to conquering Hallowvale, the vampyric race was forced to survive by hunting and consuming the blood of their prey. Drakan, now presiding over the majority of Morytania's human population, saw an opportunity to eliminate the need for hunting. Drakan invented bloodfarming, a method by which his race could obtain nourishment continuously and easily. This systematic method of taxation continues to exist today.

Tall and feebly constructed flats make intersectoral navigation very hard.

Meiyerditch was divided into six sectors, each roughly square and making up a sixth of a grid-like pattern that covered the whole of the city. Each sector was isolated from the others through barricades and strategic construction, although more physically able residents could manage to cross sector borders with some effort. The populace of each section of the city was forced to give blood tithes as a form of tax. To control the amount of deaths in victims, Drakan created a system in which the sectors are tithed in rotational order, allowing residents to replenish themselves enough for the next payment. The means by which these tithes are extracted have varied over time from simply making incisions on the victim's body and collecting the blood in containers to more experimental methods that the vampyres have studied but never perfected. The Vyrewatch were and are primarily responsible for farming the ghetto's citizens, and are permitted to take tithes from residents for personal sustenance at any time. The bloodfarming became overseen by tithe masters such as Von Blott. Out of fear for the vampyres and to protect themselves, some humans resorted to seeking employment with the tithe masters, collecting tithes themselves in return for moderate safety. An infamous example of a human tither in recent times was Gadderanks, who attempted to protect his family.

The effects of bloodfarming on the residents of Meiyerditch immediately proved disastrous. Although extremely small youth seem to be exempt from tithing, even young children are forced to pay blood to the Vyrewatch. The majority of the city's residents developed anemia, leaving the majority of the populace perpetually fatigued, weak, and ill. Additionally, the Vyrewatch's methods were often brutal and violent, with mass slaughter and sadism not being uncommon. Drakan, considering humanity little more than cattle, paid little attention to living conditions within Meiyerditch, allowing the city's water supply to become contaminated with toxins similar to those in Mort Myre. Food, clothing, and suitable shelter have become increasingly rare, and thousands have died within the ghetto's wall from violence, the effects of blood tithing, and the elements.

The Morytania Campaign

In the late Third Age, Drakan witnessed a large invasion on the Morytanian homefront. The Morytania Campaign was the first organised attempt by Saradominist forces outside Morytania to remove Lord Drakan from power, although more would follow in later ages. Exact details regarding the campaign are few, but a rough overview is given in both The Fall of Six now kept in Varrock Palace Library and the Legend of the Brothers, an old tome owned by a strange old man near the modern day Barrows site.

The six brothers who led the campaign, from left to right Karil, Verac, Guthan, Dharok, Torag and Ahrim.

Although the campaign was led by Saradominist forces who had previously fought south of Forinthry, the devious Zarosian Mahjarrat Sliske would play a key role. According to the story, he visited the six brethren of warriors who would lead the crusade and gave each a set of powerful armour and weapons with special powers and urged them to invade and liberate Morytania.

The brothers, known as Dharok, Karil, Verac, Ahrim, Torag, and Guthan, gathered a powerful army and led a military campaign into Morytania across the River Salve, presumably through Silvarea. Drakan responded by sending wave upon wave of his forces at the invaders for over a year, resulting in many casualties in both armies. However, the armour the commanders wore, coupled with their natural ability, was strong enough to make the brothers nearly invincible. Upon nearing the walls of the Sanguinesti Region, Drakan's forces attacked with even greater valiance, and the brothers came to sustain more severe injuries, with Sliske watching from the shadows. They were not as strong anymore, and failed to inflict sufficient damage or avoid attacks.

The Barrows mounds in their current state, the brothers' spirits lurking beneath.

Eventually they were fatally wounded and died in the camp the same night, their followers constructing an elaborate set of crypts near Meiyerditch. Drakan saw that those survivors were mocked and abused for the six days they built the burial site before they buried the fallen brothers and embarked on their retreat, with few making it out of Morytania unharmed. As the army left, Sliske returned to the burial site, casting a curse upon the corpses of the brothers, binding their souls to his will.

According to a book in Vampyrium's Castle Drakan, Sliske wanted the burial mounds and bargained a deal with Drakan, who accepted his offer. It is unknown if Drakan obtained anything from his deal with him.

Thus the Morytania Campaign ended in decisive victory for Drakan and his authority was asserted once more.

Remainder of the God Wars

Zamorak's Fortress today, where remnants of Drakan's Third Age following still do battle.

Near the end of the God Wars, a garrison of Saradominist loyalists established an outpost on Dragontooth Island off the coast of eastern Morytania. The military outpost was a threat to Morytania's borders and was the closest permanent non-Morytanian settlement outside the region. It was only at the end of the God Wars or soon after that the entire garrison was completely wiped out, possibly on Drakan's orders.

Lord Drakan seems to have remained somewhat involved beyond the Salve even until the end of the God Wars, judging by the races present during the Battle for the Godsword beneath the Temple of Lost Ancients. The Zamorakian ranks include vampyre troops, apparently of the ravenous type, suggesting that the god of chaos sought military aid from Morytania when the other major warring gods allied to kill him. Shortly before the God Wars would end, the Guthixian sorcerer Aeternam magically froze the dungeon, cryogenically trapping the troops within, the vampyres included. It was not until the late Fifth Age that tectonic activity would cause the dungeon and its armies to thaw.

Shortly afterwards, Zamorak's cataclysmic destruction of Forinthry caused Guthix to awaken, upon which he cast out the warring gods, hid some of the abused Elder Artefacts and appointed the Guardians of Guthix, and established his Edicts to keep the warmongers out.

Fourth Age

The Misthalin - Morytania War

For the first 1,000 years of the Fourth Age, Drakan's rule of Morytania was relatively straightforward. Bloodfarming continued to grow in efficiency and any opposition was defeated. It was not until approximately the year 1100 that Drakan set his sights on Misthalin, a recently founded kingdom bordering Morytania.

A Saradominist beacon amidst the gloom of Morytania.

He assembled his army and attacked Misthalin. Many from the kingdom gathered to retaliate and they managed to slow down Drakan's invasion, although nothing could stop him from eventually reaching the capital, Avarrocka.

Paterdomus's central burial chamber, where six of the Seven Priestly Warriors were buried.

The Misthalin - Morytania War would last for a century, until seven devout Saradominists from various townships in Misthalin united as the Seven Priestly Warriors to fight the invading forces. Led by Erysail the Pious, Ivandis Seergaze, Iriandul Caistlyn, Sarl Dunegun, Derygull Templeton, Friar Twiblick, and Essiandar Gar led the Misthalanian army at the First Battle of the Salve in the Silvarea mountain pass, along with the four eldest of the Five Princes of Misthalin: Tenebra, Bran, Hywell and Henry.

Thanks to the efforts of the seven warrior-priests, Drakan's army was eventually pushed back to Morytania, across the River Salve. They then magically enchanted the river to function as a holy barrier, thus trapping the vampyres and their followers inside Morytania. Six of the seven priests were killed in the final sweep of Drakan's forces, leaving only Seergaze to lead an unsuccessful final campaign alongside soldiers such as Keorgius Feryis into Morytania. The Temple Paterdomus was built over the Salve's point of origin as a means of monitoring the border and monuments for the seven warriors were erected below. Princes Bran, Henry and Hywell had also fallen in battle, while Tenebra had gone missing and was presumed dead. In reality, however, he was vampyrised and tormented by Vanescula, becoming the 'Black Prince' and taking residence in Castle Drakan. During the Battle of the Salve, Lowerniel's brother Victor was cast out, now leaving him trapped in Misthalin with his servant Ruantun.

Mining Operations

The discovery of crystal outcrops led Drakan to initiate a civilian massacre.

Soon after the end of the war with Misthalin, the now blessed water of the River Salve that flooded the lower levels of the Mort Ridge Mines, a massive cave complex in south-western Morytania where valuable resources were being extracted, resulted in the growth of purple crystal outcrops in the caves. Created by the blessing of the Saradominist priests, these Salve crystals contained power against dark creatures, undead in particular, within them.

According to Saradominist legend, the crystals used to be protected by a Zamorakian sorcerer named Treus Dayth. Nevertheless, a group of Saradominists managed to gain access to the Salve crystal and obtain some after slaying the guardian. To this, Zamorak himself cursed Dayth, and his soul was bound to the mines. The accuracy of this tale is open to debate, as Zamorak would not have been able to interfere so actively with the world due to the Guthixian Edicts. It is likelier that Lord Drakan or another powerful vampyre was responsible for Dayth's curse, whose existence as a powerful undead spirit is fact, although he would be defeated by an adventurer in the late Fifth Age.

Either way, at the same time that Treus Dayth became a tortured ghost, Lord Drakan ceased all mining operations in Mort Ridge and had all the workers within brutally massacred in an effort to prevent the Salve crystal from being obtained. The violent death of the miners left their aggressive spirits bound to the mine, making it one of the most haunted sites in the world. The mine would remain abandoned for a significant amount of time, until the necromancer Tarn Razorlor and his undead following searched the mine and established a base in Tarn's hunt for the crystals and other riches.

Misthalanian Settlers

The castle of the north coast as it looks today; dilapidated.

In 1777 of the Fourth Age, Morytania saw a massive immigration of human settlers from modern-day Misthalin and Asgarnia. The last contact with Morytania had been more than 500 years ago, during the Misthalin - Morytania War, and as a result, Morytania's fearsome reputation was dismissed by many as exaggerated. The settlers, seeking refuge from the various monsters roaming the land, travelled through Paterdomus and rapidly established numerous settlements, the largest of which were Port Phasmatys and the Lordship of the North Coast.

A map on display in the Varrock Museum depicting the settlers' routes.

Drakan's gradual withdrawal from the northern reaches of Morytania and focus on affairs in the Sanguinesti Region meant that settlers found a seemingly uninhabited region with no obvious threats. Beyond the Salve, human settlements were constantly struggling with races such as goblins, hobgoblins, and giants, making life extremely uncertain for those living in small villages. Northern Morytania rapidly developed, making it apparently safer than most of Misthalin and Asgarnia at the time.

Port Phasmatys rapidly became a thriving trading hub and cultural melting pot, trading with the Eastern Wushanko Archipelago and tropical islands to the south-east and rivalling the ports of Menaphos and Port Lina in size. The Lordship of the North Coast was perhaps the largest of the settlements, building itself around the recently abandoned castle of Charos. Charos, a close human advisor of Drakan, had, in the early Fourth Age, used his mind-bending powers on Drakan's victims to extract information, making him valued to the vampyre overlord. Out of selfishness, he at some point attempted to use his powers, concentrated in his ring, to control his master. This was his largest mistake, since only the weak-willed could be manipulated, and Drakan was everything but weak-willed. This betrayal angered the vampyric overlord, leading to Charos' death or imprisonment and leaving his castle abandoned.

Drakan's focus on Sanguinesti meant that the human settlers, despite introducing a level of commerce not seen in the region since Hallowvale's peak, were not noticed for nearly 250 years. Drakan's fearsome reputation diminished as the humans of Morytania benefitted from a peaceful lifestyle and word spread beyond the Salve that conditions in Morytania were at times better than those outside the region, despite the harsh conditions and disgusting environment.

Fifth Age

Reclaiming Morytania

Canifis, the largest known werewolf settlement in Morytania.

In the year 23 of the Fifth Age, Lord Drakan became aware of the human development that was rapidly spreading across Morytania. Temporarily turning his attention from Sanguinesti, Drakan sent groups of vampyres into these settlements, each instructed to take blood tithes from them. The panicking settlers were caught completely off-guard to find that the vampyric race existed in such numbers, eventually leaving them no choice but to comply with the tithes. Werewolves founded the village Canifis east of Paterdomus, and Drakan instated Lord Malak as its governor.

Gradually, every settlement in Morytania was forced to accommodate the tax. The Lordship of the North Coast resisted, however, as leaders such as Lord Rolomere, Lord Rologray and Lord Rolovanne refused to bow to Drakan's rule. Over the course of the Fifth Age, however, the lordship began to crumble as people fled to Misthalin or were killed due to the actions of the treacherous Dr Fenkenstrain, which eventually led to the death of Rologarth, last Lord of the North Coast.

Necrovarus' small temple where he keeps his Ectofuntus.

Meanwhile, Port Phasmatys's trade with the Eastern Lands and islands such as Harmony, Mos Le'Harmless, and others was compromised severely by the tithing. Residents began to leave Phasmatys to avoid tithing, and trade dwindled. The port's residents were forced to enlist the assistance of Necrovarus, an Eastern mage who encouraged the residents of Port Phasmatys to dig below their town, where they discovered a large deposit of ectoplasm. Using this, Necrovarus built the Ectofuntus, creating a barrier locking the vampyres out but also trapping the souls of those inside. Their minds possessed by the Ectopower, the town's inhabitants soon began to die and Necrovarus' true intentions emerged when it turned out nobody that died was able to pass on, lingering on as a ghost, which completely stagnated trade and quickly earned the town the nickname of 'ghost port'.

Mort'ton appears to have complied with the tithe, but when a mysterious affliction overtook the village, likely as a result from strange mists coming from Castle Drakan, the blood of its people was made toxic to the vampyres. Efforts by pharmacists such as Herbi Flax and his assistant Liornish Stemplehair to cure the affliction came too late, and tithing of the settlement was mostly abandoned. Soon, the entire residence was turned into senseless afflicted zombies and the vampyres decided to leave them alone, mostly for their own safety.

By the end of the Fifth Age nearly all of Morytania was controlled by Drakan. Apart from Port Phasmatys, only Burgh de Rott, a poor town created and inhabited by those few refugees that had managed to escape the Sanguinesti Region and crossed what once was the prosperous Hallowglade, evaded his direct control, although its living conditions were hardly better than those in Meiyerditch, other than the absence of tithing.

Around the end of the first century of the Fifth Age, however, a new Blisterwood Tree sprouted in upper Darkmeyer, to the vampyres' shock. Lord Drakan valiantly attempted to destroy it, but to no avail. Eventually, he had a large machine built next to it that would sap the energy from the tree, thus keeping it at bay. The building it was growing in was turned into a large arboretum, locked to all but the most noble vampyres.

Sanguinesti oppression

In roughly the 150s or 160s, Drakan imposed further laws and demands on the people of Meiyerditch, whose population had grown as result of tithing outside the city. Drakan oversaw the complete shutdown of the ghetto's human-run market, destroying what few businesses existed in the area. The Sanguinesti black market would manage to escape this however, as residents such as Trader Sven and the Old Man Ral avoided notice. Private businesses such as Trakerel's Fish Shop or the Skull in a Chest Inn were forced to close.

The Daeyalt ore mine in northern Meiyerditch.

Meanwhile, Drakan continued exploitation of the daeyalt mines beneath the city. Using slave labour from those throughout the region to mine the daeyalt, he would have it processed in a city-sized, underground refinery plant for the ore. What the daeyalt ore is being used for remains a closely guarded secret, although it is believed to possess magical properties. This could possibly be related to the Stone of Jas, an extremely powerful artefact suspected to have resided in Morytania at some point, seeing that the area exhibits very similar traces to the ones the Stone left on Lunar Isle and the Ancient Guthix Temple.

The since abandoned laboratory.

The most infamous of Drakan's developments during this time was the Meiyerditch blood laboratory. The lab had been designed by Drakan and his scientists in an effort to find new ways of extracting blood tithes, which the House hoped to be obtained more rapidly through these ways. Claiming the lab was being used to develop methods of improving living conditions in the ghetto, Drakan ordered the capture or recruitment of many resident humans to work in the lab.

Those humans physically and mentally fit for more technical labour assisted the vampyres in the study of haemalchemy, a little-known branch of science they did not fully understand. Those unfit for lab work were taken to a secret cavern adjacent to the lab, where human experimentation was overseen by haemalchemists. Work performed in the caves featured a variety of cages, restraining devices, and precision surgical tools. Several disfigured human corpses are still present.

Several years ago, the blood labs were abruptly shut down and the majority of its workers hunted down and presumably slain on Drakan's orders. Mauritys Guile, father of Vanescula's servant Sarius, is the only man known to have escaped this fate, at least initially. The exact reasons for the sudden shutdown of the laboratory for years remained unknown, and existence of the laboratory was covered up. The reason for this was the haemalchemical discovery that vampyres can survive without the consumption of blood. That discovery itself could bring down the entire vampyre society, for it would mean the ghetto could be disbanded. The laboratories were henceforth destroyed and the research was obliterated. However, word of the lab's existence escaped through secret messages left by Mauritys.

Over the course of the following years, Lord Drakan retreated into his castle more and more until he wasn't seen by the public anymore. Instead, he become focused on the Stone of Jas, and Ranis and Vanescula effectively came to rule the Sanguinesti Region.

The Myreque and the Sanguinesti Liberation War

In the late Fifth Age, a rebel group known as the Myreque emerged in the Sanguinesti Region. Although they were not the first to challenge Drakan from within, they have since proven to be the most successful. Under the leadership of the lieutenants Safalaan Hallow and Veliaf Hurtz and the mysterious leader Calsidiu, the Myreque established a complex but initially feeble resistance effort throughout Morytania. Under Calsidiu's orders, his lieutenants secretly gathered different kinds of people to join the resistance, mostly from the Sanguinesti Region itself. The group is split into multiple factions: most notably the Mort Myre division, hidden under 'The Hollows', a Sanguinesti division, hidden in a base beneath Meiyerditch, and a larger group encompassing many refugees as well based on Hope Rock. Occasionally, the poorly armed Myreque fighters would exit their base to help refugees, scavenge food or fight weak vampyres, but they always did so in grave danger and had to retreat quickly. While Drakan initially sent vampyres after them, he soon realised that they were little to no threat and stopped paying attention to it. In the 160s, Vanstrom Klause disguised himself as a human and infiltrated the Myreque, although he left shortly before the Second Battle of the Salve would take place, working for Tenebra until his demise.

In 169, a group of Zamorakian activists stormed the Paterdomus temple. The Occupation of Paterdomus was quick a battle - the Saradominist priests were not able to defend themselves and the Zamorakian monks killed all but a handful, including the head priest Drezel, who was imprisoned next to a powerful vampyre's coffin, before ravaging the temple. Unable to bypass Cerberus, the temple guard dog, they decided to lurk in the temple until an opportunity arose. When Varrock sent an adventurer to check on the safety of Drezel, from whom the king had not heard in a while, the Zamorakians tricked them into killing Cerberus. After realising their mistake, they freed Drezel and reinforced the holy barrier that protected the temple from Morytanian invasions, in a similar manner to how Tenebra's weakening of the barrier was reversed at the Second Battle of the Salve, and a new guard dog, Lycurgus, was placed. Paterdomus remained in Zamorakian hands, however.

That same year, development in Morytania itself commenced, for the Myreque would book several successes. Initially, however, they suffered greatly due to lack of resources and manpower. This, coupled with Vanstrom Klause's hitherto unsuccessful attempts to capture Efaritay's son Safalaan, and the young aspiring priest Ivan Strom, meant the Myreque were hardly able to achieve anything. In 169, however, Vanstrom disguised himself as a human once more and went to the Hair of the Dog tavern in Canifis, waiting for an opportunity. The opportunity soon arrived in the form of the same adventurer who had freed Drezel, whom he convinced to be a friend of the Myreque before asking them to deliver weapons to the group, claiming that they were unable to defend themselves, Vanstrom not knowing the location of the base himself. As the adventurer made with the weapons and travelled through Mort Myre before finding the Myreque, Vanstrom followed them in the shadows and revealed himself when they arrived at their base under the swamp. He entered the cavern and killed two members of the Myreque, Sani Piliu and Harold Evans, before leaving his skeleton hellhound to finish off the others and leaving. The adventurer saw their mistake, killed the hellhound and asked Veliaf to join the Myreque.

A small victory for Drakan: the refugee town Burgh de Rott is discovered.

Their base had been exposed, leaving the Myreque no choice but to relocate. With the help of the adventurer that Vanstrom had manipulated, the order decided to seek safety in Burgh de Rott after the adventurer had cleaned up the town. The town had not been discovered by the vampyres yet, because it was hidden from sight by the dense woods nearby, which were once the prosperous woodland of Hallowglade. When the adventurer restored a broken furnace during their attempts to aid the village, however, the resulting smoke drew the attention of Vanstrom, who was having an argument with Gadderanks - a human tithe collector. Gadderanks complained about not being able to find enough tithes when Vanstrom smelt the smoke, and henceforth ordered him to tithe the village population. After fending off Gadderanks, who revealed the ingredients of a potion harmful to vampyres upon death, the Mort Myre Myreque settled in a base under the town. Following Gadderanks' death, his wife Maria, whom he was trying to keep alive by supporting the vampyres, was imprisoned in Darkmeyer, likely on orders of either Vanstrom or Drakan.

That same year, the adventurer entered the Draynor Manor, a spooky mansion near Draynor Village, and slew Drakan's brother Victor, who was extremely weak due to having crossed the Salve so many years ago. Apparently, Lowerniel was not angered by this, the opposite if anything. Back in Morytania, the vampyre lord Dessous was murdered by the same adventurer in exchange for the blood diamond from Malak, who desired Dessous' land.

Strengthening of the Myreque

The adventurer, using clues found in a secret library under Paterdomus, found the tomb of Ivandis Seergaze, the only of the Priestly Warriors who had been buried inside Morytania, and made a replica of his battle rod, which has the power to hold weakened vampyres suspended in the air. They also brew a Guthix balance potion based on Gadderanks' instructions, which is used to kill vampyres, convert them back to humans or enrage them. With this weapon, the Myreque were able to fight and defeat the lower-ranked vampyres, although the vyrewatch were still impervious to it due to their mind-reading abilities, which enable them to predict and thus dodge any weapon's attack. Veliaf became worried, however, about his allies in Meiyerditch.

Two werewolves in Silvarea with a to-be-tithed victim.

The adventurer sailed around "The Great Vyre Wall", infiltrated Meiyerditch, and, with the help of Myreque associate Old Man Ral, evaded the vyrewatch and found the base of the Sanguinesti Order of the Myreque. They were met by second-in-command Vertida Sefalatis and proceeded to locate Safalaan, who was sketching Castle Drakan on a reconnaissance mission. The adventurer took over the mission and spotted a conversation between Vanescula, Ranis and Vanstrom while at it. As they were about the return to the base, Vanstrom attacked and nearly killed them, but he was narrowly stopped by the human servant of Vanescula, whom the latter had sent, Sarius Guile. Sarius directed them to a certain house where her father, Mauritys, had hidden letters about the secret laboratory. After reporting to Safalaan, the laboratory, which Drakan had so attempted to conceal, was discovered, and the adventurer took a book on haemalchemy from there.

Concurrently, the adventurer had attempted to recruit the military support of King Roald Remanis III of Misthalin by requesting an army to liberate Morytania. While the king initially showed sympathy for the plan, his advisor Aeonisig Raispher warned that the Edicts of Guthix did not allow such a conflict to be and after a long conversation, Roald sadly agreed to only establish a Mercenary Protocol that would help from Burgh se Rott. Furthermore, the threat of both Morytanian and Wilderness-based invasion prompted the construction of a Beacon Network spanning from Silvarea to the Frozen Waste Plateau. Meanwhile, werewolves have reportedly attacked travellers in Silvarea to pay their blood tithe quota, evidently having found a way across the Salve.

An anti-edicts group plotting to manipulate Morytania.

When they returned to Morytania some time later, a mercenary warrior of the recently established protocol enlisted the adventurer to escort them to Burgh de Rott. They also advised them to investigate Paterdomus, since strange occurrences had been spotted. The adventurer did so and, on the top floor of the temple, discovered a splinter group containing both Zamorakians and Saradominists making plans to remove the Edicts of Guthix. The group spotted the eavesdropper and sent two bodyguards - Fistandantilus and Zaromark Sliver - to kill them before teleporting away, but these were defeated. The mercenary was then escorted to Burgh de Rott, where they revealed themselves to be Ivan Strom, a member of the Myreque said to have special talents who had been sent to Paterdomus by Veliaf after Vanstrom's initial attack and who wished to reconciliate.

While investigating the abandoned laboratory and its dungeons with Safalaan, Andiess Juip and Kael Forshaw, the adventurer stumbled upon strange ruins, which turned out to be the runecrafting altar of blood. Two vyrewatch caught eye of this and flew in through a hole in the ceiling before killing Andiess and making Kael retreat. They fought the adventurer and Safalaan and, impervious to all attacks, seemed undefeatable. However, Safalaan, as he grew weaker, suddenly began to emit a pulsing light before causing an explosion of energy, scaring off the vyres and exhausting himself. He recovered at the base and, unable to comprehend what had happened, wished to forge a weapon that could harm the vyrewatch. The two vyrewatch that had assaulted the group reported to either Drakan or Vanstrom. Either way, the latter realised Safalaan was coming of age and his powers were almost at their peak and about to reveal themselves, which meant he had to speed up the hunt. When Vanescula got ear of this, she immediately took interest and ordered the Meiyerditch vyres to leave the adventurer alone from then on so that she could come into contact with Safalaan.

The adventurer helped to find the vampyre race's weakness with the help of Safalaan's scholar and scientist Flaygian Screwte. They managed to bypass the Vyrewatch's mind-reading ability by creating a silvthril chain and attaching it to a blessed, gem-encrusted silver sickle and the other end to the rod of Ivandis, thus creating the Ivandis flail, which is so unpredictable that the mind-reading abilities of the vyrewatch are nullified, effectively enabling the Myreque to damage them.

Drakan, realising the Myreque were becoming a serious threat, took drastic measures. First, he gave Vanstrom further power and tasked him with destroying not only Safalaan, but the entire Myreque. He also made communication between the two factions nearly impossible and had all messages coming in or out of Meiyerditch intercepted, cornering the organisation. In addition, a group of vyrewatch, independent from Drakan, went rogue and began killing and tithing sprees in Meiyerditch and Burgh de Rott. One of their victims was the ill refugee Marius, who was brutally slain in his sleep.

Treason within the Drakans

Drakan loses his second brother, this time to Vanescula.

After this, Drakan retreated into his castle once more. There, his obsession with the Stone of Jas, details of which remain unknown, grew. He almost completely left the reign of Morytania in the hands of his siblings, greatly annoying Vanescula. Lowerniel's sister formed her own plot to betray her brother. She decided to assist the Myreque in defeating the other Drakans and liberating Meiyerditch and abandon the blood tithing. Or at least, she claimed so in a letter addressed to Safalaan, in whom she had taken great interest. One night, Vanescula sneaked into Burgh de Rott and opened a tunnel to a small, underground crypt, which contained many symbols of House Drakan, a coffin with a mysterious medallion and a decaying tome mentioning Queen Efaritay. The tome contained wording similar to that on a plaque in the basement of the local inn, where the Myreque were located. She left a message there addressed to Safalaan and signed it with 'V'.

Veliaf assumed the V to stand for Vanstrom, however, and urged the adventurer to alert the Sanguinesti division and bring them provisions while at it. They decided that it was too dangerous to send Safalaan alone and sent the adventurer, Mekritus and Vertida instead. After an encounter with rogue vyres, they met a girl called Nessie who claimed to have been sent by Vanstrom. She quickly revealed her true identity as Vanescula, however, and told the adventurer about her brother's obsession with the strange rock and that she wished to usurp him. She gave a proposal to deliver to Safalaan and also told them about the Blisterwood Tree in Darkmeyer and suggested to infiltrate the city disguised as a vampyre with her help, build up a reputation, enter the arboretum and fletch blisterwood weapons.

The demise of Vanstrom Klause.

Safalaan read Vanescula's offer and agreed to the plan. The adventurer entered Darkmeyer, obtained a disguise and eventually got access to the upper district of the city, where they pledged fealty to the Drakans. As they were about to enter the arboretum, however, Ranis stopped them, suspecting something, but eventually let them through. The adventurer bypassed Drakan's security system and healed the tree before making some weapons from its logs. At that point, Ranis stormed into the arboretum, having found out about the infiltrator's true identity, and demanded that they come out. Vanescula also entered at that point and, as Ranis was about to explain the situation, she swiftly killed him. She decided to blame it on the Myreque, and then informed the adventurer that Vanstrom had discovered the location of the Myreque base. The adventurer immediately returned there to inform Safalaan, but he turned out to be absent.

An emergency meeting was conducted and the adventurer was sent to kill Vanstrom using the new blisterwood weapons. After an immensely tough battle, Vanstrom gave in and, using his last ounce of strength, exploded while summoning a dozen bloodveld guardians to finish off his opponent. Vanescula and Sarius arrived and the vampyre killed the bloodveld. Sarius then revealed that her father Mauritys had been a member of the Myreque, meaning she was able to escort the adventurer, who had passed out, to the base. Meanwhile, Vanescula destroyed Vanstrom's notes. She flew to the south of Meiyerditch, at the end of the vyrewall, where Safalaan was being threatened by vyrewatch. She sent them away and told Safalaan that "they [would] start when he [would] get back." Safalaan then boarded a boat and left to an unknown location.

Lowerniel has since been informed of these events and is furious, supposedly placing a price on the head of the "rogue Myreque agent" in the form of a vat of blood, who killed Vanstrom and his brother Ranis, unaware that Vanescula was responsible for the latter.

Last stand and downfall

Drakan appears in The Lord of Vampyrium, forced to come out after several incidents that had happened in his absence. After the player gets favour with the true vampyres, he appears and calls for Vanescula and her personal guard. He asks the adventurer some questions regarding about Vanstrom, the humans and the creation of the vyrewatch. He agrees with the adventurer's decision about freeing the humans and stopping the creation of vyrewatch, to Vanescula's shock. Drakan manages to detect the player through their disguise, and can decide if the Myreque should attack or attempt to leave. If the Myreque attack, they will attack him to no avail and he grabs Safalaan, who glows brightly, weakening him but knocking out everyone else. As a result of Vanescula's treachery, he orders the Myreque agents to be placed in the cellars while Vanescula, Mornid and two other vyrewatch into the bloodletter chamber for punishment.

As the group attempts to leave the tower, Lowerniel appears before them and summons three Venators, one of which kills Kael. To enjoy the hunt, even on his own sister, he throws the Sunspear at Mornid, killing her. He orders his Venators to hunt down the group, but they manage to repel their attacks. As they reach a fourth seal, which is activated when the three seals in the siblings' rooms are open, the adventurer enters his room and activates his seal. Drakan appears from a mist cloud and kills Radigad as the player attempts to leave his room.

Lowerniel finally meets his demise by the hand of the Myreque lieutenant.

Upon unlocking the fourth seal, the remaining survivors head to the roof where they find themselves in the vampyre world of Vampyrium. Lowerniel, still persistent on the hunt, watches as the Venators attack the group. After they die, he personally fights the player, who has the assistance of Veliaf, Safalaan and Vertida. As he finds that the group is persistent, he transforms into a cloud of mist and kills Vertida. They manage to repel his attacks and return to Gielinor, but Lowerniel is still surviving and bursts through the portal, sending Polmafi into the portal, presumably killing him.

After he is defeated, the adventurer ends Lowerniel's life, although he tells them that Vanescula is not to be trusted and he has no regrets before he dies.

Post-quest dialogue with Sentinel Plaguemanst suggests that Lowerniel planned to return all the true vampyres to Vampyrium, while getting rid of the human-born vampyres.