Gods
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Gods in RuneScape are a group of deities who play a role within the game at this time. Each god has their own unique beliefs, character, history, followers, and domain. There are seven so called "tiers of godhood", each one more powerful than the next, with one being the highest and seven the lowest. The Elder Gods occupy the highest tier, with the most powerful younger gods - Guthix and Zaros - on the second highest, while e.g. Amascut occupies a spot on the second lowest tier. The lowest tier is for demi-gods and gods' avatars or essences.
There are or have been at least twenty gods in Gielinor in one time or another, although many of them are unknown. The gods of Gielinor are most notable for their participation in the God Wars of the Third Age, a major conflict that nearly destroyed the entire world, and their daily role in the Prayer skill, which enables them to transfer small portions of their power temporarily to their worshippers for a variety of potent effects. Ages past, during and prior to the time of the Third Age, the RuneScape deities were capable of interacting freely upon Gielinor, which caused such unimaginable chaos that Guthix set his Edicts to prevent the gods from ever directly interfering in the world again, and preventing any other gods to enter. The gods influencing events are only through their remaining followers. The gods are incredibly powerful beings in the RuneScape game, the oldest and most potent among them far exceeding that of any other known class or race of beings, despite each one, even Guthix himself, having limits to their own power. It is believed that the Stone of Jas combined with the Staff of Armadyl would grant a Mahjarrat sufficient power to become a deity himself, meaning that godhood is a status of immense power and not dying of age rather than a race.
There are two known ways to become a god. One method would be killing a god, as Guthix did with Skargaroth, the other spending enough time around Elder Artefacts, as they leak magical energy.
| “ | Behind the scenes, we've noted 7 tiers of godhood, with each god on one of the tiers. Suffice to say, the path to godhood is a topic that we want to explore. | ” |
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Distribution of religion throughout Gielinor
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The First AgeEdit
Very little is known about the First Age. It is assumed that Guthix, the god of balance, discovered a "Blank Plane" which he named Gielinor, which he then shaped as he pleased. The goddess Seren then arrived in Gielinor. When the world gate was open, Seren brought the elves to Gielinor from their ancestral homeland and led them to massive clearing in the forest of Isafdar, where she had created the legendary tower of voices from Crystal. This is where the Elves created the city of Prifddinas, Gielinor's first and oldest surviving settlement. Guthix brought the first humans to Gielinor via the Portal of Life and tells them to use their new world, without abusing it or others. At around the year 4000, Guthix entered a deep slumber until around 6000 years later. This marked the end of the First Age.
Second AgeEdit
During the Second Age, religion was found in almost all areas as other gods found their way to Gielinor, including the area now known as The Wilderness. Many areas had their own religion, such as Karamja, the Fremennik Province and the Kharidian Desert. Zaros is banished through a betrayal by his general Zamorak, who now becomes a god. During this time, Saradomin was worshipped in Entrana, Mos Le'Harmless and Morytania.
The Third AgeEdit
The Third age, or the God Wars, began when Zamorak returned from banishment and started a massive war between the gods, leading in mass loss of life and destruction of settlements (including Uzer and Eastbridge) across Gielinor. Due to the war, some Zarosian followers fled to the desert and lived as bandits. Bandos came to Gielinor during the third age. At around year 4000 of the third age the God Wars ended through the declaration of the Edicts of Guthix. Gods would have no direct contact with the world after this until the sixth age.
The Fourth and Fifth AgesEdit
The previously dominant Zarosian religion was overthrown by Zamorak. In the Fourth and Fifth Ages, it was confined to the Bandit Camp and Ghorrock. Armadyl ceased to be worshipped, however all other religions still existed, roughly in the same areas of Gielinor. Guthix was worshipped in areas such as Taverley, the Seers' Village, and the Tree Gnome Village and Stronghold.
It was clear that Saradomin had become much more powerful between the Second Age and the Third Age, with the Kingdoms of Misthalin, Asgarnia (excluding the Guthix city of Taverley), Entrana, and most of Kandarin started to worship Saradomin, as well as cities, settlements and islands like Musa Point, Brimhaven, Yanille, Burgh de Rott, Mort'ton, Port Phasmatys, Tyras Camp, the Piscatoris Fishing Colony, Harmony Island, and Dragontooth Island.
In the Fourth and Fifth Ages, Zamorak was worshipped throughout Morytania and western Kandarin, as well as the Dark Knight's Fortress and the Bandit Camp in the Wilderness.
The Sixth AgeEdit
In the Sixth Age the distribution of god worship remains mostly the same as the Fifth Age but, with the death of Guthix, his followers now follow his teachings, and no longer worship him as a God. It remains to be seen how the return of the other Gods affects the distribution of worshippers.
Elder GodsEdit
The Elder gods are a group of gods that existed so long ago that even Guthix struggles to remember them. They occupy the highest possible tier of godhood, which enables them to create life and even whole planetary systems. Most Elder Gods operate in groups rather than being alone. The Elder Gods have created all the worlds in the Multiverse in which Gielinor is also found, through the use of their power and Elder Artefacts, items they made to perfect their craft. Their goal was to create a perfect world, which ended up to be Gielinor. What happened to them afterwards is unknown though it can be assumed that they went into hibernation due to TzHaar-Ga'al-Kot translating an ancient book written by the TokHaar-Hok. The translation reads: "The masters lie still above us. We do not know if they will awaken.". Though it is commonly believed that Guthix created Gielinor, the god of balance himself is keen to point out that the plane already existed when he discovered it. Guthix only created Gielinor in the sense that he shaped the empty, lifeless plane it originally was into the world as it is today, adding life in the form of plants and animals as well as certain races such as gnomes and dwarves. The Elder Gods are exceedingly powerful, surpassing all of the younger Gods. There are several Elder Gods, and some of them are currently on Gielinor.[2]
Jas Edit
Jas is the elder deity of Time and is associated with sand. Due to some conflicting sources, it's not clear what Jas' gender is. Before the revelations given by the translation of the 'TokHaar books' by TzHaar-Ga'al-Kot, little was known about Jas, except for the existence of the eponymous Stone of Jas. Jas is one of the three Elder Gods seen in Origins of Gielinor, although it is unknown which. Together the trio roughly created Gielinor and used to TokHaar and other Elder Artefacts to further shape the planet. Jas enslaved a race called the Dragonkin and tasked them to be the eternal guardians of the Stone of Jas.[2]
FulEdit
Ful is the elder goddess of Constancy and is associated with fire and lava. She made the Elder Kiln and forged the TokHaar, who in turn, created and/or shaped mountains of Gielinor and other key features. She is also most likely part the trio of Elder Gods seen in Origins of Gielinor motion-comic. Although it's not clear which one, it might likely the middle and firey one.
Freneskae Creator-GodEdit
The legends of the Mahjarrat speaks of an evil creator-god in their homeworld of Freneskae. He is said to have combined his most fearsome creatures into the Muspah. He is one of the Elder Gods that didn't participate in the creation of Gielinor. Ali the Wise describes him as "cruel and archaic". Unlike most others, this Elder God preferred to work alone. Another notable exception is that this god created life, namely, the Mahjarrat, whereas most life on other planets created by Elder Gods evolved naturally (akin to the process on Gielinor).
Younger godsEdit
Younger gods is the term given to a variety of beings that have ascended to godhood, either by killing another god, through the use of Elder Artefacts, or both.
GuthixEdit
Guthix is the God of Balance. He is also the discoverer of Gielinor after the Elder gods created it. With the Stone of Jas Guthix created the runecrafting altars and the runes, and, using his Elder God Sword, he created the Portal of Life, the portal which he used to allow the different races into Gielinor, starting with the faries and dwarves. Although Guthix originally had no specific gender, he was referred to as male and appeared as a skull with tendrils on the scalp. It is now known that he is a Naragi. Guthix is the most powerful of the current gods. He gained his powers when he was a mortal during wars that various gods fought over his homeworld. The gods Skargaroth and Tuska had just had an enormous fight with each other which ended with Skargaroth knocked unconscious, so Guthix took his sword. He stabbed Tuska in her last remaining eye, blinding her and absorbing some of her power. He then stabbed Skargaroth in the back, killing him and absorbing his power. He later took the sword, and discovered that it could open portals between worlds. He discovered the Dwarven Homeworld, Zanaris, and Seren's Homeworld, along with many others. He gained the majority of his power when he was on Gielinor. He discovered three Elder Artefacts. It turns out that they leak heavy amounts of magic that can be absorbed. He had been around them by himself for several millennia, causing him to gain much power. In Meeting History, he is seen creating the first runes in the First age. Guthix followers consist mainly of druids, fairies, gnomes, dwarves as well as a number of miscellaneous races. It is a well known fact that Guthix is the most powerful god "active" in Gielinor capable of defeating and banishing multiple gods from the realm and keeping them out with the Sword of Edicts, which he created. He dies in The World Wakes quest when Sliske uses the Staff of Armadyl on him. Before he passes, he shows the player his past and finally dies in his bed, at peace, after giving the player a portion of his powers. Before his first sleep, he and Seren had fallen into a very close relationship and he trusted her to leave Gielinor along with him at the end of the First age.
SaradominEdit
Saradomin is the God of Order. Saradomin is male and often portrayed as an old, bald man with a long beard. Most Saradominists claim that he is the God of good. His following consists mainly of humans and formerly Icyene. His symbol is a four-tipped star, and the colours that represent him are blue, white, and sometimes gold. He is the owner of an Elder Artefact called The Elder Crown. Along with Zaros, he is the oldest of the younger Gods and has played a major role in the history of many realms.
In The Ritual of the Mahjarrat quest, the player has a vision in which Saradomin appears after a Zamorakian invasion. He saves Commander Zilyana, who is severely wounded, by using the Stone of Jas to cast a very potent healing spell. He is also the first god to arrive back on Geilinor after the death of Guthix.
ZamorakEdit
Zamorak is the God of Chaos. He was also the initiator of the God Wars. He was originally a Mahjarrat, who rebelled against Zaros. During his betrayal against Zaros, Zamorak managed to stab Zaros with the Staff of Armadyl and absorb some of his powers, achieving godhood shortly after that, when he used the Stone of Jas. Some call him the God of evil, but then some characters in the RuneScape book series (such as Lord William) say that he is not evil but just misunderstood. The colours that represent him are red and black. Zamorak is the youngest of Geilinor's gods.
ArmadylEdit
Armadyl is the God of Justice. He is the god who ruled the skies and the birds. He is also an ally of Saradomin, and united with him during the God Wars. It is said that he wept and abandoned Gielinor after his 'precious children', the Aviantese, were slain, although a few of them still exist in the God Wars Dungeon, although it seems more likely that he was banished by Guthix along with the gods that participated the God Wars. He doesn't have many followers in the current age and for that reason, he is forgotten by most of the individuals that live on Gielinor. However, he does have a few followers among the Fremennik.
BandosEdit
Bandos is the God of War. Most of his followers are unintelligent races such as ogres, goblins, orks and hobgoblins. He plays a major role in several quests, being opposed to the player. He is known to his followers as Big High War God and is rarely referred as Bandos. He arrived in Gielinor just when the God Wars were starting, eager to join the battle with his powerful followers (Ourgs, Raurgs and Fayrgs). Apparently, the races that served him did not exist on Gielinor before his arrival and he brought them with him by force from Yu'biusk, a plane that his followers loved very much.
ZarosEdit
Zaros is the mysterious God of Control. Also known as the Empty Lord, or the God of the Unknown Power, Zaros is also the god of ambition[3]. At the peak of his power he was a tier 2 god before being overthrown and banished by Zamorak in the late Second Age. This reduced him to an unknown godhood tier. Before being overthrown however, he ruled over most of the land in Gielinor, with numerous fortresses placed strategically throughout his lands, only one of which still stands. He is recognised to be very powerful, with his name striking fear into both Saradomin and Zamorak even after thousands of years of his passing. Zaros's alignment seemed more likely to be one of conquest and domination, as he used to send his followers on missions to achieve these aims; however it was discovered in the Lore livestream that he is the God of Control. Along with Saradomin, he is one of oldest of the young gods.
SerenEdit
Seren is the Goddess of Peace and Growth. She is thought, by some, to be the Goddess of Wisdom, and Nature due to the fact that her people on her home world continually contemplate strange thoughts and philosophies, however this is shown to be false, as her Emissary states she is the god of Peace and Growth. She is worshipped in Lletya and Prifddinas. She is the only god, other than Guthix, who is known to have arrived on the realm of Gielinor in the First Age, and the only female goddess outside the Desert Pantheon. According to the memories from the Guthixian butterfly, she and Guthix had close relations during the First Age though it is unknown it extended beyond a platonic relationship. It was also discovered that Guthix came to her homeworld before the first age, while he was looking for the Perfect World. When the Edicts of Guthix were set, she never left Gielinor, or was banished, this could be due for the relationship she and Guthix had, and her never interfearing in the Gods War. Although, Guthix has asked her to leave Geilinor before the end of the First age, she has not left, the reason why Guthix let her stay remains unknown.
Menaphite PantheonEdit
Only eight desert gods have been named. Four of these gods were named gods by Tumeken during his great desert journey. They are considered to be a "family" despite not being related by blood. Many of them still walk on Gielinor.
The desert gods are based on Egyptian gods (e.g., Icthlarin is based on Anubis).
In the quests they've appeared in, the Menaphite gods have been able to directly interfere with events on Gielinor, although so far their influence has been limited to the Kharidian Desert. This suggests that they are not bound by the Guthixian Edicts.
In Armies of Gielinor, the Menaphite Pantheon is classed all together as one god, which may have to do with why they are not bound by the Edicts of Guthix. Separated they are all mere thorns to the other gods, but together they can take down a god such as Saradomin. However, disputes such as with Icthlarin's followers and Amascut keep them separated.
From bottom center clockwise: Tumeken, Icthlarin, Het, Apmeken, Crondis, Scabaras, and Amascut. The river represents Elidinis.
TumekenEdit
Tumeken is the lord of the Kharidian Desert, and is worshipped by the Menaphites. He is the husband of Elidinis, and the father of Icthlarin and Amascut.
Because of an achievement in Armies of Gielinor it is believed Tumeken is thought to be the sun for the achievement is "Tumeken rises this morn"
ElidinisEdit
Elidinis is the goddess of Fertility and Growth, and the wife of Tumeken. Her children are Icthlarin and Amascut. The River Elid is named after her. Elidinis is mentioned in the Spirits of the Elid quest.
IcthlarinEdit
Icthlarin is the god of the Dead, and friendly with cats. He appears in the quests Icthlarin's Little Helper, and Desert Treasure. He is the son of Tumeken and Elidinis.
Amascut, "The Devourer"Edit
Amascut is the goddess of Destruction, she is the sister of Icthlarin and the daughter of Tumeken and Elidinis. She appears in the Icthlarin's Little Helper quest, and uses the body of a wanderer to lure players into the city of Sophanem and steal ceremonial jars in a burial room, disturbing the spirit of the late high priest. She also appears in the Smoking Kills quest, when she makes a player go to rescue her "sister" (who turns out to be herself) in attempt to lure the player into a trap with mighty banshees. She also hates cats because they are her former followers who turned against her because of her large-scale destruction. Their curse bound her to be cast out of anyone she may try to possess. In fury, she lashed her own curse against her old followers, making them the cats they are today.
ApmekenEdit
Apmeken is the goddess of social pleasures, and is most unpredictable and playful of the desert gods. She tends to appeal to people who desire mental pleasures which is often appealing to scholars and sometimes downright dishonest people. Apmeken can change her appearance at will, although she always has the head of a monkey, ape, or baboon, depending on the exact nature she is displaying. The monkey represents skillfulness, the ape is wise, and the baboon, in nearly all situations, is comical. Players can speak to Apmeken during the Do No Evil Quest. According to Jex, Apmeken left the Kharidian Desert at some point, however, it is discovered during Do No Evil that her senses were stolen by Amascut and that she didn't leave the Kharidian Desert.
CrondisEdit
Crondis is a goddess known to have a crocodile-headed form. According to Jex her main area of interest is with things that provide physical pleasure - such as food, vestments, etc. She tends to be followed by skilled cooks and hunters and other lavish people.
HetEdit
Het is the god of knowledge and bodily health, and tends to be quite popular with Menaphites because of this. The plague of Sophanem is not known to be the work of Het or something trying to anger him, but Het is the main perpetrator in theories made by players. He is known to have a human form.
ScabarasEdit
According to Jex, Scabaras was a god who fell from grace. Of all the gods of the Desert Pantheon, besides Icthlarin and Amascut, Scabaras has the most available information about him. After the end of the God Wars, he defied the Edicts of Guthix and in the ensuing battle and subsequent banishment, he spilled his blood onto some Scarabs, turning them into Kalphites. He may have had an alliance with Zaros at some point during the Second age.
MarimboEdit
Marimbo is the god of the monkeys, worshipped on Ape Atoll. Little is known about Marimbo, besides that Marim is named after him and he is known to be cheeky.
SkargarothEdit
A long deceased deity (prior to the first age) of unknown alignment. He was slain by Guthix using the elder sword when he was still mortal, after that, Guthix himself became a god and the Naragi race became extinct, as Guthix was the last Naragi.
TuskaEdit
A bestial, boar-like goddess mentioned in Guthixian Memories during the 2013 Spring event. Tuska participated in the Naragi God Wars, and was attacking on the Naragi plane against Saradomin and Skargaroth. She was blinded by Guthix during a fight between her and Skargaroth. Tuska is currently ravaging other dimensions.
Brassica PrimeEdit
Brassica Prime is the god of cabbages. When Guthix arrived to Gielinor and brought peaceful races with him through the portal of life, he granted the first cabbage to enter godly powers, creating Brassica Prime. He is nothing near as powerful as any other god, however, and appears pathetically weak, since it's still a vegetable. Brassica is larger than average cabbages and bouncer around, and is able to speak. April Fools appears to be the cabbage holiday, as other cabbages begin bouncing and talking on that day, in worship of their god. Brassica Prime could only be found in Oo'glog during the 2009 April Fool's event. Unlike other deities, Brassica is not power-hungry and only wants to make fun, and is not seen often, except for April Fools.
Karamjan GodsEdit
The Karamjan Gods are a collection of deities worshipped by the tribal people of Karamja, particularly those inhabiting the southern reaches of the island. The people of Karamja tell little of their gods to outsiders since their origins and nature are a closely guarded secret. The gods are most prominently alluded to during the Jungle Potion quest.
Fremennik godsEdit
The Fremennik gods are a number of gods, currently not released in game, but in an interview with Mod Osborne[4] their existence was confirmed as well as that their introduction into RuneScape has been planned. They will be linked to the Fremennik Province and/or Rellekka area.
Although this area has their own set of gods, the majority of Fremennik, still seem to worship the God of Balance, Guthix.
The KendalEdit
The Kendal is a god from the Mountain Tribe's legends. A man impersonates the Kendal during the Mountain Daughter quest because the Mountain Tribe are scared of their gods and magic. According to the imposter, The Kendal is the guardian of the mountain, god of the northern lands, able to move the earth and control the skies. The Mountain Tribe planted trees to block the entrance to the cave where the imposter lives because they think it is unwise to come too close to a god. It is unknown if the Kendal is a fairytale, a Fremennik spirit or a real deity.
Camel GodEdit
The "Camel God" is an unofficial name given to a thus far unnamed deity worshipped by the people of the Kharidian Desert. The god's existence is implied by Aristarchus, a Menaphite historian from the city of Menaphos that is currently residing in Polnivneach.
Mistaken for gods Edit
Throughout the history of RuneScape, various entities have been worshipped as gods either due to their own claims or because of misinterpretations of history. But this is however, not the case.
Bob the Jagex CatEdit
Occasionally when talking to Bob the Jagex Cat, Bob begins to say that he is "Zar..." before cutting himself off[5], leading players to speculate that he is actually Zaros in disguise. This is later thought to be disproven when it was revealed that he is a feline incarnation of the Fourth Age hero Robert the Strong . (Though that did not dispel the possibility that he was Zaros completely, as Zaros was thought to be killed before the time of Robert.) Furthermore, after completing The Temple at Senntisten, Dr Nabanik (Azzanadra) tells the player that Bob is not Zaros, and the player shouldn't rely on information from a cat. Despite the fact that Bob's claim appears to be only a joke on Jagex's part, a shrine dedicated specifically to him (as a separate being; no affiliation with Zaros is implied) can nonetheless be built using the Construction skill.
IbanEdit
In the recent Fifth Age, the Kinshra lord Iban was revived from the dead by the witch Kardia while living in a hut within the Underground Pass beneath the Arandar mountain range. After returning, Iban gathered a cult of Zamorakian followers and claimed to be the godly son of Zamorak himself. Although never accepted as a god by any but his followers, Iban's divinity is completely disproven when he is slain during the Underground Pass quest, and further supported by the Mahjarrat Enakhra, who confirms in a Postbag from the Hedge that Iban was not Zamorak's biological son.
TriviaEdit
- In the Lore Live Q&A, Mods Mark and Osborne confirmed that a new quest would be released in 2013 that deals with the "young gods" and that it will be the "quest of all quests". It was revealed in February that this quest was The World Wakes, which was released in March.
- In the same source mentioned above, it is confirmed that an NPC ingame will soon ascend to godhood, creating a new god for the game.
- As of The World Wakes, gods can once more physically return to Gielinor, without the Edicts of Guthix being an obstruction; the first god to have successfully returned is Saradomin.
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
- ^ Mod Osborne's Lore Answers!
- ^ a b Mod Emilee. "Mod Osborne's Lore Answers!". RuneScape Forums.
- ^ http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?feature=m-ch-fea&v=WQg_xYVKQJY
- ^ RuneRadio - Mod Osborne interview.*
- ^ Bob the Jagex Cat, "Icthlarin's Little Helper", RuneScape. "Well, I don't believe much really since I am Zar... erm, well, no, I erm, meow?" *
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