The Stronghold of Security, released on 4 July 2006, is a dungeon area for training combat, with connecting doors that previously required players to answer a security related question. The area immediately before the door is protected by another gate, so the player is protected from monsters. It is located in the middle of the Barbarian Village and was the first major update open to Free-to-play players since the upgrade to RuneScape 2.

Note: a Dwarf multicannon can be used here.

DoorsEdit

The Doors are styled to match each level, as are their names. The doors come in pairs similar to an Airlock between areas. The door leading out of an area is passed through automatically, though it is possible to be hit while apparently having already passed through, which could lead to dying inside the "safe" zone between the doors. Each "airlock" is a two by two square so to be safe, a player should walk to the next square after entering an airlock.

Entering the door into the airlock grants immediate passage. The passage leads to a series of chambers which contain monsters, the chamber should not be attempted by low level players unless appropriately equipped. At the end of each chamber lies a reward in a closed case.

At the start of each level is a portal leading to the reward different for every level including coins and a choice of Fighting boots or Fancy boots (each level of reward also unlocks one of the stronghold emotes including Flap, Stomp, Slap Head, and Idea) and ladder room, granting quick access to players who have already negotiated the level, or who have sufficient combat level to be allowed immediate passage.

LevelsEdit

There are four levels. Each level contains an entrance/exit point at the beginning and a portal to access the next level if re-entering after completing a level. The portal leads directly to the treasure room of the current level.

There are some general monsters, plus others specific to the level. At the end of the level, there is a reward, typically coins and an emote, and exits to deeper levels, or back toward the surface.

It used to be dangerous for low level player to claim rewards on high level floors. However, because all of the monster in the Stronghold are no longer aggressive, it is possible for players to claim all the rewards by running through the stronghold.

Advice: When training combat at these monsters, bring runes to teleport to Varrock, you'll avoid some tedious walking and save some time.

Vault of War (1st level)Edit

Claiming the Gift of Peace. (link)

• Occupied by level 8, 9 and 10 Goblins, level 2 Rats, level 20 and 75 minotaurs and level 34 wolves.
• An excellent level for ranged training, as the Minotaurs drop large quantities of iron arrows and the fences are an excellent safe spot.
• The Minotaurs may drop a Right skull half or cooked meat and also drop noted bulk items, including Rune essence, Gold bars, and copper and tin ores.
• The reward at the end of the level is gained from a chest called the Gift of peace containing 2000 coins and the "Flap" emote.

Catacomb of Famine (2nd level)Edit

Claiming the Grain of Plenty. (link)

• This level contains level 17 and 18 Zombies, level 56, 57 and 58 Flesh Crawlers, level 2 Rats and level 13 and 14 Giant rats.
• It is sometimes possible to trap a monster on corners, and fight them safely with Ranged or Magic.
• The Flesh crawlers may drop the Bottom of Sceptre piece for the skull sceptre, but often drop more valuable items such as uncut gems. Many high level free players tend to stay at the extreme south-east room training on flesh crawlers. For members, flesh crawlers regularly drop grimy herbs with (Ranarrs and Lantadymes being the most valuable at 2300 and 8027 coins each, respectively). It is possible to walk away after your training with 100-250k worth of items.
• The reward at the end of the level is gained from a sack called the Grain of Plenty containing 3000 coins and the "Slap head" emote.

Pit of Pestilence (3rd level)Edit

Claiming the Box of Health. (link)

• This level contains level 22 Spiders, level 57 Giant spiders, level 37 and 38 Scorpions, and level 76, 77 and 78 Catablepon.
• The Catablepon that roam this floor may drop a sceptre piece. They also appear to have a high magic defence. It is difficult to find an ideal strategy, as they use magic to weaken, but have a melee attack. There was one safespot that used to works, but it is no longer because the Catablepon can use ranged melee and have extremely low damage. They miss alot and cannot hit higher than 1. Thus a safespot is unnecessary.
• The level 57 Giant spiders are a good place to train for mid to higher-leveled players. They do not die so fast that it is ineffective to train on them, and they are relatively weak enough that you can kill them easily.
• The reward at the end of the level is gained from a chest called the Box of Health containing 5000 coins and the "Idea" emote. This chest will also provide full healing and stat restore, useful for restoring your Strength against the Catablepon. However, this only works once.

Sepulchre of Death (4th level)Edit

Claiming the Cradle of Life. (link)

• This level contains level 88 Shades, level 62, 66, 68, 70, 74, 76 and 78 Skeletons, level 60, 66, 67, 68, 69 Ghosts, and level 86, 88 and 90 Ankous.
• All of the monsters in this level are Undead, and so are highly susceptible to the Salve amulet and its enchanted version.
• There are some Safe spots which, as in the pestilence level, are usable only when the monsters have given up attacking. There is one safespot in the south-western room where ankous and skeletons are, although it is annoying trying to kill ankous because they can still get around it. After receiving your reward from this level, the cradle of life, you no longer have to answer questions to pass every other door when going through the stronghold.
• The ankous may drop a Left skull half, which is one of the four items needed to make a Skull sceptre.
• The reward at the end of the level is gained from a chest called the Cradle of Life containing boots in a choice of two styles and the "Stomp" emote.

The Vault of War

The Catacomb of Famine

The Pit of Pestilence

The Sepulchre of Death

Click an image to enlargeClick an image to enlarge

RewardsEdit

A total of 10,000 coins are earned from all four levels, as well as the four emotes: Idea, Stomp, Flap, and Slap Head.

Skull sceptreEdit

The Skull sceptre can be obtained in four pieces from monster drops. It is inferior in combat stats to a magic staff, but has five charges to teleport back to Barbarian Village or Gunnarsgrunn (10 charges if assembled while wearing Varrock armour 2 or higher).

Only one piece can be found on each level. They are a fairly rare drop, and can be obtained from Minotaurs (Right skull half) on the first level, Flesh Crawlers (Bottom of sceptre) on the second, Catablepons (Top of sceptre) on the third, and Ankous (Left skull half) on the fourth. Some monsters that drop the pieces come in various levels. The higher levelled ones seem to drop the piece more frequently, although this is not proven. To make it, you add the two skull pieces together, the two handle pieces together, and the handle and the skull together.

BootsEdit

The two styles, fancy boots or fighting boots, may be obtained, exchanged, or replaced if lost, from the Cradle of Life at the end of the fourth level, reachable by the portals and ladders once all levels are completed. The difference between them is purely cosmetic; the fancy ones attract more attention, but the fighting ones have a more serious look.

These boots have the same stats as bronze but are available to free players as well as members. They are a much better choice for free players who use melee than Leather boots, which only have bonuses of +1 to slash and crush defence. These boots are untradeable, and have a destroy option. Because of this, it is impossible to have both pairs, as the drop trick will not work. However you can always come back, to either switch boots if you don't like your current pair or to get them back if they were somehow lost.

Shade robesEdit

Shade robes can be obtained by killing Shades in the Sepulchre of Death; they are not aggressive and can be max hit easily and often. Their combat level suggests they are stronger than they actually are. Shade robes are not transparent like Ghostly robes. Shade robes are untradeable. This was to replace the Shade random event, where a Shade, based on your combat level, would attack you, occasionally dropping one of the two pieces of shade gear. Shade robes can still be stored in your POH costume room, in the costume box.

Using the Orb of oculusEdit

If the player uses the Orb of oculus in certain areas of the Stronghold, he/she can see several member's locations. These include the Dragon Forge, TzHaar City and Dream World.

Music unlockedEdit

• Dogs of War - Vault of War
• Food for Thought - Catacomb of Famine
• Malady - Pit of Pestilence
• Dance of Death - Sepulchre of Death

GalleryEdit

The chain leading back to the surface of RuneScape

A ladder between floors

The danger sign next to each descending ladder

The skeleton of a dead explorer, found on the first floor of the stronghold

A ladder leading from one floor to another

The entrance of the 3rd level.

Theatre seen through orb of oculus.

The exit of the theatre.

Click an image to enlargeClick an image to enlarge

TriviaEdit

• Since this addition was for free players as well as members, the level 86 Ankou replaced the Lesser demon as the second highest-level monster in Free-to-play worlds at the time. Also, the level 85 skeletons became the strongest free-to-play monster in the game, with a max hit of 100, compared to 93 from a Greater demon (the level 85 skeletons had dropped to second strongest with the addition of Cockroach soldiers, however).
• The four levels of the Stronghold of Security were based on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
• The entrance to the Stronghold looks like a blown open rock. It is also located in a mining area.
• The dead adventurer in the first room of the dungeon has a hat that resembles Link's from the Legend of Zelda series. The examine text, "He looks a bit past it" is further reference to the Legend of Zelda - A Link to the Past, for SNES. "I wonder what's in his bag" might also be a reference to Link utilising scores of various weapons and items throughout the games.
• The Cradle of Life refers to the Greek Mythological story about Pandora's box.
• When the Box of Health's reward is taken, life points will be returned to normal, all stats will go back to normal, and all status conditions (poison, disease, etc.) will be cured.
• You did not have to answer any questions when you passed through a door on a PvP World.
• When you pass through one of the doors, your character moves their head as if they are startled. This may be because graphically, your character seems to phase through the doors or teleport to the other side.
• The tune, "Dance of Death" located in the final room could be thought of as a tribute to the British Heavy Metal band Iron Maiden, who made an album and song called "Dance of Death".
• In the south-west corner of the first floor, there are floating objects outside of the map that appear to be stars. With the Orb of oculus players can see that these things are stars, with a plateau and a floating book on it. This appears to be the location of the battle in Dream Mentor. It is very likely that this is where the areas were designed and tested.
• In the far south-east corner on the first floor there is what appears to be the elemental workshop's bar priming room when viewed by the Orb of oculus.
• On the second floor, south-west of the starting room there seems to be an ocean/sea if take the camera out far enough with the Orb of oculus.
• In the Stronghold, rats drop regular Bones, whereas rats everywhere else in RuneScape do not.
• Before the random event update, it was very common to get the grave digger random event by burying bones on the second floor.
• Each of the four reward areas symbolizes the direct opposite of the room they are in.
• If you look east from the shade room in the bottom floor with the Orb of oculus, you can see the theatre where you can see a play after the quest TokTz-Ket-Dill.
• If you look in the very south-eastern corner of the last floor with the Orb of oculus you can see the Fight Pits.
• When you examine the dead skeletons scattered around each floor of the dungeon, you will get various different examine texts, some of them relating to account security such as "He should have run a virus checker more often" and "I don't think she read the security tips on the website".
• From 00:00 UTC 12 November 2011 to 23:59 UTC 14 November 2011, there was an event where members could gain double loot from several dungeons, including the Stronghold of Security. This was part of Jagex's bot-busting celebration.
• If you listen closely when passing through doors in the Stronghold of Security with sound effects on, a faint telephone noise can be heard in the background, presumably going off when the sound effect was being recorded.