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The Biologist chathead

The Biologist, true name Bethan, is an adventurer found in the player-owned port. She is a biologist from Varrock Museum who is keen to study the sea orphans in their "natural habitat". She can be unlocked and give special voyages to the player running the port if the player has 90 Herblore. The Biologist can be unlocked through the tutorial or a special voyage. She can be found upstairs in the bar when she is in port. Upgrading an icon hotspot with the Mammoth Head will increase your chance to attract the Biologist.

Bethan's story[]

Previous storyline cutscenes can be replayed by talking to Bethan when she is in the port.

Part 1: Meet the Biologist[]

Bethan arrives at the port. At first, she is unimpressed by the player's discoveries, but she is excited by the opportunity to learn more about the sea orphans. After this conversation, she attempts to secure funding from the Museum for an expedition to Hyu-Ji, where a great number of them reside.

Part 2: Documentary Evidence[]

Bethan's funding comes through and she undertakes an expedition to Hyu-Ji. The sea orphans are less excited about being poked and prodded than she had hoped.

Part 3: Specimens In The Wild[]

The Biologist intends to build a laboratory for the study of the sea orphans and adds that they are willing to help her. However, she tells the player that the Blazing Lanterns have kidnapped one of her test subjects, a mutated sea orphan sorcerer named Finia, and strapped him to the front of their ship as a figurehead. The Biologist asks the player to recover him so that she can find out about his resistance to his own poison. Following a successful voyage, the Biologist notifies the player that the lab is built and Finia has been brought back. The Biologist is ready to begin analysing the biology of the sea orphans.

Part 4: The Scientific Method[]

Bethan comes to the player with exciting news about the sea orphans' resistance to illness. Finia has agreed to help her, but to further her research, Bethan needs the player's help to obtain a sample of Jailor's Pox from a plague ship in the Scythe. The player agrees to help her. After Bethan's return, she is excited by her progress, but the player has heard that Finia doesn't look too great. Bethan says that it is a necessary cost, using the metaphor that all farmers tend to have a few diseased crops.

Part 5: The Act of Observing[]

A mutated plague is rampant among the sea orphans. The Biologist seeks a rare medicinal flower to aid them, which is worn as a good luck charm by your crewmen, and can be found on the islands in the Bowl region. Upon returning and curing the infected orphans Bethan studies the tampered plague samples and concludes that the plague's release could have only been an inside job.

Part 6: People Are The Deadliest Disease[]

The Biologist tells the player she has discovered who broke into her lab and released the plague: it was Finia the sorcerer. Finia has now escaped quarantine and re-joined the Blazing Lanterns, the clan that kidnapped him. The Biologist believes that Finia is suffering from "Daemonheim Syndrome", a psychological condition where the captive identifies with his captors. Finia and the Blazing Lanterns are gathering a fleet of three ships to sail to the Pincers and kill the sea orphans. The Biologist proposed to stop them using her stores of acid and explosives. Following a successful mission, the Biologist reports that they were able to sink two out of three ships with exploding vials. Unfortunately, Finia got away. The Biologist will stay with the orphans, as there is much to learn from them, and perhaps she can help them.

Upon successful completion of this voyage, the player is awarded 25 ancient bones.

Resource voyages[]

Bethan's morale and seafaring-based resource voyages are called A Fine Expedition. They reward the player with chimes and the region's resource or, later in the game, ancient bones, but do not advance the story line. The adversity and reward vary depending on the region. When Bethan offers more than one special voyage, the player must choose between them.

Experience voyages[]

Bethan's experience voyages are called Studying Science. They reward the player with Herblore experience, but do not advance the story line. The adversity and reward vary depending on the region. When Bethan offers more than one special voyage, the player must choose between them.

Joint voyages[]

Audio options icon
Bethan talking about the alliance between the Pirates, Purists and Soothsayers
Well, I can't believe these scoundrels have joined forces to lay siege to Hyu-Ji. It's almost like they don't care how scientifically significant the sea orphans are!

Bethan prefers to work with The Whaler. When both adventurers are in port, their joint voyages are available in the special voyages list.

Additionally, when all of her, The Convict and The Missionary's story voyages are complete, trio voyages become available when two of the trio are in port together. The storyline features them working together to defend Hyu-Ji from a joint attack by pirates, soothsayers and purists.

Dialogue[]

Player owned port adventurers

Concept art of The Assassin, The Convict, The Missionary, The Occultist, The Biologist, and The Whaler.

Trivia[]

  • When Part 3 ends, she makes reference to "Plasmodium faciapalmae". This is a portmanteau of Plasmodium falciparum (A species of malarial parasite) and Facepalm (A gesture indicating disappointment, disbelief, or embarrassment).
  • "Daemonheim Syndrome" is a reference to the real world's Stockholm syndrome.
  • At the end of The Act of Observing, Bethan will "wish that science could produce a truth serum." This item does exist in game, and it is used in Hand in the Sand and While Guthix Sleeps. If a player has completed one of the quests, the player will make no remarks as to the serum's existence despite having previously used it.
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