One Piercing Note

One Piercing Notes  is a novice quest that was released on 7 November 2011. The quest continues from the legend described in the story of The Song From Before The War, found in ‘Lores and Histories’ section of the RuneScape website. It is a Murder Mystery quest, focusing on the why of the murder.

The quest contains an extensive amount of audio, and as such is recommended to be done with sound on. However, sound is not necessary for the completion of the quest.

Starting Out


Head east from Al Kharid over the stile and speak to Sister Catherina outside of the Citharede Abbey. A Strykewyrm hunter will speak to you before you can enter. It is not necessary to complete a conversation with him to continue.

Speak to Abbess Benita, who is located in the north-west part of the Abbey. She informs you that one of the sisters has been brutally murdered, but she doesn't want the church authorities or Al Kharid guard involved. She would like you to investigate as the killer may still be in the Abbey.

Investigating
Abbess Benita says she last saw Sister Anna at Vespers the day before, and found her body when she didn't turn up for Compline. She gives you a key to Sister Anna's cell, which is in the south-east corner of the Abbey with the rest of the cells. She moved Sister Anna's body to the infirmary in the south-west of the Abbey and prepared it for burial herself, forbidding the other Sisters from seeing it. She asks you to be subtle in your investigations as she doesn't want the murder to be known. She gives you a notebook to keep track of your progress.You will need to speak to a total of six people throughout out the monastery including the musician outside.

After you collected all the clues, return to Abbess Benita and say that you are finished. If you didn't collect all the clues, she will say how many you still have to find. After you submit the clues, say who you think is the killer, doesn't matter which option you choose since it will be the same result, then a cutscreen appears and you hear a scream.

You rush down to the cellar and see Sister Elena's body and you have to search for more clues again.

After you finish searching for clues related to Sister Elena's murder, you return to Benita to submit what you have found again and she will ask who killed her. It doesn't matter which option you choose and then he ask you to bring Sister Catherine back inside.

You go outside and bring Sister Catherine, who is dancing, back in and it brings you to another cutscene where she was locked outside and watch "The Ripper" killed Catherine and Valerio rushing to try to save her.

You return to Benita and suggest to make a trap to catch "The Ripper". You pick up a cabbage then go downstairs. Move the candles and put the cabbage on it. Search the closets for a set of clothes and put it on the candles and hide in the closets.

Another cutscene appears and you try to knock-out "The Ripper" and it runs away. You chase it around and then up the tower and finds out that Sister Anna was The Ripper and talking Sister Debora hostage. You go downstairs and change the time so the bell rings and go back up.

As you talk to Sister Anna again, the bell will ring, causing her to cower to the noise. Sister Debora pulls off Sister Anna's claws, throwing them off of the tower. Talk to Sister Debora and she will leave. Three options will appear as you talk to Sister Anna. Any of them result in Sister Anna throwing herself off of the tower.

At the end of the quest, you gain access to the Reliquary. If a player tries to take the cithara the player will be damaged in some cases for Max-1 of the player's lifepoints. E.g. max lp = 990 you will be hit 989. In every other case a message "An invisible force gently but firmly moves your hand away from the cithara" is displayed.

Rewards

 * 2 Quest points
 * Citharede robes
 * The ability to recharge prayer points while listening to a musician (when wearing all 4 Citharede robe-pieces).
 * 250 xp
 * Troubadour Dance emote
 * Ability to make Illuminated god books (with 60 and )
 * The first time an Illuminated god book is made, you will receive 10000 Prayer XP and 10000 Crafting XP.

Music Unlocked

 * Valerio's Song - upon entering the Abbey (quest not required)
 * Citharede Requiem - During the quest
 * Troubadour Dance - During the quest

Pre-release
In the lead-up to the quest, the Lore The Song From Before The War was released, containing hints about the quest and the lore attached to it. A One Piercing Note developer's blog was also released.

The location of the quest was revealed at RuneFest, and the desert was altered in an update a week before release to make room for the Abbey.

Audio hints were released through Skaldrun's Images forum thread, the first time audio hints have been used:
 * http://soundcloud.com/keildest/choir-part-1/s-736Mg
 * Lyrics: Holy Elspeth guide our tongues to sing to Saradomin's grace. Grant us the vision that you saw to hold before us all our days.
 * http://soundcloud.com/keildest/choir-part-2/s-DG95j
 * Lyrics: Teach us to stand fast, as you stood, undaunted by the demon's crys. The clash of battle shook you not, nor he did use Zamoraks lies.
 * http://soundcloud.com/keildest/choir-part-3
 * Lyrics: Teach us that single piercing note that rang out with your final breath. Thou shook to ash the demon's heart; brought it to silence and to death.

Trivia

 * One of the suggestions you could make when trying to find the killer is "I'll kill them all and Saradomin can sort it out". This is a reference to the phrase "Kill them all and let God sort them out", supposedly said by one of several historical leaders about capturing multi-religion cities.

Trivia

 * Before the quest was added to the game, a low rock wall was visible just after where the entrance is now. Therefor players who run up to the wall before the system update took place would get the automatic message from the strykewyrm hunter when they run out of the place, not in.
 * After the quest players can talk to Cecilia, the sister that leads the choir. She'll ask the player if she needs to leave the abbey and be a traveling musician instead.