Hazelmere

Hazelmere the Ethereal is a gnome who lives on a small archipelago near Yanille. Hazelmere is the last surviving creator of the Grand Tree, a massive living fortress within the Gnome Stronghold. He is also an accomplished battle mage, tree whisperer, precognite, and telepath with a great knowledge of history and culture. Hazelmere plays a prominent role in the The Grand Tree, While Guthix Sleeps, The Eyes of Glouphrie and The Path of Glouphrie quests.

Hazelmere was, during his most active years, a popular advisor to the gnomish King Healthorg the Great. He was also a leader within the gnomish military who fought actively during the Thorobshuun - Gnome War, including the legendary Battle of Atarisundri in roughly 1950 of the Fourth Age. He was amongst those who later fought to remove Glouphrie the Untrusted from power, before finally retiring to a small islet near the coast of southern Kandarin. In the Year 169 of the Fifth Age, he was recruited as part of a hero party in a military operation overseen by Crux Eqal. He is slain during this operation by the Mahjarrat Lucien.

Location
Prior to completing While Guthix Sleeps, Hazelmere can be found on a small islet off the eastern coast of Kandarin, part of a very small archipelago east of Yanille. He resides in a small home on the archipelago's most isolated island, and can be found meditating on the second floor. There are Jungle Spiders near his house. The island has been mentioned as the "Jungle Spider archipelago", most likely after the spiders that dwell there. It is also called the "Green Spider archipelago" by some.

A Fairy Ring can be found behind Hazelmere's home; to access it, players may use the code CLS from Zanaris for quick access. Other near teleports include the Watchtower teleport and Khazard Teleport.

During a certain point in While Guthix Sleeps, Hazelmere can be found with the hero party within the White Knights' Castle. After completing the quest, he cannot be found in-game.

Early Life
Details of Hazelmere's early life remain uncertain. He seems to have been born no later than the year 1800 of the Fourth age. His place of birth remains a subject of debate. His dark complexion and choice to retire on a tropical archipelago within a Karamjan-style hut suggest that Hazelmere may have been born on or near Karamja. It is possible that he was born to a group of gnomes that did not consider themselves part of the Gnome Empire.

Hazelmere apparently possessed a natural gift for magic from a very young age, and displayed a love of nature and balance that led him to, like most gnomes, follow Guthixian religion. His understanding of botany, horticulture, and zoology suggest that he was fluent in these skills at an early age. At some point, if Hazelmere was born outside the Gnome Empire, he eventually moved to the Gnome Stronghold.

The Gnome Stronghold
Hazelmere lived within the Gnome Stronghold for most of his life. His isolated nature seemed to grant him few companions, but his perfection of tree whispering eventually earned him the friendship of the silver spirit tree Argento.

Argento, who lived in the southern Stronghold, quickly became Hazelmere's closest friend. The two often spoke upon Argento's hill near the Stronghold's edge, and the deep mental bond between the two meant that both understood each other perfectly. Hazelmere's constant bonding with Argento eventually allowed him to become arguably the most fluent tree whisperer in gnomish history.

During his early years in the Stronghold, Hazelmere's cultural and magical knowledge seem to have strengthened exponentially. Although he learned the human language at some point, he held strictly to ancient gnomish tradition and for most of his life spoke only the gnomish language. His knowledge of both gnomish and global history was extremely deep, allowing him to become active within the political field as he aged. He also became an accomplished mage, capable of mental communication, limited foresight, and combat.

Hazelmere's love of nature may stem from his relationship with the elves who inhabited the lands south of the Gnome Empire for much of his life. The elves, who were close allies of the gnomes during their rise to power in the region, may have had a hand in the development of Hazelmere's magical abilities.

The Grand Tree
Although details regarding the planting of the Grand Tree remain elusive, it is known that Hazelmere was one of the few to plant and grow it during its early life. Where the planters obtained the first grand seed pod remains a subject of complete mystery, one which Hazelmere never openly shared to any human. How he came to be involved with its creation also remains unknown, although it is likely his botanical knowledge was the primary reason for his involvement.

Hazelmere oversaw the growth of the Grand Tree throughout his life, allowing it to eventually become the hub of the Gnome Empire. For this reason, he became extremely popular among the gnome people, although he was sometimes viewed as eccentric and strange.

The Thorobshuun War
When King Healthorg the Great became the leader of the Gnome Empire in the late Fourth Age, Hazelmere quickly became one of his most trusted advisors. Alongside two others, Glouphrie and Oaknock, Hazelmere became a key figure within the leadership of the gnome people. It was during this time that Hazelmere became commonly known as "Hazelmere the Ethereal" due to his mystic behaviour and abilities.

As advisor, Hazelmere was a key figure in the management of the Gnome Empire's military, economy, and expansion. His most distinguished activity as advisor would be during the Thorobshuun - Gnome War, during which an off-shoot of the Thorobshuun goblin tribe attempted to claim the forested regions north of Kandarin; land on which the Tree Gnome Stronghold was built.

The initial phases of the war consisted mostly of unsteady and unorganised attacks by the Thorobshuun, who sought to raid and kill. Hazelmere was amongst those who oversaw the defence of the northern Empire, which was being pressed into desperate combat. However, this strategy did not last, and eventually the Thorobshuun launched a massive assault directly upon the southern side of the Stronghold, an event that would come to be known as the Battle of Atarisundri.

Hazelmere was amongst the select few gnomish leaders to stand at the head of the army before the battle again. Due to his position as advisor, he stood alongside King Healthorg mounted on the tortoise Mibbiwocket, Glouphrie, and Oaknock. Although he was prepared for open combat, the illusionist Glouphrie managed to circumvent a near sure-loss for the Gnome Empire, making it appear that an army of battle tortoises was present while in fact Mibbiwocket was alone. The Thorobshuun fled the battle and gradually died out in Kandarin. The battle ultimately resulted in no casualties and would usher in the Golden Age of the Gnomes. Hazelmere would remain a key advisor during this period.

The Death of Argento
Although the Gnomish Golden Age was a time of great wealth and prosperity for the Gnome Empire, Hazelmere's life was one of turmoil for much of this time. Several years after the Battle of Atarisundri and the beginning of the Golden Age, Hazelmere noticed that Argento, his closest companion, was behaving oddly. Hazelmere would later say that, while Argento was normally outgoing and friendly, when the two spoke one day in Spring, he would not speak at all. Hazelmere sensed something deeply wrong the Spirit Tree, and claimed he could feel a coldness emanating in the air. After numerous failed attempts to cope the Spirit Tree out of his waking coma, Hazelmere suspected that something had been done to Argento. He suspected some time of illusionary magic had been used to hide something, and so he went to fellow advisor Oaknock, who had recently built a machine that could dispel gnomish magicks.

After activating the machine in a nearby cave, it sent out a wave of anti-magic that revealed Argento's true fate. For unclear reasons, Argento had been hit with a powerful magical attack, nearly splitting him in two and slaying him instantly. His death had then been covered up by a mage, and both Hazelmere and Oaknock immediately suspected Glouphrie, whom neither had ever trusted.

The two brought Glouphrie and King Healthorg to Argento's body and revealed what had been done. When the two accused Glouprhie in front of Healthorg, Glouphrie made little effort to deny his actions, but instead claimed that the Stronghold could not survive without him. Healthorg, backed by both Hazelmere and Oaknock, banished Glouphrie from the Gnome Empire, although rumours persisted that Glouphrie had established a new city beneath the surface: Arposandra.

The death of Argento sent Hazelmere into a deep depression that affected him for the rest of his life. For years after Argento's death, Hazelmere became reclusive, and made efforts to stay out of the public eye. His recovery was never complete, although he continued to remain key in leading the Gnome Empire.

Fifth Age Elections
During the early Fifth Age, the Golden Age of the Gnomes began to diminish. The Tree Gnome Village and Stronghold began to grow increasingly separated due to the growth of Kandarin and the beginning of the Khazard Gnomish Extermination. King Healthorg, although still loved by his people, had aged greatly, and his mental ability had begun to deteriorate.

Oaknock had already passed away, and with Glouphrie having been banished, Hazelmere was King Healthorg's last advisor. Since Healthorg had grown somewhat senile, Hazelmere was responsible for managing much of the kingdom behind the scenes. However, by this time he was old, even by gnomish standards. It seems he began to plan his retirement during this time.

King Healthorg died of age in the early Fifth Age, and his son, King Argenthorg, was expected to win the ensuing election with ease. Hazelmere was also expected to continue his advisorship to Argenthorg, despite his advanced age. However, in the Tree Gnome Village, a reformist known as Bolrie had gained considerable political strength with the help of a spiritual advisor. He became Argenthorg's political opponent, declaring that he would bring the gnomes into a second golden age and end the threat of humanity, with whom the Empire's situation had deteriorated. Hazelmere, who did not approve of his violent views of humanity, remained loyal to Healthorg's heir.

Bolrie used his advisor's magics to make a wide assortment of human food appear in Argenthorg's hall. He then argued that Argenthorg was soft towards the threat of human culture, and demanded that he stand down from election. When Bolrie's advisor was revealed to be none other than Glouphrie, however, he resigned from the race in disgust. Glouphrie fled again, leaving Argenthorg to become king and Hazelmere to continue his advisorship.

Retirement


Hazelmere served Argenthorg only long enough to see that the Empire remained stable under new leadership. After Argenthorg became familiar with his role as king, Hazelmere announced his resignation and retirement.

Hazelmere apparently travelled far south from the Gnome Empire, eventually arriving at a small tropical archipelago off the coast of Kandarin. Here he constructed a home in the Karamjan style. In order to make access to the mainland more simple, he also constructed a series of makeshift bridges between the islets, although he rarely returned to the mainland for anything but supplies.

Hazelmere enjoyed many years of quiet retirement. Despite his age, Hazelmere was able to improve his spiritual abilities even further during his time in isolation. He apparently spent most of his time meditating and praying to Guthix, drawing power and knowledge from nature and even occasionally receiving clouded images of the future. His home was made simply, with mostly barren floors and simple amenities such as a hammock upon the roof for sleeping. Hazelmere would enjoy this for most of the rest of his life, until eventually becoming involved once again in a number of wars.

The Arposandran War
Hazelmere was a somewhat indirect participant in the ongoing Arposandran War, a series of mostly stealth conflicts between the Gnome Empire and the lost civilisation of Arposandra.

The Sabotaging of the Grand Tree
The following takes place during The Grand Tree quest.

During the events of The Grand Tree, Hazelmere became involved in what were essentially the first conflicts in the Arposandran War. In the Year 169 of the Fifth Age, the Grand Tree that Hazelmere had once helped to create began to die of an unknown ailment. King Narnode Shareen, Argenthorg's successor as king of the Stronghold, reluctantly sent an adventurer with a bark sample to contact Hazelmere regarding what was happening to the tree.

Although initially the adventurer was unable to commune with Hazelmere due to his refusal to speak anything but ancient gnomish, they eventually managed to glean that a man had come to Hazelmere with the seal of King Narnode. The man asked for daconia rocks, a type of element capable of deteriorating the biological system of trees. Hazelmere's ability to identify the problem eventually led to the removal of the stones and the saving of the tree, as well as the decommissioning of Glough as overseer of the Grand Tree. Glough was ultimately responsible for attempting to kill the tree.

The Search for Arposandra
The following takes place partially during The Eyes of Glouphrie and The Path of Glouphrie quests.

Hazelmere would remain largely uninvolved in the next stages of the war, which revolved around a number of spies within the main gnome settlements and the eventual beginning of a campaign to locate Arposandra. Although he did offer a small amount of advice concerning the rediscovered disillusionment of the late Oaknock, he remained quiet. The adventurer responsible for saving the Grand Tree later was sent by King Narnode to find Arposandra, a search that eventually led them to the southern tip of the Arandar mountain range.

Here they met Longramble, a gnomish explorer that had been searching for Arposandra for years. Longramble asked the adventurer to help them heal Incomitatus, a native spirit tree that was dying from some type of poisoning. Hazelmere, apparently envisioning the event, teleported to the range and offered his aid, eventually helping to save Incomitatus. The group realised that the cause of the poisoning was the thick black tar of the Poison Wastes to the west. They managed to locate the entrance to a waste disposal facility responsible for creating the poison.

The adventurer managed to navigate a considerable length of the sewage tunnels, although they were attacked by warped tortoises and terrorbirds who had infested the caves. Eventually they were trapped in a killing room, where a series of missiles, poison gases, and toxic liquids left them near death.

Hazelmere arrived via teleport only just in time, managing to save the adventurer using one of his two seed pods that Argento had given him before his death. The pod allowed the two to flee to safety, and only then did Hazelmere realise that they had found the entrance to Arposandra.

Upon returning to his home, Hazelmere explained that, while the adventurer was searching Arandar, Hazelmere had received a vision of the future from Guthix himself. The vision's meaning would not become clear for some time, although it eventually came to involve Hazelmere and the adventurer and the war of Lucien.



Service to Crux Eqal
The following takes place during the While Guthix Sleeps quest.

Hazelmere, now aged far beyond even gnomish standards, spent a brief time contemplating the meaning of his vision within his home. In the Year 169, Hazelmere was called upon by Crux Eqal, the Temple Knights, the Guardians of Armadyl, and their allies to join them in their fight against the Mahjarrat lord Lucien. Hazelmere was asked to join by the same adventurer whom he had saved in Arposandra.

Lucien, now in possession of the legendary Staff of Armadyl, had begun to infiltrate the kingdoms of Misthalin, Asgarnia, and Kandarin with an efficient spy network, and had since gained the support of the Kinshra, Dagon'hai, and numerous other Zamorakian organisations. Hazelmere was part of a party of eight heroes sent into the deep Wilderness to confront Lucien directly; a desperate effort to stop him from invading the human kingdoms.

During this time, Hazelmere became good friends with the heroes Duradel, Turael, Mazchna, Sloane, Ghommal, Harrallak Menarous, and Cyrisus. Hazelmere spent this time in the White Knights' Castle in Falador, the capital of Asgarnia. He was notably quiet during his visit to Falador, however, appearing deep in thought at all times. After being briefed personally by Thaerisk Cemphier, Idria, and Akrisae, the leaders of the operation themselves, Hazelmere and the hero party travelled to a Zamorakian church in the deep Wilderness, where Lucien and a small legion of his army were currently positioned.

Hazelmere, effectively the group's leader, observed from a distance the events occurring at the church. Lucien, after summoning a legion of animated corpses to bolster his ranks, discovered that the adventurer involved with the mission had infiltrated the Dagon'hai ranks by disguising themselves as Surok Magis. The group teleported amongst the ranks of undead, all intent upon slaying Lucien and saving the adventurer.

After only moments of combat, however, the mission proved to be hopeless. After a brief skirmish with the undead, the group confronted Lucien, but Ghommal, Duradel, Turael, Sloane, and Cyrisus were disintegrated by Lucien's magicks almost instantly. Hazelmere, now one of the last standing, declared that he had seen his death during his vision, and had come to battle aware of his fate. He was not afraid.



As a last ditch effort to save the adventurer and remaining heroes, Hazelmere conjured a powerful magical attack. Lucien, however, now fused with Armadyl's godly power, easily broke the attack and set his sights upon the gnome. Hazelmere's life was ended by a powerful disintegration spell cast by Lucien, severely wounding the two remaining heroes. All that was left of Hazelmere was his hat, which was presumably blown away into the Wilderness.

The adventurer, Mazchna, and Harrallak managed to escape, but the battle ultimately proved to have accomplished nothing. Those present, as well as the Crux Eqal alliance themselves, have sworn vengeance for the dead.

Hazelmere's exact age at the time of his death remains unknown, although the gnomish lifespan itself remains a subject of uncertainty. As he seems to have been at peak physical condition at the time of the growth of the Grand Tree, Hazelmere is thought to have been over 300 when he was killed, although he may well have been considerably older.

Legacy
Even before Hazelmere's death, there existed multiple monuments to him within the Gnomish Empire. One such monument, which still exists today, is a simple statue of Hazelmere, found near the entrance to the Tree Gnome Stronghold he helped to support. The statue is similar in appearance to those of King Healthorg and Oaknock, which also dot the Tree Gnome Stronghold.

Following Hazelmere's death, a number of new monuments dedicated to both Hazelmere and the rest of the hero party were also constructed. Hazelmere's have been identified in two areas: Falador Park and the Tree Gnome Stronghold. The Falador monument depicts Hazelmere lunging forward, possibly casting some type of magical spell. It can be found near the park's largest pond, on its south side. This statue is not alone, and the other five deceased heroes can also be found here.

The other monument can be found in the far South-west of the Tree Gnome Stronghold, near the terrorbird fields and local fishing pond. Hazelmere is shown in the same position as his monument in Falador, although it is given a different meaning here. Hazelmere can be seen reaching forward in the direction of Argento's remains, apparently calling to his fallen companion.

Today, he remains one of the greatest heroes not only of gnome legend, but also of humans as well. His death was presumably mourned by the gnome people, but as his remains were lost to Lucien, his body cannot be honoured properly.



Personality and Appearance
Hazelmere, being a gnome, is considerably shorter even than the dwarven race. He stands somewhere between .6 and 1 meters, and possesses all those characteristics typical of the gnomish people; a broad nose, pointed ears, and a proportioned body.

Hazelmere's skin is typically dark for a modern gnome, suggesting that he may have come from a more tropical region or have foreign parents. His eyes are brown, but his original hair colour remains unknown; he was completely bald for much of his life, although whether by choice is not known. During his retirement, he grew a thick grey beard. Usually wearing bright orange and blue clothing, he does not dress in typical gnomish fashion. Whether there is any significance to this is unknown. He is often be seen wearing a distinctive straw hat, which was the only part of him to survive Lucien's attack. It is lost after his death, however, and is not recovered.

For most of his life, Hazelmere was relatively quiet and spent much of his time thinking. When talking, he is usually very blunt and possesses a dry and sometimes sarcastic sense of humour. He often speaks to friends as though annoyed, although this is usually done for comic effect. Mod Chihiro, the writer of much of Hazelmere's diologue, has described him affectionately as "Grumpy but noble."

Magic Abilities
Hazelmere, by the time of his death, was amongst the greatest mages of his era. Skilled in both passive and combat magic, Hazelmere is perhaps the greatest gnomish mage to have ever lived, although Glouphrie was arguably more skilled in certain areas of the mystic arts, such as illusory spellcasting.

In combat, Hazelmere's magical abilities have never been fully expressed. His presence amongst the front lines during the Battle of Atarisundri suggest that he was a capable magical fighter, and hints that he fought in some of the Empire's conflicts directly. The only time he has been observed by the player in combat was during the battle against Lucien, during which he is slain. During the battle, he is shown to be capable of summoning a type of attack in which charged crystalline structures are summoned from the ground. This attack was nearly capable of pushing down the defences of Lucien, a 6,000 year-old Mahjarrat necromancer infused with the power of Armadyl himself. It should be noted, though, that this attack was done with the help of Argento's seed pod, and as such the spell may not have entirely been his own doing.



Passively, Hazelmere was also highly capable. Apart from being adept at basic skills such as teleportation and alchemy, Hazelmere is also an accomplished telepath, capable of speaking directly within the minds of others. During telepathy, Hazelmere creates a mystic bond between himself and the one with which he was speaking, something that, when observed, appeared as a thin blue strand connecting the two. In this way, Hazelmere speaks to humans without using the gnomish language.

As his closest friend for much of his life was Argento, Hazelmere is possibly the greatest spirit tree whisperer to ever live. He is capable of conversing with them easily and was also able to draw power from them in combat and transport. He can also easily read their emotions and receive these subconsciously from extremely long distances.

Hazelmere, during his retirement, also mastered the art of meditation, and using this skill he was able to weave himself metaphysically into the Anima Mundi, the soul of Gielinor. In this way he was able to gain a fundamental understanding of the world, although he is hesitant to share much of his knowledge. His gift of precognition is drawn from this meditation, and at times he is capable of glimpsing brief images or sensations from various points in the future. His final vision, the one which he believed was granted by Guthix himself, was perhaps the most vivid of his visions, although he was prevented from seeing all of it when he heard the distress of his adventurer companion in Arposandra. His decision to keep the knowledge of his death secret suggests that, even until his death, he did not share the entirety of what he had seen.

Hand-to-Hand Combat and Tactical Skills
Although usually opting for magical combat, Hazelmere also possesses an advanced level of hand-to-hand combat ability, particularly with a weapon. His sword of preference, a crescent-shaped blade of unknown make, is seen when fighting Lucien's horde. His skill with this weapon is far beyond that of even most master swordsmen, whether gnomish or human.

Hazelmere is also a valued wartime tactician amongst the Gnome Empire, and is responsible in no small part for many positive developments during the Thorobshuun, Arposandran, and Lucien wars.

Knowledge and Studies
Aside from his combat and magic abilities, Hazelmere is also fluent in many practical arts, ranging from woodcraft to horticulture. His ability to survive on limited natural resources during retirement suggests that, perhaps during his early life, he learned how to survive in the wild. From this stemmed many skills, such as his construction abilities and his advanced knowledge of farming which aided him in the growth of the Grand Tree.

Hazelmere is also a history buff with an extensive knowledge of all time periods, particularly Fourth Age and Fifth Age gnomish events. He shows a vast appreciation for racially diverse topics, particularly gnomish, human, and elven history and culture. He, like most gnomes, has an affinity for gnome cuisine, and is on good terms with Blurberry's Bar and famed gnome chefs Aluft Gianne Sr and Aluft Gianne Jr.

Hazelmere is known to speak the common human RuneScapeian tongue, which is depicted as either English, German, or French. He also speaks fluent Gnomish, Tree Spirit, and presumably, to some degree, Old Elvish.

Treasure Trails Guide
Hazelmere is a possible clue during Treasure Trails. He must be spoken to for this clue, and will either give the player another clue scroll or the reward itself.

However, after completing While Guthix Sleeps, Hazelmere cannot be found in game and these clues cannot be completed. This is believed to be a bug, but Jagex has yet to resolve the issue.

Gnome Restaurant
Hazelmere is a potential customer in the Gnome Restaurant mini-game. He can only be delivered to in advanced orders, and will request various baked goods and cocktails made through gnome cooking. He will give various item rewards, some of which include gems, herb seeds, runes, bolts, and half-keys. He is not available after While Guthix Sleeps, but you can be ordered to deliver and order to him, however Aluft Gianne Jr will say it's certainly an old order and will cancel it. You will be able to ask for a new delivery without delay.



Trivia

 * During the While Guthix Sleeps quest it is revealed that Hazelmere had a combat level of 197.
 * After Hazelmere is killed by Lucien during While Guthix Sleeps, his examine text (examining his floating hat) is "The hat of a recently deceased Hazelmere." Oddly, the hat possesses a combat level: 1.
 * There appear to be various inconsistencies in Hazelmere's ability to speak in the common tongue. At times it is hinted that he is incapable of doing so, while at other times it is implied that he refuses to out of strict adherence to old customs. When making deliveries to him in the Gnome Restaurant game, he will be understandable. He is also understandable during the final battle with Lucien. Many of these seem to be oversights, although it is generally believed that Hazelmere can speak human, but prefers not to.
 * The statues of Hazelmere and the rest of the hero's party constructed after While Guthix Sleeps have what appear to be Seren's symbol etched on their bases. Although the symbol is similar to Seren's, it is unlikely that this is what they are meant to represent.