Zaros

Zaros (pronounced "ZÀ-ross") is the god of fate and control, as well as the divine aspect of dark energy, countering his companion, Seren, who is the divine aspect of light energy. He is an extremely powerful entity whose power ranks amongst that of Guthix and Seren, having been directly created by an Elder God. By reputation among other gods' followers, his ways are occasionally characterised as : 'empty' and manipulative to a degree. He is also sometimes associated with shadow, emptiness, fate and absence. He personally says that these are merely the impressions of others on him, and one should judge him based only on his own actions and words.

Unlike the young gods, Zaros was never a mortal; he has never been anything else but a divine being. Zaros and Seren were both created by the Elder God Mah on Freneskae when the last cycle of the universe began, many thousands of years ago, to serve as company. He was to represent dark energy while Seren was to represent light energy. They were tied to each other in ways neither could control. It was a mutual "attraction" of sorts that weakened Zaros' concentration and Seren's will in order to bring them together. Mah, with the temperament of a child due to a lack of anima - thus making her a purely instinctual being without memory or knowledge - saw them as her "playthings", in a sense. However, Zaros resented this. Unable to learn anything from his creator, he longed to escape and create his own destiny. Seren, on the other hand, felt it was their duty to remain with Mah. She felt that Mah needed them and only created them out of the fear of being alone. Indeed, Zaros abandoned both Mah and Seren. He set out to search the stars for whatever he would find. The first world he came to was that of Infernus.

Zaros wants the world to belong to mortals, similarly to Guthix, but believes that mortals would neither be safe nor capable of living without the guidance of gods, who are able to set some rules and exercise proper control; otherwise, everything would turn to chaos. As such, he suggests that he watches mortals silently, making checks and balances to ensure 'balance' is maintained, and to silently guide mortals to fulfill their greatest potential and protect them from themselves and the Elder Gods. He strives to become an Elder God himself for it would be the only way for him to communicate with them, allowing him to attempt to stop them from destroying mortal life.

Zaros' arrival in Gielinor was one of the most important events of the early Second Age. During this age, he ruled a vast empire of hitherto unrivalled size, stretching from the borders of the Troll Country and the Frozen Wastes to Kharyrll, bordering Hallowvale, and from Ghorrock by the Northern Sea to the northern cliffs of the Kharidian Lands in the south. From his arrival, which was some time after Guthix's first descent into the planet and subsequent sleep, and until his downfall at the hands of Zamorak, Zaros was one of the most powerful gods known to Gielinor, both in personal power and influence. Even millennia after his defeat, the few people aware of his existence are aware of his immense might and the gods familiar with him express great fear at his name. The very few present-day Saradominists and Zamorakians who possess knowledge of Zaros consider him an adversary. For instance, the legendary adventurer Dionysius becomes furious upon hearing his name. Others, like certain inhabitants of the Kharidian Desert, and some Mahjarrat, still worship Zaros as their lord.

He is the patron of the Ancient Magicks and Ancient Curses, and is strongly associated with conquest and domination. Zaros only recently regained contact with his followers on Gielinor by way of a communion portal, before returning to Gielinor from Freneskae.

After Fate of the Gods is completed, players can place the shard of Zaros into the crystal reader at the Sanctum on Freneskae. This summons a hologram of Zaros himself, to whom players can ask a wide variety of questions about his origins, his beliefs, his opinion of many other beings, and his plans for the future. Players can also re-watch the cutscene in which Zaros is restored to his body by right-clicking him and selecting the rewatch option.

Religion
The symbol of Zaros is a circle with four small, rounded juts pointing outwards surrounding a (equidistant) cross, and is usually found as ornament on Zarosian artefacts and clothing, as well as Zarosian fortresses such as Viggora's Fortress. Unlike some gods, such as Saradomin and Armadyl, who derived their symbols from Elder Artefacts, Zaros' symbol is his own creation. Its meaning and what it represents however, is unknown. Zaros' colour seems to be various shades of purple, although cream and gold dominated the temple of Senntisten. The Zarosian religion makes extensive use of the Infernal language, which was taken from the original inhabitants of Infernus. Although it is also used in other instances nowadays, albeit rarely, it is originally a demonic language which became the official Zarosian tongue and the non-Zarosian groups and individuals using it, such as the Kinshra or Dionysius, may be unaware of its origins.

Zaros' goal is to guide Gielinor's inhabitants from the shadows, pushing them towards their full potential and protecting them from harm. Upon arrival to the planet in the Second Age, he deemed establishing a large empire with massive armies the best way to achieve this. However, this eventually led to a rebellion and his own banishment. As such, he has chosen a more subtle means of accomplishing his goal upon return, trying not to rule, but act as an unseen but omnipresent power silently guiding mortals to their greatest potential, and working with only a small number of those that have reached this state of total potential.

Moral alignment
Due to his conquering of land and initiating of many wars in the Second Age, Zaros has often been called an evil god by followers of the gods who attempted to erase him from history, and given that history is written by the victors this may not be the case. Most who know of Zaros today, but who do not follow him, usually regard him as evil and something to be feared. However, it should be noted that his intentions are not malevolent. During Fate of the Gods, Zaros claims that his disputes with Saradomin taught him the notions of good and evil, but he dismissed them, stating that there is no good and evil, only action and consequence. Zaros himself can therefore be better described as alien in his morality rather than either good or evil.

Zaros' followers, however, differ greatly in morality. Some of Zaros' followers may be called evil in the conventional sense of being ruthless, enjoying being deceptive and seeking power for power's sake. In addition, the Ancient Curses and Ancient Magicks, the Zarosian patron prayers and spells respectively, seem to be highly combative in nature as they focus on inflicting damage on others and draining them of their powers. Saradominists have claimed that the "evil" nature of the Second Age Zarosians, most likely referring to traditionally hostile races such as demons and vampyres, is to blame on the god himself, stating that he willingly allied himself with them. Queen Senliten, who aided in defending her empire from Zaros' armies, has described him as an ever-plotting vile creature. However, as noted before, he was not aware (nor had he the ability to be) of the alleged cruelty of his followers' actions. According to Zaros, he used the first sentient races (such as demons and vampyres) he encountered that were not claimed by other deities and because they had the potential to serve his goals well, and by the time he reached other races they had already aligned with other gods. He has also stated in Fate of the Gods all would be welcome under his banner regardless of race.

In particular, prior to his journey to the world known as Gielinor, Zaros had no concept of "Good" and "Evil" moral alignments. While talking to him using the Shard of Zaros, he mentions specifically that he learned this concept from Saradomin himself. Zaros disagrees with this assessment instead saying "there are only actions and consequences". This is likely a product of his analytical nature which comes from Zaros being a Transcendent being versus an Ascendent being. While disagreeing with Saradomin's beliefs Zaros does see merit in them, the evidence coming from the prosperity of his followers, in particular humans.

Zaros' relationships with the other Gods is a complex subject. The major reason being that he views other Gods and their corresponding beliefs in a different way. Traditionally, most Gods view other gods as rivals whose beliefs they believe will bring ruin to the world. Zaros differs in two ways. The First is that he does not view other gods with the noted exception of the Elder Gods and Seren as Gods. Instead he views them as mortals who have obtained an immense amount of power to the point of being able to influence other mortals on a global scale. The second is that he does not view other Gods as rivals but instead as both tools and obstacles. For example, Saradomin is currently the strongest of the Young Gods after the death of Guthix and the Battle of Lumbridge. Zaros views him as narrow minded and a hypocrite for believing in good and evil but using questionable means for the greater good. However conversely, he believes that Saradomin's beliefs and actions have merit as stated before. If he could broaden his views, Zaros believes he could make a capable envoy with mortals and a key ally.

As for Zamorak, Zaros still holds the view even after his betrayal that he was his finest general and he trusted him immensely, still to this day not completely understanding why he did what he did. He theorizes that it is Zamorak's strong will to overcome anything, interestingly enough, Zaros says it as a complement. Retribution is not a priority or even a goal of Zaros for Zamorak's betrayal contrary to the views of his followers. As for Bandos the deceased God of War he stated that he had two talents, the obvious strategic mind and the not so obvious ability to find the truth in any situation. His constant demand for war was his weakness and lead to his downfall at the hands of his rival Armadyl. If he had learned to control his thirst for violence, Zaros believes he could have proved useful.

Armadyl is the subject of a great deal of respect and interest from Zaros. In the category of the Young Gods Armadyl holds the most favour from Zaros. This is a combination of several things including his ideology and his actions as a result of his experiences. When Zaros first met him during the second age, he viewed him as naive who would not be able to capably lead his followers through the brutal war that devastated the world. While partly true, with Armadyl witnessing the near destruction of his entire race. Zaros is sympathetic to his loss, noting that unlike the other Gods: Zamorak, Saradomin, and Bandos; Armadyl's intentions were always pure. To the surprise and admiration of Zaros, Armadyl did not fall to despair but instead was emboldened to fight for his beliefs and his followers resulting in his victory over Bandos. With his beliefs reinforced and his capability as a leader in war and willingness to work with other apparent, Zaros harbours a great deal of admiration for the Young God, in particular for his belief that mortals and Gods can live together in peace. Interestingly it is unknown if Armadyl is aware of this respect given to him by the Empty Lord and if he would reciprocate it in turn.

Seren's restoration
During the quest the adventurer brings Seren to Freneskae where they are attacked by muspahs and saved by Zaros. Zaros then brings them to the Elder Halls where they recover Seren's soul.

Powers and abilities
Zaros possesses a wide range of power that is well beyond normal gods. He is capable of leaving his body on a whim and embody an incorporeal form, though this form is much weaker and incapable of some tasks. Zaros also has the ability to drain power from entities, as he drained energy from the muspah. He can even drain energy from gods, such as Loarnab. Zaros, like most gods, can create portals to other worlds and teleport himself and other beings that are not beyond his power. He has a unique, involuntary ability to incite loyalty in beings, even gods such as Seren, within his presence, but this power cannot affect beings who dampen divine energy. He can manipulate existing life-forms, and this is how he created the Nihil. Zaros can also enter a person's mind and read it to some extent, as done with the player during Fate of the Gods. As seen while conversing with him, Zaros is capable of shapeshifting.

Followers
Originally Zaros was worshipped in his empire in the north-east of the known continent. However, its settlements were destroyed by Zamorak and Saradomin before the former utterly laid waste to the land itself. Most traces of the Zarosian religion and the god himself, such as altars and temples, have been destroyed by Saradomin and Zamorak during the Zarosian Extermination in an attempt to wipe all traces of him from RuneScape. His remaining followers were either killed or forced into hiding if refusing to defect. Without their god, the Zarosian following diminished throughout the Third and early Fourth Ages, until being reduced to a small number of Kharidian bandits.

Groups and races

 * Certain Kharidian Desert Bandits - As a result of the Zarosian Extermination, some of Zaros' following was forced into the desert, where they have settled as bandits.
 * Certain Mahjarrat, not including the ones who betrayed him
 * Ancient mages, ancient rangers and ancient warriors - The main components of the Army of Zaros.
 * The Auspah - A race of large humanoids with extensive fire-based powers. Char is the last remaining Auspah.
 * Some demons, including blood reavers - A race of beasts from the Infernal Dimensions whom Zaros bound to himself with a pact.
 * Various groups of humans
 * Nihil - a race developed by Zaros in an attempt to fix the Illujanka's fertility problem.

Notable individuals

 * Akthanakos - A Mahjarrat of average power who is the sworn enemy of Enakhra. He was a tribune in the empire.
 * Ayanetka - An archbishop of Senntisten, who encouraged the bishops and priests of Zaros to remain faithful following the betrayal of Zamorak.
 * Azzanadra - An exceptionally powerful and honourable Mahjarrat, regarded as Zaros' most faithful servant, and is known as the Champion of Zaros. He played a major role in Zaros' return to Gielinor, and was one of Zaros' generals, as well as the pontifex maximus.
 * Char - A powerful Auspah and the last of her race. She is extremely loyal to Zaros and also one of his generals.
 * Dagroda - A Priest-King of Senntisten who ordered the Zarosian withdrawal from Senntisten when faced with the overwhelming forces of Zamorak and Saradomin.
 * Eblis - A bandit of the Kharidian Desert Bandit Camp who aided in Azzanadra's release from the Jaldraocht pyramid.
 * Jhallan - A fairly strong and arrogant Mahjarrat, who became tired of battle when the God Wars broke out. As such, his skills as a warrior diminished, leading to the other Mahjarrat looking down upon him. He was eventually sacrificed at the 18th Ritual of Rejuvenation. He was a pontifex in the empire.
 * Mizzarch - An apparently fairly weak Mahjarrat who was sacrificed at the 15th Ritual of Rejuvenation. He was a pontifex in the empire.
 * Nex - An extremely powerful Nihil general of Zaros who was imprisoned in the Temple of Lost Ancients.
 * Sliske - A very powerful and devious Mahjarrat, who is quite different from the others. He was the first of the Mahjarrat who allied with Zaros, leaving Icthlarin behind. While his actions have benefited either himself or Zaros, he always chooses the action he deems the most fun. He was the praefectus praetorio in the empire. Sliske was excommunicated by Zaros for his dubious actions.
 * Wahisietel - A wise Mahjarrat who works closely with Azzanadra under the disguise of Ali the Wise. He attempted to protect Zarosian settlements during the God Wars. He was a legate in the empire.

Trivia

 * While on Freneskae, Zaros drained power from the muspahs spawned by Mah's nightmares to sustain himself. This was first hinted by Kharshai claiming that Zaros's power was stronger than it had been in a long time.
 * The Kalphite Queen used to remark that "[the kalphites] are faithfully waiting for the return of Zaros" when talked to in a skill hall. This connection has not been explained, but the dialogue is no longer present.
 * The encrypted message in the description of the Chaos Elemental's card in the RuneScape Top Trumps reads, once deciphered: "There will come a time when the Empty One returns aiming to take the Stone and confirming himself as an Elder God." This is likely a hint at Zaros's future plans. Additionally, it once said "bizarre boron swell", which is an anagram of "Zaros will be reborn".
 * Bob the Cat says "Well, I don't believe much really since I know I am Zar-.... erm, well, no, I erm, meow?", but he is known not to be Zaros.
 * Non-Zarosians referring to Zaros as the 'Empty Lord' and avoiding the use of his real name to avoid empowering him may be a reference to, where the same is true with.