Varrock Museum first floor

This is a list of all the displays on the First Floor of Varrock Museum. The common occurrence of "yr" means Year.

Display 1


5th Age - Year 62

The barbarian invaders were running out of steam. They were pretty much forced to make peace or be wiped out, so they agreed to settle down peacefully and make a village on the Misthalin/Asgarnia border, thinking they could lie low, well positioned to build up strength and resume their campaign later. This is what is now called the Barbarian Village.

Display 2


5th Age - Years 42-62

The Fremennik Mountain Tribe has always been opposed to the manufacture of runes, as they feel this should be the world of the gods. A group of the more warmongering of the mountain tribe broke away, led by a warrior called Gunnar, and went on a rampage across northern Kandarian and Asgarnia to put a stop to this 'Runecrafting'.

A group of master smith dwarves, known as the Imcando, were some of the most unfortunate during this period. They had been given many fire and nature runes by the White Knights of Falador to help with their smithing by use of the Superheat Item spell. The invading Fremennik were not happy about all the spellcasting and launched many attacks, reducing the Imcando to a near extinction. The invading Fremennik met a fair amount of resistance and their numbers were reduced very significantly over the years.

For more information about this display see: Runecrafting Crusades

Display 4


5th Age - Year 8

The kingdom of Asgarnia grew rapidly. King Raddallin, who was one of the tribal leaders of the area, had united many of the smaller tribes and settlements. However, one group within his domain is known as the Kinshra, or Black Knights. They had originally proved cooperative in helping the expansion of the kingdom of Asgarnia, and as a result he'd supported them in building a great fortress on his border to the Wilderness in the north-east. Another group known as the White Knights had also proven to be particularly competent in battle and were now helping him by being the main military force defending his capital city of Falador. However, it turned out that the White Knights and Black knights had always been bitter rivals. it has been a constant political battle ever since for the kings of Asgarnia to prevent their kingdoms sliding into an out-and-out, very bloody civil war.

Display 5


5th Age - Year 47

The invading Fremennik had a number of sympathisers within the kingdom of Misthalin. There were many warriors skilled in the art of the sword and bow that take offence to this art of spellcasting, and taking matters into their own hands, they destroyed the Mage Training Arena.

Display 6


4th Age - Year 1937

Settlers established a town on the River Lum. Across the river they build a bridge and hence the town became called Lumbridge. This heralded more human settlements springing up early in the next age, where humans began to move into the desert, establishing Al Kharid, and towns on both Karamja and Entrana.

Display 7


5th Age - Year 7

Using the power of runes, Saradominst humans in Kandarin, led by the Carnillean family, became confident and decided to take on the evil influences resident in the area around what is now known as Ardougne. From there, they expanded their territory until Kandarin was the largest of the human kingdoms.

Display 8


4th Age - Years 1-200

Taverley is the site of the only known example of a surviving druidic stone circle, but the druids of Guthix speak of many others scattered around RuneScape in the past. Our best dating techniques place them in the 4th Age. The druids built them to worship Guthix all across the world. The Druids claim to be keeping watch for Guthix, keeping balance in the world.

Display 11


5th Age - Year 9

As the manufacture of runes intensified and Magic became available to people of a great variety of ages and backgrounds. It soon became evident just how dangerous this was, with a great many tragic accidents occurring due to inexperienced wizards. Wizards and victims alike called for something to be done, but it was only due to a tragic accident involving one of the leaders of that time that the Mage Training Arena was constructed, established with all skill levels in mind. They even created magic guardians to run the building.

Display 13


1st Age

Here, you can see a tablet displaying an artist's impression of the portal through which humans first stepped on to RuneScape. It was said that Guthix himself walked among humans, providing rune stones, after which man first named this world. Guthix supposedly created the portal to bring humans from another world to populate RuneScape, at a time when he was the only god interested in developing Gielinor.

Display 15


4th Age - Year 1777

Temple records show that human settlers came to the temple on the River Salve looking for new lands in which to settle. While there were legends that the temple on the Salve was blocking great evil, they refused to heed the warnings of the then custodians of the temple, thinking them possibly behind the times or reciting old legends. the lands of Misthalin and Asgarnia weren't the safest places in the world - the human tribes of these times were having constant troubles with goblins, hobgoblins, giants, etc., so how much worse could Morytania have been? So, human settlers passed over the Salve into Morytania. The Museum recently came into possession of this torn map showing the expansion routes of the settlers.

Display 16


1st-2nd Ages

The 1st Age is thought to have been 4,000 years long. The world of RuneScape is said to have been created by the gods Saradomin, Zamorak, and Guthix at the start of the 1st Age. However, recent evidence from a brave adventurer suggests that Zamorak was not a god at this point in time so would not have been able to create worlds. It's thought that for much of this time the gods were still in the process of forming the world and making the various lands, seas, plants, and animals. This map is our approximation of the lands at that time, based upon our existing knowledge of the world

Display 17


5th Age - Year 12

Scorpius, the early 4th Age astrologer, used this machine (in the Observatory, which he designed) to track the stars and predict the future, gaining dark knowledge. The plans for his machine were lost in the early 4th Age. In the early 5th Age they were rediscovered and from these plans the Observatory was restored. Since then, many have learned the ways of the astrologer.

Display 19


4th Age - 2,000 years long

Finds indicate that at the beginning of the 4th Age, the humans who had survived the god wars formed nomadic tribes that battled for survival against not only each other, but also the dwarves, goblins, ogres, gnomes and many more races that were competing for land and resources. Over time, they started to make more permanent settlements throughout the world, but they continued to battle with their neighbours.

Display 20


4th Age - Year 1-100

Around the beginning of the 4th Age, a new terror was seen in the world: the Dragonkin. Without active gods, the people had to deal with this problem largely by themselves. Heroes arose to step up to this challenge, one of them being Robert the Strong, who helped drive the dragonkin back to their stronghold where, as far as anyone knows, they sit and brood to this very day.

Display 21


5th Age - Currently 169 years old

In the first years of the 5th Age, human mages discovered the rune essence rocks, but kept their locations a closely guarded secret between a select few of them, so as not to let the information fall into enemy hands. They used the power of the essence and the other altars they knew about to create various runes. Due to the power of the runes humans started to become more dominant within the world. The human kingdoms of Misthalin and Asgarnia quickly grew to become the RuneScape kingdoms and cities we know today. The mages who discovered the rune essence rock (modelled here) set up a great tower of wizardry in southern Misthalin.

Display 23


4th Age - Years 1100-1200

A tide of evil creatures from the east threatened Avarrocka and border skirmishes were seen between them and the human settlers. Seven priestly warriors - Iriandul Caistlyn, Sarl Dunegun, Friar Twiblick, Derygull, Ivandis Seergaze, Erysail the Pious, and Essiander Gar - attempted to drive the evil creatures back into what we now know as Morytania. Saradomin blessed the River Salve, making it impassable to the foul things lurking in the swamps, and the brave priests were buried in the temple above the river.

Display 24


4th Age - Years 700-800

Arrav is probably the best known hero from the 4th Age. In his youth, he was found by a tribe that took him to be a good omen and set up a camp which they called Avarrocka. That camp, in later years, became known as our glorious city of Varrock. Many legends are told of Arrav's heroics later in his life.


 * Text added after completing the Shield of Arrav quest.

The shield you see here actually belonged to Arrav. For a time this priceless exhibit was lost to us, when a bunch of thieves called the Phoenix gang broke into the Varrock Museum and stole it. We thank the daring adventurer who recently returned the shield to us.


 * Text added after completing the Defender of Varrock quest.

The shield has magical properties and was recently used to destroy a horde of zombies that invaded Varrock.

Display 25


5th Age - Year 20

A striking example of early 5th Age weapon-smithing, this steel sword has been magically treated to make it especially powerful against demons. it originally belonged to a warrior who defended Varrock from the demon Delrith, and was recently used to drive off the very same demon once again. This is a replica; the original silverlight is in the hands of a private collector.

Display 28


End of 2nd Age

This is a replica of the Staff of Armadyl, made from the descriptions given to us by a brave adventurer. It was this staff, wielded by Zamorak, which killed the god Zaros and cursed all those who aided this treacherous deed. It would seem that it was around this time that Zamorak ascended to godhood. Not much is known of what happened to the staff afterwards, until it's recent discovery. Armadyl is said to be a god whom was worshipped during the 2nd and 3rd Ages, though he does not seem to have much of a following in modern times.

Display 29


4th Age - Years 31-60

A fine example of an incredibly old star chart. Not much is known about it, but the positions of the stars indicate that it was made around the years of 31-60 of the 4th Age.

Display 30


3rd Age - Years 3000-4000

Prior stealing from it, during The Golem quest.

This statuette was found in an underground temple in the ruined city of Uzer, which was destroyed late in the 3rd Age, suddenly, due to causes unknown. It probably represents one of the clay golems that the craftsmen of the city built as warriors and servants. The statuette was originally part of a mechanism whose purpose is unknown.

After you steal from it, the following text is added to above description.

Recently this display was stolen and its whereabouts are unknown.

Display 31


3rd Age - 4,000 years long

The scorched earth of the Wilderness is a lasting reminder of the destruction wrought during the god wars. The little evidence found intact from these times would indicate that most of the mortal races only just survived this onslaught. Stories handed down over generations tell of great, powerful entities and agents of the gods fighting cataclysmic wars. However, at the end of this 4,000 year long 3rd Age, it seems that Saradomin, Guthix, and Zamorak settled for a less direct influence on our world.

Display 32


5th Age - Year 23

An evil vampyre lord started to take control of northern Morytania and his minions visited the various human groups in the area demanding blood tithes, causing widespread panic. Werewolves founded a settlement near to the temple. From the few survivors, we learned that most of the human in habitants eventually succumbed and paid the blood tithe imposed by the vampyres. Only the inhabitants of Castle Fenkenstrain stood up to this evil influence.

Display 34


4th Age - Years 500-900

An early 4th Age map showing the human civilisations starting to settle into more permanent villages. After the god wars, all the races began to rebuild their settlements.