Ancient Cavern


 * Not to be confused with Living Rock Caverns.

The Ancient Cavern is an area reached from the whirlpool near Otto Godblessed's house, which was released on 3 July 2007. A player must dive into the whirlpool to enter the cavern, which contains many high-level monsters, including the highest level dragon, the Mithril dragon.

Fighting these dragons is one of the two possible methods of obtaining a Dragon full helm without having to purchase it from another player. The dragons occasionally drop the helm directly. They also occasionally drop Chewed bones. Lighting a Pyre ship made with Chewed bones releases the spirit of a departed barbarian, who occasionally rewards the player with this rare piece of armour.

The cavern is in a members-only area and can only be accessed after the player has undergone Barbarian Training. (Barbarian training is also required to be able to make pyre ships.) If a player dives into the whirlpool before undergoing Barbarian Training, they will be taken away along with a small amount of their Life Points, washing up on shore near Hadley's house.

Players cannot leave the cavern via the whirlpool. Instead, they may leave by riding on one of two aged logs that can be found near the Waterfiends. The logs are floating on the water, as shown on the map, and have examine text of "A log jammed by the current, perhaps rideable ."

A Fairy ring, also located near the waterfiends, can be restored for use by players who can use the rings. With a Spade and 5 Mushrooms in inventory and with a Dramen or Lunar staff equipped, the player can restore the ring by using one of the mushrooms on the "Enchanted land" spot near the centre of the ring. The ring can be restored without a staff once a player has completed Fairy Tale III - Battle at Orks Rift. After it is restored, players can use it to quickly teleport in and out of the cave. The fairy ring code is BJQ.

Warning: Waterfiends may be close enough to attack anyone going to the logs, restoring the ring, or teleporting to the ring.

Introduction


The Ancient Cavern is one of the most dangerous dungeons in all of RuneScape. All who enter the area should be prepared to face dragons with long-range attacks, and high-level monsters that can attack using more than one combat style. None of the monsters in the Ancient Cavern, except Skeleton heavy, can be poisoned.

To access the dungeon the player must have learned about funeral pyre burning, in Barbarian Training from Otto Godblessed. To enter the dungeon, the player jumps into the whirlpool off the jetty on the northern shore of the Baxtorian Falls lake. Players cannot jump into the whirlpool with a Summoning familiar. Upon entering the cavern, the player appears on a small platform with stairs to the lower level and can see a Mithril Dragon off in the distance in another part of the upper level. No creatures can be seen on the lower level until the player descends the stairs, so the platform cannot be used for making ranged or magic attacks.

The biggest dangers in the cavern are the Brutal Green Dragons on the lower level and the Mithril Dragons on the upper level. Players should be prepared to be attacked by a brutal green dragon as soon as they descend the stairs to the lower level, and it can use melee, magic, and dragonfire breath. Inexperienced players can be killed descending the steps if not prepared for dragonfire breath attacks. The Protect from Magic Prayer can help reduce damage as well. The lower level also has many other monsters in various places.

The caves are flat out dangerous, and are not to be underestimated. It is recommended to pack decent combat gear; an Anti-dragon shield, Antifire potions, Super sets, an emergency (one-click) teleport, and high-healing food. A Ring of life may occasionally save players in mortal danger, but the high-hitting monsters have the potential to outright devour players before the ring can activate.

Location and travel


The whirlpool entrance to the Ancient Cavern is south of the Barbarian Outpost near Baxtorian Falls. Players can get there by walking west from Seers' Village, north from East Ardougne, or east from the Tree Gnome Stronghold. (From the stronghold, players with level 37 Agility can take the shortcut northeast of the Grand Tree; otherwise, the more round-about route through the stronghold's southern gate is necessary.)

Some teleports can be used to get near the whirlpool:


 * A Games necklace can teleport to the Barbarian Outpost. This is quickest way to get to the area.
 * A Combat bracelet can teleport to the Ranging Guild, which is east of Baxtorian Falls.
 * Barbarian teleport from the Lunar Spellbook. Teleporting between barbarian outpost and Lunar Island provides quick banking during slayer tasks.
 * A Plain of Mud Sphere can teleport one near the Fishing Guild, which is south-east of Baxtorian Falls.
 * A Skills necklace can teleport to the Fishing Guild, which is south-east of Baxtorian Falls.
 * Players with level 37 Agility can use the Gnome gliders or Spirit trees to travel to the Tree Gnome Stronghold and then use the shortcut north of the Grand Tree to get to the Baxtorian Falls lake.

Two teleports can be used to directly enter the dungeon:


 * Fairy ring Code BJQ, which will teleport near the north-western most Waterfiends. Repairing this ring requires five Mushrooms, a Spade, and the player having completed up to a certain part of Fairytale II - Cure a Queen before planting and travel to and from Zanaris is possible.
 * The Ferocious ring, which is a drop from the creatures in Kuradal's Dungeon, can teleport the player to Kuradal (Note: you can only attack the monsters in the dungeon if they are your current Slayer assignment assigned by Kuradal.)

Map of the cavern


The upper level is split into separate sections. The small northern section is where the player appears after jumping in the whirlpool on the surface world. Stairs #1 connects this section to the lower level. The main part of the upper level can be reached from stairs #2 while the Dragon forge chamber can be reached from stairs #3. Stairs #3, the 'rough-hewn steps', once were too slippery to climb until after the While Guthix Sleeps quest was finished but now can be climbed by anyone in the cavern, giving access to the Slayer Master, Kuradal, and the entrance to her slayer dungeon. The Dragon forge, and the mithril door at #4 are discussed below.

"Skeletons" on the map are Skeleton warlords. "Barbarians" are Confused barbarians. "Spirits" are Fearsome Barbarian Spirits.

The location of the monsters on the map is approximate, as they wander about. For example, a skeleton warlord occasionally can be found with the waterfiends.

A total of 12 Mithril ore rocks can be found on the upper level. None are safe to mine, as mithril dragons roam throughout the upper level. One Skeleton warlord is also present on this level, in the south-east area.

Fairy ring BJQ can be found at the western edge of the lower level. It must be restored before it can be used, as explained earlier in the article.

Dragon forge


On 28 October Jagex released the Swept Away quest and the 2008 Halloween event. At the bottom of the news article announcing this update, a message stated that "A distant rumble had recently been heard just north of Baxtorian Waterfall...". This affected the Ancient Cavern. The cavern itself is (supposedly) larger, and rough hewn steps in the south west corner (stairs #3 on the map), which were previously unclimbable due to them being slippery, can now be climbed. Kuradal and the entrance to her dungeon are near the top of the steps, as explained earlier in the article.

Beyond Kuradal is a long cave, ending in a chamber, the Dragon forge, that contains a large basin, 3 dragon heads made out of metal, and many anvils. There are channels in the side of the basin and marks in the floor where lava flows from the mouths of the dragons and into the basin, then flows out again and runs along the floor, out of the room. The running lava is used to smith Dragon platebody. (It is widely believed, but not known for certain, that all types of Dragon equipment once were smithed here.)

The forge is lit from the Mithril key chamber (see below). Once the orb in the chamber is lit, the forge fills with molten lava and can now be used. The player can use a Blast fusion hammer, purchasable from the Blast Furnace Foreman at the Blast Furnace in Keldagrim for 1,000,000 coins, to fuse together the three parts of the dragon platebody with 92 Smithing (the Assist system can be used).

Players who try to use a metal bar on one of the anvils get the message, "The anvil resists the metal pushing it away." This also occurs with elemental bars, even though they are not classified as metal.

Mithril key chamber and lighting the forge
After the completion of the quest, While Guthix Sleeps, it is possible to unlock the mithril door on the upper level using a Dragonkin key. This key is made by fusing together the Strange key teeth with the Strange key loop, items found during the quest. The player can get the key fused by using either piece on a Mithril dragon while have the other piece of the key in inventory. Be aware that some player regard this activity as being hazardous while the mithril dragons are aggressive, although it is possible to fuse the key on a mithril dragon that is attacking. The key cannot be fused on a mithril dragon, however, while the player is being attacked by a different mithril dragon.

The Dragonkin key unlocks the mithril door. The key disappears when this occurs, and the door thereafter remains unlocked. The player can enter the Mithril key chamber. When outside the chamber on the cavern's upper level, an outline of what seems to be the chamber is visible on the minimap. However, once the player enters the chamber, no part of the upper level is visible and the chamber is larger and slightly different shaped than what appears to be chamber on the upper level. The reason for this is not known—perhaps it is magical (like the dining room being a different size in Recipe for Disaster) or perhaps it is actually located on a different level (such as above the Dragon forge).



Inside the mithril door are three hanging dragon heads and a giant orb in the centre. The player can use Fire Wave or Fire Surge on each head to have fire to appear in their mouths and cause them to slide towards the orb in the centre.

Rummaging skeletons


Lower-level players sometimes visit the cavern in search of bones to make pyre ships, as learned in Barbarian Training. Since mithril dragons, the source of Chewed bones, are extremely dangerous to lower-level players, the player should concentrate on finding Mangled bones instead. These bones can be obtained by rummaging the barbarian skeletons that are lying on the ground. There is one such skeleton just south of the safespot described above. Be aware that rummaging a skeleton may result in the player taking up to 190 damage.

Messages and rewards when rummaging skeletons: "You rummage in the sharp, slimy pile of bones in search of something useful..."
 * "...you find something and stow it in your pack." (Or, if the inventory is full, "...you find something, but it drops to the floor."). Items that may be found include:
 * Bones
 * Mangled bones
 * Ancient page for the My notes book.
 * "...the bones object." One of the following barbarian skeletons will appear and attack (Protect from melee is effective against them):
 * Skeleton heavy (level 132)
 * Skeleton hero (level 149)
 * "...but there's nothing remotely valuable." Nothing was found.

When rummaged, the pile of bones disappear. It respawns after about two minutes. If a skeleton heavy or hero appears when it was rummaged, the heavy or hero disappears when the pile of bones respawns.

Dragon full helm


The Dragon full helm can be obtained from the Ancient Caverns or bought from another player. Mithril dragons can drop the helm directly or can drop chewed bones. These bones can be burned with pyre ships, releasing spirits that might have the helmet as a reward.

The Dragon full helm is the second strongest helm that does not have to be repaired. Its stats are only surpassed by the Third age full helmet.

Monsters
Confused barbarians and Skeleton warlords, both of which wander the lower level, are opponents that are not that difficult. Spirits are tougher, hitting harder and more often. All three, however, only use melee, so the protection from melee prayer is effective against them. They may or may not be immune to the effects of poison.

Waterfiends are much more of a challenge, despite being the lowest levelled monster in the cavern. They use magic and ranged attacks, and the latter is extremely accurate. They are weak to crush-type weapons, such as maces, and poison doesn't affect them.

Brutal green dragons are tougher still, as they attack with melee, magic, and dragonfire breath. Like the waterfiends, these monsters are immune to poison.

Mithril dragons are very formidable. They attack using melee, magic, range, and dragonfire breath. Like waterfiends and brutal green dragons, mithril dragons are immune to all types of poison. The mithril dragons can hit high, so make sure to watch out for this. Even with good equipment and high defence, be aware that death is a possibility at any time.

On 8 December 2009, Jagex updated the ancient cavern with a new area housing the slayer master Kuradal and a variety of slayer monsters.

These monsters are:


 * Greater Demons, level 92
 * Gargoyles, level 111
 * Blue dragons, level 111
 * Hellhounds, level 122
 * Abyssal demons, level 124
 * Dark Beasts, level 182
 * Iron dragons, level 189
 * Steel dragons, level 246

Quests and Miniquests

 * Partial completion of Barbarian Training is required to enter the cavern at all.
 * Completion of While Guthix Sleeps is required to be able to make the Dragonkin key, to be able to enter the dragon forge.

Music
Music tracks unlocked:
 * Barb Wire

Trivia

 * Kuradal will tell the player that Lucien has recently taken an interest in the Ancient Cavern and has been sending agents to examine the cavern and the dragon forge. This may be a hint for an upcoming quest involving the Mahjarrat. While Guthix Sleeps, which involved Lucien, ended with the player acquiring the Dragonkin key pieces, which allows use of the dragon forge.
 * You cannot bring a Dwarf multicannon into the Ancient Cavern.
 * When you first enter the newly activated Dragon forge, you will see none other than Linza smithing away. You can engage her in dialog, and she will talk about random things. Eventually she will just teleport away, possibly mid-conversation.