Elder Artefacts

The Elder Artefacts, also known as The Elder Twelve, are a class of immensely powerful and divine artefacts that were created by the Elder Gods who used them as conduits for their power to carefully craft perfect details in their creations. Most artefacts were created by Jas, the most powerful elder goddess, aligned to time, using her stone. It was learnt from the Tribute to Guthix, wherein Guthix's memories could be read, there are twelve artefacts, of which currently only six of such are known. At least seven of these reside on Gielinor at the time of the Sixth Age.

These artefacts are so powerful that merely spending time with one of the Elder Twelve artefacts will make it possible to attain godhood. Each of the artefacts also has a specific function, though that function may or may not be what it's been used for by the gods. Some of the artefacts are called Elder Weapons, or God Slayers; the most well-known of these is the one referenced to by Guthix: the Staff of Armadyl. Only one of the artefacts has a sentient defender, namely the Stone of Jas, which is defended by Dragonkin; the others do not have such a defence.

The Stone of Jas
The Stone of Jas is one of the most well known artefacts, also known as: "The Eye of Saradomin" and "The Fist of Guthix". It is the most powerful artefact and the very first one created. It expresses the power of its creator; Jas, Elder Goddess of time. She used it to create most other artefacts, aside from the Elder Kiln and possibly others. While not a weapon, it grants its users part of its immense power.

It has, however, guardians called the Dragonkin, a race created, enslaved and cursed by Jas to feel agonising pain at every moment, mainly when the Stone is being misused. When the Stone is misused, the Dragonkin are given power equal to that was given to the user and are tasked to destroy them, making it one of the most risky artefacts to be used. Throughout Gielinor's history, the Dragonkin have not been able to stop "False Users" (mainly gods), but their power has since been supplemented thusly that they are nearing godhood themselves.

The stone has a long history of use and relocation. Notable users of the stone include Guthix, the Kethsians, Zamorak, Saradomin and Lucien. The stone is also the cause of the existence of rune essence, Daeyalt ore and the Fist of Guthix as well as being the power source that played a role in the destruction of the Forinthry site. With his powers enhanced by it at the end of the God Wars, Zamorak seared away the entire continent. The stone was a significant part of how Zamorak obtained godhood, and how Lucien planned to do so. When Zamorak lost the stone to Saradomin, he declared the God Wars on him to reclaim it - these would last almost four thousand years.

The Elder Kiln & the TokHaar
The TokHaar are an immortal race forged by the Elder Kiln, an artefact created by the Elder Goddess of constancy, Ful, to build the mountains of the worlds created by the gods, and thus, ultimately, Gielinor's. The TokHaar-Hok were forged to bring through the word the Elder Gods and be obeyed by the other TokHaar, the TokHaar-Xil to dig up the earth and rock, the TokHaar-Mej to blast the earth into a size the TokHaar-Ket could lift, and the TokHaar-Hur to craft the sediment into cliff-faces and slopes. They remain to this day, hidden deep inside the Karamja Volcano.

The Elder Kiln itself was created on a planet different from Gielinor, where the Elder Gods attempted to create the perfect world. They failed numerous times and Ful would take the kiln and the TokHaar to the next project each time. When their work on Gielinor, the last and perfect planet, was done, the TokHaar built a great mountain around the Elder Kiln and returned to live within it: "to await further instruction". However, some chose to live outside the kiln after some time, tunnelling through the mountain creating a city. Those that did so have become the TzHaar. The TokHaar dislike the TzHaar for this, believing it is weak, unnatural and against their true purpose. For being distant to the Elder Kiln, they have become mortal, weakened and with many reproduction problems.

Over the years, the TokHaar fell into oblivion but were rediscovered when the TzHaar conducted an expedition to the sacred Kiln in 169 of the Fifth Age in an attempt to find out why the volcano was cooling down, gradually causing their extinction, which turned out to be a TokHaar plot to attract the TzHaar to the Elder Kiln. They had shut down part of the TzKot-Zo, the ring of sacred lava that heats the volcano, to inhibit TzHaar reproduction (creating the Ga'al unpurposefully while at it), but this was eventually foiled.

According to the TokHaar, [younger] gods are beings that abused the artefacts of the Elder Gods in order to gain a massive amount of power. Up to date, the TokHaar are also the only known sentient artefacts, instead of just being an object. When a TokHaar dies, they return to the lava. Anything else that falls into the sacred lava is resurrected as TokHaar as well.

The Staff of Armadyl
The artefact commonly referred to as the Staff of Armadyl (although its true name is unknown), is the second most used one in the history of Gielinor, behind the Stone of Jas.

It was found by Guthix at Gielinor during the First Age when he was travelling between dimensions with his sword (see below). He wasn't interested in it and hid it before sleeping in the middle of the perfect world to let mortals enjoy it. After that, it was found and used by the god Armadyl during the Second Age and soon became linked to him, becoming known as "The Staff of Armadyl". His followers adopted the symbol from the staff and it became his. Notable users of the staff include Zamorak, Lucien and Sliske. It was hidden in a cave before Zamorak got hold of it, but its exact whereabouts at the time remain unknown. After Zamorak had used the staff, it was placed under protection of the Guardians of Armadyl. The staff was referred to as "a god slayer" by Guthix. It amplifies its user's power and magical capabilities and serves as a conduit for power as well. Two of the most important events in which the staff was involved were the death of Guthix and the banishment of Zaros.

Sword
This Sword is also known as Guthix's Sword. After picking it up when Skargaroth dropped it, during the Naragi God Wars, Guthix used it to wound Tuska and kill Skargaroth making him ascend to godhood. After which he used the sword to cut open portals, which allowed him to travel across worlds. The Elder Sword currently lies shattered in Guthix's Cave, too dangerous to be used and still crackling with energy.

This sword is not to be confused with the sword found in the Wilderness associated with the Edicts of Guthix, or with the Sword of Edicts, which is a cosmetic 2H-overriding replica of the Wilderness sword and was a reward received during the Tribute to Guthix.

Crown Archival
The Crown Archival is an artefact that enables the user to locate all the other artefacts, but also enables the users of these other artefacts to locate The Elder Crown, making it one of the most useful and risky artefacts to be used.

The Crown is in possession of Saradomin and has been for a long time, since before the Naragi God Wars up until this day, it might likely be the first artefact Saradomin got his hands on and enabled to attain godhood. Like many other gods, he might well have been looking to collect more of the Elder Artefacts. And eventually he found The Elder Stone, which he called The Eye of Saradomin, during the Gielinorian God Wars, but it soon fell into Zamorak's hands.

Horn
Upon his arrival on Gielinor, Guthix started to explore the world and found several Elder Artefacts. One of these discoveries was a horn, which he kept hidden. It is unknown what or where this artefact is, but there has been speculation that it could be the Frostenhorn or the horn in Quin's possession. The first is confirmed to be false, the latter has not been commented on.

Existence of others Elder Artefacts
It was long thought that the Stone of Jas was the only item that belonged to the Elder Gods (or only Jas, since there was no confirmation at the time as to whether more existed or not). This has recently changed. In a lore livestream, confirmed by Mod Osborne. The other six artefacts are to be revealed soon.

In addition to this, Mod Osborne stated that the majority of the Elder Artefacts are currently on Gielinor. He has also confirmed that at least one of the Elder Artefacts are located in the Kharidian Desert.

Trivia

 * The Elder Sword, which can open inter-dimensional portals between worlds, could be a reference to a number of swords mentioned in other fantasy. Examples of this are: The Jewelled Sword of Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg and The Subtle Knife.