Fifth Age

The Fifth Age, also known as the "Age of Men", the "Age of Mankind", or the "Age of Humans", is the current age of RuneScape. The Fifth Age is currently in its 169th year, and has remained this way since the introduction of the game.

The Fifth Age has thus far been a time of amazing strides for the human race, granting many humans dominance throughout central Gielinor largely due to the discovery of runes at the end of the Fourth Age. Positive advances in humanity's lifestyle include military, technological, theological, philosophical, political, and economic strides. The Fifth Age, as a result, has been referred to by some as the "Age of Humans".

= Overview =

At the end of the Fourth Age, a Fremennik seer discovered what would come to be known as "rune essence" in the desolate mountains east of the Fremennik Province. This rune essence, after its discovery, was proven to grant the human race the ability to use magic, a trait lost some time in the Second Age.

These runes soon spread throughout the untamed wildlands of Misthalin, Asgarnia, and Kandarin. With these runes, humans were capable of defending themselves from many of the dangerous races that occupied desirable regions of fertile land and feasible shelter. The human race, now able to considerably advance its strength for the first time since the God Wars, soon gained supremacy throughout central Gielinor. In the far reaches of the world, though, humans still remained somewhat insignificant, never gaining a foothold beyond the central kingdoms.

The Fifth Age has been a time of revolution, mostly concerning religion of Saradomin. Prior to the Fifth Age, Saradominism was a well-known religion and philosophy, but it was no more widespread than Zamorakian or Guthixian worship. With runes, however, the human nations devout to Saradomin were able to gain supremacy, sparking massive changes in the theological and secular lives of many.

The early Fifth Age was dominated by expansion. Under King Raddallin, the nation of Asgarnia and its capital city of Falador were founded. Meanwhile, the ancient line of Misthalanian kings continued to expand Varrock and its feudal townships into an agricultural hub of activity. Kandarin, under varying leadership, expanded to meet Asgarnia's border and essentially unite the three nations into one massive human realm.

Despite the unstable nature of the early Fifth Age, it was a time of great prosperity. Saradominist philosophy, which had already begun to grow even as the elves ruled during the Fourth Age, would evolve to the point where religion was the most important aspect of day-to-day life for most people. Saradomin's wisdom would go unquestioned for years as the Church of Saradomin gained footholds in many governments, controlling the flow of knowledge and ideas in more settled regions. As the standard of living rose, so did the overall literacy rate, sparking the spread of literature both historical and entertaining. Many of these writings were the work of Saradominist philosophers and cultural theologists, igniting an era of religious revolution.

As humanity's influence continued to clash against established races such as the gnomes, dwarves, and countless others, so too did the influence of the Church. As literacy became more common, humanity's interest in early time periods flourished. This perhaps can be seen most clearly in the Varrock Museum, which became a hub of cultural activity in the year 19. The Church of Saradomin, worried that some historical events and ideas could contradict the teachings of their god, began to more strictly control the spread of information, as well as further oppress other religions, particularly Zamorakians. This meant that many true historical texts and artefacts were lost.

Humanity's dependence on runes and the magic they provided naturally created a vast interest in the subject. As wizards became more commonplace, humanity's understanding and control of magic increased. The art developed beyond simple combat, eventually becoming an integral part of society's day-to-day living. Despite opposition from more traditional individuals, magic would continue to advance under the study of wizards in places such as the Wizards' Tower and the Mage Training Arena.

For 70 years, human thought and living would be revolutionised and advanced at an unprecedented rate, creating a series of kingdoms larger than any Gielinor had seen in more than 12,000 years. The dependence of the kingdoms on runes, though, would prove to be a tower without a stable foundation when, in the year 70, Zamorakians burned the Wizards' Tower, destroying the secret of runecrafting buried within the contents of the Tower's library.

For almost a hundred years after the Tower's destruction, humans would continue to prosper despite the thinning supply of runes. Culture and science would advance now that thoughts of expansion had diminished. In anticipation of the eventual loss of runestones, alchemists and scientists attempted to advance life in other ways, inventing more conventional means of managing society. As scientists found more mechanical workings in the world's order, society would lose some dependence on the modern teachings of Saradomin, whose thought was that the world's workings were understood by only him. The Church of Saradomin would lose considerable footing as the concept of self-importance grew. Secular ideas, though ever-growing, would never fully overtake the Church of Saradomin, which would continue to hold power rivalling that of many governments. Foreign ideas, such as those of the resurfaced civilisations of Keldagrim, Dorgesh-Kaan, and TzHaar, would also take a toll on traditional values and philosophies.

By 169, few knew of the dwindling rune supply, without which hostile races would be able to overtake the human nations with relative ease. The wizards, though, after almost a hundred years of study, would finally rediscover the secret to runecrafting, once more securing human supremacy in central Gielinor.

= Major Events with Approximate Dates =

Humans Discover Rune Essence (Year 1)
The Fifth Age began when a Fremennik explorer known as "V---" discovered the Stone of Jas and rune essence in a forgotten cave beneath the mountains of the eastern Fremennik Province. While the Stone was taken by a "higher power", the man who discovered it lead a group of curious humans in studying the rune essence, which lead to the widespread use of magic by humans. This eventually lead to the construction of the first Wizard's Tower south of Draynor Village and an era of human dominance in central Gielinor.

Rise of Kandarin (Year 7)
According to the Varrock Museum, Saradominists led by the Carnillean Family decided to remove evil influences from the area now known as Ardougne. They would eventually rise and create Kandarin, the largest nation in the world. One of Zamorak's chief agents, Hazeel, was probably sealed away during this cleansing.

Troubles with the Kinshra (Year 8)
King Raddalin, the King of Asgarnia, helped the Kinshra build a large fortress in the northern part of his land. It turns out, however, that they were bitter rivals with the White Knights, and Asgarnia has been on the verge of civil war ever since.

Mage Training Arena (Year 9)
Increased rune production lead to wider availability of magic, which in turn lead to an increase in magical injuries. A tragic accident involving a famous wizard eventually prompts the construction of the Mage Training Arena.

Rediscovery of Telescope Plans (Year 12)
Plans for a telescope created by Scorpius in the early Fourth Age were rediscovered, allowing construction of one and the renovation of an observatory in a ruined Fourth Age town in south-west Kandarin.

Construction of Varrock Sewers (Years 17 - 20)
In the year 17, King Botolph, the monarch of Varrock, ordered construction of a sewer system for the Varrock Palace. However, the plans changed several times during its construction, and by the sewer's completion in the year 20 it extended beneath the entire city.

Attack of Delrith (Year 20)
A demon, Delrith, attacked Varrock after being summoned by Agrith-Naar and a group of dark wizards. Wally, a Varrockian construction worker, managed to force the newly-summoned demon back to the Infernal Dimensions with the sword Silverlight. Delrith is recently defeated once again by players in the quest Demon Slayer.

Defeat of Northern Morytania (Year 23)
Vampyres took control of the Lordship of the North Coast in Morytania. Werewolves resettled near the Coast's former western border, creating Canifis where Cave Canem once stood. Castle Fenkenstrain's inhabitants managed to resist the influence of vampyres for more than 100 years.

The Mad King of Kandarin (Early Fifth Age)
After the death of the founder of Kandarin, the kingdom was ruled by his successor, King Narras. Narras, however, was not the great ruler that his father was. Within a short period of his succession, it became common knowledge that he was insane. One account tells that he made his subjects play hangman to improve their literacy! The games he organised involved the hanging of real people, even those who were completely innocent. Narras is believed to have ruled at some point between the years 40 and 120. When he died, he was succeeded by King Ulthas.

The Runecrafting Crusades (Years 42 - 62)
During this time, barbarians of the north felt that the creation of runes should be left to the gods. In an attempt to enforce their beliefs, they launched a brutal campaign across northern Kandarin and Asgarnia.

These barbarians had sympathisers from the kingdom of Misthalin, and, during the year 47, they destroyed the Mage Training Arena near Al-Kharid.

By year 62, the barbarians' forces were wavering, so they settled in what is known today as the Barbarian Village with the intention of re-grouping and continuing their mission.

Destruction of Imcando Dwarves (Approximately Year 60-62)
The thriving tribe of Imcando Dwarves was nearly rendered extinct during the assorted Barbarian invasions. Camdozaal, a large dwarven hall beneath Ice Mountain, is completely destroyed. Survivors are scattered throughout Asgarnia, a handful living on Asgarnia's southern peninsula.

Battle of TzHaar City (Year 65)
In the Crandor and Karamja Dungeon beneath Karamja Volcano, a small group of rogue lesser demons attempted to enter the TzHaar City by force. TzHaar-Ket-Kad, a TzHaar-Ket guarding the city's main gate, managed to fend off the entire force single-handedly, but the gate is destroyed in the process.

Burning of the first Wizards Tower (Year 70)
After the discovery of magic, a wizard's tower was created on an island south of Draynor Village. Both Saradominist and Zamorakian mages studied in peace there for a time, until the Zamorakian mages, who sought complete control, burnt the tower and destroyed countless irreplaceable tomes. After the burning, public outrage followed in Varrock, which eventually lead to the discovery of the Dagon'hai's plans in the Tunnel of Chaos. Secrets of runecrafting were lost to most humans for nearly a century. The Moon Clan, however, retained runecrafting skills, though they used Lunar Magicks instead of standard magic.

Creation of the Tunnel of Chaos (Year 70)
During the year 70, the Dagon'hai, a group of Zamorakian mages, erected a Saradomin statue outside the eastern walls of Varrock. This statue concealed the Tunnel of Chaos, which was to be used for a ceremony to create a manifestation of Zamorak's will. However, a lone watchman discovered their plans, and, after the recent burning of the First Wizard's Tower, both secular citizens and Saradominists alike quickly chased the Dagon'hai from the city, killing two of the four Dagon'hai Elders. The third Elder stayed behind to defend the tunnel whilst the fourth fled deeper with his followers. The Tunnel of Chaos remains to this day.

The Great Carpet Crash (Year 76)
In the year 76, the Sultan of Al-Kharid was killed in a flying carpet crash. The carpets were outlawed for over 90 years following his death. Using this obscure piece of evidence, we can deduce that the ruler of Al-Kharid changed from the Sultan to the Emir between the years 76 and 168.

Winter of 114 (year 114-115)
An abnormally long and cold winter hit central Gielinor, damaging the economies of Misthalin and Asgarnia by destroying agriculture.

Arrival of King Arthur (Year 132)
King Arthur and his Knights arrived in RuneScape from "Britain". King Ulthas saw them as good men, so he gave them a mansion in his kingdom to set up a new Camelot. Lord Sinclair, the previous owner of the land, agreed that their need was greater than his. He moved himself and his family to a smaller residence: the Sinclair Mansion north of Seer's Village. Legend says that one day, King Arthur will return to Britain when help is needed there.

Dividing of Ardougne (Year 136)
The leader of Kandarin, King Ulthas, died in a hunting accident. When his sons, Lathas and Tyras, could not come to an agreement over who controlled Kandarin, they divided Ardougne in half, each taking a part to be their capital.

Mobilising Armies Established (Year 138)


In 138, Lord Marshal Brogan established a mercenary camp west of Oo'glog, known today as Mobilising Armies. The mercenary group originally consisted only of humans. On the 13th of Raktuber, elves from Tirannwn invaded the camp, but Brogan managed to negotiate with them so that they became part of his organization.

Elvarg attacks Crandor (Year 139)


During this year, Crandor was a thriving community, with many Crandorians being in the Champion's Guild. One adventurer descended down the island's volcano, thus waking the dragon known as Elvarg. Some refugees manage to leave Crandor via fishing boats, setting up a camp in Rimmington, but the dragon followed them and burnt down the camp. Out of all the people, there were only 3 survivors; a trio of Wizards who used magic (most likely teleportation) to escape. The wizards were Thalzar, Lozar, and Melzar. They split up the only surviving map of Crandor. Melzar's piece was hidden in a castle, Lozar kept her piece with her, and Thalzar took his secret to the grave.

South-west Goblin Conflicts (Year 142)
In 142, the Mobilising Armies camp suffered a coup led by its human members. Lord Marshal Brogan lead a group of dissenting humans to an island in the south-west, where huge numbers of hostile goblins lived. However, the humans were unaware of the threat and were slain by goblins under the leadership of Shuddergob. Brogan, an old companion of Shuddergob, convinced many goblins to serve in his organization in place of the humans.

Theft of the Shield of Arrav (Year 143)
The Phoenix Gang, an organised crime syndicate in Varrock, stole the Shield of Arrav from the Varrock Museum. Subsequent internal conflicts within the organisation lead to the gang's division and the forming of the Black Arm Gang. The gangs struggled over who owned what, and the Shield of Arrav was broken in the claiming process. Each gang managed to claim one half for themselves.

Siege of Varrock (Year 154)
During this year, the Mahjarrat Lucien launched the Siege of Varrock. The runestone supplies still in the city's possession allowed for the relatively quick defeat of Lucien, who managed to escape unscathed.

End of Nomads (Year 155)
In this year, the last traditional group of nomads that roamed the Fremennik Province settled permanently. The tribe created a Mountain Camp after their chieftain's daughter, Asleif Hamalsdotter, was abducted. It would be discovered fourteen years later that she was murdered by a man pretending to be a deity known as The Kendal.

Asgarnian Raids (Year 155)
In 155, Kinshra soldiers lead a series of raids on small villages and farming communities in northern Asgarnia. A group of knights under Commander Sulla, after receiving information from their spy Sir Finistere, invaded one such town, where former White Knight Sir Justrain lived. The village was destroyed, but Justrain's daughter escaped and was rescued by Master Phyllis, a dwarf from the Ice Mountain Dwarven Colony.

The Edgeville Incident (Year 162)
In 162, a Kinshra operation in the town of Edgeville lead to a huge civilian massacre. The mentally unstable Solus Dellagar, a mage working with the Kinshra at the time, became enraged and turned on both the Kinshra and the town's civilians. Despite intervention by local guards, the White Knights, and the Temple Knights, thousands are killed before Solus is apprehended.

Illness of King Vallance (Year 162-163)
King Vallance, king of Asgarnia, gradually fell ill. The White Knights took advantage of this and seized political supremacy in Asgarnia. Crown Prince Anlaf, Vallance's son, was denied his right to serve while his father was ill, causing him to establish Burthorpe as an independent nation.

Kinshra Conflicts (Year 163)
The White Knights, now in control of Asgarnia, declared that the Kinshra Order was to have no political power in Asgarnia. The Kinshra, after failing to diplomatically solve the situation, confronted the White Knights in the woods of northern Asgarnia in the Battle of North Falador. The battle ended in a stalemate, leaving the two sides to plot against each other.

Keldagrim Training System (Year 163)
In 163, the Keldagrim Black Guard sent an emissary to the Mobilising Armies camp near the Feldip Hills. With some difficulty, the negotiator managed to contact Lord Marshal Brogan, the camp's leader. It was decided that a portion of new inductees into the Guard would be sent to the Mobilising Armies camp to receive training in exchange for part of their payment. This exchange continues to this day.

Betrayal at Falador (Year 164)


The events of the novel Betrayal at Falador take place. Jerrod, a werewolf from Morytania, enters Asgarnia in search of his nephew Gar'rth under the orders of Lord Lowerniel Vergidiyad Drakan. The current Kinshra Lord is assassinated, making way for the extremist Lord Sulla. Sulla initiates the War of 164 against Asgarnia and the Dwarven Realm, but ultimately is defeated.

King Tyras leaves West Ardougne (Year 168)
King Tyras leaves Ardougne to venture into Tirannwn. West Ardougne is taken by King Lathas.

The Present (Year 169)
RuneScape is currently in the Year 169 of the Fifth Age. The events the player partakes in, such as those in quests, take place in 169. The events shown here take place in approximate chronological order. The majority of the actions marked have been influenced to varying degrees by the player. This is rather a strange year in many ways:

1. Runescape has been in this year for about 12 years.

2. Quite a number of rather insignificant visitors (players) became became great and powerful heroes in this single year.

3. This year is much, much, more eventful than any other year in the past.


 * The abandoned settlement known as Ghost Town is renovated and renamed Edgeville.
 * Goblin raiders kill the Mage Lozar and take her possessions.
 * Elvarg is slain. (Player)
 * The Lost City of Zanaris is rediscovered in Lumbridge Swamps. (Player)
 * Agrith-Naar, disguised as a human, leads the resummoning of Delrith, but since it was still very weak from travelling between dimensions, Delrith is quickly banished. Agrith-Naar manages to escape. (Player)
 * Lord Sinclair is murdered by his own children plotting against him to reclaim the Camelot castle.
 * The secrets of runecrafting become widely known again. Supplies of runestones restore quickly.
 * The upper temple of Paterdomus is overrun by monks of Zamorak.
 * Agrith-Naar reveals his true form. This time he is narrowly stopped by an adventurer who manages to slay him. (Player)
 * A group of Wizards rebuild the Mage Training Arena and reanimate the guardians.
 * Cave goblins make the first contact in over a thousand years with humans. (Player)
 * Tectonic activity thaws combatants in God Wars Dungeon, continuing one of the last battles of the God Wars.
 * The Dagon'hai launch a failed attempt to seize the throne of Misthalin. Their leader, Surok Magis, escapes to the Chaos Tunnels, and, after being thwarted again, escapes to an unknown location. (Player)
 * Humans discover time travel using an Enchanted key (Player)
 * Varrock is besieged by an undead army for the third time, led by Zemouregal again. The siege is quickly ended, with the aid of the Shield of Arrav. (Player)
 * Lucien claims the Stone of Jas and gathers allies (such as the Mahjarrat) to overthrow Zamorak.
 * The Dragonkin begin to return to Gielinor.
 * The Phoenix is rediscovered and is reborn thanks to an adventurer. (Player)
 * Zanik fulfills her destiny as the Chosen Commander and stops Bandos's enraged fury upon the Dorgeshuun with the help of an adventurer. (Player)
 * The heart of the once legendary hero, Arrav, is carefully saved by Ali the Wise and an adventurer. (Player)
 * The legendary Stone of Jas is rediscovered by adventurer and taken by mahjarrat Lucien. (Player)
 * Azzandra is freed from the pyramid he was trapped in and assisted in contacting Zaros to plan his return to Gielnor. (Player)
 * Nomad abandons his life as dark mage and builds the Soul Wars arena, which he uses to gain power from the souls slain on the arena. An adventurer manages to stop him and he escapes to an unknown location. Soul wars arena is left to be and is looked over by an imp, Zimberfizz (Player)

=References=
 * RuneScape Game Guide
 * History of the World of RuneScape