Ancient Cavern

The Ancient Cavern is an area reached from the whirlpool near Otto Godblessed's house. It contains many high-level monsters, including the highest level dragon, the Mithril Dragon. Fighting these dragons is one of two ways to get a Dragon full helm without having to purchase it. The other way also involves the cavern and fighting these dragons, because the dragons can also drop Chewed bones. Lighting a Pyre ship made with Chewed bones releases the spirit of a departed barbarian, who might reward you 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 you dive into the whirlpool before undergoing Barbarian Training, you will take a small amount of damage and end up near Hadley's house.

Players may leave the Ancient Cavern by riding on an aged log that may be found near the waterfiends.

Introduction
The Ancient Cavern is one of the most dangerous dungeons in all of RuneScape. All players who enter the area should be well prepared to face dragons and high level monsters that can attack using more than one combat style.



To access the dungeon you need to have learned about funeral pyre burning, in Barbarian Training from Otto Godblessed. To enter the dungeon, jump into the whirlpool off the jetty that is on the northern shore of the Baxtorian Falls lake. (You cannot jump into the whirlpool if you have a Summoning familiar summoned.) You will appear on a small platform with stair to the lower level, and you will be able to see a Mithril Dragon far off in the distance.



The biggest dangers in the cavern are the Brutal Green Dragons on the lower level, and the Mithril Dragons on the upper level. Be aware that a brutal green dragon may attack you as soon as you descend the stairs to the lower level, and it can use melee, magic, and dragonfire breath. It is highly recommended to take precautions, such as equipping an Anti-dragon shield, drinking an Antifire potion. 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 very dangerous, so it is recommended to pack good 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 you, but the monsters are able to hit high and thus can kill you without the ring being able to activate.

If you need to escape the dungeon without teleporting, the only way out is on the lower level. There are two "aged logs" floating in the water, as shown on the map (the logs' examine text is "A log jammed by the current, perhaps rideable"). You can use one to float out of the cavern, and you end up on the eastern shore of the Baxtorian Falls lake. If you lack runes or other teleport equipment, you can use the home teleport spell (to go to Lumbridge, Edgeville, or Lunar Isle depending upon your Spellbook) if you are not being attacked.

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 Combat bracelet can teleport to the Ranging Guild, which is east of Baxtorian Falls.
 * A Games necklace can teleport to the Barbarian Outpost. This is quickest way to get to the area from distant lands.
 * 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.

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 are too slippery to climb until after the While Guthix Sleeps quest is finished. 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 also called "Fearsome Barbarian Spirits" in the game.

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.

Dragon Forge
On 28 October Jagex released Swept Away 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..." .

Now when you visit the Ancient Cavern, the area itself is (supposedly) larger, and rough hewn steps in the south west corner (stairs #3 on the map), that were previously unclimbable due to them being slippery, can now be climbed.

At the top of those stairs 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 equipment.

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. It now can be used, using a Blast fusion hammer purchased from the Blast Furnace Foreman at the Blast Furnace for 1,000,000 coins, by the player to fuse together the three parts of the Dragon platebody with 92 Smithing (the Assist system can be used).

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



Mithril key chamber and lighting the forge
After the completion of 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 While Guthix Sleeps. The key is fused by having both pieces of the key in your inventory and using either piece on a Mithril dragon. If a Mithril dragon is attacking you, you cannot fuse the key on a different dragon while under attack but can fuse it on the one attacking you.

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. Using Fire Wave on each head will cause 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, you 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 can result in you taking up to 19 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 your inventory is full, "...you find something, but it drops to the floor.") You can find:
 * Bones
 * Mangled bones
 * Ancient page for the My notes book.
 * "...the bones object." One of the following barbarian skeletons may appear and attack (Protect from melee is effective against them):
 * Skeleton heavy (level 132). When killed, it drops bones and can drop 3 noted silver bars.
 * Skeleton hero (level 149). When killed, it drops bones and can drop 323 coins, yew logs, or gold ore.
 * "...but there's nothing remotely valuable." You find nothing.

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



Dragon full helmet
The Dragon full helmet can only be earned from the Ancient Caverns (unless you buy it from another player). Mithril dragons can drop the helmet directly or can drop chewed bones. These bones can be burned with pyre ships, releasing spirits that might reward you with the helmet.

The dragon full helmet is the second strongest helmet that does not ever have to be repaired, only behind the Third age full helmet.

Monsters

 * Waterfiend, level 115
 * Confused barbarian, level 132
 * Skeleton warlord, level 132
 * Skeleton thug, level 132
 * Skeleton brute, level 132
 * Spirit (aka Fearsome Barbarian Spirit), level 166
 * Brutal Green Dragon, level 227
 * Mithril dragon, level 304

Confused barbarians (level-132) and Skeleton warlords (level-132), both of which wander the lower level, are not that difficult opponents. Spirits are tougher, hitting harder. All three, however, only use melee, so the protection from melee prayer is effective against them.

Waterfiends are much more of a challenge. They use magic and ranged attacks, and their ranged attack is extremely accurate.

Brutal green dragons are tougher still, as they attack with melee, magic, and dragonfire breath. They are also immune to poison.

Mithril dragons are very formidable. They attack using melee, magic, range, and dragonfire breath. They are also immune to poison. The mithril dragons can hit high, so make sure you watch out for this. Even if you have good armour and high defence, keep an eye on your hitpoints and be aware that death is a possibility at any time.

Quests and Miniquests

 * Barbarian Training is required to get in.

Music
Tracks unlocked:
 * Barb Wire