Gielinorian God Wars

The Third Age, also known as The Age of War or more commonly referred to as the God Wars, was a time of great calamity in RuneScape. Although the God Wars themselves are not a part of the gameplay of RuneScape (except for the God Wars Dungeon), they are frequently referenced throughout the game and form the basis for many quests, characters, items, and locations.

"All of the deities currently in this realm, and some who now are no longer with us, were involved in the war. Each took a faction, whether their own, or choosing to side with one of the stronger factions, until the only factions left were mine own and those supporting the hateful Zamorak. It was as things were building to a crescendo that the ancient Guthix, who had been unknown to us previously, stepped in and banished our combat from the lands. Sadly this has meant many of the issues over which we fought remain unfulfilled, but I blame not Guthix for his untimely intervention. If he had not interfered in our squabbles it is likely this world would have been scarred beyond repair, and I wish not for innocence to be the casualty of our war."

- Saradomin

History


During the Second Age, Zaros had almost complete domination over the world. The areas that are now the Wilderness, Northern Misthalin, Northern Asgarnia and North-western Morytania formed the greatest part of his kingdom, and cities were constructed. When he was betrayed and defeated by his Mahjarrat general, Zamorak, the Second Age ended and the other gods began ruling without interference. However, many gods, the most significant being Saradomin and Zamorak, wanted complete control.

After Zaros' defeat in single combat, Zamorak quickly rounded up Zaros' remaining loyalist followers and destroyed his fortresses and cities. The majority were destroyed quickly except for Senntisten, which held out for many hundreds of years. The war escalated as other Gods, seeing an opportunity, attempted to seize control of previously Zarosian areas. Zamorak was unable to efficiently conquer and maintain his holdings due to the speed with which he acted. The war further intensified, and by the time of the Fall of Hallowvale, almost the entirety of Gielinor was in chaos. The gods, at the time, could directly interact with the world, which caused destruction far beyond any that had been seen before or after the Wars.

During the Wars, countless civilisations, races, and animal species disappeared. Many were destroyed, while others hid themselves or underwent drastic changes in order to survive. Much of the world itself was mutated; once healthy lands were ruined or reformed. Most of these changes were so devastating that they continue to affect RuneScape today.

In fact, the entire world was on the brink of destruction when the fighting awoke Guthix from his sleep. At the end of the First Age, Guthix went into a deep slumber that stretched over many millennia. When he awoke, he found the world in ruin. He was so enraged that he instantly demanded that the gods stop fighting their wars on RuneScape, and to continue to hold influence only through their followers. Most of the gods left RuneScape, although they continued to watch over it and hear the prayers of their faithful. It was at this time that the Third Age, which had lasted approximately 4000 years, finally ended.

On 28 August 2007 Jagex released a dungeon entitled The God Wars Dungeon. A massive cavern that had been frozen for eons in northern Troll Country began to thaw due to tectonic movements in the Wilderness. This cavern, it was revealed, was the site of one of the God Wars' last battles; its monsters have not realised that the God Wars are over and they continue to fight. Players are able to explore the dungeon, but it is extremely dangerous. Though this is a massive, endless battle, with hundreds of monsters and warriors fighting for their gods, it pales in comparison to the bloody carnage that was the Third Age.

Historical discrepancies
The true history of the God Wars is always somewhat difficult to determine. Having occurred several thousand years ago, information about the God Wars is difficult to come by.

However, an even more hindering factor are the differences in accounts of the Wars. Saradominists and Zamorakians often disagree on what truly occurred at the time. For instance, Saradominists such as The Wise Old Man state that when victory was nearly Saradomin's, he pitied the Zamorakians and allowed for a truce to be made. Zamorakians, however, insist that this was not the case, and have their own beliefs on the matter. Most now accept that it was actually Guthix who ended the Wars.

Another difficult subject are the Edicts of Guthix, which were created by Guthix when he ended the Wars. Some religious groups doubt their existence. Others, however, including many important religious advisers such as Aeonisig Raispher, highly encourage the following of the Edicts. This makes understanding them difficult, and has been the cause of many political disputes since their creation.

Known events
The God Wars hosted many historical battles and events that shaped the RuneScape we know today. Listed below are confirmed events that took place during the Wars, though there are many others that have long since been forgotten. Note that these events are not in order.


 * Saradomin fought Armadyl thus making them foes until they united to defeat Zaros' creature, Nex. afterwards they went back to protecting their sacred hilts from one another.
 * Bandos arrives on Gielinor.


 * Uzer, the largest city in the Kharidian Desert, is besieged by Thammaron, an Elder Demon and chief lieutenant of Zamorak. Despite the Clay Golems' efforts to save the city, they are defeated and Uzer is destroyed. Thammaron, however, is severely wounded by an elite group of Golems, and he is forced to flee the dimension. The wounds eventually prove fatal. Thammaron's remaining army is crushed by Azzanadra.


 * The Dorgeshuun goblin tribe is banished by the god Bandos after refusing to fight in a battle which they could not possibly win. Trapped underground, they struggle for survival, managing to build a city known as Dorgesh-Kaan approximately 800 years before the end of the Third Age. A civil war erupts between a republic and a tribal Dorgeshuun faction, but ultimately the republic prevails due to an earthquake that wipes out the opposing army.


 * Akthanakos is tricked by Enakhra into her temple, where he becomes imprisoned.


 * The followers of Zaros struggle against the fury of the other gods that fight for control over Zarosian lands. Followers of Zaros are forced to flee into the desert and live as bandits.


 * Azzanadra, the champion of Zaros and a powerful Mahjarrat, is brought down and imprisoned in a pyramid. It is suggested that Zamorakian and Saradominist forces collaborated to bring him down, as he was immensely powerful.


 * The Wilderness, during the Second Age, was part of Zaros' expansive domain. Upon Zaros' defeat and the beginning of the God Wars, the Wilderness becomes a centre of warfare as a multitude of races and factions attempt to lay waste to the remaining Zarosians. By the end of the Wars, the Wilderness, which had been a forested paradise, is permanently scarred by the war and barren of all but the most twisted life.


 * Lord Lowerniel Vergidiyad Drakan, a vampyre lord, gains control of Morytania because of his assistance in Zamorak's rebellion. Southern Morytania, a lush forest also known as Hallowland, is quickly overrun by Drakan's hordes of werewolves, vampyres, and the undead. Queen Efaritay, the icyene queen of the area, is captured, giving Drakan complete control over the land. He converts the area's cities into large ghettos where the inhabitants are farmed for blood.He then raises the sea and casts storms over the sun, transforming the landscape into a ravaged swamp. He constructs Castle Drakan and makes it his main stronghold. South-eastern Morytania is renamed the Sanguinesti Region. These events would later lead to the construction of the Paterdomus, the death of six of The Seven Priestly Warriors, and the closing of the Abandoned Mine.
 * Count Draynor, the brother of Lord Drakan, sets his sights upon the area that is now Draynor Village, although whether he gains control of the land during the Third or Fourth Age is unknown. Once separated from Morytania in the Fourth Age following the blessing of the River Salve, he is greatly weakened.


 * The Barrows brothers lead the forces of Saradomin into the heart of Morytania, seeking to release the land from Drakan's control. They are killed in battle and buried in the Barrows, only to be turned into spirits by a stranger that may have been Sliske.


 * The "Myriad" civilisation, which used to dwell in the Lumbridge area, is destroyed almost completely; the Light Creatures in the Lumbridge Swamp Caves are all that remain.
 * The Aviantese, a race of bird-creatures devoted to Armadyl, disappear. Several were frozen in a massive battle (the God Wars Dungeon) and have returned.


 * Dwarves, after realising that the Wars could force their race to extinction, seal themselves beneath the world's surface. They construct their capital, Keldagrim, which exists even to this day. Upon finishing its construction, the dwarves cease their use of magic.


 * The Digsite, known as Senntisten at the time, is destroyed by the forces of Zamorak, but is claimed by Saradominists some years later. The Wars ultimately destroy Senntisten, and in its place, Saranthium is built. Senntisten was the largest Zarosian city. The construction of Saranthium is known to have taken place between 3740 and 3804 by the evidence on two coins found at the Digsite, the only surviving records of dates from this age.


 * Elves are forced to retreat into Tirannwn due to the danger of the lands beyond Arandar.


 * Gnomes, like dwarves, are forced to flee beneath the surface of the world. Their capital, the Gnome Stronghold, is ruined and remains so until the Fourth Age.


 * Mother Mallum, the queen of the Sea Slugs, attempts to conquer the world. She is narrowly stopped by the Saradominist Temple Knights, an organisation which was founded during the God Wars.


 * Hazeel conquers the land that is now Ardougne as part of his contract with Zamorak.


 * Paddewwa, Kharyrll, Lassar, Dareeyak, Carrallangar, Annakarl, and Ghorrock, Zaros's last remaining fortresses, are destroyed.




 * A massive cavern, known today as the God Wars Dungeon, hosts a massive battle between the followers of Bandos, Saradomin, Zamorak, and Armadyl. The cave is hidden during the battle, freezing the combatants. Thousands of years later, in the year 169 of the Fifth Age, the combatants are unfrozen due to tectonic movement in the Wilderness. They resume their battle as they try to obtain the Godsword.


 * The Dagannoths emerge roughly during this time, resulting in great losses for the Fremenniks.


 * Bandos leads the ogres into the Feldip Hills, quickly wiping out the local populace and claiming the land as his own.


 * Wyrms, a species of ancient dragons much more powerful than any known dragon today, slowly disappear from continued use in combat and evolution. A specific genus of wyrm, the White Dragon, also disappears.


 * Wyverns, a species of flightless two-legged dragons, are believed extinct due to a massive climate shift. Their reanimated skeletons can only be found in the Asgarnian Ice Dungeon, the last remaining place that is cold enough for them to survive.


 * Dragon, a type of metal found only in Freneskae and forged by the Dragonkin, falls into the hands of several other races such as humans, fairies, and implings.


 * The knowledge of the Ancient Magicks, extremely powerful battle spells, is largely forgotten. Having been used by only a select few Zarosians, their death resulted in the near extinction of these magicks. However, the spells have resurfaced and have fallen into the hands of evil mages such as Solus Dellagar, who recently slaughtered over 500 enemies near Edgeville and committed a number of crimes across Gielinor, and Zenevivia.


 * Contact with an Underwater city is lost, with all memory of the city nearly vanishing from Gielinor. Few now remember it save Guthix himself.


 * It is likely that during the Wars, the barrier between Gielinor and Zanaris was broken, resulting in the easy transportation between the two worlds today. This happened to numerous other worlds as well, such as Puro-Puro, the Gorak Plane, the Killerwatt Plane, and countless others. Some of these worlds contained dangerous creatures, such as Goraks, that wrought havoc within Gielinor. But the threat was not contained within RuneScape; many battles were held in other worlds, and many realms were destroyed entirely.


 * Amongst the greatest desert cities was Ullek, a settlement found in the cliffs and swamps of the south-eastern desert. Shortly after Uzer was attacked by Thammaron, Ullek was attacked by Balfrug Kreeyath, a 3-faced demon and the future bodyguard of K'ril Tsutsaroth. The few that escaped eventually took refuge in Sophanem, which was a small village at the time.


 * The desert deities of the Menaphites, who had ruled the Kharidian Desert for countless years, fall from power, perhaps because of the large amount of combat taking place within the desert. Although they continue to hold sway in areas such as Menaphos, their influence diminishes largely in the outside world, even leading some to doubt their existence.


 * Yu'biusk is the original world of the goblins. Here they live in peace for thousands of years until being discovered by Bandos. Bandos takes them to Gielinor and leaves their world in ruin. Once in Gielinor, they become his devoted warriors, referring to him as the "Big High War God".


 * Nezikchened, a Black Demon of massive proportions, may have been imprisoned in a cave beneath the Kharazi Jungle during this time. Although little is known of Nezikchened, it is likely that he was a servant of Zamorak and was imprisoned by a small group of warriors, most likely Saradominists.


 * Many of the thousands that perish in the Wilderness return from the dead as bitter Revenants. These creatures terrorise the Wilderness even after the God Wars end, their crazed, broken minds filled with bloodlust. Not able to die permanently, these creatures eternally haunt the Wilderness.


 * Dragontooth Island, a small forested land east of Morytania, is used by Saradominists as an outpost. They are brutally killed by an unknown enemy, leaving much of their tale a mystery.


 * Agrith-Naar, a powerful demon, is banished from Gielinor by Guthix upon his awakening. However, he still manages to influence Gielinor by controlling natural disasters.


 * The mysterious Ancient Cavern was most likely created during this time. Judging by a series of ancient pages found within the cave, it appears to have been artificially created thousands of years ago by an unknown entity. The presence of the Mithril Dragons that inhabit it suggest that the creator(s) must have been extremely powerful. In recent years, it seems a great number of people have been attracted to the cavern for various reasons. One is known to have been searching for the incarnation of Scabaras. Another seems to have been involved with Glough and Arposandra. A third believes the cavern is somehow involved with the Dragonkin. It would seem that the cave contains a great power.


 * A large island north of Morytania, commonly known today as "Kudos Island", is ravaged by war. Many of the animal species unique to the island are entirely wiped out. These long-extinct creatures are now being studied by the Varrock Museum, and the island itself will soon be reachable via barge.


 * The Fist of Guthix is formed shortly after Guthix returns to the surface. The manner in which it was created, though, is debated.


 * The town of Eastbridge is destroyed in the intense fighting.


 * At some point, Bandos' race of great warriors, the Ourgs, are destroyed.


 * Towards the end of the war (exact date unknown), Armadyl's most loyal and beloved followers, the Aviantese, are wiped out. Armadyl is so distraught that he abandons Gielinor.

Major conflicts


During the God Wars there were thousands of individual battles and conflicts between the people of RuneScape. Although many have been forgotten, some of the more significant ones are still remembered today, such as those listed below. Please note that although these battles are basically in order, there may be some that are slightly out of place.


 * The Fall of Senntisten
 * The Destruction of the seven Zarosian Fortresses
 * The Wilderness Campaign
 * The Dorgeshuun Civil War
 * The Sea Slug Conflicts
 * Fall of Hallowvale
 * Morytania Campaign
 * The Destruction of Uzer
 * Northern Kharidian Desert Campaign
 * The Battle of Ardougne
 * The God Wars Dungeon battle.

War tactics


The God Wars were a bloody time marred by battles. Because the land was ever-changing from the constant battles which plagued its surface, there were only a few long-standing cities. Occasionally large camps would be created, but rarely did any significant settlement survive for long.

Because of this, the battles of the God Wars were more violent and bloody than any other. Everyone was pushed to fighting; there were very few "civilians". There were no walls to hide behind and no cities to lay siege to. The majority of battles were battles held on open land with make-shift defensive structures placed to protect soldiers. While some armies made use of strategy and cunning tactics to overcome their foes, others chose brute force. Followers of Bandos in particular were known for their strength and brutality. Making use of overwhelming numbers, Bandos's armies took no prisoners.

Equipment


Armour such as this was used often in the God Wars. Far stronger than most metal used today, its resilience made it the equipment of choice for those that could create it. What it is made from, depending on class is white dragonhide, enchanted silk, and enchanted silver, but where it came from is unknown; the art of smithing this equipment was lost long ago. This armour is crafted so well that it can still be used today, and is highly prized amongst those with the funds or the skills to obtain it. This armour was called Third age armour.

Siege weaponry was used primarily during the beginning of the Wars, although it was utilised at times later into the Third Age. To eliminate the remaining settlements, soldiers made use of battering rams, siege ladders, and other such equipment.

Impact on Gielinor today
The God Wars continue to have an impact on Gielinor today. Many of the lands that were seized by certain races in the God Wars are still under their rule today. Many areas, such as the Feldip Hills and Morytania continue to be affected by their roles in the Wars. The wilderness, in particular, has remained virtually unchanged since it was destroyed during the Wars.

The God Wars also serve as a historical reminder to the rulers of the modern age. Since the Edicts of Guthix were put in place, there have continued to be countless battles; indeed, the Fourth Age was a time of great violence between the world's races. The only thing that has prevented these from escalating into all-out wars are the Edicts, which prevent large-scale attacks between different races and religious factions. Rulers must be careful to abide by these. For instance, King Roald III of Varrock is currently faced with a difficult situation; the werewolves of Morytania have begun to kidnap travellers near the Paterdomus to appease the blood tithes of the vampyres. However, the king can not launch a full-scale assault, as doing so could result in another God War and the destruction of the world. Some wish to circumvent the Edicts or remove them completely, including a number of splinter groups currently operating near the Paterdomus temple. The God Wars could be seen as RuneScape's equivalent of nuclear war in the real world.

Excavations are also being performed in the search for relics from these ancient times. This is a difficult task, however; the God Wars occurred over 4000 years ago, so nearly all of the artefacts from this time have been destroyed. Furthermore, there were few permanent structures during the time, leaving us with little understanding of the architecture, literature, or any other cultural aspects of the age. Fortunately, there is a considerable amount of armour that has survived within the earth, and in some areas pottery and other such relics can be found. The largest excavation currently under way is being performed by the Varrock Museum at the Digsite east of Varrock, which was once the Zarosian capital of Senntisten (and later Saranthium). Other, smaller, digs are also under way, such as the one performed by the Dorgeshuun. Recently, they discovered a large number of artefacts from the Dorgeshuun civil war while they were helping the dwarves to build the Dorgesh-Kaan - Keldagrim Train System.

End of the Wars
The God Wars ended when Guthix woke from his millennia of sleep and stopped the fighting and then made the Edicts of Guthix. However Saradominists such as the Wise Old Man claim that only Saradomin and Zamorak participated in the wars and then Saradomin took pity on Zamorak and his followers so he made a treaty that prevented both of them from interfering with the affairs of mortals.

Trivia

 * It is currently unknown as to whether or not Brassica Prime or Marimbo were involved in the God Wars, though Saradomin has claimed all the deities of Gielinor participated.
 * It is possible to fight in the God Wars in the Armies of Gielinor game released by Jagex. There are three campaigns- Zamorak Returns, which involves the conquering of the remaining Zarosian land by his armies, Saradomin Strikes, which is set after Zamorak returns and entails the re-conquering of Misthalin and Asgarnia and the protection of Port Sarim, and Guthix awakens, in which you wake up Guthix and end the fighting of the gods.
 * Based also the text above, it is impossible that Guthix took part the God Wars, as seen in Armies of Gielinor game, instead of Edicts of Guthix.