Mahjarrat

The Mahjarrat, also once referred to as The Stern Judges of Icthlarin by Menaphites such as Queen Senliten, are a warlike race, originally from the realm of Freneskae. Originally brought to Gielinor by the Menaphite god Icthlarin, they soon became the most powerful soldiers of the god Zaros. They appear in several quests.

Most Mahjarrat allied themselves with Zamorak when he betrayed Zaros. It is unknown how many still survive to this day, as Azzanadra states "Be aware, mortal, there could be as many as a hundred of us still upon this world, with dozens more returned from other realms, but equally there could be as few as ten, each as mighty as one of your armies."

Arrival in Gielinor
The Mahjarrat were brought to Gielinor from the world of Freneskae, a plane of endless war and conflict. Although the number of Mahjarrat that first arrived is unknown, it is generally believed to be much higher than those that exist today.

Icthlarin, the Menaphite god of the dead, took the Mahjarrat with him when he arrived in Gielinor. During Missing My Mummy, the Pharaoh Queen mentions an 'Oath of Obedience' which the Mahjarrat took before their arrival upon Gielinor, which means Icthlarin may not have enslaved their race, but negotiated their service, although what he offered their race in return is, at this time, is currently unknown, however the Mahjarrat apparently never fully succumbed to his rule and Icthlarin never had the influence he thought. The Mahjarrats are also known as the "Stern Judges" or the "faceless ones" (due to their shape-shifting abilities) to the Desert locals.

For years the Mahjarrat served Icthlarin. Eventually, though, they came into the service of Zaros, a god that saw their value as soldiers. Two different stories tell the tale of their shift in leadership. One suggests that Icthlarin abandoned them for their violent behaviour and turned his full attention to aiding his father Tumeken. Another says that Zaros offered the Mahjarrat power in his growing empire, and that the Mahjarrat, tired of being denied war, gladly accepted.

Regardless, the Mahjarrat soon became Zaros' greatest soldiers.

Under Zaros's Rule
Zaros, with many humans, Mahjarrat, vampyres, dragon riders, demons, and other races at his disposal, soon established an unrivalled empire in eastern Gielinor. Nearly all of modern-day Misthalin, Asgarnia, northern Morytania, and the Wilderness soon came under his rule. The Mahjarrat, his greatest soldiers, reveled in the bloodshed.

The Zarosian Kingdom was one of great prosperity, but the Mahjarrat were not content. Soon they became divided and began to work towards their own ends. The most significant of these was Zamorak.

Zamorak was amongst the strongest beings to ever walk the earth. He earned himself the nickname "The Scourge of the Battlefield", ruthlessly proving his power in combat countless times. This earned him favour with Zaros, who quickly gave him the rank of general. Yet, despite this, Zamorak was not willing to serve Zaros, and even as his kingdom expanded from Senntisten, Zamorak plotted against him.

The Staff of Armadyl eventually fell into Zamorak's hands. With the assistance of individuals such as Zemouregal, Lucien, Lord Drakan, Hazeel, Viggora, and Enakhra, Zamorak devised a way to defeat the Empty Lord.

A great battle raged in Zaros' greatest stronghold. Zamorak, backed by nearly all of the Mahjarrat, attacked Zaros in the throne room. While Zamorak fought, his allies ensured that none of Zaros' bodyguards would interfere. By pure luck, Zamorak impaled Zaros with the Staff. However, Zaros was still a god, and while choking Zamorak, miraculously tripped. The staff impaled both Zaros and Zamorak, and, acting like a lightning rod, transferred Zaros' power into Zamorak. Zaros faded from existence, while Zamorak seemed to become even more real. Now a god, Zamorak went on to conquer that which Zaros had.

Under Zamorak's Rule
Despite the intense hatred between many of the gods, they all agreed that Zamorak must be punished. Even as Zamorak stood triumphant, the gods banished him from Gielinor.

Not long after his banishment, Zamorak returned, his godly powers now fully developed. Calling upon his former warriors, Zamorak declared war upon all that opposed him. Thus began the God Wars. Throughout the Wars, the Mahjarrat would prove a terrible force on the battlefield.

The Zamorakian Mahjarrat waged war upon what few Zarosians remained. Most were forced into the Kharidian Desert, where they live as bandits today. The Zarosian Mahjarrat were all imprisoned, killed, or forced into hiding.

Four thousand years into the Wars, Guthix awoke from his slumber. Seeing the horrors that had been unleashed upon his world, he demanded an end to the Wars. Guthix banished all the Gods from Gielnor, including Zamorak, though some Mahjarrat continue to serve him loyally even today.

Post-God Wars
By the end of the wars, only a handful of Mahjarrat still survived. Though they continued to serve Zamorak and Zaros, they became very divided in their actions.

Today, the Mahjarrat are still working towards an unknown goal, and a few can still be found in the far reaches of Gielinor. Most are now travelling to The North to complete The Ritual of Rejuvenation discovered in the quest The Tale of the Muspah.

Abilities
Legends tell of the Mahjarrat's many great powers, although whether they are shared by all Mahjarrat or only apply to certain individuals is unknown.

The Mahjarrat live incredibly long lives, to the point where they are nearly immortal. Even some of those that arrived in the Second Age still live, and the rest are suspected to have died in combat. The Mahjarrat Azzanadra refers to himself as old, his arrival in Gielinor occurring between 6,000 and 8,000 years ago. However, how old he was when he arrived is unknown. It is now proven by Jhallan that the reason why the majority of Mahjarrat are able to live for so long is because they have a "Rejuvenation Ritual." Once in a certain amount of time, one of the Mahjarrat is sacrificed in order for the other Mahjarrat to regain power as well as, as the name suggests, rejuvenate. However, it seems that the Mahjarrat are able to rejuvenate without killing another person, but a lot slower than it would be with it.

Magically, the Mahjarrat are second to none, and can use magic without the assistance of runestones, which races such as the humans and even the elves use. Not all use magic primarily, but with training they are nearly unstoppable. For instance, some can cast spells that prevent the victim from aging, but at the cost of making them nearly entirely immobile. They use this to their advantage, torturing and starving their victims for hundreds to thousands of years. They are also capable of preventing wounds from healing, inflicting pain with their minds, raising the dead, and placing themselves in a sleep that, in time, can heal even the most severe of wounds. Records also tell of single Mahjarrat darkening the skies with living blood and clouds that take on dangerous forms and block the sky. Those particularly skilled are known even to possess the ability to hide Godly energy from detection and traverse the Realm of Dreams. They are also some of the original users of Ancient Magicks.

Some of the more potent Mahjarrat, cause even certain gods to pale in power in comparison. For example, Hazeel is Level 296, while the desert deities Crondis and Amascut are only Level 75, while the Bandos Avatar, despite containing much of Bandos's full godly might, was only Level 125.

Physically, most Mahjarrat are very strong. Many can easily shatter bones with their bare hands and defeat many armed humans. Their essence seems to be bound into the four elements Smoke, Blood, Ice and Shadow, as both Azzanadra and Akthanakos have been captured by binding their essence in four diamonds representing those elements.

There are rumours that they are the original users and makers of the powerful Dragon equipment that is now in use today, though Fairy Aeryka in Zanaris claims that it was made by the Necrosyrtes. There is speculation that the Necrosyrtes could be the Dragonkin, or that it could simply be another name for the Mahjarrat.

They are shape-shifters, capable of shape-shifting into anyone they wanted to. Except for other Mahjarrats of humans, they are also capable of transforming into monsters (proven by Jhallan as he turned into a Muspah while he had a nightmare of one in his dreams). This is why they are called "the faceless ones" as well as the "Stern Judges" while serving Icthlarin when they first arrived.

Notable Mahjarrat

 * More information on individual Mahjarrat can be found in Zemouregal's notes - Part 1 and Part 2



Akthanakos
Akthanakos is involved in the Enakhra's Lament quest. He at first appears to be a god having the head of a camel, but in the end of the quest his head turns into a skull showing he is dead. It is unknown if he simply has a camel's head or if it is simply a helmet, but most lean towards thinking it is a camel's head since Mahjarrat are shapeshifters, thus making no need for a helmet. Akthanakos fought his rival, Enakhra, in a temple that she built dedicated to Zamorak in the Kharidian Desert. He was transformed into a Boneguard when he was defeated. At the end of the quest, Akthanakos' true allegiance is revealed during a cutscene and he actually follows Zaros instead of being a god himself. He is a Mahjarrat and was against Zamorak's rebellion against Zaros. Akthanakos teleported after the cutscene to a place known as The North, which has been mentioned several other times.



Azzanadra
Azzanadra is an ancient Mahjarrat from the Second Age with incredible magical powers who followed Zaros and was always loyal to him. Most of the information on him is from the Desert Treasure quest. He is the original user of the Ancient Magicks in RuneScape. When Zaros was defeated, Azzanadra continued to fight against the forces of Zamorak and Saradomin to try and help save Zaros's house and he was found to be immortal, so they locked him in a pyramid and bound his essence into four diamonds, which players must retrieve in the Desert Treasure quest to release Azzanadra from his prison.

There is controversy about whether Azzanadra has died or not. When found he is seen floating with no legs and somewhat transparent, leading many to believe he is dead and a ghost but not only can the player speak with him without a ghostspeak amulet, but he speaks as if he is still quite alive. His ghostly appearance could simply be the result of not attending "The Ritual" in The North, being weakened far past his typical Lich form to ghost form as a result. He disappears after Desert Treasure, presumably making his way to The North.

He has a purple jackal headdress (confirmed by Jagex) and he wears purple chest armour. Azzanadra was imprisoned for 3 millennia, but he lost feeling of time during his imprisonment.

Bilrach
Bilrach is a Mahjarrat who is mentioned in Zemouregal's notes - part I. Zemouregal describes him as a Mahjarrat of average power, albeit weak-willed. In his notes he says: "Bilrach is of average power for our kind. He seems willing to go along with what I suggest, so he will be useful for now."



Enakhra
Enakhra is the only known surviving female Mahjarrat. Enakhra has feelings for Zamorak, and built a temple for him in the desert. Zamorak took no notice, and she later trapped Akthanakos, her rival, inside. During Enakhra's Lament, her hold over Akthanakos is broken by an adventurer, after which they both travel North. At some point, she met with Zemouregal. According to Zemouregal's notes, she declined his offer to "sire more of our race" due to her feelings for Zamorak.



Hazeel
Hazeel is a follower of Zamorak. He was almost like a brother to Zamorak. Many years ago he was warlord of the region that is now Ardougne. He was later killed by an ancestor of Ceril Carnillien who later claimed his estate. During Hazeel Cult, players have a choice to revive him or leave him imprisoned. Joining the Cult and reviving Hazeel has been more productive with a larger reward. If the player sides with the Cult of Hazeel and listens to him, he says something similar to "I must go and make preparations with my fellow Mahjarrat to the North."



Jhallan
Jhallan is a Mahjarrat that was first mentioned by Azzanadra, and appears in The Tale of the Muspah. Jhallan is generally considered a weak Mahjarrat. According to Zemouregal, he did not attend the 17th ritual, which makes him weaker still. During The Tale of the Muspah, the player finds him frozen inside ice in the form of the Muspah, a mythical creature in Mahjarrat lore, but when released from the ice, he transforms to his skeletal form. He is extremely weak when woken, and talks about the Mahjarrat ritual and how it will help him regain strength. He asks for the player to take him to a place where nobody will find him, but still within range of the ritual so that he can regain his powers. Jhallan is believed to be loyal to Zaros.



Khazard
General Khazard is the youngest of the Mahjarrat, born towards the end of the God Wars. His mother was Palkeera. Khazard was tutored by Hazeel, another Mahjarrat. He claimed much territory and built up a following in Southern Kandarin, in a region which is now named after him. Khazard is slain during Fight Arena. He can be found after the quest north of the agility log near Sinclair Mansion, but is only visible when wearing the Ring of visibility.

Kharshai
Kharshai is mentioned by Azzanadra as a possibly imprisoned Mahjarrat. Zemouregal describes him as a Mahjarrat of "Average power who kept out of trouble by going along with the majority". He mysteriously disappeared sometime before the 17th Ritual. His current status is unknown. It's likely Kharshai is imprisoned, as Azzanadra suspects, as Azzanadra seemed surprised when informed of Akthanakos' survival - implying he is not able to detect an imprisoned Mahjarrat.


 * "Kharshai may yet live, I can sense no trace of his death upon this world, but nor can I sense his pulse; perhaps his neutrality has earnt him a prison such as mine was.".

It is interesting to note that Kharshai's name is very similar to Koschei the Deathless, a supernatural warrior fought during The Fremennik Trials quest. Koschei demonstrates superhuman abilities such as regeneration and inability to die by conventional means. He was found floating in the ocean by Rellekka (close to the Mahjarrat's ritual site) with no memory of his past. He also has a symbol of Zamorak burned onto his torso. This has lead many players to speculate that the two may be related or even the same being.

Lamistard
Lamistard was a Mahjarrat who was terminated during the 16th Ritual. Lamistard attempted to tunnel under the Ritual Site, but accidentally broke into the Basement of Zemouregal's northern base. Zemouregal took him prisoner, and most of the other Mahjarrat agreed that he would be a suitable sacrifice.



Lucien
Lucien first appears as a mysterious man in the city of Ardougne, by the Flying Horse Pub. He is a mage who dresses in long black robes and a hood, and he has a limp. In the Temple of Ikov quest, players can choose to help or block Lucien from obtaining the Staff of Armadyl. He gives players his pendant, granting them access to the Chamber of Fear. Players may then switch to follow Armadyl and murder Lucien, or steal the Staff of Armadyl and hand it over to Lucien. If players prevent Lucien from obtaining the staff in the quest, he later recruits Movario to steal it for him, as revealed in the Armadyl communique. During the events of While Guthix Sleeps, Lucien is discovered to be raising an army of undead in the Wilderness near his camp. Crux Eqal, an alliance between Druids, the Guardians of Armadyl, and the Temple Knights are organized to attempt to stop Lucien. When the player discovers the Stone of Jas in the Ancient Guthix Temple deep in the Tears of Guthix Cavern, Lucien appears and takes the stone. With the Staff of Armadyl and the Stone of Jas, Lucien seems likely to attempt to become a god. Lucien has offered Zemouregal an alliance. Although Zemouregal was originally against the idea, he reconsiders when he notices Lucien gaining considerable power.

In Temple of Ikov quest Lucien mentions having a daughter by saying "My daughter is more of a hero than you!" should they decline helping him. It is unknown if she really exists, or if he made her up, however if she does exist, its clear from the way he talks about her that Lucien finds her weak.

Mizzarch
Mizzarch was terminated during the 15th Ritual. According to Zemouregal, Mizzarch was rather weak and had no allies.

Palkeera
Palkeera is the deceased mother of the Mahjarrat General Khazard. She is mentioned in Zemouregal's Notes Part II. It is currently unknown how she died.

Ralvash
Ralvash was terminated during the 17th Ritual, which was also the last. Zemouregal describes him as a Mahjarrat of average power, and rather ugly.

Sliske
Sliske was an ally of Zaros during the God Wars. According to The Fall of Six, a tale describing the fall of the barrows brothers, some players believe Sliske gave the barrows brothers their powers, and lead to their downfall, (though this is purely speculation). Azzanadra describes him as 'Sliske the serpent-tongued, who delves the shadows'. Sliske was also mentioned in Zemouregal's notes: "One of the more powerful of our number. Sliske has particulary strong shapeshifting capabilities and powers over shadows. I would love to catch this guy, but he's a slippery fellow."

Wahisietel
Wahisietel is another Mahjarrat mentioned in Zemouregal's notes - part II. Zemouregal says of him: "A Mahjarrat of average power. Keeps himself to himself mostly. Rumours are that he may have Zarosian sympathies. That would be a fun rumour to further spread. The more the others have reasons to distrust each other, the better."

He might be Ali the Wise, as Wahisietel is an anagram for it.



Zemouregal
Zemouregal is Lucien's cousin. During the fourth age, Zemouregal confronted Arrav in the Land of Dreams and tried to steal his famous and powerful shield. He eventually launched an assault on Varrock with the aid of an army of the undead. He nearly won, but was stopped eventually by Arrav. Arrav, by saving the city, also sacrificed himself. Zemouregal killed him and fled with his body, to resurrect him and use him as his general. Zemouregal returns in the Defender Of Varrock quest, and is first seen in the Chaos Temple Dungeon with Arrav by his side as well as Sharathteerk. These three attack Varrock Castle, and at the end of the quest Zemouregal heads for The North.

Others

 * Zamorak is a Mahjarrat who ascended to godhood by usurping Zaros. After being Zaros' general for some time, Zamorak began to plot agianst his master, after obtaining the Staff of Armadyl he lead a successful coup against Zaros and was soon after banished by the other gods. After returning from his banishment, Zamorak had risen to godhood and lead his armies in the God Wars to conquer the lands formerly belonging to Zaros until the wars were ended by an awakened and furious Guthix. Iban claims to be Zamorak's son, but it is unconfirmed whether the relationship is in the biological or religious sense.

Trivia

 * It is unknown how Mahjarrat is pronounced. Based on Postbag from the Hedge Issue 31, it is inferred that the word is pronounced Mah-Jor-Raht based on the fact that Mahjarrat is an Arabic word meaning "The deserted ones".
 * It looks like most of the Mahjarrat are heading to "The North". Enakhra, Akthanakos, Hazeel, Azzanadra or Zemouregal are just some of those who say this. Previously it was speculated that The North could be a term to their homeland or Lucien's base. Conversations with various Mahjarrat during quests indicate that some ritual takes place there to restore the power of the Mahjarrat at the expense of the life of one of their number.
 * Jhallan indicated that this ritual takes place somewhere just north of the Ice Path on Trollweiss Mountain.
 * It is worth noting, that several Mahjarrat have different coloured eyes. Lucien and Zemouregal's red eyes are possibly a family trait, considering they are cousins, whilst Akthanakos possesses pale blue eyes (seen when in his camel headed from), and his rival Enakhra, whilst seen in her human form, appears to possess Green eyes, although since many of the Mahjarrat (including Akthanakos, Enakhra, Azzanadra and Hazeel) are yet to be viewed in their 'updated' Lich form, it is unknown if this has any relevance.
 * Hazeel has similar facial markings as the Oracle, notably the three stripes on their faces. This has lead to speculation of her status as a Mahjarrat, although the same could be said for the Tribesmen on Karamja, Vannaka and the woman in West Ardougne, as they too sport the same three stripes.
 * If Iban is indeed Zamorak's biological son, then he is also a Mahjarrat or at least half.