Azzanadra

Azzanadra, sometimes referred to by his human alias Dr Nabanik, is a Zarosian Mahjarrat currently active in Gielinor, and amongst the most powerful in the race's history. After being brought to Gielinor by the Menaphite deity Icthlarin in the early Second Age, Azzanadra and the rest of the Mahjarrat race served the Menaphite people of the Kharidian Desert, until eventually switching their allegiance to the god Zaros.

Following the overthrow of Zaros by the Mahjarrat general Zamorak, Azzanadra was one of few Mahjarrat to remain overtly Zarosian in the race's coming schism. During the God Wars, he worked to maintain what little power Zaros's followers managed to retain as the Third Age began. Despite accomplishing such feats as single-handedly defeating Thammaron's forces at Uzer, Azzanadra's efforts were largely futile, and he was eventually imprisoned by Zamorakians cooperating with Saradominists in the Jaldraocht Pyramid near Menaphos.

During the Desert Treasure quest, Azzanadra is freed by the player, although his thousands of years in confinement have left him weak and disoriented. During the The Temple at Senntisten quest, Azzanadra takes on a human form in which he refers to himself as Dr Nabanik. With the player's aid, Azzanadra manages to re-establish contact with Zaros through the temple beneath the Digsite east of Varrock, evidently as part of the events preceding the 18 th Ritual of Rejuvenation in The North.

Azzanadra's Timeline

 * Came to Gielinor with the other Mahjarrat.
 * Azzanadra became the champion of Zaros.
 * When Zamorak rebelled, Azzanadra remained loyal to Zaros.
 * Zaros was banished, but Azzanadra, Wahisietel, Jhallan, Sliske, Akthanakos, and probably among others remained loyal. Azzanadra used the Senntisten Temple to communicate with Zaros.
 * Azzanadra destroyed the great army of Thammaron, which was attacking Uzer.
 * Azzanadra was practically invincible, so a spell was cast upon him to bind his power into four diamonds: the diamonds of Shadow, Blood, Smoke and Ice. The Desert Treasure quest also hints that Saradominists and Zamorakians worked together to bring him down. Each diamond was given to a warrior of Zamorak for safe-keeping.

Millennia later...
 * In the quest Desert Treasure, an adventurer seeks the four diamonds. They are still in the possession of their guardians: Kamil, Fareed, Damis and Malak. The first three of these refuse to give up their diamond and are killed, but Malak gives up his diamond in exchange for the favour of killing Dessous. The adventurer frees Azzanadra, who is in a ghost-like exhausted form, wearing an ancient-looking chestplate and a jackal headdress.
 * In the quest The Temple at Senntisten, Azzanadra takes the guise of "Dr. Nabanik", an archaeologist. With help from the player, he gets permission to restore the ruined Senntisten Temple beneath the Digsite. Again, with the adventurer's help, he reopens the communication portal to Zaros.
 * During the quest, Ritual of the Mahjarrat, Azzanadra participates in the 18th Mahjarrat Ritual of Rejuvenation. Azzanadra attempted to kill Lucien immediately following his rejuvenation, using beacons to call upon the power of Zaros. This was unsuccessful but prompted Lucien to draw power from the Stone of Jas which angered the Dragonkin.

As Dr Nabanik
During The Temple at Senntisten, Azzanadra disguises himself as an archaeologist named Dr Nabanik working at the Digsite south-east of Varrock. Nabanik was first mentioned when replying to a question directed at Jhallan in the 41st issue of Postbag from the Hedge, long before the The Temple at Senntisten was released. During the letter, he appears to be keen to show off his knowledge, offering to answer a player question on the Mahjarrat's ritual. He claims that a Fremennik actually witnessed the ritual taking place, although he did not know it.

Nabanik's true identity is revealed during The Temple at Senntisten, from which point on he is referred to as Azzanadra even though he remains in his human form. He can be found at the Digsite, where he will recruit the player into getting artefacts for him in order to restore The Zaros temple.

Azzanadra under the alias of Dr Nabanik has given off hints to a future quest after a reply to Xp5 Chaos in Postbag from the Hedge: "As to why you have yet to find me at the Digsite... Well, I'm keeping a bit of a low profile at the moment, because the project I'm working on is a bit hush-hush. It's only a restoration - of sorts - but I could do with someone who has influence with the other archaeologists at the Digsite...a 'man on the inside', if you will. It seems you may well fit the bill, what with your links to both Ali the Wise and the Digsite. I shall seek council with Ali and may well be requesting your aid in the near future."

The 18th Ritual of Rejuvenation
During the quest The Ritual of the Mahjarrat, Azzanadra participates in the 18th Mahjarrat Ritual of Rejuvenation, preparing special beacons to be able to summon Zaros' power so he can kill Lucien and end his threat to Gielinor. When the ritual begins, he does not specifically state who should be sacrificed but then sides with his fellow Zarosian Mahjarrat in saying that Lucien should be sacrificed. When a fight breaks out amongst the Mahjarrat over who should be sacrificed, Azzanadra takes on his old rival Zemouregal in a fight that remains mostly even until Arrav is released from Zemouregal's control and begins to attack his old master. After Lucien refuses to help him, Zemouregal turns on Lucien and convinces everyone else to do the same; prompting Azzanadra to join the others in attacking Lucien.

When the time for the Ritual arrives, Jhallan is ultimately sacrificed. After being rejuvenated, Azzanadra uses the beacons to summon Zaros' power and then casts a lightning like spell that damages Lucien for over 9000 of his lifepoints and another similiar attack that causes well past 4000 life points which Lucien admits that he felt. With only a quarter of his lifepoints left and understanding the danger he is against, he brings in the Stone of Jas to enhance his power and become a God, but he is stopped by the Dragonkin, who ultimately kill him by stabbing the bottom of the Staff of Armadyl deep inside his chest. After Lucien's death, a very content but also scared Azzanadra teleports away to the Senntisten Temple.

Trivia

 * Azzanadra is often said to be much more powerful then the other Mahjarrat, despite the fact that he was imprisoned for many thousands of years. This is supported by the fact that he is able to summon Zaros's power and nearly kill Lucien. Also, he single handedly destroyed the great army of Thammaron, which was attacking Uzer.
 * In Postbag from the Hedge 42, Azzanadra was disguised as Dr.Nabanik, he jokes that he is a Mahjarrat. During The Temple at Senntisten, it is revealed that this is actually the truth.
 * Also in Postbag from the Hedge 42, Dr. Nabanik mentioned that he had "spent some time in the pyramids", this is obviously a joke to his imprisonment by the Zamorak forces back in the God Wars.
 * All of Azzanadra's guises seem to feature twin prongs on his head. Even as Dr. Nabanik, he has two feathers where the usual horns should be.
 * Upon attacking Lucien during Ritual of the Mahjarrat, Azzanadra's first attack hits Lucien for 9001 points of damage - possibly a reference to the "OVER 9000" meme, itself a reference to Dragonball Z.
 * Azzanadra's names is exceedingly similar to Azzandara, one of the names of the Zoroastrian creator deity, Ahura Mazda.