Guthix

Called (but not actually named) Guthix (pronounced "Guh-thicks"), It is the god of balance. Guthix lacks any form of gender (and therefore shall be referred to as a capitalised 'It'). "The way of Guthix" entails as much as acquiring balance, resulting in an/the Equilibrium. It holds no other goal. Though, this does not demand "maintaining the status quo", it does make it more complicated, as with many things in Its teachings. Often, Guthix is referred to as a "he", whether they be Its friends or enemies. This is simply for 'convenience', but this does causes some confusion nonetheless. On top of this, it demonstrates a male bias, since Guthix is genderless. It is or is not good, evil, or neutral (as this is determined by the effective alignment and frame of reference, of the observer). According to Guthix, "I canst speak not for other deities of this land, but from me thou receive only the self satisfaction that thy cause is true, and that balance will be served by thine decision." which at least heavily implies that It grants Its worshipers no special Prayers or powers in exchange for following It, unlike some of the other deities, such as Saradomin, Seren, and Zaros. In the statue of Guthix, It appears to be male. A misconception about Guthix is that It is the god of peace and/or tranquility. This is false, however, as It is only the god of balance. And balance does not necessarily mean peace - as may be evidenced by the Void Knights.



Description and powers
Guthix appears mostly as a floating, hairy skull, as portrayed in the Postbag. However, Guthix is a shapeshifter, and is able to take the form of anything It desires. It was in the form of a butterfly when It came to Gielinor, and when the first humans arrived, Guthix appeared to them in human form. Guthix has no real god symbol (as stated in the Postbag). However, the god symbol humans use to show their devoutness to him is a Tear of Guthix (unlike a snake according to popular belief).

A seemingly more primal power than most other known gods, Guthix has claimed once that, "I exist because I must exist; if I did not, then I would be created again, for the universe requires balance in all things." Guthix has power over even the Grim Reaper, who can control the very forces of life and death itself through Gielinor and adjacent dimensions, such as Zanaris. Guthix is also capable of opening permanent inter-dimensional gateways between two separate planes of existence for entire races to travel through, enchant steel blades to become specially effective weapons against demonic entities (as It did with Silverlight), and Its tears were able to resurrect the slain cave goblin Zanik. However, though responsible for the arrival of humans upon Gielinor, Laura claims that it was "keen to point out" that It didn't create them.

Guthix has claimed in the God Letters to be capable of affecting future events themselves should It wish it, but also adds It does not do so because such an act would disrupt the natural balance.

Guthix sleeps in the middle of the planets, and Its motto is: "Balance is Power". A good example of how this motto plays into the game is in Castle Wars and Soul Wars, when a player picks the Guthix Portal. When this happens, the player sides with the side with the least players and effectively equals the teams, hence the saying, "Balance is Power".

During Meeting History, it is possible to examine Guthix. The resulting text is as follows:

History
Guthix discovered a "blank plane" along with the Stone of Jas which were results of Elder Gods. This marked the beginning of the First Age. Guthix started to shape the land and used the Stone of Jas to produce Runestones. It also created some of the species like myriad while bringing in other species from other realms like humans. At some time It also created the plane of the eternally wintry Land of Snow, which can be accessed through portals from other worlds, one of which is Gielinor.

After shaping what is now Gielinor to Its liking, as other races had already inhabited this land, Guthix went into a deep "sleep" after hiding the mythical Stone of Jas, marking the beginning of the Second Age. The knowledge of the existence of Guthix had somehow disappeared, with presumably none of the other gods knowing that It existed. According to Saradomin in his God Letters, none of the Gielinorian deities knew of Guthix's existence prior to Its banishing of them. Even Seren, who was present already in the First Age, did not mention Guthix to other gods.

When Guthix awoke, Saradomin and Zamorak were causing utter destruction of the lands Guthix formed in their God Wars, with at least twenty other deities having entered the Gielinorian plane while It slumbered. To stop the wars, Guthix forbade the other gods from interfering in the world of RuneScape (as "Gielinor" was replaced by RuneScape as a name) except through their followers, through the powerfully binding Edicts of Guthix, and that all wars must only be fought in the God Realm. Guthix, feeling great sorrow for the world It had shaped and loved so, descended again to slumber, but paused to survey Gielinor's ravaged state, and wept. Upon realising Its tears had imbued the stone nearby with magical properties, It assigned Juna to guard them and to judge who would be worthy to pass.



Religion
Guthix is the god of balance, meaning that it does not favour one god's opinions more than another, although many player followers of Guthix tend to favour the path of chaos and destruction (Zamorak) or order and wisdom (Saradomin). Guthix prefers the land to be shared and the other Gods to roam free. Saradomin strongly disagrees though, as he does not wish Zamorak to roam free. Note: Many players think Guthix is half evil and half good, but that isn't the case. Guthix is neither evil nor good. But to break the Guthixian population down even more, there are two general groups: Modernists and Traditionalist (A.K.A. Premodernists). There is also a third group known as Reformists whose ideas are split and shared by both Traditionalists and Modernists.

Modernists
Modernists are probably the largest group of Guthixians, because most player characters are modernists. They believe in balance more loosely, and will tend to side with one of the other two major gods. They acknowledge Saradomin and Zamorak as the new gods of order and chaos. Most player character Guthixians are modernists, and thus often worship either Zamorak or Saradomin as much as they worship Guthix. One of the best examples of a non-player modernist is Kara-Meir, as she chooses to follow neither Saradomin nor Zamorak, but refuses to ever intentionally side with "evil".

Traditionalists
Traditionalists are in much fewer numbers than the Modernists. They are a bit more strict to the beliefs and teachings of Guthix's ideals on balance. Many N.P.C.'s (such as Gypsy Aris, Druids and Void Knights) may be Traditionalists. The Edicts of Guthix are scripts written by Guthix probably followed by many traditionalists. Traditionalists commonly recognise the need for the other gods, such as how Saradomin and Zamorak are both needed in order to fulfill that balance and the lack of one or the other would upset it. A book on traditionalist beliefs can be obtained from the Void Knight Korasi during A Void Dance.

Reformists
Reformists numbers are unknown (though probably close to that of modernists) and are somewhat in between modernists and traditionalists in beliefs. They acknowledge Saradomin as the successor to Armadyl and Zamorak to Zaros. They say that Armadyl gave Saradomin the power of a god and Zamorak took it from Zaros. Armadyl hid away in his realm. Zaros was forced into his realm.

They acknowledge that Armadyl and Zaros are still gods but their successors have taken their place in order and chaos. They want balance in all of Gielinor.

Groups and races

 * Druids - Followers of the God of Balance found in Taverley and in the Fist of Guthix activity.
 * Seers - A group of humans who are often considered prophets.
 * Void Knights - Protectors of Gielinor, found at the Void Knight Outpost.
 * Fremennik - Barbarian inhabitants of Fremennik province and surrounding areas and islands.
 * Gnomes- The small humanoid race that lives in the Tree Gnome Stronghold.
 * Dwarves - Another small humanoid race of miners.
 * Light Creatures - Remnants of Myriad race.
 * Imcando dwarfs - Special race of dwarves, the only known survivors being Ramarno and Thurgo.
 * Crux Eqal - Underground group of Druids, fighting the Mahjarrat threat.
 * Possibly fairies - Small flying humanoids.
 * Giant Ents (Possibly normal Ents)
 * Possibly Chaos Druids (Part Zamorak, part Guthix)

Notable individuals

 * Filliman Tarlock - Nature Spirit in Morytania
 * Gypsy Aris - Old gypsy that lives in Varrock.
 * Homunculus - Creation from alchemy gone terribly wrong.
 * Queen of Snow - An NPC from the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Christmas events who was created by Guthix
 * Juna - Juna is a serpent Guardian of Guthix who guards the Tears of Guthix in the Lumbridge Swamp Caves
 * Fiara - A Guardian of Guthix who overlooks the Fist of Guthix activity.
 * Kara-Meir - A female, human adventurer, and daughter of a former White knight.
 * Balance Elemental - A Guardian of Guthix, appointed by Guthix to guard Stone of Jas.
 * Valluta - A Guardian of Guthix, She was appointed by Guthix to guard the veil between worlds and protect Gielinor from otherworldly treats, especially The Void
 * Thaerisk Cemphier - Leader of Crux Eqal.
 * Spider Queen - Queen of Spiders, from the 2009 Halloween Event, she says that it is against the laws of Guthix for the Grim Reaper to clean up cobwebs at Halloween.
 * Hazelmere - Legendary gnome who was a key political and military figure in the early days of the Gnome Stronghold.
 * Sanfew - Leader of the druids in Taverley.
 * Jack - Founder of the Wizard's Guild. Met during Meeting History.
 * King Roald - King of the Kingdom of Misthalin. (Supposedly. Many believe he follows Saradomin.)
 * Sarah - Founder of the Herblore skill. Met during Meeting History.
 * Brian Twitcher - A Druid who is concerned about the Phoenix.
 * Phoenix - A firebird.
 * Kaqemeex - Chairman of CARE and seller of the Herblore cape.
 * Grim Reaper - Gielinor's immortal reaper of souls. His robes, scythe, bones and cobwebbed-house are all stated to be mandatory in the Edicts of Guthix.
 * Ivy Sophista - Druidess from While Guthix Sleeps who puts the player in touch with Crux Eqal.
 * Pikkupstix - Druid who sells the Summoning cape.
 * Pikkenmix - Druid who is studying familiarisation.
 * Thok - the Master of Dungeoneering; the M. and Thok letters suggest he is a Guthixian.
 * Cook (Lumbridge) - Duke Horacio's cook at Lumbridge Castle.

Animals associated with Guthix
 * Sheep (Guthix first creation)
 * Cat (Guthix second creation)
 * Guthix raptor
 * Wolves (except Dire Wolves which are associated with Seren)
 * Snakes
 * Moss Giants (referred to Armies of Gielinor, which Moss Giants can be summoned by Guthix Portal)
 * Brassica Prime (the god of cabbage)

Guthix prayer items

 * Book of Balance
 * Guthix Vestments
 * Guthix Crozier
 * Guthix Mitre
 * Guthix Stole
 * Guthix Cloak
 * Druid Robes
 * Guthix Halo
 * Third Age Druidic Equipment

Guthix magic items

 * Guthix Staff
 * Guthix Cape
 * Void Knight Robes (Pest Control)
 * Void Knight mace (Pest Control)

Guthix melee items

 * Guthix Mjolnir
 * Silver Sickle(b) (Nature Spirit)
 * Guthix Full Helmet
 * Guthix Platebody
 * Guthix Plateskirt
 * Guthix Platelegs
 * Guthix Kiteshield
 * Ivandis Flail (Half Saradomin, half Guthix item)
 * Void Knight Mace (Pest Control)
 * Silverlight/Darklight
 * Korasi's Sword

Guthix Ranging Items

 * Blessed Dragonhide Coif
 * Guthix Body (Dragonhide)
 * Blessed Dragonhide Chaps
 * Blessed Dragonhide Vambraces
 * Guthix Arrow
 * Guthix Bow

Guthix Miscellaneous Items

 * Guthix Rest Tea

Note that technically, all items from the activity Fist of Guthix are Guthix affiliated items. These include:
 * Druidic mage robes
 * Combat robes
 * Adamant berserker shield
 * Adamant spikeshield
 * Rune berserker shield
 * Rune spikeshield
 * The gauntlets and the skilling gloves

Guthix's relation(ships) with other gods

 * In general, the relationship that the gods have with each other might be seen as conflicting. They might wage God war against each-other, even when being close allies (e.g.: Armadyl & Saradomin). While unanimously defending each-other, putting aside their differences, when one of them is threatened or actually robbed from their godhood (as was the case with Zaros, by Zamorak and Bandos, by the player) this includes Guthix - though It might not be as strongly, this is known through the dialogue with Juna after the completion of The chosen commander quest.
 * Bandos describes Guthix as "evil", but as with all gods, the nature of the subjectively perceived "good" and "evil" lies in their alignment. Bandos might well consider Guthix evil since It has obstructed Bandos' capability of waging war on/in Gielinor - with the implementation of the Edicts of Guthix, banning many gods.
 * Saradomin calls It foolish, since It lets Zamorak keep his influence on the inhabitants of Gielinor. In Saradomin's reasoning this is foolish because the chaos that Zamorak is after will not only create the aforementioned chaos itself, but also a form of un-balance, thus Guthix will undermine Its own purpose.
 * Zamorak in his turn sees Guthix (and Saradomin for that matter) as cowards that dislike battle, who are also dull. Moreover, he thinks Guthix (and Its herblore) is pathetic. Lastly, he thinks that It is weird, since It can shapeshift into every form It pleases, and (probably) does not choose the most appealing forms, like a multicoloured butterfly or a rock.
 * The nature of Its relationship with Zaros, can be indirecly 'known' through the dialogue with Juna where she says that the return of Zaros might well aid the Equilibrium - after the completion of The Temple at Senntisten quest. Though, Guthix said Itself not knowing the existence of Zaros, this forementioned relationship might thus well be Juna's interpretation of Guthix will.
 * There is some debate (see the Talk:Guthix) about the nature of the relationship between Guthix and Seren. However, since there is no real conclusive evidence given in any specific direction, it would seem best to wait if any may arise.
 * It appears that the Desert pantheon or Menaphite Pantheon is not effected by the Edicts of Guthix, they might not even pose a threat to the Equilibrium, since their individual weakness has little effect on Gielinor's arrow of time.

Trivia

 * The lava lake next to the Mage Arena looks similar to Guthix's symbol.
 * The pillars inside the Fist of Guthix activity cave are engraved with the Saradomin symbol. This was done by Saradominist Knights who were trying to claim the area as a temple from the Zamorakians who held it earlier.
 * Even though Guthix is a shape shifter, it is the only of the three gods who has not been changed in the god letter photos.
 * If you attempt to enter a team with more players in Castle Wars, a message will appear saying "The Saradomin/Zamorak team is powerful enough already! Guthix demands balance in the forces - join the Zamorak/Saradomin team instead!"
 * Based on the knowledge from Meeting History, Guthix was possibly the first non-elder god to come to Gielinor.
 * Entering the word "murder" or "redrum" in the notes section results in the message "All rest and no play makes Guthix a dull boy." This is a reference to a famous line used in the movie "The Shining", based on the novel by Stephen King; "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
 * It has a definition, the phrase means that all time working and not playing makes the world useless. This implies that Gielinor is an empty world if it weren't for the players.
 * Guthix's symbol resembles a limpwurt root or a tear. (the Tear of Guthix)
 * There is a Guthix altar at the Phoenix rebirthing area as seen from the trailer.
 * Despite often being referred to as 'he', in other words, male, Guthix is actually genderless. This, of course, is to maintain balance in its identity.
 * Guthix seems to know of Earth according to the God Letters. It also knows of the Sun.
 * Despite being the most popular god amongst Player Characters, as per the Odd Gods poll, Guthix's many pieces of apparel generally cost less than those of other gods, this is most likely due to the aggressiveness-negating effects of other God Armour/items in the God Wars Dungeon, which makes the other God's armour/items in higher demand, and therefore of a higher price.
 * During the quest Meeting history, it is possible to left click Guthix at a certain angle, consequently having his left click menu name comes up as "Water trough".
 * The Guthix Mage Arena statue's examine title is "I wonder how accurate a representation this is?"
 * Guthix is responsible for blessing Silverlight, because Guthix wants to prevent Delrith from destroying even a part of a world.
 * As seen in Armies of Gielinor, Guthix is immensely powerful, able to defeat all the gods such as Zamorak and Saradomin at the end of the God Wars and create many races such as Sheep and Cats.
 * Guthix's gender is questioned in the god letters and replies: "I am Guthix. I am neither, and I am both. Thou canst not define a god as thou wouldst define a mortal."