Varrock/History

This article is best read in conjunction with the main Varrock article.

Varrock's history is amongst the most unique in Gielinor, spanning many hundreds of years and time periods. The history of humanity is largely dependent on that of Varrock. Events are listed in chronilogical order.

Pre-Varrock
Varrock is built upon the ruins of Senntisten and Saranthium, two of the world's first true cities. Senntisten, the older of the two, was in existence in the Second Age, during which it extended from the modern Digsite to Edgeville. It was the capital of the god Zaros, whom some believe is the god of pure evil. Following Senntisten's destruction during the God Wars, Saranthium was built by Saradominists to cover up Zaros's existence. However, Saranthium eventually fell in the years following the God Wars.

The Founding of Varrock
Avvarocka (later Varrock) came into being in the year 700 of the Fourth Age, when the races that survived the God Wars began to compete for land without the direct aid of gods.

A number of settlers of unknown origin discovered a young boy, about two years of age, wandering nearing a river in the forest, unable to remember his parents or speak. The boy was not ordinary, though, and stood nearly a foot taller than most his age. The wanderers, taking the boys' strength as a good omen, made a camp in the forest. It is said that, on that day, "both sun and moon were mingled in the sky."

Initial Peace
The settlement, then known as Avarrocka, initially struggled for survival. Although the land was fertile and the forest was the home to many species of animals, the town was continuously plundered by goblins, who sought slaughter and wealth. The goblins were descendants of those that fought in the God Wars, and so they were considerably stronger than those today.

Apart from the occasional goblin raid, though, Avarrocka existed in relative peace. Ruled by the Elders of Avarrocka, the settlement remained safe, although it grew little. The hunters and farmers of the area soon began to understand the cycles of the area, and soon their understanding of the land allowed them to begin making a more permanent life in the area.

The boy they had discovered in the woods was taught the ways of life, learning to farm, hunt, and fight. For all of these things he showed natural prowess, growing succulent fruits and catching a legendary White Stag.

Goblin Conflict
Some 10 years after Avarrocka's founding, in the year 410, the Elders decided that the boy they had discovered needed to earn a name. They sent the boy from the city, telling him to find a name.

For days the boy wandered, travelling far from the village. During the night he came upon a camp of goblins, who planned to attack Avarrocka. Seeing the child, the goblins screamed "Arrav!", a curse in the old goblin language. The boy single-handedly defeated the entire goblin horde, saving Avarrocka from certain destruction. When the boy returned, the Elders named the boy Arrav, saying that he was a curse upon the goblins.

In the coming years, Avarrocka grew, its defeat of the goblins a rallying point for others who wandered the area. The land's fertile soil allowed for massive economic growth and a high standard of living. The goblins, hearing of the city's strength, avoided conflict.

The Shield of the Worlds
Some time after Arrav's defeat of the goblins a new threat arose; Zemouregal, a Mahjarrat and powerful necromancer, appeared to Arrav in the realm of dreams. Here he told Arrav of his plans to destroy the city using Arrav as his slave.

Arrav told the Elders of his dream. For seven days the Elders discussed the meaning of the encounter, finally deciding that it was a bad omen and that Arrav could not remain in Avarrocka. The eldest of them, a man who had lived since long before the settlement's founding, recalled a dream from his youth of a shield that had come to Gielinor from another world. Knowing that this task was impossible, they sent Arrav on the quest.

Arrav wandered for what may have been years, coming across strange beasts and who some believe to be Saradomin, Guthix, and Zamorak. He met the Imcando dwarves at the base of Ice Mountain, whom he stayed with for some time because they claimed to have knowledge of the Shield. After some time he was forced to leave, as the Imcando feared his presence would alert Zemouregal to their home.

The Destruction of Avarrocka and the End of the Goblin Conflicts
Arrav, deciding the task impossible, returned to Avarrocka to find it had been burnt to the ground by goblins during his absence. Arrav found survivors in the city's "sacred place to the east" (whom some suspect were the ruins of Saranthium). Together, he and what few soldiers remained travelled to the goblin's camp in the west. When they arrived, Arrav decided that neither side could benefit from the battle, and ultimately made a peace with the goblins that lasts even to this day.

Today, those that inhabit the Goblin Village are descendents of this tribe.

Assault of Zemouregal
The city was soon besieged by a massive army of the undead that had been brought from the Wilderness. Lead by Zemouregal, they nearly destroyed the city, and only very narrowly did Arrav manage to defeat them with the help of the shield; but the battle cost him his life. Even so, the battle was difficult to win; the aid of the Imcando Dwarves was a deciding factor in the city's victory. Following these events, the city remained at relative peace for some time, growing and becoming the capital of the developing nation of Misthalin. The "offical" creation of Misthalin is belived to have occured in around the year 500, although at that time it was little more than a collection of tribes that paid homage to the city of Avvarocka. Establishing trade via the River Lum and claiming a wide track of land, its importance soon became apparent. Zemouregal is alive to this day though, and when he returns Arrav will be his undead general. Why Zemouregal wanted to attack Varrock instead of another city is unknown.



Government Reform
Some time after the defeat of Zemouregal, Varrock's government changed from an oligarchy to a monarchy.

Desert Crusades
Sometime early in the Fourth Age, when the city was still known as Avarrocka, a number of soldiers were sent to the Kharidian Desert for an unknown reasons. Several of the soldiers invaded Enakhra's Temple, seeking to slay the Mahjarrat Enakhra. They were all killed or taken prisoner.

Morytania Conflicts
In the years 1100 to 1200 in the Fourth Age, Varrock proved an important defensive area as the forces of Morytania attempted to cross the River Salve and lay waste to the lands beyond the Paterdomus temple. The Attacks stopped when the Barrows brothers blessed the salve. They didn't survive it themselves either as some hooded stranger(some believe him to be Sliske) tricked them, and now their spirits still are awake in their barrows. In the year 1937, Lumbridge was established as an official settlement, prompting a great increase in trade in areas such as Entrana and Al-Kharid.

The Discovery of Runes
In the year 1 of the Fifth Age, the Fremennik people discovered rune essence, a material which, when taken to alters constructed by the now-hidden Moon Clan, could be turned into runestones. This allowed, for the first time, humans to cast magic at will. This event led to the beginning of the Fifth Age and the beginning of human dominance in Gielinor.

Construction of Varrock Sewers
In the year 17 of the Fifth Age, King Botolph, a former monarch of Varrock, ordered an extensive sewer system to be constructed beneath the palace; a revolutionary idea at the time. During the construction, several giants of grass and plant, now known as a Moss Giant, had halted construction for quite some time, but the construction eventually continued. Around the year 20 the sewer was complete, running beneath the entire length of the city.

Delrith Attacks
A battle occurred in the same year of the Fifth Age, when the demon Delrith assaulted the city, but he was quickly defeated by the hero Wally. However, the Guthixian Stone Circle south of the city remained in Zamorakian control.

The Barbarian Invsions
During the years 42-62, a group of the Fremennik tribe broke up and attacked northern Kandarin and Asgarnia, seeking to put an end to the production of runestones. Varrock was forced to arm itself when, in the year 47, a number of sympathisers of the barbarians attacked and destroyed the Mage Training Arena near Al-Kharid. The attacks ended when the barbarians settled down on the Misthalin western border, waiting to gather their forces and attack once more. However, when the Wizards' Tower was destroyed, they decided to cancel the invasions.

Burning of the Wizards' Tower and Zamorakian Conflict
Until the year 70, Zamorakians had been tolerated by society, despite their role in the God Wars. When Zamorakian mages destroyed the original Wizards' Tower in southern Misthalin, a massive anti-Zamorak movement began. In Varrock, this hammer fell hardest, with nearly all of the city's Zamorakian residents being either killed, imprisoned, or exiled. The Dagon'hai, a cult of mages loyal to Zamorak (theDagon'hai), waged a silent war against the city's Saradominst priests. Many were found dead, their throats slit and their bodies hidden in the city's darkest alleys. Only with a great deal of luck were they found and forced to flee, vanishing mysteriously as they left. They now hide beneath the Saradomin statue to the east of the City.

Destruction of Crandor and its Effects
In the year 139, contact was lost with the island-city of Crandor. Crandor, at the time, was a mighty city-state that possessed a great deal of political power, matching important cities such as Varrock and Falador. It was soon discovered that the dragon Elvarg had awakened and destroyed Crandor, as well as charred an area of countryside near Rimmington. This caused hysteria across the mainland, prompting leaders, including Varrock's king, to organize military defenses against the dragon, whom they feared could attack the mainland.

Necromancer War
Another battle occurred some time later, in the year 154, when yet another necromancer attacked the city. This time, however, the city was well prepared and defeated the advancing army very quickly; so quickly, in fact, that the necromancer's name remained a mystery.

Modern Events
In the current year, 169, Varrock's government used a large amount of money to renovate the "Ghost Town" north of the Barbarian Village, which were actually the ruins of one of Zaros's fortresses, Paddewwa. The city's museum also was renovated and the Grand Exchange was built.

Today, Varrock continues to be one of the world's most important cities. Its defence against Morytania and the Wilderness is often the only thing preventing a full-scale invasion of Misthalin, Asgarnia, and beyond, while its political and cultural standings continue to flourish.