Zanik



Zanik (called Chosen Commander by Grubfoot) is a cave goblin who is called upon to explore the surface during the Death to the Dorgeshuun quest. The object of the quest is to help her defend the Dorgeshuun city from a H.A.M. plot. After the player finishes the quest she can be found in the underground goblin city, Dorgesh-Kaan. The mark on her forehead is the symbol of Bandos, and it appears on General Graardor's armour. It is also the same symbol shown on the top of the Strange box in which she was trapped, before The Chosen Commander, the last quest of the Dorgeshuun quest series, came out.

Thieving chest
Zanik's house is located in northeast Dorgesh-Kaan on the second level. On the top floor are two chests, which can be picked with a lockpick if a player has Thieving level 52. The chests can be opened once every two to three minutes.

Chasm of Lights
In Jagex's official RuneScape tale Chasm of Lights, Zanik is seen exploring an unexplored chasm with her friend and lover, Dorgan. She and Dorgan suddenly triggered an underground earthquake causing Zanik to be buried and trapped by debris. While Dorgan left to call for help, Zanik meets Juna, who threatens Zanik. Zanik became curious of the cave behind Juna and attempted to jump over Juna into the cavern but was easily blocked by Juna, who continued to threaten Zanik. Even though Zanik was unafraid, she obeyed Juna's command to leave and was later retrieved by Dorgeshuun guards.

Zanik, now curious, wanted to learn more about Juna and the cave behind her. Zanik spoke to the city scribe, who gave a brief explanation of Juna, the cave, and the the living creatures of light that glide aimlessly around the cavern.

Zanik returned to Juna. Wanting to enter the cave, she entertained Juna by riding a Light creature around the cavern and collecting a strange rock sample from a cliff. Juna, pleased by the act, finally allowed Zanik to access the Tears of Guthix and gave instructions on what to do when collecting tears. The tears were collect and drunk by Zanik, which made her more steady and assured of herself.

On her way back to Dorgesh-Kaan, Zanik confronted Ur-lesh, the ancient headwoman of the Council, and Oldak, the city's Council-sponsored wizard. Filled with anger, she demanded to know why they had lied to the Dorgeshuun and why they did not want to go return to the surface. Ur-lesh and Oldak told Zanik that there was a great war happening on the surface and wanted to protect their people by remaining underground.

Later, Zanik and Juna became friends and exchanged stories and knowledge with each other. Juna's stories of the surface, about the end of the God Wars, and about Guthix inspire Zanik to one day explore the surface and see the vast incredible landscape different from her own.

Death to the Dorgeshuun quest
During Death to the Dorgeshuun, Zanik is chosen to be a visitor to the surface. However, she and the player get caught whilst attempting to discover the newest H.A.M. plot, resulting in Zanik's death. Her life is restored by Juna, the snake in the Tears of Guthix. It is then that the player and her stop Sigmund's attempt at the destruction of Dorgesh-Kaan. It is also shown during the battle with Sigmund that Zanik's combat level is 41.

If you attempt to cast Low Level Alchemy on Zanik's body, then you will get the message: Doing that would be disrespectful to Zanik.

Another Slice of H.A.M. quest
During Another Slice of H.A.M., Zanik is captured by Sigmund and tied to a railway track. She is nearly run over, as the player saves her in time.

Land of the Goblins quest
In the Land of the Goblins quest, Grubfoot speaks of "Goblin legend. Hopespear, long ago goblin, he have dream. He say some day Chosen Commander come, lead all goblins to new age. Most goblins, they think Chosen Commander lead goblins to war and fight other races. But I think maybe not. I have dreams that Zanik is Chosen Commander. Before you visit Goblin Village I dream about Zanik. And now, last night I have new dream. I have dream of far-off land. It like no land I ever see, but somehow I know it. It cool and wet. Ground is soft, big plants everywhere, red water bubbling. I see goblins, many goblins. Goblins of all tribes, but they not fight. They have no weapons. They live in peace. Then I see Chosen Commander. She stand at entrance to new land. She show way in. She lead all goblins on long journey to new land. I never see land before. I see it only in dream. But somehow I know what it is. It Yu'biusk, Land of the Goblins." She travels to Yu'biusk, the abandoned home plane of the goblins, through a fairy ring. However, she is absorbed by a strange box while exploring, and is stuck there due to the portal's closure. If the player uses the Fairy Ring system to return to Yu'biusk, the box is shut and cannot be opened.

The Chosen Commander


Zanik escapes from Bandos' throne room in Yu'biusk where she was taken by the strange box, with the help of Bandos' pendant, and arrives back in Dorgesh-Kaan just in time to help the player take down a H.A.M. spy who has been poisoning the goblin children. Zanik storms out of a council meeting when they decide not to execute the spy. She shoots the spy with her crossbow, killing him, as the spy is being escorted back to the surface, and runs away into the caves. After a little heart-to-heart with the player she is convinced to go back to Dorgesh-Kaan, and is sent into exile.

In exile, now under full control of the Pendant, she goes to the Goblin Temple under the Plain of Mud. Many of the goblins, including their High Priest, gather around her, seeing that she is the Chosen Commander of Bandos. They march on a base the militant wing of H.A.M. have set up in the basement of a windmill north of Ardougne. There she meets the player breaking Grubfoot out of the base. She chops off Sigmund's hand so his Ring of Life can't save him and kills him mercilessly with what looks like a poisoned Bone dagger. She then attacks the player, having stated that all humans must die, and is defeated repeatedly. Every time she reaches zero hitpoints the power of the pendant regenerates her to full life. Eventually the player convinces her to remove the pendant. The High Priest, the sole survivor from the H.A.M. vs Goblin battle below, picks up the pendant. Bandos takes over him and he flees.

Zanik and the player then teleport together using a Dorgesh-Kaan Sphere, but it malfunctions and they find themselves in an odd cave. Escaping from the cave, they find themselves in Juna's presence. Juna tells zanik to fulfil her destiny and not to defy the gods. After deciding she controls her own destiny and hearing about the great danger Dorgesh-Kaan is in, the pair head back to the city.

Upon their arrival, Zanik and the player learn that Bandos Avatar stormed through the city and left a large obelisk in the middle of the market. The markings on the obelisk are translated by the Goblin scribe. It warns them that Bandos is enraged with the goblins and intends to wipe them out unless they become his followers.

After the player runs a few errands for a few goblins in need Oldak modifies Zanik's Crossbow to have a Special Attack that can disrupt magic from the gods. Zanik and the player step into the portal to Bandos' throne room.

After weakening the avatar the first time Zanik tries to shoot it with her crossbow special attack, but it is knocked out of her hands, Oldak's modifications breaking off. The player has to leave her to fight the avatar on her own to retrieve the crossbow. Zanik is knocked unconscious by the avatar, but the player eventually defeats it, using the crossbow to stop it regenerating.

Zanik wakes up and it is then revealed that the mark of Bandos on her forehead has vanished. She smashes the pendant on the floor and they return through the portal to Dorgesh-Kaan. Zanik is now free to forge her own destiny, and the Dorgesh-Kaan council build a statue to honour the player and Zanik for their bravery.

After the quest, Zanik can be found in various locations around Runescape such as Oo'glog and Draynor Village.

Trivia

 * Zanik has the highest amount of examines any one item/NPC has in the game.
 * Zanik Has been featured in the most quests then any other NPC has in the game.
 * If you talk to Zanik after you have finished Chosen Commander while someone else is doing a quest she will have the bandos symbol above her head.(Hasn't been removed yet as of March 20th, 2009)