RuneScape Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Commander Zilyana

Commander Zilyana, an icyene.

The Icyene are a race of incredibly long-lived winged beings who arrived in Gielinor before the God Wars. The Icyene are generally aligned to the god Saradomin and are some of his most powerful followers. They are originally from the realm of New Domina[1] which was also home to the skypouncer[2]. On their home plane, which consists of many islands scattered throughout the ocean, many of the Icyene fulfilled various occupations from farmers to warriors, with Saradomin taking the latter with him to Gielinor. They still exist there to this day.

The Icyene conquered and inhabited the area known as Hallowvale during the Second Age along with humans. Meiyerditch became one of Saradomin's most powerful fortresses. Hallowvale was named after their Icyene rulers, Queen Efaritay and King Ascertes Hallow.

When Zaros, ruler of the area north-east of Hallowvale and other areas such as Forinthry, was dethroned by his Mahjarrat general Zamorak, the God Wars began. Many Icyene were deployed from Hallowvale to help Saradomin in the war. Because trained Icyene have the potential to be extremely powerful, they were very useful to Saradomin's armies. Hallowvale, being a great fortress, was able to survive much of the early wars.

However, Zamorak promised the sacking of Hallowvale to the vampyre Lord Lowerniel Vergidyad Drakan in return for helping him in the overthrow of Zaros. Drakan attacked Hallowvale with an army of vampyres, werewolves and other beings. However, Hallowvale's forces of Icyene fiercely resisted Drakan's army. Seeing that force would not gain him the Hallowland, Drakan secretly kidnapped Ascertes during the chaos of the battle, and so Queen Efaritay was forced to surrender.

Icyene glory

Zilyana is healed by Saradomin during the Wars.

It is very likely all the Icyene of Hallowvale were wiped out or transformed into Wyrds after Drakan took control over the city though how many survived this process is unknown, After which Drakan killed them when he realised they could not be controlled. [3]

The Icyene across Gielinor fought throughout the God Wars. After Guthix expelled all other Gods from the plane, Saradomin took what remained of his army back to New Domina, where they would be quickly deployed to end a civil war that had erupted during his absence.

There are currently Four known full-blooded Icyene alive on Gielinor in the Sixth age. The first is Commander Zilyana, who led Saradomin's army during the battle of the Godsword, a weapon which was planned to be used to destroy Zamorak. She survived the God Wars because the dungeon in which the battle was held was frozen by Guthix, in the act which put an end to the God Wars. The dungeon thawed during Year 169 of the Fifth Age, along with all the armies within it, and Commander Zilyana still resides there with her armies, although she left briefly during the events surrounding Guthix's death. Not much is known about Padomenes, the Icyene who led Saradomin's army during the Battle of Lumbridge. The Third is Garlandia, a supporter of the Godless faction who currently resides north of Falador with Kara-Meir, who turned away from Saradomin after he publicly tore her wings off for not wishing to fight in his armies. The Last is Efaritay once Queen of Hallowvale, kept prisoner by Lord Drakan for over 6000 years. She escaped in the Year 169 of the Fifth age after Lord Drakan was killed, she now resides on top of Castle Drakan after River of blood.

Safalaan

The half-Icyene, half-human Safalaan Hallow, son of Queen Efaritay.

In The Branches of Darkmeyer, it's revealed that Safalaan Hallow is a half-blood Icyene, something that was long speculated due to the fact that he has the same surname as Queen Efaritay, as well as his size, colour of eyes, and mysterious powers that he displays in the quest Legacy of Seergaze. He was one of the leaders of the Myreque resistance against the Drakans, an occupation for which his Icyene powers are very useful. Safalaan was the son of Queen Efaritay and Ascertes, making him the only half-blood Icyene currently known. Safalaan was eventually "killed" by Vanescula Drakan during The Lord of Vampyrium so she could cross the River Salve in an attempt to reconquer Misthalin.

As the armies of both Misthalin and Vanescula arrive at the Salve during River of Blood, a huge bat-like creature swoops down on the bridge, Vanescula calling it a Wyrd and telling it to return to the Castle. It disobeys her and attacks the three humans on the bridge, killing Drezel, but fought off by the remaining two. Soon, an unknown Icyene swoops down to heed off the Wyrd as it threw spat at her, both the Wyrd and Vanescula and army retreat. As Drezel lay there dying, nothing to be done after giving Ivan status as caretaker of Paterdomus, the Icyene introduces herself, sadly, as Efaritay, no longer Queen.

Notable Icyene[]

  • Commander Zilyana - Saradomin's favoured general and the leader of his forces in the God Wars Dungeon.
  • Queen Efaritay - Former ruler of Hallowvale and wife of King Ascertes. Surrendered control of the kingdom to Lord Drakan during the God Wars following her husband's capture and was sealed in his castle prior to his demise. Also the mother of Safalaan Hallow.
  • Sergeant Mazakon† - A commander in the army of Saradomin during the God Wars. Mazakon was killed by a Zamorakian demon known as The Ripper after escorting Saint Elspeth to rally more troops for the Saradominist cause.
  • Safalaan Hallow - The son of Queen Efaritay , Safalaan is the half-Icyene leader of the Sanguinesti division of The Myreque, freedom fighters seeking to topple Drakan's rulership over Morytania.
  • Padomenes - Saradomin's general during The Battle of Lumbridge against the forces of Zamorak led by the Mahjarrat half-breed Moia.
  • Garlandia - A Godless Icyene whose wings were torn off by Saradomin after she stated she would rather not fight in his army.

Trivia[]

Icyene statue

A statue of an Icyene on the Abbey of St. Elspeth Citharede

  • Their appearance and abilities are allegedly based on the common perceptions of angels. This is supported by the fact that Icyenes like Commander Zilyana fit the description of angels, namely their stature, wings, and ability to fly.
  • The Icyene is a playable unit in the FunOrb game Armies of Gielinor.
  • Icyenes are also able to interbreed with humans. Safalaan Hallow is the result of such a union, as he is a half Icyene and half human. Elspeth is also purported to be another such individual, although this is only mentioned in the lore The Song From Before The War, and is not explored ingame.
  • There are statues of Icyene in the Abbey of St. Elspeth Citharede.
  • There is a carving of the face of an Icyene in the cellar of the Abbey of St. Elspeth Citharede.
  • A small carving of an Icyene can be found in a Saradomin statuette.
    • Since their appearance are also angelic like (as noted above), it is possible they are also featured on Saradomin carvings.
  • The Icyenes seems to possess notable power against the vampyres, as it is shown during the Morytania quest series.
  • Zaros created the ice nihil out of the essence of Icyene.
  • The name Icyene is likely derived from the Iceni tribe of Britons lead by Boudica.

References[]

  1. ^ Garlandia, "The Bird and the Beast", RuneScape. "I am from New Domina, and I am proud to be an icyene."
  2. ^ Mod Mike. "Skypouncer vs. Blazehound." 17 December 2012. General Forums.
  3. ^ Efaritay, "River of blood", RuneScape. "Drakan mocked me for years about his experiments with an offshoot of blood magic called haemalchemy. He threatened to turn my husband and son into vyres on a number of occasions. Over time, it was clear that Drakan learned to regret those experiments. The advent of wyrds was one such cause for that regret. It must be why he spared Safalaan...though not my husband. Wyrds are rare occurrences, so he told me, only created when someone with icyene heritage was turned. The closer to icyene a subject was, the larger and stronger the wyrd."
Advertisement