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===The adventurer===
 
===The adventurer===
The adventurer whom Sliske first met in person at the 18th ritual, but whom he had been following for a longer while, is of great interest to the Mahjarrat due to their prowess and skill. Sliske planned to convert them into a wight after the ritual, but [[Akrisae Kolluym]] jumped in front of the spell, saving the adventurer's life and becoming a slave of Sliske himself. While Sliske was satisfied for the time being, he still desires to add the adventurer to his collection. In Guthix' refuge, he led them to believe he wanted to bargain with Guthix, like the other Zarosians, and praised them for not trusting him easily. When he did, in fact, kill Guthix, he looked at the adventurer with a large grin on his face, enjoying their shock at his broken promise. Despite the obvious grudge held against him, Sliske continues to monitor the adventurer's actions, eager to claim them for himself.
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The adventurer whom Sliske first met in person at the 18th ritual (in the quest Ritual of the Mahjarrat), but whom he had been following for a longer while, is of great interest to the Mahjarrat due to their prowess and skill. Sliske planned to convert them into a wight after the ritual, but [[Akrisae Kolluym]] jumped in front of the spell, saving the adventurer's life and becoming a slave of Sliske himself. While Sliske was satisfied for the time being, he still desires to add the adventurer to his collection. In Guthix' refuge, he led them to believe he wanted to bargain with Guthix, like the other Zarosians, and praised them for not trusting him easily. When he did, in fact, kill Guthix, he looked at the adventurer with a large grin on his face, enjoying their shock at his broken promise. Despite the obvious grudge held against him, Sliske continues to monitor the adventurer's actions, eager to claim them for himself.
 
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Revision as of 22:57, 19 October 2013

Why should you trust me? Well now, I don't have an answer to that. In fact, I do. You shouldn't.
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SkeletalRejuvenatedShadowy FigureThe World Wakes"Deity"
Sliske skeletal chathead
Sliske rejuvenated chathead
Shadowed Figure chathead
Sliske TWW chathead
Sliske TWW chathead

Sliske (pronounced SLISS-kay[1]) is a mysterious, cunning and powerful Mahjarrat responsible for the death of the god of balance, Guthix, and is believed by many to have attained godhood. He was also the first Mahjarrat to switch allegiance and follow Zaros.[2] Azzanadra describes him as "Sliske the serpent-tongued, who delves the shadows"[3] and Zemouregal calls him: "One of the more powerful of our number. Sliske has particularly strong shapeshifting capabilities and powers over shadows. I would love to catch this guy, but he's a slippery fellow."[4]

Sliske is one of the more mysterious and powerful Mahjarrat, being elusive unless he desires to seek you himself. He also collects strong warriors and adds them to his collection as his undead wights, which he uses in battle. In 169 of the Fifth Age, he established his name permanently in the history of Gielinor when he slew Guthix using the Staff of Armadyl in order to allow Zaros to return, ending the age abruptly and supplying himself with significant amounts of power, possibly allowing him to ascend to godhood.

Godhood

Guthix achieved his godhood by slaying the ancient god Skargaroth with one of the Elder Artefacts, transferring Skargaroth's power to Guthix in a similar way to how Zamorak became a god. This suggests that Sliske's fate may have been of similar nature. Sliske's claim to have obtained the Stone of Jas makes this even more likely, if true. Azzanadra, however, states that, while the killing of Guthix may have changed Sliske, he is strongly convinced that Sliske is not intent on achieving godhood, although Wahisietel is unsure.[5] This does not mean he hasn't received any godly powers from Guthix after his slaying. Sliske himself held a party in the Empyrean Citadel, claming it to be his "Grand Ascendancy", although this was merely a ruse to attract the gods, and herefused to say whether he actually was a god or not, saying that "it's fun to keep you all guessing."

Nevertheless, he is believed to be a god by Relomia, an Ardougnese housemaid who somehow managed to get stuck in the Shadow Realm and claims to have been rescued by Sliske, now proclaiming "Sliske's ways" as a god emissary, and players are able to follow him as one of the factions in the aforementioned emissaries. She is strongly convinced of Sliske being a god and even made a symbol for him, although she is fairly uninformed and as such ought to be considered an inaccurate source.[6] Sliske himself describes Relomia as a "lovely girl", although needy.[7]

Personality

If nothing, you can always trust that you can't trust Sliske.

Wahisietel[8]

Although supposedly a devout Zarosian, Sliske is very unlike his fellow Zarosian Mahjarrat. In line with his titles, Sliske is extremely cunning, confident, an excellent liar and able to betray allies at a whim. He often works towards his own goals while making his allies believe what they want. This is most evident when he turned against an allied adventurer at the 18th Rejuvenation Ritual, and even more when he pretended to agree with Wahisietel, Akthanakos and Azzanadra to wake and bargain with Guthix to return Zaros, when in reality he had somehow obtained the Staff of Armadyl, planning to slay the god, and managed to do so in the end.

Sliske's smug grin

Sliske's complacent demeanour.

Sliske is devious and manipulative and whatever he does, it is always for the good of Zaros or himself.[9] Whoever of the two benefits, Sliske chooses the path he deems the most 'fun', regardless of others' opinions. For example, he took the effort of having Saradominists release Nex rather than doing it himself, enjoying how they would summon their allies' own doom. Sliske is devoutly Zarosian, regarding the Zamorakians as stupid and misguided.[10] Nevertheless, he is willing to agree with a Zarosian sacrifice at rituals, should that be necessary. At the 18th ritual, Sliske agreed to have Lucien sacrifice Jhallan, his once powerful but now weakened Zarosian ally, although he did join the other Zarosians in protecting him and fighting the Zamorakians.

As suggested by the fellow Mahjarrat's comments, Sliske has been proven to be quite intelligent and very cunning, and he is very aware of how he is regarded. His "serpent-tongued qualities" seem to be similar to the abilities of the ring of Charos. Azzanadra states that "too many would assume this to be just his manner of speaking – he is far from being a snake. Rather, his words carry weight in the mind, and have a way of bending the weak to his will".[11] He has also stated that "power is fleeting, and Sliske always gets what he wants out of deals; I’d advise, should you ever meet him, not to make deals with him." This has been evident many times in history; when Sliske tricked Saradominists into releasing Nex, when he claimed the souls of the Barrows Brothers, when he attempted to get a new wight at the 18th Ritual and when he pretended to agree with the other Zarosians to not kill Guthix, for example.

Abilities

Sliske teleport

Sliske - Lord of the Shadows

Not much is known of Sliske's powers. He is known for "delving the shadows" and having "powers over shadows", as Zemouregal mentioned in his notes. Sliske's "power over shadows" is noted to be very useful by Azzanadra, who states that "Not many of our kind are able to reach into the Shadow Realm, but of those who can, Sliske’s mastery is unmatched." [11]. Azzanadra has also said of Sliske, "An ally he may be, but I did not become master of my Lord's legions without being sure of the powers wielded by those close to me. Sliske is one whose actions can be seen each and every day in the smallest of this world's details[12]."

Sliske has great control over the undead, as he is the stranger described in The Fall of Six who granted the Barrows Brothers their abilities and reanimated their spirits[11]; the stranger in the tale is described as "delving into the shadows at [the camp's] edge".[13] Azzanadra states that "Sliske himself did not kill his Barrows toys, but it was the power he granted them that sealed their fate." This is true, for the brothers died naturally before Sliske claimed them for his collection. It seems Sliske only controls specific warriors of whom he thinks are worthy of becoming his slaves, unlike Zemouregal, who takes any zombie as his servant, and trains them later.

Aside from his power over his wights, the ability to convert new warriors to wights and his hitherto unrivalled mastery of the Shadow Realm (although it is rumoured that Zaros has an even better grasp on it[14]), virtually nothing has been seen of Sliske's direct combat abilities. Although he did slay Guthix, Elder Weapons do not seem to require sufficient experience to be used, as was proven with Guthix's stabbing of Skargaroth, who, at the time, was nothing but a mere craftsman or farmer with no experience in battle whatsoever. In fact, it appears Sliske tries to avoid direct confrontations whenever possible. After the God Wars had begun, Sliske disappeared and when he later emerged during the Battle for the Godsword, he took the effort to gather Saradominists to release Nex instead of doing it himself, likely because he deemed it the most fun way to accomplish his goal. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that Sliske, being a Mahjarrat and quite a powerful one too, is very proficient at combat and has great magical skill.

History of Sliske

Arrival to Gielinor

File:Sliske Heads to the Ritual.png

Sliske leaves the Barrows for the Ritual of Rejuvenation.

Sliske, like the rest of his kin, was brought to Gielinor from Freneskae, the realm of perpetual warfare, by the Menaphite god of the dead, Icthlarin. The Mahjarrat served him and protected the Menaphite lands in the Kharidian-Zarosian War in the Second Age. Even then, Sliske was easily distinguishable from his kin due to his unorthodox methods.

He was described by Gram Kobold, a mercenary for the Menaphites at the time, as being dangerous and untrustworthy, yet Kobold felt a connection with him.[15] Sliske fought with immense pleasure, constantly moving through the Shadow Realm to surprise his Zarosian opponents before quickly killing them and resurrecting them as undead wights. On one occasion, he saved Kobold from the blade of a Zarosian scout, put his finger to his lips, grinned and disappeared, leaving the mercenary in awe. Soon, however, Sliske's methods began to displease Icthlarin, especially because he kept dead warriors from moving to the afterlife, using them as his slaves instead. After the Zarosians were repelled from the desert, Icthlarin requested Sliske hand over his wights, and when he refused, he took all of Sliske's wights by force and released their souls. Shortly after this, the god's sister, Amascut, lost her mind "after witnessing the Mahjarrat's power", suggesting Sliske's involvement in a possible act of vengeance.

With the Stern Judges' aid, as the Mahjarrat were called by the Menaphites, the Menaphite Pantheon and its armies were able to vanquish Zaros' armies and drive them back to Forinthry. Zaros himself saw the usefulness of the Mahjarrat and promised them great bounty if they left Icthlarin's service and allied with him. Thus, all Mahjarrat switched allegiance to Zaros, who offered them more combat and freedom. Due to Icthlarin's betrayal towards Sliske, he was the first to become Zarosian, soon followed by his kin.[2] Sliske was amongst those Mahjarrat who grew happy with Zaros's reign, although he always retained a certain trait of unpredictability. According to the Book of Sliske his preferred method of combat seemed to involve moving into and out of the Shadow Realm with his victims and resurrecting his enemies as undead wights to fight for him.

He had a high rank in Zaros' army, although he was not a general.[2] The most plausible explanation for this is that such a high position would ask too much responsibility of the Mahjarrat, and he desired more freedom to be able to act as he pleased. It may also be that, despite his skill, he is not a particularly good leader. Certainly he wouldn't be too concerned about conserving the lives of his soldiers. Not a lot is known about Sliske's actions during the fall of Zaros, when Zaros's general Zamorak started a rebellion which ended with Zaros vanished and Zamorak becoming a god himself, save that when Zamorak struck, Sliske was 'elsewhere'.[16] Zamorak's forces cooperated with Saradomin's to destroy everything that remained of the Empty Lord's empire throughout the God Wars, which Zamorak had declared in an attempt to reclaim the Stone of Jas.[17] This Zarosian Extermination proved mostly successful, seeing that nearly all Zarosian settlements fell and most of his followers switched sides, went into hiding (Sliske amongst these) or were slaughtered. While Sliske did not actively participate in the wars, unlike allies such as Azzanadra or Wahisietel, he certainly did have involvement in them.

Release of Nex

Nex

Nex, a terrifying and infamous Zarosian general.

God Wars Dungeon temple

The Temple of Lost Ancients, today known as the God Wars Dungeon.

As the purge of Zaros' followers reached its peak, the last army of Zaros was trying to secure the location of the Mahjarrat ritual stone when they were attacked by Saradominists. Zaros' forces were led by the devastating creature Nex. The Saradominists had no hope of defeating such a strong force, so with great effort they drove Zaros' army back into a cave where they were sent into an enchanted sleep, after which the cave was sealed. Saradomin then erected the Temple of Lost Ancients around it. As even Zaros's most powerful champion, Azzanadra, fell to the forces of Zamorak and Saradomin, and the settlements of Zaros fell one by one, Sliske did what he did best and went into hiding.

Towards the end of the God Wars, a small flock of Armadyl's Aviantese followers were ambushed by a much larger group of demons that Zamorak had sent. The Aviantese carried the "Godsword", an exceptionally powerful weapon imbued with the power of a deity. Unable to repel the attack, the Aviantese fled into the very same temple, unaware of what it covered. Forces from all sides soon arrived, and the Battle for the Godsword erupted.

Sliske, seizing the opportunity, disguised himself as a follower of Guthix and used his manipulating influence on a group of Saradominists. He told them that Guthix was an almighty god, the only one powerful enough to stop the war (which, some time later, turned out to be true) and that a ritual had to be performed to awake Guthix from his slumber. The priests, amongst whose number was Ashuelot Reis, converted to Guthixianism and performed the ritual. To their horror, the ritual instead unlocked the seal Saradomin had placed, thus opening the Ancient Prison, as had been the Mahjarrat's intention. Nex and her forces were free, and caused huge losses amongst all sides. Sliske slipped away again, his work done.[18]

Unbeknownst to Sliske, all four forces (those of Zamorak, Armadyl, Saradomin and Bandos) united for the only time in history to drive back the Zarosians. Eventually, they succeeded and they sealed the army of Nex behind a frozen door. Its key was smashed into four pieces, one to be guarded by each faction. Their common threat defeated, the factions once again broke into fighting one another. As a result of the constant warfare, part of the temple itself collapsed, burying and freezing the four remaining factions for millennia. Ashuelot saw the error of her ways and became a nature spirit in the icy prison, ready to warn people for the atrocities ahead should they ever breach the frozen door.

Morytania Campaign

The gifts I bestowed upon you have served you well, and you, in turn, have served your god. Now, it is time to begin your servitude to me...to my god. (...) But first, you must die...

Some time after his aid in the coup of Zaros, vampyre overlord Lowerniel Vergidiyad Drakan took up the plan to conquer Hallowland and claim it as his own, after which Drakan invaded the country with his army of vampyres. The defending Icyene put up a good fight, but the country eventually fell. When he reached the capital Hallowvale, where humans and Icyene lived in peace, he managed to kidnap the their queen's husband Ascertes, forcing Queen Efaritay to surrender and give up the city. Drakan gave power to an already strong vampyre named Vanstrom Klause to find the last Icyene of Hallowland, Efaritay's son Safalaan, and renamed the city Meiyerditch. Soon, he turned the city into a ghetto where humans were farmed for blood and the entire continent was permanently covered in dark clouds. Its once pristine environment became a haunted swamp, invested with ferocious monsters.

Barrows Scenery

The last resting place of the six brothers.

A Saradominist campaign was launched at the end of the God Wars (one of several in history that attempted to liberate the Sanguinesti region, the area from which Drakan ruled), consisting of an army of several thousand mercenaries and warriors, in an attempt to reclaim "Morytania" in the name of Saradomin. They were led by six brothers, each very adept at their branch of combat. Sliske appeared before them as the campaign was about to set off, disguised once again, and granted them great powers. The campaign advanced, albeit with difficulty. After one last stop, the army reached the walls of the capital Darkmeyer and Castle Drakan. Sliske then appeared before the six brothers, Ahrim, Dharok, Guthan, Karil, Torag and Verac, and spoke to them. He told them that he had given them power so that they could serve their god, but now, it was time for them to serve his own. The brothers all subsequently died the next night and were interred under barrows just outside Darkmeyer, ending their campaign. Sliske raised the brothers as his undead minions and tasked them with guarding a precious Zarosian artefact. Drakan had suffered a blow, but due to the brothers' deaths, the campaign failed and the vampyres turned out victorious.

Sliske then proceeded to fulfill an assignment for his ally Azzanadra, who had been imprisoned in Jaldraocht pyramid after fruitlessly attempting to restore communication with Zaros. Sliske took an ancient artefact and concealed it within the Barrows crypts, ordering his wights to guard it.[19] The artefact was an icon that absorbed prayer energy and Azzanadra figured he would later need it. The Barrows Brothers did a good job, as the icon was never stolen until Azzanadra later ordered its theft.

18th Ritual of Rejuvenation

I have been following your progress for some time now, watching from the shadows. You have grown most powerful, and now I am rejuvenated, I have an opportunity to expand my collection.
The following takes place during Ritual of the Mahjarrat.
Barrows Brothers vs Arrav

Sliske commanding his wights to attack Arrav.

Sliske, as always, arrived to the Ritual in 169 of the Fifth Age shortly after Lucien. He revealed himself to the present adventurer as the individual who had been keeping The Barrows Brothers trapped as vengeful spirits. He appeared at Ghorrock for the Ritual of Rejuvenation just at the time the adventurer, whom he had been following for a while, Wahisietel, Sir Tiffy Cashien and a battalion of Temple Knights were about to fight Lucien and his forces, and joined the fight against Lucien, aiding in defeating the powerful Ice Demons that he summoned.

Sliske agrees

Sliske is content with his ally Jhallan being sacrificed.

When the Ritual commenced, Sliske went along with Lucien's suggestion that the fellow Zarosian Jhallan should be sacrificed because he had become the weakest of their kind. When the decision was about to be made, Wahisietel demanded that Lucien had to be the one sacrificed due to the danger he posed to Gielinor, starting a fight between the Zarosian and the Zamorakian Mahjarrat. During the fight, Sliske summoned the Barrows Brothers once more to fight off Zemouregal's followers, starting with Armoured Zombies and ending with Zemouregal's second-in-command, Sharathteerk. Zemouregal summoned Arrav to keep Sliske and his wights at bay, but the adventurer broke Arrav's curse using the latter's heart and the hero of Varrock proceeded to sent a flurry of attacks at Zemouregal. Unable to withstand both Arrav's and Azzanadra's attacks, Zemouregal begged Lucien for help, but after his cousin simply ignored him, he realised Wahisietel had been right and prompted all Mahjarrat to turn on Lucien. They agreed and both Zarosians and Zamorakians focused their attacks on the aspiring god.

After the Ritual was completed and Jhallan was sacrificed, Azzanadra summoned the power of Zaros, severely damaging Lucien in the process. Enraged, Lucien brought in and touched the Stone of Jas in attempt to use its power to punish the opposing Mahjarrat.  However, the Dragonkin were summoned and they killed Lucien after a short but intense brawl. After witnessing Lucien's death, most of the Mahjarrat teleported away, terrified by the Dragonkin but satisfied by the outcome of the Ritual. Sliske was one of the two Mahjarrat that did not teleport away (the other being Wahisietel). Instead, impressed by the adventurer's power, Sliske remained to attempt to claim them as a new addition to his collection, but failed as the priest Akrisae saved them by jumping in front of the spell that Sliske had cast. Akrisae was then turned into a wight called Akrisae the Doomed and Sliske teleported away with his new minion, commenting that he would do for now, before Sir Tiffy could attack him.

Discovery of Guthix's retreat

We will not kill Guthix. You have my word.
Shadowy figure revealed

The Shadowed Figure reveals himself as Sliske.

The following takes place during The World Wakes.

Later, Sliske disguised himself as a shadowed figure to do some reconnaissance around RuneScape and follow the adventurer. He could be found around the Grand Exchange, the entrance to the God Wars Dungeon, and near the ruins by the Legends' Guild. Some time afterwards, an archaeologist from Varrock Museum, Orlando Smith, discovered an ancient Guthixian site in Kandarin. Thinking it may be the resting place of Guthix himself, a location that many Mahjarrat had looked for for a long time after the end of the God Wars, Sliske quickly formed a plan of action to find Guthix and undo his edicts. Azzanadra, Wahisietel and Akthanakos also became aware of this and decided to attempt and negotiate Zaros' return with Guthix once they would have reached him, for there would be much to learn from such an ancient being and it would be more beneficial to have only their god return. Sliske, though initially disagreeing, seemingly went along with the plan. Despite Wahisietel's reminders of Sliske's cunning nature, Azzanadra put his full trust in him.

When Orlando enlisted the adventurer's help to explore the dungeon (the adventurer strangely being able to open the ancient door), they accidentally set off the alarm system of the cavern, unbeknownst to them also awakening Guthix. After Orlando was slain by three automatons, which are part of the security system, thinking he was a Mahjarrat, Sliske presented himself, pretending to be Guthix. The adventurer did not believe this however, and Sliske revealed his true identity, explaining why the automatons had traced a Mahjarrat lifeform. He stated that his intention was to find Guthix and negotiate Zaros' return with him and not killing him, which is what other gods' followers were looking for. He explained that they were standing in Guthix's resting place and that triggering the alarm was sensible all over the world. He predicted that many other creatures were about to storm in, eager to reach Guthix and kill him to return their own god. As such, he advised that the adventurer side with the Zarosians, who would not kill Guthix, while pretending to side with the Guthixians (who would want to protect Guthix, obviously) to reach him first. When asked why Sliske should be trusted, he simply replied he shouldn't be.

Sliske senses danger

Sliske senses that Zamorakians have discovered the alarm.

After that, he concealed them in the Shadow Realm, and they visited the Wilderness Crater, where the sword Guthix had slammed into the ground when declaring his edicts was pulsating red light. Sliske explained that the sword had been activated when the alarm was triggered and that it is communicating with all the stone circles - include the Zamorakian one near Varrock. They then spied on Zemouregal and Sharathteerk in the former's fortress, seeing Zemouregal finding out that Guthix's cave has been discovered as some dark wizards reported to him that their stone circle was crying out with pain. They moved on to the entrance of the God Wars Dungeon and noticed Commander Zilyana flying off towards the cave to return Saradomin. As they returned to the cave, the ground began shaking when Zilyana, Kree'arra and K'ril Tsutsaroth stormed in in their attempt to assassinate Guthix, to which Sliske teleported away, advising the adventurer to try not to die. He then proceeded to the Ancient Prison and released Nex, while Azzanadra travelled to notify Char.

The slaying of Guthix

The following takes place during The World Wakes.
Guthix's slaying

Sliske murders Guthix using the Staff of Armadyl.

As the adventurer defeated Kree'arra and ventured further into the cave, allying themselves with the Guardians of Guthix and other important Guthixians, they arrived in the central chamber when all factions attacked at once. A mighty battle erupted and, after dealing with General Graardor, K'ril Tsutsaroth, Zemouregal and Enakhra (all come to return Bandos and Zamorak respectively) Zilyana appeared with her army and killed the Guardian of Guthix Cres, thinking him to be Guthix. Having secretly followed the Saradominists, the powerful Zarosians (Sliske excluded) swarmed the room and after a tense discussion, while no one payed attention, Sliske betrayed his faction and the adventurer, broke into the last chamber and quickly killed Guthix with the legendary Staff of Armadyl, proving his allies' trust misplaced. Even Azzanadra was surprised by Sliske's act, despite earlier warnings of Wahisietel not to believe that Sliske would not kill Guthix.

It is unknown if Sliske acquired the power of Guthix, if Guthix had already transferred its powers to the adventurer or if his power was partially lost. Sliske hasn't been seen since the murder, but his allies still state with much security that such thing is normal for Sliske and that he is loyal to Zaros. It is currently unknown if he has become a god, but the other Zarosian Mahjarrat currently believe that he hasn't.[5][6][20]

Audio options icon
Sliske chuckling, moments before slaying Guthix.

It is unknown how Sliske obtained the staff of Armadyl, as half of it was in possession of the Dragonkin after the events of the last ritual, but it should be noted that Sliske still has the staff, effectively making him one of the most powerful beings currently alive. When Mod Osborne was asked how Sliske obtained the staff he stated that it was relatively easy for him to craft a new orb for the staff, but how he obtained the shaft is a revelation that will play a part in future content.


Kidnapping Death and Sliske's Grand Ascendancy

You are just in time for the main event. Oh yes, an event for the ages. Sliske's. Grand. Ascendancy!
The following takes place during Missing, Presumed Death.
Audio options icon
Sliske, showing off to the gods he has gathered.

In the quest 'Missing, presumed death' it is revealed that Sliske obtained the Staff of Armadyl by tricking the Dragonkin Strisath into following him into the shadow realm where he was promptly captured, Strisath had the staff with him upon his capture, Sliske used the staff to reveal the dragonkin's link with the stone of Jas, leading to its location which is determined based on the number chosen by players when teleporting the stone at the end of the Ritual of the Mahjarat.

During 'Missing, presumed Death', the Gods present at the citadel repeatedly asked Sliske if he had achieved Godhood or not, while Sliske refused to answer. However, if one looks closely, Zarosian symbols can be seen on Sliske's gloves, likely indicating that he is still loyal to Zaros.

Relationships

Icthlarin

Icthlarin chathead

Sliske was never favoured by the god of the dead due to his methods of converting the Zarosian invaders into semi-undead wights. Sliske was allowed to continue as long as the war lasted, however, for the sake of protecting the Kharidian Lands at all costs. Their relationship was permanently damaged when Icthlarin released all of the wights' souls to the Grim Underworld after the Kharidian - Zarosian War.[21] This led to Sliske offering his and the other Stern Judges' services to Zaros and thus abandoning Icthlarin and the Menaphite Pantheon. Even now, the Mahjarrat holds a grudge against Icthlarin for what he seems to think of as 'betrayal' by 'stealing' his minions and the god seems to be the person Sliske would like to see suffer the most.[22]

Azzanadra

Azzanadra rejuvenated chathead

While Azzanadra and Sliske have long been close allies - with Azzanadra having known Sliske for his entire life - they have quite different views on how to handle situations. A notable difference is Azzanadra's loyalty to his companions and to Zaros, whereas Sliske will not hesitate to turn against the former at a whim. Additionally, Sliske always seeks a profit for himself in a situation. Nevertheless, the two have worked together on various occasions. For example, just before Azzanadra was imprisoned in Jaldraocht, he gave a powerful artefact to an ally almost certainly known to be Sliske for safekeeping, knowing it would be key in reestablishing contact with Zaros.[19] Seemingly seeing the importance of this, Sliske heeded this request and his wights have guarded the item faithfully for many centuries, until Azzanadra was released and ordered the retrieval of the artefact soon after.

It seems, however, that, while Azzanadra is more than aware of Sliske's slippery and deceitful nature, he will sometimes give Sliske 'the benefit of the doubt' and fully trust him to cooperate. For instance, when Sliske agreed with the suggestion of Azzanadra, Wahisietel and Akthanakos to negotiate with rather than kill Guthix in order to convince Nex and Char to do the same, Azzanadra was completely confident Sliske would keep his word, despite Wahisietel's warning that he could and would betray them.[23] After Guthix' murder, Azzanadra did not seem happy with his ally's betrayal, although he realised his mistake in blindly trusting him - neverrtheless, he was highly contented with the result anyway, for Zaros had indeed become free to return.[24]

Azzanadra seems to know Sliske quite well, aware of his desire for freedom of action and disliking of responsibility. As such, he states it extremely unlikely for Sliske to be striving for godhood when asked.[5]

Wahisietel

Wahisietel rejuvenated chathead

Wahisietel seems to be the Mahjarrat who best understands Sliske, and they seem closer allies than other Zarosians. For instance, Wahisietel had suspected Sliske to remain after the 18th ritual to get a 'reward' and was not surprised when he attempted to acquire a new wight. In addition, he seems to have been the only one who realised Sliske would not stick to the plan of not killing Guthix.[25]

Sliske appears to respect Wahisietel, having come to his aid on several occasions, most recently when he faced Lucien and his ice demons at the 18th ritual. And, although he initially agreed to sacrifice Jhallan, he immediately backed up Wahisietel by summoning the Barrows Brothers and having them hold off Zemouregal's troops.

However, during and after the quest Missing Presumed Death and Sliske starting a gladiatorial-type competition between the gods, Wahisietel seemed to recant his views - displaying animosity towards Sliske and stating that he no longer believes Sliske to be loyal to Zaros.[26][27]

The adventurer

The adventurer whom Sliske first met in person at the 18th ritual (in the quest Ritual of the Mahjarrat), but whom he had been following for a longer while, is of great interest to the Mahjarrat due to their prowess and skill. Sliske planned to convert them into a wight after the ritual, but Akrisae Kolluym jumped in front of the spell, saving the adventurer's life and becoming a slave of Sliske himself. While Sliske was satisfied for the time being, he still desires to add the adventurer to his collection. In Guthix' refuge, he led them to believe he wanted to bargain with Guthix, like the other Zarosians, and praised them for not trusting him easily. When he did, in fact, kill Guthix, he looked at the adventurer with a large grin on his face, enjoying their shock at his broken promise. Despite the obvious grudge held against him, Sliske continues to monitor the adventurer's actions, eager to claim them for himself.

Sliske's wights

Akrisae becomes Barrows brother

Sliske's dark conversion spell hits Akrisae Kolluym.

Sliske owns of a collection of wights, which consist of powerful warriors who Sliske enslaved to serve him and, to a greater extent, Zaros. These wights do not become weaker with time, making perfect slaves for the Mahjarrat. Currently, the following wights of Sliske's are known;

Gallery

Trivia

  • Sliske is the third individual known to have defeated, and the second to have killed a god. The other two are Guthix, who slew Skargaroth, and Zamorak, who defeated Zaros. Like Zamorak, Sliske used the Staff of Armadyl. In addition, both Sliske and Zamorak did not immediately ascend to godhood, unlike Guthix. Sliske's fate remains unknown, although he is unlikely to want to become a god.[5]
  • Sliske's name is possibly derived from the Polish word "śliskie" meaning "slippery".
  • Sliske has pretended to be Guthixian at least twice in history: when he converted Saradominists to Guthixians and tricked them into opening the Ancient Prison, posing as a druid, and when he encountered the adventurer in Guthix's refuge, briefly impersonating the god himself.
  • Sliske has a luchador mask aligned to him called el serpiente (meaning the snake), referring to his title of "the serpent-tongued".
  • His green face symbol might be a reference to 90's movie, The Mask. This fits with his personality.
  • A common endonym for Sliske is "Sliskean". Mod Osborne's preferred term for Sliske is "scumbag." Mod Crow believes that the proper endonym for Sliske is "a crazy person."[28].

References

  1. ^ Pronunciation Guide - RuneScape Wiki. RuneScape Wiki. Jagex Ltd.*
  2. ^ a b c Jagex. Above the Lore - episode 4: The Secrets of Sliske Mods Osborne and Raven : "Was Sliske the first Zarosian Mahjarrat?" -"See, this is what I'd like to say... Well, after, you know, the God Emissaries story, then, I'd like to say he was." (24:24) Above the Lore podcast, 20 June 2013.
  3. ^ Jagex. Postbag 20 - "Transcript:Tales from earlier ages", 3. RuneScape Postbags from the Hedge.
  4. ^ Zemouregal, "Notes (k-z)", RuneScape.
  5. ^ a b c d Azzanadra, "The World Wakes", RuneScape. "I have known Sliske for my entire life. I do not believe he would ever strive for [godhood]. He is a faithful supporter of Zaros, and he has no wish to rule. It would be far too much responsibility for him."
  6. ^ a b Jagex. Above the Lore - episode 1 Mods Ollo and Osborne : "Sliske's is probably the most... ball, how'd I put it really?" "Uninformed?" "Yeah, the most fanatical in any way. She doesn't really know that much about Sliske. She just really likes him." (11:31) Above the Lore podcast, 2 May 2013.
  7. ^ Sliske, "Missing, Presumed Death", RuneScape. "Ah! But of course - my great votary! Relomia just won't shut up abotu you - lovely girl, if a touch needy."
  8. ^ Wahisietel, "Ritual of the Mahjarrat", RuneScape.
  9. ^ Wahisietel, "The World Wakes", RuneScape. "[Sliske] is slippery; always lurking in the shadows. You can never be quite sure what he is intending, but you can always guarantee his actions will either benefit himself or Zaros."
  10. ^ Sliske, "The World Wakes", RuneScape. "As idiotic as Zamorakian followers are, it won't take them long to decipher the origin of the alarm."
  11. ^ a b c Jagex. Postbag 44 - "Transcript:Postbag from the Heim.", 4. RuneScape Postbags from the Hedge.
  12. ^ Jagex. Postbag 38 - "Transcript:What's the matter, Jad? Chicken?", 5. RuneScape Postbags from the Hedge.
  13. ^ Jagex. "The Fall of Six." RuneScape Lores and Histories.
  14. ^ Mod Osborne. "Campfire - Answers." 27 June 2013. General Forums.
  15. ^ Gram Kobold, "The Book of Sliske", RuneScape. "His name was Sliske, and he appeared and disappeared at will. He was feared by the soldiers and distrusted by his own kind. (...) Sliske had a different goal, and he moved in other directions. He moved silently. I was barely able to keep track of him as he shifted between shadows."
  16. ^ Mod Raven. Campfire:Quests & Lore. 27 June 2013. "When Zamorak struck, Sliske was elsewhere, Zamorak is smart enough to have timed his plan for when Sliske, and the other Zarosian Mahjarrat, would have been in a poor position to stop him. Did Sliske know about the plan, could he have stopped it if he wanted to? Only Sliske can tell you and he plays the long game ;)"*
  17. ^ Mod Emilee. "Game Update FAQ - 14/09/11." September 2011. Recent Game Updates Forums.
  18. ^ Ashuelot Reis, "Ancient Prison", RuneScape. "Our leader led us to a quiet area of these caverns - right here, in fact. The ritual was successful...from his point of view, at least. He got exactly what he wanted - the temple was reopened and our leader revealed himself to be a Zarosian Mahjarrat going by the name of Sliske."
  19. ^ a b Azzanadra, "The Temple at Senntisten", RuneScape. "It was no accident. An ally from the old days placed it in their care while I was trapped in that forsaken pyramid."
  20. ^ Mod Emilee. "The World Wakes - FAQ." 08-03-2013. RuneScape News.
  21. ^ Gram Kobold, "The Book of Sliske", RuneScape. "Icthlarin demanded that Sliske release his wights to him, so he could guide them to the underworld. When Sliske refused, Icthlarin took them by force. With a swipe of his hand, Icthlarin obliterated their ranks. Sliske narrowed his eyes and smiled. With a gesture he was gone, and Icthlarin never counted Sliske as a friend from that day."
  22. ^ Jagex. Above the Lore - episode 4: The Secrets of Sliske Mods Osborne and Ollie : "Who[sic] does Sliske hate the most?" "So, I wanna say Icthlarin, because people will know that, if you've looked into the lore and stuff, they've got a history together and, especially if you've read the recent book with the god emissaries, then you'll have found out a bit of backstory there and I think they have a bit of a rivalry." (19:00) Above the Lore podcast, 20 June 2013.
  23. ^ Azzanadra, "The World Wakes", RuneScape. "We may be united in our devotion to Zaros, but Sliske and I are not one and the same. (...) My brothers, Wahisietel and Akthanakos, agreed that Guthix did not need to die. Sliske disagreed; sometimes I think just for the sake of disagreeing. However, he did eventually align with the majority. (...) Sliske came to you and proposed our view; we believed he truly agreed with it. Of course, you should never believe anything Sliske tells you."
  24. ^ Azzanadra, "The World Wakes", RuneScape. "Sliske may have betrayed our trust, but he killed Guthix in the name of Zaros. However you look at it, the edicts have been broken, paving the way for Zaros' return. Sliske did us all a service, even if we would not agree with his methods. Sliske has always been his own master; we could blame ourselves for believing he would do anything else."
  25. ^ Wahisietel, "The World Wakes", RuneScape. "And you trusted [Sliske's] word when he said he would abide by us? I warned you..."
  26. ^ Wahisietel, "Missing, Presumed Death", RuneScape. "He has always been selfish; now he has the arrogance to claim godhood? I seriously doubt his loyalty to the Empty Lord."
  27. ^ Ali the Wise, RuneScape. "That snake has betrayed us for the last time. After murdering Guthix I was disappointed in him, but now I have lost all hope."
  28. ^ Mod Crow. Reddit Post by Mod Crow. 25 July 2013.*