We’re taking the game offline at 8:00am BST on Wednesday, June 9th to conduct essential upgrades and maintenance. During this time you’ll be unable to play Old School RuneScape or RuneScape. Additionally, you’ll be unable to access the news area, the forums, hiscores, or your website account.
We expect everything to be back online by 2:00pm BST (a total downtime of around six hours).
You can stay up-to-date by following any of our social accounts or following the Reddit Megathread which will be made live on the day of maintenance:
We’d like to apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience. We’ll see you back in Gielinor very soon!
The Old School Team
Theatre of Blood: New Modes - Weekly Update (03/06/21)
On Friday, June 4th we edited the release blog to confirm we were going to make changes to A Night At The Theatre based on your feedback. We were considering one of two options: Relegating the quest to be a miniquest, or redesigning the quest to be a proper narrative experience. We’ve opted for the second, and we’ll be undertaking that work immediately.
Hotfixes and Changes - June 9th
[expand type="details"] [table] [tr][th]Stage[/th][th]Changes Made[/th][/tr][tr][td]General[/td][td]The difficulty mode of the Theatre of Blood is now displayed when completing a room. Reduced the amount that the story mode bandage boosts your magic level by.[/td][/tr][tr][td]Maiden (Hard Mode - Solo)[/td][td]Disabled the Ramp damage from Maiden in raids with only 1 player, as the mechanic cannot be avoided in that scale. Removed the South 1 Nylocas spawn in raids with only 1 player.[/td][/tr][tr][td]Maiden (Story Mode)[/td][td]Increased the health of the Blood Nylocas at Maiden in Story mode.[/td][/tr][tr][td]Nylocas (Hard Mode)[/td][td]Reduced the wave delay after Nylocas Prinkipas spawns in the Nylocas room. Buffed the stats of the Nylocas Prinkipas as they were incorrectly very inaccurate. Fixed an incorrect double nylocas spawn on wave 20. Capped the maximum damage the Nylocas Boss Mage split damage deals to 75, the mechanic should be punishing but one mistake can currently wipe the entire team, which was unintentional.[/td][/tr][tr][td]Nylocas (Story Mode)[/td][td]Reduced the forced delay between nylocas waves in story mode. Reduced the amount of maximum nylocas that can exist at the same time in story mode. (These changes should make it faster for players that are comfortable with the waves, slower for those that are struggling to keep up). Reduced maximum recoil damage from hitting the nylocas boss on the wrong style.[/td][/tr][tr][td]Sotetseg (Hard Mode)[/td][td]Another attempted fix at preventing Sotetseg from firing big bombs that are invisible to certain players. Reduced the amount of damage the shared bomb at Sotetseg deals when split correctly in lower scales.[/td][/tr][tr][td]Xarpus (Story Mode)[/td][td]Updated Xarpus's attack speed to be the same as regular ToB.[/td][/tr][tr][td]Verzik Vitur (Hard Mode)[/td][td]The lightning attack in Verzik Phase 2 now deals the correct amount of damage when improperly interacted with. The maximum bounce range for the Lightning attack has been increased by 50%. When damaged by a tornado during the Verzik encounter within the Theatre of Blood, the number on the healing hitsplat is now displayed correctly. The Nylocas should now detonate consistently when a player is close enough. Nylocas at Verzik no longer reflect damage from incorrect styles or have immunity from hitting with an incorrect style. Added a chatbox message when the Acid Bomb at Verzik bounces to you.[/td][/tr][tr][td]Verzik Vitur (Story Mode)[/td][td]Increased Story Mode Verzik P3 Health by 200. Increased the amount of damage the tornado deals in Story Mode. Increased the amount of damage the acid bomb does in story mode. Slightly increased damage from nylocas at verzik in story mode. Increased bounce-stun duration in story mode by 1 cycle to match other modes[/td][/tr] [/table] [/expand]
We expect to update the quest in July. The current quest will remain available until then and we will update you when we have more to share.
We'd like to thank you for all of the feedback since yesterday's game update. We've collated some of the most notable pieces and detailed our plans in the table below and what we would like to do going forward.
Player Feedback and Our Actions (click here to see more)
[expand type="details"] [table] [tr][th]Your Feedback[/th][th]Our Actions[/th][/tr][tr][td]A Night at the Theatre doesn't feel like a quest and doesn't meet the usual standard of Quests.[/td][td]We agree that A Night at the Theatre was polled as a quest and it's clear that it hasn't met your expectations. We want to deliver on what we promised to you. We have seen a lot of suggestions on ways we could make improvements and we're actively reviewing which solution we should implement.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Within Story Mode, players feel some mechanics do a lot of damage while others barely do any.[/td][td]Disparity in damage can be down to a number of reasons. Avoidable attacks are designed to be punishing, however we will be making some tweaks based on your feedback. Although there is no game update next week, we'll be preparing a round of hotfixes for next week. We intend to make unavoidable damage (in solo primarily) scaled down further amongst other small improvements. When the changes go live they will be added to this Newspost, so please let us know what you think of them.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]The Nylocas phase in Story Mode feels unnecessarily long for some players.[/td][td]We want to allow players extra time to learn the mechanics, however we agree that this isn't fun gameplay. To remedy this, we'll be removing the forced delay between each wave and reduce the amount of Nylos that can be present at one time in Story Mode. This means the player will be able to dictate the pace, without making the fight easier.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Players have given us feedback that soloing Hard Mode is impossible, as there are a couple of mechanics that don't really work with only one player.[/td][td]We'll be tweaking the Maiden fight so that it becomes possible to progress to the next room. We're not aiming to make this easier, but we want it to feel at least in reach. We will make improvements based on your feedback thereafter.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]Some players felt the mechanics in Story Mode were inconsistent to Normal TOB. There was some concern that this could lead to undesirable habits for newer players.[/td][td]Story mode has a lot of mechanics changed to make solo possible, unfortunately some mechanics don't really work very well in a solo raid so the damage was simply scaled down even further. We've acknowledged some other changes that altered various timings are seen as undesirable and we are looking to revert these, not to increase the difficulty, but to feel more consistent between modes. You should expect to see a batch of these changes next week.[/td][/tr] [tr][td]The reward lamps do not award Prayer XP, although Prayer is technically a Combat Skill.[/td][td]We would like to clarify that this is intentional and functions similarly to Quests such as Dragon Slayer II, so this will not be changing. We apologize for giving you any false expectations that you might have been able to use it on Prayer and we'll do better to explain similar proposals in future.[/td][/tr] [/table] [/expand]
Theatre of Blood: Hard Mode Changes (June 4th)
[expand type="details"] [table] [tr][th]NPC[/th][th]Change[/th][/tr][tr][td]Nylocas[/td][td]13:30 BST The splash damage from the Ranged Nylocas boss ranged attack has been increased in Hard Mode.[/td][/tr][tr][td]Sotetseg[/td][td]13:15 BST Increased the damage of the ball attacks in Hard Mode when the intended mechanic is not handled correctly.[/td][/tr][tr][td]Verzik Vitur[/td][td]13:15 BST Increased the damage of the green ball attack in Phase 3. 13:15 BST You can no longer tick-eat the damage of the yellow ball attack in ToB hard mode.[/td][/tr] [/table] [/expand]
Issues and Hotfixes (June 4th)
[expand type="details"] [table] [tr][th]Issues Raised[/th][th]Current Progress[/th][/tr][tr][td]12:15 BST The scoreboard is not displaying correctly.[/td][td]12:30 BST [FIXED] This issue is now resolved and the scoreboard will now display times correctly.[/td][/tr][tr][td]12:40 BST The maze is not resetting correctly in Story Mode.[/td][td]12:50 BST [FIXED] The maze will now reset correctly.[/td][/tr] [/table] [/expand]
It’s all kicking off at the Theatre of Blood this week – are you tough enough for Hard Mode? We’ve also made some adjustments to Clans, keeping it running smoothly so you can concentrate on knocking seven bells out of one another. Hurrah! Let’s take a look…
Theatre of Blood: New Modes
Have you always wanted to tackle the Theatre of Blood but aren't sure if you’re ready for its toughest challenges? Or maybe you have mastered this deadly arena and want to ramp up the challenge to the max? Well, we have good news either way…
Now, you'll be able to select Hard or Story Mode, and experience the Theatre of Blood on your own terms. When you create your party at the notice board, you’ll be able to select a mode of play, and parties will be showcased alongside their modes.
Verzik Vitur has issued a new challenge, and the mysterious stranger has a new request for you to fulfill... time to head to the Theatre!
Hard Mode
This is the most challenging version of the Theatre of Blood, and it's seriously gnarly. We haven't just increased the monsters' stats, like in Chambers of Xeric's Challenge Mode. Most rooms have completely new mechanics, or a tougher twist on the existing ones. You must have completed the normal Theatre of Blood at least once to access this terrifying new mode. It's as hard as the title suggests, but here are the rewards that will make it all worthwhile:
Weapon Ornament Kits
These untradeable ornament Kits allow you to transform the following items into Saradomin-themed versions: Ghrazi Rapier, Sanguinesti Staff and the Scythe of Vitur. The latter item also boasts a second ornament kit, the Sanguine Ornament kit, which will give you a more vampiric look to your weapon. Fangtastic!
You can simply click on the kit, followed by the corresponding item, but if you wish to change all weapons in one fell swoop, you'll need three Holy Ornament Kits and a Sanguine Ornament Kit. If you change your mind about your new gear, the process can be quickly reversed by right-clicking and selecting 'dismantle'.
The kit is destroyed on a PvP death, dropping the regular item it was attached to. These kits are now included in the Collection Log for Theatre of Blood.
Lil Zik - Metamorphosis
You'll also have a chance to grab yourself some Sanguine Dust. Sprinkle it over your Lil Zik to turn it into a transmog based on the Theatre's bosses! That includes the Maiden of Sugadinti, Pestilent Bloat, Nylocas Vasilias, Sotetseg and Xarpus. You will only need one Sanguine Dust to have access to all of Lil Zik's transmogs, and you can freely switch between them once the pet is transformed.
Hard Mode also has the following perks:
Unique/Purple rates are slightly increased.
Regular loot quantities are increased.
Regular loot quantities are further increased if completed within a specific time limit.
The ratio of Avernic to other uniques is slightly lower.
A Night At The Theatre
The Mysterious Stranger lurks outside of the mighty Theatre of Blood, the centrepiece of Ver Sinhaza. This shadowy figure has a new request for you – to humiliate a vampyre noble by the name of Lady Verzik Vitur. Take on the challenges that lie within the Theatre to reach her and bring a blush to her bloodless face!
Requirements & Rewards (SPOILER WARNING!) - Click to Expand
[expand]To complete A Night At The Theatre, you'll need to have done the following quests:
Priest In Peril
The following levels are recommended:
90 Combat Level
Upon completion you'll be rewarded with:
2 x 20,000 Experience Combat Lamps
2 Quest Points
[/expand]
This quest can be completed on any mode, but has been designed primarily for Story Mode.
Story Mode
Story Mode will offer the same standard structure as normal, with the actual mechanics mostly unchanged. This will include lower stats across all of the NPCs and Story Mode can be completed solo or as part of a group. However, you'll have the benefit of three lives to compete with. Those three lives will be counted as a safe death, and if you lose one, you'll be teleported to the entrance of the last boss you fought (apart from Hardcore Ironmen, who will still lose their status on the first death). If you die after all three lives are used, a normal death will occur and you'll have to claim back your items and retry from the beginning.
Alhough Story Mode yields rewards, they have a heavily reduced rate compared to the existing mode, and you won’t have a chance to grab any of the Theatre's uniques (including the pet). You will, however, get to lose yourself in the thrilling narrative without the usual amount of pressure! Go on, take a bite…
Other changes
On the scoreboards, there are two new options for Story and Hard modes, so you can keep track of your times and completions at different difficulty settings.
Personal Bests have also been split into group size, similar to Chambers of Xeric. Your existing Personal Best has been automatically moved to the five man group size, as it has the fastest potential scaling.
In any mode, each boss will now drop their corresponding book as you defeat them, allowing players to absorb the story as they progress. These informative tomes can still be found on the bookcase within the treasure room too.
When using mid-raid chests, you can select from previous quantities of a particular item you have bought, rather than inputting the number every time
Special attack power will continue to regenerate when you are inside Theatre of Blood and Chambers of Xeric raids. Special attack energy will be restored to full when entering Theatre of Blood, while remembering how much energy you had when you entered the raid. When you exit the raid, your energy will return to where it was when you entered. This is the same system implemented in the Six Jads challenge.
Players can now only buy one stamina potion from mid-level chests. This is to discourage players from obtaining an excessive amount of stamina potions.
Clans
Last week saw the long-awaited release of the Clans system, and we've got to say, we couldn't be happier to see so many communities emerge! Here's a little bit of insight, as of around 11:00 BST on Wednesday June 2nd:
5,700 Clans formed
119,000 Players in a Clan
6.2million Clan Chat messages sent
We've also loved hearing your great ideas for how we can continue to improve the Clans system. Some of those ideas vary in scale, ranging from small quality-of-life tweaks to major new ways to customise your Clan. We can't offer those larger changes just yet, but rest assured: we've already been working on some of your feedback changes, which will be coming soon. We'll continue to look at your suggestions for future Clans updates, but in the meantime, here's this week's tweaks:
World 477 (US) & 497 (UK) are now a themed worlds for Clan recruitment.
Players will now automatically rejoin a guest channel if they were in one when they last logged out. This will only work after the update goes live, so you'll still have to rejoin the chat on your first login.
The bank sign in the Clan Hall no longer blocks line-of-sight, so you can cast the telegrab spell through it.
The default guest Clan Chat colour is now distinct from the Clan Chat colour, and can be customised.
We've relaxed the restrictions on what you can do while wielding a vexillum. You can now teleport, enter the Wilderness, fletch, blow glass and perform emotes while your vexillum is equipped.
PvP World Rota
The PvP rota has moved to Period B:
560 - (UK) - PvP World
579 - (US) - High-Risk PvP World
561 - (UK) - Free-to-Play PvP World
580 - (US) - LMS Competitive
Smaller Changes
You'll now be able to select a custom colour for all of your different chats using RGB and hex code colours!
Purchasing rewards from the Last Man Standing store now requires 48 hours of playtime as a member.
Players can now set how their friend login/logout messages display: On, Timeout and Off.
Iron players are no longer able to enter the shared God Wars boss room instances if another player is already fighting in there.
Inventory space checks are now performed correctly for coffin loot in the Hallowed Sepulchre, so that items only overflow onto the ground if they need to.
A typo has been fixed in Serafina's Diary.
That's everything for this week's game update. We'd love to hear your feedback so please let us know what you think via our official forums, on the 2007Scape Reddit, or the community-led OSRS Discord in the #gameupdate channel.
Welcome to the Kourend Chronicles, a six-part series of tales from Kourend's murky past! You can see a full list of all the stories so far on our A Kingdom Divided round-up.
On any ordinary day, the Grand Museum of Civitas illa Fortis would be bustling with visitors hoping to get a glimpse at the rare treasures within – the icon of Ralos, the armour of the Cloud Titan and, of course, the Royal Accord of Twill, finally taking pride of place in the glass cabinet found in the Hall of Kourend's centre.
Queen Zyanyi Arkan stood by the glass, looking over the aged parchment with a practised eye. The fat, pale snake that habitually hung around her shoulders flickered its tongue and gently bumped its snout against the glass.
“You can hardly tell that it’s a replica,” she remarked. The curator beside her smiled but didn’t seem quite sure what to say – she was too busy eyeing the snake, no doubt hoping it had already had its lunch. The pair of Kualti on either side of the Queen impassively stood by.
“Of course, after the last incident I don’t blame them in the least for sending a copy,” the Queen continued, “It’s really quite fantastic workmanship.”
The third Kualti, Yorah, was doing their level best to remember their training and remain still as a statue.
In just under an hour, Yorah would meet the High Priest to hand over their predecessor’s dagger and cement their place as one of the Kualti. All those years in the army, and the rigorous training they’d undergone as a Knight of Varlamore, had been building to this very ceremony.
But Yorah felt as though Ozomah’s dagger was burning a hole through the ceremonial pouch hanging from their waist. It was all they’d thought about since they’d received it that morning – if it was lost, then so was Ozomah’s memory… along with Yorah’s place in the Kualti. Every so often they felt the sudden urge to check that it was still there – although of course, they didn’t act on it. A Kualti must never be distracted from their one, crucial purpose: to protect the Queen.
Nonetheless, a distraction there was – a flash of white, between the columns that told the story of Kourend’s history. A person? Yorah’s eyes narrowed. Nobody except the Queen, her Kualti, the curator and the High Priest had clearance for this area – but none of them had any reason to be sneaking around.
Subtly, so as not to distress the Queen, they craned their neck. Yes – moving down the room just past the Column of Imafore’s Betrayal was a bone-white cloak. As soon as they saw it, it vanished again. Yorah made eye contact with one of the other Kualti and nodded, firmly. One of them whispered something in the Queen’s ear. Her snake tilted its head, curious.
“An excellent suggestion,” she said, turning towards the clueless curator, “I’d like to see the Tempestus model. It’s new, isn’t it?”
The Queen effortlessly hefted the snake across her shoulders and the group eased away. Yorah let themselves relax somewhat. Whoever the interloper was, the Queen was at least out of their reach.
Silently, Yorah readied their hasta and advanced down the centre of the hall, eyes darting to and fro. Another flash of white – just a ray of light reflecting off an old Kourendian shield. Another! Now Yorah was certain. They were not alone.
A creak of ancient wood pinpointed the intruder’s location – the Dagger room, at the end of the hall. Yorah’s heart leapt into their mouth. If you planned to steal a Kualti Dagger, there was no better time to do it than an initiation ceremony; the one time when every eye in the kingdom would be otherwise occupied.
In a single, graceful movement they kicked the door open, ready to strike.
“State your business!” they called, “This is a restricted area!”
Nothing. Only the rows and rows of Kualti daggers, arranged neatly by the ruler under which their owner served. A glittering array of gold and blue – and nothing else. Yorah glanced up at the ceiling, found it equally empty, and stepped cautiously into the room.
It was impossible, they thought, as they slowly peered behind each cabinet. They’d seen the intruder enter – and the only exit was the door back to the Kourendian Hall. There wasn’t even a window to jump through. No human being could hide so well.
“Reveal yourself and state your business!” Yorah called out again. The sound bounced off the cabinets, echoing off the empty walls.
With a sudden jolt of fear, Yorah clasped their free hand around the pouch at their waist, feeling for the handle of Ozomah’s dagger. It was still there, cold and ownerless. In a matter of hours, it would sit in one of the many empty spots in Zyanyi’s cabinet; another memorial to a fallen Kualti.
Yorah exhaled and felt their heartbeat slow to normal. There was no danger – perhaps they’d never seen anything to begin with. Or perhaps the figure in white was Ozomah’s spirit, clinging on in hope of one last test. It was as good an explanation as any.
Outside, they could hear one of the Bards from the College striking up a song. The crowd was waiting, and no doubt the Queen was waiting too. At least none of the other Kualti had been there to see them barge in on thin air. Shaking their head, they left the room and closed the door behind them.
Welcome to the Kourend Chronicles, a six-part series of tales from Kourend's murky past! You can see a full list of all the stories so far on our A Kingdom Divided round-up.
The rain hissed across the cobblestones as the thief swept silently through the shadows. At this time of night, in this weather, the streets of Kingstown were practically deserted. But through the rain she could just make out the silhouette of her target, shifting from foot to foot as they huddled beneath the doorway of Councillor Hughes’ former residence.
Despite the miserable weather, the thief felt a shiver of excitement run up her spine. Since the arrest of Councillor Hughes a few weeks ago, the Saviours of Kourend had been surveying the area to see if the Cult of Yama returned to the scene of the crime – but this was the first time anything interesting had happened.
As the door opened and the hooded figure hurried inside, the thief dashed forward. A convenient gap in the wrought-iron fence let her wiggle through and scuttle over to the window. She wiped away the grime with the corner of her sleeve. From here, she could clearly see the dining room, and the overhang of the eaves let her shelter a little from the rain, too.
It didn’t look like a demonic ritual. The former councillor’s home was brightly lit by candles. There wasn’t a cobweb in sight. On the table, where the thief had expected to see unnameable implements and bloody chalices, was a tastefully painted ceramic fruitbowl. The thief tried not to feel too disappointed.
The hooded figure removed their cloak and hung it up on a hatstand by the door. He didn’t look much like a cultist, either. He was old, almost entirely bald except for the ring of lanky grey hair hanging about his ears. In every other respect he looked like every other person in Kingstown – posh, maybe, but not a demon-worshipping madman. Then again, Sophia Hughes had looked the same up until her arrest.
The man remained by the door, still shivering from the cold. The thief craned her neck to see if she could spot who he was speaking to, but her view was obscured by an ornate trophy cabinet. She was about to climb back through the fence to see if she could get a better vantage point when a snippet of conversation caught her interest.
“We must do something about the girl,” He said.
What girl?
The thief settled back down among the roses.
“No. It’s too soon. It would only arouse further suspicion,” said the other person in the room. It was another man, the thief guessed, and the voice seemed familiar, though she couldn’t place it.
“Too soon?!” The man by the door scoffed, “I’d say we’re nearly too late. Sophia is in prison.”
“Councillor Hughes will not betray us.”
“How can you be sure?
For a moment there was no sound but the pitter-patter of the rain against the eaves. Then the hidden figure spoke.
“When we began this enterprise, we made an agreement –“
“And you think she’d keep to it? The woman’s mad. Conducting insane rituals, dealing with demons – how can we still trust her, after all this?”
“Calm yourself,” the other cultist snapped.
“If Sophia goes to trial, and lets even the tiniest thing slip…”
“Councillor Hughes will let nothing slip. She will not get the chance.”
The man by the door opened his mouth but ultimately remained silent. Outside the window, the thief closed her eyes and did her best to commit the conversation to memory.
“Do you need further assurances?”
The man by the door shook his head.
“Speak up, will you?”
“No,” he said. “I understand.”
“Now what’s this about the girl?”
The thief’s ears pricked up again.
“We’re already under so much scrutiny. Lawry can hardly be trusted, and there’s the matter of this adventurer, poking their nose in where it doesn’t belong…”
“Oh, please,” the other cultist dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “We’ve taken every precaution.”
“And what if it’s not enough?”
It was the other cultist’s turn to hesitate.
“Listen, I’ve had years to think this through. The only way we can protect ourselves is to be rid of the witness. Wouldn’t that be kinder than all this cloak and dagger nonsense?”
A shadow passed over the window and the thief ducked out of view beneath the sill just in time.
“We’ll just announce that she passed away,” the cultist continued, darkly. “Who would question us?”
“What is this really about?” the other cultist asked.
A fearful silence descended. When the cultist by the window spoke again, he did it so quietly that the thief had to strain her ears to hear.
“What we did – what we’ve been doing – it’s terrible. Evil.”
“It’s what you agreed to,” said the other cultist. “It’s what we all agreed to.”
“And when we get caught? The five houses will have our heads.”
“If we get caught. Follow the plan and everything will be fine.”
Above the window, the cultist made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a sob.
“Fine? Don’t tell me you still believe what that man – that thing – told us? You don’t really think he’s just doing us a favour, do you?”
“Be very careful what you say,” the other cultist hissed. “You never know who might be listening.”
Beneath the windowsill, the thief froze. But at the sound of footsteps across the wooden boards she exhaled slowly, before peeking into the window again. From the back, the man looked a little more familiar – but she still couldn’t place him.
“Perhaps you’re right.” The other cultist’s voice was perfectly neutral.
The man looked up at him expectantly.
“But it doesn’t matter. One way or another, the girl will soon be removed from the equation. Then nothing will stand between us and absolute power.”
The first cultist sighed. Whether in relief or exasperation, the thief couldn’t tell. Her thoughts were racing. A girl, a witness, a stranger, a terrible crime… what did it all mean?
“What about the potion?” The second cultist asked.
“All prepared. I’ll deliver it within the week.”
The second cultist nodded, satisfied.
“Then let’s try and keep our heads until this situation resolves itself.”
The pair were making their way towards the door. The thief hesitated, unsure if she should follow them. In any other situation she’d be loathed to abandon her watch, but this was urgent. If there was a witness to be dealt with, the cultists could only be talking about one girl. She had to warn her before it was too late – there was not a second to waste.
As the first cultist wrapped himself in his cloak and said his goodbyes, the thief darted out through the fence and raced as quickly as she could back towards the Warrens. There would be time to find the cultists later. Right now, she had to get home.
The Queen was in danger.
Kourend Chronicles: Lab Notes
Welcome to the Kourend Chronicles, a six-part series of tales from Kourend's murky past! You can see a full list of all the stories so far on our A Kingdom Divided round-up.
Pentember 1st
I am pleased to report that we have successfully retrieved the majority of the items in the Redoubt, with the exception of the Hammer itself. We expended just two assistants in the course of our investigation, and there is no hurry to replace them.
More importantly, it seems our assumption was correct. Each one of Dinh’s creations – with the exception of a few early experiments – are made from the same metal, and infused with the same magic you and I have become familiar with. Although the metal has proved unusually difficult to melt down, I have no doubt in my mind that should we find a vein of the appropriate ore, it would only be but a matter of time before we could fit our strongest soldiers with similar weapons and armour – in fact, I would highly recommend it.
However, there have been some… concerning developments. Several of my assistants, and even some of the guards, have reported a feeling of unease when working with the objects. Now, as you know, I have very little time for such superstitious nonsense. But it seemed unusual for the lizardmen to be affected. So I experimented.
Alone in a well-lit chamber with one of the lesser artefacts, the first human subject lasted four hours and twelve minutes before reporting deep unease and requesting to leave. Their lizardman counterpart managed six hours and twenty minutes.
Overnight, the results changed dramatically – one assistant (who has since been reprimanded) attempted to hurl one of the objects out of the laboratory window after just three hours and seven minutes. He is currently in the cells. This morning I found him cowering beneath his bunk, babbling about ‘being watched’.
Having determined that no physical effects resulted from the exposure, I of course attempted the experiment on myself. Armour and weapons that strike deep fear into our enemies would, of course, be highly beneficial – but unfortunately, after one night’s vigil, I was unable to pinpoint the source of the subjects’ fear. In fact, I felt remarkably at ease. I’d go so far as to say that I feel a kind of kinship with these objects – a strange sense that they want to aid our cause.
Still, should we seek to build on Dinh’s designs for our own armoury, I recommend doing away with the - admittedly striking - eye motif. Perhaps your own symbol would be a good replacement?
Before I sign off, there’s also the other matter you asked me to look into. I can confirm that the Bulwark of legend was among the artefacts abandoned in the tower – and if the rest of our contact’s information is solid, then I will also concede that it does indeed share some similarities with the Doors of Dinh.
It’s my hypothesis that the Bulwark was intended as some kind of early prototype – but it’s missing some key factor that made the Doors fit for purpose, an issue I discovered quite by chance after freezing an assistant during testing. That one will need replacing, I’m afraid.
How much do we know about Dinh’s life? His interests? His… allegiances? I sense the power of the Dark Altar in his work, but cannot entertain the idea that this lowly smith somehow learned more about it than you or I have managed. No, he must have obtained this power by some other means.
In any case, this missing piece of the puzzle has given me an idea. If we did decide to follow our contact’s proposed course of action and weaken the Doors, all we’d need to do is remove - or weaken - this extra layer of protection. We already know that without Dinh’s knowledge and expertise, the Doors cannot be repaired to the same standard. He took no apprentices. His hammer is well-defended, in territory we control. I’m not suggesting that we indulge our contact’s ridiculous plan, of course - but if managed carefully, the weakening of Kourend’s only defence against the Wintertodt would make a marvellous distraction from our true goal.
Regardless, it’s something of a moot point. When such powerful magic is involved, any disruptive action would be on the scale of decades, not days.
But I suppose there’s no harm in having a contingency plan. We have all the time in the world.
Yours faithfully,
X
Clans Full Launch - Weekly Update (26/05/21)
Hotfixes and Issues (May 26th)
[expand type="details"] [table] [tr][th]Issues Raised[/th][th]Current Progress[/th][/tr][tr][td]12:00 BST World 548 is not a PvP World.[/td][td]12:29 BST (FIXED)[/td][/tr][tr][td]12:20 BST (STEAM ONLY) Clan Vexillum textures are currently not appearing correctly.[/td][td]12:20 BST This issue will need to be coldfixed and will likely be implemented in the next game update (June 2nd).[/td][/tr][tr][td]12:31 BST (MOBILE ONLY) Players can't apply for Clans correctly.[/td][td]12:31 BST This issue is currently being investigated by the team.[/td][/tr][tr][td]12:41 BST When doing certain skilling actions and wearing a clan Vexillum, the player becomes invisible.[/td][td]13:43 BST A hotfix has been implemented to prevent certain actions being prevented whilst holding the Vexillum. We will continue to monitor and hotfix any other actions we deem necessary.[/td][/tr][tr][td]13:30 BST Some players have reported that when their clan members log out, their icons revert back to a guest icon when they are offline.[/td][td]13:30 BST We unfortunately can't get rank information about someone who is offline, this is something we can't currently change but will be raised in our review.[/td][/tr][tr][td]15:00 BST Players are reporting issues with disappearing when using chairs inside the Clan Hall.[/td][td]15:10 BST A hotfix has been deployed to resolve these issues. We will continue to monitor and hotfix any other actions we deem necessary.[/td][/tr][tr][td]15:00 BST The Blade of Saeldor can be recoloured to match the player's Clan clothes.[/td][td]15:10 BST This issue is currently being investigated by the team.[/td][/tr] [/table] [/expand]
We're covering all things Clans this week, and can also reveal the four finalists for our A Kingdom Divided login screen competition! Plus, updates to music, merch and more!
Clans Full Release
Clans is finally here! For the full lowdown, get yourself up to speed with our comprehensive Clans Guide. We're looking forward to seeing your Vexillums flying high as you gather in the Hall for a celebratory pint or two!
Thanks to your feedback, we've made some slight changes to the text and icons for Clan ranks:
The Moderator's icon has changed from the silver crown to a gavel (hammer).
Hoarder is now spelt correctly.
The icons for Privates and Corporals have been corrected.
A new star icon has been added for the Sheriff title.
The previous Sheriff rank (Black Scimitar) has been renamed Ninja.
You can find the full list of ranks at the usual fountain of knowledge - the wonderful Old School Wiki!
Our release post covers all aspects of the Clan experience, but if you still have questions, you can bring them directly to us when we celebrate the launch of Clans on our weekly Q&A on Twitch! Join us on Thursday, May 27th at 17:00 BST in the Grand Exchange over on World 525.
Music Player Changes
With the new music modes launched a few weeks ago, a toggle has been added to the Audio tab in Settings. It's switched to Modern by default, but can be reverted to Classic if that's more your style.
In Modern mode, music tracks are assigned to large areas with tracks shuffling depending on your location. Classic mode is the legacy behavior, where each map square has its own music track.
Not sure which you prefer? You can easily compare the two using the Wiki maps! This mostly represents Classic mode (bar a few minor tweaks), while this shows Modern mode.
Right now these changes only impact the free-to-play map as Modern has not been rolled out anywhere else yet.
Future Game Updates
We've got some exciting updates coming in the next few weeks, so let's take a look at how things will unfold.
With next week's game update, you'll be able to try out the new Theatre of Blood quest: A Night At The Theatre, along with the two new ways to play: Story and Hard mode.
Then, to prepare for the launch of A Kingdom Divided, there will be no game update on Wednesday June 9th. But you won't have to wait long to experience the next chapter in the Great Kourend storyline, as A Kingdom Divided will be available to play on Wednesday June 16th!
By this point, all of the Kourend Chronicles will be released, and we'll be announcing the winners of the two competitions celebrating this quest series. You still have time to submit your entry for the second of these, the 'Story So Far' video competition - get your entry to us by June 4th. You can find all the details in our competition forum thread!
AKD: Login Screen Competition Finalists
We loved sifting through your entries for the first A Kingdom Divided competition! The team has now assessed all of your submissions and voted on the top four candidates, whose work will be included in a Poll on May 28th. The winner will be implemented into the game on June 16th, and feature on the login screen for all players to see! They'll also bag a £200 Amazon voucher and 12 months of membership.
There were a lot of great artwork submitted for this competition and it was a tough choice narrowing it down to just a few, so we wanted to say a massive thanks to everyone who took part. With that said, here are the four finalists:
A: Nancyy B: Need Plums C: Cherrycake4 D: Parkshinhide
Voting will close on Tuesday June 1st, so get your votes in now!
PvP World Rota
The PvP rota has moved to Period A:
539 - (US) - PvP World
548 - (Germany) - High-Risk PvP World
577 - (US) - Free-to-Play PvP World
559 - (UK) - LMS Competitive
Merch
There's plenty of nostalgic loveliness in store right now, as the latest merch celebrates all the wonderful things that launched in this month over the past 20 years!
Slayer Helm Range (Slayer Helm Pin and Keyring, and Limited Edition Red Slayer Helm Pin)
Limited Edition Rune Knight Armour Range (Saradomin, Zamorak and Guthix)
Limited Edition Glitter Max Cape Keyring (celebrating 10 years since the Max Cape was introduced and our first Max Cape Pin!)
Dharok's Greataxe Keyring, commemorating the introduction of the Barrows
Plus, restocks of the Woodcutting and Untrimmed Slayer Skillcape Keyrings!
On Deadman worlds, the Camdozaal Vault teleport restriction is now checked before the teleport delay timer runs out.
Dagon-hai robes are now correctly listed as members-only items in the Defence skill-guide.
The Bonecrusher necklace now protects with higher priority on death.
That's everything for this week's game update! We'd love to hear your feedback so please let us know what you think via our official forums, on the 2007Scape Reddit, or the community-led OSRS Discord in the #gameupdate channel.
So here we have it: the brand new Clans system! We're sure you can't wait to start your Clan and head out on a marauding mission. But there are loads of great features to explore, and we wouldn't want you to miss anything. So, read on to find out how to create your Clan, find new members, assign your hierarchies, run events and generally live out your ultimate Clan-tasy!
Clan Hub
First things first, wannabe Clan-atics will need to head for the Clan Hub, located in the south-eastern corner of the bustling Grand Exchange. Here you can set up or join a Clan or head through the portal to a Clan Hall.
If you've got a question about setting up or joining a Clan, chat to the Clerk. This fine fellow is your go-to for all your basic info. He will also give you your Clan's Cape and Vexillum, which will display your signature Clan icon (and help you dazzle when it comes to advertising to new members). Basically, he's your new best friend, so head to him first.
Next, the Recruitment Board is your one-stop shop for recruitment and applications. Whether you're looking to advertise for new members, or want to find an already-established Clan to call your own, the board is the key to finding your fighting fam.
Once you're part of a Clan, step through the ripples of deep blue that is the Clan Portal! This will take you to the Clan Hall. It will be your Clan's base for social gatherings, event preparation and more!
Creation
It's really easy to create a Clan! If you'd rather browse Clans to join instead, you can head straight down to the Recruitment Board section of this blog for more info.
To create your own Clan, you'll need to have spent at least 25 hours in-game, and have at least five players gathered in the Hub to form a Clan (players can always leave after the Clan is formed). You can have up to 500 members.
Providing you meet these requirements, head over to the Clerk. By asking him "Who are you?", "What's a clan?" and "I would like to create a Clan", you can begin the process.
Most importantly, you'll need to give your new squad a name! Will the name reflect you, the Clan leader? Or tell a story? Or brag about your group's might and muscle? Be aware, you only have 12 characters to play with and there are limits on there are limits to how often you can change it, so choose your name wisely! The Clan Database will then double-check if your name is available. This name isn't automatically reserved, and you'll need to hit Create to claim it for real.
Alright, time to invite members into your group! There are two methods for inviting people: you can right-click a player in the area to invite them, or use the Invite button on the Clan Creation side panel. Note that this panel is only available in the Hub, and only to those who are not in a Clan already (we'll touch more on inviting other players to your Clan later).
The Clan Creation side panel has the following options:
Invite: Press this and click on a player to recruit them.
Clan Name: This does not reserve the name - it only checks whether it's available.
Confirm: This button checks that you have the required number of people, and if you didn’t select a name already, it will ask you what unique name you’d like for your Clan. Once everything is ready, a Clan will be formed with the initial founder as the owner. Ranks for members will be set up automatically, but these can be changed at your leisure (more on this later).
Cancel: Ends the Clan creation process, if you are the initial founder. Founding members can also access the button, but don't worry, it will only allow them to leave the Clan. Cancelling does not count towards your daily limit of forming one Clan - you can interrupt as many Clan formations as you want. Once the Clan has been confirmed you will be unable to form more that day.
Clans Settings
Congratulations, you've just started your very own Clan! This is was your first big decision as Clan Leader, but don't worry... we've got plenty more options for you to toggle and tweak! On your control menu, select the Clans panel (two smiley faces) and you'll find three sub-sections:
Chat-Channel (Yellow): This section will allow you to create and join different chat channels within your Clan, and customise who can enter, speak and take action inside your group discussions.
Your Clan (Dark Blue): This is your main way of keeping an eye on your current Clan members, checking details about your Clan and playing with the settings.
View another clan (Cyan): Check out the competition! Use this tab to search up any registered Clan, have a look at their members, and more!
Let's take a deeper dive into the Settings options we've just mentioned, as there's a lot to unpack here.
On the initial panel you'll find a quick overview of your Clan size, who the owner is and the creation date, along with the following information that can be changed:
Name (A): Click here to change it, up to once per week. Other players can click here to report you if your Clan's name is offensive.
Home World (B): Set the main world your Clan will call home.
Ownership (C): Shows the current owner and gives them the option to resign (or delete the Clan, if there are no other members).
Interests (D): Highlight the interests of your Clan (PvP, Raiding, Iron players, etc) so you'll show up on relevant searches.
Talk in chat (E): Set which players can use your chat.
Guests may listen in chat (F): Allow guests to see the Clan chat (and decide whether they're able to participate).
Clan Banner (G): The way your Clan will stand out from the rest... by clicking this you'll be able to customise your Clan's banner and colour, which will feature on the items you can receive from the Clerk!
Events
Want to get your Clan together to take on Theatre of Blood, battle a rival Clan, or just Chill & Skill?
The Events tab is the home for all of your upcoming activities. You and high ranking members of your Clan will be able to create events, and it's super easy:
1.Use the Edit Mode button on the bottom right of the interface and then the Create button.
2. Adjust your settings to fit the event, and when you're happy with your choices, hit Create.
3. Press the Finished button once you've created all of the events you want to showcase.
By using the Edit Mode option, you'll also be able to select any event and edit its details, as well as delete any that aren't relevant anymore.
For the final 24 hours before an event, any Clan member that logs in will receive a notification letting them know about it. This will only happen to the player once per day.
Members
The Members list will show you a complete list of every loveable rogue in your Clan, as well as a plethora of juicy data.
From the drop-down menus at the top of the interface, you can select from the following options: Rank, Joined, Last Seen, Skill Total, Combat Level, HiScores and Expel.
Say you only want to have a look at Rank 70s and above - you can add those filters to your members list. Each of the filters selected will have a handy tip at the bottom that will tell you the limitations of the data. Or, maybe there's a current member you're looking for? You can simply use the magnifying glass in the bottom left to search for them.
Not only can you see certain stats here, but you can also take action in a worst-case scenario! Selecting the Expel option will allow you to remove members from your Clan... but we hope you won't need to do this. You can also change the standing of a member by selecting the Rank option and then clicking on that player's rank.
Applicants
So, the Clan's looking good. Time to grow your number, maybe? Advertising your Clan is the best way to go about expanding your new 'Scaping crew.
Within the Applicants interface, use the Invite Applications button on the top left of the box to show the world you're ready to recruit. Note that you'll have to set the Combat level and Skill Total restrictions with the buttons along the top. Only want the best of the best? This is how you find them.
Once you've begun inviting applications, wannabe recruits will be able to click the Apply button. They can do this from anywhere in the world - you won't have to meet up with them if you don't want to. For maximum visibility, you can also list your group on the Recruitment Board in the Clan Hub.
To accept an application to your Clan, simply click on a name in your applicant list, and you'll instantly see all their stats. If everything looks good, click Accept. If someone doesn't quite meet your criteria, then you can simply hit Reject. All players, whether they've been accepted or denied, will receive a message within Game Chat letting them know the verdict.
If you feel that your Clan has enough members for the meantime, click Stop Inviting Applications.
Hall
We'll sink our teeth into the full capabilities of the Clan Hall a bit later on, but with this menu, you have a few options that can help you control access to this sacred space. You're the bouncer now!
Home World: Restrict the use of the Clan Hall to your home world.
Lock Hall: Lock the Hall so that no more people can enter (those already inside can remain).
Player Count: Restrict how many people are allowed inside.
Permissions
Time to make sure your Clan is managed in the right way. Here's what you can do from the Permissions menu:
Permission Access: This is the grand command. Set what ranks of members can edit all the settings in the Permissions interface. Make sure to be careful with this setting - with great power comes great responsibility, and all that...
Management: Set who can manage rank titles, assign member ranks, edit recruitment settings, expel members, edit your public profile and change the icons/colour of your Clan.
Chat: Change who can talk, kick people from the chat and wield the mighty ban button. Set the guest minimum combat level, skill total, quest points and Iron status.
Events: Set the parameters for who in your Clan can organise/edit events and who can send and receive challenges for Clan Wars on behalf of the Clan.
Coffer: The purse strings! Decide who you can deposit and withdraw from the Clan's Coffer.
Clan Hall: Choose how your members can enter the Clan Hall.
Any changes will be applied automatically, so make sure to choose the right ranks for Permissions. All ranks positioned above the selected one can also edit those options!
Titles
This is where you set the hierarchy within your Clan. If you don't like the default naming conventions for these ranks, check out the list on the right-hand side. By simply clicking on the desired title and dragging it over to the appropriate rank, you are able to rename all of your ranks apart from Guest, Administrator, Deputy Owner and Owner. You can also swap already assigned titles between different ranks, by click and dragging the title from one rank to another. Once you're happy with your choices, press Save.
The Ban list will show you all current players that are barred from joining the Clan's chat, or entering the Hall as a guest. You can search for specific players by clicking the icon in the bottom right corner of the interface. Reset the search filter by clicking on the icon again.
If you need to add a player to your list, use the Add button and then type in the name of the player and hit enter. If you're looking to do the opposite, then simply click or right-click and select Un-Ban on the player.
Leave Clan
If you wish to join another Clan, or you want to go back to being a lone wolf, the Leave Clan button is your escape. Remember, if you are the owner of a clan, you'll need to resign first!
If you're looking to step down as leader of your Clan there's a 7 day countdown before you can do so, alternatively if the Clan has no members, abdicating will delete the Clan instead (along with a 7 day countdown).
Clan Recruitment Board
The Clan recruitment board allows you to advertise your Clan, or find a Clan that suits your inimitable style. By clicking on the board, you'll be greeted by an interface showcasing a list of different styles of play on the left side, from UItimate Ironmen to free-to-play. Use the ticks and crosses to filter the results, or Reset to start again.
You'll be able to see all the Clans you're eligible to join, and you can sort them by name, size and date created using the filters at the top. If you find any offensive names within the list, please do right-click and select the Report Name option (thanks!).
Applications
Ok. You've found them. The Clan of your dreams. This is the big one.
Fortunately, applying is super easy! All you have to do is click on the Clan and you'll be greeted with an overview screen.
Hit the Apply button on the left-hand side. A confirmation box will appear. If you select Yes, your application will be submitted. If you've changed your mind about the Clan you've applied for, you'll be able to click Withdraw from the same screen.
For owners and recruiters of Clans, head over to the board and make sure that Invite Applications is active on the Applicants menu in your Clan Settings (or use the Applicants button on the Recruitment Board interface). Once this setting is on, you'll be able to push the List Your Clan button on the Recruitment Board. You can de-list your Clan at any time using the same board.
Clan Chat
Now that you've either founded or joined at Clan, you can get to gossiping. As we mentioned in last week's post, your chat options have changed slightly, and you'll see that a new box has been added for Clan Chat.
By using the Clan panel on the chatbox, you can send messages using '//' or '/c' followed by your message (assuming the higher ranks of the Clan allow your rank to do so).
Some Clans you're not a member of will allow you to join the chat as a guest. Search for the Clan's name in the View Another Clan section (teal) of the Clans control panel. By using the Find button, you can search for any registered Clan. If a Clan is found under that name, you'll be presented with three new options:
Chat: This will allow you to join a Clan's chat as a guest, if possible. Once you've joined as a guest, you can chat with '///' or '/g', as long as the Clan settings permit it. Guests can exit from a Clan chat by pressing Leave.
Settings: This shows you Clan details, and may give you the option to apply if applications are open.
Discard: This allows you to clean your search, and takes you back to the original screen.
The Channel button on the chatbox is what was the original Clan chat, and this can still be used to join other chats you're interested in. By going to the double smiley face (yellow) on the Clans control panel you can create your own chat with the 'Setup'. You can set this up in any way you want by right-clicking any of the option boxes on the left-hand side and selecting the appropriate settings. You can type in this chat by typing '/' in the text box. If you're only looking to chat in someone else's channel then you can simply hit Join and type the player's name.
Clan Halls
Every registered Clan will have their very own hall to call their own. It's the perfect place to hold team meetings, get prepared for your next adventure, or simply hang out with some fellow Clan members and soak up those exclusive-club vibes!
Who can enter your Clan hall is dependent on Permissions. If you're a high enough rank to enter a Hall, then you can simply click on the portal.
Once inside, you'll be greeted by a grand room with luxurious furniture, ornaments and more. If you fancy hanging around with some other members, grab a beer (for five coins) from Raqueel at the bar, and take a seat at one of the many tables.
If you're hosting a merry event and want to set the mood, head on over to the Piano and you can entertain your members with a recital of your choice! Encore! This option will let everyone in your Clan hear your tinkling, so before you start smashing the keys, remember you have an audience. If you just fancy a quick practice, then right-click and press Play Quietly to, err, keep that racket to yourself.
If you're playing quietly, you don't just have to use the mouse to interact with the keys either; players with a keyboard can use buttons in the number row including: ` - = and BACKSPACE to jam on the piano.
On the first floor, you'll find a range of useful features including an Altar, an Oven, a Sink and a Bank. Your Bank has all the usual facilities, including four bank booths, a deposit box and a poll booth, plus the all-important Clan Coffer!
Relevant members will be able to add and withdraw money from the Coffer, with the maximum value of 1,000,000 coins being held at one time. As the Clan system's infrastructure is so new, we've set this limit to the Coffer for safety. If it functions well, we will be able to raise this limit in future. Players are not notified when someone puts money into the Coffer, but are always notified when someone takes money out of it.
Iron players will not be able to withdraw or deposit any money from the Coffer. Even in a Clan, the Iron player remains on their own!
That's everything for Clans. As ever, we'd love to hear your feedback, so please let us know what you think via our official forums, on the 2007Scape Reddit, or the community-led OSRS Discord in the #gameupdate channel.
We're so excited for the release of Clans next week, we're positively shaking with Clan-ticipation! We've got some new information about the chat system and hierarchies this week, so read on to find out more. We also look ahead to A Kingdom Divided with another competition, and announce the winners of the Jad Challenge. Let's get into it…
CLANS: SOFT LAUNCH
It's just one more week to go before the arrival of Clans! We're so looking forward to the release of the highly anticipated system. It's not only a great new way to play in its own right, but will also establish the fundamental groundwork we need to build the upcoming Group Ironman. Exciting times!
The Clans Hub in the Grand Exchange.
We also know that you're eager to set up your Clan hierarchies, so we've worked with the fantastic Old School Wiki Team to bring you the full list of ranks and titles you can assign to your clanmates.
Clan Name Pre-Registration
If you applied to secure a Clan name for the upcoming release, we'll be sending out confirmation messages this week. For those of you who have made it to the next stage of the process, your message will include an invite to a Discord server, and the Discord tag of the staff member who will be helping you. You'll need to jump on the server and arrange a time to meet with us in-game and receive your name. Please keep an eye on your player inbox and don't accept any links from Discord tags other than the one named in the message. If you missed it, check out last week's newspost for more details.
Chats
Communication is key with Clans! To keep on top of your Clan chat, we've offering a new option to change the colour of each different chat type, so your Clan confabulations can be a different colour from your other conversations. You'll find some new options on the 'Chat' tab within the Settings menu.
Additionally, the legacy chat channel that was known as 'Friends Chat' has been renamed. The old text will now appear in the 'Channel' tab of the Chatbox, freeing up the 'Clan' tab for next week.
Anything To Report?
This week's update will mainly focus on behind-the-scenes changes in preparation for next week's release. So, if anything is not performing as expected, please use the in-game bug report form. You'll find it by right-clicking the red REPORT button at the bottom of the text box, and selecting the 'Report game bug' option. Here's a short guide if you're stuck.
That's it for the soft launch. The Clans system will be fully accessible with next week's game update on May 26th. See you there!
A KINGDOM DIVIDED
You might notice a new quest on your list in this update. A Kingdom Divided is just around the corner, so we wanted to make it easy for players to check if they meet the quest's requirements before the big launch in June. Take a look and see if you're ready to take on this enthralling new adventure!
Today also marks the start of the A Kingdom Divided 'The Story So Far' Video Competition. Remember that all players now have access to the Oculus Orb, a device that gives you total control over the camera, making it easier to capture gameplay within Gielinor! Want to try it out? Head on over to Draynor Village and speak to Diango to claim yours today.
JAD CHALLENGE WINNERS
Tzhaar Ket Rak's challenges have concluded. With our verifications complete and all prizewinners contacted, it's time to announce the winners!
This was a tricky decision to make. You're an innovative bunch! We've decided to award a couple of special mentions who will receive three months of membership alongside the overall winner and their prize of six months of membership.
Congratulations to all of our winners. Please keep an eye out in your player inbox for news about your prizes!
OTHER NEWS
PvP World Rota
As promised last week, we are switching the world rota to a new system. Worlds will no longer be changing from PvP activity worlds to regular worlds and back. Instead, the regular worlds will be available full time, while the worlds that are for PvP/LMS will be turned on and off depending on the week.
This means players who had used the current worlds when they were not intended for PvP/activities will now have them full time, while PvPers/those who want to play LMS will need to use the new worlds on the rota.
This week sees the rota switch to period B and the worlds are as follows:
560 - (UK) - PvP World
579 - (US) - High-Risk PvP World
561 - (UK) - Free-to-Play PvP World
580 - (US) - LMS Competitive
Those with a keen eye will notice that the LMS casual worlds are no longer in the rotation. These will remain active in both regions from now on.
Next week, when we've switched to period A, we will use the following worlds:
539 - (US) - PvP World
548 - (Germany) - High-Risk PvP World
577 - (US) - Free-to-Play PvP World
559 - (UK) - LMS Competitive
Extra Tweaks:
Dragon and Infernal Harpoons can now be decorated using the Trailblazer Ornament Kit. Previously the Harpoons had to be used on the Ornament Kit, not the other way round.
A misplaced bit of wall has been removed from Hosidius.
A sound effect has been added to Cerberus' lava pools attack.
The Prayer level-up messages for Dragonbone and Bonecrusher necklaces have been corrected.
Players who are battling it out in a board game will now be able to chat to the opposing player in the trade chat, similar to when you trade a player. Why not strike up a chat with your board buddy?
All crystals collected during the Watchtower quest can be re-obtained, right up until the quest has been completed.
The Armadylian Guard NPC is now the Armadylean Guard (the one that sometimes spawns when following Elite clues).
The spelling of 'Misthalanian' in the book The Sleeping Seven has been corrected to 'Misthalinian.'
That's everything for this week's game update! We'd love to hear your feedback so please let us know what you think via our official forums, on the [url=https://www.reddit.com/r/2007scape/comments/ng1o0s/clans_soft_launch_game_update_190521/, or the community-led OSRS Discord in the #gameupdate channel.
Welcome to the Kourend Chronicles, a six-part series of tales from Kourend's murky past! You can see a full list of all the stories so far on our A Kingdom Divided round-up.
“Ah, you're after that old tale, are you?” The mercenary chuckled and set down his flagon on the table. “Well, stranger, I hope you’re sitting comfortably, because it’s a long one.”
He stroked his beard and settled back into his chair, its aged joints creaking.
“Let’s see now… it all started just after they lost the Accord, back in the 135th decade. The lizardmen were pummeling the border and we young recruits were sent out to face ‘em. It was a shame, really. My whole battalion were just boys, like me – and we weren’t ready for a fight. We were cornered. I got bit, and the others got caught up in the charge, left me lying there in the mud. I don’t mind telling you, I was terrified. I thought that was it.
“That’s when she appeared – a miracle. She came storming out of nowhere, cutting down lizardmen left and right until they all turned tail and ran. I’d never seen anything like it – or anything like her, for that matter. Tell the truth, I weren’t certain she wouldn’t turn on us next. Her skin was grey and craggy, like it wasn’t skin at all. Like rock, it was. And her eyes – they were a bit like yours, actually, ‘cept they were blue. Bright blue, and they shone with a strange light that didn’t seem… well, altogether natural. No offence, like.
“With the lizardmen gone I managed to get myself up out of the mud to thank her. She looked me up and down, said something about ‘maintaining the balance’. I was all groggy from the poison, so I didn’t pay it much heed. All I could do was keep telling her that I owed her my life, and that any time she needed a favour, she could come find me.
“When I finally stumbled back into camp, I slept for three days. When I woke, I chalked the whole thing up to delirium and thought no more of it. That is, until I saw her again.”
The old man tapped his leg with a resounding woody thunk.
“After I lost my leg, they chucked me out. But I was young - I could still make something of myself, I thought. So I was minded to sail east and try my luck on the mainland. Signed up with the Traders’ crew, ready for a trip to... ahhh... Port Sarim, I think they called it?
“The morning I was to sail I turned up nice and early, only to be met at the docks by this woman, looking like she hadn’t aged a day. Gave me a fright, I tell you. By the cold light of day she was even stranger than I’d remembered – and twice as vicious looking, too.
“Now, I could have walked on by. To a creature like that I imagine one human looks much like the others. But I’m a man of my word, so I give her the time of day – and by Saradomin, I’m glad I did!
“Like I suspected, she’s here to call in that favour, and it comes with a bonus. 1,000 gold, upfront – and that was a lot back then. AlI needed to do, she said, was take some old trinket or other over to the mainland and hide it there.
““There’s just one catch”, she told me. Under no circumstances was I allowed to open the chest it came in. It all sounded easy enough, and like I said, I’m a man of my word, so I gladly took the job. She handed over the gold there and then, wouldn’t take no for an answer, not that I really pushed the issue. I thought that’d make a good start for me on the mainland.
“Obviously I didn’t tell the captain about the woman, the favour, any of it. I just kept the chest – big, grey and purple thing – in my berth and told everyone it was full of ugly jumpers from my gran. Nobody so much as batted an eyelid.
“But we weren’t even one night into the voyage when the chest started talking to me. I was up on deck, watching the lights of Port Piscarilius vanish over the horizon, when I hear this… this whisper right in my ear. It says:
“Take me back.”
“I put it down to the wind, that first night. Y’see, I’d never before been on a boat, so I thought it perhaps some trick of the sea. Or maybe my crewmates was pulling a prank on the new recruit.
“But then I kept hearing it. Never during the day – only ever at night. It started out all friendly like. “I can give you power beyond your wildest dreams,” this, “Wouldn’t you like to live forever?” that. I didn’t trust it. My gran, formidable lady she was, used to patrol up near that old fishing village, in the north. She taught me that there’s things in this world you don’t ever wants to listen to – and I reckoned this was one such thing.
“The closer we got towards the mainland, the nastier it turned. It talked about how I didn’t know what I was messing with. It said that when it regained its strength, it would remember my name, and where I came from, and what I’d done. But that just made me more determined not to listen.
“The last straw came when I woke up one night to find myself standing over the chest with a chisel in my hand, readying to break it open and let out whatever evil was locked within. Knowing I could trust myself no longer, I snuck down to the cargo hold and stashed it behind a crate of bananas that very night. It made the whispers a little easier to ignore, at least.
“When we landed in Port Sarim I used my first day of shore leave to hike all over the countryside, and that thing talked to me the whole time – begging, threatening. I think it knew what I was doing.
“See, I’d always liked a puzzle, and I thought anyone looking for a thing like this would have nefarious business in mind. I figured I should send any soul who came looking on hopeless errand, hoping they’d bore of the hunt long before they ever found it. Then here’s the best part – I paid a farmer 3 gold to bury it in his pig pen, ‘cause who’s gonna scrabble around some stinky hovel like that for more than a minute?
“Far as I was concerned, I’d held up my end of the bargain. Job well done, if you ask me. I went back to the pub that evening, bought my crewmates a round of Black Skull Ale…“
The old man lifted his tankard.
“… and I’ve been drinking it ever since!”
A half-hearted cheer went up from the tavern’s other patrons. The old man grinned, took a long gulp and then wiped the froth from his beard with a satisfied sigh. The stranger looked on in silence.
“So, stranger,” the old man said, “I’ve travelled all over the world and never seen someone like you. What brings you to Kourend?”
“Just looking for an old friend.” The stranger said. His voice was cracked and dry sounding, like the inside of his throat was all dust and sand.
“Thank you for the story. It was most helpful.”
The old man nodded politely.
“Actually,” the stranger paused, and pulled out a tattered map from the folds of his cloak.
“There is one last thing you can do for me. I’ve never been to the mainland – where did you leave that amulet, again?”
The old man hesitated, then jotted down a few, swift notes on the map.
“Why, thinking you’ll take up farming?” he chuckled. The stranger smiled back at him, thinly, and then took his leave.
The old man finished his drink in silence. Perhaps he shouldn’t have misled the stranger. He was old too, judging by the creak in his bones and the croak in his voice, and he didn’t necessarily have trouble in mind.
But something the stranger said had set the gears in his head turning. After all, he had never mentioned anything about an amulet...
Postbag From The Swamp
Hello, and welcome to an extra-swampy edition of Postbag from the Hedge! This week I’ve been travelling all over Kourend and Kebos, delivering letters to all sorts of colourful characters. Now, while I wring out my galoshes, let’s have a read through their replies…
I trust you will be able to read this letter, since you seem to understand and remember our common tongue.
Nevertheless, since we’ve last spoken in your temple, I was curious, to say the least, about your kind and your history.
While you did share a little bit of the mysterious past that surround your origins, it occurred to me that some of your shamans seemed to possess strange powers and abilities, and since some adventurers such as myself are in a constant quest for knowledge and power, I was wondering if you would be inclined to share this wisdom with some of us? In turn, maybe we could work something to bring our species closer, such as an alliance or a treaty that would benefit both of us?
(To be fair, I believe we should try to end the war between the Shayzien soldiers and your tribe if we have the chance.)
Also, in my travels, I met an individual named Ket’sal K’uk, in the swamp, near the north-western coast, who seemed to be too preoccupied by his own rituals to bother speak to me at all. I was wondering if you had knowledge of his presence, and if you could explain me his doings? (Perhaps I would be able to assist him even, if he was to open up.)
Anyway, I hope that this message will reach you and I thank you in advance for your time and reply.
Sincerely, Etienne II
Greetingsss, Etienne II,
Our shamansss do indeed posssesss abilitiesss sssome would consssider… unnatural. Sssuch powersss are a gift, only given after yearsss of ssstudy. Our knowledge is passsed down to usss by our eldersss, in our own tongue, over many generationsss. To explain it to humansss in a way you could underssstand would be… troublesssome. Perhapsss when our massster returnsss he will be open to negotiationsss.
It isss him that we fight for – hisss landsss, hisss idealsss. Asss long asss hisss ordersss ssstand, there can be no end to thisss war. Asss fruitlesss asss it isss.
K’uk? Yesss, I know him. He desssiresss greater power, much like you. The ritual isss complex, but should he perform it correctly, perhapsss our massster will grant him greater knowledge. If he doesss… you should keep your dissstance.
It’sss good to ssspeak again, friend. Perhapsss our paths will crosss again sssoon. If you come thisss way again, could you bring more of thossse chilli potatoesss? Our ssstocksss have dwindled lately…
Always a pleasure to hear from a constituent – especially one who has done so much for Kourend themselves!
Since we last spoke, things have been going fantastically! We’ve been able to support our citizens on their own adventures, as they set out for the new frontier of the Kebos Lowlands. We’ve created new infrastructure in Hosidius House, and, with the support of Lord Shayzien himself, we’ll soon be able to do the same in Shayzien territory.
And of course, we hear all about your comings-and-goings! Would that we all could gallivant about the place slaying foul beasts and causing trouble, eh? Ah, youth. I suppose you’ve no idea how much paperwork you generate!
Which reminds me, I really must be going – I have a meeting with Lady Lovakengj this afternoon to go over the latest reports from the Blast Mine. I know I can count on your vote in the next election to secure an even better future for Kourend!
While your mind may have seen better days, I believe there is still something left of you in there. If so, what do you remember of your ill-fated expedition to this former fishing hamlet? How have you survived here for the last few years since the disappearance of the locals and your Fremennik brothers? What do you know of the mysteries lurking at the bottom of that nearby crevasse? What happened to the snakestone you tried to discard? And who or what is the Kayzertief?
With thanks,
GentleTractor
(Thanks for the warning on this one, GentleTractor! Here’s what I was able to get out of him…)
The sun goes down, the moon goes down, the stone goes round and round and down, I know, I know
Five went away and one must stay, keeps the wriggling things at bay, oh oh, folly-oh oh
Beyond the deep he sleeps, he sleeps, the sun must hide where shadows creep, I know, I know, oh oh oh
The earth does shake and he shall wake and each and every one shall take, I know, I know, oh oh oh
(Poor chap – I’m sure he’s glad you’re thinking of him, though!)
Can you tell the tanner in the middle of Forthos dungeon I hate him and his business model sucks?
Mazrrim
Hello Mazrrim!
Always lovely to get customer feedback. You know, operating such a niche business, as a single father just trying to make ends meet in the world, isn’t easy. With all these Magic-users stealing business from good, honest workers, a nice review can make all the difference! Let’s see what this one says…
Howdy! I've wandered about Kourend a good bit and found myself in a particularly warm chasm when I stumbled upon your goat-headed self. We chatted for a bit. Personally I thought you were a swell fellow, but you did seem standoffish about your master's intentions. What's the big boy up to? Gathering power, yeah, but like... what for? How so? Right now all he's done is blind a few guys and get thousands of demons slaughtered.
Also, you're a minotaur, correct? The only other minotaurs I've seen are stuck in some weird hole in the ground underneath a bunch of barbarians. Do you ever get any goat-like tendencies? The urge to munch on tin cans, perhaps? A very peculiar sound you like to make, a bleating-crying-screaming sound?
Anyways, have a wonderful day, don't forget the sunscreen and say hello to your grandmother for me.
Mud-Brain
*Snort*
Mud-Brain… how appropriate.
My master’s plans are far beyond what your feeble mortal brain could comprehend. Look upon the ravaged gaze of his disciples and know that this is the fate that awaits you all. You are blind, and blind you shall remain, until it is too late to stand in my master’s way. What further explanation is needed?
Foolish mortal - I may look like a minotaur to your crude and untrained eye, but any creature with half a brain could tell that I am a mighty demon who happens to have a minotaur's head. It's a subtle difference. I expect it is far beyond your reckoning.
To answer your final question: the battle-cry of the minotaur is a majestic sound, yes. A pity that you weaklings rarely ever hear it more than once.
Why does your house contain an incomplete windmill? It has the turbine outside, part of a grinder inside, as well as pot and sink downstairs, and a wheat field by the nearby guild. I would very much like to be able to make bread in the area.
Thank you,
Nomes
Dear Nomes,
That’s an excellent question! You ought to send it to the council. An adventurer like you might be able to knock some sense into them! Since Gordon and I settled here in Kebos we’ve had no help whatsoever from those layabouts. We’d be better off asking the lizardmen!
You can be sure I’ll be voting in Tomas Lawry when I get the chance. It’s about time we saw some changes around here.
What is Civitas illa Fortis like? And when will it be open to adventurers once more?
SacKingsRS
Hello, SacKingsRS!
Ah, Civitas illa Fortis. The shining jewel in Varlamore’s incandescent crown! Nothing I say could do its beauty justice, but I shall do my best.
Lets see… from the sparkling ocean to the gleaming snow-capped mountains that flank the city borders, Civitas illa Fortis is bathed in glorious sunlight. It’s a truly magnificent sight, my friend. As you sail in, your eye is immediately drawn to the radiant palace of our Queen, flanked by the Kualti headquarters and the Grand Museum. Oh, if you could only see the treasures there for yourself.
I’m sure you will be able to visit soon. Our Queen, the illustrious Zyanyi Arkan, is drawing up treaties and negotiating visits even as we speak. It will not be long before the two nations of Varlamore and Kourend can engage in jolly co-operation once more!
Stay vigilant, friend.
Astra
To Rose.
Dear Rose,
Where is Xeric?
Periwinkleditor
I’m so sorry, Periwinkleditor – I looked all over Kourend and Kebos (and even nearly got carried off by an overfriendly sheepdog!) but I couldn’t find hide nor hair of this ‘Rose’ person. Are you sure she lives here?
Looks like this one’s a return to sender. Don’t get many of those these days!
That's all from Postie Pete for now! If you have any questions or feedback please let us know what you think via our official forums, on the 2007Scape Reddit, or the community-led OSRS Discord in the #gameupdate channel.
