Ancient Cavern
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| Ancient Cavern | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | 3 July 2007 (Update) | |||
| Members | Yes | |||
| Location | Baxtorian Lake | |||
| Music | Barb Wire | |||
| See map section | ||||
| Infobox • Talk page | ||||
The Ancient Cavern is an area reached from the whirlpool near Otto Godblessed's house. Players must dive into the whirlpool to enter the cavern, which contains many high-level monsters, including a high level metal dragon, the mithril dragon, and the slayer master Kuradal.
The cavern can only be accessed after the player has completed the first part of Barbarian Firemaking, requiring level 35 Firemaking. After that, the player must ask Otto about making pyre ships, and then will be granted access to the dungeon in order to fulfil the objectives required to make them. These requirements can be bypassed by teleporting with certain slayer masks (such as the airut or abyssal masks) while on a task from Laniakea. It is unclear whether this is intentional or not.
If a player dives into the whirlpool before completing the barbarian tasks, they will be swept away and lose a small amount of their life points, eventually washing up on the shore near Hadley's house. Movario states that the Ancient Cavern is of Dragonkin origin and possibly of the Second Age. [1]
A fairy ring (BJQ) at the western end of the lower level can be restored for use with a spade (tool belt works) and 5 bittercap mushrooms. The player can repair the ring by planting the mushrooms on the "enchanted land" spot near the centre of the ring. After it is restored, players can use it to quickly teleport in and out of the cave. To leave the dungeon without the use of teleports or dying, there are two "aged" logs near the waterfiends which drop players off near Hadley's house.
Dwarvern multicannons cannot be used in the dungeon - attempting to do so will state that the cavern is too "moist" to set one up.
Dungeon info[edit | edit source]
| Ancient Cavern | |
|---|---|
| Floors | 2 |
| Cannons allowed | Disallowed |
| Resource dungeon | No |
| Databox • Talk page | |
Introduction[edit | edit source]
To access the dungeon the player must have learned about funeral pyre burning, in Barbarian Training from Otto Godblessed. To enter the dungeon, the player must jump into the whirlpool off the jetty on the northern shore of the Baxtorian Falls lake. Upon entering the cavern, the player appears on a small platform with stairs to the lower level and can see a mithril dragon off in the distance in another part of the upper level. No creatures on the lower level are visible until the player descends the stairs, so the platform cannot be used for making ranged or magic attacks.
The caves are dangerous, and one should be well prepared before entering the cavern. It is recommended to pack decent combat gear; an anti-dragon shield (or dragonfire shield), antifire (or super antifire) potions, super sets, an emergency (one-click) teleport, and high-healing food. A ring of life may occasionally save players in mortal danger, but the high-hitting monsters have the potential to outright devour players before the ring can activate.
Location and travel[edit | edit source]
The whirlpool entrance to the Ancient Cavern is south of the Barbarian Outpost, at the head of the River Dougne, above Baxtorian Falls. Players can get there by walking west from Seers' Village, north from East Ardougne, or east from the Tree Gnome Stronghold. (From the Stronghold, players with level 37 Agility can take the shortcut northeast of the Grand Tree; otherwise, the more round-about route through the Stronghold's southern gate is necessary.)
Some teleports can be used to get near the whirlpool:
- A games necklace can teleport to the Barbarian Outpost. This is quickest way to get to the whirlpool, as it is just south of the Outpost.
- A combat bracelet can teleport to the Ranging Guild, which is east of Baxtorian Falls.
- Barbarian Teleport from the Lunar Spellbook. Teleporting between the Barbarian Outpost and Lunar Isle provides quick banking during slayer tasks.
- A plain of mud sphere can teleport one near the Fishing Guild, which is south-east of Baxtorian Falls.
- A skills necklace can teleport to the Fishing Guild, which is south-east of Baxtorian Falls.
- Players with level 37 Agility can use the gnome gliders or spirit trees to travel to the Tree Gnome Stronghold and then use the shortcut north of the Grand Tree to get to the Baxtorian Falls lake.
Three teleports can be used to directly enter the dungeon:
- Fairy ring code BJQ, which will teleport near the north-western most waterfiends, once it is repaired as described earlier.
- The ferocious ring, which is a drop from the creatures in Kuradal's Dungeon, can teleport the player to Kuradal (Note: you can only attack the monsters in the dungeon if they are your current Slayer assignment assigned by Kuradal, Morvran, or Laniakea.)
- The Slayer cape can be used to teleport the player to Kuradal.
Places of Interest[edit | edit source]
Fairy ring BJQ can be found at the western edge of the lower level. It must be restored before it can be used, as explained earlier in this article.
Mine[edit | edit source]
The mine comprises the 16 mithril rocks which can be found scattered throughout the dungeon.
Rummaging skeletons[edit | edit source]
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The remains of several barbarians that attempted to explore the caverns can be found scattered throughout the lower level. The skeletons can be searched and looted to obtain various miscellaneous items, such as ancient pages and mangled bones. It's generally not recommended to search the remains as they often deal rather heavy damage and yield nothing outside of the notes. Occasionally while trying to search the remains, the bones "object" and turn into a skeleton hero or skeleton heavy which attacks the player.
The dragon forge and mithril door[edit | edit source]
In the centre of the mithril dragon chamber is the mithril door, unlocked by the Dragonkin key, which players can assemble after completing the quest While Guthix Sleeps. Three metallic heads resembling those of dragons and a strange orb are found in the small room beyond the mithril door. Lighting each of the three heads, and as a result the strange orb, with the default click option grants access to the dragon forge and the dragonkin anvils. The forge itself is found next to Kuradal. Re-kindling the Dragon Forge is a requirement of the master quest cape.
Here, players can use a blast fusion hammer at level 90 Smithing to forge the dragon platebody from its three components. The combat style of a dragonfire shield, deflector, or ward is changed at the forge. Additionally, at level 99 Smithing, Torva and malevolent armour can be broken down here to make melee praesulic and malevolent essences, and Virtus and Pernix armour can be broken down to make magic praesulic and ranged praesulic essences, respectively.
A door near the forge leads to the Dragonkin Lair, which is visited during the Hero's Welcome quest.
Archaeology material caches[edit | edit source]
The ancient cavern excavation site is located on the upper floor and contains three types of material caches: fossilised bone (3), compass rose (4), and dragon metal (3). These can be found between Kuradal and the dragon forge.
The forge before being activated.
One of the few remaining Dragonkin structures accessible to players.
The orb is lit.
Kuradal[edit | edit source]
The slayer master Kuradal resides in the Ancient Caverns, not too far from the dragon forge. Players wishing to use her as their slayer master must have a combat level of 110 along with a Slayer level of 75.
She guards a dungeon behind her in which players may slay the various creatures inside if they have been assigned by Kuradal.
Monsters[edit | edit source]
Waterfiend, level 107
Brutal green dragon, level 105
Mithril dragon, level 112
Skeleton warlord, level 91
Skeleton hero, level 74
Skeleton brute, level 88
Skeleton thug, level 85
Skeleton heavy, level 89
Angry barbarian spirit, level 106
Berserk barbarian spirit, level 106
Enraged barbarian spirit, level 106
Lost barbarian, level 84
Confused barbarian, level 84
Map[edit | edit source]
Achievements[edit | edit source]
- Barbarian Scavenger (
30) – Find all barbarian notes in the Ancient Cavern. - Mixing in Ancient Circles ( 10) – Restore the fairy ring in the Ancient Cavern.
- Otto the Ancient ( 30) – Find all barbarian notes in the Ancient Cavern.
Music unlocked[edit | edit source]
Update history[edit | edit source]
- ninja 22 July 2019 (Update):
- You no longer have to dismiss pets and familiars before entering the ancient cavern via the whirlpool.
- patch 20 March 2017 (Update):
- The Dragonkin forge is now consistently lit when teleporting to Kuradal via the Slayer skillcape if the forge has been previously lit.
- patch 22 November 2012 (Update):
- Switching Dragonfire shields between the Melee, Ranged and Mage versions at the Dragonkin Forge (near Kuradal) now uses up a blast hammer per shield.
- patch 7 February 2012 (Update):
- The whirlpool at the entrance to the Ancient Cavern is now visible on all graphical modes.
- patch 21 September 2010 (Update):
- Adjusted the wall kit used in the upper areas of the Ancient Cavern.
- update 8 December 2009 (Update):
- Kuradal, daughter of Duradel, left Shilo Village to experience the fullness of combat and surpass her peers in the art of Slayer. Years later, she has settled somewhere she would call "comfortable" - the Ancient Cavern!
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- When the cavern was released, both the mithril door and dragon forge were inaccessible, although the steps to the forge and the door still existed they couldn't be used, as the door was locked and the steps were too slippery. On 28 October 2008 Jagex released the Swept Away quest and the 2008 Halloween event. At the bottom of the news article announcing this update, a message stated that "A distant rumble had recently been heard just north of Baxtorian Waterfall..."[2] This allowed access to the (unlit) dragon forge, as one of the many teasers to While Guthix Sleeps.
References[edit | edit source]
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