Elder artefacts
The Elder Artefacts, also known as The Elder Twelve,[1] are a class of immensely powerful and divine artefacts that were created by the Elder Gods who used them as conduits for their power to carefully craft perfect details in their creations.[2] Most artefacts were created by Jas, the most powerful elder god, aligned to time, using her stone.[3] The Elder Artefacts can be destroyed and have been destroyed in the past by the Elder Gods, who destroyed previous versions of the Artefacts that did not meet with their approval. There may have been around 10 Stones of Jas, before the current and final version was created.[4] It was learnt from the Tribute to Guthix, wherein Guthix's memories could be read, there are twelve artefacts. At least seven of these are on Gielinor at the time of the Sixth Age.[5]
These artefacts are so powerful that merely spending time with one of the Elder Twelve artefacts will make it possible to attain godhood.[6] Each of the artefacts also has a specific function, though that function may or may not be what it's been used for by the gods. Some of the artefacts are called Elder Weapons, or God Slayers; the most well-known of these is the one referenced by Guthix: the Staff of Armadyl.
Jas did not imagine that other entities would get their hands on them, as she believed that the Dragonkin were the only living beings in the universe, and they had tied them all to the Stone of Jas - and so their side effects (that of leaking divine energy) may not have been considered.
List of Elder Artefacts[edit | edit source]
| Artefact | Alias | Use | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Catalyst | Stone of Jas | Used to create the other artefacts. Used to store knowledge and power. |
Destroyed by Kerapac, various shards scattered. |
| The Siphon | Staff of Armadyl | Used to fuse elements cleanly and with precision. Used to transfer power. Used to comprehend and manipulate the relationships between the nature of things.[7][8] |
Held by Kerapac, now in Erebus. |
| The Kiln | Elder Kiln | Used to create the TokHaar, the workers used in shaping planes. | In TzHaar City. "Owned" by TzKal-Zuk. |
| The Blade | Guthix's Sword | Used to separate elements cleanly and with precision. Used to open portals between planes. |
Shattered in Guthix's Cave or partially refurbished shard by the World Guardian. |
| The Locator | Elder Crown, Crown Archival | Used to locate other Elder Artefacts. | Held by Zaros. Previously held by Saradomin. |
| The Horn | N/A | Used to safely communicate and control other sentient beings without harming them. | Was held by Quin until her death; now lost. |
| The Measure | N/A | Used to measure the Anima Mundi of a plane. | Used by Vicendithas to power the Dream of Iaia. |
| The Mirror | N/A | Used to duplicate items, environments, etc. | Held by Kerapac when he was dragged into Erebus, but it is unclear if he was carrying it at the time; current location and fate unknown. |
| The Needle | N/A | Used to pull apart the threads of time to restore Anima to the world. | Stolen and held by Kerapac until its destruction. A fragment was used by Vicendithas to power the Dream of Iaia. Another shard is held by the World Guardian. |
| The Codex | Mysterious monolith | Used as a repository of knowledge and power. Used to seal the Shadow Breach on Gielinor. |
At the Varrock Dig Site. |
| The Template | N/A | Unknown | Unknown |
| The Hammer | N/A | Unknown | Unknown |
Descriptions[edit | edit source]
The Catalyst[edit | edit source]
The Catalyst, commonly known as the "Stone of Jas," "The Eye of Saradomin," "The Fist of Guthix," or "The Cabbage of a Thousand Truths," was one of the better known artefacts. It was the most powerful, and the very first one created. It expresses the power of its creator; Jas, Elder Goddess of progression. She used it to create most other artefacts, aside from the Elder Kiln, the Measure, and possibly others. While not specifically a weapon, it grants its users part of its immense power. The Catalyst was created when Jas sacrificed her egg, creating the Stone but leaving Jas without the ability to be reborn.
It had guardians called the Dragonkin; a race enslaved and cursed by Jas to feel agonising pain when the Stone is being misused. When the Stone was misused, the Dragonkin were granted power equal to that was given to the user and were tasked to destroy them, making it one of the most risky artefacts to use. Throughout Gielinor's history, the Dragonkin have not been able to stop "False Users," but their power has since been supplemented, and thus they are nearing godhood themselves.[3]
The Stone has a long history of use and relocation. Notable users of the stone include Guthix, the Kethsians, Zamorak, Saradomin and Lucien. The Stone caused the existence of rune essence, Daeyalt ore and the Fist of Guthix.
Following Sliske's Endgame, the Stone of Jas was destroyed by Kerapac. Some remaining fragments are currently in the possession of the World Guardian.
The Siphon[edit | edit source]
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The Siphon, commonly known as the "Staff of Armadyl" and briefly dubbed "The Conduit" by Kerapac in a cutscene, is the second most used artefact in the history of Gielinor (due to it being the second most powerful elder artefact), behind the Stone of Jas. It amplifies its user's magical capabilities and serves as a conduit for power in general. Used by the Elder Gods to fuse elements cleanly and with precision.
It was found by Guthix on Gielinor during the First Age when he was travelling between dimensions with his sword (see below). Guthix hid it before sleeping in the middle of the perfect world to let mortals enjoy a world without gods. It was found by Armadyl during the Second Age and became known as "The Staff of Armadyl". His followers adopted the symbol from the staff.[9] Notable users of the staff include Zamorak, Lucien, and Sliske. Two of the most important events in which the staff was involved were the banishment of Zaros and the death of Guthix.
During the finale of Sliske's Endgame, while the World Guardian briefly gained possession of the Siphon and used it against Sliske, they lost it when they were teleported away by Jas. In Desperate Times, it is revealed that Kerapac found the Siphon after the World Guardian had lost it. When Jas bound Kerapac to her service to reclaim the eggs of the elder gods, he armed himself with both the Siphon and The Needle to take on the opposing forces. The sheer amount of magical energy Kerapac was charged with had physically changed the Siphon, shattering the gem and causing the shaft to grow new buds and branches.[10] Kerapac and the World Guardian faced off with one another within the Nodon Front, fracturing the Siphon into three pieces in the process. Assuming the World Guardian is able to retrieve all three parts of the fractured artefact from the fight with Kerapac, the Siphon is now in their possession, acting as a tier 95 staff.
The staff was dragged into Erebus along with Kerapac at the climax of the Elder God Wars. Its current fate remains unknown.
The Kiln[edit | edit source]
The Kiln, commonly known as the Elder Kiln, is both an Elder Artefact and a means of creating artefacts, and the artefacts it creates are considered to be the same artefact as the Kiln.[11] The most well known of these creations are the TokHaar, and the Mysterious statues. The TokHaar consider themselves to be Elder Artefacts, but it is debatable whether the Elder Gods would agree with this.
The Kiln was created by the Elder Goddess Ful on a planet different from Gielinor, where the Elder Gods attempted to create the perfect world. They failed numerous times and Ful would take the kiln and the TokHaar to the next project each time. When their work on Gielinor was done, the TokHaar built a great mountain around the Elder Kiln and returned to live within it "to await further instruction".
According to the TokHaar, younger gods are beings that abused the artefacts of the Elder Gods in order to gain a massive amount of power. To date the TokHaar are also the only known sentient artefacts, instead of just being an object. When a TokHaar dies, they return to the lava. Anything else that falls into the sacred lava is resurrected as TokHaar as well.
Following the TokHaar's failure during the Battle of the Monolith, Ful reforged them into the TzekHaar. After Ful reincarnated, the TzekHaar were left without orders and are presumably waiting in the Kiln.
The Blade[edit | edit source]
The Blade is known as "Guthix's Sword". After picking it up when Skargaroth dropped it during the Naragi God Wars, Guthix used it to wound Tuska and kill Skargaroth, subsequently ascending to godhood. He then used the sword to cut portals between worlds, allowing him to create the World Gate. Used by the Elder Gods to separate elements cleanly and with precision.
The Elder Sword currently lies shattered in Guthix's Cave, too dangerous to be used and still crackling with energy.
The Locator[edit | edit source]
The Locator, known as the "Elder Crown", is an artefact that enables the user to locate all the other artefacts, but also enables the users of these other artefacts to locate the crown in return, making it one of the most useful and risky artefacts to be used. The Elder Gods discarded the crown fairly quickly and never meant to use it again, apparently no longer deeming it necessary to be able to locate their artefacts.[12] The Crown also attracts the attention of the Elder Gods, in case it itself gets lost.
The Crown was in possession of Saradomin, and had been since before the Naragi God Wars up until recently, where Zaros took it from Saradomin. Zaros said that he had allowed Saradomin to keep ahold of it all this time, so Zaros would be constantly aware of its whereabouts. The Locator was taken into Erebus when Zaros daparted into the realm.
The Horn[edit | edit source]
Used by the Elder Gods to communicate with the TokHaar and control them. Upon his arrival on Gielinor, Guthix started to explore the world and found several Elder Artefacts. One of these discoveries was a horn, which he kept hidden.
The Horn was allegedly used by an invading God from another world, described as "a great beast of tusk and fury" to conquer Bobonosia from the mwanu[13]. It is possible that this is the God who died of an alcohol overdose in a drinking contest with Marimbo, an event that caused her to ascend[14].
It came into the possession of Quin,[15] a powerful seasinger and self-proclaimed goddess in The Pincers region of the Wushanko Isles.
The Measure[edit | edit source]
The Measure is an elder artefact that measures the level of the Anima Mundi of a plane. This artefact is considered the weakest of the twelve, and is hinted at being created by the previous cycle of Elder Gods.[16]
The Measure was taken from Freneskae by the World Guardian. It was used to solidify wisps and elder chronicles by placing the artefact near their location. It was later used to determine the resonance of the substance that shielded Kerapac's laboratory.
During the climax of the Elder God Wars, the World Guardian gave it to Vicendithas to help locate Seren after she escaped with the Elder's eggs. The Measure is still in his posession, and it's currently being used to power the Dream of Iaia.
The Mirror[edit | edit source]
The Mirror is a weapon in the hands of the Dragonkin used to duplicate items. It is used by Sakirth to kill V during Hero's Welcome. Kerapac retrieved it from the Vault of the Dragonkin.
The mirror was used by Kerapac to destroy the Stone of Jas during Sliske's Endgame. It was still in his possession when he was dragged into Erebus[17], but it is unclear whether he was carrying it at the time, so its current location and fate remain unknown.
The Needle[edit | edit source]
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The Needle is an artefact that can be used to unravel time itself, creating Threads of Time out of concentrated anima from that reset timeline. These threads can then be woven back into the tapestry of existence, growing fate itself. These rewoven threads can then be used to create more of themselves as the anima of the world is once again increased in this reset timeline. This creates a cycle where the world's anima gradually and purposefully restores and improves itself with each reset. It was one of the artefacts that Jas mentioned in Sliske's Endgame.
While the Needle can be used to rewind time further than 30 days, doing so causes the user to be permanently bonded to the elder artefact, resulting in physical transformation and a loss of all memories prior to its use. Furthermore, the Needle can also be used to indefinitely pause and restart time by saying the pausing phrase "Wenla".
Guthix describes the Needle as broken in one of his hidden memories in the Hall of Memories and that it is one of the major threats to the universe and existence. It was in custody of Gail, until Kerapac took hold of its power at the end of Desperate Times. The Needle would later be broken after Kerapac used it against Jas while she was fighting a shadow leviathan. A shard of the needle is currently in the possession of the World Guardian, while Vicendithas used a leftover shard alongside the Measure and Nodon dream technology to create a copy of Iaia prior to its destruction.
The Codex[edit | edit source]
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The Codex, commonly referred to as the "mysterious monolith", is an elder artefact that is used as a repository of knowledge and power. It also seems to be the original source of shadow anima: the antithesis to regular anima which is toxic to the elder gods. It was one of the artefacts that Jas mentioned in Sliske's Endgame.
The first known instance of the Codex's influence occurred prior to the First Age, when the dinosaur Raksha stumbled upon the artefact and was absorbed into it, only to re-emerge imbued with immense amounts of shadow anima, converting it into the only known shadow colossus. Later, during the Second Age, Zaros claimed the Codex and took it to Senntisten, where he studied it in secret deep within the Shadow Realm. At some point in history following the creation of the Edicts, Guthix utilized the Codex as a source of shadow anima to craft an enchantment that would be placed into a mortal soul to create the World Guardian. Sometime after this, the Codex fell into an unpowered state and remained unknown to the world for the remainder of the Fourth and Fifth Age, until it was rediscovered by members of the Archaeology Guild at the Varrock Dig Site during the Sixth Age. Soon after its rediscovery, Zaros raised the Codex and returned it to an active state. A mysterious stranger gave Guildmaster Tony a black stone that was previously in Zemouregal's possession, requesting Tony to use it on the Codex. However, doing so resulted in Tony being sucked into the artefact, with his fate currently unknown.
The Codex remains at the Varrock Dig Site in its powered state, where the World Guardian is able to offer relics to the artefact in order to access and modify relic powers. The Codex is also utilised to power tetracompasses and create the Mattock of Time and Space. According to Guthix, the World Guardian is in constant connection with the Codex, steadily absorbing shadow anima from the artefact alongside the anima of the world to strengthen themselves, and is able to tap into this reservoir of power subconsciously when faced with a significant threat.
The original purpose of the Codex was to seal the Shadow Breach in order to prevent its energies from harming Gielinor.[18] Zaros forced it open during the Battle of the Monolith in order to enter the Shadow Breach and travel to Erebus. As a result, hordes of shadow cacklers emerged from the portal and started attacking those present; Azzanadra would later force it shut in order to end the invasion, but the resulting backlash of shadow anima caused him to ascend into godhood.
The Hammer[edit | edit source]
Like the Codex and the Template, the Hammer was first mentioned during Sliske's Endgame. Nothing is known about the Hammer.
The Template[edit | edit source]
Like the Codex and the Hammer, the Template was first mentioned during Sliske's Endgame. Nothing is known about the Template.
Existence of other Elder Artefacts[edit | edit source]
It was long thought that the Stone of Jas was the only item that belonged to the Elder Gods (or only Jas, since there was no confirmation at the time as to whether more existed or not). In a lore livestream, Mod Osborne confirmed that the other six artefacts are to be revealed soon.[1] One of these was thought to be the World Gate, since it has been hinted to be an Elder Artefact by Mod Jack.[19] However, it is only linked to the Elder Sword.[20] Furthermore, the World Gate was created by Guthix, and hence, cannot be an Elder Artefact.
In addition to this, Mod Osborne stated that the majority of the Elder Artefacts are currently on Gielinor.[5] This was stated before The Measure was taken from Freneskae. Therefore, apart from the seven known artefacts, there has to be at least one more on Gielinor. He has also confirmed that at least one of the Elder Artefacts is located in the Kharidian Desert.[21] In addition, Armadyl ascended to godhood with an unknown Artefact that is likely still on the Aviansie world of Abbinah, although what it is has not been revealed.
During Sliske's Endgame, the remaining artefacts were revealed to be the Codex, the Template and the Hammer. With the exception of the Codex, nothing is known about them.
It has been mentioned that certain inferior prototypes of Elder Artefacts exist. This creates the possibility of there being more artefacts than the main twelve. This also means that any of the currently known artefacts could be one of these prototypes, with more of the main twelve still to be revealed.
Mentioned[edit | edit source]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
Zamorak incinerating the entire continent of Forinthry, using the Stone of Jas.
Saradomin using Stone of Jas.
The godhood-desiring Mahjarrat Lucien with both the Stone and the Staff.
Zaros is impaled by the Staff during the fight with Zamorak and is banished from Gielinor.
Guthix is killed by Sliske with the aid of the Staff of Armadyl.
Concept art of Guthix with the unshattered Sword.
Concept art linking Wen to the Codex may mean that she created this Elder Artefact.
