Guthix
.png) | |
| Guthix | |
|---|---|
| Release date | 4 March 2013 (Update) |
| Also called | • Sleeping God[1] • Green God[2][3] |
| Race | Naragi |
| Members | Yes |
| Quest NPC | |
| Location(s) | Guthix's Cave |
| Gender | Male |
| Actions | ? (edit) |
| Examine | Well, he looks good... You know, considering. |
| Advanced data | |
| NPC ID | ? (edit) |
| Links | MRND |
| Infobox • Talk page | |
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Guthix (pronounced /ˈɡʌθɪks/, GÙH-thicks[4]) was the god of balance and the last surviving member of the Naragi race. He was the first of the young gods to arrive to Gielinor, soon bringing in the goddess Seren and other races including the humans, sheep and elves. He believed that balance should exist in all things, and brought the aforementioned races - who were neither aware of the gods nor inclined to good or evil - to Gielinor to live in harmony with their surroundings and allowed them to make their own choices so the balance between good and evil would be maintained[5], although with the arrival of the gods, this plan failed. He was known to be a very serious and decisive being.
He became a god at the end of a war between gods on his realm, which saw the deaths of all his friends and family. By killing the god Skargaroth and avenging his daughter Aagi, he ascended to godhood himself, after which he left his devastated world. Soon afterwards, he discovered Gielinor, and, astonished by its beauty, shaped it to his liking for mortals to live on it without interference from gods. He then populated the world and created runestones for its inhabitants to use, thus earning Gielinor the nickname RuneScape. He descended into a slumber, hoping to be forgotten by his worshippers, but other gods began to arrive in the following centuries, which eventually led to the breaking out of the God Wars. After four millennia of warring, Guthix awoke, drove the Sword of Edicts into the ground, and banished all the major gods, much to their followers' dismay. Nearly twenty-two centuries later, his cave was discovered and Guthix was murdered by the Zarosian Mahjarrat Sliske, shattering his Edicts. Before dying, he chose the player character as Gielinor's new protector, believing that a strong mortal soul would be best suited to absorb and adapt to both Gielinor's anima and the shadow anima stored within the Codex: two energies he used to repel potentially world-ending threats.[6] These threats most notably included Elder Gods, who judged Gielinor to be their perfect creation and whose eggs, which fed on anima but were harmed by shadow anima, threatened Gielinor's existence until Seren, goddess of the elves, sent them to Iaia, where they hatched and drained the planet of its life. Ultimately, the player transfered Guthix's enchantment back into the runestones used to establish the Edicts, rebanishing Gielinor's major gods without the need for anyone to control the twin energies.
Deity info[edit | edit source]
| Guthix | |
|---|---|
| Alignment | Balance |
| Symbol |  |
| Ascended by | Killing Skargaroth with his sword, an Elder Artefact |
| Tier | 2 |
| Avatars and aspects | Kami |
| Colours | Green |
| Adjective | Guthixian |
| Databox • Talk page | |
Beliefs[edit | edit source]
 |
This article or section requires a cleanup. Reason: overreliance on god letters, which are now largely not considered canonical. Should have in-game citations instead.
It does not meet the RuneScape Wiki's quality standards; you can edit this page to improve it. |
| “ | I am beyond good or evil, I am simply Guthix.[7] | ” |
Guthix was the god of balance, and wished to have a world without gods, where mortals could live in peace and balance without their interference. When he banished the other gods from Gielinor, he only allowed them to interfere indirectly through their followers. At the same time, he would have preferred that mortals not fight in the name of the gods or even know of their existence. Despite him knowing this scenario was unlikely, it was still his wish and the reason he resorted to sleeping underground, hoping to be forgotten as he was a god himself.
The god was a benevolent entity who wished the best for mortals, thinking the best environment was one of balance. This would entail equal amounts of war and peace, chaos and order, nature and culture, et cetera. Likewise, he expected his followers to live in balance with their world and respect it.[8] Guthix approved of morally evil acts if it would serve balance, so long as there would not be an excess of evil nor good[9]
There is a common misconception about Guthix, which is that he was the god of peace or tranquillity. While this holds some truth, seeing that Guthix sought to create a world of balance where mortals could live in peace without the interference of gods, balance does not equal peace. Rather, he desires for peace to have an equal amount of war to counter it, as evidenced by the founding of the militant Void Knights to complement the pacifistic druids.
Over the large amount of years that Guthix had retreated himself from the world, his wish for mortals to forget him was not a success. Even from Guthix's point of view, what he wished for the mortals was corrupted, reshaped or misinterpreted by some of his followers. Guthix did not want people to worship or follow him (desiring them to be free from gods), but this led to quite a divide between some of his teachings and of his closest and most devoted of followers such as Juna.
After his death, his followers no longer worship him as a god and now follow his teachings. Some of his followers have known to become part of the Godless organisation, founded by the druid Biehn, where they believe as well that the world should be actively protected from the gods' influence.
Guthix's symbol, usually found on the clothing worn by his followers, is an iconisation of his tears and usually drawn in a shade of green. This symbol is said to have been invented by worshippers of Guthix, for the god himself did not wish to be worshipped.[10] Given that it represents his tears, the symbol must have been created in the early Fourth Age. However, much older murals in Guthix's Cave depict Juna, an ancient Guardian of Guthix, donning the symbol as well, suggesting it to have different origins.[11]
History[edit | edit source]
During the Naragi God Wars[edit | edit source]
Guthix was a Naragi native to a realm consisting of platforms resting on branch-like substances, where he lived as a farmer. Given their average lifespans, he must have been many centuries old. Guthix had a wife named Fraji and daughter named Aagi, both of whom he loved dearly, although Fraji died while Aagi was young.
When Aagi was a couple of centuries old, still a child by Naragi standards, father and daughter paid visit to a nomad who told them of a magical disturbance, speculated to be a portal in the process of opening itself, appearing near the great city of Askroth. The diviners had begun assembling a welcoming committee for whomever would come through and indeed the portal soon opened.[12] A young god named Saradomin arrived with his army. He wore the Elder Crown, and thought it granted him the right to rule. In his arrogance, he did not anticipate the Naragi would refuse. It is unclear exactly what followed, but the diviners angered him in some way, and in that anger he razed the city.[13]
The remaining Naragi cities assembled armies of their own, and a war broke out on Naragun. Some Naragi, such as Narix, fought back, while others believed both sides responsible for the war and sought to compromise with Saradomin.[14] Guthix resisted the temptation of sending Aagi away as well, reasoning that the refugees would soon have no place to go. Therefore he hid her in the storm cellar of his own house, hoping for her to be safe.[15]
Years after Saradomin's arrival, when other gods had begun to participate in the war, Guthix witnessed how the mindless and savage goddess named Tuska, controlled by an army of purple, hairy monsters they called airut, broke through a portal and entered the Naragi world. There, she proceeded to attack Saradomin, who had since begun to regret his actions and attempted to defeat her to save the Naragi. The airut invaded swiftly, while Tuska destroyed everything in sight. After some time, during which most of the Naragi race had been annihilated, even Saradomin left the realm in fear of Tuska. By this time, the war had lasted centuries, and many gods had either fled like Saradomin or met their deaths.[16]
Ascension to godhood[edit | edit source]
At one point, Tuska approached Guthix's home and the two stood face-to-face. Before she could do anything, however, her enemy god Skargaroth plunged his sword, an Elder Artefact, into her eye. The airut flocked around Skargaroth as their goddess duelled him. During the skirmish, Skargaroth was thrown off his feet. To Guthix's absolute horror, the god landed on top of his house, destroying it and killing Aagi, who was still inside. In shock, the Naragi picked up the sword Skargaroth had dropped and used it to gouge out Tuska's remaining eye as she was charging at her unconscious opponent. The blinded goddess howled and ran away, followed by her airut.
As Skargaroth regained consciousness and attempted to crawl away, Guthix plunged the sword into his back, killing the god, which then transferred his power into Guthix himself, who became what he had always feared and despised. With his friends and family dead and his world in ruins, Guthix used the sword to cleave open portals to various locations in the multiverse and set out to travel in sorrow.
Over the course of several centuries, Guthix visited many different realms and encountered several races whom he admired for their balanced lives, tending towards neither good nor evil. He visited Renmark, a "world of divine beauty and fabulous magic" and was inspired by how four courts of the seasons were in conflict but was a perfect balance. He soon discovered a parasite named Mur feeding on the planet's core; in his arrogance, Guthix attempted to destroy it, but the parasite survived and Guthix ended up destroying Renmark. Guthix would only discover a few remnants of Renmark, which gave him great remorse.[17]
On one occasion, he visited the world of the elves, where he befriended their crystalline goddess Seren, who shared his views of balance to an extent.
Shaping Gielinor[edit | edit source]
Eventually, Guthix was drawn to the planet Gielinor, the Elder Gods' final and perfect creation, and is said to have arrived there in the form of a multicoloured butterfly.[18] He was taken aback by its serenity and lush environment as well as by the fact that it was empty. On Gielinor, he found various Elder artefacts and the discovery of the Elder Gods. Through unknown means, Guthix also learned of The Great Revision and was horrified at the end result; the destruction of the current universe. He also learned of two other threats - the Shadow Breach and a broken Needle.
Realising the grave threat these three posed, Guthix vowed to keep the information recorded so they could be metered out when the time was right, as losing it would mean the end of all known life. He was able to locate Gielinor's Elder Halls and slowed the rate of anima flowing to the three eggs inside, striking a balance - enough not to let the Elders become aware of his presence, but not too little that it would strangle them and alert the Elders to his tampering.
Using these items, he shaped the world as it is known today and claimed ownership of it, desiring for it to be inhabited by mortals living in balance.[19]
He then invited Seren to come to Gielinor and live with him.[20] Although some elves were initially reluctant, they followed their goddess through the World Gate and were amazed by Gielinor's nature as well. They settled in Tirannwn, where Seren aided them in the construction of the crystal city Prifddinas. She and Guthix would spend a significant amount of time together.
Guthix desired for Gielinor to be inhabited by peaceful mortals. As such, he used the World Gate, or the Portal of Life as he called it, to bring colonies of cats, dwarves, ents, gnomes, humans, and sheep, amongst others, to the world.[21] He greeted them as they arrived and instructed them to live in balance with the world.[22] He gifted the humans with magic by using the Stone of Jas to create runestones, which he had spread by emissaries as Misalionar. These runes eventually caused the name "Gielinor" to fall into disuse as its inhabitants began to call it RuneScape instead.[23] The human druids developed magic and many spells, thus becoming the first wizards.
Inevitably, the inhabitants of Gielinor, most notably the humans, began worshipping Guthix as their god, building temples and making sacrifices in his name, much to his disgust.[24] As such, he gradually began appearing less, hoping to disappear from his worshippers' lives. Approximately four thousand years after populating Gielinor, he decided to leave altogether.[25] He confided his intentions to Seren, and asked her to leave with him. Although she promised him to do so, she found herself unable to comply and leave her elves and so remained in Tirannwn. Guthix, on the other hand, buried himself deep underground, where he fell into a sleep, desiring to be completely forgotten by the Gielinorians, ending the First Age.[26]
Sometime during the Second Age, Guthix found a grove teeming with anima and tasked Solak with guarding it from anyone who would try to use it for their own gain.
First awakening[edit | edit source]
| “ | This world is yours now, [...] yours forever; free from the manipulations of gods.[27] | ” |
As Guthix slept and Seren remained secluded beyond the Galarpos Mountains, Gielinor began to attract other gods, who did not share their beliefs about balance and peace. Saradomin and Zaros rapidly conquered territory and the latter would establish the largest empire the world would ever know. Other notable gods to be active were Armadyl, Tumeken and Bandos - the god of war itself. Over the course of the Second Age, there were many conflicts as the gods' followers clashed and Zaros expanded his vast empire. Guthixians began to decline in number and even his runestones were becoming scarce. However, a Fremennik seer discovered the Stone of Jas in a mine and learnt the art of runecrafting, which led to a schism in Fremennik society. At the end of the age, Zaros was betrayed by his general, Zamorak, using the Stone and the Staff of Armadyl, and disappeared from the world, while the latter became a god himself. He declared war on Saradomin in an attempt to reobtain the Stone, which had been confiscated from him, which started the Third Age, and a god war.
The God Wars would last for four thousand years and they saw the deaths of millions, the extinction of multiple races and the annihilation of many settlements on Gielinor. The Guthixian gnomes and most of the dwarves were forced to hide underground to escape the war. Other Guthixians, such as moss giants, Fremennik and the Void Knights, fought in the wars, but they were but a minority. Most of the elves remained safe with Seren, although some chose to fight as well. At the end of the wars, Zamorak somehow obtained the Stone of Jas, but was cornered by Saradomin, Armadyl and Bandos. In what he thought to be his last stand, he tapped from the Stone and unleashed a wave of destruction over the area. As a result, the entire continent of Forinthry was obliterated and turned into a lifeless wasteland. So great was the destruction that scarred the land, that the Anima Mundi itself is said to have cried out in agony.[21] Through his connection to the Anima Mundi, Guthix experienced its suffering: a living nightmare of unimaginable pain from which he was unable to wake. It was thanks to the intervention of the druids Ria, Atrew, Rief, and Thera, who ventured to Guthix's resting place, that Guthix was stabilised and untethered from the world soul.[28] After more than six millennia, he was finally awake.
Upon awakening, Guthix immediately teleported to Forinthry[28] and witnessed a scene not dissimilar from the Naragi God Wars, with gods and their followers fighting in the aftermath of Zamorak's actions. He maintained that the conflicts among the young gods and mortal worship of them were mere distractions from the knowledge that the Elder Gods would one day awaken to destroy the planet and end mortal life.[29] In fury and grief, he intervened, taking the Stone and using it to create portals, through which he banished the fighting gods out of Gielinor with relatively little effort, being stronger than them.[30][31] Banishing the gods necessitated that Guthix seek each of them out individually. The major participants in the God Wars were banished first, then more minor gods. If they were respectful, Guthix allowed them to say goodbye to their followers.[32] Guthix found Zamorak battered and bleeding from a battle with the other gods and cast him out then;[33] Saradomin wished to stay, but was cowed by Guthix's power and teleported away;[34] Armadyl left willingly, understanding what Guthix was trying to accomplish and having suffered so much grief at the death of his Aviansie;[35] and Marimbo and V both held great feasts saying goodbye to their followers before they, too, left willingly.[36] Bandos, the god of war, did not go quietly, however. He threw all his power, followers and resources into stopping Guthix. After years of conflict, Guthix managed to strike Bandos down in a battle in Bandos' throne room. Although Bandos begged for an honourable death, Guthix refused to kill him.[37] Bandos knew he was beaten and ordered his followers to assemble, so that he could bring them with him to Yu'Biusk, but Guthix believed they should be able to live free from his influence and refused him. Overcome with rage, Bandos attempted one last attack at Guthix with his mace, but Guthix simply raised his hand and finally ejected the war god from the world.[38]
After removing the gods from the world, Guthix took a massive sword and plunged it into the crater left by Zamorak's destruction of Forinthry. Aided by the Stone, he erected a physical barrier around Gielinor, called the Edicts of Guthix, which prevented any god from setting foot on the planet again. He then returned to his chamber to recollect his thoughts and sorrow of what happened, only to be then visited by the adventurer from the future to seek aid from Guthix on reconstructing Seren. After the adventurer left, he went to Seren and sorrowfully ordered her to leave as well. Seren could not leave her elves as doing so would result in the elves becoming fatally ill, she informed Guthix of this and decided that while she would leave, it would not be with Guthix. As such, she sorrowfully shattered herself, exploding in many pieces of crystal. Guthix returned to his slumber afterwards, crying at the atrocities he had seen.[39] He allowed Brassica Prime and the six demi-gods of the Menaphite Pantheon to remain, either because they played a vital part in balancing life or were not a threat to him. [40]
To prevent any further abuse, Guthix hid the Stone of Jas deep underground and created a powerful balance elemental, created by fusing Aeternam and four other druids. The cave was sealed by druids, who built a massive temple around it, with the world's first stone circle. As Guthix was leaving the cave, he wept for the damage done to his planet, and the surrounding rocks began to cry with him. Out of his most loyal followers, Guthix proceeded to appoint several Guardians of Guthix, whom he tasked with various important tasks and granted immortality as well.[41] For instance, Juna was to protect his tears, which held great magical power, and Fiara was to guard the location where the Stone of Jas had been kept by Saradomin, due to the residual energy left there.
Guthix, realising that he would not live forever and that Gielinor would be utterly destroyed upon his passing if he took no action, soon began preparing the aftermath of his inevitable death.[42] Guthix was forced to resort to using a mortal soul to serve as his newest World Guardian, as he did not trust the lesser gods, the Dragonkin were affected by Jas' curse and Seren was too blinded by her elves to do so. Knowing that a mortal soul would be unable to retain godly power, he prepared an enchantment by using both his sword and the Codex (the present-day Mysterious monolith) to create a perfect balance of normal and shadow anima, which would strengthen applicant's soul, giving them the ability to resist some godly magic, including Zaros' and Seren's auras, and accomplishing feats that normal mortals would be incapable of doing.[43] Learning from his failure with Aeternam, he decided that the enchantment would only be gifted to a champion of the people, whose soul would be strong enough to hold the enchantment, and that it would be further strengthened as they continued their adventures.[44]
Despite this however, Guthix needed to rely on someone who was an expert on shadow magic, but because none of them were trustable, eventually chose Sliske to perform the task, as his knowledge would serve as the catalyst for his enchantment to grow.[45] However, in order to do so, he would have to lure Sliske with his own powers, which meant the Mahjarrat would plunge the Staff of Armadyl into him, resulting in his demise.[46] Guthix did not concern himself with this, only hoping that his champion would be prepared for the battles ahead.[47]
All business done, Guthix retreated into a cave to sleep once more. The Guardian Cres was tasked with protecting said cave and erecting barriers around it, who created a balanced dungeon with plenty of automatons to serve as guardians.[48]
Assassination[edit | edit source]
| “ | Remember...your purpose. ...Forget me. | ” |
In desperate attempts to nullify the Edicts and return their gods to Gielinor, various gods' followers began to search for Guthix' refuge at the dawn of the Fourth Age. Most notably the Mahjarrat desired to bring back Zamorak or Zaros, but the god proved unfindable, causing the hunt to eventually cease.[49]
This changed in 169 of the Fifth Age, one of the most turbulent years in Gielinor's history. That year, a down-on-his-luck natural historian in employment of the Varrock Museum, Orlando Smith, discovered what he correctly suspected to be Guthix' refuge in central Kandarin. However, he was unable to open the door concealing the cave. The devious Zarosian Mahjarrat Sliske found out about this and alerted his fellow Zarosian kin, who formed the plan to wake and negotiate Zaros' return with Guthix. The cunning Sliske pretended to go along with their decision, but, having secretly obtained the Staff of Armadyl, actually harboured other plans. Meanwhile, Orlando hired an accomplished adventurer to accompany him into the cave, the door of which they were strangely able to open. Inside, they discovered a smorgasbord of ancient artefacts, including the shattered sword Guthix had slain Skargaroth with.
The adventurer inadvertently set off a security mechanism, activating a silent alarm, which caused the Sword of Edicts in the Wilderness Crater to send distress signals to all the stone circles of the world, and also woke up Guthix himself. It also triggered the release of Cres' security automatons, who detected a Mahjarrat life form in the cave and, thinking it to be Orlando and his companion, killed the former before attacking and being defeated by the latter. Sliske then revealed himself and told the adventurer about the alarm and how various factions would soon arrive to kill Guthix. Concealed in the Shadow Realm, they observed Zemouregal finding out about the discovery through dark wizards from the Varrock stone circle. He then advised the adventurer to side with the Guthixians to defend Guthix from all factions, then aid the Zarosians once they would reach him. He then left as the first enemies, Commander Zilyana and Kree'arra, made their entrance.
After a battle that marked the departure of Kree, the adventurer met with the Guardians of Guthix, who arrived to protect their god with several druids. Together, the party progressed through the cave and met with Cres in the central chamber, where the adventurer was made a Guardian by Guthix as well. From there, they positioned themselves to counter the incoming attacks on the four storage wings. With great effort, they managed to send the Bandosian and three Zamorakian factions packing. Zilyana and her army of Saradomin invaded at that point and, while keeping the other Guthixians distracted, attempted to kill Juna, who was guarding the seal leading to Guthix himself.
The adventurer protected her, but Zilyana, who had been duelling Cres, killed the automaton, mistaking him for Guthix. As he fell, the Zarosian faction - minus Sliske - arrived, having trailed the Saradominists, thus avoiding detection. An argument arose between the Saradominists, Guthixians and Zarosians and the adventurer was forced to pick a side. As they did so, Sliske broke the seal to Guthix in the Shadow Realm and went after the god. The adventurer, unaware of the invader's identity, went after him while under attack of the opposing factions. They found themselves in front of Guthix, when Sliske appeared and mortally wounded the god using the Staff of Armadyl before teleporting away.
The dying Guthix took his newest Guardian into his memories of the Naragi world and recounted his life story to them. Seeing that they were the peoples' champion he had been looking for, he proceeded to gift them the enchantment he had since kept dormant for thousands of years before dying. With his death, his Edicts fell as well, literally raining down upon the world.
In the cave, the people present observed Guthix' petrified body in shock as Saradomin himself arrived after more than two thousand years of absence.
Legacy[edit | edit source]
After the death of Guthix, the abolishment of his Edicts allowed the gods to return to Gielinor starting a new age, the Sixth. As is customary upon a god's death,[50] his energy was dispersed around the world and manifested itself in solid form. His power, along with some memory fragments, also materialised as energy wisps and the ensuing turmoil resulted in damage to the Anima Mundi, which caused energy rifts to bleed out its life force into the world.[51] A few human researchers soon found out about this and discovered how to harvest energy from the wisps and return it to the Anima Mundi, hoping to heal the damage.[52] Others used the harvested energy to create products to suit their own needs.
The Anima Mundi seemed to mourn his death as the trees themselves manifested crying faces on their trunks.
Meanwhile, Kaqemeex, leader of the druids of Taverley, announced the death of Guthix to the world in addition to spreading his wish not to be worshipped. Most druids agreed to stop worshipping him and to spread his teachings instead, and they held a tribute to Guthix. Others, however, were unable to accept his wish and left the order. One of these druids, Biehn, founded an organisation he called the Godless, a name invented by his friend, the famous heroine Kara-Meir. Its members strive to protect Gielinor from the gods, true to Guthix's life goals.
A few months after Guthix's death, Saradomin and Zamorak clashed in the Battle of Lumbridge as they sought to obtain the divine energy Guthix's death had spread over the world. The battle ended with the latter's defeat as Saradomin massively empowered himself using the collected energy.
When Prifddinas began to shake, the elven leaders convened and were unsure of how to deal with the problem. They invited the adventurer, now the World Guardian due to their tremendous deed of restoring Prifddinas to its former glory. Lady Trahaearn recalled a key that could manipulate time, which the World Guardian had collected while helping Jorral preserve his museum. Lady Trahaearn modified the key to allow it to focus on a specific time, which was during the God Wars.
The World Guardian used the key and arrived in the caves Guthix was residing in. Guthix immediately questioned them as he knew few could make his way here, and learned they had used the Amserdrwys, the elven term for the key to reach him. Guthix could also learn about the future where he would be killed and that he would appoint them as the World Guardian. He could also be informed of Zaros' revival, to which he responded for them to be wary as returning from death is an unnatural act requiring great power. Guthix finally learned the reason behind their visit and told the World Guardian that in order to rebuild Seren, they would need to find her major components and fillers just as he sensed an intruder in the caves, which was of Seren but not her.
The World Guardian found the intruder and informed Guthix of them, to which he responded that they could potentially face a difficult decision when they returned. Having learned why Seren would refuse to leave, Guthix intended to visit her a final time; though he knew it would be futile, he thanked the World Guardian for allowing him to find some closure. He then told them to return to their own time and help the elves, and he looked forward to meeting them again in the future.
Powers and abilities[edit | edit source]
Guthix was an exceptionally powerful entity and one of the most powerful among all known young gods, which was likely a result of his prolonged contact with multiple Elder Artefacts. With their aid, he was able to shape the world of Gielinor, which was an empty planet at the time he found it. When he first became a god, Guthix had the ability to open portals to travel to other worlds. He originally required Skargaroth's sword - an Elder Artefact - to do this, but eventually became powerful enough to open portals without it.[source needed] He was also able to easily open many portals through which he banished the warring gods at the end of the Third Age. By this time, however, his powers had been amplified immensely through the use of various other artefacts, including the Stone of Jas, in the First Age. With the aid of the Stone, Guthix concentrated pure magic in chunks of rock, thus creating a vast, albeit finite, supply of runestones. Guthix could show other beings memories of his and is able to bestow power to dampen divine energy.
With the Elder Blade, Guthix had the power to shatter entire planets into fragments, which is how he inadvertently destroyed Renmark.[17]
Through the power of Anima Mundi, he could also create a magical wall that kept any gods to potentially threaten equilibrium from walking on a world, demonstrated by his creation of the 'Edicts of Guthix'. Like most if not all other gods, Guthix had the ability to communicate with his followers while asleep, as proven by his vision to Admiral Dracs Melrose to reform the Void Knights.[53] Additionally, he was able to manipulate the passage of time of beings.[54]
Guthix was a skilled shapeshifter, able to take the form of anything he desired. He has stated himself that he would be able to take on any appearance as people could imagine him.[source needed] He was believed to take the form of a butterfly when he first arrived on Gielinor. When he brought humans to Gielinor, he assumed the form of one himself so as not to frighten them.[55] Additionally, the massive door sealing and the cave wall preceding the Ancient Guthix Temple portray him as a skull with tendrils. His massive power allowed him to leave his body at will - while this could have potentially saved him from death, he chose to die instead in a final act of hoping to be forgotten.[56] Bandos acknowledged Guthix as the world's guardian, and stated in his memories that he was indeed a powerful god, having to stop the Gods war on his own. Bandos, after meeting Guthix, did not attack and surrendered quickly when Guthix told him to leave. Guthix used magic to immobilise several ourgs and prevent them from leaving with Bandos.[57] The god of war became enraged when Guthix forbade him to leave with his armies, at which point he attempted to attack Guthix. Guthix teleported Bandos into the void in with a wave of his hand.[58] He is also able to manipulate shadow anima, as he infused the world guardian's soul with a carefully constructed enchantment of it.[59]
Relationships[edit | edit source]
Armadyl[edit | edit source]
"He understood why gods could not be allowed to remain. He had lost everyone to Gielinor. His people. His hopes. His husband. So he understood the inescapable truth."
Like Zamorak and Bandos, Guthix first encountered the god of justice at the end of the God Wars. In what little time they knew each other, Guthix saw Armadyl's naïveté as his most dangerous weakness, but he was gladdened when Armadyl, who nearly lost his entire race during the God Wars, willingly cooperated with his Edicts and understood the reasons behind them, suggesting that the gods respected one another.[60]
Bandos[edit | edit source]
"Bandos did not go quietly. I don't know why I ever thought he would."
With his thirst for perpetual conflict without any time for peace, the god of war represented everything Guthix stood against. For several years after creating the Edicts, Guthix struggled to defend himself from the armies of Bandos since he stubbornly refused to leave Gielinor. Following a climactic showdown, Bandos demanded the god of balance to honour him by killing him in battle. Instead, Guthix refused and banished Bandos the same way he did with other gods, knowing that he would persistently try to return.[61]
Juna[edit | edit source]
"I give you my tears, and in those tears you will know that I am ever-living; that I am with you, and that I weep to be apart from you."[27]
Juna admired Guthix and saw him as a father and mentor. When he descended into the planet after ending the God Wars, she was stricken with grief and asked him to remain with her, but he declined and left her to guard his tears and thus his essence instead. She has dutifully done so ever since, although the many centuries of isolation led her to idolise Guthix and twist his ideals as she tried to keep him close. For instance, she eventually came to believe the gods to be a sort of community and looked down on defiance and atheism.[62] After being confronted with reality during the Guardians' attempt to protect Guthix in 169, however, she regained an accurate image of her god's views and responded to his death with shock and sorrow.
Saradomin[edit | edit source]
"Terrified refugees spoke of a blue man the size of a mountain. The diviners had angered him, they said, and in that anger he had razed the city."
Saradomin was the first god to arrive on the Naragi homeworld and began the war that would eventually destroy the planet. When Tuska arrived and attacked Saradomin, Guthix was momentarily hopeful, thinking she might be able to defeat him.[63] Although her appearance indeed caused Saradomin to flee, her damage to the world was even greater.[64] When Saradomin himself returned to Gielinor after Guthix's death, he silenced Commander Zilyana when she eagerly showed him his corpse, stating that Guthix's death was regrettable but necessary.[65] It seems he respected the god and compared his views to his own, although he believes that Guthix's methodology of balance was flawed.
Seren[edit | edit source]
"I loved her, even though I knew it was a lie... It really was a beautiful lie."
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After meeting her on the elven homeworld, Seren and Guthix became good friends, largely sharing their beliefs about balance and peace. Additionally, both gods had an affinity with the Anima Mundi. Despite having lived on Gielinor together for nearly four thousand years, Seren was unable to part with her elves when told to by Guthix - as in doing so would lead to their death.
However, Guthix was aware of Seren's aura that compelled those around her to feel love towards her and thought he would not have loved her without it. Despite thinking it was an illusion, Guthix chose to accept it as if it was real.[66]
When he created his Edicts, Guthix visited Seren in Isafdar and ordered her to leave Gielinor. Once more, she found herself unable to do so, and told Guthix of her resolve to shatter herself so to keep the elves alive. Guthix accepted this and Seren shattered herself into many crystals.
Seren would soon discover that Guthix was deceased prior to her return, vowing to take revenge on Sliske for killing him.[67]
Zamorak[edit | edit source]
"I could understand his anger, his pain, his loss. But there was no overlooking his crime."
When Guthix first encountered the injured Zamorak after he corrupted Forinthry into the Wilderness, he wanted to express sympathy for all Zamorak had lost during the God Wars because the god of chaos simply wanted to live free from any and all authority. However, he still held Zamorak in a negative light for committing a colossal crime against Gielinor's balance. Although a memory of Guthix tells the World Guardian in Desperate Times that he regrets the unintended effect of his Edicts—namely, sending entire cultures into exile and despair—he also says he does not regret punishing Zamorak with banishment.[68]
Followers[edit | edit source]
These followers are those who worshipped Guthix before his death and continue to honour him afterwards. Like most worshippers of gods, they have modified his ideologies to a certain degree over time. The most obvious example of this is the very fact that they worship him, much against his will. It is because of this that the god went to sleep in the First Age.
In general, Guthixians strive to achieve balance although they do this in a multitude of ways. For instance, druids are pacifists and practise natural sciences such as herblore, whereas the Void Knights protect the world from void pest invasions in large battles. Arguably the most peculiar Guthixians are the chaos druids, who believe Zamorak's methods are the ideal way to achieve balance.[69] For this, they have been banished by the other druids, a notable example being Urval the Exile.
After Guthix's death, the world was properly informed of his wish not to be followed, to which the Taverlian Order of Druids began honouring rather than worshipping him. Some were unable to accept this and left the order, however, forming their own faction, the Godless.
Groups and races[edit | edit source]
- Druids - Pacifist naturalists and potioneers based in Taverley.
- Certain dwarves - A small but tough group of humanoid who are known to be great miners.
- Moon Clan - A group of magically and telepathically gifted humans.
- Void Knights - Protectors of Gielinor, found at the Void Knights' Outpost.
- Gnomes - A small humanoid race that lives closely with nature.
- Crux Eqal - Underground group of druids fighting the Mahjarrat threat.
- Certain Fremennik - Humans residing in the Fremennik Province.
- Ents - Sapient trees who are able to walk and speak.[70]
- Fairies - Small flying humanoids from Zanaris.
- Moss Giants - A species of giant which are shown to support Guthix.
- Automatons - Creations balanced between nature and technology.
- Chaos druids - Combative druids who strive for balance using Zamorak's methodology.
- Jade Vine (Armies of Gielinor)
- Green Order - One of the founding orders of the first Wizards' Tower.
- Order of Ascension - An extremist organisation that is now attempting to create a new god of balance to worship since Guthix's death.
Notable individuals[edit | edit source]
- Filliman Tarlock - Nature Spirit in Morytania.
- Juna - a Guardian of Guthix who guards the Tears of Guthix in the Lumbridge Swamp Caves.
- Fiara - a Guardian of Guthix who overlooks the Fist of Guthix minigame.
- Balance Elemental - a creation of Guthix, appointed by Guthix to guard the Stone of Jas.
- Valluta - a Guardian of Guthix who was appointed by Guthix to guard the veil between worlds and protect Gielinor from otherworldly threats, especially void pests.
- Thaerisk Cemphier - leader of Crux Eqal.
- Cres - a Guardian of Guthix and the leader of automatons, appointed by Guthix to guard his chamber.
- Spider Queen - queen of the Spider Realm.
- Hazelmere - legendary gnome who was a key political and military figure in the early days of the Gnome Stronghold.
- Jack - founder of the Wizards' Guild.
- Sarah - founder of the Herblore skill.
- Kaqemeex - chairman of C.A.R.E. and leader of the Taverley Order of Druids.
- Harold Death - a Guardian of Guthix who controls time and death.
- Ocellus - a mad Guardian of Guthix currently trying to stop the Order of Ascension.
- Quercus - an ancient ent, who is working against the Wilderness warbands.
- Queen of Snow - queen of the Land of Snow.
- Solak - a Guardian of Guthix who protects The Lost Grove.
Animals associated with Guthix
Dialogue[edit | edit source]
Works[edit | edit source]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
Guthix depicted as a floating metal skull with tendrils.
A statue of Guthix shown in a house chapel.
Concept art for his god form.
Concept art for Guthix as a naragi.
Concept art of his god form.
The crystal Guthix created by the Order of Ascension.
Guthix depicted as a butterfly.
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Update history[edit | edit source]
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- Guthix is possibly based on the ancient Celtic god Cernunnos, who is also associated with nature and often depicted as having horns that form a circle. Plus, his followers include druids, which are commonly associated with Celtic pagan religions.
- Guthix may be partially inspired by the Buddha as well because of his association with nature, natural cycles, and balance.
- In RuneScape Classic, Guthix had a different symbol, only seen on the god stones in the Mage Arena. He was given his current symbol on the transition to RuneScape 2, initially only seen on the Guthix staff.
- Entering the word "murder" or "redrum" in the notes section results in the message "All rest and no play makes Guthix a dull boy." This is a reference to a famous line used in the film The Shining, based on the novel by Stephen King; All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
- In the Origins of Gielinor cinematic, Guthix can be seen with green eyes, but in his resting place, he has cyan eyes. His younger Naragi form portrays him with turquoise eyes.
- Prior to The World Wakes, Guthix was believed to be genderless due to his age and affinity with balance. In the God Letters, he was stated to lack both gender and race due to being a god.
References[edit | edit source]
| Elder Gods | |
| Transcendent gods | |
| High gods | |
| Experienced gods | |
| Inexperienced gods | |
| Demigods | |
| Facets of gods | |
| Unknown power | |
| Mythical | |
| † denotes gods that are deceased; Δ denotes gods with an unknown fate; ๏ denotes gods part of the Menaphite Pantheon; ‡ denotes gods part of the Karamjan Pantheon | |
| Part 2 of the Enchanted Key quest series | |||||||
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| Part 1 of the Sliske's Game quest series | |||||||||
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| Part 10 of the Sliske's Game quest series • Related to the Enchanted Key quest series • Related to the Elf (Prifddinas) quest series | |||||||
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| Part 3 of the The Elder God Wars quest series | |||||||||
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| Part 8 of the The Elder God Wars quest series | |||||||
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