Missing, Presumed Death

For the achievement, see Missing, Presumed Death (achievement).

This article has a quick guide. Quick guides provide a brief summary of the steps needed for completion.

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Missing, Presumed Death (#191)
Release date								15 October 2013 (Update)
Members								No
Voice Over								Full
Official series								Sliske's Game #3
Age								Sixth Age
Timeline								World Guardian
Start area								Silvarea
Combat								NPC combat level scaled
Entity icon
Advanced data
Quest ID								364
Quest create ID								200
Official difficulty								Novice
Links								Quests

Missing, Presumed Death is a quest that features Death, who has gone missing, and the Menaphite god of the dead, Icthlarin, who is attempting to take over his role until he is found. The quest starts in Silvarea, west of Paterdomus, where some monks have been murdered, their souls unable to pass on due to Death's disappearance.

It also involves Sliske the Mahjarrat, revealing how he obtained the Staff of Armadyl from the Dragonkin prior to the assassination of Guthix.

Official description

When a group of Saradominist monks are slaughtered by an unknown assailant you are asked by the only survivor - a monk who is extremely traumatised - to find the killer and bring them to justice. But there's more to this puzzle than meets the eye, starting with the souls of the dead monks being trapped in their bodies...

Overview

Start point	Speak to Brother Samwell in Silvarea, west of Paterdomus, east of Varrock. Show on map	2013#6
Member requirement	Free to play
Official length	Medium to Long
Requirements	Quests: Missing, Presumed Death None
Follows events	For full storyline comprehension, completion of the following quests is recommended but not required. Quests: Missing, Presumed Death Koschei's Troubles (miniquest) Blood Runs Deep Horror from the Deep… Dream Mentor… Glorious Memories… Completed easy, medium, and hard Fremennik achievements Ritual of the Mahjarrat The Temple at Senntisten… While Guthix Sleeps… Hazeel Cult Enakhra's Lament The Slug Menace… A Fairy Tale III - Battle at Ork's Rift… Rocking Out… A Tail of Two Cats… Fight Arena The General's Shadow (miniquest)… The Chosen Commander Land of the Goblins Another Slice of H.A.M.… Fishing Contest Ritual of the Mahjarrat… The World Wakes Ritual of the Mahjarrat… The Firemaker's Curse The Branches of Darkmeyer Legacy of Seergaze… Legends' Quest… The Void Stares Back A Void Dance… Conquest tutorial The Chosen Commander… The Death of Chivalry
Items required	Items from the tool belt are not listed unless they do not work or are not automatically added. None
Recommended	Combat equipment Wicked hood, to teleport to the Wizards' Tower, or activated Draynor lodestone, or Traveller's necklace Archaeology journal, Dig Site pendant, Fort Forinthry Teleport, or Earth Altar teleport using the Wicked Hood, to get to Brother Samwell faster Bonesack(e) offers teleports direct to the Odd Old Man
Enemies to defeat	11 Wights, Wight rangers, and Wight footsoldiers

Murders in Silvarea

To start the quest, speak to Brother Samwell in the mountain pass of Silvarea, located west of Paterdomus and east of Varrock. After you calm him down, he hands you an investigator's notebook.

There are three core clues. Investigate the torso of the dead monk in the northeast, a plant a little further east to find a lost ring, and a tree to the southwest with an arrow stuck in it. An additional clue is found by listening to the trapped soul of the monk to the southwest. If not all pieces register as "found", destroy the problem item and find it again.

Return to Brother Samwell, who asks you to find a witness. Go up the hill to the Odd Old Man. In order to get him to talk, persuade him twice and then threaten him. He will say that he saw an elf, and after the monks were murdered, a tall, hooded figure making off to the east, who seemed to be taller than the elf and wearing darker clothes.

Return to Brother Samwell again and select any of the chat options. It won't matter who you pick to accuse, as you will be investigating further.

Next, follow the crystals to the east. These crystals are small and blue; they may not appear on low detail. The trail leads up the steps and off towards the beacon. Upon coming to the end of the trail, search the dead elf there to find a core clue in her arms, and an additional clue by listening to her soul. Afterward, investigate the plant to the west to find a necklace, the clothing on the fence to the south-east and the bench further south-west to find a letter. Talk to Blaze Sharpeye at the beacon by threatening him twice then persuading him for more information.

Chat with Brother Samwell again and he will send you to your next destination.

Go to the Wizards' Tower south of Draynor and talk to Wizard Valina (at the front entrance). Show her the clues, then ask her about elves, Saradominist wizards, and teleportation. If you accuse her of covering up for wizards for a more thorough explanation, she claims that it is neither elves nor wizards who did the crime — this is not necessary to proceed with the quest.

Fighting the Wights with Icthlarin by your side

Return to Brother Samwell and tell him what was learned. Select the option about a "Clear conclusion." Choose any option to discuss a possible suspect, but none of the clues address the trapped souls. Icthlarin communicates with you telepathically and appears. Go through all his dialogue options to learn about Death's disappearance and their work. At this point, 4 wights attack. Their life points vary depending on your level. Icthlarin will battle them alongside you with magic, but you will have to finish them off yourself as he can only weaken them to 2 life points.

After defeating the wights, the last one you kill drops an invitation box. The box, left by the killer Sliske, invites Icthlarin to attend his ascension. Ichthlarin debates going but decides to do so after dealing with the dead monks. Open the invitation box to be transported to the Empyrean Citadel.

The Empyrean Citadel

The followers of the gods gather outside the citadel.

Upon arriving at the citadel, there are representatives of the gods standing outside a set of doors guarded by the Barrows brothers. You may talk to any of them for some interesting, but inconsequential, dialogue. Speak with Icthlarin and tell him you wish to enter the citadel.

The Zamorakian Mahjarrat are present, who tell you that Zamorak is threatening to disown the Mahjarrat after they failed to attend the Battle of Lumbridge, and Zemouregal expresses a desire to claim godhood for himself. Commander Zilyana and Ilfeen can be found arguing over the murders of Saradominists and Serenists earlier in the quest, to which you have an option to tell them about the truth about what Sliske did or side with one of them. Depending on your choice in The World Wakes, Zilyana will either believe you if you tell the truth or continue to argue with Ilfeen.

The Zarosian Mahjarrat are also present, with Azzanadra still fully believing that Sliske is Zarosian, while Wahisietel continues to doubt his true motives, and calls Azzanadra a fool for trusting him. Kharshai is there trying to quell the contact between the two bands of Mahjarrat, while K'ril Tsutsaroth, General Graardor, Flight Killisa and Flockleader Geerin are there to serve their respective gods.

When you are finished, talk to Icthlarin to proceed, who will enter through the main door, evoking anger from Zemouregal, who then tries to enter himself, only to be repelled by Sliske's shadow magic.

The Maze

Enter the door to the west then head north to the window to witness a cutscene of Saradomin, Zamorak, Bandos, and Armadyl arguing. Icthlarin enters and tries to unite them to no avail.

Navigating through Sliske's maze.

Once the cutscene is over, head to the southwest corner to find a storage crate, which you can search to find a note revealing that Sliske is planning to experiment on the Barrows brothers in the Shadow Realm. Continue out the south east window, jumping over the gap, running over the planks, jumping down the rocks then up the rocks to enter the western window. Climb through the obstacle, then head outside. You'll find another storage crate here, which reveals an invitation list, listing all of the gods as invited, and listing you and Death as "other mischief makers." Head to the northern door to proceed.

Attack of the Wights

Fighting Sliske's army of Wights

Enter the northern room and you will find a wight footsoldier in the shadows, and a Sliske Mask will warn you to turn on the lights before you start the fight. Follow its advice and pull all three levers in the room, as this will reveal some light in the room which makes the wights vulnerable, as you can only harm them while they are standing in these spots. You may have to lure each wight into the light in order to kill it.

After killing the first wight footsoldier, two wight rangers will appear, and on their death, 4 wight footsoldiers. Once all the wights are dead, go to the eastern window to view a cutscene of the gods, discussing why they are here. Zamorak reveals that he attended to see another of his kind ascend, Armadyl came to try and reclaim his citadel, Bandos came because Sliske promised there would be a war, and Saradomin came due to wishing to confront Seren about the attack on the monks. Icthlarin reveals that the attack was a set up by Sliske, and reveals that he came due to Sliske kidnapping Death, which causes Bandos and Zamorak to mock him.

After finishing the cutscene, go through the door to the north. If you die in the battle, you have to restart the waves; however, the lights stay on.

The Shadow/Light Chamber

The solution to the puzzle

You will encounter a room with two sentient masks on a viewing panel, a cheerful mask named Light and a depressed mask named Shadow, who will tell you that they are in charge of the puzzle involving the lights and shadows.

Sliske makes his grand entrance.

Clicking on the panel yields an interface in which you need to rotate the shadow casters to project an image on the floor. Rotate the bottom-left machine once, the top-left one twice, the top-right one three times and the bottom-right machine once, which will reveal a shadow of Sliske's symbol. Go to the window to view a cutscene of Sliske's arrival, and then continue through the door to the east.

The Statue of Death

In the next room, you will initially appear to see Death, but on getting closer, it will be revealed to be a simple statue. Talk to the Statue of Death, and it will promise that it will give you Death, or at the very least "a gift worthy for the gods themselves" if you solve his riddles.

For each of the riddles, the answer can be found in the form of an item in one of the chests next to him. The item then must then be placed on the Answer Plinth next to him. An additional chest will open with each riddle.

Riddle	Solution	Picture	Location
I can build castles, that melt in the rain, but I trickle down, as the seconds drain.	Sand		First chest
I can fall from the sky, but I cannot climb higher, I spring with no legs, I run but don't tire.	Water		Second chest
Glass can't create me, but stone and steel do, I'm made by the sun, but out of its view, I can be tiny, and also be vast, in the shape of my maker, like a spell I am cast.	Shadow		Second chest

After solving the last riddle, you receive an invitation to Sliske's ascension, and the statue will reveal that he told a "little white lie" about giving you Death. Go to the window to see the gods arguing once again, who eventually proceed to threaten to kill Sliske, causing him to reveal Death and the Dragonkin Strisath in the cages next to him, threatening to kill Death and release Strisath if he is attacked. Leave by the southern door and jump off the drop down the drain.

On the Edge of War

The gods at Sliske's 'ascension'

Speak to one of the Barrows brothers to get inside the main room. Once inside, and after some dialogue that is dependent on which, if any, God Emissary you have supported, and Sliske announces a contest: whoever kills the most gods will be awarded the Stone of Jas, which he reveals he obtained by luring Strisath into the Shadow Realm in order to capture him and claim the Staff of Armadyl, before proceeding to use it to track his connection to the stone, which he found in one of five locations, depending on which number you chose during Ritual of the Mahjarrat.

Strisath goes on a rampage.

After you make a decision as to whether to trust Sliske and state which god you plan to side with, Sliske sets the dragonkin loose (which goes on a rampage) and throws the key to Death's cage at you. Icthlarin puts up a shield to protect you from the dragonkin's attacks while you get to Death. The Gods quickly flee from Strisath, and he will soon begin attacking you and Icthlarin. If Icthlarin's shield is destroyed, he will die, and the sequence will start over.

To rescue Death, head west and stamp out the flames, then head south and stamp out a second set of flames. Now you get to Death's cage (you may need to increase your graphics settings if you cannot see the flames). Free him and return to Icthlarin. Talk to him and Icthlarin's shield will disappear, causing Death to call his Scythe and teleport himself, Icthlarin and you to safety just before one of Strisath's fireballs hits you.

• 

  Sliske unleashes the dragonkin, Strisath.

• 

  Sliske attacks Icthlarin.

• 

  Death teleports you and Icthlarin away, just in time to avoid Strisath's fireball.

Finishing Up

You will arrive back in Silvarea, by Brother Samwell, and Death and Icthlarin will thank you for freeing Death, and also warn you that another God War will soon begin, with both the gods and mortals wishing to claim the Stone of Jas for themselves. Samwell will be saddened that Sliske was not brought to justice due to his actions against his brothers, although Death quickly reassures him that he will take their souls to the afterlife so they can rest in peace.

With his brothers' souls at rest, Samwell thanks you for your assistance and rewards you.

Congratulations, quest complete!

Rewards

• 2 quest points
• 500 experience lamp
• 1,000 experience lamp
• 1,500 experience lamp
• Mask of Sliske, Light/Mask of Sliske, Shadow cosmetic headgears
• Book of the underworld
• Invitation box, used to teleport to the Empyrean Citadel
• 2 Treasure Hunter keys (Ironman accounts will not receive these)
  

Additional rewards/activities

• Two new death animations also from the Statue of Death, one featuring Death and one featuring Icthlarin
• 50,000 experience lamp (requires level 75 Constitution to use)
• 30,000 experience lamp (requires level 75 in the chosen skill to use)
• 50,000 experience lamp (requires level 75 Thieving to use)
• 30 barrows amulets (requires level 80 Combat to claim)
  

Music unlocked

• Undying
• Empyrean Citadel
• Cliffhanger
• Dying Light
• Faces Obscura
• Free Death

Achievements

• Missing, Presumed Death ( 0) – Complete this quest.
• I Presume These Rewards Are Mine, Death? ( 20) – Claim all rewards from the statue of Death after 'Missing, Presumed Death'.

Required for completing

Missing, Presumed Death is directly required for the following quests/miniquests:

• Dishonour among Thieves
• Fate of the Gods
• Kindred Spirits
• Mahjarrat Memories (miniquest)
• Full comprehension of Once Upon a Time in Gielinor: Fortunes
• One of a Kind
• The Mighty Fall

It is therefore an indirect requirement for the following quests and miniquests:

• Aftermath
• Azzanadra's Quest
• Battle of the Monolith
• Children of Mah
• City of Senntisten
• Full comprehension of Curse of the Black Stone
• Desperate Creatures
• Desperate Measures
• Full comprehension of Desperate Times
• Full comprehension of Evil Dave's Big Day Out
• Extinction
• Eye of Het I
• Eye of Het II
• Full completion of Fate of the Gods
• Full comprehension of Heart of Stone
• Full comprehension of Hero's Welcome
• Nomad's Elegy
• Once Upon a Time in Gielinor: Finale
• Sins of the Father
• Sliske's Endgame
• Tales of Nomad (miniquest)
• The Light Within
• Twilight of the Gods

Post-quest FAQ

• Missing, Presumed Death - FAQ

Transcript

This article on a quest has an associated dialogue page. Click here for a transcript of possible conversations and other messaging encountered throughout the quest. Click here for a transcript of the quest's journal entry.

Gallery

• 

  A player having Icthlarin guide their soul after death.

• 

  A player having Death reap their soul after death.

• 
• 

  Another head banner used.

Credits

Missing, Presumed Death
Developers
Developer			Mod Ollie
Quality Assurance
Quality assurance			Mod Chaose

Update history

This information has been compiled as part of the update history project. Some updates may not be included—see here for how to help out!

• ninja 18 July 2022 (Update):
  • An issue preventing some players from completing Missing, Presumed Death has been fixed.

• patch 20 August 2018 (Update):
  • A slight graphical tweak in the Missing, Presumed Death quest should make some areas easy to see.

• patch 22 January 2018 (Update):
  • Unless unlocked during the quest, music tracks from Missing, Presumed Death will now unlock upon completion by visiting the Empyrean Citadel.

• patch 29 January 2018 (Update):
  • Players who have not unlocked all of the Missing, Presumed Death music tracks after completing the quest will find them unlocked upon their next login.

• patch 4 December 2017 (Update):
  • An issue with using the ring of recoil against the spotlit wights in Missing, Presumed Death has been fixed.
  • Fixed issues in three Missing, Presumed Death cutscenes that triggered the message "To go here you must you must login to be a members' server." on free worlds.

• ninja 9 October 2017 (Update):
  • A list of recommended quests has been added to the accept window for Missing, Presumed Death.
  • The Missing, Presumed Death quest is now free to play.

• patch 24 July 2017 (Update):
  • The models for the Mahjarrat that appear in Missing, Presumed Death have been updated.

• patch 13 February 2017 (Update):
  • Saradomin's appearance in Missing, Presumed Death has been graphically updated to match his Sixth Age appearance in Sliske's Endgame.

• nxt 31 October 2016 (Update):
  • A lighting issue in Missing, Presumed Death's chests puzzle room has been fixed.

• patch 20 July 2015 (Update):
  • Missing, Presumed Death now advances correctly if the first batch of wights are defeated with recoil damage.

• patch 6 July 2015 (Update):
  • Zemouregal (rejuvenated and skeletal) - in the Dominion Tower, the Nadir saga, Defender of Varrock, Ritual of the Mahjarrat, The World Wakes, and Missing, Presumed Death - has been graphically updated.
  • Armoured zombies in the Dominion Tower, Defender of Varrock, Curse of Arrav, Ritual of the Mahjarrat, The World Wakes and Missing, Presumed Death have been graphically updated.

• patch 17 March 2014 (Update):
  • Players can now stand on the podiums in the Empyrean Citadel after completing Missing, Presumed Death.

• patch 7 January 2014 (Update):
  • Some missing voiceover from 'Missing, Presumed Death' has been filled in.

• patch 13 November 2013 (Update):
  • The doors from the Armadylean Citadel after Missing, Presumed Death have been removed to allow access to the main chamber.
  • A remaining god in the Armadylean Citadel after Missing, Presumed Death will now speak.

• patch 6 November 2013 (Update):
  • The chat window is now hidden during one of the combat sections of Missing, Presumed Death to prevent NPCs from "hiding" beneath it.
• A typo in Ali the Wise's post-quest chat for Missing, Presumed Death has been rectified.

• patch 30 October 2013 (Update):
  • A typo in The Book of the Underworld from the Missing, Presumed Death quest has been fixed.

• patch 22 October 2013 (Update):
  • Gods are no longer be sunk into their podiums on minimum detail levels during Missing, Presumed Death.
  • A typo in Wahisietel's dialogue during Missing, Presumed Death has been corrected.
  • There is now a reminder that Missing, Presumed Death uses voiceovers on quest start.

• update 15 October 2013 (Update):
  • Added to game.

Trivia

• The quest's title is a pun on the phrase "missing, presumed dead," which was used in times of war when someone was missing in battle, no body having been identified.
• "Final answer" the confirmation choice in the riddle game is a reference to the television show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?".
• Sliske's dialogue "Are you sitting comfortably?" is a reference to the old BBC children's radio show "Listen with Mother".
• A purple aura could be seen over Zaros' podium, indicating that the Empty Lord was fully aware of what was happening. Azzanadra additionally says that Zaros is 'ever-present'.
• If you have revived Hazeel and/or released Kharshai, they will be present at the citadel. Hazeel will take Khazard's place, though.
• The talking masks in the first puzzle room occasionally say things that break the fourth wall, such as referring to the puzzle as novice difficulty or accusing you of using a walkthrough, amongst others.
• Relomia, the Emissary of Sliske, can be seen on the walkway to the second puzzle room on one of the floating rocks in the distance. She seems to have arrived to see Sliske.
• Upon completion of the quest, the Adventure's Log states: I saved Death from Sliske, after hearing him announce that he would give the Stone of Jas to the person that could kill the most gods.
• After completion of the quest, additional dialogue is available with Brassica Prime (who can be found on a podium in the throne-room), Azzanadra and Wahisietel, involving the current state of Sliske and the Stone of Jas.
• Although initially, the throne room remained closed after the completion of Missing, Presumed Death, both the purple aura floating above Zaros' pedestal and Brassica Prime were visible from the outside. It has since opened up. Zaros' aura is no longer present, but Brassica Prime remains; he claims he likes the way the cushion feels on his leaves.
• The symbols on the empty platforms seem to indicate that several other gods were invited but did not attend. These were Zaros (who did not physically attend), Seren, Marimbo and, ironically, Guthix.
• If you have aligned with the Godless, you will see additional text in reference to this about how you have earned your place among the Gods: "I have pledged allegiance to the Godless. I have more right to be here - or in Gielinor for that matter - than any of you."