The Elder God Wars are over. Jas is imprisoned in Erebus, and Wen, Bik and Ful remain with Seren on what's left of Iaia. But all is not well back on Gielinor...
The World Guardian finds a badly injured White Knight, Sir Cadian, outside Senntisten. He tells them that he and his comrades were finishing their patrol of the city and preparing to leave when they were suddenly ambushed by Avernic demons. As the demons were slaughtering the White Knights, they were suddenly attacked by something else, a being that killed the other White Knights, but then went after the demons. Sir Cadian describes it as humanoid, but larger than a man, moving like a dancer, and yellow or brown. The World Guardian heads into Senntisten to investigate.
In Senntisten, the World Guardian finds a lot of messily dead White Knights and some piles of ash that used to be demons. They follow a blood trail to Naressa's house, where they find her chatting away happily to Gregorovic. Naressa is under the impression that Gregorovic is actually Erasinus, a demon and good friend of hers who lived in Senntisten a long time ago. Erasinus greets the player, and then suddenly has a shift in personality to Gregorovic, but the Light and Shadow Voices manage to get him to obey them before he can try to eat Naressa, who has no idea what's going on.
The Light and Shadow Voices then point out something important: Gregorovic was a wight, and wights don't eat people or swallow them whole. The most likely explanation is that Erasinus ate Gregorovic and now thinks that he is Gregorovic. The Word Guardian explains this to Naressa, and Erasinus' personality returns and explains that before he was on Gielinor, he was in the Abyss. Sliske summoned him and offered him a human to eat, and then suddenly he was in Senntisten, and he's been having weird blackouts. After the World Guardian confirms it for him, Naressa wonders if maybe she and the World Guardian are also Chthonians. The World Guardian says probably not, they've met (killed) a lot of Abyssals in their time and only met one other demon who genuinely believed it was someone else.
Naressa wants to help Erasinus, who suggests maybe looking in the Senntisten Asylum. However, when they get there, they find that the entrance is locked. The World Guardian searches for keys, and in the meantime, asks Naressa how she met Erasinus- they were both helping to clean up Senntisten after the war. As for the other Nodon, they've been returned to their pods in Orthen, as Naressa couldn't free them from Kerapac's dreamscape. She intends to find a way to free them, however, possibly with the help of Vicendithas and Hannibus. The World Guardian unlocks the Asylum, but the trio are taken prisoner and brought to an unlikely trio- Cyrillus, an Abyssal Lord; Yk'Lagor the Thunderous, a Kal'Gerion demon; and Dahaka, a prehistoric abyssal.
The conversation goes around in circles until Naressa recognises Yk'Lagor as Yakla, an Aughra dragonkin, and realises that some of the demons are actually Aughra. Yk'Lagor/Yakla explains that the Aughra evaded the curse by taking over the bodies of Abyssal demons, but some of them got sick of being Abyssal and projected themselves into Avernic demons instead. It turns out that the dragonkin are familiar with Erasinus' condition, which they call Superimposed Personality Disorder, and also came to the asylum looking for a cure. However, they weren't the ones who attacked the White Knights, but they know something about it, and they agree to tell the World Guardian if they can find a cure.
While searching for the cure, the World Guardian stumbles across Senecianus, the demon they cured in Broken Home. He reveals that the cure they gave him wasn't permanent, so he came to the Asylum to look for a better one. The World Guardian comes up with a cure and tests it on Erasinus and Senecianus, and it works. They give it to Dahaka, and in return, they get the information: Dagon (the demon who was imprisoned in the Infernal Source) infiltrated Infernus and reported that Zamorak has been moving demons off Infernus. They're not certain as to how many and where to, but the evidence suggests thousands of demons, and Gielinor is the destination.
The dragonkin leave for the Abyss, and the World Guardian and their allies part ways: the World Guardian will head to Falador to inform Saradomin, Naressa heads back to Orthen to watch over the Nodon, and the demons decide to seek out Veilinius. Before they leave, the World Guardian asks Erasinus about how 'Gregorovic' responded to them, and he says that the Light and Shadow Voices have the magical resonance of Sliske. The World Guardian wonders if they have the same disorder as Erasinus, but after explaining, he says no, but they have part of Sliske's essence in their soul, so they might want to do something about that.
In Falador, Saradomin is receiving petitioners, with Adrasteia trying to help him be less stern and angry. First up is Duke Horatio, who explains that even though it's been ten years since the Battle of Lumbridge, the duchy is deeply in debt because of how the area around the battle was devastated and how much it cost to clear up. In addition, the crops are failing thanks to Kerapac's shadow anima experiments, and they can't afford to buy food elsewhere. Saradomin is angry that he's getting the blame, but after Adrasteia chides him for it, he admits that he could have worked harder to contain the destruction. He gives Lumbridge a million gold in reparations (and a lot of players who are wearing significantly more than that in armour feel guilty and/or sceptical at the amount), and then it's the World Guardian's turn.
The World Guardian fills Saradomin in, and he in turn tells them something interesting: there's been reports of cultist activity at the Star Lodge, which leads to the Infernal Source, a demon summoning site in the Wilderness. The World Guardian heads over there and asks around. They come across Blythe, a young Zamorakian who wants to join the cult but isn't sure that she has what it takes. She quizzes them on Zamorakian lore, decides that she needs to study more and leaves, giving the World Guardian some cultist robes. The World Guardian infiltrates the cult and discovers that Zamorak has absorbed the power of the Eye of Het and is using it to bring an army of demons to Gielinor.
Back at Falador, Adrasteia has brought Garlandia to Saradomin to try to make amends. It doesn't go too well- even after Saradomin apologises, Garlandia is furious and says that the only thing she really wants from him is to leave, along with the other gods. Saradomin is visibly done with her and calls over the World Guardian. They give their report, but messengers appear and tell Saradomin that Misthalin and Burthorpe are under attack by demons who are teleporting in. Saradomin admits that there's hardly anything he can do- most of his troops were wiped out, and his allies all suffered significant losses. The only one who didn't was Zamorak himself.
Bilrach teleports in and delivers a message from Zamorak, which amounts to 'You've already lost, I've won, I have more forces than you can imagine, so surrender and I'll spare your people, but refuse and I'll destroy everything'. Saradomin refuses to abandon Gielinor to Zamorak, but there's no real options left- even directly opposing Zamorak wouldn't stop the flood of demons. However, the Light and Shadow Voices point out another option: bringing the Edicts back. The World Guardian goes off to investigate, and Adrasteia directs them to the Tree of Balance, where the Guardians of Guthix are meeting.
The other Guardians are on board with bringing the Edicts back, but it's complicated. First, they imbue the World Guardian with the knowledge Guthix left them, and next, they need a location to try a trial run. The ideal place would be the Sword of Edicts in the Wilderness, but it's crawling with Zamorakians. They need a location that has a lot of divine power, but is stable- and none of them have any other ideas. The World Guardian asks Saradomin, who says that the Elder Crown was useful for lesser scrying, and with its absence, he's created a crude device for doing the same thing.
The energy scanner first sends the World Guardian to the Hall of Memories. The Archivist tells them that the location is stable, but it doesn't have enough power. Next up is the Guthixian cache, but while it has enough power, it's not stable. Third is the Lost Grove, which is perfectly suited. Merethiel admits that ordinarily she'd be against the Edicts, but Seren has already abandoned the elves and Angof may be able to help them survive. The Guardians of Guthix come to the Lost Grove, and after sending the World Guardian to pick up some god birds from Isaura to use in the ritual, it's time.
The test ritual should, if successful, banish the god birds back to their worlds of origin. When attempted, the World Guardian confirms that it will definitely banish the gods, but it'll leave the Mahjarrat and demigods alone. The World Guardian can cast the spell, but not control it, so it'll throw the gods off Gielinor whether they want to leave or not, and they'll never be able to come back. In addition, if successfully cast, the World Guardian will lose their powers. The World Guardian reports this to Saradomin, who isn't happy at the idea, but Garlandia tells him that if he's really willing to do what is necessary, he needs to actually do it.
Adrasteia flips her shit at Garlandia, but Saradomin tells her to stop and agrees that he'll do it. He admits that he's just as responsible for Zamorak's actions as Zamorak himself, because Zamorak feeds off adversity and Saradomin is his greatest rival. He declares that once the Edicts are back, Saradomin will take the fight to Zamorak, but at least Gielinor will be safe. He summons Armadyl, Azzanadra and Icthlarin to the Empyrean Citadel and fills them in on the plan. The other three assent, but it's not as simple as that: the Edicts can only be restored at the Sword of Edicts, which is under Zamorak's control and highly fortified. The World Guardian says that they'll fight Zamorak and hold him off until they can perform the ritual. The gods agree to help however they can and leave.
Quest Complete... actually, not just yet. The Light and Shadow Voices decide to have a conversation with the World Guardian. They confirm that they are the manifestation of the World Guardian's powers, and they resemble Sliske because Guthix needed Sliske's knowledge of the Shadow Realm to give the World Guardian the powers. They make their goodbyes, and the quest is actually complete.
Tropes:
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: The Shadow Voice points out that the game update coming after the update that saw the release of this quest involves a boss fight against Zamorak.
- Broke Your Arm Punching Out Cthulhu: Discussed. Because the World Guardian doesn't have the same level of control as Guthix does over the ritual to re-establish the Edicts of Guthix, they won't be able to enact it without surrendering their World Guardian powers permanently. That said, they come to terms with the cost involved to stop the threat Zamorak poses towards Gielinor.
- The Chessmaster: Zamorak's forces didn't suffer as many losses as the other god factions did during the Elder God Wars due to his plans after the battle, which sees him seize the leftover power of the Eye of Het to shield both the Wilderness Volcano and the Infernal Source and summon hordes of demons in preparation for his invasion on and conquest of Gielinor once more.
- Don't Ask: While performing a test run of the ritual required to cast the Edicts of Guthix, the Guardians of Guthix end up requiring an effigy that contains sufficient amounts of Guthix's energy. They conclude that the closest thing to such an effigy is the World Guardian themself, who points out they can't serve as the effigy while performing the ritual. In response to this, Ocellus produces a doll of the player, without offering so much as an explanation to when he made it or how. The World Guardian is justifiably baffled at this, but is advised not to dwell on it.Player: Ocellus... What is this? How did you- Is that my hair?
Valluta: There are times when knowledge is not power, World Guardian. When it's...best not to ask. - Hypocrite: Garlandia accuses Saradomin of being this when he refuses to allow himself to be banished along with Zamorak, even though it is clear that there is no other option. Shockingly enough, Saradomin concedes that she's right and finally agrees to the plan.Saradomin: NO! This will NOT come to pass! There is too much to be done, too many iniquities to-
Garlandia: On the contrary, this solves the greatest iniquity of all. You boast incessantly about integrity and honour. And now that you are finally in a position to make amends you hide behind the same, feeble excuses.
Saradomin: Garlandia...
Garlandia: You have said time and time again that you are willing to do what is necessary. For once, Saradomin, be a man of your word. - It Has Been an Honor: At the end of the quest, the Light and Shadow voices reflect on the time they spent with the World Guardian since Sliske's death and share some parting words, saddened from knowing they would disappear for good after the World Guardian permanently surrenders their powers to re-establish the Edicts of Guthix.
- No Sympathy for Grudgeholders: Adrasteia, of all people, calls out Garlandia on going out of her way to spite Saradomin no matter how hard he tries to make amends.
- A Scar to Remember: Garlandia deliberately refrained from having her wings restored so that others could be reminded of Saradomin's cruelty, and becomes somewhat offended when Adrasteia offers that he undo the damage.Adrasteia: He could restore your wings. It is within his power.
Garlandia: Restore my wings? RESTORE MY WINGS? You little idiot. It has been thousands of years. Do you not think others have offered? It is hardly a feat that requires the attentions of a god.
Adrasteia: Then why do you still-
Garlandia: My body is a monument to his cruelty. Everywhere I go, people are reminded of it. My mutilation is the greatest thing of value that I have. He will not take that from me too! - Took a Level in Badass: Zamorak regains the wings he lost during his confrontation against Zaros in Freneskae at some point after the events of the Elder God Wars.
