Gielinorian God Wars

The **Gielinorian God Wars** was a significant series of battles and conflicts that spanned the entirety of the Third Age. A living remnant of the war can be found in the remains of a temple in the far north.

## History

During the end of the Second Age, Zaros had near total control over the mainland continents. When he was betrayed and defeated by several of his followers, lead by Zamorak, the Second Age ended and the Third Age began.

With the defeat of Zaros, Zamorak was carried to Infernus, the home of the demons, where he lead a civil war to overthrow the Cthonians, and give the Avernic their freedom. While Zamorak was gone, many other gods sought to claim Zaros' old country. Nineteen years later, when Zamorak won the war on Infernus, he returned and began to lay claim to Zaros' empire. Gaining much support from the formerly Zarosian legions, he began rounding up Zaros' remaining loyalist followers and attempted to either convert or destroy them. Saradomin and various other gods had already begun this process some time ago  and occasionally allied with Zamorak in claiming or destroying remnants of the empire. While the majority of the empire fell quickly, Senntisten, and a few other cities, held out for hundreds of years after the fall of their God-Emperor.

At some point, most of the Vampyres, who had assisted Zamorak in his rebellion against Zaros, deserted Zamorak, and conquered the land of Hallowvale, ruled by Saradomin, and home of the Icyene.

Many gods fought and died in the wars . For the majority of the conflict, Zamorak had fought against Saradomin. Armadyl was closely allied with Saradomin throughout this time with Bandos joining in sometime later. The three stood allied against Zamorak in their final battle.

During the Wars, countless civilizations, races, and animal species disappeared. Many were destroyed, while others hid themselves or underwent drastic changes in order to survive. Much of the world itself was mutated; once healthy lands were ruined or reformed.

Towards the end of the nearly multi millennia war, Zamorak was surrounded in the land of Forinthry, where he detonated an massive explosion with the use of the Stone of Jas in an attempt to either save his life or in an attempt to take the other combatants down with him. This explosion devastated an entire continent, and damaged the world's Anima which woke the sleeping god Guthix. Upon waking, Guthix and his few followers banished nearly all gods from Gielinor. Afterwards, he built a barrier around the world by tuning the planet's anima. Finally, Guthix planted a massive sword into the crater of a volcano, at the center of a destroyed continent, as a warning to the world.

It was at this time that the Third Age had finally ended.

## War tactics

See:Military Forces of the Late Third Age

## References

Main:Third Age

1. ↑ Children of Mah, Throne Room Cutscene. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Delv8X4VF5E
2. ↑  Zemouregal. Zemouregal's Memory. "Once the battle was won, and Zaros's shrivelled remains lay at Zamorak's feet, the Tsutsaroth saw no reason to wait. Zamorak, though visibly coursing with the divinity of our former lord, collapsed to the ground in agony and exhaustion.(...) Thammaron gathered them around Zamorak's body, opening a portal to Infernus. Between them, the mighty demons were able to lift the new god, and they carried him out of Gielinor."
3. ↑ Palkeera. Palkeera's Memory. "After the destruction of Zaros, Zamorak fulfilled his pledge to the Avernic by travelling with them to Infernus to overthrow the Chthonians. After the destruction of Zaros, Zamorak fulfilled his pledge to the Avernic by travelling with them to Infernus to overthrow the Chthonians. Even with his new divine powers, this took him nearly twenty years, but by the end every Chthonian had been destroyed or exiled to the Abyss.
4. ↑ Zemouregal. Zemouregal's Memory. "Nineteen years later, Zamorak returned to Gielinor at the head of an Avernic demon army even larger than the one Zaros had invaded with, although admittedly not as well-disciplined now that the Chthonians had been exterminated or exiled to the Abyss."
5. ↑  Zemouregal. Zemouregal's Memory."Once the battle was won, and Zaros's shrivelled remains lay at Zamorak's feet, the Tsutsaroth saw no reason to wait. Zamorak, though visibly coursing with the divinity of our former lord, collapsed to the ground in agony and exhaustion.(...) Denied our leader, the rebel army fell back from the capital, although many former Zarosians flocked to our banner as news of what had occurred spread. Azzanadra led a furious assault that drove us out of the city and across the empire. (...) the other gods chose this time of crisis to launch their own invasions into the stricken empire"
6. ↑ Dagroda. Book of Zaros. "The massed armies of Zamorak and Saradomin approach us at once, each larger than any army the city has repulsed before. Wahisietel's attempts to set the armies against one another have failed."
7. ↑ Dagroda. Book of Zaros. "For a hundred generations we have held the Holy City against the armies of the usurper and the other gods. Alone among the armies of this world at war, we fight without the presence of our god, and yet we stand unconquered. But our city now faces an unprecedented threat. (...) With a heavy heart, I therefore decree that we are to abandon the Holy City and retreat to the strongholds of Carrallangar, Dareeyak and Ghorrock
8. ↑ Mod Jack. Military Forces of the Late Third Age. "In recent years Lord Drakan betrayed Zamorak and withdrew to Morytania with most of the Gielinorian vampyres." https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vYuVUeImZWEiutDRw4\_loK7r9gpugoctbgJm65L0XoM/edit#
9. ↑ Saradomin. God Letters. "All of the deities currently in this realm, and some who now are no longer with us, were involved in the war. Each took a faction, whether their own, or choosing to side with one of the stronger factions, until the only factions left were mine own and those supporting the hateful Zamorak. It was as things were building to a crescendo that the ancient Guthix, who had been unknown to us previously, stepped in and banished our combat from the lands. Sadly this has meant many of the issues over which we fought remain unfulfilled, but I blame not Guthix for his untimely intervention. If he had not interfered in our squabbles it is likely this world would have been scarred beyond repair, and I wish not for innocence to be the casualty of our war."
10. ↑ Saradomin, Zamorak, Armadyl & Bandos. Dishonour Amongst Thieves. "Saradomin: You are defeated, Zamorak. Give up the Stone!
Zamorak: Never! You betrayed me, Saradomin. You threw away our alliance the moment your knife could find my back!
Armadyl: Please, Zamorak. Look at the Stone. Your desperation is causing it to become unstable!
Bandos: Close that beak of yours. We have you surrounded, Zamorak. Your armies lay in ruins on all sides!"
11. ↑ Juna. God Letters. "Myriad and beautiful were the creatures and civilisations of the early ages of the world. Gielinor was a work of art, shaped lovingly over the millennia by the creative mind of Guthix. Only the sturdiest races survived the Godwars, and even then only by abandoning their high culture and gearing their societies towards war. Of the more delicate races there is now no trace, and almost no memory. One such race had bodies as fragile as snowflakes, yet they built crystal cities that stood for a thousand years. The wind would whisper through the spires and fill them with sweet harmonies, and the rising sun would shine through the precious gems that studded the towers and create inter plays of light as if rainbows were dancing. Indeed, so marvelous was this light-show that the patterns of light themselves became alive, and great flocks of luminous creatures rode along the gem cast beams, each drawn to its own colour. The creatures you see floating in this chasm are the last sorry remnants of that age. I do not know how they made their way here and survived to this time, but I am grateful for their company."
12. ↑ Zanik & Goblin. Death to the Dorgeshuun. "Zanik: Yes! The Dorgeshuun tribe? We live underground, We've been cut off from other goblins for generations but now we're back!
Goblin: What?
Zanik: We, er, we're your distant cousins? We want to learn about your culture."
13. ↑ Orgins of Gielinor Video. "In the north, a god named Zamorak tore a continent asunder. Gielinor, one perfect, was forever scarred." https://youtu.be/TB88piitm9o?t=141
14. ↑ Drezel. Nature Spirit. "Mort Myre was once a beautiful forest by the name of Humblethorn until the evil denizens of Morytania descended."
15. ↑ Histories of the Hallowland. "The strange structure of the land of Morytania is due, most likely, in no small part to the many wars that have been fought through the lands of RuneScape. But even here, there is something quite strange about the terrain. Swampy and rotten, the foul smell of death and desolation fills the air. Where does this pungent aroma come from?"
16. ↑ Origins of Gielinor Video. "The world cried out in pain, and Guthix woke!" https://youtu.be/TB88piitm9o?t=153
17. ↑ Guthix.Sword of Edicts Echo. " Agony. Suffering! Anguish. Misery, sorrow and death. The pain ripped through my body as like liquid rending a terrible wound in the earth. I have never imagined such pain. An ordeal without end. A nightmare from which I would not awake. My soul was bound to Gielinor, and the tether blazed with searing torment. I suffered as the world suffered, trapped in a prison of my own making. A prison of flesh and soil and eternal slumber, just as I had sought. I do not know how long I rocked and screamed and wailed. I did not expect any to hear my cries, nor did I want to be found. My torment ceased as suddenly as it began. At first, I thought that sweet oblivion had claimed me and finally brought an end to my agony. I realised my eyes were open. (...) I blinked, and I was on the surface of Gielinor. The world was on fire."
18. ↑ Bandos' Memories. Memory 11. "The world's guardian was not gone, only sleeping. Now he has awoken, and he stands in Bandos's throne room looking fragile and scrawny. Bandos knows by now not to judge a god by its appearance. This god, this Guthix, has just come from single-handedly stopping a battle between the massed armies of Saradomin and Zamorak.

Guthix's voice is weary and mournful, not befitting a being of such power. 'I have seen what you did to these poor creatures' homeworld.' He gestures at the orks standing guard in the throne room. 'I will not let you repeat this on Gielinor. You will leave this world at once and not return.'

Bandos knows he is beaten, for now. 'I will leave,' he growls. 'Ourgs! Order your vassals to assemble here. Prepare everyone for transport to Yu'biusk.'

The ourgs freeze in place, locked by Guthix's magic. 'No,' the nature god says. 'They are creatures of this world now, and deserve to live free of your interference. You alone will leave.'

Bandos cannot restrain himself. He jumps up and swings his towering mace, intending to dash this puny god's brains out. 'These creatures are MINE and I will do with them as I—'

Guthix raises a hand and Bandos finds himself alone in the void."
19. ↑ Origins of Gielinor Video. "The God Wars were brought to an end, and Guthix built walls around the world." https://youtu.be/TB88piitm9o?t=164
20. ↑ Memoriam Crystal 16. "He has taken the example of my barrier around Tirranwn and applied it to the world as a whole, to stop the evicted gods from returning."
21. ↑ Memoriam Crystal 14. "I shall attune the anima of Tirannwn to erect a barrier around us (...)"