Zaros

**Zaros** (pronounced *"ZÀ-ross"*) is the god of fate and control, as well as the divine aspect of the dark, countering his companion, Seren, who is the divine aspect of light. He is an extremely powerful entity whose power ranks amongst that of Guthix and Seren, having been directly created by an Elder God. By reputation among other gods' followers, his ways are occasionally characterised as Machiavellian: 'empty' and manipulative to a degree. He is also sometimes associated with shadow, emptiness, fate and absence. He personally says that these are merely the impressions of others on him, and one should judge him based only on his own actions and words.

Unlike the young gods, Zaros was never a mortal; he has never been anything else but a divine being. Zaros and Seren were both created by the Elder God Mah on Freneskae when the last cycle of the universe began, what Zaros describes as eons ago, to serve as company. They were tied to each other in ways neither could control. It was a mutual "attraction" of sorts that weakened Zaros' concentration and Seren's will in order to bring them together. Mah, with the temperament of a child due to a lack of anima - thus making her a purely instinctual being without memory or knowledge - saw them as her "playthings", in a sense. However, Zaros resented this. Unable to learn anything from his creator, he longed to escape and create his own destiny. Seren, on the other hand, felt it was their duty to remain with Mah. She felt that Mah needed them and only created them out of the fear of being alone. Zaros abandoned both Mah and Seren. He set out to search the stars for whatever he would find. The first world he came to was that of Infernus.

Zaros wants the world to belong to mortals, similarly to Guthix, but believes that mortals would neither be safe nor capable of living without the guidance of gods, who are able to set some rules and exercise proper control; otherwise, everything would turn to chaos. As such, he suggests that he watches mortals silently, making checks and balances to ensure 'balance' is maintained, and to silently guide mortals to fulfil their greatest potential and protect them from themselves and the Elder Gods. He strives to become an Elder God himself for it would be the only way for him to communicate with them, allowing him to attempt to stop them from destroying mortal life.

Zaros' arrival in Gielinor was one of the most important events of the early Second Age. During this age, he ruled a vast empire of hitherto unrivalled size, stretching from the borders of the Troll Country and the Frozen Wastes to Kharyrll, bordering Hallowvale, and from Ghorrock by the Northern Sea to the northern cliffs of the Kharidian Lands in the south. From his arrival, which was some time after Guthix's first descent into the planet and subsequent sleep, and until his downfall at the hands of Zamorak, Zaros was one of the most powerful gods known to Gielinor, both in personal power and influence. Even millennia after his defeat, the few people aware of his existence are aware of his immense might and the gods familiar with him express great fear at his name. The very few present-day Saradominists and Zamorakians who possess knowledge of Zaros consider him an adversary. For instance, the legendary adventurer Dionysius becomes furious upon hearing his name. Others, like certain inhabitants of the Kharidian Desert, and some Mahjarrat, still worship Zaros as their lord.

He is the patron of the Ancient Magicks and Ancient Curses, and is strongly associated with conquest and domination. Zaros only recently regained contact with his followers on Gielinor by way of a communion portal, before returning to Gielinor from Freneskae.

After Fate of the Gods is completed, players can place the shard of Zaros into the crystal reader at the Sanctum on Freneskae. This summons a hologram of Zaros himself, to whom players can ask a wide variety of questions about his origins, his beliefs, his opinion of many other beings, and his plans for the future. Players can also re-watch the cutscene in which Zaros is restored to his body by right-clicking him and selecting the rewatch option.

## Religion

 File:Ancient Symbol.png
The symbol of Zaros is a circle with four small, rounded juts pointing outwards surrounding a Greek (equidistant) cross, and is usually found as ornament on Zarosian artefacts and clothing, as well as Zarosian fortresses such as Viggora's Fortress. Unlike some gods, such as Saradomin and Armadyl, who derived their symbols from Elder Artefacts, Zaros' symbol is his own creation. Its meaning and what it represents however, is unknown. Zaros' colour seems to be various shades of purple, although cream and gold dominated the Senntisten Temple. The Zarosian religion makes extensive use of the Infernal language, which was taken from the original inhabitants of Infernus. Although it is also used in other instances nowadays, albeit rarely, it is originally a demonic language which became the official Zarosian tongue and the non-Zarosian groups and individuals using it, such as the Kinshra or Dionysius, may be unaware of its origins.

 File:Altar of Zaros.png
Zaros' goal is to guide Gielinor's inhabitants from the shadows, pushing them towards their full potential and protecting them from harm. Upon arrival to the planet in the Second Age, he deemed establishing a large empire with massive armies the best way to achieve this. However, this eventually led to a rebellion and his own banishment. As such, he has chosen a more subtle means of accomplishing his goal upon return, trying not to rule, but act as an unseen but omnipresent power silently guiding mortals to their greatest potential, and working with only a small number of those that have reached this state of total potential.

### Moral alignment

Due to his conquering of land and initiating of many wars in the Second Age, Zaros has often been called an evil god by followers of the gods who attempted to erase him from history, and given that history is written by the victors this may not be the case. Most who know of Zaros today, but who do not follow him, usually regard him as evil and something to be feared. However, it should be noted that his intentions are not malevolent. During Fate of the Gods, Zaros claims that his disputes with Saradomin taught him the notions of good and evil, but he dismissed them, stating that there is no good and evil, only action and consequence. Zaros himself can therefore be better described as alien in his morality rather than either good or evil.

Zaros' followers, however, differ greatly in morality. Some of Zaros' followers may be called evil in the conventional sense of being ruthless, enjoying being deceptive and seeking power for power's sake. In addition, the Ancient Curses and Ancient Magicks, the Zarosian patron prayers and spells respectively, seem to be highly combative in nature as they focus on inflicting damage on others and draining them of their powers. Saradominists have claimed that the "evil" nature of the Second Age Zarosians, most likely referring to traditionally hostile races such as demons and vampyres, is to blame on the god himself, stating that he willingly allied himself with them. Queen Senliten, who aided in defending her empire from Zaros' armies, has described him as an ever-plotting vile creature. However, as noted before, he was not aware (nor had he the ability to be) of the alleged cruelty of his followers' actions. According to Zaros, he used the first sentient races (such as demons and vampyres) he encountered that were not claimed by other deities and because they had the potential to serve his goals well, and by the time he reached other races they had already aligned with other gods. He has also stated in Fate of the Gods all would be welcome under his banner regardless of race.

In particular, prior to his journey to the world known as Gielinor, Zaros had no concept of "Good" and "Evil" moral alignments. While talking to him using the Shard of Zaros, he mentions specifically that he learned this concept from Saradomin himself. Zaros disagrees with this assessment instead saying "there are only actions and consequences". This is likely a product of his analytical nature which comes from Zaros being a Transcendent being versus an Ascendent being. While disagreeing with Saradomin's beliefs Zaros does see merit in them, the evidence coming from the prosperity of his followers, in particular humans.

Zaros' relationships with the other Gods is a complex subject. The major reason being that he views other Gods and their corresponding beliefs in a different way. Traditionally, most Gods view other gods as rivals whose beliefs they believe will bring ruin to the world. Zaros differs in two ways. The First is that he does not view other gods with the noted exception of the Elder Gods and Seren as Gods. Instead he views them as mortals who have obtained an immense amount of power to the point of being able to influence other mortals on a global scale. The second is that he does not view other Gods as rivals but instead as both tools and obstacles. For example, Saradomin is currently the strongest of the Young Gods after the death of Guthix and the Battle of Lumbridge. Zaros views him as narrow minded and a hypocrite for believing in good and evil but using questionable means for the greater good. However conversely, he believes that Saradomin's beliefs and actions have merit as stated before. If he could broaden his views, Zaros believes he could make a capable envoy with mortals and a key ally.

As for Zamorak, Zaros still holds the view even after his betrayal that he was his finest general and he trusted him immensely, still to this day not completely understanding why he did what he did. He theorizes that it is Zamorak's strong will to overcome anything, interestingly enough, Zaros says it as a compliment. Retribution is not a priority or even a goal of Zaros for Zamorak's betrayal contrary to the views of his followers. As for Bandos the deceased God of War he stated that he had two talents, the obvious strategic mind and the not so obvious ability to find the truth in any situation. His constant demand for war was his weakness and lead to his downfall at the hands of his rival Armadyl. If he had learned to control his thirst for violence, Zaros believes he could have proved useful.

Armadyl is the subject of a great deal of respect and interest from Zaros. In the category of the Young Gods Armadyl holds the most favour from Zaros. This is a combination of several things including his ideology and his actions as a result of his experiences. When Zaros first met him during the Second Age, he viewed him as naive who would not be able to capably lead his followers through the brutal war that devastated the world. While partly true, with Armadyl witnessing the near destruction of his entire race. Zaros is sympathetic to his loss, noting that unlike the other Gods: Zamorak, Saradomin, and Bandos; Armadyl's intentions were always pure. To the surprise and admiration of Zaros, Armadyl did not fall to despair but instead was emboldened to fight for his beliefs and his followers resulting in his victory over Bandos. With his beliefs reinforced and his capability as a leader in war and willingness to work with others apparent, Zaros harbours a great deal of admiration for the Young God, in particular for his belief that mortals and Gods can live together in peace. Interestingly it is unknown if Armadyl is aware of this respect given to him by the Empty Lord and if he would reciprocate it in turn.

## History

### Origins

Zaros was created on Freneskae by Mah, the youngest of the Elder gods. After her abandonment by the other elders, who thought her to be stillborn, Mah climbed out of Freneskae's volcano and instinctively created both Zaros, the divine aspect of dark energy, and Seren, his light opposite, with the little energy she had. Seeing that Mah's birth resulted in her lacking any intelligence above primitive instincts due to the world's lacking anima, she was unable to teach Zaros anything and treated her creations as toys more than anything.

He felt only resentment towards his cruel creator and desired to leave her. However, he also felt attracted to Seren, being her opposite, and she was interested in him as well. When close to each other, intense feelings towards the other would be triggered in both gods, breaking Zaros' concentration. He suspected this to be a measure applied to them by Mah to coerce them to stay with her, but he eventually abandoned her and Freneskae while she was sleeping. Seren chose to remain, taking care of Mah on the grounds that she owed her creation to her.

After Zaros left, Mah would often cry out for him, with Seren able to do little to comfort her. She also created sentient life in the form of various tribes, which included the Mahjarrat.

### Traversing the Multiverse

After fleeing from Mah, Zaros traversed hundreds of other, primordial, realms, eventually stumbling across Infernus. There, he encountered the first intelligent life he had seen other than himself, Mah, and Seren. The creatures he saw were demons and he took note of their intricate culture, civilisation and language, both concepts that had been foreign to him before encountering them.

After visiting Infernus, Zaros continued on his journey, finding himself in a realm he named Vampyrium, where he observed vampyres living as feral beasts and preying on the weaker creatures in packs. Seeing their method of feeding as inefficient, Zaros introduced society and culture, both of which he had learnt from the demons, to the vampyres, giving rise to a nobility class which exists to the current day. While this caused a civil war, vampyre society flourished as a result. In gratitude, the vampyres swore allegiance to him.

From Vampyrium, Zaros went to the other planes, and eventually encountered the four paths the other elder gods had taken, calling their destinations the Elemental Planes. There, he encountered other gods; ascendant mortals. He attempted to recruit these other gods to his cause, but was rebuffed, at times violently. Nor did he have much luck in convincing the mortal followers of these gods to join his cause. Amongst others, he would encounter the Icyene of New Domina and the aviantese of Abbinah.

Next, he encountered the higher planes, where the paths of the Elder Gods merged again.

### Return to Infernus

 File:Blood reaver.png
Eventually, Zaros arrived to Gielinor, more commonly known as RuneScape, around the beginning of its Second Age. This occurred relatively soon after Guthix, the god who had shaped Gielinor, had entered his first sleep. Although Zaros knew of Guthix, though only vaguely from Guthix's few, rare followers, Guthix had no knowledge of Zaros at all. Upon seeing how the ascendant gods had carved out territories in the lands, he was angered by their arrogance to claim the world for themselves, and their proclaiming of themselves as gods, when only he and Seren were of truly divine origin. Therefore, he decided to teach them obedience, seeing it as his duty.

Therefore, he returned to Infernus, where he approached the demons' leader, a massive Chthonian called Hostilius the Autocrat, who had devoured many Infernals during the Chthonian Rebellion, and requested twelve demonic legions in return for teaching the demons how to travel between worlds, so that they could attack and eat inhabitants of other realms rather than each other.

Hostilius, who had accumulated significant intelligence due to absorbing the knowledge of his victims, decided to trick Zaros, in spite of easily being able to miss twelve legions. After many slick discussions, the demon set up an unbreakable contract - the deal involved the twelve legions and the knowledge being given to the eldest signatory, whom Hostilius assumed to be himself. Although Zaros immediately noticed the deception, he signed the contract regardless. While the demon erupted in laughter at his own brilliance, Zaros spoke to the demonic crowd of his origins and how Zaros had been created aeons before Hostilius even spawned, and Hostilius fell quiet as he realised he himself had been tricked.

As a result, Zaros, the eldest signatory, received twelve legions while the humbled Hostilius got nothing in return. The legions, consisting of Chthonian nobles (known as Dukes) leading their Avernic slaves, would give Zaros tremendous military power, exceeding that of any other god.

### Invasion of Gielinor

Returning to Gielinor, Zaros and his armies arrived near the town of Senntisten, which, along with its surrounding villages, was ruled by a powerful god with several heads, Loarnab, although it was of limited intelligence. Zaros' demonic forces attacked Loarnab and trapped the god before Zaros used his magic to transform it into a living power source. This feat, coupled with the mere sight of Zaros' might, led the inhabitants of Senntisten to immediately accept him as their new ruler. He proceeded to conquer more territory, although Senntisten would remain the capital of his lands. He would never engage in direct combat himself after the encounter with Loarnab, leading his armies passively instead.

Soon enough Zaros began building a large empire in and around the continent known as Forinthry. Many humans joined his side, if only because his ever-growing armies conquered territory owned by other deities such as Saradomin. Zaros wanted to unite all the gods for his cause as well, but soon found out that gods were not as easy as mortals to bend to his will, and thus none of the other gods rallied to his cause. He also discovered that an inherent trait in himself that would subtly enforce loyalty to him in others, as long as they remained in his proximity. Despite the benefits, he despised this ability, deeming it wrong and unnatural to control mortals like that, much like he hated being manipulated by Mah.

### Building an Empire

Over the course of several centuries, Zaros' empire grew to massive size, stretching more land than any kingdom ever established since, and the god ruled with force, aiming to put the entirety of Gielinor under his control. Its capital remained Senntisten, a large city in the south of the empire and the most advanced settlement of its time, possibly rivalling the elven city Prifddinas. It was also the centre of Zarosian worship, housing a renowned temple to the god in addition to at least one basilica. Other fortresses and cities rose from the ground as well, scattered throughout the empire, the most notable of which are Ghorrock, north of the Troll Country, Carrallangar, Dareeyak, Paddewwa, Kharyrll, bordering the Saradominist Hallowvale, and Annakarl.

The empire was constantly expanded through campaigns to the south, west and east, which were usually successful. Soon enough, the other gods came to despise and fear Zaros in equal measure. Although they could have taken him down in an alliance, their fear for him as well as disagreements with each other presumably prevented this from happening.

However, the constant warfare and dominance of aggressive and hostile races such as demons made for poor living conditions for those in the lower-class of society, most notably for the humans living under Zaros. Although they had access to better technology and magic than, for example, the humans living in Hallowvale, life in his empire was generally dangerous and unsatisfactory. Additionally, humans were considered the lowliest of the Zarosian races, not dissimilar to goblins in the army of Bandos, and often looked down upon, with even the Avernic demons enjoying a better life than most humans. It was not unheard of for homeless humans to be eaten by Chthonian demons, and despite being against the law, Zaros was seemingly unaware of this, and it was ignored by those in the higher tiers of society.

Despite this, better-off humans such as the priests and merchants in Senntisten, had more reasonable lives as the city grew ever larger. Its original inhabitants were converted into his clergy and educated in matters such as religion, law and the language of the Infernal demons. The city would always be the first to benefit of advances in fields such as agriculture, engineering and architecture. Centuries later, it was described as follows by Akthanakos:

> "*Great halls and towers and aqueducts sprang up over the city and the lands around were filled with efficient, irrigated fields, mills, jennies and straight, well-maintained roads. The population continued to rise uncontrollably and the proportion that belonged to the clergy or the military fell and fell. More and more so, the humans devoted themselves to the provision of luxury and services for each other. The city had become its own purpose, not just an administrative centre but a great living creature in the centre of the empire.*"
> ― Akthanakos
>
>

### Clash with the Menaphites

 File:Jhallan.png
At one point, Zaros launched a campaign to the south in an attempt to add the Kharidian Empire, ruled by the Menaphite Pantheon, to his empire. The Menaphites assembled an army, supplemented with mercenaries, to fight back but the overwhelming Zarosian forces proved too powerful. Therefore, Icthlarin, god of the dead, and his sister Amascut, set out to other planes in the hopes of finding allies who would be strong enough to defend their lands in the Kharidian - Zarosian War. They found these allies on Freneskae, realm of constant warfare, where he made a deal with the Mahjarrat; a tribe of extremely powerful magicians and creations of Mah. After a bloody battle between supporters and opposers of the proposition, the Mahjarrat agreed to venture to Gielinor with Icthlarin and defend the Kharidian Empire in return for the promise to revel in bloodshed, never to return to Freneskae.

Icthlarin and his 'Stern Judges' arrived in the midst of battle and the Mahjarrat immediately vanquished the Zarosian troops with little effort. With their help, the Menaphites were able to stop the Zarosians' advancing and pushed them back to the northern fortress Kharid-et over the course of several years. However, the Zarosian commander, Duke Ceres, offered the Mahjarrat to join Zaros instead. The Mahjarrat Sliske, who had got into a feud with Icthlarin, agreed to join him and the Mahjarrat convened to discuss the offer.

Some of the Mahjarrat argued that, in line with their traditions on Freneskae, a sacrifice should be made to appease Mother Mah through the Ritual of Rejuvenation, although they were far from Mah's volcano and the ritual marker was absent as well. Azzanadra explained the history of his tribe and the purpose of their rituals to Zaros, who, realising they were all Mah's creations, immediately understood how the marker functioned and agreed to create another for them.

The Mahjarrat performed their ritual and sacrificed one of their own. Zaros explained that the sacrifice's energy had not gone to Mother Mah, whose existence he did not doubt, but had instead been dispersed among themselves. He also revealed that, on Gielinor, the Mahjarrat would have to perform rituals regularly to replenish their slowly withering powers and avoid dying, and advised to hold them every five hundred years. Later, the ritual would coincide with syzygy on Wahisietel's suggestion and the marker would be moved to an icy plateau near the fortress Ghorrock. Zaros' deep understanding of their tribe was a major factor in the decision of most of the tribe to join him.

The now Zarosian Mahjarrat emerged from Kharid-et and joined arms with the Zarosian legion, attacking the Kharidian forces who fled to the south. During their pursuit, the lesser number of Mahjarrat that didn't betray Ictharin prepared to make a last stand against the Zarosians. However, Tumeken, god of light and head of the Menaphite Pantheon interfered. Sacrificing himself, Tumeken exploded in a massive blast which not only obliterated the Zarosian legions, but his own army as well, incinerating all combatants to ash. Only a few dozen Mahjarrat were spared because Azzanadra had erected a protective barrier around them. Around four hundred other Mahjarrat, the majority of the tribe, had died along with the remainder of Zaros' troops. Wounded and exhausted, the Mahjarrat retreated to Forinthry. Due to the sacrifice made by Tumeken to protect his people, a large desert was created separating the Kharidians in the south from the Zarosians in the north, both preventing any further large-scale incursians by Zaros, and forcing Zaros to realise he had begun to act like the gods he claimed to fight against. Thus, he retreated back into his empire and ordered his troops to do the same.

In accordance with their merit, Zaros granted the Mahjarrat high positions in his army and priesthood. Many became tribunes and pontifices, with four - Hazeel, Wahisietel, Zamorak and Zemouregal - being given the rank of legate and thus leadership of an entire legion. A few years later, Azzanadra became Pontifex Maximus, leading the entire Zarosian clergy. To avoid an internal conflict, Zamorak was lifted to Legatus Maximus. Zaros also formed a secret police in Senntisten, the Praetorian Guard, led by Sliske and Trindine. The former became Praefectus Praetorio for liberating the Mahjarrat from Icthlarin, and was known to abuse his position for his own amusement, being known to force "unwanted" humans to wear masks and kill each-other as part of a sadistic play for the highest echelons of Zarosian society to enjoy, although he quickly grew bored of it. Those who disagreed with Sliske's actions didn't speak up for fear of social disgrace, or being subject to the inquisition of the Praetorians.

With his ranks led by the immensely powerful Mahjarrat, who replaced the twelve Chthonian dukes, Zaros became practically unstoppable. His empire would continue to expand, becoming the greatest the world would ever see. He intended for the Mahjarrat to inherit it, which, coupled with other reasons such as his distaste for his compelling of loyalty, prompted him to retreat from public and rule his self-sustaining empire from behind the scenes. Although Zaros had had knowledge of Seren's presence since the moment he had arrived, the two did not meet. Annoyed by the Guthixian, pacifistic and isolationist influences on her, he took the World Gate from her and the elves in Tirannwn, seeing use in it for himself. With it, he was able to travel across the multiverse more easily in order to search for more life and gain more knowledge.

### The Ilujanka Conundrum

At some point, Zaros travelled to Iaia, where he discovered the Ilujanka, a race of infertile reptilian humanoids riding creatures known as gurh. Iaia was a realm very different to Gielinor, both geologically and culturally; it was a peaceful world, with no need for conflict. Eventually, after some time observing them, Zaros came before them, and offered them to join his army on Gielinor in return for a cure to their infertility. Faced with the promised prospect of the return of childbearing to their race, some of them accepted Zaros' offer and accompanied to Gielinor through a portal. Adapting quickly to the ways their new world worked, learning the concepts of combat, war, betrayal, loyalty, and lies, they began to tame dragons instead of gurh and thus became known as the Dragon Riders. Over time, they proved to be formidable soldiers, becoming feared by Zaros' enemies.

 File:The Pit (Freneskae).png
In order to find a solution for the Ilujanka's infertility, Zaros required elder energy, unable to create life himself. Therefore, he returned to Freneskae, where he found Mah in a coma-like sleep and began to harvest her energy from the muspah. Using this energy, he manipulated aviantese, demons, vampyres and Icyene. Reforming their essence into new beings, he created hordes of powerful and dangerous monsters. Although they were zarytes, he dubbed them the Nihil, for they meant nothing to him as they were not the solution to the Ilujanka's problem. Although he had discarded the nihil as a failed experiment, Zaros chose to uplift one in particular, who had outgrown the others. He infused her with some of his essence, and she became sentient and intelligent, naming herself Nex and becoming part of the army.

Realising he required transcendence to be able to help the Ilujanka, Zaros decided he needed to become an Elder God himself, and sought to ask Mah's four sisters for aid in doing so. He searched for Gielinor's Elder Halls but instead of support, he discovered the Elder Gods' horrifying purpose. He found out about the Elder Gods' cycles and that Gielinor served only to provide them with sufficient anima before they would reawaken, destroy the entire universe in a process called the Great Revision, and start creating worlds anew. Zaros realised the world had not been made for mortals and that he needed to save all mortal life from annihilation.

He immediately commenced preparations to disappear from the public completely, instead hoping to become a "guiding voice" in mortals' heads in order to protect them from the Elder Gods. Zaros decided to leave his entire empire to Azzanadra and Zamorak while he would leave. Meanwhile, the dragon riders' numbers had greatly diminished - at the end of the Second Age, only five of them remained: Ablenkian, Apropos, Balustan, Hannibus and Morvannon.

### Growing rebellion

Eventually, nearly two millennia after Zaros' arrival, some of his followers began to grow dissatisfied with the strict regime and poor living conditions. Most notable amongst these was Zamorak the Scourge, the most powerful of the Mahjarrat and Zaros' supreme legate. Zamorak approached some of his ilk and successfully convinced some of them to join him by playing in on their interests and promising them land and armies in return. With the Mahjarrat Lakosta, Lucien, Enakhra, Lamistard, Ralvash, Hazeel and Zemouregal, as well as other powerful Zarosians such as the Avernic Tsutsaroth demons Thammaron and Zebub, the human general Viggora and the vampyre Lord Lowerniel Drakan on his side, Zamorak began planning a rebellion against Zaros, hoping to usurp his master and rule for himself. It has been speculated that his motives were ideological, or simply a putsch to attain power - the exact reasoning remains unknown.

On a mission to the Fremennik Province, he took the journal of the scribe Perjour, which directly communicated his thoughts to Zaros, and substituted it with a fake duplicate, thus preventing the Empty Lord from finding out about his plans. Even though Zaros did not fully trust Zamorak, he did not suspect any betrayal until the moment Zamorak would strike.

Zamorak, in addition to deceiving Zaros, also began to eradicate opposition. For example, during a reconnaissance mission to Prifddinas to find out about Seren's plans, in whom Zaros expressed significant interest, Zamorak attacked the Auspah Char during an elven ambush and poisoned her, thus preventing her from stopping his plans and providing her with a slow and painful death. However, Char powered down and entered a magical sleep, allowing her to resist the poison's effect for millennia.

Despite this, Zamorak's rebellion would not have succeeded due to his master's immense power. However, when he managed to obtain the legendary Staff of Armadyl, the tides turned. The staff had been taken from its temple by the explorer Valdez, who planned to give it to Saradomin, until he was robbed by a thief named Rennard, who decided to sell the staff to Zaros and sent a messenger, Kharrim, to deliver the news. Kharrim was part of Zamorak's conspiracy, however, and went to the Mahjarrat instead, who was able to buy the staff from Rennard for a bargain. Being in possession of an Elder Artefact, Zamorak's powers were increased sufficiently and his followers would have a chance of succeeding.

Zamorak was aided further when Lennissa, a Saradominist spy in Zaros' camp, found out about his possession of the staff and informed her superior, the Wizard Dhalak. Figuring that Saradomin would benefit from Zaros' being defeated, Dhalak cast a concealing spell on the staff, enabling Zamorak to carry it without the Zarosian loyalists detecting it, rather than informing his god. After requesting the services of Morvannon and Apropos, two of the last five Dragon Riders, as bodyguards, and somehow obtaining the Stone of Jas, Zamorak and his followers made their move.

### Defeat by Zamorak

 File:Zamorak and his allies.png
Under the pretence of discussing war plans, Zamorak and his associates approached Zaros' throne room and went inside. There, Zamorak unsheathed the Staff of Armadyl and struck it into his master's back while his cohorts engaged in combat with the Empty Lord's forces. The events that followed are described by General Viggora as follows:

> "*While we distracted the Empty Lord with our feints and attacks, and kept his bodyguards busy, Lord Zamorak outflanked him, unsheathed the staff and plunged it into his back! [...] The Empty Lord turned away from our battle, eyes burning with hatred, and towards Zamorak instead. Seeing this, we all fought with extra vigour, so that General Zamorak would not face our lord alone, but we were outnumbered by many hundreds of warriors and demons, and could not reach him to assist him. [...] The Empty Lord was a powerful god, stronger than any of the others awake at the time, possibly even as strong as Guthix is, and Zamorak was but a mortal: a Mahjarrat warrior all the same, with all of the strength and power that that entails, but mortal nonetheless, but to see him fight, you would not think of him as a ‘mere’ anything… He was war itself! Flurry after flurry of blows he rained upon the Empty Lord, and the very castle walls shook and quivered with their power, but the Empty Lord would not fall! Even with the weapon of a god embedded in his back, he fought on, and with each blow our victory seemed less and less certain…*"
> ― Viggora
>
>

Even with the Staff sticking out of his back, Zaros fought Zamorak and overpowered him, lifting his former general into the air and proceeding to choke him as the Mahjarrat was screaming and kicking defiantly. It is likely that, aside from the physical battle, the two beings were also involved in a mental clash, unperceivable by 'simpler' beings such as humans. However, at that moment, Zaros "lost his footing", according to Viggora, and fell over, which caused the Staff, still sticking out of his back, to impale Zamorak as well. What exactly happened remains a mystery, although it is quite unlikely that the god simply tripped, as Viggora believes. At that moment, by pure chance, a great part of Zaros' divine power was transferred into Zamorak with the staff as conduit.

Realising he was going to die, Zaros abandoned his body in a "bright flash followed by cold darkness" and his spirit left the scene as his body began to fade from existence, while Zamorak's newly acquired power made him seem more present than before. Nevertheless, the Mahjarrat collapsed next to Zaros' shrivelled corpse out of exhaustion. While Zaros, now incorporeal, was fleeing, a powerful curse struck all those who had played a role in the theft of the Staff of Armadyl. Valdez, Rennard, Kharrim, Lennissa, Dhalak and Viggora, although there may have been others, momentarily faded from the material realm and were trapped for eternity in the Shadow Realm. What exactly caused this remains unknown. The ghosts themselves believe the curse to have been uttered by Zaros as a final act of vengeance, at least one of them even claiming to have heard it as a "whisper in the wind," while Lucien deems this impossible and theorises it was a side effect of the crude stabbing with the Staff. Moreover, it is open to doubt whether Viggora's accounts of the rebellion can be trusted due to the afflicted state of his mind after being shadow for thousands of years.

Thammaron and other Avernic, whom Zamorak had promised to aid in overcoming the Chthonian regime in return for their support in the rebellion, gathered around the Mahjarrat's body and took him to Infernus. There, he would lead their revolution for nineteen years, after which he returned triumphantly to Gielinor, this time as a god himself, and with many hordes of Avernic, who had either destroyed the Chthonians or banished them to the Abyss, following him. Meanwhile, Saradomin and Armadyl had found out about Zaros' defeat and taken the Stone of Jas, respectively, the Staff of Armadyl from Zamorak in his absence. Their followers began to spread rumours of how the two gods had banished Zamorak themselves, which they did not stop. Zamorakian sympathisers and other gods began to attack the Zarosian empire, which began to crumble from all sides as the forces of Azzanadra, who had taken up leadership of the remaining Zarosians, depleted. Zamorak's followers were driven out of Senntisten and hunted by the Zarosians while members of the Zarosian leadership tried their best to commune with Zaros and lead the empire in their god's absence. The five remaining Dragon Riders, for whom Zaros had not been able to find a cure, were viewed as traitors by both the Zarosians and Zamorakians for not choosing sides in a timely manner, and assassinated. The exception was Hannibus, although he was eventually captured and petrified by Enakhra.

Upon seeing that Saradomin had taken the Stone from him, and Armadyl took the Staff, Zamorak declared war on both of them, throwing the world into a war of gods, ending the Second Age.

### Diminishing of Zarosian following

Throughout the Third, Fourth and Fifth Age, Zaros' spirit travelled the multiverse and ventured far away from Gielinor. He eventually arrived on Freneskae, where he would indefinitely remain. In this state, he did not have the ability to think or perceive anything, and through the slow process of absorbing energy from Muspah, creatures spawned by Mah's nightmares, only then was he able to recover his power and restore his mind.

 File:Saradomin saving Commander Zilyana.png
Meanwhile, the Zarosian Extermination was performed mainly by Zamorakians and Saradominists throughout the entirety of the Gielinorian God Wars; in an attempt to completely wipe all memory of the Empty Lord from the world, the Zarosian settlements were systematically attacked and destroyed. Zarosians themselves were persecuted; those who did not flee to safe harbours such as Senntisten, which would remain safe from attacks until the final few centuries of the wars, were mercilessly slaughtered. However, most of them remained loyal, believing Zaros to be ruling from the Shadow Realm rather than dead, and high-ranked Zarosians such as archbishop Ayanetka urged the others to remain vigilant.

 File:The Temple at Senntisten homepage background.png
Indeed, the Zarosians did not lose their faith. Mahjarrat such as Wahisietel and Azzanadra, whose prowess in battle and unconditional loyalty had earnt him the title 'Champion of Zaros', defended the Zarosian settlements with relative success. Nex defended the Mahjarrat ritual marker in the Battle for the Ritual Site but was lured into a cave by the opposing army of Saradomin, where she and her troops were imprisoned beneath the Temple of Lost Ancients for centuries. Meanwhile, Azzanadra continued to try and re-establish contact with Zaros from Senntisten, to no avail, but becoming psychologically affected by the absence of his god in the process.

Towards the end of the wars, however, the Zarosians were unable to persevere. During the Battle for the Godsword, Sliske tricked a group of Saradominists into releasing Nex from her prison before disappearing, but an alliance between Saradomin, Zamorak, Bandos and Armadyl managed to sealed her once more after a whole lot of blood. Eventually, Azzanadra fell to a Zamorakian-Saradominist alliance and was imprisoned in the Jaldraocht Pyramid in the Kharidian Desert. Before he was imprisoned, however, he had provided Sliske with an artefact for safekeeping, which would allow them to re-establish contact with Zaros later. The latter would do so faithfully. In addition to trapping Azzanadra in the pyramid and filling it with many traps to prevent anyone from rescuing him, his defeaters also placed some of his life force in four diamond, which were subsequently spread around the world by safekeepers and linked to four obelisks outside Jaldraocht, which, in turn, made the pyramid impenetrable to ensure Azzanadra's imprisonment.

Around the year 3700, Wahisietel's attempts to make the Zamorakian and Saradominist besiegers of Senntisten turn on one another failed, prompting priest-king Dagroda to order the city's immediate evacuation, believing that its fall was plan of Zaros' "grand scheme". As the Zarosians fled to Ghorrock, Dareeyak and Carrallangar, the only fortresses to remain standing, Senntisten was taken over by Zamorakians and utterly levelled by Saradominists a century later, who built a new city on top of it; Saranthium.

 File:Wilderness Ruins.png
When Guthix awoke from his slumber and ended the God Wars another two centuries later, he established the Edicts of Guthix and banished nearly all gods from the planet. By this time, Zamorak had utterly destroyed Forinthry with the aid of the Stone of Jas that he had succeeded in stealing from Saradomin, completely laying waste to all Zarosian fortresses except for Ghorrock, which housed a small number of Zarosian refugees led by matriarch Lamarinta. As such, the Zarosian Extermination had not been completely successful; although most inhabitants of Gielinor had forgotten about the Empty Lord and those who hadn't did not dare utter his name, he was still worshipped, even though his followers had been reduced to the colony in Ghorrock and a camp of bandits in the desert.

Only in the Fourth Age did the few remaining Zarosians come to realise that Zaros was not ruling from the Shadow Realm, but had truly gone. By the end of the age, knowledge of Zaros had almost completely disappeared, save for his very scarce few followers.

The god himself continued to slowly regenerate his power as well as the ability to think on Freneskae.

### Communication restored

*The following takes place during The Dig Site, Desert Treasure, Enakhra's Lament, The Temple at Senntisten, The Firemaker's Curse, The World Wakes, and Missing, Presumed Death.*
In 169 of the Fifth Age, an adventurer and newly qualified archaeologist working for the Varrock Museum discovered the ruins of the Senntisten Temple in the digsite east of the city. They found a Zarosian talisman and a stone tablet with Zaros' name upon it, both of which are now on display in the museum, and thus returning knowledge of Zaros to the world, to a small extent.

Some time later, the same adventurer was recruited by Eblis, leader of the desert bandits, to release Azzanadra from the Jaldraocht pyramid in the southern part of the Kharidian Desert. To do so, the adventurer had to defeat three of the Zamorakian Guardians tasked with the protection of the Diamonds of Azzanadra, whilst the fourth gave up his diamond in return for a favour. The collection and subsequent placement of the diamonds on the exterior obelisks surrounding the pyramid allowed it to be opened. Azzanadra, who had lost track of time and transformed into a ghostly being, was shocked to learn that the God Wars were over and that Zaros had disappeared from his mind as well as the dominance of Saradominism, Guthixianism and Zamorakianism before leaving to think and plan. The adventurer also released Akthanakos, another Zarosian Mahjarrat, from the grip of his rival Enakhra, who had likewise imprisoned him thousands of years prior in a temple built by herself.

 File:The Temple at Senntisten Calling for Zaros.png
Azzanadra and Wahisietel, who had gone into hiding by assuming a human alias after the fall of Senntisten, began to plan Zaros' return and requested the adventurer's help in rebuilding the Senntisten Temple to establish contact with Zaros. Disguised as the human archaeologist Dr Nabanik, Azzanadra acquired clearance to renovate the temple with his new ally's help and oversaw its reconstruction by Kharidian workmen. He had the adventurer retrieve a collection of items, namely the frostenhorn from Ghorrock, the icon that Sliske had been safekeeping from the Barrows and another ancient relic which an accomplice had taken from Entrana. With these items, Azzanadra was able to create a communion portal in the restored underground temple, the magic of which could be amplified to reach even the farthest and most distant realms. He contacted Zaros, who made contact with Gielinor for the first time in millennia from an area on Freneskae known as the sanctum. After rewarding Azzanadra for his efforts, the two began to plan the god's return in secrecy. A significant problem was that Zaros was still incorporeal, and would require a body, even though he had more than regained his former power by this time.

 File:Congregation.png
Some time later that same year, tectonic activity caused the magical seal imprisoning Nex to weaken, making the Ancient Prison accessible. Char was also restored in her cave near the Galarpos Mountains by the aforementioned adventurer. At the very end of the year, after the eighteenth Ritual of Rejuvenation, which saw the sacrifice of Jhallan, the resting place of Guthix himself was discovered and various factions raced inside to claim the kill, for Guthix' death would allow their respective gods to return to Gielinor. The Zarosian Mahjarrat, Char, and Nex convened and decided that Guthix should be woken and bargained with rather than killed, and Sliske enlisted the adventurer's help to aid them. When the other Zarosians arrived to the cave after a series of battles with other factions had already taken place and only the Guthixian defenders and Saradominist attackers remained, Azzanadra asked the adventurer to wake Guthix, but Sliske betrayed his allies and assassinated Guthix using the Staff of Armadyl, which he had secretly obtained beforehand. Although this cast doubt on his loyalty to Zaros, the death of Guthix was accompanied by the abolishment of his Edicts, thus allowing Zaros to return more easily. Additionally, the adventurer had been uplifted to World Guardian by the dying god, giving them resistance to divine magic.

Zaros and Azzanadra hence continued to plan the former's return as the Sixth Age began. A problem was, however, that the other gods had begun returning as well, which immediately led to clashes, such as the one between Saradomin and Zamorak at the Battle of Lumbridge. To prevent these other gods from posing any difficulties, Zaros ordered Sliske to create a distraction for them in order to keep his own return secret. He did this by obtaining the Stone of Jas with the Dragonkin's inadvert help and gathering most of the major gods at the Empyrean Citadel, where he promised to award it to whoever would have slain the most gods by the next solar eclipse, to his fellow Zarosians' great dismay. Indeed, the gods seemed to be occupied by this as Armadyl and Bandos engaged in a heated battle shortly after, which ended with the latter's death.

### Return to Gielinor

*The following takes place during Fate of the Gods.*
 File:Fate of the Gods.png
With the other gods distracted, Zaros ordered Azzanadra and Sliske to make the final preparations for his return. To this end, Azzanadra travelled to a spot near the Arandar pass where the World Gate was located, albeit in the Shadow Realm. There, he met with his friend and ally, the World Guardian, and explained to them that they were to journey to Freneskae through the gate and do whatever necessary to return Zaros. He reluctantly revealed that Sliske's services to pull the World Gate into the material realm were also required, at which point the latter appeared. He took the adventurer into the Shadow Realm so that they could activate the World Gate, which they successfully did, but also suggested that they did not necessarily have to help Zaros, but could also choose to sabotage his return, since he would be entirely at their mercy. Afterwards, the two returned to the material realm and the adventurer set foot on Freneskae.

After a considerable time spent traversing the hazardous environment of Freneskae, avoiding streams of lava, toxic gases and lightning along the way, the adventurer reached the sanctum, where they unlocked a door leading into The Pit, where Zaros was waiting for them, although he quickly vanished. A flock of nihil then arrived and the adventurer was forced to kill them in order to progress. Afterwards, they climbed out of the pit to appear on Freneskae's volcano, where they saw Mah sleeping as well as Zaros' spirit. Zaros took the two of them inside the adventurer's mind to be able to talk without rousing Mah and revealed that he needed a dark simulacrum woven from Mah's elder energy to serve as his new body, and that only the World Guardian would be able to create such an artefact. He also allowed them to ask him questions on many topics, such as his views on other gods, or races such as the demons and the Ilujanka. When the conversation was finished, Zaros sensed that Mah had indeed been roused by their presence, and offered the adventurer to enter their mind in order to better withstand whatever she might do.

 File:Shaping the Simulacrum.png
As they left the mind threshold, Mah's nightmare spawned hordes of muspah, who proceeded to attack the adventurer, while she herself occasionally produced devastating screams. After some time, Mah calmed down again, and the adventurer was safely able to descend into the volcano's crater, which also contained Freneskae's Elder Halls. There, they found The Measure, an Elder Artefact, which they used to siphon Mah's energy. After gathering a sufficient amount of energy, they made a divine simulacrum and offered it to Zaros. If given a dark simulacrum, Zaros thanked the adventurer. If given a light simulacrum, Zaros asked the adventurer if they were sure of their decision; if they were determined to sabotage his return, he accepted it nonetheless, as he had no other choice.

 File:Injured Zaros.png
Zaros shaped the simulacrum into a new body, sustaining heavy damage if given a light simulacrum, and reformed his robes and mask. At that moment, his full presence caused Mah to awaken. Alarmed, the adventurer gave Zaros permission to teleport the two of them away and Zaros transported them out a fraction of a second before Mah would have crushed them. The elder god screamed in agony and rose up from the volcano to chase the two. Meanwhile, Zaros and the adventurer left Freneskae through the World Gate and they gathered in a mind threshold once more, this time joined by Azzanadra, Sliske, Char and Nex.

 File:Zaros Return Gathering.png
Depending on the adventurer's decision, the Zarosians either rejoiced, or glared hostile looks at the adventurer for sabotaging their lord. Regardless, Zaros turned his attention on Sliske, due to the Mahjarrat's suggestion of sabotaging his return. Therefore, he promptly excommunicated the Mahjarrat from his following, to the latter's great anger. Sliske threatened the adventurer before leaving the scene. Next, Zaros ordered Char to watch Sliske, making sure his possession of the Stone of Jas would not invoke the Dragonkin's wrath. He charged Nex with keeping the activities of the warring gods in check, while Azzanadra was to search for Gielinor's Elder Halls so that Zaros could fulfil what he had attempted to do before Zamorak's rebellion: to find the elder gods, convince them not to destroy the universe, become an elder himself and cure the Ilujanka's infertility. If the player sabotaged Zaros' return, he also tasks Azzanadra with finding a way to extend the duration of his body. If the adventurer assisted in his return, instead he assigns them to deal with the Dragonkin.

Regardless of the adventurer's decision, Zaros rewarded them for their efforts by giving them a crystal shard of his own body, which would protect them and enable them to contact Zaros from the sanctum on Freneskae any time. He then left to reacquaint himself with Gielinor and prepare his next moves.

### Restoration of Seren

As the adventurer carried a severely weakened Seren to Freneskae, they went through The Approach, The Sanctum, The Pit and reached The Cradle. As they reached the top, several Force muspah attacked the adventurer, who was forced to dodge their attacks as they were carrying Seren, until Zaros appeared and dismissed the Muspah. Zaros told them that it was not a wise choice to bring her here. However, as the adventurer had no idea what to do and Seren was getting weaker, Zaros told the player that he had an idea to restore her. He asked the adventurer not to tell Seren of his presence and that could not assist them with the ritual, as he could not stay and watch her be reborn again or unknown consequences would happen. Zaros takes the adventurer down to the Elder Halls and explains the instructions to them before leaving.

After Seren is restored, she notes his presence here and asks the adventurer if he was here, to which they can tell the truth or attempt to lie to her. Regardless of their choice, Seren gives them a story from several millienia ago, when the two were looking over Mah. In the story, Zaros tells Seren that Mah is stunted due to the lack of anima and sees her as a waste of power, and wants to become an Elder God himself.

### Return to Freneskae

The remaining Mahjarrat (barring Sliske), convened at the Gielenorian ritual marker again to discuss why their powers were draining at an alarming rate. Zemouregal wanted to sacrifice Kharshai, but Zaros came in before he could do so. The Zarosian Mahjarrat rejoiced at his arrival while the Zamorakian Mahjarrat were scared of his presence. Zaros told the Zamorakians that he was not here to fight, and told them all to come to Freneskae if they wanted to live before leaving. Zamorak later arrived, and told them that what Zaros told them wasn't the truth.

Zamorak allowed Kharshai to search his memories for the real truth. During Zamorak's betrayal, when Zamorak impaled the Staff of Armadyl into Zaros, they fought each other mentally. Zaros had the upper hand on Zamorak and called the Mahjarrat lowly beings and mercenaries, showing that he thought very little of them. When Zamorak realised the true power of the Staff, he overwhelmed Zaros. Regardless, the Mahjarrat decided to head to Freneskae.

The adventurer returned to Freneskae and navigated through many obstacles to reach the ritual marker. Zemouregal tried to sacrifice Kharshai once again, but Zaros quickly intervened and told the Mahjarrat that they would be performing the final Ritual of Rejuvination. Several of the Mahjarrat questioned the ritual, believing that they were not doing a sacrifice. Zaros clearly explained the process to the Mahjarrat, stating that they were draining from Mah herself. By doing so, they would never have to complete the rituals again. Zamorak later appeared and believed that he was attempting to empower himself; Zaros attempted to show Zamorak by using General Khazard as a test subject, prompting the god of chaos to reveal that Khazard was his son. The two then fought; Zaros easily overwhelmed Zamorak, as Zamorak's determination had withered through the ages. Zamorak attempted to channel his power to the other Mahjarrat, and Zaros, noticing this, quickly halted his attack, not wanting to make him a martyr.

Zaros was impressed with Zamorak's resilience and powers, and told him that they would make an excellent pair if they worked together. He suggested creating a *Viniculum Juris* pact. When Zamorak refused, Zaros informed him that the only way "he [was] getting out alive" was if Zamorak agreed not to interfere with his plans. Zaros outlined the terms of the pact, telling Zamorak that he would know what he had to do when Zaros referred to him as his Legatus Maximus. In return, Zaros promised to give them the ritual. He asked the adventurer to be the witness of the pact, aware that they would be in Sliske's game.

When Mah began to stir, Zaros told the adventurer to rush up the mountain to stop whatever Mah may have conjured in her nightmares. The adventurer enters Mah's mind with Seren's assistance. By the time they finished, Zaros, Zamorak and the Mahjarrat had already completed the ritual, draining almost all of Mah's power. When Seren goes down to confront Zaros for killing their own mother, Zamorak realises that Seren was the one who told the Mahjarrat to do the Ritual of Rejuvenation and Enervation. Zaros tries to defend Seren's actions despite the latter being angry at him. When Seren becomes angry at Zamorak and the Mahjarrat, Zaros tries to calm her down and eventually persuades her to leave the planet.

Zaros later told the adventurer to meet him at the top of the mountain, by Mah's remains. Zaros later tells them that he while he loathed her, a part of him felt sad. He later noted an Elder God core in Mah's remains and felt something dormant was lying within it. Zaros thanked the adventurer for their actions, as they had helped him and the Mahjarrat greatly.

### Nex's Empowerment

*The following takes place during The Promised Gift.*
Sometime after the death of Mah, Zaros visited Nex in her ancient prison and gave her extra power by giving her four crystals that would empower her.

He explained about the origins of the four crystals to her; the smoke crystal was created from a smoke demon in Infernus. The shadow crystal was weaved from a thousand and one shadow cacklers from the Shadow Realm; he noted their weakness as individuals, but powerful when combined. He did not attempt to capture a shadow leviathan for unknown reasons. The blood crystal was apparently created from the blood of Drakan's mother, who was also a true-born vampyre. Finally, he told her about the ice crystal, which he had created from an arch-glacor on the frozen planet of Leng.

He left Nex with these tools, reminding her of her task to keep the younger gods in check, in addition to having her check on Seren to ensure she would not try to stop him.

### Sliske's Endgame

*The following takes place during Sliske's Endgame.*
Zaros was one of the participants in Sliske's Endgame. He was speaking with Seren about the death of Mah. When the adventurer arrived, Zaros prepared to leave. The adventurer handed him an invitation, which Zaros took and thanked them before leaving.

He was accompanied by his entourage, which consisted of Vindicta, Azzanadra and Char. In the labyrinth, Zaros and his group attempted to navigate through it but had difficulty doing so; however, they did meet with some of the groups, who were also navigating the labyrinth. Eventually, Zaros and Seren teleported to the Stone after an argument about who should claim it when Kerapac appeared and destroyed it. Both Zaros and Seren assisted the adventurer in stopping Sliske; upon Sliske's death, all three were teleported to Jas' chambers.

Zaros requested Jas to make him an Elder God, as Mah had died and that the Elder Gods were dwindling. He offered Mah's core, though Jas refused, as he was not Mah. Zaros asked Jas what he needed to do to become an Elder God, and Jas simply replied with "life". Zaros showed proof with the creation of the nihil and Nex, but Jas denied his evidence, stating that he had to create life from nothing, which Jas believed that only she and her kind were capable of. Zaros, angered, stated that he would attempt their task and make them accept him as an Elder God.

## Powers and abilities

After Guthix, Zaros is the most powerful Young God (along with Seren, if not slightly more powerful than her). He possesses a wide range of powers that is well beyond normal gods. He is capable of leaving his body on a whim and embody an incorporeal form, though this form is much weaker and incapable of some tasks. Zaros also has the ability to drain power from entities, as he drained energy from the muspah. He can even drain energy from gods, such as Loarnab. Zaros, like most gods, can create portals to other worlds and teleport himself and other beings that are not beyond his power. He has a unique, involuntary ability to incite loyalty in beings, even gods such as Seren, within his presence, but this power cannot affect beings who dampen divine energy. He can manipulate existing life-forms, and this is how he created the Nihil. Zaros can also enter a person's mind and read it to some extent, as done with the player during *Fate of the Gods.* As seen while conversing with him, Zaros is capable of shapeshifting. As stated by Azzanadra when you talk to him in the Temple of Senntisten after *Fate of the Gods*, Zaros can enter the Shadow Realm. It was stated that he not only has a better understanding and control, but also a better grasp and mastery over the Shadow Realm than Sliske.

## References

Main:Divine Beings

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jagex. Official lore livestream with Mods Mark and Osborne Official lore livestream, 4 November 2012.
2. ↑ Mod Emilee. "The World Wakes - FAQ." 8 March 2013. *Recent Game Updates* Forums. Mod Osborne: "Aside from Guthix and the Elder Gods, Zaros is the most powerful god to set foot on Gielinor."
3. ↑ Jagex. "God Letter 18 - Zamorak Rises!, letter 10" *RuneScape* God Letters.
4. ↑ Wise Old Man, "Draynor Village", *RuneScape*. "Please, do not speak further of this. No good can come of meddling in such things. [...] Adventurer, my patience is limited. Speak to me no further of this - this - this foolishness. [...] ENOUGH! Begone from me, you foul trickster!"
5. ↑ Mod Crow. "Campfire - Answers." 27 June 2013. *General* Forums.
6. ↑ Mizzarch, "Mizzarch's memory", *RuneScape*. "Another of Zaros's gifts was a shared language - that of the ancient Infernals - that was mandated for all humans and quickly supplanted the many and varied tribal dialects."
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Jagex. Above the Lore - episode 12: *The Joy of Zaros* Mods Jack, Osborne and John A *Above the Lore* podcast, 16 October 2013.
8. ↑ Lennissa, "The Curse of Zaros", *RuneScape*. "Evil will always breed more evil, and will never be satisfied with what it has. The Empty Lord chose to ally himself with the dark creatures of this world, fully aware that their own natures would cause them to rally against his rule, and take every opportunity they could to betray him."
9. ↑ **Zaros**, "Fate of the Gods", *RuneScape*. "I have always been. I was created this way. By Mah. She is an elder god. The youngest of five."
10. ↑ **Zaros**, "Fate of the Gods", *RuneScape*. "She was born without memory or knowledge, only instinct. After finally clawing her way to the surface, her first instinct was to pour what little energy she had into the creation of me and my companion. That would likely be an affront to the other elder gods. To her I was akin to a child’s doll."
11. ↑ **Zaros**, "Fate of the Gods", *RuneScape*. "My companion intends to remain behind to tend and comfort our creator, believing that we are indebted to her for our existence. I feel no such debt. I shall leave and forge my own path."
12. ↑ **Zaros**, "Fate of the Gods", *RuneScape*. "I have walked upon a hundred proto-worlds, half built and failing - the early works of Mah's elder sisters. But here, for the first time, I have stepped onto a plane that, although raw and imperfect, teems with conscious life. They have order and architecture, society, and bureaucracy. It is a machine with so many moving parts, and yet - against all odds - it works. From the Chthonian dukes to the Avernic slaves, each individual a cog in the machine. Even the ousted Infernals have a part to play. They also have something called language - an alien concept, but one I find most fascinating."
13. ↑ **Zaros**, "Fate of the Gods", *RuneScape*. "I continue my exploration of the lower planes of the universe, this time of a world named Vampyrium. The dominant species is predatory and instinctual, though not lacking in awareness. They roam the surface and skies in small packs competing for prey. It is wasteful, both of these predators their prey. They can be put to better use. I intend to experiment with them - to teach them of society, of culture."
14. ↑ **Zaros**, "Fate of the Gods", *RuneScape*. "Upon reaching the edge of the lower planes, four paths opened to me - each path laid by one of Mah's sisters. [...] These I call the elemental planes, and they overflow with diversity. It is upon these elemental worlds that I have first encountered creatures who refer to themselves as gods. They have some semblance of divinity, but, unlike me, they are not of truly divine origin. I am intrigued as to how such limited beings have overcome their inherent weaknesses, for they appear to have derived from among the mortal races. Indeed, many races from these planes follow the dogma of these self-proclaimed gods, and I unable to sway them to my cause."
15. ↑ Jagex. "God Letter 25 - Guthix Reiterates, letter 9" *RuneScape* God Letters.
16. ↑ **Zaros**, "Fate of the Gods", *RuneScape*. "Many of the races I encountered on my journey have flocked to this perfect world, led here by their deities... but this world does not belong to them. They carve out territories and scar the land with their petty skirmishes. They must be taught obedience. As a child of the creators, I feel it is my duty to bring these young gods to heel."
17. ↑ Sliske, "Sliske's memory", *RuneScape*. "Zaros plainly requested the use of twelve legions of demons. Hostilius, too surprised to be offended, demanded to know what the tiny purple creature offered in return, and Zaros offered the secrets of travel between the worlds, to allow the Chthonians to devour whole new races rather than be reduced to preying on each other."
18. ↑ Sliske, "Sliske's memory", *RuneScape*. "By defining and redefining terms throughout the document, he specified in fine legalese that leadership of the legions would be passed, not to Zaros, but to the eldest signatory, i.e. Hostilius. Zaros saw the deception immediately, but rather than call attention to it he allowed it to remain, knowing what Hostilius did not."
19. ↑ Sliske, "Sliske's memory", *RuneScape*. "The humbled Hostilius pledged to Zaros his twelve mightiest Dukes and their legions, and since the same language had been used for Zaros's part of the trade, he received nothing in return."
20. ↑ Palkeera, "Palkeera's memory", *RuneScape*. "Though he was never master of Infernus itself, even just a few legions gave Zaros military power unmatched by any of the other gods. The legions were formed of Chthonian nobles leading hordes of Avernic shock troops."
21. ↑ Akthanakos, "Akthanakos' memory", *RuneScape*. "In the time before Zaros, at the dawn of the Second Age, Senntisten was a primitive human settlement much like any of the others that dotted Gielinor. It and the villages around it were ruled over by Loarnab, a many-headed god of limited intellect but tremendous might."
22. ↑ Akthanakos, "Akthanakos' memory", *RuneScape*. "Zaros's legions trapped Loarnab and Zaros used his magicks to twist it into a living power source for his forces. The arrival of thousands of demons, and the torture and imprisonment of their god, so intimidated the people of Senntisten that they didn't even try to fight. They bowed down in worship of their new ruler. Zaros's legions spread outwards conquering more and more of the human tribes, but he remained in Senntisten and made it the centre of his civilisation."
23. ↑ Mod Jack. "Important question about Zaros." 19 November 2013. *RuneScape Lore Discussion* Forums.
24. ↑ **Zaros**, "Fate of the Gods", *RuneScape*. "I… compel loyalty within others, forcibly. It is not something I have control of – it is something that was done to me by Mah. I am unable to rid myself of this… ability, but I must live with it. [...] It is one of the reasons I chose to withdraw from my own empire. I find the idea of coercing another mind to be… distasteful. But it only affects those in my presence, and the effect dissipates with time."
25. ↑ Lennissa, "The Curse of Zaros", *RuneScape*. "As I told you, the Empty Lord was extremely powerful, but not so powerful that he could rule over the other deities of this world. Should he have made a move against any other god, then he could still have been easily brought down by the combined efforts of the others."
26. ↑ Mod Jack. "Opinions on Zaros." November 2013. *RuneScape Lore Discussion* Forums.
27. ↑ General Viggora, "Declaration of Viggora", *RuneScape*. "I hoped that this would let humans deal as equals with our lord's demon and Mahjarrat forces. But most of them still saw humans as nothing more than feeble apes. Even though humans had become our lord's most reliable strategists and engineers, the other generals treated me with disdain."
28. ↑ Hazeel, "Hazeel's memory", *RuneScape*. "There is a law in the empire against consuming humans, but I do not think they keep it very well, and I do not think Zaros is aware of the violation. There are many forces that keep the streets of Senntisten clear of the homeless, and not all of them are economic."
29. ↑ Akthanakos, "Akthanakos' memory", *RuneScape*.
30. ↑ Bilrach, "Bilrach's memory", *RuneScape*. "We had no choice but to evacuate immediately, and fled with Icthlarin to his world. None of us ever returned to our homeland."
31. ↑ Jagex. Above the Lore - episode 4: *The Secrets of Sliske* Mods Osborne and Raven : "Was Sliske the first Zarosian Mahjarrat?" -"See, this is what I'd like to say... Well, after, you know, the God Emissaries story, then, I'd like to say he was." (24:24) *Above the Lore* podcast, 20 June 2013.
32. ↑ Mod Slayer. "Mahjarrat Memories FAQ." 21 March 2014. *Recent Game Updates* Forums.
33. ↑ Wahisietel, "Wahisietel's memory", *RuneScape*. "However, once we reached the fortress of Kharid-et, Zaros's offer for us to join the empire triggered yet another debate. When some argued that a sacrifice ought still be made as part of our tradition, a further debate broke out about whether the sacrifice could meaningfully be performed in the absence of the volcano and marker stone. Zaros seemed puzzled by our debate, but after Azzanandra explained the history and purpose of the Ritual of Rejuvenation he offered to create a replacement marker stone for us and expressed interest in observing."
34. ↑ **Zaros**, "Fate of the Gods", *RuneScape*. "The legates refer to them as Stern Judges, but I have learned their true name - Mahjarrat: 'the children of Mah'. Could they really be so? After my departure, could she have created more toys? They are but a fraction of myself and my old companion, yet I feel a connection with them, a shared ancestry - they are my younger siblings."
35. ↑ Wahisietel, "Wahisietel's memory", *RuneScape*. "The Ritual proceeded with an uncommon solemnity in the presence of an actual god, and afterwards Zaros explained what he had been able to perceive of it. In the absence of Mother Mah, whose genuine existence he seemed not to question, he explained that the energies that had been intended for propitiation had instead been distributed amongst the rest of us. He told us that on this world, without regular sacrifice our energies would wither and we would perish. He cautioned however to perform the Ritual infrequently, and recommended an interim of five centuries. When I later learned of the syzygy from human astrologers, I recommended this to the others and we have practiced thus ever since. Zaros's replacement marker stone was eventually relocated to Ghorrock, where it remains to this day. I think Zaros's insight into our ways was the most significant factor in our decision to join the empire."
36. ↑ Kharshai, "Kharshai's memory", *RuneScape*. "It took us only a handful of years to drive the Zarosian empire out of Menaphos completely, but at the fortress of Kharid-et we betrayed the one who delivered us from Freneskae and sided with Zaros. I obeyed the will of the strongest as is proper, but it not something I am comfortable with. We emerged from the fortress and with the might of the Zarosian army, pushed the Menaphites and the small number of our kin who had not defected back into Menaphos once more."
37. ↑ Ralvash, "Ralvash's memory", *RuneScape*. "When we followed Sliske and Duke Ceres through the gates of Kharid-et and turned our back on Icthlarin and the Menaphites we could not imagine what would become of us. We had spent only a few years among the Menaphite army, all of it on campaign, with ceaseless fighting against the Zarosian legions. Once we turned to Zaros, those of us who survived that final disastrous battle moved to the empire and were granted positions of power and authority within it by our new lord."
38. ↑ Jhallan, "Jhallan's memory", *RuneScape*. "After the war with the Menaphites was over, we moved into the empire and Zaros bestowed on us high stations within its bureaucracy and military according to our merit. [...] For the more unusual predilections of Sliske and Trindine he created a new organisation, the Praetorians, the secret police of Senntisten. For his part in the liberation of the Mahjarrat from Icthlarin, Sliske was given the office of Praefectus of the Praetorians. Some years later, when the humans occupant of the position died, Azzanadra was elevated to the rank of Pontifex Maximus and became the head of the church, and thus the second in command to the whole empire. To avoid conflict between his most favoured servants, Zaros also created the rank of Legatus Maximus and awarded it to Zamorak."
39. ↑ Ralvash, "Ralvash's memory", *RuneScape*. "Sliske wrote and performed a play for the elite of Senntisten: the more urbane demons and the most powerful human merchants and bureaucrats. Before the play he took unwanted humans from the streets of the city, dressed them in brightly coloured costumes, and placed upon each a crude wooden mask. At his command the masks spoke aloud and controlled the movements of the players, compelling them to jerkily act and dance and mime his play like puppets, with the person behind the mask able only to watch his own actions. [...] Sliske performed it a dozen times before growing bored and moving on to something else."
40. ↑ The Book of Seren, "author unknown", *RuneScape*. "Whatever my goddess's intentions, they were set aside when a great emptiness fell upon this world. It spread like a blight across the land - led by one who cared not to live in harmony with the world as we did, but sought to control all and bend it to its will. We even lost the World Gate to its insatiable hunger, and we could travel no more to our crystal world of old."
41. ↑ Jagex. Above the Lore - episode 9: *Audience with Mod Mark* Mod Osborne *Above the Lore* podcast, 6 September 2013.
42. ↑ **Zaros**, "Fate of the Gods", *RuneScape*. "I shall use this 'World Gate' to more quickly and easily explore creation, and to further my knowledge of magic and science. Perhaps there are mortal races left who might yet join my cause, on worlds I have previously overlooked."
43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 Hannibus, "Last Riders", *RuneScape*.
44. ↑ Enakhra, "Enakhra's memory", *RuneScape*.
45. ↑ Viggora, "The Curse of Zaros", *RuneScape*. "So anyway, Lord Zamorak and his trusted compatriots, namely myself, Hazeel, Drakan, Thammaron and Zemouregal made plans to overthrow our lord using the god-weapon, and by pledging allegiance to Zamorak as our master, were each to be given a large piece of land as our own in return."
46. ↑ Lamistard, "Lamistard's memory", *RuneScape*. "Some said that he wished to rule, and that our rebellion was simply a political coup. Others claimed an ideological motivation, and of these it was the philosophy of chaos that gained the most traction."
47. ↑ Jagex. "Twice Burnt." *RuneScape* Lores and Histories.
48. ↑ Rennard, "The Curse of Zaros", *RuneScape*. "His name was Zamorak. I remember thinking at the time it was odd, because the fella was a mighty powerful warrior, but he was never fully trusted by… WHY can't I remember his name???"
49. ↑ **Zaros**, "Fate of the Gods", *RuneScape*. "I did not anticipate for Zamorak’s ascension, nor did I engineer it."
50. ↑ Char, "Book of Char", *RuneScape*. "He was curious of the activity of the ‘goddess’ Seren, hidden away in her crystalline city, and wished to send a party of the most trusted followers to scout the area, or so he claimed. When he told me, something seemed wrong, Zaros was troubled, I could feel it."
51. ↑ Mod Jack. "How Did Zaros Trip?." 19 August 2013. *RuneScape Lore Discussion* Forums.
52. ↑ Mod Jack. "Joy of Zaros Podcast Summary." 18 October 2013. *RuneScape Lore Discussion* Forums.
53. ↑ Lucien, "Lucien's memory", *RuneScape*. "The strangest claim, consistent across all of them, was that Zaros had placed them in this state in a final act of vengeance for their part in his downfall. As much as I may be glad to see Zaros gone, I knew him well enough to find the claim implausible. I must believe they had something to do with the acquisition of the staff, though, or how would they even know of its existence? My theory is that when Zamorak crudely invoked the staff's power by the simple expedient of stabbing it into Zaros, some of the power that was released fed back through the staff into everything it had a recent connection with, especially those who had been in physical proximity to it. How or why it trapped them in that dead state I do not know."
54. ↑ Lucien, "Lucien's memory", *RuneScape*. "In the course of my investigations I encountered a number of ghosts around the empire, including one that claimed to be our old friend General Viggora. The ghosts told a strange tale of Zamorak's acquisition of the staff, mixing personal testimony with whatever dreams and imaginings ghosts experience in their tormented unrest. [...] As for Viggora, he was a pathetic shadow of the mighty chieftain I had once counted as an ally, wallowing in imagined self-pity and his own delusions. When I returned to squeeze more information from him some years later, he had retained no knowledge of our previous meeting and responded to me as a stranger once again."
55. ↑ Zemouregal, "Zemouregal's memory", *RuneScape*.
56. ↑ Hannibus, "Hannibus Hunted", *RuneScape*.
57. ↑ Mod Emilee. "Game Update FAQ - 14/09/11." September 2011. *Recent Game Updates* Forums.
58. ↑ Mod Mark. "Behind the Scenes - March 2014." 28 February 2014. *RuneScape* News.
59. ↑ Ashuelot Reis, "Ancient Prison", *RuneScape*. "Following Zaros's downfall in the Second Age, Azzanadra, the Mahjarrat-general of Zarosian forces, was defeated by the armies of Zamorak and Saradomin. He was driven back and imprisoned in the great pyramid of Jaldraocht."
60. ↑ Azzanadra, "The Temple at Senntisten", *RuneScape*. "It was no accident. An ally from the old days placed it in their care while I was trapped in that forsaken pyramid."
61. ↑ Eblis, "Desert Treasure", *RuneScape*. "They stole his very life force, the essence of his power, and trapped it within four crystals - the very same Four Diamonds which you have now recovered from the brigands who stole from us. The four pillars surrounding the structure are keeping the containment spell intact. By placing a diamond into each, you will breach the magical defences and begin to restore Azzanadra's power, and be able to enter the structure."
62. ↑ Amelia of Avarrocka, "The Book of Zaros", *RuneScape*. "At last, I understood. When a lord has no servants, he cannot be betrayed. Zaros will return, but he will rule not as a king in a palace, but as the unknown power behind all things. If he needs followers he will choose only a few, powerful beings. He will not need the tiny remnant of his first empire, whose only virtue is having kept faith. I die in peace. Zaros - in his wisdom - has forsaken me."
63. ↑ Jagex. Postbag 9 - "Transcript:Sawdust, Wallbeasts and Kebabs!", Letter 5, by Azzanadra. *RuneScape* Postbags from the Hedge.
64. ↑ Azzanadra, "Desert Treasure", *RuneScape*. "More time must have passed than I had thought... Tell me, what news of great Paddewwa? Do the shining spires of Lassar still stand? And what of glorious Annakarl? The fortress is still intact? [...] My lord... What has become of you? I cannot hear your voice in my mind anymore! My thanks to you brave warrior for your help in freeing me from this accursed tomb, but it seems I have much to do to make amends. If the shining cities no longer stand, then it means that we must have failed my lord... How long have I been trapped here? Master... Have you truly been dispatched from this world? [...] Now, I must leave you, for there must be some trace of my master's power left somewhere."
65. ↑ Sliske, "Fate of the Gods", *RuneScape*. "I promised Zaros that I would cause a distraction to keep his return secret for as long as possible, and I intend to keep it."