This is the current revision of this page, as edited by 212.112.153.9(Sọ̀rọ̀) at 08:42, 27 October 2023(Rennard killed Valdrz and then sold the Staff of Armadyl, therefore it couldn't be Valdez who sold it to Zamorak, since he was dead). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.
Revision as of 08:42, 27 October 2023 by 212.112.153.9(Sọ̀rọ̀)(Rennard killed Valdrz and then sold the Staff of Armadyl, therefore it couldn't be Valdez who sold it to Zamorak, since he was dead)
While the name or title of this topic is not officially recognised in-game, the information contained on this page is still considered to be canon and is based on official sources.
The Betrayal of Zaros refers to Zamorak's betrayal and attempted killing of Zaros. Zamorak, the most powerful Mahjarrat general in Zaros' service, wanted to usurp Zaros' leadership of his vast empire and the Mahjarrat. When he, by chance, got hold of the Staff of Armadyl, he decided to make his move. With his close Mahjarrat followers Hazeel and Zemouregal, as well as the vampyre Lord Drakan and others, he plotted Zaros' downfall. His allies would engage Zaros' bodyguards while Zamorak fought Zaros himself.
Valdez, a Saradominist explorer, stumbled upon the Staff of Armadyl.[1] He realised this immense power of the weapon and chose to give it to Saradomin.[2] However, a thief called Rennard found Valdez, killed him and stole the Staff.[3] Though he did not know it was the Staff of Armadyl, he did recognise the weapon's power[4] and intended to sell it to Zaros.[5] Instead, Zaros' messenger, Kharrim, took Rennard's message to Zamorak, who was mortal[6] and Zaros' general at the time[7]. Zamorak then purchased the staff from Rennard.[8]
Saradominist Intervention
Lennissa, a Saradominist spy,[9] found out about the sale and recognized the threat that Zaros would pose if he came into possession of the staff.[10] Lennissa decided to inform her superior Dhalak, a Saradominist mage, about the weapon,[11] believing that Saradomin would contact Armadyl and see to the return of the weapon once he was informed.[12] Dhalak was supposed to pass the information on to Saradomin himself, but he instead enchanted the staff so that Zaros could not detect it.[13] Dhalak knew about Zamorak's intention to betray Zaros, and he thought that the internal conflict caused by Zamorak's betrayal would benefit Saradomin.[14] Not even Zamorak knew that Dhalak helped to conceal the staff.[15]
Battle with Zaros
After obtaining the staff, Zamorak and his most loyal followers - Hazeel, Drakan, Thammaron, Zemouregal, and a human called Viggora - made plans to attack Zaros in his throne room.
[16] The Dragon RiderApropos also chose to side with Zamorak,[17] but it is unknown if she participated in the battle.
While the followers of Zamorak kept Zaros and his guards busy with their attacks, Zamorak outmaneuvered Zaros and managed to stab him in the back with the Staff of Armadyl.[18] This weakened Zaros, but he still seemed to be much more powerful than Zamorak.[19] With the staff still impaled in his back he seized Zamorak by the throat and lifted him into the air. Zamorak would have been killed, but somehow Zaros stumbled and fell onto his back. After that, the Staff of Armadyl crossed Zaros' body and impaled Zamorak without leaving it.[20] Unexpectedly, it acted as a conduit that transferred Zaros' divine power to Zamorak.[21] As Zaros disappeared, he cast a curse on all those who helped Zamorak bring the staff to Zaros' castle.[22]
Aftermath
In response to Zamorak's attack on Zaros, the other gods banished Zamorak. However, Zamorak was able to eventually return, stronger and as a god himself.[23] After his return, the God Wars began.[24]
Those who were cursed by Zaros were bound to remain as ghosts on Gielinor. However, it seems that not all were affected, as the vampyres and Mahjarrat that aided Zamorak were not transformed into ghosts. The reason for this is unknown.[25]
Although Saradomin and Zamorak warred with each other, they formed an alliance to crush the Zarosian forces. With each battle, the Zarosians were pushed further and further into the Kharidian Desert as they lost their lands. Eventually, the Saradominists and Zamorakians managed to imprison Azzanadra within the Ancient Pyramid. With their greatest hero incapacitated, some of the remaining Zarosians settled in the desert.[26]
References
^Valdez in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "I am unsure who had built [the temple], or why they had left it seemingly abandoned, but inside I located a great treasure... It was the godstaff of Armadyl."
^Valdez in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "I chose that day to take it so that my Lord Saradomin's power and prestige could be increased by its possession."
^Valdez in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "The vile thief Rennard accosted me as I made my way to Entrana, and after defeating me with a sneak attack, plundered the staff from my person, and left me for dead.."
^Rennard in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "Anysways, I unwraps this staff, and sees it be a god- weapon; I may be just a common thief, but I recognises a weapon not made by mortal hands when I sees one."
^Rennard in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "Anyway, I hired me a messenger to go off and let [Zaros] know I had something I was prepared to sell that I thought he'd be interested in..."
^Kharrim in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "Ah yes, Lord Zamorak. He was merely a mortal back then, you know?"
^Rennard in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "Well, that's the other funny thing... He never showed up, he sent some General or other instead."
^Rennard in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "But I digress. I let Lord Zamorak know that there was some drunken fool with an artefact of incredible power that could probably be bought off with a few jewels and trinkets, ... and he escorted me to the tavern and made the purchase there and then."
^Lennissa in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "Let me see... I had been working as a spy for my Lord Saradomin, amongst the forces of... the Empty Lord."
^Lennissa in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "If he had taken possession of this god-weapon, then his power would have been so great that he could have overthrown all on this world, and made it into his own image!"
^Lennissa in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "I went immediately to my comrade Dhalak, the mage, and told him that a message had come to the lair offering this weapon for sale!"
^Lennissa in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "I knew that as soon as my Lord Saradomin heard this, he would contact Armadyl to inform them of the theft, and the matter would have been resolved quickly and discreetly."
^Dhalak in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "Indeed I did. To my eternal shame, I decided that I would assist Zamorak and his henchmen in their battle, by secretly casting a spell of concealment upon the staff so that ... they might use it secretly against their master."
^Dhalak in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "Now, as powerful, long-lived and evil as they were, they were still just mortal, and I made the decision that it would be of benefit to my Lord Saradomin for his mightiest rival to be distracted by such internal conflicts"
^Dhalak in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "No, nobody except myself, and now you, knew that I cast such a spell...."
^Viggora in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "So anyway, Lord Zamorak and his most 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."
^Viggora in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "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!"
^Viggora in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "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 in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "You can call it what you want, but as the Empty Lords hands wrapped tightly around Zamorak's throat, Lord Zamorak, kicking and screaming defiantly and radiant in his anger until the very last, plunged towards the Empty Lord, who seemed to lose his footing slightly, and fell in such a way so that the staff plunged deeper into his body, but also impaled Lord Zamorak with it at the same time..."
^Viggora in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "Zamorak stood over the Empty Lord who was slowly... fading from existence... And as he faded, it seemed as though... It almost seemed as though Zamorak became more real, more solid than he had been before..."
^Viggora in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "And as the Empty Lord faded from this world completely, I heard his voice, almost a whisper upon the wind, cursing all who had helped Zamorak in his victory, which as you now tell me seems to have been all who were responsible for the staff ending up in Zamorak's hands at the castle."
^Viggora in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "It was then that the other gods appeared and banished Zamorak from the world completely for daring to kill one of their kind, although as it turned out it didn't quite work out that way for them, when he returned stronger than ever, a god himself."
^Viggora in Curse of the Empty Lord. Old School RuneScape. "Who knows why the curse fell as it did? Perhaps as a mere human I was more susceptible to it, when they were not. Perhaps they too are cursed, but their life spans are so long that it will be millennia before they feel it upon them."
^Eblis in Desert Treasure I. Old School RuneScape. "Then came the betrayal. Our god was banished, leaving us helpless to our fates. [...] The spiteful Saradomin and pathetic Zamorak warred with each other, but the hatred they had for each other was as nothing to the hatred they held towards us! With each battle they waged, we lost more and more land, unable to fight on all fronts, and were pushed further and further South into this gods-forsaken desert. Our greatest hero, Azzanadra, was finally trapped in a strange stone structure to the South of here, and bound within by terrible powers... And with that our lands, our homes, our very lives were stolen from us! Too weak to reclaim what was rightfully ours, we made our homes here, knowing that someday Azzanadra will return with his magnificent power, and bring us back to our former glory..."
