Ancient Pyramid

Ancient Pyramid
Released	18 April 2005 (Update)
Members	Yes
Floors	4
Location	Kharidian Desert
League region	Desert✓
Map
	<mapframe align="center" frameless="" plane="0" width="300" y="2898" x="3232" height="300" zoom="2" mapID="0"> [] </mapframe>
Advanced data
Type	building

Location on World Map
Bandit Camp
↑
Quarry	←	Ancient Pyramid	→	Nardah
↓
Menaphos

The Ancient Pyramid, also known as the Jaldraocht Pyramid, meaning Tomb of Magic in an old desert language^[1], is located south of the Bandit Camp in the Kharidian Desert.

It is a key location in the quest Desert Treasure I, and upon its completion, can be used by players to switch their spellbook to Ancient Magicks or back, as well as create magic tablets for Ancient Magicks teleports via the nearby lectern. During the quest, players must use the main entrance of the pyramid to get in, which requires them to run past attacking creatures (see below) while dodging traps. The pyramid has four levels, each of which is larger in width than the last. Some players consider getting through to be of some difficulty, as the traps will send the player back to the entrance. After the completion of the quest, players may use the south entrance to return to the centre of the pyramid without frustration.

After completion of the Desert Treasure I quest, players can buy the ancient staff from Eblis for 80,000 coins. If they happen to lose it, they can buy one from another player or kill mummies inside the pyramid for another.

Searching the sarcophagi within the pyramid (but outside the throne room) can yield small treasure such as sapphire rings, though it is definitely unwise to search the sarcophagi while running through the pyramid for Desert Treasure I.

History

During the God Wars, many enormous battles were fought within the Kharidian Desert. Azzanadra, a powerful Zarosian Mahjarrat, was an active warrior who fought in the desert to protect the Zarosian groups who fled into the desert when Zaros fell. Azzanadra was incredibly powerful, and wiped out enormous armies on his own.

Because Azzanadra was nearly invincible, he was a great danger to the armies of Saradomin and Zamorak, and so a group of Zamorakians decided to bring him down. They cast a spell upon him which bound Azzanadra's power into four diamonds. The Pyramid may have been built to imprison Azzanadra, although its architecture and the fact that it contains ancient Zarosian warrior mages buried in its catacombs indicates that it is likely a much older structure built some time during the Second Age by followers of Zaros.

During Desert Treasure I, the player found the four diamonds and used it to release Azzanadra from the pyramid.

Getting there

The fastest way to reach the Pyramid is to use the Jaldraocht teleport of the Pharaoh's sceptre.
The second fastest way is by using a Camulet and teleporting just north-west of the pyramid, following the completion of the hard Desert Diary
A teleport to the Pollnivneach POH portal using a redirection scroll on a house tablet is the third fastest way.
Players can use a Nardah teleport scroll and take the carpet to Pollnivneach.
Players could use a Ring of dueling followed by riding a magic carpet to Pollnivneach.
Players can travel to the Ruins of Unkah via Al Kharid, exit the Shantay Pass and run north.
Players can also use a charged Amulet of Glory to teleport to Al Kharid, followed by taking the ferry south via Ferryman Sathwood and then running north-east to the pyramid.

A map of the pyramid

The levels in the pyramid are numbered in the order the player encounters them in the Desert Treasure I quest.

The exterior of the pyramid is not dangerous, other than the effects of desert heat. Heat is not a factor inside the pyramid, but almost all of the interior is dangerous, with level 103 Mummies roaming about, level 92 Scarabs occasionally boiling out of the floor, and level 96 mummies sometimes spontaneously popping out of sarcophagi. Also, on Levels 1-3, random traps in the floor occasionally open up underneath the player, depositing the player outside, next to the south side of the pyramid. (The scarab swarms, spontaneous mummies, and traps cannot be detected in advance.) The room containing the altar on Level 4, however, has no traps but swarms and mummies can still appear.

Higher levels in Agility and Thieving will give the player a better chance at avoiding some of the traps inside of the Ancient Pyramid.^[2]^[3] Weight-reducing items may also be of use while running through the long corridors of the pyramid. The traps do not stop your forward motion, so opening one's house options will prevent most if not all traps from triggering. Being attacked closes the options, so be sure to reopen them afterwards.

Outside

During the Desert Treasure I quest, the player must enter the pyramid from its top. The outside entrance to Level 4 and the Ancient Magicks altar can only be used after the quest.

Level 1

This level is the smallest in area, with the fewest mummies roaming about. The purple line on the map marks the route from the entrance ladder to the ladder to the next level.

Level 2

This level is the second smallest in area, with a few more mummies roaming about. The purple line on the map marks the route from the entrance ladder to the ladder to the next level.

Level 3

This level is fairly large in area, presenting more of a challenge to players traversing it. A significant number of mummies are roaming about. The purple line on the map marks the route from the entrance ladder to the ladder to the next level.

Level 4

This level is quite large in area, with many mummies roaming everywhere but the altar room. The purple line on the map marks the route from the entrance ladder to the altar room. In the Desert Treasure I quest, Azzanadra is in the altar room. The altar allows players to switch their spellbook between Ancient Magicks and the Standard spellbook. It does not, however, recharge Prayer points - instead draining them to allow the switch to the Ancient Magicks spellbook. A portal next to altar lets the player exit the room directly, depositing them outside the pyramid.

After the quest, Azzanadra is not in the altar room, and the room can be accessed directly from the entrance on the south side of the pyramid.

Inhabitants

Changes

Date	Changes
[[{{#explode:11 January 2023\| \|0}} {{#explode:11 January 2023\| \|1}}]] [[{{#explode:11 January 2023\| \|2}}]] (update)	The world map label was changed from "Pyramid" to "Ancient Pyramid".

References

^ High Priest (Sophanem). Postbag 25: "The original colour of the Barrows Brothers armour". Letter 2. Old School RuneScape Postbags from the Hedge. Jagex. "The more antique pyramids were named long ago, when the people of the desert spoke a very different language. 'Jal' simply means 'tomb' in this tongue – so it is that we have the 'Tomb of Kings', the 'Tomb of the Agile' and the 'Tomb of Magic'."
^ Jagex. Mod Ash's Twitter account. 13 April 2020. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Mod Ash: "Just Agility level. Underground Pass never checks your weight or energy. Desert Treasure checks Agility and Thieving."
^ Jagex. Mod Ash's Twitter account. 3 May 2020. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Mod Ash: "If you're referring to the pyramid traps, those are checking both Agility and Thieving."

[1] High Priest (Sophanem). Postbag 25: "The original colour of the Barrows Brothers armour". Letter 2. Old School RuneScape Postbags from the Hedge. Jagex. "The more antique pyramids were named long ago, when the people of the desert spoke a very different language. 'Jal' simply means 'tomb' in this tongue – so it is that we have the 'Tomb of Kings', the 'Tomb of the Agile' and the 'Tomb of Magic'."

[2] Jagex. Mod Ash's Twitter account. 13 April 2020. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Mod Ash: "Just Agility level. Underground Pass never checks your weight or energy. Desert Treasure checks Agility and Thieving."

[3] Jagex. Mod Ash's Twitter account. 3 May 2020. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Mod Ash: "If you're referring to the pyramid traps, those are checking both Agility and Thieving."

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