A statue of King Kharedst IV, the last King of Kourend.
King Kharedst IV was the last king of Great Kourend, before the Kourend Council overtook the position as rulers of the kingdom.
Approximately 31 years ago, King Kharedst IV's wife died giving birth to Rose, his only daughter.[1] Some time during her childhood, he gave her a memoir for her to record their outings, so that he can reminisce the times they've spent together.[2] During these outings, they would occasionally dress down to experience the life of the people of Great Kourend.[3] Rose and her father also often wrote riddles for each other as well.[4]
The day before Rose's 11th birthday, she and her father made their monthly trip to Lovakengj, where he purchased an ornate flask and an old rose-shaped locket from an old dwarf tinker.[5] The locket was given to Rose as a present, whilst he purchased the flask for himself.[6] Unbeknownst to the King, the flask he purchased was corrupted with dark magic,[7] and soon his mind became corrupted.[8]
Soon after, an Arceuus mage, later revealed to be Xamphur, reached out to David Andrews, one of the King's advisors. An expert on old curses, the mage claimed that the King's curse had deteriorated his mind beyond saving, and gave a poison for David to kill him.[9] Accepting that the King could not be saved, the King's advisors proceeded to kill him with the poison.[10] As Rose was too young to take the throne at the time of his death, the King's advisors formed the Kourend Council in order to rule the kingdom until Rose was ready to do so.[11]
^Farmer Gricoller. Old School RuneScape. "[King Kharedst] married late and his wife... Unfortunately didn't survive bringing Rose into this world."
^"Kharedst's memoirs". Old School RuneScape. "If it pleases you, my dear child, would you record our future outings? When I'm old and my mind is fading I'd like to reminisce all the times we've spent together around this fine Kingdom of mine. Heed the lessons of our time together and reflect, for someday you will be Queen over this great land."
^Rose. "Kharedst's memoirs". Old School RuneScape. "Being royalty, it's good practise to dress down and be somewhat anonymous as Father believes it's a good lesson in understanding the residents, for both the good traits and the bad."
^Martin Holt. Old School RuneScape. "Apparently Rose and her father would often make riddles for each other. I'm guessing she was quite fond of them."
^Rose. "Kharedst's memoirs". Old School RuneScape. "At this morning's breakfast he revealed to me what he'd been hiding in the form of a birthday present. It's beautiful! A locket of pale gold shaped like a rose that contains a wonderful painting of mother opposite a dark purple crystal."
^Rose. "Kharedst's memoirs". Old School RuneScape. "He assured me [the locket is] certainly at least several centuries old in between quick sips from a peculiar ornate flask with an 'X' imprinted on the side. I suppose he picked that up yesterday from the tinker as well."
^Old dwarf. Old School RuneScape. "Are you saying the man I sold those trinkets to was the king?! Those were dark objects, corrupted with powerful magic. Dark magic."
^Councillor Orson. Old School RuneScape. "The flask was cursed. Some dark magic. He stopped being himself. Started saying things. Things he would do to people. To the citizens!"
^Councillor Orson. Old School RuneScape. "There was an Arceuus mage. He was an expert in curses, and he realised what was happening. He gave us the poison for the King."
^Councillor Orson. Old School RuneScape. "By then, it was already too late. The King had deteriorated too much. There was only one solution."
^Councillor Andrews. Old School RuneScape. "Kourend's last King, Kharedst IV, had only one child when he died. She was too young to take the throne, so the Kourend Council was formed to look after things until she came of age."
