The Runecrafting Crusades were a series of attacks made by a faction of Fremenniks, led by Gunnar during the years 42 to 62 of the Fifth Age. The Fremenniks invaded in response to mortals using magic and creating runes, which the Fremennik thought was defying the will of the gods.[1][2]
The war concluded with only a partial success for the Fremennik invaders. Most of the entrances to the various runic altars were destroyed by the Fremenniks, but the altars themselves remained intact and many continued to make use of magic.
Background
The discovery of runes
In the First or Second Age, a Fremennik named V------- found the Stone of Jas on Lunar Isle.[3][4] While the Stone of Jas was removed by unknown entities,[5] its power had permanently altered the rocks in the surrounding cave, turning them into rune essence,[6] and resulting in the discovery of runecrafting.[7][8] While the Fremenniks were not categorically opposed to the use of magic,[9] there was disagreement among the tribes as to whether or not the tribes should make use of their newfound ability to create runes. This disagreement ultimately led to a split between the Moon Clan and the Fremenniks.[10][11]
Spread of runecrafting
After the split, the Moon Clan proceeded to build runic altars across Gielinor,[12] while most Fremennik continued to regard magic as a gift that very few people should be able to use.[13][14]
Eventually other groups beyond the Moon Clan began to experiment with the crafting of runes. In the beginning of the Fifth Age human mages discovered how to craft runes,[15] and these mages subsequently built the Wizards' Tower to aid each other in the studies of magic and runes.[16][17] Other wizards built the Mage Training Arena after a number of accidents involving magic and runes lead to increased outcry for some means of mitigating the danger magic could pose.[18]
The discovery of runecrafting quickly changed the political landscape of Gielinor. The kingdoms of Asgarnia and Misthalin rose to prominence due to the power unlocked by runecrafting.[19] Likewise Saradominists in Kandarin were able to remove Hazeel and his followers during the Battle of Ardougne through the power of runes and thereby establish the foundations of the city of Ardougne.[20]
The Crusades' Beginning
Eventually, the Fremenniks in Rellekka learned about the humans crafting and using runes throughout Gielinor, and the Fremennik Warlord Gunnar decided to muster an army of similarly-minded Fremenniks to put a stop to the crafting of runes.[21] The Fremennik first attacked the Moon Clan, forcing them back to Lunar Isle. Only after this initial success did the Fremenniks move on to invade Kandarin, Asgarnia, and Misthalin.[22]
Destruction of the runic altars
As the Gunnites moved south, their highest priority was the destruction of the runic altars, the source of their ire. Though the Fremennik worked to destroy all known altars, they lacked the knowledge necessary to do so properly; in reality, they only succeeded in destroying the entrances to the altars, leaving the altars themselves unscathed.[23] Moreover, the Fremennik were unable to destroy all the runic altars; the Ourania altar and the Astral Altar survived unscathed.
Notably, the entrances to the Blood Altar, Cosmic Altar, and Death Altar were also rendered inaccessible, though not by Fremennik hands,[24] as they are located in places the Fremennik were unable to reach: beneath Meiyerditch, on Zanaris and within the Temple of Light respectively. Instead, the Blood Altar was likely destroyed during the war for Hallowvale[25] and the Death Altar was likely destroyed during the elven conflicts.[26] It is unknown how the Cosmic Altar was destroyed.[27]
The Fremennik invasion was also responsible for the rediscovery of the Wrath Altar.[28] Just after the temple to the altar had been built, it was quickly destroyed,[29] leading to the founding of the Myths' Guild by the Sect of Uhld.[30] The knowledge the Sect of Uhld gained from the Wrath Altar allowed them to destroy the southern contingent of the Gunnite crusade.[31]
Fremennik sympathizers
The Fremennik invaders were not without their sympathizers. In the year 47, one such group consisting of warriors proficient in melee and ranged combat from the kingdom of Misthalin destroyed the original Mage Training Arena.[32][33] A group of wizards later rebuilt the Mage Training Arena and restored the destroyed Guardians whose task was to oversee the arena.[34]
Extinction of the Imcando
Other than humans, skilled smiths known as Imcando dwarves were also known to use some magic, specifically superheat, although the runes for this were provided by the White Knights.[35][36] As a result, the Fremenniks, whose strength the Imcando dwarves underestimated,[37] launched a series of attacks against Imcandos and almost destroyed the entire race.[38] Until recently, the only known living Imcando was thought to be Thurgo, but with the discovery of the Ruins of Camdozaal, it was found that the Imcando Ramarno survived the Fremennik Crusades, while he believed himself to be the only remaining member of his race.[39]
End and aftermath
Even though Fremenniks had many successful offensives, they were forced to make peace due to unsustainable losses. The last few living Fremenniks established a new home near River Lum, now called Barbarian Village, with the intention of resuming their crusade after taking some time to recover their strength.[40] However, any future plans of further crusades seem to have been discarded, and many of the children born in the Barbarian Village have since left the settlement entirely. [41] Nevertheless, the barbarians still reject the usage of magic.[14]
Ultimately, all sides of the war suffered heavy losses, but the most severely impacted were the Imcando Dwarves, as they were nearly driven into extinction.
References
- ^ "Display case 2". Old School RuneScape. "The Fremennik mountain tribe has always been opposed to the manufacture of runes, as they feel this should be the work of the gods."
- ^ "Display case 2". Old School RuneScape. "A group of the more warmongering of the mountain tribe broke away, led by a warrior called Gunnar, and went on a rampage across northern Kandarin and Asgarnia to put a stop to this 'runecrafting'."
- ^ "Moonclan manual". Old School RuneScape. "As we all know, from the tales told to us in the Secret Tongue, 'magic' was first discovered in these lands by V------- when he accidentally stumbled upon the Stone of J--."
- ^ Brundt the Chieftain. Old School RuneScape. "V was different. Stories tell of how he unlocked the potential of magic with the single touch of a stone."
- ^ "Moonclan manual". Old School RuneScape. "the stone was instantly removed by those powers who walk a higher Astral Path than ourselves"
- ^ "Moonclan manual". Old School RuneScape. "he [V-------] did discover something of great importance in the caves where first he found the stone; the very rocks that had surrounded it had been subtly changed by its presence. The rocks in their contact with the Stone of J-- had gained a yearning to be something they were not."
- ^ "Moonclan manual". Old School RuneScape. "...V------- discovered that by focussing thought upon them he could transform them entirely for short periods of time into the very elements of the universe."
- ^ Baba Yaga in Lunar Diplomacy. Old School RuneScape. "The Fremennik were actually the first to discover how to make runes."
- ^ Brundt the Chieftain. Old School RuneScape. "[But V------- earned the right to use magic?] Exactly. Now the Moon Clan on the other hand, did not earn that right. Their use of magic is an insult to our people."
- ^ Baba Yaga in Lunar Diplomacy. Old School RuneScape. "Most Fremennik felt we were stealing power from the gods. They could not see past that to the great things we could do with such power, so we split from them and became the Moon Clan"
- ^ Brundt the Chieftain. Old School RuneScape. "[The Moon Clan] are an evil people, equally cursed and blessed by the magic in their blood."
- ^ Baba Yaga in Lunar Diplomacy. Old School RuneScape. "He and his followers built altars all over Gielinor - which you use today to create runes"
- ^ Brundt the Chieftain in The Fremennik Exiles. Old School RuneScape. "[V earned the right to use magic]. Now the Moon Clan on the other hand, did not earn that right. Their use of magic is an insult to our people."
- ^ 14.0 14.1 Hunding. Old School RuneScape. "However, our ways have changed little in the last century. Although more and more people use magical powers, we do not believe it is wise to take upon oneself the power of the gods in this way. To this day, we fight with the mighty sword, the vicious axe and the swift arrow on the wind."
- ^ "Display case 21". Old School RuneScape. "In the first years of the 5th Age, human mages discovered the secrets of making runes from rune essence."
- ^ Archmage Sedridor in Rune Mysteries. Old School RuneScape. "The rediscovery of runecrafting had such a large impact on the world, that it marked the dawn of the Fifth Age. It also resulted in the birth of our order, and the construction of the first Wizards' Tower."
- ^ "Display case 21". Old School RuneScape. "The mages who discovered rune essence ... set up a great tower of wizardry in southern Misthalin."
- ^ "Display case 11". Old School RuneScape. "It soon became evident just how dangerous this was, with a great many tragic accidents occurring due to inexperienced wizards. Wizards and victims alike called for something to be done, but it was only due to a tragic accident involving one of the leaders of that time that the Mage Training Arena was constructed, established with all skill levels in mind."
- ^ "Display case 21". Old School RuneScape. "Due to the power of these runes, humans started to become dominant within the world, with the human kingdoms of Misthalin and Asgarnia quickly growing to become the ones we know today."
- ^ "Display case 7". Old School RuneScape. "Using the power of runes, Saradominist humans in Kandarin, led by the Carnillean family, became confident and decided to take on the evil influences resident in the area around what is now know as Ardougne. Of particular note was an evil lord by the name of Hazeel, so they stormed his home and defeated the Zamorakins inside. The following morning, the Carnillean forefathers moved into the empty household and claimed it as their own. From this base the Carnilleans began to build the city of Ardougne."
- ^ "Display case 2". Old School RuneScape. "A group of the more warmongering of the mountain tribe broke away, led by a warrior called Gunnar, and went on a rampage across northern Kandarin and Asgarnia to put a stop to this 'runecrafting'."
- ^ Baba Yaga in Lunar Diplomacy. Old School RuneScape. "The Fremennik had grown strong in body, while our clan had grown strong in mind. They overpowered our tribe and we retreated to Lunar Isle, where we have lived ever since. The Fremennik then swept over Gielinor destroying the altars we had made, in an attempt to remove all trace of magic from the land."
- ^ Baba Yaga in Lunar Diplomacy. Old School RuneScape. "The Fremennik were not as thorough as they thought. They destroyed only the entrances to the altars, for the altars themselves were on a different plane"
- ^ "Q&A Summary 07/04/2022". RuneScape News. Mod Ed. 12 April 2022. Archived from the original. "The Fremennik only destroyed most of them, the rest were destroyed in other ways."
- ^ "Q&A Summary 07/04/2022". RuneScape News. Mod Ed. 12 April 2022. Archived from the original. "don't think we've ever actually specified how the Blood Altar was most likely destroyed, it's probably at some point during the war for Hallowvale when the vampires took over"
- ^ "Q&A Summary 07/04/2022". RuneScape News. Mod Ed. 12 April 2022. Archived from the original. "similarly, the Death Altar was probably destroyed at some point in all the elven conflicts"
- ^ "Q&A Summary 07/04/2022". RuneScape News. Mod Ed. 12 April 2022. Archived from the original. "Cosmic's a bit more interesting I don't actually have an answer on how that would have been destroyed"
- ^ Erdan. Old School RuneScape. "And so the rune temples that man had created were under threat, all were destroyed and thus forgotten, but the wrath that these Gunnites embraced rippled through the pocket dimensions and a new altar of power was discovered."
- ^ Erdan. Old School RuneScape. "The temple was destroyed just as construction had finished, and a nearby nomadic group called the Sect of Uhld were not pleased with the brutality they witnessed."
- ^ Erdan. Old School RuneScape. "Quickly they [the Sect of Uhld] established this guild with information preservation as their core goal."
- ^ Erdan. Old School RuneScape. "...the Sect of Uhld had used the information gained from the wrath altar, and with a spell of their own making, they destroyed the southern runecrafting crusade with much ease."
- ^ "Display case 5". Old School RuneScape. "The invading Fremennik had a number of sympathisers within the kingdom of Misthalin ... they destroyed the Mage Training Arena."
- ^ "Arena book". Page 3. Old School RuneScape. "There were many warriors of melee and ranged combat that took offence to this new art of magic, and taking matters into their own hands, they destroyed the arena."
- ^ "Arena book". Page 4. Old School RuneScape. "a collection of Wizards took it upon themselves to resurrect the building along with all Guardians of Magic that were destroyed with it. These Guardians were created out of the very same essence as runestones, embodying the magic power and authority needed to oversee the arena."
- ^ Ramarno. Old School RuneScape. "Our methods would often differ from other dwarves. Whereas they just used traditional smithing techniques, we would combine them with magic as well."
- ^ "Display case 2". Old School RuneScape. "They had been given many fire and nature runes by the White Knights of Falador to help with their smithing by use of the Superheat Item spell."
- ^ Ramarno. Old School RuneScape. "We underestimated them. We believed our weapons would be enough to keep us safe. We were wrong."
- ^ "Display case 2". Old School RuneScape. "The invading Fremennik were not happy about all the spellcasting and launched many attacks, reducing the Imcando to near extinction."
- ^ Ramarno. Old School RuneScape. "Only a few of us survived until the end. Now, only I remain."
- ^ "Display case 1". Old School RuneScape. "The barbarian invaders were running out of steam. They were pretty much forced to make peace or be wiped out, so they agreed to settle down peacefully and make a village on the Misthalin/Asgarnia border, thinking that they could lie low, well-positioned to build up strength and resume their campaign later."
- ^ Hunding. Old School RuneScape. "Some of our young, wishing to try so-called 'civilisation' and the softness of city life, abandon the tribe and move to the cities. It is sad to see them go, but we do not prevent them; we live here in our village because we love this life - we do not force it on those whom it does not suit."
