Elder Gods
The Elder Gods are divine deities said to be the first true gods of Gielinor. According to Guthix, the Elder Gods were responsible for creating the world itself, using their powers to make the plane of Gielinor in a time before even the First Age. They are most prominently alluded to during the Meeting History quest.
When Guthix discovered the plane, the Elder Gods seem to have departed. Guthix, not powerful enough to create a plane of his own, shaped the world and named it Gielinor. Apparently he did not try to hide the knowledge of the Elder Gods at first, willingly sharing this information with the first humans to be brought through the Portal of Life. According to the first humans, Guthix was also "keen to point out" that he didn't create them, hinting that another higher power was responsible for their creation.
Since this time, though, virtually all knowledge of the Elder Gods has vanished.
Other gods? I've not heard those names before. Guthix appeared frequently to us back in those days. I suppose he wanted to ensure balance and that he wasn't introducing something to this world to upset that balance. He said very little. I think he just wanted us to be aware that he existed and to give us some understanding in those first days. He spoke a lot about balance and encouraging us to live in harmony with our surroundings--to feel free to use our enviroment, but not to abuse it. It seems that he had not created this world, and spoke of 'elder gods' that existed in a time before he could remember; of this he said little.
Of the Elder Gods little is known, whether in terms of their nature or their actions. The only physical remain of their time period may be the Stone of Jas (a.k.a. The Eye of Saradomin/The Fist of Guthix), an ancient artefact said to be used by the gods to create both Gielinorian magic and the Anima Mundi. It was also responsible for creating rune essence. Its location is revealed during the quest While Guthix Sleeps.
It is possible, the knowledge of the Elder Gods has survived up to the current age Gielinor in the form of the myth of the Elder Dragons discussed in the Book of Folklore. The Elder-dragon theory is not widely known, nor is it popular with skeptics. They believe it to have been created to throw doubt on the idea of Gielinor being barren before the gods arrived (the same time period in which the Elder Gods also apparently resided).
The Elder Gods may be the "masters" spoken of by TokHaar-Hok that created the TokHaar using the Elder Kiln to create the mountains of the world. This possibility is supported by the fact that this happened before the world was known as Gielinor, a name that was only given to the land when Guthix arrived. According to TokHaar-Hok, the TokHaar await the return of these "masters" to Gielinor, and if they are indeed the Elder Gods, this would suggest that they are still active in the universe.
See also
- Meeting History
- Stone of Jas
- Runecrafting
- Runes
- Guthix
- Historical Timeline
- While Guthix Sleeps
- Book of Folklore
- Jas
- Zaros