Lord Daquarius
| Lord Daquarius | |
| Release date | 27 February 2002 (Update) |
|---|---|
| Race | Human |
| Members NPC? | Yes |
| Quest NPC? | Yes -Wanted! and The Void Stares Back |
| Location | Taverley Dungeon Kinshra Base |
| Sells items? | No |
| Gender | Male |
| Examine | Wears a stylish suit of armour. |
| Notable features | Current leader of the Black Knights. |
Lord Daquarius Rennard, also referred to as the Lord of the Kinshra, is the current leader of the Kinshra, more commonly referred to as the Black Knights. In his mid-thirties, he was elected as the leader of the Kinshra, making him the youngest to ever gain leadership.
Daquarius was originally attackable until the release of the Wanted! quest, in which he plays a key role. He can be found in southwestern-most room of the Black Knight's Headquarters in Taverley Dungeon.
History
Early History
Daquarius was born in the Asgarnian city of Falador in the year 135. His distinguished skill in combat and noble nature eventually led to his acceptance by the Kinshra, who, at the time, were a powerful political force in protecting Falador, although they had largely left the city and taken up residence in the Black Knights' Fortress due to anti-Zamorakian social pressure following the burning of the Wizards' Tower in Year 70. Although accepted within Asgarnia, the Kinshra's long rivalry with their grudging allies, the White Knights, meant that Asgarnia was in a state of constant political unrest. Daquarius seems to have taken this grudge to heart, and soon gained a strong dislike of the White Knights.
The Edgeville Incident
Daquarius's distinguished service soon gained him a heightened rank within the Kinshra. He took under his wing a large division of knights, who apparently were very loyal to him.
At some point around the year 162, the infamous "Murder Mage" Solus Dellagar became involved with Lord Shadwell, the leader of the Kinshra at the time. Whilst performing an unknown operation in the then-unincorporated town of Edgeville in Misthalin, Solus betrayed the Kinshra, needlessly slaughtering over 800 civilians against the orders of Daquarius and other important Kinshra. The Kinshra, White Knights, and Temple Knights all attempted to intervene, but failed; hundreds of knights fell at his hands. Amongst those killed was Lord Shadwell, the Kinshra's leader. Although Solus was eventually apprehended by the Temple Knights, he would later prove an enemy of Daquarius. Shadwell's successor immediately proved hugely unsuccessful, and was strongly disliked by Daquarius.
In the Year 162, Asgarnia's ruler, King Vallance, fell ill and was unable to perform his duties. Seizing this opportunity, the White Knights increased their political might to finally outweigh that of the Kinshra, perhaps using the Edgeville Incident as part of their campaign. Crown Prince Anlaf, Vallance's son, was denied his inherent right to the throne, prompting Burthorpe to declare itself independent. Regardless, using their new-found power, in 163 the White Knights declared the Kinshra to have no power in Asgarnia.
Attack on Falador
Daquarius, now an established commander within the Kinshra's ranks, responded to the Kinshra's banishment by leading a large contingent of men to Falador, where they openly declared themselves enemies of the White Knights and the State. The Kinshra lord of the time apparently had little to do with the invasion, with most of its planning and execution being credited to Daquarius.
This sparked the Battle of North Falador, during which the Kinshra tried and failed to defeat the White Knights and claim the capital as their own. The two sides proved too evenly matched, and the inability of either to gain land led to heavy casualties on both sides. Eventually the two orders reluctantly retreated to their respective fortresses, where they began to formulate new plans for victory. Daquarius's failure evidently was not held against him by his fellow knights, and as 164 wore on he remained one of the Kinshra's most influential leaders.
Exile and Service Under Lord Sulla
For one year, under what many deemed a weak successor to Lord Shadwell, the Kinshra would exhaust any diplomatic means of regaining their strength. This lord would prove unable to make any progress with Asgarnia's government, failing to gain the sympathies of not only neighboring nations but also King Vallance and his heir, Crown Prince Anlaf. Any attempts to gain power through violence would also prove futile, the Kinshra numbers and recourses too low to overcome the strength of their enemies.
In 164, a high-ranking Kinshra officer named Sulla managed to seize considerable power within the order, gaining the support of many influential members. Sulla managed to assassinate the Kinshra's current leader, forcing his lover and slave to poison and execute him before slaying herself. Sulla would then gain the throne of the Kinshra unchallenged.
Despite his past successes and general popularity, Daquarius was, to an extent, disliked by Sulla. Sulla's love of violence and general disregard for chivalry put him at odds with Daquarius in a variety of fields. Regardless, Daquarius would be one of Sulla's key political and military advisors in the coming war, helping to secure many allies as well as being a major planner in the Battle of the Monastery, the Taverley Massacre, the Battle of the Glacier, and the Siege of Falador. Daquarius's most important role, though, would be in the Battle of Burthorpe, an event that took place prior to Falador's siege.
Meanwhile, Burthorpe's leader, Prince Anlaf, had been the target of a witch named The Sybil for several months. The Sybil, under the instruction of Sulla, would use her Zamorakian magicks to instil twisted visions and dreams in Anlaf's mind over the course of several months. These pro-Zamorakian dreams would leave Anlaf indecisive in the War, leading him to declare himself neutral.
Daquarius would lead a small cavalry charge upon Burthorpe, a small independent city in northern Asgarnia. Daquarius's soldiers would go unchallenged, the bulk of the Burthorpe Imperial Guard stationed near Ice Mountain and the remaining troops instructed to stand down. Daquarius led his men to Burthorpe's Palace, where Anlaf's elderly advisor Lord Amthyst was falsely accused by the Kinshra of slowly poisoning Anlaf. Uncharacteristically, Daquarius immediately demanded Amthyst be executed, his body being cut to pieces and the remains scattered in the courtyard.
Daquarius and his men would approach Prince Anlaf in his chambers, where they explained the fabricated story of Amthyst's efforts to poison him. Anlaf, despite being emotionally strained by this information, revealed a hidden altar to Zamorak he had secretly constructed in a tunnel beneath the palace. Daquarius, deciding the prince had fully converted to Zamorakian religion, asked Anlaf to support them in the Siege of Falador, to which he willingly complied. Despite Anlaf's orders, 600 Imperial Guards would rebel and support Falador under their commander, Lord Radebaugh. Daquarius would remain stationed in Burthorpe for the remainder of the Siege.
Following the Asgarnian victory at the siege, Daquarius and his men fled Burthorpe and returned to the Black Knights' Fortress. Sulla, wounded, disgraced, and in the care of the werewolf Jerrod, would not attempt to retain his power. Upon arriving, Daquarius ordered the execution of The Sybil. Knowing that a manner of execution had not been proposed by Daquarius, several Kinshra assaulted her in her chamber before boiling her alive.
Rise to Lordship
Daquarius was unanimously elected as the leader of the Kinshra following the exile of Sulla. At age 29, Daquarius was the youngest leader the Kinshra had ever had. The Temple Knights, who had already been monitoring him since the Edgeville Incident, began to keep a very close eye on him, documenting his actions within their archive and placing spies in the Kinshra ranks.
Daquarius was very well received as leader, making considerable progress without the use of open force. His care for his men, which had already been one of the deciding factors in his election, proved more effective than the extremist views of Shadwell and Sulla. Daquarius would eventually locate his base of operations to the Kinshra' secret base in Taverley Dungeon, where he was safer than in the Black Knights' Fortress.
Tutelage of Iban and the "Dawn Ascent"
Iban, a nobleman-turned-warrior within the ranks of the black knights, is said to have been trained by Daquarius himself in the book History of Iban. An ambitious man, Iban slayed hundreds of white knights in his continual effort to gain power. His dark aspirations even reached controlling the darkness in the hearts of his fellow men and corrupting them into a Soulless army of evil. But, seemingly before he could share his plan or gain magical power to carry it out, an unknown event known as the White Knight's "Dawn Ascent", a supposedly famous event at that, left Iban dead. Due to few manuscripts on the matter, it is unknown what the Dawn Ascent was or how the black knights (and by extension, Daquarius) were involved.
Second Attempt at Conquest
The following takes place during the Black Knights' Fortress (quest).
In the Year 169, Daquarius instructed his knights established on Ice Mountain to develop a "secret weapon", which they could use to reclaim Falador. With the assistance of a witch named Lensig and her goblin familiar Greldo, they began creating a weapon within the Black Knights' Fortress.
The White Knights, most likely informed by the Temple Knights, soon realised this threat to the state. Sir Amik Varze, the leader of Falador in King Vallance's stead, enlisted the help of an adventurer. The adventurer infiltrated the Black Knights' headquarters disguised as a guard, and eventually found the Black Knights' weapon - a sort of Potion. Contaminating it with a cabbage, the adventurer managed to stop the Kinshra, saving Falador.
Attempted Murder
The following takes place during the Wanted! quest.
Some time later, in the Year 169, Solus Dellagar was released by the Temple Knights as part of a plan to recruit an adventurer (the same adventurer who had infiltrated the Black Knight's fortress and contaminated the secret weapon), using a loophole in the recruitment system. Solus, thinking that he had escaped, was unaware that he was being monitored by the Temple Knights. Free from custody, he infiltrated the Kinshra Headquarters beneath Taverley.
Solus confronted Daquarius in his chambers. Daquarius demanded he left the Kinshra's base, citing his disobedience and cruelty at the Edgeville Incident. Solus, after being threatened by Daquarius, used ice barrage to kill two Kinshra and seriously wound Daquarius. He then left, apparently satisfied that Daquarius's fear of him would only grow, which, ironically, helped lead to Solus's apprehension.
Daquarius recovered, and is visited by the player during the quest. When the players mentions that he/she is working for the Temple Knights, Daquarius orders he/she to leave. But the player then kills some of the Black Knights, in which Daquarius begs them to stop. He then gives the player information on Solus, which allows the player to begin tracking him.
Involvement with the Renegade Knights
The following takes place during the King's Ransom quest.
Sometime after the Black Knights' Fortress was infiltrated and the secret weapon destroyed, Morgan Le Faye asked Daquarius to lend a few of his men so that she could overthrow Camelot. At first, Daquarius didn't seem very cooperative, but after Morgan offered to pay with some of the money of the rich Sinclair family, with whom she had formed an alliance to take down King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (established in Camelot at the time), he lent them his assistance. After his legion of Black Knights successfully laid siege to Camelot and defeated the Knights of the Round Table, Morgan asked Daquarius to keep King Arthur, whom she transformed into a granite statue, locked away in his fortress in the base of Ice Mountain, while she would imprison Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table under her keep southeast of Seers' Village. Daquarius obliged to this request.
Eventually, the same adventurer that had infiltrated the fortress to help the White Knights became involved in the situation. After being captured by Morgan while investigating the disappearance of King Arthur and the Sinclair family around Seer's Village, they cleverly helped Merlin and the Knights escape before once again infiltrating the fortress, finding King Arthur, returning him to normal (with the help of the wizard Cromperty) and helping him escape from the fortress disguised as a guard.
It is currently unknown if any ties still exist between him and Morgan.
A New Alliance
The following takes place during the While Guthix Sleeps quest.
During the events of While Guthix Sleeps, a new base of operations is discovered below the Black Knights' Fortress. Here it is revealed that the Kinshra have allied themselves with the Dagon'Hai leader Surok Magis, and presumably the Mahjarrat Lucien. Inside the catacombs, it is also discovered that the Kinshra have been training a new class of Kinshra soldier, the Elite black knight, along with training the Dark Warriors of the Dark Warriors' Fortress to give rise to the Elite dark Warrior, Elite dark mage and Elite dark ranger. These new alliances have increased the Kinshra's military size and strength tenfold, and has also secured them a new stronghold in the mountains to the north, along with an army of Undead trolls.
It is currently unknown how this increase in military strength will affect the Kinshra's ongoing war with the White knights of Falador, but it is likely to attract attention from the Temple Knights, the Guardians of Armadyl and Crux Eqal in their efforts to stop Lucien.
Third attempt at conquest, and co-operation with the Void Knights and Temple Knights
The following takes place during The Void Knight's quest series.
Some time after the events of Wanted, the Kinshra are revealed to be working alongside a Mysterious figure, a powerful individual, and enemy of the Void Knights, working to bring the Pest threat to mainland Gielinor. Eventually, the Kinshra came into possession of a Void leech, through the unwitting help of Jessika who had managed to separate the pest from the hive mind of the Pest queen, and subsequently released it as an act of sympathy. Exploiting the captured void leech, the Kinshra aimed to weaken Falador from the inside, utilising a life sapping 'foodgoo' excreted by the pest, and using a Kharidian salesman named Ali Tist to sell unopenable boxes full of the goo the Void leech leaves behind made out of Waxwood (a waterproof, ugly type of wood), to sell to unsuspecting customers.
Eventually, the pest is either released or killed by the player, although the Kinshra are still in possession of many boxes of goo, enough to seriously cripple Falador.
During the series, it is revealed that the mysterious mage is Wizard Grayzag, who has been manipulating Daquarius and the Black Knights for his own purposes. The Black Knights have gathered the items Grayzag needed to summon the Pest Queen, which the unhinged wizard plans to unleash against his foes and anyone who opposes him. With Daquarius's own plans now thwarted, he temporarily allies the Black Knights with the Void Knights and Temple Knights to stop Grayzag, and the player is chosen to head the alliance. The alliance fights and kills the Pest Queen and then deals with the defeated Grayzag. The alliance then dissolves, with Daquarius warning the player not to try to infiltrate the Black Knights again.
Current Standings
Daquarius remains the leader of the Kinshra today, and will likely remain so for many years unless killed. As a Zamorakian and Kinshra lord, he is actively hunted by the Asgarnian government for crimes against the state, and would be executed if captured.
The Temple Knights, however, have discovered that Daquarius's high value for his fellow Kinshra makes him an easily manipulated leader. Using this to their advantage, the Temple Knights believe he should be kept in place unless the opportunity for capture should present itself, as nearly all past Kinshra leaders have been dangerous Zamorakian extremists.
Personality and Abilities
Daquarius, as leader of the Kinshra is a Zamorakian, a religion based around chaos as opposed to that of the Saradominists, which is based around order (neither are inherently good nor evil). However, Daquarius has proven time and time again his difference from past Kinshra Lords, risking his own life to save his fellow men. Undeniably noble, he is well-liked amongst his men and respected by his enemies. Despite his religious beliefs, even Saradominists admit that he is fair and honourable.
Daquarius is a skilled swordsman, although he has not been involved in any major battles since the year 164, during the White and Black Knight conflicts.
Trivia
- Daquarius meets and becomes familiar with the player in several quests. However, if the player goes to the Black Knights headquarters in Taverley Dungeon and talk to Daquarius, Daquarius does not recognise the player at all and treats the player as some unknown 'knave' who is bothering him. For example, at the end of The Void Stares Back, Daquarius warns the player basically to leave the Black Knights alone. However, the player can still enter the Black Knights headquarters (and other Black Knights bases like the Black Knights' Fortress) without challenge and can talk to Daquarius without problem.
- Daquarius may even be an anti-hero as he is generally the enemy, but is noble: he assists the player in The Void Stares Back and is also trying to get rid of Solus Dellagar, a powerful Zamorakian mage.
- Occasionally while mining an obstruction during the Conquest-like game during The Void Stares Back and animation similar to the fireworks shown when levelling up is shown coming from Daquarius.
| Preceded by | Title | Succeeded by |
|---|---|---|
| Lord Sulla | Lord of the Kinshra | Incumbent |