Runecrafting altar
Runecrafting altars are locations throughout RuneScape at which players can use the Runecrafting skill to create runes. Tiaras, talismans, or Talisman staves are needed to enter these altars. Players can find altars by refering to the world map, by using a talisman, or by asking other players. Alternatively, a player can use the abyss to reach the altars, usually in a faster but more dangerous method.
According to Elriss, the altars are "pocket dimensions unto themselves: areas of folded space created by the energy of the rune altar", and "not exactly in RuneScape". Any kind of teleport is fully functional at these altars.
Although debated in the Runecrafting Guild, Wizard Finix claims the runecrafting altars currently used to craft runes will become unstable, and the Runespan will become the only method to create runes. There is no evidence supporting this or going aginst this as of now.
Altars are hidden inside 'mysterious ruins'. To find an altar using a talisman, players can right-click on the talisman and click on the 'locate' option. In the chatbox, the player will notice a message that will tell them the direction they need to go in.
When a player has found the mysterious ruins, they then need to enter the ruins. The player can enter by using their talisman with the ruins. If they are wearing an enchanted tiara or wielding a talisman staff (with the corresponding talisman attached), all they have to do is click on the ruins.
When the player is inside the ruins, they are now in the altar. They can then use their essence with the altar to craft some runes. While inside an altar, a player can also enchant a tiara if they have an un-enchanted tiara and the talisman needed to access the altar in their inventory. With the un-enchanted tiara, all they have to do is use it with the altar and it will become enchanted.
Locations of altars
The table below lists the locations of the altars.
Altar | Location |
---|---|
Air altar | West of Varrock and east of the River Lum. |
Mind altar | Between Ice Mountain and Goblin Village. |
Water altar | In the Lumbridge Swamp or south-east of Draynor Village. |
Earth altar | Northeast of Varrock. |
Fire altar | Northeast of Al Kharid. |
Body altar | Between Ice Mountain and Gunnarsgrunn (formerly known as Barbarian Village,) as well as south of the Monastery. |
Cosmic altar | The southern part of Zanaris. |
Chaos altar | Wilderness level 9, north-west of Edgeville. |
Astral altar | Lunar Isle, no talisman required. |
Nature altar | North of Shilo Village. |
Law altar | Northern part of Entrana. |
Death altar | Mourning's End Part II temple, bottom floor. Also accessible from the underground pass. |
Blood altar | In Meiyerditch Dungeon, discovered during the Legacy of Seergaze quest. |
Soul altar | Unknown, but maybe released in the future. |
Ourania altar(ZMI altar) | In the Ourania Cave, which is west of the Battlefield, and south-west of Ardougne. |
History
In the Year 1 of the Fifth Age, a Fremennik by the name of V----- discovered the Stone of Jas hidden away in a cave, along with rune essence and, by accident, rediscovered the secrets of runecrafting.
This discovery caused a great deal of conflict within the Fremenniks. Some believed that the runes should be used to benefit humanity, whereas others felt that the stones were the property of the gods and that to use them would be an unholy act. The conflict soon threatened to tear the tribe apart.
The half of the tribe that supported the use of runes travelled the world of Gielinor, searching for areas with certain properties that would imbue the runestones with magical energies. Soon, a number of temples had been built all across the world, and the knowledge of runes became commonplace amongst humanity.
The Fremenniks banished the runecrafters from their tribe. These people would eventually become the Moon Clan that inhabits Lunar Isle today. Despite this, the human race began mass production of runes, allowing it to establish itself as a dominant force in much of Gielinor. The Fremenniks would later lead a military campaign known as the Runecrafting Crusades against Kandarin, Asgarnia, and Misthalin as a result.
In the Year 70, the first Wizards' Tower was burned at the hands of Zamorakian mages in a move against the Saradominsts. The few mages that knew the runecrafting process were killed in the fire, and with them the art of runecrafting was lost until the Year 169, during the Rune Mysteries quest. During the 99-year halt in runecrafting, the whereabouts of the altars were lost, their entry temples falling into a state of ruin.
Runecrafting teleport tablets
Runecrafting Teleport Tablets to all the runecrafting altars can be bought with tokens from The Great Orb Project activity; these cannot be crafted at lecterns in the study room of a Player-owned house. The tablets teleport players next to the mysterious ruins, so players will need a corresponding talisman or tiara to enter the altar (excluding Astral altar).
Trivia
- The Air altar used to be located south of Falador but was moved to south of the Cooks' Guild, to make it fit in the new Start area.
- In Daemonheim, one altar is used to craft all the runes as well as creating elemental and catalytic staves.
- Most of the areas that the altars are located match its element (the Water Altar is in a swamp, the Fire Altar is in a desert, the Blood Altar is in the Sanguinesti region, the Chaos Altar is in the Wilderness, etc.).
- Since the Runespan update, Wizards have been stationed at each known runecrafting altar to research Wizard Finix's theory of altars one day running out of runic energy. They can provide a free teleport to the Wizard's Tower.
- Short after the Runespan update, the runecrafting altars got a new appearance, looking more ruined than before. This may confirm Wizard Finix's theory that the altars would "collapse" one day.
See also