99.146.10.172: /* History */

2012-11-06T00:34:11Z

History

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{{cleanup|Needs cleaning up and switch-infoboxing. Needs sections for Swan Song and Love Story too.}}
{{redirect3|D|For the speedy deletion template, see [[Template:D]]}}
:''Not to be confused with [[Mysterious Old Man]], [[Weird Old Man]], [[Strange Old Man]], or the [[Odd Old Man]].''
{{Infobox non-player character
|name =Wise Old Man
|image = [[File:Wise Old Man.png|150px|Wise Old Man]]|Wise Old Man]]
|release = [[6 June]] [[2005]]
|update = Seeds, Bankspace And Advisors
|members = No
|quest = [[Swan Song]], [[Garden of Tranquility]], [[Love Story]], [[Defender of Varrock]], [[Recipe for Disaster/Freeing Sir Amik Varze|Recipe for Disaster]]
|location = [[Draynor Village]]
|shop = [[Quest point cape]]
|gender = Male
|race = [[Human]]
|examine = '''Before the [[Draynor Bank Robbery]]:''' A venerable sage. '''After:''' A venerable and rich sage. '''Snow Gnomecopters:''' A venerable and rich sage on holiday.
*He's unconscious! (During Sea Troll Queen fight)
|features = Legendary Saradominist warrior (now retired), sage, bank robber
|map = [[File:Wise Old Man map.png]]}}
[[File:Wise old man.png|left|Wise Old Man chathead]]
[[File:Dionysius chathead2.png|left]]
The '''Wise Old Man''', also known by his true name of '''Dionysius''', and often nicknamed Dissy by people such as [[Zenevivia]], [[Xenia]] and [[Elsie]] is a character that currently resides in [[Draynor Village]]. His name is possibly a reference to [[Wikipedia:Dionysus|Dionysus]], the [[Wikipedia:Greek|Greek]] god of wine, or it may refer to [[Wikipedia:Dionysius I of Syracuse|Dionysius]], a tyrant from the Greek ancient world. He is now a retired adventurer but during his younger days, Dionysius was a famed hero, saving countless lives and fighting back the dark forces of [[Gielinor]].

The Wise Old Man is amongst the most popular characters in ''RuneScape'', playing roles in several [[quest]]s and [[cutscene]]s. He is also a commonly recurring character in the [[Postbag from the Hedge]], often having a special section at the end of each Postbag.

Several significant events in his life are detailed in [[Herman's book]]. He is responsible for both the [[Draynor Bank Robbery]] as well as the [[Wizards' Tower Robbery]]. According to the Cryptic Clue Fest IV Day 4 Clue he is really a 24 year old man using magic to appear old, although this is merely a joke.

==History==
[[File:Young wom.png|left|thumb|Dionysius when he was young.]]
The Wise Old Man was born in [[Varrock]] many years ago. During his time there, he performed numerous deeds that were considered heroic by the youth of the time. According to [[Elsie]] one of his more memorable actions was painting "[[Saradomin]] Pwns" on the [[Zamorak]]ian Temple in the southern part of the town. When he turned 15, the age at which children of that time advanced to adulthood, he turned down a prestigious offer to study amongst the priests of [[Entrana]] and decided to travel the world before settling down. At some point before he retired, the Wise Old Man was also trained by [[Lozar]], the mage who had escaped [[Crandor]]. He spent many years travelling Gielinor, visiting many lands and performing countless memorable actions. Most of his adventures have not been told in detail. One of the first areas he visited was the mines in and around [[Keldagrim]], where some of the oldest [[dwarves]] still remember his aid in their [[Keldagrim - Troll Country War|war]] against a rogue tribe of [[trolls]] that threatened to destroy the city. Today, the trolls still wander near the entrance of Keldagrim but are unable to enter the city.

Shortly after leaving the [[dwarves]], he travelled into the eastern mountains, where a now-disbanded mountain tribe told of an invincible warrior who wielded a [[Saradomin staff|powerful staff]].

[[File:Wise old man - swan song 3.png|thumb|left|The Wise Old Man battling the notorious [[Troll]], [[Dad]].]]

Some time after leaving the mountain tribes he travelled to [[Karamja]], where he taught the natives of certain herbs that would aid them in combat. He also ventured into [[Brimhaven Dungeon]], which few people at the time dared to enter. Afterwards, he advised the locals to charge any adventurer who wished to enter the dungeon, which is why [[Saniboch]] charges a fee of 875 coins for any player to enter.
[[File:Wise old man - swan song 1.png|thumb|The Wise Old Man kills an intoxicated Dwarf, who is currently known as the [[Drunken Dwarf]].]] He later travelled into the [[Kharidian Desert]], where he lived amongst the Bedabin for some time. He travelled to many of the desert cities, including [[Menaphos]] and [[Sophanem]]. He also studied the [[Jaldraocht Pyramid|mysterious pyramid]] to the south of the [[Bandit Camp (Kharidian Desert)]]. He would never speak about what he discovered in the pyramid, and it troubles him to this day. The Wise Old Man is known to have fought the Kalphite Queen in that time. [[File:Wise old man - swan song 2.png|thumb|right|The Wise Old Man fighting the [[Kalphite Queen]].]] In one adventure, he rescued [[Larry]] from an avalanche.

After countless adventures, Dionysius travelled back to [[Entrana]] to complete his studies. Even on Entrana he found excitement, when he ventured into the demon-infested dungeon beneath it. At one point, he was offered admittance to the [[Temple Knights]]. He is also the author of ''"Magicks Most Destructive"'', of which very few copies survive today, and only fragments of it remain in the Temple Knight library. There is a copy in the [[Chemist]]'s house, but it is currently unreadable. Only many years later, after many more adventures, did he finally retire and settle down in [[Draynor Village]].

According to the [[Signature Heroes|Signature Hero]] [[Xenia]], she, Grand Vizier of the [[Legends' Guild]] [[Radimus Erkle]] and Dionysius had once adventured to Karamja together in the hopes of mapping the Khazrai Jungle. They managed to make the first partial map of the area, but then the [[Jogre]] Wars began and they weren't able to complete it. When this happened is still unknown.

During [[Recipe for Disaster]], the ancient [[Gypsy Aris]] of Varrock refers to herself as the Wise Old Man's "bubbykins", indicating a possible romantic relationship between the two.

Dionysius tells the player that he and [[Ellamaria]] 'go way back', long before she was married to 'that fool', the [[King Roald|King of Varrock]], and suggests that you 'do the fastest run you can off the nearest pier you can find' when he discovers you are in her service.

==The Wise Old Man today==
[[File:Wom plotting.jpg|left|thumb|The Wise Old Man, plotting one of his schemes.]]

After completing his adventures, Dionysius began to feel bitter that he had not been adequately "rewarded" for his deeds, as he was forced to live in relative squalor. He thought that it was within his right, therefore, to reward himself, and uses this as justification for his crimes.

His most notorious act was the [[Draynor Bank Robbery|robbing of the local bank]], killing several people in the process. One of these unfortunate victims, an NPC named [[Elfinlocks]], dropped a [[blue partyhat]], which the Wise Old Man claimed for himself due to its rarity and possible visual appeal. A player can watch the robbery's recording by speaking to the guard outside the bank. It can be watched once for free; afterwards, a fee of 50 [[coins]] must be paid in order to view it again. His telescope, which pointed to the bank prior to the robbery, is currently pointing towards the [[Wizards' Tower]]; his [[Strange book]] also notes that he is running short on runes and that the wizards have plenty, yet supply him with none. Dionysius has grown desperate to attain runes even to the point of taking them directly from players who asks him to examine their runestones. In Postbag 12, the Wise Old Man confirms, after defending his morally dubious recent actions (as he did to the player), that he is indeed planning an assault there, despite his denials to players, and that the reason for doing so is that he is "short of runes these days" and that an excursion to the Tower could "solve my problem permanently." Yet, the Wise Old Man, despite all his power and skill, also admits he is reluctant to launch the attack, for "the powers of [[Wizard Traiborn]] are not to be underestimated" and his plans are "not yet finalised." Further evidence pointing to his planned attack lies in his own words of, ''"All good things come to those who wait, currently I'm interested in...local...concerns."'' when a suggestion and plan for him to assault and scour the [[Elven]] city of [[Prifddinas]] was sent to him.

{{cquote2|In the distant past, when I travelled the world solving people's problems and saving those in distress just as you do today, I held the hope that my efforts would be appreciated and met with appropriate gratitude. But what did I get? When I grew old and the time came for me to retire, I found myself forced into this poxy shack in Draynor Village, neighboured by [[Aggie|a pigment-obsessed hag]] and [[Ned|a 'navigator' whose prowess at knitting exceeds his ability to steer a boat]]. Not to mention the constant flow of unashamed thieves through the village market! ([[Miss Schism|The hideous harpy who sits gawking through my window]] will gladly show you a picture of the house as it was when I first came here.) My meek and placid nature notwithstanding, I realised that if I did not take my reward for myself, I would receive nothing at all. So I took up [[Saradomin staff|my trusty staff]] and [[Draynor bank robbery|headed for the bank]]. I am sure you would be likewise frustrated beyond belief if you were to dedicate a lifetime's effort to the service of others and receive no reward.|Wise Old Man|Postbag from the Hedge}}

The Temple Knights, realising how dangerous he is, are currently monitoring him, and have labelled him as an ''ultraviolet archangel'' threat. The [[Bank of RuneScape]], the guards of Draynor Village, and many of the locals are also monitoring him closely, though he does not seem to be worried about this. Despite this and obvious proof of his crimes, the authorities of [[Misthalin]] have, as of yet, made no attempt to bring him to justice, probably because they know how powerful he is.

The Wise Old Man will search a player's bank for unneeded quest items. If he is asked to examine any of the cheaper runes, he will say they are useful and take a few of them. If he is asked to examine more expensive ones, however, such as [[Death Rune]]s or [[Nature rune]]s, he will just say that it's quite valuable. If you show him a coloured goblin mail, he will want to buy it for 60 coins. He has a few unique books on his bookshelf which the player can read. One, the [[Book on chickens]], is about the legend of the [[Evil Chicken]], while the [[Strange book]] has personal notes which mention that he is running out of runes. However, if you use any of his books on him, he will take them back from you. He also has numerous [[tinderbox]]es in his house. His house also includes a model aeroplane and very rare, gold-trimmed [[Saradomin armour]], which, according to the Strange Book, he had trimmed with some of his stolen money.

The Wise Old Man also has a [[Saradomin staff]]. When players ask him about [[Zaros]], the [[Menaphite Pantheon]], or [[Armadyl]], he denies their existence, though from his frantic responses it appears that he has indeed heard of them and their vast power. Apparently, he is a Saradominist who only believes (or at least only openly admits to) in three gods: [[Saradomin]], [[Guthix]], and [[Zamorak]].

During the quest [[Love Story]], The Wise Old Man's old girlfriend, [[Zenevivia]] returns to challenge him to battle, seeking to reclaim her honor, after The Wise Old Man defeated her years ago. Players learn of The Wise Old Man's romantic involvement with Zenevivia all those years ago, and together, you and the Wise Old Man battle Zenevivia in The Wise Old Man's 'NPC-Owned House'. After defeating her, Zenevivia and the Wise Old Man stage the [[Wizards' Tower Robbery]], and they reignite their love.

[[File:Bed kick.gif|frame|A player kicking the [[Thing under the bed|Wise Old Man's bed]].]]
[[File:WOM Clan Wars.png|left|thumb|The Wise Old Man at [[Clan Wars]].]]

==Tasks==
{{main|Wise Old Man's Tasks}}

In [[Pay-to-play|members']] worlds, the player is able to do favours for the Wise Old Man, such as getting him swords or bars, or delivering notes. If the player completed these [[Wise Old Man's tasks|tasks]], he will reward him/her. Most of the time the reward is a blessing, which increases the player's [[Prayer]] experience, or a small amount of runes, seeds, herbs or coins may be given. One of these tasks required the player to fight [[Thing under the bed|a monster under his bed]], after which he will reward the player with some [[Constitution]] experience.

Along with this, among the possible jobs the Wise Old Man will assign a player, one of them includes delivering a letter to one of the following:

# [[Oracle]] on Ice Mountain.
# [[Reldo]], Librarian of Varrock.
# [[Abbot Langley]] of the Monastery.
# [[High Priest (Entrana)|High Priest]] of Entrana.
# [[Thurgo]] south of Port Sarim.

This indicates that the Wise Old Man knows these famous figures through out Gielinor, and that they, to some extent, know him. He corresponds with them somewhat frequently.

==Other==

The [[Quest point]] [[Cape of Achievement]] is available from the Wise Old Man for a fee to players who have completed all the [[quests]]. The Wise Old Man is also an integral part of the [[Swan Song]] and [[Love Story]] quests. He is one of two characters that do not wear the [[Cape of Accomplishment]] that they sell (the other being [[Thok, Master of Dungeoneering|Thok]], who merely guards it).

The Wise Old Man briefly appeared at the [[Clan Wars]] [[activity]] (on [[29 September]] [[2008]]). He took it upon himself to warn players that [[gravestone]]s had been removed from the Dangerous Clan Wars portal, meaning they will lose items upon [[death]].

Dionysius appears none too fond of the organisation known as [[H.A.M.]], despite it mainly consisting of Saradominists like himself, calling them "ridiculously attired xenophobes", and his liking of them is even lessened still by his suspicion that the creature under his bed is "a subterranean creature forced out of its natural habitat".

Dionysius has expressed distaste for his neighbors, such as the witch [[Aggie]], the sailor and knitter [[Ned]] and the suspicious and gossiping [[Miss Schism]].

==Leisure==
[[File:Wise Old Trollweiss.png|left|thumb|Dionysius sledding down [[Trollweiss Mountain]].]][[File:Flirtinoldman.png|right|thumb|Enjoying his visit to the spa in [[Oo'glog]].]]
Despite his bitterness, Dionysius in old age still does enjoy the occasional trip to foreign lands. He has travelled far and wide. He's recently visited areas such as [[Trollweiss Mountain]] (seen sledding during the now discontinued [[Gnomecopter Tours]]) and [[Oo'glog]](to enjoy the new spa facilities and local hospitality). Dionysius appears to take much joy in drinking. He has also stated in Postbag from the Hedge 28 that he would like to get into Prifddinas.
{{Clear}}

==Skills and abilities==

===Magical and combat abilities===
[[File:The Wise Old Man's Weapon.png|thumb|The Wise Old Man wields a powerful [[Saradomin staff]].]]Dionysius' most distinguished talent is his magical ability, which he has honed over the years learning from countless sources. Amongst his arsenal is the spell [[Saradomin Strike]], a difficult-to-use attack that draws from the power of Saradomin himself. This spell, already lethal in any Mage's hands, has been amplified by Dionysius, and is capable of dealing more damage than initially thought possible, easily able to hit 400s, (while the maximum damage for players using Saradomin Strike is 300, when using the [[Charge]] spell. Also, in the [[Swan Song]] quest (where he hit the [[Sea Troll General]] about ''3150''), it shows that his Saradomin Strike actually runs on one Mist rune, Lava rune, and a half blood rune, saying that it is heavily modified as casting a half Blood rune is impossible, and it also uses all four basic elemental runes. One regular Saradomin Strike runs on 2 fire and blood runes, along with 4 air runes. This excludes the Saradomin Staff requirement.) His most deadly offensive ability, though, is a spell of unknown nature that, when used, instantly incinerates the flesh, muscle, and organs of the victim. This spell, apart from being lethal, is also capable of destroying brick walls and virtually any other obstacle in its way. However, he refrains from using this spell on any other occasion. This can be explained as a lack of skill in his earlier years, and lack of runes after the bank robbery (although, such an explanation raises the question as to why Dionysius didn't ask the player to supply the runes necessary for the spell).

[[File:Shaikahan_fight.png|thumb|left|262px|The Wise Old Man easily defeats the Shaikahan, even without a spear.]]Although he has a plethora of magical weapons at his disposal, Dionysius has openly displayed very few of them. He has shown his abilities extend beyond simple combat, capable of using [[Telekinetic Grab]] and other basic spells with ease. He has also delved deep into the art of mental magic, and can push those attempting to scry into his mind away while simultaneously dealing a powerful counter-attack. As an example, when the [[NPC Contact]] [[Lunar Spells|Lunar Spell]] is set to "Random NPC", it may sometimes yield a conversation with the Wise Old Man. When contacted, though, he will force them out of his mind, stating "Keep your foreign Magicks out of my head!" His calling of the Lunar spell thus may imply that he himself has garnered minimal knowledge of the mystic lore in the [[Lunar spellbook]]. The Wise Old Man, upon breaking the Lunar spell, will then direct a [[Fire Wave]] from afar at the player, whose location he can apparently pinpoint, across vast distances and even into other dimensions. Dionysius also denies the very existence of [[Zaros]]'s [[Ancient Magicks]], calling the adventurer a "foul trickster" and their words "foolishness" should one mention them to him; however, [[Zenevivia]], one whom Dionysius knew well in his earlier days, uses spells from the Ancient Magicks. He has also displayed a knack for alchemy and other strange divisions of magic, as is evident in his cryptic writings.

Dionysius also possesses a deep understanding of [[teleportation]], seeming to be aware of the [[Abyss]] and its role in the teleportation process. The only Mage known to do so, Dionysius implements teleportation liberally in combat, confusing his opponents by teleporting all around them and launching attacks from all sides, which further proves his abilities, as [[Mr. Mordaut]] claims that teleporting a short distance away is harder than teleporting long distances. He is also capable of teleporting to virtually any destination, rather than using only those simple channels utilised by most teleporters, which suggests that he might be able to resist the effects of teleblocking, as Mr. Mordaut claims that besides the locations players can teleport to all other locations are teleblocked.

Even in his advanced age, Dionysius is extremely adept at hand-to-hand combat and is in peak shape. In combat, he has shown that even without using magic, he is capable of defeating the strongest of foes. His skill in using basic weaponry is unrivaled, and he has proven himself able to defeat even armed foes using only a staff. He also possesses a lethal kick, which has been shown capable of shattering even the shell of the [[Kalphite Queen]]. According to Dionysius, he is even now capable of wrestling [[Crocodile]]s on the banks of the [[River Elid]]. He has been recorded being hit by 2540 damage during the [[Swan Song]] quest, without his [[life points]] bar even showing damage, although it does incapacitate him for the remainder of the battle, although it may be an excuse to force the player to fight the monsters themselves.

===Knowledge and skills===
During his adventures, Dionysius gained a deep understanding of the world, learning of its histories and nature. What he learned, though, he often will not share openly, and he seems to possess historical knowledge that, in the wrong hands, could be deadly. He seems to have learned of the god [[Zaros]] during his time in the [[Kharidian Desert]], and today attempts to cover up any information relating to the banished god, including the denial of the discoveries in the pyramid south of the [[Bandit Camp (Kharidian Desert)]].

Dionysius has also displayed a fluent understanding of multiple languages, ranging from tribal [[Karamja]]n to the ancient [[dwarves|Dwarvish]] tongue{{fact}}. Though he most often speaks simple English, he often mixes Latin into his speech, such as ''Vini; volui; mihi est'' (I came; I wanted; it's mine), which is a reference to the famous Roman phrase [[wikipedia:Veni, Vidi, Vici|Veni, Vidi, Vici]] (I came, I saw, I conquered)

Despite his extraordinary proficiency with the mystic arts of Gielinor, it does not appear to rival the Wise Old Man's knowledge about [[Runecrafting]]; Dionysius himself has confessed he is running short on runes, which the skilled runecrafter has less of an issue with, and is eager to buy [[Notes|Sedridor's notes]] and [[Research package|Aubury's Research Package]] (albeit for one coin), commenting, ''"How exciting - a study in the origin of runes!"'', which Dionysius would not likely require if indeed he lacked such lore.

During his travels, Dionysius often shunned training in favour of monetary payment. Despite this, he has shown a good understanding of virtually any skill, particularly [[Cooking]].

Dionysius is immune to the effects of the [[Ring of Charos (activated)|Ring of Charos]], a feat equaling that of the strong-willed [[Vampyres]], despite the fact that it was he himself who had activated the ring.

Dionysius, according to the ever-watchful [[Miss Schism]], once possessed "[[wikipedia:square academic cap|a scruffy old black thing]]" (until his graphical update, which left him bald), but, after downing Elfinlocks, obtained a [[Blue partyhat]].

==Draynor Bank Robbery==
{{main|Draynor Bank Robbery}}
The Draynor Bank Robbery was a bank break-in in which the Wise Old Man killed several NPCs, stole from the bank chests, and obtained a [[blue partyhat]] by killing a [[player spoof]]. Below is a gallery of images documenting the bank robbery in order from first to last in the scene.

<div align="center"><gallery perRow=4>
File:Wise Old Man 3.png|Dionysius breaking into the bank.
File:Wise Old Man 5.png|Dionysius [[telegrabbing]] his new [[blue partyhat]].
File:Wise Old Man 6.png|Dionysius destroying the camera, ending the recording.
File:Telescope.png|A player looking through Dionysius's telescope. Is he planning an assault on the [[Wizards' Tower]]?
</gallery></div>

==Dialogue==
{{hasdialogue|npc}}

==Trivia==

* Deesus is mentioned in [[Herman's book]], given to the player in [[Swan Song]]. Deesus is said to be an invincible warrior who wielded a powerful staff. The book states that Deesus is surely a corruption of Dionysus.
* The poster of the Wise Old Man in the 28th issue of the [[Postbag from the Hedge]] is a reference to the British war posters of [[wikipedia:Lord Kitchener|Lord Kitchener]] in the First World War.
* [[Zenevivia]]'s and [[Xenia]]'s nickname for him is Dissy. He is also referred to as Dissy when you hear a story about him by Elsie by giving her a cup of tea.
* In Greek mythology, Dionysius is the god of wine.
* His nickname "Dissy" may be a reference to Odysseus, a famous Greek adventurer and logician
*It was revealed as a joke at the [[Cryptic Clue Fest IV|fourth cryptic clue fest]] that, his age is really 24 and that he used magic to conceal his true age. His favourite item is a [[cowhide]], due to being nostalgic for the "good old days".
*In Greek mythology, Dionysus is normally represented as a young man, as opposed to his ingame appearance. However, the clue fest joke may be a reference to the traditional appearance.
*He is the one of the only two Cape of Accomplishment sellers to not wear the cape they sell. The other being Thok.
*He makes an appearance in runescape,s "Vote NO, RuneScape Free Trade & the Wilderness"youtube video along with its adverse the,"Vote YES, RuneScape Free Trade & the Wilderness"video,featuring the wise old man lagging behind an excited mob of players(possibly npcs,or other player spoofs).

== See also ==

*[[Old man's message]]: the delivery message given by the Wise Old Man
*[[Old man (disambiguation)|Old man]]: other NPCs being referred to as "Old Man"
*[[Wise Old Man Tasks]]: a list and guide to the tasks he assigns

{{Featured article|January 2009}}
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Wise Old Man - Revision history

99.146.10.172: /* History */