Zarok

"Strength through trial; pastor Ivan Victrov's philosophy. There's a lot of truth to it. Strength through Chaos is a lie, for chaos caused me the worst times in my life. But I overcame, and the trial has made me strong."

- Zarok the Impious, giving a sermon

Zarok was an adventurer who turned to Zamorak and nearly conquered all of Gielinor. He was highly skilled in the arts of Magic, Necromancy, and Summoning, all of which proved useful to him in his conquest. In the end, his army was overthrown by the Elves, the Ogres, and the Knights of Ardougne. Zarok, however, was never seen again. It is presumed that he escaped to an Island far East of the Gielinor mainland, or that he escaped to another dimension.

Pre-adventuring days
Little is known about Zarok in his early life. It is commonly believed that he was raised on an Island south of the Wizard's Tower, though some researchers say that he arrived from another dimension. However, it is known that he arrived in Lumbridge from the island via teleportation by a Guthixian mage.

Arrival in Lumbridge
Zarok arrived in Lumbridge while he was in his late teens or early twenties. He began to make a living doing menial tasks for residents of Lumbridge, such as gathering wood, mining ores, etc. His first significant quest was to free the town of Draynor from an oppressive vampyre count. He succeeded, and went on to make many accomplishments, such as discovering rune essence, slaying the Dragon of Crandor, and foiling two plots by corrupt gnomes to slaughter the human race.

Gaining Prestige
Zarok gained the Kings attention when he foiled a plot by the Warlock Surok Magis to seize Varrock, then captured him alive in a nearly-successful escape attempt, slaying an infamous Ork Warlord in the process. Roald secretly appointed him as an agent of the Varrock Palace Secret Guard. Even though he was not a member of any Royal Family, Princess Shyra of Misthalin found him charming and attractive, and the two got into a relationship.

A New Way of Life
After a few years, the couple secretly eloped to Karamja, and to the King's surprise, Zarok resigned from the VPSG. Zarok used his VPSG final resignation payment to start a Runecrafting business. The business was a huge success, expanding branches in almost every major city in Gielinor. The couple became multi-billionaires, and they had a palace built that sat on 150 acres, with a ten acre private beach and about 2400 acres of privately owned land, most of which were used as private hunting grounds. A year after the house was completed, the couple had their first child, Masok.

Illegitimate Business
One day in a bar in Brimhaven, the already rich Zarok accepted an offer that made him even richer. He was offered a job by an agent of the Phoenix Gang as a distributor in an illegitimate potion business. He hired several couriers to smuggle herbs and potions between Brimhaven, Falador, Varrock, and Ardougne. Despite the lives he ruined, he remained a Saradominist and kept his dark secrets hidden from his wife and child. His funds made the business he was in thrive, giving him a hefty cut along with the funds from his Runecrafting business. But one of his couriers was captured by the Black Arm Gang of Varrock, a fierce rival in the Herblore business. The gangsters interrogated him and found out who his employer was. Zarok was now a target.

Zarok's Fall
After several attempts on his life, Zarok hired several guards to defend his palace. But the brutal rival gang sent an army of thugs to his mansion, including dozens of mages. With powerful magic spells, the thugs burnt the Zarok Palace to the ground, ending his herb trade forever. Little did they know however, that at the time Zarok was hunting, and was far away when his house was burnt. But with the loss of his family, his home, and most of his money, Zarok fell into a bitter state of depression. He watched helplessly as due to lack of funds, his Runecrafting business went bankrupt. For months he was not seen; then on one cold, rainy night he was admitted to the Varrock Medical Center after he was found delirious, stumbling towards the wilderness, after being punched off the Balcony of the Jolly Boar Inn. The Black Arm gang discovered him there, and while they were powerless to kill him, they had a plan. They had an agent inform authorities that Zarok was a high-ranking potion distributor. As expected, Zarok was to be teleported to the Prison in Port Sarim after he was released from the hospital, where Black Arm Gang Members were waiting for him. Zarok, however, somehow managed to resist the teleport. He instantly killed the mage who tried to teleport him by snapping his neck.

Fall to Zamorak
"If Saradomin is so good, then why doesn't he keep your loved ones from dying?"

- Zarok

Zarok, of course, was now a wanted man by the VPSG. But being an ex-VPSG agent, he knew all of the tricks they used to find wanted criminals. The King, who partially blamed Zarok for the death of his daughter, issued a secret order to ensure that the guards who arrested him would "have to kill him in self-defense". In his period of hiding, he met a Mage of Zamorak who referred him to the Zamorakian Pastor Ivan Victrov, who was also a very powerful mage. After attending a few of his sermons, Zarok began to accept the "Strength through trial" doctrine. He took the Oath to become a Deacon of Zamorak, where he would learn many arcane forms of magic, necromancy, and summoning.

Escape from Varrock
Shortly after Ivan's escape from the city, the guards used former members of his church to trace Zarok's location. But surprisingly, they were issued a New Order; they were to defend against an Army of Zombies from the Graveyard of Shadows far North in the Wilderness. The entire town was shocked and confused about what could've brought these undead creatures back to life, and what could've caused them to attack Varrock unprovoked. The answer to their question was the Necromancy of Zarok, who had used this as a distraction while he escaped through the Eastern exit to the city.

Rebuilding a Life
"When I worked for Shrya, I was being paid fourty coins an hour, my son was dying because we couldn't afford healing potions, and my family was living off one meal a day. I thought things would only get worse when I heard that a Zamorakian was in control of the business. I was already searching for a new job, but I changed my mind; my family has now moved from the Ghettos of Western Varrock to about 350 acres of privately-owned Misthalin forest; my son is better than ever, and my children are not looking so scrawny and oppressed.  Perhaps this Zamorakian I work for reflects his God?  Perhaps Zamorak cares more about us than Saradomin?"

- A miner for Zarok Runes



Months later, Zarok was welcomed to Canifis where he opened a small business selling raw meat to the werewolf locals. He eventually sold this business to buy a Castle in the Mort Myre Swamps, from which he made a fortune after he published Strength Through Trial" followed by The Chains of Saradomin. The zeal in which he wrote these books earned him the Honorary Zamorakian title "Zarok the Impious", and he also gained enough money to buy a failing Runecrafting business which he brought back to life, providing surprising benefits for the workers and gaining a small about of support for Zamorakian causes. In his leisure time, he studied ancient magical books and learned powerful spells which would prove useful to him. But he didn't make much progress until Ivan returned to Meiyerditch. Victrov sent a messenger to Zarok who informed him that Lord Drakan had personally requested to see him.

First Steps to Power
Even Zarok himself was surprised when the resourceful Drakan acknowledged that he was an ex-agent of the Varrock Palace Secret Guard. The Vampyre briefed him about an amazingly difficult, honorable task; now that Zamorak had millions of followers throughout most of Gielinor, Zarok was to take on the prestigious quest of organizing an invasion of Gielinor. For months Zarok worked to gather an army, consisting of Werewolves from Canifis, Vampyres from Mort Myre, and Necromancy spells prepared to resurrect the dead from inside enemy territory, which would gain them footholds in many major cities. Agents were sent to strengthen the zeal of Zamorakians living in foreign Kingdoms.

Rise to Power
Main article: Invasion of Gielinor

The first cities taken were those along important trade routes; the Barbarian Village between Varrock and Falador, Brimhaven and Taverley between Ardougne and Falador, Pollnivneach, which was an important desert resource area, etc. As more and more of Gielinor fell to the mighty armies, volunteer soldiers became less and less common. As Zarok's skill in the arcane grew, he became less dependent on volunteers. Rather, he used summoning and necromancy to build instant armies. Not many divisions consisted purely of volunteer soldiers anymore; they weren't that coveted of a resource any more.

Final Steps in Power: Betrayal
"That bloodsucking leech - both literally and metaphorically - is using my work for his benefits; it's more land for him to rule! That vile creature lurks in his filthy, disgusting palace reaping the harvests of my work; in his boring speeches, he arrogantly tells the brainwashed fools of Meiyerditch that it is his accomplishments that got him all this land; as if he did anything other than sit comfortably in that gutter he calls as home and give me vague orders while leaving all the strategies to me! Well, guess what?  He will learn a lesson that I wish would've been driven through heart with a silver-trimmed wooden stake; I keep what I work for, and I don't care if my superiors get angry!"

- Zarok to his Elven aide, Tyrria

As Zarok's power grew, he grew angry with what little credit he got from his employers. This irritated him to the point where he moved his home to the occupied area of Taverley, where he would break his commitment to Morytania and begin his own country. When Drakan had found that none of his new lands were yet officially labeled as "occupied" by Zarok, he sent a messenger to him, demanding a report. The messenger returned to Drakan with a very distinctive bruise on his face and a letter containing only the sentence "They aren't your lands; they're mine." and a signature that read "Emperor Zarok". Drakan was outraged at this, but by the time he had built another army it was too late; the Dark Army of Zamorak had Captured the Temple Paterdomus and had reinforcements along the entire valley between it and Varrock. Morytania was isolated. Drakan's views on the new Emperor only lowered when Zarok sent a messenger to Drakan with a letter containing a terrifying message.

To the literal and metaphorical bloodsucker Drakan-

''Let's switch sides in the old game. As I'm sure you are aware, your country and your most pathetic city of leeches is isolated from any resources and footholds that would give your pathetic army a chance against us. But I know you would cower to that moldy cesspool you call a home and cry if I actually invaded. I wouldn't want to see that because I might laugh and make you cry even more. So I'll make you a deal. I'll let you delude yourself with the thought that you're actually in control of something as long as you sign your name below, by which you will acknowledge that you are expected to give us unlimited resources without reimbursement on our request. If you refuse to sign, then I will launch an invasion on that (expletive)-hole you call a country. Considering that your resources are limited to the small, isolated zone of Morytania, I recommend that you sign.''

Just repeat after me: Drakan of Morytania. Sign:_______________________________

With contempt, Emperor Zarok, Conqueror of Gielinor

Of course, Drakan grudgingly signed the document to protect his power. However, Morytania, as their resources were being drained, turned to an uproar. Drakan had to assign guards to all cities to quell any riots, but these guards were not immortal. In the end, Drakan helplessly watched as the rebellion smashed the walls of Meiyerditch and killed all Vampyres they saw until what few of them survived were forced to fly to an island far, far away. Zarok saw the new democracy being established as an end to his commitment; Morytania was his within hours. Now that he controlled everything East of Kandarin, the end was in sight.

Gradual crumbling of the Dark Order of Zamorak
As Zarok's invasion claimed more land every day, his people began to grumble. After hiring random people to report what people were complaining about, he concluded that people were disappointed about losing the benefits their old government gave them. At first Zarok tried to return these policies, but most of them failed. Some of them caused problems to be worse than they already were. As violence against city guards raised, Zarok acted swiftly and harshly. He ordered all civilians to be disarmed and he launched strike teams to each city. People throughout his Kingdom turned to Saradominism. Zarok made an effort to combat the threat of Saradominism by having guards burn all Churches of Saradomin. He thought this would combat the threat of Saradomin, but it cost him a hundred times more that he thought; eventually there came to be a non-existent, but powerful force that caused subtle, but significant changes in society. Zarok's Empire was now past its peak. Hoping to become more involved in expanding and maintaining his Empire, he moved to a Castle in Ardougne.

The Enemies Unite
As Zarok tried to quell the threat of rebellion in his own country, his true enemies were rallying against him as well. Though he was unaware, he would have a disadvantage moving west. The threat of Zamorak had united his enemies; the Ogres of Bandos to the South, the Elves of Seren to the West, the Gnomes of Guthix to the Northwest, and the Fremennik, who fought for their independence to the far North. He also had the threat of the trolls, who, surprisingly, were ready to fight alongside the Fremennnik against Lord Zarok, and the ingenious dwarves, whose war technology was far beyond their time. Zarok's army was too focused on the persistent defenses of Ardougne to be concerned with the invisible, yet mighty threat that the remaining forces posed.

The Final Battle
The enemy forces attacked simultaneously; the Ogres, the Elves, the Gnomes, the Fremennnik, and the trolls; all of which had virtually infinite resources from the dwarven factories. The rebellion had taken up arms and were tearing down Zarok's Empire from the inside. Zarok and his aide were escorted by four elite guards to the roof of the castle. Angrily seeing the chaotic battle happening right inside his capitol city, he called upon Zamorak for Magical Power. After the Prayer, Zarok launched mighty spells on the foes outside the city, killing hundreds with every blast. He turned and launched a blast that destroyed the entire village of Witchaven, which he knew was now controlled by rebel forces. On the turrets were Abyssfire Mages who used spells that were only slightly weaker. But seeing that the castle gates had been penetrated, he took his aide down to the castle lobby where he would confront a hundred warriors. As they raised their weapon, with a scowl, he shouted an arcane Prayer and put his hands together, causing everything in the room to burn into ash. His palace was destroyed, and with his loss his army was defeated within weeks. The governments were all replaced with the governments they previously had, and the first employment project was the Post-War Cleanup Program.

Worry Sparked in Saradominists
Upon examining the ruins of the Ardougne castle, hundreds of charred corpses were discovered. However, nobody ever found the corpse of Zarok or Tyrria. All of Kandarin and Misthalin were searched, and most of Asgarnia was searched. However, nobody ever found another trace of Zarok the Impious.

Trivia

 * Strangely, an elderly Werewolf from Canifis who was obviously a powerful mage and a Priest of Zamorak had become an involent and had hired a servant from Lumbridge to take care of him. According to the servant, whenever they would talk about Dragontooth Island, the Werewolf would occasionally mention knowing a "friend" or a "female elf" there.