OSRS Desert Treasure II - The Fallen Empire Quest Guide

Prepare yourself for an epic journey into Gielinor's forgotten past! Desert Treasure II - The Fallen Empire is a sprawling Grandmaster quest, building upon the lore of the Mahjarrat and the original Desert Treasure. Renowned as one of Old School RuneScape's longest and most challenging quests, it features intricate puzzles, extensive travel, and culminates in encounters with four formidable bosses.

This guide provides an overview of the quest's requirements, main sections, boss encounters, and the significant rewards awaiting those who succeed.

Requirements & Recommendations

Before embarking on this adventure, ensure you meet the steep requirements:

  • Skills (Non-Boostable):
    • 75 Firemaking
    • 75 Magic
    • 70 Thieving
    • 62 Herblore
    • 60 Runecraft
    • 60 Construction
  • Quests:
    • Desert Treasure I
    • Secrets of the North
    • Making Friends with My Arm
    • The Dig Site
    • Temple of Ikov
    • The Tourist Trap
    • Troll Stronghold
    • Death Plateau
    • Priest in Peril
    • Waterfall Quest
    • ...and numerous sub-requirements for these quests.
  • Items: Ring of visibility, Tinderbox, Pestle and mortar, Pickaxe, Facemask/Slayer helm, Runes for Burst spells (Blood, Ice, Smoke, Shadow), 100 Coins, Lockpick.
  • Recommended:
    • Combat Level: 100+
    • Ancient Magicks spellbook active
    • Good combat gear suitable for multiple bosses
    • Extensive teleports (Digsite, Nardah, Weiss, Ardougne, Temple of the Eye, POH, etc.)
    • Stamina potions, high-healing food, prayer restoration, antipoison.

Quest Overview: Unearthing an Ancient Secret

1. The Ancient Vault & Familiar Faces

  • Start: Investigate the Ancient Vault north-east of Nardah (requires Ancient Magicks).
  • Meet Asgarnia Smith and investigate the vault, noting the names of the "Forgotten Four": Vardorvis, Perseriya, Duke Sucellus, The Whisperer.
  • Consult Terry Balando and Dr Banikan at the Digsite. Explore a newly discovered Zarosian military installation beneath the site.
  • Fight the Ancient Guardian (Level 153).
  • Use Burst spells and solve a puzzle to activate a golem terminal and search for information on the Forgotten Four.

2. Testing Your Medal: The Four Paths (Any Order)

The core of the quest involves retrieving four medallions linked to the Forgotten Four. These sections can be done in any order. Beware: After finding the first medallion, a Mysterious Figure may ambush you periodically – be prepared!

  • Path of Vardorvis (The Stranglewood):
    • Investigate the Burning Man monument in Lovakengj.
    • Travel to the dangerous Stranglewood (south of Mount Quidamortem).
    • Survive Strangled hordes, protect Kasonde Shaw, gather ingredients for a serum while navigating the infected forest.
    • Fight Vardorvis (Level 572), a vampyric Strangled executioner, at the Ritual Site. (Vardorvis Boss Guide)
    • Defeat the infected Kasonde (Level 193).
    • Retrieve Vardorvis' Medallion.
  • Path of Perseriya (The Scar):
    • Speak to the Catalytic Guardian at the Temple of the Eye.
    • Enter The Scar, a dangerous abyssal realm. Fight off demons.
    • Meet Wizard Persten (from Temple of the Eye) and agree to help her burn Zarosian shipwrecks.
    • Navigate three distinct, puzzle-filled levels of The Scar, dealing with abyssal creatures and environmental hazards. Requires Facemask/Slayer Helm.
    • Face The Leviathan (Level 593), a massive sea creature adapted to the abyss. (Leviathan Boss Guide)
    • Retrieve Perseriya's Medallion from her shipwreck.
  • Path of Duke Sucellus (Ghorrock Prison):
    • Investigate Ghorrock Prison beneath Weiss. Get captured.
    • Solve a series of intricate puzzles involving keys (Sapphire, Emerald, Ruby, Diamond) and notes scattered throughout the prison, while being pursued by the Mahjarrat Jhallan.
    • Team up briefly with the Assassin (from Secrets of the North).
    • Prepare Arder-musca poison using resources gathered while dodging hazards in the asylum.
    • Awaken and fight Duke Sucellus (Level 538), a slumbering chthonian demon. (Duke Sucellus Boss Guide)
    • Retrieve Duke Sucellus' Medallion.
  • Path of The Whisperer (Lassar Undercity):
    • Speak to Ramarno in the Ruins of Camdozaal.
    • Descend into the Lassar Undercity beneath Camdozaal.
    • Meet the dwarf Ketla and use the Blackstone Fragment to navigate between the real world and the sanity-draining Shadow Realm.
    • Gather schematics to build devices (Shadow Blocker, Torches, Idol, Portal) to bypass obstacles.
    • Uncover the secrets of the Silent Choir.
    • Confront The Whisperer (Level 587), a corrupted siren, in the Sunken Cathedral. (Whisperer Boss Guide)
    • Retrieve The Whisperer's Medallion.

3. The Desert Treasure & Finale

  • Return to the Vault: Place all four medallions on their respective statues.
  • Ambush: Get captured by the Mysterious Figure. Escape imprisonment and defeat her (Level 271) in a challenging fight requiring style switches.
  • Confrontation: Return to the now-open Ancient Vault. Follow Asgarnia Smith down.
  • Revelations: Encounter Azzanadra, Hazeel, Enakhra, Akthanakos, and the reveal of Sliske disguised as Asgarnia Smith (and others). Learn the truth about the Elder Horn (Imperium).
  • Final Battle: Sliske summons wights of his previous disguises. Fight the Forsaken Assassin (Level 252), Ketla the Unworthy (Level 236), Kasonde the Craven (Level 221), and Persten the Deceitful (Level 264) one after another.

Rewards

Completing this epic quest yields substantial rewards:

  • 5 Quest Points
  • Three Ancient Lamps: Each grants 100,000 XP in a chosen combat skill (Attack, Strength, Defence, Hitpoints, Ranged, Magic, or Prayer - requires level 60+).
  • Ring of Shadows: An upgraded Ring of Visibility with +1 Prayer bonus. Can be infused with boss tablets for teleports.
  • Boss Access: Ability to re-fight the four main bosses (Vardorvis, Leviathan, Duke Sucellus, Whisperer) for their unique drops, including parts for the Soulreaper Axe, Ancient Rings (Ultor, Magus, Bellator), and Virtus Robes.
  • Awakened Bosses: Access to significantly harder "Awakened" versions of the four bosses using Awakener's Orbs (dropped by the bosses).
  • Scar Essence Mine Access.

Conclusion

Desert Treasure II - The Fallen Empire is a true test of a player's skill, determination, and knowledge of OSRS. Its engaging storyline delves deep into Zarosian and Mahjarrat lore, while its challenging boss fights push PvM capabilities to the limit. The rewards are game-changing, unlocking access to some of the most powerful gear and profitable bosses in Old School RuneScape. Prepare thoroughly, be patient, and good luck uncovering the secrets of the fallen empire!

Struggling with the high skill requirements or difficult boss fights? Our OSRS Skilling Services can help you reach the required levels, while our OSRS PvM Services offer assistance with challenging content. You can also Buy OSRS Gold to fund the gear and supplies needed for this Grandmaster adventure!