Gielinor

The MMORPG RuneScape is located in the fantasy landscape of Gielinor, throughout which players, represented by their avatars, can travel. The realm of Gielinor is divided into several kingdoms, the Wilderness, and islands, most of which are located in the southern sea. In addition to these surface areas, many extensive dungeons and caves exist below ground, usually inhabited by monsters.

Players can travel throughout Gielinor by walking, running, using magic spells to teleport to various locations, and using various vehicles operated by NPCs. Much of the land area of Gielinor is restricted to those players who choose to become members by paying a monthly fee for additional content.

The area occupied by a player is displayed in full detail in the game window. A small circular mini-map in the upper right section of the game screen shows a larger area centred around the player. The mini-map shows the locations of NPCs, items, and other players using coloured dots. Players may open up a separate Java applet showing all of Gielinor; however, this map is static and does not display the current locations of players, items, or NPCs.

Kingdom of Misthalin

The Kingdom of Misthalin is available to all players and tends to be the most populated area on the free servers. When RuneScape was first released to the public, Misthalin was the only area in Gielinor. Most of the quests available to all players take place or begin there.

In the history of RuneScape, Misthalin is one of the oldest human kingdoms. Its capital city, Varrock, has existed for hundreds of years longer than most other cities. Varrock is quite possibly Gielinor's greatest metropolis, containing a wide array of shops, banks, chapels, and skill training areas. Varrock Castle is the home of King Roald, monarch of Misthalin.

Lumbridge, located on the southwestern edge of Misthalin, is the small town where new players begin play. Most players respawn in Lumbridge after their death. Draynor Village, a town west of Lumbridge, is popular for its woodcutting and farming opportunities. The Barbarian Village, a village of barbarians found just west of Varrock, is the home of the Stronghold of Security, a dungeon available to all players that provides advice relating to account security. Edgeville, a small town north of the Barbarian Village, is located on the edge of the Wilderness. It is often used by clans as a starting point for forays into the Wilderness. The Wizard's Tower, located south of Draynor Village, is home to many famous wizards. The magic emanating from this tower is thought to keep peace and balance throughout Gielinor. The Dark Wizard's Circle, a ring of stone pillars surrounding a dolmen just south of Varrock, is inhabited by a number of dark wizards.

Misthalin borders the Wilderness to the north, Asgarnia to the west, and Morytania to the east.

Kingdom of Asgarnia

The Kingdom of Asgarnia is a large human kingdom. Asgarnia is open to all players of RuneScape. It tends to be more crowded on members worlds than on free worlds. Asgarnia was one of the first major land additions in early RuneScape Classic.

Asgarnia lies between Misthalin to the east, Kandarin to the west, and the Wilderness to the north. Asgarnia is allied with Misthalin, and travel and trade between them is fully open. Because of the large White Wolf Mountain on Asgarnia's western border, the kingdom has few major relations with Kandarin.

Falador is Asgarnia's capital and largest city. It is located in central Asgarnia, and features many businesses, including two banks, a variety of shops, Falador Park, and the Dwarven-controlled mining guild. The White Knights, sworn to uphold justice and defend Falador, live within a castle located in central Falador. After completing a quest for the White Knights, players can choose to respawn in White Knight Castle when they die.

Port Sarim is a sea port located a southwest of Falador. It has shops and a large dock area where players can board ships bound for Karamja, Entrana, Crandor, and the Void Knight Outpost. Rimmington, a small town south of Falador, is the default location for player-owned houses built with the construction skill. Rimmington has a few small shops, as well as a mine located just northwest of the town. Just north of Rimmington is the crafting guild. Ice Mountain, with its snow-covered slopes, is located north of Falador. Black Knight Fortress, one of the largest strongholds of Black Knights in Gielinor, sits just north of Ice Mountain. Just east of Ice Mountain is a monastery that houses the prayer guild for players who meet a certain prayer requirement. Goblin Village, a town populated entirely by goblins, is located just west of Ice Mountain. Dwarves have constructed a large underground mine under Ice Mountain and extending south. The mine has an entrance on the southern slope of Ice Mountain as well as two entrances in eastern Falador.

A small part of Asgarnia is available only to members. Taverly, a peaceful village northwest of Falador, is populated by Druids who practice Herblore. Burthope, a militaristic town north of Taverly, defends Asgarnia against the trolls in the mountains to the north. It is home to both the heroes guild and the warriors guild.

Kingdom of Kandarin

The Kingdom of Kandarin is the largest and most complex kingdom in Gielinor. All of its land areas are restricted to members. Ardougne, the capital city, is divided into East Ardougne, ruled by King Lathas, and West Ardougne, ruled by King Tyras. East Ardougne is a wealthy city populated by merchants and thieves. Just east of the city is the legends guild. West Ardougne is devastated by fear of the plague that is the center of the Plague City quest series, the longest ongoing storyline in RuneScape.

Hemenster, a small town north of East Ardougne, is home to the fishing guild and the ranging guild. Seers Village, located in central Kandarin, northeast of Ardougne, is a town populated by wizards with the ability to predict the future. It is home to a flax field to the south and a variety of trees useful in the fletching skill. Catherby, a fishing village on the eastern border of Kandarin, has the largest concentration of fishing areas in Gielinor. Useful for players of all levels of ability in fishing, the village is always crowded with players fishing and cooking tuna, lobsters, swordfish, and sharks. Yanille, a small city south of Ardougne, is home to several shops, a bank, and the mage guild. South of Yanille, ogres populate the city known as Gu'Tanoth in the Feldip Hills; numerous ogre tribes live in the surrounding area as well.

Fremennik Province and western troll lands

The Fremennik Province is a large area north of Kandarin. Added in late 2004, the area is the centre of a quest that grants access to all of its numerous wares as a reward. With places to train the thieving, fishing, and combat skills, Rellekka, the central city of the Fremennik Province, is a favourite location among players for training skills. Ports with ships travelling to Waterbirth Island, home of the Dagannoth sea monsters, and the islands of Lunar Island, Miscellenia and Etceteria can be boarded in Rellekka. East of Rellekka are the mountains of the trolls, covering such areas as Trollweiss and the underground dwarven city of Keldagrim. Near these mountains is the Slayer Dungeon, a cave system filled with monsters that players can fight using their slayer skill.

Gnome lands

The Tree Gnome Stronghold, located northeast of Ardougne, is dominated by the Grand Tree, a massive tree covering the northern area of the stronghold. The gnomes of the stronghold live in houses built in or on top of the many trees in the area, and the Grand Tree is the largest living area. It is the location for several quests, many shops, banks, and restaurants, and an area to train the agility skill. Just west of the Grand Tree lies a playing field where players can play Gnome Ball, a sport similar to rugby. Around the Tree Gnome Stronghold, there are several transportation networks, including a system of gliders.

Tree Gnome Village is a fairly small village of gnomes located south of Ardougne. It is protected by a hedge maze and several magical orbs of protection. The village is at war with the Khazard army, led by General Khazard. The factions fight continuously at a battlefield just northwest of the village. Tree Gnome Village has a small dungeon and an intelligent tree linked to the Tree Gnome Stronghold, Varrock, and Ardougne.

Tirannwn

The elven land of Tirannwn is located to the west of Ardougne. Tirannwn is not technically part of the Kingdom of Kandarin, but rather it is a separate, wild land not under human rule. Most of Tirannwn is covered by a huge forest, Isafdar. The kind of tree covering most of Isafdar is unknown, but the forest is covered with a number of dangerous traps.

The main inhabitants of Tirannwn are elves, but even they have not established settlements in most of Isafdar. The main settlement of the elves is Prifddinas, a city grown from magical crystal seeds. Although no human has ever entered its walls, players may see the outer walls after completion of certain quests allowing access to Isafdar.

A number of elves have rebelled against Prifddinas, and have left the area. The rebel elves frequently move throughout Isafdar, and they have a semi-permanent settlement known as Lletya in eastern Isafdar.

The ruler of West Ardougne, King Tyras, launched an invasion against the elves, and this battle is the center of a long series of quests relating to Ardougne and Tirannwn.

Al Kharid and the Kharidian Desert

Al Kharid is a desert city east of Lumbridge. It is a monarchy, with a large palace in the southern portion of the city. Al Kharid lies relatively close to Lumbridge and Varrock, and is the only desert city accessible to free players. Nearby is the Duel Arena.

The Kharidian desert, accessible only by members through the Shantay Pass, lies south of Al Kharid. When travelling within the desert, players must bring water in waterskins or slowly die of thirst. The towns of Pollnivneach, Nardah, Menaphos, and Sophanem are located in the desert. A few camps, such as the Bedabin camp, as well as a few ruins and old quarries, are scattered across the desert.

File:Detailed wilderness.jpg

A map of the Wilderness

Wilderness

See also – RuneScape combat and Wilderness (RuneScape)

The Wilderness is a barren area in the northeastern section of Gielinor. Within it, players can fight monsters, which generally tend to be more challenging than in other locations, or fight other players in player versus player (PvP) combat.

The Wilderness has special areas providing unique rewards for players who can overcome the challenges presented to them. The Mage Arena, located in the far northern area of the Wilderness, rewards players who defeat its owner with special equipment and spells.

Islands in the southern sea

Karamja

File:Karamja.jpg

The islands of Entrana, Crandor, and Karamja

Karamja is a very large island in a central location in the southern sea. Most of the island is available only to members; however, non-members may access a small area on the northeastern end of Karamja from a ship docked at Port Sarim. This small area is known as Musa Point and contains a fishing spot, a banana plantation, and a large volcano. A cave under the volcano, home to a variety of monsters, leads to the island of Crandor and to the members-only city of TzHaar, the domain of the warrior-race TzHaar.

A gate west of the volcano divides the predominantly free section of the island from the much larger member section. The port of Brimhaven, a haven for pirates, is located in this area. The village of Tai Bwo Wannai is across an isthmus south of Brimhaven. Further south is Shilo Village, which is the site of several quests and the Nature Altar. The jungle itself is filled with many poisonous creatures.

Crandor

Crandor is a island north of Karamja accessible by all players. Players first reach it by boat during a quest, but afterwards players can reach it through the cave on Karamja that connects them. The island contains several deposits of minerals and ores, along with a variety of monsters.It is one of the smaller islands in Runescape and not so populated compared to others, e.g, Karjamar

Tutorial Island

Tutorial Island, located east of Karamja and southwest of Lumbridge, is where every player starts RuneScape. All activities performed here are intended to teach new players the skills needed to play the game. All new players go through various stations in a set order to learn the basics of the game, including in-game skills and how to use the various interfaces. It is home to a small forest, a fishing spot, a kitchen, a quest house, a mining area and furnace, a rat pit, a bank, a church, and a magic school. While on Tutorial Island, characters can advance to level three in the free-play skills taught. Once Tutorial Island is complete, the player is teleported to Lumbridge and is unable to return to Tutorial Island.

Entrana

Entrana, also known as the Holy Island of Saradomin, is located north of Karamja. Members can reach it by boarding a ship in Port Sarim. No weapons or armour are allowed on Entrana; players are searched at the ship and are denied passage until they have stored any such items. On the island, players can find all of the ingredients and tools needed to make items out of glass using the crafting skill. Entrana has an altar of Saradomin within a temple, some fishing spots, and a dungeon exiting to the Wilderness. Entrana is inhabited by monks, unicorns, bears, and a rare indigenous bird known as the Entrana Firebird. The Law Altar, the location at which players may runecraft the runes required for teleportation, is found near the northeastern corner of Entrana.

Ape Atoll

Ape Atoll is a members only island located far south of Karamja. It can be reached after completing part of one of the gnome quests. The island is filled with poisonous jungle creatures and highly aggressive, intelligent monkeys who worship the monkey god Marimbo. They will jail any humans they discover on the island; therefore, the island is extremely dangerous for any human not wielding a monkey greegree, a magical device that transforms the wielder into a monkey. Humans in monkey form will not be attacked by anything on Ape Atoll and can access its shops and agility course at will.

Morytania

Morytania is a dangerous swamp land east of Varrock, accessible by members only after completing a quest reopening the dungeon giving access to it. Morytania is inhabited primarily by werewolves, vampires, and ghosts. The humans who live there struggle against the monsters for survival. The Myreque, an organization of humans, fights against vampires. Some of its cities include Canifis, a town inhabited by werewolves; Meiyerditch, a human city surrounded by vampyres; Port Phasmatys, a town whose inhabitants have been cursed by a necromancer to become ghosts; Burgh de Rott, an empoverished human town held by some of the few free humans in Morytania; and Mort'ton, a human city whose citizens became living zombies after a magical plague. Historically, the evil forces of Morytania have fought against the Kingdom of Misthalin. The River Salve is the border that keeps the evil within Morytania. Morytania is home to several quests, a tower filled with slayer monsters, a few standard businesses in the towns, and the Barrows mini-game, an area home to six powerful undead brothers that players can fight for rare armour and treasure.

External links

• RuneScape world map (Java applet)
• RuneScape world map (JPEG image, 1.46MB)