Anima
Anima is the living energy of the universe and all living beings, and the source of Magic. After the Elder Gods created Gielinor, and prepared to sleep while their eggs consumed the planet's anima slowly, they discovered some impure, "wild" anima which they didn't like, and they used the continent of Ashenfall to "vent out" the impure anima from the world.[1] This resulted in the anima twist phenomenon enveloping the continent, with its effects getting stronger further into the continent, this event is known as the anima twist.[2] The anima twist affects not only the environment, but the creatures and people living on it, as well as magic itself. This results in common materials like wood and stone being capable of lasting hundreds or even thousands of years, and the inhabitants of the continent to become Amalgamated,[3] creatures that would be enhanced with elemental properties due to the land's wild anima. The effects of the Anima Twist can be observed in the transformed wildlife, with wolves developing manes made of leaves, deer possessing reed-like fronds, and trees displaying leaves in unusual hues resembling sunset.[4]
Affected wildlife
[edit | edit source]- Deer - Deer were affected by the surrounding anima, making their hides valuable and versatile as armour, such as leather armour.[5]
- Giant and Putrid Rats - Rats gorge on plants that are infused with wild anima, making their bodies more aggressive, larger, and dangerous over time.[6] In some poisonous areas such as the Whispering Swamp and Bloodblight Swamp, giant rats would also feast on the poisonous plants and become even stronger and poisonous.[7]
- Wolves - Wolves were infused with anima, making them faster and stronger through their teeth. Many Brynmoor villagers were killed because of this phenomenon, and Wild Knights would hunt them down to prevent further attacks.[8] Some wolves would absorb more ambient anima, making them stronger than their regular counterparts, turning into dire wolves. The strength of the dire wolves would make the Wild Knights respect their power, leaving the wolves alone.[9]
- Wild Lapulis Vines - Wild lapulis vines absorbed the magic into their plant cells and have become sentient, prepared to shock villagers and adventurers alike.[10]
The anima twist not only affected wildlife and the fauna, but also local villagers, who also absorbed the anima. The Amalgamated were often seen as less than human and were the subject of significant violence. The Wild Knights often risked their lives to sneak into towns and rescue Amalgamated from their persecution. However, the prejudice eventually culminated in a great schism where humans fought to purge Ashenfall of the Amalgamated.[11]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ RuneScape: Dragonwilds. "Developer Deep-dive" (in 27:03). YouTube video. 15 April 2025.
- ↑ Journal entry of Druid's Memoirs, RuneScape: Dragonwilds. "There is an oddness to this continent, a sort of curse that changes things the deeper they get toward the centre."
- ↑ Journal entry of Dragonkin Diary Page, RuneScape: Dragonwilds. "This continent is remarkable. It is flush with energy that seeps into the stone, the trees, the water, and even the air, and it feels alive with possibility. The creatures here are transformed, taking on aspects both elemental and primal. What wonderful possibilities this place offers. I can do a lot with this continent. The stone looks sturdy, the metal firm. Even the wood feels as though I could make it last centuries before it rots into nothing."
- ↑ Journal entry of Druid's Memoirs, RuneScape: Dragonwilds. "There are wolves with manes made of leaves and deer with reed-like fronds as natural a part of them as their antlers. Trees, with leaves of shifted hues that emulate the sunset. Grass the colour of candlelight."
- ↑ Journal entry of Deer, RuneScape: Dragonwilds. "On Ashenfall, magic has infused their bodies, making their pelts versatile and highly valuable. Well worth the effort of any hunter."
- ↑ Journal entry of Giant Rat, RuneScape: Dragonwilds. "On Ashenfall, the Anima Twist has become such a feast, warping these once timid creatures into aggressive and dangerous monsters. The more they feast, the larger their appetites, and they can never be truly sated."
- ↑ Journal entry of Putrid Rat, RuneScape: Dragonwilds. "Sometimes a giant rat can feast on too much magic, suffusing themselves with the energies of their environment. For the putrid rat, they can take the pestilence, rot and decay into themselves, merging with the mushrooms and poisonous fungi that they consume."
- ↑ Journal entry of Wolf, RuneScape: Dragonwilds. "The wolves of Ashenfall are dangerous creatures. Their anima-infused muscles makes them faster. Their razor-sharp teeth would pierce the armour of the Brynmoor villagers. It would be the job of the Wild Knights to hunt them down and prevent them from attacking the human settlements."
- ↑ Journal entry of Dire Wolf, RuneScape: Dragonwilds. "Dire wolves are the apex of their species. They have absorbed more of the ambient anima of the region, making them stronger and more powerful than their smaller kin. Their attacks rend the flesh, leaving lasting damage that their foes might never recover from."
- ↑ Journal entry of Wild Lapulis Vine, RuneScape: Dragonwilds. "These plants have become infused with the storms that occasionally rage across Ashenfall. They have absorbed the magic into their cells and are ready to turn them against any that might approach. While mindless, these plants are filled with a desire to turn their electrified fury upon any that come near them, ready to shock anything not adequately prepared."
- ↑ Journal entry of Ancient Journal Page, RuneScape: Dragonwilds. "He left. Took some of the faithful with him, those who had not fallen to our cruel prejudices. In his last moments, he tasked the Wild Knights to uphold their oaths, protecting both us from the wild and the wild from us, and then he left."