Temple of Ikov

Temple of Ikov is the first quest to feature the Mahjarrat known as Lucien. Its sequel is While Guthix Sleeps, released six and a half years later. The quest revolves around the infiltration of the Temple of Ikov in order to steal a powerful artefact known as the Staff of Armadyl.

Staff of Armadyl
To begin the quest, speak to Lucien in the Flying Horse Inn. The inn is located on the west bank of the River Dougne, just north of the Ardougne Castle.

Lucien says that he needs a hero to assist him in his endeavour to obtain a magical artefact. Tell him that you are indeed a hero, and he mentions that the artefact is called the Staff of Armadyl. Respond with "sounds like it would be a laugh" and he will warn you that a dangerous monster guards the staff, and can only be defeated by a weapon of ice.

He will give you a pendant of Lucien to help you reach the staff. Finally, he will ask you to meet him in Varrock once you have found the artefact.

Temple of Ikov
Equip the pendant and make your way to the Temple of Ikov, located south-east of the Ranging Guild and north-east of the Ardougne lodestone. If you are carrying 4.4kg or less, you can use the boots of lightness obtained in the next section. Otherwise, you will have to temporarily drop some items to get below 0kg.

Climb down the ladder to enter the temple. Head west along the main corridor until you arrive at a staircase. Make sure your light source is lit, and go down the stairs. Go to the small north-east area and try to slash the spiderweb - it may take a few tries. Take the boots of lightness from inside and equip them.

Go back up the stairs. Return to the centre of the corridor, and enter the north gate. Make sure you have Lucien's pendant equipped, or "a great terror will overcome you!" and you will be pushed away from the gate. Inside you will find level 58 skeletons. Run to the west until you come to a bridge, which you must now cross. If you run north instead and find yourself in a passage with a door you can't open, you have gone the wrong way.

Crossing a river of fire
''If your total weight is more than 0.0 kg the bridge will give way and you will fall into the lava below. You will take up to 200 life points of damage before washing up near numerous scorpions. If this occurs, exit via the ladder to the south, head to a bank and unload a few items. You may also use a pack familiar (Terrorbird, Tortoise, etc) to carry the items you need.''

Once your weight reduces to 0 kg or less, cross the unstable bridge. Across the bridge, enter the room and take the lever lying near the south wall. Now cross the bridge again, heading back to the dungeon entrance by the ladder you used to enter the area, and use the lever on the lever bracket. Finally, pull the lever and the south gate will now be unlocked.

Note: If you are planning to go and bank some items, be sure to pull the lever first. If you leave the temple without doing this, you will not be able to re-enter without collecting a new lever. If you did go through the gate, upon return, it will appear that the lever in the bracket has gone but you will not need to obtain another lever as you can still enter through the south gate.

Ice weapons
The area leading from the south gate is filled with a number of level 42 monsters, and you may have to spend some time there, so it may be wise to return to the bank and obtain some armour and food. However, if you go to the bank, make sure to bring the pendant of Lucien back with you. Once you are ready, enter the gate. The entire icy passage is lined with 6 smaller inlets, each containing a chest which may contain ice arrows. However, the area is crawling with ice spiders who do not show up on the mini-map, and may attack unremittingly while you are searching the chests. It will also be necessary to search the chests multiple times to obtain enough ice arrows; up to 14 arrows can be found in any one chest, but usually only two or three chests contain them in one respawn period. It is recommended to change worlds to reset the chests, and obtain arrows quickly.

Using ranged abilities available at level 40, and a yew shortbow, lower levelled players may be able to defeat him using as few as two arrows. It should be noted that you are able to pick up some of already used arrows. It may take a long time to get enough arrows, especially for lower levelled rangers, so having good food, or protect from melee and some prayer potions may be beneficial.

The Fire Warrior of Lesarkus
Once you have a good number of arrows, return to the central corridor and enter the north gate. Head north into an alcove where there is a lever on the north wall. Search the lever for traps first, then pull it. If you pull the lever without having 42 thieving, you will fall into a spike pit and lose 200LP. This opens the gate into the Guardian Chamber, to the west. You have to enter the chamber quickly, or the lever and trap will reset.

Head to the north side of the chamber and try to open the door. A Fire Warrior will appear, and use a fire blast to shove you away from the door, although deals no damage. He is level 77 and, despite his name, attacks with magic. He must be killed before the door can be opened. Attack him with the ice arrows.

Once you have defeated him, you may pass into the next room. Waiting too long will cause him to tell you to come back when you are stronger. However, you can continue fighting him and he will not have recovered to full health.

I get by with a little help from my friend
After passing through the door, talk to Winelda, who will request 20 limpwurt roots in exchange for transporting you across the lava in your path. If you already have the limpwurt roots in your inventory, she will take them automatically saying you're well prepared. Otherwise, give her the roots, and after a short cut-scene you will be teleported across. Run to the end of the passage, past the large room, the skeletons and lesser demons, until you reach a safe area where you will find a shiny key. Take the key and then head north-east and enter the compound of the Guardians of Armadyl.

''It is not necessary to take the shiny key before entering the compound, and not necessary at all if you plan on teleporting out. However, the key can be used in the future to access the lesser demons without having to fight the fire warrior again. Also, the key is useful in being able to exit the dungeon to get extra resources from the nearby Seer's Village bank, if you need to fight the Guardians of Armadyl.''

If you die while obtaining the staff or by the lesser demons, you can get across the lava again without paying the limpwurt roots, and the fire guardian does not have to be killed a second time.

Choose your fate
Now you must decide if you want to side with Lucien or with the Guardians of Armadyl. Currently, the only difference this causes is that by siding with the Guardians you will receive a communiqué from them at some point and you can get the pendant of Armadyl easily (by asking the Guardians without killing them).

It is advised to side with the guardians due to its benefits (especially for lower-levels to prevent combat).

Side with the Guardians
Remove the pendant of Lucien and talk to one of the Guardians. They will be impressed that you have travelled so deep into the temple. Wearing it will make the guardian you are talking to be aggressive towards you, so if this happens, trap it, take it off and talk to another guardian. State that you are looking for the Staff of Armadyl and that Lucien will reward you for it. Disappointed, they will say that evil is lurking around you and gives you an option to be splashed with holy water; say that it is time for your yearly bath. The Guardian will cleanse you of Lucien's influence and warn you that he is a Mahjarrat, who must not get the staff, lest he become too powerful.

He/she will then give you the pendant of Armadyl, so that you can attack and defeat him. You may now either teleport out, or go back into the passageway, head east, and go up the ladder. You will find yourself in a shed outside McGrubor's Wood; use the shiny key to exit the shed. There is a fairy ring in McGrubor's Woods - just head east of the shed and slip through the loose railing.

Ideally after teleporting to Edgeville, make your way to the building across the River Lum, just outside the Grand Exchange western wall and south of the fairy ring. You can also use Edgeville Home Teleport and run north-east across the bridge, then south. Equip the pendant of Armadyl and enter the house there. Now attack Lucien; he has only 1LP. Lucien will state that he doesn't have time for this, and that he will get someone else to do his bidding.

Congratulations, quest complete!

Side with Lucien
Go to the north-west corner of the compound, and enter the small room. The staff is located on a table in the southern part of the room. When you attempt to take the staff, the guardians might catch you and attempt to stop you. Kill them if needed until you obtain the staff. Once you have the staff, you may either teleport out or go back into the passageway, head east, and go up the ladder. You will find yourself in a shed outside McGrubor's Wood. Use the shiny key to exit the shed.

Ideally after teleporting to Varrock, make your way to the building across the River Lum, just outside the Grand Exchange western wall and south of the fairy ring. You can also use Edgeville Home Teleport and run north-east across the bridge, then south. Enter the house and deliver the staff to Lucien.

Congratulations, quest complete!

Rewards

 * 1 quest point
 * Boots of lightness
 * Pendant of Lucien, giving you access to the front door of the Temple of Ikov (dungeon)
 * Armadyl pendant (If you sided with Armadyl, but you can get one by killing the guardians if you sided with Lucien)
 * Shiny key for entering through the back door of the Temple of Ikov, from near McGrubor's Wood
 * Access to the Armadyl gravestone
 * 5 Kudos in the Varrock Museum if you talk to Historian Minas
 * Access to the Armadyl gravestone
 * 5 Kudos in the Varrock Museum if you talk to Historian Minas

Music unlocked

 * Chain of Command

Required for completing
Completion of Temple of Ikov is required for the following:
 * Defender of Varrock
 * Desert Treasure
 * Recipe for Disaster/Defeating the Culinaromancer

Cultural references

 * When you give the 20 limpwurt roots to Winelda, she says "Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble." This is an adaptation from : "Double, double, toil and trouble. Fires burn and cauldrons bubble."
 * If you try to attack Lucien before the end of the quest, if you side with him, he says "You do not want to attack me. I am your friend." He then waves his hand similar to the  Jedi mind trick. It then says "You decide not to attack Lucien. He is your friend."

Trivia

 * Temple of Ikov was the first quest to feature the Mahjarrat.
 * When Lucien says he will "reappear in the North", this is a reference to all the Mahjarrat heading to The North to perform a ritual, discovered during the quest The Tale of the Muspah and occurring during the Ritual of the Mahjarrat.
 * When in the underground room, you can extinguish your light source. This is one of the few places where it will let you do this without a tinderbox.
 * The ClusterFlutterer update on 25 October 2011 rendered this quest unfinishable for over a week, by preventing players from attaching the lever to the bracket, with the broken part of the quest being fixed on 3 November 2011.
 * The icon of the quest shows Luciens' rejuvenated face, however at the time of this quest he has not been rejuvenated yet.
 * Attempting to kill Lucien again once he respawns reveals the message "You feel that fighting this individual would be of little practical use."

Temple of Ikov Temple of Ikov Temple of Ikov (quest)