King Roald

King Roald Remanis III, more commonly known simply as King Roald, is the current ruler of the prosperous kingdom of Misthalin. His residence is within Varrock Palace, where the Varrock Palace Secret Guard work to keep him safe. He is located in the south-east side of the Palace on the ground floor. King Roald's examine text in Runescape Classic calls him King Roald VIII, although he is the third. He is notable for being one of the least controversial kings, as he is a very straightforward, stable ruler.

He is involved in a number of quests, namely Shield of Arrav, Priest in Peril, Garden of Tranquility, Darkness of Hallowvale, What Lies Below, All Fired Up and Defender of Varrock. During What Lies Below, a mind controlled version of him serves as the final boss off the quest.

History
King Roald is the son of King Roald II, a monarch most famous for his efforts to reclaim the Shield of Arrav from the Phoenix Gang. Although little is currently known of King Roald's early history, he is known to have had a pampered upbringing, learning to read from the Palace's librarian, Reldo.

Roald became king of Misthalin in year 150 of the Fifth age, when his father died. The Census of Varrock from year 160 states his profession to be 'Our glorious king', and Roald was not married when the Census was written. In fact no Ellamaria appears in the whole census, implying she did not live in Varrock before then. Roald is said by Phileas to be "a good friend" of Duke Horacio, but is not a member of the Lumbridge Secret Council.

Since his rise to the position of king, many people have accepted Roald III as a generally good ruler. Under his rule, the city of Varrock has prospered greatly, and has seen the renovation of the Varrock Museum and the famous Grand Exchange. Misthalin as a whole has also benefited, seeing such movements as the incorporation of Edgeville and the construction of the Misthalin Training Centre of Excellence.

There are certain groups that feel Roald is weak in the face of the Church of Saradomin, and others that would go so far as to see him assassinated. His hesitance in matters such as the recent conflicts with Morytania have earned him many enemies. However, it is a time of turmoil for the king, what with recent activities in the Wilderness, and the ever-growing threat of war with the east, it is no surprise he has been struggling. To combat these threats, the king opened the Beacon Network, which players can help out with in the All Fired Up quest and corresponding minigame, not daring to wage open war against Morytania lest the world once again erupts into a second God War.

Wives
Lady Elizabeth was revealed in the Return to Canifis novel as a woman that King Roald was engaged to be wed. She was also the first victim of the Wyrd. After witnessing her murder first hand during a hunting trip, King Roald never truly recovered, his anger only fueling his hatred towards the evils of Morytania. He hid her murder from his people, informing them she had passed away from an unspecified illness, possibly the plague. It wasn't until the people of Varrock demanded he hold parliament with them about the recent Wyrd attacks that had been covered up by the Society of Owls that he told his people of her true fate.

His first true wife, Ellamaria started off as a mere peasant. She too lost family to the Wyrd, and appeared to Sir Theodore several times, harassing him about allowing the Society of Owls to cover up the Wyrd's attacks. At the Midsummer's Eve Festival, Sir Theodore recognises Ellamaria, dressed in attire outside her class, approaching the King, whereby he orders her to be detained, believing her to be a threat. When the King holds parliament with the people to discuss the recent Wyrd attacks, she is brought forward as a representative of the people of Varrock due to her peasant status. Eventually, after Ebenezer falls ill to the Wyrd attack, it is revealed that Ellamaria had been set free, and sometimes tended to Ebenezer whilst he slept. During these times, it is also revealed that King Roald often visited to check on Ebenezer's condition, although many suspected it was purely to see Ellamaria.

It is said that Lady Elizabeth bears a striking resemblance to Queen Ellamaria, and had a fondness for wearing the colour yellow, as is reflected in Varrock's flag.

Right to the throne
During the Return to Canifis novel, it is revealed that one of King Roald's ancestors, Tenebra, the eldest of The Five Princes of Misthalin is still alive, now as a Vampyre Lord. As such, it is his son, Gar'rth's birthright to reclaim the throne of Misthalin. However Tenebra was later killed with the help of the Sunspear by Kara-Meir and Gar'rth and Gar'rth was later exiled from the kingdom leaving the throne once again fully in Roald's hands!

Trivia

 * King Roald mentions Kara-Meir if you talk to him. He says she made an unwise choice in withholding important information about a friend. He is presumably talking about the novel Return to Canifis.
 * When doing a treasure trail, you may have to talk to him to obtain a challenge scroll. He is referred to as "lark in dog." He asks how many bookcases are in Varrock castle's library, and the answer is 24.
 * King Roald is somewhat shorter than player characters, as well as Ellamaria.
 * King Roald's chat head wears a similarly shaped crown as Queen Ellamaria even though they are not the same shape.

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