Proof that the remaining 10% is worth getting impaled with the Staff of Armadyl.
These are recommendations made by tropers for Runescape Fan Fics, all of which have to be signed to stay on the page. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own to the list, but remember to use the template found here.
You can also add to the current recommendations if you want.
Stories focused on the family and the friendly relationships of the cast. Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.
The Woman from the Painted Lantern
by Laetitia-Laetitii
- Recommended by: Ace Trainer Alicia
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Taking place in the Player-owned Port, this brief oneshot features a few of the adventurers from the East and the World Guardian at the bar in port on a stormy evening as Sojobo the Tengu regales them with a tale.
- Comments: Despite its short length, the characters are spot-on, the interactions between them are vibrant and humorous, and the attention to detail—such as the sentient wisps that live in discarded household objects—really brings the setting alive.
- Recommended by: Danjel Whittaker
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: After the events of Children of Mah, Wahisietel, Akthanakos, and Kharshai watch over a comatose World Guardian and discuss what the future may now hold for them all...
- Comments: Sax routinely delivers some of the best writing in the rs fandom, and this story is no different. A post-quest look into the days after the last Ritual of Rejuvenation, with fantastic characterization of the three Mahjarrat. Wahisietel's growing frustration with Zaros and Azzanadra, including the way Wahisietel has been treated by both rings incredibly true with his character in-game. The only ship present is Akthanakos/World Guardian, but it is done so well that even someone who's not fond of Mahjarrat/Human pairings will like it. Naturally contains plenty of spoilers for Children of Mah.
Temple Student Journal by ZarosianCovenant
- Recommended by: Ace Trainer Alicia
- Status: Dead; last updated December 2016
- Synopsis: An epistolary fic told in the form of short journal entries, written by a young student living in the imperial capital of Senntisten in the final years of the Zarosian empire.
- Comments: We see what several facets of the empire's society are like from an insider's perspective, some posthumous characters (primarily Palkeera) get some development and fleshing out, and protagonist Zarafinn becomes quite the woobie as she observes her whole world falling apart all around her. The worldbuilding and detail are so intricate that it's hard not to consider the portrayal of imperial society here as canon.
Armadylean Hemenster Timeline by Nianque
- Recommended by: Ace Trainer Alicia
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Though the majority of the aviantese were off in Forinthry as warriors or camp followers when disaster wiped it from the world, there were a handful of aviantese who stayed behind with the floating cities and the Temple of Ikov. A broad timeline of events occurring directly after the Edicts of Guthix.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic
- Comments: The followers of Armadyl are criminally underused and underdeveloped in canon, and this AU does a remarkable job at giving them some much-needed development. While there isn't much characterization to speak of and the focus is on the society and nation that the surviving aviantese build, it's a very well-developed and intricate society, incorporates the floating citadels which were canonically once Armadylean strongholds, and provides a good look into what Armadylean culture might look like.
- Recommended by: Chaos_Elemental
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A single-scene fic exploring the emotions of Trindine as they reflect on the past and the present.
- Comments: Just a beautiful oneshot that captures the despair and loneliness of the main character after you free her from the shadow prison. It's simple, poignant, and sweet. Note that it contains high-level Archaeology spoilers!
The Adventures of Jaina by Alicia-Is-Purple aka AceTrainerAlicia
- Recommended by: Bobthetroper
- Status: Ongoing. Updates vary, from once every few months to twice a month.
- Synopsis: He's a loyal Zarosian Mahjarrat who once ruled as a regent for the greatest empire to ever exist and spent centuries trapped in a pyramid until Jaina saved him. She's a common born Wizards' Guild graduate turned adventurer who was born to the only Guthixans in her Saradominist hometown. The fact the two are as different as night and day didn't stop them from forming an Odd Friendship. Said Friendship eventually turns into an exchange of ideas, in which she becomes more and more interested in the Zarosian cause and history. As the two become closer, they go from friends to something more.
- Pairing(s): Jaina/Azzanadra
- Tags: W.A.F.F., despite some of the occasional dark elements showing up once every few chapters.
- Comments: The premise isn't as off-putting as you think, it's so well-written—80% Heartwarming Moments , 15% conflict (the romantic and non-romantic sort), 5% Funny Moments —you will forget that one of them's a Mahjarrat that looks like this and start caring about the characters, and that's coming from a guy who doesn't like Interspecies Romance whenever it involves a race that isn't conventionally pretty.
Mysteries Of The Heart by RhaegarTargaryen666
- Recommended by: Ace Trainer Alicia
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: After Xenia's death, Bryce Stanton is forced to contemplate outing himself as a secret Zarosian to his friend and crush, Ariane, for the sake of saving the universe from the threat of the Elder Gods. He eventually decides his best option is to ask permission of Zaros himself to inform a trusted friend, but there's a catch...
- Pairings: Bryce/Ariane
- Tags: Dark Fic, Darker and Edgier
- Comments: This may not be everyone's cup of tea due to the morally ambiguous Anti-Hero protagonist, the rather dark ending, and the fact that the author definitely does not shy away from blood and gore—and I'm not generally a fan of Dark Fic and had to skip past the gorier bits—but the characters' inner turmoil is compelling and well-done, the romance isn't rushed or forced which is such a breath of fresh air, considering the amount of crappy romances in the literary market today, and Ariane gets some excellent fleshing out as a character. The depiction of Zaros' loyalty aura is also chillingly well done in a way that we never saw in canon.
A Hard Fall by Chaos_Elemental
- Recommended by: fennric
- Status: Ongoing, with updates twice a week (Mon/Fri).
- Synopsis: The story of World Guardian Teiran, focusing in particular on her relationship with Cyrisus, starting from Dream Mentor and up through the Fifth Age/Sixth Age storyline. "Featuring romance, violence, choc-ice, dragons, tragedy, torture, cursing, goutweed, fate, heartfelt reunions, banana rum, a demon butler, unconventional rescues, vulgar exotic birds, insults to the gods themselves, and an end to all things considered."
- Pairings: Teiran/Cyrisus
- Comments: This fic is one hell of a ride. At the time of writing, it's quickly approaching 200k words and still going strong. It's character-driven first and foremost, and Teiran is someone I very quickly became fond of — through her earlier slow-burn romance with Cyrisus to the raising of the stakes that comes over time. There's a vast range of tones going on, too: silly romantic shenanigans? Absolute heartbreak? Dramatic battle scenes, flat-out comedy... it's all here. This fic has a way of making you fall in love with Runescape's story all over again, only enhanced by the way it often actively plays with game mechanics rather than skipping over them for realism. Also worth noting that it's the first fanfic ever to have been nominated for a Golden Gnome Award, for "Best Artistic Creation"! Definitely a deserving nominee!
Five Nights at Sliske's by SoCoolGirl94
- Recommended by: Bobthetroper
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Sliske plays a game with Alcana the adventurer, he's making her spend five nights in the Barrows crypt. She must stay alive by hiding from the barrows brothers; she must manage that for five entire nights, from dusk till dawn, and the game increases in difficulty as it progresses.
- Comments: I'm not a Five Nights at Freddy's expert, but man did this fic keep me on my toes. Every time Alcana makes it through, I let out a sigh of relief, and every time a "game" begins, I tense up. One other thing that sets this story apart from the others is the links to the background music for each scene; the author posts links to certain tracks you can listen to for certain scenes, it's meant to enrich your reading experience.
