[2020] Can we just take a moment to talk about The Hall of Memories?

I was in an early lore design meeting for this project, and it's really great to see that the story intentions shone through in the final environment.

I alluded to it in some of the memorial engrams, but Guthix definitely made mistakes (blowing up an occupied planet and unleashing a terrible corruption from its prison, anyone?) and had character flaws. It's interesting to see how certain characters are lionised or demonised, regardless of the evidence.

Mod Ryan developed Hall of Memories (he was on an absolute roll that year with this and Deep Sea Fishing and the seeker dungeon back to back, working in concert with Mod Ramen; name a more dynamic duo that look as good in tights).

I believe Mod Rowley wrote most of the lore (and definitely was going for the beats you described), with I think Mod Raven and perhaps Mod MattHe helping out.

(I was working hard on other projects at the time - was it making Fletching F2P or having to hustle out a recreation of Tutorial Island? I forget - so this project got away from me in the latter stages, but I've enjoyed playing it in live.)

I'm really glad Hall of Memories found its audience.

I hope now we can let Guthix rest in respect for his dying wish. It's ironic that his secrets and memories have been laid bare by demand, when all he wanted was to be forgotten.

Very well said!

"Destroying a planet while attempting to kill a creature is obviously a big mistake"

It's interesting to see how that's been interpreted. Guthix was exploring the universe, slashing dimensional rifts in reality with the elder sword, and caused permanent damage to the cosmology.

The effects of Guthix's wanderlust linger today. He shattered at least one of the inhabited worlds created by the elder gods, unleashing something terrible from its core.

It was definitely not a case of bravely striving to defeat a great evil and accidentally destroying a planet in the process.

I wish I could say that the two updates were planned as sides to the same coin in an orchestrated update schedule. (Although more of a long-term, holistic view is taken nowadays.)

It was more feeding the beast that seemed to demand more Guthix (despite him being, y'know, dead), and then having to squeeze in another course to meet demand.

I guess the loss of a loved one can never be quenched until the stages of grief are complete.

I think it came out of a desire to tell more grounded, vulnerable, mortal, humble stories, as you've described, and a desire to mirror the two updates in a way that seems like they were intended as a complete whole all along.

Things like positioning the Hall of Memories below the Memorial to Guthix, like a deeper level to Guthix's psyche, the naragi behind the mask, were very deliberate.

Mod Rowley has a real knack for that sort of thing - very thoughtful, taking huge care about the fine details, the subtext, and their thematic overtones.

I think his passion really shines out in the labour of love that is Archaeology.

I don't watch anime, so can't be accused of plagiarism! (This time. Or the over 9,000 other times.)

I'm honestly not certain exactly who wrote which core memories in the bud. Probably was Mod Rowley, but I can't confirm.

I know Mod Matthew wrote the Guardians of Guthix memory (the memorial engram that looks like Juna).

But I'm less familiar with the development of the Hall of Memories. I was only in one meeting for it in pre-production.