Has anyone noticed the subtle references Jagex makes in Runescape? They are quite elaborate and you are really have to know something very specific to see the connection between them.

 

The ones I've seen so far include:

 

-Mahjarrat, if you say someone is mahjarrati in arabic that means they are like deserted/cursed. As you know, they kind of are cursed with eternal war.

 

-Zamorak's symbol is the arabic symbol shadda. I love words with a shadda because it gives extra emphasis, perhaps an emphasis of power? As for the word Zamorak in arabic? I don't know of any word, but if there was a word+ak ending it means your masculine possession (i.e. bitkallamak is I speak to you [male] because it ends in ak). Maybe it's like 'he does evil unto you'.

 

-(I noticed this one during Theology homework) Hazeel, the Mahjarrat, has a similar counterpart in the Bible. There is a king of Damascus mentioned in the book of Amos called Hazael who God judges and says:

"Thus says the LORD, For three crimes of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke my word; Because they threshed Gilead with sledges of iron, I will send fire upon the house of Hazael".

As known from the notes on the Mahjarrati, he acquires many supporters and land, as well as being considered very powerful, as most Syrian kings were exalted as.

 

-In Draynor, Fortunato sells wine. In the story Cask of Amontillado, a character Fortunato is a supposed expert of wine and his friend ends up killing him by bringing him down into his cellar and walling him in for insulting him. Fortunato in Runescape seems kind of like a jerk, so it's no wonder his friend killed him for insulting him.

 

-In Desert Treasure, the vampire's name, Malak, means angel. He does send you to kill an evil lord, which message delivering is kind of an angel's job.

 

-In Desert Treasure, the demonish fire giant thing Fareed's name means unique. I don't know how he's unique though, as he's like the easiest boss to beat.

 

I see a lot of semitic references, but maybe I see them because I just have knowledge of them.

Anyone know of any other references in RuneScape to any novels, cultures, lingual puns, etc. and as to how they link in?

We rescue brother tranquility's brain, find cyrusis' courage, and retrieve arrav's heart, now we just need a giant talking head

Most of the white knight's that actually have names are plays on words (is that how you would say it?)

We rescue brother tranquility's brain, find cyrusis' courage, and retrieve arrav's heart, now we just need a giant talking head

Wow nice observation haha. It took me two times to read what you wrote it get it, but I didn't notice that.

Most of the white knight's that actually have names are plays on words (is that how you would say it?)

 

This is always my favourite one whenever they add new knights.

 

Like Ceramic Vase (Sir Amik Vas)

Surviving (Sir Vyvin)

Certification (Sir Tiffy Cashen)

I forget the others but theres a gd 15 or so of them in-game and all are puns

Most of the white knight's that actually have names are plays on words (is that how you would say it?)

 

This is always my favourite one whenever they add new knights.

 

Like Ceramic Vase (Sir Amik Vas)

Surviving (Sir Vyvin)

Certification (Sir Tiffy Cashen)

I forget the others but theres a gd 15 or so of them in-game and all are puns

don't forget the mountain trolls too

Most of the white knight's that actually have names are plays on words (is that how you would say it?)

 

This is always my favourite one whenever they add new knights.

 

Like Ceramic Vase (Sir Amik Vas)

Surviving (Sir Vyvin)

Certification (Sir Tiffy Cashen)

I forget the others but theres a gd 15 or so of them in-game and all are puns

 

Sir Prysin - Surprising.

Sir Gerry (the guy at the GWD entrance) - Surgery.

Sir Enitee - Serenity.

 

Semi Unrelated: I remember playing Dragonfable to try it out, and there was a village of Knights with names like it.

I think what I like about the knights is often at first glance you don't get the pun.

But as soon as you know they are all puns you instantly (for good english speakers anyway) suddenly twig the pronunciation and get them all.

 

I never saw them til someone pointed out Sir Amik Vas, then it all clicked.

The whole Grim Tales quest is in a nutshell, someone going through tons of fairytales, ripping out pages and mixing them together.

 

You have the Bean Seller, growing a giant beanstalk up to a giant who possesses a golden statue. (Jack and the Bean Stalk)

You have the shrinking potion which shrinks you to the size of a mouse. (Alice in Wonderland)

The Dwarf in the tower, captured by the Princess. Making the dwarfs hair long so you can climb up it.

Etc, Etc. :P

Most of the white knight's that actually have names are plays on words (is that how you would say it?)

 

This is always my favourite one whenever they add new knights.

 

Like Ceramic Vase (Sir Amik Vas)

Surviving (Sir Vyvin)

Certification (Sir Tiffy Cashen)

I forget the others but theres a gd 15 or so of them in-game and all are puns

 

Sir Prysin - Surprising.

Sir Gerry (the guy at the GWD entrance) - Surgery.

Sir Enitee - Serenity.

 

Semi Unrelated: I remember playing Dragonfable to try it out, and there was a village of Knights with names like it.

 

Fairy Nuff as well. But I think this is turning into one of those allusion threads.

-In Desert Treasure, the vampire's name, Malak, means angel. He does send you to kill an evil lord, which message delivering is kind of an angel's job.

 

'Malak' in Hebrew literally means 'messenger'. It's typically translated as 'angel' because the angels are God's messengers.

 

Also, in Seers' Village you have Sincere (Sin Seer). Here, the name seems to fill two purposes at once.

 

I seem to recall a Monty Python reference in there somewhere, but I can't remember where I saw it.

 

 

I seem to recall a Monty Python reference in there somewhere, but I can't remember where I saw it.

 

Tons of those. Four I instantly recall are:

 

1) Use a herring on a tree: "not the mightest tree in the forest"

2) Use a herring on the Grand Tree: "I can't do that!"

3) Upstairs on a tower in Neitiznot: insult scene

4) Lumberjack examine

I seem to recall a Monty Python reference in there somewhere, but I can't remember where I saw it.

 

 

If there is one thing Runescape has it is Monty Python references. There are simply too many of them to count.

I believe that there is an NPC named "Tenzing" that gives you climbing boots from some quest. Tenzing Norgay was a sherpa that accompanied Sir Edmund Hilary on his first assent of Mount Everest, and is quit often blieved to be the first man to summit, but the two never did say who actually did summit first.

There are also a few possible references to the band Dream Theater and a few of their songs, ex.

 

Dream Theatre (song)- British spelling of the band's name

Dogs of War (song) - DT's song, Prophets of War

The Root of all Evil (song) - DT's song, the Root of all Evil

 

Although the names of the RS songs would make sense even if they weren't allusions, due to their context.

Lest we forget Jeremy Clerksin in the Varrock Church.

This one might not be so relevant as the others, but the vampire in Desert Treasure (the one you kill) is called "Dessous", which in french means under, or something similar to that.

In the quest in which you become royalty of Miscellania, if you examine the bed of you and your wife's, it reads "A bed...for sleeping in...". =P

In Blood Runs Deep,

 

Fremmy guys yelling "This is Relleka!"

When Baba Yaga tells you to take off the seal of passage you say "Oh I see what you did there."

*Examines Rock Lob*

 

It wasn't a rock.... it was a rock lobster!

In Greek mythology Elysium (or the Elysian fields) is an afterlife paradise. In Runescape there is an Elysian Spirit Shield which has great stats and has a 70% chance to reduce each hit by 25%.

-Ezekiel Lovecraft (H.P. Lovecraft allusion)

-Fortunato (reference to one of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories)

-Joseph (Canifis) has an examine with the word 'comrade'. It's an obvious allusion to Joseph Stalin.

Some druids have names that are references to food.

 

Kaqemeex (I think that's how you spell it) = Cake mix.

-Ezekiel Lovecraft (H.P. Lovecraft allusion)

-Fortunato (reference to one of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories)

-Joseph (Canifis) has an examine with the word 'comrade'. It's an obvious allusion to Joseph Stalin.

 

His is 'He keeps calling me comrade...'

This one might not be so relevant as the others, but the vampire in Desert Treasure (the one you kill) is called "Dessous", which in french means under, or something similar to that.

Think it means something along the lines of "from below"