Scabaras

For the statue of Scabaras at Uzer Mastaba, see Scabaras (scenery).

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Scabaras
Release								13 January 2025 (Update)
Members								Yes
Race								Scarab
Quest								Beneath Scabaras' Sands
Location								Temple of Amascut
Gender								Male
Options								Talk to, Examine
Examine								The Menaphite god of isolation and wisdom.
Map
Advanced data
NPC ID								31538
Links								MRND31538

Scabaras? (edit)? (edit)? (edit)StandingFloating13 January 2025 (Update)? (edit)YesBeneath Scabaras' SandsTemple of Amascut? (edit)Talk to, ExamineTalk to&&SPLITPOINT&&ExamineThe Menaphite god of isolation and wisdom.true? (edit)Scarab? (edit)3153831537? (edit)? (edit)? (edit)? (edit)3153831537? (edit)? (edit)? (edit)MRNDMRND31538MRND31537MRND? (edit)Male? (edit)? (edit)? (edit)Versions: 2

SMW Subobject for FloatingNPC ID: 31537Options: Talk to, ExamineExamine: The Menaphite god of isolation and wisdom.Release date: 13 January 2025NPC location: Temple of AmascutIs members only: trueIs variant of: Scabaras

SMW Subobject for StandingNPC ID: 31538Options: Talk to, ExamineExamine: The Menaphite god of isolation and wisdom.Release date: 13 January 2025NPC location: Temple of AmascutIs members only: trueIs variant of: Scabaras

Scabaras (Jagex pronunciation: scab-uh-riss) is one of the four minor gods of the Menaphite Pantheon, associated with isolation and wisdom. Due to his nature, little is known of him, and since the banishment of The Sect of Scabaras, his following has diminished greatly. He is usually depicted as a scarab or insect-like humanoid.

Deity info

Scabaras
Symbol
Alignment	Isolation and wisdom
Godhood	Demigod
Avatars and aspects	Scabaras apparition
Animal aspect	Beetle
Colours	Beige, Dark Blue
Adjective	Scabarite

Beliefs

Overview

A tablet depicting the Desert Pantheon, with Scabaras on the far right

The central idea of Scabarite belief is to gain a permanent mental state of tranquillity known as enlightenment. This is accomplished by isolating oneself from the outside world and avoiding contact with any other living creature as much as possible.

Modern followings

As a reward for centuries of loyalty, the Scabarite's human forms have faded, and they now appear as humanoid scarabs. Some believe this appearance is moulded after Scabaras himself.

Ideally, a Scabarite should lead their entire lives without contacting any others, as this pollutes the mind and draws them further from the path of enlightenment. Whilst isolated, Scabarites eat very little and spend most of the day meditating. As a result of this lifestyle, the Scabarites have remained almost completely undetected for centuries.

Most Scabarites live alone within the Kharidian Desert, hidden in caves and tunnels beneath the ground. A very rare exception to this rule is in the Scabarite Tunnels in the South-eastern desert, where hundreds of cultists have recently taken up residence in the old tunnels of Ullek. Here, the High Priest of Scabaras has taken up residence.

Exactly how large groups of worshippers avoid mental pollution is unclear. A number of issues occur as a result of living in a group. Those that serve as warriors experience pollution by working together, and by continuously coming in contact with enemies. Breeding, also, is considered a pollution, and as a result doing either of these things is considered a great sacrifice necessary for the survival of the cult.

Other scabarites, exposed to prolonged corruption by Amascut, have had their minds warped to insanity. These followers, while not corrupted creatures or devourer akhs, are hostile to humans. According to Scabaras himself, they are too far gone and the only way to grant them peace is killing them and ending their suffering.

A Scabarite ranger.

Early followings

According to Senliten, during the Second Age, followers of Scabaras were generally associated with Scholars, Philosophers and other intellectuals. She states that there is now much dissent between the different sects of the pantheon, where there once was cooperation, suggesting that following of Scabaras was once more accepted.

She also states that "By the example of the dung beetle we learn that the unpalatable may be transformed into life through proper attitudes." This is an example which is followed by all who attempt to make the barren desert their home.

History

Origins

Three different stories tell of the origins of Scabaras. All take place in Tumeken's Dream, a religious tale that details the origins of the Desert Pantheon.

First version

The first, less common tale says that on the fourth day of Tumeken's Dream, Tumeken travelled to the southern reaches of the desert. However, as his dream took place in the Second Age, there was virtually no civilisation here. Feeling lonely and isolated, Tumeken found a cave to rest in. Inside the cave he observed a lone beetle, which dug through the cave wall three times. Each time it would appear, it would dig back into the wall, fleeing from Tumeken.

On the third time, however, Tumeken caught the beetle. He transformed the beetle into Scabaras, a son whom he hoped would remind his people of the dangers of isolation.

The following is an excerpt of a book describing Tumeken's dream, obtained from the Grand Library of Menaphos and translated by Reldo of Varrock:

“	Day, the Fourth - Scabaras On the fourth day of his dream, Tumeken chose to travel to the south of the desert. Not much was to be found in that region, but it was the last place unexplored by him, and so he set out. The heat was particularly fierce that day, but regardless, Tumeken pressed on through endless dunes. Hours passed without event. Not a single soul crossed the god's path; not one lone settlement. Yet the sun still bore down on the god, sweltering and desiccating him. Tumeken reached for his skin, for Elid's life-blood, but found it empty - he had drained it on his previous travels, forgetting to refill it each day. Knowing his predicament, he knew he had to seek shelter from the heat and wait out the day, lest he himself succumb to the desert. As he was nearing his limits, his grateful eyes fell upon a lone tunnel entrance, which delved deep below the desert, providing him a cool place in which to recuperate. Many more hours passed within this cave, providing the god with ample time in which to reflect forlornly. During this time, he saw a small beetle burrow his way into the chamber, but noticing Tumeken, the creature burrowed away. An hour later, the beetle emerged out of another tunnel, but seeing the god still there, disappeared once again. Yet another hour passed and the beetle returned, but Tumeken was ready this time, snatching up the cautious little thing and said: "You are, indeed, the most unusual being, digging your tunnels in isolation, avoiding contact even with me, your god. I shall give unto you a piece of myself, so that you may help me rule this desert realm, an example to my people of what can become of them, should they stray too far into solitude." And so, the lesser god Scabaras was forcibly born, the last of the lesser gods. And Tumeken longed again to see his wife and children, and was impassioned by Scabaras to end his dream. For, despite their flaws, they were no more flawed than he. Night had now fallen, so, after emerging from the cave, Tumeken returned to his camp at the centre of the desert, not to rest for another day's journey, but to awaken from his dream.	”
— Book of Light and Day

Second version

The second, more commonly told tale says that on the fourth day of Tumeken's dream, Tumeken had a nightmare. From this nightmare was accidentally born Scabaras, a result of Tumeken's increasing isolation.

Third version

The third version of the tale, to which the Scabarites adhere, states that the first three days of Tumeken's dream ultimately proved unsatisfying, and that Tumeken sought to create a more perfect god. On the fourth day, Tumeken created Scabaras, whom he ultimately found the most satisfying and ideal.

Some hold to the idea that Scabaras was Tumeken's favourite son. There is some support for this theory, as Tumeken is known to have described Scabaras as his wisdom incarnate and appointed him to guide the Menaphites.

Later activities

Little is known about the early years of Scabaras, though, given his intrinsic nature, it is presumed that he spent most of his time in isolation. At some point before the Kharidian–Zarosian War, Scabaras created the golden scarab, a sacred artefact designed to guide seekers to him in times of need. He personally bestowed it upon the ancestors of Pharaoh Queen Senliten.

Shortly before the war’s end in the Second Age, Scabaras was summoned by Tumeken to discuss the Mahjarrat threat advancing under Zaros towards Uzer. Scabaras suggested rallying the pantheon to counter the invaders, but Tumeken resolved to sacrifice himself to protect their people. Though Scabaras questioned the necessity of this act and its consequences, Tumeken remained resolute, entrusting the future of the Empire to Amascut, Icthlarin, and Scabaras himself. The weight of Tumeken’s sacrifice and its aftermath haunted Scabaras for millennia, as he wondered if he could have prevented it.

Years later, Scabaras confronted Amascut, who had been consumed by grief and anger over the loss of her parents and the fall of their Empire. She confessed her descent into devouring souls rather than guiding them to rebirth, rejecting Scabaras' attempts to reason with her. This marked a pivotal moment in her transformation into The Devourer, leaving Scabaras filled with regret and questioning his role in her fate.

As Amascut's condition worsened over time, she sought to hunt down Scabaras and his siblings, trying to reach him through his followers. One documented case during the God Wars recounts a group of Scabarites who took refuge beneath Ullek. Struggling with dwindling resources and growing despair, their leader began experiencing visions of The Devourer, whose counsel he mistook for the will of Scabaras. Under her influence, the group embraced violent isolationism, launching raids on surface settlements and setting traps to guard their sanctum. Convinced that true solitude could only be achieved through the eradication of all other life, they ultimately resolved to eventually launch a full assault upon Sophanem.

Seeing the threat Amascut posed, Scabaras led his followers to the Temple of Isolation, a sanctuary deep beneath the River Elid, to escape the Devourer’s corruption. To protect them, he tunneled beneath the river and tapped into the magic of the artefact that had aided Elidinis' ascension, gathering moonstone to forge wards that shielded them from the Devourer’s corruption.

However, removing the moonstone had consequences. His followers were eventually banished from Kharidian lands in the early Fourth Age. The most common account, told by the Sophanem High Priest, Neite and the Sphinx, claims the Sect of Scabaras attempted to tunnel beneath the river for unknown reasons, angering Elidinis, who saw it as a threat. In retaliation, she buried them beneath the land.

In reality, Scabaras had acted only to shield his people, but Amascut spread falsehoods that turned Elidinis' followers against him, making them believe he sought to overthrow the pantheon. To eradicate the Scabarites, the members of the Order of the Blood Moon forged the keris, a dagger designed specifically to strike them down. Rumours spread that Scabaras had betrayed the gods, though he had only tried to protect his own.

Another legend, told by a natural historian at the Varrock Museum, claims Scabaras declared himself omnipotent and banned the worship of other gods, leading to a revolt against his rule. In this version, he was banished, and his blood transformed his scarabs into Kalphites. However, the historian doubts this account, as it contradicts Scabaras' belief in isolation.

Over the centuries, the moonstone wards of the Temple of Isolation began to fade. While they allowed Scabaras to remain in meditation and isolation, his followers eventually succumbed to Amascut's dark whispers. Some of these became profane, while others, such as the scabarites of Ullek, continued to worship him and maintained his teachings, albeit with a slightly warped interpretation of them. According to Scabaras himself, those who became profane are too far gone and believes the only way to give them mercy is by killing them.

Recent events

Scabaras remained in complete isolation and meditation for centuries. To safeguard the blessing Tumeken had given him from falling into the Devourer's grasp, he discarded it and concealed it in an unknown location.

The theft of the Kharid-Ib

During year 169 of the Fifth Age, Scabaras, in an attempt to prevent Amascut from obtaining the Kharid-Ib, created a series of quicksand events which swallowed up one of the sundials that would lead it to Amascut. Ozan and an adventurer who were attempting to deliver the Kharid-Ib to Amascut as a ransom payment were swelled by this quicksand, and the diamond was stolen by one of Scabaras' kalphite followers, and taken deep into the dung kalphite tunnels to prevent the adventurer and Ozan from re-obtaining it.

Scabaras' plans to protect the diamond were foiled, however, as the adventurer and Ozan, believing that these events were mere coincidence, managed to get a hold of the diamond once again, and eventually handed it to Amascut in return for the freedom of Prince Ali Mirza. After obtaining the diamond, Amascut and Jabari spoke of Scabaras' earlier interference, and Amascut promised to deal with him later.

The Attack on Sophanem

The High Priest of Scabaras

After being corrupted by the Devourer and preparing for the invasion of Sophanem, the High Priest of Scabaras commanded the attack. Eeking a way into Sophanem, the Scabarites discovered tunnels that could be used to access the Sophanem Dungeon, an ancient cave system linking Menaphos and Sophanem. After rigging the caverns with traps, the Scabarites launched an offensive on Sophanem, first destroying the city's underground bank. They then retreated, cautiously waiting to see what the Menaphites' response would be.

During one of their patrols, the Scabarites encountered Kaleef, a spy from Al Kharid attempting to contact fellow spy Maisa in Menaphos; after killing Kaleef, the Scabarites placed a giant scarab at the fissure’s entrance to prevent more outsiders from discovering their presence. Sometime later, an adventurer from the surface encountered and slew the giant scarab while searching for a way to infiltrate Menaphos, an act which alarmed the Scabarites as they prepared to launch a full assault upon Sophanem.

The same adventurer eventually found the Scabarites' worship grounds east of the city. They managed to make contact with the Scabaras High Priest, whom they discovered was under the influence of The Devourer, responsible for the plagues of Sophanem. The adventurer eventually managed to free the priest from Amascut's grip. The priest immediately called off the attack and agreed to make peace with Sophanem.

Stopping Amascut

The same adventurer eventually saved Scabaras' siblings, Apmeken, Het and Crondis, whom Amascut had incapacitated in some form. The three siblings vowed to find Scabaras so as to reunite the bau of Tumeken, because he would be instrumental in defeating the fallen god.

During the Sixth Age, Amascut declared that she and her proxies were searching for Scabaras' location. The Devourer proclaimed that once she had found and debased him, she would unleash her wrath and the full power of her father upon the people of Gielinor.

Amascut attacks Scabaras.

The adventurer set out to find Scabaras and prevent Amascut from exploiting his power. After uncovering clues in Menaphos and consulting the spirit of Pharaoh Queen Senliten, they used the golden scarab to locate Scabaras' hidden Temple of Isolation, accompanied by Leela and Coenus. Inside, they found Scabaras deep in meditation, reflecting on his past. The adventurer managed to communicate with Scabaras by luring various scarabs outside the temple, though he initially thought them to be a wandering memory and forced words on them. After luring the scarab named "Melancholy" to him, Scabaras realised that someone had visited him and apologised for his actions. Aware of their intentions, Scabaras told them that Amascut would not find him as long as the wards remained firm. The adventurer then asked him about the attack on Menaphos.

Scabaras revealed that it was not him who ordered the attack, but instead Osman, who orchestrated the Scabarite attack on Menaphos to force his advisors to support his decision to search for Scabaras, sending Coenus with secret orders to assassinate him before Amascut could use him in her plans.

Before Coenus could complete his orders, however, Amascut arrived at the scene and killed him so that he wouldn't interfere. The adventurer then aided the scarab god in resisting her influence by containing a manifestation of his grief, allowing Scabaras to wake up and face Amascut. The Devourer quickly attacked Scabaras in an attempt to seize the light fragment Tumeken used to create him, but to her shock found that Scabaras had removed it from himself and hidden it away before sealing her in barrier. She then issued an ultimatum, allowing her enemies until the next new moon to deliver the final fragment of Tumeken's light, or else she would consume every soul in Menaphos in retribution.

Using the last of the wards' power, Scabaras teleported himself, the adventurer and Leela away to the ruins of the Temple of Amascut. Aware of the incoming battle ahead, Leela asked him to return to Menaphos to impart his wisdom. Scabaras refused, stating that Osman lacked the wisdom to see how his actions threatened his people and told her that to stop Amascut, both mortals and gods had to stand together, telling her that she knew what had to be done. Scabaras then rewarded the adventurer for their efforts and gave them a primed keris, which he had strengthened with a part of himself. He told them that if they killed enough of his former followers who had flocked to the temple after the wards depleted, it would be transformed into a powerful weapon against Amascut's followers.

Dialogue

Transcripts Scabaras speaks in:

• Beneath Scabaras' Sands

Mentioned

Transcripts Scabaras is mentioned in:

• Death and Devourers
• Ode of the Devourer
• Priest's Notes
• Scabaras research
• Tumeken's Dream

Gallery

• 

  Statue depicting Scabaras found in the Uzer Mastaba

• 

  Statue of Scabaras found in the Scabaras Dungeon

• 

  A statue of Scabaras in Scabaras tomb

• 

  Possible portrayal of Scabaras or his symbol that could formerly be found on walls in Sophanem

• 

  Concept art for Scabaras.

Update history

This information has been compiled as part of the update history project. Some updates may not be included – see here for how to help out!

• update 13 January 2025 (Update):
  • Added to game.

Trivia

• The word Scabrous, which is derived from the Latin word Scabere. In Latin, Scabere means "to scratch". Scabrous means "rough to the touch" and "covered with raised, roughened, or unwholesome patches".
• Since he is god of solitude and was exiled, he is thought to be based on the Egyptian god Seth. Still due to his scarab traits, he is also believed to be based on the Egyptian god Khepri. Scabaras could be loosely based on Serket, the Egyptian goddess of scorpions.
• Scabaras uses the royal we to refer to himself.