What Lies Below Quest Guide
OSRS What Lies Below walkthrough, requirements and rewards
Updated September 2026
What Lies Below is an Intermediate short quest that rewards 8,000 Runecraft experience and 2,000 Defence experience. It requires 35 Runecraft (not boostable).
On this page
6 sections
Overview
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Length | Short |
| Quest points | 1 |
| Series | None |
| Start point | Talk to Rat Burgiss south of Varrock. |
Requirements
Skill Requirements
| Skill | Level |
|---|---|
| Runecraft | 35 (not boostable) |
Quest Requirements
Items Needed
- Empty bowl
- 15 chaos runes
- Access to the Chaos Altar (Chaos talisman or tiara, Catalytic talisman or tiara, or travelling through the Abyss or Temple of the Eye)
Recommended
- 30 Combat
- 42 Mining
- Weapon, armour, and some food if low leveled
- Bronze pickaxe to avoid going into the Wilderness (a bronze pickaxe can be obtained during the quest)
- Fast travel to several locations around Varrock;
- Varrock square (Varrock teleport)
- Outlaw camp (ring of wealth to the Grand Exchange, skills necklace to the Cooks' Guild or Varrock teleport if medium Varrock Diary completed)
- South of Varrock (Chronicle, Combat bracelet to the Champions' Guild, or Senntisten teleport)
- The canoe system (requires axe and level 27 woodcutting for the Dugout canoe)
Walkthrough
Video walkthrough by Slayermusiq1.
- Kill 5 Outlaws just west of. Kill 5 Outlaws just west of the Grand Exchange (from Grand Exchange, use the tunnel and walk south) and collect 5 rat's paper. Fill the folder with 5 papers. Return the folder to Rat Burgiss.
- Talk to Surok Magis in the. Talk to Surok Magis in the Varrock library (the northern-most room in Varrock Palace). Read Sin'keth's diary. Enter the Chaos Altar and use the wand on the altar with 15 chaos runes in your inventory.
- To avoid entering the wilderness, see. To avoid entering the wilderness, see an alternative entrance in the full guide. Return to Surok Magis with the infused wand and an empty bowl. Talk to Rat Burgiss.
- Talk to Zaff. Talk to Zaff. Talk to Surok Magis. Bring King Roald to low health (2 hitpoints or less) then operate the Beacon ring. Your chatbox will show "Now would be a good time to summon Zaff!" when the ring is ready to be operated. (Instanced)
- Take the Dagon'hai history from the. Take the Dagon'hai history from the north-east bookshelf to bring to Historian Minas for 5 Kudos after the quest. Talk to Rat Burgiss. Congratulations, quest complete!
Rewards
- 8,000 Runecraft experience
- 2,000 Defence experience
- The Beacon ring
- Access to a shortcut to the Chaos Altar
- Completing this quest awards the player with 5 Kudos which can be claimed by talking to Historian Minas in the Varrock Museum, while holding the Dagon'hai history book.
- 5 Battlestaves in stock of Zaff's Superior Staffs! store (after defeating King Roald - the quest doesn't need to be completed)
- King Roald accessible in the Nightmare Zone.
Related Quests
Related Tools
What Lies Below FAQ
01What are the requirements for What Lies Below?
35 Runecraft (not boostable). Completion of Rune Mysteries.
02What items do I need for What Lies Below?
Empty bowl, 15 chaos runes, Access to the Chaos Altar (Chaos talisman or tiara, Catalytic talisman or tiara, or travelling through the Abyss or Temple of the Eye).
03What are the rewards for What Lies Below?
8,000 Runecraft experience; 2,000 Defence experience; The Beacon ring; Access to a shortcut to the Chaos Altar; Completing this quest awards the player with 5 Kudos which can be claimed by talking to Historian Minas in the Varrock Museum, while holding the Dagon'hai history book.; 5 Battlestaves in stock of Zaff's Superior Staffs! store (after defeating King Roald - the quest doesn't need to be completed); King Roald accessible in the Nightmare Zone.
04How long does What Lies Below take?
What Lies Below is rated Intermediate difficulty and short in length.
05How do I beat King Roald in What Lies Below?
King Roald is level 47 and a straightforward fight for a mid-level player; after defeating him, Zaff's store stocks 5 battlestaves even if you do not finish the quest.
06What does What Lies Below unlock?
It gives the Beacon ring, a shortcut to the Chaos Altar and 5 Kudos, and is required for Defender of Varrock.
07Is What Lies Below hard?
It is a short Intermediate quest; the only skill requirement is 35 Runecraft (not boostable), and you need chaos runes and access to the Chaos Altar.
Next Quest
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Darren started playing the original RuneScape 2 back in the day and came back when Old School RuneScape launched. He's played on and off over the years and built OSRSToolkit to give players a single place to find reliable tools, calculators, and guides — all informed by real in-game experience.