Desperate Measures RuneScape Quest Guide

The Desperate Measures Runescape quest is part of the Elder Gods series, and can be a lengthy one to complete. Initially revealed back at RuneFest last year, it serves as the sequel to the Desperate Times quest, and is the first quest that requires you to use the Archaeology skill. It is classed as an intermediate quest, and you will receive an achievement for such upon completion.

In this guide, we will outline the following:

• Quest Requirements
• Step-by-Step Guide
• Quest Rewards for completing Desperate Measures in RuneScape

Before we start the guide itself, let’s check out what requirements you will need before starting Desperate Measures in RS3.

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Desperate Measures RuneScape Quest Requirements

As far as item requirements go, you will need 100 orthenglass, as well as The Measure which you will receive during the quest. It is recommended that you have something that will give you access to an archaeologist’s workbench quickly, such as an archaeology journal. Quick access to The Heart will also be useful, so take The Heart teleport or desert amulet 2.

Meanwhile, skill requirements for Desperate Measures should see you with at least a combat level of 75 in RuneScape, though this isn’t a necessity.

Desperate Measures RuneScape Step-by-Step Quest Guide

So to get the quest underway, you need to go north of the Burthorpe Lodestone to Seren’s Council. Head up to the first floor of the castle and speak to Seren, who will order you to head to the Anachronia base camp to talk to Mr. Mordaut. Do so, and he will inform you where to find Charos and Thok, who are just to the north.

Dragonkin Artefacts

With that in mind, head to the north and go to the dragonkin gate down the two sets of stairs. Speak to Thok and you will have to play through the saga of killing dinosaurs before going down the path towards the camp. Afterwards, talk with Laniakea on your way into the camp, then speak to Charos. Just to the south of Charos, excavate at that particular spot and you will get a damaged Dragonkin device. You need to repair this at an archaeologist’s workbench, which you will need 50 orthenglass to get the Dragonkin device. Once you have it, take it to Charos and show it to him.

This will trigger another spot showing up to the north, so excavate here to receive the Dragonkin tablet (damaged). Use 50 orthenglass at the archaeologist’s workbench again to get the Dragonkin tablet, then go to Charos again to show it to him.

Hannibus Shared Memory

Your next stop is Hannibus’ ranch near Prehistoric Potterington to show off your newly found devices. Hannibus will be able to translate the tablet, and you will be told to meet him over to the northeast. Othe nce you have found him, he will tell you that the ruins are inhabited by the Nodon, who believe that they could sleep through the curse as opposed to the more pressing efforts made by the Dactyl. Hannibus explains that the Nodon are in a shared dream, one which you can be transported into.

In side the dream, you will see two Nodon caretakers appearing. Talk to Hannibus, who will tell you to follow the first Dragonkin who will go to a northern door in the ruins after leaving the room, and uses the phrase “Hepencaraun” to get into the lower chamber. Go back to Hannibus and enter the dream again, and this time watch the other Dragonkin input a code on the pylon to the southeast. Go over and inspect the pylon once the Dragonkin is gone to get the symbol you need. Once outside of the dream again, go through the symbols until your character recognizes one as the correct symbol, then talk to Hannibus again. This will allow you to gain access to the lower chamber, now that we know the phrase.

The Kindra Council Memory

After you get inside, enter the next dream by talking to Hannibus. This is the Kindra Council Memory, which can be started by running up the eastern path and speaking to Hannibus. The council’s meeting will start, and the four factions of Dactyl, Syrtes, Nodon and Aughra will speak before disappearing. Two Nodon will stay however, and will notice that you and Hannibus are here in the dream. They will be informed that Kerapac is planning on destroying Gielinor, and you will be shared a vision of how Kerapac’s experiments have angered the Elder Gods, which led to the binding of the Dragonkin to the Stone of Jas.

Afterwards, you and Hannibus will be back in the real world where you will be greeted by Thok and Charos. Soon after Kerapac will appear knowing what your plans are. Whilst Hannibus attempts to reason with him, Charos and Thok will go on the attack. You can attack Kerapac, though no damage will be dealt. He will explain that you will not be able to attack him effectively due to the power of the Needle, and decides to spare you before urging to make the most of your final moments.

Hannibus will suggest that you evacuate via the World Gate, though Charos makes the point that you wouldn’t be able to get out in enough time. Head to Burthorpe and let Seren know Kerapac’s plans. Seren will suggest that you talk to Primrose, the former guardian of the Needle.

Primrose can be found in her house west of the Piscatoris Fishing Colony. Here you will be told that it seems that the Needle has become self-aware and is actually controlling the guardians. Exhaust all of the conversation options then go back and speak to Seren, who then suggests going to speak to the creator known as Jas. You will be told to meet her outside of the Heart and to request an audience with her, after which she will accept your request.

Go through the chat options with Jas and she will tell you that whilst she is aware of Kerapac’s plans, she cannot intervene due to his toxic barrier. She will however give you the Eye of Jas, which can be used to stop Kerapac.

Dinosaurs and Base Camp Defence

Go back to Anachronia and talk to Charos near the lodestone. Kerapac has apparently flown into a volcano, and now has the ability to control the dinosaurs that are on the island. Naturally, he has decided to send some your way at the camp, where all but the archaeologists have escaped.

Talk to Thok with your hands empty to get his stick, after which you will need to defend the camp from five waves of attack. You can use your allies’ individual skills to target certain dinosaurs. You can use Thok for heavy attacks, or Hannibus can use mind control. Charos meanwhile is able to use the power of fire, whilst Laniakea who has joined you has a combination of spears and poison vials.

Breaking into Kerapac’s Laboratory

Speak to Charos before doing so again when you are near where you started off on your quest. You will be told to check out the power coming from the radio. He will then give you The Measure to help you, and you will have to locate him four times in the Ruins with the Measure in order to progress.

The first location can be found through the archway to the north of Charos. Next, go to the beginning of the agility course and follow it round until you find yourself going through a cave, after which Charos is in the clearing to the north. The next location is to the west of the lodestone, before going north-west to the Dragonkin ruins. Finally, the last location is just to the east up the stairs from where you just were.

Lab Security

Head back to the location where you first saw Thok and Charos, and you will notice that there is now an entrance. Due to the power of shadow anima, only one of you will be able to pass through, otherwise it would mean certain death. You will be informed that the blessing of Guthix has made you an ideal candidate to go through without being ripped apart.

Inside, the security is being powered by four pylons. Each pylon is unlocked by using symbols that represent the name of an Elder God, which you can work out by how many symbols are there and how many characters there are in the name that you are looking for. By finding out the name of each room, you can then apply them to the relevant pylon. With that in mind you should now be able to solve the pylon puzzle and deactivate them accordingly.

Defeating the Black Stone Dragon

You will be greeted by a cutscene once you have deactivated the four pylons. You can enter the part of the lab to the north where a level 91 Black Stone Dragon acts as the security. This is a similar fight to that of the one in Dragonkin Laboratory, though it will be much easier. You are still going to need some food and decent combat equipment, but you don’t have to worry about it being as strong as it was in that other fight. It won’t be summoning black hands either, which is another load off. You won’t need to use dragonfire protection, though you will notice that the dragon itself lashes out with a spiral of flame.

Once the dragon is down, Kerapac will show himself and be angry with you as to be expected, with him stating his intentions of saving all worlds whilst sacrificing just one. Use the Eye of Jas to give Jas the chance to chime in, which claims the control of the Needle and Kerapac. This leads for Kerapac to beg for death, though Jas rejects the request. Kerapac will then suggest you leave before the lab collapses around you.

Escaping and Completing the Desperate Measures RuneScape Quest

You will now have two minutes to escape. Go to the east where there are three large rocks that will trap you. However, now that the dragon is dead, your allies are allowed in. You will be aided by Charos and Thok, who will help you to escape the lab by smashing the rocks that block your path. Hannibus meanwhile will take you down a side path. It will be a slow experience as rocks continue to fall. Outside of the lab you will see a cutscene, where the Elder Goddess Ful comes out of the volcano to destroy it, along with the lab.

Talk to one of the allies and then speak to Charos, who will instruct you to tell Seren of Kerapac’s fate. You can choose whether or not to tell her that you were imbued by Guthix with the shadow anima. Either option that you choose, you have now completed the quest!

Rewards for Completing the Desperate Measures RuneScape Quest

For completing the Desperate Measures quest in RuneScape, you will receive three quest points, as well as 20,000 Archaeology XP and 20,000 Combat XP Lamps. You will also receive Cosmic Focus, which stops sprite focus dropping below 10% when excavating. Cosmetic wise, you are rewarded with Thok’s Stick cosmetic override. The quest being completed also grants you the ability to finish the Desperate for Artefacts Archaeology collection. Finally, you will get two Treasure Hunter keys, as well as two Hearts of Ice.

If you’re interested in what music tracks you will unlock, then you will receive the following: An Echo throughout Time, Caged Guardian, Dragonkind, Kerapac’s Lair, Kneel to Your God, On the Run, Thok’s Big Adventure, and Unravelling the Past. If you haven’t unlocked them already, then you will also unlock Epilogue and Kerapac’s Curse.

Desperate Measures isn’t a quest that is required for any of the other quests in the RuneScape, or any miniquests. Whilst it isn’t a requirement, it is certainly a quest that is worth your time exploring. It may be time-consuming, and beginner players may find it difficult, but it is equipped with a great narrative and a number of useful rewards for you to enjoy once you have finally unfolded Kerapac’s dastardly plot.  

Congratulations on completing the Desperate Measures Runescape quest!