The World Wakes

First topic message reminder :

This month, we're going to finally see the place where Guthix is said to rest. This Grandmaster doesn't look too hard, from what I see, I've got all the requirements sorted out.

In fact, this looks the first Grandmaster that just simply needs combat, all other requirements are optional if you want to get additional rewards.

How does everyone else think this will go? Will it be canonical or a standalone feature?

It would appear Sliske did take more than Guthix's life in the World Wakes. He has an emissary.

Who might that be?

Some chick in Draynor.

Aside from Guthix and the Elder Gods, Zaros is the most powerful god to set foot on Gielinor. Over time he gained several powers that were not available to other gods, and one was to abandon his body on a whim. To avoid death he is incorporeal now, which makes him weaker, but he is still alive. Even now, he is likely to be searching for a host body to return to RuneScape.
— Mod Osborne, in the The World Wakes FAQ

Presumably this is why Sliske had killed Guthix, so that in absorbing Guthix's power, he would be a suitable vessel for Zaros. That or he knew Guthix would bestow the player with the power to protect Gielinor, meaning only they will be able to contain Zaros, making them a better vessel.

I wonder if Bandos was not a living thing, but a machine. He might have been a small living creature once but became a giant war machine as time went on.

When Bandos invaded Yu'biusk, he was mechanical, unlike anything the previously peaceful residents had seen before as they were used to only organic constructs, making it easier to subjugate them. This also explains why Gielinor creatures didn't follow him as they wouldn't trust a machine.

When you consider the aspects of Bandosian religion, you can see many traits on an unfeeling, callous machine. Machines do not feel fear, so do not respect cowards (cowards must die); machines have no concept of mercy, so demand their followers do not extend this either (merciful must die); machines can calculate to a degree of accuracy that eliminates doubt, anyone who questions or feels uncertain is irrational and a weak link (doubters must die); the war machine makes superior battle tactics, no other thought is required and other tacticians are surplus to that requirement (thinkers must die).

This therefore tries to make an army suitable for Bandos' design, one that emulates little of living traits - sadly one that Bandos forgets is not as easily expendable as machines. However, Bandos also has used Spiritual Warriors and Stone Warriors - Gielinor's equivalent to automatons in the past. It might also explain why the Bandos avatar appears inorganic and mechanical.

If Bandos was a machine, it would make for one heck of a good quest to fight him, as the player would need to scale a giant war machine to shut it down.

That would be really cool, it sort of clashes with the stupidity of Bandos' followers, but it makes a lot of sense

Sliske doesn't have the stone.