TzKal-Zuk

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Description: Killing TzKal-Zuk
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Normal ModeHard Mode
TzKal-Zuk
Release25 October 2021 (Update)
MembersYes
OptionsAttack, Examine
RaceHuman
ExamineThe first champion of the Fight Kiln.
Combat info
Combat level14,000
Life points600,000
AggressiveYes
PoisonousNo
Combat experience
XP15,000
XP4,950
XP1,350 (two-handed)
675 (one-handed and armour)
Offensive
Max hit
1,8371,8371,837015,000
StyleRate
3 ticks (1.8s)
Combat levels
1401401401
Accuracy
6,9886,9883,1000
Defensive
ArmourWeaknessSusceptible
1,92480
Base hit chance
-555565
Immunities
ImmuneNot immuneImmune? (edit)
Advanced data
NPC ID28527
Linksbestiary • MRND
[view][talk]

SeatedDefeatedExtinction
TzKal-Zuk
Release25 October 2021 (Update)
Also calledZuk
Combat level14,000
RaceHuman
MembersYes
QuestNo
LocationTzekHaar Front
GenderMale
OptionsTalk to, Challenge, Examine
ExamineThe first champion of the Fight Kiln.
Advanced data
NPC ID28525
LinksMRND28525
[view][talk]

TzKal-Zuk (meaning Zuk, Champion of the Fire) is a demigod warlord who leads the TzekHaar Front in the Elder God Wars Dungeon and is currently the strongest monster in RuneScape, tied with Zamorak, Lord of Chaos.

Before facing TzKal-Zuk, players must fight through 17 waves of TzekHaar to prove their worth to him. He is the final enemy in the encounter, with a checkpoint before directly fighting him. Unlike his spiritual predecessors and the Old School RuneScape version, however, dying against him or the build-up waves are considered unsafe. All drops, from both him and his minions, are sent to the challenger's chest.

Drops from the boss include the Scripture of Ful, Magma Tempest ability codex. Completing a fight without using any checkpoints (that is, the player must complete the entire encounter in one sitting without dying or teleporting) grants an igneous stone which is used to upgrade a TokHaar-Kal cape to an Igneous version. Completing hard mode "flawlessly" grants the ability to combine all four Igneous Kal capes and create the Igneous Kal-Zuk, a hybrid cape with the stats and passive effects of the component capes.

In hard mode, parts of his sword are dropped, which can be fused to create a tier 95 two-handed melee weapon. In order to access the boss's hard mode fight, the player must have obtained the Make Way, I'm Coming Through achievement.

In both modes, there are checkpoints which the player can revert back to should they die or leave the fight for any reason. In normal mode, the checkpoints are available after every challenge wave (5, 10 and 15), while in both modes, a checkpoint is also provided after the penultimate wave. If the checkpoint is not reached, then players will have to restart the wave(s) again.

Obtaining all unique drops from TzKal-Zuk completes the Are You Not Entertained? achievement which awards the title, TzKal-[Name].

Deity info[edit | edit source]

Tzkal-Zuk
SymbolUnknown
Alignment? (edit)
Ascended byElder Kiln
Tier6 [1]
Avatars and
aspects
N/A
Animal aspectN/A
ColoursBlack and Red
AdjectiveN/A

History[edit | edit source]

Zuk was originally a human who led a tribe of people near the end of the Second Age.[2][3] He was the strongest in his tribe and considered Gielinor to be a free world until the Zarosian Empire invaded his lands, throwing him into Senntisten's colosseums as a gladiator. He defeated all of his opponents: humans, vampyres, dragons and demons. The tribune Torva soon took note of his talents and challenged him to a duel, in which Zuk defeated the famed warrior. With newfound respect for him, Torva used his connections to grant Zuk freedom.

Despite being a free man, Zuk could not ignore the thrill of battle and wanted to find a greater challenge. Learning of the Elder Kiln and its TokHaar inhabitants, he made his way there; he fought the TokHaar for days on end. Just as he was about to collapse from exhaustion, the TokHaar-Hur came, with the collective TokHaar agreeing that he had been the first outsider to beat them all. The TokHaar-Hur brought him into the Kiln, where he recovered and subjected himself to more training. Spending centuries in the Kiln, he remade himself, ascending into a demigod in the process. As a likely result of his indomitable will, he did not share the TokHaar hive mentality that was typical of everything remade with the Kiln's sacred lava.

When the God Wars broke out, the TokHaar had no interest in participating. Zuk did not care and took lava creatures from the tunnels surrounding the Kiln into battle for glory. They emerged in Feldip Hills, where they began cleaving all on his path. Saradomin and Armadyl were quick to notice his arrival; the two gods, worried that Zamorak would propose an alliance with Zuk, amassed their forces in southern Kandarin, cutting Bandos off from his people while sending another force to keep Zamorak occupied. Bandos was allowed safe passage to his lands if he would deal with the troublesome demigod, which he eagerly agreed to.

Bandos immediately confronted him and his armies with his own as promised and the two clashed for days, both of them evenly matched in pure strength. However, Bandos was wittier and was eventually able to push the demigod to a ravine, where he had placed geomancers beforehand who summoned a large quantity of rock onto Zuk, grievously wounding him. Zuk laughed and claimed that he would return stronger; in turn, Bandos dragged Zuk's mangled body back to the Kiln, where he placed ensorcelled chains that destroyed the limbs the Kiln tried to regenerate and mocked him, preventing Zuk from returning. Zuk acknowledged this as his first defeat, although he considered Bandos' actions to be cowardly.[4]

Zuk remained in the Kiln afterwards, seemingly unaware or uncaring of what happened above on the Kiln. When Ful sought to reclaim her egg, she broke Zuk free from Bandos' binds. Seeing the failures of the TokHaar during the Battle of the Monolith, she remade them into the TzekHaar, giving control of them to Zuk. Similarly to Kerapac, Zuk did not particularly care about his master's orders out of his own will[5], but nonetheless went to Senntisten to see the alliance that had been fighting against the Elders' forces, as he knew it was a once in a lifetime event that could not be passed up on.[6] General Graardor went into the sewers to face Zuk; while he was able to fight him, Zuk ultimately defeated the ourg and drove him out of his arena.

The World Guardian soon arrived to investigate, where Zuk met them. He was surprised to see them as a seemingly frail human[7] and told them that he came of his own accord, as he wanted to fight the gods with the strength he had gained; like the TokHaar, he expressed a distaste for the lesser gods, calling them beings that stole power rather than earning it themselves.[8] While Zuk was content with waiting for as long as possible for the gods to empower themselves, he told the World Guardian to fight before he became bored and made his move. The World Guardian challenged him, in which he sent numerous TzekHaar to test their worth; after killing TzekHaar-Aken, Zuk personally fought them. Despite his accumulated powers, he was ultimately defeated and appeared to be delighted to have found a worthy opponent to face.[9]

The following takes place during Extinction.

Zuk eventually emerged from the TzekHaar Front, most likely having grown bored. As he was a demigod, the gods realised the threat he posed and they would be unable to siphon the eggs with him around, so Saradomin attempted to destroy the eggs. Seren refused to let them be destroyed and teleported herself and the eggs away from the cathedral. This freed Saradomin and Armadyl from their primary duty, allowing them to fight Zuk without any distractions. As the gods had grown significantly stronger from the eggs, Zuk was no match for them and eventually retreated back to the Kiln.

Drops[edit | edit source]

Zuk gives two drops upon defeat - one from his own table, and another from the elite TzekHaar drop table.

Zuk's table[edit | edit source]

Normal mode[edit | edit source]

  1. ^ a b Drop rate increased by 2% after upgrading to enriched pontifex shadow ring.

Hard mode[edit | edit source]

  1. ^ a b Drop rate increased by 2% after upgrading to enriched pontifex shadow ring.

Both modes[edit | edit source]

Elite table[edit | edit source]

Secondary drops[edit | edit source]

  1. ^ Replaced by tradeable version after the player has upgraded their pontifex shadow ring with 1,000 anima.
  2. ^ Requires completion of City of Senntisten.
  3. ^ Only obtainable when the pontifex shadow ring's Elder Trove modifier is tier 3. Replaces the T1 Trove.
  4. ^ Only obtainable when the pontifex shadow ring's Elder Trove modifier is tier 4. Replaces the T2 Trove.
  5. ^ a b Only obtainable if Twilight of the Gods is completed.
  6. ^ Only dropped by Normal mode version.
  7. ^ Only dropped by Hard mode version.

Tertiary drops[edit | edit source]

  1. ^ The entire encounter has to be cleared without using a single checkpoint.
  2. ^ a b c Random part dropped first, then the next roll on this table guarantees one of the other two pieces. Drop rate increased to 1/27 in a no-checkpoint run. Hard mode only.
  3. ^ a b c Drop rate increased by 2% after upgrading to enriched pontifex shadow ring.
  4. ^ a b c Only dropped by Hard mode version.

Pet drop[edit | edit source]

Normal mode[edit | edit source]

  1. ^ Has a base drop rate of 1/500 in normal mode, with a threshold of 100.

Hard mode[edit | edit source]

  1. ^ Has a base drop rate of 1/300 in hard mode, with a threshold of 100.

Achievements[edit | edit source]

Dialogue[edit | edit source]

Transcripts TzKal-Zuk speaks in:

Gallery[edit | edit source]

Update history[edit | edit source]

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!
  • patch 15 April 2024 (Update):
    • Fixed an issue with the fire VFX during TzKal-Zuk's Igneous Rain phase.
  • update 18 March 2024 (Update):
    • Added particles to indicate safe area to stand in during Igneous Rain mechanic as a temporary fix.
  • hotfix 14 March 2024 (Update):
    • The fire during TzKal-Zuk's last phase is now visible again. This isn't a full fix, but a temporary one.
  • patch 18 September 2023 (Update):
    • Fixed a typo in the broadcast message you get when receiving a Magma Tempest Ability Codex from TzKal-Zuk.
  • hotfix 9 August 2023 (Update):
    • Zuk is no longer unkillable in hard mode.
  • patch 27 February 2023 (Update):
    • Fixed an issue where you were forced into melee range when attacking TzKal-Zuk from the west (caused by the vent).
    • Fixed an issue where TzekHaar-Jad's attack animations could not be seen if recently stunned.
    • Fixed an issue where your movement would appear stalled when hit by TzKal-Zuk's magic attack during the showdown.
    • Fixed an issue where the Resonance ability buff icon wasn't cleared when hit by a geyser.
    • Fixed an issue where TzKal-Zuk would not correctly phase when at his life points threshold during the showdown.
  • update 7 November 2022 (Update):
    • Herb drops replaced with their seeds instead.
  • patch 7 November 2022 (Update):
    • TzKal-Zuk's insta-kill attack will no longer kill players who teleport out of his arena at the last second.
  • patch 13 June 2022 (Update):
    • The drop rates for the Chaos die reroll tokens have been increased. Normal mode Tzkal-Zuk drop rate: 10/120. Hard mode TzKal-Zuk drop rate: 10/70
  • patch 28 March 2022 (Update):
    • Updated the messaging that appears on obsidian armour when inspected. It now states the correct degrade chance while in TzKal-Zuk's arena.
  • patch 14 March 2022 (Update):
    • Players can now redirect a portal focused at TzKal-Zuk to appear in front of him rather than by the chest.
  • patch 7 March 2022 (Update):
    • The scenery versions of TzKal-Zuk and the Arch-Glacor, outside their combat encounters, have had their Santa hat removed.
  • update 6 December 2021 (Update):
    • Various bosses are now wearing a santa hat for the Christmas season.
  • patch 8 November 2021 (Update):
    • Increased the drop rate of sword pieces by 66%.
    • Doubled the drop rate of codices and Ful scriptures.
  • patch 1 November 2021 (Update):
    • Having the ring upgraded with a faction no longer decreases the amount of anima gained from bosses.
    • Having the ring upgraded will now continue to drop anima at a 100% drop rate rather than the previous 1/6 chance.
    • TzKal-Zuk's seated rain fire attack will now reach players who are hugging the barrier.
    • An entry for TzKal-Zuk kills has been added to the adventurer's log.
    • Fixed an issue with blocking tiles during challenge waves in the encounter with Zuk.
  • hotfix 1 November 2021 (Update):
    • Damage stacked on TzKal-Zuk as he is defeated can no longer cause multiple kills.
    • Players can no longer bypass Zuk's Hard Mode requirement by toggling another boss's hard mode.

Trivia[edit | edit source]

  • In Old School RuneScape, TzKal-Zuk is the final boss of the Inferno minigame. Zuk in RuneScape was inspired by his original iteration in Old School RuneScape.
    • TzKal-Zuk in Old School RuneScape has a combat level of 1,400. In RuneScape, he has the highest combat level (without modifiers or special events) with a combat level of 14,000. This is the original Zuk's combat level tenfold.
    • TzKal-Zuk is the first monster since 2013 to raise the combat level cap of 10,000.
  • Zuk was first hinted by the Blood Warden who mysteriously stated "Red and black and black and red", referring to the two primary colours of Zuk and the TzekHaar. He was later hinted again during a 15 second teaser in which he partially appeared, taunting the viewer by stating "You will fall like all the others! You were expecting the TokHaar?" while there were chants of his name in the background. Seren later hinted at Zuk's arrival before the official reveal stream by stating "a thrumming deep within Gielinor's core" and she was unsure of what was coming.
  • While Zuk wields his sword with his right hand, both the main artwork and the illustration with him in combat with Bandos show him using his left hand, suggesting that he may be ambidextrous.
  • Zuk is the only one of the four Elder God Wars Dungeon bosses who does not drop charms or parts of the crystal triskelion.
  • Zuk is currently one of only two gods with a drop table, the other being Zamorak.
  • On release of Necromancy, Hard Mode Zuk could not die no matter how many times the Conduit of Ful was killed. This was hotfixed later that day at 21:00 GT. [11]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ^ TzKal-Zuk, "TzekHaar Front", RuneScape. "I have been a chieftain, a gladiator, a warlord, a demigod."
  2. ^ Jagex. "Elder God Wars Dungeon: The TzekHaar Front." 19 October 2021. RuneScape News. "TzKal-Zuk was once a human warrior who earned his chops in the Senntisten colosseum."
  3. ^ As Zuk later faces Torva, a human who was alive during the betrayal of Zaros, this must have been within a human lifetime of the betrayal.
  4. ^ TzKal-Zuk, "Elder God Wars Dungeon", RuneScape. "Coward. He chained me within the Kiln."
  5. ^ TzKal-Zuk, "Elder God Wars Dungeon", RuneScape. "Ful wants the eggs, but I pay no heed to her desires. If to act in accordance with my true nature - to fulfil my very destiny - is to be manipulated...then manipulated I am."
  6. ^ TzKal-Zuk, "Elder God Wars Dungeon", RuneScape. "The only thing stopping me tearing down those cathedral walls right now is the promise of a good fight. We are in the midst of the ultimate battlefield, where the greatest warriors in the world converge. Battle is life. Combat is meaning. Why would I deny myself the chance to experience everything it has to offer?"
  7. ^ TzKal-Zuk, "Elder God Wars Dungeon", RuneScape. "Ahh - the one who fought the TokHaar at the Monolith. You're smaller than I thought you'd be."
  8. ^ TzKal-Zuk, "Elder God Wars Dungeon", RuneScape. "I long to truly prove myself against a god. To show that power earned beats power stolen."
  9. ^ TzKal-Zuk, "Elder God Wars Dungeon", RuneScape. "Finally... after thousands of years..."
  10. ^ a b c d Elder God Wars Dungeon: Drop Rates. 20 December 2021. (Archived from the original on 20 December 2021.)
  11. ^ Jagex. RuneScape's Twitter account. 9 August 2023. (Archived from the original on 12 November 2023.) RuneScape: "#RSHotfix: Aug 7, 21:00 Game Time Zuk might think he's unkillable, but we've now fixed a bug that prevented hit effects applying in Hard Mode."