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A clue, perhaps?

When certain creatures die, there is a chance that they will drop a clue scroll. This clue could lead you to someone in RuneScape, a spot where you need to dig using a spade or something you need to search, such as a crate or chest.

Once you have a clue scroll, read it by either left-clicking, or right-clicking and selecting 'Read Clue Scroll'. You will only receive a new clue scroll if you do not already have one in your bank or inventory.

There are four levels of difficulty for clue scrolls - easy, medium, hard and elite. If you are just starting out, your best option is to go after a low level NPC. These will drop easy clues, whereas stronger NPCs will drop medium, hard or elite scrolls (depending on which NPC you go after). A selection of NPCs that drop the different levels of clue scroll are shown below.

Not all NPCs that drop scrolls are detailed below.

Note: * indicates the monster/s drop both hard and elite level clue scrolls

It is also possible to recieve a clue scroll through non-combat methods, limited though they may be these methods include:

• Pickpocketing H.A.M members (Easy)
• Opening Caskets
• Looting Ogre Coffins (South of Castle Wars, around the Zogre Flesh Eaters quest start point)
• Purchasing from the Trouble Brewing rewards shop for 5000 pieces of eight (Medium)

Please be aware that it is possible to defeat lots of clue dropping NPCs and not receive a clue scroll because the chance of receiving a clue is random. You may have to complete several clues before you reach your treasure, depending on the level of the clue scroll you are undertaking.

Location

The treasure trails can take you on a journey around RuneScape. There's no way to know where you're going or how long it will take until you receive your next clue.

Requirements

There are no specific requirements to complete a treasure trail. However, if you attempt to gain a level 3 or 4 clue scroll, you will need to have a high combat level to obtain a clue scroll from these NPCs. Once you have the clue scroll, it is almost certain that a high level scroll will lead you through areas where you need to carry food that heals a lot of life points.

Recommended Items

There are different types of clue scrolls. Some may require you to use your brain or travel somewhere. Some items are essential when following treasure trails.

Items Needed	Obtained from	Use on Treasure Trails
Clue scroll	This item is obtained from NPC drops.	Needed to find next location of clue or treasure.
Watch	To get the watch you need to go to the Clock Tower, south of Ardougne, and talk to Brother Kojo.	Used to solve coordinate clues.
Sextant	This item is obtained by speaking to Murphy, the Fishing Trawler captain. You will need to speak to the professor north of the Observatory first, so he can tell you this is needed.	Used to solve coordinate clues.
Chart	When you have the sextant and watch, head back to the professor north of the Observatory and he will give you the chart.	Used to solve coordinate clues.

Some clues may require more than solving a puzzle or answering a riddle. For these clues you may need a few extra items (not all the items in the tables below are necessary, but you may find them useful):

Additional Items	Obtained from	Use on Treasure Trails
Spade	This item can be obtained from many gardeners near Farming patches. They may be available from general stores.	Required to dig up next clue or retrieve treasure.
Rope	This item can be obtained from some general stores or can be made for you (for a price) if you bring wool to Ned in Draynor Village.	May be required if your clue takes you to a cave you can only access by rope.
Runes	These items can be bought from stores, crafted by players or found as monster drops.	May be useful if you have to travel over large distances and require teleporting.
Teleportation jewellery	These items can sometimes be player-made or may be a reward from a quest.	Using teleportation jewellery is useful over long distances to save time travelling between clues.
Food	This item can be obtained from Fishing, killing animals, made using the Cooking skill or bought from stores or other players.	Your clues may require you to travel over dangerous terrain so it is recommended that you carry food, especially when following a level 3 clue scroll.
Weapon	Weapons can be obtained from shops, traded with players or from monster drops.	Following a high level clue will certainly bring you through dangerous areas, so it is important that you carry a weapon to defend yourself.
Meerkats	Meerkats pouches and Fetch Casket scrolls are obtained as rewards from Treasure Trails, but can also be bought on the Grand Exchange for a small price.	Meerkats act as a substitute for a sextant, watch, and chart, which means you won't need to carry these with you. Fetch Casket scrolls not only dig up the treasure, meaning you won't have to carry a spade, but will also skip any battles you may have encountered, meaning that you won't need combat gear either (unless your clue leads to a dangerous place).

Following the Trail

Following clue scrolls can be a very long expedition. It is important that you try to use any shortcuts or transport that you can. This will help reduce the time you spend travelling between each clue.

The following are all types of clue scrolls that you may receive on your treasure trail:

• Simple clues (easy)
• Riddles (medium, hard)
• Maps (easy, medium, hard)
• Sextant coordinates (medium, hard)
• Anagrams (medium, hard)
• Emotes (easy, medium, hard)
• Compass (elite)
• Scans (elite)

These clues will lead you to a location where you will need to do one or more of the following actions:

• Speak to an NPC (simple clues, anagrams, riddles)
• Look/search a location (simple clues, riddles, maps)
• Dig with a spade (riddles, maps, sextant coordinates, compass, scan)
• Perform an emote (emotes)

Some of the NPCs you talk to may ask you to solve a challenge (anagram clues - medium, hard) or a sliding puzzle (riddle - hard), while some of the locations you have to search are locked and will require you to get the key off another NPC (riddle - medium). You might even be faced with an aggressive NPC to fight (emotes, sextant, compass, scan - hard, elite), or dig up a casket or scrollbox locked with a sliding puzzle or a celtic knot puzzle (compass, scan - elite).

Clue Types

Simple clues (easy)

Some clues may direct you to search certain locations or talk to an NPC for further information on your treasure trail. The NPCs and locations can be as far as a house in Yanille or an NPC in Mort Myre swamp in Morytania, so be certain that you know their correct location as this will save you valuable travelling time.

For a list of clue scroll NPC locations click here.

Riddles (medium, hard)

Once you have got to the new location from your last clue, you may find that your next clue requires you to answer a riddle. Riddles simply need an answer, but the question will be put in a clever and amusing way, making you put a bit of thought and effort into the answer. The answer to the example riddle has not been given because you may be given this riddle in your clue scroll.

For example:

46 is my number. My body is the colour of burnt orange and crawls among those with 8. 3 mouths I have, yet I cannot eat. My blinking blue eye hides my grave.

For a spoiler list, containing riddle clues (also 'Search' clues) and their solutions click here.

Maps (easy, medium, hard)

These clues represent a particular place or area. You need to identify this area using the world map and then travel to that location.

On the map you will see either an 'X' that will show you the place to look or dig, or a crate will be on the map. This means you will have to search crates or boxes in that location to find your next clue or treasure. Some clues contain both indicators.

There are three different levels of difficulties to the maps you may receive: easy, medium and hard. You can see the maps below:

Easy maps

Map 1	Answer
	Within the fences north of Galahad's house, west of McGruber's wood.
Map 2	Answer
	Varrock East mining site, directly at the fence.
Map 3	Answer
	South of Wizard Tower

Medium maps

Map 1	Answer
	Just north of the Tower of Life.
Map 2	Answer
	On one of the islands between Rellekka and the Lighthouse
Map 3	Answer
	South of Draynor Village's bank
Map 4	Answer
	Near the path from Seer's Village to Rellekka

Hard maps

Map 1	Answer
	South of Legends' Guild, North East of Ardougne, near the mining area

Coordinate Clues(medium, hard)

Location of the Observatory

Your clue might tell you the coordinates of a place where you need to dig.

Navigating to the spot isn't difficult - just visit the Observatory (some distance south-west of Ardougne) and ask the professor to teach you how to navigate.

Coordinate clues need sextants to tell them the coordinates of the place where they're standing. The Observatory professor will help you get one of these. To use the sextant left-click or right-click and select 'Look through Sextant'.

Using the sextant to get your bearings

When you use it, you'll have to use the little arrow buttons on its interface to get the horizon and sun correctly centred in the sextant's viewer. When they're correctly positioned the sextant will tell you your coordinates.

Compare these to the coordinates on your clue, and you'll see whether you need to go north, south, east or west to find your treasure.

Spoiler list for coordinate clues.

Anagrams (medium, hard)

Anagram clues require you to rearrange letters to form another word. The word that is formed is the name of an NPC. You then have to travel to that NPC to get your next clue or receive your treasure.

For example: El Ow

---

Spoiler list for anagram clues.

Emotes (easy, medium, hard)

Emote clues are a bit like spy-work. You will be required to go to a specific location wearing certain items to perform an emote.

If you follow the instructions correctly, then Uri will appear and you will be able to claim your reward. Beware, though, that harder clue scrolls may present you with a double agent who you must kill in order to make Uri appear.

Compass (elite)

Rather than giving you a coordinate location and requesting you to use the sextant to find that location, a compass puzzle simply presents you with an arrow in the direction of which you should travel. Once you have reached the treasure trail destination, the arrow will turn into a cross and you will know to start digging.

Scans (elite)

By right-clicking on your scanning clue scroll and selecting 'Scan', you can scan the area about you. You will then need to walk around until you get close enough that the scan presents you with a hintarrow on your minimap, which you can follow until you find your treasure trail location. You may also right-click the scroll to find out which area needs to be scanned. The scan range will be indicated as soon as you begin scanning.

Obstacles on the Trail

On the trail, you may be asked to solve sporadic puzzles or overcome a hostile NPC. These make the treasure trails varied, and ensure that you are always on your toes!

Challenges

On the trail of a high-level clue scroll, you may come across an NPC who has a challenge for you to decipher. They may ask you how many trees there are in a certain area, or any number of other questions about your surroundings. Answer them and you'll be able to move on to the next part of your treasure trail.

Sliding puzzles

These puzzles are quite simple. They may be given to you by an NPC when on your hard trail, or they may be dug from the ground on an elite trail. You need to rearrange the tiles so that the correct picture is formed. Once you have solved the puzzle, you will receive your reward.

Below are some solutions to known sliding puzzle clues. If you wish to view a completed version of your sliding puzzle in-game, hover over the 'Hint' button on the bottom-left of the sliding puzzle.

Sliding puzzle	Solution

Celtic knot puzzle

A clue, perhaps?

Celtic knot puzzles are exclusive to elite clues, and require you to manoeuvre three tracks (grey, red and blue) that each contain 16 runes. The aim of the puzzle is to make sure that, whenever two tracks intersect with each other, the same rune is showing on both tracks. Intersecting runes are highlighted on the puzzle with a green ring (if the rune is the same on both intersecting tracks) or a red ring (differing runes on two intersecting tracks).

For example, if a red and blue track intersects, the same rune (a cosmic rune, death rune, etc) must be showing on both tracks. You move the tracks clockwise or anticlockwise by clicking on the relevant arrow until all intersections have matching runes in this way (with all intersections ringed in green), and then press 'Unlock'.

Hints

• Hover over the 'Invert Paths' button to see what lies on a track that runs underneath another track.
• Look at only two tracks at a time; often it can be overwhelming to try to match all three at once. If you focus on getting two tracks to intersect correctly, then it will take very little time at all to match up the third track.
• If necessary, use trial and error. Keep the grey track locked in place and keep cycling through on another track until all intersections match up. If this does not happen, move the grey track one place and try again. This will eventually lead to success!

God Mages and Double Agents

On the trail of a high-level clue scroll, you may come across a mage or a double agent who defends their buried treasure. The level of your opponent depends on whether you are in a safe or dangerous area, with harder enemies being woken in safe areas.

To prevent an enemy from being roused, bring meerkats with you. Their 'Fetch Casket' scroll power means they can can dig for buried treasure without making as much noise as an armour-clad adventurer, handing you the casket or scrollbox without any confrontation. Meerkats can also act as a sextant and spade on treasure trails.

The End of the Trail

The table below shows what items may be useful when following certain clue scrolls. Refer to the Recommended and Additional items tables, earlier in this article, to find out where to get the items and what use they have on the treasure trails.

Clue Type	Recommended Items
Simple clues
Riddles
Maps
Sextant coordinates
Anagrams
Emotes
Compass puzzles
Scans

Rewards

Main article: Treasure Trails Rewards

Rewards vary depending on difficulty of Clue Scroll completed. Some rewards span across all levels, but others are level specific. Some normal items can be received from each level clue scroll as well (example. Easy: Black Metal items, Medium: Adamant Metal items, Hard: Rune Metal items).

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