A Kingdom Divided is part of the Great Kourend quest series, dealing with the corruption rampant in the Council's shadows. A conspiracy years in the making is brewing, and it's up to you to unravel it. The quest is marked as 'Experienced,' making it somewhat lengthy but manageable.
On the surface, Great Kourend is a prosperous kingdom. Its people are content, the land is at peace, and citizens work to prosper. However, since the last king, the Kourend Council has handled the kingdom's governance. They ushered in a golden age of prosperity. Still, after the arrest of Councillor Sophia Hughes, the people started to accuse them of corruption. Also, a sinister shadow is creeping up amongst these allegations on Kourend.
Prerequisites and Requirements
As part of the Great Kourend series, you need to have completed the following quests:
- The Depths of Despair
- The Queen of Thieves
- The Ascent of Arceuus
- The Forsaken Tower
- Tale of the Righteous
In turn, the quests above would also require the completion of 'Client of Kourend' and 'X Marks the Spot,' becoming peripheral requirements.
As for skills, you'll need:
- 54 Agility
- 52 Thieving
- 52 Woodcutting
- 50 Herblore
- 42 Mining
- 38 Crafting
- 35 Magic
You cannot use boosts to fulfill the requirements. Make sure you've actually reached the levels required. Guides also recommend the following, but aren't necessary for unlocking the quest:
- 70 Combat level
- 43 Prayer
Items to Prepare
- A standard spellbook and enough runes to use a fire spell (Fire Bolt or better)
- Melee or Ranged equipment strong enough for a battle with a level 239 enemy
- An ax (any kind)
- 3 or more doses of a Defense Potion
- Volcanic Sulfur
- Molten glass
- A Dark Essence Block (or a pickaxe and chisel to get one)
It's best also to have the following items:
- Stamina or Energy Potions
- Antipoison (or others with similar effects)
- Kharedst's Memoirs
- Xeric's Talisman (or access to)
- Games Necklace (for teleporting to Wintertodt)
- Skills Necklace (for teleporting to Woodcutting Guild)
- Rada's Blessing 3+ for teleportation to Mt. Karuulm or 1+ for Kourend Woodland
- Fairy Ring access
- A lockpick
Quest Steps
An Escape
Talk to Martin Holt east of the Kourend Castle in Kingstown. There are protesters nearby his position, making it easy to spot. He explains that the king's daughter was supposed to take the throne, but the Council usurped it. Agree to help him (so you can start the quest), and he'll explain what you must do.
First, he asks you to talk to Commander Fullore. The lady commander will explain that the Council is a necessary and beneficial organization for Kourend. She'll still agree to your help in finding Sophia Hughes, though. Picking 'Let's get going' will play a cutscene where Tomas Lawry butts in, claiming authority to lead the investigation.
After that, enter the house just to your north, and investigate it for clues. You need to find the following:
- Rose
- Kourend Map
- Demonic incantations
- Order form
- Delivery confirmation
- Bloody knife
- Receipt
- Bone
- Cultist robe
Be careful, as there is a level 82 Lesser Demon on the top floor of the house. Inspect the Receipt, revealing an order for a bed at The Deeper Lode. Mislead Mr. Lawry (he's near the roses) by telling him to go to Mt. Quidamortem.
With him out of the way, you can continue to The Deeper Lode in Lovakengj. Talk to Fuggy and ask him if any councilors have stayed there recently. He'll reply with having only one human woman customer lately, but she looked different from who you're looking for. Still, he mentions overhearing her saying she'll catch a ship in Port Piscarilius. Ask what ship it is, and you'll be interrupted by a tremor. Afterward, Fuggy will answer that the lady was going on Veos' barge.
Judgment
Find Veos' ship in Port Piscarilius, then talk to Herbert, the Cabin Boy. He'll tell you Veos, in a trance-like state, wandered somewhere after the earthquake. Ask him if he'd seen the woman you're after, but he tells you that the ship is bound to leave.
This is immediately followed by a cutscene where you confront Hughes and her crimes. She'll admit to being involved in eliminating the king and his heir. She summons a demon, the Judge of Yama, to deal with you and Fullore. This backfires on her as the Demon kills Hughes because she took advantage of Yama's generosity. Afterward, it focuses on the two of you, saying that if you can beat it, it will let you go.
It is only vulnerable to Melee attacks. Other combat styles are ineffective. Your battle arena is also limited, being a pier that's four tiles wide. At times, he'll teleport you away from him while barraging you with waves of fire. These waves/walls are three tiles wide, giving you space to dodge and get closer to the Demon. Rinse and repeat until it dies.
The Last Princess
In a cutscene, Councilor Andrews thanks you for your help in the investigation; they're still looking into the escape. He then asks you to tell Martin Holt that the issue is resolved and the protesters can go home. However, Commander Fullore tells you to meet her outside first. She'll wait for you by the Shayzien Mine entrance south of the castle.
In your conversation, you discuss what Hughes mentioned at the docks. She'll provide the backstory about the king and his daughter, Rose. After that, she'll ask you to investigate the conspiracy against the royalty, recommending that you talk to Martin Holt. He's the leader of the Kourend Royal Society, an expert on the royal family, and he might know where Rose is.
Interacting with him will reveal that Rose wrote Kharedst's Memoirs, which was unfortunately recently auctioned off. Fortunately, her diary is still in the Library Historical Archive, your next destination. Talk to Archeio in the Arceuus Library, and he'll teleport you to the Archive.
There, pickpocket Istoria to get a Bluish Key. It unlocks the purple display case near the room's eastern wall to the southeast. It contains Rose's diary, which unfortunately doesn't have anything notable. Talk to Martin while holding the book, and he'll notice a note on the cover. Reading it will reveal a set of instructions to find more information. Interact with Martin again, and he'll suggest splitting up so you can figure out where the instructions lead.
With an ax, head to Forthos Ruins. Martin will meet you near the western entrance. He'll explain what the note meant and why the place you're in is the location hinted at. Also, he mentions his involvement with the Council, his relationship with Commander Fullore, and what he knows about the government's corruption.
Search the stone piles around the ruins. Each one will give you a clue relating to a letter. Note the numbers and letters to figure out the password because it's random for all players. Form the word ROSE and match the digits to get the code. Input it in a panel on the east wall of the small room and get another Rose's Note (A Kingdom Divided - 2). Give it a look and talk to Martin again. You'll agree to meet up in the following location.
Head to the Settlement Ruins, bringing runes to cast a fire spell (Fire Bolt or better). It's to the southwest of the Wintertodt Camp. Aggressive ice wolves, giants, and spiders populate this area, so be careful! Martin is near the northwestern building. When you try talking to him, you get ambushed by a level 132 Assassin wanting to kill the NPC. Defeat him. He uses Dragon Daggers and Dragon Darts, so Protection Prayers are not wholly effective but mitigates enough damage. Still, it should be easier than the Demon at Port Piscarilius.
Your objective here is to find a key to the panel in the ruins. Direct your fire spell toward the Ice Chunks a little west of the southern part of the building. Search the melted remains for the key. The panel is by Martin; use the key to open it. Inside is, of course, another note. Like the others, you split up with Martin to move to the following location.
You'll find him next in The Legless Faun, a pub in Port Piscarilius. Talking to Martin will give more insight into the current situation. To see the next note, climb the pillar to your companion's west and reach the upper floor. There's a panel on the northern wall that will list some cities. Take note of it, as it answers the puzzle on the main floor. Go down and inspect the statues in the order indicated on the panel. If you're successful, you'll hear a click. Return to the upper floor to get the last note.
A cutscene will play where Tomas Lawry arrests Martin Holt. Read the note you just got for the last clue in the hunt for Rose. It is the location of a small house south of Mt. Karuulm. Inspect the bed to find a Tatty Note written to Rose from a person with the initials LO. Check the crates northwest of the shack to find a hidden trapdoor. Descend into it. You need to have read the last two notes for this to open.
You'll encounter a cutscene of a woman on a large stone to the side of the room. Councilor Liam Orson comes in, introducing himself. After the conversation, you'll bring in Commander Fullore, and together you get Orson to confess. He'll also lead you to a mage keeping Rose in that state. (If you misclick the dialog box, you'll only be booted out of the room. Go back through the trapdoor to return to the scene.)
The Mage
Prepare your equipment to fight the level 239 enemy. They are immune to Magic and primarily attack using that style. Ranged, such as the Toxic Blowpipe, will make the fight easier. Still, you should bring gear with good Magic Defense, like Dragonhide Armor, even if you're using Melee. The Abyssal Whip or a Dragon Scimitar would be good weapons to bring if using that combat style. Bring along some potions and healing items, too.
Your next destination is the Lizardman Temple in Molch. Enter through any lizard dwelling entrance and go east using the middle hallway. Head north and enter the room there. Talk to Kaht B'alam and ask for his help finding a mage. He will agree but asks you to retrieve his last egg in exchange, so he can escape from the war with humans.
Find it in the swamp to the west of the temple. Go south through the stone bridge and search through piles of Lizardman Eggs. Once you get the right egg, you'll be attacked by a level 75 Lizardman Brute. You can run away from this encounter if you don't want to fight.
Return to Kaht with the egg, and he'll give you a Damp Key which opens a small door to the NPC's north. The right door is next to the Bones on the floor. The door will open to a small room with a gate. Going through the gate will initiate a cutscene where two voices discuss the events of the previous quests. Later, the voices will be revealed as Xamphur and Veos, at which point the latter will teleport away, and the former will sneak up on you.
There's an explanation, after which the fight will start. As mentioned, Xamphur is immune to Magic and will primarily use it to attack. His battle has four unique mechanics:
- Marks of Darkness are scattered throughout the arena. Walking over them will give you a Mark of Darkness status. This doubles the damage Xamphur's magic attacks deal to you and increases the likelihood of corruption happening. Avoid them as much as possible.
- He can bind you in place for a handful of seconds. If you've been marked by the above, damage can stack quickly.
- He'll shout about hands ('You will fall by my hand' or 'Your fate is in my hands.') which signals one of two effects. These happen alternately, so if one was the last attack, the next shout would precede the other.
- Magical hands will crush you with every tick. This lasts about 5-10 seconds. You can run around to dodge the attack but always avoid the marks.
- Two Phantom Hands (level 47 creatures with low hitpoints) will appear. If they hit you, they cause the corruption status effect, which decreases Prayer Points every six seconds. Kill them as soon as possible.
Defeating him will regenerate all his HP, after which he knocks you out and leaves you to die. You wake up as some lizardmen are about to dispose of you. They realize that you're still alive and run away in fear. That leaves time to investigate the room, where you'll find a note on the table to the north. It mentions that Xamphur caused the events during 'The Ascent of Arceuus' quest. Return to Commander Fullore, who is back in the shack basement where you found Rose and Councilor Liam Orson.
The Great Kourend Houses
Once you get to Commander Fullore, a cutscene plays where you explain everything that happened. You give Rose a small burial ceremony and discuss with the commander the next step. You agree that the five houses of Kourend should meet and be notified about the betrayal of the current Council.
Your next task is to go to the five houses, talk to their leaders, and convince them to go to Xeric's Lookout.
- Lord Arceuus is in the Tower of Magic in Arceuus.
- Lord Hosidius is in the family mansion in Hosidius, northwest of the vinery.
- You'll find Lady Lovakengj in the Lovakengj Assembly.
- Lady Piscarilius is hanging out in The Warrens under Port Piscarilius.
- Lord Shayzien is plotting in the War Tent in the Shayzien Encampment.
Once everyone is invited, go to the agreed-upon location (the lookout) and talk to Commander Fullore. A cutscene plays where the five leaders, the commander, Councilor Orson, and you discuss what happened and what to do next. In answer to the issue of what to do after the five houses take the place of the Council, Lord Hosidius will show the Royal Accord of Twill.
However, before that, there are still some errands to do. The five lords have some tasks for you to do. You can talk to all of them and then do the objectives to save time going back and forth. Take note that you need to speak with Commander Fullore to ask for her help with Lady Lovakengj before you can get her task.
The said lady (on the 3rd floor of the lookout) wants to replace Councilor Orson with Councilor Unkar. You must convince her that Unkar is part of the conspiracy. After asking the opinion of Commander Fullore, she'll tell you to talk to Martin Holt. He's in the Shayzien Prison west of the Graveyard of Heroes. Martin doesn't have anything solid but gives you a passphrase (Evil only triumphs when the good do nothing.), so you can talk to his contact.
You can find that contact in the Graveyard of Heroes, a dwarf named Jorra. An assassin interrupts your conversation, so you must beat him to continue the discussion. The dwarf will give you a declaration that there's a plot to overthrow Lady Lovakengj, something she must be notified of.
Lord Hosidius (downstairs) wants to investigate Lord Shayzien's involvement in a barbarian camp nearby. Go to the mentioned location and slide down a ladder next to the southern wall. Phileas Rimor will call your attention from inside a cell. His captor will attack you, so be ready for a battle. After defeating the level 91 Barbarian Warlord, Phileas explains barbarians captured him as a task from someone. He also mentions his stolen package, the journal of King Shayzien VII. Talk to Lord Hosidius about this.
Lord Shayzien (on the 2nd floor of the lookout) wants King Shayzien's journal, which is in Lord Hosidius' private office. The location is toward the south end of the Hosidius Vinery. A wine barrel on the east hides a trapdoor you can use to access the office. Grab the journal and bring it back to Lord Shayzien.
Lady Piscarilius (on the 4th floor) wishes to end Yama's cult. She needs the help of the mage called Mori to sever the connection between Yama and his disciple. The mage is on the top floor of the Arceuus church. When you talk to her, she'll explain the plan needs some Molten Glass and a Dark Essence Block to disconnect the Voice of Yama from his master. Give her the items, and she makes a Dark Nullifier.
You must hide the nullifier somewhere in the Chasm of Fire. However, as you try entering the Chasm of Fire, a disciple will take the device and bring you just south of the chasm.
Lord Arceuus is just outside of the lookout. He'll ask you to investigate if Xamphur is the same mage as the one who used to serve Xeric a long time ago. Your first step in exploring this leads you to the Tasakaal in Mount Karuulm. Show them the broken redirector, which they'll analyze and trace the history of. The results reveal not only many humans and Arceuus citizens used it, but also two others. One was touched by fire, and the other was touched by darkness.
The one marked by darkness was the servant of Xeric, and the player character realizes the other was the pyromancer that damaged the Doors of Dinh. To protect the doors from further damage, the Tasakaal offers to create a potion that enhances the Dark Altar's power on them. Create a Sulphur Potion by mixing Volcanic Sulphur on a Defense Potion (has to have at least 3 doses). The Tasakaal will enchant it, turning it into a Shielding Potion. Use it on the Doors of Dinh (teleport to the Wintertodt Camp for easy access). Go back to Lord Arceuus to inform him of your findings.
The Council of Kourend's End
After doing all their errands, you talk to the five lords for their insights. Then, speak to Commander Fullore, initiating a cutscene.
Councilor Orson's body was found at the bottom of the tower, either having jumped or pushed to his death. The leaders convene in the basement and sign the accord. With a unanimous vote, Lord Hosidius is named the new king of Kourend. The agreement is called Rose's Accord in honor of the fallen princess.
The cutscene ends, and the commander will talk to you about her confusion as to why Lord Shayzien did not refute the decision. She also tells you that the new king wants to speak to you. Lord Hosidius explains how he convinced Shayzien to step down from leadership. The stain of wanting to cover up the last king's journal and the capture of Phileas Rimor is too humiliating, so the latter withdraws.
Talk to Fullore again for another long cutscene. The Council gets arrested, and the new king, Lord Hosidius, is crowned. A banquet is held to celebrate the coronation, with guests from all over Great Kourend, Misthalin, Asgarnia, Kandarin, and Varlamore. Talk to Lord Arceuus about some spells discovered from Xamphur's hideout. Chat with the commander, who tells you about the guests from Varlamore.
After the new king's speech, you have a private conversation with him, asking for your help in the future. However, an assassin kills him, saying he was marked for death, and teleports away. Talk to Commander Fullore one last time. She's surprised they buried a king as fast as he was crowned, and his son is immediately named king.
She rewards you for your work and hands you the book Lord Arceus said he would give you.
A Kingdom Divided Rewards
You get:
- 2 Quest Points
- The Book of the Dead
- An Antique Lamp that gives 10,000 XP to any skill above level 40
- You can now use the Kourend Castle as a respawn point (talk to Asteros Arceuus)
- 24 new spells unlocked in the Arceuus Spellbook
You also unlock some music:
- Confrontation
- Judgment of the Depths
- The Part Where You Die
- Rose
- The Houses of Kourend
- Regal Pomp
Some Trivias About A Kingdom Divided
This quest has small alternative details depending on some things you've done. Completing Song of the Elves will make Martin and the player discuss King Lathas and Ardougne's former king's execution. You can also use a knife on Kharedst's Memoirs. This will reveal a Secret Page and add lines to Martin's discussion.
That's all for the quest A Kingdom Divided. It is a bit long, but there are only a few battles. You'll have to talk to a lot of people, though.