Desert Treasure I
Unlocks the Ancient Magicks spellbook, including Ice Barrage — the most important Magic unlock in the game.
Before you start
Master · long · 3 quest points11 things to clear first, and it needs membership. Work through the list below before you travel.
- SkillsThieving53Magic50Firemaking50↑Slayer10
- Quests firstThe Dig Site,Temple of Ikov,The Tourist Trap,Troll Stronghold,Priest in Peril,Waterfall Quest,Plague City
Not required, but expected: combat level 85 or above. You can start below that and will find the fights harder.
About this quest
Four diamonds are scattered across Gielinor, each guarded by something that has to be fought on its own terms, and behind them sits the Ancient Magicks spellbook. The quest is long, heavily gated by prior quests, and structured as four independent boss trips rather than one continuous journey.
That structure is what makes it manageable. Each diamond is a separate expedition with its own preparation, and there is no penalty for banking between them — which means an underpowered account can take them one at a time rather than needing to survive the lot in one go.
The four bosses deliberately punish a single approach. One is immune to Ranged, one resists cold, one requires either water spells or a specific pair of gloves, and one drains prayer faster than you can restore it. Bringing the same setup to all four fails at least twice.
Why do it: Ancient Magicks — the Ice Barrage line in particular is the single most valuable spellbook in the game for both PvM and PvP, and there is no other way to get it.
What makes this quicker
- The four diamonds are four separate expeditions. Treat them as four trips with a bank visit between, not as one continuous run.
- Ancient Magicks are the reward and they change how you fight for the rest of the account. That makes this worth doing earlier than its difficulty suggests.
Walkthrough
01How the quest is shaped
Desert Treasure is four separate boss fights that can be done in any order, then a puzzle. Each boss guards a diamond, each diamond needs a different approach, and preparing for one does not prepare you for the next.
- 1
Start with Eblis in the desert, who explains the four diamonds and where each one is.
- 2
Treat each diamond as its own trip. Bank between them and bring gear for that specific fight rather than a compromise setup for all four.
02Dessous — the blood diamond
- 1
Dessous is immune to Ranged. Bring Magic or melee; a Ranged setup does nothing at all here.
This catches out Ranged accounts more than any other fight in the quest. Check before you travel.
- 2
Switch prayers as his attack style changes rather than picking one and hoping.
03Kamil — the ice diamond
- 1
Fire spells are the answer for mages. Kamil resists the cold, which is the whole theme of the fight.
- 2
Force him into melee range and use Protect from Melee once he is there.
04Fareed — the smoke diamond
- 1
Fareed is the opposite problem: water spells, or melee with ice gloves equipped.
- 2
Without ice gloves, meleeing him is not a plan. Bring them or bring water spells.
Ice gloves are the difference between a short fight and no fight at all.
05Damis — the shadow diamond
- 1
Damis has two forms, level 124 and then level 135. The second is the dangerous one.
- 2
His second form drains prayer quickly. Use Protect from Melee and expect to lose prayer faster than you would like.
- 3
Safespot him by stacking other creatures — bats or rats — between you and him if the fight is going badly.
06The pyramid
- 1
Take all four diamonds back to Eblis, then go to the Jaldraocht Pyramid south-east of the mirrors.
- 2
Place each diamond in the obelisk matching its colour. This needs Magic 50.
- 3
Finishing the quest switches you to the Ancient Magicks spellbook automatically. That is the reward you came for.
What to do next
Ancient Magicks are now available at the altar in the Jaldraocht Pyramid. The freezing spells are what make the book valuable: Ice Barrage holds a target in place, which is the foundation of a great deal of high-level PvM and PvP.
You will need Magic 94 for Ice Barrage itself, so if you are far below that the immediate benefit is smaller than it sounds — the lower Ancient spells are useful but not transformative.
This quest is also a requirement for the Recipe for Disaster finale, so it moves Barrows gloves considerably closer.
Rewards
Everything else
- Ancient Magicks spellbook
- Access to Ice Barrage and the Ancient teleports
Enemies
- DamisLevel 103
- DessousLevel 139
- KamilLevel 154
- FareedLevel 167
Quests that need this one
Completing Desert Treasure I is a prerequisite for the following.
Recipe for Disaster
A ten-part quest chain ending in Barrows gloves — the standard hand slot item for almost all content.
Desert Treasure II - The Fallen Empire
Rewards 5 quest points, Three ancient lamps and Access to Scar essence mine.