OSRS DT2 Unlocks Guide: Bosses, Ring of Shadows & Training

Game screenshots and facts are cited from the Old School RuneScape Wiki (strategy, equipment, drops, and related pages). Writing is original editorial, not a copy of the wiki article.

Desert Treasure II - The Fallen Empire is the grandmaster quest that separates mid-game accounts from late-game PvM mains. It unlocks four repeatable bosses, the ring of shadows teleport network, and access to ancient rings and the Scar essence mine. This guide is written for players who want the unlocks without wasting hours on avoidable wipes. We'll cover what to train first, how the quest is structured, and what the finished account looks like.

Think of DT2 as a combat gauntlet disguised as a quest. You'll fight an Ancient Guardian, collect four medallions from dangerous areas, and then face the Forgotten Four in sequence. The rewards are worth it, but the stat checks are real. If you walk in with base 70s and no prayer switches, you'll be back at a bank before you finish the first boss.

1. Requirements & When to Attempt DT2

DT2 is not a quest you start on a whim. The quest requires the Ancient Magicks spellbook, so Desert Treasure I must be complete. You also need a solid combat baseline, because every boss in the quest can kill you in a few hits if you ignore mechanics. The quick guide advice is simple: switch to Ancient Magicks before starting, and keep an emergency teleport at all times.

If you're not already on Ancient Magicks, stop now and finish Desert Treasure I first. The quest won't let you progress without the spellbook, and returning to swap spellbooks mid-quest costs time. Most players attempt DT2 after they already have 70+ Magic for ice burst/barrage, 70+ Defence for barrows armour, and 43+ Prayer for protection prayers. That's the mid-game floor; late-game players will have 90+ combat and better gear.

2. Quest Structure: The Four Boss Gates

DT2 is divided into three main acts after the opening. You'll revisit familiar locations from Desert Treasure I, then unlock the four boss areas one by one. Each boss drops a medallion or tablet that progresses the quest and later unlocks a ring of shadows teleport.

• Familiar Faces: Start at the Ancient Vault, inspect statues, talk to Asgarnia Smith, then head to the Exam Centre and Digsite.
• The Ancient Guardian: Mine rocks at the Digsite to trigger the instance. Kill the guardian with melee while avoiding falling rocks.
• Carnifex Maximus Vardorvis: Travel to the Stranglewood, survive the medallion's Mysterious Figure attacks, and defeat Vardorvis.
• Praefectus Classis Perseriya: Navigate the Scar's passages to reach the Leviathan.
• Duke Sucellus: Enter Ghorrock Prison and bring down the Duke.
• The Whisperer: Face the final boss in the Lassar Undercity.
• The Desert Treasure: Return to the Ancient Vault for the finale and rewards.

Each boss area has its own environmental hazards and supply considerations. You can teleport out to restock between attempts, but the Mysterious Figure can appear while you're carrying a medallion, so always have an emergency teleport ready.

3. The Forgotten Four: Boss Mechanics in Brief

The four repeatable bosses are the heart of DT2 and the reason the quest is considered grandmaster. They are not simple tank-and-spanks. Each has a signature mechanic that will punish you if you don't respect it. Below is a high-level overview based on the wiki's boss guides and quest walkthroughs.

• Vardorvis is a melee-focused fight in the Stranglewood. You'll need to manage prayer and movement; his area is cramped and full of environmental pressure.
• The Leviathan is reached through the Scar's passages, which involve running through abyssal creatures and navigating three distinct paths. The fight itself tests your ability to handle rapid attacks and prayer switches.
• Duke Sucellus is a slower but hard-hitting boss in Ghorrock Dungeon. He's often considered the easiest of the four once you learn his rhythm, but one mistake can still end a run.
• The Whisperer is the final boss and the hardest for many players. The Lassar Undercity fight requires precise movement and consistent DPS.

For first-time questers, the best approach is to watch a video guide or practice the post-quest versions before attempting the awakened modes. The quest versions are slightly different, but the core mechanics carry over. If you're struggling on a boss, the wiki strategy pages have detailed rotations and gear suggestions.

4. Rewards: What You Actually Unlock

DT2's reward list is deep. It's not just a quest cape tick; it's the gateway to a new PvM ecosystem. These are the confirmed rewards from the wiki.

• 5 quest points
• Three ancient lamps, each granting 100,000 experience in Attack, Strength, Defence, Hitpoints, Ranged, Magic, or Prayer (level 60+ required)
• Ability to smelt chromium ingots at the Blast Furnace; the first bar gives 35,000 Smithing XP
• Access to the Scar essence mine for runecrafting
• The ring of shadows, an upgrade to the ring of visibility with brimstone ring-like offensive stats
• Ability to wear ancient rings (dropped by the Forgotten Four)
• Repeatable boss fights against the Forgotten Four, plus their awakened variants
• Ability to fight Demonic Brutus using abyssal potatoes

The three ancient lamps alone are worth 300k free experience in any combat skill above level 60. If you're planning your account, you can use these on Prayer or Magic to skip expensive training. Many players finish DT2 and immediately dump all three lamps into Prayer because it saves millions in bones.

5. Ring of Shadows Teleport Network

The ring of shadows is more than a stat stick. When charged, it teleports you to the Ancient Vault. By using tablets dropped by the four bosses, you add teleports to Ghorrock Dungeon, the Scar, the Lassar Undercity, and the Stranglewood. This makes bossing runs much faster than pre-DT2 methods.

• Charge the ring with one blood rune, one soul rune, one death rune, and one law rune per charge.
• A fully charged ring holds 1,000 charges, costing 955,000 coins for a full charge.
• Each teleport costs 955 coins in runes.
• You cannot equip the ring inside the Lassar Undercity, so plan around that for Whisperer trips.
• If you lose the ring, you can buy another from the Mysterious Bandit in the Ancient Vault for 75,000 coins.

Because the ring is untradeable and has a buy-back cost, it's worth keeping one charged at all times. The teleport network alone justifies completing DT2 on any account that plans to camp the Forgotten Four.

6. Training Priorities: What to Grind First

Before you start DT2, get your combat stats in order. The quest rewards three 100k lamps, but you need to survive the quest first. Here's the order that saves the most time and money based on the gear and spell requirements from the research pack.

1. Magic to 70+ — Ancient Magicks burst and barrage spells are your best AoE damage for the Scar and other multi-combat areas. 70 Magic also unlocks the ancient sceptre if you have completed Secrets of the North.
2. Strength to 60 and Attack to 50 — These are the minimum requirements to wield the ancient sceptre, which gives a 10% magic damage bonus and a 10% passive boost to Ancient Magicks effects.
3. Defence to 70 — Barrows armour or equivalent will keep you alive longer during boss fights.
4. Prayer to 43+ — Protection prayers are non-negotiable for the Ancient Guardian and several other encounters.
5. Ranged to 70+ — Some players prefer range for certain bosses, but magic and melee are the primary styles for the quest itself.

Don't neglect your Agility for run energy and shortcuts. Stamina potions help, but a higher Agility level means fewer stops during the long travel sections of the quest. If you're an ironman or a budget main, prioritize runes and prayer potions over expensive gear — the quest can be done with welfare gear and good mechanics.

7. Gear & Inventory Setup

Your inventory will change for each boss, but a few staples appear in every DT2 section. The quick guide recommends stamina potions, teleports, and emergency food. Here's a general setup that covers most of the quest.

• Weapon: Ancient sceptre for magic, whip or better for melee, blowpipe or crossbow for range (if used)
• Armour: Barrows or equivalent for melee, Ahrim's or mystic for magic, black d'hide or better for range
• Shield: Dragonfire shield or defender depending on your style
• Jewellery: Ring of dueling for bank teleports, amulet of glory, blessing
• Consumables: Prayer potions, super restores, sharks or better food, stamina potions, antipoison if needed
• Runes: All four Ancient Magicks burst/blitz spells, plus teleport runes
• Tools: Pickaxe (bronze provided), any quest items as listed in the quick guide

You can bank between bosses, but the Mysterious Figure may jump you while carrying a medallion. Always keep a one-click emergency teleport like a teleport crystal or Ectophial in your inventory.

8. Common Mistakes That Cost Hours

DT2 punishes carelessness. These are the mistakes that send players back to Lumbridge or waste supply stacks.

If you're unsure about a boss mechanic, teleport out and rewatch a guide. It's better to waste a teleport than a full inventory of supplies. The wiki's quick guide has step-by-step instructions for each section, including exactly when to prepare for combat.

9. Time vs. Cost: Questing, Boosting, and Account Options

DT2 is a 3-6 hour quest for experienced players with high stats and good gear. For lower-level accounts, it can easily stretch to 10+ hours across multiple sessions. That's a significant time investment, but the unlocks are permanent and account-wide.

If you're sitting at base 60s and dreading the grind, you have three honest options: train the skills yourself, buy gold for better supplies, or purchase an account that already has DT2 complete. Gold can buy runes, food, and gear, but it won't teach you boss mechanics. An account purchase or boosting service skips the quest entirely, but you'll still need to learn the bosses for post-quest PvM.

For most players, the best value is to grind the stats yourself and then complete the quest once. The lamps and boss access pay for themselves over time. But if your playtime is limited, a boost can save dozens of hours.

10. Next Steps: Post-DT2 PvM and Upgrades

After DT2, your account changes. You now have four repeatable bosses that drop Virtus robes, soulreaper axe pieces, and ancient rings. You also have the ring of shadows teleport network, which makes farming these bosses dramatically faster. The next logical step is to learn each boss's standard fight, then work toward the awakened variants for the expensive cosmetic kits and increased drop rates.

For a deeper dive into the awakened bosses and which one to learn first, check out our Awakened DT2 Bosses guide. If you haven't finished Dragon Slayer II yet, that's another grandmaster quest with similar account progression, and our Dragon Slayer II Prep guide covers the stat and gear checks.

The ring of shadows should be your default ring for magic and hybrid setups unless you have a brimstone ring or better. The ancient rings dropped by the bosses are upgrades over the standard rings of wealth or dueling for certain styles. Scar essence mine access also makes runecrafting faster for ironmen and mains who need runes for Ancient Magicks.

Sources

• Desert Treasure II - The Fallen Empire
• DT2 Quick Guide
• Ancient sceptre
• Ring of shadows
• Desert Treasure I