Temple of Ikov OSRS Quest Guide
Temple of Ikov is an intermediate-length OSRS quest that pulls you into the Mahjarrat Lucien’s plot to claim the Staff of Armadyl. You'll need 42 Thieving and 40 Ranged (bypassable with thrown weapons), plus a yew bow or better, 20 limpwurt roots, and a way to drop your weight to -1kg. The reward is 10,500 Ranged XP, 8,000 Fletching XP, 1 quest point, 5 Varrock Museum kudos, and unlocks both Desert Treasure I and Defender of Varrock. Below is the full walkthrough plus the Lucien-or-Armadyl decision broken down.
Quest Details At A Glance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Length | Medium (20-30 min) |
| Members | Yes |
| Quest Series | Mahjarrat (informally) |
| Start Point | Lucien at the Flying Horse Inn, north-west East Ardougne |
| Quest Points Awarded | 1 |
| Required For | Desert Treasure I, Defender of Varrock |
Requirements
Skill Requirements
- 42 Thieving — boostable (needed to disarm the lever-room traps)
- 40 Ranged — unboostable, but bypassable using thrown weapons (see below)
- Combat level 45+ recommended for the Fire Warrior of Lesarkus
Items Required
- A bow that can fire ice arrows: yew bow, magic bow, dark bow, or any composite bow yew or better — or any thrown weapon (knives, darts, throwing axes) if bypassing the 40 Ranged requirement
- 20 unnoted limpwurt roots (must be delivered all at once — ironman concern)
- A weight-reduction method to hit -1kg or less (Boots of Lightness reduce weight by 4.5kg; graceful or spotted/spottier cloaks also work)
- A knife and a light source (lit candle, bullseye lantern) — only if grabbing the Boots of Lightness
Recommended
- 43 Prayer + prayer potions (Protect from Magic for the Fire Warrior)
- Ranged armour, Ava’s accumulator (or device) — saves arrows during chest looting
- Food (lobsters or better)
- Stamina potions for run energy
- Teleport options: Ardougne teleport (or Ardougne cloak), skills necklace (Fishing Guild), combat bracelet (Ranged Guild), amulet of glory (Edgeville)
Ironman Notes
- Yew longbows drop from young implings — useful if you can’t fletch one yourself.
- All 20 limpwurt roots must be in your inventory at once when handing them to Winelda.
- If you need supplies and want to skip the grind, grab cheap OSRS gold from the #1 RS gold site to fund the bow + roots.
Temple of Ikov Walkthrough
Step 1 — Talk to Lucien
Head to the Flying Horse Inn in the north-west corner of East Ardougne (fastest: Ardougne teleport). Speak to Lucien on the upper floor and accept the quest. He hands you the Pendant of Lucien, which you’ll need to open the dungeon’s gates.
Step 2 — Enter the Temple
Teleport to the Fishing Guild via skills necklace and walk east to the dungeon icon (or use a combat bracelet to the Ranging Guild and head south). Climb down the ladder.
Step 3 — Grab the Boots of Lightness (optional but recommended)
From the entrance, head west and down the stairs. Slash the spider web with your knife and pick up the Boots of Lightness. They reduce your weight by 4.5kg and are the easiest way to get below -1kg for the lava bridge ahead. The boots are also a permanent inventory upgrade for agility training and the Hallowed Sepulchre.
Step 4 — Cross the Lava Bridge and Take the Lever
Equip the Pendant of Lucien and head back upstairs. Go through the north gate. With your weight at -1kg or less, cross the lava bridge (otherwise you fall and take 20 damage). Open the large door, take the lever, and cross the bridge back.
Step 5 — Attach the Lever and Pull It
A bit west of the entrance ladder, attach the lever to the wall bracket. Now pull it — you’ll see the message “You hear the clunking of some hidden machinery.” If you don’t see that message, the lever isn’t attached correctly. This is the #1 reason players think the lever is “broken.”
Step 6 — Loot Ice Arrows
Go through the south gate and follow the icy path. Search the chests for ice arrows. Aim for ~16 with Ava’s device and 60+ Ranged, or ~20 without. Two efficiency tips:
- A chest can drop arrows multiple times in a row — re-search the same chest immediately after a successful loot.
- You must search every chest after a drop to reset the loot pool. World hopping at one chest no longer resets them.
Step 7 — Disarm the Lever-Room Traps
Go back through the north gate (Pendant of Lucien still equipped). Continue straight north into a small room with a lever. Right-click the lever and search for traps (requires 42 Thieving). Then pull the lever to open the next gate.
Step 8 — Defeat the Fire Warrior of Lesarkus
Head west then north through the doors. The Fire Warrior of Lesarkus (level 84) spawns when you try to enter the second door. He attacks with Magic, so flick on Protect from Magic to take zero damage and finish him with your ice arrows. He cannot be safespotted, but with prayer up he’s a non-issue.
Step 9 — Hand 20 Limpwurt Roots to Winelda
Find Winelda the witch and give her all 20 unnoted limpwurt roots in one go. She teleports you across the lava. Heads-up for ultimate ironmen juggling items: this is one-way — you can’t turn around once teleported.
Step 10 — Optional: Grab the Shiny Key
Before pushing the wall north, follow the path to its end and grab the Shiny key. It unlocks a permanent shortcut between the Temple of Ikov and McGrubor’s Wood — useful if you ever come back for the dungeon (or for fast travel near Hemenster).
Step 11 — Reach the Guardians and Choose Your Side
Push the wall to the north into the room of Guardians of Armadyl. From here, you have two paths to finish the quest. Both award identical XP and quest points — pick the side that fits your roleplay.
Lucien or Armadyl — Which Side Should You Choose?
This is the most-asked question about Temple of Ikov, and the answer is honestly anticlimactic: both endings give the exact same rewards (10,500 Ranged XP, 8,000 Fletching XP, 1 quest point, Armadyl pendant, Pendant of Lucien). The only difference is who you kill at the end.
| Path | What you do | Difficulty of final fight |
|---|---|---|
| Good (Armadyl) | Talk to a Guardian, get the Armadyl pendant, then teleport to the Grand Exchange and kill Lucien (level 14) in his house. | Trivial — Lucien is level 14 |
| Evil (Lucien) | Skip the Guardians’ conversation, grab the Staff of Armadyl from the table (you’ll be attacked by a Guardian, level 43, easily safespotted behind a chair), then deliver the staff to Lucien at his house. | Easy with safespot, slightly harder |
Recommendation: Side with Armadyl (good path) — it’s the cleaner fight, and Lucien shows up later as a major Mahjarrat antagonist anyway. If you want the lore arc to track, killing him here is a fun callback. But mechanically it’s a wash.
Good Path Steps
- Remove your Pendant of Lucien.
- Talk to a Guardian of Armadyl. Choose: “I seek the Staff of Armadyl,” then “Lucien will give me a grand reward for it!”, then “You’re right, it’s time for my yearly bath.”, then “Ok! I’ll help!”
- Receive the Armadyl pendant.
- Teleport to the Grand Exchange (amulet of glory to Edgeville is the nearest tile if no GE teleport).
- Equip the Armadyl pendant, enter Lucien’s house just west of the Grand Exchange, and kill him (level 14).
Evil Path Steps
- Walk into the north-west room and try to take the Staff of Armadyl from the table. A Guardian of Armadyl (level 43) will attack — pull him behind a chair to safespot, or tank with Protect from Melee.
- Take the Staff of Armadyl.
- Travel to Lucien’s house just west of the Grand Exchange and hand him the staff.
Rewards
- 1 Quest Point
- 10,500 Ranged XP
- 8,000 Fletching XP
- Armadyl pendant (if you sided with Lucien, you must kill Guardians to obtain it post-quest)
- Pendant of Lucien — permanent door access inside the Temple of Ikov
- 5 Varrock Museum kudos — claim from Historian Minas in the Varrock Museum
- Optional: Boots of Lightness (only obtainable here in OSRS — useful for agility XP and the Hallowed Sepulchre)
- Optional: Shiny key (McGrubor’s Wood shortcut)
What Temple of Ikov Unlocks
- Desert Treasure I — the iconic Mahjarrat quest that unlocks Ancient Magicks. Required prereq: Temple of Ikov.
- Defender of Varrock — required to start.
Common Issues & Quick Fixes
- “The lever isn’t working” — You probably pulled it before attaching it to the wall bracket. Pick the lever back up, attach it to the bracket west of the entrance ladder, then pull. Look for the “clunking” chat message.
- “I keep falling off the lava bridge” — Your weight is above -1kg. Equip Boots of Lightness AND graceful (or spotted/spottier cloak) to drop further.
- “I don’t have 40 Ranged” — Equip ice arrows and use a thrown weapon (knives/darts/throwing axes) instead of a bow. The 40 Ranged check is bypassed.
- “Winelda won’t take my limpwurt roots” — You need all 20 unnoted in your inventory at once. Noted roots and partial counts are rejected.
Final Thoughts
Temple of Ikov is one of the better-paced intermediate quests in OSRS — short enough to knock out in a session, with a real choice at the end and three meaningful unlocks: Desert Treasure I access, the Boots of Lightness, and the Pendant of Lucien for re-entering the dungeon. If you’re grinding toward Ancient Magicks or Defender of Varrock, this is a mandatory stop.
Stuck on the Fire Warrior or short on a yew bow? Join our Discord — one of our elite Questers can knock this quest out for you safely. And if you need supplies, grab cheap OSRS gold from the #1 RS gold site.