Shield of Arrav

Shield of Arrav is a quest where the shield of the famous Arrav of Avarrocka has been stolen by organised crime syndicates in Varrock.

Setting up
It is very important at this time to decide which gang you wish to join. This choice is important for two reasons:
 * You need a member of the opposite gang to cooperate with you in order to complete this quest.*
 * This choice will show up for future quests if you decide to become a member. Most notably, the Heroes Quest has gang related activities where item trading between both gangs is also an important feature.
 * If you are a skiller/skill pure, you can choose the Black Arm gang and have someone else from the same gang kill the weapon master for you.

Being a member of the Phoenix gang is recommended if a player has lower combat levels, but requires 20 coins.

The Black Arm gang is less complicated to complete, but requires you to defeat a 23 level NPC in close combat in order to obtain the Phoenix gang's crossbows so as to join the Black Arm gang.

To find a partner for the quest, it is recommended to check the Oldschool Runescape forums. There is an official clan chat, Osrs Soa, which is dedicated for finding another partner for this quest, in addition to Heroes' Quest. It tends to be easier to find a partner if you choose the Phoenix Gang.

Shared starting
Items required: None. Talk to Reldo, located in Varrock's library, in Varrock Palace. Ask him for a quest and he will tell you there is probably a book on something in the library. You have to now check the bookcase with a blue book in the top shelf. When you've found it, read or skim through it. After you've read the book, speak with Reldo and ask him about the whereabouts of the Phoenix Gang, but he tells you to go to Baraek, the fur trader in Varrock square, because he doesn't know.

At this stage, you can either join the Phoenix Gang or the Black Arm Gang. If you wish to join the Phoenix Gang, speak to Baraek. Otherwise, talk to Charlie the Tramp, next to the southern gate of Varrock.

Phoenix Gang
Items required: 20 coins, and a weapon (optional but recommended).

Baraek is located in the centre of Varrock. (To join the Black Arm Gang, go talk to Charlie the Tramp) He buys and sells furs, and his stall is marked with an icon of bear fur. Talk to him and ask about the Phoenix Gang. At first he will refuse, then he will want you to give him 20 coins for info. Give him 20 coins, and he will tell you it is located in the south-east corner of Varrock. Ask him all the questions available.

The hideout is near the south-east corner of Varrock between the two bars. It is a bit south of the rune shop. Look for a red exclamation mark (on your map) to find the hideout. When you've found the red exclamation mark, you will see a ladder. Climb down it to enter the Phoenix Gang's hideout.

Inside the hideout, talk to Straven. If you ask to join, he will mention the Varrock Herald newspaper. This is a cover up. There should be an option to tell him that you know who he is, a member of the Phoenix Gang.

Straven will want you to kill Jonny the beard (combat level 2). He is located in Varrock's Blue Moon Inn. This bar is located near the south entrance of Varrock. Go inside the bar and find Jonny the Beard and kill him. Note that killing him with a ring of recoil won't make him drop anything.

Johnny will drop a report which Straven needs. Grab the report and bring it back to Straven. Talk to Straven while having the report in your inventory, and he will make you a Phoenix Gang member, allowing you to enter their hideout. Straven will also give you the Weapon store key, which you need to save for your partner. The thieves walking around are not aggressive to any players, but will retaliate if you attack them.

'''Note: You can go upstairs and kill the Weaponsmaster yourself and take the two Phoenix crossbows and trade these to your partner. Your partner has no need to fight the Weaponsmaster himself and can simply turn in the crossbows to become a member of the Black Arm Gang.'''

Look around for a chest in the south-west corner of the hideout to find one half of the Shield of Arrav. You can only grab one shield at a time, and you can no longer obtain it after completing the quest.

Black Arm Gang
Items required: 5 coins, food, and a weapon (both optional but recommended). To join the Black Arm Gang, talk to Charlie the Tramp located near the south entrance of Varrock. Ask him what’s down the alley, and he’ll tell you that it’s the Black Arm Gang’s hideout. Go down the alley and enter the building. Look for a woman named Katrine and talk to her.

Tell her you know about her gang and that you won't give your source. Ask her about what you should do to prove that you're trustworthy and she will give you a task to join her gang.

Katrine wants you to steal from the Phoenix Gang. She wants two of their crossbows. However, you will need a partner in the Phoenix Gang for this part of the quest. Your partner must give you the Weapon store key they obtained when they joined the Phoenix Gang. Once you have the key, go toward the Phoenix Gang's hideout in the south-east corner of Varrock between the two pubs. Look for a small room directly south of the rune shop with a locked door and a ladder visible inside. When you've found it, use the key with the door and climb up the ladder.

You will have to kill the Weaponsmaster on this floor. If you try to pick up the crossbow without killing the Weaponsmaster first, he will prevent you from doing so. Once he is dead, take two Phoenix crossbows. When you have both of them, go back to Katrine, and she will make you a member of the Black Arm Gang. Go upstairs in the hideout and look for a cupboard, which contains one half of the Shield of Arrav.

Note: If you are worried about the battle, you can ask your partner to kill the Weaponsmaster himself and simply trade the Phoenix crossbows to you.

Finishing Up
Items required: Shield of Arrav half

Take your half of the shield to Curator Haig Halen, located in the Varrock Museum. He will take your half of the shield and give you two copies of half the certificate. Your partner, who has the other half of the Shield, will receive the other half of the certificate. Trade one half of the certificate with your partner for the other half. When you have both certificate halves, use them on the other to obtain a completed certificate.

Take the certificate to King Roald in the castle to receive your reward. Quest completed.

Rewards

 * 1 Quest point
 * 600 coins

Trivia

 * Shield of Arrav was one of the 6 quests available during RuneScape's launch.
 * Once a player finishes the quest, they can no longer take any halves of the shield from their storage places. However, players can still acquire the halves of the shield from other players (via trading, drops, or general stores).
 * In the beginning, a bug allowed the player to join both gangs. Katrine would appear angry at the player, but the player would still be able to enter the Black Arm Gang. The Phoenix gang doorman would also attack the player.
 * In the early days, entering the Phoenix Gang's headquarters required a separate key. This was later changed, and the key was removed from the game.
 * The shield is currently on display at the Varrock Museum after you speak to the curator on the second floor and tell him how you recovered the shield for the museum.
 * The following is the certificate received at the end of the quest: Shield of Arrav certificate.png