Welcome to Varlamore’s Weirdest (and Most XP Efficient) Art Class
Ever wanted to be a spiritual wood-carving guru while grinding your Fletching levels? Well, congratulations, Jagex has made your oddly specific dreams come true. Welcome to Vale Totems, where you’ll spend your time making wooden monuments for forest spirits who apparently have very strong opinions about interior decorating.
Located in Auburn Valley (yes, that’s in Varlamore for those keeping track), this minigame is basically summer camp arts and crafts, but with insane XP rates and mystical ents who judge your artistic choices.
Before You Start Your Spiritual Journey
The Boring But Important Stuff:
- Level 20 Fletching minimum (anything lower and even the spirits will laugh at you)
- Complete the “Vale Totems” mini-quest (because nothing in OSRS is ever straightforward)
- A knife (regular or the fancy new Fletching knife if you’re feeling bougie)
- Logs (the more, the merrier, these spirits are demanding)
Getting There:
- Fairy Ring AIS (requires some Fairytale II progress, yes, that quest everyone procrastinates)
- Pendant of Eights to Venus’s Retreat (fancy teleport for fancy people)
Pro tip: Bring an axe if you want to live the full lumberjack experience and chop your own logs on-site.
How This Actually Works
Picture this: you’re running around eight different spots, carving totems like you’re preparing for the world’s most spiritual craft fair. Here’s the breakdown:
The Basic Loop
- Carve a totem at one of eight sites (it’s like musical chairs, but with wood)
- Decorate it with items that match the local spirits’ vibes (yes, spirits are apparently that picky)
- Move to the next spot and repeat (welcome to your new cardio routine)
The Magic Happens Here
Ent Trails: Those glowing paths on the ground aren’t just pretty lights, they’re your ticket to doubled offerings and a 15% XP boost. Step on them like your XP gains depend on it (because they do).
Admiring Ents: Sometimes you’ll find ents just chilling and appreciating nature. Chat with them for free run energy restoration. It’s like having a spiritual energy drink vendor following you around.
The Decoration Game: You can add up to four decorations per totem. More decorations = more offerings = more research points. The spirits basically reward you for good interior design.
📊 The Numbers Game: Logs, Levels, and Loot
Different logs = different rewards. It’s not rocket science, but here’s the breakdown for those who like their information served with data:
Quick Translation: Higher level logs = more offerings = more research points = more cool stuff. Redwood logs are your endgame goal, assuming you have the levels to support your spiritual wood-carving habit.
The Loot That Makes It All Worth It
Research Points: Your New Currency
Every 100 offerings = 1 research point + a random reward. Think of it as a loyalty program, but for tree spirits.
What You Can Buy with Your Hard-Earned Points:
The Real Talk: That Fletching knife isn’t just for show, it actually speeds up your carving. The bow string spool is a game-changer for anyone tired of making bowstrings one at a time like a peasant. And that Greenman mask? Pure fashionscape gold.
Other Random Goodies
You’ll also get seeds (for your farming addiction), arrow tips (because who doesn’t need more projectiles), flax bales (for the masochists who still spin their own bowstrings), and various other rewards that’ll make your bank tabs look like a medieval marketplace.
Pro Strategies
The Essential Setup
RuneLite Plugin: If you’re not using the Totem Fletching plugin, you’re basically playing with your eyes closed. It highlights ent trails and tells you exactly what decorations to use. It’s like having a GPS for spiritual wood carving.
Log Basket: Essential for carrying enough logs (you’ll need about 40 per run). This reduces bank trips and keeps you in the flow state.
Graceful Outfit: The constant running between totems will drain your energy fast. Graceful + decent Agility makes this much more sustainable.
Advanced Techniques for the Dedicated
Fletch While Playing: Master the art of fletching longbows while doing the minigame. With magic logs, this can push your combined XP rates up to 420,000 per hour. It’s like multitasking, but profitable.
Route Optimization: Learn the most efficient path between all eight totem sites. The suggested route shown in community guides can help you maintain steady flow and avoid wasted time. Pro tip: clockwise rotations tend to work best.
Log Management: You need about 40 logs per full run (8 totems + 32 decorations). A log basket makes this much more manageable.
Graceful + Agility: High Agility (around 70+) and graceful outfit will let you run constantly without stamina potions, making your rotations much smoother.
Always Use Your Best Logs: The XP difference between log types is massive. Don’t cheap out with oak when you could be getting 10x the XP with higher-tier logs.
💰 The Bottom Line: Why You Should Care
XP Rates: The exact rates depend on your log type and setup:
Standard Totem Building:
- Oak logs: 20,000 – 25,000 XP/hour
- Willow logs: 50,000 – 60,000 XP/hour
- Maple logs: 80,000 – 95,000 XP/hour
- Yew logs: 130,000 – 150,000 XP/hour
- Magic logs: 245,000 – 285,000 XP/hour
- Redwood logs: 300,000 – 350,000 XP/hour
Bonus XP from Multi-Tasking:
- Fletching decorations while playing: You can gain additional XP by fletching longbows during the activity
- Magic logs + fletching: Up to 420,000 XP/hour when combining totem building with longbow fletching
- Construction XP bonus: You also get Construction XP when first building each totem (varies by level)
That’s some of the fastest Fletching XP in the game, making traditional methods look like they’re standing still.
The Cost: Let’s be real, this isn’t a money maker. You’ll be spending GP on logs for fast XP, but the research point rewards and utility items help offset some costs.
The Fun Factor: Let’s be honest, it beats the hell out of traditional Fletching training. At least here you’re moving around and there’s some strategy involved.
Too much to process? Don’t worry,that’s what we’re here for!
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