Cryptic clues are common riddle clues that can be found in all level Treasure Trails. These clues demand a fairly wide variety of tasks. The tasks can be from speaking to an NPC, searching a designated crate, or directing the player to dig in some fairly obscure location. For higher difficulty Treasure Trails, players may have to complete additional side tasks in order to complete the clue. These side task challenges may include finding a key or completing a puzzle box.
When doing medium Treasure Trails, clues will occasionally lead to a locked chest or drawer, which requires a key to open. Attempting to open the chest or drawer will provide a clue to which specific, usually local, monster to kill. Monsters that drop treasure trail keys drop them only when the player is in possession of that clue. It is worth noting that for clue steps involving keys, it is possible to obtain the key before reading the hint, which could save the player some time.
During hard or master clues, players may receive a puzzle box challenge from a NPC. Players must unscramble the image in order to receive the next clue or the reward.
During master clues, players are given three cryptic clues. Players must go to the destination each cryptic provides and dig at the correct spot to obtain a torn part of the clue scroll. When all three are obtained they automatically fuse to become the next step in the treasure trail or a casket.
Elite Cryptic clues
| Clue | Notes | Task | Image |
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| A demon's best friend holds the next step of this clue. | Kill a hellhound.
Note: Killing Cerberus or hellhounds inside the God Wars Dungeon does not count. |
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| A Guthixian ring lies between two peaks. Search the stones and you'll find what you seek. | Search the stones several steps west of the Guthixian stone circle in Taverley, search the stones. | 
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| A reck you say; let's pray there aren't any ghosts. | Speak to Father Aereck in Lumbridge. | 
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| A ring of water surrounds 4 powerful rings. Dig by the ladder that is located there. | Dig by the ladder leading to the Dagannoth Kings' room in the Waterbirth Island Dungeon. | 
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| Dig under Razorlor's toad batta. | Dig on the toad batta spawn in Tarn's Lair. See this map for directions. From the entrance, follow the route C-K, or, alternatively, D-S-Q-P-O-N-M-L.
Or alternatively, from the Slayer ring teleport, east, past mages, get pushed by wall crushers, south, south, west, south, search the tile for the log and jump over, south, south, "go down", but you'll fall right where the toad batta is. |
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| Dig where the forces of Zamorak and Saradomin collide. | Dig next to the law rift in the Abyss, in the north-east section. |
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| Desert insects is what I see, Taking care of them was my responsibility. Your solution is found by digging near me. | Dig next to the entomologist, in the Kalphite Cave east of Shantay Pass. |
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| Dobson is my last name, and with gardening I seek fame. | Horacio, located in the garden of the Handelmort Mansion in East Ardougne. |
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| Does one really need a fire to stay warm here? | Located next to the fire near the Volcanic Mine entrance on the Fossil Island Volcano. |
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| Even the seers say this clue goes right over their heads. | Search the crate on the Seers' Village Agility Course. Requires 60 Agility (can be boosted from 55 with a Summer pie). |
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| Ghostly bones. | Kill an Ankou, which can be found on the 4th level of Stronghold of Security, the Stronghold Slayer Cave, the Catacombs of Kourend, and The Forgotten Cemetery. |
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| Green is the colour of my death as the winter-guise, I swoop towards the ground. | Required:  , partial completion of Troll Romance.
Players need to slide down to where Trollweiss grows on Trollweiss Mountain. |
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| His bark is worse than his bite. | Speak to Barker at Canifis's Barkers' Haberdashery. |
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| In a while... | Kill a crocodile. |
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| I burn between heroes and legends. | Speak to the candle maker in Catherby. |
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| I am the one who watches the giants. The giants in turn watch me. I watch with two while they watch with one. Come seek where I may be. | Speak to Kamfreena on the top floor of the Warriors' Guild. |
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| I live in a deserted crack collecting soles. | Enter the crack west of Nardah rug merchant, and talk to the genie. A rope and a lightsource are required (Spirits of the Elid required). |
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| Let's hope you don't meet a watery death when you encounter this fiend. | Kill a waterfiend. |
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| Mix yellow with blue and add heat, make sure you bring protection. | Kill a green dragon. Note Brutal Green Dragons do NOT work. |
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| Reflection is the weakness for these eyes of evil. | Kill a basilisk, which requires a mirror shield and 40 Slayer. |
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| Right on the blessed border, cursed by the evil ones. On the spot inaccessible by both; I will be waiting. The bugs' imminent possession holds the answer. | Dig right under the fairy ring located west of Filliman's grotto. The fairy ring code is BIP. Players without access to fairy ring transport can use the shortcut to get to the island provided they have 50 Agility. |
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| Scattered coins and gems fill the floor. The chest you seek is in the north east. | Kill the King Black Dragon for a key (elite), and then open the closed chest in the north-east corner of the lair. | 
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| 'See you in your dreams' said the vegetable man. | Speak to Dominic Onion at the Nightmare Zone teleport spot. |
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| Show this to Sherlock | Sherlock can be found south of Seers' Village. Players will have to perform one of the Sherlock tasks in order to complete this challenge. | 
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| Stop crying! Talk to the head. | Talk to the Head mourner in the Mourner Headquarters in West Ardougne. Starting Mourning's Ends Part I is required. Bring mourner gear, unless the player has a slayer ring, in which they can teleport to dark beasts and head east towards the headquarters. |
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| Speak to a Wyse man. | Talk to Wyson the gardener at Falador Park. |
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| Surround my bones in fire, ontop the wooden pyre. Finally lay me to rest, before my one last test. | Kill a confused barbarian or lost barbarian within the Ancient Cavern to receive mangled bones. Construct a pyre ship and burn the bones onto the pyre with logs, a tinderbox, and an axe. Kill the ferocious barbarian spirit that spawns to receive the next clue. |
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| The beasts retreat, for their Queen is gone; the song of this town still plays on. Dig near the birthplace of a blade, be careful not to melt your spade. | (Requires full completion of the Swan Song quest. There is no need to accept the reward though!) Dig in front of the small furnace in the Piscatoris Fishing Colony. |
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| Three rule below and three sit at top. Come dig at my entrance. | Dig in front of the entrance to the Waterbirth Island Dungeon. |
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| Varrock is where I reside, not the land of the dead, but I am so old, I should be there instead. Let's hope your reward is as good as it says, just 1 gold one and you can have it read. | Talk to Gypsy Aris, west of Varrock Square. |
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| W marks the spot. | Dig in the middle of the Warriors' Guild entrance hall. To enter, a player must have their Attack and Strength levels add up to a total of 130 or have either one equal to 99. |
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| With a name like that, you'd expect a little more than just a few scimitars. | Speak to Daga on Ape Atoll. |
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| You'll get licked. | Kill a bloodveld. Mutated variants will not work. |
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| You'll have to plug your nose if you use this source of herbs. | Kill an aberrant spectre (Deviant spectres in catacombs will NOT work!) and pick up the clue or casket that it drops. |
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| You might have to turn over a few stones to progress. | Kill a rock crab and pick up the casket or clue that it drops. |
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| You will have to fly high where a sword cannot help you. | Kill an aviansie. |
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| You must be 100 to play with me. | Speak to the Veteran boat squire at Pest Control. |
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| You were 3 and I was the 6th. Come speak to me. | Speak to Vannaka in Edgeville Dungeon. |
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