Method Description, Instructions and Tips for Success

General Description

Astral runes are an essential ingredient in Lunar Magicks spells, and are primarily obtained through runecrafting them at the altar on Moonclan Island. This is a special altar in that it requires no tiara or talisman and also cannot be accessed via the Abyss, so you make astral runes merely by running from the bank to the altar, and then usually teleporting back to the bank again. The teleport requires you to be on Lunar Magicks, and it does cost you two astral runes and one law rune per run, but the time it saves makes it worthwhile.

Astrals aren't a huge moneymaker until you can get doubles per essence, but thanks to the November 2009 Runecrafting update, you start to get doubles not far above the minimum needed for astrals. Once you hit level 82 and get two runes per essence consistently, this is a very good method to earn cash and get XP as well.

The energy update in June 2009 has made it unnecessary to use energy restoring potions or scrolls, speeding up the process nicely.

Specific Method Details

Start by getting to the Moonclan Island bank, by teleporting directly (if already on Lunar Magicks), traveling via Rellekka, or using an astral altar teleport tablet obtained from the Great Orb Project minigame.

At the bank put on weight reducing gear, Varrock armor 3 from the Varrock Achievement Diary (to provide some lightweight protection against suqah attacks) and equip an earth staff or lava battlestaff. Take out of the bank your four pouches and an abyssal lurker pouch; summon the familiar. Take out a full load of pure essence and fill your three smaller pouches. Take out more and fill the giant pouch and familiar. Finally, take out one law rune and fill the rest of your inventory with still more essence.

Exit the bank and run southeast towards the astral altar. You'll pass through a flax field and go by one or more suqahs -- try to go quickly past those so they don't get too many shots at you. When you arrive at the altar, craft the essence in your inventory. Empty your three smaller pouches and craft that essence. Then empty the giant pouch and take the essence from your familiar and craft again. If you aren't already on Lunar Magicks then turn them on, and use the Moonclan Group Teleport to return to the bank (it costs the same as the single teleport but gets you closer to the bank for some reason.)

Once in a while you will also need to make a trip to the Abyss to repair your pouches. If you want to play it safe you can do this while leaving the pouches in your bank (oddly enough). If you don't mind a small risk, then take your full pouches with essence to the Abyss, get them repaired, then go through one of the rifts (such as nature or cosmic) to craft some runes there. This actually takes about the same amount of time so it doesn't slow you much at all. Also, if you have a high enough level to cast the NPC Contact spell, you can now have the dark mage repair your pouches without having to go to the Abyss!