QUESTS

[calderamods]

ACTIVE QUESTS

DRYAD QUESTS

★★☆☆☆ THE ROOTS THAT SLEEP

As the trees sleep in winter, the underground root network of Dryad lands burrows deeper into the earth to hibernate. This season it would appear something has gone wrong; from Gourdmill to Maple Crest, the roots seem to have pulled back, leaving swaths of woodland loose and unstable. Trees tilt dangerously over homesteads, sections of forest threaten to topple, orchards that have borne fruit for generations may fall and cause massive food shortages come next harvest, and thin cracks form over the surface of the soil like splintering ice.

The Dryad councils fear a deeper cause; is it a rot, some disease? Or perhaps something beneath the surface has frightened the roots into retreat.

Visitors are asked to descend into ancient earthen caves and burrows and find the areas where the roots should be. Those gifted with the ability to communicate with plants can commune with the trees on the surface for guidance and information to lead the way. Eventually, it is discovered that the source of concern is a lost and wayward coblyn, a lonely creature awakened by the unusually frigid cold. It seeks warmth and camaraderie, but as it reaches out for the roots, its touch sends them curling away in terror. Visitors can drive it off with a show of force, or grant it kindness and share their own warmth instead. They can even offer it a new home–perhaps beneath the blackened soil of Ignacia's Cradle, where warmth and spirits of flame abound.

However they resolve it, the land will remember, as will the citizens whose homes, forests, and orchards were saved.


REWARDS: 200 Bones | NON-DRYAD BONUS: 25 Bones

★★★☆☆ GOLEMS GONE WILD

Eoras Tealeaf is a gentle, mud-splattered mage who has spent most of his life studying "Mudhearts:" animated guardians formed from river clay and bound with ancient glyphs. He came to the Siltwine Marsh hoping to craft a kinder, sturdier type of golem for the farmers of Gourdmill, one that would plow fields and dredge irrigation channels without complaint.

Alas, it is the nature of experiments to see many failed attempts.

Three nights ago, during a seasonal storm, the runes on his newest creation–Mudheart No. 4, affectionately nicknamed Puddlefoot–flared with unnatural light. The golem stood, keening like colliding rocks and shifting earth, and bolted into the marshland. Since then it has grown more and more unstable, swelling with clay and silt until it stands twice its intended size. Puddlefoot has smashed fences, crushed three storage sheds, and most troubling of all, has begun absorbing tree roots and stones into its body, making it nearly impervious to conventional damage.

Eoras has posted a mud stained missive to the board, begging for help, with a final addendum of:

"Please! Don't destroy him if you can help it. Puddlefoot wasn't made for violence. Something is interfering with his glyphwork! I'll pay you whatever I have, but please bring him back to me in one piece. Or, if that proves impossible, return whatever is left."

Puddlefoot's path through the marsh is not difficult to track; the golem leaves behind deep gouges in the earth, saplings ripped from the ground, as well as fist-sized lumps of pulsating clay, as though his form is shedding. When found, Puddlefoot has become massive and feral, but the source of what is interfering with his glyphwork is at least quite obvious: a chunk of glowing crystal is lodged in the center of his chest, the same type of crystal usually harvested from the mines. The crystal is uncut and unpolished, which makes it unlikely that it was placed there by Eoras, as the crystals used for experiments and spellworks are highly processed, and was likely simply a chunk that formed naturally in the mud and stones of the marsh–uncommon, but not unheard of.

Puddlefoot will zealously guard this crystal in his chest and violently resist all attempts to remove it, so doing so will be difficult. Of course, the golem can simply be destroyed and rendered inert, mundane mud once again, but doing so will break Eoras' heart. If the crystal can be removed, Puddlefoot will become docile once more, and can be led back to Eoras peacefully and quietly, where the grateful mage will immediately burst into tears and fling his arms around the puzzled golem's large leg. In addition to your monetary prize, you may also keep the crystal and either sell it or use it for some other magical experiment or purpose.


REWARDS: 300 Bones | NON-DRYAD BONUS: 50 Bones

★★☆☆☆ THE ELDER HEARTH GROWS DARK

The Elder Hearth is a massive communal bonfire lit yearly in Grey Ward during the coldest nights of winter. Nestled at the heart of the city, it is a place where all those who dwell or simply pass through the city may come for warmth, food, and fellowship. Every year, a ceremonial spark is carried from one of the outer villages to light the fire; this year the spark comes all the way from far flung Oak Run. But when the torch arrives, the flame refuses to catch. Instead, the firewood hisses and spits, the smell of something rotten rising with the wisps of smoke.

The Grey Ward council is baffled, but an old fire tender states that this has happened once before, long ago, when he was a tot. Back then, according to the stories he heard, a spiteful spirit had stolen the warmth of the hearth, and without the warmth that comes from the intentions of unity and fellowship, the fire cannot catch.

Visitors must explore the city until they find the spirit, which is in the shape of a shivering child. They must chase the spirit through Grey Ward's alleyways and rooftops, flushing it from its hiding spots until they can corner and confront it. Upon communication with it, the spirit confesses that it stole the warmth because it was forgotten by the city, left to fend for itself in the streets to freeze and starve before the Hearth was lit, its body interred in an unmarked grave without proper acknowledgement or ritual. With further investigation, the culprit of the crime is revealed to be a ranking leader of the city guard, who feared the revelation that a vagrant orphan was left to die in the streets would reflect badly on the city and damage his own status and reputation.

The guard insists that the spirit should simply be exorcised; the spirit demands justice and a simple ritual of remembrance. Either option will return the warmth to the ritual, though siding with the guard will leave the Hearth colder.

REWARDS: 200 Bones | NON-DRYAD BONUS: 25 Bones

★☆☆☆☆ BLOOMING HEARTS

Later winter sees the buds of earliest blooming flowers begin to unfurl on vines that curl up walls and trees all through the Dryad lands. Locals call these the Twin Flame blooms; traditionally the flowers are exchanged by couples, both those flush with new love and those who have already made a life together, and the buds bloom simultaneously if their hearts are in sync. A distraught local florist has posted an urgent request to the board: the Twin Flames have gone awry. Couples all over have awoken to find the exchanged buds in their vases dead, twisted, or blooming asynchronously, which has never happened before. Panic is spreading. Fights are erupting. Accusations are thrown. Long-settled couples are questioning their compatibility and their future.

Investigating the vines leads to a particular tree in Berry Burrow's woodlands, inhabited by a nymph who has been poisoning the Twin Flame vines. She was recently betrayed by a mortal lover, and has been left heartbroken and bitter by the failed affair, and if she cannot be happy, why should anyone? Love is a lie, and no one should trust its false promises. Convince her to relent and help heal her heart so that she may make amends, and avoid the possibility of a sudden plague of Calderan divorces.


REWARDS: 100 Bones | NON-DRYAD BONUS: 25 Bones

★★☆☆☆ TOP 5% FOREST GOD

The town councils of Maple Crest and Oak Run jointly invite Visitors to participate in their shared forest pilgrimage tradition. Participants are asked to travel into the woods between the towns and place an offering at the stone altar of the local minor forest deity. While any small token is acceptable — such as a coin, trinket, or snack — the traditional choice is a hand-carved wooden crest depicting either a maple or oak leaf, conveniently available for purchase in both town's souvenir shops. Each council strongly encourages Visitors to select an affiliation, and whichever symbol is chosen will be enthusiastically praised as the obviously correct one.

Several walking paths wind through the forest. Staying on the marked trail results in a calm, pleasant stroll punctuated by ordinary woodland sights: birdsong, squirrels darting through the brush, and the occasional breeze stirring the canopy. Visitors who wander off the main path encounter some inconveniences, such as clouds of mosquitoes, snagging brambles, irritated squirrels chattering loudly at them, or a territorial goose stubbornly blocking the way.

Upon placing the offering at the altar, the forest deity manifests as a figure wrapped in a dense, shrub-like cloak with a deer skull mask. They politely request that Visitors submit an immediate review of their pilgrimage experience, including the quality of the path and the overall ambiance. It quickly becomes evident that the local tourism boards have influenced them, and Visitors must decide whether to comply with this ethically questionable arrangement.

If Visitors choose to provide a positive review, they receive their reward and both towns happily use their quoted remarks in promotional material. If Visitors refuse or leave a negative review, the deity becomes offended and attempts a clumsy, frustrated scuffle. Winning this confrontation results in a lesser reward and a bruised ego from the deity, who flees before they are potentially killed. If the Visitors lose, flee, or later report the deity's behavior to the councils, they are awarded bonus bones by whichever town they did not align with — who are delighted for an excuse to criticize their rival

thank you Mica for the quest suggestion!

REWARDS: 200 Bones | NON-DRYAD BONUS: 50 Bones

UNDINE QUESTS

★☆☆☆☆ HONEY I SHRUNK THE ACOLYTE

The Keepers of Salt Spire have announced, with great embarrassment, that one of their junior acolytes has been accidentally trapped inside a snow globe. To be clear, it is not even an underwater themed snow globe — it is a cheap surface dweller trinket depicting a quaint winter village with falling glitter. Apparently, when the acolyte picked it up during a routine cataloguing of "surface oddities," the globe pulsed with light, the glitter turned into tiny swirling ice-flakes, and — pop! — the poor Undine was sealed inside like a festive decoration. Now the little figure can be seen stomping around the tiny village square, shouting inaudible complaints and occasionally attempting to bodycheck the toy lamppost.

The Keepers insist this is some kind of residual moon corruption magic, but they are far too embarrassed to handle it themselves. The Visitors are asked to retrieve the globe, keep it upright at all times (apparently shaking it makes the acolyte nauseous, or tosses them against the sides), and find a way to crack the enchantment before the Undine has a mental breakdown. The solution is simple: once the party gets pulled inside the snow globe, they discover the tiny toy villagers won't let anyone leave until the Winter Carol is performed. The song starts automatically, the villagers form a perfect circle, and everyone — including the mortified acolyte — is expected to join in. When the party completes the cheerful little tune, the snow whirls upward into a glittery vortex that sucks them out one by one and pops them back into full size. The globe goes inert, the villagers freeze mid-song, and the Keepers quietly pretend none of this ever happened.

REWARDS: 100 Bones | NON-UNDINE BONUS: 25 Bones

★★★☆☆ SHIFTING STATUES

Not far from Salt Spire's western ridge lies an art installation crafted by artist Marion Veyra, that consists of a field of marble statues arranged across the seafloor in elegant poses. Marion's vision for this piece was to create a place of peace beneath the waves — a sanctuary where even the drowned could rest among beauty. For years, divers and pilgrims visited it to meditate, to leave offerings, and to marvel at the sculpture's lifelike grace.

Recently, something changed. People began reporting that the statues had shifted positions between visits — subtle at first, then undeniable. Some faced new directions. Some appeared closer than before. And now, people whisper that those who linger too long among them never return at all. The currents around the gallery distort light strangely, and even those who swim past claim to feel as if they're being watched.

Local Keepers have found that the issue traces back to Marion's choice of material for the statues — a pale stone mined from a reef touched long ago by Cordelia's divine magic. The marble absorbed both her devotion and her despair as she sculpted, awakening something sentient and restless within. When the statues are watched, they are inert. When ignored, they move. Slowly, patiently, always inching closer.

The only safe way to move deeper into the garden is through reflection. Mirrors, polished shells, or even shards of glass can be fixed around helmets or carried in hand, letting explorers see the statues indirectly. The Keepers have begun setting up mirrored plates across the site, though several are missing or cracked. When the reflections overlap — when the statues are seen from multiple angles at once — the movement stops completely.

This discovery has led to a desperate plan: restore the old mirrors around the perimeter, rebuild the circle of sight, and trap the cursed statues in their own reflections. But it's delicate work; someone must keep their eyes on the statues the entire time. Anyone who falters, even for a moment, risks being surrounded.

At the center of the installation lies Marion's final sculpture — her self-portrait, kneeling at the base of a half-buried obelisk, eyes closed as if in prayer. The mirrors nearest her are shattered. Some say her statue moves differently from the others — slower, more hesitant. When the circle is finally complete and every statue stands reflected, the movement ceases for good. The water clears. The silence deepens into calm. And in that stillness, some swear they hear a soft voice whisper, "Thank you for seeing me."

After that, the Gallery remains still. But who knows how long the mirrors will remain unbroken.


REWARDS: 300 Bones | NON-UNDINE BONUS: 50 Bones

★★☆☆☆ GHOST SHIP

In the deep waters surrounding Salt Spire, explorers have reported sightings of an ancient Undine vessel drifting slowly through the dark. The ship, The Seraphine Tide, was lost centuries ago during a violent oceanic collapse, when tremors shattered entire coral ridges and buried fleets beneath the sea. Its reappearance has filled the Keepers with dread. The hull is split by glowing violet fractures, and faint lights move along its decks like the lanterns of the dead.

Those who have ventured near speak of whispers rising from the wreck, voices that echo through the currents in tones too human to ignore. The Keepers believe the crew never passed on, their souls caught between the mortal flow and whatever force stirs in the depths. They have asked Volunteers to descend to the site, uncover what holds the vessel here, and grant peace to the Undine still bound within.

Inside, The Seraphine Tide is eerily preserved. Coral has grown through its decks, and strange, luminous growths have replaced the ship's lanterns. The figures of the crew drift through the flooded corridors, pale and still reliving their final moments. At the helm stands Captain Liros Tideborne, his body half-translucent, his expression calm and hollow. A shard of violet crystal — unmistakably a fragment of the fallen moon — is embedded deep within his chest, pulsing with every word he speaks. He believes he has been sent by Cordelia herself to gather her lost Undine and guide them home, unaware that his devotion has bound them all to unending unrest.

When the shard is destroyed, the light within the ship fades, and the sea grows quiet again. The spectral crew dissolve into motes of pale light that drift upward and scatter into the current, at rest once more. Should the shard be taken intact instead, the vessel will slip back into the darkness, leaving behind only faint echoes that follow its discoverers — whispers asking to be returned to the depths, to the goddess who never called them.


REWARDS: 200 Bones | NON-UNDINE BONUS: 25 Bones

★☆☆☆☆ MOTHER OF A THOUSAND STARS

On the longest night of the Calderan year, citizens of Salt Spire retrieve a puppet cobbled of carved whalebone and sinew from a crypt beneath the library. The head of the puppet is made of carved bony plates designed to look like the head of a desiccated seahorse. Round, golden-glass lanterns are affixed in the eye sockets and lit by magic. The rest of the puppet is effectively just an articulated spine, adorned with strips of colorful fabric, ribbons, and rods with which the puppeteers may make the creature dance and bob her head.

This is the White Horse of the Spire. Some say she’s the mother of all the sea stars that line the sandy depths of the ocean, and it’s her deathless power that enables them to regenerate lost limbs and broken bodies.

On this dark night, her puppeteers, known as the Cavaliers take the White Horse and parade her around the city, circling the Palace, then carry her out to Cordelia’s Shrine. The procession is full of merriment, dancing, noise, and light, like a mummer’s procession. It’s supposed to guarantee good luck and good health for the oncoming year.

It’s folk magic, superstition, but because Cordelia herself is ailing this year, it feels even more important than usual. This year, the Cavaliers are calling upon Visitors to participate.

Help them decorate the White Horse by tying ribbons and tiny glass lanterns along the spine. As they proceed through the town, they will stop at the homes of Undine citizens and beg for a light for the lanterns. It’s traditional for there to be a spoken back-and-forth here, songs and recited poems about the triumphs and tragedies of the previous year.

As you depart the City with your glimmering, bony burden, you will feel the weight of uncertainty. The Queen lies still. Does she dream? Will she wake? The sea is dark around you, and seems to swallow up your songs, but the White Horse still dances, fearless in the face of whatever the future may bring.

Leave lights at Cordelia’s shrine and return singing to the Salt Spire library. The remainder of the night will be for drinking, eating, and warming yourself by the fire under the Horse’s watchful lantern eyes.

REWARDS: 200 Bones | NON-UNDINE BONUS: 20 Bones

SYLPH QUESTS

★★★☆☆ SPECIAL SNOWFLAKE

A fierce, spiraling snowstorm has swallowed the mountain village of Hearthglen, its winds churning unnaturally. Mayor Elira Fennbrook explains that the storm formed around a Luminary Flake — a rare, enchanted snowflake that appears only once every hundred winters. Normally harmless, the flake drifts for only a short time before vanishing, but this one has become trapped in its own uncontrolled magic. If it touches the ground it melts instantly, and its power is lost for another century; if it remains caught in the storm, its unstable energy will continue to warp the weather and could cause great damage to the snowy mountain village.

To prevent disaster, Elira offers the Visitors her most treasured artifact: a frost-iron lantern, an enchanted vessel capable of holding the Luminary Flake without damaging it. The mission is simple in principle but dangerous in practice — someone must venture into the roaring storm, take to the air by any means they can manage, and catch the glowing flake before it falls or is consumed by the blizzard. The storm's wild winds buffet flyers, twist trajectories, and create bursts of whiteout so thick it can blind.

If the Visitors manage to secure the Luminary Flake in the frost-iron lantern and return it safely to Hearthglen, Elira can use its stored magic to repair and reinforce the village's weather wards for the next century.


REWARDS: 300 Bones | NON-SYLPH BONUS: 50 Bones

★★☆☆☆ RAGE IN HEAVEN'S BOW (PART 2)

PART 1

From the desk of Theryl Calder:

Dear Visitors,

I should thank you for all you’ve done. Facing down the moon at Lord Nymion’s back. Closing the rifts that threatened us all. Thank you.

However, recent events have proved beyond the shadow of a doubt what we already suspected: there are no assassins coming from the moon to threaten businesses in Heaven’s Bow. What we have instead is a home-grown organized crime syndicate calling themselves Moonkin. While some of their operatives have been captured and imprisoned thanks to the efforts of Visitors and the city guard, the ringleaders remain at large.

Even worse, the assassin whose handiwork killed my parents has somehow escaped from Lord Nymion’s guardsmen and is once again at large.

My brother Faroe believes this to be an indication there is corruption in the ranks. The city guard, the royal force that served Admiral Aella and still serves Lord Nymion...if even a few are compromised, we might all be in danger.

I last heard from Faroe two days ago. He claimed to be seeking the assassin in the hopes of bringing him back to justice. I’m afraid I might never hear from him again.

So I come to you once more, begging for your aid. Please find my brother before it’s too late.

Sincerely,

T. Calder

Visitors may begin by questioning Theryl, or by approaching Nymion’s guardsmen to find out more about the prison break that permitted the assassin’s escape. Theryl is clearly in emotional distress but his recall is crystal clear. Faroe, he fears, has become obsessed with finding his family’s killers and bringing the whole syndicate down. He shows you his brother’s room, which is full of disjointed notes. A keen eye will recognize that a lot of Faroe’s theories are based around following money trails, particularly from gambling establishments like the one his parents ran.

There are a lot of guardsmen, both in the royal guard and the public city guard, who appear to have won large amounts of money at some of these places. Were they being paid off?

Talking to Nymion’ royal guard will be less fruitful: it’s not that they dislike or distrust Visitors (well, some of them might...they seem to have a high opinion of their lord and mild disdain for everyone else). Still, they will allow you to investigate the cell from which the assassin escaped. By and large, it’s already been wiped clean, but you may locate some spare shreds of fabric on one of the bars.

They’re Sylph-make, from a style of uniform worn commonly by sailors on commissioned airships. If you show them to Theryl, he will recognize them as the colors his brother wore while at work on the airship Righteous Indignation.

You will find the Indignation berthed at Skyfall docks. It’s been out of commission for a couple weeks due to the drama with the Moon. The captain, Lady Circe Levant, will answer questions grudgingly and will allow you to search the ship. Her insight into Faroe’s character is a good match for Theryl’s worries: the young man is ambitious and driven, but fearfully impulsive.

A detailed search of the ship will turn up bloodstains which lead into a compartment in the cargo hold. You will find not only Faroe there, but also the missing assassin. The assassin has been roughed up in a way that suggests torture, but Faroe appears to have been executed with a sword swipe to the back of the neck.

Captain Levant is horrified. While it’s possible she or other crew members may be responsible for these deaths, it’s equally likely there is more Moonkin activity yet to be uncovered. Faroe and the assassin were both loose ends, and someone’s been tying knots.

Take the information to Theryl, and offer him comfort in this dark hour, if you can...

REWARDS: 200 Bones | NON-SYLPH BONUS: 25 Bones

★★★☆☆ THE RUNAWAY WISH

Once a year, after the first snowfall, the floating city of Frostfall Haven rises from the mountains and drifts across the sky for twelve days. During that time, anyone who believes in a bit of magic can be lifted by a soft updraft and set down on its snowy paths. The city is made of shining ice towers, small fir forests, and warm wooden cottages lit by gentle enchanted lanterns.

Normally, a single glowing crystal keeps the city steady and brings it safely back to the ground at the end of the twelfth night.

But this year, the city is rising too high.

During the first night’s celebration, someone stole that crystal. Without it, Frostfall Haven is drifting toward the bright, dangerous upper skies where its magic will eventually break apart.

The thief isn’t a villain, but a lonely child who wished to keep the city in the sky forever so they wouldn’t have to go back to a home they fear. Now the child is wandering somewhere among the drifting platforms as the city slowly breaks apart.

To fix everything, Visitors must cross shaky ice bridges, push through growing snowstorms, search the scattered market pieces, find the child, and return the crystal before the twelfth night ends.

REWARDS: 300 Bones | NON-SYLPH BONUS: 50 Bones

★☆☆☆☆ THE SKY OTTERS TOY HEIST

In Heaven’s Bow, vendors are getting ready for the children’s Eve Festival, but toys, mittens, and tiny wrapped gifts keep disappearing. No tracks, no footprints… just strange little swirls in the snow.

The thieves are a family of sky-otters, cloudborne creatures drawn to anything colorful or jingling. They’ve been “collecting” items for their own celebration and hiding them inside a snowdrift at the edge of the market.

The drift looks solid, but it isn’t. When someone presses a hand to it, the surface gives way and reveals a soft, rounded tunnel just big enough to crawl into.

Inside is a small maze of cloud-snow tunnels, glowing moss, and a cozy “treasure room” stacked with pilfered gifts. The otters mean no harm — they’re just decorating!

Recover the presents and kindly convince the sky-otters to stop before the Eve Festival begins.

REWARDS: 100 Bones | NON-SYLPH BONUS: 20 Bones

NSFW QUESTS

MAGIC DICE

A mischievous inventor has created a pair of Magic Dice for couples. Each die has silly and sexy words on its faces, and the dice have a magical compulsion: whatever combination is rolled, the couple feels deeply inclined to perform it, no matter how silly.

Die 1 Faces: Kiss, Caress, Whisper, Nuzzle, Pet, Lick
Die 2 Faces: Neck, Ear, Hand, Foot, Back, Thigh

For example, rolling Pet + Foot compels the couple to... pet each other's feet. Rolling Whisper + Neck compels whispered flirtation at the neck. So on and so forth. There are a total of 36 combinations, and Visitors are encouraged to keep the dice even after the quest is finished.

REWARDS: 100 Bones | a set of sexy magic dice

GHOSTLY THIRD WHEELING

A luxurious mountain chateau advertises a romantic winter retreat: steaming mineral baths, silk sheets on fine feather beds, and roaring fires perfect for intimate evenings. Lately, however, guests have fled in mortified horror. Every time a couple tries to enjoy their private time — sharing a bath, slipping under the velvet blankets, or even indulging in a simple makeout session — an echoing moan rolls through the walls, followed by the dramatic arrival of a translucent newlywed ghost. The spirit does not realize how wildly inappropriate this is. They materialize right beside the bed, sighing loudly about "lost passion," critiquing the room's mood lighting, offering unsolicited advice on "improving the ambiance," or asking tearfully whether the Visitors have seen page three of their unfinished love letter.

Staff are begging for help; several guests have demanded refunds, and one couple bolted out into the snow half dressed after the ghost leaned in to ask if they had "considered more candles." The Visitors must endure the spirit's theatrical interruptions and follow the trail of missing letter pages the ghost scattered during its death — ghostly scraps of paper hidden under pillows, drifting in the winter garden, and even lodged behind the enchanted hot spring machinery. Only by piecing together the passionate, overblown letter and delivering it aloud can the ghost find closure and stop manifesting at the chateau's most private moments.

If successful, the hostess rewards the couples with a complimentary weekend stay, a bottle of expensive wine, and solemn promises that no spectral newlyweds will intrude on their bath time.

REWARDS: 100 Bones | the above mentioned rewards

THE ROSE KNIGHT'S CHALLENGE

"Lovers of Caldera — the Rose Knight has arrived. A hidden place blooms in Caldera for those who walk hand in hand. Follow the trail of rose petals, step into his secret sanctuary, and let your love blossom."

The moment you accept the quest, a warm breeze brushes your skin as a trail of glowing rose petals curls before you, leading toward a corner of Caldera that feels strangely new, as if it has only appeared for this night. Following the petals, you arrive at a secluded courtyard bathed in the soft glow of starlight, rose vines arching overhead to form a delicate canopy while petals drift lazily through the air. From the center, the Rose Knight steps forward, his armor shimmering like sunlight, gaze lingering on the Visitors with teasing reverence. "Two (or more) hearts walk together," he murmurs, voice smooth as silk, "will you prove your bond to be true? Let the roses judge." In his hand appears a single rose, six soft petals glowing faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat. The Knight kneels to place it in your hands, whispers something you cannot quite hear, and vanishes in a swirl of petals, leaving the courtyard silent, private, and painted in a soft golden light.

Around you, the courtyard is designed for intimacy: a crescent of soft benches and pillows, scattered rose petals to kneel or lie upon, and alcoves to steal away to. The petals of the rose respond to touch, kisses, and any other intimate acts, glowing brighter as your physical and emotional bond deepens. When all six petals shine the brightest, the rose in your hands transforms into an undying bloom, its petals radiant and eternal. As you exit the sanctuary, you feel a deep, unshakable connection to each other — a true blessing from the Rose Knight, marking your bond stronger in a way that will endure beyond this night.

REWARDS: 100 Bones

GENERAL QUESTS

★☆☆☆☆ VIDEO KILLED THE... BIRD...STAR?

The recently formed "Network Guild" is asking the Visitors to help test their brand new "video" feature for the bird devices. Visitors are given a clunky wooden prototype with a crystal lens glued to its forehead and instructed to make a few trial calls. Naturally, the feature barely works. The moment they try it, the video lags so badly the recipient's reactions come several seconds late, faces turn into blurry pixel blobs, and strange filters randomly activate — one that turns the speaker into a potato, cat ears and whiskers overlaying on their heads (or elsewhere), even a wandering mustache that attaches itself to whoever talks the loudest. Sometimes the lens pops out entirely and has to be glued back in place. Despite the chaos, the Guild remains delighted, declaring the test a success once the Visitors complete a handful of calls. As thanks for their "valuable data," each Visitor receives a video bird of their own! Yay?

Notes: this quest can be done via network post, but only replies utilizing the video bird will count and must be at least 10+ comments each.

There is no means to advance this technology yet. Stop asking.

REWARDS: 100 Bones | a video bird

★★★☆☆ WREN BOYS

The wren, according to legend in the town of Linden Hollow, is the king of birds thanks to a contest at the beginning of the world: all the birds determined that their ruler would be the one who could fly the highest. The eagle took to the sky with her powerful wings, and quickly outstripped all the other birds, but the wren, small and delicate but too clever for his own good, burst out of a place in her feathers where he had hidden on the ascent. From there he was able to beat her altitude, flying so close to the sun it turned the feathers on his breast bright red.

(Which goes to show you, behind many a successful man is a woman who did most of the work. But be that as it may…)

Alas for the wren, the real prize for his little trick was to be the dedicated solstice sacrifice every year, caught and killed to bring back the sun. Mind you, it’s been decades since the villagers actually killed the bird. These days they just catch one, stuff him in a cage for twenty hours or so, parade him around the village, and let him go again, with a traumatic but interesting story to tell his bird friends at the bird bar.
The wren must be getting sick of the annual psychodrama, because he’s conspicuously absent this year.

Find us a wren, beg the villagers. Just one, a male with a red breast. Don’t hurt him, just bring him to the town square so we can have our traditional celebration! They will give you nets and a live trap, a cage with a door that will swing shut when he enters to take the bait within.

It sounds simple enough, but the village butts up against the outskirts of the Great Shroud, and your hunt for the wren will take you under the canopy of this ancient forest. Be careful not to get lost amongst the twists and turns of the thick woods. Guard yourself well against the predations of the creatures there, and in time you will come to a copse of trees so dense light does not penetrate through the leaves. Within this space you will be guided onward by the sound of wren song and an occasional fitful gleam of red and brown feathers.

Those who can speak with animals, and even many without that ability, will pick up snatches of words here and there, which sound ominously like the cries and ravings of a madman: the moon dies and the sun follows…no sun, no sun…the stars are all teeth…

They’re coming. They’re coming, don’t let them hurt me, please!

Try as you may to talk him down, he won’t have much pertinent to say beyond laments for the sun, the broken moon, and terror about something, or someone, coming after him. It doesn’t appear to be you he fears, nor the villagers who sent you after him. There’s something else, and it’s sinister beyond his ability to describe.

You can coax him into the trap with a small light placed within it. The flicker of brown wings and red breast-feathers can be seen entering the cage, but when the door snaps shut he doesn’t react, only bends down and pecks the light, swallowing it.
Take up the trap and try to find your way through the thicket as the bird’s ravings become increasingly frantic, and loud. He beats his wings against the walls of the cage, red chest glowing and pulsing, the noise and light reaching a crescendo until–

Until you emerge from the Great Shroud and into the light, onto the very stoop of Linden Hollow. Somehow the last several miles of your journey are blurry. You remember the bird, his distress. You remember running. In the bottom of the cage there is no bird at all, but there are a handful of feathers: red, brown, speckled with black.

The villagers will have to do without a living bird this year. Give them the feathers; they will have to pay what they owe you, and form their own opinions about whether it’s a fluke or a portent of disaster to come.

REWARDS: 300 Bones

★★☆☆☆ RACE AGAINST TIME

A mysterious illness has broken out in a remote town on the western slopes of the Skyward Mountains. Known as Moondust, the malady manifests in the formation of small, silvery-grey scales on the skin of the face, hands, and feet. It progresses further into fever and seizures, and in nearly all cases it results in a lingering death by desiccation, as the body of the sufferer turns slowly to grey dust.

Healers and researchers from Undine, Dryad, and Sylph have all been working together on a treatment. With the god in the Moon either dead for good, or in full retreat, they achieved a breakthrough in their search for a cure, and a multi-faction team set out from Grey Ward a little over a week ago, riding a Sylph airship and hoping to cross the Deadlands in order to get to their destination quickly.

Unfortunately, the notoriously treacherous Deadlands weather is no less harsh in winter. The last transmission-via-bird from the airship Wings of Hope indicates they were caught in a blizzard near the mountains and might be forced to land to wait out the ferocious wind. No further messages have been received.

Their teammates will provide you with maps, supplies, weaponry–anything you need. They are desperate to get medicine to the people of Skyward, and just as desperate to send help to their lost colleagues. Depending on your method of travel, you may face winter winds in the sky or dangerous monsters on the ground. When you reach the place where Wings of Hope came to rest, you will find the team there in dire straits, hypothermic and out of food and water. The ship itself has been so heavily covered with snow it will take weeks to thaw and repair it.

Your options are to bring the exhausted researchers to Skyward-town with you in order to deliver the medicine, to insist on returning home with them for the sake of their own safety, or to split your party.

Whatever you choose, you run a risk: researchers might die on the way forward, but retreating with them almost guarantees more deaths in Skyward.

REWARDS: 200 Bones

★★☆☆☆ THE COMET SONG

Months back, a streak of light across the night sky was noted by Caldera astronomers and widely dismissed as a passing meteor. Some, however, believed that it broke through the atmosphere and landed somewhere far out in the ocean. As the Undine reported no disturbances, the matter was forgotten--until recently, when sailors began spinning tales of a strange song drifting from a small island, one of the rare spits of land unclaimed by any faction. It was not, by all accounts, the same song sometimes heard by hungry sirens, but something else entirely. Something eerie, and sad. You are asked to investigate these rumors and, if possible, retrieve the fragment of the sky that may have landed on the island. However, getting to the island proves difficult: the closer the chartered boat gets to the island, the more unbearable the song becomes. You must find a way to the shore while blocking out the increasingly unpleasant sounds, retrieve the piece of meteoric rock, and keep the fragment muffled for long enough to take it back to the faction of your choosing, so they may study it and understand its origins, and the purpose of its song.

REWARDS: 200 Bones

★★★☆☆ THE CLOCKWORK CARAVAN

Excited whispers have begun to run along the gossip grapevine about the return of the Clockwork Caravan: a mysterious, roving procession of brass constructs shaped like animals, wagons, and humanoids, all moving in perfect, unnerving unison. It appears only once every few decades, without a discernable pattern or rhyme, and vanishes just as quickly. Even following its trail across Caldera is impossible, as the Caravan often vanishes when turning a bend; to find it, one must listen for the perfectly synchronized ticking. Etched in bold letters on one wagon read the following words:

THE CARAVAN KEEPS WHAT IS OWED.
THE CARAVAN RETURNS WHAT IS PAID.

But this time, one frantic young mother insists that the Caravan has stolen her child: the first such accusation that anyone can remember being leveled at the caravan. Serena Mallow claims that she watched her young daughter, Lynette, speak to a small, doll-like construct, that offered her its hand and lifted her into the wagon. Lynette did not scream, or cry, but simply waved goodbye as the wagon rolled away, then vanished. "Please," Serena cries. "Everyone says the Caravan only takes what is offered. But I never offered my child! I want her back. I will give you everything I own! Just make them give me back my child!"

The Clockwork Caravan does not obey roads. It leaves no tracks. Only the ticking of thousands upon thousands of gears mark its passage. You must find a way to catch up to the Caravan as it stops for the night, and find Lynette curled in the back of a wagon, fast asleep. Alas, you will quickly discover two things: one, Lynette will not wake, and two, you cannot simply abscond with the wayward child. Should you try, you will find yourself surrounded immediately by the ticking constructs, who chime in unison:

"THE CHILD OFFERED HERSELF WITH OPEN HANDS.
TO UNMAKE A GIFT, ANOTHER MUST BE GIVEN."

Bones will not do, nor gold, nor jewels. Instead, the Caravan will trade the child for:

--A treasured keepsake
--A promise they failed to keep
--A piece of their shadow
--A month of their life (this does not mean a month off of their life: a month of their life will just simply disappear from all memory)
--A secret they swore never to tell

The Caravan can be fought, but doing so will threaten Lynette's life as well, as she has tied herself to the constructs with her innocent vow. You may also attempt to outsmart the deal, if you can think of some clever way to do so. Whatever you chose, time is of the essence, for the Caravan will soon vanish for an undeterminable amount of decades, and take the child with it.

REWARDS: 300 Bones

source

Quest Difficulty Key:
★☆☆☆☆ - Easy, could likely be done solo and without any special abilities.
★★☆☆☆ - A little difficult. Wouldn't hurt to have a friend or two along just in case. Special abilities probably not necessary, but useful.
★★★☆☆ - Moderate difficulty. Bring 1-2 friends at least. Some abilities would likely be needed to accomplish this quest.
★★★★☆ - Difficult. Bring plenty of friends and special abilities.
★★★★★ - Nightmare. Rare and usually requiring a large group of companions. Special abilities mandatory.

◾Quests can only be done once per character unless stated otherwise.

◾Consult the flora and fauna page for further details on listed creatures/plants in quests!

◾ Archived quests can be found here for reference to quests with numerous parts.

◾Have a suggestion for a quest? See this thread and let us know.

Comments

ARCHIVED QUESTS

[calderamods]

◾(2024) JUNE-AUGUST ROTATION
◾(2024) SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER ROTATION
◾(2024-25) DECEMBER-FEBRUARY ROTATION
◾(2025) MARCH-MAY ROTATION
◾(2025) JUNE-AUGUST ROTATION
◾(2025) SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER ROTATION

QUESTIONS

[calderamods]

Ask your quest related questions here.

[lightundying]

are bone rewards per character, or a total split between participants~?

Re: QUESTIONS

[dreamflowers]

For quests that can be done solo, does that still require a thread with another person anyway, or would we be able to just write it into a thread? Like a drabble or, for example, write how they were collecting wool by themselves before questing with a buddy to collect historical artifacts?

[dragondisguised]

If we're still working on quests from June-August can we still turn those in for bones once new quests are up? Just double-checking here.

Re: QUESTIONS

[badnewsandshitlist]

What happens if you get stung by the quest bees? What's the pain level and is there any special effects?

Scarecrow is Carecrow question

[piperofdeath]

Is it possible to talk to the poltergeist and asked what happened to them?

If they asked Farmer Clyde McLeod would they get anything useful out of him?

Re: QUESTIONS

[badnewsandshitlist]

.....



What happens if one ....


samples the mysterious, dark purple elixir? In the mine quest.

[spellblade]

Are any of the artifacts in the museum quest giving the vibes of being magical in any way? Say if someone from a faction whose whole career was finding dangerous rogue artifacts, would they get any kind of ping from anything in the museum?

[lonelysmiles]

For the "Into the Mirrorverse" quest, I'm guessing the mirror copy possesses the same current Visitor abilities of the Visitor. For example, if that mirror copy had wings but the original Visitor doesn't or doesn't have the Flight reward, they'd be lacking them, correct?

Also, are the bones paid as an apology or was that for signing up to have yourself cloned for a simulacrum?

[lonelysmiles]

Are there any shadow creatures An Ancient Secret Part 2? In the last event, the mods allowed Alastor to sense the emotions of the shadows due to his connection back in Hell but he can't talk to or command them until he gets his powers back. Just wondering if there's something he might be able to pick up.

[lonelysmiles]

Hi, me again.

So Lior, Lucifer, and Alastor are doing An Ancient Secret Part 2 and we wanted to know how big the "boulders" were.

On a somewhat related note, how big are the eggs from Oops All Dragons? Have an ongoing thread with Alastor and Maribelle where they bumped into each other at the nest.

EDIT: Additional question for the "boulders" and confirmed eggs from Ami, Lucifer's mun. What happens if you sing to them?

[fundamentalchaos]

So about the gemstones you have to get for the baby dragons hoards....

If Ashton were to have someone give him a 'haircut' so to speak...would his own amethysts work? Like if he asked someone to knock some of his head gems off would those work for what he would need for the dragon's hoard later?

[lightundying]

s o. regarding the Cleanse the Infection quest from the first quest rotation, if characters were to follow up on the Rot and the progress of the alchemists and healers studying and trying to cure it, would there be any change/updates?

Re: QUESTIONS

[likeiron]

Hi in You'll Never Leave Hardersfield Alive, if someone punched through to the bottom of the well, would they find anything? Is that series of tunnels still there? A child corpse? Thank you!!!

Re: QUESTIONS

[kusuriuris]

In regards to the Bone?! quest, is the Medicine Seller and co more likely to encounter ghosts or a grave robber?

And piggybacking on that last one, how detailed of a description will any spirits give of the strange man skulking about?

Re: QUESTIONS

[lightundying]

what iff someone stabbed/smashed a boulder from Ancient Secret Part 2 for the sin of feeling dark and dangerous

Re: QUESTIONS

[wildwarden]

Regarding Into the Mirrorverse: if you die in the game do you die in real life?

As in, if the mirror copy dies, does your character die too/does it count as a character death? Thanks!

[odare]

For cult of triton part 2, with violet crystals spreading across skin, how does one "deal with" them? Will undine-style healing magic eliminate them, or does it require some special kind of magic? Thank you!

Re: QUESTIONS

[wrathstrikes]

For "it belongs in a museum," if two characters have planned to guard the artifacts until the night before they're moved into the vault, then steal them at that point to give to the dwarves, can they receive bones for both sides of the quest?

Thanks!

Re: QUESTIONS

[odare]

Hi mods! I am wondering the size of the dragons are from the oops all dragons quest- how big are they when they hatch, and how big will they grow to be?

Thanks!

[lonelysmiles]

In "Tiny Troubles", is it possible to do something ridiculous like out-dance the magic harp? Like keeping pace until its strings break? Or maybe countering with other music?

I have a Rule of Funny idea but wanted to make sure it was kosher with the modsquad.

Re: QUESTIONS

[channelmyemotions]

Regarding the NSFW quests: is double dipping allowed? Specifically, Cinna is considering a demonstration at the sex shop with a little sponsorship from Tara's Tastefuls. Basically a mini seminar on styling your intimate wear to flatter your form, improve self confidence, and better your sex life with a partner or even solo? Instructors would model selections from Tara's for the event, and include prescient topics like clothing bondage. Perhaps coordinating your lingerie with the color of your fuzzy handcuffs or the style of your chosen dildo? XD He'll either do it solo or attempt to recruit his business partner, Lydia Martin, to help out, with bonus points for the pheremone laden lingerie getting him laid in the store. :P

[lonelysmiles]

For Ancient Secret Part 3, is there anything Alastor could get off of the shadows other than the usual justified anger? He has his shadow powers back but I don't want to overstep my boundaries.

QUEST SUGGESTIONS

[calderamods]

Have an idea for a quest? Pitch it here with the form below!

<b>Player name</b>: So we know who to credit! <b>Quest description</b>: Could be the entire detailed description or a vague idea for us to work with. <b>Associated faction:</b> Is this a Dryad, Slyph, Undine, or NSFW quest? <b>Suggested difficulty and rewards</b>: Not set in stone, just a suggestion.