The Quest for the Perfect Stick

Hi! My name is Bluebell the Bard. Together with my close friend Periwinkle, I am an adventurer at the Heroes Roost.

Now Periwinkle had a problem. He was missing something, something important. Something that every Satyr ranger worth his salt needs. He was missing the perfect stick.
As we are part of a guild full of adventurers Periwinkle asked the other members if they wanted to help him find the perfect stick. I immediately said yes. The other two brave enough to join us were Poppy and Snuzzle.

So off we went Periwinkle up front going right, a left, another right but the only sticks in sight were holding up tents and tarps at the marketplace. We kept on looking for a stick store or stick merchant when one of the tents mysteriously collapsed, and Poppy and Periwinkle wisely decided to move on.
Struck by a stroke of brilliance Poppy remembered there is a map that would and sticks can be found in a forest. There is a forest (specifically not a jungle but an actual forest) to the east of the city. It was quickly decided that we should be looking there for a stick and not in the city.

Some time (and a lovely walk with very pretty butterflies and plants) later we wound up in the forest where we met a walking mushroom. They had a very pretty stick, it was too big to be the perfect stick though. Upon closer examination, it became clear this person was not a walking mushroom but a firbolg with a very, very passionate love for mushrooms. He talked slowly, he talked a lot (I think Poppy and I might have zoned out a little bit) and he sold mushrooms. All kinds of mushrooms, Healing mushrooms, special mushrooms, and even a sparkling mushroom. He told us he roams around the city, collecting and selling mushrooms to those that share his love for them. We bought some healing mushrooms that heal, a special small mushroom, and a skull from him before he said goodbye and wandered off leaving us with a sense of confused curiosity.
We took a moment to collect our thoughts after this curious encounter before we moved deeper into the woods.

While we were walking Snuzzle popped the question to Periwinkle: “What kind of stick are you looking for? Is it a magical stick?” So Periwinkle started to explain about that perfectly magical feeling when you lay eyes on the perfect stick and that it feels similar to love at first sight.
As I had heard this speech multiple times I decided to do the smart thing and climb a tree to get my bearings. Lo and behold what did I see there in the distance? A clearing with some water. That would be the perfect place for a stick. Jumping down I disrupted Snuzzles and Periwinkles’ conversation to tell them about my discovery and give everyone directions to the clearing.

In the middle of the clearing is a small pond, and in the middle of the pond is a green Hag bending over picking up a stick… The Perfect Stick!
She looks at us, grins, and walks into the water fully submerging herself. The pond glows for a moment and from the middle emerges a beautiful woman holding Periwinkle’s perfect stick and smiling. “What are you looking for?” Periwinkle steps up: “The perfect stick”. She nods. “What is the perfect stick to you?” Periwinkle immediately and passionately starts describing what the perfect stick should look and feel like according to him. She nods again. “I know what you mean. I am looking for a replacement for my own stick. It was stolen by these annoying blue little creatures. So I might have a deal for you. If you bring me my stick back from the ruined tower further down the path I will give you this stick.” Periwinkle looked at us and we all immediately agreed.

So on to the quest for the stolen stick!

We followed the path until we found the ruins of the fallen tower and an enormous mass of quicklings. Super blue, super-fast, and super annoying creatures. There were hundreds of them and a couple of them were badly hiding a beautiful stick with flowers carved into it.

The quicklings (or their “leader” ) tell us that they will give up the stick if we can beat them in a race. Luckily we are allowed to choose the race, so Snuzzle suggests a dance contest. The quicklings agree and within seconds it is clear that Snuzzle has some insane dance moves and is outdancing all the quicklings. Here we found out that quicklings are apparently very sore losers. After some debate, another race is decided upon and again luckily we have Snuzzle who suggests a mushroom eating contest. Periwinkle and the leader both eat a mushroom as fast as they can. Periwinkle is faster and poisons himself (I am so glad that the guy has a constitution of steel and recovers within seconds). The leader of the quicklings ate the special mushroom and weirdly enough when he finished it a ring appeared on his finger. The leader looked at the ring, looked at us, and back at the ring with an evil grin he made a gesture with his hand and we were all of a sudden swamped by hundreds of quicklings.

We all fought with everything we had. Like our lives depended on it (because it did).
Snuzzle was shooting energy rays out of fingers and was killing quicklings left and right.
Poppy turned into a dragon and after roasting a sea of quicklings, she ate multiple of them. Grabbing one by the foot, throwing it into the air and catching it with her mouth, and swallowing it in one bite.
After a while Periwinkle had had enough and stamped his hoof on the ground it is quiet for a moment and then with a rumble spike came shooting out of the ground and killed the remaining quicklings.
Dusting ourselves off we took a moment to take stock and investigate our surroundings. Found the flowerstick, the ring that was on the quickling leader, and a potion.

So with a tired but satisfied smile, we returned to the hag and with a lot of ceremonies the sticks were exchanged and Periwinkle finally had what he was missing. The Perfect Stick.

This Story was sponsored by the Sunflowers Glory Spa and Bathhouse located in the Emporium district. The place to be for relaxation and treatment after your heroic adventures.