Quests Overview
“Every journey begins with a choice. Every choice echoes across the shattered world.”
Introduction
SkyLands features a non-linear, reputation-driven quest system where player choices have permanent consequences. Quests emerge organically from the world—NPCs pursue their own goals, factions compete for influence, and mysteries await investigation. There is no “main quest line,” only opportunities and consequences.
This page catalogs all quest types, categories, and individual quest chains available in the game.
Implementation Status
Last Updated: December 3, 2025 (Phase 5 Complete)
Currently Implemented Quests: 90
✅ Tutorial Quest (1)
- The Lost Merchant - Complete tutorial introducing mechanics
✅ Story Arc Quests - Arc 1-3 (12)
- The Hidden Sickness - Arc 1: The Hidden Corruption
- A Priest’s Burden, The Blackmailer’s Price, The Cure Attempt, The Succession Crisis
- The Debt Collector, The Council Schism, Alternative Routes
- The Hollow Saint - Arc 3: The Voice Beneath
- The Sermon, The Voice Question, Kalis Dren’s Testament, The Purge, The Transformation
✅ Story Arc Quests - Arc 4: The Nexus Spire (4)
- The Periphery Expedition - Journey to the edge of reality
- The Luminar Device - Confront the Returners
- The Temporal Fold - Enter the frozen moment
- At the Nexus Spire - Ultimate choice with 4 endings
✅ Story Arc Quests - Arc 5: The Storm’s Secret (5)
- The Storm-Born’s Trust - Initial contact with Kiera
- Kiera’s Expedition - Journey with Kiera, learn Shattering truth
- What She Won’t Say - Gather fragments of truth
- The Anonymous Designs - Investigate Engineer Torven
- Into the Black Tempest - Climactic decision to enter Calm Eye
✅ Story Arc Quests - Arc 6: The Eos-Ironhold War (5)
- The Border Incident - War catalyst
- Shuttle Diplomacy - Diplomatic path
- The War Begins - Military paths (Defend Eos / Join Ironhold)
- Unite the Clans - Third faction path
- The Ultimatum - Final confrontation with multiple endings
✅ Boss Quests (4)
- The Deep Hunter - Aether-Leviathan hunt at Skyport Eos
- Old Lightning - Storm-Serpent hunt at Ironhold
- The Cartel’s Shadow - Black Sky Cartel leader at Murky Chasm
- The Twisted Grove - Ancient Treant at Windmere Farms
✅ Character Quest Chains (15)
Guild-Master Elara Song (3): - The Economic Puzzle - Investigate market manipulation - Elara’s Secret - Lead rescue mission to Periphery - Elara’s Choice - Help survive Factor Council vote
Merchant Vex (3): - The Deal - Accept smuggling job - Vex’s Network - Join information network - Hidden Compassion - Discover secret charitable work
Priest Valeria (3): - The Healing - Help with supply shortage - The Suspicion - Investigate Serpent cult - Faith Crisis - Help through crisis of faith
Commandant Theron Vask (3): - Military Efficiency - Investigate border settlement - The Commandant’s Loss - Learn tragic past - Prevent the War - Stop unauthorized Murk campaign
Other Characters (3): - Jorah’s Hidden Islands - Discover Storm-Born settlement - Vael’s Pilgrimage - Personal faith journey - Kiera’s Expedition - Arc 5 foundation
✅ Faction Reputation Quests (8)
Sky-Guild (2): Trade Route Establishment, Debt Collection Constellation Clergy (2): Pilgrimage Escort, Heretic Hunt Outland Clans (2): Supply Run, Clan Mediation Rot-Touched (2): Rot-Shard Delivery, The Communion Invitation
✅ Exploration Quests (3)
- Boneyards Salvage - Salvage from wrecked vessels
- Map the Periphery - Chart dangerous edge territories
- The Old Archive - Explore flooded pre-Shattering archive
✅ Economic Quests (2)
- Trade Route Optimization - Exploit price differentials
- Recipe Discovery - Help create new healing salve
✅ Side Quests (11)
- The Lighthouse Keeper - Astral Geometry mystery
- The Refugee Dilemma - Immigration moral choice
- The Bandit Threat - Bandit camp
- Kael’s Experiment, Observatory Secrets, Underlayers Expedition
- Black Market Deal, Pest Control, and more
✅ Random Encounters (5 + 14 travel vignettes)
- Mysterious Trader, Sky Pirate Ambush
- Boneyards Encounter, Periphery Anomaly, Sanctuary Pilgrim
- 14 travel vignettes between major locations
Implementation Summary
| Category | Count | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Tutorial | 1 | ✅ Complete |
| Story Arcs 1-3 | 12 | ✅ Complete |
| Story Arc 4 | 4 | ✅ Complete |
| Story Arc 5 | 5 | ✅ Complete |
| Story Arc 6 | 5 | ✅ Complete |
| Boss Quests | 4 | ✅ Complete |
| Character Quests | 15 | ✅ Complete |
| Faction Quests | 8 | ✅ Complete |
| Exploration Quests | 3 | ✅ Complete |
| Economic Quests | 2 | ✅ Complete |
| Side Quests | 11 | ✅ Complete |
| Random Encounters | 5 | ✅ Complete |
| Travel Vignettes | 14 | ✅ Complete |
| TOTAL | 90 | ✅ All Core Content Complete |
Remaining Planned Content
Lower priority content for future updates: - Additional character quests for minor NPCs - More random encounters for all locations - Extended exploration content - Additional economic opportunities
Total Planned Quests: 60+ (33 implemented, 27+ in design phase)
Quest Structure
Quest Categories
By Type: - Tutorial Quests: Introduce mechanics and world (The Lost Merchant) - Story Arc Quests: Major narrative threads across multiple islands - Character Quests: Personal stories of individual NPCs - Faction Quests: Reputation-building missions for major factions - Exploration Quests: Discover locations, map trade routes - Moral Dilemmas: Choices with no clear “right” answer - Combat Encounters: Direct conflicts with Rot-Beasts, bandits, etc. - Investigation Quests: Gather evidence, solve mysteries - Economic Quests: Trade, crafting, profit-driven missions
By Urgency: - Time-Sensitive: Must complete within deadline (in-game days) - Progressive: Evolve based on world state, no hard deadline - Eternal: Can attempt anytime, no expiration
By Scope: - Single-Stage: Complete in one vignette - Multi-Stage: 3-5 connected vignettes forming chain - Epic: 6+ stages, spanning islands and months
Tutorial Quest
The Lost Merchant
Status: Implemented
Type: Tutorial, multi-stage
Location: Skyport Eos →
Northern Cliffs
Stages: 4
Introduce core mechanics through personal story: A worried woman seeks help finding her missing merchant husband. Teaches skill checks, choices, reputation consequences, and moral complexity.
Story Arc Quests
Major narrative threads connecting to the six primary story arcs. These quests shape the fate of the Aetherium.
Arc 1: The Hidden Corruption
| Quest | Stages | Key NPCs | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hidden Sickness | 4 | Elder Mira, Valeria | Investigation, Moral Dilemma |
| A Priest’s Burden | 3 | Priest Valeria | Ethical Conflict |
| The Blackmailer’s Price | 2 | Merchant Vex | Exploitation |
| The Cure Attempt | 5 | Alchemist Kael, Mira | Resource Gathering, Time-Sensitive |
Arc 2: The Guild’s Gambit
| Quest | Stages | Key NPCs | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Debt Collector | 2 | Factor Marlena | Moral Choice |
| The Council Schism | 3 | Elders Joram & Lysara | Political |
| Alternative Routes | 4 | Captain Jorah | Economic, Dangerous |
| The Evidence | 3 | Various | Investigation |
| The Broker | 5 | All factions | Diplomatic |
Arc 3: The Voice Beneath
| Quest | Stages | Key NPCs | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hollow Saint | 4 | Brother Caelum | Corruption, Combat/Exorcism |
| The Sermon | 2 | Sister Morrigan | Investigation, Philosophical |
| The Voice Question | 6 | Multiple | Investigation, Experiential |
| Kalis Dren’s Testament | 3 | Archivists, Dren | Research |
| The Purge | 2 | Clergy, Rot-Touched | Combat, Faction Choice |
Arc 4: The Nexus Spire
| Quest | Stages | Key NPCs | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Periphery Expedition | 8+ | Guild-Master Elara, Archivists | Epic Exploration |
| The Luminar Device | 3 | Archivists | Research |
| The Temporal Fold | 4 | Various | Reality-Bending |
| At the Nexus Spire | 2 | Luminar Philosophers | Existential Choice |
Arc 5: The Storm’s Secret
| Quest | Stages | Key NPCs | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Storm-Born’s Trust | 5 | Kiera Windcaller | Relationship |
| What She Won’t Say | 4 | Kiera, Torven | Investigation |
| The Anonymous Designs | 3 | Engineer Torven | Mystery |
| Into the Black Tempest | 6 | Kiera (maybe) | Epic, Deadly |
Arc 6: The Eos-Ironhold War
| Quest | Stages | Key NPCs | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Border Incident | 2 | Military officials | Crisis Trigger |
| Shuttle Diplomacy | 6 | Vask, Lysara, others | Diplomatic, Time-Sensitive |
| Defend Eos | 5 | Lysara, militia | Military Preparation |
| Unite the Clans | 7 | Outland leaders | Political, Organizational |
| The Ultimatum | 3 | All leaders | Major Decision |
Character-Specific Quests
Personal stories emerging from individual NPC motivations. High replayability—different builds unlock different chains.
Elder Mira Thornwell
- “The Hidden Sickness”: Discover and decide about her corruption
- “Mira’s Confidence”: Earn her trust through Council assistance
Captain Jorah Ironwind
- “The Hidden Islands”: Use his secret map to find lost territories
- “Smuggler’s Run”: Help evade Guild monopoly
- “Rescue Mission”: Extract stranded travelers from dangerous island
Alchemist Kael Greythorn
- “The Material”: Acquire Rot samples ethically (moral complexity)
- “The Formula”: Steal or negotiate for Theta-7 cure
- “The Intervention”: Convince him to stop experiments (or enable)
- “The Successor”: Find/train someone to continue work
Sister Morrigan
- “The Sermon”: Attend Rot-Touched service (challenging beliefs)
- “The Debate”: Theological argument with her
- “The Prophecy”: Investigate her visions’ validity
- “The Conversion”: She attempts to convert player (resist or embrace)
Storm-Captain Kiera Windcaller
- “The Expedition”: Hire her for dangerous navigation
- “The Pressing”: Attempt to learn her secret (relationship-gated)
- “The Storm Event”: Tempest behaves strangely, she notices
- “The Second Entry”: Something requires returning to Tempest
Priest Valeria
- “The Healing”: Assist her medical work (refugees, sick)
- “The Suspicion”: She suspects Mira’s corruption, seeks advice
- “The Cult”: Investigate Serpent worship among refugees
- “Faith Crisis”: Help her reconcile compassion with Clergy doctrine
Merchant Vex
- “The Deal”: Lucrative smuggling opportunity (moral cost)
- “Vex’s Network”: Gain access to black market connections
- “The Blackmail”: He discovers Elder Mira’s secret, leverage situation
- “Hidden Compassion”: Discover his secret refugee aid
Guild-Master Elara Song
- “The Economic Puzzle”: High CUN quest analyzing trade patterns
- “Elara’s Secret”: Discover Nexus Spire expedition funding
- “The Guild’s Terms”: Negotiate Eos takeover (various outcomes)
- “Personal Audience”: High Sky-Guild reputation grants private meeting
Bishop Ardent Vael
- “The Pilgrimage”: Journey to Constellation’s Reach Observatory
- “Faith and Doubt”: Witness his crisis (constellations alive or dead?)
- “Heretic Hunt”: Track down Serpent cultists
- “The Schism”: Clergy civil war if Voice Beneath validated
Commandant Theron Vask
- “Military Efficiency”: Work for Ironhold (morally gray)
- “The Commandant’s Loss”: Learn about his family (Rot victims)
- “Prevent the War”: Convince him Eos isn’t threat ((Cunning)+)
- “Join the Conquest”: Side with Ironhold invasion
Faction Reputation Quests
Build standing with major factions through aligned activities.
Sky-Guild
Philosophy: Profit and order
Quests: - “Trade Route Establishment”: Map profitable passages - “Debt Collection”: Enforce Guild contracts (morally gray) - “Guild Security”: Protect shipments from pirates - “Economic Intelligence”: Spy on competitors
Rewards: Better prices, exclusive items, political influence
Constellation Clergy
Philosophy: Faith and purity
Quests: - “Chapel Consecration”: Cleanse corrupted holy sites - “Exorcism”: Drive Rot from afflicted individuals - “Pilgrimage Escort”: Protect priests traveling to observatories - “Heretic Hunt”: Track Serpent worshippers
Rewards: Free prayers, blessings, sanctuary, sacred knowledge
Outland Clans
Philosophy: Community and survival
Quests: - “Supply Run”: Deliver goods to remote settlements - “Rot-Beast Hunt”: Protect farmlands from corrupted creatures - “Mediation”: Settle disputes between clans - “Rescue”: Extract stranded clan members from danger
Rewards: Free lodging, guides, survival tips, loyalty
Rot-Touched
Philosophy: Transformation and power
Quests: - “Rot-Shard Delivery”: Smuggle corruption materials - “The Communion”: Participate in Voice rituals (Corruption 30+) - “Convert or Silence”: Spread teachings or eliminate opposition - “Embrace the Gift”: Accept transformation (high Corruption path)
Rewards: Dark powers, immunity to Rot-effects, unique ending
Exploration Quests
Discovery-driven missions rewarding curiosity and navigation.
Island Discovery
- “Map the Periphery”: Chart dangerous edge territories
- “The Beacon Islands”: Find pre-Shattering frozen settlements
- “Hidden Settlements”: Locate rumored minor islands
- “Trade Route Optimization”: Faster paths between major hubs
Location-Specific
- “The Old Archive”: Explore flooded Skyport Eos ruins
- “Glimmering Spire Depths”: Investigate collapsed sections
- “The Boneyards”: Scavenge crashed airships
- “The Hollow Infiltration”: Enter fully corrupted island (deadly)
Aether Phenomena
- “Rot-Storm Navigation”: Survive corruption clouds
- “Aether-Current Mapping”: Chart invisible aerial rivers
- “Void-Kin Study”: Document strange creatures
- “Temporal Anomalies”: Investigate time distortions
Economic Quests
Wealth generation and trade management.
Merchant Activities
- “Buy Low, Sell High”: Exploit price differentials between islands
- “Rare Goods Acquisition”: Source luxury items for wealthy clients
- “Black Market Access”: Gain entry to illegal trade networks
- “Guild Monopoly Breaking”: Undercut Sky-Guild pricing
Crafting & Alchemy
- “Recipe Discovery”: Experiment to find new formulas
- “Ingredient Expedition”: Gather rare materials from dangerous locations
- “Master Alchemist”: Complete all 15 recipes
- “Rot-Infusion Mastery”: Unlock dark alchemy (Corruption path)
Resource Management
- “Establish Trade Outpost”: Create personal economic base
- “Supply Chain”: Organize multi-island resource network
- “Invest in Settlements”: Fund infrastructure for long-term returns
Investigation Quests
Mystery-solving through evidence gathering and deduction.
Historical Mysteries
- “The Shattering Cause”: Piece together pre-Shattering events
- “Luminar Council Fate”: What happened to philosopher-kings?
- “The Silence Phenomenon”: Investigate vanishing populations
- “Pre-Shattering Artifacts”: Locate and study ancient technology
Criminal Investigations
- “Murder at the Market”: Solve crime in Skyport Eos
- “Pirate Network”: Infiltrate Black Sky Cartel
- “Smuggling Ring”: Track Rot-Shard trade routes
- “The Traitor”: Identify Ironhold spy in Eos Council
Personal Mysteries
- “Kiera’s Secret”: Discover what she saw in Black Tempest
- “Lighthouse Mystery”: How does it still glow?
- “The Watcher’s Identity”: Who is the figure at Throne of Stars?
- “Voice Beneath Nature”: Is it real, parasite, or delusion?
Combat & Survival Quests
Action-oriented challenges testing combat skills.
Rot-Beast Hunts
- “Void-Stalker Elimination”: Track dangerous predator
- “Rot-Vine Infestation”: Clear corrupted growth from settlement
- “Hollow Hunt”: Mercy-kill transformed humans (tragic)
- “Boss: The Consumed”: Face Stage 4 Rot entity
Bandit & Pirate Encounters
- “Caravan Defense”: Protect merchants from raiders
- “Black Sky Raid”: Assault pirate base
- “Hostage Rescue”: Extract captives from criminals
- “Duel at Dawn”: Honor combat with rival
Factional Combat
- “Ironhold Border Patrol”: Skirmish with military
- “Clergy Purge”: Fight alongside (or against) exorcists
- “Guild Enforcers”: Resist or join Guild security
- “Rot-Touched Conflict”: Battle corrupted cultists
Moral Dilemma Quests
No “right” answer—only consequences.
The Trolley Problems
- “One or Many”: Save individual or community?
- “Justice or Mercy”: Execute criminal or offer redemption?
- “Truth or Stability”: Expose corruption or maintain order?
- “Present or Past”: Preserve current world or restore pre-Shattering?
Impossible Choices
- “The Infected Child”: Quarantine or mercy kill?
- “The Traitor’s Family”: Punish innocents for relative’s crime?
- “The Corrupted Lover”: Transform or lose them?
- “The Final Supply”: Who gets last medicine—young or elder?
Gray Morality
- “The Lesser Evil”: Side with bad faction against worse?
- “Necessary Cruelty”: Torture for information to save lives?
- “Preemptive Strike”: Attack before they attack you?
- “The Acceptable Loss”: Sacrifice few to save many?
Quest Design Template
For detailed quest structure guidelines, see:
Quest Statistics
Total Quests (at launch): 60+
By Type: - Tutorial: 1 - Story Arc: 35+ - Character-Specific: 40+ - Faction: 20+ - Exploration: 15+ - Economic: 10+ - Investigation: 12+ - Combat: 25+ - Moral Dilemma: 15+
Note: Many quests overlap categories
Average Completion Time: - Single-stage: 5-10 minutes - Multi-stage: 20-40 minutes - Epic: 1-3 hours
Replayability: High (choices branch significantly)
Quest Discovery
How Quests Unlock:
- Location-Based: Visit taverns, markets, Elder’s Halls
- Reputation-Gated: High faction standing unlocks exclusive quests
- Skill-Gated: Certain checks require minimum skill levels
- Corruption-Gated: High/low corruption opens different paths
- Time-Based: Some appear after in-game days pass
- Chain-Dependent: Completing one quest unlocks sequels
- NPC-Initiated: Characters approach player based on actions
Hidden Quests: 20+ discoverable only through: - Eavesdropping (CUN checks) - Exploring unmarked locations - Reading found documents - High trust with secretive NPCs
Related Topics
- Narrative Themes - Writing philosophy
- Story Arcs Overview - Major narrative threads
- Quest Design Template - Structure guidelines
- Character Profiles - NPC quest givers
- Faction Overview - Reputation system
Document Status: Complete
Last Updated: Year 287 S.
Purpose: Central quest index and categorization
“Sixty quests. Countless choices. One dying world. Your story begins now.”