Man, I thought I had seen it all in Avowed by the time I reached the Emerald Stairs. I'd fought my way through the Living Lands, made some tough calls, and gotten the hang of the whole fantasy RPG deal. But let me tell you, nothing quite prepared me for the moral grey area I stumbled into just outside Fior Mes Iverno. It wasn't about slaying a dragon or finding some ancient relic; it was about... groceries. No kidding. A side quest called "Food Theft" had me questioning my entire playstyle, and it totally blindsided me. I almost missed it entirely, which would've been a real shame, because these Emerald Stairs quests have a habit of vanishing if you rush the main story. Talk about FOMO!
So, picture this: I roll up to the grand city of Fior Mes Iverno, ready for some epic lore. The map's mostly blank except for the city itself, giving me that classic "uncharted territory" vibe. I'm heading towards the southern gate, soaking it all in, when I decide to poke around to the east. That's when I saw him: Sielo Piannini, looking like he'd just lost his best friend. He was hanging around the Farmer's Market area, and let me just say, the dude was not having a good day. As I approached, he spilled the beans—some bandits had just made off with his entire food supply right before I showed up. The poor guy was desperate. I'm a Watcher, right? I can't just walk past someone in need. So, I took the quest, and bam, a new marker popped up on the northern edge of the map. Time for a little detective work.
The Hunt for the Missing Grub
The marker led me to the northern wilds of the Stairs, to a place called the Riverside Cave. The journey there was no walk in the park, let me tell you. The path was winding, with the sound of the river growing louder as I got closer. When I finally found the cave entrance, hidden amongst the foliage, I knew I was in for it.
Stepping inside, the air got cooler and damper. The cave wasn't just some hole in the wall; it was a proper hideout. I crept through a few dimly lit chambers, and it became clear pretty quickly that I wasn't dealing with your average, run-of-the-mill bandits. These were Paradisan rebels. My Spidey-sense started tingling. I remembered a choice I'd made way back in Dawnshore involving a rebel named Ygwulf. I'd shown him mercy instead of cutting him down. At the time, I thought it was just a flavor choice, a bit of role-playing. Little did I know it would come back to matter in a big way.
Before confronting the leaders in the final chamber, I spotted something on my right: a weird, glowing barrier blocking a side passage. A good whack with my mace shattered it, revealing a hidden alcove. Jackpot! The place was stacked with purple chests full of decent loot. It was a nice little bonus before the main event.
The Confrontation: To Fight or Not to Fight?
I pushed forward into the last room. There they were: Ortrud and Erlinn, the leaders of this little operation. They were guarding a golden chest and, presumably, Sielo's stolen food. Because of my past mercy with Ygwulf, they didn't immediately attack. They were actually willing to talk. This was the moment of truth. What was I going to do?
They laid out the situation, and I realized I had a few paths I could take. Man, I love it when a game gives you real choices like this. It wasn't just a simple "kill them" or "spare them." The stakes felt personal.
Here’s the breakdown of my options, straight from the rebels' mouth:
| My Choice | Immediate Consequence | Reward Source | Moral Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Let the Rebels Keep the Food | They're happy, Sielo is furious. | 350 Gold from the Rebels. | I side with the rebels' cause. |
| Convince Them to Give it Back (Peacefully) | Must call in my favor from sparing Ygwulf. Fight other rebels on the way out. | 350 Gold from Sielo. | A diplomatic, but messy, middle ground. |
| Attack and Take the Food | All-out brawl with every rebel in the cave. Extra loot from bodies. | 350 Gold from Sielo. | The classic "might makes right" approach. |
I stood there for a good minute, just thinking. The crazy thing? The cold, hard coin reward was the same no matter what I chose—350 gold pieces. But the how and the why were completely different. Letting them keep it felt like supporting a rebellion against the empire I was technically working for. Attacking them felt like betraying the goodwill I'd earned. Convincing them felt right, but it meant I'd have to fight my way out anyway, which seemed... ironic.
My Final Decision and the Aftermath
In the end, I chose the path of diplomacy. I looked at Ortrud and said, "Remember Ygwulf in Dawnshore? I gave him a chance. I'm asking for the same goodwill now." It worked. They grumbled, but they handed over the food. It felt like a real win for my character's principles. Of course, as soon as I turned to leave, some of the other rebels weren't too pleased and decided to test my combat skills. I had to fight my way out of the cave I'd just peacefully entered. Talk about a mood killer!
When I returned to Sielo, he was overjoyed to have his supplies back. He paid me the 350 gold, and I got that sweet, sweet quest completion chime. But more than the gold, I walked away with a story. This little "Food Theft" quest wasn't about the loot at all. It was a brilliant little narrative knot that tied my past actions to my present choices. It made the world of Avowed feel alive and interconnected.
So, if you're trekking through the Emerald Stairs in 2025, don't just beeline for the main story. Take a detour to the east of Fior Mes Iverno. Help out a distressed farmer. You might just find yourself in one of the most thoughtfully designed moral mini-dramas in the game. Just remember: sometimes, the most epic tales aren't about saving the world, but about deciding who gets dinner. And that, my friends, is what makes Avowed's side content so damn good. :wink:
Comments