Hello.!

Once again, April’s special observance, Arbor Day, is just around the corner.

Unfortunately, since 2006 it has no longer been a public holiday and remains only as an official commemorative day,

but with winter finally behind us and flowers and trees turning green again,

it still feels like a day to plant trees and take a moment to think about the environment.

So in this post, I’d like to introduce a special MapleLand quest related to Arbor Day.

🥵Perion

Perion is a plateau village located in the northern part of Victoria Island,

a region defined by scorching heat that makes your lips feel dry just from looking at it, and endless yellow wasteland.

(Unlike the lush, green forests of the southern terrain, the north is covered almost entirely in yellow.)

It’s also the village where the Warrior class line, known for enduring hardship and growing stronger through brutal training,

first picks up a weapon and sets out on its adventure.

You might be thinking, Why bring up a dry place like this in a post about Arbor Day??

But Perion was not always such a barren land without a trace of green.

Through the Ellin Forest region, which offers a glimpse into Victoria Island’s past,

we can see that Kandine, a representative figure of the Warrior class, settled in a dense, humid forest much like Ellinia

and built up the area that would eventually become present-day Perion.

There’s no story explanation for how it became so dry so quickly,

but the contrast with how it looks now is striking all the same.

🔎Archaeologist Winston

Archaeologist Winston, who studies Perion, a place steeped in history,

has recently grown concerned that Perion is becoming desolate even faster due to ongoing ruin excavations,

and asks for help from players level 20 and above.

🌳Planting Trees

Because of the recent ruin excavations, a mutated Stump monster called Dark Stumphas appeared,

and Winston discovers that if the branch growing from its head is removed and planted, it will grow into a large tree.

He then asks the player to bring back 54 saplings.

So after diligently hunting Dark Stumps, one of the few sights in Perion with any hint of greenery,

and bringing back 54 saplings...

Along with somewhat underwhelming rewards, the quest comes to an end.

It’s also a quest that offers a clear glimpse into Winston’s hope

that these many saplings will be planted throughout Perion and someday help turn it back into a green forest.

Doesn’t it feel like a quest that fits the spirit of Arbor Day perfectly?

🪵The Old Tree

Recently, rumors have spread through Perion that a massive ancient tree has appeared

and is turning Perion into a wasteland even faster.

When even the already dried-up Stumpis said to be crying out from thirst,

a level 35 player sets out to uncover the truth behind the rumor.

Through rumors from Perion’s locals and the results of Winston’s research,

it becomes clear that a monstrous tree called Stumpy is stealing all the nutrients in Perion,

and the player personally sets out to subdue it.

(What stands out is that, enraged by humans destroying the forest,

it fell into darkness and became a calamity that drains Perion’s nutrients.)

Stumpy is a field boss monster that randomly spawns in the Eastern Rocky Mountain 5 ~ 7 hunting grounds on roughly a 1 hour or longer timer,

and because it is far stronger than other Stump monsters, you need to be careful when hunting it.

Defeating Stumpy rewards you with plenty of EXP and Fame,

making this a worthwhile quest that also leaves you with the satisfaction of having protected Perion.

The fact that it became a vicious monster because of humans destroying the forest

really does make you reflect once again on the importance of protecting nature.

That wraps up our look at MapleLand quests related to Arbor Day.

Perion too was once a place thick with green brush, but it turned into a wasteland in an instant,

and it’s a little chilling to think that the environment we live in could also change just as suddenly.

Still, like the quests introduced here, maybe it’s worth taking a little time to care for nature and treat it as something precious.

Wishing you a fun time in MapleLand and a peaceful Arbor Day.!