Hello!

April’s special occasion, Arbor Day, is coming around once again.

Unfortunately, it lost its public holiday status in 2006 and is now simply an official day of observance,

but with the cold winter behind us and flowers and trees coming into fresh greenery,

it remains a day to plant trees and take a moment to think about the environment.

With that in mind, I’d like to introduce a special quest in Mapleland that ties into Arbor Day.

🥵Perion

Perion is a highland town in northern Victoria Island,

surrounded by yellow wastelands and a scorching heat that leaves your lips feeling parched just looking at it.

(Unlike the lush green forests of the south, the northern landscape is yellow as far as the eye can see.)

It is also where Warriors, who grow stronger through hardship and rigorous training,

first take up their weapons and begin their adventures.

You might be wondering, why feature such a dry place in a post about Arbor Day?

Well, Perion was not always this barren, with not a trace of green in sight.

In Ellin Forest, an area that offers a glimpse into Victoria Island’s past,

we learn that Kanderun, who represents the Warriors, made his home in a stretch of lush, humid forest much like Ellinia

and founded the settlement that would become present-day Perion.

The story never explains how the land dried out so suddenly, leaving us without an answer,

but the contrast with its present-day appearance is striking.

🔎Winston the Archaeologist

Winston, an archaeologist studying Perion and its wealth of buried history,

is concerned that recent excavations are accelerating the land’s decline,

and asks players at Lv. 20 or above for help.

🌳Planting Trees

He has discovered that Ghost Stumps, mutant Stump monsters that emerged as a result of the recent excavations,

have branches on their heads that will grow into large trees if removed and planted,

so he asks you to collect 54 saplings.

After spending some time hunting Ghost Stumps, whose greenery is otherwise absent from Perion,

and returning with 54 saplings collected from them…

You complete the quest, with a somewhat underwhelming reward.

The quest also offers a lovely glimpse into Winston’s hopes

of planting these saplings throughout Perion and seeing it become a green forest once more.

Doesn’t that fit the spirit of Arbor Day perfectly?

🪵An Ancient Tree

Recently, rumors have been spreading that a gigantic ancient tree has appeared in Perion

and is turning the area into a wasteland even faster.

Even the already parched Stumps are complaining of thirst,

so, as a Lv. 35 player, you set out to uncover the truth behind these rumors.

Between the rumors shared by Perion’s locals and Winston’s research findings,

you discover that a monstrous tree called Stumpy is draining all the nutrients from Perion,

and set out to defeat it yourself.

(It is striking that anger at humans for destroying the forest drove it to darkness,

turning it into a disaster for Perion as it drains the land of its nutrients.)

Stumpy is a field boss monster that spawns randomly in the East Rocky Mountain 5 ~ 7 hunting grounds at intervals of roughly 1 hour or more,

and it is far stronger than other Stump monsters, so you will need to approach the fight with care.

Defeating Stumpy earns you plenty of EXP and Fame,

making this a rewarding quest that also gives you the satisfaction of having protected Perion.

The fact that human destruction of the forest turned it into a vicious monster

offers another reminder of just how important it is to protect nature.

That wraps up our look at Mapleland quests that tie into Arbor Day.

Perion was once covered in lush greenery before suddenly becoming a wasteland,

and it is chilling to think that our own environment could change just as quickly,

but perhaps we can take some time to nurture and appreciate nature, much as we do in these quests.

I hope you enjoy your time in Mapleland and have a peaceful Arbor Day!