Rare Foods: The Brains of the Outfit

From Istaria Lexica


Quest type: Crafting
From NPC(s): Xenex the Blind
Required crafting school: Confectioner (level: 60)
Locations: Glaciers
Next quest(s): Rare Foods: Dinner? Impossible!
View this quest in the Quest Tree

Xenex the Blind has the munchies for some brain food.

Quest text[edit]

Xenex tells you, Hello there! You should pay more attention to your footing. You knocked quite a few rocks loose back there. So, are you lost, or did you come up here for... Hmm, just a moment. I smell spices, garlic, roasted gruok - you must be a confectioner! I'm right, aren't I?

Xenex tells you, Oh, pfft, it was easy to tell, I could smell food all over you. Speaking of food, you wouldn't be interested in a small catering commission, would you? I've been out here for ages, and as much as I love fishing, I'm getting a little tired of seafood.


A few years ago, one of the Gifted who came to me for fishing lessons brought a large crock of soup with him to keep him warm. He shared some with me and it was just wonderful! I asked him what was in it and he said 'arbotus brains,' then started laughing. Just then a really large mackerel hit my line and I got so wrapped up in reeling him in that I missed the rest of what the fellow said. By the time I landed the mackerel, he was gone.

Arbotus brains & Taniqel tree sap - Yep, sounds like Feladan might be a good place to start looking.

Xenex tells you, I know the fellow was a dwarf, probably a confectioner as well. He must have been in Feladan forest fairly recently, because his clothes had bits of Taniqel sap on them. As for the soup itself, I know it had some kind of mushroom in it, some barley, and a couple of bay leaves. If you could find that soup recipe and whip me up a nice big batch of it, I'll be glad to pay you for your time. Good luck, and hurry back!


Estelwen tells you, Hmm, a dwarf confectioner making soup out of arbotus brains? I think I'd remember someone like that - and I'd definitely remember the soup! Why don't you ask Calimir, the Ranger trainer? Stewed arbotus brain sounds like the sort of thing he'd have his students make in wilderness survival class.


Calimir tells you, Well, <player>, I can tell you with a great deal of certainty that whatever this dish was made of, it definitely was not arbotus brains. Not unless your friend has a taste for melon-sized lumps of rancid, slime-covered fungus. A sslik wouldn't eat it, much less a dwarf. Well, maybe if... Mmm, no. Even a dwarf couldn't get that drunk and live. Sorry, <player>, but I don't have any suggestions to offer you. Good luck, though.


Estelwen tells you, Ewww.. There goes any desire I ever had to try arbotus brains in black butter. Well, there is one other person you might talk to. That would be Velma in Tazoon. Her background is in traditional Dwarven cuisine, so if anyone would recognize this dish, it would be Velma. I would have sent you to her first, but the squirrel in my heart wouldn't let... oh, blessed Alyssa, how could I have been so stupid?!

Estelwen tells you, Squirrels! The fellow with the soup was talking about squirrels! I'm sure you've heard that joke - 'Why did the arbotus always carry an extra squirrel? In case he needed a brain transplant!'


Ghaahhh! I can't believe I missed that! Just.. Just give me a minute to check my recipe books...

Estelwen is back, looking triumphant.

Estelwen tells you, Ah-HAH! Found it! It's one of Diput's recipes, Stone Squirrel Soup. Squirrel, barley, stonespore caps, and bay leaf, exactly what your customer described. I made you a copy of it. I also made you a copy of a funnel cake recipe my friend Jayne gave me. She's a fiend, and swears these are good for warding off the cold.

Why don't you make up a batch of them for Xenex, too? Poor thing must be freezing, spending all her time on the Mahagra coast. Good luck, and let me know if I can help you with any other food mysteries!

Xenex tells you, Oh, yes, that's the stuff exactly! Mmmff, oh, this is good! And funnel cakes! I love funnel cakes! Thank you so much! I'm going to sit down and just savor every last crumb. Any fish that bites can just land itself, so there! Here's your payment, plus a little extra for the funnel cakes. Now, if you'll excuse me...

Steps[edit]

  • See if someone in Feladan knows anything about this mysterious soup.
  • Speak to Calimir the Ranger Trainer in Feladan
  • Tell Estelwen about your conversation with Calimir
  • The brains of the outfit
  • Give Estelwen a minute
  • The recipe.
  • Make one Stone Squirrel Soup
  • Make one Fiendish Funnel Cakes
  • Delivery time
  • Deliver the snacks you made to Xenex in Mahagra.

Target Mobs[edit]

Rewards[edit]