Learn how to complete the Dark Talisman Quest in Stardew Valley!
Stardew Valley is home to many unique characters, and one of them is the purple-bearded codger, Rasmodius. Rasmodius, better known as the Wizard, is a powerful but eccentric magician. No doubt he’s always the one asking for the most obscure favors, from fetching Void Essences to getting a Prismatic Slime to help with his dark magic. The Dark Talisman Quest is among those favors, but it isn’t as straightforward as his other requests.
Read on to learn more about this questline and the rewards you’ll gain upon fulfilling it.
Coming Face to Face with the Dark Talisman in Stardew Valley
After completing the Community Center bundles or the JojaMart Warehouse development, you can encounter the Dark Talisman questline. The quest involves the Wizard trying to remove the odd-looking boulder that blocks the passage to the mysterious cave in the Railroad area.
Despite being a recluse at heart, the Wizard will open up to you about being once married to the Witch. The Witch is the one you see in random events where she puts curses on your farm buildings, turning your eggs into void eggs or colorful slimes into black slimes.
The Wizard was the one who sealed the entrance to the cave where the Witch resides. Now, he needs your help to unseal it to get the magic ink from the Witch’s Hut. But to unseal it, he will need the Dark Talisman, which you can only get from Krobus.
Completing the Dark Talisman Quest
The Dark Talisman is a special item you can obtain after finishing the Dark Talisman questline. Below are the steps that are necessary to take to fulfill this quest:
1. The Railroad is the first place you want to be if you wish to trigger the Dark Talisman questline. Enter the Railroad area in the daytime after renovating the Community Center in Year 2.
2. After watching a cutscene of the Wizard where he talks about his ex-wife, you’ll get a journal entry that says you should speak with Krobus from the Sewers to learn more about the Dark Talisman. Remember that you won’t be able to enter the Sewers until you’ve acquired the Rusty Key. Gunther will give you the key after donating 60 items to his Museum.
3. Go to the Sewers and ask Krobus about the Wizard’s request. Upon doing so, he will open up a passage to the Mutant Bug Lair, which you can find on the northwest part of the Sewers.
4. The Mutant Bug Lair will crawl with Mutant Flies and Mutant Grubs. Don’t forget to bring a weapon and some food with you before heading inside the lair. Mutant Flies behave like Cave Flies from the Mines. They swoop at you even through walls, so try not to move around too much while attacking them. Mutant Grubs are like cocoons that incubate Mutant Flies. When you encounter them, kill them once before they harden and hatch.
5. You will eventually find a chest that contains the Dark Talisman as you walk along the path. Take it and exit the Mutant Bug Lair. You can enter the Railroad cave once you have the Dark Talisman in your Wallet.
You can now enter the Witch’s Swamp at any time as a reward for completing the Dark Talisman quest. But there’s one more problem you must deal with before you gain full access to the swamp.
A Goblin Henchman will be blocking your way to the Witch’s Hut. He says he will get in trouble if he lets anyone inside the Witch’s private property. Talking to the Goblin will add the Goblin Problem Quest to your Journal.
Completing the Goblin Problem Quest
Before you can pick up the Magic Ink from the Witch’s Hut, you must make the Goblin move out of the way without violence. Here are the ways you can resolve this Goblin Problem:
1. You are now tasked to find out more about Goblins, and where else can you find more information about this world besides the Library? The Museum is not only a place where you can display old artifacts, but it also has a Library where you can read some helpful facts to aid you with quests such as this one.
Digging out some Lost Books from the ground will give you more facts displayed on the Museum’s bookshelves. If you were able to find a book written by M. Jasper, he would state there that there’s anything the Goblin can’t resist: Void Mayonnaise.
2. If you already have a Void Egg on your farm, you will only need to put it in a mayonnaise maker to make it. But if you don’t have one, there are other ways to get Void Egg without waiting for the Witch to curse your coop.
While the Goblin is guarding the Witch’s Hut, you’ll have a higher chance of fishing Void Mayonnaise from the swamp around the area. Another method that is the least time-consuming is to purchase one Void Egg from Krobus, although that will cost you around 5,000 Gold.
3. Once you get a Void Mayonnaise, you can give it to the Goblin Henchman. He’ll gladly take it and run inside the hut, and you will have full access to the Witch’s Swamp. Get the Magic Ink inside the Witch’s Hut and return to the Wizard’s Tower.
What’s In It for You?
The Wizard has promised to make it worth your while should you help him get his Magic Ink back, and he certainly delivers on that promise. These are the rewards you can acquire for finishing the Dark Talisman and Goblin Problem quests:
Wizard Buildings
These buildings work the same as Robin’s farm buildings, except they are imbued with the Wizard’s magic.
Junimo Hut
A tiny hut where Junimos live. Junimos are friendly little forest spirits that can help you water and harvest crops within the hut’s range.
Desert Obelisk
It can warp you to the Calico Desert.
Water Obelisk
It can warp you to Pelican Town Beach.
Earth Obelisk
It can warp you to the Mountains.
Island Obelisk
It can warp you to Ginger Island.
Gold Clock
The Gold Clock is one of the most expensive farm buildings in the game. It can prevent debris from spawning on your farm. This clock also stops all your fences from breaking and decaying.
The Dark Shrines
These are three mysterious Shrines found inside the Witch’s Hut. Use these Shrines with caution because some can have an irreversible effect on the game.
Dark Shrine of Selfishness
Offer a Prismatic Shard to the Shrine, and your unwanted children magically turn into doves.
Dark Shrine of Memory
Offer 30,000 Gold to the Shrine, which will erase the memory of your ex-spouse and the time you’ve spent together.
Dark Shrine of Night Terrors
Offer a Strange Bun to the Shrine, which will lift an ancient magi-seal on your farm, allowing monsters to appear at night. Give it another Strange Bun if you want to return the magi-seal and remove the monsters.
Unlimited Access to the Mutant Bug Lair
The Mutant Bug Lair is an excellent source of Bug Meat and Slimejacks. Slimejacks are a type of fish that you can only find in the lair. The area is also ideal for leveling up your Combat Skill since it’s far more accessible than the Mines. It also occasionally spawns plenty of Fiber, which you can use to craft useful items.
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