Act 1: Chapter 4
After the chaos in the castle, the King’s ear-piercing voice still echoes faintly; just thinking about it makes your head hurt; however, the world outside feels completely different. Pebble leads you along the path until the road opens into Puff Town, a city bathed in soft sunlight reflecting off countless crystals.
Each home is built from shimmering, magical crystal, simple in design, yet beautiful in every detail. The laughter of the Pufflings drifts through the breeze, and the main road, paved with pale cream stone, gleams under the light. High above, young pufflings fly joyfully in the sky; the atmosphere is so different from that of the royal castle.
The princess often sneaks out when she’s upset…
Maybe she just wants some quiet time alone.
His tone carries a touch of concern and fondness for his princess.
Within this part of the town, there are only Puffs, unlike the outer regions, where Seekers are often seen alongside them. The locals here greet you warmly, their round faces bright with smiles, welcoming a traveller from afar.
You walk together into the town’s central market. Both sides of the street are lined with all sorts of stores and stalls, Puffling-sized and run by colourful Puffs. Some sell sweets, while others haul crystal carts that are far larger than themselves. Chatter fills the air, light and playful, like the laughter of carefree children.
Hold it right there!! Too many bites of my sweets and you might just ascend to heaven!
The Vendor is trying to stop one puffling from devouring the snack they just purchased from the shop. Laughter breaks out all around the stall.
Across the street, a Puff sells glowing crystals that pulse rhythmically with light.
Sleepy crystals~ Lavender scent and ocean breeze! Sweet dreams guaranteed~!
She calls out eagerly, while another Puff nearby is already fast asleep on a pile of samples.
You can’t help but smile; this town feels so warm and peaceful. Compared to the hardships it took to reach the Puff Kingdom, this feels almost like a dream.
Pebble notices you eyeing one of the crystal houses curiously.
Some say these crystals are alive… but I’m not so sure.
These crystals are so strong, almost nothing can break them....
And yet, Puffs can carve through them easily with a bit of magic, just like peeling a candy wrapper.
You stop to admire a soft pink house glinting in the sunlight and take out your Keystone.
For you, these crystals might just be an ordinary thing…
But for someone like me, they’re the most precious thing in the world.
You paused, playing with the said object in your hand.
....The first requirement to become a Seeker…
is to find a magical crystal and make it into a Keystone.
Because without it...
We seekers could never have been able to set foot in the Puff Kingdom.
The crystal in your hand flickers softly, as if responding to your words.
What’s ordinary for some… can be priceless for others.
Pebble smiles softly at you. Then he flicks his tail lightly and gestures forward.
Now then—let me show you my favourite shop. It’s what I’d call a hidden treasure!
You chuckled softly at pebble cuteness and followed him along. A breeze carries the sweet scent of freshly baked crystal treats, accompanied by the faint chime of bells from a nearby stall.
The City of Crystals, A place full of warmth, serenity… and endless dreams.
Time passed by quickly, long enough for worry to creep into you.
It doesn’t seem right to just relax during my first mission… But still...., I want to trust Pebble.
While you are deep in thought, Pebble seems to sense your unease.
I usually try to stall things so she can rest longer… but with you, I think it’s different.
Let’s go find the princess.
Pebble tugged gently at your sleeve, leading you up a narrow path that wound along a grassy hillside. After a short walk, you arrived. It wasn’t far from the castle at all. One can hardly call this a hiding place.
And there she was… Princess Peridot, sitting alone with her back turned, facing away from you. The tips of her ears and her small wings swayed lightly with the breeze.
You stepped closer... but then you abruptly came to a stop.
The sight before you stole your breath away.
Shimmering pollen from glowing crystal blossoms drifted through the air, twinkling like dust in the wind. Below, a vast valley stretched out, brushed in gold and pale violet by the evening sun. Far in the distance, the Puff Castle stood tall, like a precious jewel floating in a sea of stars.
Peridot smiled warmly, motioning toward the grass beside her.
Come sit with me.
And… thank you for helping Pebble with that whole ‘Uncle Peridora’ thing.
Her playful eyes sparkled in the light. You and Pebble sat down beside her.
Funny, isn’t it?
I ran away from that place… and yet, here I am, sitting and staring at it.
The castle sure is beautiful…
I like looking at it too. It feels grand somehow… but it also makes me wonder....
They say it wasn’t built by Puffs at all. Just look at the size of it—the doors, the stairs…
Even you, Seeker, are far too small for it.
He glanced toward the distant castle before continuing.
It’s said the castle has stood long before the Puff Kingdom itself. Legend has it that the dragons built it, and that Puffs are their descendants. Some truly believe it's real… though others laugh at them for it.
That old knight’s tale again. Pebble’s told it so many times, I could recite it myself.
She laughed softly, then lifted her gaze to the sky.
Once, Dragons were mighty beings, creatures of wings and flame who ruled the world. But then they suddenly vanished, leaving their fire behind with us.
She extended her paw. A tiny flame rose from her fingertips, glowing warmly in the air before scattering into golden sparks above your heads.
The dragons’ fire still sleeps within the heart of every Puff… waiting for one of us to awaken it again.
She puffed her cheeks and blew softly, trying to imitate the likes of dragon—fwooo~
The legend of the dragons..... powerful beings who once ruled the world. Seekers have followed traces of those legends… all the way here.
But instead of dragons, you found weak little Pufflings like us.
She chuckled lightly.
At first, many were disappointed…sure
But soon we realized—you Pufflings are our new spark of hope.
This place…. is the first place we ever built a research base, which later became The Hatchery.
Not because of the castle’s wonder… but because meeting all of you made us believe that the dream isn’t over yet.
Like an egg... waiting for the day it hatches — that’s how our guild got its name, The Hatchery.
You smiled at Peridot. Pebble’s eyes sparkled.
That’s exactly why I like you, Seekers. You’re brave… and you never give up.
...Sometimes, I wish I could believe in that legend too.
Just imagine what it’d be like —to be as powerful as a dragon.
Oh, Pebble~
And what would you even do with all that power?
Peridot chuckled at pebble silliness.
But you see, for me… that castle feels like a ’dream’.
...There's a whole new world still waiting for us to chase after. Maybe there’s a floating village out there! Or a forest that sings!
At least it wouldn’t be as boring as it is here….
You smiled faintly at her remark.Maybe that’s what brought me here too, to the Puff Kingdom.
Because we kept believing in our dreams… that’s how we found each other.
A cool breeze swept past as the three of you sat together on the hillside, sharing your wishful dreams beneath the fading sky.
Even in this magical world, your hearts looked toward something greater, a world full of dreams, questions, and hopes still waiting beyond the horizon.
🎯 Quest: A Scene to Remember
Objective:
Draw or write about you and your puffling in any moment of this chapter that you like.
Requirements:
- Art: At least 1 Drawing
(The art must include a puffling and at least part of your seeker, such as their hands, head, or legs. Your seeker will only count for extra rewards if at least 1/2 of their body is visible.) - Writing: Minimum of 500 words.
Important Note:
You may use this story Seeker as your Seeker.
For this quest, you can choose a Puffling to accompany you, either your own Puffling or one of the guild’s NPC Pufflings shown below.
Rental Pufflings available for the quest:
Act 1 Rules:
- +3
if you use your own registered Puff or Seeker
Rewards (first clear):
- 10
Coins
- + Bonus coin
Rewards (clears 2+):
- 2Coins
- + Bonus coin
Bonus is calculated following the Art Bonus Guide.