Side quests are the heart and soul of any good RPG, and Divinity: Original Sin 2 exemplifies this concept. In each of the game's four acts, side adventures range from tragic to eerie to heartwarming. Some involve nigh-impossible moral dilemmas, but others show off the game's unexpected sense of humor.
Counting Your Chickens is something of a comic relief quest, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth doing — in fact, it can net some hefty rewards. In order to access and complete this quest, players must have the Pet Pal Talent. Practice some chicken-speak, and head for the outskirts of Driftwood.
Big Marge's Chicken Coop
East of Driftwood, as players are making their way towards town from the Lady Vengeance, they'll come across a small yard with a few chickens running around. Take control of whichever party member can speak with animals, and chat with these birds who all seem a bit distressed.
The chickens will direct the player to Big Marge, who frantically explains that Voidwoken have stolen all of their eggs. She demands that the player get them back, and pecks a hole in their map at the proper location. Time for a rescue mission.
The Voidwoken Nest
Along the shore little ways north of the chicken coop, players will find a Voidwoken and several tainted eggs. Defeat the overgrown bug and the creatures that hatch from the eggs surrounding it. AOE skills are useful in this fight, as the enemies tend to stay grouped close together. As far as fights in Original Sin 2 go, this one isn't too taxing. Once the Voidwoken lie dead, search the area for any remaining eggs.
Thankfully, one egg has been left unharmed — pick it up, return to the chicken coop, and give it back to Big Marge. She'll thank the player, and tell them about a spot behind the chicken coop where the player can dig up some minor valuables. This will end the quest for now, but the player will need to check back in later. Don't worry – the quest will remain open in the journal.
Peeper, The Godwoken's New Child
After acquiring Spirit Vision as part of the main quest, return to the chicken coop. The player will find splatters of blood and carcasses of dead chickens. The only living thing left at the coop is a tiny black chick, hatched from the rescued egg. When the player speaks to the little creature, he'll joyfully call them, "Mama!" and start following them around.
It's pretty adorable, but something about the chick seems…off. Despite his apparent friendliness, it's clear that he brutally killed the rest of the chickens. What's to become of him now?
Use Spirit Vision to speak to the ghost of Big Marge. She urges the player to be a good mama and to take the chick, Peeper, to his father. She marks his location on the player's map.
The Magicockerel
Peeper will follow the party as they make their way through the Driftwood Fields. Following the quest marker, players can make their way to a spot north of the Paladins' bridge. Here, they'll find a magic rooster calling himself The Magicockerel.
(Note that if Peeper dies at any point before reaching the Magicockerel, the quest will close and the player will forfeit any reward. Be sure to quicksave often as the party makes their way to him, as Peeper is not the hardiest of baby birds.)
Unfortunately, the Magicockerel doesn't seem to pleased to meet his new son. Upon speaking to him with Pet Pal, he will remark upon the presence of the Void in Peeper's eyes. Looks like that egg wasn't untouched after all – and now players know what killed the rest of the chickens. The Magicockerel will insist that the player kill Peeper. It's in the Godwoken's hands now.
Killing Peeper
His greatness the Magicockerel will be pleased that the Voidwoken has been slain, and grants the player low-level loot of their choice. Additionally, a chest will spawn with more loot, containing an epic and a legendary item scaled to the player's level. Players can loot a Source Orb off Peeper's tiny corpse as a final reward.
Sparing Peeper
If the player refuses to kill Peeper, they'll instantly see why the Magicockerel wanted him dead. Peeper transforms into a Void Hatchling and attacks the player, summoning several other chicks to aid him. Though these devil poultry aren't particularly powerful or hard to kill, the ensuing fight can be tedious due to their sheer numbers. If the player winds up going down this path, they will not get the items above, but can typically loot around five source orbs from the bodies of the dead chickens.
Ultimately, it seems this Void-touched ball of fluff is fated to die either way. It's up to the Godwoken to decide how to go about it — and which option's rewards are more valuable to them.