Another very short one. I don't remember if I've played the rework of this quest, but I've definitely played the original version (as I recall, it was required to unlock the Herblore skill; there's something you don't see anymore), but I have no memory of it.
The quest starts by having us talk to Cakemix - sorry, Kaqemeex - who gives us some background on the troll situation in Burthorpe, and asks us to help him in a ritual to ask for Guthix's assistance. This despite him admitting that Guthix doesn't favour either side, since he's the god of balance and there's no real imbalance in the relationship. In fact, considering that the conflict has been going on for nearly a decade, I'd say it's pretty balanced as-is. But Kaqemeex is convinced:
I get the feeling you don't really get Guthix. I actually kind of like that as a character moment. One of the criticisms I would level at the Guthixian faith (which I say as a supporter of Guthix and his goals), is that they come off a bit Mary Sue-ish. All of the followers of other gods (with the possible exception of Bandos) have sympathetic members, but most also have their non-sympathetic ones; Saradominists can be preachy and self-righteous, Zamorakians can be bloodthirsty psychopaths, etc. But the druids have always been portrayed almost universally positively, with the lone possible exception of the Arposandran gnomes (who may not even be Guthixian anymore, we don't know). So it's nice to see a follower of Guthix who doesn't really get it.
The quest itself is nothing to write home about: it's a simple fetch quest over a very small area. I'm actually surprised it hasn't been downgraded to a miniquest, since it's substantially identical to Witch's Potion. But then I guess it does tutorialize Herblore to an extent, which is a valuable thing to have.
What really gets me, though, is that the ritual appears to work, which doesn't seem congruous with what we learn of Guthix. For one thing, he's semi-conscious in a cave under Ardougne. But also, Guthix doesn't like being worshipped, and he doesn't like interfering. So why is there a positive sign at the end of the ritual?
Considering nothing about the troll conflict actually changes, I'm inclined to say that Guthix didn't actually answer the prayer, and that Kaqemeex was wrong about the effects of the potion; that is to say, the potion triggered the "sign" of the flowers blooming, not Guthix, and he didn't do anything at all. But I don't think that's substantiated anywhere.
It seems a bit odd, all I'm saying.
Anyway, quest complete.
