I’ve been knee-deep in Rivellon since Divinity: Original Sin 2 first launched, and even in 2026, some side quests still make me chuckle nervously. The “Counting Your Chickens” quest is one of those – it starts off cute, then spirals into cosmic horror with a feathery twist. If you’re aiming for a perfect playthrough or just want to avoid a permanent game over screen, stick with me. I’ll walk you through every egg, ghost, and Voidwoken chicken step by step. 🐔

Getting the Quest – Chatting with Big Marge

When you first reach the Reaper’s Coast, take a moment to wander around the farm just outside Driftwood. You’ll spot a flock of chickens pecking at the dirt. Big Marge, a rather distressed hen, is the key here. But there’s a catch – only a character with the Pet Pal talent can speak to her. No exceptions.

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If no one in your party has Pet Pal yet, don’t panic. You can either level up and grab that talent point, or respec on board the Lady Vengeance and then swing by the farm again. Once you can talk to Big Marge, she’ll sob about her stolen eggs and mark a location on your map. Accept the quest and head north – be ready for a fight because there’s a Voidwoken guarding the nest.

After you smash that ugly thing, you’ll find the eggs. Only one is still viable; the rest are gone. Bring that single egg back to Big Marge, and the first part of the quest wraps up. You’ll get a bit of XP, and everything seems sweet. For now. 🥚

Unlocking Spirit Vision – Essential for the Ghostly Twist

You can’t rush straight back to the chickens yet. The quest chain demands you push the main story forward just enough to gain Spirit Vision. By the time you reach Driftwood, Malady should have given you the “Powerful Awakening” quest. You need to find Siva, the Meistr of Seekers, who’s locked up in the town gallows.

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You can persuade the guards to let you chat with her, or just turn the area into a kill box – your call. After Siva is free, she’ll invite you to her cozy little home. Follow her instructions, gather those ritual ingredients, and complete the ceremony. Bam! Spirit Vision is yours. Now you can see restless spirits, which matters a lot because Big Marge won’t stay alive for long.

The Horror Hatchling – Peeper’s Grand Entrance

Travel back to the farm where you met Big Marge, and you’ll be greeted by a grisly scene. The egg hatched… but the chick inside has been tainted by the Void. It slaughtered the entire flock. 💀 If you approach the tiny terror, named Peeper, it will imprint on you and start following your party everywhere.

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Activate Spirit Vision right there. You’ll see Big Marge’s ghost, and she’ll beg you to take Peeper to its father – a rooster called Magicockerel who lives north of the farm. Now you have an adorable ticking time bomb following you around. You must keep Peeper alive while you travel, which is easier said than done because the little guy has a death wish. Watch out for traps and random AoE damage. Also, the game’s pathfinding can sometimes cause Peeper to get stuck on terrain; if that happens, reloading your last save usually pops him right back next to you.

The Final Choice – Kill or Spare?

When you finally reach Magicockerel with Peeper in tow, have your Pet Pal character speak to the rooster. Magicockerel senses the Void taint immediately and tells you the only right thing to do is kill the hatchling before it causes more harm. This is where your decision completely rewrites the quest’s ending.

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If you agree to kill Peeper, Magicockerel rewards you with a chest stuffed with one legendary item and one epic piece, all scaled to your current level. Plus, you can harvest a Source Orb from Peeper’s body. Clean, profitable, and morally… debatable.

If you spare Peeper, everything goes sideways fast. Peeper transforms into a full-blown Voidwoken and attacks your party, summoning extra Voidlings to even the odds. Magicockerel vanishes in a puff of smoke the moment the fight starts, leaving you with no reward from him. The upside? You can harvest multiple Source Orbs from all the extra enemies you’ll be forced to slaughter. Honestly, the “spare” route gives you more Source Orbs in the long run, but the fight can get pretty nasty if you’re underleveled. 🤷

How to Fail Spectacularly

Even with the best intentions, you can bungle this quest in a few memorable ways:

  • Eating the egg before returning it to Big Marge. You’ll still snag some XP, but the quest chain ends right there with no ghostly drama to follow.

  • Peeper dying before you present him to Magicockerel. One stray fireball and it’s all over; no father, no reward, just a silent farm.

  • Getting Peeper stuck due to janky pathfinding, making it impossible to lead him to the rooster. As I mentioned, a quick reload usually fixes this.

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Speaking of failure, don’t underestimate the Voidwoken fight if you choose to spare Peeper. I’ve seen parties get wiped in the first round because those little Voidlings multiply fast. Keep your formation tight and focus the big chicken first.

Wrapping Up the Feathery Nightmare

Counting Your Chickens is one of those quests that perfectly captures Divinity: Original Sin 2’s charm – it begins with a heartfelt animal talk and ends with you covered in Void goo, questioning every choice you’ve ever made. Whether you choose to pacify Magicockerel with a swift execution or fight through a feathered apocalypse, always keep a backup save. And please, for the love of the Seven, don’t eat the egg. 🍳