I wrote a sample questline a while ago. I’m reprinting it below.

Questline: Three Graves

The quest starts with a man digging a grave next to a filled grave.

Player: What are you doing old man? Old Man: You are too young for the foolishness of the old. Player: And if I would know anyway? Old Man: You would not understand. Old Man: Go to the house of Hamish, near Glencross. Tell them Craighan asks for a trinket. Old Man: Should they give you one, maybe you will begin to learn.

The purpose of this stage of the quest is to give the player a reason to visit Glencross. It is helpful for an open-world game to have a number of player goals be near each other so that the player can feel productive. This directs them to visit a town they may not have and gives them something more to do should they find themselves there.

Player: Is this Hamish’s house? Old Woman: No. Player: Can you tell me where I may find it? Old Woman: You cannot. Player: … Old Woman: You are too young to speak to. Player: If I cannot speak, is there something I can do? Old Woman: Were this Hamish’s house, he would not allow the demons to camp so close. Old Woman: But this is not the house of Hamish Old Woman: and I do not know if it ever was. Player: I shall take care of it. Old Woman: And will the present change the past?

The player then clears out the nearby demon camp. This is probably best marked on the map but that would depend on the structure of the rest of the game. I would pencil in around 6 imps, each a few levels lower than the player, but this again depends on the structure of the rest of the game.

Player: The demons are gone. Old Woman: You have done the work of a single day of Hamish. Old Woman: Who will do the rest? Old Woman: I am still owed sixty years of his work. Old Woman: Will you make that up as well? Player: You know I cannot. Old Woman: So I do. Old Woman: For a day then, let this be the house of Hamish. Old Woman: Why then did you come? Player: Craighan asks for a trinket of Hamish. Old Woman: So he would. Old Woman: Takes ring off finger. Take then this ring. It is the only thing he ever gave me. Player: Takes ring. I believe he gave you more. Old Woman: The young do not know what it means to give and what it means to take. Player: Then I will take nothing more but your leave.

On returning to Craighan:

Player: Here is the ring of Hamish. Craighan: Places ring on filled grave Player: And who then is the second grave for? Craighan: When you go to war, you dig one grave for your enemy Craighan: and you dig one grave for yourself. Craighan: I loved Hamish. I fought Hamish. Craighan: I fought Hamish. I loved Hamish. Craighan: All that is left is to lay next to him. Craighan: Here then, your reward Hands player a shovel Craighan: When you find the right place, Craighan: use this to dig a grave of your own.