MapleStory Classic Kerning City Guide: NPCs, Shops, Town Quests
MapleStory Classic Kerning City guide: every NPC by building, shop stock and prices, Civic Center citizen items, and Nella, Icarus and Jane Doe quests.
In this guide 12 sections
Checked against v1.0.0 on October 29, 2026.
Kerning City is Victoria Island's night-time city: neon signs, subway entrances and the only built-up cityscape on the continent (MapleClassic Wiki). It's the Thief home town, the Kerning City Party Quest town and the second citizenship and housing town. This MapleStory Classic Kerning City guide covers every NPC by building, each shop's stock and prices, and the town quests outside the citizenship board. For grades and board quests, see our citizenship guide.
Quick summary
- 16 NPCs and stations on the main street and 15 more behind its doors (MapleStory Quest).
- 67 quests start in Kerning City per HubCW, many from the citizenship board.
- Shops behind every door: Cutthroat Manny (20 weapons), Don Hwang (88 armor pieces), Dr. Faymus (23 consumables), and Max, Ben and Weston's grade-gated stock in the Civic Center (NiaMeowDB's recorded launch inventories).
- Best town chains: Nella's six requests (6,984 EXP and Work Gloves), Icarus's seven-quest chain (40,724 EXP and the Icarus Cape), and Jane Doe's Old Raggedy Cape at 23 (our math from MapleStory Quest and NiaMeowDB).
- Kerning City citizens can buy Wolbi stars at grade 3 from Max for 1,000 mesos each, plus the Lie Detector Test and the Return Scroll to My Home at grade 2 (NiaMeowDB).
Find your way around Kerning City
The town is one night street. Its shops sit behind doors, so the street itself shows no merchant icons (wiki). HubCW counts 12 exits. Most of the doors are hidden portals.
| Exit | Leads to | Source |
|---|---|---|
| East and west portals | Kerning City Middle Forest chain (snails, pigs, mushrooms) | Wiki |
| North portal | Construction Site North of Kerning City (Stumps, Blue Mushrooms, Octopus) | Wiki |
| Subway Ticketing Booth | The subway hunting grounds and Shumi's jump quest | Wiki, MapleStory Quest |
| The Swamp of Despair I | The Kerning swamp (Warning Street) | HubCW |
| Doors | Self-Defense Item Store, Pharmacy, Thieves' Hideout, Niora Hospital, Hair Salon, Repair Shop, Civic Center | HubCW |
| Backalley Semi-Basement | Hidden | HubCW |
For training maps, see our Kerning fields, subway and swamp guides.
Meet every Kerning City NPC
| Where | NPC | Role (wiki / MapleStory Quest) | Quests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Street | Regular Cab | Cab to the other Victoria towns | 0 |
| Street | Nella | Quest giver (Kerning City requests) | 9 |
| Street | Icarus | Quest giver (hang glider and balloon) | 5 |
| Street | Alex | Quest giver | 4 |
| Street | JM From tha Streetz | Leatherworker | 4 |
| Street | Mong from Kong | Internet Cafe Worker | 3 |
| Street | Shumi | Subway jump quest | 3 |
| Street | Lakelis | Kerning City Party Quest entry (channels 3–12) | 1 |
| Street | Malady | Halloween event (Oct 28–Nov 18), far left side of town; see our Halloween event guide | 2 |
| Street | Maple Administrator | Event check-ins; added to Kerning City on October 15 | – |
| Street | Mr. Hong | Storage keeper | 0 |
| Street | Scarlett | Housing Registrar | 0 |
| Street | Mr. Pickall | Master of Lock-Picking | 0 |
| Street | Community Board, Doorbell | Citizenship quests; housing | – |
| Street | Weaponcrafting and Leatherworking stations | Crafting | – |
| Self-Defense Item Store | Cutthroat Manny, Don Hwang | Weapons; armor | 0 |
| Pharmacy | Dr. Faymus | Grocer | 0 |
| Thieves' Hideout | Dark Lord | Thief 1st and 2nd job | 5 (2 more were CoT2 only) |
| Niora Hospital | Jane Doe | Quest giver | 5 |
| Hair Salon | Don Giovanni, Andre | Hair | 0 |
| Repair Shop | Chris | Repairs. The wiki says he "does not currently respond when clicked" | 0 |
| Civic Center | Roxy | City Clerk | 3 |
| Civic Center | Jack | Estate Agent | 0 |
| Civic Center | Max, Ben, Weston | City General Store, City Scroll Shop, City Furnishings | 0 |
Shop in Kerning City
Dr. Faymus, Pharmacy
His 23 items match NiaMeowDB exactly: Red, Orange, White and Blue Potions (50 / 150 / 350 / 220), Warrior, Dexterity and Speed Potions (500 each), Apple 20, Egg 30, Meat 80, Orange 50, Lemon 150, Pet Food 35, five Dyes (1,000 each), Return Scroll – Nearest Town 400, Return Scroll to Kerning City 500, arrows 1 each, and Subi Throwing Stars 500. Our Thief guide notes you buy your first Subis here.
Cutthroat Manny, Self-Defense Item Store
| Type | Items and prices (mesos) |
|---|---|
| Daggers | Triangular Zamadar 3,000; Field Dagger 5,000; Triple-Tipped Zamadar 5,800; Coconut Knife 10,500; Stinger 11,700; Iron Dagger 13,500; Forked Dagger 14,700; Reef Claw 22,000 |
| Claws | Garnier 5,000; Steel Titans 7,000; Steel Igor 14,100; Meba 16,500; Adamantium Guards 27,600 |
| Shovels | Square Shovel 6,200; Pointed Shovel 11,700 |
| Other starter weapons | Long Sword 3,000; Wooden Sword, Metal Axe, Wooden Mallet, Spear, Pole Arm 5,000 each; Fork on a Stick 7,000 |
NiaMeowDB's recorded launch inventory has 20 items and doesn't include Reef Claw or Adamantium Guards, the same top-tier gap as in Perion and Henesys, so treat those two as unavailable from Manny. Our claws guide covers where the higher claws come from.
Don Hwang, Self-Defense Item Store
NiaMeowDB records 88 Thief armor items; older community lists add 10 more, such as Guises and Stealers, that aren't in the recorded launch stock. Prices:
| Slot | Range (mesos) |
|---|---|
| Hats | Bandanas and Ghetto Beanies 1,200; Thief Hoods 1,900; Loosecaps 3,600; Tiberians 4,500 |
| Tops | Cloth Vests 2,000; Nightshifts 3,000; Paos and Qi Paos 6,000; Sneaks 7,500 |
| Bottoms | Nightshift Pants 2,400; Pao Bottoms 4,800; Sneak Pants 6,000 |
Our hats guide compares Don Hwang's hats with the other towns'.
Civic Center: grade-gated citizen shops
Prices and grades are NiaMeowDB's launch lists. Community pages showing 25,000 to 50,000 scroll prices or a 10,000-meso chair are closed-test figures.
| Shop | Item | Grade | Price (mesos) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max | Fried Chicken / Dried Squid | – | 60 / 180 |
| Max | Salad / Pizza / Hamburger | 2 / 4 / 5 | 220 / 252 / 350 |
| Max | Andre's Seafood Soup / Orange Juice | 6 | 480 / 540 |
| Max | Supreme Dexterity Potion (avoid +7) / Destructive Potion (crit damage +3%) | – / 3 | 600 / 750 |
| Max | Wolbi Throwing Stars (17 weapon attack) | 3 (Helpful Stranger) | 1,000 |
| Max | Fat Sausage / Unagi / Grape Juice | 7 / 8 / 9 | 800 / 1,000 / 1,260 |
| Max | Ribbon Pig Daydream / Elixir | 10 | 500 / 3,000 |
| Max | Return Scroll to My Home | 2 (Visitor) | 300 |
| Max | Lie Detector Test | 2 (Visitor) | 1,000 |
| Ben | Earring Evasion Scroll: Lesser | 3 | 40,000 |
| Ben | Topwear / Bottomwear DEF Scroll: Lesser | 5 | 20,000 |
| Ben | Overall Armor LUK / INT Scroll: Lesser | 7 | 40,000 |
| Ben | Gloves Attack / Magic Attack Scroll: Lesser | 9 | 40,000 |
| Weston | Basic furniture / Rusty Safe | 2 | 500 / 10,000 |
| Weston | Kerning City Resident's Chair | 7 (Distinguished Citizen) | 500,000 |
The Lie Detector Test is the Grand Launch anti-bot item: use it on a suspected bot while it's hunting, and a character that fails the minigame goes to the Truth Booth (Nexon). Our bots guide covers when to use it. Henesys's Town Hall runs the same grade system (our Henesys guide).
Do the Kerning City town quests
These quests come from Kerning City NPCs outside the citizenship board, with Public Release rewards (MapleStory Quest):
| Quest | Giver | Lv | EXP | Mesos | Task |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don Hwang's Request | Nella | 10 | 188 | 351 | 20 Orange Mushrooms, 20 Ribbon Pigs, 10 caps, 10 Pig's Ribbons |
| Shumi's Request | Nella | 10 | 188 | 351 | 25 Dark Stumps, 15 Leaves |
| Andre's Request | Nella | 10 | 188 | 351 | 30 Octopus, 20 Octopus Legs, 1 Pure Water. Work Gloves (our quests guide) |
| JM From tha Streetz Looking for a Partner | JM | 10 | 188 | 351 | 30 Pigs, 5 Leather. Leatherworking starter |
| I'm Bored 1 / 2 | Icarus | 11 | 252 each | 380 each | Short starter pair |
| JM From tha Streetz in Need of Help (weekly) | JM | 15 | 669 | 497 | Repeatable Leatherworking quest |
| Alex's Request | Alex | 18 | 819 | 409 | Leads to Chief Stan in Henesys |
| Proof of Companionship | Lakelis | 21 | 1,870 | 687 | Defeat King Slime (party quest). |
| Dr. Faymus's / Chris's / Cutthroat Manny's Request | Nella | 22 | 2,140 each | 716 each | 40 Jr. Neckis and 40 Horny Mushrooms with drops; 20 Stiff Feathers and 20 Leather; 50 Evil Eyes, 30 Evil Eye Tails |
| Stranger's Request / Stranger's Identity | Jane Doe | 23 | 2,430 each | 745 each | 40 Stirges, 20 Broken Mirror Glass; 50 Zombie Mushrooms, 25 Charms of the Undead. Old Raggedy Cape |
| A Leatherworker in My Own Right! | JM | 25 | 3,060 | 804 | Wild Boars and a Red Chair |
| The Dark Lord's Signature | Dark Lord | 28 | 4,090 | 892 | Thief follow-up quest |
| Thief 2nd job quests | Dark Lord | 30 | 4,780 each | – | Thief 2nd job |
| Icarus's Hang Glider / Icarus and the Balloon | Icarus | 31 | 5,530 each | 994 each | Material turn-ins for Icarus's flying projects |
| Shumi's three subway quests | Shumi | 35 | 6,720 each | 1,111 / 1,111 / 10,000 | Jump quest coins (our jump quests guide) |
| In search of Wing the Fairy | Icarus | 46 | 7,560 | 1,012 | Leads to the Icarus Cape |
What the chains add up to (our math)
- Nella's six requests: 3 × 188 + 3 × 2,140 = 6,984 EXP and 3,201 mesos. Our quests guide notes Nella charges 1,000 mesos to start the first set.
- Icarus: 252 + 252 + 5,530 + 5,530 + 7,560 = 19,124 EXP before the two cape steps, and 40,724 EXP for the whole chain (NiaMeowDB; our sums). Our Icarus Cape quest guide has every item and drop map.
- Jane Doe's pair: 4,860 EXP, 1,490 mesos and the Old Raggedy Cape at level 23.
Plan your Kerning City route by level
This route is ours, built from the quest levels above:
| Level | Do this | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Dark Lord (Thieves), Nella's first three, JM's apprentice quest | Octopus on the Construction Site; see our Kerning fields guide |
| 11 | Icarus's "I'm Bored" pair | Quick EXP |
| 12 | Register citizenship with Roxy if you're a Thief | Wolbis at grade 3 (our citizenship guide) |
| 17 | Reach Visitor grade, then Roxy's housing quests | Jack and Scarlett sell the Backalley Semi-Basement; see our housing guide |
| 18 | Alex's Request | Pairs with Chief Stan in Henesys |
| 21 | Proof of Companionship, then KPQ | See our KPQ guide |
| 22–23 | Nella's second set, Jane Doe's pair | Evil Eyes, Stirges, Zombie Mushrooms |
| 30–31 | Thief 2nd job, Icarus's glider and balloon | The instructor is at Construction Site (wiki) |
| 35 | Shumi's subway jump quests | 10,000 mesos on the last |
| 46 | In search of Wing the Fairy | Leads to the Icarus Cape |
Compare ways in and out of Kerning City
| Method | Cost (mesos) | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Cab | Fare varies by town and level | Stands on the main street | MapleStory Quest; our travel guide |
| Return Scroll to Kerning City | 500 | Dr. Faymus | MapleStory Quest, NiaMeowDB |
| Walk | Free | Middle Forest roads east and west | Wiki |
Kerning City citizenship perks are covered in our citizenship guide.
For alts and returning players
- Returning from original MapleStory? Dark Lord, Nella's requests, Icarus and KPQ with Lakelis are all here. Classic adds citizenship and the Civic Center, Leatherworking with JM, and housing with Scarlett and Jack (MapleStory Quest, wiki). The salons are in our hair and face guide.
- Thief alts: make them Kerning citizens for the grade 3 Wolbis, even if your main lives in Henesys (our citizenship guide).
- Storage runs: Mr. Hong stands on the main street, steps from the cab, so alts can bank on arrival (MapleStory Quest).
Want a hand with this?
If you would rather not grind this part yourself, MapleStory Classic powerleveling services are listed on FullBoosts. Read Nexon's Terms of Service before you buy any service from anyone, FullBoosts included — a marketplace listing isn't publisher permission.
What changed in Kerning City at Grand Launch
Kerning City picked up several changes in the Grand Launch period, from Nexon's Grand Launch maintenance notes, release notes and the October 15 notes:
| Change | What it means in Kerning City |
|---|---|
| KPQ moved to channels 3–12 (it was 3–7), and its Companion's Magic Box gives fewer gem ores but can drop the Lakelis Statue | More KPQ rooms; a housing decoration as a new prize |
| Housing opened; Scarlett sells the Backalley Semi-Basement to citizens at Visitor grade | One home per account |
| Lie Detector Test sold by Max; Truth Booth for characters that fail | A tool against bots in the subway and swamp |
| The Murky Swamp II added in the Kerning City area | A new swamp map; see our Kerning swamp guide |
| Dark Sight now shows the user semi-transparent to every player | Thieves are visible to everyone, not just their party |
| October 15: the town map was adjusted so the Civic Center is easier to reach, and a Maple Administrator was added | Citizenship and event check-ins without leaving town |
| October 15: Steal no longer triggers drops or its buff on a missed attack | A Bandit fix that matters for Kerning-based Thieves |
| Debt System (October 22): a Repay Illegal Mesos button for accounts caught in real-money trading | Store Permits, Hired Merchants and trading are blocked until it's paid |
Orbis and third job are still closed, so the Dark Lord's teaching ends at 2nd job. The MapleStory Classic hub collects every guide for the game.
FAQ
Where is the Thief job instructor in Kerning City? Dark Lord is in the Thieves' Hideout, behind a door off the main street. You advance at level 10 and again at 30 (Nexon, MapleStory Quest).
Where can I buy Wolbi stars in Kerning City? From Max in the Civic Center, at Kerning City citizen grade 3 (Helpful Stranger), for 1,000 mesos each (NiaMeowDB).
What's the best Kerning City quest? Nella's level 10 set for the Work Gloves, Jane Doe's level 23 pair for the Old Raggedy Cape, and Icarus's chain for the Icarus Cape.
Where is the Kerning City Party Quest? Lakelis on the main street starts it, for level 21 and up, on channels 3 to 12 only (Nexon). See our KPQ guide.
Who sells claws in Kerning City? Cutthroat Manny, from the Garnier (5,000) to the Meba (16,500), per NiaMeowDB's recorded stock. Mr. Hong on the main street is the storage keeper.
How much is the Kerning City Resident's Chair? 500,000 mesos from Weston in the Civic Center, at the Distinguished Citizen grade (grade 7), per NiaMeowDB's launch list.
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