Good afternoon,

I actually made a HQ Whispering Rod this morning on my first try to get my Relic going, no great feat - but then I was checking out the stats compared to the NQ and the ilevel 70 weapons in addition to Primal Weapons and realized it's not really that bad.

NQ Madman's is:

53 DMG
12 VIT
14 MND
12 PIE
14 SPD
3 Slots

HQ Madman's:
59 DMG
14 VIT
15 MND
14 PIE
18 SPD
3 Slots

and for comparison's sake:

NQ ilevel 70 crafted weapon:
57 DMG
17 VIT
20 MND
15 PIE
16 SPD
2 slots

Ifrit's Cane:
60 DMG
Vitality +17
Mind +18
Piety +11
Fire Resistance +10
Determination +18

Garuda's Wile:
DMG: 63
Vitality +15
Mind +16
Piety +9
Wind Resistance +9
Spell Speed +21