[joligario]

They way you wrote the sub, you probably meant this:

sub EVENT_ITEM {
  if (quest::istaskactivityactive(1,2)) {
    if (plugin::check_handin(\%itemcount, 1008 => 1)) {
      quest::emote("quickly hands you a rolled up map from underneath the cell's mattress.");
      quest::say("Trelang can decipher this map.  Give it to her quickly!");
    }
    else {
      plugin::return_items(\%itemcount);
    }
  }
  else {
    quest::say("This is of no use to me, $race.");
    plugin::return_items(\%itemcount);
  }
}

But to even make less if statements, you can do this:

sub EVENT_ITEM {
  if (quest::istaskactivityactive(1,2) && plugin::check_handin(\%itemcount, 1008 => 1)) {
    quest::emote("quickly hands you a rolled up map from underneath the cell's mattress.");
    quest::say("Trelang can decipher this map.  Give it to her quickly!");
  }
  else {
    quest::say("This is of no use to me, $race.");
    plugin::return_items(\%itemcount);
  }
}

Which to use really depends on if you will add additional code to it later.