Chapter III is the Archon Quest chapter set in the nation of Sumeru.
The God of Wisdom's enemy is wisdom itself, and the oasis of knowledge is a mirage in the desert of ignorance. In the city of scholars there is a push for folly, yet the God of Wisdom makes no argument against it.
List of Acts[]
- Act I - Through Mists of Smoke and Forests Dark
- Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 35 and complete Archon Quest Chapter II: Act IV - Requiem of the Echoing Depths.
- Act II - The Morn a Thousand Roses Brings
- Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 35.
- Act III - Dreams, Emptiness, Deception
- Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 35.
- Act IV - King Deshret and the Three Magi
- Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 35.
- Act V - Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises
- Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 35.
- Act VI - Caribert
- Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 35.
Summary[]
Act I - Through Mists of Smoke and Forests Dark[]
"Each Morn a thousand Roses brings, you say: Yes, but where leaves the Rose of Yesterday?"
- A Forest of Change
The Traveler and Paimon continue their search for answers in Sumeru by seeking an audience with the Dendro Archon. After passing through the tunnel between The Chasm and emerging into the lush jungle of Sumeru, they ask passing scholar Haypasia for directions, only to find themselves completely ignored. Reasoning that she would likely lead them to a human settlement, they decide to follow her. However, she instead enters a cave and lights some incense, the scent of which causes the Traveler to faint. They have a vision of a massive, glowing, white tree under a red sky; upon approaching it, they hear a feminine voice say, "...World... Forget me..." The vision ends as the Traveler awakens in Gandharva Ville, where they were taken by Forest Rangers Tighnari and Collei to receive treatment. After hearing Tighnari's explanation about their "hallucination," the Traveler suspects that he was not being truthful and decides to ask Collei for information.
- Further Observation
The next day, Tighnari allows the Traveler and Paimon to accompany Collei on her patrol route while he and the other Forest Rangers handle a longer, more dangerous one. The two learn that there have been two Dendro Archons: Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, who died during the cataclysm, and Lesser Lord Kusanali, the current Archon. Lesser Lord Kusanali was discovered after Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's death and brought back to Sumeru City, where she now lives in the Sanctuary of Surasthana. Collei knows nothing else, attributing her lack of knowledge on the Archon to the amount of time she spent away from Sumeru — a story which is detailed in the Manga. She reveals that she knew who they were the moment she saw them, as she is dear friends with Amber and lived in Mondstadt for a time. They regularly write to each other, and Amber related how the Traveler and Paimon got involved with the Stormterror incident.
While treating the two to some food and drinks, Collei defends Tighnari's character after Paimon criticizes the way he speaks to her. In a moment of silliness, Paimon touches Collei, causing the girl to panic. She attempts to downplay her outburst, but immediately flees back to Gandharva Ville and retires to bed, leaving the other two baffled.
- Chronic Illness
The next morning, the two find Collei bedridden; she was born with Eleazar, a disease endemic to Sumeru which consigns the afflicted to a slow and agonizing death. Her symptoms were once successfully suppressed by The Doctor, one of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, but the agonizing experiments she was subjected to traumatized her and made her touch-averse. They volunteer to gather ingredients for Collei's medication with Tighnari, but take a detour after learning that a Withering Zone has formed in a Forest Ranger patrol route; only those with elemental abilities can withstand a Withering Zone's effects, leaving Tighnari and the Traveler as the only ones capable of immediately handling it.
Once the area returns to normal, Tighnari voices concern over the rapidity of Withering Zone appearances; not only do they damage the ecosystem, they cause Eleazar patients' symptoms to worsen. The Withering, he explains, stems from a disease affecting Irminsul, a giant tree in the depths of the world which has Ley Lines for roots. Irminsul absorbs the memories accumulated within the Ley Lines, and the Dendro Archon is known as the God of Wisdom due to her consciousness' direct connection to Irminsul. However, not even the Aranara, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's familiars who informed Tighnari's ancestors of all of this, know how to cure Irminsul; and thus The Withering has continued to affect Sumeru for thousands of years.
After returning to the village, a Dusk Bird from Haypasia delivers a desperate plea for food and water. Now convinced that the Traveler can be entrusted with Sumeru's fate, Tighnari reveals the truth behind their vision: The incense caused the Traveler's consciousness to connect to Irminsul, and what they witnessed was a real memory contained within it. Given that connecting to Irminsul is the purpose of Haypasia's training, Tighnari believes she may have more insight into the vision and sends them to deliver her emergency rations.
- Silent Seeker of Knowledge
Upon entering Haypasia's cave, the Traveler unwittingly stumbles on an Aranara, which induces a dream on them as a distraction. The dream highlights their doubts about their journey's purpose and their relationship with their sibling, voiced through an undefeatable Abyss Herald. After the Traveler awakens from the dream, they and Paimon discover that the Aranara was taking care of Haypasia while she was unconscious. The Traveler also finds that they'd dropped the boxed lunch in their dream-induced state, so they use the fruit the Aranara had left behind to raise Haypasia's blood sugar before cooking Radish Veggie Soup and Sweet Madame for the three of them.
Haypasia explains how difficult it normally is to connect one's consciousness to Irminsul, and how many Sumeru Akademiya researchers have lost their minds after touching divine knowledge in Irminsul. It took her three years to connect to Irminsul and was lauded as a genius, and it was also the day she was able to see the Aranara, such as the 'neighbor' who helped her. However, she has no answers regarding the vision, believing she may understand more once she reaches the next step of her training. While discussing the Aranara, she observes a contradiction between their power over dreams compared to Sumeru people's inability to dream as adults — which the Sages claim is Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's way of protecting her people from the irrationality and disorderliness of dreams.
The Traveler and Paimon return to Gandharva Ville and find Sage Khajeh and his subordinates personally trying to recruit Tighnari into a top-secret Akademiya project. However, even the threat of disappointing his teacher, Sage Naphis, fails to sway Tighnari and the Akademiya's emissaries leave empty-handed. To aid the Traveler's search for a way to meet Lesser Lord Kusanali, Tighnari tells them to meet Rohawi, an acquaintance of his in Sumeru City.
- The Trail of the God of Wisdom
At the entrance to Sumeru City, a new policy grants the Traveler and Paimon each an Akasha Terminal, a device used to access Sumeru's knowledge-granting Akasha System. However, none of the Akasha, Rohawi, Katheryne, or the Corps of Thirty advisor Asfand are able to tell them how to meet with the Archon. The Akademiya holds Lesser Lord Kusanali in less esteem compared to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, so the new Archon's lack of presence has gone unquestioned by the people of Sumeru.
The two are approached by a follower of Lesser Lord Kusanali's named Dunyarzad. Although Dehya, Dunyarzad's bodyguard, interrupts them to bring the runaway Dunyarzad back home, she changes her mind after seeing Dunyarzad's resolve to do something meaningful for her Archon. To repay the Archon for supporting her during a childhood bout of illness, Dunyarzad hopes to revive the Sabzeruz Festival, an obscure celebration of Lesser Lord Kusanali's birthday. She takes the group to meet Nilou, another follower of Lesser Lord Kusanali's who will perform the Dance of Sabzeruz, the centerpiece of the event. After telling the group about its history as a dance performed by the Goddess of Flowers, Nilou expresses her wish for real Padisarahs, a vibrant purple flower which went extinct after the Goddess of Flowers died thousands of years ago. Greater Lord Rukkhadevata caused her own version of Padisarahs to grow in the goddess's memory but was unable to get the same shade of purple.
While looking around the Bazaar, the Traveler and Paimon briefly converse with Katheryne, who is taking a break from her Adventurers' Guild post. The two have little time to discuss her unusually informal speech before Dehya approaches them with a possible lead on meeting Lesser Lord Kusanali. They learn from Asfand that an Akademiya convoy at Aaru Village was robbed, much to Grand Sage Azar's alarm. While most information on the missing inventory is classified, the item has to do with "the Akasha, knowledge, and even the gods," and is currently somewhere in Port Ormos.
- Lost in Prosperity
At Port Ormos, the Traveler and Paimon learn that some extremist Eremite groups, including one known as Ayn Al-Ahmar, are spreading rumors that the long-deceased King Deshret — a god whom they believe Greater Lord Rukkhadevata betrayed to gain control of Sumeru — will soon revive. They witness a dispute between members of Ayn Al-Ahmar and a man from the Akademiya named Alhaitham, which ends with the two parties agreeing to fight in a few days. Realizing that Alhaitham has details about the Akademiya's missing item, the Traveler convinces him to collaborate with them. He tells them that the missing item is a Knowledge Capsule, used to obtain knowledge beyond the Akasha's limitations, but refuses to give them further information before they complete a task for him: To become customers of Dori, a shrewd merchant who refuses to do business with anyone affiliated with the Akademiya due to the nature of her wares. The two gain her trust and return to Alhaitham.
- Ever So Close
After reconvening, Alhaitham and the Traveler tell each other why they are investigating the Akademiya's missing item — a Divine Knowledge Capsule, which Alhaitham intends on studying to find out what "divine knowledge" entails. With Dori's help, they discover that Ayn Al-Ahmar's leader, Mizri, has obtained it, and plan on forcing the Eremites to give them access to the Capsule during their scheduled fight. While the fight initially goes as planned, Mizri goes berserk after using the Divine Knowledge Capsule and attacks some of his group. Alhaitham ends the fight by severing Mizri's connection to his Akasha Terminal, and the Matra take Mizri into custody. As he is being led away, Mizri mutters "...World ...Forget me..."
As the trio discusses the events that transpired, Alhaitham and the Traveler both withhold information from the other: Alhaitham, that he swiped the Divine Knowledge Capsule from Mizri; the Traveler, that they heard Mizri's words in a vision. Alhaitham compares Mizri's state to that of researchers who have gone insane after connecting to Irminsul, concluding that the Capsule grants neither divine knowledge nor power. After finding that Alhaitham, too, knows nothing about Lesser Lord Kusanali, the two parties go their separate ways, with the Traveler and Paimon returning to Sumeru City for the Sabzeruz Festival. Once they leave, Alhaitham debates whether to "deal with" the Divine Knowledge Capsule, or produce a certain report for the Sages.
Act II - The Morn a Thousand Roses Brings[]
- The Coming of the Sabzeruz Festival
After returning to the Grand Bazaar, the Traveler and Paimon recount their escapades in Port Ormos to Dunyarzad, who expresses her wish to join them in the future only to be scolded by Dehya. Seeing that Paimon is tired, Dunyarzad provides the traveling pair with accommodations for the night. The next morning, the two meet up with Dunyarzad and begin browsing the event venues as Dunyarzad explains the traditions. After departing from Vihar's venue — where the player has to pick a mystery box of Yalda Candy flavors — the three run into Eremite mercenaries planning on taking Dunyarzad hostage for ransom. Dehya appears and takes the mercenaries on alone so the three can escape.
Although they successfully get away, Dunyarzad's frail constitution leaves her exhausted. Dehya soon catches up, having driven off the mercenaries but getting wounded in return. It turns out that she was injured because she was still getting acclimated to her new greatsword; she sold her old one to donate towards the Sabzeruz Festival. Dunyarzard's health begins to falter again, so the Traveler agrees to bring her somewhere safe while Dehya patrols the area. As they rest, Dunyarzad undoes the wrappings around her palms and wrists, revealing that she was born with Eleazar and that it has progressed to a terminal stage; as such, she is doing everything she can for the Sabzeruz Festival so she will not leave behind any regrets once she passes away. Realizing it is almost time for the Dance of Sabzeruz, the three hurry to the Grand Bazaar.
They arrive to find Nilou being confronted by Grand Sage Azar and his secretary, Setaria. Azar claims that the festival violates several laws and prematurely shuts the festival down, declaring that all public art performances will be banned starting with the next Jnagarbha Day and departing with some enigmatic words about celebrating "the birth of that god to your heart's content." Although Nilou tries to come up with a way of continuing with the dance anyways, Dunyarzad decides that they should comply with the Grand Sage's orders. The Traveler and Paimon lament that given Dunyarzad's situation, she will have to live out the rest of her life with the regret of being unable to see Nilou's performance.
Elsewhere, a *beep* sound is heard as an unknown voice states that "The project has entered its most critical phase."
- The Arrival of the Sabzeruz Festival
The morning of the Sabzeruz Festival repeats itself, causing the Traveler to feel increasing amounts of déjà vu. After picking the mystery box at Vihar's stall, the Traveler takes their leave and heads to Lambad Tavern, believing they might shake off the sensation by eating something they'd never tried before, Charcoal-Baked Ajilenakh Cake. Much to the Traveler's surprise, the flavor is familiar despite the incongruence with their memories, meaning they must have tried doing this before.
As they leave, they find Dunyarzad sitting at the bench, having escaped her pursuers alone. Although the two sense that Dunyarzad is less energetic than usual, she attributes it to her constitution and heads to the Grand Bazaar, where Azar and Setaria once again confront Nilou. Having failed to make any discoveries, the two go to sleep and hear the same beep again. Meanwhile, the project continues, despite seeing a drop in "Jnana Energy" output levels.
- The Continuation of the Sabzeruz Festival
As the festival loops again, the Traveler has the flavors for each mystery box memorized, much to Paimon and Vihar's shock. Upon spotting a strange girl, the Traveler chases after her to the Bimarstan hospital, where they find a second Dunyarzad sleeping on a bed. The mysterious girl has them use Canned Knowledge containing the memories they have accumulated from countless days' worth of the one-day festival 'samsara', or cycle. The Dunyarzad on the bed is the real one, continuously weakening with each samsara. The girl introduces herself as Nahida and asks them to find a way to break the cycle while she tries to delay Dunyarzad's illness, tasking them with discovering the reason behind the samsara. She has many of the answers they need but cannot tell them directly, as it would be harmful to their mental wellbeing.
After failing to find any useful information, they decide to enlist Dehya's help. After convincing her that something is amiss, they take her to see the real Dunyarzad. While Dehya is unable to see or hear Dunyarzad or Nahida, she senses Dunyarzad's aura and is convinced that they are telling her the truth. After listening to the Traveler's explanation, Dehya suspects that Sumeru Akademiya's sages are responsible for the samsara and are using the Akasha to pull it off. Nahida explains that the Akasha uses the Dendro Archon's Gnosis to operate, compiling knowledge and granting it to its users. When the Traveler suggests their increasing mental fatigue is related to the Akasha, Dehya correctly deduces that the Akasha is extracting information from their minds to figuratively create a single, massive brain which can compute any information the sages desire.
The three take their terminals off to cut themselves off from the samsara, but hear the beeping sound again from within their heads and fall unconscious. Meanwhile, the mysterious voice (Khajeh's) warns that the project is taking longer than expected, and that there will likely be casualties. Another mysterious voice (Azar's) decides to continue on.
- The Samsara of the Sabzeruz Festival
The next day begins, confirming that removing their Akasha Terminals is useless, but that the Akasha itself is certainly involved. Nahida refuses to reveal her identity saying it is currently unimportant, but does compare herself as being "the Moon". When they find Dehya again, the two notice that she wasn't injured fighting the kidnappers. She acknowledges that the ease with which she can use her new greatsword is abnormal as that requires building up muscle memory, making the two hopeful that something might have changed due to the removal of their terminals. However, Nahida simply congratulates them on their new information and tells them to wait for the next day, as it's not worth speculating today on what they will learn tomorrow.
After the beep, Azar orders the project to continue, believing that "these sacrifices are trivial" compared to their end goal.
- The Causality of the Sabzeruz Festival
The following day, the Traveler amends their theory that the samsara is not a time loop but simply mass memory erasure of a single day which would cause one to think that the previous day hadn't happened, but are told it is wrong and Nahida suggests they check in with Dehya. Dehya points out that while the Mora people spent during each loop could technically be refunded to them, perishables like food keep being 'reset'. She proves that it isn't possible by showing them a training dummy she's used over several days, stating that the sages would have no way to reproduce her swordsmanship of each strike for each loop. Concluding that they are not in the real world, they realize that they have never tried leaving the city. When they tell Nahida their plan, she reveals that they already tried twice but failed to return throughout the night. Curious as to why they have no relevant memories despite Nahida's prior intervention, they decide to test it out the next day.
- The Empty Illusions of the Sabzeruz Festival
In the morning, the Traveler discovers that two days have passed since they started their plan. On the first day, the Traveler left the city alone so Paimon could witness what happened, but immediately disappeared after leaving the city limits and failed to return, while the Traveler's own memories of it were erased. On the second day, Nahida modified an Akasha Terminal so the Traveler could record messages about what they saw in the outside world.
In the present, the recorded messages lead to the revelation that the Akasha compiles wisdom by stealing the people of Sumeru's dreams, which occur during a stage of sleep when brain activity is high, and the sages' rhetoric about dreams being detrimental to people is a lie used to cover up this fact. The samsara is putting the consciousnesses of the people of Sumeru into a collective dream of the Sabzeruz Festival, which makes them repeatedly "wake up" to a new day while the Akasha mass harvests their now-vacant dreams. On Nahida's invitation to guess her identity, they also deduce that she is actually Lesser Lord Kusanali, the Dendro Archon they have been looking for. As they contemplate why the sages' end goal, the beep rings and they await the next day.
- The End of the Sabzeruz Festival
The next day, Nahida sadly informs them that Dunyarzad's consciousness disappeared, as it could no longer handle the Akasha harvesting. She confirms that she was the voice that inspired Dunyarzad as a child, and is upset that as "not a real archon", she wasn't able to save her most faithful follower, but they comfort her saying that archons are still allowed to be sad. The Traveler and Paimon are also saddened by her apparent demise, but Nahida tells them how to break the samsara; by making the host of the samsara realize they're dreaming. Only humans can create dreams, and the samsara was created from the dream of an unaware host. Once the host becomes aware of the dream (lucid dreaming) they can then take full control of it. In the meantime, Nahida plans to leave the city to travel the stolen dreams for a last-ditch effort that she doesn't specify.
They first decide to go to Vihar, but discover that other than him having a crush on Dunyarzad, he isn't the host. After hearing Dehya yelling in the distance, the Traveler goes to her to help against the Eremites, even though Dehya handled them herself in the previous cycles.
Ordering Dehya to leave, the Traveler takes their anger over Dunyarzad's fate on the Eremites before deciding to investigate what Dunyarzad had forgotten. However, feeling it would be rude to enter the inn room without permission, Paimon notices an open window and flies inside. She discovers a diary of compiled research on Lesser Lord Kusanali based on interviews Dunyarzad conducted with people, with the goal of gifting it to the Traveler and Paimon. Running off to the puppet Dunyarzad, they thank it before sitting down on the nearby bench. They then decide to watch the Dance of Sabzeruz and find Azar and Setaria scolding Nilou. However, the Traveler steps in, causing them to freeze; this confirms their suspicions that they were actually puppets, as the sages would not subject themselves for dream harvesting.
Nilou is surprised by the Traveler's intervention before they notice that the flowers at the back of the stage are actual Padisarahs, causing them to realize that Nilou is the host of the dream, since genuine Padisarahs have been long extinct. The Traveler instructs Nilou to close her eyes and imagine Azar and Setaria vanishing, which removes the puppets from the dream. As Paimon wonders how to break her out of the dream, Nilou realizes that she's dreaming and explains about the tale of the First Sage. Now aware she is lucid dreaming, Nilou performs the dance as the dreamscape dissolves, during which the two also see Dunyarzad's spirit in the crowd, watching Nilou dance. Waking up, they run back to where they met Nahida, finding Dunyarzad with her mind fully intact if nursing a headache, and Katheryne next to her.
- Dawn
Talking to "Katheryne", they realize by her voice that it is just Nahida possessing her. She suggests speaking elsewhere and they stop by the same bench, where Nahida reveals that after leaving the city in the last cycle, she successfully found a fragment of Dunyarzhad's dying consciousness. It was too weak for the Akasha to harvest, but as Nahida had suspected, also now outside its control. She then used all of her power to sustain Dunyarzhad's dream until the samsara broke, which the Traveler and Paimon had accomplished just in time. After answering their questions, she tells them she is significantly tired from keeping Dunyarzhad alive, but tells the two that the Akasha would be unable to host an event of such size for some time. She plans to investigate what caused the sages to step out of line before disconnecting from Katheryne to rest. As she leaves, Katheryne comes back to her own senses and asks the two what happened.
Act III - Dreams, Emptiness, Deception[]
The Sabzeruz Festival samsara finally comes to an end.
The path to saving the god lies within the desert stars.
"I am the lord of the scarlet soil. My deeds are world-renowned, and even the strong kneel before me!"
- Like a Triumphant Hero
As they've not heard back from Nahida for some time, Paimon suggests checking in with Katheryne for any commissions to keep themselves busy. When they arrive, she offers strange commissions, causing them to realize that they're actually talking to the archon instead. Nahida has a plan to try to figure out what the sages are learning but suggests speaking elsewhere. Paimon asks about Dunyarzad's health, to which Nahida states that she's recovering, but to fully remove Eleazar, they need to fix Irminsul's withering.
At the arranged spot, Nahida asks the Traveler for their suggestions, all of which she declines due to the immense risks or not being posible to enact. She instead reveals that they should find someone who has ties with them but hasn't fully dedicated their cause. The Traveler suggests Alhaitham, but Nahida had already decided on Setaria, Azar's subordinate. Setaria actually hails from the desert and was proclaimed as the greatest genius amongst the desert-dwellers, like the brightest star in the night sky, but is plagued by her guilt over the sages' questionable work and inability to use her studies to help the desert people. As such, she believes that if they can make Setaria confront her guilt, they'll have a mole on the inside.
Nahida takes them to the marketplace where she talks with Nabiya, Akim and Qishan as Katheryne, while the Traveler learns how they speak and act. The following day, as Setaria prepares to shop on her regular day off, Nahida tells the Traveler that because she still has trouble with human behavior, they'll be the ones to do the job. She uses her powers to act as a bridge, allowing the Traveler to remotely possesses them through their Akasha Terminal and passes off the impression that they're believers of King Deshret. During her conversation with Nabiya, they learn that King Deshret's resurrection is actually a misinformation campaign by the Akademiya. After talking to the three, Setaria panics and flags down Rima to warn the matra of the heretics, but Rima becomes possessed and forces Setaria to admit her guilt and promise to help. Setaria also reveals that an expelled outcast returned to the city, causing the sages to be wary.
Worried that the Akademiya might be keeping tabs on her, Setaria advises to have what documents she has access to picked up by someone at the entrance the following night. When the time comes, the Traveler and Nahida note that there's far fewer people out on the streets, causing them some worry. Nonetheless, they head to the Akademiya entrance, where they find many people in a trance. Suddenly, a man appears and introduces himself as Il Dottore, the second of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. Dottore reveals that had Setaria been more careful, she would have found the listening device that had been planted on her and has been put in confinement. He manipulated the peoples' Akasha Terminals to believe that the Traveler is a hero that had just saved the world, causing them to approach them. However, Nahida uses her powers to put them all to sleep and urges them to run, but the cost of exposing her presence within Katheryne.
After gaining enough distance, Paimon is shocked to discover a high-ranking Harbinger in Sumeru and that the Fatui were also involved in the sages' plot. With no other leads to go on, the Traveler decides to visit Tighnari, as he might know more about the project he'd turned down participating in.
- The Gaze from a Certain God
Making their way to Gandharva Ville, the Traveler and Paimon are ambushed by an Eremite group led by Tashfin, although they manage to repel the mercenaries. Arriving in the village, they find Collei, who's glad to see them. She remarks that her Eleazar condition has gotten worse recently and as such, Tighnari ordered her to stay in town. She also reveals that he suddenly left, which was unusual in itself, for Pardis Dhyai for reasons unknown.
Arriving at Pardis Dhyai, the pair run into Nahida, who had escaped Dottore's grasp by mind-jumping at the last second. However, she believes he might trap her in the Akasha system, forcing them to double their efforts. The Traveler explains that they're looking for Tighnari and she assists them in the search. When they arrive at the greenhouse, they run into Haypasia, who believes that she had reached Paripurna Life and offers to show them what she saw, which the Traveler accepts.
The vision that Haypasia saw was actually that of Scaramouche's memory, much to the Traveler and Paimon's shock as they realize that she went mad, only for her to realize the same too as she walks off. Nahida then senses that something's wrong and they run out, only to find Corps of Thirty members arriving to attack. While the Traveler tries their best to repel the assassins and rushes back to help her, Nahida is stabbed in the chest by a spear, although the two manage to touch fingers, a small flash of light occuring on contact.
The Traveler suddenly finds themselves in Nahida's own body at the Sanctuary of Surasthana, where they witness Scaramouche in the process of being made a god. When they come to back in their own body, they find themselves fleeing Pardis Dhyai with Tighnari, where Paimon reveals that he heard the commotion and helped them defeat the assassins. While the Traveler's consciousness was displaced into Nahida's body, Nahida had been swapped into theirs to help them escape — unfortunately, Nahida was captured by the Doctor upon swapping back, leaving her trapped in the Sanctuary with no means of controlling bodies remotely anymore.
Tighnari advises the Traveler to not give up, relaying the last message Nahida could leave behind, in code: "Even in a moonless night, a shower of starlight can still drown out illusions and lies." Recognizing that she once used "Starlight" to refer to The Eremites like Setaria, the Traveler realizes that Nahida must want them to seek help from the desert folk of the Great Red Sand. The Traveler then tells the two what they saw from Nahida's vision; with two Harbingers in Sumeru, trouble is bound to happen. Tighnari also reveals that he went to Pardis Dhyai to monitor Haypasia's condition, as it was unusual compared to other scholars and that the matra would have dragged her to Aaru Village otherwise for permanent exile. He suggests they head to Caravan Ribat to reach the desert while he stays behind to help Haypasia.
- The Four at Loggerheads
Arriving at Caravan Ribat, the Traveler and Paimon remark about the Wall of Samiel when Alhaitham appears and tells them to follow him, narrowly escaping a group of Eremites who were hunting them down. Alhaitham tells them that he's still studying the capsule and believes the Traveler might be hiding something from him before offering to go to Aaru Village with them, which they accept.
When they arrive at the village, the Traveler senses someone waiting to attack and parries the first strike before they clash with Alhaitham to a standstill. Alhaitham recognizes the man as Cyno, the General Mahamatra. Cyno demands he reveal the Divine Knowledge Capsule before Alhaitham questions him being alone in the desert, as the other matra were wondering where he went. Suddenly, Dehya arrives and tries to mediate, although the two men are still insistent on fighting. A sandstorm then kicks up, forcing the group into the village chief's hut when another woman calls out to them.
Inside, the woman introduces herself as Candace and warns them not to cause a fight in the village again before asking them to explain what happened. Cyno goes first, stating that he put himself in exile after noticing missing data that Azar submitted himself. When he tried to investigate, Azar denied his request, stating that he had no right to judge them. Cyno then reveals that Alhaitham had been tasked with tracking the Traveler, who doesn't deny the accusation, but reveals that he did not accept it, as the sages had promised him divine knowledge, which he found extremely suspicious. Dehya then explains that she was just bored and wanted to return to the village, just as they hear growling outside. Candace leaves the house to handle the monsters.
After some time passes, the Traveler and Dehya worry about her condition, so they head out and find her fighting some riftwolves and join in, repelling the enemy attack. The village chief, Uncle Anpu, then arrives, explaining that the Village Keepers have gone missing recently with no trace. Cyno explains that they're actually the exiled scholars of the Akademiya, as they believe that their crazed ramblings would give a negative psyche to others. Cyno then asks the Traveler to meet him elsewhere for a conversation.
At the arranged spot, Cyno explains the history of the Village Keepers; they were initially shunned by the village due to not being useful, but when an earthquake struck one day a mad scholar crouched to the ground with a green light radiating from him, protecting the entire village from any damage. The Traveler believes this to be the Dendro Archon's work, which Cyno believes and is surprised to learn that the Archon walks among the people. Just then, a boy named Isak appears and asks them to help find his grandpa.
Returning to the chief's house, Cyno confirms with Candace about Isak, who explains his past to them. Isak is delighted to learn that they'll be searching for his grandpa, so they begin to look for leads.
Act IV - King Deshret and the Three Magi[]
- The Missing Village Keepers
The Traveler and Cyno begin their investigation on the missing Village Keepers by talking to some of the locals. After talking to them, Cyno overhears two others talking about King Deshret's resurrection and confronts them. The two people, Sharkan and Makan, are terrified of Cyno's presence and quickly spill everything they know, including their hatred for the Dendro Archon and that a "radical" was responsible for the missing cases. Cyno warns them not to warn the radicals before Isak brings them to his grandpa's house, where the Traveler nearly faints from the aftermath of some incense.
Cyno then catches a whiff of the incense after concentrating and upon hearing Paimon mention Tighnari, tells them that he's a friend of his. After some further investigation around the hut, he discovers that someone else had come in and lured Isak's grandpa away with the incense. Returning to the village chief's house, Dehya suggests visiting her drinking friends at Caravan Ribat, but stops Cyno from coming along as she's worried he might intimidate them. Cyno and Candace remain behind while the Traveler accompanies Dehya.
As the two travel back to Caravan Ribat, Dehya expresses her hatred for the Wall of Samiel, explaining that its purpose of protecting the rainforest from sandstorms has been co-opted by the sages to also keep the Eremites out of Sumeru, as the sages simply take advantage of them, regarding the desertfolk as little more than tools or livestock to be exploited and discarded, "undeserving" of the Akasha's wisdom. At the local tavern, Dehya meets with Zaki and tells him to let Delavar that she has a spice deal for him. When Zaki takes them to the arranged spot, it is revealed to be an ambush, with both Delavar and Engur also appearing. Believing Dehya to be an incompetent fighter, they are quickly surprised when she and the Traveler defeats them with ease before taking them back to Aaru Village.
The following night, Candace interrogates the radicals for information and they reveal that the Eremite band had met with a masked man claiming to be King Deshret's envoy, who gave them incense to lure the Village Keepers out. They would then meet at a junction where the man would take them away to an unknown location. Uncle Anpu then chimes in, but to ensure the radicals wouldn't learn anything, Cyno knocks them out. Uncle Anpu states that he believes the mystery man might be related to the Akademiya, as they approached him before to take the Village Keepers back, which he refused.
The group prepares to set out for the desert to find more information, while Candace stays behind to handle the radicals.
- Cry from the Eleazar Hospital
Before the group leaves, Paimon spots Alhaitham, believing he had done nothing useful. Alhaitham tells them he had stayed in the village to continue his investigation and reveals that one of the villagers they spoke to had not been completely truthful to them. He explains that if the person had become too friendly to the Village Keepers, they could make themselves a target for the radicals. The group quickly realizes that Shani had lied and return to her home to demand an explanation. Shani explains that she could hear screaming in the night, which Alhaitham confirmed with one of the village guards. After asking what was around the village, Shani tells them that there was an abandoned Eleazar hospital nearby and they go there to investigate.
Arriving at Dar al-Shifa, the Traveler eliminates the monsters camping outside. After Alhaitham unlocks the entrance, they wait for nightfall, upon which they hear the crying that Shani had heard. Alhaitham discovers a hidden entrance and after unlocking a few more mechanisms, they enter the hospital and discover a person inside, who Alhaitham recognizes as Razak. Alhaitham realizes that they might be too late, since there were traces that indicated a hasty withdrawal. He explains that the Akademiya's misinformation campaign made the radicals spring into action to unknowingly help in their plans while ensuring that no liability could be traced to them, reminding them of their encounter with Mizri at Port Ormos as an example.
They take Razak back to the village, where they brief the others on what they found at the hospital. Cyno wonders how the Akademiya is aware of their plans before Alhaitham tells him that he's the mole, much to his anger. He explains that the sages knew of his conviction and that it posed a threat to them, so they needed to monitor him at all times. While he was idling about, Alhaitham found a book detailing his activities and movements which were uploaded to the Akasha on Jnagarbha Day. Cyno fails to see the reasoning behind it until Alhaitham tells him that the Akasha is capable of computation, thus it could predict his activities for the day. Cyno is initially dismayed at this, but realizes that if they were trying to avoid him, the perpetrators would go in the direction opposite of him; the desert.
Heading out into the desert, they find some headsets buried in the sand and continue following them, surmising that they were left there recently. Cyno then hears arguing and they spot Dehya and a group of Eremites led by Rahman. Isak, believing Dehya to have betrayed them, confronts her, causing the others to follow up, much to Dehya's annoyance as she was trying to convince Rahman to aid them. Rahman refuses to accept Dehya's reasoning, so Alhaitham offers himself as a hostage, although he still refuses to accept the deal. Dehya asks Alhaitham if he'd uphold his promises, which he does. Dehya then asks Rahman if he trusts her, which he does. She then offers her right arm as payment for her friends' words, which Rahman accepts and orders one of his men to chop her arm off.
At the last moment, Rahman changes his mind, believing that cutting her arm off would be akin to cutting his own fingers and sees no point in hurting his own kin. He allows the group to leave, but demands a fight the next day to settle the score, which she accepts.
- Secret of the Scorching Desert
The next day, the group heads out to meet up with Rahman's group. However, they only find one of the Village Keepers, which Rahman states that it was a one-on-one exchange since he had reluctantly accepted the honesty of Dehya's friends. This angers her, who immediately charges and easily overwhelms him. One of Rahman's men then threatens Isak's grandpa, but when his hands start shaking, another scolds him for cowardice. The man then loosens his grip before realizing that it's an earthquake, but Isak's grandpa suddenly glows and protects the entire group with a barrier as the sands swallow them.
When the group comes to, they find themselves in some mysterious ruins which excites Rahman as the ruins belong to King Deshret. Rahman leaves his group to let them recover as he joins the others in investigating, where they find the Dendro Archon's power imbued in the ruins, which gets the group's attention due to the harmony between the Dendro Archon and King Deshret. After running into some runes, Alhaitham deciphers them, revealing the transcript to be from Kasala, the last priest of King Deshret. The transcript tells how King Deshret introduced forbidden knowledge to his people, causing them to go mad; to save them, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata used her own powers to give the people life. This was not without a cost, as King Deshret chose to sacrifice himself to prevent the knowledge from returning, while Rukkhadevata reverted to a small child.
Rahman is shocked by the transcript before realizing that he and his people made an enemy of their savior and accepts the truth. He apologizes to the group for his actions and promises to return the Village Keepers and share what supplies his people have after explaining to them what he saw. Upon arriving at his stronghold, Rahman brings the group to the perpetrators, Morghi and Judar. Upon seeing both Alhaitham and Cyno, they become terrified. The Traveler asks them if the sages were planning to create a new god, which they confirm, much to the group's surprise. They explain that since Rukkhadevata's death, scientific breakthroughs had been rare and on the decline. After Il Dottore approached them with the notion to create a new god, they accepted and began to set the plan in motion, with the dream samsara and harvesting Divine Canned Knowledge from the mad scholars being part of the process to create their new god.
Returning to the village with the Village Keepers and the suspects, everyone agrees that what the sages are doing is completely unacceptable and begin to concoct a plan to crush the sages and rescue their true god.
Act V - Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises[]
- Through the Predawn Night
As the day starts, the Traveler and Paimon find Candace, who tells them that everyone is waiting. She asks has them promise that they wouldn't get too reckless before entering the village chief's home, where they catch up with Alhaitham, Cyno and Dehya. They formulate a plan before going off to finish up some last minute preparations. Alhaitham's plan involves taking action on the next Jnagarbha Day. Candace could tell that the meeting went along well and while she would remain behind to protect the village, she prays for their success.
Catching up to Alhaitham, he had just finished speaking with Rahman. Alhaitham reminds them that they need to commit to the plan due to the serious circumstances involved. He then states that as a scholar, he could advise the mercenaries from behind rather than having to fight at the front. He also points out that he had not known of forbidden knowledge while working at the Akademiya and suspects that the scholars and mercenaries who used it fell victim to its corruption; however, the Akademiya treated it as something else, and he suspects that what is happening now happened in the past. Paimon tells him that Tighnari had told them that Irminsul was connected to Sumeru's ailments and that they should inform Nahida, although Alhaitham fails to see the reason why until the Traveler explains it to him. This makes him conclude that saving Lesser Lord Kusanali much more important, but before they could start, he needs to finish his preparations and they head off to Rahman's base.
Arriving at Rahman's base, they find Morghi and Judar working, as Alhaitham had given them something to do. Paimon spots the headset from before alongside some Canned Knowledge capsules, causing her to become nervous. Alhaitham explains that they wouldn't be using them yet, but asks the Traveler to remind themselves of their conviction. As they wear the headset, Alhaitham asks them to simulate the successful rescue of Kusanali and that Sumeru's political landscape has changed. Paimon is still unsure as to his intentions before he explains that people have relied too much on the Akasha and thus they're slaves to orders. With his preparation done, he sends them off to Cyno at Caravan Ribat while he finishes up some other small tasks with the Akademiya scholars.
Making their way to Cyno, the Traveler finds him arguing with Rahman over the plan, as Cyno could not accept a plan with immense casualties. Rahman states that they don't have a choice and that it's their best option, but Cyno is still unconvinced, as he had gone to Alhaitham for advice. Rahman admits that he knows the ways of the desert before he explains the plan; using his capacities as a Matra, Cyno would work with the guards at the outpost to arrest Rahman's men, as they were unregistered and that the outpost would never accept so much Eremites at once, being their best bet to infiltrate Sumeru City. Cyno states that Alhaitham gave him that suggestion and while he would ensure his men would not be hurt, the other guards wouldn't be as considerate and he is against meaningless loss. The Traveler offers to help, which both accept. Cyno, seeing Rahman's determination, decides to go with the plan.
Heading to the outpost, Cyno informs the guards that he's about to make a large arrest and needs their assistance in apprehending them. The guards go off to inform their superiors; as they do so, Paimon is worried that they might have been feigning support. However, Cyno reminds them of their discussion, in which Alhaitham believed that the guards at Caravan Ribat should be unaware that Cyno had stepped down due to his fellow Matra not knowing his current status and that if something happened to him, it would attract unwanted attention and potentially expose their master plan. Alhaitham also reminds the group of the Akasha's computation capabilities, although confident that it would be unable to discover their plan yet as they were all working together. Paimon is relieved before Cyno reminds her to pay attention next time as they hear footsteps.
The guards returned with their superior, Luxembarbo, who Cyno briefs on his mission and introduces the Traveler and Paimon as his assistant and their construct respectively. Cyno requests an elite platoon to set out in two days to apprehend Rahman's men. After two days pass, they meet up with Cyno at the outskirts of the village, where they find Luxembarbo and his men there already. Cyno reminds them that they need Rahman's men alive before they conveniently arrive on scene. After a brief struggle, Rahman and his men are arrested and taken away.
With no one to hear them, Cyno promises to get Rahman and his men into Sumeru City before asking them to proceed with the next part of the plan; assisting Dehya in convincing Tighnari to support them. While Paimon is concerned that he would not help due to not telling him the full plan, Cyno is confident that his relationship with Tighnari would get the message through.
- As by a God's Side
Returning to Caravan Ribat, Dehya jokingly scolds them for being late. Due to the threat posed by Il Dottore, Dehya states that they'll need information on him before proceeding with their plan. The current plan involves heading to Pardis Dhyai to find Tighnari, who Alhaitham and Cyno believe still have the Akademiya's trust, and thus use him to get as much information as possible to adjust their plan if needed.
Arriving at Pardis Dhyai, they find Tighnari and ask to speak with him privately. Learning that Cyno was working with them, he agrees to help out in any way possible while not asking for the finer details. When they ask him about Dottore, he tells them that the Harbinger had just left, having arrived to ask him to give Haypasia to him for reasons unknown outside of working on her treatment. Tighnari refused, as he sensed an aura similar to that of other scholars. Dottore admitted that he would have dealt with him, but with the Tsaritsa calling for his return, he had no time but remarked that he could finish up some loose ends before leaving.
Asking where he went, Tighnari points them in the direction he left in. Although Paimon is unsure as to how they could track him, Dehya uses her mercenary skills and determines he's leaving via Port Ormos. There, they find a large Fatui entourage before they hide in Wikala Funduq. However, Dottore spots and waves at them, causing them to realize that he had misled them and that they're going after Haypasia instead. Rushing back to Pardis Dhyai, they help Tighnari drive the Fatui off before checking on Haypasia. However, touching her caused a manifestation of Scaramouche to appear, who tells them that their mission is futile as neither they nor Nahida could defeat him.
The Traveler asks why he's talking to them, in which he replies that he's just in a good mood. They ask some questions, stating that the Akademiya only sees him as a new Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and that the process to ascend him is risky. While Scaramouche notes their genuine concern, he states that he was always meant to be a god. He expresses his disgust for humanity, but when the Traveler points out that he could have cut his connection to Haypasia, he admits that he does have some affection for her, in that he saw her worthy to be his first follower due to seeing his past. The Traveler informs him of Dottore's intentions, but he believes it as an attempt to sow discord and showcases his newfound power by causing lightning around Pardis Dhyai.
Worried about Dehya and Tighnari, they head out and find that Tighnari had been struck by lightning. Dehya states that the weather took a change and tore most of the Fatui. Tighnari states that he'll be fine, but notices that the Traveler looks concerned. Heading in the greenhouse, the Traveler informs them of their encounter with Scaramouche. Dehya takes this as their plan being successful, as Dottore had left. She tells them to meet up with the group at the Grand Bazaar at the appointed time.
- Jnagarbha Day
The next day, the Traveler meets up with Alhaitham outside the Akademiya and asks for a rundown of the plan again. Alhaitham states that they'll be infiltrating Azar's office to access his console, as there should be a way to free Kusanali from the Sanctuary of Surasthana. As Jnagarbha Day is important for the Akademiya, Alhaitham states that they'll just head straight in through the front door, much to Paimon's astonishment. Once they enter, they're met by Viraf, who questions the Traveler's arrival, only for Alhaitham to tell him the reason should be obvious as he walks off.
Further inside, they head into the House of Daena, where they lay low to ensure they wouldn't run into Azar in the process. However, Azar intercepts them, having been informed by an eyewitness. He takes them to their office, stating that due to Jnagarbha Day, he has little time for small talk and asks why they came before detaining them. The Traveler warns him of the Fatui's motives, but he pays no attention to it, being interested only in their new god. Alhaitham gives him information on the Traveler, leading the two to believe he had betrayed them. However, Azar calls Alhaitham out on his own plan. In an apparent fit of rage, Alhaitham drops the Divine Knowledge Capsule and lunges at Azar, but misses, although he knocks something over before the guards apprehend him. Azar orders him to be exiled to Aaru Village before locking the Traveler and Paimon up, confident that with the Traveler out of the way, the sages' plan would be set for good. As Alhaitham is dragged away, his Akasha reverts to green, revealing that his "insanity" was just a ploy as Nilou watches and smiles.
In the confinement room, the Traveler and Paimon go over the plan again, as the Traveler had also been tasked to wake Nahida from the Akasha. They manage to find a spot with stable connection and connect to Nahida's consciousness. They initially have trouble connecting to Nahida, as she has self-doubt over her capabilities as an Archon, but after hearing an unknown voice, is convinced to do her best. The Traveler breaks a barrier surrounding her and manages to wake her up. With Nahida's consciousness awoken, the next part of the plan begins.
Outside, Sheikh Zubayr asks Nilou if she really intends to go with the plan, which she affirms. Zubayr concedes, but warns her to be careful, as the few people of the Bazaar might be unable to help her. Nilou makes her way to the Akademiya, where she performs at the entrance. Azar orders the guards to detain her, but when the order is uploaded to the guards, they're told that Kusanali escaped into the city and are ordered to apprehend her. Alhaitham had planned for this possibility, thus leaving the Akademiya without guards, allowing Dehya and the Eremites to go into action. Dressing Isak as Kusanali, they lure the guards into the Bazaar and defeat them.
Back at the Akademiya, Azar wonders where the guards are when Uday arrives, having done what he was told. Azar checks the Akasha himself, discovering the order but wonders how it got there in the first place. When Uday questions the Akasha, he unintentionally angers Azar, who goes to the Sanctuary of Surasthana to investigate. When he arrives to confirm the information himself, he runs into Cyno, who demands that he plead guilty to the archon herself. Meanwhile, Dehya frees the Traveler from the confinement room and tells them that the plan was a success.
Heading into the Sanctuary, the Traveler and Paimon meet Nahida in-person for the first time. Nahida apologizes for putting through situations she caused, but they decline the apology as she wasn't at fault. Now knowing the full extent of the damage, Nahida reverts the Akasha to be used by herself only and revoke all of the sages' access, make them pay for their crimes and also to stop the false god. She advises them to prepare themselves.
- Where the Boat of Consciousness Lies
Inside, Nahida remarks on the intricacy of the Akasha before giving the Traveler an "upgraded" version which she made just recently and would help them in their travels. She also reveals that she discovered the false god's location. She also intends to support them, as she doesn't have enough power to fight yet. Needing to connect to Scaramouche's consciousness, they enter the facility, which had been made by the Fatui. As they head deeper into the facility, Nahida could sense that Scaramouche was either nearing or already became a god. When they finally reach him, they find him in a large mechanical suit and that he sees himself as a god, although Nahida notes that the sages weren't able to infuse the Divine Knowledge Capsules into him and that he lacks the spiritual height of one. Nahida awakens him in order to get his attention before he challenges them to a fight as to reenact a scene of the Archon War despite Nahida's pleas otherwise.
Despite the Traveler's initial attempts, Scaramouche plunges his arm into Nahida's chest to grab her Gnosis, but Nahida reveals that he had been in a repeating samsara. Due to the samsaras, she proceeds to impart the combat knowledge to the Traveler to put them on better fighting terms, alongside compiling the knowledge of Sumeru's people with the Akasha to the "upgraded" terminal, allowing them to defeat Scaramouche. Nahida proceeds to grab the Electro Gnosis from the mechanical chest, causing Scaramouche to fall out as he begs for Nahida not to take it from him.
Using the Electro Gnosis alongside her own, Nahida and the Traveler enter Rukkhadevata's final memory, although she was surprised to see it severely contaminated. The Traveler explains the concept of forbidden knowledge to her, which she connects to King Deshret's time and also the cataclysm. Nahida clutches in pain as the corroded consciousness is affecting everyone, so set out and find a boat to take them to Rukkhadevata's lucid consciousness to find the answers they seek. When they arrive, the Traveler recalls seeing the same place when they first arrived in Sumeru before they meet a replica of Nahida, although it is Rukkhadevata's consciousness.
Nahida has many questions for Rukkhadevata, who reveals that she created Nahida from the purest Irminsul branch to serve as her incarnation in the next samsara. Rukkhadevata states that to save Irminsul, Nahida would have to erase her from it, which would remove all traces of her having ever existed on Teyvat. Nahida is upset at this, but regretfully complies. As Rukkhadevata is removed, Irminsul is restored, which in turn allows the people of Sumeru to dream again and removes the forbidden knowledge completely. Returning to the real world, Nahida and Paimon have forgotten about Rukkhadevata, but the Traveler has not; as the Traveler contemplates telling the truth, they suddenly fall asleep.
Dottore then walks in, having waited too long to speak with Nahida in person and that he simply used a sound wave to put the Traveler and Paimon to sleep. He reveals he came to negotiate, but also reminds her that she can't fight him. Nahida admits this, but threatens to destroy the Electro Gnosis, which in turn could potentially awaken Celestia. Dottore falls for the threat, but Nahida, knowing that Ei's Gnosis would bring disaster to Sumeru, agrees to give it to him as long as he destroys the other segments. Dottore states that he spent many rare resources making them, but agrees and eliminates them all. With the deal made, Dottore inquires about her own Dendro Gnosis, as it has no use now that the Akasha is going to be shut down. Dottore offers her information about "the skies of Teyvat being fake" in exchange for her own Gnosis.
The Traveler regains consciousness at Gandharva Ville, with Paimon waking them up.
- A Toast to Victory
Catching up with Collei, the three have breakfast before finding that Nilou had left them a letter. Opening it, they discover that she's invited them to a celebratory feast as Cyno had returned to his original position as General Mahamatra. As they meet up with Tighnari, the Traveler learns that Cyno had brought them to Gandharva Ville to recover, although he was unaware that a feast was being held in his name. The Traveler invites the two along, but they refuse, as the Forest Rangers have been much busier as of late. Tighnari also reveals that Azar and the other sages would be spending the rest of their lives in Avidya Forest to cultivate wisdom after hearing that Nahida had defeated Scaramouche and restored Irminsul.
Returning to the Grand Bazaar, Nilou tells the Traveler that she had also sent invitations to Alhaitham, Dehya, Dunyarzad, Rahman and Cyno and asks them to look for them to confirm that they got the invitations. Heading into the House of Daena, they find Alhaitham arguing with Kaveh, who had just returned from the desert to discover that the sages had been overthrown. As Kaveh leaves to confirm it with others, Alhaitham notices the Traveler. He remarks on the absurdity of the situation they had just navigated and that he had rejected an offer to become the Grand Sage, as he did not like being a leader. The Traveler informs him of the feast and he agrees to come.
Heading to Port Ormos, they find Dehya and Dunyarzard, the latter relieved and delighted that all the Eleazar cases were dealt with. Dehya states that she intends to quit serving as her bodyguard, as she wanted to return to her mercenary life. She asks them if Alhaitham told them about considering working for the Akademiya, which they were unaware of. Paimon asks about the invitation, although the two had not been aware of it but thank her and agree to join. Asking where Cyno and Rahman were, Dehya tells them that they were likely at Aaru Village.
Arriving at Aaru Village, the pair catch up with Cyno just as Rahman and Setaria arrive. Setaria reveals that she intends to leave the Akademiya, but continue her studies so she could enrich the well-being of her people, who had been neglected by the Akademiya. Due to Nahida's manipulation earlier, Setaria resolved to return to the desert and was going to confront Azar when she found that he wasn't there, only for Cyno to inform her that he was gone. Nahida, wanting to put the people of the desert on par with the rainforest, devoted many supplies to help out, but Cyno had to contact Rahman's men to get them distributed. Cyno then learns about the feast in his name and agrees to come, while Rahman and Setaria decline as they're too busy.
With all the people on board, the Traveler returns to the Grand Bazaar as the feast goes underway. Noting that everyone had forgotten about Rukkhadevata, and now believed Nahida to have been the Dendro Archon all along, the Traveler decides to keep her memory a secret to honor Rukkhadevata's last wish. After talking to a few people, Nahida connects to the Traveler and uses them as a channel to speak with the rest of the group, thanking them for saving her and all of Sumeru. The group is humbled by her presence before she arrives in-person, bringing the feast to its climax.
The following day, the Traveler returns to the Sanctuary to speak with Nahida, who answers their questions about their next stop, Fontaine, and its Archon, Focalors. Nahida also reveals that their sibling, despite not originating from Teyvat, was recorded in Irminsul as suddenly appearing in Khaenri'ah. According to the information in Irminsul, the sibling began traveling across Teyvat after the cataclysm. However, the records surrounding the climax of their journey are fuzzy, leading Nahida to suspect that someone was intentionally withholding information about their fate. Nahida also reveals that the Fatui had classified them as Teyvat's fourth "Descender," a visitor from outside Teyvat. She suspects the first "Descender" to be the Heavenly Principles, but is unsure as to who the other two were, leaving both with many questions. Nonetheless, she promises to help them with their inquiries, hinting that she may appear in their dreams.
Act VI - Caribert[]
If the one who weaves fate may be born here, then let the one who witnesses fate see it all.
- Destined Encounter
Wandering around Port Ormos, the Traveler and Paimon run into Masrur, who hands them a letter from a "crafty fellow" who used a loophole to get the letter delivered. They read it and find that the letter was from Kaeya, who was stopping at Sumeru and asks to meet up with them at Djafar Tavern in the afternoon. When they arrive, they find that Kaeya had his fill of all the drinks. Paimon wonders as to what he might be doing in Sumeru, believing that as a Captain of the Knights of Favonius, he should be back in Mondstadt and that Jean would be upset. Kaeya states that he had come to scout out Sumeru's alcohol industry, as the tavern itself was home to a special concoction made with spices.
After the Traveler points out that he's alone, Kaeya admits that he had been to Sumeru before but it brings up bad memories. The Traveler tells him that he doesn't have to go into detail, so Kaeya tells them that in his youth, he had heard Crepus discussing sending merchants to Sumeru. Knowing that Khaenri'ah was situated under Sumeru and yearning to learn more about his roots, Kaeya stowed away amid the merchants cargo, only to be brought back to Mondstadt by the ear when he was caught. They ask him how much he knows about the nation, and he admits that he only knows a little from reading books, and as he spent less time in Khaenri'ah, he began to care less about it and wondered if his father wanted him to live happily in Mondstadt. As Kaeya remarks that his last name, Alberich, is the last thing tying him to Khaen'riah, Dainsleif inexplicably appears and asks him what he knew about the name.
The Traveler and Paimon are surprised by Dainsleif's appearance while Kaeya greets him, having sensed him listening in onto their conversation. Dainsleif then states that Kaeya's ancestors, the Alberichs, are the founders of the Abyss Order, leaving everyone surprised. Kaeya expresses surprise at the revelation before recognizing Dainsleif as a pure-blooded inhabitant due to his primogem-shaped eyes. Paimon wonders if Kaeya was working for the Abyss Order, but he does not answer that, saying the conversation steered into too serious a topic. Kaeya then takes his leave, since he had a spice merchant to talk business with.
As Kaeya leaves, Paimon remarks that the relationship between Kaeya and Dainsleif appears to be tense, comparing it to oil and water. Dainsleif tells her that he doesn't know him well and wonders if Kaeya is being honest about his relationship to the Abyss Order. The Traveler inquires as to the founding of the Order before Paimon asks what he's doing in Sumeru. Dainsleif states that while recovering, he remembered something related to the "Loom of Fate" operation, which the Traveler's Sibling had mentioned when he was traveling with them in Sumeru and thus is trying to find the place they had gone to together in Avidya Forest. Paimon decides to go, but Dainsleif waits for his drink before they do so.
Arriving at a small farming field, Dainsleif finds the area familiar and they investigate. Paimon worries about rudely intruding, but Dainsleif senses that no one had been around for years. With few leads in the field, they check the hut and find no leads inside either. Dainsleif then hears something outside, where they discover a group of Slimes. After eliminating them, Dainsleif decides to investigate the nearby Ley Lines alone, concerned that something had attracted the monsters. Paimon is worried, but Dainsleif states that the hut is the main investigation and thus the Traveler and Paimon set up a campfire for the night. Paimon asks about the Traveler's sibling, and the Traveler responds that they had frequently looked together at the stars, pointing out planets they wanted to visit, and shares that their stop at Teyvat marked the first time they had been separated. Paimon volunteers to take watch, so the Traveler falls asleep and dreams of their sibling.
The following morning, the Traveler wakes up to find Dainsleif greeting them. Reminding them of their task, he then notices that they must have dreamed of their sibling due to their tears and lets them be.
- Fortune-Mocking Pedigree
When the Traveler fully wakes up, they hear noise coming from the house and investigate, only to find an intimidating man scolding them for intruding into his business. They inquire about Paimon, who tells them that she had left for the forest too. When the man tells them to leave, the Traveler refuses, believing he's hiding something and that they have no chance of finding Paimon in the forest. The man admits that he was worried about them being related to the Forest Rangers or Akademiya and allows them to do as they please. When he decides to go inside, the Traveler insists on following, where they find him with a hilichurl with a bandaged wound.
The man explains that "he" was too young to suffer such a fate before the Traveler realizes the man is from Khaenri'ah. He demands an explanation and the Traveler explains that they knew based on his features. He then asks them if they believe in a god, which they don't. The man then introduces himself as "Eide." He explains that there are few humans who follow no gods and considers those who do to be his enemies. As he rants about the gods and their "gift" that ruined Khaenri'ah, the Traveler asks why some were turned into hilichurls and others were not. Eide explains while only one bloodline founded Khaenri'ah, they welcomed all humans who did not follow the gods. Those considered pure-blooded Khaenri'ahns were deemed the "greater sinners" and given the curse of immortality, while the others were given the curse of the wilderness and transformed into hilichurls.
The Traveler asks about the hilichurl, and the man introduces him as Caribert, his illegitimate son that he had with a woman from Mondstadt while he was unsatisfied with his life as a noble. The Traveler asks him about Caribert's mother, but the man does not disclose anything as he finds it too painful before he remembers what he was going to do and goes out. The Traveler catches up with him and finds him at a crafting bench, where he reveals that he was creating a potion with materials only found in Sumeru to make a temporary cure. Eide asks for some Sumeru Roses and Kalpalata Lotus, with the Traveler assisting and making the medicine. However, it has one more step; to get the blessing of one of the Seven, which Eide finds hard to do but eventually goes with it.
With the medicine fully prepared, they administer it to Caribert, but it has no effect, leaving Eide angered. The Traveler believes that it wasn't enough so they decide to make more. Eide has them fetch some water to grow the strange mushrooms used in the remedy. He then states that he has to leave and asks the Traveler to not let the Forest Rangers discover the place as he makes the fertilizer. Instead, Fungi appear, which the Traveler repels. As they prepare another dose of the medicine at the Statue of The Seven, Eide notices Caribert leaving and they chase after him.
- A Lamenter at Fate's End
Following the hilichurl, Eide realizes that it is not Caribert as it lacks the scarf which he gave him as a gift. Nonetheless, the hilichurl's behavior was unusual and the two decide to follow it to an unknown sanctuary, discovering hilichurls praying to something. Investigating further, the two are greeted by a strange being. The Traveler recognizes it as a being of the Abyss, but is not a member of the Abyss Order. The Traveler defeats it, after which Eide expresses awe at the being's power and how the Traveler easily defeated it. When they reach the end, they find a strange object hung midair and realize that it was the same as the Defiled Statue they encountered before. The Traveler warns Eide to leave, but turns to see Eide suddenly bowing as a mysterious voice that calls itself a "sinner" begins to speak. As the voice leaves, Eide regains consciousness, awed by the experience. Disturbed, the Traveler insists that they leave and they return to his house. After receiving a second dose of the medicine, Caribert regains consciousness, but is somewhat horrified at what he became. Eide tells him that they're in a fairy tale and under no circumstances he is to take off his mask.
Believing that the voice from the strange sanctuary saved his son, Eide returns to it pray, not believing the Traveler's claims that the god was actually a "sinner."
- Portended Fate
Worried for his safety, the Traveler returns to the sanctuary to help clear any monsters on the way. When they return to the spot where they'd heard the voice, the statue is nowhere to be seen, and neither are any hilichurls. Eide decides to return his house, believing they would meet the strange deity again. When they arrive, they discover Caribert missing and the mirror broken on the floor. Worried that he took off his mask and saw himself in the mirror, the two try frantically to track him, running into some Forest Rangers on the way. After being sent in the right direction, they find Caribert imbued with the power of the Abyss as he takes his mask off, rendering the Traveler unconscious.
Once they regain consciousness, Eide reveals himself as Chlothar Alberich and addresses the Traveler as his "Prince" or "Princess," causing the Traveler to pick up the mirror and see themselves as their sibling before falling unconscious again as Chlothar declares his intention to use the power of the Abyss to fight the gods. When they come to, they find Dainsleif and Paimon over them. Dainsleif states that the Abyss had messed with the Ley Lines in the area and he fixed it before the Traveler explains what they saw to the two. Upon digging the field, they find the remains of a man — which they believe is Chlothar, as he had disappeared 100 years after founding the Abyss Order — and a woman. Dainsleif then states that they have to part ways for now, as "he" may have seen the Traveler, referring to the "sinner" they had seen in the vision. He has his suspicions as to who this sinner is, but needs time to confirm their identity and he'll know who he is for sure in their next meeting as he leaves. The Traveler then hugs Paimon.
Characters[]
101 Characters appear in this Chapter:
- Aftab
- Akim
- Alhaitham
- Amal
- Amir
- Asfand
- Azar
- Azmi
- Badis
- Bandi
- Candace
- Caribert
- Collei
- Cyno
- Dainsleif
- Dehya
- Delavar
- Dori
- Dottore
- Dunyarzad
- Ei
- Eide
- Elham
- Engur
- Eymen
- Farhad
- Fateh
- Gaete
- Geoff
- Ghulam
- Greater Lord Rukkhadevata
- Guard
- Habi
- Hajjan
- Hamasa
- Harut
- Haypasia
- Hushang
- Idder
- Isak
- Jabari
- Jayant
- Judar
- Kaeya
- Kasala
- Katheryne
- Kaveh
- Kazan
- Khajeh
- Khalil
- Kimiya
- Kudari
- Kumari
- Lambad
- Latish
- Luxembarbo
- Makan
- Maqrin
- Marut
- Masrur
- Mir
- Mizri
- Morghi
- Muruwa
- Nabiya
- Nahida
- Nasrin
- Nilou
- Nima
- Paimon
- Panah
- Phaki
- Pooria
- Qishan
- Rahman
- Rama
- Raunak
- Razak
- Rima
- Rohawi
- Scaramouche
- Setaria
- Shani
- Sharaf
- Sharkan
- Sheikh Zubayr
- Shrimati
- Sidhu
- Tanina
- Tariq
- Tashfin
- Tighnari
- Traveler
- Traveler's Sibling
- Tumart
- Uday
- Uncle Anpu
- Vedrfolnir
- Vihar
- Viraf
- Zaki
Total Rewards[]
21,800 Adventure EXP
360 Primogem
874,625 Mora
74 Hero's Wit
Trivia[]
- The description for the announcement of Acts I and II references quatrains 32 and 9 of Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat.
- Chapter III is the first and only Archon Quest chapter to not have an act using the name shown in the Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview: Travail.
- Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana (Chinese: 虚空劫灰往世书 "The Puranas of Akasha Calamity Ash") may have been originally meant for Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises (Chinese: 虚空鼓动，劫火高扬).
Gallery[]
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name |
|---|---|
| English | Chapter III |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 第三章 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 第三章 |
| Japanese | 第三章 Dai-sanshou |
| Korean | 제3장 Je-3-Jang |
| Spanish | Capítulo III |
| French | Chapitre III |
| Russian | Том III Tom III |
| Thai | บทที่ 3 |
| Vietnamese | Chương 3 |
| German | Kapitel III |
| Indonesian | Chapter III |
| Portuguese | Capítulo III |
| Turkish | Bölüm III |
| Italian | Capitolo III |
Change History[]
- Added:
- Act VI - Caribert
- Added:
- Added:
- Act III - Dreams, Emptiness, Deception
- Act IV - King Deshret and the Three Magi
- Chapter III was released with:
- Act I - Through Mists of Smoke and Forests Dark
- Act II - The Morn a Thousand Roses Brings
References[]
- ↑ YouTube: Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview
