Beginnings and Endings is the second act of the A Parade of Providence event.
Quests[]
Summary[]
The contestants and commentators have gathered in Aaru Village for the second round, and the contestants' goal this time is to turn off the three Ley Line Disruptors. Tighnari is currently in first place and is favored to win, so the Traveler and Paimon decide to follow him, only to find him passed out from the desert heat. The Wanderer gives him his water, and after Cyno shows up, Tighnari chooses to withdraw from this round and rest at Aaru Village. On the way back, the four meet Layla, who believes that she doesn't have what it takes to represent the Rtawahist Darshan. Tighnari offers her some words of encouragement before leaving, and Cyno continues with the competition. The Traveler and Paimon find Faruzan, who believes that a Ley Line Disruptor is beneath her feet. Heading over to Kaveh, they find him surrounded by a group of Desert Foxes, to which he has given all of his food. He asks his sentient toolbox, Mehrak, to keep the foxes at bay, but it fails. He explains that Mehrak was created using a machine core from King Deshret's civilization that he had bought. Paimon notes how conflicted he is, wanting to fulfill his goal and help others at the same time. Just then, the locator beeps, signalling that a competitor has finished.
The two return to the commentator's stand and find out that Cyno has turned off the disruptor, making him the first winner of this round. They also find out that the Wanderer withdrew from this round as well. Returning to the competition, they find Layla, who has become more confident knowing that her classmates put their faith in her. She falls asleep right after, letting the other Layla taking control, who finds the disruptor and turns it off. Before returning to the commentator's stand, the other Layla notices Kaveh's irregularities, like he keeps fighting with himself despite knowing exactly what he wants. As for Kaveh, he meets up with Faruzan again. They both haven't finished their competition due to Kaveh passing out after leading the foxes away and Faruzan getting trapped in a ruin. The two work together to dig up the disruptor and turn it off, leading to another lot draw, this time with Kaveh being the winner. With that, the second round comes to a close.
After returning to Sumeru City, the Traveler finds themselves thinking about the strange vision. Dehya and Candace make their way to them, telling them about some mercenaries disguised as tourists that, in truth, are targeting Sachin, the sponsor of the competition. Paimon suggests reporting this to a matra, so they head to the Akademiya where they find Aarav, whom they met while investigating Siraj's collective consciousness case. Aarav tells them that they can't protect someone they can't see, and the only lead regarding Sachin's location is his words, stating that he'll be watching the Interdarshan Championship to find his suitable heir. He also says that Alhaitham has stepped down as Acting Grand Sage and has returned to his position as the Scribe, so it's likely that he'd know something.
The two return to the Extravaganza venue but only find Nilou, who doesn't know where Alhaitham is either. They decide to head to his house, but Kaveh ends up opening the door, meaning that Alhaitham left his house as well. Kaveh is packing his stuff, intending to leave his house right after he wins the third round. The Traveler asks him about Sachin, and he remembers that Alhaitham mentioned that name and brought some documents about him. The documents state that Sachin had given his estate to the Akademiya 20 years ago before his departure to the desert for research and, if he likes a certain contestant, he will appear and give them all of his wealth, much to Kaveh's delight. They notice Alhaitham's notes on it, some that are written in another language that Kaveh roughly translates to, "Lofty ideals may provide no defense at all against nihilism, but perhaps little decisions can."
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Beginnings and Endings | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 沙起沙落 Shāqǐ Shāluò | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 沙起沙落 Shāqǐ Shāluò | |
| Japanese | 砂が舞い上がり落ちる Suna ga Maiagari Ochiru | The Sand Rises and Falls |
| Korean | 오르내리는 모래알 Oreunaerineun Moraeal | A Grain of Sand Rising and Falling |
| Spanish | Crecidas y estiajes | Risings and Fallings[• 1] |
| French | Débuts et fins | Beginnings and Endings |
| Russian | Начало и конец Nachalo i konets | Beginning and End |
| Thai | ทรายปลิวว่อนและร่วงลง | |
| Vietnamese | Cát Nổi Cát Lặng | |
| German | Das Sandmeer flutet und ebbt | The Sand Sea Ebbs and Flows |
| Indonesian | Permulaan dan Akhir | Beginnings and Endings |
| Portuguese | Inícios e Fins | |
| Turkish | Başlangıçlar ve Sonlar | |
| Italian | Principio e fine |
- ↑ Spanish: This is often said in the context of the water level of a river or other body of water.