Lupus Aureus Chapter is the Story Quest chapter for Cyno.
List of Acts[]
- Act I - Sands of Solitude
- Requirements:
- Reach Adventure Rank 40
- Spend 1 Story Key
- Complete Archon Quest Chapter III: Act IV - King Deshret and the Three Magi
- Requirements:
- Act II - Oathkeeper
- Requirements:
- Reach Adventure Rank 40
- Spend 1 Story Key
- Complete Archon Quest Chapter III: Act V - Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises
- Requirements:
Summary[]
Act I - Sands of Solitude[]
The chains of mutual benefit are getting tighter and tighter, trapping everyone involved in a whirlpool that no one can escape.
Planting evidence, luring others with promises of gain, threatening, begging, exhorting... They will stop at nothing. When the old bricks and mortar crumble down, some people resort to silence, some gather their baggage and carry on forward.
- Suspicious Smuggling Case
Walking into the Akademiya, the Traveler and Paimon find a person in trouble and asks them what's wrong. The person introduces himself as Nabil, a Matra. He tells them that there's been a case of smuggled Canned Knowledge, although the Matra are unable to muster enough people to investigate the issue, as it came up just as Cyno had left. Alongside the main reason that Canned Knowledge is banned, he also explains that taking too much of it also causes health issues. The Traveler offers to assist, which Nabil gratefully accepts as he tells them that they might be selling outside the city right now.
Heading to the outskirts of the city, the two find Cyno there, who was also investigating the smuggling situation. Cyno tells them that he learned where the smugglers were and allows the Traveler to accompany him.
Arriving at the secret location, they eavesdrop on the two smugglers, Amainu and Amenzu talking with the buyer, Mutair and get the drop on them. The smugglers explain that they don't have a lot of stock since their main contact abandoned them due to Cyno's investigation, who likewise anticipated such a response. Cyno does not arrest them, but warns them not to commit the deed again. Paimon nearly mutters out Dori's name when Cyno considers finding a merchant who sells Canned Knowledge, having bought some from her before. Cyno tells them to meet them at Caravan Ribat if they have any new information for him.
As Cyno leaves the scene, Paimon suggests they speak to Dori as she might have some information on the smuggling ring. They head to The Palace of Alcazarzaray and inform Dori, who thanks them for not ratting her out to him. Dori explains that she already cashed out of the Canned Knowledge section due to them, as she only wants the Mora for herself, not a meager share, along with regulations making it harder for her to get clients alongside the other issues the Akademiya posted. Dori then tells them that the ring is actually trying to get information on the Court of Desolation, a ruin which is said to allow those to see beyond life and death, although research on it has been banned by the Akademiya. She heard that there would be an auction in the desert regarding Canned Knowledge on it and that that the mass dumping is a distraction. Dori then proceeds to sell them a desert survival kit with the location of the auction, although she charges the expenses to Cyno.
Meeting up with Cyno, Paimon tells him what they learned. He does not question them over the source of the information, but explains about the origins of the Court of Desolation and with Paimon's information, believes the smugglers are trying to find those interested in the ruins, as legends claim that along with what Dori had told them, the court could also revive the dead. Due to the dangers, research on it was banned, although there were always those trying to investigate it. After confirming the location of the auction, Cyno reveals that they're being followed, but promises to eliminate their pursuers.
Leaving the outpost, they're immediately set upon by Jhuba and his Eremite group, who were hired by the smuggling ring to stop him from entering the desert. Cyno is unfazed by their threats and with the Traveler, repels them, causing Jhuba to remark that there will be others coming for him as he and his group flees. Cyno apologizes to the Traveler for making them a target, explaining that his alertness came when he and his superior were attacked by mercenary remnants during a mission that resulted in his superior, Taj Radkani, being injured and forced out of live missions, although he is still well-respected in the Matra and offers to introduce him to them if possible.
- Chain of Interests
As the three make their way to the auction site, Paimon begins to complain about the scorching heat and asks Cyno how he's accustomed to it, wanting to take a break. Cyno explains that he focuses himself to get through and complies with Paimon's request to rest, but they would need to find a safe spot first. Suddenly, scorpions emerge and attack, although they easily kill them. Cyno inspects the scorpions and quickly deduces that they were raised by someone and hired by the smuggling ring to keep outsiders away. However, with no roads nearby, Cyno briefly ponders how they knew where they were before finding a tracking device on the Traveler, which Jhuba's men might've placed on them earlier and wonders if someone in the Akademiya was involved, as he recognizes the handiwork as Kshahrewar. Paimon suggests destroying it, but Cyno decides otherwise, as it might be useful to them later.
After killing more scorpions, they arrive at the auction site to find no one except a lone Desert Sumpter Beast drinking water. Cyno wonders if the smugglers simply ran off with the Canned Knowledge on the court, but asks the Traveler to leave, explaining that there was still value in the leftovers and that if they left, someone might come back for the leftovers. The Traveler agrees and heads a fair distance off before coming back, where they find Cyno with one of the smugglers, Bahari. Bahari admits having returned to take whatever he could as everyone fled upon learning that Cyno was coming, having believed that he had been working alone.
Bahari agrees to help in the investigation and suggests meeting at Aaru Village, although Paimon is initially skeptical it could be a trap. Once they arrive, they're greeted by his daughter, Simin, who prepares tea for them. As they drink, he explains that Simin was afflicted by a chronic disease which he could barely afford and felt helpless seeing his daughter struggle. When the smugglers came to him, he obtained plenty of Mora, which made him happy. As such, he asks Cyno not to interfere. Cyno sympathizes with Simin's plight but tells Bahari that he could not ignore the smugglers, so Bahari concedes and takes them to the back of his house, as the smugglers had just given him a new shipment.
Investigating the shipment, the pair find a strange marking which Cyno recognizes of that of a Matra, explaining how such a large amount of goods could have left the Akademiya without requiring an additional inspection. He decides that they would need to access the repository to find out who was responsible, although his arrival would cause unexpected problems. He therefore writes a letter and asks them to give it to Nabil.
Returning to the Akademiya, the Traveler informs Nabil of the situation, who agrees to help. They head to Utayba, who accepts the letter so they could search the repository. Looking at the information, they find someone by the name of Murtada Radkani having investigated the Court of Desolation. Utayba tells them that Murtada was Taj's only son and was sent to prison for investigating the Court of Desolation. He then committed suicide shortly afterwards, leaving Taj devastated. Connecting the information they have, Utayba has reasonable cause to believe that Taj might be the suspect, although Nabil is surprised that someone of his standing would do such an act. Nonetheless, they decide to investigate the recent shipments.
They learn from Payam that a Kshahrewar researcher had been sending larger shipments out with less outdated machinery, which had caught his attention alongside the Matra seal, but Taj told him to let them through. Unwilling to accept it, Nabil fetches Usem, who tells them that he saw Taj in his Eremite attire and left with a group of Eremites. Nabil decides to pay a visit to Taj's home, although he is not there. However, the door is unlocked; although worried about rudely entering, Nabil decides to enter with the Traveler due to the circumstances.
Leaving with many papers, they discover the smuggling operation is far more complex than they were led to believe, with many famous people being involved in it. Returning to Cyno with the information, he is left surprised by Taj's betrayal and decides to confront him for judgement.
- All Returns to Silence
Making their way to the Court of Desolation, they find Taj, who is still heartbroken over his son's death. After a brief spar, Cyno realizes that Taj had not betrayed them as he had led them to believe. As the court begins collapsing, Taj explains why he appeared to have betrayed the Matra; the organization had members in the Akademiya, coupled with the fact that his plan would have been rejected otherwise due to the ban, and thus hoped that Cyno could close the case. The Traveler worries about Taj's safety, but Cyno lets him be, as he has no life left in him. Quicksand submerges both the court and Taj, while the Traveler, Cyno and Paimon escape.
Outside, Cyno decides to handle the situation himself and asks the Traveler to meet him at Caravan Rivat four days later. After the days pass, they head to Caravan Ribat and find Nabil outside, who was overseeing the last of the smugglers being taken into custody. Nabil explains that a mysterious person took down the mercenaries on the list, causing the higher ups in the organization to pressure the Akademiya and put it to a standstill. However, when the Matra learned that Taj sacrificed himself on the case, they were riled up and arrested the researchers on the list; some tried to escape, but the same mysterious person that took the mercenaries down also brought them into custody. He suspects the person to be Cyno, as he couldn't think of anyone else who could do the job. He also saw him with someone else and asks him to send his regards as he leaves.
The Traveler soon finds Cyno with Tighnari, who gives him some paralyzing traps in the future should he need them, as he had no use for them. Tighnari also reveals to the Traveler and Paimon that he sent Collei out for some ad hoc lectures about the dangers of Canned Knowledge to increase awareness. Cyno thanks the Traveler for their assistance and plans to plant some flowers at the Court of Desolation as a tribute to Taj. Cyno then asks them if they knew anything about someone demanding Mora from him for "survival packages", which Paimon quickly denies.
Act II - Oathkeeper[]
Considering that the person involved is in a unique situation and is closely related to General Mahamatra Cyno, the latter believes that he must be the one to pursue the investigation.
Yet, for the mysteries of silence and the secrets of the sands...
This is all just the beginning.
- The Mysterious Letter
Having been a while since they last caught up with their friends in Sumeru, Paimon suggests to the Traveler that they check in on how they're faring. They arrive at the Sumeru Akademiya, where they run into Cyno. Paimon explains that after seeing a large mushroom on the road, she was reminded of their friends in Sumeru. Cyno likewise returns the sentiment, as he and his friends were just discussing about them. He reveals that he is handling a case, and the two offer to accompany him, which he accepts.
Inside, they find an old man talking to another person, who Cyno reveals is Cyrus, a former Spantamad sage who taught him and Lisa. Cyno introduces the two to Cyrus, who's honored to meet them. He explains that a few days ago, someone sent him a threat letter demanding ten million Mora or his secret would be revealed. As there were no witnesses, they examine the letter, taking note of the unusual paper it was written on and a stain that was hastily wiped up. They deduce that the culprit must be someone young and strapped for cash, so they go to Aarav, where Cyno orders him to investigate all the cafes and cover the exits.
Aarav leaves, and as Cyno remarks on the culprit's next move, he immediately brandishes his polearm at a student seemingly looking at some books, deducing them as the suspect. The student believes Cyno is lying, but Cyno sees through his claim due to his gesture and takes him away. Cyrus returns, remarking on how fast the situation was cleared when Cyno and Aarav return. The suspect, Urraca, is a sixteen year old third-year student who was underperforming and took tutoring classes to improve his grades, but developed a gambling addict that caused him to lose more Mora than usual. While at the tavern, he overheard people talking about Cyrus and an "old woman across the street" who Cyrus recognizes as Zaha Hadi, who is likewise surprised he doesn't know who she is.
Cyrus offers to treat Cyno to a meal for resolving the case in record time and asks that he bring Tighnari along. Paimon is surprised to hear that he's in the city, and Cyno explains that his master, Naphis, had called him and Collei to the city to help out with a project. The three head to Lambad's Tavern, where Cyno, Tighnari and Collei catch up with them. As they talk over the food, Kaveh arrives, who had come to buy some wine and coffee beans. The newcomers are brought up to news regarding Urraca before Kaveh takes his leave. With the meal finished, Cyno asks the Traveler and Paimon if they would like to camp with him, Tighnari and Collei as a way of welcoming them back to Sumeru, which they accept.
- After Repose
The next day, the Traveler and Paimon head to Gandharva Ville, where they find that the three have already set up camp. As night falls, Kaveh and Alhaitham unexpectedly arrive, having come to look for them. After Kaveh had returned from Lambad's, he told Alhaitham about Cyrus. Kaveh sketched the pattern on the letter and showed it to Alhaitham, who recognized an ancient emblem on the letter as that from the Temple of Silence. Feeling that something was wrong, they went to look for them, running into Cyno first. Upon hearing the news, Cyno went straight for Cyrus' residence, while Tighnari asks Collei to inform the Corps of Thirty about the news as they make their way back to Sumeru City.
Upon arriving, they head to Cyrus' house, though the retiree had long left before they came. They ask Zaha about the incident, who remarked that Cyrus looked lost in thought. She then gives them a letter from Cyno, who tells them to not go after him. Tighnari suggests reconvening at the Akademiya, where they find Alhaitham and Kaveh. Alhaitham tells them the Temple's history with the Akademiya, and thus conclude that Cyrus must have went to the desert. Napis then arrives and informs them that the Corps of Thirty confirmed that both Cyrus and Cyno went west towards Caravan Ribat. As the situation involved the Temple of Silence and the Akademiya had a "shameful" history with them, Napis urges them to bring Cyrus and Cyno back safely.
- Footprints Sunken Beneath the Sands
Arriving at Caravan Ribat, the three catch up to Cyno, who was finishing up a conversation with Candace and Dehya. Despite his insistence that he could handle the situation alone, he eventually relents and allows them to accompany him. As they approach Aaru Village, Tighnari asks about his connection with the Temple of Silence. Cyno admits that he doesn't remember too much about it, but knew that his powers came from Hermanubis after several trials before Cyrus brought him to Sumeru City. They run into Fodil and ask him where Cyrus went; he is unsure of his location, but tells them that he was going to an oasis.
At Thamud Oasis, the four come upon a group of people relaxing. Tighnari offers to talk to them, seeing that Cyno's appearance and reputation could complicate matters. A young man recognizes Cyno and after learning of their motives, asks them to follow him. He brings up a massive entrance, revealing it to be the Temple of Silence as he takes them inside. He introduces himself as Sethos and had already known why they had come. Sethos sends someone to fetch for their leader and allows them to wait. The Traveler asks him a few questions regarding the Temple of Silence before checking in on Cyno and Tighnari.
The leader, Bamoun, eventually arrives and he orders Cyrus out. Bamoun claims that Cyrus had betrayed the organization and must pay the price for his treachery. He states that the Temple's influence was fading without Hermanubis to guide them, and he had come into possession of two Ba Fragments — shards of his power. Many people volunteered to be his vessels, but the fragments rejected them. He eventually learned of two suitable vessels; his adopted grandson Sethos, and another child whose parents agreed to exchange him for a small fortune — Cyno. Bamoun had intended for a three-phase plan regarding the children and the fragments; resonance, implantation, recovery and observation. While the two children were successful in resonating with the fragments, before the second plan could be implemented, the fragments began to glow in a bright light. Realizing that they would be lost if he did not act, Bamoun had one fragment implanted into each child, after which Cyrus ended the experiment, taking Cyno with him.
Bamoun states that Cyno's fragment should be returned and given to Sethos, which Cyno shoots down as dangerous. Tighnari then points out that if he refused to and they did not return Cyrus, they would be at an impasse and believes that they must be hiding something from them. Bamoun then recognizes Tighnari as a descendant of the Valuka Shuna before coughing severely, prompting Sethos to order attendants to take him away. Sethos states that if Cyrus had not left with Cyno, the experiment would have been a success. Not shackled to the past like his grandfather, Sethos allows the group to leave apart from Cyrus. Cyno refuses the terms and asks Sethos to give him a day to make up his own terms, which he agrees to.
- Sage of Sages
Some time passes as the group reconvenes. Cyno does not want to give up Hermanubis' power as he needs it to protect Sumeru before Tighnari points out that Alhaitham and Kaveh had told him about rules in the desert tribes that revolved around honor and nobility. Thus, they decide to confront the Temple with their own terms and look for Sethos, with Tighnari also wanting to check on Bamoun. A quick diagnosis reveals that Bamoun is heavily stressed and his old age means that he has a few days to live at most. Cyno tells Sethos his terms; a winner-take-all in a Rite of Duels, which Sethos is surprised by but accepts.
The following evening, the duel begins, with Duaenre refereeing the match. The Traveler faces a Grounded Geoshroom and Grounded Hydroshroom, while Tighnari faces two Primal Constructs, both prevailing over their opponents. In the final round, Cyno faces off against Sethos, with both young men drawing Hermanubis' powers in the first half of the duel. Cyno's greater skill puts him at an advantage over Sethos, surprising him with an Electro spear that sends Sethos plummeting onto the arena floor. After recovering, Sethos charges at Cyno, who reacts to the attack by disabling Hermanubis' power and grabbing his staff to parry the attack. Seeing this, Sethos likewise stops using Hermanubis' power and grabs his own polearm. Ultimately, Cyno manages to land a powerful kick on Sethos, sending him flying across the floor before pointing his staff at him, and Sethos concedes.
With all three rounds won, Sethos relinquishes his fragment, which Cyno takes and absorbs, creating a massive display of light which captivates Bamoun, recognizing it as Hermanubis' return and passes away.
- The Dead Past is the Living Present
After a brief funeral, Sethos tells them that per his grandfather's wishes, Cyno is now the leader of the Temple of Silence. However, due to his duties as the General Mahamatra and not knowing how the organization works, Cyno decides to appoint Sethos as his leader, as he felt that if it was not for the duel or if he had other intentions, Sethos would have claimed both fragments. Cyno then realizes Bamoun's intentions; by forcing the two to a duel, they would bring Hermanubis' might into one person, and the outcome would benefit the organization regardless, as Bamoun knew that his successor had to be freed from the shackles of the past. Sethos admits that it was what he and his grandfather had planned all along, and as gratitude, they would allow anyone he or Lesser Lord Kusanali deemed worthy to peruse the knowledge stored by the organization. Sethos then tells Tighnari that Bamoun had been delighted to see a descendant of the Valuka Shuna, explaining their relationship to Hermanubis. Tighnari is impressed as while he knew that he was named after his kind, he had never known the extent of their history with the Temple. Cyno tells Sethos that he would make a report for Kusanali and that he should expect an official Akademiya delegation to come soon, asking him to come to the rainforest so he could build some relationships and know the other side, which he agrees to.
Returning to the Akademiya, Napis scolds Cyrus for his recklessness. The group decides to give the two a wide berth and as they walk around to inform the others, they run into Collei and Faruzan. Faruzan is likewise upset that she was not involved in resolving the matter, and Tighnari decides it would be best not to argue with her. Cyno gives Collei a signal to play her ace-in-the-hole by distracting Faruzan into giving her a tour of the Akademiya, which Faruzan is delighted to hear and agrees to. Before they leave, Tighnari gives her the phrase "cup," as an indicator to meet up at Puspa Café. They finally find Alhaitham and Kaveh studying and tell them of the events, before Cyno offers to treat them to coffee.
Arriving at the cafe, Paimon recalls to the others how the duel went. Kaveh is impressed that despite winning, Cyno ceded position of leader to Sethos, which he found dignifying. After finishing up desert, the group disbands, while Cyno asks the Traveler to follow him to the Sanctuary of Surasthana. They continue climbing up the Divine Tree, where Cyno reveals that it is his "secret" base; a place where he could unwind and clear his head, where he was in a similar situation to Sethos. Suddenly, he spots Cyrus and jumps down to greet him, where they look and reminisce over photos of them when they were younger, taken by Lisa. Cyno suggests that they visit Lisa sometime, which Cyrus agrees to do next week, but realizes that his tomato-growing contest against Zaha is at the same time and decides to postpone it.
Characters[]
38 Characters appear in this Chapter:
- Aarav
- Alhaitham
- Amainu
- Amenzu
- Asfand
- Badr
- Bahari
- Bamoun
- Candace
- Carefree Desert-Dweller
- Collei
- Cyno
- Cyrus
- Dehya
- Dori
- Duaenre
- Faruzan
- Fodil
- Irritable Desert-Dweller
- Jehnam
- Jhuba
- Kaveh
- Lambad
- Murtada Radkani
- Mutair
- Nabil
- Naphis
- Paimon
- Payam
- Sethos
- Simin
- Taj Radkani
- Tighnari
- Traveler
- Urraca
- Usem
- Utayba
- Zaha Hadi
Total Rewards[]
3,950 Adventure EXP
120 Primogem
274,275 Mora
32 Hero's Wit
Gallery[]
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Lupus Aureus Chapter | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 金狼之章 Jīnláng zhī Zhāng | Golden Wolf Chapter |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 金狼之章 Jīnláng zhī Zhāng | |
| Japanese | 金狼の章 Kinrou no Shou | Golden Wolf Chapter |
| Korean | 황금이리의 장 Hwanggeum-iri-ui Jang | Golden Wolf Chapter |
| Spanish | Lupus Aureus | — |
| French | Lupus Aureus | — |
| Russian | Золотой Шакал Zolotoy Shakal | Golden Jackal |
| Thai | บทแห่งวฤกสีทอง Bot haeng Wa-ruek si Thong | Golden Wolf Chapter[• 1] |
| Vietnamese | Chương Kim LangKim Lang | Golden Wolf Chapter |
| German | Lupus Aureus | — |
| Indonesian | Chapter Lupus Aureus | Lupus Aureus Chapter |
| Portuguese | Capítulo de Lupus Aureus | Chapter of Lupus Aureus |
| Turkish | Altın Kurt Bölümü | |
| Italian | Capitolo del Lupus Aureus |
- ↑ Thai: The word "วฤก" is the synonym word of "Wolf"
Change History[]
- 2024-05-14: Added Act II - Oathkeeper.
- Lupus Aureus Chapter was released with Act I - Sands of Solitude.