A Parade of Providence is an Event Chapter.
Requirements: Reach Adventure Rank 30 and complete Archon Quest Chapter I: Act III - A New Star Approaches
Recommended Quests: Complete Archon Quest Interlude Chapter: Act III - Inversion of Genesis and Alhaitham's Story Quest, Vultur Volans Chapter: Act I - The Illusions of the Mob
Interdarshan Championship[]
List of Acts[]
- Act I - Comings and Goings
- Act II - Beginnings and Endings
- Act III - Gatherings and Partings
Summary[]
Act I - Comings and Goings[]
While traveling, Paimon hears about an event called the Akademiya Extravaganza, so she and the Traveler make their way to the Akademiya for more information. After running into Wiqas, a member of the organizing committee, he explains that the Extravaganza comprises two parts, the Wisdom Gala, an annual event where the six Darshans set up booths to showcase their abilities, and the Interdarshan Championship, an event run once every 4 years where each Darshan picks one member to represent them to fight for the title of champion. Because the Wisdom Gala and the Interdarshan Championship are held side-by-side this year, Sumeru's interest in the Extravaganza is peaked. Furthermore, with Lesser Lord Kusanali's plan to introduce the Akademiya's atmosphere to the desert folk through the Extravaganza, this year's event is more important than most. Wiqas then proposes to commission the Traveler and Paimon as guest commentators for the Championship (essentially being the official roving reporters), believing that with how well-known they are in both sides of Sumeru, the Akademiya can further promote the event to the people. The Traveler and Paimon accept the commission and head over to the Extravaganza's main venue to meet Kareena.
They arrive to the venue to find that the opening ceremony has begun, with Kareena explaining that the winner will get to wear the Diadem of Knowledge, an artifact bought by a wealthy researcher named Sachin 20 years ago that was donated to the Akademiya, and adds that he also sponsored the competition. The Traveler then sees a vision of a white-haired man on the stage claiming that human nature creates conflict, which creates ruin, but Paimon calls out to them, ending the vision. Kareena then introduces the competitors: Tighnari, Cyno, Layla, Faruzan, Kaveh, and surprisingly, Wanderer, representing Vahumana as "Hat Guy".
The Traveler and Paimon interview the contestants and find out that there are two ways to join the Championship: through self-nomination like Cyno, Faruzan and Kaveh, or by over half of a darshan's members nominating one of their own by recommendations, like Tighnari and Layla. Tighnari chose to join to promote his ecology lecture, Cyno because of the limited-edition Genius Invokation TCG card within the prize pool, Faruzan to gain more students and more funding for her research, and Kaveh to have the prize money to buy a new house and move out of Alhaitham's. The Wanderer refuses to disclose his reason upon entering but explains that after Aqaba published his essay about the Tatarasuna incident, he wrote a few papers to object it, as well as making some comments about Inazuma's societal problem, which caught Nahida's attention, who then enrolled him herself into Vahumana under the name Hat Guy.
The two then head over to Kareena, who gives them a custom Kamera and a locator to record the contestants during the competition rounds. The Traveler asks her about the man in their vision, but she and Paimon hadn't noticed anything or anyone odd. Dehya and Candace arrive at the venue, hoping to use the Extravaganza as a way to relax and to have fun; however because the competition is about to start, the Traveler and Paimon have to turn down their invitation to join them.
The other two commentators, Alhaitham and Nilou, explain the rules of the first round, which is to hunt three speedy butterflies called Swiftflies among the butterflies that were sent into Sumeru City during the opening ceremony. The contestants split up and begin their plans to hunt the Swiftflies, with Cyno and Layla using their own agility, Kaveh and Faruzan working together to release mechanical butterflies to attract the real ones and find the Swiftflies amongst them, and Tighnari creating a special incense using ingredients given by Collei to lure them in. After a while, Layla finds the last Swiftfly and chases after it to Dehya and Candace; the latter catches the Swiftfly and gives it to her.
Layla, along with the Traveler and Paimon, returns to the venue and hands over the Swiftfly to Alhaitham and Nilou, with the former declaring that the first round has ended with Tighnari being the first winner and Layla being the third. As for the second winner, the combined efforts of Kaveh and Faruzan to catch the Swiftfly have them tied. However, only one of them can earn the points, and they are forced to draw lots. Faruzan wins, making her the second winner of this round. As the commentator's stand is being moved to Aaru Village for the second round, the Traveler and Paimon are approached by Morgiana, who suggests that they to talk to her boss, Dori, at the city's north gate. The two head to find Dori, who tries to sell her items to them. The Traveler suddenly notices two Eremites, Amur and Ganjul, walking around the city, alerting Dori, who states that she has secret information about the Extravaganza.
Act II - Beginnings and Endings[]
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."
Act III - Gatherings and Partings[]
A Parade of Providence Event Cutscene Animation- "Crown of Glory" - Genshin Impact
After some time, the Traveler and Paimon check with Aarav, who states that they've found the culprit: Jiwani, Sachin's son. They interrogate him, and he reveals his goal: to find his father and force him to hand the wealth to him. However, not only did they fail to find him, the Eremites he hired were defeated by "a flying brat" and "a guy wearing green." The Traveler asks Jiwani about the Diadem of Knowledge, and he says that after Sachin bought that Diadem, weird things happened, but he also says that weird things has always happened since the day his father returned after venturing into the desert for his research. With this information, the Traveler and Paimon decide to report to Kareena and request to put the competition on hold. However, when they arrive at the venue, the contestants have gone to Mawtiyima Forest for the third round, where the goal is to find the Diadem of Knowledge and place it on the stand. Considering the winner of this round will most likely win the competition, all six contestants will be chasing after it. The two make their way to Mawtiyima Forest as soon as possible, but they are too late. The Diadem is gone, and they can only wait at the finish line now. Kaveh manages to grab the Diadem and put it on the stand, making him the winner of the third round, but at that point, a strange voice manifests inside his head.
The voice is then revealed to be Sachin, or rather, a fragment of his consciousness. Twenty-eight years ago, he headed to the desert and found only conflict, so he tried to find a way to stop it, even came in contact with the "Lost Darshan" in the desert. However, he failed because he believed that humanity's nature can only create conflict and, subsequently, destruction. He then found a diadem that can store a part of one's consciousness, so he put his experience inside, asked the Akademiya to manage his estate, and then, with great emptiness, ended his life. Through the diadem, he hoped to find someone like him, someone who is both a genius and an idealist to continue his experiment in human nature, and found Kaveh to be that person. Sachin decides to give his fortune to him, believing that whether he is tormented through his research or simply enjoying his estate, his research can still continue as long as he wears the Diadem. However, Kaveh destroys the Diadem and chooses to donate all of his riches to the people in need. Sachin's consciousness fades away but not before smiling at his successor's decision.
As per the rules, Kaveh is crowned the winner of the Interdarshan Championship, but because he destroyed the Diadem of Knowledge and donated the money, all that's left in the prize pool is the limited-edition card and a priority in future project proposals. Kaveh accepts the card, but as he doesn't need it, he gifts it to Cyno, who offers one million Mora to buy it. Kaveh reluctantly agrees, using most of the money to pay the debts of the month and the rest to treat everyone for a meal. As for the rest, Faruzan found a new student, Layla gained the admiration of her fellow Rtawahist classmates, and Tighnari's lecture reached a record number of participants. However, one problem remains: Sachin's research. The Traveler deduces that his research is in Aaru Village, considering how he spent plenty of time in the desert. When they arrive, they find Alhaitham, who hadn't been seen in Kaveh's get-together, alongside Sachin's research, which Alhaitham states as the reason why he became a commentator for the event. He also reveals what he wrote in the note on Sachin's documents: "Lofty ideals may provide no defense at all against nihilism, but perhaps little decisions can. By their own choice, the idealist seeks to bring happiness to all, while denying themselves the same. Thus they shall never reach even the borders of truth until they wipe away the ignorance that blinds them."
He then leaves, and shortly after, Nahida and the Wanderer appear, the former explaining that the latter's reason for entering the competition was to observe Sachin's successor, and if something went wrong, he would intervene and stop them. Nahida also explains that Sachin is not wrong, but it's only one side of the truth. Regarding his research, Nahida will seal it away as it was Kaveh's right to decide to not have it diseminated, but she would also not hinder anyone that wished to follow his line of research in the future. She also expresses a desire for the Wanderer to continue his studies in Vahumana, and that she will personally grade "Hat Guy's" final thesis.
When the Curtains Close[]
(To be added.)
"That Incident From Twenty Years Ago"[]
"That Incident From Twenty Years Ago"[]
Dori asks the Traveler and Paimon if they have decided to buy exclusive information about the Akademiya Extravaganza from her. Paimon is hesitant after hearing that the price is a million Mora. Dori then states that Paimon is the customer number 1,001 today and that she can get the information for free. The Traveler and Paimon decided to take that offer, despite being suspicious that this could be Dori's trick. Dori then proceed to ask them about the Diadem of Knowledge. She explains that the diadem was a rather expensive antique and the Akademiya lost the diadem once after it was donated by Sachin. Paimon is surprised because she never hear about it before. Dori claims to have a witness called Kashmer who lives in the suburbs. Dori suggest them to seek him if they are interested to learn more about the incident, and told them to say the password "that incident from twenty years ago."
The Traveler and Paimon arrives and mentioned the password to Kashmer. He then begins to tell his story. Twenty years ago, Kashmer was just six years old. The Interdarshan Championship was held that year and there were three rounds, the last of which was outside the city. He begged his mom to take him to it, but his mom refused. So Kashmer decided to sneak out on his own, but ended up getting lost outside of the city. While he was frightened and cried, he saw some strange creatures and he stopped crying at the sight of them. The strange creature took him to the competition but by the time they arrived, the competition is already over. Suddenly, one of the strange creature is seen dragging along a beautiful and shiny crown. Kashmer saw them hiding the crown in a hollow tree before they disappear. He tried to touch the crown, but he heard the distant cries of her mother. Turns out her mother and his neighbours has been looking for him. He never got to touch the crown and he was surprised that when he was older, he saw the "Diadem of Knowledge" at the Interdarshan Championship. Paimon asks him if he remembers where the diadem ended up. He guesses Avidya Forest, though he have been back few times and never found anything. The Traveler and Paimon decides to look for it themselves.
The Traveler and Paimon arrives in the hollow tree, and they find it completely empty. Paimon then finds a note that says "The good Nara taught Arakasyapa how to read. Arakasyapa must protect the good Nara...".
Sachin's Article[]
The Traveler and Paimon returns to Dori. Dori is offering them the latest update on the Akademiya Extravaganza, which is free for them. Dori then tells them that while she was doing business with him at the desert, she met an old businessman and he gave her a dealer's ledger. The ledger also mentions Sachin in it, turns out Sachin had been to the desert to investigate custom and conditions of the locals and he also had exchanges with the traveling merchants in the desert. The Traveler and Paimon have a look of the old papers and Paimon is confused, but Dori tells them that they would have to pay a million Mora to have it analyzed. Paimon refuses to pay and Dori gave them a hint instead, that there should be someone in the desert venue that has been to a lot of Akademiya Extravaganzas and suggests them to find that person.
The Traveler and Paimon talks to Vasudeva first, he was seen reminiscing about the past and they couldn't get anything from him. Then they talks to Huvishka. He tells them the Interdarshan Championship twenty years ago is still the best one for him. He went to the championship to support his friend that was participating in the game. The last round of that year was held in the Avidya Forest. But at the end, no one dared to approach the forest and the Akademiya decided to shut down the competition. They also banned many of the events where participants could possibly desperate enough that they would fight to the death. The Traveler asks him about his friend, he tells them that he was an honest and kind person, but he's also vulnerable and sensitive. Paimon then decides to seek Wiqas out to ask him some questions.
After meeting Wiqas, the Traveler and Paimon asks him about the incident twenty years ago. Wiqas claims that he was five years old during that time. But he never told anyone that he was a part of the Akademiya Extravaganza's planning committee because of the influence of his senior colleague. He describes that his colleague is a timid person. Four years ago, Wiqas told his colleague that he's returning to the Akademiya for the Akademiya Extravaganza. Right after he mentions "Akademiya Extravaganza", his colleague got startled and said "it has nothing to do with me.", he also started talking all sorts of nonsense that Wiqas didn't heard clearly because he was drunk. But Wiqas heard him said that he lost the Diadem of Knowledge for a while and nearly had a heart attack, but eventually he found the diadem in a tree hole. Many people have come to inquire his colleague about the lost diadem but he covered it up and said that it never went missing, he got overwhelmed that he quit his job and left the Akademiya. Wiqas was too drunk that night and when he woke up the next day, his colleague was already gone. Wiqas then joined the Akademiya Extravaganza Planning Committee to investigate things on the inside, but couldn't find anything either. Wiqas never heard from his colleague again after that night. Wiqas encourages them to keep looking and gives them some information of Sachin. He met an Eremite commander that possess an article signed by Sachin, and finds out that Sachin is an important member of the Vahumana darshan. He suggests them to seek out the Eremite commander in the Valley of Dahri to find out more.
The Traveler and Paimon meets Suhayb, the Eremite commander. Paimon asks him about Sachin's article and he said that the article is nothing more than a personal travel journal with little value. Sachin hired Suhayb's father as a bodyguard. At one time, his papers were blown by the wind but Sachin was unconcerned about it. Suhayb's father however believes that anything written by an intellectual must be valuable so he went to look for the paper at night. His family are illiterate, so he passed it down to Suhayb only to discover that paper is completely worthless. Suhayb then let them have a look. Paimon can't understand the writings, but deduces that he went through a hard time. Even though it's worthless in value, Suhayb decides to keep the paper because his father gave it to him.
The Contestant[]
The Traveler and Paimon meets Dori again. Dori offers the latest report of the championship for half a million Mora but ended up offering it for free as before. Dori tells them that twenty years ago, there was a contestant whose personality suddenly changed after taking part in the competition and someone saw him in Aaru Village. The Traveler and Paimon then head out to Aaru Village to ask around.
They talk to Rishti about it. She tells them that a young man once appeared here. Back then, live in Aaru Village was really heard but this young man from Akademiya is willing to help them out. He taught the villagers how to deal with Wenut and monsters, then he bought them medicines from his own pocket and tend to the ill all by himself. But he sadly died when he was still really young. Rishti describes that he always looks frowned and a bit crazy. Sometimes he would tell a story to the children that he taught a strange creature how to write. He would often explore the desert and he was looking for the Nagarjunites. Later on, he died on a quicksand while helping a caravan that was trapped in a quicksand. He saved many people but didn't get to save himself. An unfinished letter for his child was found in his home and Rishti's son always thinking of delivering it to the man's child someday. Paimon asks her if the unfinished letter is still here, but her son took the letter with him when he became a mercenary. He was killed few years ago in a scuffle and all of his belongings were taken away. Rishti wonders how the man's child turned out and if they hold a grudge against him.
Gala Booths[]
Gathering of Stars[]
The Traveler approaches the Rtawahist booth, tended by Farbal. The Traveler asks him if there's something to play here. Farbal gives a brief explanation about the Rtawahist darshan and he was worried about giving further explanation because their research wouldn't make much sense for most people. He originally wanted to set up an astrology booth but he was concerned that setting up an astrology booth would just end up making the involved students get into academic discussions and not manning the stall. So they decided to set up a simple puzzle game that is not complicated and will not involve any academic disputes. Farbal then asks the Traveler to give it a try.
Project Connectivity[]
The Traveler approaches the Ksahrehwar booth, tended by Daya. Daya introduced the Traveler to a new game that Kshahrewar just created, "Project Connectivity". Daya gives an explanation on how to play the game, which is to construct pathways to reach the destination and afterwards they will test it. The Traveler is worried that it may be too complicated but Daya ensure them that they will not have to build anything in real life and there are not limit for the number of tries. She then tells the Traveler to let their imagination run free.
Antiquity Hunt[]
The Traveler approaches the Vahumana booth, tended by Daneh. Daneh is excited to meet the Traveler and he tells them that Vahumana is running an archaeology-themed game. He explains that they have placed a lot of replica relics and buried them all around Sumeru City, participants will be given their specially-made detectors to find it. The Traveler decides to give it a try.
In Truth's Steps[]
The Traveler approaches the Haravatat booth, tended by Bahar. Bahar invites the Traveler to try a new game from Haravatat darshan called "In Truth's Steps.". Bahar explains that she will tell them a story, and the Traveler can ask her some questions so that they can find the "truth" of her story.
Concocted Reaction[]
The Traveler approaches the Spantamad booth, tended by Bahador. Bahador seemingly frustrated about something. When the Traveler asks him about the event that Spantamad is running, he explains that it will be a domain exploration. He tells the Traveler that he was conflicted about what event should he run for the event and he decided to ask for the Adventurers' Guild help, with their air they finally found a domain. Spantamad also developed specialized potions to be used inside the domain. He gives the potion to the Traveler and tells them to stay safe while exploring the domain.
Mimetic Replication[]
The Traveler approaches the Amurta booth, tended by Paz. Paz invites the Traveler to try a new game from Amurta darshan called "Mimetic Replication." Paz will introduce the behavioral patterns of certain animals and the Traveler have to use the models to imitate the actions of the corresponding animals. The Traveler is interested about this game, Paz tells them to enjoy the habitual behaviors of animals in a relaxed manner.
Character Appearances[]
Playable Characters[]
The following playable characters appear in this event in Event Story Quests, Event World Quests, or in the open world. The prerequisite(s) shown in the prerequisite column need to be completed for characters to appear in the open world.
| Character | Act I | Act II | Act III | Quests | Open World | Open World Prerequisite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alhaitham | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | |
| Candace | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | |
| Collei | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | |
| Cyno | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | |
| Dehya | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | |
| Dori | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | Opening Festivities (leaves after both Act III and her 3 quests are finished) |
| Faruzan | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | |
| Kaveh | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | |
| Layla | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | |
| Nahida | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | |
| Nilou | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | |
| Tighnari | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | |
| Wanderer | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ |
Other Notable Characters[]
The following notable non-playable characters appear in this event in Event Story Quests or Event World Quests.
| Character | Act I | Act II | Act III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ |
| Mehrak | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
Event Exclusive Non-Playable Characters[]
The following non-playable characters only appear during this event in Event Story Quests, Event World Quests, or in the open world.
Regular Non-Playable Characters[]
The following regular (not event-exclusive) non-playable characters appear in this event in Event Story Quests, Event World Quests, or have unique idle quotes, dialogue or thoughts (readable using Nahida's Elemental Skill) in the open world.
| Name | Quests | Idle Quotes | Dialogue | Thoughts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arina | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Armin | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Ashk | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Erfan | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Farghani | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Farhad | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Feresht | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Homayun | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Hunayn | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Khaldun | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Makhfi | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Nizam | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Rukh Shah | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Shatir | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Shohre | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Yavanani | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
Characters[]
49 Characters appear in this Chapter:
- Aarav
- Aissa
- Alae
- Alhaitham
- Amur
- Aymar
- Bahador
- Bahar
- Bahir
- Candace
- Collei
- Cyno
- Daneh
- Daya
- Dehya
- Dori
- Farbal
- Faruzan
- Fawara
- Ganjul
- Habib
- Haryadi
- Huvishka
- Huwa
- Jiwani
- Kareena
- Kashmer
- Kaveh
- Layla
- Levi
- Mahar
- Marwa
- Mazaar
- Mehrak
- Morgiana
- Nahida
- Nilou
- Paimon
- Paz
- Qamar
- Rishti
- Sachin
- Sidra
- Suhayb
- Tighnari
- Traveler
- Vasudeva
- Wanderer
- Wiqas
Total Rewards[]
150 Primogem
260,000 Mora
15 Hero's Wit
2 Tahchin