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!"
Dreams, Emptiness, Deception is the third act in Chapter III of the Archon Quests.
Quests[]
Summary[]
- 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 is quickly possessed by Nahida/the Traveler 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 at 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 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 back 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 point of view; 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.
Achievements[]
There are 4 Achievements obtainable from Dreams, Emptiness, Deception:
| Achievement | Category | Description | 
|
|---|---|---|---|
| The Soul Transposed |  Wonders of the World
|
Share senses with Nahida through possession using Akasha. | 5 |
| Triumph of the Imagination | Wonders of the World
|
Be viewed as the savior of the world by the citizens controlled by Dottore. | 5 |
| The God Gazes Back | Wonders of the World
|
Witness Scaramouche's past after being connected to the "divine consciousness." | 5 |
| Dreams, Emptiness, Deception | Wonders of the World
|
Complete "Dreams, Emptiness, Deception." | 10 |
Soundtracks[]
| No. | Soundtrack Name | Album | Played In |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Eccentric Reception | The Shimmering Voyage Vol. 3 | Like a Triumphant Hero (cutscene) |
| 36 | Hyakuin of Blossoming Mirage | The Shimmering Voyage Vol. 3 | The Gaze From a Certain God (cutscene) |
| 37 | Moment of Tribulation | The Shimmering Voyage Vol. 3 | The Gaze From a Certain God (cutscene) |
| 38 | Smiting Scope | The Shimmering Voyage Vol. 3 | The Four at Loggerheads (cutscene) |
Gallery[]
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Dreams, Emptiness, Deception | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 迷梦与空幻与欺骗 Mímèng yǔ Kōnghuàn yǔ Qīpiàn | Delusion, Illusion, and Deception |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 迷夢與空幻與欺騙 Mímèng yǔ Kōnghuàn yǔ Qīpiàn | |
| Japanese | 迷夢と虚幻と欺瞞 Meimu to Kyogen to Giman[!][!] | Delusion, Illusion, and Deception |
| Korean | 미몽과 허상 그리고 기만 Mimong-gwa Heosang Geurigo Giman | Delusion, Illusion, and Deception |
| Spanish | Quimeras, ilusiones y engaños | Chimeras, Illusions and Deceptions |
| French | Rêves, futilité et tromperie | Dreams, Futility, and Deception |
| Russian | Сны, пустота и обман Sny, pustota i obman | Dreams, Emptiness, and Deception |
| Thai | นิมิต มายา และการลวงหลอก Nimit Maya lae Kan Luang-Lok | Premonition, Illusion, and Deception |
| Vietnamese | Ảo Mộng, Trống Rỗng Và Dối Gian | Illusion, Emptiness and Deception |
| German | Luftschlösser, Illusionen und Betrug | Castles in the Air, Illusions and Deception |
| Indonesian | Mimpi, Kekosongan, dan Muslihat | Dreams, Emptiness, and Deception |
| Portuguese | Sonhos, Vazio e Engano | Dreams, Emptiness and Deception |
| Turkish | Rüyalar, Boşluk, Yanılgı | Dreams, Emptiness, Delusion |
| Italian | Sogni, senso di vuoto e inganno | Dreams, a Sense of Emptiness and Deception |
