#truth amongst the pages of purana

[nacrelysis]

sometimes i do just think about sumeru archon quest...i can't remember any in genshin lore where so many characters played such a huge role in the storyline and so cleanly. and how well-built the power structures/institutions are.

screams and bashes my head against the wall...the way sumeru is literally structured upon the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom but it's become a bastardized theocracy because of the akademiya sages.

the way it's literally a council of conservatives who hate the idea of moving forward with 'lesser lord' kusanali because that would actually require them to relinquish power to their god. the way they corrupt rukkhadevata's name for their own purposes because, well, she doesn't exist anymore, does she? she can't object to what they do in her name, can she? the way they intentionally pit the common people against each other and frame academia as a competition and make the entire population dependent on a network instead of their own thought so that every new generation is either burning themselves out or throwing away their identity...as long as they aren't questioning what the sages want to accomplish.

but, like. the archon quest. the traveler pops back between sumeru city and the desert because it's crucial to the development of this sociopolitical commentary. we get to see the exploitation of the desert region first-hand.

and the supporting cast is so so good. cyno, general mahamatra, and al-haitham, the akademiya scribe, give up the prestige of their titles in favor of doing the right thing: freeing nahida. dehya and candace/kandake are fighting for recognition and proper treatment of their people (dehya's character teaser literally focusing on how she uses her mercenary money to fund education for orphans and children in the desert!!) and a life free of exploitation from people claiming themselves to be "scholars." nilou tying up her mini-arc in the archon quest about how the akademiya suppresses creative liberty and the arts in order to maintain their hierarchy, nilou being the face of the resistance, nilou using her art as a method of protest and being crucial to the rescue of nahida!!

and hoyo writers tying up the socio-political commentary after the main conflict is over...nahida working with the akademiya and deshret worshippers to reconcile the prejudices and systemic oppression of the desert villages! eremites and candace and dehya and even npcs like setaria (who plays a major part in introducing the whole deshret-rukkhadevata conflict) being a part of the resolution! random notion but i really liked setaria and i'm so glad she chose to resign from the akademiya because it wasn't staying true to her moral principles in order to help improve education in her desert home ;-;

every character plays a part and i love it. i was rooting for them so hard and i was so close to crying when nahida finally got to step outside for the first time in 500 years. like !!! sumeru's archon quest got you so attached to the characters in such a little amount of time...i'm big-eyed about it all...

(also al-haitham organizing the coup so he wouldn't have to have more responsibilities in the akademiya, only to be named acting grand sage because his coup literally deposed every other possible candidate, was really funny)

[genshinmp3]

Polumnia Omnia from The Unfathomable Sand Dunes Yu-Peng Chen, Yijun Jiang, HOYO-MiX

[junjii-48]

Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana 💚 ◦ೋ•◦❥•◦ೋ

⠀⠀ 𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃 ִֶָ ִֶָ

[helly-watermelonsmellinfellon]

Ain't it just so amazing how truly one-world this civilization truly was?

Enkanomiya, under Watatsumi Island in Inazuma:

under the mines in The Chasm, Liyue:

under Gavireh Lajavard, in Sumeru's desert:

atop Elynas, Fontaine:

???, accessed through Book of Revealing inside Elynas' corpse:

Extras:

The Chasm, after Requiem of the Echoing Depths Quest:

???, showing a vision of The Chasm after RotED Quest:

Sumeru's version of the ancient architecture eventually leads to the only known entrance to Khaenri'ah as of Version 4.1: The Gate of Everlasting Mourning.

I love Genshin's world design.

Also, may I remind folks that we still have not gotten the Sumeru quest, Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana when Fontaine's final main AQ is named after its Travail Trailer name, Masquerade of the Guilty.

(Neuvillette isn't there for any real purpose, I just felt like it'd be cool seeing him in these old places.)

[ventiskies]

Masterlist

Genshin

Mondstadt ; the outlander who caught the wind

Liyue ; farewell, archaic lord

Inazuma ; omnipresence over mortals

Sumeru ; truth amongst the pages of purana

Fontaine ; masquerade of the guilty

Natlan ; incandescent ode of resurrection

Shenznaya ; everwinter without mercy

Khaenri'ah ; the dream yet to be dreamed

Honkai Star Rail

Astral Express

Belobog

Xianzhou Loufu

Stellaron Hunters

Our Life

Beginning and Always

Now and Forever

[miyosei]

MASTERLIST !

mondstadt. the outlander who caught the wind

i love you, how sweet. ( what it’s like when he falls in love with you ) — [ albedo ]

liyue. farewell archaic lord

love is a chore ! ( how not to fall in love with your best friend ) — [ xiao ]

inazuma. omnipresence over mortals

i love you, how sweet. ( what it’s like when he falls in love with you ) — [ heizou , kazuha , thoma ]

gods do not long for liquid gold. ( a final moment in your embrace ) — [ wanderer ]

sumeru. truth amongst the pages of purana

i love you, how sweet. ( what it’s like when he falls in love with you ) — [ tighnari ]

fontaine. masquerade of the guilty

to you, my world. ( assigning them a oneus song ) — [ clorinde, lyney, navia, neuvillette ]

[kirwond]

A Dance in Samsara - A Genshin Impact Playlist

A playlist for Genshin Impact, following characters and events for Chapter 3: Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana.

Notes from the game. Cover art is a game screenshot.

Listen at Spotify.

Even more playlists here.

Tracklist and notes below the cut.

Hustle and Bustle of Ormos - HOYO-MIX

Welcome To The Jungle - Aaradhna

Rana: As the two of you might have noticed, lately the forest has been... less than ideal? The Fungi and beasts have been growing aggressive, then there's the Withering...

I Am A Scientist - Guided By Voices

Tighnari: I studied botany in the Amurta Darshan. My academic adviser wanted me to join the faculty after graduation, but to be quite honest, I prefer a somewhat freer research environment. From my observations, the way that the Akademiya handles certain matters leaves much to be desired.

Speaking With Trees - Tori Amos

Collei: If you're keeping a secret that bothers you, you can try telling it all to a tree hollow. Do you know Tanger's stories? The Aranara living in the forest will patiently listen to every word children say.

Shy Little Frog - Sushisingz

Yaoyao: Hey, can you hear the frogs croaking? Hehe, silly frogs! They're singing along to the sound of the rain! Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit!

Osfour - Watcha Clan

Asfand: I think most in Sumeru aren't interested in Lesser Lord Kusanali. Just take the Akademiya... They're the ones who truly rule Sumeru. Although they believe in gods, most of 'em only care for the late Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. In their eyes, she was the one who founded Sumeru and gifted us with the Akasha. Lesser Lord Kusanali just happened to inherit her legacy.

The Riddle - Nik Kershaw

Alhaitham: Book learning alone is not enough to cultivate intelligence. All those scholars at the Akademiya are prime examples.

Rich Girl - Gwen Stefani

Dori: I love Mora and Mora loves me! I make Mora and it makes me happy!

Lucky - AURORA

Dunyarzad: I was actually born with Eleazar. It's terminal now. Before I ran away from home this time... the world outside of my home didn't even know that I existed. To me, there is nothing more beautiful that being able to meet and speak with others. Not to mention the incredible time spent preparing for the festival, the joy on everyone's faces... and all the support I've received from friends like Dehya... This way, when my final day does arrive, it will be less sorrowful.

You Should See Me In A Crown - Corvyx

Azar: When we return, have the Scribe draft an ordinance before the next Jnagarbha Day that prohibits public art performances. We will announce it to the public later via the Akasha. The Sabzeruz Festival... Go celebrate the birth of that god to your heart's content.

Mad World - 2WEI/Tommee Profitt/Fleurie

Nahida: When I woke up... I was riding in a flower carriage. It was... it was my birthday. Happy birthday, Nahida.

Desert Rose - Sting/Cheb Mami

Nilou: Since we're in a dream, let's make this final Dance of Sabzeruz as beautiful as we can!

Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2 - Pink Floyd

Nahida: The people of Sumeru City... What have you done to them?

Dottore: I simply made some minor adjustments to their Akasha Terminals. Hehe... My experiment is a success.

Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land - MARINA

Faruzan: A hundred years have passed, yet there hasn't been any change to those dumb rules at the Akademiya.

Queen of Kings - Alessandra

Candace: If anyone dares to start anything again while they are under this roof, I will not hesitate to send them out for some quality time with the creatures of the sandstorm.

Minds Without Fear - Imogen Heap/Vishal-Shekhar

Alhaitham: All the preparations are done. Now, can we finally conclude this meeting?

Lumine: Yeah. Tomorrow we are going to save a god.

Eye In The Sky - The Alan Parsons Project

Azar: If I'm correct, you have a contingency plan to save Lesser Lord Kusanali and ruin our great work. Sneak into the Akademiya on Jnagarbha Day using Alhaitham's status as the Scribe... Should your intentions be discovered, Alhaitham will "turn traitor" and sacrifice the Traveler, thus proving his innocence. He can then stay inside the Akademiya and continue searching for a way to proceed forward. As for Cyno... According to the Akasha's calculations, he will soon return to the Akademiya and confront me in person. I suppose this is also part of your plan?

Lion - Saint Mesa

Dehya: Tsk, you've spent all your time hiding away in the Akademiya. This place has long since become our hunting ground.

Wolves - Sam Tinnesz/Silverberg

Cyno: You once said that I had no standing to judge you. So now, how about judgment in the name of a god?

Unholy - Hollywood Undead

Everlasting Lord of Arcane Wisdom: Come... Let us reenact a scene of the Archon War. Come and inaugurate my birth as a god.

The Crown Sleeps - Qais Essar/Mychael Danna/Jeff Danna

Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: So I took the purest branch of Irminsul as my incarnation in the next samsara, and left a trail of clues... All in hopes that you would come here and remove me and my pollution from Irminsul forever.

Blackbird - Sarah McLachlan

Nahida: Amazing, so this is how it feels to walk out of that cage with my own body. I understand now. To be a better archon, I first need to better myself.

Around The World - A Touch of Class

Kirara: You travel far and wide, and I deliver packages all across the world. That makes us similar, don't you think? But my travel expenses are covered, while you have to pay for everything out of pocket... Huh? N-No! I didn't mean to brag!

Map Of The World - Plain White T's

So little Mika thought to himself: If he could reach every corner of the world just like his parents, and record every detail of the terrain beneath his feet... That would be the most fun ever.

What I've Done - Linkin Park

Scaramouche: Fast reaction time. But I don't think we'll be seeing each other again... Those who died in Tatarasuna because of me deserve another chance at life.

Wanderer's Lullaby - Adriana Figueroa

Nahida: To be human is to live with imperfections. The past is set in stone, but you can keep moving on. And the longer your future lasts, the shorter your past will become, until one day it is but a tiny fraction of your life.

7 Seconds - Youssou N'Dour/Neneh Cherry

Dainsleif: So you remember me. Then we are already acquainted, Kaeya Alberich... descendant of the Abyss Order's founder.

Hallowed Be Thy Name - Iron Maiden

Chlothar: Caribert did not deserve his fate, but now... He will be able to weave his own destiny anew. Born into abject sorrow, he shall now become "The Loom of Fate".

Cold Cold Cold - Cage The Elephant

Baizhu: A poison to one may be a boon to another. The mechanism behind this is easily understood by those well-versed in pharmacology. It's just that I can't ever tell my patients these kinds of details. If they were to find out that I gave them a poisonous substance as a prescription, it might scare them away for good.

You Deserve An Oscar - Matt Maltese

Kaveh: Alright, alright! I admit it! Maybe I do drown my sorrows a little more often than I was letting on. It all gets a bit too much sometimes, what with the unfinished projects, obstacles that I can't overcome, misunderstandings with other people... Don't you struggle with those kinds of things as well?

Rises The Moon - Liana Flores

Layla: Dear Mighty God of Wisdom, I've been studying late into the night for days on end, please let me pass this exam! Please, please... Zzz...

Haunted - ADONA

Nahida: According to the records I was able to access, your sibling suddenly appeared in Khaenri'ah. After the Khaenri'ah disaster, he began his journey through the seven nations of Teyvat. But just as his journey was about to reach its conclusion, the Irminsul records on him suddenly become fuzzy... All I know for sure is that somebody is deliberately obfuscating his fate. And if they can do that, who knows what else they're capable of.

Szerelem, Szerelem - Muzsikas/Marta Sebestyen

O stars high above the wasteland

O nightingales weary from the day

It's time to take off the crown of roses

Cleanse yourself with wine made from grapes

Sleep, close your eyes

Yon golden slumber summons thee, wandering sand

Drink not that bitter salt water

For the sorrows of tomorrow have gone away

[fujijori]

FAVONIUS CODEX ━━

❝ Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrarywise━ what it is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. ❞

✸ GenPact (Genshin Impact)

━━━━━━━━━━━━

✦ CIVITA LIBERTATIS ━━ city of freedom

━ tba...

✦ URBIS CONTRACTIBUS ━━ city of contracts

━ tba...

✦ URBIS AETERNITATIS ━━ city of eternity

━ tba...

✦ URBIS SAPIENTIAE ━━ city of wisdom

━ tba...

✦ SNEZHNAYAN LACRIMIS ━━ snezhnayan tears

━ tba...

✦ PERTURBATIONEM SIDERUM ━━ misc.

━ tba...

✸ Ad Astra (Original Story) | TBA

━━━━━━━━━━━━

✦ ACT I. The Ember in the Abyss ━ Emily

✦ ACT II. His Royal Highness ━ King Nicholas

✦ ACT III. The Body is But a Canvas ━ Iris

✦ ACT IV. The Crow's Funeral ━ Skyler

✦ ACT V. Come to Life ━ Thomas

✦ ACT VI. Here Comes the General ━ Fa

✦ ACT VII. A Chef's Ambition ━ Pao

━━━━━━━━━━━━

✦ ACT VIII. Serendipity ━ Khai

✦ ACT IX. Fox Udon ━ Riku

✦ ACT X. Sealed and Sent ━ Greta

✦ ACT XI. Wolf in Sheep's Clothing ━ Eryx

✦ ACT XII. Down with the Monarchy ━ Xavier

✦ ACT XIII. The Academe ━ Noah

✦ ACT XIV. Smells Like Roses ━ Nina

✸ Written In The Stars (GenPact Fanfic) | TBA

━━━━━━━━━━━━

✦ PRELUDE. A Bard's Adventure

━ Follows the storyline of the official Genshin Impact webcomic/manga, as well as the snippets of Genshin lore revolving around Old Mondstadt and Lord Barbatos, mostly about how the Lawrence clan fell, Vennessa saving the people of Mondstadt, and some parts of early character backstories.

✦ ACT I. The Outlander Who Caught the Wind

━ Follows the Prologue Archon Quest at the beginning of the game, regarding the Traveler first meeting the citizens of Mondstadt, saving it from Dvalin, and finally being able to greet Lord Barbatos, who was disguised as a mortal bard, whom he dubbed 'Venti'.

✦ ACT II. Farewell, Archaic Lord

━ Follows the Liyue Archon Quest, in which the Traveler moves from Mondstadt to the city of contracts, or Liyue as the citizens call it. They meet the former Geo Archon, as well as make both friends and enemies, save yet another city from certain doom, and find passage to Inazuma.

✦ ACT III. Omnipresence Over Mortals

━ Follows the Inazuma Archon Quest, after the Traveler safely arrived at Inazuma. Upon their arrival, they meet an odd group of miscellanous friends, fight in a war against the Shogun, end the Vision Hunt decree, and witness a comrade's, as well as an enemie's, death.

✦ INTERLUDE. A Winter's Night Lazzo

━ Follows the Genshin Impact's official YouTube video "A Winter's Night Lazzo", wherein the Harbringers gather to mourn the death of Rosalyne, a comrade they lost in Inazuma, and begin to plan their next step in seizing yet another Gnosis. Later, it is revealed that the Doctor has decided to make an appearence in the Ciy of Wisdom, unfortunately for a young woman.

✦ ACT IV. Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana

━ Follows the Sumeru Archon Quest, where the Traveler is on the search for Lesser Lord Kusanali to inquire further about their missing sibling's whereabouts, only to get roped into more trouble involving the Akademiya and the Fatui, having to save Nahida and yet another city from evil.

✦ ACT V. Masquerade of the Guilty

━ Follows an original storyline (as Fontaine has yet to be released), in which the Traveler overhears news and chatter of an on-going event in the City of Justice, and makes a trip there with their trusty companion Paimon, only to find that a hero is needed yet again. The Traveler is reunited with a few old friends, as well as meets several new other acquaintences, including a figure that reminds them oddly of the God of Justice...

✦ ACT VI. Incandescent Ode of Resurrection

━ Follows an original storyline (as little is known about Natlan), where the Traveler and Dehya visit the City of War and meet a promising young street brawler who offers to aid them in their search for the Pyro Archon, Murata. During their stay, the Traveler agrees to participate in a brawling event, much like the Warrior's Spirit event, meeting a little but powerful girl named Iansan.

✦ ACT VII. Everwinter Without Mercy

━ Follows an original storyline (since Snezhnaya is as mysterious as the Fatui Harbringers are), where the Traveler is invited to visit Childe and his family, under the pretense of the Tsaritsa's wishes, which was to get closer, to observe and keep a watchful eye over the Traveler. The Tsaritsa has not yet viewed the Traveler as a threat, simply as an obstacle, or a pawn in a game she simply needs to find a way to maneuver around or knock over. Meanwhile, Teucer had wandered away from his brother's protective line of sight, and ends up in the Zapolyarny Palace.

✦ POSTLUDE. Come Find Me Again

━ Follows an original storyline (since the ending of Genshin Impact is unclear), where the Traveler has finally be reuinted with their sibling, however, they must fight against them in order to save the entire world of Teyvat. Their sibling desires to lay ruin to Teyvat, as they were devastated by the destruction of their home, and the Traveler must stop them from destroying an entire world. All the while the Unknown Archon watches over them both, knowing full well how this scene will play out...

[nacrelysis]

wanderer as nahida's right-hand is perfect. they both have a history of abandonment, neglect, and exploitation, plus for similar reasons.

nahida was imprisoned in the sanctuary of surasthana for centuries, left to wither as a failed god her people chased the shadow of a 'better' ideal: greater lord rukkhadevata.

wanderer was abandoned by his mother in shakkei pavilion because he was the failed prototype for her ideal ruler of eternity: a puppet who could execute the lightning's will without regret, whom she intended to create after having makoto die in her arms.

the people involved in wanderer and nahida's pasts - both, in a sense, have convinced themselves that their actions were for the greater good. the sages don't even see nahida is a god, much less a human - to them, all she is is the reminder of what sumeru once had and never could again.

raiden ei abandoned kunikuzushi because she saw him cry, and, knowing he could never be the shogun she needed, left him to his own devices. it's been stated in canon that ei believed she was setting kunikuzushi free. and maybe she was, during those dark days after inazuma's first archon died. but, perhaps, what drove kunikuzushi to assign her actions as 'abandonment' was the fact that he was, in a sense, a lesser god. that he was created for reasons he didn't know. the first thing kunikuzushi did upon creation was cry - in the same way that a baby's first instinct is to cry, because their first impulse is to seek help. from this perspective, the thing kunikuzushi needed the most was guidance and acceptance from his creator (because he knew he was created by someone), while the thing ei thought he needed the most was solitude. miscommunication in the delivery room, am i right.

raiden ei's motives were not the same as the sages - you could argue that she really did believe she was doing it for kuni's benefit. i think she did. but what stands is that both these acts feature a theme of abandonment and neglect. they were carried out by people in the aftermath of grief, executed as neglect upon the people they were done to. and these acts catalyzed nahida and wanderer's development into the characters they are now.

they are not the same as the other archons.

venti's arc is focused around mending the wounds of the past, though it could be implied that he is re-assessing what "freedom" means for his nation. zhongli stepped back as yanwang dijun to allow liyue to move forward on its own while he could re-integrate as one of their common folk. ei is brought forward to re-evaluate her decisions as inazuma's absentee god.

good or bad, they all have experience with being a god.

nahida doesn't. she was intentionally kept from fulfilling her duties as archon for hundreds of years. anything she learns now, once free, is the first time she's learning it as kusanali.

wanderer can't. he tried. he took the electro gnosis and tried to transplant it into his own body - but, at the moment as we know it, gods technically can't be artificially created. the closest dottore could get was a mimicry.

so you have this unique circumstance, where nahida and wanderer both have no idea of what being a god really entails. but they don't need to know what being a god is like, do they? they just need to know how to be an archon: how to protect, how to decide, how to execute.

nahida is very forgiving. in my opinion, she's too forgiving (only because i hate the sages and would've called cps on them if i could). she sees the best in humanity. she works to engage with her people. she tries to listen to their hopes and dreams while moving towards a collective vision for the nation.

wanderer is cynical. he's been betrayed three times, in his words, and been taken advantage of far more than thrice. wanderer has seen the worst of humanity, and he continues to carry this critical eye. he's not afraid to do what nahida can't do (go undercover + beat up people) and he's not afraid to confront people when their motives stray towards the worse.

wanderer can demonstrate the things that define the worst of humans, while nahida can show wanderer the things that make humanity worth preserving. wanderer can execute orders with precision and make decisions on the fly (ha), but nahida is here to level his head and point out clues, motives, or implications that perhaps were not considered before.

and, isn't it a fitting conclusion to the sumeru archon quests? two former puppets, both alike in dignity, in sumeru where we lay our scene. together, they can reconcile the pains of their past - and together, they can build a better, kinder future together...the kind that both must have, at their worst, dreamed of living.

[genshinmp3]

Rhapsodia Roscida from The Unfathomable Sand Dunes Yu-Peng Chen, Peijia You, HOYO-MiX

[junjii-48]

Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana 💚 ◦ೋ•◦❥•◦ೋ

⠀⠀ 𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃 ִֶָ ִֶָ

[nya-vivi]

On retrospective, when hoyoverse named the Sumeru chapter: 'Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana', they really meant it uh?

[nicebonescomrades]

So um, what happened to the "truth amongst the pages of purana" archon quest 😭

[heizours]

YOU HAVE ARRIVED IN TEYVAT !

࿐ welcome to teyvat. a fantasy land where the seven elements flow and converge !

࿐ all works are gn!reader. if there are some mistakes ahead, please tell me

MONDSTADT — ꒰ the outlander who caught the wind ꒱

LIYUE — ꒰ farewell, archaic lord ꒱

INAZUMA — ꒰ omnipresence over mortals ꒱

SUMERU — ꒰ truth amongst the pages of purana ꒱

SNEZHNAYA — ꒰ everwinter without mercy ꒱

KHAENRI'AH — ꒰ the dream yet to be dreamed ꒱

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐂𝐊 𝐎𝐔𝐓 !

BEHIND THE SCREENS (3k milestone special)

a sagau event consisting of modernized multiple scenarios to fulfill your imaginations

[elysiumarchieve]

#. masterlist!

requests are currently closed!

if any of the links do not work or are wrong please tell me so i can fix it as soon as possible!

prologue ; the outlander who caught the wind

n/a

i ; farewell, archaic lord

n/a

ii ; omnipresence over mortals

n/a

iii ; truth amongst the pages of purana

#. scaramouche

✧ his s/o reacting to his new outfit

✧ with a physically affectionate s/o

✧ seeing his s/o cry in their sleep

✧ with a shorter s/o

✧ his s/o passes out

✧ kissing headcanons

✧ cult leader! scaramouche with a devouted follower

✧ with a tall, muscular fem! s/o

✧ sleeping/cuddling with scaramouche

✧ with a popular singer s/o

✧ with a tired s/o

✧ with a mute s/o

✧ saving scaramouche after the battle

✧ meeting the raiden shogun by accident

#. alhaitham

✧ taking off your ring during a fight

iv ; masquerade of the guilty

n/a

v ; incandescent ode of resurrection

n/a

vi ; everwinter without mercy

n/a

vi ; the dream yet to be dreamed

n/a

please read my rules before requesting!

[welshoot]

Sumeru and Genshin Impact 3.1 Name Analysis

It's been a while since I posted anything but Sumeru and the 3.1 update have me excited. Sumeru has been heavily implied to be based on several cultures/areas of the world including India, Egypt, Arabia, and Middle Eastern cultures in general. More specifically speaking, the Akademiya seem to draw a lot from Zoroastrianism, The desert area pulls from Egypt, and the general rainforest area seems to draw from India with some other inspirations tapping in here and there. Then there’s the name of the 3.1 update which adds even more stuff to unpack and analyze. For fear of spoilers, potential or otherwise, the rest will be under the cut.

Al-Haitham has been heavily implied to be inspired by an historical Arab mathematician, astronomer, and physicist of the Islamic Golden Age who was named Ibn al-Haytham. He is only one, notable, example of them using the names of historical individuals from this time. But what about other names?

The Akademiya of Sumeru is divided into into what are known as the Six Darshsans, each of which has been implied to get its name from one of the six Amehsa Spenta (I think I spelled that correctly) which is a group of deities found in Zoroastrianism. The section within the “Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview: Travail” that was dedicated to Sumeru was titled “Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana.” Puranas are a type of Indian literature that typically deals with legends and folklore.

What is of greatest interest to me though, is the desert area that will be released in 3.1. It has been very heavily implied to be based on Ancient Egypt. For example, Cyno seems to draw heavily from the Egyptian god of the dead, Anubis both in design and title. The design points are fairly obvious. Cyno’s title is too once you understand that Anubis was viewed as the judge of the souls of the dead. Cyno bears the title “Judicator of secrets.” Judicator can be defined as one that judges or acts as judge. Candace is another good example. While we don’t know much about her yet, she is described as a guardian and has heterochromia, with one eye being blue and one being gold. This could set her up as being inspired by two different gods, Horus or Ra. This heterochromia is more common with Horus but is sometimes seen with Ra since the Egyptians were known to combine gods. The guardian aspect of her character also lines up with both deities as both were viewed as sorts of guardians, with Ra doing more guarding than Horus. Horus was more of an Avenger. Ra, on the other hand, battled the serpent of Chaos each night to ensure the world kept going. Interestingly, her character info gives her a connection to another deity, Set, via the statement “That Candace... is a true descendant of King Deshret!" The explanation for this connection goes hand in hand with the explanation of why the name Deshret is such a strong link to Egypt.

The name of the 3.1 update: King Deshret and the Three Magi is a very interesting point. In ancient Egypt Deshret was the formal name of the red crown of lower Egypt and the desert, or red land, on either side of the Nile river basin which was called the black land. Deshret, as the red desert land, was ruled by Set who was and is commonly viewed as the villain of Egyptian mythology. Deshret was also viewed as a land of chaos and lawlessness that was filled with dangers. It is quite likely that this ‘King Deshret’ is the name of the ‘Scarlet King’ who is mentioned numerous times in the Sumeru questline. If that is the case we can infer that the Scarlet King is possibly linked to Set. 

As for the other part of the 3.1 update name, the three magi, the main thing that this brings to mind is the famed wise men of the Bible. But, before we get into that, there is something else of interest here. Magi was a name for priests in Zoroastrianism as well as other earlier religions of  western Iran. As time went on the name/title evolved to take on connotations involving magic and astrology. Then we hit the Biblical story of the birth of Jesus where three magi, which is often translated as kings or wise men, visited Jesus and gave him three gifts.  It is possible that these three magi in the 3.1 update will be scholars from the Akademiya or have some sort of connection to Akademiya. Them traveling into the desert would mirror the journey of the magi of the Bible. The question(s) then would be: Are they bearing gifts and who are the gifts for? From the trailer we know Al-Haitham and Cyno will both make an appearance; they both have Akademiya connections so they could be two of our three. Which would just leave one mystery magi.

 It will be interesting to see how the connections to all these different cultures, stories, and legends come into play for the future Sumeru storyline and quests.