A thousand glass lamps in a rainbow of hues light up the Grand Bazaar. Vendors of every good imaginable have set up shop here, each overlapping with the next atop their elaborate, woven rugs. From fresh produce to delicate pottery, from royal carpets to the finest of silks, everything is up for bargain. Most impressive of all, however, is the magnificent theater watching over us all. Its antique banisters and palm-shaped lamps guide the eye up towards the stage, shaped like a grand lotus blossom in full bloom.
As we walk through the streets of the Grand Bazaar towards the theater, I can see Dunyarzad's eyes sparkling at festive atmosphere. "Ever since I met Lesser Lord Kusanali, I've been hoping for a chance to repay her kindness," she explains. "I know that the people of Grand Bazaar still hold the Sabzeruz Festival to this day, but I hadn't met any of them before, so I wasn't ever able to contribute. This year, finally, I met a friend who also turned out to be a follower of Lesser Lord Kusanali! I gave her all my savings because I want her to throw a wonderful festival this year. That's the least I could do for our goddess."
The Sabzeruz Festival – a festival in Sumeru that commemorates the birth of Lesser Lord Kusanali, according to the Akasha. "You're preparing a birthday party for the Lesser Lord?" I say.
"Yes! We're celebrating the day she was found by the sages," Dunyarzad explains. "Technically it's an old holiday that originally celebrated Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's birthday. When she passed away, the holiday eventually became a celebration of the Lesser Lord's birthday. I heard everyone was overjoyed when they welcomed her back to Sumeru. In those days, the festival was a huge deal."
"I take it that this is no longer the case?" I say. It feels off that the festival organizers need donations from private citizens for their own Archon's birthday.
"The Akademiya actively participates in Sumeru's many holidays dedicated to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, but when it comes to the Sabzeruz Festival, forget about any funding!" Dunyarzad exclaims. "They practically act like it doesn't exist. Maybe they see Lesser Lord Kusanali's birth as confirmation of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's death, so they're reluctant to celebrate it."
"That's awful," I say. No one deserves a lonely birthday, especially not a god.
"It's absolutely terrible!" Dunyarzad agrees. "Sure, the Greater Lord founded Sumeru, but hasn't Lesser Lord Kusanali been the one quietly protecting us for the past few hundred years?"
Beside us, Dehya clears her throat in warning. "Remember that we're still out in public, my lady. Don't get too carried away." Dunyarzad starts to protest, but her frown flips into a big smile when she spots a red-haired young woman heading towards us. "Nilou! Sorry I'm late today," she calls out to the stranger, who’s dressed like a performer with – are those horns on her head?
"Hold on," Dehya says, suspicious. "Isn't she the one who delivers flowers to the estate?"
"Yes, that's her," Dunyarzad confirms. "Why?"
"The other day she left with a nervous expression on her face," Dehya replies. "I didn't stop her, but it looked like she had something hidden in her arms. What did you give her?"
"Well," Dunyarzad says shyly, "initially I didn't have much mora on hand, so I convinced Nilou to sell one of my skirts."
"Miss Homayani!" Dehya hisses, but she stops speaking as the newcomer approaches. "Hello, Miss Nilou," she says in matter of greeting.
"Oh Dunyarzad! It was taking you so long that I assumed you got trapped at home," Nilou exclaims, "but if Dehya's here, that means you got caught anyways, right?" She seems unsure what to make of Dehya's presence.
Now that Nilou stands in front of us, I see that her horns are part of an elaborate headpiece, composed of layers of gossamer blue. She's dressed in a dancer's bedlah garb, with fabric that flows like a gushing stream. Her outfit is accented with gold accessories and golden embroidery – Nilotpala lotuses resting upon the water's surface.
"It's a long story," Dunyarzad says, "but she's on our side for now."
"Oh? And who are these two?" Nilou says, gesturing towards us.
"Ah, where are my manners? Nilou, Meet Lumine and Paimon," Dunyarzad says. "They're visitors to Sumeru, and they want to learn more about Lesser Lord Kusanali."
"That's wonderful!" Nilou exclaims. "You two absolutely mustn't miss the Sabzeruz Festival! My name is Nilou, and I'm a dancer at the Zubayr Theater."
"We'll be sure to attend," I promise.
"By the way, Dunyarzad, we've already started decorating the Grand Bazaar," Nilou says excitedly. "It looks spectacular, thanks to your generous contribution!"
"You're very welcome! It's the only thing I could do," Dunyarzad replies. "Do you still have enough mora to finish the preparations?"
"Uh, probably?" Nilou smiles, and I imagine that accounting is not her strong suit. "Don't sweat it. We've already finished renovating the stage! Come on, I'll show you." She waves us forwards and runs up the steps. Following close behind her, we ascend the stage in a spiral until we're standing at the very center of the lotus. From up here, I can see all the Grand Bazaar, each shop a distinct quadrant of color in the mosaic of culture and commerce.
"Not bad," Dehya says from beside me. She chuckles. "The last time I was here, the stairs were full of holes. Now look at all the glistening steps!"
"The stairs were nothing!" Nilou replies. "A while ago, we discovered that the giant palm overshadowing the stage had a huge chunk of bark waiting to fall off. Mr. Zubayr was worried sick! We reported it to the Akademiya over and over, but they never did anything about it. We didn't want it to fall on anyone, so we were going to cancel all the stage performances."
"That sounds dangerous," I say. "Why didn't the Akademiya send repair workers?"
"Probably because it was us performers asking," Nilou replies with a note of sadness. "I'm sure the Akademiya would rejoice if the theater closed down permanently. They are waiting for us to just disappear, along with the Sabzeruz Festival."
"How did you manage to fix everything in time?" I ask. "Everything looks fantastic now."
"Thank the Dendro Archon for Dunyarzad!" Nilou says. "With the mora she gave us, we hired someone to patch up the tree, and we also gave the stage a much-needed makeover. There will be even more decorations when it's time for the festival. I can't wait for you to see it!"
"And I can't wait to see you on stage!" Dunyarzad replies. "You've been practicing for so long already. It's almost time for your dream to come true."
"It's our dream!" Nilou corrects her. "I'll do my best for both of us."
"Nilou, what will you be doing on stage?" I ask politely.
"She'll be dancing the Dance of Sabzeruz, the most important performance at the Sabzeruz Festival," Dunyarzad replies.
"Dunyarzad, have you told them the origin of this holiday?" Nilou asks.
"I only told them about the Greater Lord and Lesser Lord so far," Dunyarzad replies.
"Then I'll tell you two about how this holiday came to be," Nilou says. "If you would like to know?"
"Yes please!" Paimon says. She flies over to Nilou and settles in front of her expectantly. "We love stories!"
"Okay," Nilou says. "According to legend, the Sabzeruz Festival was originally the Goddess of Flowers's birthday celebration for the Greater Lord. A long, long time ago, on one of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's birthdays, her friends threw her a celebratory banquet. Some of the gods got drunk. One started playing music and the Greater Lord started singing, so the Goddess of Flowers began to dance. As she danced upon the grass, countless Padisarahs began to bloom wherever she stepped. Those brilliant violet flowers became her dazzling stage. All the gods clamored, 'Oh, if only time could stop at this very moment.'"
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
"That's beautiful," I say, "but a little bittersweet." It's also ironic how the gods of the past are remembered with nostalgia, while the Lesser Lord is tossed aside.
"Although these gods and that era are not around anymore, they're preserved in our tradition of dance," Nilou says. "This outfit I'm wearing is apparently based on the Goddess of Flowers. Though we're just tiny people compared to the divine, we still have to do our best to make sure that the birthday girl feels loved on her special day."
"You even placed Padisarahs around the stage," Dunyarzad says. "I'm sure you of all people will definitely be able to convey our well wishes to the Dendro Archon."
Smiling shyly, Nilou explains, "real Padisarahs went extinct after her death, but the Padisarahs of our age still symbolize the Goddess of Flowers."
"What do you mean?" I ask. The violet-blue flowers scattered around look real enough.
"The Greater Lord brought forth new Padisarahs in memory of the Goddess of Flowers, but she ultimately could never replicate that true violet," Dunyarzad explains.
"Just thinking about Goddess of Flowers's dance makes me wish I could've seen it," Nilou says dreamily. "If only my stage were anything like the stories say. I'd be thrilled if I had just two real Padisarahs on the stage."
"So what do you think?" Dunyarzad says. "How about we all attend the Sabzeruz Festival together?"
"Paimon would love to come!" Paimon exclaims. "I'm sure Lesser Lord Kusanali will be happy to have more people celebrating her birthday."
"I would love to watch Nilou dance," I say. "It will also be a great opportunity to learn more about the Lesser Lord."
"We'll see you next week then," Nilou says. "Dunyarzad, let me show you which stage decorations we've picked out so far. Lumine and Paimon, feel free to explore the Grand Bazaar if you'd like. Everyone here loves Lesser Lord Kusanali, and we're all looking forward to the Sabzeruz Festival." Leaving us with Dehya, Nilou leads Dunyarzad into the crowd.
"Aren't you going to follow them?" I ask Dehya. Despite her role as a bodyguard, she seems content with remaining with us for the moment.
"There are men looking out for my lady," she replies. "I might need to escort her home soon, though. She looked a little worn out."
"Well do you have any recommendations for places to visit in the Grand Bazaar?" I ask.
"I don't know much about the Grand Bazaar, but I do know that the residents here have a penchant for song and dance – two things the Akademiya doesn't particularly approve of," Dehya replies, grinning. "Oh, and the face powder sold around here is a lot better than what you'll find elsewhere. The fragrances are longer-lasting, and they're gentler on your skin – I mean, that's what I've heard, at least!"
"We'll be sure to check out the cosmetics shops," I say with a slight smile.
Blushing, Dehya mutters something under her breath, then adds in a normal tone, "Anyways, I have something to tell you. My lady knows you're looking for ways to meet Lesser Lord Kusanali, and she's been trying to come up with a way to help you. I have an idea that might help."
"Really?" Paimon says.
"It might not necessarily pan out, so don't get your hopes up too much," Dehya says quickly. "We need to ask someone some questions, but first I'll have to take Dunyarzad back. How about we meet in front of the Citadel of Regzar in an hour's time?"
"We'll see you there," I promise. As Dehya hurries off, Paimon and I are left alone in this lively district.
"What now?" I ask Paimon. "Food?" I'm sure her mind is salivating at all the street food we could consume before we head out. Paimon looks around, then points at someone who is clearly not selling food. "Isn't that Katheryne? What's she doing here?" Now that I think about it, I have never seen Katheryne outside of the Adventurer's Guild. "Let's go see," I say.
"Katheryne!" Paimon calls out, waving dramatically.
Katheryn turns towards us and waves back. "Lumine and Paimon! What's up?"
"Huh," I say, taken aback. "I don't think I've ever heard Katheryne greet us with anything but 'ad astra abyssosque.'"
"Maybe Katheryne's taking a break," Paimon suggests. "Repeating that exact phrase to every single person must get boring."
Approaching us, Katheryne seems to be of the same opinion. "Standing behind the counter at the Adventurer's Guild doesn't require any complicated functions but saying and doing the same old things over and over again can get pretty monotonous, like watching the same Fontaine movie day after day." I raise my eyebrows. Katheryne's words today really are a bit out of distribution. "Take you two for example," she continues. "You travel across Teyvat to enrich your lives and gain new experiences."
"Well, we enjoy traveling across Teyvat and all that, but we're mainly looking for clues about her brother," Paimon explains.
"Yes, and you should keep searching," Katheryne replies. "Sometimes the answers we're looking for aren't necessarily at our intended destination. Instead, they're found along the way." Now this phrase sounds strangely like one of Zhongli's favorite sayings. Every journey will eventually come to an end. There's no need to rush, he would always say.
A little spooked, I ask, "What brings you out here, Katheryne? Are you also a fan of the Sabzeruz Festival?"
Katheryne shakes her head. "Not in particular. You could say that I really enjoy the recent atmosphere here. If festivals bring happiness to everyone, then that's where their true value lies."
I nod along in agreement, still unsure why she's acting like this.
"Oh, it's about time for me to head back," Katheryne says.
"We'll see you next time we drop by the Adventurer's Guild," I say, "and thanks for connecting us with The Eremites. We've already made lots of friends in Sumeru City thanks to you!"
"I'm sure you two will get along well with the people here," Katheryne replies. "You've already been blessed by the element of Dendro, after all. See you around!" We watch her walk away without a word.
"Hmm," Paimon mumbles after some time, "There's something really off about Katheryne today."
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For the second time today, we're back at the Citadel of Regzar. Guarded heavily by Eremite soldiers and surrounded by stone walls all around, the Citadel feels intimidating, but in a safe way. Just as we walk through the tall gates, we hear footsteps closing in on us. Dehya is here, as promised.
"Sorry I'm late!" She says in greeting. "It took a bunch of talking to convince the master and mistress that Miss Dunyarzad was only sitting in the port for a while because she was in a bad mood." Walking forward with us confidently, she calls towards the main building, "hello Chief! You there?" I look around nervously – the guards weren't too cordial towards us, earlier today – but nobody bats an eye at Dehya. Evidently, she's one of their own.
After a moment, a wizened old Eremite emerges from the door. Seeing Dehya, he breaks into a wide smile. "Dehya! What are you doing here? And well, well, I didn't expect to see the three of you together! You two must really be something if you've got Dehya the Flame-Mane speaking on your behalf."
"Asfand!" Dehya exclaims, opening her arms in an embrace. "You've already met my new friends?"
"We met this morning!" Paimon chirps. "Katheryne from the Adventurer's Guild pointed us to Asfand for more information."
"No kidding," Dehya replies. "So where's Rukh Shah?" She asks Asfand. "I thought I'd help these two out by asking about the theft. So what can we tell 'em?"
"Rukh Shah's gone over to the Akademiya," Asfand says. "The Grand Sage recently ordered Sumeru City to begin bolstering its defenses, so people from all over have been called back to the city. And–" Asfand clears his throat, "since you've already mentioned the theft, I suppose I might as well tell 'em what we know."
"Appreciate it, Chief," Dehya says. I nod in appreciation, even though I'm not yet certain how this relates to the Dendro Archon.
"Wait, theft?" Paimon says quizzically. "What are you talking about?"
"Recently the Akademiya lost something important," Dehya explains, "and there's a tiny chance the item is connected with the Dendro Archon." Interesting. A relic maybe?
"That's one way to look at it," Asfand says, "but if you ask me, the case is more about the Akademiya than anything else. Let me fill you in. The Akademiya recently sent a convoy to retrieve an important package from Aaru Village. Word got out, and the convoy was robbed on its way back. The Grand Sage took the whole matter very seriously. Not only did he dispatch the matra, but also enlisted our help in the search for leads. All we know so far is that whatever was stolen is currently in Port Ormos."
The matra – disciplinary officers for the Akademiya, according to the Akasha – sent to Port Ormos, the largest commercial port in Sumeru. This theft seems like a grand mistake for the Akademiya.
"You can travel to Port Ormos by heading south along the river from Sumeru City," Dehya explains. "The Akademiya's grip isn't long enough to reach all the way to Port Ormos, so the city's a little more laid back. That is, the population's a mixed bag. You never know who you'll meet there."
"All we know is that the lost item has a great deal to do with the Akasha, knowledge, and even the gods," Asfand says. "Other than that, I'm afraid we don't know much. If you want my advice though, try introducing yourselves as students of the Akademiya once you're there."
"Isn't that a little suspicious?" I say. After all, the Akademiya did just lose something important there. Dehya also shares my doubts. Laughing, she adds, "aren't all Akademiya students busy studying in Sumeru City? What would they be doing in Port Ormos?"
Asfand simply smiles. "If you're so curious, go with them and see for yourself!" He says. "You too can pose as a student."
Dehya feigns a disgusted expression. "Count me out. I've got plenty of work to do here for the Homayani family." Addressing us, she says in a serious tone, "if you two really do decide to visit Port Ormos, you'd best watch your backs. Let's just say that the Eremites there aren't nearly as friendly as those here in Sumeru City. There are even some extremists who go around shouting slogans like 'retake Sumeru for the Scarlet King Deshret!' Word is, more and more are joining their movement. They're becoming a real headache for Chief and the others."
"You bet they are," Asfand sighs. "The Scarlet King Deshret's been dead for thousands of years. Now they start spreading rumors of his return. Ridiculous!"
"Not everyone's like you, Chief," Dehya says ruefully. "Even the desert natives who abandoned their homes in the wilderness still wish to have a god of their own." She shrugs. "Anyways, Lumine, that's all the information we have for you. It's not much, but hopefully it'll lead you to something useful. Oh, and Miss Dunyarzad is looking forward to seeing you both at the Sabzeruz Festival, so be sure to get yourselves back here in time."
"Thanks Dehya! And you too, Asfand," I say graciously. "We'll be back for sure."