The Empty Illusions of the Sabzeruz Festival

==Steps==
# Talk to Nahida
# Head to the city gate to find a way out
# Organize your thoughts on the familiar bench in the city
# Talk to Nahida
==Gameplay Notes==
* The time cannot be changed while inside Sumeru City during the quest.
* If the player leaves Sumeru City, the quest progress will be reset.
* Co-Op Mode is disabled during the quest.
==Dialogue==
: Paimon: ...Our memories are back!
: Let's go and try to leave the city today.
: Paimon: ...About that... Well, where should Paimon begin...
: Huh? Paimon, what do you mean?
: Nahida: Traveler, aside from your memories that were just restored, I have another message for you.
: Another message? From who?
: Nahida: Listen to it and you'll understand.
: : "...Can't go back... There are countless spaces here. Our Sabzeruz Festival in Sumeru City is just one of them..."
: This is... my own voice!?
: Paimon: Traveler, you should be missing two days' worth of memories. Paimon will fill you in...
:
: Paimon: ...It's time to carry out our plan from yesterday!
: Let's go and try to leave the city today.
: Paimon: Okay, let's go!
;(Talk to Nahida again)
: Nahida: We don't have many more festivals to waste. Hurry and find the truth.
----
;(Approach the marked area)
: Merchant: ...Why can't we leave the city? What is the Akademiya up to now?
: Guard: Don't ask me. It's not like I can tell you anything. This is a direct order from the Grand Sage. Just wait until tomorrow.
: Merchant: I have a real emergency. My goods have already arrived at Port Ormos. If I don't hurry, they'll be stolen...
: Guard: That's your problem. Make sure you make a request in advance next time.
: Merchant: B—But it's not like you can just predict business matters in advance... *sigh*
: Paimon: It looks like the Akademiya already announced a lockdown for Sumeru City today. How completely unsurprising...
: Paimon: Let's go and question them.
: Paimon: Hello sir, why can't we leave the city today?
: Guard: Here we go again... Don't ask me, I don't know either.
: Guard: We just received an order that no one is allowed to enter or exit Sumeru today. They didn't tell us anything else.
: Of course the Akademiya wouldn't share their plans with a pawn.
: So the Akademiya doesn't trust you at all.
: Guard: Hmph, angering me won't get you anywhere. If I had that kind of insider info, I would have left this stupid post a long time ago.
: Paimon: It looks like he really doesn't know.
: Paimon: If we can't get anything out of him, let's take matters into our own hands. Why don't we climb over the walls? Those guards can't be everywhere at once.
: Paimon: This is a good spot, and the guard hasn't noticed us at all. Let's hurry...
: Paimon, stay here.
: Paimon: Huh!? Why? Are you going to leave Paimon behind?
: Leaving the city might trigger disruptions to our memories...
: We need someone to stay and witness events from this side.
: Paimon: B—But what if things get really weird out there and you get into some trouble? T—Then Paimon won't be able to help you!
: Paimon: Ugh... Paimon knows that Paimon can't do much, but we've always been together, haven't we?
: Don't worry, Paimon.
: If we leave together, it'll just be the same as before.
: Paimon: ...
: Paimon: ...Okay, Paimon will wait for you.
: Paimon: Promise Paimon that you'll come back as soon as possible. Just a quick look!
: Okay, okay...
: Paimon: And please be careful!
;(A scene transition occurs)
:;(If the Traveler disconnects)
::;(Talk to the Merchant again, optional)
:::: Merchant: *sigh* Can you understand the feeling of having Mora slip right through your fingers? How can these people be so unreasonable...
::;(Approach Nahida)
: Paimon: Ah... Memories...!
: Let's go and try to leave the city today.
: Paimon: Traveler! W—W—Waaaaaah!!!
;(Paimon rushes to the Traveler and cries on their chest, startling the Traveler)
: W—What's wrong, Paimon!?
: Paimon: Paimon thought Paimon would never see you again! Y—You just disappeared!
;(A flashback is briefly shown of Paimon waiting at the wall with an unhappy expression)
: Paimon: Paimon waited for you for hours and hours at the city wall, and you never came back! You promised Paimon that you were only taking a quick look! *sniff*
: W—What did I promise?
: Nahida: Paimon, calm down. 's here now. I don't think understood what you were saying.
: Paimon: *sniff*... Paimon doesn't care. Paimon wanted to go look for you, but you also said that Paimon should stay... Paimon was so worried and so scared the entire day...
;(A flashback is briefly shown of Paimon unhappily getting antsy at the wall)
: Although I don't remember doing any of this...
:: I won't leave you behind.
: Still... Sorry, Paimon.
:: I won't leave you behind.
: Paimon: *sniff* ...Okay, Paimon will forgive you. The most important thing is that you didn't actually disappear... Paimon was so scared that you had gone into another world!
: Nahida: Okay, Paimon, can you tell us your perspective of what really happened yesterday...
:
: Nahida: I see. Using two people's different perspectives...
;(A flashback begins, showing the Traveler rapidly fading as they walked away from the city)
: Paimon: After that, you left the city. Paimon kept her eyes on you the whole time, but then you disappeared in an instant...
: You sure that's what you saw? You weren't zoning out or anything?
;(The flashback ends)
: Paimon: No way! Paimon was watching you with the fullest attention.
: Nahida: What's your perspective, Traveler? You sure you don't have any memory of this?
: Yes, I don't even know that "yesterday" existed.
: Nahida: I guess that explains everything. You also lost your memories the last two times you tried to leave the city. Those days' memories can't be awoken.
: Paimon: So if we leave the city, our memories will be completely erased?
: So they didn't just restrict access to Sumeru City...
: They're also erasing the memories of those who leave...
: Paimon: It really sounds like something big outside of the city is being hidden on purpose!
: Paimon: But this way, we'll also never discover what's outside...
: If our memories will be erased...
: Can we leave behind something other than memories?
: Paimon: Something like a message? But how can we send it back?
: Nahida: ...Don't look at me like that. I... I'm not used to being stared at.
: Nahida: Well... Okay, okay. You want something that can pass on messages, right? Give me some time, and take care of Dunyarzad for me.
: Paimon: Yep! Now we're talking!
:
: Nahida: ...I'm done. Here you go.
: Paimon: What? Isn't this just an Akasha Terminal?
: Nahida: I made some little changes. Akasha Terminals are already capable of sending messages. I just tweaked it so that it can connect to any node.
: Paimon: To make something like this... Nahida, you really know the Akasha like the back of your hand! Anyway, we can use this now to record a message, right?
: Nahida: Yep. I will help you save the messages. It should be pretty easy to use. I just can't guarantee the user's status and signal coverage when they're outside the city...
: Paimon: We'll never know until we try! At least we're taking the initiative now!
: It's worth a try.
: Paimon: Let's go then. Let's expose those sages!
: I still think you should stay.
: Paimon: Ahh... Alright. Paimon isn't as worried about being separated since it happened once yesterday, but... Paimon still isn't happy about it...
: See you tomorrow, Paimon.
: Paimon: Okay! See you tomorrow, Traveler!
;(A scene transition occurs)
: Paimon: ...That covers everything that's happened so far.
: So that message...
: Was what I left for myself when I left the city?
: Nahida: Yes. Although the signal was choppy and had some interference, we still managed to receive two messages from you when you were outside.
: Paimon: Okay, now that you understand what's going on, let's hear the messages together!
: : "...Can't go back... There are countless spaces here. Our Sabzeruz Festival in Sumeru City is just one of them..."
: : "...I've entered another space... Before me are flowing sandstone and howling fish... Impossible and surreal sights..."
: : "...All these spaces are empty except for the occasional ones that contain mute puppets rather than people... I can't sense any human presence..."
: Paimon: ...That's one heck of an info dump! It sounds like you left the Sumeru City space when you set foot outside of the walls.
: Paimon: ...But everything looked completely normal when Paimon was looking out from the inside! That's unbelievable. And if we take your word for it, the other spaces all had very weird contents...
: Nahida: There's one final part here... I only received it late last night.
: : ...These spaces have been disappearing one after the other... Absorbed by something like a sun in the sky...
: : *beep* ...And now, even the final space has also disappeared...
: : ...Behind me, a lot of spaces just appeared again from thin air... I get it now! Those spaces are actually—
:: *buzz*
: Paimon: Ah... Ugh, why did the message end right there? What did the Traveler want to say? What are those spaces?
: Nahida: Probably because "yesterday" just happened to end at that moment.
: Paimon: Oh, right, Paimon did hear a beep from the Akasha. Did it come from here or from the message?
: Nahida: The message. It should've come from the Traveler's Akasha Terminal.
: Paimon: After the beep, Traveler said, "Even the final space has also disappeared..."
: Nahida: Traveler, what do you think that "final space" could have been?
----
;(The Traveler enters )
;(Select - Spaces Without Human Presence)
: : All the bizarre spaces I saw outside the city had one thing in common: a lack of human presence.
;(Select - The Real World)
: : ..Was that space actually the real world? But wouldn't a real space just randomly disappearing like that be catastrophic?
;(Select - The Space Where We Were Yesterday)
: : My impression is that each day in this samsara only ends at the sound of that beep from the Akasha.
;(Submit the wrong conclusion)
: : That doesn't sound right... I need to carefully think things through...
;(Submit the correct association - The Space Where We Were Yesterday)
;(Continue to next section)
----
:
: Paimon: Ohh, so that's what it is! After the sound of the beep, the final space — the Sabzeruz Festival — also disappears, and we're taken to the next day.
: Paimon: Later on, Traveler also mentioned a bunch of new spaces materializing behind them... Do lots of new spaces appear every day?
: Paimon: Paimon's head is spinning... Just what are these "spaces," anyhow?
: Nahida: Well, consider this, for all the horrors of the Archon War, at its heart, it was just a game where a bunch of gods fought over seven seats.
: Nahida: So no matter how strange or spooky things might look on the surface, maybe all they point to in the end is a small and simple secret.
: Paimon: Wow, the Archon War, huh? That's an analogy and a half.
: A "secret," huh...
:: Give me some time. I need to organize my thoughts.
: Paimon: Hey, where are you going?
;(Talk to Nahida again)
: Nahida: Well, consider this, for all the horrors of the Archon War, at its heart, it was just a game where a bunch of gods fought over seven seats.
: Nahida: So no matter how strange or spooky things might look on the surface, maybe all they point to in the end is a small and simple secret.
;(Approach the marked area)
: Paimon: Do you want some alone time to think? Alright then, Paimon won't disturb you.
;(The time fast forwards)
: Dunyarzad: ...The Dance of Sabzeruz is about to begin. I'm going to go watch it.
: The Dance of Sabzeruz... It's that time already...
: Paimon: Okay, um... Why don't you go ahead, Dunyarzad? We still have some other stuff to do first.
: Dunyarzad: Okay then. See you later.
: Paimon: Have you figured it out yet, Traveler? Time is ticking away.
: I think I know the answer now.
: Paimon: Awesome! What is it? Paimon wants to know! ...Wait, no, let's meet up with Nahida first. You can tell us both together. This time, we're gonna get to the truth!
----
;(Talk to Nahida)
: Nahida: You're back. I've been waiting forever for you two. Judging by the looks on your faces...
: Nahida: Are you ready to take your Sabzeruz Exam and graduate from the festival?
: Ask away, Miss Nahida.
: Nahida: Hehe, okay, first off... Have you discovered the hidden truth?
----
;(The Traveler enters )
;(Select - Information on the Akasha)
: : Okay, Nahida said, "The Akasha relies on the power of a Gnosis to operate, as it is the manifestation of the God of Wisdom's power. It compiles the wisdom of the entire populace, and it grants knowledge to the people."
;(Select - The Sabzeruz Festival Samsara)
: : We've already experienced the Sabzeruz Festival many times. And... the day of the festival seems to be in a perpetual samsara.
;(Select - Spaces Without Human Presence)
: : All the bizarre spaces I saw outside the city had one thing in common: a lack of human presence.
:;(Unlocks Dreams With No Human Presence)
;(Select - Dreams With No Human Presence)
: : Those spaces remind me of... dreams. Like the one I had in the Avidya Forest, except these have no sign of human presence.
;(Select - Alchemical Divination Results)
: : The Moon, illusions, and lies... What do they all mean?
;(Select - People from Sumeru Do Not Dream)
: : People in Sumeru don't dream. What a strange phenomenon.
;(Submit the wrong conclusion)
: : That doesn't sound right... I need to carefully think things through...
;(Submit the wrong association)
: : Hmm... I can't seem to cohesively piece everything together.
;(Submit the correct association - People from Sumeru Do Not Dream and Dreams With No Human Presence)
;(Select - The Truth Behind Dreams)
: : We are all in a dream. It isn't that the people of Sumeru don't dream. Rather, the Akasha is taking their dreams from them.
;(Submitting the correct conclusion - The Truth Behind Dreams)
;(Continue to next section)
----
:
: Paimon: People in Sumeru think they don't dream, but the truth is, the Akasha steals their dreams without them knowing it.
: Paimon: And those spaces with no human presence are stolen dreams without their host? That would explain why they sounded so weird when was trying to describe them...
: Paimon: Huh, so people in Sumeru do dream after all. In fact, we're all in one big dream together right now!
: Nahida: Correct answer. Now, how did you conclude that the Akasha is capable of this?
----
;(The Traveler enters )
;(Select - The Akasha's Operation Requires a Gnosis)
: Nahida: The Akasha relies on the power of a Gnosis to operate.
;(Select - The Akasha Is a Manifestation of the God of Wisdom's Power)
: Nahida: It is a manifestation of the God of Wisdom's power.
;(Select - It Compiles the Wisdom of the Entire Populace)
: Nahida: It compiles the wisdom of the entire populace.
;(Select - And It Grants Knowledge to the People)
: Nahida: And it grants knowledge to the people.
;(Submit the wrong conclusion)
: : That doesn't sound right... I need to carefully think things through...
;(Submit the correct conclusion - The Akasha Is a Manifestation of the God of Wisdom's Power)
;(Continue to next section)
----
:
: Paimon: Ooh, okay. Those dream-controlling creatures in the forest also get their power from the Dendro Archon, right? That would explain why the Akasha has the ability to control people's dreams, too.
: Paimon: But... is stealing everyone's dreams really how the Akasha compiles their wisdom? Isn't there anything more to it than that?
: Nahida: Dreams are fantastical, complex, and full of imagination. People's brains are the most active when they're dreaming.
: Nahida: In other words, dreams are rich bundles of human wisdom.
: Paimon: So in other words, the complete opposite of how Haypasia understood it...
: Paimon: Paimon remembers her saying that the sages think dreams are "foolish delusions," and the fact that no one dreams is a blessing from Greater Lord Rukkhadevata... Hmph, so it was all a dirty trick!?
: Paimon: The real story is that the sages from the Akademiya are using the Akasha to steal people's dreams for their own use, huh?
: Yes, and they don't intend to stop there.
: Nahida: Oh? By the sounds of it, you understand the current situation pretty well. So then, what about this samsara?
----
;(The Traveler enters )
;(Select - The Akasha's Sound)
: : The beep is a prompt tone for Akasha operations. We still hear it every night, even though we removed our Akasha Terminals.
;(Select - The Appearance and Disappearance of Spaces)
: : Those spaces kept disappearing before my eyes, but as soon as that beep sounded, many more spaces materialized.
:;(Unlocks The Appearance and Disappearance of Dreams)
;(Select - The Appearance and Disappearance of Dreams)
: : Those dreamscapes kept vanishing, but as soon as that beep sounded, more new spaces appeared.
;(Select - The Grand Sage's Speech)
: : The Grand Sage said, "Go celebrate the birth of that god to your heart's content." Did he mean something more?
;(Select - Abnormal Mental Fatigue)
: : My mind feels exhausted, even though I haven't done too much thinking. What is going on?
;(Select - The Sabzeruz Samsara)
: : We've already experienced the Sabzeruz Festival many times. And... the day of the festival seems to be in a perpetual samsara.
;(Submit the wrong conclusion)
: : That doesn't sound right... I need to carefully think things through...
;(Submit the wrong association)
: : Hmm... I can't seem to cohesively piece everything together.
;(Submit the correct association - The Appearance and Disappearance of Dreams and The Sabzeruz Samsara)
;(Submit the correct conclusion - Mass Production of Dreams)
;(Continue to next section)
----
:
: Nahida: Correct. The Akasha is keeping each person's brain in a constant dream state, but also separating their consciousness from their own dream.
: Nahida: Their disembodied consciousness is placed inside the collective dream of the Sabzeruz Festival along with everyone else's, while their now-vacant dreams are harvested by the Akasha.
: Nahida: No one is any the wiser as another day passes in the dream, and so begins another samsara cycle...
: Nahida: People "wake up" to yet another dream about the Sabzeruz Festival, the dreams that belong to them are once again harvested by the Akasha... and so it continues.
: Paimon: So... this is like a dream factory, and the Akasha is... a dream-harvesting machine. Did Paimon get that analogy right?
: Nahida: Very good, Paimon. Using analogies well is an excellent habit to get into.
: Paimon: Okay, so that beep we keep hearing is actually from our real-life Akasha Terminals... Taking off our terminals in this dream doesn't do anything...
: Nahida: Alright, last question... Who am I?
----
;(The Traveler enters )
;(Select - The Moon)
: : They say that alchemical divination is the Dendro Archon's divine revelation. So then, if Nahida has referred to herself as the Moon...
;(Select - Illusions)
: : Now that I think about it, wasn't "illusions" a hint that we're all dreaming?
;(Select - Lies)
: : Now that I think about it, wasn't "illusions" hinting at the Sages' deception of Sumeru's people?
;(Submit the wrong conclusion)
: : That doesn't sound right... I need to carefully think things through...
;(Submit the correct conclusion - The Moon)
;(Continue to next section)
----
: Nahida: Hehe. So you noticed.
: You are Lesser Lord Kusanali.
: Nahida: Aww, I thought that one would be the hardest question. That's why I put it last.
: Paimon: Pff, that wasn't hard at all. Even Paimon guessed that! Everything about you is different. We just didn't wanna expose you is all.
: Paimon: Now that you mention it... Nahida, you've been hinting to us since the very beginning...
: Paimon: It's funny thinking back to when we were asking all over the place for info about Lesser Lord Kusanali. Paimon didn't expect to meet you like this!
: I have a lot of questions for you.
: But this doesn't seem like a good time.
: Nahida: Yes, those can wait until we're back in real life.
: Nahida: On the other hand, I'd be happy to answer any more questions you have about here and now.
: Why couldn't you simply tell us the truth?
:: Nahida: You asked me this question before. My answer was: "It would literally blow your minds."
:: Nahida: Now that you know this is all a dream, this answer should hopefully make more sense...
:: Nahida: Have you heard the saying "Don't wake a sleepwalker"? Likewise, if someone suddenly had told you all of this instead of you learning it on your own...
:: Nahida: Your notion of reality and dream would be thrown into irreversible confusion. I couldn't expose you to that kind of risk.
:: Nahida: That's why I could only give you very subtle hints and some suggestions. Long story short, I'm really sorry I had to keep you guessing.
:;(Dialogue returns to option selection)
: How do the sages manage to keep people from noticing this?
:: Nahida: Firstly, this dream we're in is completely based on reality. People have already experienced this Sabzeruz Festival, so it would be very difficult for them to find anything that strikes them as surreal.
:: Nahida: Secondly, you're probably wondering why people don't have any memories from earlier samsara, right?
:: Nahida: That's because people don't remember their dreams most of the time anyway. And in any case, their actual dreams are being taken away from them by the Akasha...
:: Nahida: So whenever they "wake up" in this dream of the Sabzeruz Festival, they don't remember anything from their previous, identical dream.
:: Paimon: That reminds Paimon. Traveler had a dream when we were in the Avidya Forest, but couldn't say what it was about after waking up. Is that an example of what you mean?
:: Nahida: Yes. Only after receiving the blessing of Dendro can a person gain the Dendro element's dream-enhancing power. That explains the feelings of déjà vu.
:: Nahida: Meanwhile, everyone else has no idea that they are in a Sabzeruz Festival samsara while their dreams are stolen from them over and over again.
:;(Dialogue returns to option selection)
: About the side effects of a "mass-produced dream"...
:: Paimon: Can humans really keep dreaming forever like this? Will it ever end? And if so, when?
:: Nahida: You might say your mental fatigue has already answered this question. Eventually, there is only so much that people can tolerate.
:: Nahida: Especially those whose health is compromised to begin with... like Dunyarzad. This relentless exploitation takes an even harder toll on them.
:: Paimon: People's lives are at stake here, and nobody knows a thing... We've gotta put a stop to this!
:;(Dialogue returns to option selection)
: Why is the dream about the Sabzeruz Festival?
:: Nahida: I know, right? Why did they have to base this dream on my birthday? Could it really just be a coincidence?
:: Paimon: Even you don't know the reason? Wow, now that's strange.
:: Nahida: The Akademiya's sages are determined to harvest lots of dreams in a short time, no matter the cost. They have to be up to no good. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about it.
:: Nahida: Traveler, do you have any information?
::;(The Traveler enters )
::
::;(Select - Dreams Without Human Presence)
:::: Those spaces remind me of... dreams. Like the one I had in the Avidya Forest, except these have no sign of human presence.
::
::;(Select - Information on the Akasha)
::: : Okay, Nahida said, "The Akasha relies on the power of a Gnosis to operate, as it is the manifestation of the God of Wisdom's power. It compiles the wisdom of the entire populace, and it grants knowledge to the people."
::
::;(Select - The Grand Sage's Speech)
::: : The Grand Sage said, "Go celebrate the birth of that god to your heart's content." Did he mean something more?
::
::;(Submit the wrong conclusion)
::: : That doesn't sound right... I need to carefully think things through...
::
::;(Submit the correct conclusion - The Grand Sage's Speech)
:: Nahida: "Celebrate the birth of that god"...
:: Nahida: Could it mean...
:;(Dialogue returns to option selection)
: I don't have any more questions.
:: Nahida: Deceiving the people of Sumeru with no regard for their safety... No matter what they're trying to do, this is unforgivable.
:: Nahida: After we end the Sabzeruz Festival samsara, we have to look into them...
:: Paimon: How can the sages of the Akademiya do this behind their Archon's back? This is ridiculous!
:: Nahida: In the end, I'm just the Moon. The real Sun is long gone.
:: Paimon: A Sun and a Moon... Nahida's talking in riddles again...
:: ???: *beep*
:: Paimon: Oh, we're out of time today.
:: Nahida: I'll tell you how to break free of the samsara tomorrow. See you then...
===Attempting to Leave Sumeru City===
;(Talk to the merchant after the flashback)
: Merchant: *sigh* Can you understand the feeling of having Mora right though your fingers? How can these people be so unreasonable.
==Soundtracks==
==Trivia==
* While performing the actions from the previous two days, the screen has a grainy sepia effect, and the corners of the screen are dark.
==Other Languages==
==Change History==
==Navigation==
es:Las ilusiones vacías del Festival Sabzeruz
ja:空幻に響く花神誕祭
vi:Lễ Hội Sabzeruz Trống Rỗng