Aranyaka is a World Quest Series in Sumeru.
List of Parts[]
- Part I - Woodland Encounter
- Part II - Dream Nursery
- Part III - Nursery of Lost Dreams
- Part IV - In the End, the Forest Will Remember
Summary[]
Part I: Woodland Encounter[]
- Woodland Encounter
As the Traveler and Paimon leave Gandharva Ville, they hear a cry for help, finding a female Forest Watcher fighting some fungi off. After eliminating the troublesome monsters, the Forest Watcher introduces herself as Rana. Rana offers to guide them to Vimara Village, which they accept.
- The Children of Vimara Village
As they walk to the village, they come upon a Withering Zone, with Rana explaining (if they hadn't cleared it with Tighnari before) about the dangers of the zone, especially to humans without a Vision. The Traveler restores the area before Paimon remarks about the mysterious creatures they saw earlier when they arrived in Sumeru. Rana recognizes them as the Aranara, but they're dismissed as tales.
They finally reach the village, where Rana introduces them to Amadhiah and Alphonso. There, the Traveler learns that the children of the village have gone missing recently; they had tried to search for them to no avail, only for them to inexplicably return several days later with no recollection of what happened. The Traveler suspects that the children are hiding something and tries to get information by appeasing them with stories but is unsuccessful. After telling the stories, Rana asks the Traveler to help her deal with some new Withering Zones that appeared.
- Into the Woods
During the patrol, the Traveler eliminates several Withering Zones on their route. Afterwards, Rana states that their next job is to control the local Spinocrocodile population, as their numbers have been growing too high recently. Paimon is surprised they aren't handling the Withering, but Rana explains that a Forest Watcher's job is to also ensure the ecosystem is in perfect balance. After thinning the Spinocrocodile numbers, they head to a reserve camp to stay for the night. The Traveler and Paimon collect firewood while Rana prepares some curry. Rana then briefly talks about the Aranara, who were visited by another gold-haired human which gets the Traveler and Paimon's interest before they sleep.
- The Lost Child
After getting a good night's sleep, the trio prepare to return to Vimara Village when they spot Iotham running in the distance. Some Eremites appear chasing him, but they drive them off before heading into the caves, where they're ambushed by the Fatui. However, they defeat them and continue heading deeper into the cave, where they find Iotham bubbled in the middle of a Withering Zone.
Rana, seeing Iotham in danger, decides to charge into the Withering Zone despite being aware that she could not withstand its effects due to lacking a Vision. The Traveler assists her in clearing the zone and free Iotham. However, the short and brief exposure has caused Rana to fall sickly ill, forcing them to leave her behind to return Iotham back to the village. They then return to get her, but discover her missing, albeit with some traces of energy left behind.
Following the trail, they run into a strange hut where they meet Arana, a member of the Aranara who explains that Rana was sickened by "Marana" and needs a Bija to be restored. It directs them to Vanarana to begin the process of curing her.
Part II: Dream Nursery[]
- The World of Aranara
Arana tells the Traveler and Paimon that in order to reach Vanarana, they'll need to play the Rhythm of the Great Dream to enter. However, Paimon is worried about attracting Whopperflowers, so the Traveler decides to get an instrument instead.
Returning to Vimara Village, the Traveler talks to Amadhiah and acquires a Vintage Lyre that Amadhiah got from a bard from Mondstadt that visited the village. As they travel to Vanarana, Paimon summarizes the recent events. When they arrive, they find nothing except a strange arch and play the song, bringing them into the dream world and completing a challenge. They then run into an Aranara, who's naturally terrified of them. The Aranara then introduces itself as Arama. While they recognize them as the Golden Nara, the rest of the Aranara are still scared and thus Arama assigns them some tasks around Vanarana to gain their trust.
After completing the tasks, Arama has them play the song again on a Silapna to bring them into the Aranaras' home. Meeting with the village elder, Araja, they learn that in order to produce a Bija to save Rana, they would need to host a Festival Utsava. However, as many of the Aranara are not in the village, the festival can't start until they return and as such, the Traveler has to go get them.
- Children of the Forest
The Traveler goes on an adventure with the Aranara by helping them in the various events that follow.
- Encounter in the Woods
The dialogue in this quest serves as an introduction to the quests The Rhythm that Leads to the Gloomy Path, The Rhythm that Nurtures the Sprout, and The Rhythm that Reveals the Beastly Trail.
- Agnihotra Sutra
The Traveler and Paimon help Aranakin and Aragaru obtain the plants needed for the Arahaoma, a ritual necessary to enter Mawtiyima to cure it. They obtain the Zohrah Mushroom in a cave in Gandharva Ville and the Barsam Flower in the Realm of Khab. The group then meets up with Aranaga in Mawtiyima Forest where they obtain the Yajna Grass. The Aranara then make the Arahaoma and offer it to the Jamikayomars in order to access Mawtiyima. He accepts, and the group enters Mawtiyima and eradicates the Marana. The Aranara then stays in Mawtiyima to listen to her stories.
- An Unwavering Culinary Dream
Meeting up with Arapacati, she tasks them with finding her lost brothers who were out across the forest. The Traveler finds the four brothers, Arachatora, Arapas, Arasaka and Araphala and help them in their cooking, although they find nothing special with their dishes. When they return to Vanarana, Arapacati scolds them. She proceeds to explain to the Traveler that while they're not actually related, when the Nara Varuna visited them, they taught them how humans ate, sparking their interest in cooking. She asks them to help them prepare human food during the festival, since they wouldn't understand it.
- Varuna Gatha
While walking around the Yasna Monument, the Traveler and Paimon spot an Aranara being attacked by fungi. They rescue the Aranara, who introduces itself as Arapandu. Arapandu brings them to Apam Woods, where Paimon notes that the air is extremely off. Arapandu explains that it is a result of the Varuna Contraption not being maintained since the original creators were long deceased and the Nara Varuna was nowhere to be seen, as they had fixed the device when it went wrong.
After clearing out some fungi that were getting stronger from the abnormal rain, Arapandu brings them to a "rest" stop and guides them to a maintenance area consisting of branches and leaves which were improperly positioned. After positioning them correctly, the device starts to function properly, although there are three more scattered in the area and Arapandu tasks them with helping out its kin, Aranakula, Arabalika and Arakunti.
The Traveler finds the three and assists them in fixing the Varuna Contraption, allowing them to enter the main component, where they find a Winged Dendroshroom responsible for the damage. After chasing it around the lair, they finally kill it, restoring the contraption. Arapandu teaches them the music to use the contraption before the four head to Vanarana to partake in the festival.
- Sprouting Seedlings
After the events of Varuna Gatha, Aranakula goes back to Vanarana to take care of the Vanarana nursery alongside Arakara. The Traveler and Paimon visit them, and they plant a Vasmrti into the soil to grow Viparyas. Aranakula tells the Traveler and Paimon that there are twelve more Vasmrti in nurseries outside of the dream world.
- For A Better Reunion
After helping the various members of Aranara, the Traveler and Paimon decide to return to check on Rana. The Traveler interacts with Rana and briefly enters the dream of Arana, who then appears and explains on the situation. She had previously placed the missing children into sleep and removed part of their memories before bringing them back to the village, which was why they had no recollection of what happened. Arana then mentions of a "child of snow" and reminisces about playing with the children, even if they will eventually forget about the Aranara when they grow up. Arama later arrives to fetch Traveler and Paimon to Festival Utsava. Arana stays behind to maintain the Ararakalari for Rana.
- Festival Utsava
During the festival, the Traveler and Paimon visit many members of the Aranara and receive flowers from each of them, with the flowers serving as a symbol of friendship. Everyone then gathers around the stage to perform the Rhythm of the Great Dream together. At the end of the festival, Arama weaves the flowers together into a garland for the Traveler, while Araja reveals that he cannot leave Vanarana's dream because he is the "Tree of Dreams." The Traveler and Paimon then take a rest at Araja's house before they and Arama leave Vanarana to offer the Vasoma Fruits at the Fane of Ashvattha and obtain the Bija.
Part III: Nursery of Lost Dreams[]
- For Fruits, Seeds and Trees
After the festival was over, the Traveler and Paimon wake up to find themselves back in the real world, although they quickly run into Arama who guides them to the Fane of Ashvatta. While Arama notes that its weakened, it assumes it to be a result of Marana that had been popping up recently and they enter its dream.
Inside, the three discover a Withering Zone inside but manage to remove it. Giving it the Vasoma Fruits, the tree tells Arama to make the ultimate sacrifice, which it agrees to, although the Traveler and Paimon are not sure as to what it meant. As they leave the dream, they learn that the Marana's corruption has made the Ashvatta tree too weak to bear Bija, so it has to plant a new one to do so. However, they need to destroy Marana's Avatar before they could plant the new tree, and the avatar itself is in the heart of Old Vanarana.
- For the Children of the Past
Entering Old Vanarana, Arama ventures forward with a shield to protect it and everyone inside from the effects of the Withering, although it initially moves too fast that Paimon is unable to keep up. To access Marana's Avatar, they need to break the three seals placed on it; the first one involves three Inscriptions of Remembrance, which the Traveler finds and deciphers, allowing Arama to collect the knowledge needed.
As they head underground, they run into another Withering Zone, although there were no branches in sight to remove it normally. However, Arama proceeds to destroy the entire zone, allowing the Traveler to explore the area and break the second seal, which involves burning down seven Stone Pillar Seals scattered around the chamber as Arama takes a rest. After breaking the seals, Arama proceeds to drain the area of sand, revealing a massive tunnel. Arama tells them that the Aranara fiercely fought the invaders during the cataclysm, which Paimon notes as they spot many Ruin Machines scattered everywhere.
Reaching the supposed bottom of the tunnel, a Ruin Grader suddenly activates and attacks; however, it appears to be unusually resilient for the Traveler to handle until Arama binds it, although the process causes the ground to shake and reveal another area at the very bottom of the tunnel.
In the new space, the three note that there's no presence of the Withering. The Traveler investigates the area but finds nothing of importance and reports it to Arama. Just then, Aramuhukunda appears and greets them, who the Traveler recognizes as the mysterious Aranara they met during the festival. Aramuhukunda, seeing their task to destroy Marana's Avatar, unlocks the final seal to let them face the abomination.
- For All Children Who Long for Life
The three soon find Marana's Avatar at the end of the new path, who immediately attacks the intruders. The Traveler attempts to attack it, but Arama notices that it moved its soul elsewhere, sensing a Withering Zone nearby and brings the Traveler there to eliminate it. This allows them to attack the core once more, although it repeats the process two more times. During the fights, the Traveler takes note of the ruin machines and riftwolves, who Arama confirms were part of the invasion during the cataclysm.
After eliminating all three Withering Zones that the avatar was trying to use to house its soul, the Traveler destroys the core for good, preventing the Withering from forming significantly for the foreseeable future, although traces of it still remain. Arama temporarily leaves to bring Arana to Old Vanarana, where it reveals that it will become the new Ashvattha tree to produce the Bija. The Traveler and Paimon are upset at losing a friend, but say farewell to Arama, who dives into the ground to become an Ashvattha sapling, removing all traces of the Withering at Old Vanarana. Arana tells them to perform the Rhythm of the Great Dream once more, which they do, allowing a Bija fruit to form. As they collect it, Arana asks them who they are, having lost its memories of them.
Part IV: In the End, the Forest Will Remember[]
- "Hello," "Thank You," and the Final "Goodbye"
After sacrificing his memory to form the Bija, Arana awakens to the Traveler and Paimon with his memories already wiped. Not recognizing the Traveler and Paimon anymore, they introduced themselves once more to him. Noticing the gaps in his memories, Arana correctly deduces the events that happened. Although he cannot remember Rana, he trusts the Traveler and Paimon to take the Bija to her. The Traveler and Paimon persuades Arana to visit Rana together, even if he no longer remembers her. Returning to Vimara Village, the Traveler uses the Bija to wake Rana up. After sharing the stories that occurred and recounting the adventures they had to obtain the Bija, Rana thank Arana for sacrificing his memories to save her. She invites him to go on a journey with her to create new precious memories and fill the "void" in his heart. Afterwards, a light appears in Rana's chest and she is granted a Dendro Vision. Now possessing a Vision, she is even more confident to embark on a journey together with Arana and ready to go after informing Tighnari of her plans. Rana wishes that she will meet the Traveler and Paimon again one day and she will be stronger by then.
Characters[]
47 Characters appear in this Chapter:
- Alphonso
- Amadhiah
- Arabalika
- Arachatora
- Aradanish
- Aradasa
- Aradashan
- Araesha
- Aragaru
- Araja
- Arakanta
- Arakara
- Arakarman
- Arakavi
- Arakunti
- Aralila
- Arama
- Aramani
- Aramuhukunda
- Arana
- Aranaga
- Aranakin
- Aranakula
- Aranishat
- Arapacati
- Arapandu
- Arapas
- Araphala
- Araprabhu
- Ararycan
- Arasaha
- Arasaka
- Arasata
- Arasudraka
- Aravinay
- Arayasa
- Arayash
- Arayuta
- Bahram
- Iosaphat
- Iotham
- Jehiet
- Kavus
- Paimon
- Rana
- Sudabeh
- Traveler
Total Rewards[]
5,050 Adventure EXP
640 Primogem
510,000 Mora
1 Garland
39 Hero's Wit
Achievements[]
There are 8 Achievements obtainable from Aranyaka:
Soundtracks[]
| No. | Soundtrack Name | Album | Played In |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | Melody of Utsava | The Shimmering Voyage Vol. 3 | Festival Utsava (cutscene) |
Trivia[]
- Despite the references to the events of the Archon Quests through Chapter II and the Traveler's preexisting knowledge of the Fatui, no Archon Quests are required for Aranyaka.
Etymology[]
- Aranyaka (Sanskrit: आरण्यक) are part of the Indian Vedas, which comes from the root word Aranya meaning "forest or wilderness" in Sanskrit. The term Aranyaka means "Book of the Forest."
- The Aranyakas primarily discuss sacrifice and ritual. Similarly, the quest itself revolves around the completion of a ritual celebration and culminates in a sacrifice.
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Aranyaka | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 森林书 Sēnlín-shū | Forest Book |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 森林書 Sēnlín-shū | |
| Japanese | 森林書 Shinrinsho[!][!] | Forest Book |
| Korean | 숲의 책 Sup-ui Chaek | Book of Forest |
| Spanish | Escrituras Araniaka | Aranyaka Writings |
| French | Aranyaka | — |
| Russian | Араньяка Aran'yaka | — |
| Thai | ตำราอรัญญกา Tamra Aranyaka | Book of Forest |
| Vietnamese | Aranyaka | — |
| German | Aranyaka | — |
| Indonesian | Aranyaka | — |
| Portuguese | Aranyaka | — |
| Turkish | Aranyaka | — |
| Italian | Aranyaka | — |