ALHAITHAM in Chapter 3, Act IV: King Deshret and the Three Magi

I usually don't do world quest chain summaries but I have never been as incensed by an NPC as tirzad

It’s fine. Everything’s fine.

as i close my eyes for the final time the sight of that noble deity will appear in my vision once more... 

Not me drawing totally different things from what I planned :') But hey! A Scara! It's been a year since I've finished a drawing of him, even tho I have many wips..

Sketch vs final under the cut

not 2 be callous or anything but i sure hope this akademiya dude just fucking dies in these ruins. i’m having a great time with jeht and jebrael but this fucking scholar is a real prick with a stick up his ass

hhh. paralysing. plants. tighnari. tighnari. yandere tighnari...... yandere tighnari and pollen with paralysis effects......

Don’t even wanna know what the other versions are like 💀

Somebody better give Patrick Pedraza an award for his stellar acting as Scaramouche because holy shit

...It’s just now occurring to me how much Kunikuzushi/Scaramouche and Nahida/Kusanali are foils to each other. 

Scaramouche is a puppet, based on Khaenri’ahn technology, created to hold a Gnosis, but perhaps turned out too much like Makoto, crying when the Gnosis was placed within him. Ei believed he was too gentle to serve the purpose he was created for, and cast him out without properly explaining her reasons behind doing so, leading to the beginnings of A Whole Host Of Mental Problems And Insecurities For Scara, it would appear. Problems that would be exacerbated by the deaths of Katsuragi and his other friend. 

Meanwhile, it’s being implied that Nahida is the Marchosius’d form of Rukkhadevata. Yet, ironically, she was cast aside and abandoned by the Akademiya for not being enough like Rukkhadevata. Specifically, not being knowledgeable, powerful, or experienced enough to be a proper Dendro Archon. Venti is constantly called the weakest Archon, but was capable of leveling entire mountain ranges. Comparatively, Nahida’s intelligence and strength is compared to a normal human child. 

Despite the similarities in them both being disappointments who were abandoned, however, they ended up taking very different paths from there. After a series of perceived betrayals, Scaramouche seems to resent the emotions he now feels, and when Hypaysia taps into his consciousness, she starts to hate the fact she has a human heart. Scaramouche seems to seek two goals-- to rid himself of emotions(and the pain they cause), and to become a proper god, using the very Gnosis he was originally built to hold. To overcome his insecurities, he tries to prove to the world and himself that he CAN fulfill the purpose he was originally created for, and deemed incapable of fulfilling. He externalizes his insecurities, mocking the Traveller’s rage over the death of Teppei, and generally lashing out. 

Meanwhile Nahida’s insecurities are a great deal more internalized. She’s perhaps the most benevolent and proactive Archon we’ve met so far. Despite being under effectively house arrest, she tries her hardest to comfort her followers and preserve their lives, and to protect and fight for all the people of Sumeru, whether they believe in her or not. She has a strong sense of morality, and actively assists the Traveller in both the Sabzeruz Festival Samsara, and trying to retrieve vital information from Setaria. Her gift allows the Village Keepers to protect Aaru Village, and subsequently ensures their safety as valued and welcomed members of the community, even when the Akademiya casts them aside like it did her. Despite all this, she feels that’s she’s not a very good Archon, and seems to have a bit of inferiority complex, especially when comparing herself to Rukkhadevata. She’s the moon-- merely a reflection of the real sun’s light, only visible because the sun has long-since vanished. But in terms of how proactive she is as an Archon (as much as she can be with her real body locked up somewhere), I can only compare her to what we’ve heard of the Tsaritsa, albeit far more loving and protective towards her people. 

I know a lot of people expected there to be a showdown between Kazuha and Scaramouche, and that’d still be really cool. But a discussion between Nahida and Scaramouche would be equally fascinating, in my opinion. In background they have multiple similarities, but have chosen to deal with their hurts and insecurities in very different ways. 

...That said I’m still thinking about Scara mocking Traveller for getting angry over Teppei’s death because that’s just been cast in a whole new light for me, and THAT’s probably gonna be the thing that makes me like Scaramouche, goddamnit-- 

...Cyno

Last thoughts before 3.1

Tighnari redesign: peonycats (tumblr)

The Golden Slumbers quest got me fucked up I thought we’d have peace after 3.0 Aranara quests Y’ALL DID NOT DO JEBRAEL AND JEHT LIKE THAT MY HEAAAART

Eremite archer seen in Version 3.1 "King Deshret and the Three Magi" Trailer