#kandake

Queen Amanishakheto

The Kalpalata Lotus seems to be commonly subject to misconceptions. It's not a lotus but it's called that because it looks like one, and the whole "progenitor of all plants in Sumeru and it's connected to all other plants via its vines" is disproven by the Amurta but still believed by the people. Fits well with the in-lore rumors of Aaru's Guardians having Deshret's blessings when they actually don't -- especially so with Candace having extra rumors about her left eye.

I was going to add this to my cynodace culture post but since it's mostly about Candace (and not all of it culture-related), I figured I might as well make it its own thing.

Candace and Music

Candace and Nilou's performance at the parade being a parallel to the legend of the first ever Sabzerus Festival is already cool on its own. It strengthens their already-existing ties to Deshret and Malikata, respectively, and even a reincarnation-theory-neutral like me can enjoy that.

What caught my interest even more, however, were Candace and Deshret's instruments.

Deshret's is only described as an instrument with strings, while Candace's is explicitly named as the tanbur.

In real life, tanbur refers to several instruments from some parts of Asia, including India, Iran, and Iraq -- areas which heavily influence Sumeru's rainforest, but not so much the desert (except for the Girdle of the Sands area/Pari lore). So I like to think that the tanbur in Genshin is primarily a rainforest instrument, and Candace chose to learn it in part to connect to her father's cultural heritage.

Candace and Nahida

In a story primarily following Candace's point of view and centered around Nahida's birthday, it's...disappointing that they didn't so much as talk one on one.

But you could also argue that it might be intentional, at least on Candace's part. If you squint at some things. Mainly her voiceline on Nahida, which seems a little distant.

Perhaps it is a testament to the Dendro Archon's benevolence that I, a descendant of the Al-Ahmar bloodline, am able to live peacefully on this land. If so, I suppose I am grateful for this much, but... I am first and foremost a child of the desert.

Candace, "About Lesser Lord Kusanali"

She also wasn't mentioned in Alhaitham's Character Story 2 as one of the people who came to the Sanctuary of Surasthana to have discussions with him and Nahida. It seems she just... never really made contact with her even post-AQ (contrasted with Dehya who was part of the Surasthana meetings and has a voiceline about Kusanali being too light on the Sages).

Which makes her decision to take part in this parade interesting to me! It's like Candace is a little behind from everyone else in getting to know Nahida, but she now chooses to anyway, even if she's starting with silent observation and offerings of a performance. As someone who is steadfast in her duties even after finding out that the god who supposedly blessed her never did, she is probably the one least used to the concept of a god who is just...there, and not a distant thing of the past or something she could vaguely pray to.

It would be fun to see future Sumeru stories show her making progress on this. I would say I'm coping, but the fact that we got any Candace focus at all post-3.x has given me hope that anything's possible.

(Still bummed enough about the lack of interaction to draw something about it though)

Desert Gang shenanigannery

(I ship them all queerplatonically but feel free to read as whatever flavor you prefer)

Ouh her smile...

Also Ms. "Trying to save rowdy mercs fron Candace's wrath in her demo" Dehya is not immune to being a worrywart, I see. Very cute.

"I will encourage them being Worse" and Cyno's worse is "puns" and Candace's worse is "terrifying to troublemakers". I love them.

And finally. This line is not about them, I know. But I really like it combined with the Alhaitham and Candace focus. They're both very fond of their own "mundane" lives and have refused "better" job opportunities to keep said lives. Rotating this line in the Candace & Haitham corner of my mind constantly, I'm so glad we see them talk more.

Candace mentions in one of her voicelines that her father was an Akademiya scholar. Y'know. From the rainforest. But he was ambiguously mentioned in past tense (we only know for certain her mother died when she was born) so who knows how much he taught her about the rainforest's culture. And she rarely had the chance to leave the village too; most of her pre-AQ contact with the forest seems to be merchants.

Cyno was briefly raised in the Temple of Silence but says his memories of that time was hazy. Given that Cyrus didn't even tell him about the Temple much less that that's where he's from, I doubt he passed down any desert stories/traditions that are specifically from the Temple (which Cyrus had to know plenty about given he lived with them for years). If Cyno ever got curious, he didn't have specific leads that would've gotten him very far either.

Candace likes to buy trinkets from merchants -- including identifiably rainforest things like bracelets with Kalpalata engravings and pendants with Akademiya emblems. Cyno's Mahamatra headpiece -- very obviously Hermanubis imagery inspired -- was custom-made according to his requests, presumably based on what little he remembers of the Temple. They may not actively say it, but I think they yearn for the parts of themselves they never got the chance to know.

Happy birthday, Candace!

I messed around with more lineless/paintery stuff for this, it was fun and relaxing ^^

ID: a drawing of Candace from Genshin Impact. She is looking at the viewer with a small open smile, her head slightly tilted. The background is dark, but there is golden light on some parts of her right side (canvas left). End ID.

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Guardian and her Three Magi!

ID: a drawing of Candace, Cyno, Dehya, and Alhaitham from Genshin Impact; the latter three are much tinier than usual. Candace has one hand under her chin while her other arm rests on an implied table. She is smiling and looking up at the viewer.

Alhaitham sits on her forearm with a small smile, holding an open book. Dehya hangs on Candace's shoulder, smirking. Cyno sits on top of Candace's head, smiling. The background is light blue with violet blue triangular patterns. End ID.

Solo Candace version below: