Those who travel through Avidya Forest will sometimes meet a rather special Forest Watcher.

He has large ears, a long tail, and a slightly delicate face. If a less discerning eye were to appraise him, he might even look like some kind of small, rare animal native to the forests.

But anyone who has even been acquainted with him will know that there is clarity to his words and steadiness in his bearing.

"One moment, please. Judging from your equipment, you're a traveling merchant bound for Sumeru City, aren't you? Come back, please, you're going the wrong way."

"I mean, just look over there. The leaves are dense and the air grows damper. That doesn't seem like the main road leading to the city, no matter how you slice it."

"Oh dear, your waterskin is empty, isn't it?"

"Come, let me share some with you. Being in a rainforest is no reason to skimp on your water supply."

"If you drink any old water you find out here, you might next find yourself at Bimarstan, you know?"

"Of course, if that is part of your itinerary, then I suppose you have... interesting opinions."

Amidst the flurry of instructions, the lost lamb will have all the arrangements made for them before they know it.

"Um... Thank you so much! Still, uh, might I ask who you are...?"

As the other Forest Rangers look upon the traveling merchant bowing to the diminutive Forest Watcher, they cannot help but laugh.

"Pfft-haha! Ahem. This is our G— Well, Forest Watcher Tighnari."

Unlocks at Friendship Lv. 2

Other than the most basic of forest maintenance, the Forest Rangers will often encounter a great number of problems whose origins lie in human hands:

Arbitrarily occupied camps, shacks built by the destruction of vegetation, domestic waste dumps that may become sources of pollution, bonfire embers that have yet to fully be extinguished...

In response to such situations, they must not only solve the problem at hand but also try to admonish the perpetrators, and yet these exhortations are not always accurately communicated.

This would improve greatly after Tighnari joined the Forest Watchers.

Part of this is his scholarly rigor — the way in which he will unceremoniously "teach" the troublemakers.

But more importantly, Tighnari is able to communicate the correct way to act and the reasons behind that in a manner most comprehensible to those he teaches.

The way he sees it, these crafts of living out in the wilds are also knowledge, and that getting people to accept knowledge is an art in and of itself.

It is far more useful to be straightforward about the other part's errors and what is at stake as opposed to dryly giving advice.

This is also why Tighnari has disagreements with the Akademiya's purveying of the Akasha Terminal.

Knowledge is, in truth, the treasure of all living things. It should be passionately embraced by those who are curious about it as opposed to becoming a tool for survival, doled out in limited amounts.

Unfortunately, as a young researcher, Tighnari did not have anywhere near the clout to stand against the Akademiya, and even now he can only do what he can in a limited capacity.

At the same time, reality does not quite match up to one's ideals—

As such, some unlucky soul getting lectured by Tighnari is no uncommon sight in Avidya Forest.

Unlocks at Friendship Lv. 3

When Tighnari first arrived at Gandharva Ville, he was still a normal member of the Forest Rangers, no different from any other Forest Watcher.

"Rather than taking part in all these babbling debates about all these 'big ideas,' I might as well change the forest for the better in a practical manner, using what I've learned."

—This was how Tighnari originally felt when he first joined the Forest Rangers, a fresh graduate from the Amurta school who had parted ways with the Akademiya.

But he soon discovered that the Forest Rangers had significant problems of their own.

They were passionate about protecting the forest, yes, but the organization as a whole lacked rational structure and instruction with any measure of scientific rigor.

Alas, change could never come without any difficulty, and yet Tighnari was never good at leaving things to rot.

As such, the highly active Tighnari leapt into action to turn things around.

He created a rationalized forest patrol log, assigned tasks according to each person's strengths, and regularly conducted natural history training for his fellow team members…

With the enthusiastic cooperation of his fellow rangers, the forest patrols around Avidya Forest grew ever more effective, especially around Gandharva Ville, where it could be said to be perfect.

Naturally, this knowledgeable and highly active researcher would become someone whom the Forest Rangers looked up to.

One day, Tighnari would discover that he had a new name amongst his colleagues.

"Hey there, General Watchleader! Could you look over the journal entry I wrote for today?"

"General Watchleader! I've found some baggage down in the Chinvat Ravine. I've placed at the lost and found section."

"Oh no, where has Sag gone... Um, General Watchleader, have you seen it around?"

He at first took this for slips of the tongue, but many recurrences later, this sign would see his brows burrow.

"Do we actually have that rank? Or are we going for something similar to 'General Mahamatra'?"

Whatever the case, Tighnari would eventually prevail upon everyone to go back to calling him "Forest Watcher," "Master," or "Mr. Tighnari."

"I'm afraid 'General Watchleader' is too great a title for me to bear," or so he said.

"Heh, that actually reminded me of a joke someone once told about the title of 'General Mahamatra'..."

He did not make mention of this other reason for his refusal of that title.

Unlocks at Friendship Lv. 4

There was a time when a certain vibrantly-colored flower was all the rage amongst the people of Sumeru. Many people would buy it to adorn their houses, and thus it gradually became a trend.

Unfortunately, this flower was not long for the world if removed from the rainforest, and would only last two days at best if so plucked.

Flowers that were no longer fresh would soon be discarded, left by the wayside to rot — a shame by any standard of imagination.

This could not go on. Never mind the garbage or pollution-related issues, this trend ran the risk of damaging the forest ecosystem if it persisted long enough.

However, just as the Forest Rangers were mulling over this problem, Tighnari would send out an offer of cooperation with the flower sellers in the city:

The Forest Rangers would help them gather fresh flowers for free, but that they should provide an additional service, informing those who came to purchase the flowers that if they sent them back by the second day, they would obtain a receipt that could then be exchanged within the next 3 days for a dried flower decoration.

These decorations were of course provided by Tighnari and the Forest Rangers. The option to pay for them and how much to pay would be left up to the buyer of the flowers, just as things might go at a charity bazaar.

Part of this Mora would go to the store owner as service charge for collecting the leftover flowers, and the rest would be used for funding the Forest Rangers' efforts to maintain the rainforest.

This cooperation went quite smoothly indeed. The flower shop owners saved themselves the trouble of searching deep within the rainforest for their floral quarry and got some extra income; the Forest Rangers got to control the process and amount of flowers gathered, and also got some extra funds; those who bought flowers would not only receive a temporary flower as a companion, but also a more permanent memento.

This all went quite swimmingly, but some rangers did not understand, asking: "Why didn't we just ban the gathering of such flowers in the first place? Wouldn't that have been simpler?"

Tighnari shook his head when he heard this answer, causing his ears to shake.

"We shouldn't make such simple calculations. If we were to force our requests through, we would be just like a stolid lecturer who fails to have others understand, but who stirs up feelings of rebellion instead."

"If that were to happen, our reputation would be the least of our woes — we would have our hands full trying to deal with those who were coming to pick flowers illegally!"

"In any case, trends will change. Don't worry. I'm sure the people's attention will shift to something else soon."

Pragmatic as these words were, they quickly found traction with the Forest Rangers. Collei's nods were particularly rapid.

"The dried flower decorations that Master taught us to make have been pretty popular with the children, too!"

Unlocks at Friendship Lv. 5

Beings of Tighnari's race are a rare and unpredictable sort, and usually give off the impression of being loners.

But Tighnari's circumstances appear to have been somewhat different.

Although he has spent much time meditating on his research and has spent comparatively little on cultivating relationships, he did wind up stumbling into a good number of comrades nonetheless.

Tighnari had excellent grades in the Akademiya early on, and many would come to him for help with their coursework. When his seminar courses would end, he would often go along with requests for group photos.

Not that he really understood them, but he agreed anyway.

That was how "Tighnari knows everything, and he's so nice to talk to!" became a widespread saying, causing many to fight for his time. Even students from other Darshans would want to collaborate with him.

This went on till one day, when his popularity also attracted the attention of the General Mahamatra Cyno—

Forming factions and gathering forces... these were nothing if not the harbingers of academic corruption!

Yet with some time spent observing Tigharni, Cyno found that the former had only received people out of the goodness of his heart.

Tighnari himself only really had eyes for his work, and was dispassionate concerning the offers of others.

Certainly he would agree to collaborate, but only in the interests of furthering his research in the best way possible.

Ultimately, Cyno's judgment was as such: "This is an upright and reliable talent who has no questionable dealings. Threat resolved."

It was perhaps due to this pure impression that the General Mahamatra, known for distancing himself from scholarship and scholars alike, would let down his guard and become friends with Tighnari in the days to come.

These factors would all culminate in yet another meeting with another comrade.

"This young lady's name is Collei?"

"It's okay if you can't read or write. We all start having no knowledge — in this you are no different from anyone else."

"Shall we start with writing your name, then?"

Unlocks at Friendship Lv. 6

All who love research share the enjoyment of performing that research and a curiosity for the unknown.

This is also true of Tighnari, and indeed, his curiosity seems to have been with him since birth.

While children his age were still reading fairy tales, Tighnari was already flipping through crates and shelves in his parents' study.

From his father, who studied insects, he would take general textbooks, and from his paleontologist mother, he would borrow some images of fossils.

Thus did Tighnari absorb all this knowledge, whether he understood it or not, while hugging his tail.

Slowly, however, he found that as his knowledge increased, the unknowns that he wished to explore also grew more numerous.

For example, why were other people born without ears and tails like that of his family?

Flipping through all the ancient tomes he could find in his home, Tighnari discovered a manuscript left behind by an ancestor of his that concerned "Valuka Shuna."

As the records claimed, Valuka Shuna were a race subject to the Scarlet King, and who dwelled in the vast desert, mostly possessing light-colored fur and large ears that were excellent at dissipating heat.

Later, calamity would descend and destroy the Scarlet King's realm, with the Valuka Shuna only surviving due to the grace of the Dendro Archon, which turned their fur green.

"It is worth noting that while Valuka Shuna were noted to have been more like foxes, the meaning of their name was 'large desert dog.'"

"According to a human friend of mine who has a very close relationship with the forest, it was a little creature known as an Aranara that gave them this name."

"Oh my," Young Tighnari thought in shock, "so I'm a 'large desert dog!'"

To be more precise, it was the fact that his ancestors had lived alongside the Valuka Shuna that they did end up inheriting some of their traits.

But of course, such technicalities were of no importance to an excited child. Thus did Tighnari immediately ask his father to bring him — the 'large desert dog' back to the desert to have a look on his next surveying trip.

Unfortunately, they met with an accident. Not a few meters into the desert, Tighnari fell into a faint from the heat and had to be rushed back to the rainforest.

"Oh no," Tighnari thought sadly as he convalesced in his treehouse, "the 'large desert dogs' have devolved in my generation."

Many years later, the ignorant child had become a reliable researcher, and this event had become a joke consigned to the past.

Nowadays, Tighnari not only knows why those little Aranara gave them this name, but also why he faints easily from the desert heat.

The former is simple. Foxes and dogs are, biologically speaking, both canines, so the Aranara might have viewed them as interchangeable.

As for the latter, though Tighnari is loath to admit it, it probably had something to do with what his father said then as he tousled his hair.

"This lad's fur is an intensely dark shade of green. He's going to have trouble in the desert heat for sure!"

Unlocks at Friendship Lv. 4

When little Tighnari would explore alone in the rainforest, he would carry a magnifying glass with him.

That was a gift from his mother. Light and cogent in design, it could immediately be recognized as a tool suited for children.

"Your ears can already help you hear sounds from reeeaaally far away, so let this magnifying glass help you see smaller things!"

Thus did Tighnari use this device to see the veins on the back of leaves, the powder that hung off butterfly wings, and the trails of the rainforest snakes...

It was through this gradual observation, collection, and consideration that he was eventually admitted into Amurta early, beginning his official learning journey under the Sage there.

Tighnari placed the magnifying glass, scarred and weathered by many years of use, on top of his brand new invitation letter, placed his hands on his cheeks, and thought for a good long while.

Finally, he had this constant companion of his converted into an ornament that he might wear on his person.

He knew that once he entered the Akademiya, he would study more complex books and access more marvelous instruments, and that there was little place for this old beginner's magnifying glass.

However, it would always be his companion in his search for knowledge, and would follow him to see lands wider and vaster still.

Unlocks at Friendship Lv. 6

Academic conferences are unavoidable at the Akademiya, no matter whether one is here to learn or work.

Those at the podium will wax lyrical, and those in the audience will give their support. This sight is most commonplace at such conferences.

But strictly speaking, what researcher, adrift amidst the vast sea of information, will not make mistakes in their investigations?

At one such conference that Tighnari attended, one speaker spoke of things that Tighnari knew to be untrue.

Then, he was just a bystander and a listener. Glancing around his surroundings almost subconsciously, he noticed that neither his classmates nor his teachers had said anything.

What should he do? Perhaps everyone indeed knew what the problem was, but did not want to make the speaker lose face.

Or perhaps he was the only one who had noticed the problem, and his silence now would cause misinformation to spread...

But Tighnari did not hesitate long before steeling himself.

Though both his status and the scene were obstacles in his path, the rigor of knowledge eventually won out.

After all, knowledge was like a star blazing through the night sky. Nothing would divert its path.

So thinking, Tighnari raised his hand—

"My apologies. If I may interject—" The researcher onstage was at first a bit shocked to hear his gentle voice, but reacted swiftly and invited him to elaborate.

As it turned out, Tighnari had done the right thing.

The speaker, after having processed enough of the information, accepted his corrections earnestly.

And once their exchange had ended, other students and teachers in attendance would also speak in their turn, leading to new research angles opening up for the topics discussed at the conference. Tighnari himself would also receive namecards from some well-known researchers.

Once the whole incident was over, Tighnari would heave a sigh of relief.

That was a fortunate... No, indeed, a joyous thing that those who studied alongside him also accorded knowledge the gravitas it deserved.

But he had not yet counted on something still more fortunate and joyous to occur.

When the meeting ended and Tighnari stood to leave, he heard a crisp, clear "clink!"

—Lo and behold, a Vision rolled off his garments onto the chair below.