In the Dwelling of Life
Last updated 2026-09-02
In the Dwelling of Life is a World Quest Series in Flamefeather Valley, Snezhnaya.
List of Quests
- A Sprout Without a Gardener
- Transplanted From "Yesterday" to "Tomorrow"
- Down in the Dumps
- Back on One's Feet
- Forbidding Doors of Melancholy
- To Rest in a Forgotten Field
- Chorus of Solace
Summary
- A Sprout Without a Gardener
The story begins in Morepesok near the train station, where the Traveler and Paimon overhear a tense conversation between Vinezka and her fiancé, Jary. Jary was hired by a group of criminals to blast open a tunnel leading to the abandoned town of Okurov, but Vinezka is terrified because legends say no one who enters Okurov ever returns. She recounts local folklore about a magnificent "firebird" that lures people into the valley with its beauty, only to devour them. Jary dismisses the monster stories but is stuck in a contract that demands a hundred-times penalty if he fails. When the Traveler offers to take the job, Vinezka is relieved, though she insists that no wedding ring is worth Jary's life.
Traveling to the Flamefeather Valley, the group encounters a gang of Volkodlak led by "The Anvil," but The Anvil reacts aggressively regardless. After a brief fight where The Anvil is defeated, he begs for mercy and reveals that the loot he stole from Okurov is hidden inside the blocked tunnel. However, he admits he cannot enter because the entrance is caved in. Desperate to recoup his losses after losing the loot to the Traveler, The Anvil tries to enforce the hundred-times penalty fee on Jary, claiming the dangerous conditions of Okurov justify his "daylight robbery."
To enter the broken train carriage, the Traveler and Paimon find a stash of crates. Inside one, they discover an unconscious girl named Nastya with tree branches growing from her head. Nastya wakes up terrified, fearing she has been kidnapped again by the Volkodlak. She explains that she lives in Okurov and mentions a guardian named "Zhara." Realizing the "super rare treasure" The Anvil spoke of was actually Nastya, the group agrees to escort her home. Nastya reveals she has been asleep in the dark tunnel for what feels like a short time to her, but perhaps years for her family. She uses a magical orange hook to clear the blocked path, allowing the group to proceed deeper into the tunnel.
As they travel through the tunnel, Nastya expresses excitement about seeing the outside world for the first time, despite her longing for her mother and friends. They pass through a second broken train carriage where they find a welcoming newspaper article from the "Snezhnaya Vestnik" praising Okurov's warm weather, its exceptional doctor, and its open-door policy for all travelers. Upon reaching the end of the tunnel, the group notices an unnatural warmth in the air. Nastya attributes this to the need for warm weather to help "pretty leaves" grow, hinting at the supernatural nature of the town they are approaching.
- Transplanted From "Yesterday" to "Tomorrow"
The Traveler and Paimon accompanying a young girl named Nastya as they journey toward her "home," a mysterious assembly hall in the distance. Nastya explains that her town views the assembly hall as the true home because it holds everyone's hearts, leaves, and love, quoting the saying, "A house is merely a place to live, while a home is where the heart truly resides." She idolizes a figure named "Doctor Moreau" (also referred to as "Doctor Birdie"), who taught her that becoming a "family" involves growing branches and leaves, and that everyone should eventually be the same to eliminate conflict. Nastya believes she is the smartest child and is destined to become a "Doctor Birdie" herself, tasked with catching "Badbugs"—a term used for outsiders or those who don't fit in—using a protective barrier created by a guardian named Zhara, whom she describes as a giant winged creature with "leaf-feathers."
As they travel through an abandoned station and a forest, the group engages in a game of "Catch the Bug," where Nastya plays the role of the Badbug. However, she secretly cheats by using her knowledge of the area to slip away, leading the Traveler and Paimon through a confusing path where they encounter aggressive, mindless Leshies (tree-like creatures) that Nastya refers to as her "family." It becomes clear that Nastya can communicate with these creatures, including a "Tall Leshy" she calls "Aunt LePuy," and that she is leading the group deeper into the town under the guise of play. She reveals that "Badbugs" are burned to nourish the soil so new family members can grow, hinting at a dark, cyclical process of transformation and sacrifice.
The journey culminates in a tense moment where Nastya reveals she is speaking to other "grown-ups" (Leshies) about finding a key and hiding before continuing their game. Just as the group decides to escort her home to ensure her safety and investigate the mystery of the "Zhara" creature, a massive winged entity appears. This creature attacks the Leshies with icicles, creating a hole in the ground and suggesting a violent conflict between the guardian and the very "family" Nastya cherishes, leaving the true nature of the town and its inhabitants in question.
- Down in the Dumps
The Traveler and Paimon wake up in a mysterious underground sewer after being attacked by a giant bird, which Paimon suspects might be "Zhara," the creature Nastya warned them about. Paimon is frustrated, feeling betrayed if Nastya lied, but the Traveler suggests the bird might only perceive them as threats because they lack the "branches" like Nastya. Eye of Graeae explains that the creature, Zhara, is trying to preserve the status quo, and the strange transformations in the town are linked to "Koshchei the Deathless," a bio-alchemist from Snezhnaya who was one of the creators of Eye of Graeae's body. Realizing the situation is tied to Koshchei’s influence, the group decides they must first escape the sewers before pursuing Nastya or investigating Koshchei further.
Navigating the crumbling, flooded tunnels, they encounter broken paths and locked gates that require puzzle-solving. They learn to use mechanisms like rotary wheels, grappling guns to move planks, and sliding under low barriers. Along the way, they find documents hinting at the sewer’s purpose: drainage and some obscured experimental function linked to "life" and memory loss. A guide titled *Sewer Entrance/Exit Guide* reveals they need three colored keys—Red, White, and Blue—to unlock the exit gate. Inserting the Blue Key lowers the water slightly, while combining it with the White Key drains it completely. They retrieve each key through a series of puzzles and combat encounters with hostile "Leshy" creatures, some of which are trapped in glass tanks or have control wheels on their heads.
After collecting all three keys and inserting them into the control board, the final gate opens. They defeat a last Leshy guarding the Sewer Lift Control Wheel, install it, and ride the lift back to the surface. Paimon expresses relief and frustration at the ordeal, blaming Zhara for their predicament. With the sewers behind them, they plan to head to the town entrance to find Nastya, continuing their quest to return her home while keeping an eye out for clues about Koshchei and the strange bio-alchemical forces at play.
- Back on One's Feet
Nastya is eager to reach the assembly hall at the tall building, but her path is blocked by "No-Nose" Ove, a hostile neighbor who has been hiding the elevator's Control Wheel and locking children in his cellar to prevent them from attending the hall.
Nastya's conversation with the Traveler and Paimon exposes the strange reality of Okurov: the townspeople believe that transforming into trees and becoming "one family" is a cure for pain and a path to an "eternal courtyard." She describes how Doctor Moreau has seemingly cured her mother’s ailments and ended conflicts, leading many to willingly embrace the transformation. However, Nastya suspects Ove is a "Badbug" and resents him for isolating her and her friends, despite the community's general passivity toward his actions.
The group decides to retrieve the Control Wheel by sneaking into Ove’s house, navigating through his cluttered home and a hidden basement filled with cryptic writings from past victims. Inside, they discover that Ove’s hoarding of spoiled food and his obsession with catching frogs are part of a twisted routine to keep children away from the hall. Once they secure the wheel and return to Nastya, the trio prepares to take the elevator to the assembly hall, setting the stage for a confrontation or revelation about the true nature of Doctor Moreau and the town's transformation.
- Forbidding Doors of Melancholy
In the assembly hall, Nastya expresses her deep admiration for Furiosa, describing her as her number-one idol and a protector who grew branches to become stronger after an experiment by the Doctor. When Furiosa appears, she warns Nastya that no one is supposed to reach the assembly hall anymore. A confrontation ensues, during which Furiosa repeats her warning and questions why Nastya has returned. After the Traveler defeats Furiosa, Nastya is confused by her former idol's aggression and her failure to transform into a "Perfect Tree," while Furiosa disappears. Nastya then runs toward the assembly hall, leaving the group to investigate.
Upon reaching the assembly hall's iron door, Nastya admits she lacks the strength to open it and asks the stronger Traveler to try. The door remains immovable, leading them to discover a small gap nearby. Nastya squeezes through to open the door from the inside, but is startled by something falling from above. Once inside the Hall of Prayers, Nastya recalls reciting prayers written by Dr. Moreau for Zhara, describing a transformation from a "firebird" into a "silent tree." She notices a curtain blocking the path home, which requires a mechanism to open. Despite Paimon's suggestion to split up, Nastya insists on staying together, fearing the loneliness of the place and the danger of the journey ahead.
To open the curtain, the group realizes they must activate two switches simultaneously. Paimon attempts to fly to the other side but struggles with a jammed switch; Nastya steps in to help, and together they succeed. The Traveler then navigates across the hall using hanging chandeliers and the Grappling Gun, while Nastya and Paimon provide moral support and protection. Once the Traveler reaches the second switch, the group coordinates a timed activation to move the curtain, revealing a relief of Zhara and an elevator. Nastya explains that this doorway leads to "home," a place where the chosen become eternal life, though she feels a strange nervousness, echoing the Doctor's words about the proximity to home.
At the final doorway to home, Nastya demonstrates how to open the dial mechanism, which requires matching a pattern and placing a "salt" to replace the "body of the past." She breaks off one of her own twigs as an offering, explaining the three-step transformation process: casting off the soul (sulfur), the will (silver), and the body (the new twig). After the offering is placed and the blue crystal activates, a lift emerges, revealing the true nature of the "home" they are approaching.
Inside the room beyond the lift, the group discovers Yellowed Records and Less-Than-Legible Notes that reveal the truth: the experiments were conducted by Koshchei the Deathless (posing as Dr. Moreau). The documents detail how the "Perfect Tree" transformation grants immense strength but regresses language capabilities, and how the "final ceremony" aims to turn everyone into embryos of a new, emotionless existence. The notes argue that pain, sorrow, and individual love must be cast aside for "eternal life," yet they acknowledge that love might be the only thing that doesn't fade. As the group prepares to confront the Doctor, they are ambushed by traps and monsters. Nastya fights bravely to reach the Traveler, eventually tossing over items that allow the altar to slide open, revealing a secret path forward. The quest concludes with Nastya hopeful that she will soon reunite with her "mama" and the Doctor, unaware that the "Doctor" is actually the antagonist they are hunting.
- To Rest in a Forgotten Field
The quest begins with a cryptic instruction: "There is only one path ahead of you. Follow it to keep going, and you should get the answer you're looking for...", suggesting that the journey is both physical and narrative-driven.
As the group progresses, Paimon expresses shock at encountering Zhara again, exclaiming, "Zhara? AGAIN!?", indicating that this battle is not the first time they’ve faced the creature. Meanwhile, Nastya interprets Zhara’s presence as a sign, saying, "I think it's showing us the way home...", which adds a layer of emotional purpose to their quest.
Inside a hidden passage, the Eye of Graeae reveals that they are approaching the heart of a "grand art" that sustains the area—and that this heart is physically part of its own body. The AI senses a faint, almost human-like presence, but no full biological response, hinting at a deeper mystery about identity and existence.
The environment plays a key role in the dialogue. Paimon marvels at the thriving blue algae, while Nastya feels a strange familiarity and warmth from it, describing it as a "strange light" that makes her feel "very warm and cozy." This suggests a personal or symbolic connection between Nastya and the algae, possibly tied to her origins or home.
As they approach a massive tree—likely Nastya’s home—Zhara reappears and lands in the area, triggering a battle. During the fight, Paimon panics and urges the others to keep moving: "You go ahead! We'll catch up with you in a moment!", while Nastya stays behind, waiting safely inside.
Once Zhara is defeated, the quest concludes, leaving the group one step closer to uncovering the truth behind the "grand art," Nastya’s identity, and the mysterious world they’re navigating.
- Chorus of Solace
After defeating the firebird Zhara, the Traveler and Paimon locate Nastya, who reveals she has been welcomed by "Doctor Moreau" and her deceased mother into the "Perfect Tree," a state of eternal, unchanging life. Nastya believes she is finally reuniting with her family and that the transformation into the Perfect Tree is a joyous homecoming. The entity that was once Nastya, now merged with the alchemist Koshchei/Doctor Moreau, explains that the ritual is complete and that she has been chosen to take Aksinya's place in this eternal existence, where words and meaning will eventually fade.
Despite Paimon's desperate pleas to leave and the Traveler's attempts to remind Nastya of the wonderful life waiting outside, Nastya chooses to complete the ritual. She expresses that her desire to see her mother's eyes one last time outweighs her desire to play with her friends or eat food. The Traveler and Paimon respect her decision, acknowledging that she has made her choice. Nastya says her final goodbyes, promising to tell her mother about them in the "world beyond eternity," before disintegrating into glowing blue algae and merging with the Perfect Tree.
Following Nastya's assimilation, the Eye of Graeae (Goggles) recovers the power from the ritual, which has coalesced into a crystal fragment within a giant egg. Aksinya appears outside the tree, revealing she has neutralized the threat of Zhara reviving. She introduces herself as the "Royal Jester" and the creator of the Eye of Graeae's vessel, confirming her connection to the entity. Aksinya states that while Koshchei succeeded in creating a form of eternity, he failed to hold onto his personal love, a tragedy the group has witnessed. She assures the Traveler that their goals align: to help the Eye of Graeae reclaim its power and find its body. After a cryptic departure, the Eye of Graeae recalls that he, Aksinya, and Koshchei created him within an organization called Hvergelmir.
Characters
13 Characters appear in this Chapter:
Total Rewards
260 Primogem
226,500 Mora
20 Hero's Wit
Achievements
There is 1 Achievement obtainable from In the Dwelling of Life:
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Achievement | Category | Description | Requirements | 
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Gather for Everlasting Happiness |  Snezhnaya: Sacred city of ice and pale star (I)
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Complete In the Dwelling of Life. | Complete Chorus of Solace. | 10 |
Trivia
- The quest series may derive its title and individual quest names from a 1947 poetry collection by German-Jewish poet Nelly Sachs, In the Habitations of Death (German: In den Wohnungen des Todes), alternately translated as In the Dwellings of Death. A core theme of the collection is Sachs' grief surrounding the devastation of the Holocaust, which she managed to escape.
- Specifically, the individual quest titles likely reference select lines from Sachs' poem Chorus Of The Consolers (German: Chor der Tröster). Each quest corresponds to a line in the poem as follows, while the final quest Chorus of Solace is likely named after the title of the poem itself.
Quest Title Poem Line[1][2] A Sprout Without a Gardener
无园丁的幼苗We are gardeners, bereft of our flowers
我们是没有花朵的园丁Transplanted From "Yesterday" to "Tomorrow"
自昨天移植至明天no healing herb can be transplanted / from yesterday to tomorrow.
没有药草可自昨天 / 移植到明天。Down in the Dumps
狭道底处In the depths of the defile
峡道底处Back on One's Feet
园丁伫立stands the cherub
天使站立Forbidding Doors of Melancholy
忧伤的门扉不允许The lightning flashes of grief refuse to let
忧伤的闪电不允许To Rest in a Forgotten Field
于遗忘的田野入眠the field of forgetfulness lie fallow in sleep.
遗忘的田野入睡
- Koshchei's alias and experiments in Okurov may be references to the 1896 science fiction novel The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells. In the novel, the protagonist is shipwrecked on an island where a mad scientist is revealed to be experimenting on animals and turning them into half-human hybrids.
Other Languages
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | In the Dwelling of Life | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 在生命的寓所 Zài Shēngmìng de Yùsuǒ | In the Dwelling of Life |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 在生命的寓所 Zài Shēngmìng de Yùsuǒ | |
| Japanese | 命の在る場所で Inochi no Aru Basho de | Where There Is Life |
| Korean | 생명의 거처 Saengmyeong-ui Geocheo | Dwelling of Life |
| Spanish | En la morada de la vida | |
| French | Dans la demeure de la vie | In the Dwelling of Life |
| Russian | В обители жизни V obiteli zhizni | |
| Thai | ณ ที่พำนักแห่งชีวิต | |
| Vietnamese | Nơi Ở Của Sự Sống | |
| German | Wo das Leben haust | Where the Life Dwells |
| Indonesian | Di Kediaman Kehidupan | |
| Portuguese | Na Habitação da Vida | |
| Turkish | Yaşamın Meskeninde | |
| Italian | Nella dimora della vita |
Change History
References
- ↑ WordPress: Chorus of the Consolers (tr. Catherine Sommer/catterel)
- ↑ Sohu 搜狐: 诗经典丨奈莉·萨克斯《安慰者的合唱》 (Chinese)