After finishing 6.6's AQ and sat on it for a bit. I had felt something nagging at me.

Mauvika claims that her records isn't part of Irminsul, thusly- It is then extended to Natlan as a whole.

So, if Natlan isn't affected. A question arises.

Does Natlan remember Rukkhadevata and Scaramouche? Or rather, could they have remembered? I reworded this because I'm not quite sure how involved Natlan is with info from other nations. If I recall correctly, Rukkhadevata had not gone to Khaenri'ah 500 years ago and Mauvika did go to Khaenri'ah, so it seems like they should've never met.

Although, they should at least know who all the Harbingers are, right? But never mind this tangent. This would just be a thought experiment if there was no one who remembered in Natlan or there wasn't any records left behind. Although, experiment or not, I felt like this is something that should be explored.

Because if you extend this thought out even further, prior to the Wayobs giving the Natlanese people protection when they left Natlan. How did Irminsul see the people of Natlan when they leave Natlan for the rest of Teyvat? For example, if Bennett helps a old lady finds her cat, does the leylines just records that the cat returned to the old lady by themself?

Although, that issue also applies to us as a Descender, I suppose. I wonder how Irminsul remembers the fight with Ei specifically since it was a 1 v 1 scenario.

Anyways, I'm ending this post here. I'd be grateful if people would discuss how this possible issue plays out.

Edit- Adding that Dottore's secret fate was to commit suicide since segments and OG all died of that. No wonder he hates fate-

The AQ vaguely hinted Dottore was dying (did not have much time left) and wanted to commit a suicidal bang / "funeral".

But it wasn't just the new Exalted Heretic... The moon marrow drop shows Omega divided himself + planned for the False Moon God to die.

>I perceive a truly magnificent scene: one half of my soul enters the Ley Lines through death, while the remaining half is injected as pure data. My two halves would then navigate those pathways to converge with the information of the past. It would be possible for me, in this manner, to achieve the preservation of my memories.

>We might consider that as one of death's rare oversights. Something that is even more eternal than eternal life itself? Hehe... An immortal record would certainly satisfy that definition, of course.

Back in 6.3, when he suddenly switched to "wanna kill innocent people?" while speaking to the traveler, that was probably him giving up on recruiting (Like Pantalone gave up and used stall tactics) and proceeding to rage bait the traveler and everyone else to get blasted to bits.

That's also why he opened the sky to let them reach the moon more easily and constantly looked like he was stalling.

The saddest part? The only character that appears to have noticed Dottore's fate was to commit suicide was Pantalone. He even commented to Dottore he put himself in a position he couldn't be brought back, to which he just laughed. (Is he laughing at fate screwing him up or that Pantalone noticed Dottore knew he wasn't getting out alive and was not talking seriously?)

Also, that line about knowing Dottore would fail but still showing up for him + he mentioned Dottore fighting fate to the traveler.

Back in January I made a theory post regarding Dottore's fate being tied to an apocalypse (the World Formula was previously used by Rene to calculate incoming apocalypses) but him letting a descender (who severs fate) kill him instead of destroying the world.

His fate was never elaborated in detail so we may never know if that theory was right but the suicide part is there.

Edit- I forgot to say this but this matches Zeitlind's "Save yourself and save the world". He would be saving himself from becoming the monster that destroyed the world via accelerating his death by suicide.-

Melanta's story was foreshadowing Dottore up to his death. Even as far as playing Escher.

Nihilita escaped his fate and is still out there fighting the traveler to "gather data" (his defeat line) and Maki left with no memories.

Don't know if this could be foreshadowing something too but pointing it out.

Just wanted to start this off saying I'm impressed by the presentation of the story. Both a love letter to Sumeru and the perfect building block for whats to come in Snezhnaya. Lore presentation was more implicit instead of over-explaining, and I don't just mean the old WQ stuff in the guiding notes feature!

This AQ has been subtly setting up Phanes as an active character in the story, opposed to just the dormant Heavenly Principles. Very timely with Nicoles name drop, the first since 'Before Sun and Moon', so I believe the story from now on will actually hone in on Phanes as a character than a looming background threat. I'll be discussing some of the things I found interesting below:

Phanes' Philosophy

Tighnari, Faruzan, and Dori have a really interesting conversation during the AQ, which I believe to be alluding to Phanes.

The way Phanes has been depicted is that it is shouldering the burden of "saving humanity" on its own. Nahida, in Tighnari's first line, takes a different approach and believes everyone should shoulder this "burden" for the best chance of survival. His second and third line then talks about how we must truly understand the danger. Not 'knowing' means the danger does not exist. Personally, I find this funny because Phanes is committed to this linguistic fallacy that's been debunked many times - just because something isn't verbalised/written/communicated/signed in a language, dialogue or between writer/reader doesn't mean it doesn't exist or stops existing. The danger is still there for all humans of Teyvat, regardless whether they 'know' it exists. Also, since Phanes had kept whatever danger outside Teyvat a secret, we have seen so many people 'enticed' by the 'darkness', such as the Sinners, Fatui, and Abyss Sibling.

Tighnari and Faruzan then discuss the indiviudals role in forming "fate". Dori's line essentially breaks the conversation down to 'survival has become fragmented to the individual, however all individual survivals are connected, leading to the big problem of survival'. Faruzan adds on that this binds all our fates together. Judging from this, Phanes is unable to recognise these individual survivals, and how they all relate to it's own "big survival". While loving humanity, it has a huge distrust in it. Phanes has painted itself as a saviour of the world, survival should not be a burden or its "burden" alone, but Phanes has made it this way. The dynamic between Phanes and Humanity is similar to the Abyss Sibling and Traveller, along with Phanes and the Traveller as well. The Abyss Siblings thinks they have to shoulder the burden of restoring Khaenri'ah alone, to atone for its sins alone, and to correct the past alone. They consistently leave their sibling out the loop. Meanwhile, we as the Traveller are witness to many different survivals in Teyvat. The Traveller does not take on this survivals as their own burden to become a "saviour", they are simply there for aiding the people, not saving the people.

Sidenote: If anyone's studied a course that requires quantitative or qualitative methods you might have noticed it's very similar to methodological debates (ironically, the social science and natural science's preferred methodology is reverse here, Faruzan is a positivist social scientist confirmed)

Tighnari concludes the conversation with this

I see this final line symbolic of humanity's plight in Teyvat, it is antithetical to Phanes' philosophy. Phanes is all about salvation while his creations focus on liberation. We see this summised in what Nahida says about the Heavenly Principles later

Phanes is preoccupied with humanity's existence, not humanity existing; all Phanes cares about is the concept of humanity itself, not humans as a collective or individuals. It's also evident in the fact that the Shades were not allowed to become close to humans, and Ronova was reprimanded for showing empathy to Natlan.

Irminsul & Gestalt Consciousness

A while ago I rambled on about Sumeru being the 'Cosmic Centre' of Teyvat,

...my personal interpretation is that the Irminsul is also a primordial concept/power (so not a creation of Phanes\)*

\This is coming from the phrasing of "When the Doves Held Branches" or in CN "seeking to perch", implying they hijacked the Irminsul as they did with elemental energy.*

and we find out in the AQ, Irminsul has existed since "the dawn of the world" (as described in the guiding notes)

In another long ramble, I talked about the multiple instances of beings trying to create a gestalt consciousness (a compound of human minds) in Teyvat (Teyvat-style human instrumentality from Neon Genesis Evangelion). Someone had reminded me I forgot the Golden Slumber in Sumeru, which is veryyyy relevent now. If the Golden Slumber and Aaru were a merger of human consciousness (Gilded Dreams), and now Aaru has been issued as the Irminsul "replacement", then is Phanes' reconstruction of the Irminsul also a plan to create a gestalt consciousness to save the world? The same conclusion Rene came to?

If we think back to the discussion on Phanes' philosophy, here is an extract from my human instrumentality post:

If all other instances of Human Instrumentality were to go against the Heavenly Principles, why on earth would they initiate their own evolution project when they dominate their own subjects for "arrogation" and ambition? Well, the HP's intentions for Teyvat may as well have been the very same as the Twins, taking refuge from cosmic destruction. Before Sun and Moon also refers to the remodelling of Teyvat as "The Year of the Ark's Opening" (Teyvat meaning 'ark of...' in Hebrew, which may refer to Noah's Ark, the other reading being 'chest/box of...'). I don't want to rule the HP as a completely comically evil being who likes Playing God™ as the book also states, "the Primordial One had a sacred plan for humans. As long as they were happy, it too rejoiced".

If we refer to the Ordo's cycle, it's inferred that the first evolution was the loss of paradise, the second is the defeat of the dragons, the third is the original sin and baptism, and the fourth (and current) is freedom from the gods. This fit the named samsara cycles in the same interactable, Hyperborea, Natlantean, Remuria, and Khraun-Arya, also supported by the descriptions of each elemental tiara that correspond with each cycle (Hyperborea-Cryo, Natlantean-Pyro, Remuria-Hydro, and Khruan-Arya-Electro) and the descriptions of the Root Cycles. We currently believe the cycles of Teyvat to be ordained by fate (aka the HP), so, did they plan this all along?

Rene notes that to gain a Vision is to sell yourself to the fate of Teyvat. Of course, Rene and other's interpretation of fate is negative, as it is the fate ordained by the Heavenly Principles they wish to challenge and overcome. However, this 'fate' that the HP has bestowed to everyone is positive in their own eyes, and the fate of Teyvat's human itself is their "sacred plan". This may be why Ei was okay with the Vison Hunt Decree because she disagreed with the HP's idea of eternity.

This may be the way Phanes wants humanity to ultimately exist. All that matters is that it still exists, no matter what. Phanes has a lack of care for the individual, and what it means to be a human. The previous cycles are also notoriously bountiful and rich, as if struggle was non-existent.

Circlet of Logos

This scene pretty much confirms the artifact theory every one and their mothers believes in. This means Phanes is the circlet of Logos.

Thinking back to Phanes' philosophy, 'logos' (reason) as a concept does not exist in a vacuum. Logos is part of a trinity that makes up Aristotle's rhetoric along with 'ethos' (character) and 'pathos' (emotion). Interestingly, is it exactly "ethos" and "pathos" that that Phanes is lacking, it only abides to reason. Ethos also is discussed by Aristotle in respect to exercising a balance between caution and passion, it's fair to say Phanes is someone who is overly cautious about Teyvat and overly passionate about saving humanity (or the concept of).

The Shades and Archons

A bit of a pivot from Phanes itself here. A popular theory has been that each Shade represents an element: Naberius = Hydro / Ronova = Pyro / Istaroth = Wind / = Asmoday = Geo. An old dev interview gives more credibility to this:

Each four elements mentioned correspond to an element in the game, Water = Hydro, Fire = Pyro, Wind = Anemo, and Earth = Geo (not Dendro!). Then factor in this Nicole teapot line, knowing Zhongli is called "Heaven's Star" by Zibai:

Giving more credence to the relationship between Zhongli and Space/Asmoday, in a similar vein to Venti and Time/Istaroth, and Egeria and Life/Naberius. Though, I wonder what this makes of Xbalanque and Death/Ronova - is there something deeper to their relationship or is he just him?

Sun-related beings are closely tied to Phanes/Celestia, while Egeria has little to none, it's prevelant in Zhongli, Venti, and Xbalanque. I believe all those "Ei and the moon", "Nahida and the moon", and "Tsaritsa and the moon" theories gain a little more credence too in this context if we see the three moons as Electro/Dendro/Cryo.

I have also seen people make links between Zhongli, the Tsaritsa, and jade (mainly the Shivada Jadestone), I'm curious to know what Phanes' relationship is with "jades" or if it is something solely draconic.

We all know that Genshin often used real people/ community/ places for the world building but... Does it also affect the lore?

My points is there some coincidence who seem really strong like it was made on purpose. Like in exemple:

The Fontaine's region dirigent

All of the "major dirigent of Fontaine region"( Remus, Egeria, Focalor) died and got a kind of "punishment" - the phobos destruction, the Fontaine's prophecy, the literal execution-

And i'm thinking if that's related to the French's kings execution because archon like gods can be considered as "kings/Queens"

Decarabian walls

The wall of Decarabian around Mondstad is probably a reference to the Belin's walls

And I'm not sure for the other region but i wouldn't be surprised if they were any connection are maybe not and i'm just saying straight up bs.

I that they created the lore but still make some connection between Teyvat and Earth. And there's might be things think that my European knowledge don't know about but anyway please give me your opinion over that theory.

Edit: for all the comments tying to be funny (but aren't) by saying i remember that the alien come and build a false sky or things like, i thought that my post clearly insinuate that the story isn't totally based on true events but still sometimes inspired by it but there will always be some trying to be funny 😮‍💨.

And with that being said have a great day

The new artifact set: Celestial Gift goes deeper into the Voyager’s past.

We learn that she comes from an ancient people who, over the course of millions of years, developed technology advanced enough to conquer space and time.
As they witnessed the gradual death of the universe, this civilization sent countless chroniclers to the edges of time, tasked to observe, calculate, record and inscribe every world, in a futile search for hope.

The first people who had mastered leptons sent forth chroniclers toward the limits of baryonic matter in the hope of finding answers at the very last particle of existence.

After focusing on this sentence, I started researching leptons and baryonic matter, and I discovered the existence of a famous sci-fi novel series built on the same physical concepts, which probably inspired the Voyager’s story.

I’m talking about Xeelee Sequence, written by Stephen Baxter starting in 1991.

The Xeelee are considered the most advanced of all Baryonic life-forms, and over the course of countless millennia they expanded their technology until they became masters of time and space. [source]
They are capable of creating Closed Timelike Curves in order to travel through time.

In the same way,

The descendants of the ancients rose in defiance, and over the millions of years that followed, conquered time and space in turn.
[Celestial Gift]

In the book series as well, the universe is heading toward extinction, and the Xeelee are searching for hope.
While worlds around them die, The Xeelee use primordial black holes as habitats, construction tools, and computing devices.

Similarly, the Voyager’s people

retreated to Giant Voids amidst the numerous galaxies, to the lightless edges of perception, as they clutched the last faint trace of hope.

The Xeelee’s greatest enemies are the Photino Birds, entities made of dark matter that contribute to the extinction of the universe.
Since dark matter interacts only weakly with baryonic matter, the Photino Birds respond solely to their own survival instinct and show no concern for the other life forms in the universe (perhaps they are not even aware those life forms exist).

This behavior strongly resembles that of the Abyss.

More specifically, the Photino Birds interrupt the nuclear fusion in the cores of stars, thereby prematurely aging them into white dwarves.
This immediately reminded me of the theory that Teyvat’s sun is actually a white dwarf, as seemingly hinted in As Heaven and Earth Are Made Anew:

For several weeks or months, intense heat and light had marked the star's final brilliance. After that, it had been reduced to a cold, dim dwarf.

The destinies of the two civilizations are also very similar, because by the end of the novels the Xeelee realize they can do nothing against the advance of the Photino Birds and that the universe is doomed.
Likewise, the chroniclers are left abandoned in the void as the universe around them continues to fade away:

Perhaps this so-called race that had transcended time was, in the end, nothing more than prisoners keeping vigil over a graveyard of stars.
[…]
The farther they pushed into the unknown, the more they understood the futility and sorrow of their struggle.

These new details, together with the story of the chroniclers, led me to think that the Voyager’s design has actually already been shown before, specifically in Lunar Arcanum X: The Wheel of Fortune.

Until now we always assumed the Arcanum represented Istaroth, but I now believe it actually depicts the Voyager instead.

Several details seem to point in that direction: the imagery tied to time (represented by the many clocks, since the chroniclers travel through time), the solitude, the worlds fading into darkness, the tears of despair, and the sense of floating endlessly through the void.

As starlight wheeled on and the beacons upon the star charts went dark one by one, they at last extended their probes to the very end of time.
There, all light had vanished, and all possibility was spent.

Even the ring surrounding the female figure could match the Voyager’s first description in Finale of the Deep Galleries:

As her undying body slumbered away within a distant celestial disk-construct, her mind had drifted through an empty expanse spanning many light years.

There’s more: the Xeelee used Closed Timelike Curves to travel through time, but they could only go back as far as 13.5 billion years.
That same timescale, corresponding to the birth of the universe, also appears in the Arcanum’s description:

In 14 billion "years" of darkness,
it is the sum of all that is destined to happen and all that never will.
Partings, encounters, and partings once more,
birth, destruction, and birth yet again...

From this point onward, I’m moving into pure speculation regarding the future of Teyvat and the universe itself.

The Photino Birds (which, in this theory, would correspond to the Abyss) exist outside the laws of space and time.
When the Xeelee travel 13.5 billion years into the past, they discover that the Photino Birds are already there.
This revelation makes them realize they have no hope of victory, so they devote themselves to creating their greatest work, the only hope they have left: the Ring.

The Ring is described as a gigantic loop of cosmic string, millions of light-years across and spinning at close to light speed.
Its immense gravity and rotation are powerful enough to tear open the universe at its center, creating a breach that allows them to escape the universe itself and open a path toward another universe.

The Voyager’s only hope, the thing that awakens her from her long slumber, is that faint glimmer she senses in the darkness, coming from the primeval dragon born alongside Teyvat: Nibelung.

I can’t help but connect these two concepts through the great archetype of the Ring of the Nibelung.

I wonder if, at the end of the story, the only hope of escaping the Abyss is to flee into another universe.
It’s not a concept unfamiliar to Hoyoverse’s narrative logic, especially if we think about the Imaginary Tree.

As always, thank you so much for reading all the way through, and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

After testing nicole I was curious with the "abyss" symbols on her attacks, so I tryed to translate the basic attacks at least.

those give us

Dechou Ten Hegemoniao
Decidunt T (could not find what is after the t, if there is something)

Semenei lethros Monos

these don't appear to be latin as then the phrases make no sense/are untranslatable
so I used a site to transliterate the latin letters to greek (the last phrase google translate detected as greek)

transliteration and translation to english:

δεχου Τεν ῾Εγεμονιαο/ Receive the Hegemony

Δεκιδυντ Τ / Decidant T

Σημενει λεθρος Μόνος/ It marks destruction alone

so, that's it, nothing to groundbreaking but it's cool to see, there are also more writing on the shield but it's hard to see and is bigger; any corrections, toughts and such, i'm here.

The Worlds of the Genshin Universe (as of Luna VII)

• Octavia has recorded 16 unique worlds
• Octavia has visited at least 1896 unique worlds

note: I shortened the entries because of Reddit's character limit, but I also linked out to the full Wiki entries sorted by planet

???. ??? [primitive planet]

Wildpeak Echoes

After witnessing many prosperous civilizations, Octavia unexpectedly arrived at a planet in its "Primitive Age." Though the people here had not yet developed an advanced civilization, they possessed customs of communicating with the wilderness and hearts filled with the spirit to challenge fierce beasts and disasters. Some natives saw Octavia as a dangerous outsider, greeting her with spears and flying stones, though she admired their courage. Another group politely invited her to feast, asking her about the mysteries of the stars in clumsy but sincere language. Having no interest in playing the role of a god, Octavia simply documented their distinctive attire, shared them with a few fairy tales, and left their natural evolution untouched...

66. ??? [china planet]

Divine Providence

On the 66th planet, a world perpetually shrouded in a purple-black haze of "Misfortune," dwells an active group known as "Auspimancers." They are far more than geomancers in any traditional sense — they are strategists who provide their clients with tactical assistance and help them navigate through crises. Renowned for their ability to steer through peril toward stability, it is widely believed that they are able to repel "Misfortune" itself by reading the hidden energies of the land. It was the leader of these auspimancers, the most observant person on the planet, who first discovered that Octavia came from interstellar space. [...]

Morning's Dawn and Dew

Even for the seasoned traveler Octavia, the 66th planet stood out as extraordinary. Perhaps a form of "convergent evolution" had shaped its civilization, for some of its customs echoed those of Liyue in Teyvat. At the turn of the year, both cultures adorned themselves with metallic coins symbolizing wealth, a gesture meant to usher in prosperity. Yet the planet's New Year was far longer than Liyue's — sometimes lasting an entire stellar year. Its length was measured by the "Nian beast's presence," and only when this presence peaked could the year be considered complete. Octavia noted that the so-called "Nian" beast resembled certain abyssal creatures. [...]

Scarlet Cloudfall

Legends tell that when the violet-black shroud of misfortune lifts, the skies of the 66th world change in a heartbeat, dark clouds giving way to a brilliant dawn. In that fleeting moment, scarlet clouds and freely flowing skies come to embody hope and good fortune, their forms echoed throughout local dress and ornamentation. Wary of drawing suspicion as an outsider, Octavia embraced these symbols when designing an outfit meant to follow local custom. Thus was "Scarlet Cloudfall" born — woven with auspicious colors and cloudlike motifs, intended to blend seamlessly into the land's cultural fabric. [...]

Ink-Tinged Sprout

One morning on Planet No. 66, Octavia stumbled across a one-of-a-kind "Bamboo Harvest Festival." To ease the harvest in the thick bamboo groves and celebrate the arrival of a new spring, the local people sewed these fun outfits. The set's durable, inky fabric replicates the tough outer shell of aged bamboo, while the bright green lining and cuffs recall the tender green of new shoots after the first spring rain. It's said that wearing this attire lets you move nimbly through the bamboo groves, helping you unearth the freshest shoots in a flash. [...]

67. ??? [season planet]

Autumn Veins

On the 67th planet visited by Octavia, advanced technology has brought evergreen crops throughout the year, greatly diminishing the effects of withering and decay on agriculture. However, naturalism hasn't completely yielded to technology. Unmodified ordinary plants that grow, mature, and fade with the seasons are still widely preserved as a vital part of the world's original landscape. The autumn season of maturity and harvest, like many similar worlds, is celebrated and cherished. [...]

Drip-Drop Ribbit

As in the history of many civilizations, the creators of the 67th planet also endured bloody wars. Thanks to their exceptional biomimetic technology, they manufactured all sorts of advanced weapons, including biomimetic raincoats shaped like frogs that allowed soldiers to move easily in torrential rain and swamps. Today, the smoke of war has long since cleared, cold steel has been forged into farming tools, and dangerous chemicals have been repurposed into life-saving medicines. The technology of those biomimetic raincoats has also been reborn, now evoking the laughter of children playing in the rain. [...]

Prelude to Spring

The 67th planet visited by "Octavia" was the origin of a prosperous civilization. Like many civilizations across the universe, they had a clear concept of "seasons." Though expressed in different languages, the season when crops begin to sprout and grow was always given imagery similar to "spring." The people here likewise held lively celebrations before the arrival of spring to express their good wishes for the future. [...]

Sunwarmed Malt

In the 67th world, the rise of mass-produced food had filled every table, yet some still clung to the age-old art of cooking. Around glowing hearths, they prepared simple yet heartfelt dishes for those nearby. One day, a baker handed Octavia a freshly baked sample on the street, saying, "The flavor of a warm hearth is the flavor of true happiness." That golden, fragrant bread, together with the baker's attire, became a lasting memory she would keep close.

Tart Berry Muse

On the 67th planet, there lives a pair of pastry chefs known as the "Berry Obsessives," whose singular goal is to reach the pinnacle of the dessert world. Upon hearing news of an extraterrestrial visitor, they went as far as to pay an uninvited visit to Octavia, presenting her with a staggering 99-course feast of berry-themed desserts. All they craved was the ultimate endorsement: "Even an alien couldn't stop at just one bite!" It was a night of culinary madness that nearly sent her into a sugar-induced coma... [...]

Winter's Warmth

The 67th world recorded by Octavia was no different. On that winter day, she arrived at a small, unfamiliar town and hesitantly asked for a place to stay, and a kind family welcomed her with warm hospitality. The humble couple served her a generous meal, while their lively children performed melodious songs for her. [...]

93. Academy Planet

Astral Beacon

Though they possessed the ability to modify their entire planet and merge it into a giant academic collective, the civilization to which the 93rd world — the Academy Planet — belonged still put strong focus on basic geology and mapping. [...]

Blazing Ambition

On the "Academy Planet" (Planet 93), a certain ball game enjoys immense popularity. Played by two teams of five, the game centers on dribbling skills and scoring as many baskets as possible within the time limit. Traditionally, "spirit squads" perform during the intervals of each quarter to keep the energy high. While their role in setting the atmosphere is undeniable, the squad members often harbor a competitive fire of their own. [...]

Dawn's Visionary

Of all the worlds Octavia visited, the 93rd was the most peaceful. This was a pure Academy Planet with an impeccable scholastic atmosphere and living conditions, capable of constantly producing talent with wisdom, skill, and good conduct in equal measure for the civilizations under it. [...]

Grace in Motion

On the 93rd planet, few events were as cherished by students as the White Night Concert, second only to enrollment and graduation ceremonies. In Octavia's memories, the excitement began two months before the performance, when academy youth devoted every spare moment to rehearsing their signature pieces — whether refined classical symphonies, lively grand productions, or daring experimental compositions. [...]

Grand Slam Passion

During her journey across thousands of planets, Octavia discovered that no matter how advanced or primitive a civilization was, art and sports were always essential parts of it. The 93rd planet, the "Academy Planet," had invested tremendous manpower and resources to build multiple sports complexes on the scale of small cities. Every year during the hottest season of the stellar calendar, the young people on the planet form teams representing their academies to compete in intense tournaments. [...]

Painted Skies

After landing quietly on the 93rd world (the Academy Planet), Octavia would embark on a relaxing journey in the guise of a "book supplier," only for a young man and woman to see through her. As it turned out, they had long yearned for both the skies and adventure, and while traveling through the clouds in a hot air balloon, they witnessed Octavia as she landed. They longed for a life like hers, and thus agreed to keep her secret. Octavia, for her part, saw a certain romanticism in their attitude, along with similarities to people she once knew. Thus, she promised to take them on an interstellar graduation trip once they had completed their key studies...

118. ??? [cyberpunk planet]

Cerulean Tidestrike

Across the universe, chaos is never without its followers, but neither is order without its guardians. In the steel jungle of the 118th world, such guardians exist in the shadows, known as "The Tideforged Order." They drift between high-rises like passing tides, concealing themselves beneath wide-brimmed hats as they quietly erase threats that would disrupt the fragile balance of peace. An outsider whose origins were unknown and whose movements were difficult to trace, Octavia was once mistaken for one such threat. Steel met steel in their first encounter, yet from that clash came understanding. As the people of Teyvat say, true recognition often follows a crossing of blades. [...]

Chromatic Mist

Thirty years before Octavia arrived on the 118th planet, that world experienced a golden age of thriving scientific and economic development. People at that time fearlessly pursued even the most outlandish scientific visions and strove to bring their fantasies to life. Now, in the corners of the "Steel Forest," broken machines are piled like mountains, leaving only the remnants of unfulfilled dreams. However, street artists continue their pursuit of a hopeful future. [...]

Fervent Fighter

Octavia encountered fierce fighting tournaments taking place within the steel forests of the 118th world. The trophy the contestants fought for would add an important feather to their city's cap. [...]

Maverick Meowster: Glacial / Maverick Meowster: Magenta

During her temporary stay on the 118th world, Octavia again used some ingenious techniques to request the delivery of all manner of goods, such as using the virtual world's "carrier pigeons" to send messages to businesses while lying on the sofa in the hotel without leaving the house. However, she also lost her virtual messenger pigeon ID card, which resulted in her travel expenses being stolen. At that moment, it was two heroes in magenta and icy blue who stepped forth and retrieved her stolen treasure from her, thus allowing her to continue her peaceful journey. [...]

Offbeat District

After seven days of travel, Octavia wrote the following comment for the 118th world she discovered by chance: "The Forest of Steel." This was no exaggeration — cities sprawl across this world's continents, weaving a seamless "civilized existence" using steel, concrete, and strict regulations. Yet this order has also given rise to artistic groups who stand against the rules, the rising stars of which use this "Offbeat District" to showcase their striving for freedom...

Orange Passion

Within a broader system of "civilized life" that placed immense value on work, the people of the 118th planet often suffered from health issues linked to sedentary lifestyles and excessive overtime. Octavia was not here long before she had received over 100 recruitment messages from professional headhunters, alongside double the number of health supplement ads. [...]

Radiant Melody

Before leaving the "civilized world" of the 118th "Iron Forest," Octavia, on a whim, visited a popular music performance venue. There, she mingled with the enthusiastic audience and enjoyed a vivid array of performances. A young but passionate duo left a deep impression on her. It was said that once they made their name in the two-thousand-seat venue, they would step onto even grander stages, aiming to hold concerts in arenas with tens of thousands of spectators. [...]

273. Snow Star

analysis: the temperature Octavia speaks of is probably lower than -200 C and -400 F, so she is really underselling how special her coat is.

Frosty Plume

In the 273rd world frozen by ice and snow, Octavia once faced the chill of the long polar night unprepared. When the planet reached its farthest orbital point, the temperature dropped by another thirty percent, approaching the lowest point of particle kinetic energy. Even her coat that could withstand gunfire and molten iron could hardly endure this ordeal. Just then, a classical and elegant manor appeared before her, where two young hosts warmly graciously invited her inside and welcomed her to an elegant ball. As it turned out, this place was regarded as a milestone for the civilization's triumph over harsh environments. The severe winter was one of their greatest adversaries, but it also witnessed their complete establishment on every star in the stellar system. For this reason, people would hold elegant celebrations on the coldest snow night, and the attire of the two hosts was thus etched in Octavia's memory, becoming a precious page in her chronicles.

Peaceful Warm Night

On the 273rd planet, the long stretches of polar day and night define the rhythm of life. For first-time visitors, the challenge is twofold: enduring the extreme temperatures and adjusting to the disorienting, unrelenting light cycles. For a seasoned traveler like Octavia, however, such conditions were no obstacle. A safe, warm room and her trusty sleepwear set from the 118th planet were all she needed to drift into peaceful slumber. [...]

White Flash

Among the many worlds Octavia has visited, the 273rd, known as the "Snow Star," is among the most remarkable. Situated on the edge of its stellar system with insufficient sunlight, its land remains frozen in ice and snow all year round, yet people's passion for life never cools! The most popular sport here is extreme skiing. In top-tier competitions, athletes sprint down from mountain peaks that pierce through the clouds with slopes almost vertical, diving at speeds faster than birds can follow, leaving only trails of pure white... To safely experience the joy of this sport, proper protection is essential. [...]

311. ??? [sea of flowers planet]

analysis: the sea of flowers mentioned here is similar to Teyvat. the fact that this is "the final ceremony of their lives" is ominous.

Butterfly Resplendence

During her stay on Planet No. 311, Octavia happened upon its grandest ceremony. Once every twenty-seven springs, the "Flower Whisperers" represent the local residents in presenting an offering to the planet's will. This time, two scholars nearly a century old stepped into the central sea of flowers in formal attire. They had devoted ninety percent of their lives to interpreting the planet's will, making major contributions to the interpretation of "flower whispers." They also succeeded in encouraging people to live in harmony with nature and, in a gentle and rational way, improving industries that might otherwise have caused severe pollution, winning a bright future for the planet... In this final ceremony of their lives, the two scholars donned the formal attire they had loved most in their youth and danced in the sea of flowers of the planet's will. Though their movements were slow and unpolished, the sincerity and passion they revealed moved everyone present. Octavia also firmly remembered the story of the two scholars, along with their brilliantly elegant formal attire.

Cherry Blossom Driftwind

During her journey on Planet No. 311, Octavia discovered a bay filled with Sakura trees in addition to the important "Eternal Gardens." The locals here rarely go out, yet they have a custom: during the few days when the blossoms are at their peak, they hang their clothes on long lines beneath the blooming trees. They believe the breeze carries falling petals to the fabric, leaving the scent of the blossoms on it. Preserving floral fragrance on clothing in this natural way, and thus experiencing that unique charm anytime, anywhere, is one of the important ways for "Flower Whisperers" to form bonds with flowers. [...]

Melody of Petals

Planet No. 311, which Octavia visited, was especially unique, for the will of the entire planet was expressed through its "flowers." Signs of a bountiful harvest, omens of impending calamity... every phenomenon yet to come would be reflected in the flowers' colors and growth. To communicate gently with the planet and grasp the changes to come, the locals built many "Eternal Gardens" around important floral regions. Within these gardens, time itself seems to stand still. The light, temperature, and humidity are forever kept in the optimal range for plants to grow. The special group known as "Flower Whisperers" became the central figures of each garden, serving as both "interpreters" who converse with the plants and "caretakers" who tend to them. [...]

503. Ocean World

Splatter Artist

On the beaches of Planet No. 503, "Ocean World," Octavia encountered a group of little octopuses known as the "Splatter Artists." These rotund little creatures are not only champion swimmers but also natural-born artists. Whenever they happily encounter new friends, they absorb colorful natural mineral pigments and precisely spray them onto the hems of passersby's clothing. The locals pay no mind to these indelible splashes of color, seeing them instead as the little octopuses' most sincere invitation. [...]

507. ??? [cat and dog planet]

Sun-Veiled Stealth

The 507th planet on Octavia's journey is filled with adorable "hunters." These spirits, which resemble the cats and dogs familiar to ordinary understanding, will randomly seek out a human and form a pact with them. In return for caring for them and providing their food for life, the human gains wondrous powers - perhaps hearing of extreme sharpness, or a sense of touch precise enough to catch the tremors of plants and trees... By tradition, the pact-making ritual takes the form of a special game of "hide-and-seek": the longer one lasts in the ritual, the stronger the pact becomes. Unluckily for Octavia, a lawsuit with the space-lane company had kept her from sleeping well, and she was eliminated in the very first round, losing her chance at a cat spirit. Even so, she was deeply impressed by the winners of that match. [...]

666. ??? [hell planet]

Lazurite Sword

For some unknown reason, the 666th planet harbors a deadly evil power that has caused monsters to ravage the land unchecked, and for decades, the "Kingdom's" troops have struggled to hold the line against these monsters. However, a certain unit led by two field-grade officers has succeeded in penetrating the enemy line on several occasions. Drawing on discoveries from a long-lost civilization made by two historians, and on calculations from the visitor Octavia, the two commanders were able to pinpoint the monsters' lair — the very same monsters that had caused the downing of Octavia's ship, it turns out. Before the big battle, the two field-grade officers left instructions for their subordinates, bequeathing their precious formal wear to Octavia as a gesture of their gratitude...

Scaleblade Chronicles

As the decisive clash erupted on the 666th planet, the kingdom's twin "Lazurite Swords" plunged into the heart of the fell dragon's territory, nearly severing its lifeline before falling to an inexhaustible swarm. Just as all hope seemed lost, their lieutenants arrived with Octavia's backing. Tearing through the last obstacle, they decapitated the fell dragon and returned the letters their commanders had penned, a sign that the day of sacrifice was over. In the wake of their victory, the twin "Lazurite Swords" stepped down from their roles, bequeathing their legacy to their two lieutenants. As the new generals took command, they committed themselves to sweeping away the last of the foe. Elements of the fell dragon's form were dismantled and forged into ornaments for their new armor, serving as an unparalleled deterrent against the monsters that remained. Octavia would always remember the heroic sight of the two new generals — including the silhouette of their slightly trembling hands as they signed the papers to pay her spaceship's damages in full.

Timeless Echo

Octavia was attempting a gravity slingshot to escape the 666th planet's galaxy in her rental ship when hyperspeed shrapnel from the planet's surface forced her to make an emergency landing at a ruin instead. And at this very ruin were two historians who had long awaited a prophet foretold in the classics — and Octavia, they came to believe, was that prophet. They told her about the "Evil Star," a mysterious force that plagued the planet, guided her to a human stronghold for safety, and even gave her their life savings for her travel expenses... It is for this reason that Octavia remembers the duo so vividly, an decided to create a dignified and beautiful outfit for the two of them...

Phantom Prowl

After the main fighting on Planet No. 666 had come to an end and compensation for the ship had been secured, Octavia did not depart at once. Instead, she remained to assist the former lieutenants of the "Lazurite Swords" - the two great generals who had slain the evil dragon - in reorganizing the combat forces. With the beasts now leaderless and the remaining enemies scattered across every corner of the planet, the generals chief task became the precise tracking and eradication of the evil dragon faction's remnants. To that end, those skilled in traveling light, stealth, swift combat, and reconnaissance were given a more prominent role. [...]

712. Paradise Planet / Elysium Star

analysis: there are several Teyvat theme parks, and seemingly a Teyvat fandom thanks to Octavia's influence.

Chromatic Artisan

During her employment as an aesthetic consultant on the 712th world, the Paradise Planet, Octavia imposed strict visual standards on the theme park, the most important of which was the influence of color on emotion. At that time, two brilliant artists stood up to present Octavia with a multitude of fantastical plans...

Fairyland Prom

Octavia served as a consultant on the 712th world she visited for 10 years. By the time she parted ways with them, the fairytales she told the children had already become popular, with many novels, picture books, and film adaptations, as well as a theme park of just the right scale. Octavia was also invited to the opening ceremony, there to personally choose the most suitable outfits for the young men and women playing the leading roles...

Mystic Forest

While touring the 712th world, the Paradise Planet, Octavia encountered a phenomenon known as the "devaluation of happiness": that is, constant exposure to pleasure and entertainment gradually raises one's threshold for happiness. As such, a suitable amount of tranquility is necessary for both guests and the planet itself. As such, Octavia designed a serene "forest" with the rainforests of Sumeru in Teyvat in mind — a place where people can slowly relax through a leisurely journey of exploration.

Noble Grace

Among the countless figures passing through her 712th world, the Paradise Planet, Octavia found her attention drawn not only to the planet's quick-thinking — if occasionally eccentric — governor, nor to the painter whose imagination seemed boundless, but also to two travel butlers whose presence struck a rare balance between discipline and ease. In their hands, each journey was planned with clocklike precision. Every movement was measured, every moment accounted for, yet never at the cost of flexibility. When circumstances shifted, they adjusted without pause, reshaping plans as naturally as turning a page. And despite such meticulous rigor, their manner remained gentle and composed, guiding guests through each attraction in relaxed comfort, so that every experience unfolded smoothly, with not a second lost. It was this philosophy that resonated deeply with Octavia. [...]

Scarlet Shade

Octavia discovered a Paradise Planet quite by accident while going to her 712th world. Every city in this world was a holiday haven with a unique theme. Once employed as a consultant, she would tell the people tales of distant Teyvat, and the people of the Paradise Planet would make special modifications to their pre-existing ninja city based on the Inazuman stories she told...

Sleek Sprint

Don't mistake pleasure for fragility. On the "Paradise Planet" (Planet 712) and the "Healing Planet" (Planet 722), order is upheld by an armed force dedicated to purging any troublemakers. Having spent years robbing the rich to help the poor across the planet, this band of reformed mercenaries has finally settled down, serving as the permanent guardians of these two "Utopias." Of their ranks, the two youngest and most elite marksmen often conduct "low-profile" patrols, blending into the crowd so as not to disturb the tourists. As they brushed past Octavia, she sensed the hidden secrets beneath their oversized coats and invited them for a drink and a friendly chat.

Steamwave Chronicles

While serving as an aesthetic consultant on the 712th world, the Paradise Planet, Octavia was presented with a difficult question by the innovative governor — what should the main visual style of a theme park that wanted to appear solemn, elegant, mysterious, and opulent all at once be? Octavia's answer contained many elements derived from Fontaine in Teyvat and from local historical "technical aesthetics," which proved incredibly popular. The main characters of this "Steamwave Chronicles" theme park were a young man and woman dressed as engineers.

Wicked Warlock

Following the completion of several Teyvat-style theme parks on the 712th planet, operators began organizing a global 'Super Tour' to bridge the journeys between the various parks. In search of a villain for the tour, Octavia's mind went straight to the Abyss Mages — creatures she had disliked since her first days in Teyvat. Back then, Octavia had mistaken a wondering Abyss Mage for a wild animal and offered it a feast, only to be met with a dual response of searing flames and biting frost. In fact, during the scriptwriting for the tour, Octavia insisted as the aesthetic consultant that the 'Wicked Warlock' be played as textbook villains. All she wanted was to make it crystal clear: Don't ever underestimate an Abyss Mage.

722. Healing Planet / Sanctuary of Recovery

Cheerful Playmate

The "Healing Planet" (Planet 722) features more than just medical facilities for physical rejuvenation, it is also home to numerous "Pet Paradises" designed to boost mental well-being. Among them, Octavia was particularly impressed by a dog-themed amusement park where the staff sported charming puppy costumes. Upon returning to her spaceship, she recreated their signature outfits from memory.

Comedy Performance

The 722nd planet, the "Sanctuary of Recovery," is not only renowned for its medical expertise but also places great emphasis on the psychological care of its patients. To this end, the governor specifically invited a famous comedy duo from the 712th planet, the "Elysium Star," to brighten their lives. However, the duo's first appearance caused a degree of panic among some of the patients. After all, such sudden and unusual "Special Care" could easily lead to various speculations. But thanks to their masterful performance, they quickly redirected the patients' attention back to the stage, leaving extremely joyful memories in the "retirement life" of "Octavia"...

Healing Heart

For some highly advanced civilizations, medical care has become an extremely important industry. After Octavia was accidentally struck by a high-speed comet, she followed the recommendations of the residents of the 712th "Elysium Star," she made several transfers before arriving at the 722nd planet, the "Sanctuary of Recovery." Here, the civilization's finest doctors and nurses can treat various common, and even peculiarly shaped and fundamentally different forms of life. Octavia experienced what she calls "retirement life" here for a while, her wounds soon healed, and she was cared for with kindness and patience by two young medical practitioners who left a deep impression on her. Before departing, they even took a commemorative photo together...

Sleek Sprint

Don't mistake pleasure for fragility. On the "Paradise Planet" (Planet 712) and the "Healing Planet" (Planet 722), order is upheld by an armed force dedicated to purging any troublemakers. Having spent years robbing the rich to help the poor across the planet, this band of reformed mercenaries has finally settled down, serving as the permanent guardians of these two "Utopias." Of their ranks, the two youngest and most elite marksmen often conduct "low-profile" patrols, blending into the crowd so as not to disturb the tourists. As they brushed past Octavia, she sensed the hidden secrets beneath their oversized coats and invited them for a drink and a friendly chat.

777. ??? [wizard planet]

Candlelit Revelry

The first friends Octavia made on the 777th world were two highly gifted and hospitable high-level professors of magic. During classes, they proved skilled at extracting the essentials from obscure esoterica. And in their daily lives — and especially at the festival known to later generations as the Candlelit Revelry — they would be like carefree young men and women, joining the students in fun but moderate pranks, even leading them in begging for candies from other teachers. [...]

Phantom Night

This special outfit comes from the 777th world that Octavia visited, a land of quietude and mystery upon which all civilization was built upon a foundation of standardized spellwork, where nothing can truly escape the grasp of "magic." A young mage who dons the Phantom Night set will light the most critical lantern to be lit on a festival night, and then read a formal (but not dull) opening speech to raise the curtain on the festivities.

Rose's Lament

In this world, the 777th chronicled by Octavia, the magic that all things rely upon cannot seem to leave the atmosphere, thus binding the wizards, witches, and their wondrous creations to gravity's well. Yet the threat from deep space continued to grow, and so the young scholars wearing the Rose's Lament set undertook a bold experiment: imbuing magic into meteorite dust and doing all they could to send it back into orbit...

Sonic Ruins

The 777th world that Octavia chronicled once fell briefly into chaos due to calamitous meteorite showers. Once the crisis had been properly handled and the relevant organizations had completed a set of perfect precautionary measures, they then had "opera mages," who used magic to create light effects, sounds, and visual tricks, to take the stage, perform, and soothe the people. The alternative opera group, Sonic Ruins, was a luminary leader amongst these mages...

921. ??? [tranquil planet]

Letter's Afterglow

[...] On tranquil Planet No. 921, Octavia became acquainted with two scribes who valued both literary grace and integrity. She recorded the outfits they wore at work, though these outfits were originally a subdued grey and black. Earlier, when Paimon first caught sight of the outfits, she remarked, "They look just like Sir Arthur's clothes! So elegant!" To her surprise, the Wonderlands seemed to respond to Paimon's remark. By the time the outfit was finally obtained, it had also taken on Sir Arthur's signature deep crimson...

1217. ??? [discovery planet]

Boundless Resolve

Among the endless reaches of the universe, some worlds hum with extraordinary, mystical powers, while others remain untouched and ordinary. The 1217th planet, visited by Octavia, was one such unremarkable world, a place where humans were born without the gift of flight. However, it was precisely this invisible restraint that kindled their boundless desire to soar. Their flying machines were crude and offered scant protection, but still, they pursued the skies with unwavering resolve. As they would say, "Once you've experienced flight, your eyes will always turn skyward. Having touched its vastness, you'll carry a lasting longing for that freedom."

Galaxy Wanderer

While observing the 1217th planet, Octavia discovered that due to the lack of extraordinary powers and space technology, its inhabitants' understanding of the universe and the microscopic world was based largely on limited observational data and mathematical deductions. Nevertheless, their insights, though abstract, were nothing short of profound, and the most accomplished among their astronomers were capable of predicting cosmic anomalies through mathematical calculations. However, as an extraterrestrial observer, Octavia provided no path forward. Just as the precept, passed down through generations of sages clad in star-patterned robes, goes: "Truth itself is easy to understand; the key lies in the process of discovery."

Owl Envoy

In her pursuit of starkly different scenery, Octavia would sometimes shift her activity to the night to circumvent the crowds. This allowed her to encounter a mysterious profession on the 1217th planet: the Owl Envoy. The owl envoys held an enigmatic occupation and used the image of a small, agile owl as their emblem. They operated only during dusk and night, traversing all kinds of rugged terrain with ease thanks to their extraordinary agility and silent movements, facing potential dangers with formidable strength. In a world without supernatural elements or advanced technology, their aura of mystery and power led Octavia to associate them with the messengers of Natlan. Furthermore, she couldn't help but wonder if they might also be a covert paramilitary force. [...]

1896. ??? [greek planet]

Cloud Edge's Glory

When Octavia's journey reached the 1896th planet, the local civilization was still in the classical era of city-states featuring the use of bronze tools. The city-states were constantly at war with each other and had long been mired in conflict. The arrival of enemies from the Abyss further exacerbated the distrust and division among the city-states. To end this chaos, they decided to hold sacred tournaments during ceremonies honoring their heroes, with the one who obtained the most crowns becoming the leader of all city-states, responsible for quelling internal strife and repelling external enemies. Upholding the tradition of respecting all the mighty warriors, Octavia, who had descended upon this world, was invited by the city-states to participate in this tournament. As a witch capable of traveling among the stars, she won every competition she entered without question. [...]

So recently I was discussing on the internet how I think among the harbingers Dottore is one of the more selfish/disloyal to the Tsaritsa. And alot of people brought up the dang Cryo Gem text and were like "He's following her plan burning Irminsul". But like is their any proof the Cryo Gem text is even talking about Dottore, I feel like this gem could apply to a number of harbingers Signora, Arlecchino, Jester. In fact i think it makes more sense if its Jester since hes the one talking recruiting the harbingers in the Pale Flame Set so why would the Tsaritsa ask Dottore if he will burn the old world when hes already recruited?

Really curious is there anything backing this up or is it just people assuming its about Dottore?

the part about it having to be delivered by the traveler implies that the witch's homework stuff needs to delivered by them for it to have an effect, the traveler is the required "formality".

So maybe the witch's homework makes characters stronger by letting them surpass what is allowed by the hp's designed fate, and thats why the traveler is needed, a descender not controlled by fate, who can change the fate of the world and the ppl within it, an

Nicole makes it clear that once a persons homework is done their story is inscribed in the witch's dictionary. So if it is abt evolving them past what their designated fates have in store, then the witch's dictionary could be writing that new fate into the world, like how Durin needed to write his story into teyvat in his story quest.

[SUMMARY AVAILABLE AT THE END]

DISCLAIMER: ALL TEXTS IS SPECULATIVE UNTIL PROVEN OR DISPROVEN BY CANNON AND THIS IS ONLY ONE OF MANY POSSIBLE THEORIES REGARDING PAIMON'S INDENTITY.

“A human is but a machine with a certain level of complexity” - Il Dottore.

To a certain extent Dottore's isn't wrong here assuming that organs are but machinery components to said machine, and thus can be taken apart and enhanced, creating something close to a god. But what if you reverse the process?

Could a machine be optimized enough that they begin to be indistinguishable from life? Genshin is no stranger to life mimicry, a form of technology whereby machines are meant to replicate the capabilities of living creatures.

Therefore “a machine is but a living being, operating on a separate set of organs", should also be a correct statement to a certain extent. Now I want you to keep that in mind as I present my theory.

Part 1: Life Mimicry

On the topic of life mimicry: How alive is a machine? To note this statement applies to anything that isn't a naturally living being, and is created precisely to be a form of machinery/technological advancement. Therefore this question doesn't apply to Oceanids or elemental lifeforms as those are clearly living beings. It does however apply to mechanical lifeforms, puppets, and alchemically created beings.

Food for thought: how alive is Karkata? The mechanical life form from Tighnari's SQ. Depending on how you answered that question will shape your reception of the full analysis. And now how about Wanderer? And to extend further Ineffa and Albedo? Are they considered living beings or a specific kind of complex machinery?

To get to Paimon then and why all that setup mattered. Because technological life mimicry isn't foreign to Genshin, and complex AIs have been introduced, would it then be far-fetched to theorize that perhaps Paimon is one said complex AI? A machine made to mimic living beings, to a point where they are indistinguishable from it?

Part 2: AI

I think the most common, and certainly not a new theory, is that she is an AI, but what kind of AI or which one. As an AI she would need to use a form data center to be trained on- her vast knowledge of Teyvat does imply might’ve been fed on data stored within Irminsul. Her knowledge is also somewhat outdated, while not completely irrelevant, it’s also important to not that she is affected by Irminsul. We do know objects like books, and puppets like Wanderer are affected so being a living thing isn’t precedent for being affected- it simply needs to be Teyvat in origin. Which does imply she is Teyvat in origin that’s for sure.

To further the idea that she is in fact an AI or at least a form of complex machinery she is not affected by the abyss or most things that affect others, while it makes why Traveler isn’t affected why her? We could look at pattern recognition and see what else is resistant to the abyss- so back to Wanderer we go. Wanderer when he was Baladeer was resistant enough to the abyss that he was often sent there, although it doesn't seem like alchemical lifeforms are resistant to it though so it might be the difference in built with organic vs inorganic materials. Where the former is a product extracted by living things thus is more susceptible to decay and rot (abyssal rot in this case) and the latter is non living and therefore susceptible to long term wear and tear but not rot itself. Paimon could very well be that kind of AI built from organic materials rather than inorganic ones. But I do have an alternative theory, well two of them but I will only be expanding on one in this.

Part 3: Virus

The possibility that Paimon is a form of both biological and computer virus. I will start with the biological angle as it relates more closely to my theory. A biological virus is not a living thing despite being able into the characteristics of living things almost perfectly. Rather, it is pseudo alive within its own category. It requires a host to live. If Paimon functions similarly to a virus than she is embedded into the Teyvat itself as her host.

Additionally there are dormant and active viruses- where an active one directly causes harm as it enters the body, a dormant one can remain undetected for years, replicating and performing tasks while blending almost perfectly with the existing system. Paimon herself is an anomaly within Teyvat, yet somehow remains unquestioned, she blends well with other characters and creatures in general. She could very well be a form of dormant virus that remains undetected within Teyvat while being a somewhat foreign object still.

A computer virus on the other hand needs to write its own code within an existing one, which could potentially explain why Paimon has various reference to exiting”Admins” of Teyvat if we run by Teyvat being a computer. The Teyvat admins include the archons who have demon names and she has a demon name (3rd descender), the moon sisters to which Paimon has the three moons in her cape, and currently Traveler is an added new user and she is constantly around Traveler almost like studying her. Not necessarily malicious but definitely data mining. It also means she is almost undetectable by the base system.

In both case her existence is not based on herself but on the fact that she is connected to an already existing host within the system- i.e her living status is dependent not individual. If the host dies so does she.

Part 3: Is she an object?

Notably so, despite clearly showing traits of being sentient, she is often referred to by non-living terms. Be it object, emergency food, balloon or ghost- the only notable exceptions are seelie and fairy, in both cases the former is an a supposedly near extinct race and the other is a husk of an a bygone race.

The reason why I bring these up is that the fact that she is often treated as an object. Which brings me to my final point: The Temple of Space. Paimon wasn’t dragged to hell, not because she lacked any desires, I think we all know she does be it treasure or traveler, she has attachment, rather the system itself did not identify her desires as desires but coding. To bring back my previous question: How alive is Karkata? And to further it, was Karkata’s grief over the loss of it’s creator a result of simple coding or actual expression of grief as proof of mechanical lifeforms being capable of emotions. If we assume the world believes it is the former then Temple could very read Paimon’s desires as such and thus not seeing it as real desires to begin with.

Part 3: Summary (TL;DR)

Paimon is a sentient non-living being. She is either an AI or a virus in Teyvat. The temple of space does not acknowledge her actual sentience as sentience and instead as complex coding and thus did not validate her desires.

By the way this isn't meant to be a conclusive theory but a proposition one, simply analyzing patterns based on existing data and making a proposition based on that- it is specifically made to be debated, argued and falsified as much as possible. In a sense it's my form of a null hypothesis. So please give all your suggestions in the commonets on whether you agree or not, and what could be added or discarded.

Hi all, I have been making this theory for a little while now which discusses the internal mechanisms of fate some of those implications. It’s still not quite done, but I think there’s enough here to share. I included it as a google doc because I’m bad at Reddit formatting. I don’t think this breaks a rule from what I read but if it does please let me know and I’ll take it down.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-1fhRbLP7OwKGcsMu764CqEFiYfdcA_8y5flIuYYXPs/edit?usp=sharing

I will add a caveat that it does rely on the AI HP theory as part of its basis, so I’m emphasizing that now. I hope you all have fun reading it. And if you have any feedback or constructive criticism, I’d love to hear it.

Understandably, excitement is at an all-time high right now with the new update finally bringing one of the most long-awaited and highly anticipated storylines. Please keep in mind that the subreddits filter no longer works appropriately and posts are no longer being reviewed prior to appearing on the subreddit anymore.

That said, we ask that members please be considerate when posting datamined leaks prior to maintenance/update launch.

If at all possible, please try to avoid including major leaked story information in posts [especially in the title 😫] at least until maintenance begins. Doing so will help avoid unintentionally spoiling members who are hoping to experience the update blind. Take this time to really digest the information and build up an analysis. You can use google docs or any platform you prefer to draft your post.

Leaks/datamined content are allowed as part of an analysis post on this subreddit, and ideally this should be reserved for in-depth theory/analysis discussions with the datamined/leaked information is being used for support.

Post made just to share information from the game are typically not allowed. Quick information sharing is allowed in the megathread.

If the community would prefer that the megathread for the new content be posted today to provide a space for discussion please leave a comment so that we can see how many are wanting to discuss the information now.

Thank you all for keeping the community in mind before the update launches.

Hey guys, I’m Flora, a graduate student majoring in Strategic Communication at the National University of Malaysia. As part of my master’s thesis, I am conducting a study to explore international players’ interpretations of Liyue and Chinese elements and their role as a strategic communication tool. i am finding some participants for my academic research's focus group (no ads, no commercial); if you interested in this topic, plz pm me!!

Hello! I've got a lore/logistics question regarding the Scaramouche deletion in Irminsul.

If a painting were made of his likeness while he was an active harbinger, what would happen to it after he was erased from Irminsul? Would the painting never have existed? Become unclear? Just seem like a random guy? How would that work for the person making the painting?

Thank you for any answers you all can offer :)

Yes, I know the identity of the Statue of the Omnipresent God is "confirmed", and that it's supposed to be Ei. I also know there are numerous arguments to support this, but we're all aware that the statue doesn't resemble Ei.

Arguments in favor of Ei

Before proposing another interpretation, it's important to address the arguments that most people already accept.

1. The statue’s wings

Ei possesses the same wings as the Statue of the Omnipresent God. This is undeniable and represents the strongest visual link between the two.

2. Direct in-game statements

It's explicitly stated that the statue is Ei on two occasions, once by Yamada and once by Arataki Itto. These are the only times in which the game directly mentions the statue’s identity.

That Vision, which should have become a part of the statue of the Almighty Shogun, is now in the hands of some unknown ronin... Alas, what a terrible omen!

That said, unlike threats of "the Great Mujina Youkai grabbing you and taking you deep into the mountains," or "being inlaid upon the Shogun's statue," the scenario threatened here can actually occur.

3. The title “Omnipresent God”

Ei is referred to as the Omnipresent God, and the statue’s original title is Thousand-Armed and Hundred-Eyed God, which is also associated with her.

The Omnipresent God is a thing of the past, and yet the storm has not abated, and the scars on this land have not healed. She remains deep within her personal plane, balancing "Eternity" and "Wishes" in her hands as if on a scale. Go forth and try to open this god's heart to the images of the transient mortal realm.

Considering all these points, the conclusion seems obvious... the statue has Ei's wings, it's said to be Ei, and furthermore, the statue's name is a title of Ei. However, there's still a significant problem that could completely invalidate this conclusion, and that is, as I said at the beginning, the statue doesn't resemble Ei.

The statue does not resemble Ei

This is the central issue. If the Statue of the Omnipresent God were truly meant to represent Ei, its design should resemble her, just as is the case with other giant statues of gods.

• The statue of Barbatos in Mondstadt is identical to Barbatos.

• The statue of Columbina in Nod Krai is identical to Columbina.

• Even Ei’s (not Makoto’s) statue of the Seven is a faithful representation of her appearance.

However, the Statue of the Omnipresent God in Inazuma does not resemble Ei at all. The statue’s design cannot be dismissed as a simple coincidence, especially in a game where almost everything is carefully controlled. Such a clear difference is very likely intentional, soo, if the statue is not Ei, then whom does it represent? Ronova.

The statue’s wings

This isn't really the strongest argument. Only two characters are known to have these wings, Ei and Ronova. This alone doesn't prove that the statue belongs to one or the other, but it does open the possibility that it belongs to either of them.

Unreliable sources

The in-game statements confirming that the statue is of Ei come from ordinary Inazuma characters. Neither Yamada nor Itto can be considered reliable sources on this matter. They, like any other Inazuma resident, believe the statue is of the Shogun, the idea that this statue represents another god makes no sense to them.

The statue's design

And let's return to the main issue, if the statue truly represented Ei, the developers could have easily made it resemble her. They've consistently done so in other cases, especially with her statue of the Seven. The fact that this isn't the case here perhaps implies that the Statue of the Omnipresent God was never intended to represent Ei.

On the other hand, the statue shares more visual/physical similarities with Ronova, particularly in the hairstyle and elements reminiscent of what might be a veil.

So, people were somehow able to sculpt Ei's wings with perfect precision, but not her face, even though they probably never saw her wings and literally had her image in their sight for hundreds of years...

Of course, many might argue that Inazuma never saw Ronova either, but perhaps that's not entirely true. Here, I'm going to reuse an old theory about the statue, which is the only reasonable explanation I can think of. The statue wasn't built recently.

The origin of the statue

I know it's stated that the statue is "under construction" but that doesn't necessarily mean it's being sculpted or carved.

As one theory suggests, the statue could have been brought from elsewhere, which would make a lot of sense. After all, the statue hasn't changed since we first arrived in Inazuma, and the crack at the base hardly seems like a coincidence.

It's possible it belonged to a civilization from the First Era, before the islands were formed, that worshipped Ronova (similar to Arcadia with Istaroth), where her image or appearances were recurrent and well known, I mean, enough to be represented in a statue.

We all know that Inazuma was once a single, large landmass. However, after the fall of the Eternal Moon, the ocean levels rose dramatically, causing the region to fragment into the islands we know today. It's very likely that numerous civilizations were buried beneath the sea… and this could be one of them. Therefore, the Statue of the Omnipresent God was extracted from the depths of the sea.

And this scene seems to depict that event, you can see the reflection of the water beneath the statue, as well as several ropes tied to it, as if they were being used to pull it from the seabed. You can literally hear the sound of water if you turn up the volume.

So the statue would have been discovered among the ruins of that civilization buried beneath the sea, taken out of the water and moved to the center of the city by order of the Shogun.

The name of the statue

The statue's original name, statue of the Thousand-Armed and Hundred-Eyed God, is often considered to belong exclusively to Ei, mainly because it's literally one of her titles. However, is it truly hers alone?

To explain, I will use the original description, in chinese, found in one of the drops of the Magatsu Mitake Narukami no Mikoto:

已经化做祸神的「她」, 同样可以驾驭此等手眼神通

Translation:

“She,” having already transformed into a Calamitous God, can likewise wield this kind of divine power of hands and eyes.

This implies that the power of “hands and eyes” is a characteristic of calamitous gods, and that Ei gained access to this power by becoming one...

What Is a calamitous god?

Calamitous gods are described as beings capable of bringing disasters and curses with nothing more than their gaze:

Since they are able to bring down curse and catastrophe alike with a mere gaze, it might seem natural to blame life’s misfortunes on calamitous deities.

These entities wield divine power of hands and eyes, and as mentioned earlier, Ei, having become a calamitous deity, can use this power.

Reinterpretation of the statue’s name

Ronova is a calamitous god, and I hope I don't have to explain that, from my point of view, it's quite obvious. Ronova is primarily known for being the Ruler of Death and for having imposed the curse of immortality upon Khaenri'ah.

If calamitous gods wield divine power of hands and eyes, then the title Thousand-Armed and Hundred-Eyed God can be understood as:

A calamitous god who exercises divine power of hands and eyes.

Under this interpretation, the title Thousand-Armed and Hundred-Eyed God fits Ronova perfectly, who, being a calamitous god, can use the divine power of hand and eyes, especially considering all her motifs involving eyes.

The people fear you, for you see all, hear all, and judge all.

The symbol of Inazuma's eternity

Yeah, the Statue of the Omnipresent God is Inazuma's symbol of eternity, but what does it really mean, and how can death be related to Inazuma's eternity?

...and this Statue of the Omnipresent God can be seen as Inazuma's symbol of eternity.

Come into contact with the Statue of the Omnipresent God, the symbol of Eternity.

Because the essence of Inazuma's eternity IS death.

Light is the yearning of the land of thunder. Though they must live forever on the earth, humanity will always reach for the light. Mortals will pursue and surpass, and they will never stop. A sealed eternity may, perhaps, look magnificent, but its essence is death.

So, in short, the statue of the Omnipresent God (if that was indeed its original name, as it could easily have been renamed) was carved by some civilization of the First Era, in honor of Ronova. It was recently discovered by the Shogunate and brought to the city. Obviously Ei remains deeply connected to the statue, after all, she and Makoto are Ronova's creations.

Phanes/heavenly principles/first descender.

Is the spaceship the twins came in, you can get the loredump from their new skins.

It talks about a being that traveled countless stars searching for a home for civilization, that the first to be born were twins and that turning an entire planet into a suitable ecosystem was nothing for it, that even altering a star was not much.

That it deactivated its "idea association module" basically its Emotional intelligence.

Phanes is basically a pioneer of mankind using the genetic info he has to try to bring human life into Teyvat.

It's traumatized from all the worlds it saw perish and has become a coldblooded machine who only thinks rationally.

Thats about it.

The sky is fake and all "tears" tend to look like some kind of deformed cubic shapes.

All kinda glitchy.

With what we know about Teyvat, the abyss, the fake sky, the upside down tree??

It could even be safe to assume that Phanes arrived, but while he was bringing life the planet collapsed and it had to create "Teyvat", which I also think it's viable to say could be a sort of "safe area" or "bunker".

Do you know how civilizations fall?? On their own weight, searching more.

That's why Phanes keeps them locked and tight, since it can't think emotionally due to the IAM being deactivated it think it's better to keep them closed up from going forward too much.

Paimon looks like a celestial nail. Paimon also loves to eat. Traveler purifies but travelers always conveniently next to Paimon. Nails seal, suppress and purify. Paimon ate/sealed away an abyss infected Asmoday. 

Who else has eaten a shade? Rhinedottir. She ate life and has created it many times before that, who’s to say she didn’t create a sentient nail to consume another god for her? This could be why Alice called herself Paimon’s Aunt in paralogism, It was playful but Alice is sneaky like that. She considers herself an aunt of Albedo Rhinedottirs other child as well so i don’t think it’s a coincidence.

The Hexenzirkels main attribute has been the ability to defy the heavenly principles. Always doing things that go against time and space, somehow without getting caught. Rhinedottir isn’t being faithful to the shades; she infiltrated them with the goddess of life as a mask. Alice still seems to trust her and she sent out Albedo to learn truths that the heavenly principles wouldn’t want people to know, so I think her alliances are clear.

Perhaps she sent Paimon to watch the traveler because the travelers a descender, that’s why the Hexenzirkel seem to know all about them. “A flower who is not of this world and a guide that will not get lost” was a prophecy left behind by the Hexenzirkel, ofc someone with a built in gps in her stomach wouldn’t get lost..

disclaimer: idk if this is already a theory I’ve never cared to fully read Paimon theories cause she’s too goofy to me to be Asmoday or some super computa, she’s just a nail.

Can someone please explain to me why the community is obsessed saying the Tsaritsa is Bronya or Elysia, I have limited honkai knowledge and I dont understand why these theories are more popular then Ana Schariac. Like did a big youtuber popularize these theories cause as an outside observer Ana Schariac fits better from everything we know about the Tsaritsa.

Like from what I understand big part of Ana Schariac story is losing her lover Owl, and one of the things we know about Tsaritsa is losing her lover 3rd descender. Like shes the herrscher of ICE and I'm expected to believe herrschers of truth/origin are a better fit. This isnt a post to throw shade I just need someone to explain it to me. Like am I crazy or is the fandom just being swept up in whatever is popular.

So I was rewatching Simulanka recently, and I realized that the first act of the main story in the Forest of Blessing might actually contain a lot of foreshadowing for the upcoming Luna 7 / 6.6 Archon Quest.

This will probably be quite a long post, because I’ll retell most of the Forest of Blessing story here so people who don’t want to rewatch the event can still follow along with the theory and parallels I’m talking about.

I’ll try to break down some of the parallels and possible hints I noticed. I’d also love to discuss it further and hear other interpretations, because I feel like they implied more than I can fully grasp right now.

1. The General Setting

The story revolves around the “Forest of Blessing,” which already points to Sumeru, and the story also focuses on Nilou. These two are obvious, but not only that — the Forest of Blessing becomes the place before Act 2 of the Simulanka story, which takes place in Constellation Metropole. And as we can see, Constellation Metropole is most likely a foreshadowing of Snezhnaya (at least visually).

I’m sure many people have already mentioned this, so I don’t need to explain more. But I think it’s interesting that Luna 7 / 6.6 also happens shortly before Snezhnaya’s release, just like how the Forest of Blessing comes before Constellation Metropole.

2. The Calligraphy Tavern and Magic Tonic

In the Forest of Blessing, there is this place called the Calligraphy Tavern, which produces something known as Magic Tonic for the origami creatures living in the forest.

The Magic Tonic is basically ink that is said to maintain the vitality of the origami creatures. If the origami beings go too long without consuming it, their colors gradually begin to fade. Along with that, they slowly lose their memories until they can no longer even remember their own names.

In Teyvat, the memories and records of everything originating from Teyvat are connected to the Ley Lines, while the Ley Lines themselves are rooted in Irminsul. Irminsul acts as the repository of all information and memories within Teyvat, and disturbances in the Ley Lines are often shown to affect the beings around them, especially their memories. We have already seen multiple examples throughout the story of how the Ley Lines and Irminsul can alter, erase, or preserve memories.

So if we connect the two, the Calligraphy Tavern might resemble Irminsul itself, while the Magic Tonic might resemble the information flowing through the Ley Lines — including memories, souls, elements, and all kinds of data connected to Teyvat’s existence.

However, unlike the beings and objects in Teyvat, which seem to remain constantly connected to the Ley Lines and Irminsul at all times, the origami beings in Simulanka do not appear to rely on a continuous connection. Instead, they only need to periodically replenish the ink within their bodies to prevent their colors from fading and their memories from disappearing.

If I were to make an analogy, the beings of Teyvat are like a system constantly connected to a central network. The Ley Lines continuously carry memories, souls, and elements throughout the world, while Irminsul functions as the central repository that stores and regulates all of that data. As long as the connection remains stable, everything functions normally.

However, once that connection becomes disturbed, abnormalities begin to appear. Memories can become distorted or erased, souls may weaken, and even existence itself can be affected.

The origami beings of Simulanka, however, seem to function differently. Rather than relying on a constant connection, they are more like beings operating on temporary local storage. The Magic Tonic acts as a stored reserve of “data” within their bodies, allowing them to continue functioning independently for a period of time.

But once the ink begins to run dry, their colors fade, their souls weaken, and they gradually lose their memories until they can no longer even remember their own names.

Another way to look at it is through the analogy of electricity. Beings in Teyvat are like devices that must remain constantly connected to a power source in order to function properly. Once the connection becomes unstable or disrupted, malfunctions begin to occur throughout the system.

Meanwhile, the origami beings are more like battery-powered devices: they can continue operating independently for a while, but eventually need to recharge by replenishing the Magic Tonic within their bodies.

Regardless, there is a clear parallel between the Calligraphy Tavern = Irminsul and Magic Tonic = the substance within the Ley Lines.

3. Magic Tonic Ingredients

For the origami creatures, the Magic Tonic is what preserves their existence, while the Calligraphy Tavern is responsible for producing and distributing it. But how exactly is the Magic Tonic created in the first place?

In the story, Nilou mentions that there are three ingredients needed to create the Magic Tonic:

• “A setting sun that never sets,” referring to Sunsettia
• “A dragon that cannot fly,” referring to Snapdragon
• “A moon that only shines at night,” referring to Nilotpala Lotus

Before getting into the meaning behind these three ingredients, there’s another detail I want to point out.

While searching for the ingredients, two origami frogs mention that the moon has been stolen. Right afterward, we find two Nilotpala Lotuses surrounded by Fungi, and we have to fight them in order to obtain the flowers.

This one clearly foreshadows Dottore (the Fungi) stealing the two Moon Marrows (Nilotpala Lotuses), with us eventually having to fight in order to reclaim them.

I think they deliberately placed this scene within the Forest of Blessing story because the 6.6 / Luna 7 Archon Quest will likely take place after the Nod-Krai Archon Quest event.

Now, back to the three ingredients.

These ingredients could symbolize many different things within Teyvat, but considering that the Magic Tonic is directly tied to memory, souls, and elements, what stands out the most to me is the possibility that they represent the three primordial powers.

The first ingredient, “a setting sun that never sets,” may symbolize Phlogiston, a primordial power deeply connected to the sun and fire. Phlogiston is described as a higher or more advanced form of Pyro, and it functions similarly to a form of programmable matter capable of storing information. This really ties in with how the Magic Tonic in Simulanka works.

The second ingredient, “a dragon that cannot fly,” refers to Snapdragon in the story. Snapdragon grows near water, and the Chinese name of Snapdragon is 金鱼草, which literally means “goldfish grass.” The only playable Dragon Sovereign currently on our side is the Hydro Dragon Sovereign, who is deeply connected to the Primordial Sea, the origin of much of life in Teyvat. Because of this, I think the second ingredient most likely represents Primordial Seawater.

The third ingredient, “a moon that only shines at night,” is perhaps the most straightforward symbolically, and most likely refers to lunar power or Kuuvahki. Nilotpala Lotus itself is called 月莲 in Chinese, literally meaning “Moon Lotus.”

We know that Phlogiston and Kuuvahki are branches of the Light Realm energy, which is the original form of elemental energy in Teyvat, while Primordial Seawater is capable of creating life.

In the 6.6 trailer, Collei uses a device created by Kaveh that can convert elemental energy back into its original form. So I wonder if the “Magic Tonic” and its three ingredients are actually foreshadowing the process of restoring or recreating that primordial state of energy itself.

This is just one interpretation of the three ingredients, and honestly I’m still not fully sure if this makes sense. I made these ingredients their own section because I think they could foreshadow something beyond the Forest of Blessing story itself, so I hope maybe someone can point out a better interpretation of this.

I also have other interpretations of the Magic Tonic and the three ingredients that are much more related to the story of 6.6 and make more sense, which I’ll explain in the next section.

4. Forest of Blessing Story

The main story of Forest of Blessing (Simulanka Story Act 1) starts when we encounter Almond in the Cliff of Prophecy.

He tells us about the prophecy:

The hero from another world, supported by their companions, shall restore peace to this world.

But he forgot who gave him this order.

Almond then tells us much more information, including the crisis happening in the forest: some of the origami creatures are experiencing “Fading Colors,” causing them to lose their memories and even some of their abilities, because the Calligraphy Tavern that produces Magic Tonic has been closed after the dragon’s attack.

I think this crisis foreshadows Sumeru’s crisis regarding Irminsul in the 6.6 Archon Quest, and this crisis will affect the people of Sumeru similarly to how forbidden knowledge corrupted Irminsul, affecting the land through Withering and the people through Eleazar.

The closed Calligraphy Tavern looks like ashes after being burned, so maybe the timeline this story foreshadows is after Irminsul was burned, or maybe it's just symbolism.

Then we go to the Hut of Blessing to find the Forest Fairy prophesied to join the Hero on the journey.

Nilou acts as the Forest Fairy in this story, and she says that in a dream before entering Simulanka, she was told to save the forest using the magic she possessed.

In the upcoming 6.6 Archon Quest, Collei also dreams about the burning Irminsul, and Nicole says that dreams can act as signs of the future. Collei is also the one performing something within Nicole’s circle in the trailer.

So I think Collei may become the “Forest Fairy” of the Archon Quest story.

Nilou wears her Forest Fairy skin, whose main design theme is Padisarah. Padisarah is a flower born from Nabu Malikata, and it went extinct after her death. Nilou’s default design already resembles Nabu Malikata a lot, and they has always tied Nilou closely to her, so I think they wanted to emphasize that connection even more here in the story.

If Nilou is foreshadowing Collei’s role in the Archon Quest, then this might also imply that Collei will somehow have a connection to Nabu Malikata as well.

Nilou also tells us that she spent time reading all the books in the Hut of Blessing to understand the world of Simulanka and learn how to help the Forest of Blessing.

One of the books gives this explanation about magic:

The incantation, ‘Abracadabra,’ means ‘to create what I say.’ This is a world of words, where fantastical powers can be wielded by all.

Nilou then tries to perform magic by taking one origami creature, kissing its forehead, saying her wishes to it, naming it “Padisarah,” and successfully bringing it to life.

I think this is also a connection to Nabu Malikata “creating” the Jinn.

When Nilou performs the magic, she says she can sense the magic flowing through the forest — in the flowers, the trees, and inside the creatures living there — but there is also some hollowed-out space beneath the Tavern where she cannot sense anything at all.

There, they find an empty ink bottle that was meant to store the Magic Tonic.

This empty ink bottle immediately reminded me of Wanderer.

If the Magic Tonic symbolizes some kind of “existence ink” — a substance that keeps beings written into the world — then an empty ink bottle could represent an empty vessel meant to contain that very substance.

Wanderer was created to hold something, yet was left empty, and much of his story revolves around searching for what could fill that emptiness: a heart, an identity, a purpose, or even a place within the world itself.

The hollow space beneath the Tavern, where no magic could be sensed, also feels reminiscent of his connection to Irminsul — especially after he erased himself, leaving behind what was essentially an absence in the world’s memory.

An empty bottle is still a vessel. It can still be filled.

And somehow, that makes me wonder whether Wanderer himself could eventually become a new container for whatever “existence ink” sustains Teyvat, considering his core also from Irminsul.

Nilou also says that she learned how to make the Magic Tonic from the books in the Hut of Blessing, where the information is presented in the form of three riddles.

Each of the three riddles mentions one ingredient:

• “A setting sun that never sets” (possibly symbolizing Phlogiston, Deshret, the Pyro Gnosis, or Mavuika)

• “A dragon that cannot fly” (possibly symbolizing Primordial Seawater, Apep, or Amrita)

• “A moon that only shines at night” (possibly symbolizing Kuuvahki, Thoth, or the Frost Moon)

In the 6.6 trailer, Collei directly quotes the words of Nabu Malikata from the Scroll of Streaming Song book:

I am a spirit created at the beginning,
I am a flickering illusion,
I am the shimmering light that flows from the eyes of the creator.

This book contains the story of Nabu Malikata testing Rukkhadevata’s wisdom by giving her three riddles.

I think it’s quite clear that the three ingredients written as riddles foreshadow the three riddles in the Scroll of Streaming Song book, and they might become the key to solving Sumeru’s crisis in the Archon Quest.

But I still can’t say for sure how the three riddles and their answers will actually save the crisis. And honestly, because I wanted to post this before preinstall, I didn’t have enough time to dig into it more deeply.

So I’ll leave the riddles from the Scroll of Streaming Song book here for discussion.

The first riddle:

What is cold as the dead while alive,
Yet gives warmth upon death?

The first answer:

You speak of the fragile rose of late spring. Even when covered in thorns, her beauty shines through.
Her flowers plucked to make perfume, her stems snipped into the wicks of oil lamps.
Lovers throughout history have been smitten by her, and even the king in red admires her beauty.
But the rose has never pined for anyone. She merely withers with the new moon and morning dew.

The second riddle:

What rises from the earth, then descends from the sky,
No one has seen it, yet it sees all,
As above, so below, and as at the bottom, so too, the top,
Yet only top to bottom may be, and never bottom to top?

The second answer:

You speak of the universal law created in heaven, the divine laws established in the beginning.
No one has seen the eternal law, yet it governs all.
One may only bow down and worship Vaana of the heavenly spirits — no arrogation, deception, or trickery is permitted.
If one dares to imitate the forbidden arts, only calamity awaits at the edge of divine knowledge.

The third riddle:

What cannot stop arrows, yet can stop destruction,
Cannot destroy armor, yet can destroy cities,
Does not submit to envoys from above, nor kingdoms down below,
What can neither gods nor demons, for all their might, prevail over?

That princess answered thusly:

You speak of endless wisdom, it is what protects the civilization of (...).
It will be reborn with (...), and remain eternal like (...).
Even if the sands of time swirl beneath its feet, it will still remain like (...) ten million years after.
The people will rejoice because of its (...), and it will (...) because of them.

Nilou then creates the Magic Tonic based on the instructions from the book. We give it to Almond, and it really restores his colors. Nilou then tells Almond to bring the concoction (the Magic Tonic) to the room underneath the Tavern and place it next to the empty ink bottle.

I think this detail — putting the concoction filled with Magic Tonic underneath the Tavern — will actually happen in the Archon Quest.

From the trailer, we can see Traveler seemingly fighting Dottore while carrying something in his hand.

The place also looks like they are inside Irminsul itself, so I think the foreshadowing comes in here. I think this device or object needs to be placed somewhere inside Irminsul… or maybe even on “Dottore” itself.

Nilou then performs the magic by chanting her wishes and creating rain made from the Magic Tonic, which heals the Calligraphy Tavern.

The origami creatures regain their colors, and Almond also says that he finally remembers everything.

He remembers that he was the one who went to the top of Constellation Metropole and witnessed the Goddess’s Prophecy. The prophecy said that the Hero would descend from the Cliff of Prophecy, which is why he waited there in the first place.

I think it’s interesting that Almond only remembers the prophecy after the Calligraphy Tavern itself is restored, not after Nilou gives him the Magic Tonic directly.

So I think this foreshadows how the truth of Teyvat — and things erased from Irminsul — may only return once Irminsul itself is restored.

I also want to mention that the story uses “rain” to heal the forest.

And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that rain is also something that can extinguish a burning tree.

So if Irminsul really burns during the Archon Quest, I think it will eventually be extinguished by some form of “rain,” just like Nilou did in Simulanka.

---

That’s mostly everything I can say for now.

I skipped many details because I still can’t fully figure out what they might foreshadow, especially the parts where we help the origami creatures prepare to reopen the Tavern.

But honestly, I really recommend rewatching the Forest of Blessing story again.

This may just be a silly thought/theory that actually has no ground to stand on. It just suddenly came to me and I thought it’d be too cool of one not to share.
Basically, since every traveler can pick their siblings in the start of the game, what if that’s also part of the story? Both versions - Aether as traveller, Lumine as the abyss sibling AND Lumine as traveller, Aether as abyss sibling either happen simultaneously for some reason or it’s a big time loop with both of them experiencing each other’s journey without knowing that. It’s probably not true at all but it’s a fun sibling theory, I really love both of them and this just seems like a fun connection.

The Trompe-l'œil of Phanes

Rumor has it that people who've ascended to Celestia have also witnessed the same helix-shaped divine ladder that can be seen within Visions. Venturing out into the universe and down into the abyss are the same in that both are braving the dark unknown.

— The Spiral Abyss

Trompe-l'œil (French for 'deceive the eye'; /trɒmpˈlɔɪ/ tromp-LOY; French: [tʁɔ̃p lœj]) is an artistic technique that creates a highly realistic optical illusion of three-dimensional space and objects on a two-dimensional surface. Trompe-l'œil, which is most often associated with painting, tricks the viewer into perceiving painted objects or spaces as real.

Nicole looks up at the ghostly Celestia. The shot of her eye is contrasted with the "sun" or "eye" of Phanes, which is a Trompe-l'œil artwork.

What is the teaser trying to tell us?

That our eyes are being deceived.

The Power of the Abyssal Moon

What does the Abyssal Moon have the power to do?

It has the power to reset time cyclically.

The Abyssal Moon Spire will reset itself every month, with a new Lunar Phase occurring on the sixteenth day.

What else in Genshin is associated with the number sixteen?

The world-formula. It has sixteen nodes.

As you can see, it is a magick set in motion by the three particles above the "Kingdom."

Yet, its metaphysical origin lies in the emanations of the four particles beneath the "Firmament."

In Chinese, the Moment of Syzygy is the Moment of the New Moon.

Columbina's rise was planned by Phanes. Even after her ascension, she is still bound by the strings of fate.

We had an event in version 6.4, Luna V, immediately after the rise of the New Moon. And how does it start? Back on the beach with Paimon.

In the Temple of Space, when we get sent to the Apathic Interval ("Hell"), where do we end up? Back on the beach with Paimon.

Alice was making fun of us because she knows we're on the verge of the world being reset.

That's why she and the Hexenzirkel are preparing bubble worlds, to preserve whatever they can.

Though there is no meaning in this world within an eggshell,

The "fortune" we speak of is not some false metaphor,

In 14 billion "years" of darkness,

It is the sum of all that is destined to happen and all that never will.

Partings, encounters, and partings once more,

Birth, destruction, and birth yet again,

In the darkness of 93 billion "years" of light,

All existence holds meaning unknown to any,

Without which this universe would seem too solitary.

The Inverse Operation of the Abyss

The Abyss is made up of fates that were not chosen in Teyvat.

They are mirror worlds.

EDIT: Explaining this point a little better:

1. If Teyvat repeatedly "chooses" (or is forced to choose) extinction events as its fate, over and over and over again, then the only fate left possible in its Abyssal mirror is a perfect world where nothing bad ever happens.
2. The Abyssal Moon "eggshell" is intended to be the future Teyvat, the one with a happy ending, once the Teyvat in the material universe has suffered enough times.
3. This recursion of fate is like the wheel of samsara, karma, and nirvana.
4. In Buddhism, worlds protected from bad karma are called a "Pure World," which are sustained by a Buddha.
5. A famous proponent of this "Pure World" theory was the Japanese Monk named "Genshin."

If Phanes destroys Teyvat enough times, it will be impossible for the world inside of the Abyssal Moon to experience negative fate. It will be a perfect utopia.

Alone in his estate, Ike sat, nursing a glass of apple juice. A knock came from Princess Andro-Basilisks.

[...]

The Princess swirled her glass. "In all these broken shards of time, is there really no ending meant for me?"

"Would you truly reach across the branches of possibility to steal joy from the other versions of yourself?"

Vera's Melancholy references The Gods Themselves and The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World.

Both stories are about exploiting a mirror world.

The Gods Themselves is more so about arbitrage, both worlds exploiting opposing rules of physics to mutual benefit (and mutual destruction), while The Beast That Shouted Love is about the world in the center of time and space dumping its negative possibilities onto every other world in order to achieve perfection in its own protected heaven.

Oh, is this apple for me? Haha, that won't do, come share this apple with me.

Split it open like this...and you will feel the breeze from the apple core.

In some fairy tales, it is written that there is a whole tiny world hidden inside an apple core, and this breeze is a gift from the tiny world.

Here, this half is for you. Once you're done eating, let's take a stroll in the tiny little world.

But remember to keep it a secret and don't tell anyone else. That's because... you're the only one I want to bring there.

When I heard the music in Nicole's teaser I genuinely thought it was Lacrimosa by Mozart.

Nicole's teaser music:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=q3wl852ZTPY&pp=ygUTTmljb2xlIHRlYXNlciBtdXNpYw%3D%3D

Lacrimosa by Mozart:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k1-TrAvp_xs&pp=ygUJbGFjcnltb3Nh

The melody and general sound are REALLY similar. They’re both in the scale of D minor too, which adds to it.

Then I looked up the actual lyrics/themes behind Lacrimosa and it made the similarity even more sus and interesting to me - the piece is about divine judgment, punishment, asking for mercy etc.

While I guess a lot of classical pieces are about these stuff, maybe it has more to this.

The teaser already revolves around the whole angel rebellion/divine punishment theme.

It would also perfectly match Nicole's allegorical nature of storytelling.

Latin lyrics:

Lacrimosa dies illa

Qua resurget ex favilla

Judicandus homo reus

Huic ergo parce, Deus

Pie Jesu Domine

Dona eis requiem

English lyrics:

That day will be full of tears

When mankind rises again from the ashes

To be judged as guilty

Therefore spare them, God

Merciful Lord Jesus

Grant them rest

Also it's very interesting that it is said that the first 45 seconds of Lacrimosa is the last piece of music Mozart ever wrote before he died (he died young, at 35) The rest of it was finished by his pupil Franz Xaver Süssmayr after his death, which might imply it's when the "King of Darkness" took over Phanes' body, if this relates in any way?

If you want to read more about it:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lacrimosa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem_(Mozart)

Either way the connection felt deliberate enough for me to point out.

In quantum physics, superposition is the idea that something can exist in multiple possible states at the same time till it’s observed, and once observed it gets 'locked' into a definite state.

What if this is the essence of being a descender?

Maybe their state only becomes 'fixed' once observed by Celestia/Phanes?

That could explain why both Nibelung and characters that are third descender coded like Childe are so associated with the Abyss.

They could've started as beings without a fixed state, but drifted toward what Alice described as fixed 'fate that has not come to pass'.

I also wonder if this connects to Melanta's explanation about the primordial human being made from both light and dark.

In the Narzissenkreutz notes, it is implied that Primordial human equals descender.

If this is indeed the case - then a descender inherently contains/has the potential of all possibilities and maybe is in superposition/not in a fixed state.

That could explain why it can transcend fate in the first place.

It could also explain why the twins can absorb seemingly unlimited abyssal energy.

Maybe they can convert unrealized possibilities, 'fates that have not come to pass', from Abyss into potential to become real and in the opposite state - light.

In other words, maybe they can reverse engineer fate itself and shift a fixed outcome into a different possible state.

Also what if it's possible for a descender to truly transcend fate only during their cycle of arrival?

And then once they become fully integrated into Teyvat’s system, they aren't in superposition anymore and gain a fixed state like everyone else. That might be why Phanes is described in Nicole’s teaser as neither 'all powerful or all knowing', and paranoid of losing power.

Maybe even Phanes eventually became bound to a determined state.

Let me know what you think :)

​

When we heard this:

“Ronova: Unless..."

"Ronova: ...She loves her new master more than her own self…”

It was theorized that Asmoday's new master is the Abyss Twin.

If the traveller is Aether

“Melanta: My creator, my lord... why would you choose her‍ and abandon me?”

If the traveller is Lumine

“Melanta: My creator, my lord... why would you choose him‍ and abandon me?”

The theory is looks confirmed. The Abyss Twin is Asmoday's new master.

But I felt Melanta's words a little differently

Sounds like Melanta and Abyss Twin were in the same position. So I had an idea.

What if Aether and Lumine are also Asmoday’s creations?

In the concept of the names

Aether(Emptyness) and Nihilita(Nothingness) the meaning is very similar but the Nothingness is negative and the Emptiness is positive.

And Melanta(Melancholy) connects to Nihilita same way as Lumine(Light) connects the Aether.

(Note: There is a rather complex philosophy behind the concept of names related to Asmoday. This may will be another article)

Also when I fought with them Melanta and Nihilita I thought they were “weak”.

The Answer can read in Nihilita’s drops:

“Compared to the true divine envoys, these feathered watchers bear a closer resemblance to the "angels" of common lore. Perhaps this is because their own creator failed to grasp the divine design of the Winged One above, and can only clumsily imitate the shadow cast by that ideal.”

So I thought Melanta and Nihilita are the failed versions of Aether and Lumine.

And Aether and Lumine has a high potential.

Also there is Nihilita greetings.

“Nihilita: Noble traveler from distant realms, returnee from the sea of stars... Greetings. I bid you welcome.”

It's sounds like the Twins are from Teyvat.

And If they are Asmoday's children that's maybe the reason why she switched side..

But I made some mistakes...

Lumine and Aether promotions:

"The world you once knew is but dust, and the wonders you knew but rubble. Though you should have your own world, and your own people — lamenting what is already lost…"

“Don't lose faith in that which you have lost. In this new world, you will never be alone. Where you leave your footprints, and where you have yet to stride — your new world will unfold before you.

Welcome to a new world.”

K. K.

Chinese version (sorce Genshin Wiki)

「你的故国已经覆灭，宫城万顷也化作尘沙。你是本应该拥有世界，拥抱天地之人。但亡国的末裔啊，请不要悲叹这些逝去的时刻…」

Literal translation: "Your homeland has been destroyed, all of the architectures have reduced to dust. You are originally the one that should own your world and embrace the people within. But the last descendant of the subjugated civilization, please do not lament the lost moments…”

「…只要你拥有的高洁与善良不会改变，在新的天地，依然会有最好的伙伴与你同行。此处前方，此刻未来，皆是你的天地。」「欢迎来到世界。」

Literal translation: "...As long as your attitude of nobleness and kindness does not change, in the new world, there will always be best companions to travel with you. Where you are going ahead, and where your future lies — your new world will unfold before you." "Welcome to the world.”

Traveller Story

The keeper is fading away; the creator has not yet come.

But the world shall burn no more, for you shall ascend.

The original CN text: 维系者正在死去，创造者尚未到来。但世界不会再度灼烧，因为你将登上「神」之座。

Literal translation: The sustainer is passing away; the creator has not yet come. But the world shall burn no more, for you shall ascend to the seat of "the god.”

Aether and Lumine are the last survivors of a Lost World (Planet/Civilisation) and they were the “Prince” and the “Priness”

And also the Heir an Heiress of the Throne of the Heavenly Principles.

And not Asmoday (or not only her) who chose them

Columbia: Yes. Your spaceship. All this time, it has been hidden on the Frost Moon, which lay beyond the sky.

Traveller: What!?

Traveller: But why? Who could have done this...?

Columbina: The "great ruler of the firmament"... the Heavenly Principles.

Paimon: Wait, them!?

Paimon: Why would they do that...?

Columbina: I don't know. Perhaps your ship contains something that is incompatible with Teyvat. Or something that cannot be known.

Both Phanes and Asmoday prevents that Aether and Lumine leave Teyvat.

Or They want to the Twins stay un Teyvat.

That means Asmoday is not switched side.

She works with Phanes innsecret.

\----------

"On Phanes, or The Primordial One"

The Primordial One may have been Phanes. It had wings and a crown, and was birthed from an egg, androgynous in nature. But for the world to be created, the egg's shell had to be broken. However, Phanes, the Primordial One, used the eggshell to separate the "universe" and the "microcosm of the world."

If you see rhe crown as a metaphor of horns you maybe see someone who looks like Durin. A dragon who transformed into human.

Maybe the Spaceship did this.

Genetically modified a dragon egg, encoding knowledge and its role

Phanes the Primirdial One was birth from a dragon egg.

And start terraforming the planet for his/her creators/rulers.

Phanes was never the God King, but a Governor.

But when the Heir and Heiress arriwed they did not know their roles.

So...

The Abyss Twin (and the Traveller) is Asmoday's original master.