There was an incredible amount of lore dropped on us this patch. So much that it’s impossible for me to cover it all in a single video, so here’s a quick recap of the whole quest plus my preliminary thoughts.
I hope you all enjoyed this quest as much as I did! Definitely one of the best quests in the entire game to date.
**TIMESTAMPS**
0:00 Introduction
1:00 Quest Recap
7:50 Rukkhadevata & Nahida
10:16 Scaramouche
16:56 Dottore
19:45 Forbidden Knowledge
29:10 Gnosis (Chess Theory)
34:37 The Twins (Descenders)
38:20 Rapidfire Round (lorebits)
**READ + WATCH MORE**
Deep Blue vs Kasparov https://www.chess.com/article/view/deep-blue-kasparov-chess#kasparov-deep-blue-1996-match
The False Sky (by Ashikai) https://youtu.be/IQE9d8Df16I
Celestia’s Location (by WhaleMilk) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ekm0_gwPvg4
List of things changed after deleting Rukkhadevata: https://www.reddit.com/r/Genshin_Impact/comments/ykuixi/the_impact_of_the_aq_is_huge/
**GENSHIN WIKI LINKS**
Perilous Trail https://genshin-impact.fandom.com/wiki/At_Tunnel%27s_End,_Light
Zhongli SQ 1https://genshin-impact.fandom.com/wiki/A_Record_of_All_Things
Ei SQ 2 https://genshin-impact.fandom.com/wiki/Radiant_Sakura
Tighnari SQ 1 https://genshin-impact.fandom.com/wiki/The_Start_of_Contamination
Unreconciled Stars https://genshin-impact.fandom.com/wiki/Unreconciled_Stars
Husk of Opulent Dreams https://genshin-impact.fandom.com/wiki/Husk_of_Opulent_Dreams
Wings of Descension https://genshin-impact.fandom.com/wiki/Wings_of_Descension
Sword of Descension https://genshin-impact.fandom.com/wiki/Sword_of_Descension
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This probably wont be seen, but here is my potential answer to some of these questions. In the chess theory, perhaps Fontaine is a draw because neither the heavenly principles/Celestia or the Fatui win. I think it might be that abyss could show up and ruin everything for both sides, or they could “win” whatever might happen in Fontaine. I also think that it makes sense that the Fatui win considering we know that they’re facing Celestia and the heavenly principles, which we consider the actual evil. My theory is that the original Celestia (the first who came) was good and created all things. But the second descender to waged war and potentially took over Celestia (who rules it now) is not good. The Fatui seems evil now, but the Archons don’t really challenge them because (I think) they also do not like who currently rules over Celestia.
Oh and to answer your question about why we can interact with the environment so well despite not being from this world, I think that the answer there is definitely because of Paimon. I sorta base this off the Youtuber The Onion That Could. Paimon shares a demons name like ALL of the other gods we know so far, so she definitely has a higher power, or did at one point. And apparently it’s in the lore (one of the books or something) that Paimon helps the traveller sort of figure out how to use the elements. Perhaps she’s the one who channels them through us in the first place.
My theory: I think the Forbidden Knowledge is the game "breaking the fourth wall".
Nahida, an Avatar of the Irminsul, is like a computer. A matrix. The Forbidden Knowledge drives people insane because the ultimate truth where one person is not organically real and just a product of a matrix is naturally unacceptable.
For the Eleazar and Withering Zone, I think it's the glitch that comes with the leak of Forbidden Knowledge.
One point of contention I'd like to point out is, literally everything about Venti. In his voice lines he says he's met us before but brushes it off. Also he's connected to wind and time and all this stuff about the primordial one and phanes, yet history books say he was just 'some wind spirit' before becoming an archon? And why don't we see any other such 'wind spirits' then? Maybe some information has been rewritten in history about Venti/Barbatos
does this mean that scara is technically female? it makes me wonder what are these “androids” made of to have their own kind of conscience and make them because my assumption is that they are synthetic of some sort cus the raiden puppet hat jiggle physics but what is the inside made of
Bruh, the "forbidden Knowledge" is just another way of saying people's "silent hill" .
The deep unconsciousness manifesting to physicality. Another side of themselves where they never knew.
By discovering this forbidden knowledge it forces those people to face themselves. Majority that cannot overcome their "silent hill/forbidden knowledge" curse them and end up killing them.
THE END.
I could be wrong but wouldn't Albedo be another example of a mechancial or synthetic being that obtained a vision?
The Erasure or Death of Rukkhadevata is like the concept of Death of Atheist. Empty and Dark scary.
Personally I don’t really like how they shut down the Akasha. The system was misused and abused by the sages in the first place. Surely there could be best of both worlds, to promote safe and adequate use of the knowledge bank instead of disabling it at all. (Since the Akasha is like a digital library, in other words, Genshin’s Google) The same goes for the dream world, people could still have regular lives as long as they are educated to balance their desires and reality. And only confiscate their ability to enter their dream world when they are found abusing it.
I don’t know about you guys but Nahida’s attitude towards those problems just sounds like that of the Eremite shroom trainer (from the current event), too extreme and only focused on the cons.
They were there for a reason, why breaking them down when we could consolidate?
I love your videos and can usually follow but I tuned out for the chess bit because that shit just goes way over my head ngl. But slay
One key thing to bear in mind when dealing with all this is that everyTHING is an unreliable narrator. The archons may like the Traveler, but they serve the Heavenly Principles (if reluctantly) and may have their own agendas when exchanging information. Zhongli is at least the most straightforward, saying he is contractually bound not to say some things. Dains, other Twin, etc. are all known to be skewed, and the game client itself, via Irminsul, is shown to be unreliable source of info.
Hell, even the Traveler him/herself is unreliable. If there are no records of the Traveler in Irminsul, does the Traveler even exist? How do we know that the charas like Al-Haitham, Dehya, Nilou and Cyno remembers the Traveler? Maybe all they remember is the role "the First Sage of Buer" who helped them to restore the Dendro Archon, but not who that First Sage is.
I heard somewhere that scaramouche was made out of paper. The phrasing in the game made it sound like he was mechanical.
If you look at the description for the bird pet it says that its cloud retainers technology made using paper
Basically even though scaramouche is mechanical whatever he's made of could he anything cause god technology and magic doesnt even need to look or act like our normal idea of mechanical parts
Dottore ruined the mood after our victory
This quest got me wondering how venti knows us but we don’t remember him. Talking about his greeting voice line
my theory as to why the fatui just don't go full on attack with the archons is having to do with 1, the heavenly principles, and 2 the death of the archons themselves. nahida threatens to destroy an gnosis which she believes will wake up and summon the heavenly principles in order to maintain 'their world order' which if true having regular humans who have the power to ultimately kill a god would prove to be a world without order which is probably why they didn't kill venti. the second point is if the heavenly principles don't care for the death of the archons as they have died before with all but 2 being the original 7, it could imply that once an archon dies their gnosis either returns to celestia until a new archon is chosen or is immediately teleported to the newly born archon in which the fatui would have to begin their search in that nation once again. i don't believe venti allowed his gnosis to be taken but truly did just get blindsided by a feint attack.
Unpopular opinion:
The twins are actually dainsleaf and the seabling you don not play.
We (the traveler) are the 4th descender while dainsleaf and the prince/princess of the abyss are the 2nd and 3rd while the heavenly principles is the 1st.
Ideally descendants are sent to "clean" and regulate teyvat BUT every "version" of them encountered problems which changed their objective:
– the evenly principles found a teyvat that needed basic rules so she became the "god" we see.
(Insert upgrade from whomever sends the descendants)
– we have the twins who confronts them selves with a 3rd party, the abyss and their "plan" goes to shit
(Insert upgrade from whomever sends the descendants)
– we have MC who has to clean up the mess and, maby, some special abilities to do so (idk like the power to control the elements? Something which NONE of the firs descendants have)
10:50 Albedo is an example of an artificial being who earned a vision
My thoughts on the forbidden knowledge, as it correlates to the fake sky, what if it is that the knowledge that Teyvat is a giant simulation, where Celestia is harvesting the energy to power it through people ambitions. Like the giant prison watchtower that Vanessa saw when she ascended in the Manga.
Also like to say that maybe the Four Descenders are the Shades of Phanes.
The whole 'Rukkahdevata and Nahida being the same person but not' thing is so normal to me as a Kingdom Hearts fan. I am so used to things like this that the reveal didn't even phase me.
Question to ask if Zohgli is god of contracts what would happen if memory changed but say the contract didn't? Good old stone god could know about the effects because if reality changes then would his contracts?
Ah, the unreliable narrator strikes again. Always loves to kick lore towers down.
I always assumed Dottore just amplified Scaramouche’s hatred or something to twist his memories in his favor.
Hoping Fontaine is a wild ride. It would be interesting to see an archon fall. Hoping we don’t see that with the pyro one considering who she’s probably based on.
I think that Rukkadevada used up the last of her powers to to heal the people of Sumeru because when she turned into leaves we saw them touched people with the disease and the scales start to disappear I wonder if the Scarlett King had to end his life because he figured out that he was the cause of all that was happening and he knew that there was no other way he was tainted like Rukkadevada maybe she helped him to died? Maybe that's why people thought she killed him? Just trying to figure things
Are the shadows under the water places to explore in inazuma
What if Paimon was pretending to forget?
So, regarding Paimon, I feel like that is the single biggest variable to ponder over. I feel like once we know who or what Paimon is, the rest of the game's mysteries will explain themselves which is why we don't know yet.
I was just watching a theory video actually suggesting that the Abyss sibling we are seeking out is not actually the real sibling. And that the real sibling is perhaps captured somewhere sealed away or something. When you consider that the game treats Aether as the MC and Lumine as the abyss sibling, then I cannot help but wonder about another wild theory possibility; What if Paimon is actually the "real" Lumine?
The Sumeru archon quest proves that humans can create an artificial god-like being. We know that Khaenri'ah was struck down for being too advanced. We also know that Lumine was awake before Aether originally. We just don't know by how much. But for all we know, she could have been awake for 500 years first.
What if Lumine and Khaenri'ah were involved in forbidden experimentation or something and that is why the Heavenly Principle showed up and attacked them trying to leave.
Isn't it odd that this unknown god had the power to easily capture/defeat Lumine, but yet not both of you? She makes Lumine disappear but not Aether. Aether wakes up again at the start of the game and finds Paimon. I think it would make for an interesting plot development if Lumine was turned into Paimon, or Lumine's soul was put inside Paimon's body.
I'm sure someone more proficient in the lore could poke holes in that idea, or inversely, expand on it better. But yeah….
My only theory about forbidden knowledge is that irminsul was created with flaws intentionally.The reasons being is that people don't consume that forbidden knowledge and knows what calestia and heavenly principles actually do.
Btw I really enjoyed your video so much Ashikai,Love your voice especially,Your video also very informative and blew my mind every time
my own theory what if paimon is being dealt the superman dilema of having to be so strong that he keeps getting stronger with every installment
I would say the conclusion of NerdLord79 on paimon should be right, since that’s exactly what Nahida had been hinting us the whole time, it was just that she felt it was too impolite to speak them out so she only hinted this guess implicitly… it should just be considered that paimon is too lack of knowledge to be corrupted or affected.
OH With the power of Freedom. thats why they used the anemo skill. I was so confused by that.
"Can something that's not technically alive earn a vision?" you said and I just went…isn't albedo a homunculus? but at the same time…he's technically alive too….
Dainsleif being called Bough Keeper and him not being mentioned by Irminsul, and Nahida mentioning the possibility of someone else being able to surpress and edit memories connected to the Abyss sibling… Has me suspicious of Dainsleif.
"Traveler breaks her free with the power of freedom" Me: OOOOOH. THAT was why wind was used there! Clever!
yknow how sensible would the story be if we were to interpret descenders as devs, beta testers and players ?
Your Paimon freakout at the end reminded me of, well, me. These Sumeru quests just gave me the urge to shake her and go "What ARE you Paimon??? WHAT ARE YOU???"
But no worries, it's a friendly shake. 😀
Why every single time do we either be away or knocked out when the gonsis are taken 😭
29:50 dies of cringe
If you can remove someone from Irminsul, than perhaps Lumine/Aether was added to Irminsul making them apart of Tevyat.
I dunno if I'm just stupid and everyone has noticed this already, but the flower in husk of opulent dreams might be what Nahida's gonna say to Scaramouche
Does Albedo count as a living person? I thought he was a self-aware golem but I could be wrong
This is a funny thought, but I’d like to think that Venti actually met our sibling on their adventure before and for some WEIRD REASON he can’t tell the difference between us despite being a different gender, so he thinks we’re the same person. lol 😂
Just One problem for me about this whole quest is the fact that Collei wasn’t involved enough, even with her past with The Doctor.
BUT what this also makes me think about is the fact that Haypasia had a Green Hair, like Collei, and took the attention of one the Segments of Dottore.
IDK It’s what I got from all that
Im a bit surprised you didn't talk about Catherine being a puppet from Snezhnaya and that we (the MC) could work for Snezhnaya thanks to the Adventurers' Guild, being on the "good" side of the Story and the Fatui being of the "bad" side. And that could explain a lot, like why the fatui are always involded where we go etc etc, maybe even go deeper that Catherine can also access to/ or work like the Irminsul and it could also be a creation from Dottore because he knew how the Akasha work and Dottore was waiting for Catherine (Nahida) to show up and to me he wasn't surprised she used the only puppet available in the city even when she knows it's made from Snezhnaya.
There's a lot of potential there and im sure there's something behide it because they didn't put it there for no reason and more importanly in Sumeru and Nahida using her
And we also know Dottore work on the Eleazar, so the forbidden knowledge ! ( am I going to far here ? Maybe)