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Each nation in Teyvat is based on a different real-life country or region. They are also governed and controlled in a different way. For example, Mondstadt is militarily governed by the '''Knights of Favonius''', while Liyue is governed by the '''Liyue Qixing''', a group of merchants and business leaders. The '''Adventurers' Guild''', however, is an institution that exists in all seven nations (with the main base located in Snezhnaya), handing out commissions for adventurers around Teyvat.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Genshin Impact – Step Into a Vast Magical World of Adventure|url=https://genshin.mihoyo.com/en/character|url-status=live|access-date=12 April 2021|website=[[Genshin Impact]]}}</ref>
== The Traveler ==
The '''Traveler''' is the first character in the game. The Traveler has landed in the world of Teyvat after encountering the Unknown God and separating from their twin. The lost twin will eventually be crowned by the Abyss Order, the current Traveler will fish Paimon out of a nearby lake. Upon choosing the Traveler's gender, the male twin is revealed to be Aether, and the female twin is revealed to be Lumine. This cannot be changed in-game.
== Paimon ==
'''Paimon''' is the player's travel companion. She is a fairy will help the Traveler in a [[tutorial]] as well as interject where the Traveler leasts expect it. Paimon has become the subject of an [[Internet meme]] because one of the opening lines calls her "emergency food".
== Unknown God ==
The Unknown God is the main antagonist in the game. She was first shown in the opening cutscene of the game. Upon encountering the two twin Travelers, the Unknown God cast both of them down to Teyvat. One of the twins becomes the ruler of the Abyss Order, the other encounters Paimon in a nearby lake.
== Mondstadt ==
'''Mondstadt''' (meaning "Moon City" in German) is one of the seven nations in Teyvat, and the nation where the Traveler wakes up from his 500-year slumber, find Paimon, and start their journey to find their lost sibling. The nation currently worships '''Barbatos''', the '''Anemo Archon''', and thus has many features relating to the wind, such as the giant windmills that surrounds the Mondstadt city, or the Wind Gliders which is invented here and requires a license to be used within Mondstadt grounds. Despite Barbatos reliqunishing his rule to humans and leave Mondstadt thousands of years ago, the Mondstadt people still reveres him, even setting up the Favonius Cathedral dedicated to worshipping him. Monstadt consists of the city with the same name, alongside several regions including Stormterror's Lair (home of the Dragon Dvalin), Wolvendom (home of the Wolf King Andrius and his pack of wolves), and the icy mountainous zone Dragonspine (which remains permanently icy after the corpse of the dragon Durin fell down from its defeat against Dvalin). Mondstadt celebrates a festival called the '''Ludi Harpastum''' every year, with 15 days of games and music. Mondstadt is famous throughout Teyvat for its wine, particularly those produced by the Dawn Winery, and also represented by the Dandelion flower. True to its name, Mondstadt's culture and surroundings are heavily based on medieval Germany.
Mondstadt is the setting for the Archon Quest Prologue Chapter, '''"The Outlander Who Caught the Wind"'''.
==== Venti ====
'''Venti''' (Latin for "wind") is a playable character and a 5-star Anemo Archer. He first appears as a playable character in Version 1.0, under the "Ballad in Goblets" event wish banner. Despite his appearance as a travelling bard who frequently performs in exchange for money for drinks, Venti is actually the human form of the Anemo Archon '''Barbatos'''. As the '''God of Freedom''', Venti is a very carefree individual, whose only joy is playing music with his lyre and getting drunk. As told during his Story Quest, Venti (as Barbatos) used to be just an insignificant wisp, living in a Mondstadt under the rule of the previous Anemo Archon Decarabian. Wanting to free the people from Decarabian's tyrant rule, he teamed up with a nameless bard and a knight named Gunnhildr, and successfully overthrew Decarabian, with the bard dying in battle. After becoming the new Anemo Archon, Barbatos constructed himself with the image of the bard and calls himself Venti, and decided to completely leave Mondstadt, wanting the nation to be free of any rulers. This, however, allows a system of corrupt aristocrats to take over and abuse the country. Barbatos returns and helps a slave named Vennessa lead another rebellion and overthrow these aristocrats, later on helping her set up the Knights of Favonius.
Since the power of an Archon in the Seven depends on their control of their respective nations, Barbatos is the weakest Archon having entirely relinquished his rule to humans, being easily defeated by the Fatui member La Signora. Despite this, he is still more powerful than most mortals and Vision holders.
Venti appears at the beginning of the story, trying to tame the dragon Stormterror. He later teams up with the Traveler, Jean and Diluc to successfully appease the dragon. Afterwards, his Gnosis is stolen by La Signora who forcefully took it from him. Venti afterwards goes to the Great Tree to heal, while encouraging the Traveler to go to the other nations to find the Unknown God among the six remaining Archons. During Venti's own story quest, he reveals his backstory to the Traveler, while helping Stanley's companion find solace with himself, finding his story of taking another person's identity similar to his own.
As with the naming of Archons, Barbatos is a demon in the ''Ars Goetia'', the 8th demon and one of the 23 Dukes of Hell. Venti's design and appearence bears similarlity to Wendy, a character in miHoYo's other game ''Honkai Impact 3rd.'' In ''Honkai'', Wendy became the Herrscher of the Wind, a god-like being with the ability to manipulate wind energy, similar to Venti/Barbatos.
=== Knights of Favonius ===
The '''Knights of Favonius''' is the order of knights that protects and governs Mondstadt. It is founded by Vennessa, with help from the Archon Barbatos 1000 years ago to reclaim control of the nation from the corrupt aristocrats, and allowing all citizens to live freely just like what Barbatos intended. The Knights' mission includes acting as enforcers throughout Mondstadt to uphold the law, scouting the area for potential monster threats (that used to be the jobs of the Outriders, a group now with Amber as the only member), and going on expeditions. The Knights are led by a Grand Master, with a deputy ready to step up as the Acting Grand Master should the Grand Master be unavailable. Serving under the Grand Master are the Ten Captains, who each leads a different military unit. During the events of the Mondstadt Archon Quest, the Traveler is bestowed the title of Honorary Knight by the Acting Grand Master, Jean.
==== Varka ====
'''Varka''' is the current Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, also the current holder of the Knight of Boreas title. He has not yet appeared in the story proper, having left the nation to go on an unknown expedition with Mondstadt's elite forces, leaving Jean to take charge as the Acting Grand Master. His status as a playable character is currently unknown. Based on other characters' remarks about him, he seems to be a very tall man with a jovial and carefree personality, and is well-liked by the people of Mondstadt. He is also remarked to be extremely powerful, regarded as the "titan of the Knights of Favonius" by Childe, who wishes to fight him.
==== Jean ====
'''Jean Gunnhildr''' is a playable character, a 5-star Anemo Swordsman, and the current Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, also the current holder of both the Dandelion Knight and the Liontooth Knight title (and by extension, the Lion of the South title in the Four Winds). She first appears as a playable character in Version 1.0, under the "Wanderlust Invocation" standard wish banner. She is a descendant of the prestigious Gunnhildr clan, who once helped Barbatos on their rebellion against the previous Anemo Archon Decarabian. Jean takes her role in upholding the peace and law in Mondstadt very seriously, frequently overworking herself and accepting every single request from the Mondstadt citizens, be it as simple as finding a lost cat. Due to this, Jean is well-regarded and well-liked by the Mondstadt citizens, even Diluc, who holds contempt for the Knight of Favonius. Jeans holds great respect for Vennessa, and often heads to the Great Tree in Windrise whenever she needs tranquility.
During the Mondstadt Archon Quest, she, alongside Diluc and Venti assisted the Traveler in appeasing the dragon Stormterror. In her own personal Story Quest, she collapsed from overworking and was nursed back to help by Barbara, with other members of the Knights of Favonius doing her daily tasks and holding a get-well-soon party for her.
==== Kaeya ====
'''Kaeya Alberich''' is a playable character, a 4-star Cryo Swordsman, and the current Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius. He appears as a free character given to the player at the beginning of the game alongside Amber and Lisa. Despite working for the citizens of Mondstadt, Kaeya actually hails from Khaenri'ah, being sent to Mondstadt by the people there as their "last hope". He was then adopted to the Ragvindr family, becoming Diluc's step-brother. He does not share this secret with anyone besides Diluc, leading to a falling out between the two brothers, and has doubt in his mind about who he would support if the two nations go to war. He is a very handsome and charming man, well-loved by the Mondstadt people, but frequently berated by Amber for not performing his duties. In truth, Kaeya is very devoted to his job, frequently doing work behind the scenes, and is implied to use extreme methods to get information out his his captives. He also has a soft spot towards Jean and is very grateful to her, as shown in Jean's Story Quest.
During the Mondstadt Archon Quest, he introduces the Traveler to Jean, and helps the Traveler destroys one of the three monuments powering Stormterror. Later on, he enlist the Traveler's help in capturing a band of Treasure Hoarders, using the guise of hiding a secret powerful sword. Kaeya also appears in the webtoon, set half a year before the game storyline, to investigate the incident around Collei, while also returning Diluc his Vision hidden inside a vase (the vase appears in-game inside the Dawn Winery).
==== Albedo ====
'''Albedo''' (Latin for "White"), nicknamed the "'''Kreideprinz'''" (German for "Chalk Prince") is a playable character, a 5-star Geo Swordsman, and the Chief Alchemist and Captain of the Investigation Team of the Knights of Favonius. He first appears as a playable character in Version 1.2, under the "Secretum Secretorum" event wish banner. He is a man extremely devoted to the study of alchemy, frequently seen conducting research and developing new ideas. He desires to pursue the "truth" of Teyvat, and is currently basing himself at Dragonspine to research its climate and environment. He is also a very good artist, and frequently draws and sketches in his free time, also illustrating Xingqiu's novel. He is good with children, a fact he admitted himself, to the point that the chaotic Klee listens to him. Timaeus, his student, mentions that Albedo "suddenly appeared in Mondstadt one day", and it was revealed that he came to Mondstadt via the instruction of his master, Rhinedottir, to "show me the truth and the meaning of this world". He was instructed to meet Alice, and Alice brought him into the Knights of Favonius in order to ensure that he has a large research lab, while also entrusting him with Klee. He is a practitioner of the potentially destructive alchemical art known as the Art of Khemia, and states himself that he might one day "destroy everything", a fact that Dainsleif seems to agree with and be wary against.
Albedo first appears during version 1.2, when the Traveler first visit Dragonspine. Here, Albedo conducts tests to find out how the Traveler can use multiple Visions as well as exploring his status as being from a different world. During the event "The Chalk Prince and the Dragon", Albedo presents the Traveler with the Festering Desire sword, and ask the Traveler to draw out its power through using it in combat.
==== Hertha ====
'''Hertha''' is an NPC, the Coordinator of the Knights of Favonius and Captain of the 6th Company. She can be found in Mondstadt issuing Reputation Quests to the Traveler.
==== Amber ====
'''Amber''' is a playable character, a 4-star Pyro Archer, and the only member of the Knights of Favonius Outriders. She appears as the first character given for free to the player at the beginning of the game. She is a very cheerful and energetic girl, who takes her job as an Outrider very seriously, frequently scouting around Mondstadt to help other citizens, whether it is a minor or major task. Kaeya describes her as being an "exemplary of justice". Amber's grandfather hails from Liyue, who was enamored with Mondstadt's Wind Glider and decides to join the Knights of Favonius and eventually set up the Outrider branch. This also makes Amber one-fourth Liyue ethnicity. Her grandfather suddenly disappeared from Mondstadt and returned to Liyue, disillusioned by something, and Amber joins the Outrider partly to uncover the reasons as to why.
Amber first appears at the beginning of the game, supporting the Traveler in destroying one of the three monuments powering Stormterror. Later on, she helps the Traveler gain a gliding license, and also tracks down the wolf boy Razor alongside him. Amber also appears as the main character in the Genshin Impact webtoon, set half a year before the game storyline, where she befriends Collei, a failed test subject experiment, and helps her find new meaning in life.
==== Lisa ====
'''Lisa Minci''' is a playable character, a 4-star Electro Catalyst user, and the Librarian of the Knights of Favonius, using her extensive knowledge to help out during investigations. She appears as a free character given to the player at the beginning of the game alongside Amber and Kaeya. She is well regarded as a genius mage, having attended Sumeru's prestigious Academia and became one of its most famous graduate. However, she chose to return to Mondstadt and lend her strength to the Knights. She is a attractive and well-endowed woman, with a flirtatious personality, referring to the Traveler as "cutie". While frequently appearing bored, she takes her job as a librarian very seriously, going around Mondstadt to convince people to return overdue books. Many characters have said that you should not anger Lisa, because when she's angry she becomes very scary, and unleashes her power to the point that the surrounding air becomes electrified. It is also revealed that she is the one who taught Razor human language and how to use his Electro powers.
Lisa first appears at the beginning of the game, helping the Traveler destroy one of the three monuments powering Stormterror. Later on in her Story Quest, she asks the Traveler to go on a "date" with her while she collects overdue books, later uncovering a plot to steal a book by the Abyss Mages.
==== Klee ====
'''Klee''' is a playable character, a 5-star Pyro Catalyst user, and a member of the Knights of Favonius holding the title of "Spark Knight". She first appears as a playable character in Version 1.0, under the "Sparkling Steps" event wish banner. She is the daughter of Alice, the author of the Teyvat Travel Guides, and a very aggressive and destructive woman. Klee has elf-like ears, raising a theory that she might be a half-elf. Alice left to travel around Teyvat, leaving Klee in the care of the Knights of Favonius. Klee takes after her mother tremendously, frequently creating bombs (which she calls "treasures") and being a young child, does not understand how dangerous they are and frequently uses them to blow up the fish at Starfell Lake, earning ire from Jean, who frequently sends her to "solitary confinement" to reflect on her actions. The three people she is particularly fond of are Kaeya, who gives her a "Favonius Survival Rulebook" for things she needs to know while journeying outside; Albedo, because of his innate talent of playing with children; and Razor, who calls her "red burny girl".
Klee first appears during her own story quest, where the Traveler accompanies her on her mischievous journey. She also has a minor appearance in Mona's story quest, where Mona tries to find a diary belonging to her master that she gave to Alice, only for Alice to hand it down to Klee, who uses the box as a tool to store her "treasures".
==== Sucrose ====
'''Sucrose''' is a playable character, a 4-star Anemo Catalyst user, and an assistant to Albedo in the Alchemist team of the Knights of Favonius. She first appears as a playable character in Version 1.0, under the "Sparkling Steps" event wish banner. Similar to her chief, she is very enthusiastic about research and alchemy, and spends most of her time in research. She is a very timid girl otherwise, and gets very nervous when talking to anyone. She respects Albedo tremendously, calling him one of the best alchemist. Albedo, in return, respects her learning ability and drive as an alchemist.
Sucrose first appears during Albedo's story quest, informing the Traveler about Albedo. During "The Chalk Prince and the Dragon", she tries to help Reckless Pallad from the Dragonspine cold, but he ends up knocking her down and accidentally releases Festering Desire's power, awakening a Cryo Regisvine.
==== Noelle ====
'''Noelle''' is a playable character, a 4-star Geo Claymore user, and a maid in the ranks of the Knights of Favonius, with a strong desire to become an official Knight one day. Noelle first appears in the Beginner's Wish, where the player are guaranteed her and another random 4-star character. She is a very professional maid, performing the duties of a maid impeccably and perfectly. She is dutiful to the point that she once helped Mondstadt from a cunning scheme by a Snezhnayan spy; by being too dutiful in her job and learning everything the spy and his daughter likes to please them, she was suspected by the spy to be an agent sent by the Knights, and left the country in fear. Since she is to dutiful, lazy Knight members often call on her to help them with their duties, something Jean does not tolerate and told Noelle to inform her if anyone tries that. Noelle has yet to appear in any quests.
==== Godwin ====
'''Godwin''' is an NPC, and a member of Varka's elite squad. He was supposed to join Varka on his expedition, but lost Glory's (his lover's) keepsake, and ended up separated from the group while trying to find it. He now just roams around the gate of Mondstadt, too ashamed to return to Glory and telling her he got lost.
Aside from the aforementioned characters, many other guards wander around Mondstadt, inlcuding (but not limited to): '''Huffman, Miles, Guy, Harry, Otto.'''
=== Four Winds ===
The '''Four Winds''' is a group of four entities that Barbatos entrusted the safety of Mondstadt to, spiritually or physically watching over the Mondstadt people. The Four Winds are officially created after Vennessa ascended to Celestia and became Falcon of the West. The people of Mondstadt used to worship the Four Winds, building a temple for each of them, but nowadays that tradition has faded away. The four members of the Four Winds include: Dragon of the East (Dvalin), Wolf of the North (Andrius), Lion of the South (the current holder of the Liontooth Knight title, in this case Jean), and Falcon of the West (Vennessa).
==== Dvalin ====
'''Dvalin''', also known as '''Stormterror,''' is a dragon residing in Mondstadt, and once one of the Four Winds, holding the title "Dragon of the East". He is the main antagonist of the Mondstadt Archon Quest story arc, and the final boss fight of the Quest, in the "Confront Stormterror" Trounce Domain. Born in the land called Gaotian, Dvalin is a very curious being seeking to learn more about humanity. He was enamored by the music from the Anemo Archon's Holy Lyre de Himmel, and became his companion, learning human speech and the Archon's singing techniques, while the Archon asked for his help in defending the nation. When the dragon Durin attacked Mondstadt, Barbatos enlisted the help of Dvalin, who defeated Durin after a hard fought battle, in which Durin inflicted two large spiked wounds on his back. This caused Dvalin to be slowly corrupted, eventually believing that protecting Mondstadt had stolen him from his freedom, and left his position in the Four Winds. He is then slowly corrupted by the Abyss Order, who persuaded him into becoming one of their own. Dvalin since then has turned from Mondstadt's protector into one of its most dangerous adversary with the name Stormterror. He resides in the northwest of Mondstadt, in an area now called "Stormterror's Lair".
Dvalin first appears in the Mondstadt Archon Quest, terrorizing Mondstadt city before being subdued by the Traveler with help from Venti. After destroying 3 monuments powering his wicked power in the 3 abandoned temples, the Traveler, Venti, Diluc and Jean confronted Dvalin in his lair and managed to free him from the Abyss Order's control, returning him to his former self.
The naming of two dragons is based on the names of Nordic dwarves, in this case, Dvalinn.
==== Andrius ====
'''Andrius''', also known as '''Lupus Boreas, the Dominator of Wolves''', is an Archon (not part of the Seven) with the title '''God of Blizzards''', and a member of the Four Winds with the title "Wolf of the North". He is also a Weekly Boss fight for the player in the "Wolf of the North Challenge". Long in the past, Andrius' powers were given to him by an unknown ancient archon, giving him powers on par with an archon itself. When Decarabian ruled Mondstadt, Andrius developed a grudge against him, but the two fought to a stalemate. After the success of Barbatos's rebellion, both Andrius and Barbatos were qualified to become the Anemo Archon. Andrius believed that he is too distrustful of humanity to become a ruler over them, and let Barbatos have the role. In exchange, he accepted Barbatos' request to guard Mondstadt as one of the Four Winds. After his death, Andrius's spirit remains and took on a frosted, icy form and keeps watch over Mondstadt, specifically his territory Wolvendom. At some point in time, he found an infant Razor, and despite his distrust of humanity, raised the boy, because he believes that infants are pure and not yet corrupted. The title "Knight of Boreas" in the Knights of Favonius rank (currently held by Grand Master Varka) is most likely based on Andrius.
Andrius first appears during Razor's story quest, when hunters mistakenly killed his wolf pack and accused them of attacking humans. This enrages Andrius, forcing the Traveler to team up with Razor to subdue him. Afterwards, Andrius convinces Razor to not be involved with the wolf's conflict due to him associating with humans, while developing a sense of respect to the Traveler and tell him he can come train with the Archon anytime.
As with the naming of all Archons, Andrius is a slightly corrupted version of Andras, the 63th demon in the ''Ars Goetia'' and one of the 15 Marquises of Hell.
==== Vennessa ====
'''Vennessa''' is the founder of the Knights of Favonius and its first Grand Master, and also one of the Four Winds, holding the tile "Falcon of the West". Most of Vennessa's story was told in the prequel webtoon. Born in Natlan as a "flame-touched Muratan" (referring to their skin color), Vennesssa's village was attacked by the creature Ursa the Drake, forcing her to flee to Mondstadt, where she was enslaved by the aristocrats, and forced to fight as a gladiator in the Colosseum for the entertainment. Here she estabilshed herself as an undefeated fighter, and after winning her "final battle" against Ursa the Drake itself with help from Barbatos, she led a rebellion alongside Barbatos, the Ragvindr and the Gunnhildr clan, and succesfully claimed control of the city from the aristocrats. Afterwards, Vennessa established the Knights of Favonius to ensure that the city would be governed against any tyrannical threat. After her death, she achieved the condition to be ascended to Celestia, under the spot now containing the Great Tree. After ascending to Celestia, she became a divine falcon, and returned to spiritually guard Mondstadt as Falcon of the West.
=== Mondstadt's Adventurers' Guild Branch ===
==== Cyrus ====
'''Cyrus''' is an NPC and the Branch Master of the Mondstadt Adventurers' Guild Branch. He is a very energetic man, talking about adventuring with an excited look. He can frequently be found drinking in the taverns at night.
==== Fischl ====
'''Fischl''' is a playable character, a 4-star Electro Archer, and an Investigator in the Guild's Intelligence Department. She first appears as a playable character in Version 1.0, under the "Ballad in Goblets" event wish banner. She is also given as a special prize in the Limited-time event "Unreconciled Stars". Born '''Amy''', Fischl grew up in a household where her parents are often absent due to their Adventurers job. She thus spent most of her time reading books, becoming especially fascinated with the series "Flowers for Princess Fischl", and started to call herself Fischl, developing a case of eighth-grade syndrome. After she receives her Vision, for unexplained reasons she managed to manifest a sentient Electro-powered raven called Oz, based on the same raven that Princess Fischl can call forth. Fischl then joins the Adventurers' Guild through her parents' recommendation, quickly rising to become an Investigator through her hard work and dedication. Her eighth-grade syndrome causes her to speak as if she is a dignified princess coming from another world, causing most people to not understand her and invent a "Fischl Dictionary" to explain her, or ask Oz to interpret what she said. Secretly, Fischl wants to have a friend who can understand her and play along with her delusion, something she gained with Bennett and later the Traveler. Due to her delusion, she can deduce that the Traveler came from another world and has no problem accepting that fact.
Fischl makes her appearance in the Unreconciled Stars event, being assigned to accompany the Traveler and investigate the meteor incident. After leaving the party to continue investigating other parts, she accidentally let slip that she enjoys the Traveler's company, causing her to blush.
==== Bennett ====
'''Bennett''' is a playable character, a 4-star Pyro Swordsman, and an Adventurer in the Adventurer's Guild. He first appears as a playable character in Version 1.0, under the "Wanderlust Invocation" standard wish banner. Abandoned as a child, Bennett was raised by adventurers in the Guild, joining the guilg himself as a teenager. As such, he has a habit of calling all veteran male adventurers "dad" and often tries to take care of them. He experiences constant misfortune, to the point where his body is full of minor and major injuries, and his teammates gradually left him one by one until he is the only member left in his adventuring team, "Benny's Adventure Team". Despite this, Bennett maintains a positive outlook in life and tries to be friendly with anyone he comes across. Bennett has not yet appeared in any story quest.
==== Mona ====
'''Mona Megistus''' is a playable character, a 5-star Hydro Catalyst user, and a professional astrologist, currently doing work for the Adventurer's Guild for living expenses. She first appears as a playable character in Version 1.0, under the "Wanderlust Invocation" standard wish banner. A very talented and powerful astrologist, Mona takes her work very seriously, refusing to accept monetary gains for her work, but in turn resulting in her frequently starving and scraping by. Her main source of income comes from writing a column for the popular Fontaine newspaper The Steambird, talking about astrology in general, and later on doing commissions for the Adventurer's Guild. She is very prideful, not tolerating anyone who disrespect her or astrology in general, and vows to be able to read the Traveler's future after failing the first time. She trains astrology under tutelage of a master whom she's very afraid of, opting to reside in Mondstadt instead of returning to her master when she accientally read the master's diary.
Mona first appears in the "Unreconciled Stars" event, assisting the Traveler and Fischl by using her astrology to detect the meteorite remains, later rescuing them from the dangerous Fatui Harbinger Scaramouche. In her own story quest, she asks the Traveler for help in recovering her master "precious item" from her master's friend. Later on, it is revealed that her master's friend is Alice, who passed the item (the master's diary) to her daughter Klee, who uses the container box to store her "treasures". After accidentally reading the diary, Mona choose to not go back and reside at Mondstadt, securing cheap rent from an apartment owned by Goth after she managed to break its Hydro barrier.
==== Reckless Pallad ====
'''Reckless Pallad''' is an NPC and an Adventurer in the Adventurer's Guild, frequently appearing in the World Quest "Pallad's Dilemma" getting attacked by different monsters and needing the Traveler's help to save him. In the event "The Chalk Prince and the Dragon", he was tempted by the light in the Festering Desire sword and accidentally dropped it, causing its energy to revive a Cryo Regisvine.
==== Stanley ====
'''Stanley''' is an NPC and an Adventurer in the Adventurer's Guild. He often gloats about his achievements to young adventurers, including his adventure in the harsh area Mare Jivari. In truth, his name is '''Hans Archibald''', a companion of the real Stanley, who sacrificed himself to save Hans in Mare Jivari. Not wanting his friend to be forgotten, Hans changed his name and appearance to Stanley and start recounting his tale to everyone in Mondstadt to preserve his friend's legacy. In Venti's story quest, Venti uses his Archon powers to help Hans find peace with himself and releases Stanley's spirit from Hans.
=== Church of Favonius ===
The '''Chruch of Favonius''' is the main religous organization in Mondstadt, devoting themselves to worshipping the Anemo Archon. They reside in the enormous Favonius Canthedral, where citizens of Mondstadt often comes and pray to Barbatos. Barbatos' treasured lyre, the Holy Lyre der Himmel (German for "Holy Lyre of the Heavens") is also kept here, and one of the main events in the Mondstadt Archon Quest involves the Traveler sneaking into the Cathedral to steal the Lyre.
==== Barbara ====
'''Barbara Gunnhildr''' is a playable character, a 4-star Hydro Catalyst user, and the Deaconess of the Church of Favonius. She first appears as a playable character in Version 1.0, under the "Wanderlust Invocation" standard wish banner. She is also given for free to the player in the "Baptism of Song" event, after they complete chapter 6, Act III of the Mondstadt Archon Quest. Barbara is a self-proclaimed "idol" after being inspired to become one by Alice, she works hard everyday and maintains a strict diet to keep her idol image. She tries to bring smiles and happiness to everyone using her songs, and always work hard to boost the spirits of everyone no matter how sad they are. Barbara is the sister of Jean, but the two was separated at a young age because of their parents' divorce, with Barbara living with her father, who is also a member of the Favonius Cathedral. Barbara secretly admires Jean and wishes to become as great as her, having a small inferiority complex. Despite this, she cares about her sister a lot as shown in Jean's story quest.
Barbara first appears at the end of the Mondstadt Archon quest, retreiving the Holy Lyre der Himmel from the Traveler. In Jean' story quest, she takes care for Jean after her collapse from work, and later attends the party Kaeya organized for Jean.
==== Rosaria ====
'''Rosaria''' is a confirmed upcoming playable character in Genshin Impact version 1.4, and is a Cryo Spear user. Rosaria is a well-endowed, intimidating woman who acts in her own interest, refusing to attend things she finds boring, like a choir practice with other nuns. Despite this, she cares very much about the safety of Mondstadt, through in her own peculiar way, like stalking the Traveler throughout the entirety of Albedo's story quest. She seems to be wary of Albedo, thinking that he is a danger to Mondstadt (an intuition that seems to be correct judging from Albedo's behavior), and doubts the Traveler as well for interacting with Albedo as well as his otherworldly status.
Rosaria first appears during Albedo's story quest, skipping choir practice to keep an eye on the Traveler and Albedo's actions, and warns the Traveler not to associate himself with Albedo.
==== Simon Page ====
'''Simon Page''' is a member of the Church of Favonius, holding the tile "Cardinal of Daybreak", and is Jean and Barbara's father. He was once a famous adventurer until he fell in love with Frederica Gunnhildr and choose to settle, having two daughters in the process. However, he and Frederica separated, with Simon taking custody of Barbara and raising her to be a member of the Church. Simon has yet to appear in the story proper, having accompanied Grand Master Varka on his expedition.
==== Grace ====
'''Grace''' is an NPC a nun in the Church of Favonius. She cares very much about orphaned or neglected children in Mondstadt, taking care of Glory, Timmie and Nora, with both Glory and Timmie calling her their mother despite having no blood relation.
=== Dawn Winery ===
The '''Dawn Winery''' is the primary winery in Mondstadt, with its products, specifically the Dandelion Wine, known throughout the world of Teyvat. The Dawn Winery has been headed by the Ragvindr family for generations, with Diluc being the current owner. They also own the pub Angel's Share.
==== Diluc ====
'''Diluc Ragvindr''' is a playable charater, a 5-star Pyro Claymore user, and the current owner of the Dawn Winery and the Angel's Share pub. As detailed in the prequel webtoon, Diluc was once the Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius, until his father Crepus died from using a Delusion he obtained from the Fatui to save Diluc and his fellow knights from a dangerous enemy. Crepus' death and the Knights covering up the incident to avoid bad blood with the Fatui caused Diluc to become disillusioned with the Knights, leaving his post and returning to succeed his father as head of the Dawn Winery. Since then, Diluc has harbored a resentment towards the Knights, believing them unfit to rule and govern Mondstadt, and secretly protects the city at night, his black costume and swift movements earning him the tile "Darknight Hero". Despite his resentment to the Knights, he shows respects to some of them, namely Jean and the Traveler. He is also Kaeya's adoptive brother, and after Kaeya confessed to be a spy from Khaenri'ah, Kaeya left the family and since then the two brothers have maintained a tense and distant relationship.
Diluc first appears in the Mondstadt Archon Quest, helping Venti and the Traveler escape from the Knights after they were accused of stealing the Holy Lyre der Himmel. He laters helps Jean, Venti and the Traveler appease Stormterror. In his own story quest, he receives a challenge from the Abyss Order, and secretly fights them to protect the city, enlisting the Traveler's help to distract the Knights. In Jean's story quest, he allows the Knights of Favonius to host Jean's get-well party at the Angel's Share despite his resentment towards the Knights because of his own respect towards Jean.
==== Elzer ====
'''Elzer''' is an NPC and the Executive Chairman of the Dawn Winery. He serves Diluc and helps him manage the Winery's affairs. Elzer has served the Ragvindr family ever since Crepus was the owner, and knows that Diluc is the "Darknight Hero".
==== Charles ====
'''Charles''' is an NPC and Angel's Share's bartender. Sometimes Diluc appears in Angel's Share and tends the bar himself, giving Charles a day off.
=== Other notable playable characters and NPCs ===
==== Razor ====
'''Razor''' is a playable character, a 4-star Electro Claymore user, and a boy raised by Andrius and the Wolvendom wolves. He first appears as a playable character in Version 1.0, under the "Wanderlust Invocation" standard wish banner. Razor is a good-natured kid who considers his wolf-pack his family, and is protective of anyone he sees as families and friends. After an encounter with Grand Master Varka, Razor is slowly integrated to human society, learning how to control his Electro Vision from Lisa. He gets along well with Klee during her mischevious adventures, calling her "red burny girl".
Razor first appears in his own story quest, helping the Traveler and Amber investigate the unknown attacks from a foreign pack of wolves, later help subduing Andrius after the Archon got mad at humans for taking revenge on his own pack. At the end of the quest, Andrius tells Razor to stop intervening in the wolf pack's matter because he is ultimately human.
==== Margaret ====
'''Margaret''' is an NPC and owner of the Cat's Tail bar, the #1 rival bar to Angel's Share. She's an air-headed and carefree person, hiring Diona to her bar simply because she's cute, but Diona's unintentionally good wine turned Cat's Tail into a successful business rivalling Angel's Share. She also hosts the Cat's Tail Message Board in front of her bar, with many citizens in Mondstadt leaving their messages and concerns in this board, turning it into a conversational forum for the citizens.
==== Diona ====
'''Diona''' is a playable character, a 4-star Cryo Archer, and the bartender of Cat's Tail bar. She first appears as a playable character in Version 1.1, under the "Farewell of Snezhnaya" event wish banner. She's the daughter of '''Draff''', the head of Springvale Village, and a descendant of the Kätzlein (German for "kitten") tribe. She used to adore her father before his alcohol addiction shattered that image, causing her to have a vendetta against alcohol. To that end, she decides to ruin the wine industry from the inside, becoming Cat's Tail's bartender for this purpose. She intentionally mixes disgusting drinks to make people fall out of love with wine, only for these recipes to end up becoming delicious and well-received, turning Cat's Tail into a bar rivalling Angel's Share to Diona's astonishment. Despite this, Diona does not give up in continuing her goal. She has yet to appear in any quests.
==== Glory ====
'''Glory''' is an NPC and one of the kids Sister Grace is taking care of, alongside Timmie and Nora. She is a blind girl and Godwin's lover and is waiting for his return from the expedition, not knowing that he's too embarrassed to admit that he got lost.
==== Timmie ====
'''Timmie''' is an NPC and one of the kids Sister Grace is taking care of, alongside Glory and Nora. He is seen feeding the pigeons in front of Mondstadt city, and scolds the Traveler if he gets close by and scare them away. Timmie is orphaned with his dad having left him some time ago.
==== Ella Musk ====
Ella Musk is an NPC, and a girl who studied hilichurlian language and can communicate with hilichurls. In some side quests, the Traveler is taught ways to communicate with hilichurls from her.
==== Leonard ====
'''Leonard''' was an adventurer who lived 2600 years ago. His dream was to climb a high mountain known as Pilos Peak, but even until his death he was unable to do so. His desire was so strong that it somehow caused meteorite showers to fall upon Mondstadt in the modern day, inducing everyone who touches it to sleep, with them dreaming to also climb Pilos Peak, setting up the event "Unreconciled Stars". It is also revealed that he is the original inventor of the Wind Glider. His name and invention are most likely based on Leonardo da Vinci.
==== Alice ====
'''Alice''' is a yet-to-appear character. She is the mother of Klee and the author of the Teyvat Travel Guides series, the best-selling tourist guide in all of Teyvat. She is also an alchemist, and part of a mysterious organization known as '''Hexenzirkel''' (German for "coven"). Alice is a very free-spirited and carefree person, who once destroyed many parts of Stormterror<nowiki>''</nowiki>s Lair just to make it "look more ancient". She also conducts unorthodox experiments, like trying to use hilichurls to power Mondstadt's windmills and to control a Ruin Guard. She likes to travel and has visited all seven nations of Teyvat, inspiring her to write the Teyvat Travel Guides series. She is a very influential character throughout Mondstadt, having inspired Barbara to become an idol, introduced Albedo to the Knights and gave him his research lab, as well as making a pact with Mona's master to keep her precious item. During her trip to Liyue, she also befriended Zhongli and was accompanied by him. Her free-spirited trait seems to have translated well to Klee as noted by Jean. She currently has not yet appeared in the story, having entrusted Klee to Albedo and left with her husband "to somewhere dangerous and far away".
==== Decarabian ====
'''Decarabian''' is an Archon and the previous Anemo Archon that rules over Mondstadt (though he predates the Seven). As the '''God of Storms''', also known as '''Lord of the Tower''', he established what is known as Mondstadt 2600 years ago to defend the people against Andrius' harsh blizzards, keeping them in a windy prison for this reason. The people, not content with living life in a cage, rallies themselves behind the nameless bard and Barbatos' rebellion and overthrew him, making Barbatos the new Anemo Archon.
As with the naming of all Archons, Decarabian is named after Decarabia, the 69th demon in the ''Ars Goetia'' and one of the 15 Marquises of Hell.
== Liyue ==
'''Liyue''' (璃月 ''Líyuè,'' "Glass Moon"; when written with different characters (立约 ), it also means "to make a contract", a pun on Morax being the God of Contracts) is one of the seven nations of Teyvat, and the second nation the Traveler sets foot in. The nation worships '''Morax''', the Geo Archon, and is the oldest nation out of the seven nations in Teyvat, established 3700 years ago after Morax signed a contract with the adepti to protect Liyue Harbor. During the Archon War, Liyue was one of the bloodiest battlefields, with numerous gods controling various territories vying for the seat in The Seven. Morax emerged as the victor of the war and established Liyue Harbor as the new capital of the unified Liyue, entrusting the leadership of mortals to the Liyue Qixing while continuing to spiritually protect the land alongside the adepti. Liyue is the most prosperous nation in Teyvat, with Liyue Harbor being a bustling business center of the world, and also for the fact that Mora (the currency in all Teyvat) is created in this nation through Morax's special ability ("Mora" itself is named after Morax) in the Golden House. Once a year, Morax descends in an event called the '''Rite of Descension''', during which he gave prophecies and guidance on Liyue's economic path for the year. The nation also celebrates the '''Lantern Rite''', a Lunar New Year-based festival where Xiao and Mingxiao Lanterns are released, containing people's wishes for the year. True to its name, Liyue's tradition and culture is heavily based on China.
Liyue is the setting for the Archon Quest Chapter 1, '''"Of the Land Amidst Monoliths"'''.
=== Adepti ===
The '''adepti''' (仙人 ''Xiānrén'', Immortal or Celestial Beings in Taoism) are a group of Archons and magical beings alike that spiritually protects Liyue, bound by a contract between them and Morax, who is also the leader of the group. The Liyue people worship the Adepti like deities and in turn they protect the nation against otherworldly threats. In the past, the adepti were led by Morax in the bloody Archon War and achieved victory alongside him, with Morax ascending to become to Geo Archon. Some of the adepti have been confirmed to be Archons, though some are just confirmed as beings with more magical and spiritual ability than mortals, with many people believing them to be humans who have ascended to Celestia and come back (similar to Vennessa of Mondstadt's Four Winds). In the modern day, some adepti has secluded themselves from humans and reside within their own abode, not content with how the mortals have started to forget about them and disregarded their method of protecting Liyue. Other adepti instead chooses to mingle with society, even doing mortal occupations. According to Xiao's story line, all adepti possesses Visions, however these Visions might or might not follow the rules of normal Visions for yet-to-be-explained reasons (for example, Mountain Shaper and Cloud Retainer does not carry any Visions outside their body, but is said to possess one and can manipulate elemental energy just like normal Vision holders). Adepti possess several forms, some of them full beasts (like Mountain Shaper and Cloud Retainer), full human (Xiao and Madame Ping) or half-human and half-beast (Ganyu).
==== Moon Carver ====
'''Moon Carver''' (削月築阳真君 ''Xuēyuè Zhúyáng Zhēnjūn'', "The Perfected Lord who Carves the Moon and Builds the Sun") is an NPC, and an adeptus who resides on Qingyun Peak. Its form manifests as a red and yellow-colored stag. It is described as the "kindest" of the adepti and served Morax dutifully.
During the Liyue Archon Quest, the Traveler seeks Moon Carver to find out the truth about Morax's assasination, using the Sigil of Permission to have an audience with it. Moon Carver directs them to inform Mountain Shaper and Cloud Retainer. At the end of the quest, it joined the party to fight against Osial by activating the Guizhong Ballista alongside Mountain Shaper and Cloud Retainer.
==== Mountain Shaper ====
'''Mountain Shaper''' (理水叠山真君 ''Lǐshuǐ Diéshān Zhēnjūn'', "The Perfected Lord who Guides the Waters and Shapes the Mountains") is an NPC, and an adeptus who resides in Mt. Hulao. Its form manifests as a red and orange-colored crane. Mountain Shaper is very protective of its territory, setting up various traps to imprison anyone who dares to traverse near its abode. Mountain Shaper was also the adeptus who imprisoned Qiqi in amber after she revived due to her rampage.
During the Liyue Archon Quest, Mountain Shaper was informed of Morax's death by the Traveler and decides to convene with other adepti. At the end of the quest, it joined the party to fight against Osial by activating the Guizhong Ballista alongside Moon Carver and Cloud Retainer.
==== Cloud Retainer ====
'''Cloud Retainer''' (留云借风真君 ''Liúyún Jièfēng Zhēnjūn'', "The Perfected Lord who Retains the Clouds and Borrows the Wind") is an NPC, and an adeptus who resides in Mt. Aozang. Its form manifests as a blue and white crane. Cloud Retainer seems to be the most emotional of the adepti, expressing her fondness of Ganyu and recalling her as a child. She also express pride in her construction ability, particularly her abode and the floating islands above Qingyun Peak, and is very expressive when talking about other impressive constructions such as Ningguang's Jade Chamber (wishing to build a castle that surpassed it) and the Guizhong Ballista.
During the Liyue Archon Quest, Cloud Retainer was informed of Morax's death by the Traveler and immediate decides to annihilate Liyue before being convinced not to by the Traveler. At the end of the quest, it joined the party to fight against Osial by activating the Guizhong Ballista alongside Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper. In Ganyu's story quest, it helps arrange an adeptus trial for Ganyu for her to regain the way of an adepti.
==== Skybracer ====
'''Skybracer''' is a deceased adeptus, having sacrificed itself during the events of the Archon War. Its form manifests as a blue and yellow stag. During the Archon War, it cuts off his stag and use them to shield a village from danger, and proceeds to fight until it dies of blood loss. During the Lantern Rite even in Version 1.3, the festival was held to honor it, with the Mingxiao Lantern taking its form when it is released.
==== Madame Ping ====
'''Madame Ping''' is an NPC that can be found in Liyue Harbor. While appearing as a normal old lady, Madame Ping is actually an adeptus as revealed in Liyue's Archon Quest. In the past, she desired the Cleansing Bell from Morax, and he eventually gave it to her and she became a part of his adepti party. After Liyue is established, she decides to not seclude herself like her fellow adepti, but instead choose to mingle with society. She resides in her abode, a regular-looking teapot that houses an entire domain inside.
During Liyue's Archon Quest, the Traveler approached her on Zhongli's request to retrieve the Cleansing Bell, with her sending them to the teapot to find it. During the battle against Osial and the Fatui, she appeared to support the party, giving the Traveler a buff which allows him to cast shockwaves. After the battle, she commends the people of Liyue and convinces her fellow adepti that Liyue is in good hands in the Liyue Qixing.
==== Ganyu ====
'''Ganyu''' (Chinese: 甘雨 ''Gānyǔ'', "lit. ''Sweet Rain''" (used to describe a rain after a long drought)) is a playable character, a 5-star Cryo Archer, and a secretary of the Liyue Qixing. She first appears as a playable character in version 1.2, under the "Adrift in the Harbor" event wish banner. A half-adeptus born from a human and the mythical creature Qilin, Ganyu served under Morax during the Archon War. After its conclusion, she alongside fellow adepti signed a contract with Morax to continue to protect and develop Liyue, with Ganyu taking up the position as Secretary of the Liyue Qixing, having served the Qixing since its first incarnation. She is very devoted to her job and spends all day working, leaving very little time to socialize or even rest. Despite this, she rarely complains, understanding that her duty is to uphold and protect the nation that Morax created.
Ganyu first appears in the Liyue Archon Quest to invite the Traveler to the Jade Palace. She later helps out in the battle against Osial, giving the Traveler a buff to increase his defense. During her own story quest, a mistake left her to believe that she was being relieved of her duty as secretary, leaving her to take adepti training from Cloud Retainer and Xiao to rediscover her adepti roots. Once the other secretary admits that they could not keep up with her pace of work, she returned to her job.
==== Guizhong ====
'''Guizhong''' (归终) is an Archon known as the '''God of Dust''', and one of the members if the adepti. She was a close friend and companion of Morax, and before the Archon War ruled over the Guili Plains with him. She was known to be a kind-hearted and knowledgeable god, sympathizing with humans and understanding their weakness. During the Archon War, she was killed in a destructive battle that destroyed most of Guili Plains. Guizhong was known as a genius mechanic, and designed the Guizhong Ballista, a weapon capable of taking down other Archons.
While being an Archon, Guizhong does not have a name of a demon in the ''Ars Goetia''. However, "Guizhong" might just be one of her many aliases, just like Morax has other names like Zhongli. The Guili Plains, where both of them had ruled together, is strongly implied to be a combination of their names, Guizhong and Zhongli respectively.
=== Yaksha ===
The '''Yaksha''' (夜叉 ''Yèchā'', a type of deities in Hinduism and Buddhism) are a special group of warrior adepti, tasked by Morax with eliminating demons spawned from the remains of defeated Archons. There were many yakshas, but five of them reigns as the strongest: Alatus (Xiao), Bosacius, Indarias, Bonanus, and Menogias. The never-ending quest of evil-conquering caused most of them to become fatigued and gave in to their rage and madness, and eventually one committed suicide, two killed each other out of madness, and one (Bosacius) has departed Liyue, disillusioned with his mission. Only Alatus remained at Liyue in the modern day, still continuing to honor his contract to Morax.
==== Xiao ====
'''Xiao''' (Chinese: 魈 ''Xiāo'', "Demon"), Yaksha name '''Alatus''', is a playable character, a 5-star Anemo Polearm user, and one of the five strongest Yakshas and member of the adepti. He first appears as a playable character in Version 1.3, under the "Invitation to Mundane Life" event wish banner. He is known by many epithets (such as the '''Golden-Winged King''' and the '''Bane of All Evil''' for his never-ending evil-conquering quest). During the Archon War period, Xiao served under an evil Archon and forced to commit violent and horrendous acts. After an encounter with Morax, he liberated the yaksha and gave him the name "Xiao", explaining it as the name of "a spirit who encountered great suffering and hardship. He endured much suffering, as you have." To repay his debt to Morax, Xiao faithfully serves under him, eventually become part of the five strongest yakshas to fight against the evil Archons. While the burden of constant fighting eventually droved the remaining four into madness, death and disappearance, Xiao remained sane thanks to the sound of the Dihua Flute played by Venti/Barbatos (it is yet to be explained how and why, but it is likely thanks to his Anemo Vision). To this day, he still dutifully and silently carry out the task Morax had gave him, residing in Wangshu Inn because he has taken a liking to their Almond Tofu. In order to not involve people in his own suffering and harsh battles, Xiao develops a cold, aloof personality and prefers to be alone most of the time.
During the Liyue Archon Quest, the Traveler asks for Xiao's help to investigate the assassination of Morax alongside other adepti. When Osial is revived, Xiao joins the fighting party, giving the Traveler a buff that increases their movement speed. During Ganyu's story quest, he sets up an adepti training for her to regain the ways of an adepti. In his own story quest, the Traveler follows him as he exterminates a domain full of karma-infused devils, then assists him in luring out a fake adepti. During the "All That Glitters" event, the Traveler convinces Xiao to take part in the Lantern Rite Festival. Despite his reluctance to mingle with the people, Xiao agrees to accompany the Traveler to Liyue Harbor, and later watch the release of the Mingxiao Lantern by himself, silently smiling.
His name is the name of a [[Xiao (mythology)|demon in Chinese mythology,]] which is fitting because he transforms using a demonic mask during his Elemental Burst.
==== Pervases ====
'''Pervases''' is an NPC and a junior yaksha (not part of the five strongests) who appears in Xiao's story quest. He passed away during the Archon War, with his spirit lingering in the modern world, performing an art called Mortal Lingering to be able to see modern Liyue briefly. He has the utmost respect to Xiao, and agrees to the Traveler's request to give him the tools needed for Xiao's ritual. In turn, Xiao pays respect to him by eating his favorite dish, Grilled Ticker Fish, at the end of the quest.
=== Liyue Qixing ===
The '''Liyue Qixing''' (璃月七星 ''Líyuè Qīxīng'', "Seven Stars of Liyue") are a group of seven business leaders that also politically govern Liyue. They each specialize in a different business and political spectrum, and together they control all aspects of trade and business in Liyue. Every year, one of the Qixing is selected to perform the Rite of Descension, with Ningguang being chosen in the Liyue Archon Quest. The name "Qixing" comes from 北斗七星 (''Běidǒu Qīxīng''), the Chinese name for the Big Dipper asterism. Each member of the Qixing also has an honorary title that is the Chinese translation of one of the seven stars of the asterism. So far, only 3 of the 7 Qixing have appeared in the game.
==== Ningguang ====
'''Ningguang''' (凝光, ''Níngguāng'') is a playable character, a 4-star Geo Catalyst user, and the '''Tianquan''' of the Liyue Qixing (天权 ''Tiānquán'', the Chinese name for the star Megrez). She first appears as a playable character in Version 1.0, under the "Wanderlust Invocation" standard wish banner. An ambitious and forward-thinking businesswoman, Ningguang has built her career from the bottom to the very top in the Liyue Qixing, accumulating a stagnating amount of wealth. She started building the Jade Chamber, her proudest possession, from when it was a tiny castle to now a castle that covers the sky of Liyue, serving as her base of operation. Ningguang always thinks about new business opportunities and ways to make money, but does not shy away from her responsibility as a Qixing and professionally upholds the laws and traditions of Liyue. She disagrees with the adepti's view of disregarding mortals, and believes that Liyue can thrive without divine guidance but from the strength of its people.
Ningguang first appears in the Liyue Archon Quest, performing the Rite of Descension before Morax was persumably killed. Suspecting foul play from the Fatui, she purposefully hid the corpse to draw them out, while inviting the Traveler to the Jade Chamber to help with the investigation while she deals with the adepti. She later joins the party to fight against Osial, sacrificing her precious Jade Chamber to reseal the Archon.
Her name can be translated to "Concentrated Light", most likely referring to her ability to shoot concentrated blasts of Geo Energy, and also signifying her leadership and influence over the people.
==== Keqing ====
'''Keqing''' (刻晴 ''Kèqíng'') is a playable character, a 5-star Electro Swordsman, and the '''Yuheng''' of the Liyue Qixing (玉衡 ''Yùhéng'', the Chinese name for the star Alioth). She first appears as a playable character in Version 1.0, under the "Wanderlust Invocation" standard wish banner. Keqing is a forward-thinking and independent individual, often questioning the gods' rule of Liyue and does not want mortals to be forever sheltered by them, but instead having the choice to their own path and decision. Keqing, like Ganyu, is a workaholic, often doing ten times the amount of work as others and often do works for years in advance. Desipte that, she came to respect Morax's work after he renounced the country's leadership to the Qixing, realizing how much he had done to create and maintain Liyue, and ironically now keeps many Morax memorabilia in her room as a form of "self-reflection". Outside of work, Keqing likes to go shopping.
Keqing first appears in the Liyue Archon Quest, encountering the Traveler during his trip to the Jade Chamber, and later on joins the battle against Osial. Afterwards, she grants the Traveler any requests they want due to their help, and the Traveler requests to hang posters around Liyue to find his sister.
Her name can be translated into "Engraving to a Sunny Day", likely referring to her desire to leave a legacy in Liyue by contributing to its growth and prosperity.
==== Uncle Tian ====
'''Uncle Tian''' (天叔, ''Tiānshū'') is an NPC that can be found fishing in the dockyard at Liyue Harbor. Despite his appearance as a normal old man, he is actually the '''Tianshu''' of the Liyue Qixing (天枢 ''Tiānshū'', the Chinese name for the star Dubhe), choosing to mingle with society and maintain a degree of independence alongside his work due to his old age. He has a daughter, '''Huixin''', who is a secretary of the Liyue Qixing. He was revealed to be a Qixing by Ganyu in her story quest. His in-game name, 天叔, is also pronounced ''Tiānshū'' like his title, likely a clue to his true identity.
=== Wangsheng Funeral Parlor ===
The '''Wangsheng Funeral Parlor''' (往生堂 ''Wǎngshēng-táng'', "Hall of Rebirth") is a funeral service organization based on Liyue. Aside from normal funeral service for mortals, they also perform the Rite of Passing for the adepti, which are often conducted by Zhongli. While they do conduct normal funeral rites, their true purpose is to literally "guide" the soul of the dead to the afterlife, helping them pass on with no regrets. To do so, all directors of the Parlor are taught a secret technique to cross the border of the living and enter the realm of the dead. They have ties to the Fatui, who are one of their main sponsors. The Parlor has a long-standing history in Liyue, having existed for 77 generations, with Hu Tao being the current director.
==== Hu Tao ====
'''Hu Tao''' (胡桃 ''Hú Táo'', "Walnut") is a playable character, a 5-star Pyro Polearm user, and the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. She first appears as a playable character in Version 1.3, under the "Moment of Bloom" event wish banner. An eccentric prankster, Hu Tao always does things according to her own whim and frequently annoys other characters with her antics, especially Qiqi because of Hu Tao's insistence of burying the zombie. Despite this personality, Hu Tao takes her job at the Parlor very seriously, believing that she has the responsibility to please both the living and the dead. She is serious about her job and wants to expand the Parlor's business, though her eccentric antics and tactless conversation skill often makes other people annoyed. During funeral ceremonies, she instead puts on a solemn and elegant air, enough to make people change their attitude towards funeral ceremonies in general. She is also a famous poet, with her "Hilltune" about the hilchurl having become a common tune among citizens of Liyue.
Her name means "Walnut", and shares the first reading "Hu" with the Chinese word for butterfly (蝴蝶, ''húdié''), a prevalent theme on her clothes and skills.
She first appears in her own story quest, helping one of her new undertakers, Meng, in finding the spirit of his deceased friend Big G and pass him on to the afterlife after resolving his biggest regret.
==== Zhongli ====
'''Zhongli''' (钟离 ''Zhōnglí'') is a playable character, a 5-star Geo Polearm user, and a consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. He first appears as a playable character in Version 1.1, under the "Gentry of Hermitage" event wish banner. Zhongli is a man who knows deeply about the history of Liyue, remembering many old traditions that are thought to be lost with time. Due to this, he is trusted to perform the Rite of Passing for the adepti, as he remembers all the traditions and materials that need to be performed and gathered. Zhongli also maintains a close business relationship with Tartaglia due to the Fatui's backing of the Parlor. He has a weird tendency to forget about Mora in transactions, often agreeing to large transactions without having Mora to pay for it, and ended up having someone else, the Fatui or the parlor pay for him instead. During the Liyue Archon Quest, the Traveler accompanies him as he prepares for the Geo Archon's Rite of Passing.
It is revealed at the end of the Liyue Archon Quest that he is actually the human identity of the Geo Archon '''Morax''', also known as '''Rex Lapis''' (岩王帝君 ''Yánwáng Dìjūn, "''Stonelord Sovereign"). Known as the '''God of Contracts''' and '''Lord of Geo''', Morax takes contracts very seriously, believing that both parties should honor their deal of the contracts, and will deal "The Wrath of the Rock" to anyone who doesn't. Zhongli's negligence towards Mora stems from the fact that Morax is the creator of Mora himself, using that as a form of contract to bind people's transactions together. During the era of the Archon War, Morax was once a close companion of Guizhong before she was killed at Dihua Marsh, prompting him to move his people to what is now known as Liyue Harbor. He then led the adpeti and the Yaksha to a harsh and brutal battle against the other Archons, eventually emerging victorious and unify the lands of Liyue as one, also becoming one of the Seven in the process. He has continued to lead and protect Liyue ever since then alongside the adepti and the Liyue Qixing.
As confessed by Zhongli and the end of the Archon Quest, having existed for 6000 years and ruled Liyue for 3700, he had grown somewhat weary of his position. After seeing Barbatos' carefree attitude towards his own nation Mondstadt and overhearing a merchant telling one of his workers, "You've finished with your duties, go ahead and call it a day," Morax decides to relinquish his duty as an Archon and walk the earth as the mortal Zhongli, not revealing his identity as the Geo Archon to anyone including his fellow adepti. But to ensure that Liyue can survive in his absence, Morax set up the entire event of the Liyue Archon Quest, faking his assassination to draw out the Fatui Harbinger Tartaglia, while secretly making a contract with La Signora to hand over his Gnosis for a yet-to-be-revealed condition. Once Osial is defeated, with Morax confirming with his own eyes that Liyue can now thrive without his guidance, he honors his end of the contract and relinquish his Gnosis to La Signora. Afterwards, he expresses happiness of being able to live as a mortal, while warning the Traveler about what is currently happening in Inazuma. During Zhongli's own story quest, he recounts the story of the Salt God Havria and how she lost her life in the Archon War, using that to set an example to himself.
Zhongli's name, when read the characters separately, can be translated to "leaving the clock", referencing his desire to use this identity and leave his previous one as the Geo Archon. "Zhongli" can also come from Zhongli Quan, a mythological figure in Taoism that can transform stones into silver and gold (a nod to Morax being able to create Mora).
Zhongli's Archon name, Morax, fits with the naming theme of Archons, based on the 21st Demon in the ''Ars Goetia'' and one of the 12 Presidents of Hell.
==== Ferrylady ====
The '''Ferrylady''' (仪倌 ''Yíguān'') is an NPC and the Undertaker of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, frequently seen standing in front of the Parlor building.
=== Bubu Pharmacy ===
The '''Bubu Pharmacy''' (不卜药店, ''Bùbǔ Yàodiàn'') is a pharmacy located Liyue, renowned for being "the finest pharmacy in all of Liyue". It is located near Liyue Harbor, and is owned by Baizhu, with Qiqi and Herbalist Gui assisting him. The name "Bubu" may come from 善易者不卜 (''shàn yì zhě bù bǔ''), a famous quote from Confucius that means "those who really understand Yi Jing do not perform divination", either referring to the fact that scientific medicine are not divination, or that customers should not expect that medicine here works like magic and can cure all diseases.
==== Baizhu ====
'''Baizhu''' (白术 ''Báizhú'') is an NPC and the owner of Bubu Pharmacy. He has been seen with a Dendro Vision, making him a likely playable character in the future. He has a talking snake named '''Changsheng''' (长生 ''Chángshēng'', "Long Life") wrapped around his neck. According to Herbalist Gui, Baizhu suffers from an ailment which makes his boy very frail, even weaker than Qiqi. He appears briefly in the Liyue Archon Quest to conclude Zhongli's transaction of buying Everlasting Incense.
His name, Baizhu, is the Chinese name for a herbal plant with the scientific name ''Atractylodis macrocephalae rhizoma'', frequently used to improve the immune system.
==== Qiqi ====
'''Qiqi''' (七七 ''Qīqī'') is a playable character, a 5-star Cryo Swordsman, and a worker at Bubu Pharmacy. She first appears as a playable character in Version 1.0, under the "Wanderlust Invocation" standard wish banner. A young herb-picking girl who lived at the time of the Archon War, she was nearly killed amidst the battle. At the verge of life and death, she received her Vision and was found by the adepti. Unwilling to let her die, they imparted their strength onto her and managed to resurrect her as a jiangshi (僵尸 ''jiāngshī,'' "Stiff Corpse", also referred to as the Chinese zombie). This, however, caused her to go on a rampage, with Mountain Shaper forced to seal her in his amber. In the modern day, she was found by humans who accidentally broke the seal. She escaped and bumped into Baizhu, who took her in and allowed her to work at Bubu Pharmacy. Due to her resurrection, Qiqi has an extremely short-term memory and frequently forgets about everything she see and everyone she talks to, requiring her to write on a notebook to remember them. She is also weak and fragile, needing to go exercise and do calisthetics everyday, scaring everyone in Liyue because of her status as a zombie. She is also fond of coconut milk for unknown reasons, but mistakenly thought that it came from an adeptibeast called "Cocogoat".
She appears briefly in the Liyue Archon Quest when the Traveler and Zhongli went to Bubu Pharmacy to buy Everlasting Incense. Because they cannot provide a prescription (which is unneeded but Qiqi does not know that due to her short-term memory), she asks them to go fetch her some coconut milk from the "Cocogoat" instead, leading Zhongli to go visit the Guizhong Ballista.
Her name, Qiqi, literally means "seven-seven", a nod to the Chinese and Vietnamese tradition of mourning the dead, which lasts 49 (7 x 7) days.
==== Herbalist Gui ====
'''Herbalist Gui''' is an NPC and a pharmacist at Bubu Pharmacy. He is a kind and considerate person who wants everyone in Liyue to be healthy.
=== Liyue's Adventurers' Guild Branch ===
==== Lan ====
'''Lan''' is an NPC and the branch master of Liyue's Adventurers' Guild Branch. However, she doesn't do much work, instead focusing her effort on finding her brother's sword, the Unseen Razor, as detailed in some daily commissions.
=== Other notable playable characters and NPCs. ===
==== Beidou ====
'''Beidou''' (北斗 ''Běidǒu'') is a playable character, a 4-star Electro Claymore user, and the captain of a notorious pirate band known as the Crux Fleet. She first appears as a playable character in Version 1.0, under the "Wanderlust Invocation" standard wish banner. Beidou has immense strength and a boisterous personality befitting that of a pirate captain, relenting to no one including the Tianquan Ningguang. Ningguang, taking a liking to Beidou's personality, employs the Crux Fleet for commissions on several occasions. Beidou is the subject of the famous Liyue epic "The Wrath of Haishan", a story that tells of her encounter with the mighty aquatic beast Haishan, which she defeated, receiving her Vision in the process. She has yet to appear in any Quests.
Her name comes from 北斗七星 (''Běidǒu Qīxīng''), the Chinese name for the Big Dipper asterism, also where the Liyue Qixing takes its name from.
==== Chongyun ====
'''Chongyun''' (Chinese: 重云 ''Chóngyún'', "Heavy Cloud") is a playable character, a 4-star Cryo Claymore user, and an Exorcist working at Liyue. He first appears as a playable character in Version 1.0, under the "Wanderlust Invocation" standard wish banner. He was born with excessive positive (yang) energy, making him a very strong exorcist as no spirits dare to come near him. However, this excessive positivity also makes his temper go up very easily, resulting in him getting frequently angry and excited, and had to prevent it by trying to avoid the sun. This also makes him love cold food, with popsicles one of his favorites. He is best friend with Xingqiu, who while teasing him a lot also helps him find a cure for his condition. Chongyun has yet to appear in any Quests.
==== Xiangling ====
'''Xiangling''' (香菱 ''Xiānglíng'') is a playable character, a 4-star Pyro Polearm user, and a chef at Liyue's Wanmin Restaurant. She first appears as a playable character in Version 1.0, under the "Wanderlust Invocation" standard wish banner, and can also be given for free to the player once they completed floor 3 of Spiral Abyss. The daughter of the restaurant owner, '''Chef Mao''', Xiangling is a talented chef with a curious mind, frequently exploring the world in search of new and exotic ingredients (For example, she is not afraid to use slimes in her dishes). This, however, also makes her renowned in both Mondstadt and Liyue, with many chefs in both regions having heard of her name. She is also a temporary member in the Crux Fleet, where her cooking talents impressed Beidou so much that she alllowed the chef to join the crew on expeditions.
She appears on her own story quest, meeting the Traveler during her trip to Mondstadt, and later on having a cook-off with Brook, a talented chef in Mondstadt.
Her name, Xiangling, is written with the exact same characters (香菱) as the character with the same name in '''''Dream of the Red Chamber'''''. It can also be translated separately as "Fragant" and "Water Chestnut".
==== Xingqiu ====
'''Xingqiu''' (Chinese: 行秋 ''Xíngqiū'') is a playable character, a 4-star Hydro Swordsman, and the second son of the owner of the Feiyun Commerce Guild, one of the largest business organizations in Liyue, as well as a practitioner of the Guhua Clan martial arts. He first appears as a playable character in Version 1.0, under the "Wanderlust Invocation" standard wish banner. He appears to be a rather aloof kid, spending most of his time reading and writing books, but he also very smart and perceptive when needed. He is the author of the novel series "A Legend of Sword" with illustrations from Albedo that, while not selling well in Liyue, is a massive hit in Inazuma. Despite his wealth and power, Xingqiu has a strong sense of justice and hates businessmen who uses underhanded methods. He is best friends with Chongyun, who he frequently teases.
Xingqiu first appears in his own story quest, using his wits and influence to secretly help Chang the Ninth against a fraud scheme by Gentry Maocai.
His name can be roughly translated to "Progression of Autumn".
==== Xinyan ====
'''Xinyan''' (Chinese: 辛焱 ''Xīnyàn'', "Spicy Flames") is a playable character, a 4-star Pyro Claymore user, and Liyue's sole rock'n'roll musician. She first appears as a playable character in Version 1.1, under the "Gentry of Hermitage" event wish banner. Having listened to rock'n'roll music, which is famous in Fontaine, she fell in love with the tune and becomes a rock musician herself. However, as this form of music is foreign to Liyue citizens, she tries her best to amass a fanbase and make more people appreciate the music form using her skills. She has yet to appear in any Quests.
==== '''Verr Goldet and Huai'an''' ====
'''Verr Goldet''' and '''Huai'an''' are husband and wife, and are two NPCs who owns and manages the Wangshu Inn. Wangshu Inn, aside from being a regular inn, also hosts and shelters wandering spirits, as well as the adepti Xiao. They, along with all the staff of Wangshu Inn, are secretly Ningguang's informants who relays many secret intel that are discussed inside the inn to her. Verr Goldet actually hails from Mondstadt, but moved to Liyue for unknown reasons. However according to Jiangxue, nobody in Mondstadt has ever heard of the name Verr Goldet, adding another layer to her mystery. "Vergoldet" means ''gold-plated'' in German.
==== Jiangxue ====
'''Jiangxue''' (江雪 ''Jiāngxuě'') is an NPC who seemingly appears to be a normal fisherman. Despite this, in the daily commission "Fishing Jiangxue" he shows the ability to detect monsters, and even defeated a Ruin Hunter without even moving from his spot. It has been heavily hinted that he is an adepti throughout his actions in multiple side quests.
==== Osial ====
'''Osial,''' known as the '''Overlord of the Vortex''', is an ancient Archon who participated in the Archon War in Liyue, being defeated by Morax, who impaled him with multiple stone spears and sealed him inside what is now known as Guyun Stone Forest. During the events of the Liyue Archon Quest, Tartaglia used his fake Sigil of Permissions to release Osial and wreak havoc to Liyue in order to draw out Morax from hiding. While he managed to destroy the Guizhong Ballista, Osial was ultimately resealed by Ningguang dropping the Jade Chamber imbued with adeptal energy into him, resealing him at Guyun Stone Forest.
As with the naming of all Archons, Osial is named after demons in the ''Ars Goetia'', specifically a combination of Ose, the 57th demon and one of the 12 Presidents of Hell, and Belial, the 68th demon and one of the 9 Kings of Hell.
==== Havria ====
Havria, known as the '''God of Salt''', is an ancient Archon who resided in Liyue during the Archon War. A weak god with no combat capabilities, she lead her people into hiding in what is now known as Sal Terrae. However, with Liyue continuing to be ravaged by war, her people eventually are scared and decided to kill Havria because her kindness cannot help them anymore. The moment she died, her powers unleashed and turned almost every one of her followers to salt. The survivors eventually are falsely taught that Morax had killed Havria, with one of their descendants '''Wanyan''' seeking to prove this claim during Zhongli's story quest.
As with the naming of all Archons, Havria is named after Havres, another reading of Flauros, the 64th demon in the ''Ars Goetia'' and one of the 23 Dukes of Hell.
=== '''Millelith''' ===
The '''Millelith''' (千岩军 ''Qiān yán jūn'', "Army of Thousand Rocks") is Liyue's main military forces under the Liyue Qixing, usually seen stationed around various parts of Liyue as guards. Some notable Millelith NPCs in the game are '''Cai Le, Hongyi, Huaqing, Jiayi, Reekwind, Tiancheng, Zhe'yuan, Zhenhai, Zhenxiang'''.
== Inazuma ==
'''Inazuma''' (稲妻 ''Inadzuma,'' Japanese for "lightning") is one of the seven nations of Teyvat, and the third nation the Traveler will set foot in after Liyue. The nation worships '''Raiden Shogun''', the Electro Archon, who also leads its governing body, the '''Inazuma Bakufu''' (稲妻幕府 ''Inadzuma Bakufu'', based on the real-life Shogun Bakufu). As revealed by Zhongli at the end of the Liyue Archon Quest, the Electro Archon has for the past year ordered Inazuma to close its border to the world (likely based on Japan's Sakoku policy), as well as issuing the Vision Hunt Decree to confiscate all Visions in Inazuma from their holders. The borders of Inazuma are controlled by the '''Kanjoubugyo''' (勘定奉行 ''Kanjoubugyou'', based on the real-life ''Kanjō-bugyō''), making it extremely difficult for anyone to enter and exit. True to its name, Inazuma is based on Japan.
Inazuma will be the setting for the Archon Quest Chapter 2, '''"Omnipresence Over Mortals"'''
==== '''Raiden Shogun''' ====
'''Raiden Shogun''' (雷電将軍, "Thunder and Lightning Shogun"), Archon name '''Baal''', is the Electro Archon and the ruler of Inazuma, leading its governing body the Bakufu. As the '''God of Eternity''', Baal is described as a very self-centered individual, who recently came to the belief that Visions are blessings of gods and should not be in the hands of mortals. Thus, for the past year she had closed down Inazuma's borders and seize all Visions in Inazuma. She has also stopped giving out Visions, resulting in no Electro Vision holders being born for almost a year. She is not one of the original Seven, having replaced the original Electro Archon more than 500 years ago.
Her title, Raiden Shogun, is a reference to the ''Honkai Impact 3rd'' character Raiden Mei, who eventually becomes the Herrscher of Lightning. Her Archon name, Baal, is the name of the first demon in the ''Ars Goetia'' and one of the nine Kings of Hell.
==== Kamisato Ayaka ====
'''Kamisato Ayaka''' (神里綾華 ''Kamisato Ayaka'') is a Cryo Swordsman and an upcoming playable character in Genshin Impact. She first appeared in the game's Closed Beta Test, but has yet to appear in the story proper.
<!-- these regions have not been released yet, and there is not enough verifiable information about them yet. Do not uncomment until there is such information available.
== Sumeru ==
== Fontaine ==
== Natlan ==
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== Snezhnaya ==
'''Snezhnaya''' (Сне́жная ''Snézhnaya'', "snowy" in Russian) is one of the seven nations of Teyvat, and the seventh and last of the main nations the Traveler will set foot in. Snzehnaya is the most powerful and technologically advanced of the seven nations, ruled by the Cryo Archon Tsaritsa with the Fatui acting as their main governmental and militaristic force. The nation has used their wealth, power and technology to force other nations into allowing the Fatui a higher degree of diplomatic freedom within their grounds, with the ultimate goal of obtaining the other Archon's Gnoses for the Tsaritsa. Due to their actions, they are frequently on bad terms with other nations and often serves as an antagonist in most Archon Quests, with some of their soldier units also being enemy units for the player to fight in-game. The Adventurer's Guild also originated from the nation, with the receptionist Katheryne strongly implied to be a series of androids build to serve as a receptionist in all seven nations. As described by their citizens, Snezhnaya is a nation of perpetual snow and ice, with raging winter storms all year. True to its name, Snezhnaya is primarily based on Russia, with "Snezhnaya" also a name of a river located in Siberia.
Snezhnaya will be the setting for the Archon Quest Chapter 6, '''"Everwinter Without Mercy"'''
==== Tsaritsa ====
'''Tsaritsa''' (Цари́ца ''Tsarítsa'', "Empress" in Russian) is the Cryo Archon and ruler of Snzehnaya. As described by Venti, the tragedy 500 years ago had deeply affected the Tsaritsa and caused her to develop a grudge against Celestia, wishing to fight against them. To that end, she also becomes distant with the other Archons, sending the Fatui to obtain their Gnoses by all means to support her eventual battle. Despite her antagonistic attitude and actions against other nations, the Fatui Tartaglia suggests that she "had to harden herself" for her goal and that is is in fact "a gentle soul", and that her actions are meant to bring peace to Teyvat. She seems to hold a personal grudge against Venti, as seen by La Signora's forceful method to obtain his Gnosis, in contrast to the diplomatic negotiation with Zhongli. She is not one of the original members of The Seven, having replaced the previous Cryo Archon at some point in the past.
Aside from granting Visions, the Tsaritsa posseses the ability to grant '''Delusions''', a more sinister power and gives its user much more power than a Vision would.
"Tsaritsa" is the female equivalent of "Tsar", a title referring to the ruler of the Russian Empire.
=== The Fatui ===
The '''Fatui''' (Latin for "fools") are a group of international delegates that establish diplomatic relations with the other nations of Teyvat on behalf of Snezhnaya. Due to their excessive wealth and technological prowess, as well as the strength of their leaders the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, the Fatui often overstep their boundaries when it comes to negotiation, often employing deceitful and cunning schemes to slowly insert their influence over other nations, even using other nations' land as a base for their shady operations (e.g. Dottore's Ruin Guard factory in Liyue). As a result, the Fatui is viewed in a bad light by the rest of Teyvat, with Mondstadt and Liyue citizens openly voicing their disdain against them. While calling themselves diplomatic delegates, many Fatui that comes to other nations are actually specifically trained soldiers on standby in case the Fatui enters conflict with other nations (as seen in the Liyue Archon Quest), with many of them acting as soldier enemy types in-game. Some of the notable Fatui NPC in-game includes '''Viktor, Nadia, Ekaterina, Mikhail, and Lyudimia.'''
=== Eleven Fatui Harbingers ===
The '''Eleven Fatui Harbingers''' are group of 11 individuals who led the Fatui, as well as the Tsaritsa's closest subordinates, having been given full authority to act on her behalf. They are all known to be powerful individuals by their own rights, further amplified by the Tsaritsa's Delusion, which gives them another element alongside the Vision that all of them already possesses. They are strong enough to be notorious throughout Teyvat, reaching the realm of Archons themselves, with La Signora completely dominating Venti in their brief fight and Tartaglia noting that it is an honor for anyone to be able to challenge a Harbinger to a battle. They are also given free spending rights from the Snezhnayan government, and each of them owns mind-boggling sums of money and often use them to perform extravagant feats. Each member of the Fatui Harbinger is given a title taken from a stock character in ''[[commedia dell'arte]]'', a form of Italian professional theater which uses masks to designate their character's role in the story (also highlighted by the fact that all Harbingers have a mask that they wear somewhere on their body). The ranking of a Fatui does not reflect their strength, but rather the order in which they joined the group.
==== Pedrolino ====
'''Pedrolino''', also known as '''The Jester''', is the No. 1 member of the Harbingers and the first to ever be awarded the title. Not much is known about them, other than the fact that they gave Tartaglia his Delusion when he was accepted into the Harbinger's ranks. Their title is based on '''Pedrolino''', a character type in ''[[commedia dell'arte]]'' known as the "comic servant", portrayed as a clever person who willingly serves others for his own benefit.
==== Pulcinella ====
'''Pulcinella''' is the No. 5 of the Harbingers. Not much is known about them, other than the fact that they appeared on the "Teyvat Storyline Chapter Preview" video, as well as the fact that they recruited Tartaglia into the Fatui's rank. Their title is based on '''Pulcinella''', a character type in ''[[commedia dell'arte]]'' known as a "social chameleon" who either acts humble or condescending according to the person he's speaking to, and is also known to only look out for himself yet always manage to accidentally solve everyone else's trouble. He is also known for his rooster-like appearance as depicted in most plays.
==== Scaramouche ====
'''Scaramouche''', also known as '''The Balladeer''', is the No. 6 of the Harbingers who appears as an NPC in the "Unreconciled Stars" event. He has been seen with an Electro Vision. He first appears when The Traveler and Fischl were investigating Liyue for the cause of the meteorite, hiding his identity and introducing himself as a "vagrant from Inazuma", implying that it is where he is stationed. He attempts to get close to the Traveler to take him down, but on their next meeting his identity was discovered by Mona, who teleports the Traveler and Fischl to safety. He later appears at the end of the quest, having just entered the dream induced by the meteorite and seemed to have discovered a great secret, declaring to the Traveler that "The stars, the sky... It's all a gigantic hoax. A lie." before taking his leave. He is shown to be a cunning yet easily irritated and condescending individual, talking down on his subordinates for not following his exact orders. According to the Fatui NPC '''Viktor''', he is disliked by every other Harbinger.
His title is based on '''Scaramouche''', a character type in ''[[commedia dell'arte]]'' known as a cunning but coward rogue who often display villainous traits.
==== Signora ====
'''Signora''', also known as '''The Fair Lady''', is the No. 8 of the Harbingers who has so far appeared as an NPC. She has been seen using Cryo powers in her brief appearence in Mondstadt, thus it is not known if this is her Vision or Delusion. She has also been seen with a Catalyst. She seems to be personally tasked by the Tsaritsa to be the main enforcer in retrieving the Gnosis, as she has so far only appear at the end of each Archon Quests to carry out the deed. She dominates Venti during their brief fight, an impressive feat given that Venti is an Archon (though the weakest among the Seven). She is also the one who accepted Zhongli's contract with the Tsaritsa in secret, and appears after Osial has been defeated to collect the Gnosis as part of the deal. She is shown to be a haughty and condescending individual, mocking enemies and allies alike.
Her title is based on '''La Signora''', a character type in ''[[commedia dell'arte]]'' who is the wife of [[Pantalone]] and the mistress of [[Pedrolino]]. She is often depicted as a tough, beautiful and calculating rich lady.
==== Tartaglia ====
'''Tartaglia''', real name '''Ajax''', also known as '''Childe''' ("a youth of noble birth, young lord"), is a playable character, a 5-star Hydro Archer (who also wields an Electro Delusion), and No.11 of the Harbingers and the newest to join their ranks. He first appears as a playable character in Version 1.1, under the "Farewell of Snezhnaya" event wish banner. As the youngest person to ever become a Harbinger, Tartaglia is known as a fighting genius, who enjoys the thrill of a fight and is often eager to challenge strong opponents such as the Traveler. He was sent to be stationed in Liyue, using the Northland Bank branch in the nation as his base of operations, storing an immense sum of Mora there which he uses for different diplomatic and business purposes. He also has access to an institution that produces fake Sigils of Permission hat he later uses to revive Osial.
When he was 14 years old, the young boy Ajax ran away from home and ended up stranded in a forest. He ended up accidentally venturing into the Abyss, where he met a mysterious woman named '''Skirk''', who helped him navigate the Abyss and taught him how to fight. He returned from the Abyss as a battle-hardened and confident warrior while still young, and was noticed by Pulcinella, who drafted him into the Fatui. Ajax eventually worked his way up into the Harbinger, bestowed with the name Tartaglia by the Tsaritsa. After joining the Harbinger, Tartaglia learned about the Tsaritsa's personality and intentions, growing sympathetic with her goal and wishing to support her to the best of his abilities. Despite his ruthless tendencies in battle, Tartaglia shows an overprotective and caring personality when it comes to his younger siblings, hiding his identity as a warmongering Harbinger from them until they are mature enough to learn the truth.
Tartaglia first appears in the Liyue Archon Quest, pretending to help the Traveler escape from being wrongly convicted as Morax's killer by giving him a fake Sigil of Permission and instructing him to meet the adepti, in truth secretly eavesdropping to find out where Morax's corpse has been hidden. Once he discovers the location at the Golden House, he went there to retrieve the Gnosis only to be defeated by the Traveler, instead unsealing Osial to force Morax to make his move. After realizing that he has been part of Zhongli's scheme all along, an enraged Tartaglia returns to Szenhnaya. During his own story quest, he returns to Liyue for some unfinished business, only to be surprised by his younger brother Teucer coming to Liyue to see him work, pretending to be a toy salesman to hide his Harbinger identity. After a dangerous hide-and-seek game at the abandoned Ruin Guard factory, Teucer reveals to the Traveler that Tartaglia secretly respects them and wishes to be their travel companion, but cannot due to his duties with the Tsaritsa.
Tartaglia is one of the most unique characters in the game due to his ability to "stance-switch" when activating his Elemental Skill, briefly switching from his bow to a pair of Hydro-imbued shortswords. Tartaglia (as an NPC) also possesses a secret technique known as Foul Legacy Transformation, greatly increasing his powers and allowing him to use both his Hydro Vision and Electro Delusion at the same time, though overusing the technique is very draining to his body.
His real name Ajax is based on Ajax the Great, a hero in the Trojan War. His title, '''Tartaglia''', is a character type in ''[[commedia dell'arte]]'' known for being a stuttering and clumsy individual who is portrayed in many different social roles.
==== Dottore ====
'''Dottore''' is one of the Harbingers, though his number has not yet been revealed. He has a "mad scientist" type of personality, building a giant factory in Liyue to analyze Ruin Guards, and has also dabbled in human experiementation. He first appears in the prologue webtoon, defeating a tough enemy Ursa the Drake and cause Mondstadt to be indebted to the Fatui. His title is based on '''Il Dottore''', is a character type in ''[[commedia dell'arte]]'', usually depicted as a rich and narcissistic doctor.
==== '''Pantalone''' ====
'''Pantalone''' is one of the Harbingers who has only been mentioned in dialogues, having come to Mondstadt and rent the entire Goth Grand Hotel (the largest hotel in the city) exclusively for the Fatui. His title is based on '''Pantalone''', a character type in ''[[commedia dell'arte]]'' depicted as a rich, greedy person of high-status who often serves as an important character in most plays.
=== Other notable characters and NPC ===
==== Teucer ====
'''Teucer''' is an NPC and one of Tartaglia's younger brothers. He is shown as an innocent young boy who loves his brother very much. Tartaglia in turn is overprotective towards him and tries to hide his Harbinger identity. He appears in Tartaglia's story quest, having came all the way from Snezhnaya to Liyue to see Tartaglia work as a "toy salesman". His name comes from Teucer, who is Ajax the Great's younger half brother.
==== Katheryne ====
'''Katheryne''' is the receptionist of the Adventurers Guild, appearing in every nation for this purpose. The reason for this is heavily implied to be her being built as a series of androids, due to some of her idle quotes being "Error..." and "Rebooting...". She is the one who accepts and distributes commissions to Adventurers of all nations.
== Khaenri'ah ==
'''Khaenri'ah''' is an unreleased region, a mysterious nation that is not part of the Seven, described by Dainsleif as one of "the hidden corners where the gods' gaze does not fall". Most information from Khaenri'ah so far only comes from description and character dialougue. It is an underground nation with little flora and fauna, leading its citizen to create an alchemical art known as the Art of Khemia that can create life. This art however was maliciously used by the alchemist Gold, leading to the fall of the then-ruling Eclipse Dynasty and caused a "catastrophe" to befall Teyvat, at the same time when the Traveler siblings confronted the Unknown God. The "catastrophe" turned many Khaenri'ah citizens into monsters (somewhat implied to be the '''hilichurls''', due to one of the hilichurl tribes being the Eclipse Tribe). Kaeya is noted to be the survivor's "last hope" as he is sent to Mondstadt as a child for a certain purpose. Albedo also practices the Art of Khemia from his master, Rhinedottir, implying that she is from Khaenri'ah for studied under someone here.
Khaenri'ah will be the setting for the Archon Quest '''"The Dream Yet to Be Dreamed"'''
==== Dainsleif ====
'''Dainsleif''' is an NPC and an upcoming playable character in Genshin Impact. He is the narrator of the Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview video, as well as all character's Collected Miscellany videos. He is an enigmatic individual who seems to be watching over Teyvat for a certain purpose relating to the Traveler twins and the Abyss Order. He once traveled with the Traveler's Sibling in the past, but events has caused them to be separated. In Chapter I: Act IV - Prelude, '''"Bough Keeper: Dainsleif"''', he suddenly appeared in front of the Traveler and asks him vague questions, later on agreeing to be his ally in quests concerning the Abyss Order.
==== Gold ====
'''Gold''' is an alchemist who lived around 500 years ago, noted to be the person who started the catastrophe of Teyvat 500 years ago and spawned monsters throughout the continent, setting up the entire course of the story.
== References ==
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