Carmen Dei Chapter

List of Acts[]

• Act I - Should You Be Trapped in a Windless Land
  • Requirements:
    • Reach Adventure Rank 36
    • Spend 1 Story Key
    • Complete Klee's Story Quest, Trifolium Chapter: Act I - True Treasure

Summary[]

Act I - Should You Be Trapped in a Windless Land[]

A Child's Secret

Arriving in the City of Mondstadt, the Traveler and Paimon find Nora playing around with an imaginary friend. Paimon is perplexed and asks the Traveler if they have one, but they tell her that they have been long gone, and their sibling once had one as well. Just then, they encounter Venti, who is carrying a special device that appears to be a monocle, which Lisa made with materials imported from Sumeru. He states that it is a "nirnama detector" and that he is using it is using as Lisa is too busy to do so herself. Venti gives the detector to the Traveler, who then sees Nora's imaginary friend.

Wondering if other children have imaginary friends, they check on Flora, whose friend is a potted Bloatty Floatty. They then decide to visit Timmie, but become terrified when they find his imaginary friend is a Ruin Guard. With the children checked on, they then head Angel's Share to see if adults have any imaginary friends. Unsurprisingly, the adults don't have any, so they decide to go to Ellin, as she is between the two age groups, and find that her imaginary friend is Jean. Ellin wishes to become strong like the Acting Grand Master and asks the Traveler to demonstrate how to clear a large amount of enemies in an instant. The Traveler gives her a demonstration, leaving her impressed. Tired from her training, she asks them to relay a message to Jack at the Temple of the Lion telling him that she cannot attend their meeting to discuss adventure plans.

The South Wind Brings Adventure

Arriving at the temple, they find Jack and Stanley being attacked by a Cryo Abyss Mage and some Hilichurls. After defeating them, they pass on Ellin's message to Jack. Stanley becomes upset at the thought that they don't know about his deeds and tells them about a story about how he and his partner reached the Mare Jivari. As they clear the rest of the domain, Venti tells the Traveler that he senses something is off and tells them to use the detector. To their surprise, they find that Stanley has an imaginary friend.

After Stanley leaves, Jack tells the three that he wishes to claim the Sword of Brilliant Valor and Shield of Magnificent Honor as they were once Vennessa's and that Stanley had owned them before discarding them at Dadaupa Gorge. Jack states that his parents don't agree with his aspirations, hoping that obtaining the equipment will prove his parents wrong. As they make their way to the gorge, Stanley is revealed to have been listening in on them.

Lionfang's Legacy

Heading to the gorge, they accidentally interrupt a hilichurl ceremony, but seize the sword regardless. Venti realizes that the sword has nothing special and that someone had placed it on their spoils of war. Jack becomes despondent, but Venti recovers by telling him that there's more than meets the eye and that it is the sword they're looking for. As they begin to look for the shield, the three spot Stanley, but Jack fails to notice him. Continuing on, they find the shield, but it is nothing more than the end piece of a wine barrel with a handle attached. Venti convinces Stanley that it is what he is looking for, but a hilichurl is using it.

The Traveler tries to negotiate with the hilichurl for the shield, either peacefully obtaining it if successful or driving it away if failed. As Jack runs off to tell his parents of his exploits, Venti notices Stanley. Paimon and the Traveler realize that Stanley is a fraud as he bids them farewell on his "stroll". Venti notes that Stanley cannot let go of the past and gave up in the present, wondering where they would go if pressed to the future. Regardless, he asks the Traveler to meet him that night at Angel's Share.

Should You Be Trapped in a Windless Land

Arriving at the tavern, they find Stanley drunk and depressed. Stanley bemoans over Stanley's untimely demise, where Venti realizes that Stanley's exploits and tragedy was real, but Stanley in the story was the real one, while the one before them is a fake. Stanley reveals he knows the three were eavesdropping the whole time and tries to dismiss them, but Jack comes in and tells them all that his parents now support his decision, even if he will only travel around Mondstadt for the time being to gain the experience he still needs. He thanks Stanley for the help, before noticing he is drunk and leaves to hear more exploits the next day.

With Jack gone, Stanley thanks the three for not revealing that he is a fraud to him, as he knows that Jack's adventuring spirit is pure and unblemished unlike his. He does not want to crush Jack's dreams, while noting that he is slowly forgetting Stanley's personality and life after so many years, which he considers to be his biggest fear. Despite this, he still bemoans the fact that Stanley's soul will never return to Mondstadt as he died in a windless place. Stanley slips into another depressive state, stating that an adventurer should never go out in such a way.

Seeing no other way to bring Stanley back to his normal self, Venti reveals himself as Barbatos, calling Stanley by his real name, Hans Archibald. Bringing in a breeze from Mare Jivari, Venti asks Hans to give Stanley's soul to him, allowing Stanley's spirit to finally move on in peace. Hans thanks Barbatos for doing that for Stanley and giving himself closure, as he can now connect with his true self while Jack becomes an aspiring adventurer. He leaves the tavern in a hopeful mood, believing that he will be okay. Venti then heads to Jack's place to collect his promised wine, telling the Traveler to meet him at the "usual place". Diluc is moved by the scene and hopes that Stanley's tales will continue to live on.

Arriving at the designated spot, the large statue of Barbatos outside the Favonius Cathedral, the Traveler finds Venti and his drink, which is simply a bottle of regular cider (which hadn't even been a full bottle). Venti states that the view brings him back, before explaining that in old Mondstadt (the present-day Stormterror's Lair), its ruler at the time was the tyrant Decarabian, who sealed off the city with a ferocious hurricane. Venti himself was a basic wisp at the time with no form, and that the current form he takes was that of a friend, not entirely unlike Hans and Stanley. Paimon inquires as to what happened to Venti's friend, but the Traveler is able to deduce that the friend, the Nameless Bard, had died while liberating Mondstadt from Decarabian. Seeing that it's too painful for Venti to speak of it directly, the Traveler sends an oblivious Paimon off to get food, much to her anger. As the two talk, Venti sees the Traveler as a true friend for realizing the truth and that it is bringing back fond memories, reciting a short song his friend had sung for him.

Venti remained at the statue in silence, reflecting on the memory of his lost friend.

Characters[]

14 Characters appear in this Chapter:

• Diluc
• Ellin
• Flora
• Hardworking Silio
• Jack
• Kaeya
• Nora
• Paimon
• Reckless Pallad
• Stanley
• Stanley
• Timmie
• Traveler
• Venti

Total Rewards[]

1,850 Adventure EXP

60 Primogem

115,375 Mora

14 Hero's Wit

26 Mystic Enhance­ment Ore

5 Teachings of Ballad

Gallery[]

Act I

Act I before Version 1.4

Other Languages[]

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