Vennessa

Vennessa was a hero of Mondstadt who lived around 1,000 years ago, during the era when the Mondstadt Aristocracy reigned.

A "flame-touched Muratan" enslaved by the tyrannical nobles, she served as a gladiator in the Colosseum and became known as the Lionfang Knight^{[Note 1]} for her undefeated streak. With the help of Barbatos and Ragnvindr, among others, Vennessa overthrew the aristocracy, then established the current City of Mondstadt and the Knights of Favonius, becoming its first Grand Master and Dandelion Knight.^[1][2]

It is said that at the end of her life, she ascended to Celestia at Windrise and took the form of a falcon. Afterwards, she became the Falcon of the West, one of the Four Winds.^[2][3]

Profile[]

Appearance[]

Vennessa was a woman of athletic build, with tanned skin and amber eyes. Her sturdy physique was likened to a "brick wall" by Venti, describing her as "hard as stone."^[2] As a Muratan, she inherited her people's "fiery-red" vermilion hair, which flowed down to her middle back and was braided behind her head. She sometimes wore gray earrings.

During her time as a slave warrior, she wore a loincloth made of beige fabric with a dark gold trim, and a bra clipped at the front, while her right sleeve had a dark maroon trim. This maroon color was matched by a glove-like garment she wore on her right hand that was trimmed at the knuckles, as well as her thigh-high stocking and various armor straps. She had a pauldron strapped to her left shoulder, over a gray mesh that extended from her collar across the entire length of her left arm; the mesh was also worn on her right leg. She also wore mismatched, gray, low-heel sandals; the right one with an engraved foot cover that looped around her second toe, while the other instead had thin cross-straps extending to crew length. As proof of her enslavement, she had cuffs on her right wrist and left ankle, the latter of which was shackled to a ball and chain.

Story[]

Childhood[]

Vennessa is a Muratan, and her people spent generations wandering the land. However, their people often went hungry, and most of the knowledge passed down through the generations were combat and survival techniques rather than their history. One of the few stories she did hear would be about Celestia, the abode of the gods. She was told that great heroes would be chosen by the gods to dwell with them in Celestia, becoming immortal and protecting the world with the gods.

Ten years before she met Venti, Ursa the Drake hounded and stalked her clan for four days straight, starving them. After this, her clan ended up in Mondstadt after fleeing from Ursa, only to be enslaved by the rich nobles. Vennessa became a slave warrior, fighting in the Colosseum for the nobles' entertainment in order to help her sister Lind and her people be free again. She became known as the "Lionfang Knight" for her undefeated streak, even slaying the Colosseum's previously undefeated champion.^[4][5]

Vennessa's Rebellion[]

On the day of Ludi Harpastum, Vennessa went out to buy herbs for her sickly sister, Lind, when Venti ran into her. Having raised the ire of Barca Lawrence, heir of the Lawrence Clan and son of the city's ruler, Venti fled the scene and hid behind her for protection, forcing Barca to stand down due to her reputation. However, Barca had his father purchase Vennessa and her clan, then had her imprisoned.

Venti paid her a visit in prison the night before her final battle and befriended her. He offered to break her and her people free, but she refused, claiming: "We must fight and claim our own freedom. We can not beg for it. We must not kneel for it. Freedom given freely is only a guise for another shackle."

Pleased with Vennessa's response, Venti concocted a plan as he left. The next morning, Vennessa was horrified to learn that she would not be fighting alone — her entire clan, including children and the elderly, were to be pitted against Ursa the Drake itself. Lord Lawrence declared that if she could beat the monster in battle, she would win her people's freedom. He also had his archers slay any of her fellow clan members who attempted to escape the arena. When the commoners began to riot over the unfairness of the situation, Lord Lawrence added the keys to and control of the city to her rewards, fully expecting her to fail.

Despite despairing over the futility of her situation, Vennessa refused to give up, striking down hilichurls under Ursa's command and fighting Ursa itself. Before it could retaliate, Barbatos appeared in angelic form, bolstering Vennessa's combat abilities and helping her drive Ursa away. With Vennessa's end of the bargain fulfilled, Barbatos ordered Lord Lawrence to hand over control to the city.^[2]

While the manga ends her saga there, based on in-game lore, this triggered a much larger uprising throughout Mondstadt, with Vennessa as its rallying point. She was joined by the Dawn Knight Ragnvindr — who was inspired to fight against the aristocracy after befriending the Wanderer's Troupe's Sword Dancer^[6][7] — as well as Kreuzlied, traitor to the Lawrence Clan,^[8] and the Gunnhildr Clan, which had refused to follow the other nobles in their tyrannical ways.^[9]

In the midst of the rebellion, a secret treaty was found that claimed the nobles intended to sell them as slaves to Rex Lapis. Fearing for their own freedom, the soldiers serving the aristocracy turned on them and joined Vennessa's cause. It was not until generations later that historians realized this treaty was actually fake, and yet unbeknownst to them, had been forged by none other than Barbatos himself.^[10]

Mondstadt Reborn[]

After successfully overthrowing the aristocracy, Vennessa led the city's reconstruction and established the Knights of Favonius to fight against any of those who would try to become tyrants. She was its first Grand Master as well as the first Dandelion Knight.

When she was exhausted by her duties, she preferred to meditate in solitude in the Eagle's Gate domain to clear her mind.^{[Note 2]}

Legacy[]

Accounts about her life after her rebellion differ, but they all converge at the end of her life. According to legend, Vennessa was recognized by the gods for her deeds and ascended to Celestia. The spot where she ascended at Windrise is where the massive oak tree — the Symbol of Mondstadt's Hero — now stands, said to have grown after her ascension.

The Symbol of Mondstadt's Hero appears to have a direct connection to Celestia, which Venti utilizes twice during the Archon Quest Prologue. After Venti sees that the Traveler is capable of purifying Dvalin's tears,^[11] tainted by the power of the Abyss via Durin's poisoned blood, he is inspired to head to the tree at Windrise to heal himself of that same poison.^[12] He returns there after Signora forcibly takes his Gnosis. Because his body is created with an archon's power, it cannot be healed through normal means. However, staying in the presence of the tree is capable of restoring his body.^[13]

Character Mentions[]

Character Stories

Character	Stories
Jean	Character Story 4
Venti	Character Story 2 Where the Wind Doth Not Blow

Character Voice-Overs

Character	Voice-Overs
Jean	More About Jean: II  Media:VO_Jean More About Jean - 02.ogg Media:VO ZH_Jean More About Jean - 02.ogg Media:VO JA_Jean More About Jean - 02.ogg Media:VO KO_Jean More About Jean - 02.ogg Vennessa's title — "Dandelion Knight" — has been passed down from generation to generation. Countless great knights were awarded with this honor and I will not bring shame to this name. Thus, I must keep going. I must become the sword and aegis of the people.

Trivia[]

• Vennessa's title, "Falcon of the West", is perhaps better translated as the "Eagle of the West," as in the national symbol of Germany (by which Mondstadt is inspired), considering the following reasons:
  • The title in the original Chinese version is the Xīfēng zhī Yīng (Chinese: 西风之鹰), which literally means the "Yīng of the West Wind." The part "West Wind" is usually translated as "Favonius" in English. As to the bird yīng (鹰), it can indeed mean "falcon," depending on context. However, the more proper term for "falcon" in Mandarin is sǔn (Chinese: 隼); instead, yīng more commonly refers to birds from the family Accipitridae (yīngkē (Chinese: 鹰科) in Mandarin), including those called "hawks" and "eagles" in English.
  • In fact, the bird form of Vennessa in the manga appears to be a "hawk" rather than a falcon. Falcons tend to have white cheeks and black eyes, while hawks tend to have brown cheeks and can have yellow eyes, where the depiction in the manga matches the latter. Moreover, the crests on the walls of the knights' headquarters depict "eagles." Thus the bird yīng in this case probably refers to the Accipitridae.
  • In addition, her signature sword Fēngyīng-jiàn (Chinese: 风鹰剑 "Wind Yīng Sword") is translated as "Aquila Favonia" in English, meaning the "Eagle of the West Wind" in Latin.
  • As English lacks a native word for the concept that covers "hawks" and "eagles," it is difficult to naturally translate yīng (in the sense of the Accipitridae). However, considering Mondstadt is chiefly based on Germany, "eagle" is probably a better term to represent the German culture than "hawk," since the Federal Republic of Germany adopts the Bundesadler ("Federal Eagle" in German) as its coat of arms, a successor of the Reichsadler ("Imperial Eagle") of the Holy Roman Empire (ultimately from the Aquila of ancient Rome).
• Her title, "Lionfang Knight", is actually identical to Jean's title of "Dandelion Knight." In German, the word Löwenzahn can have one of two meanings: the dandelion flower or the tooth of a lion. Because of this, both hold the title "Löwenzahn Ritter" in German.

Etymology[]

• "Vennessa" is likely an alternate spelling of the English name Vanessa. The name was coined by poet Jonathan Swift after one of his lovers, Esther Vanhomrigh.
  • Another well-known, but largely discredited, theory behind the Vanessa butterfly genus name is that it is derived from the Ancient Greek god Phanes. In-game, Phanes was proposed as the identity of the Primordial One, although Phanes' own identity was not elaborated beyond that.

Gallery[]

Character Teaser - "Venti- The Four Winds" (English Voice-Over) - Genshin Impact

Genius Invokation TCG[]

Gladiator's Triumphus

The Legend of Vennessa

Notes[]

Other Languages[]

Change History[]

References[]