Song of the Welkin Moon

List of Acts

• Prelude - The Journey Home
  • Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 40 and complete Archon Quest Chapter V: Act VI - A Space and Time for You.
  • Quick Start (5.8): reach Adventure Rank 28 and complete Archon Quest Chapter I: Act III - A New Star Approaches.
• Act I - A Dance of Snowy Tides and Hoarfrost Groves
  • Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 40 and complete Archon Quest Interlude Chapter: Act IV - Paralogism.
  • Quick Start: reach Adventure Rank 28 and complete Archon Quest Chapter I: Act III - A New Star Approaches.
• Act II - Elegy of Dust and Lamplight
  • Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 40.
• Act III: A Nation That Doesn't Exist
  • Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 40.
• Act IV: An Elegy for Faded Moonlight
  • Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 40.
• Act V: A Nocturne of the Far North
  • Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 40.
• Act VI: Melting Moonlight in the Morning Mist
  • Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 40.
• Act VII: A Traveler on a Winter's Night
  • Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 40.
• Act VIII: True Moon
  • Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 40.
• Act IX: As All Falls to Emptiness
  • Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 40.
• Act X: Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana
  • Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 40.

Summary

Prelude - The Journey Home

Flamelets

At the "Flower-Feather Clan", Ifa finishes examining a Qucusaurus brought to him by Chasca. As the Traveler and Paimon arrive while they still struggling after the previous revelations of their sibling, Chasca explains to them that Secret Source Automatons have been acting up recently and attacking everyone nearby. The Traveler offers to assist, and Chasca allows them to do so despite telling them that they don't need to since they were able to fend off the Abyss from Natlan during the war.

Earlier, a strange woman finds herself washed ashore on the shores of Natlan, claiming that she has to find "them," with "them" being soon revealed to be the Traveler and Paimon before going home. The four arrive at the shore and find the unconscious woman surrounded by two Secret Source Automatons, who they quickly dispatch. As Ifa takes a look at the woman, they quickly discover that the woman is actually a machine, wondering if it was a new model of automaton. The mysterious woman then calls out for the Traveler and Paimon, surprising them. Ifa then notices an small item on the ground and picks it up, where a crude representation of the Traveler and Paimon (as a balloon) is marked on it, much to the latter's ire. Ifa soon realizes that the item is actually a cryptex encoded with a message. Chasca suggests opening it with their guns, but Ifa is against the decision, believing that there might be a self-destruct mechanism in it. Thus, they decide to pay a visit to Xilonen as a mysterious man observes them from above.

The group makes their way to Xilonen's workshop at the "Children of Echoes". Chasca is surprised to see Xilonen up, believing she had been taking a nap. Xilonen is not pleased with Chasca's arrival, having just handled an issue with Mavuika regarding the automatons and believes they are here for the same issue. She then notices the mysterious woman and realizes she's an automaton. Chasca hands her the cryptex. Xilonen looks at it, discovering material from numerous nations cobbled together, yet its interior was extremely intricate. The Traveler asks if she could crack it, but Xilonen is unsure as she had not handled several material from numerous nations at once, and disassembling it could damage the components. Chasca then asks if they could wake the woman up, but Xilonen is unable to, as while the woman's core is from the Secret Source, the other materials are not native to Natlan. Despite this, she tries to do so, and the woman wakes up after recalling a voice telling her to return home.

The woman notices the Traveler and Paimon, considering her task complete until Paimon asks her about the code to unlock the cryptex. She is unsure before they ask her other questions, all of which she fails to answer due to missing memories. Xilonen suspects that an isolation block is preventing her from recalling her memories. She then asks the Traveler if they had seen humanoid automatons before, which the Traveler confirms with several types of clockwork meka; Xilonen also recognizes the woman's knee joints are made from clockwork. The woman then states that Fontaine makes good pastries, but is not from Fontaine. They then ask if she came from Mondstadt due to having similar attire to a maid, but she also clarifies that she isn't from Mondstadt either. Xilonen then brings out the woman's other smaller robot and the woman activates it. After being told to do the same with her right arm, it transforms into a broom, surprising Paimon.

Xilonen then asks the woman to clean up the workshop for her, which she does and both cleans up and sorts out books. Paimon then notices a dirty tapestry and asks the woman to clean it, which she does. Paimon then asks Xilonen if the poster depicted her relative, but she instead tells her that it was the first "Baraka". In her time, she dismantled many machines in the hopes of helping humanity, but many of her feats had been lost to both time and Och-Kan. When Och-Kan went insane, she killed herself and then Ixquieh burned her workshop to the ground to ensure that Och-Kan could not use it against humanity. Chasca then states that her friend, Lianca, managed to save some of her work. As the woman looks at the tapestry, she suffers from a malfunction, and in her mind, a mysterious entity calls her a traitor and daring to seek a place to belong. As Paimon approaches her to ask her what's wrong, she tells her to stay back and fires a massive bolt of Electro energy which the Traveler manages to parry.

Ajaw then arrives, demanding to know what happened as the sound startled him. Kinich likewise appears, confirming the woman as his target. Paimon believes that he is there to destroy her, but he instead reveals that some merchants were looking for her and that not every job he took involved hunting. They meet with the caravan merchants, noting that they are all from different nations. They are delighted to see her and reveal her name as Ineffa, and her manufacturer is Aino. As Ineffa gets a headache from the memories, one of the merchants, Zhuoxin, reveals that they are all from Nod-Krai. Asimu stated that they were all living in Nod-Krai before trouble came, revealing it to be the Fatui who came from the north. Their actions in Nod-Krai caused a lot of tension between the numerous religious groups there, such as pulling the moon down, something that the Frostmoon Scions would not take lightly. Due to the potential fighting, they all decided to leave and return to their hometowns when they were attacked by the Secret Source Automatons, with Ineffa jumping ship to defend them. When they docked, they sought help which Kinich offered, though the Traveler and Xilonen's actions warranted adjusting the price. Xilonen is impressed by Ineffa's core and wonders if it was modified, prompting Paimon to declare that they should look for Aino. Zhuoxin states that Aino scavenged it in the wilds. The group also reveals that Ineffa had been suffering from amnesia that got worse as they approached Natlan.

Chasca offers the group lodging at her tribe so they could reorient themselves while Kinich leaves with Ajaw to get help from others. As Paimon says goodbye to them, she notices that Ajaw is acting unusual. A short distance away, Kinich calls Ajaw out on his unexpected timidness, though Ajaw retorts him by saying that he sent him into a stupor. Ajaw then ponders if he saw who he thought the mysterious woman actually was, but brushes it off and believes it isn't his problem.

Smoldering

The Traveler and Paimon head to the Flower-Feather Clan to check up on the merchants, finding Zhuoxin's daughter, Adieta, along with Yatlan, Capac and Kotimy who were playing with Ineffa's small robot. Adieta reveals that she and her family were going back to Liyue, her father's hometown. While they wanted to leave after ensuring that Ineffa was okay, too much time had passed as Zhuoxin's family were waiting for him. The three tribal children promise to send letters to her to inform them of Ineffa's status and the Traveler offers to bring Adieta's gift to Ineffa, much to her gratitude.

Heading to Ineffa's last known location, they find her finishing off the last of some Secret Source Automatons. Ineffa enters chat mode and the Traveler offers her the flower as she tries to question its purpose. They manage to convince her to accept it as a gift and memento, which triggers another memory. In the memory, the observer watches a woman pick flowers for her and states that the observer was once an enemy of humankind, though Och-Kan still saw her as the same being indistinguishable from her or Ixquieh. If they stayed behind, Och-Kan's hatred would grow, and the woman implores it to find a new place to belong across the sea. The strange entity from before then appears repeating the same phrase. Ineffa states that her modules were having issues as she was near the tribe, but the Traveler offers to protect her, which she accepts after analyzing their strength.

Meanwhile, Zhuoxin and his family thank Chasca for her hospitality and agreeing to help Ineffa in their place. Adieta is upset that she couldn't say goodbye to Ineffa, but at that moment, she arrives to meet her. Ineffa thanks Adieta for the flower before the family leaves for Liyue Harbor. Ineffa then asks about the meaning of home, which Chasca explains to her in some detail. Chimpu flies from above, which Chasca believes is additional information and asks Ineffa to consider her explanation. As she does so, the entity from before asks her if she forgot why she lost her memories to begin with.

The group then finds Citlali, who reveals that Kinich put Ajaw in timeout for three days before having Cacucu pick him up. In his anger, Ajaw slipped the term "sovereign ruler." Citlali explains that the Thirteen Sovereign Lords were actually artificial intelligence created by the Pyro Sovereign with Secret Source technology but became lost over time. Chasca asks which one he was, but Citlali tells her that Ajaw refused to answer that question. As Kinich and Ifa were watching Ajaw, Citlali states that Ajaw is no longer in his prime and likely lost his memories too. However, since he recognized Ineffa's core as a sovereign, Citlali speculates that Ineffa's core is actually the Eighth Lord, the Priestess of Floral Candles and Skyborne Feathers, who was close to Lianca and ruled over the territory held by the present-day tribe, but executed by her fellow lords for raising Lianca.

Ineffa asks Citlali how the Eighth Lord was killed, but she is unsure since humans were not privy to the information. However, she did hear that one of the other lords placed a curse on her so that if she had pro-human sentiments, every ounce of goodwill would cause pain of immeasurable proportions, destroying her mind. Citlali gives some woven scrolls to the Traveler before holding their hand, asking them to discreetly meet her in an undisclosed location before claiming she needed to go. Citlali instructs them to follow her, where they find Xilonen. Citlali then tells them that both the Eighth Lord and Lianca fought another Sovereign Lord. Since Ineffa did not respond to mentions of the Eighth Lord, she believes that Ineffa's core is actually the Eleventh Lord, who was extremely hostile to humanity. After Xiuhcoatl was defeated, the Eleventh Lord went mad and disappeared. Due to how the automatons were aggressively reacting to Ineffa, they have credible belief that she is the Eleventh Lord and decide that they might need to take her out. Chasca interrupts, having seen through Citlali's plan. Chasca states that she trusts Ineffa, as her family did in her, and in the event that she was hostile, they would simply beat her down again.

Paimon then arrives and states that after Ineffa looked at the scrolls, she flew off without an explanation while activating annihilation mode. The group quickly departs to find her, soon locating her facing off against some Secret Source Automatons who were attacking Zhuoxin and his family. As they destroy them, a few Fatui observe them. Their leader, Velimiru, holds a strange object in his hands. A voice tells him that he's playing with fire and an unpredictable variable potentially threatens them, so he orders a retreat. Ineffa states that she heard the automatons talking and disassembles them. As she connects the module to her little robot, Zhuoxin asks why they attacked his family. The automaton tells him that the Fatui forced them to do so, though the group knows that Capitano's forces were on good terms with Natlan. The automaton tells them that the Fatui invaded their territory. As the connection becomes choppy, Ineffa begins to translate, explaining that the Fatui took control of their privileges to forcibly control the automatons. The automaton, sensing the Mirror of the Dawning Morn nearby, asks her for permission, which Ineffa believes is herself and is the Eleventh Lord and that the automaton wants her to return the core.

Chasca, suspicious of the attack, asks the automaton for proof. The automaton states that the Eighth Lord's memory should be returned to restore all of her data. It mentions split, exile and reborn, but Ineffa is unable to translate it. Zhuoxin then reveals that the Fatui regiment that invaded Natlan were likely special ops that were appearing everywhere with an interest in ancient history for "inference," with the regiment's leader being a Fatui Harbinger known as "Marionette." Chasca asks how he knows this, and Zhuoxin states that he heard rumors while in Nasha Town, though he hoped that it wasn't true. Aamu asks how she hadn't heard of it and Zhuoxin states that he had been too preoccupied to tell her. Worried that Citlali and Xilonen's fears are becoming true, Chasca decides that they should plan a course of action before going out. Chasca brings the family back to the tribe while tasking the Traveler and Ineffa to scout the nearby area.

As they observe the area, the little robot takes a look at Zhuoxin and states that his picture was found at a Fatui stronghold, implying that he might be a spy. The Traveler informs Chasca of this before she brings them back to her tribe. As Zhuoxin watches them leave, he too does, and the Traveler, Paimon, Ineffa and her robot trail him into some ruins. The automaton tells her that ruins lead to a secondary entrance to the Lord's territory before Ineffa also rushes in, prompting the three to chase after her.

Searing

Inside the ruins, the group catches up to Ineffa, who is surprised to find herself in the territory. The automaton apologizes for summoning her, revealing itself to be the Eighth Lord. She reveals that after her execution, Lianca saved her and tried to rescue her too after the battle. It is revealed that Ineffa is indeed suffering from a type of "curse," which was caused by certain memories hardwired into her and could not be removed. This resulted in the aforementioned malfunctions. In order to help her avoid this, Lianca modified Ineffa's memory module. Suddenly, the Eighth Lord's controls are overridden by the Fatui, forcing them to venture deeper down the tunnel. They soon find a service bot who recognizes Ineffa as Administrator 3, calling a Secret Source Dragon Idol and revealing the location to be the Temple of Cascading Colors, built by Administrator 1. After something happened to Administrator 1, Administrator 2 took over and later had the facility sealed.

As the Dragon Idol drops the group off at the central zone, an Anemoboxer Vanguard and Fatui Agent overhear their arrival and try to investigate, but find nothing as the group managed to find a hiding spot. They sneak around and soon find Zhuoxin confronting the Fatui, claiming that they were asking too much from him. Velimiru states that his job was to bring Ineffa to the facility, while Fajeyi reminds him that they were waiving his debt to the Northland Bank in return for going back to Liyue, which was a lot for them to get nothing in return. Zhuoxin states that he had spied for them for over ten years and asks if that wasn't enough, causing Gulebu to snap at him. Velimiru states that he only has one job left and hands him a device that Marionette replicated, which would allow him to control any Secret Source mechanisms. Zhuoxin refuses to help them, as he wouldn't be able to look at his daughter in the face after doing their final task. As the Fatui prepare to eliminate him, the four arrive to help him. Before they could do anything, Velimiru sets up a barrier on them and demands that Ineffa bring them further inside. She agrees under the condition that they let the others go, but the Fatui, skeptical of her claims, reject her suggestion.

Suddenly, Ineffa's little robot activates another barrier on the Fatui, much to their shock. The Eighth Lord tells the group to hang tight as she collapses the platform below them, causing Velimiru to realize that what they sought was under them the entire time and orders his men to break the barrier. At the bottom, the Eighth Lord apologizes for the sudden haste as when the Fatui used all of their power to create the barrier, she was able to regain control for a brief moment. Now directly at the core, she has full control and prepares several automatons to fight the Fatui off and asks Ineffa if she recalls the path she once chose. Ineffa asks if she was born here, but the Eighth Lord told her that it was where she was reborn and that she placed the curse on herself. After the war, after being defeated and stranded, and unsure of what to do, she was left with two options: either get revenge on humanity or seek a new home. This caused her to split into two personalities, the latter of which became Ineffa while the former eventually perished.

Ineffa realizes that the Eighth Lord had been waiting for her return for over two thousand years, but the Eighth Lord was surprised when the Fatui came first. Lianca had intended to rebuild the Eleventh Lord but never had the chance to do so, so the Eighth Lord worked tirelessly in her place. The Eighth Lord asks her to continue down the path to rebuild herself, so she could regain access of the entire facility as they could not leave with the Fatui having claimed the upper levels. As they access the underground zone, the Eighth Lord asks Ineffa to approach her and be reborn. As she does so, the Fatui catch up, but Ineffa summons barriers to kill them. The Traveler tries to check on them but Ineffa also strikes them, though missing a fatal blow. She then tries to crush the Traveler and Paimon with barriers, and the two quickly realize that it is not Ineffa. She then reveals herself as the true Eleventh Lord, who had manipulated everything from the start to get revenge. Lianca had caught onto their act and imprisoned her in the facility for attempting to destroy their benevolent self, so the malevolent self concocted a plan to lure Ineffa and reclaim the core. As they prepare the Configuration Device to finish the Traveler and Paimon off, Ineffa intervenes and stops the Eleventh Lord by crushing the core to pieces, which also disables her.

Rushing to Ineffa, the Traveler and Paimon try to check on her when Velimiru somehow gets back up on his feet and tries to use the replica core to restore the Eleventh Lord. The Traveler cuts him down, but realizes that he isn't a human either and the Eleventh Lord manages to awaken. Angered at the interference, she declares that they will all have a new home, buried underground until the end of time. As the Traveler fights the Eleventh Lord, Ineffa manages to cause a data overload in her mind, allowing her to create a new core and gain an Electro Vision in the process, which a horrified Eleventh Lord recognizes as a Moon Wheel, built by the usurper and the three gods who abandoned them. They destroy the Eleventh Lord and flee the premises along with Zhuoxin.

Outside, Xilonen tries to stabilize the ruins. Mavuika states that if needed, she'll pull them out, but the group emerges unscathed. Aamu, angered at Zhuoxin's deception, slaps him in the face. Zhuoxin states that they cannot return to Nod-Krai or Liyue as the Fatui would hunt him down, so Chasca offers his family a place to stay at her tribe. Citlali reminds the Traveler of the cryptex and Ineffa opens it. Inside, they find a message from Varka, expressing his gratitude to Traveler for protecting Mondstadt during his own absence. He then tells them that Nod-Krai is treacherous, with the Abyss Order and Fatui causing trouble as usual as well as the struggles between other factions, and they should prepare before they head there; once they did so, he asked them to meet at a tavern known as The Flagship. Finishing the letter, the Traveler asks Ineffa about the Moon Wheel and Nod-Krai itself: while the Moon Wheel's function is quite similar to a Vision, it serves more like a power source rather than just simply elemental power. Ineffa plans to stay in Natlan in the immediate future, but suggests that when the time comes, she could return to Nod-Krai with the Traveler and Paimon when they make their trip there.

Act I - A Dance of Snowy Tides and Hoarfrost Groves

Where the Moon Rises

After spending some more time in Natlan, Ineffa waits for the Traveler and Paimon outside the Stadium of the Sacred Flame. Ineffa tells them that the conditions to travel from Natlan are optimal, but as they prepare to leave, Mualani, Kachina, Kinich and Ajaw arrive, having been told by Paimon about their departure and wanting to send them off with a farewell party. They explain that everyone is waiting for them, and Kachina additionally invites Ineffa, who accepts. Meanwhile, someone observes them from behind a wall.

In Nod-Krai, the person reports to Sandrone, who tells her that they are leaving Natlan. Sandrone states that it is about time that she met the "variable" (Traveler) in person.

Some time later, on a boat steaming its way to Nod-Krai, the Traveler, Ineffa and Paimon talk about how the new step of a journey feels, with Ineffa noting that for her, it was when she couldn't detect "the moon's power" when entering Natlan. They arrive at Nod-Krai's port city, Nasha Town. As they leave the pier, the Traveler notices something when they step onto the land itself and realizes there is a power present that feels the same as when they had left their spaceship after they and their sibling landed on Teyvat. Paimon is surprised they still haven't talked about it as much, though they state that they only remember landing and their sibling waking them up. Wondering what power might have compelled them to remember, Ineffa suggests that it was Kuuvahki, the power of the moon that she mentioned on the boat. It is a pure, primordial form of elemental energy similar to Phlogiston and the Primordial Sea, which the Traveler believes may be a power from the Light Realm that Yohualtecuhtin, Lord of the Night mentioned. Thus, the Traveler believes their spaceship is somewhere in the area; though unsure of the location, they believe it was near a beach, and perhaps a mountain, but Ineffa explains that Nod-Krai is made up of islands surrounded by the sea, so that could describe nearly any of its beaches.

Walking further into town, Paimon suggests they head to the Adventurers' Guild to spread word about the ship. As Ineffa shows them where to go, they find a strange sprite floating around, which Ineffa explains is a kuuhenki, a species native to the land and familiars of the Moon Goddess. Ineffa suggests to follow it, as it is said to bring good fortune. They follow it and find treasure, though it only points to various landmarks around town. They decide to take a visit and Ineffa guides them to a spot above the smithy. She explains about Nod-Krai's past and current state before Paimon notices a cannon. Ineffa explains that it is Aino's "Boom and Blast Kuuvahki Cannon," which she uses when the threat of the Wild Hunt becomes too dangerous around town. Paimon is impressed by Aino's capabilities before the two ask about the Wild Hunt. Ineffa does not have enough data about them, but knows that they pose a danger to the people of Nod-Krai. Finally, they arrive at The Flagship to meet up with Varka, though they do not find him. Paimon suggests talking to the bartender, Demyan. Demyan reveals that Varka left for Amsvartnir, a lake at the northern reaches of Nod-Krai. Trouble had been brewing there, so he took his knights to investigate. Varka had paid for their lodging beforehand, as well as a serving of Berries and Fried Meat for Ineffa to deliver to Aino. He had discovered that she'd been gorging on junk food while Ineffa was away, and so, out of concern, had done what he could to ensure that Aino had at least one balanced meal per day. As the Traveler and Paimon drop off their luggage in their guest room, Ineffa parts ways for the time being to pick up some components in town that Aino had requested.

The two leave after a quick inspection of the room and as Paimon wonders about trying out the tavern's Berries and Fried Meat, she bumps into a man, apologizing to him. The man apologizes back, stating that it was his fault for thinking in the middle of the hallway and introduces himself as Flins. Flins reveals that he was in town to repair his lantern, which the Traveler takes note of as something about it feels off to them. He explains that as a Ratnik, he spends his time in the graveyards to the north, fending off the Wild Hunt. Realizing a lot of time had passed, Flins bids them farewell, telling them that they're welcome to visit him at his station if they choose to.

Leaving the tavern, Paimon realizes they forgot about their planned meal, but believes it's not worth going back inside to get an order made. Suddenly, they see some people passing out food to others and investigate. The tall woman recognizes them as travelers and introduces herself as Lauma, a Moonchanter of the Frostmoon Scions. She explains their beliefs to them and remarks about the unwelcome Fatui presence, causing two Fatui, Oiva and Ognjen, to demand some too. Their haughty nature angers Vilemina, though Lauma insists that they still deserve some food. However, she cryptically warns the soldiers that if the Scions' kindness is met continuously with deliberate disrespect, the Scions won't be so 'kind' in the future. This riles up the two Fatui, but they notice the Traveler's presence and decide it's best not to cross the adventurer by themselves and leave with their food, but are disgusted by the lack of meat. Vilemina explains that since the Fatui arrived in Nod-Krai, their lives had been turned upside down. Based on the interaction, Lauma recognizes that the Fatui know who the Traveler is and appreciates that they would have helped them if the soldiers had gotten violent, telling them that they're welcome at the Frostmoon Enclave.

Since Ineffa was not done with her tasks, Paimon decides to make use of their landmarks brochure to showcase the rest of Nasha Town to the best of her ability. With two more stops left, they visit them; a curios store, where they find Dori, who had set up a local shop after the Fatui pulled down two Ancient Moon remnants, and the Adventurers' Guild branch. Paimon believes that Katheryne is there, but instead they discover Marionette, the Seventh of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, putting the Traveler on high alert. Marionette states that she had come personally as a friendly warning. She was upset at their intervention of Ineffa's capture in Natlan, but it was only a side project. As they are now in Nod-Krai, she warns them not to interfere in Fatui matters and to consider their next options carefully as she leaves. Her presence causes the Traveler to realize that the Fatui were keeping tabs on them just as Katheryne appears to greet them.

Meeting up with Ineffa, the Traveler reveals that they did not get any information about their spaceship. Ineffa then suggests paying a visit to Aino, believing that she might know something since she had dug up Secret Source mechanisms. On the way to the Clink-Clank Krumkake Craftshop, they encounter a small finch trapped in a plant, which the Traveler frees with kuuvahki. At the craftshop, Paimon is impressed by the machinery Aino had created. They head inside the home, where Ineffa finds Aino eating sweets and having broken her agreement to regulate her snack intake. After a short reconciliation, Aino recognizes the Traveler and Paimon, having been informed by Varka. They ask her about a spaceship, though she had never seen one. Ineffa clarifies that Aino never touched it, and she confirms as much, stating that she had pretty much taken apart everything in Nod-Krai and never came across anything alien, so the ship could at least still be intact. Aino suggests they visit the Frostmoon Scions, claiming that they have a ritual which allows them to see the "true" past. Ineffa stays behind to take care of Aino, and the Traveler promises her they'll visit frequently.

Heading to Hiisi Island, the two are greeted by a unique kuuhenki that follows them briefly before Paimon tells it off. They make their way to the enclave, finding Lauma speaking to the wildlife. Lauma explains that she is able to communicate with them and they meet the finch from earlier, where she conveys its gratitude to the two. As they look at the statue, Lauma explains that they were designed with Kuutar's visage, created hundreds of years ago. But since the Fatui arrived, they had been defacing them, and the one on the island is the only one not altered. Lauma also explains that the Fatui set up the Kuuvahki Experimental Design Bureau over one of the large moon remnants and were interested in the one on the island. Suddenly, the kuuhenki from before appears, and Lauma is surprised to see one, as it is a special kuuhenki called a "Luonnotar," beings born from the Moon Goddess' blessing. She tells them to follow her into the enclave if they wish to learn more. On the way, the people and wildlife salute her, and Paimon is impressed by the respect she holds. They run into Vilemina again, and Lauma tells her to let the kitchen know to prepare two more servings for their guests. While dinner is being made, she has them follow her into her library.

Lauma explains about the past of her people, who hailed from Hyperborea, and the Three Moons of Teyvat. During the war with the Descenders, only the Frost Moon remained intact and the other two, the Eternal and Iridescent Moons, were shattered and many of their fragments fell onto Nod-Krai, explaining how it was abundant in kuuvahki. The Fatui had pulled down parts of the Eternal Moon, and Paimon asks about the Iridescent Moon, though Lauma states that no one had ever found it. The Traveler then wonders about the Crimson Moon dynasty, though Lauma continues by stating that a prophecy was passed down in which the Moon Goddess would return. While it came true, it did not come about as anticipated, only for Kapy to barge in and inform Lauma of her daughter, Kaarina. They head downstairs to find the sick child, and Lauma asks her if she took her advice to go seek medical help in Nasha Town. Kapy did not, as she expresses distrust of the Snezhnayan doctors there, prompting Lauma to remind her that not all Snezhnayans should be conflated with the Fatui. Unlike the Frostmoon Scions, they had the experience of medically treating this condition for generations, but at the moment, Lauma would have to intervene right away. With no choice, she recites a prayer with her powers to put the girl to sleep. Vilemina then arrives and informs her that dinner is ready. As they go out, Vilemina asks the Traveler to take care of Lauma, aware of the burden she carries.

While enjoying the meal, Oiva and Ognjen return and mock the Frostmoon Scions to provoke a conflict. Ognjen reminds Oiva that they're on official business, so they issue an ultimatium to them; hand over the relic and reveal the location of their "Kuutar" in three days, or the Fatui would begin cleansing the island. Lauma refuses their request and states that if they step foot on the island with ill intentions, their blood will be spilled. A short scuffle ensues with the Fatui being driven away, and their mention of the "relic" leads the Traveler to ask about it too. Lauma agrees to tell them, as they are welcome guests, though she suggests another location. As they head there, Paimon is enamored by the huge statue in the distance, which Lauma explains is a statue of their goddess Kuutar and talks about her birth. Kuutar originally left after being angered by the scions' greed, though reports were surfacing that she was spotted on the island again. Based on the Fatui's demeanor, Lauma suspects that their Kuutar is actually the Fatui Harbinger Damselette. Paimon is shocked, aware of her standing in the Fatui, though she wonders why she would have joined the Fatui. Lauma is also unsure, though she states that she respects people's decisions.

Returning to the relic, Paimon asks about it, prompting Lauma to ask why they were interested in it. Paimon attempts to explain without revealing everything, but is cut off by the Traveler, who reveals that they are the latest Descender and are looking into their and their sibling's past. Lauma appreciates their honesty and agrees to help them, though the item in question, the "Moon Marrow," is not available. It is an item that is used during a ritual when the moon is closest to Teyvat, as only then could she retrieve it from its storage. Nonetheless, she promises to help them when the time comes, though she suddenly asks if they would hide secrets from their family if the knowledge could hurt them. The Traveler is unable to answer, and Lauma realizes her question put them on the spot and apologizes for asking. As they leave to rest, Paimon remarks that their arrival in Nod-Krai has left them with even more questions, and the Traveler wonders what their sibling is up to.

Reunion Beneath the Moonlight

The Traveler and Paimon head back to The Flagship and get some sleep, but the numerous questions filling the Traveler's mind prevents them from doing so. They leave a note for Paimon and head out on a walk, finding themselves back on Hiisi Island once again. Hearing singing, they spot the Luonnotar and follow it, which leads them to an underground cavern. The Traveler spots a young woman inside walking through a field of blue flowers lined with pools of water, realizing that she's the person that both the Frostmoon Scions and Fatui are looking for. She likewise notices them and asks how they got in, only for the Luonnotar to appear next to her, clearing any confusion between the two. The Traveler asks about her identities, but upon mentioning the Fatui, she believes that she was there at their behest. In an instant, the flowers turn red, but the Traveler explains they are not a Fatuus and wishes to ask about the moons. She tells them that looks can be deceiving before singing again, so the Traveler tries again, introducing themselves to her and asking for her name. She confirms that she's been referred to as Columbina and Kuutar, though she admits that she does not know her own name as she had been born alone, so she invites them to feel free to use one of those. The Traveler wishes to ask about the Fatui, but given her previous response, decides not to, and they ask about the Luonnotar instead, asking if she made it. She tells them that she didn't, and the Traveler notices that she has an attachment to it. As the Traveler leaves, the Luonnotar wishes to follow them. As they part ways, Columbina tells them that the moon can be treacherous before she resumes singing.

Outside, the Traveler wonders about Columbina before spotting their sibling and chase after them. The sibling is not surprised to see them, but is also looking for the relic, as they want to know about their past, how they came to Teyvat and why they crashed. The Traveler is surprised by this, though the sibling refuses to wait two months and heads towards the statue of Kuutar. The sibling imbues the floor with Abyssal energy, much to the Traveler's alarm as they feel it was rude to use it without their permission. The sibling is surprised by how they trusted Lauma so easily, believing that she was stalling for time and opens a hidden staircase. The sibling asks them if it was wrong for them to hide matters from them when others did far worse, though the Traveler clarifies that they were willing to hear them out no matter how long it took. The sibling then admits that the Moon Marrow also held answers about the origins of Teyvat, which they believed had to be seen with their own eyes. If they were worried, they could leave and pretend they never met, but the Traveler decides to accompany them.

Heading inside the sanctum, the pair are greeted by various defenses meant to test visitors and deter intruders. The first test involves the use of kuuvahki, while the second is a fight against "fairly weak" (according to the sibling) monsters that they easily best. At the third trial, the sibling uses abyssal power to move various statues beneath them, while the Traveler uses kuuvahki to put the pieces into place. During the trek into the next area, the Traveler asks their sibling what they intend to do, only to get cryptic responses. Finally, they defeat the sanctum's guardian and head inside to claim the relic. The sibling asks them to do it for their sake, though the demeanor leaves the Traveler confused as a fog sets in. The Traveler soon finds themselves outside, surrounded by the Wild Hunt. But before they could do anything, Flins appears and eliminates them. He tells them that he was on patrol when he saw them in danger, though he also saw someone else rush out too, causing them to realize it was their sibling.

With no further leads, the Traveler returns to the Flagship to sleep, finally able to relax. As they wake up, Paimon asks the Traveler where they went and what happened, but decides they should share it over a meal first. While eating, they overhear two patrons, Jolanta and Ahvo, talk about the theft of the relic, which Lauma had discovered. As such, she went to the Voynich Guild and the Curatorium of Secrets to get assistance in the matter, so they too decide to go there. When they arrive, they only find a black cat, which enters a curtained room. Lauma and another woman come to greet them, and Lauma introduces her as Nefer, the boss of the establishment. Nefer is aware of their feats from the other nations while Lauma explains that she refuses to accept the commission. The Traveler then admits that they broke into the sanctum with their sibling. Lauma is not upset with the deceit, as she believes the Traveler had good intentions and had the right to visit it, as the dangerous trials within are really only to keep out the unworthy, though their sibling did not. Nefer then asks if they were sure it was their sibling, as she heard that the Fatui called off their search, leading them to believe that the Fatui might have taken it instead.

Lauma then asks Nefer to convince the next person who comes in to help them with their task, which she reluctantly agrees to. Coincidentally, Jahoda bursts in, returning unexpectedly early after an ibis dropped the missing cat she was assigned to look for practically in front of her. Knowing Lauma was behind the ibis' actions, the annoyed Nefer assigns her to the task while trying to hint that she should turn it down, but the confused Jahoda takes it, much to Nefer's disappointment. Nefer subsequently fires her and states that she will not be welcome back until after she completes the commission, leaving Jahoda baffled as to what was going on. Jahoda promises to prepare the plan in a day, while Lauma asks them to meet at Hiisi Island the following night for a conversation. There, they find her in prayer and she reveals massive antlers on her head, stating that it is a condition that occurs once a century. She asks the Traveler if the skies were fake, which they confirm to her relief, as, being able to feel the power of the moon coming from a different direction than the moon she could see, she had her suspicions for a long time. She also asks if they met Kuutar, which they also confirm. As they continue their conversation, Kapy comes in again, and believing it to be Kaarina's condition flaring again, they head to check on her. Lauma tells Kapy to wait outside, then takes out a knife and cuts her hand, spilling silver blood to mix with medicinal powder for Kaarina. She asks them to keep it a secret, and noticing similar healed scars on her hands, the Traveler realizes she has been treating others the same way.

As they walk out, Vilemina warns them not to step on her traps as Lauma asked them to prepare them in the coming Fatui invasion. After the pair leave, it is revealed that she intends to spend her last night with the group, troubled by how the rest of the scions refused to accept the truth. The Traveler then decides to pay a visit to Columbina, and Paimon suggests bringing food for her. They arrive at the hall and greet her, and Columbina takes note of Paimon's presence. They set out the food for her, though she does not accept nor deny it. The Traveler asks about the fake sky, and Columbina states that it means the "missing prologue," confusing both. They then ask about her song, which she states is the only thing she remembered when she was born. Sometime afterwards, she was found by the Frostmoon Scions, who prayed to her for answers which she gave until she could no longer do so and left them. Then, she joined the Fatui, but realized that they too were just the same as her first home, only interested in her powers. While she helped the Tsaritsa at the cost of much of her powers, she left to recover, the Archon remarking that freedom came with a price. She also had met Lauma, who apologized for her ancestors' actions and asked her to stay hidden for their own sakes.

In the Shadows of Night

Back at the Flagship, the Traveler and Paimon take a rest before meeting up with Lauma and Jahoda. When they arrive, they only find Lauma, wondering where Jahoda had went. A mole then emerges and informs Lauma that Jahoda was trying to sneak off, so she remarks "wavering conscience" to force her off a cliff. Jahoda tries to bluff her way out but is upset at how fearless her clients are, claiming they should either go back to Nasha Town for supplies or disband, both of which get no approval. Thus, she is forced to bring them inside, making use of security terminals to give them a clear entrance. However, their ascension to the top is interrupted by a lack of power, so they enter through a ventilation shaft, only for it to close and separate them.

Lauma uses kuuvahki to reveal numerous lasers while the Traveler informs Jahoda on adjusting the corridor so they can get through safely. Jahoda is unable to provide clearance with her current card, so she hacks into a janitor bot to get the required card. She then triggers an alarm to divert two Fatui underneath the others. They continue their trail until they activate a massive cannon, revealing a large fragment underneath them. Lauma tells Jahoda that the commission is complete, but she insists on tagging along and they descend down. While investigating, a door opens and reveals Vilemina, who joined the Fatui as she could no longer live a lie. She had trailed the Traveler and their sibling and took the Moon Marrow.

Lauma admits that while she knew the truth, she couldn't reveal it to the rest of the group and tells her that the skies were fake. She additionally cared for the scions, promising to reveal everything in the new moon. As a sign of respect to her old friend, Vilemina performs the traditional punishment for betrayal of the Scions on herself by painfully cutting her antlers off with a knife and reveals that Marionette took the Moon Marrow to Starsand Shoal. Outside, Marionette notices the alarm and orders her subordinates to get ready. The four confront her and demand the Moon Marrow, though Marionette refuses and orders her subordinates to serve the "appetizer." They do not respond, and as she turns around, the group discovers the Wild Hunt was attacking them. As they repel the eldritch forces, a massive fog engulfs the area, separating the Traveler from the others. As they navigate the mist, they hear their sibling's voice, but realize that it was never their sibling to begin with, remembering that they'd been told that the sibling had found them still in their hypersleep pod, not that they'd left their ship together as this version claimed. Lauma uses her powers to dispel the mist, and in the aftermath of the battle, Marionette extracts the marrow from her robot Pulonia. She tosses the Moon Marrow to them, stating that whoever wanted it would need to get it themselves, and it wasn't her responsibility if someone else was able to secure it. As the group leaves, they run into Flins, who had sensed the Wild Hunt. The Traveler warns him that they've changed in nature, so he departs to inform his superiors of the news. The Traveler notices just how they can feel something off about Flins, Lauma lets down her guard when he leaves. She reveals that the animals have told her they will not even go near him out of fear.

The Traveler and the others return to the Curatorium. Nefer hires Jahoda back while Lauma asks her to fetch some medicine for her, which she does for an extra charge as it's the middle of the night. As they leave, Lauma states she intends to tell the Frostmoon Scions everything, that very night. For the Moon Marrow, they would need to find another way to store it now that the Wild Hunt had compromised the secret chamber. Additionally, using her powers depleted her and she would not be able to help them with their task, though they assured her that her health is important and they have no qualms with postponing it. Lauma floats the idea of storing the marrow within herself with her body acting as a vessel. A previous Moonchanter had done once when the Scions' bloodline was still strong, but it's a grueling trial of will and endurance, and they only lasted for two days; she believes she would last five days at most. The Traveler convinces her that they act as the vessel instead, with Paimon agreeing that the Moon Marrow couldn't be more dangerous than the levels of Abyssal corruption they've resisted. With her guidance, they store it in the Traveler's body, just as Nefer returns with what medication she could get and wonders what they were up to. The Traveler explains to Nefer about the Wild Hunt attack, and she is surprised to hear of a phantom that is able to impersonate others. Lauma then returns to Hiisi Island, the Traveler and Paimon accompanying her as emotional support.

As the Frostmoon Scions gather for the meeting, several are left wondering what she has to say. Lauma reveals the truth to the tribe, some being accepting of it while others were in disbelief. After the conversation, Lauma reveals that some left, having felt that losing their faith was like losing their home, while others instead thanked her for the truth as they felt it drew her closer to them, having seen her a bit distant and unapproachable before. She then asks about her appearance, and the Traveler gives her an honest remark before she looks at the moonlight, remarking that she feels like she's "finally living on the bright side of the moon."

Act II - Elegy of Dust and Lamplight

Fulminations and Undercurrents

While walking around Nasha Town, the Traveler and Paimon overhear a few residents of Nasha Town talking about the recent Wild Hunt incursion. Noticing the Traveler eavesdropping on their conversation, they take it to another place. The Traveler and Paimon then run into Aino, Ineffa, and a Ratnik called Sousi. Because of the Wild Hunt, the Lightkeepers are asking Aino to finally begin repair work on the Boom and Blast Kuuvahki Cannon, which she agrees to as long as she gets her sweets. Since she has other matters to attend to, Aino tosses a huge book to Paimon, which is actually a manual on how to fix the cannon, along with a Birgitta variant known as Beep-Boopitta. The three manage to get information on the cannon, and Sousi briefly leaves to get the replacement part. They then gather at the control room, where Aino is making the final preparations for the cannon. Paimon then suggests to head back to the Flagship to see if anyone knows about the phantom.

When they return to the tavern, they find a large amount of people gathered outside and try to investigate, but Valta tells them that a Banquet is going on. In order to enter, the proper "channel" was required, so the two head to the Curatorium, where Nefer greets them. The Traveler offers to bring the medicine to Lauma and indirectly ask for her invitation to the Banquet, though Nefer easily sees their intentions but agrees nonetheless. Jahoda then comes in with the medicine, but Paimon quickly realizes that she picked up salt instead, causing her to run out to recover the original delivery.

Returning to the tavern, Valta allows them in when the Traveler returns with the proper "channel." Inside, Nefer gains the entire audience's attention by claiming that the Traveler is a mixologist from Mondstadt, so they prepare various drinks, including the Roulette Special. Nefer ensures that the Traveler avoids alcoholic drinks as much as possible, until they roll the signature "Dark Horse" drink in the final round. The Traveler uses this to ask Dobrawa about her encounter with the Wild Hunt, though she does not remember seeing a phantom as she knew she needed to escape before she was consumed. After the special, Nefer talks to an informant named Korhonen, who gives her information about Wild Hunt appearances. Notably, various spots have been cleared before the Lightkeepers came, saying that the gulf was far too abnormal for adventurers to be involved. They ask about the phantom, but he has never heard of it before.

Outside, the Traveler and Nefer compile the gathered information, concluding that the phantom was a recent sighting and that the mastermind must be hiding behind it. Just then, Jahoda arrives with the medicine and gives it to the Traveler before Nefer concludes the conversation. Jahoda brings the Traveler to the plaza, where a crowd has assembled to witness a test firing of the cannon.

The Dark Side of Memory

With the medicine in tow, the Traveler and Paimon return to Hiisi Island to give Lauma the rest of the medicine. Lauma tells them that her people are more proactive, having known the true meaning of their faith, though she feels that it will still take some time for everything to settle. She admits that she should've told the truth sooner and the Traveler relays what they learned to her. Lauma then asks them to take out the Moon Marrow and draws from a past memory, where the Traveler spots their spaceship crashing into Nod-Krai as it ends. Lauma tells them it was all she could discern due to the memory's turbulence and disturbance. A Luonnotar then appears and the surrounding flowers change color, causing the Traveler to realize that Columbina wanted to talk to them. Lauma believes that Columbina would be able to help them better in their memory.

The Traveler heads back to Silvermoon Hall, where Columbina appears to be worse for wear. Sensing the Moon Marrow on her, she asks them to extend their hand and she draws some power from it before asking for the purpose of their visit. Paimon then asks if she would like to hold it, but Columbina declines, stating that the Moon Marrow is actually a piece of Aria's remains. She also states that her powers came from the Frost Moon; she could sense the missing parts, but could not reach it. Paimon then asks if she has the Frost Moon's marrow, but Columbina explains that such a marrow only forms when a moon is destroyed and its Moon Goddess dies. Paimon then asks if she wants the Moon Marrow, but she declines again, as she felt a "rejection" from it and that two moons could not rise at the same time, lest one consume the other. Paimon then becomes worried about the Moon Marrow's safety, as if Columbina could sense it with ease, so would the Wild Hunt.

The name appears to ring a bell to Columbina, who recalls hearing about a man who was fixated on the moons when she joined the Fatui. She only knew the person through their title, the "Rächer of Solnari," causing the Traveler and Paimon to realize that their enemy is one of the Five Sinners of Khaenri'ah. Remembering the names that Dainsleif had told them, Paimon believes their enemy is Rerir, though the Traveler wonders why he was so weak. Columbina chimes in, explaining that when she wanted to learn about Rerir's whereabouts, she was told that he had fallen in the moon's reflection, considered a point of no return. The Wild Hunt situation grew worse, though she states that the current iteration is far more deadly than the past. Paimon is worried that they could not defeat him and mentions Sandrone, causing Columbina to laugh at the mention of her name, guessing how she would've felt after the defeat. Paimon then asks the Traveler if they want to carry the marrow with them, while Columbina theorizes that something is holding Rerir back.

The Traveler then asks Columbina for help regarding their memories with their spaceship, and she agrees to their request. The Traveler sees their spaceship having crashed, but soon spots their sibling outside of it, which should've been impossible as they knew that they never went out when they crashed. Columbina then helps conceal the presence of the marrow through a technique she teaches them, before Paimon asks if she was okay staying cooped up in her adobe. Columbina admits that she dislikes strangers, but agrees to go out on a walk with them once the Wild Hunt threat is resolved.

One There Was, Who Hunted the Moon

The Traveler returns to Lauma and informs her of the threat that the people of Nod-Krai are facing. Lauma, acknowledges the threat and decides to keep the mastermind's identity a secret from her people to avoid unnecessary panic. She ultimately decides that her people will fight to the end to protect their traditions. Paimon then suggests a visit to the Krumkake Craftshop to check in on Aino and Ineffa. Aino does not believe that Rerir will be a threat compared to her cannon and is preparing to ship canisters of concentrated kuuvahki to Nasha Town. She also tells them that Sousi was murdered in his office, shocking the Traveler and Paimon.

When they arrive at the scene, Nefer conveniently arrives and the Ratnik on duty, Zvoni, lets them in. Inside, Sieciech greets them and explains what happened. A witness saw Flins kill Sousi, and while the Lightkeepers are skeptical that Flins would commit such an atrocity, given his good record and respect for Sousi, the witness and the wound is irrefutable evidence that he killed him. As they investigate, the Traveler remarks about Flins' lantern, which had an abyssal power and in the worst case, believes that he might be one of Rerir's disguises. Nefer informs the Traveler that Flins was spotted north of Nasha Town and hands them a Lightkeeper lantern to protect them from the Wild Hunt.

The Traveler heads to Flins' last location and manages to rescue him just in time from Rerir. Flins then explains the origin of his lantern, and he kept the abyssal fragment with him to ensure that it could not pose a threat if someone else found it. The Traveler briefs him on Sousi's death and his colleagues suspecting him to be the murderer. Flins is slightly taken aback by the news, knowing that Sousi was a good man who wanted to be with his family, swearing to take Rerir's head in revenge. They then head back slightly outside of the town, where Flins asks them to "pick him up" when they get to the crime scene. They enter the scene and call Flins with the lantern, where they begin investigating once more. They initially fail to find any new clues, but the Traveler soon notices Sousi's mechanical arm flashing, using the error code signaling that maintenance was required. They then realize that Sousi had used this arm when they were fixing the cannon and that the "Sousi" at the time was actually Rerir.

Flins decides that they'll need to pay a visit to Hintsa, who was the town's resident mechanic and responsible for the maintenance of Sousi's arm. Hintsa had heard rumors of the news, though unaware of Flins being the suspect. He explains that a few days prior to his death, Sousi came to him and urgently asked for his arm to be repaired, which Hintsa fully understood as Sousi would need both arms to fight the Wild Hunt. The arm was designed by Aino, with custom parts. When the parts were priority-delivered from Aino's shop, Sousi let the Lightkeepers know he was ready to do the work, but Sousi never turned up. This news confirms that the Sousi they met earlier had actually been Rerir and they theorize that he is only able to mimic the external appearance of people. They decide to take a rest and return to the Flagship. Flins reveals a story about his past; he is a fae who turned his heart towards humanity and experienced loss, wishing to end his own life. But by chance, he met the Lightkeepers, and seeing them fight the Wild Hunt without fear sparked something in him and led him to intervene in one of these fights, resulting in him joining the Lightkeepers. He asks that they not tell this to anyone.

The Ashen-White Order Burns

The following morning, the Traveler wakes up and heads outside to the main hall when they are greeted by an angry mob demanding to see Flins. Nefer, upset by the commotion, tells the mob to search for Flins. They fail to do so, and she harshly scolds them and sends them packing. She then tells the Traveler that her inside contact saw them and Flins enter the crime scene, and then word spread that the Wild Hunt could masquerade as others, causing everyone to accuse the other of being part of the Wild Hunt. Jahoda arrives with Flins' lantern, and Nefer decides that a meeting is required at the Curatorium. There, they compile the gathered information, though the Traveler is unsure as to why Rerir wanted the cannon to be prepared. With the Wild Hunt continuing to grow, they decide to separate and handle each incursion. Flins' lantern disappears, and Paimon tells the Traveler that they'll be going to his home to meet with him.

At Flins' home, the Traveler and Paimon meet with Flins and head down to the Ratniks' library to look for hints about Rerir's motives. Through the help of some spirits, they eventually realize that kuuvahki and abyssal energy are polar opposites, though the winner would absorb the loser's energy. This causes them to realize that Rerir plans to have Aino's cannon fired on him; with his new strength and the concentrated kuuvahki, Rerir's energies would convert the kuuvahki into a more powerful form. An ibis then arrives, which Paimon recognizes as Lauma's doing and tells them that after they left, the cannon began to operate on its own and was pointed at Starsand Shoal. Thus, they decide to head there to stop Rerir.

The three find Rerir's phantom standing in the shoal, explaining that humans did not understand the powers they wielded. He also reveals to be the origin of the Wild Hunt and that he had spent his time collecting fragments of his former corpse to rebuild himself, with his heart being in Flins' lantern. Rerir states that while Aino's cannon would not restore his true form, it was potent enough to restore enough power to crush anyone who stood in his way and he prepares to fight them.

Elsewhere, Aino, Lauma, Nefer and Jahoda realize that the cannon was activated and that the people of Nasha Town were in chaos. A few, believing in Aino's creation, formed barricades around it to stop any Wild Hunt that would attempt to interrupt its charging. Knowing that the rumors are now spreading like wildfire, Lauma states that they cannot use brute force to clear a path. Lauma uses her unique powers to reassure the people that it's really her, while Aino and Ineffa use the distraction to head to the cannon. On the way, they encounter an aggressive Knuckle Duckle, forcing the two to get it out of the way. Ineffa determines that the cannon is about to fire, and Aino suggests activating the "emergency brake". Ineffa states that the prepped kuuvahki ammunition would explode and destroy Nasha Town, but Aino clarifies that she was talking about manually interfering with the cannon barrel itself, which Ineffa understands, prompting her to scale the tower to the cannon.

Despite Ineffa, Flins and the Traveler's efforts, some of the cannon's kuuvahki beam does hit Starsand Shoal and becomes corrupted, the rest being deflected by Flins' powers, the Traveler's Moon Marrow shield, and Ineffa pushing the barrel upwards to shorten the firing time on target. Some of the stray bolts damage the Kuuvahki Experimental Design Bureau, but others that travel straight for Hiisi Island are met with a mysterious dome shield that protects it from harm. Rerir is able to restore his body with the corrupted kuuvahki, but is disappointed when he realizes that it is only a former of his complete self and becomes enraged at Flins and the Traveler's interference. But before he could attack them, Sandrone and Pulonia arrive. Claiming that the robot's new upgrades were a match for his power, Sandrone has Pulonia fight Rerir, but Rerir manages to overcome it and launches numerous hands at the group for a killing blow. Suddenly, a bright light surrounds them as Sandrone realizes what's happening, teleporting them away from Rerir's grasp.

The group finds themselves in Silvermoon Hall, where Flins thanks Columbina for saving them. Sandrone is upset at her intervention, claiming that she had the situation under control. Columbina retorts that her recent calculations were significantly off, prompting Sandrone to remind Columbina of the Fatui warrant still out on her head. Not wanting to fight her former colleague, Sandrone leaves with Pulonia. Columbina then explains that she intervened as the Moon Marrow could not fall into Rerir's hands and that the Traveler had done so much for her. Although worried about Rerir's new strength, Columbina does not sense his presence. Flins then asks her if she blocked the bolts that flew towards Hiisi Island, but she tells him that she didn't. As the rest of the group leaves, Columbina clutches her chest, realizing that her strength wasn't returning and that time was running out.

Rest Beyond Reach

In the aftermath of the operation, the group is still unsure as to Rerir's motives, though they rule out the possibility of revenge. As recovery efforts are underway, the Traveler finds Columbina at the roofs of Nasha Town, having heeded their advice to go out for a walk. Paimon is worried given the Fatui warrant, but Columbina knows that Sandrone is uninterested in fulfilling it and the others are too busy to help out. She answers a few of their questions before expressing a desire to return to the moon, where she would find both her answers and "home."

Elsewhere, Rerir walks across Nod-Krai when he realizes that someone had been following him for some time. Ordering the person to show themselves, the person is revealed to be Varka, who introduces himself to him.

Act III - A Nation That Doesn't Exist

Hidden in the Shadows

Following the restoration of Rerir's physical form, the Traveler and Paimon wonder what his goal is. As they walk around Nasha Town, a Ratnik named Radimir informs them that the Wild Hunt had attacked the town's quarry and Flins wishes to speak with them. When they arrive, they also find Aino, Ineffa, Jahoda and Lauma with him, the latter noting that the area's kuuvahki was completely depleted. Aware that they were barely able to fight him, the group worries that he might be seeking other kuuvahki-rich areas and temporarily separates, though they do not find him there. Reconvening at Hiisi Island, Jahoda dares Rerir to come out, just as an ominous rumble shakes the ground as she finishes her threat. Lauma then realizes that Rerir is attacking Columbina and they head out to save her. Lauma orders Jahoda to take Columbina to safety while the others fight him, but Rerir easily overpowers the group and fires a projectile at Jahoda, who Columbina shoves out of the way and suffers a scrape in the process. She then looks at the Traveler; realizing what she intends to do, they manage to break free of their bindings and touch her hand, resulting in an explosion that allows them to teleport away. Rerir, enraged at their escape, summons the Wild Hunt and orders them to find her.

A short distance away, Columbina states that she would be unable to teleport them again due to her fading strength. She agrees with Jahoda's decision to run, but the Wild Hunt spots them. They manage to fend off a large horde of ghouls before a Wolf's Gravestone slams into them. A man then appears, who introduces himself as Varka and they escape to a secret location. They explain the situation to Varka, who tells them that he and his men were misled to Lake Amsvartnir, though he privately doubts that Rerir was able to act in both locations simultaneously. Knowing they needed to match his power, Columbina suggests finding the last Moon Marrow, the Iridescent Marrow, believing that with all three Marrows in their possession, she would be able to restore her power much quicker. She would require a visit to the Kuuvahki Experimental Design Bureau and decides to have the Traveler accompany her there.

Nefer then arrives and Varka reveals her as the current owner of the Northern Intelligence Network. Despite the threat Rerir poses to the area, she refuses to help, stating she doesn't work for free. Lauma offers to pay her for her efforts, though Nefer doubts that she would be able to pay in full. Jahoda then chimes in and asks her to cut her paycheck, forcing Nefer to reluctantly accept their request. She then asks Flins for the fragments of Rerir's heart and the group separates once more; Aino and Ineffa would build decoys with Columbina's traces on them, Jahoda and Lauma would accompany Nefer while the Traveler and Columbina went to the bureau.

Special Operation

Arriving at the bureau, the three are confronted by Fevroniya and Ozerov, who threaten to call security on them. Sandrone interrupts and orders them to let them pass. Inside, Columbina asks Sandrone if Arlecchino was around, who tells her that she hadn't after the facility was finished. Sandrone, although upset by Columbina's previous intervention, remarks about her past tea parties and agrees to her request. As she tells Pulonia to inform Fevroniya to send a message to Arlecchino, the bureau shakes and they realize that the Wild Hunt is attacking. Sandrone has them leave through a secret passage while she orders her landcruisers to repel the assault. The Wild Hunt manages to breach the upper areas as Rerir arrives. No longer sensing Columbina's presence, he attempts to leave, but Sandrone sics Pulonia on him when he ignores her. As Pulonia moves in to attack, Rerir flicks his hands, instantly incapacitating the automaton.

At the Curatorium of Secrets, Nefer brings Jahoda and Lauma to her private room, where she remarks about the job she was forced to take. She asks Jahoda to bring the "shady merchant" she met the other day, intending to cash in a favor. Jahoda clarifies that the merchant was a good person and goes out to get them, revealed to be Dori. Dori pulls out a flower-shaped object from her pockets before realizing Nefer intended to use it. Nefer has her take the deal by allowing a "favor" to be repaid, and she reluctantly agrees to let her have it for three days before charging her. As Dori leaves to get back to sleep, Nefer initiates the ceremony, telling Jahoda and Lauma to follow her instructions.

Through the fragments, the three get a glimpse of Rerir's past, discovering his identity as a Khaneri'ahn under Irmin's rule. He was engaged to a woman named Tholindis and his duty was to eliminate descendants of the Crimson Moon Dynasty, though he did not tell her of it. Later, she looks at a glimpse of Tholindis' memory, though she is confused as to how it ended up in Rerir's possession. She then concludes the ceremony, as they had used all the time they had.

Everlasting As the Moon

With the Wild Hunt on their trail, the Traveler and Columbina attempt to escape but are eventually cornered by them at Thunderclap Reef. Suddenly, the ghouls burn away, with Arlecchino being responsible for the rescue. Back at the bureau, Sandrone is busy repairing her landcruisers when Lyney, Lynette and Freminet arrive. She has Freminet assist her in the repairs while ordering Lyney to keep his sister away from the machines; coincidentally, Lynette attempts to interact with one which subsequently collapses. At Thunderclap Reef, Arlecchino remarks on Columbina's weakness before they head back to the secret base, meeting up with the others. The situation becomes tense as they recognize who Arlecchino is, but she explains to them that she is only present on a personal level and tells them she can locate the Iridescent Marrow.

Arlecchino brings the Traveler and Columbina to a peninsula between Silvermoon Hall and Hiisi Island, revealing to the Traveler that she's one of the Crimson Moon descendants and learned of her past through Pierro. Columbina explains why they need her help and Arlecchino agrees to the terms before opening a portal to the Iridescent Marrow, warning them to ignore the voices they may encounter. Inside, the Traveler and Columbina explore the domain and successfully retrieve the marrow. The entity sends numerous riftwolves at them and blocks their exit, but Arlecchino forces it open, allowing them to escape. As a result of defying the Abyss, her hands became corrupted. The Traveler offers to purify the energy, but she declines, as it would destroy her hands and states she knew the price. The two then share the power to Columbina before she gives the Iridescent Marrow to her. Arlecchino then remarks on Columbina's growth while Columbina tells her that she hopes that she doesn't become corrupted to the Abyss like Rerir did. Arlecchino tells her she intends to before suggesting to Columbina that she change her name after Rerir was sorted out.

Act IV - An Elegy for Faded Moonlight

All Is Foretold

Arriving at the secret base with Columbina in tow, the Traveler and Paimon catch up with the rest of the group. Flins is in a good mood and reveals that while he was quelling the Wild Hunt, he came across two young men who assisted him in battle, revealed to be Albedo and another mysterious man. Albedo tells him to introduce himself, and the Traveler recognizes him as Mini Durin from Simulanka. Arlecchino soon arrives, though she states that she was simply here to accompany her friend and leaves to talk with Sandrone at the Kuuvahki Experimental Design Bureau.

Back in the base, Varka reveals another person who wanted to help them: Dainsleif, who Paimon introduces to the rest of the group as a noble from Khaenri'ah. While waiting for Nefer to arrive, the group partakes in small talk. Nefer finally arrives and is immediately suspicious of Dainsleif due to his Khaenri'ahn heritage and wonders how he was even alive. Dainsleif asks her to help investigate Rerir's past, explaining how the Five Sinners of Khaenri'ah came to be. However, he does not know why Rerir joined them, as he knew he had no grand ambitions of his own. The Traveler then explains their activities with Columbina and Arlecchino. Though all three Moon Marrows are in their possession, Columbina states that it isn't enough to overpower Rerir.

After the meeting, the Traveler and Paimon book a room for Dainsleif before meeting with Nefer at the Curatorium, where she reveals to them that they were invited to partake in the operation as Dainsleif was confident they would keep the information a secret. Along with Jahoda and Lauma, they venture into Rerir's past once more, discovering the duties he performed for King Irmin before suddenly discovering he was to eliminate his own fiancée, Tholindis. This resulted in his next target, Frithr, being spared, as he had become disillusioned with Irmin's directives. Later on, Dainsleif approached Rerir and asked him to help free his brother Vedrfolnir, who had been imprisoned by Irmin for giving him a bad prophecy. The operation would be assisted by the rest of the group; Surtalogi, Rhinedottir and Hroptatyr.

While Dainsleif and Surtalogi fought the royal guards, Rhinedottir and Hroptatyr would disable the security systems and Rerir was tasked with breaking Vedrfolnir out. When he arrived, Rerir asked Vedrfolnir if he knew about the prophecy, but he did not, though the two had heard the same voice. Before leaving, Vedrfolnir told Rerir to head to the Universitas Magistrorum, who realized Tholindis was there and in danger. When he arrived to rescue her, he found her standing in front of a portal; she had learned the truth and proceeded to fall into it so he could live a normal life. Rerir fell into despair and wanting to reunite with her, accepted the voice's offer to partake in a power and explaining how he became a Sinner.

Dance of Death: Serpent and Scorpion

With the ritual seemingly successful, Nefer attempts to leave the Curatorium, only to find herself in a desert alongside the others. Immediately realizing something was wrong, Nefer orders the rest to stay with her as they explore the new domain, which reveals Nefer's past as an Eremite who lived in the desert as an adopted child under Sinuhe, the leader of the Shimti tribe. Sinuhe unintentionally caused the tribe's demise to the Iab tribe after taking water from one of their wells, who annihilated the tribe in response to the theft. Nefer later arrived at Aaru Village, where Uncle Anpu had the Sumeru Akademiya invite her after bringing a Mahamata to investigate her talent. In the Akademiya, Nefer learned the truth; the letter her adoptive father had sent was not even acknowledged by them, and she left in order to get revenge on the tribes that killed her family.

They later arrive at a temple which Nefer explains she discovered after returning to her hometown and that Thoth, one of the Seven Pillars of King Deshret, resided in. As they approach the entrance, Ashru appears and Nefer strokes him, only for Ashru to suddenly turn into an abyssal entity that grabs Nefer by her throat. More hands emerge to stop the others from intervening as Rerir manifests, proclaiming that she had seen too much and prepares to kill her. But before he could do so, he is interrupted by an unknown attack from above before the group is teleported away. Back in reality, the group finds Columbina and Dainsleif before Nefer's chessbox begins to violently shake. She immediately applies Dendro restraints onto it.

Echoes of Fate

With Rerir temporarily restrained in the chessbox, the group makes preparations for their conflict with him. As the seal begins to break, the group battles Rerir, who expels Lauma, Aino and Flins, as he wishes to settle his vendetta against Nefer for prying into his past. As he charges up a powerful attack, Albedo and Durin set up an alchemical array to siphon his power into Columbina. With the newly converted power, Columbina is able to overpower Rerir and opens a moon gate. Rerir believes Columbina is unable to hold both him and the gate at once, to which the Moon Goddess responds by remarking that someone else does before flicking him into it. To his horror, he discovers Dainsleif maintaining the gate as he is flicked inside and thrown out of Teyvat.

As a result of goading Rerir into using his full power, Nefer's eyes are temporarily blinded and she is escorted away by Lauma for treatment. The following day, the group reunites at the Flagship to celebrate their victory. After speaking to everyone present, the Traveler heads to the bureau, finding Columbina having finished a conversation with Sandrone. Sandrone is slightly peeved that the Traveler was coming to check-in on her before she gives them a tea and a notebook to use as a coaster. She then remarks about the Lord-Artificer, who the Traveler recognizes as Alain Guillotin. The name prompts Sandrone to talk about his past, asking what Traveler thought of his actions. After hearing their response, she tells them to do whatever they wanted before beginning maintenance on Pulonia.

Act V - A Nocturne of the Far North

In the Shifting Light of the Moon

It's been about two months since the Traveler and Paimon first arrived in Nod-Krai. The party finishes their work with the Adventurers' Guild, with no urgent commissions left, turn their attention to Moon-Prayer Night, the region’s biggest festival. Katheryne explains its origins with the Frostmoon Scions and the Moon Goddess, while Paimon suggests using this downtime to (indirectly) search for clues about the Traveler’s spaceship, following the adage that one tends to find something when not focused on it. The Traveler worries about Columbina (Kuutar), weakened after the fight with Rerir, and about the continued absence of Dottore.

They visit Columbina at Silvermoon Hall and learn she plans to return to the moon on Moon-Prayer Night, when kuuvahki energy peaks. If she stays in Teyvat, she’ll eventually cease to exist entirely. The Traveler invites her to join the festival as a farewell before she departs, and she reluctantly agrees despite being wanted by the Fatui, asking them to tell Lauma her answer to staying is “there is no need.” Lauma and Varka, busy preparing for the festival, decide the best they can do is give Kuutar blessings and good memories rather than cling to her or burden her, even as Lauma laments that her own homeland can’t truly shelter her.

At the same time, strange phantoms and mirages appear all over Nod-Krai as Moon-Prayer Night approaches. Durin, Albedo, Flins, Nefer, and Jahoda all split the investigation: Durin’s group studies Abyssal-like illusions, while Nefer’s Curatorium chases human phantoms claiming to be from ancient Hyperborea. Jahoda spots a phantom flying ship at Starsand Shoal that matches the Traveler’s spaceship. When the group goes there, Lauma enlists local animals to scout, but they confirm the “ship” phantom is completely impervious and untouchable. Human phantoms around it reenact fixed historical scenes—locals trying and failing to crack the ship open—which Varka likens to an interactive play where you can talk to the actors but can’t change the script.

Durin’s side of the investigation shows them visions of Nod-Krai during the Khaenri’ah Cataclysm, including repeated deaths he’s powerless to stop. Flins reveals he’s 600–700 years old and actually lived through those disasters, explaining that what they’re seeing is immutable history and that fate and history are basically fixed. Durin struggles with his own Abyssal nature and whether he should even exist, but concludes that the darkness inside him can also be a source of strength, resolving to seek the truth himself. When everyone regroups, they agree the phantoms are mostly fragmented, frustrating scraps of the past—but at least they’re harmless and won’t interfere with the festival. Lauma and Nefer strike a deal to share Hyperborean records, and the group decides Columbina deserves a special parting gift. Since none of them knows what she actually likes, they unanimously dump that responsibility on the Traveler. Durin is still shaken but trying to work through his fears, while the Traveler and Paimon promise to be there for him as a friend and fellow Knight.

Ripples That Will Never Reach

The Traveler goes to Silvermoon Hall to learn what gifts Columbina might like, but fail to find her. The Traveler and Paimon initially believe she went out for a walk, but when they come back a few days later, still fail to find her. They then notice that the flowers in the hall were extremely pale, realizing that Columbina is losing her power. As they go out to look for Lauma, they run into her, and Lauma confirms she shouldn't even be able to walk in her weakened state. Columbina has disappeared, not physically left. On the way back Nasha Town, a mysterious stall appears — and the “final boss” reveals herself to be Alice, Klee’s mother, in person. She explains the real crisis: the border of Teyvat is destabilizing because the powers of all three moons have gathered in Nod-Krai. She also reveals a devastating truth: Columbina hasn’t left — she’s instead fading out of existence. The world itself is rejecting her because she no longer has a foundation for her existence (no true identity, no accepted name, no divine function). Her Moon Marrow plan won’t work anymore.

Alice states two urgent tasks. The first is to find Columbina’s true name. “Columbina” and “Kuutar” were never her real identity, and without a true name anchoring her existence, she will vanish completely. The second is to figure out a way to send her to the real moon, which requires a special connection ritual. She refers the party to another Hexenzirkel witch: Nicole (“Mage N”). Meanwhile, Columbina — now a fading consciousness unable to maintain a physical form — wanders Nod-Krai unseen, watching everyday life with bittersweet longing. She visits the Frostmoon Enclave and Nasha Town, observing people living freely in ways she never allowed herself to. She begins to accept she may soon disappear entirely.

The Traveler meets Nicole, who explains ancient Hyperborean attempts to reach the moons and reveals a way to recreate such a gateway through phantom projections and kuuvahki resonance. She’ll search for a suitable phantom to use as a bridge. Nicole also explains that Columbina is fading because the moon goddesses were erased from the world’s natural order, and Columbina has rejected every identity she’s been given — even “Columbina.” Her existence has nothing to anchor itself to anymore. To enter the Hyperborean ruins, three compatible people must undergo three days of kuuvahki infusion, for which fasting will be necessary. After testing many characters, only three are fully compatible: the Traveler, Lauma, and Arlecchino. Varka isn’t compatible enough, though he tries. Others fail due to allergic reactions (Jahoda), being non-human (Ineffa and Flins), or Nicole outright saying “no” (Aino being a child).

As preparations continue, Columbina accompanies them and overhears everything. She learns they are desperately searching for her true name and that people actually care about her — but she is now so weak she cannot even pass the entrance to the ruins. Meanwhile, Durin, Albedo, and Wanderer attempt to change a phantom’s fate using Durin’s Abyssal abilities. They succeed partially — for the first time, a phantom remembers them. Alice detects the disturbance and tells them to continue. Finally, the ruins’ gate opens, but Columbina realizes she cannot follow. Her consciousness is nearly gone. She wonders if she can even survive until Moon-Prayer Night.

Act VI - Melting Moonlight in the Morning Mist

Where Does Her Name Rest?

The Traveler, Paimon, Lauma, Arlecchino, and Nicole explore ancient Hyperborean ruins in search of Columbina’s true name, hoping it will anchor her fading existence. Phantom Hyperboreans appear, but they only speak of the ancient moon goddesses, not Columbina. Nicole explains that those people lived long before Columbina’s time and know nothing of her identity.

Inside the ruins, the group uses kuuvahki-powered devices to advance and discovers murals recounting the full history of Teyvat’s three moons: created by Nibelung, later weaponized during his war with the Heavenly Principles, then shattered or cast away until their goddesses eventually died. Because one moon survived the shattering, a faint link to Teyvat remained — the reason Columbina could be “born” at all. They eventually reach the lunar-communication platform that Hyperboreans once used to contact the moons. Nicole tells them this is where Columbina can be sent home on Moon-Prayer Night if they can find her — but they still haven’t learned her name.

Nicole then realizes the truth: Columbina never had a true name at all. Her existence has always been unstable because she’s never chosen or accepted a name of her own. But Nicole points out something crucial: a name doesn’t have to come from the past — it can be given in the present. The Traveler calls out the name they’ve always used with her — “Columbina” — and the others agree this is the identity she resonates with. Nicole confirms that the emotional meaning behind a name is what grants it power in Teyvat. Lauma’s antlers illuminate as the festive moon rises, signaling that Columbina can be summoned back. Everyone rushes out to search for her by calling her chosen name.

The Traveler returns to Silvermoon Hall — where they first met — and finds Columbina’s fading consciousness. Speaking her name restores her fully, and she reveals her chosen full identity —Columbina Hyposelenia — which means “born beneath the moon.” Reunited with the group, she explains that she had followed them in spirit through the ruins, even when she was too weak to manifest. Her friends all welcome her back, overjoyed that she now has a real name and a stable place in the world. Nicole (appearing through a magical Dodoco projection) congratulates everyone and reminds them that Moon-Prayer Night has begun. Nasha Town has secretly prepared a “welcome home” celebration for Columbina — transforming the entire festival into a symbolic homecoming for the Moon Goddess. In the final cutscene, the townspeople greet her with: “Welcome home, Moon Goddess.” Columbina accepts the gift, touched to finally have a home and an identity of her own.

The Night the Moon Returns Home

On Moon-Prayer Night, Columbina experiences the festival freely for the first time, welcomed home by everyone she meets. Her friends encourage her to enjoy the night at her own pace, and she wanders through Nasha Town experiencing games, food, and small acts of kindness that show how deeply she’s come to belong. She experiments with candy flavors, plays festival games with townsfolk and Fatui alike, shares quiet moments with the Traveler, and even engages in a playful “balloon war” with Arlecchino and Nefer. Everywhere she goes, she’s treated not as a god, but as a cherished friend.

Along the way, several intimate encounters deepen her relationships: Flins identifies her “spirit animal” as a free-spirited kuuhenki; Nicole finally gets someone to test the game she made and receives heartfelt gratitude from Columbina; Sandrone reluctantly shows her concern and ends up sharing a surprisingly emotional goodbye through their competitive banter. Alice gives her a whimsical “Dodoco adventure,” and Barbeloth performs a divination that reveals Columbina’s past loneliness, her newfound bonds, and a future of transformation—perhaps ending, perhaps beginning anew. These experiences reassure Columbina that she is loved for who she is, not what she represents.

As the night advances, she confesses to the Traveler her fear of losing everything she has just gained. The Traveler reassures her that she will not lose her friends, even when she returns to the moon. Ultimately, Columbina realizes she wants to savor every moment of this final night. After visiting Lauma, she hangs a wish: that all who dwell under the moon find belonging, and that she may see her friends again someday.

When the Moon-Prayer Blossoms bloom, everyone gathers. Her friends give her a handmade greeting card filled with drawings and memories, deeply moving her. Columbina then announces her plan to write hidden messages upon the moon using moonlight—messages only her friends will be able to read. As the moment of departure arrives, the people of Nod-Krai offer farewells, blessings, and gifts. Surrounded by affection, Columbina takes the Traveler’s hand, ready to journey to the ruins and return home to the moon, carrying with her the memories of a night where she finally felt truly loved and welcomed.

Return to the Moon

As Moon-Prayer Night begins, Columbina prepares for her departure to the moon. Though uncertain about what awaits her and saddened to leave behind the beings and friends she has grown to love in Nod-Krai, she accepts that this final night is her moment of farewell. At the ancient Hyperborean site where past civilizations once communicated with the moons, the group completes the ritual setup. The Traveler encourages Columbina to return someday, and she promises that the moonlight will always connect them.

But when Columbina steps into the beam meant to return her home, Dottore ambushes her. Having manipulated history through “variables” and created a false moon using Hyperborean knowledge, he seizes the power of all three moons and freezes time—leaving only the Traveler able to move. The Traveler battles him but is quickly overwhelmed. Realizing her presence allows him to wield this power, Columbina sacrifices her chance to return home and leaps into a moon gate of her own creation, disappearing into the same unknown realm where Rerir once fled. The incomplete ritual forces The Doctor to retreat, but Columbina is lost, and the Traveler falls helplessly into the sea.

After regrouping, the team pieced together what happened: Dottore engineered distortions in the causal structure of the Hyperborean phantoms, altering their memories to extract forbidden lunar knowledge. He then used this information to craft a false moon and hijack the teleportation ritual. Columbina’s escape prevented him from maintaining full control, but she is now trapped somewhere beyond their reach. Everyone feels responsible, especially Arlecchino, who states that if the Tsaritsa will not make a judgment in time, she will abandon the Harbingers’ political restrictions and act in her individual capacity as Peruere against Dottore to rescue her friend.

Despite the despair, Varka rallies the group, insisting that if Dottore can stack “variables” to alter destiny, so can they. Allies across Mondstadt, the Hexenzirkel, the Curatorium, the Lightkeepers, and the Frostmoon Scions commit to searching for Columbina and countering Dottore’s plans. Each person steps forward with a role—investigation, research, protection, prediction—forming a united front.

Still haunted by Columbina’s sacrifices, the Traveler sits alone where they'd met up with her on the rooftop of Nasha Town, and recalls her last words: that her name—once a codename—became real because of her friends, and that moonlight would always connect them.

The Empty Courtyard

The Traveler and Paimon visit Silvermoon Hall again to check for Columbina, but instead meet Luonnotar and some of the Kuuhenki. Luonnotar seems worried about the Traveler after Columbina’s disappearance and encourages them to not give up, hoping that Columbina will return. This later lifted the Traveler's gloomy mood and they thanked Luonnotar and the kuuhenki for their encouragement. Noticing one of the kuuhenki as being flustered, Paimon suggests that the Traveler play Columbina’s song on the lyre, which lulls all the kuuhenki to a restful sleep, and Luonnotar escorts the pair as they leave them to rest. Outside Silvermoon Hall, they're surprised to encounter a lone Sandrone headed their way, who is thrown off at being discovered there. The Traveler tells her that the Moon Maiden isn't there, which Sandrone, having once again thrown up her emotional walls, admits she expected that and notes that there is no such thing as a free miracle. Paimon offers to walk together but Sandrone declines, telling them she's in a bad mood and won't be good company. She then leaves, with her parting words being that "comfort is the last thing this place needs."

Act VII - A Traveler on a Winter's Night

Moonless Night

A few days pass after the Dottore incident. The Traveler arrives at the Curatorium of Secrets in the morning to meet up with the rest of their friends. As Varka begins the rundown, Jahoda stops him and the group is revealed to have sensed a Fatuus and order him to come out. The Fatuus, Gediminas, emerges from his hiding spot, having anticipated he would've been easily detected. He passes on the message that Arlecchino and Sandrone are heading to Dottore's lab in the far north and that they should meet them there. Before he leaves, he gives the map, warning them to be careful and that the Fatui will be their allies if they choose to. Aware of Dottore's ruthlessness, Aino, Ineffa, Varka and Jahoda remain behind to guard Nasha Town while the others make their way to the two Harbingers.

With the Traveler ready, the group heads to the facility, finding numerous destroyed Landcruisers with Arlecchino's flames flickering on them. They head inside, moving past the slain Fatui soldiers and handling monsters in their path. As they continue, they run into a Fatui grunt named Jotautas, surprised to find more tresspassers. He initially refuses to let them pass, but after the group threatens him and the Traveler explains that Dottore could endanger all of Snezhnaya, Jotautas decides to comply with their request, explaining that Dottore was building something ambitious and that he had been preparing for a long time. He had returned with two "gemstones" of some sort, which Lauma realizes are the Moon Marrows he stole from Columbina. Upon mentioning her name, Jotautas reveals that he originally served in the unit assigned to Columbina in Nod-Krai and that she got along well with Dottore at first, but then began to avoid him as time passed; when she left the Fatui, her subordinates were brought under Dottore's command and learned that he was trying to make an artificial Moon Marrow. Lauma asks if he would serve her again, but he declines, stating that she's not a Harbinger anymore, his loyalty is to the Tsaritsa, and that he was telling them this because he did not trust Dottore. The Traveler thanks him for his cooperation and directs him to the Design Bureau to seek safety there with Sandrone's unit.

The revelation of an artificial Moon Marrow worries the group and they continue further in. At the heart of the facility, they find Dottore, who had anticipated their arrival. He informs them that Arlecchino "disappeared" as soon as she stepped foot in the facility, while Sandrone had confronted him over his actions. Since he knew she had only cared for herself at first, he wonders if the Traveler was so influential to cause people to have a change in personality, which he found troubling. The Traveler asks where she went, so he obliges with their request: Sandrone had confronted Dottore and said that his ascension to godhood was too far, and he counters that it was a fact and not a claim, before stating that he was sending his people to her, which she realizes meant that he'd sent his troops to possibly attack the Bureau. Though Sandrone warns him that he was violating the Tsaritsa's orders, he waves it off as performing another experiment. He states that he would give all a chance, including her, and the frustrated Sandrone had decided to turn back to the bureau to check on the safety of her unit.

The group fight Dottore; midway during the fight, Arlecchino joins in, but their combined efforts are mostly for naught as Dottore, armed with the artifical Moon Marrow, is able to simply restores his injuries. Realizing the battle is hopeless, Arlecchino tells them to leave, while she faces Dottore down alone, but he captures the Traveler and teleported the rest of the group away.

Where Our Space and Time Intersect

The Traveler finds themselves back in Nasha Town at the Speranza, though they quickly notice many of the residents are acting strangely. Realizing something was wrong, they ponder on their next action when Dottore speaks to them. Remarking that they must not like the atmosphere, he proceeds to change the venue with a gesture.

Elsewhere, Columbina wakes up and finds herself in a strange space before realizing she must be in the moon's reflection. She is surprised to find herself still alive, since Rerir and his fianceé Tholindis were presumably killed when they entered it. As she is unable to escape, she decides to conserve her power and explore the space. She finds a glowing mark and uses her powers on it, causing a golden circle to appear. She continues forward and finds a blooming flower, entering it and finding herself in a memory of Moon-Prayer Night. Finding that it gives her strength to continue, she explores the area, reminiscing about her time with Barbeloth. She discovers a kuuvahki pulse and, touching it, realizes the pulse is able to manipulate past events; in this case pulling the "Death" tarot card from the deck which she had drawn that night during the festival. As she wonders what else she could interact with, an unknown force pulls her from the memory back into the moon's reflection.

Back at the Curatorium, Paimon is horrified to learn of the Traveler's capture and is worried for their safety. Arlecchino vows to rescue them and states that Dottore had used his artificial moon to replace the Frost Moon in the sky. As he is not rejected by Teyvat, she states that once he has control of all three moons, he will gain Teyvat's primordial power and become unstoppable. Additionally, Nefer reveals that strange spaces are emerging in Nod-Krai and assumes that it is Dottore's doing. Arlecchino becomes further agitated by Dottore's actions, as she sees it as treason of the highest order against the Tsaritsa by becoming a god and that not even her words would stop him if he obtained the power of the moons. As Paimon begs them to rescue the Traveler, Nefer tells her that they need to set a plan first as Sandrone comes in. She tells them that the bureau was swallowed up by one of the energy fields. She then has everyone that went into the facility scanned by Pulonia, discovering that they were all "cursed" by Dottore, who mocked them in the message he'd encoded with the curse. She states that they should be fine unless they attempt to leave Nod-Krai, which would result in the curse kicking in. Since the Traveler is a Descender, which the Harbingers are well aware of, she and Arlecchino presume that Dottore would not kill them off just yet.

Durin then arrives and informs them that more energy fields have appeared across the land. Varka states that alongside finding the Traveler, they also needed to evacuate everyone from the islands. Arlecchino suggests Snezhnaya as one temporary refuge while Paimon agrees to help her, being well-connected from her travels.

At the moon's reflection, Columbina decides to reenter the space in the hopes of altering history. As she returns to Nasha Town, she finds the town bare of the festivity decorations. Although she does not recall ever visiting the town outside of Moon-Prayer Night, she decides to try her luck if she could influence anyone. Seeing the Traveler and their companions, she comes to the conclusion that this memory is from before Moon-Prayer Night, when Columbina had iniitally dissappeared. She taps the Traveler's shoulder, getting a response, though they fail to sense her. Recalling the events afterwards, she realizes that this is what made the Traveler seem to notice Columbina back then, which had encoutaged her to follow them and discover their plan of bringing her back during Moon-Prayer Night. Columbina wonders if she could influence the Traveler before she is sucked back into the moon's reflection. Nonetheless, she resolves to try her best to inform the others of Dottore's upcoming actions.

Elsewhere, the Traveler finds themselves in an empty void before Dottore appears with a strange object on his back. He tells them that it is a Trilune, which holds the Moon Marrows. While he analyzes the Traveler's traits, the Traveler becomes irritated and asks what he wants. Dottore reveals that he wishes to work with them, seeing how they had done the same with the other Harbingers in the past. The Traveler decides to play along for the moment to learn of his motives and asks what he could provide for them that others couldn't. Dottore forces them into a seat and shows them his perspectives of life, wondering why life was restrained by rules set by the gods. He reveals that he's aware of their journey and offers to bring it all to an end in an instant. Although the Traveler is aware he's trying to manipulate them, they do note the various truths peppered in them, along with a desire to see their sibling once more.

At the curatorium, the group prepares for the immense evacuation task at hand. Lauma would handle the Southern Isles and Hiisi Island and help them toward Natlan, while Arlecchino and the Fatui would handle everything north of the design bureau and have those evacuees head for Snezhnaya. Aino and Ineffa would help with the evacuation efforts, while Nefer asks Jahoda to assist Lauma as she has to handle intelligence work. Dori decides to return to Sumeru to inform Nahida, while Varka asks Durin to return to Mondstadt to likewise inform Venti. Albedo would remain behind to work with Sandrone with his alchemy expertise. Before they are able to leave, Nicole arrives, telling them that Alice has roped every Hexenzirkel member apart from her to handle the situation at the border. She gives each of them a special Dodocommunication Device to allow them to talk over long distances before she also leaves.

Outside, Flins approaches Illuga and informs him of their meeting. Illuga agrees to handle the evacuation but wonders why Flins would not leave with them. Flins informs them that he was "cursed," leaving the young man furious over who would curse him. Flins reassures him that he'll return and they could make up for lost time. Before he leaves, Illuga asks Flins if he isn't human, though Flins feigns ignorance. Illuga tells him that he'll be asking him again once the situation is over.

Columbina tries a third time to influence reality from the moon's reflection, hoping to leave behind a clue this time and use as little power as subtly as possible so she wouldn't be immediately thrown out of time. She arrives at the Flagship, where Nefer and Flins were conducting their own investigation. As they talk about their reasons that Columbina is still alive, they hear a sound behind the door leading to the accommodations, discovering a vase Columbina had accidentally broken when she was teleported in. She manages to phase into the Traveler's room and leaves behind a message in kuuvahki on a wall as Flins and Nefer enter the room. Though they fail to sense anything, they recall that Columbina would have sent them messages that could only be seen in the moonlight. Columbina then realizes that she is travelling backwards; in the present, Nefer grabs a cup and throws it at the grimy window, allowing moonlight in to reveal Columbina's message. Although it was too late to have helped them with the Rerir situation, they know she is still alive and head out to inform the others.

Tracing the Footsteps of the Past

Flins and Nefer inform Albedo and Sandrone of their discovery before returning to their respective work. Nefer looks through the Traveler's belongings that Paimon had organized to search for clues, while Sandrone has Pulonia bring her reference material about a "world-formula." Wondering why Dottore needed the Traveler, she combines Rene and Alain's research in order to discover the truth.

North of the bureau, Arlecchino is informed about the status of Sandrone's subordinates. She has them incorporated into her own before meeting up with Childe. Learning what was going on, the Tsarisa was having Fatui Internal Affairs investigate Dottore's actions. Suddenly, one of the Fatuus turns into a monster, forcing the others to put him down. Childe is surprised by the revelation, while Arlecchino believes it was one of Dottore's experiments to showcase his new powers. Childe then tells her that the Tsaritsa had given Arlecchino and Sandrone clearance to kill Dottore should they decide that he proved to be a threat, which pleases her. He then asks about the Traveler, and she tells him they were captured by Dottore. Childe wants to rescue them immediately, but Arlecchino stops him, explaining they don't currently know where they are, but that Sandrone was working on it. The best thing he could do was to complete his current mission to escort refugees to Snezhnaya, and he begrudgingly agrees. Before he leaves, she asks him to tell Pulcinella to warn the other nations of the threat.

Outside one of the energy fields, Durin meets up with Albedo, having returned from Mondstadt. Albedo believes that the energy field is pure Light Realm energy and tests his theory by using his Geo powers on it. The barrier cracks slightly, and he asks Durin to use both his normal Pyro and abyssal energies on it, which creates a larger crack. Albedo then addresses the Wanderer, telling him he can come out, to which the latter emerges and replies that he didn't want to interrupt Albedo's train of thought. He asks the Wanderer to strike the energy field with Anemo, and an even larger gap emerges. Albedo and the Wanderer go inside to investigate, while Durin remains outside to stand guard. As they go in, they find many human bodies lying around along with an animal next to them. Albedo finds this odd, but because they're unable to communicate, they continue further inside. They soon realize that the animals and human bodies are a part of a twisted experiment done by Dottore, having swapped the humans' minds into the animals. With the research concluded, they leave the energy field and Albedo informs the others of their discovery.

After Albedo's report, Nefer tries to delve into the Traveler's mind by using their Adventurer's Handbook as a medium, but doing so causes Dottore to recognize and detect her. Before he could do anything to her, Nicole cuts off her connection. When the Traveler comes, too, Dottore apologizes, as he had knocked them out for over a month when he meant to do so for only a few moments, admitting that he still needs to master his control over the power of time. He muses on how the Traveler doesn't seem to "understand" humans, noting that humans would react differently to being imprisoned for extremely long periods of time as opposed to the Traveler. He then asserts that the Traveler's long life and status as an "alien" to Teyvat means that they will never be fully accepted, and claims that they have been treated "most unfairly", before offering to restore the Traveler to their rightful status as a Descender.

Elsewhere, Columbina heads into another portal and finds herself at Starsand Shoal before Rerir regained his physical form. As the cannon prepares to fire, and the Traveler summons the kuuvahki shield she'd taught them to use, Columbina is alarmed to realize that lethal levels of kuuvahki would strike the Frostmoon Scions on Hiisi Island. Recalling Flins asking her about the mysterious shield that had protected the Scions, she realizes it was her present self that was responsible and rushes in that direction. Pleading for the Frost Moon and the kuuvahki of the land to help her, she expends most of her power creating the massive kuuvahki shield in time and collapses. She dreams of a memory with Sandrone in Snezhnaya talking about their pasts before she comes to back at the moon's reflection. She opens another portal and finds herself at the Final Night Cemetery, where she uses her powers to move some of the books in the Lightkeepers' library that they needed. Before she is thrown back into the reflection, she spots Luonnotar, who can see her. Back at the moon's reflection, she realizes that the familiar presence she's felt near the Traveler with each trip into the past was actually Luonnotar. She enters the final portal, returning to when the Traveler and Paimon were heading to Hiisi Island after reuniting Ineffa and Aino. Realizing what she needed to do to inform her friends, she creates Luonnotar with a part of her soul and has her trail the Traveler to help them when the time came, with the immediate second instruction of leading them to Silvermoon Hall so they could meet her past self, "a little lost dove", for the first time.

Act VIII - True Moon

The First Sliver of Moonlight

Back in Dottore's realm, Dottore asks the Traveler if they would agree to his offer. The Traveler refuses to kill innocents, not wanting to become like Rerir, so Dottore lowers the requirements. The Traveler refuses and attempts to backstab him, but Dottore survives and finds their decision disappointing. He overwhelms the Traveler, but the fight distracts Dottore enough for the Wanderer to crack the dome with an alchemical signal and come to the Traveler's aid, rescuing them from the Doctor's clutches. The Traveler asks him how he managed to find them and is surprised he gave up his chance to get revenge on Dottore to save them. He admits that everyone needs them, and they return to the curatorium with them in tow. Everyone is delighted to see them, and the Traveler fills them in on what they learned from Dottore.

Nefer then informs them that Columbina was still alive, and the group decide on how they could rescue her from a space that flowed backwards. Nicole then appears and tells them about the origins of the Moon Sisters.

Back in the moon's reflection, Columbina remarks on how long she had walked before she discovers Rerir. As he stands up, she erects a barrier, but Rerir, now sounding quite sane, insists that he has no interest in fighting. He admits that her plan to siphon his power was ingenious, and he managed to recognize an old friend. Although he recalled the first time he entered, his second visit was one where he found himself still intact, which he believes was a result on his new body and the kuuvahki he absorbed. She asks if he was responsible for the abyssal energy, which he partially refutes, as some of it was already here when he came. He rejected it, and by doing so, the voices in his head disappeared. He managed to spot Tholindis, but assumed she was an afterimage as she was an ordinary person and must of surely died long ago as he did. He then asks why she came, knowing it was a dead end, and she explains that she did so to protect her friends. He then asks about her powers, telling her that the person who resurrected him told him as such, which Columbina realizes is Dottore. Dottore had revived Rerir and had long planned his revival to coincide with Columbina's weakness.

Rerir asks Columbina to send a message to Tholindis on his behalf, as unlike her, he was unable to move as freely. Columbina agrees to send the message, and Rerir removes the obstacles in her path, admitting that he was sick of running away from everything and covering it up with lies. Columbina then tells him that Dainsleif was remorseful for not understanding what he went through, which Rerir appreciates, and he asks her not to die. Columbina heads to Tholindis and tells her everything about Rerir, which she agrees to hear. Tholindis admits that she wanted to stop Irmin from meeting the Traveler's Sibling, though she was too weak to do it herself. She explains her past as a moon marrow researcher and had theorized that the moon's reflection could allow her to go back in time and change her past mistakes, but her body was immediately torn to shreds when she entered, only leaving her soul behind. She tells Columbina that the golden threads would allow her to travel faster, and as Columbina departs, Tholindis forgives Rerir and hopes they could spend time together once more, such as it was, even as they were separated by their positions in time.

As Columbina continues trudging towards the past, she finds herself unable to continue. Suddenly, a strange woman appears before her.

In the curatorium, the group decides on their next course of action while hoping Columbina would be able to return to them, as she would be the only one who could stand up to Dottore despite him having overpowered her earlier on. As the group dismisses, the Wanderer beckons the Traveler for a private conversation. He wonders why Dottore had not made a move and has two theories; either he had to learn the extents of his power, or he wanted to see how the group would react. He also tells them that Nahida would inform the rest of the Seven of his threat and could help contain part of his chaos for a time. Finally, he asks them how much they trust Sandrone, and the Traveler states that she's a part of the group. He believes there's a way to stop him but there would be a huge cost, and he decides to speak with her about it.

Inside, Sandrone gives Albedo some notes to analyze before Durin asks where the Wanderer went. Sandrone brings them to another room, where the Wanderer is in a hibernating state. She reveals that he and the Traveler approached her earlier with him offering his core to help compute her equation straight into the Ley Lines. While dangerous and possibly resulting in him being reset or even lost forever, he was aware of the risks and agreed to help nonetheless. While Sandrone and Albedo return to their discussion, the Traveler and Durin watch over the Wanderer's body.

Columbina recovers and discovers the person before her is Sonnet, the youngest of the Three Moons. Sonnet in turn states that she has a similar power to Canon, and Columbina introduces herself to her. Sonnet then asks about the future, which Columbina is hesitant to answer, though Sonnet admits that they knew what was coming and were prepared for it. The other two sisters, Canon and Aria, look at Columbina, who asks them where they were. They tell her it is the prison in which Nibelung imprisoned them in and explain about their creator and the Heavenly Principles. Columbina tells them what happened to them after the war, and while they accepted it, they resolved to help Columbina rather than talk about regrets.

Sandrone initiates her array and from the discoveries, realizes that she might've gotten it all wrong by accounting for the moons to be alive or dead. Despite her efforts, the array continues to provide three moons, and she wonders what was going on. While the rest of the group was wondering how to bring Columbina, Sandrone informs the rest of her discovery, telling them that she did something inconceivable in the past, but the moon in Teyvat's sky would provide the clues they needed.

Columbina asks her elder sisters if they had ever tried to leave; Sonnet tells them they did, but they were always brought back to the prison no matter what they tried. She then asks if they used kuuvahki, though none of them knew what that was. She demonstrates, though they are still confused and tell her that the power must've not existed during their time. The sisters then realize that Columbina not only wants to escape, but also borrow their authorities in order to stop Dottore. They caution her against it, as it could tear her to pieces, and even then, the prison would not let her leave alive. Columbina then asks if she could leave while dead.

Nefer realizes that through Luonnotar, they could see Columbina's past, but Lauma warns her against it, as looking so far into the past would leave her blind with no way to cure it. Nefer accepts the risk and entrusts the curatorium to the reluctant Jahoda, according to a past agreement. Lauma makes preparations, and Nefer delves into Luonnotar's mind, while in the past, Columbina affirms her plan to return to the present with the help of her sisters. She tells them that she left a part of her soul in the future and would "die" in the prison, dispersing her physical body into moonlight across the Nod-Krai of the past, to be reconstituted at a signal back into reality in the future. The three sisters agree to help Columbina, reassured that the people of the future live in prosperity. Before they start, Canon asks Columbina why her eyes were perpetually closed, as the sisters hadn't wanted to pry beforehand. Columbina explains she did so to avoid the lies that she'd seen everywhere she looked, from the false moon to what others only wanted from her. Canon tells her that doing so might have spared her from the false truth, but she also missed out on genuine truth at the same time. She makes her swear to open her eyes in the future to see the world and the true smiles of her mortal friends as they transfer their powers to her. Doing so makes them mortal, so at their request, Columbina transports them back to the real world so they could face the end together at their point in the timeline, before she "dies" to send herself back to Nod-Krai.

Jahoda is shocked to view the memory while Nefer was spared from the cost, which Lauma attributed to Columbina taking it on her behalf. Arlecchino informs them that all civilians in the area were evacuated, so they could fight Dottore without any repercussions. Outside, Varka speaks with Nicole and asks if their agreement could be changed to Nod-Krai, as they needed to stall Dottore to bring Columbina back. Nicole admits that she and Alice were willing to help them and tells him of their plan, which Varka is pleased with.

Descending Moon

The Traveler catches up with Sandrone, who adds an additional channel to the Dodocommunication Devices that will track her progress towards completing the world-formula that'll be used to bring Columbina back to Teyvat. They then talk to their friends in Nasha Town, who wish them luck for the upcoming battle. Dottore's minions arrive to besiege the town and the group separates to handle them. The attack is repelled and Dottore confronts them, pleased to see they were still alive to witness the power of Teyvat's new "creator-god" firsthand. He then assumes a new form as the "Heretic of the False Moon", before tearing open a large gash in the false sky and teleporting everyone to a massive arena in the clouds.

He then turns his newfound power on the Traveler, Flins, Lauma, and Nefer. While the four put up a good fight against him, Dottore transports all but the Traveler to separate extradimensional spaces, one by one. After musing on their futile attempts to bring Columbina back and the connections between him, her, and Sandrone, he offers the Traveler a final time the chance to work with him, giving them a count of ten until he blasts them to oblivion.

But before that can happen, Pulonia attempts to dropkick him from behind, forcing him to teleport away. Dottore laments that Sandrone wasted her one chance to charge right into the lion's den, deciding to finish her quickly and put a stop to the formula she's in the middle of calculating. Pulonia charges at Dottore again, but is quickly outmaneuvered before being disabled by a hail of pillars. As Dottore insults Sandrone's work, she and the Traveler launch a joint attack, only to be summarily overpowered and left at his mercy on the ground. Getting no volunteers for the first to be executed, Dottore launches multiple spikes at the Traveler, disarming them, before using a final one to deal the killing blow.

However, Sandrone intercepts the attack, and the weapon instead impales her through the abdomen. A surprised Dottore pulls the weapon and Sandrone with it back to him, and, grabbing her by the neck, asks for any last words. She remembers how Alain once asked her if there was anything she wanted, to which she thinks that she's always been sure of what she didn't want. Smiling in response to Dottore, she simply tells him to "go to hell" before the mad Doctor fries her heart and throws her corpse behind him.

With Sandrone's world-formula permanently stuck at 90%, Dottore mocks his opponents' failure. He then reiterates his offer to the Traveler, but is met only with furious silence. Dottore, believing himself to have all the time in the world, decides to shift the topic to Sandrone, and how her inability to trust had become her downfall. The Traveler, knowing what she had contributed to their cause, refutes him and throws his line of thinking back at him, but Dottore simply shrugs it off, knowing it would change nothing about their predicament.

But to his shock, the formula continues to advance, and the Frost Moon appears beyond his opening in the false sky. A flashback reveals that Sandrone's formula would handle establishing a connection to Columbina, approximately 90% of the work. Then, she'd bring the output to the Traveler, with the remaining 10% simply requiring that the moon be brought down by any means necessary.

Despite Dottore's best efforts, Arlecchino, Varka and Nicole successfully pull the moon into Teyvat, shattering the false sky and finalizing the formula being processed by Wanderer's Irminsul core hidden inside Pulonia. Columbina's corpus (the moonlight over Nod-Krai) and spirit (transmitted to Luonnotar) merge with the Trilunar Authority hidden on the Frost Moon, and the Trilune Goddess unfurls her wings and opens her eyes for the first time, before descending to the battlefield.

Together, the Traveler and Columbina slowly overpower Dottore, before reclaiming the Iridescent Marrow from him. Columbina uses it to free Flins, Lauma and Nefer from their containment, and the five launch a final assault on Dottore, knocking the Eternal Marrow out of his grasp. Finally, Columbina launches a massive beam of lunar energy on Dottore, overcoming his artificial Moon Marrow as it cracks and shatters, vaporizing the heretic.

With the long battle finally won, Columbina, the Traveler, and their friends gaze triumphantly into the orange sky in front of them. However, Columbina sees her friend Sandrone's body at the edge of the arena, rushes over and somberly cradles it in her arms.

Welkin Moon's Homecoming

In the aftermath of the battle, the Frost Moon remained within Teyvat, while the people slowly return to Nod-Krai. A new League is established as a joint effort between the many factions of Nod-Krai.

As life returns to normal in Nasha Town, the Traveler and Paimon get some food before being greeted by Jahoda. At the town plaza, Aino and Ineffa volunteer to help distribute food on behalf of the Frostmoon Scions, while Flins speaks to Illuga about the new League, the former encouraging the latter to take up a position as the Lightkeepers' representative. Tarno gives the crowd a speech before everyone parts ways, with Nicole wanting to speak to the Traveler. She tells them that the disturbance at the border was handled, but the disaster has caused Teyvat to become more easily detectable by the Abyss. Before she leaves, she tells them to head to the port to see their friends off.

There, they find Arlecchino and the Wanderer, who were waiting to return to Fontaine and Sumeru, respectively. They iterate that Sandrone had fooled Dottore by placing the real formula in Pulonia and a false one in herself, even though it meant her death. After Columbina had mourned alone with Sandrone's body for a long time saying her goodbyes, Arlecchino tells the Traveler that per Sandrone's verbal will to her long ago, Arlecchino would bring both her and Pulonia's cores to the Fontaine Research Institute so the people there could set her affairs in order, while she would inherit some of her personal effects -- her notes included -- that she'll store at the House of the Hearth, with a single book delivered to the Traveler's room at the Flagship. Sandrone had also mentioned that Columbina was not to know of the matter, which Arlecchino would not speculate on, only that it was her final wish to be carried out. Arlecchino adds that to her surprise, Columbina offered her words of comfort even as she was grieving herself, and credits the Traveler's friendship with the goddess's personal growth. On a lighter note, the Tsaritsa revoked the Palestar Edict, Columbina's arrest warrant, now that the truth of Dottore's intentions was revealed to her. Arlecchino's ship arrives, and she bids farewell to the two, while the Wanderer asks the Traveler if they were going to meet with Columbina. He tells them that no matter what happens, their friends will support them. He then leaves for Sumeru to help Nahida handle the havoc Dottore caused.

On Hiisi Island, the Traveler meets up with Columbina, while Paimon remarks that she usually doesn't meet with them outside Silvermoon Hall. Columbina has taken Lauma's suggestion to live with the Frostmoon Scions, and while the older generation is a bit timid around her, the children are less so and are curious. She hopes that such relations will be much more normalized by the next Moon-Prayer Night, and she'll be able to openly attend as herself. The Traveler takes the time to return her friends' greeting card that she left behind while escaping into the moon's reflection. As Columbina opens a portal to their ship, she reveals that it was placed on the Frost Moon by the Heavenly Principles, either because something was incompatible with Teyvat or something they did not want known. The two head to the spaceship, during which Columbina remarks about the people she met on the way.

The Traveler and Columbina then arrive at the Frost Moon, where the Traveler inspects their spaceship. The Traveler is hesitant to enter, but does so with Columbina's guidance. While she sits down on the hull and gazes at Teyvat, the Traveler looks through the flight logs and discovers that the ship had passed by Teyvat once thousands of years earlier and continued on its way until it returned, and they were forced to crash-land at Nod-Krai. From what their sibling told them, they believe that they might not know what happened either. After telling Columbina all this, The Traveler recalls an outfit they left in a cabinet and dons it to show to Columbina. She then asks them if they thought of Teyvat as their home, which they confirm, even if it ended up being different from what they knew.

Columbina thanks the Traveler for showing her what a true home meant and reveals to them that she gave the Eternal Moon Marrow to Lauma and the Iridescent Moon Marrow to Arlecchino. She would give part of the Frost Moon back to Nod-Krai in the form of kuuvahki before giving the Traveler a special gift by removing some of Teyvat's restrictions on them, allowing them to use the elements more freely. Columbina gives them a special Moon-Prayer Blossom before deciding to gaze at Teyvat for a while longer.

The Traveler asks Columbina a few questions about Snezhnaya, the Fatui, and the Tsaritsa before they return to Teyvat. Columbina explains that Snezhnaya is not just a land of natural frost; every major city is built around a massive heat source known as Kresnik's Torch. She describes sensing their "grand and distant" energy, which powers the nation's advanced infrastructure and keeps the population from freezing. She warns the Traveler that they need to be careful with other Harbingers like Jester, Regrator, and Rooster. Both Regrator and Rooster despise each other despite getting along in public, and she is unsure how power is split amongst the three. Columbina describes the Tsaritsa as being crystal clear yet unfathomable, like ice atop a frozen lake. She also mentions the term 'Mistilteinn' often used in conjunction with Project Stuzha.

Meanwhile, at the Speranza, Varka writes a letter to Jean telling them what happened in Nod-Krai, while informing her that the expedition would be returning to Mondstadt in waves in order to make his own return home a surprise. He expresses his concerns towards the Tsaritsa about her grand plan, even though he managed to form a temporary alliance with a more benevolent Harbinger, Varka still remains vigilant about Rooster, Regrator, and Jester because he is aware of the Fatui's disunity.

Act IX - As All Falls to Emptiness

Where Flowers Awaken

The Traveler and Paimon stop by the Nod-Krai Adventurers' Guild, where Katheryne hands them a letter from Collei, beginning a flashback sequence from Collei's perspective.

Collei was writing in her diary, describing her current, peaceful life and her plans to go shopping in Sumeru City with Tighnari. Just then, someone told her it was time to leave, but the voice was not Tighnari's — it was Sethos'. After playing along with what she initially thought was an unusual prank, she soon discovered that the identities of everyone in Sumeru City were switched around, with herself as the only person who acutely remembered how things originally were. She eventually found Tighnari, but even he failed to remember the truth and did not recognize her at all, causing her to break down in tears.

Tighnari's voice woke Collei and she discovered that she fell asleep while writing in her diary. Just as she was about to dismiss these events as a mere dream, an unknown voice — Nicole's — spoke into her mind, telling her that this was a premonition of things to come and advising her to recount the dream to Nahida and the Traveler.

After reading the letter, the Traveler and Paimon immediately set off for Sumeru City, where they find the entire city preparing to move. Collei and Tighnari explain that after learning of the dream, Nahida and the new Sages of Sumeru Akademiya ordered the immediate evacuation of the entire rainforest's population to Caravan Ribat, having sensed that an unknown danger was approaching. Upon learning that Nahida invited them to visit her in the Sanctuary of Surasthana after their arrival, the Traveler and Paimon go to pay her a visit. They are initially stopped by Mu'tasim, who is high-strung due to Nahida's "very vulnerable state." Concerned, the two immediately head inside and find Nahida hovering inside a Dendro field, with several important figures including Alhaitham, Cyno, Cyrus, Naphis, and Wanderer nearby.

They learn that something is preventing Irminsul from recording and processing information, creating a bottleneck which affects the ley lines' functions; if this continues, new information would go unrecorded and recorded information would be thrown into disarray, causing people's memories and cognition to become warped. This reminds the Traveler of Capitano's decision to store his people's souls within himself, and of the catastrophe that would occur if all nations were affected. To try and handle the backlogged information, Nahida personally took over Irminsul's recording and processing functions, despite the physical and mental strain it placed on her.

Wanderer discovers that Irminsul was not being attacked from the outside like originally suspected. Cyrus and Cyno speculate on the origins of the problem, with Cyno noting that a suspicious number of "merchant caravans" recently entered Sumeru through Bayda Harbor. Wanderer, however, believes that resolving Irminsul's current situation is far more pressing than trying to figure out the cause. Just as he says this, the Dendro field dissipates and Nahida collapses, unconscious. With her breathing weak and elemental energy levels dangerously low, the group turns to their backup plan: move Nahida to Caravan Ribat along with everyone else, so her connection to Irminsul weakens enough to allow her to recover. As they set about finalizing the move, Cyrus bemoans that the situation seems to be moved according to the whims of an "invisible hand."

Meanwhile, in the Great Red Sand, a Fatui military detachment heads towards an unknown destination. A hooded man tells his subordinates that disrupting Sumeru City is a "necessary step" and that the Irminsul situation would not harm them, alluding to a certain client of theirs. Afterwards, he muses on the nature of Visions and why some may have powerful ambitions yet fail to receive one.

A Divergence Leading to Oneself

At Caravan Ribat, Cyno and Tighnari solemnly discuss Nahida's health and the complications caused by her interconnectedness with Irminsul. Naphis and the other five sages arrive, and Naphis introduces them to the Traveler and Paimon: Baladhuri (Vahumana), Alkindi (Spantamad), Firnas (Kshahrewar), Shakir (Rtawahist), and Rushd (Haravatat). As the sages discuss their next course of action, Rukh Shah arrives to inform them that some civilians tried to return to Sumeru City, only to be affected by the Irminsul anomaly around Yasna Monument, descending into psychosis and killing one another. By the time he and Cyrus reached the scene, only two of the original twelve were still alive. Cyno, Alkindi, the Traveler, and Paimon decide to meet up with Cyrus while the others continue their discussion.

At Cyrus' location, the group finds Tawfiq still in a maddened state, while Cyrus turns their attention to an abnormal Ley Line Blossom nearby. Sekkura explains that more had blossomed further up ahead, ascertained by Vision-bearing mercenaries. Cyrus, Cyno, and Alkindi begin dissecting the Ley Line Blossom, while the Traveler, being unaffected by Irminsul, decides to continue scouting further ahead. Seeing a group of Fungi reminds them of how they and Nahida revitalized the Dendro Dragon Sovereign Apep's Heart of Oasis using the Fire Seed, and believes it could be used to restore Nahida's Dendro power without relying on Irminsul.

Upon returning to Caravan Ribat, Cyno, Alhaitham, Kaveh, Dehya, and Sethos give them an update on the current situation. The Ley Line Blossom dissection showed that Irminsul can still be connected to from the outside, which has led to a new plan: Restart the Akasha System, which was originally created to cleanse Irminsul of Abyssal forbidden knowledge. However, they needed a substitute for the Dendro Gnosis originally used to power it, so the scholars and sages would head to the Temple of Silence to search its records and find a suitable alternative power source, while the Eremites would take the civilians further west to Aaru Village to avoid the Irminsul anomaly.

As for Nahida, the Traveler gets permission to seek an audience with Apep and takes the still-comatose Nahida to the center of the Desert of Hadramaveth, where Apep already awaited them, having sensed the Irminsul anomaly. Apep is convinced to assist Nahida as repayment for Nahida's past actions and takes them to the Heart of Oasis, where she begins sharing her Dendro energy to Nahida. Her reminder about Nahida's connection to Irminsul prompts the Traveler to ask Apep about her own relationship to Irminsul, who tells them that Irminsul was among the many things the Heavenly Principles usurped and repurposed from ancient dragonkind. Apep then senses a disturbance from outside, identifying the sandstorms as the work of the Jinn, and tells them that Nahida would be safe with her. Just as Apep is about to send them back, Nahida briefly regains consciousness and sends a flower-shaped key to the Traveler. Upon touching it, the following information enters their mind: "The statues of the gods hang inverted from the heavens, but one alone is unique among them. Its location is □□□□□□□. Remember, tell no one."

Apep drops the two off outside the Temple of Silence, where a massive sandstorm caused by the Jinn blocks the entrance. Alhaitham speculates that the sudden influx of Jinn relates to the ancient city of Gurabad, which sparks the Traveler's memories of Liloupar, and they decide to split off from the others once more to search for her. Inside the temple, they are simultaneously attacked by Jinn and the Fatui, and they find strange machines further into the ruins. After disabling them, the hooded man appears before them, calling himself Dottore's subordinate and stating that he is here to carry out the fallen Harbinger's will. While the Traveler does not fall for the man's first ambush, they discover that they played directly into his hands after he traps them inside the ruins. When questioned why he continues following Dottore, the man states that it was less a matter of "following" and more a matter of "friendship," and that he and Dottore both wished to create a set of rules for the world. With that, he departs, but not before triggering a dark, all-consuming wall that begins closing in on the two.

Meanwhile, at Aaru Village, Tighnari, Collei and Dori are guarding the northern entrance from a Jinn attack. Dori comically tries to get her Jinni partner, Plumpy, to negotiate with the Jinn, only for Plumpy to be beaten up instead. Dori attempts to avenge Plumpy, only to get knocked unconscious right next to Plumpy. Tighnari and Collei then engage in battle against the Jinn, although Dori quickly rouses and joins the fight. After fending off the first attack, Baladhuri and Firnas inform them that the southern line has collapsed. Before the group is forced to make a difficult decision, Nicole's voice reemerges in Collei's mind, offering her assistance. Under Nicole's instruction, Collei recites a prayer written by Nabu Malikata, which causes the Jinn to submit to her. It is quickly proven that she alone is capable of this, for reasons unknown to the others.

Back in Gurabad, the Traveler and Paimon are still stuck in the same room, having failed to break the barrier to the next chamber. Jeht and Benben overhear the ruckus and emerge on the other side, disabling the barrier. After escaping the ruins, the two parties catch up with each other, with Jeht informing them that she settled their old grudge against Tanit elder Masseira.^[1] Although Jeht is unenthusiastic to hear that the two are searching for Liloupar, she goes with them to Safhe Shatranj, where they unlock the entrance to Gurabad and find Liloupar nearby. Liloupar awakens and explains what happened after she descended into Gurabad, which involved fighting against the Abyss up until Gosoythoth's defeat in Natlan quelled the Abyssal forces in Gurabad as well, allowing her to fall into a deep slumber. After learning about the current situation in Sumeru, Liloupar pacifies the Jinn and stops the sandstorms. The group then moves to reunite with the others.

Ancient Shadows Re-Emerge

With the threat contained, the group heads to the Temple of Silence, reuniting with the others. Kaveh and Alhaitham greet them and are filled in on what happened by the Traveler and Paimon. Jeht goes to talk with Dehya, while the group fills them in on their plan. Kaveh also reveals that two women from Nod-Krai also came to help, revealed to be Nicole and Nefer. Nicole explains that they had come just before they would have been locked out, explaining that a barrier has appeared around Sumeru, preventing anyone from entering or leaving the nation. She clarifies that this was one of the ley lines' means of defense to isolate Irminsul from the rest of the world, and convinced Nefer to come help.

The group begins to make preparations to head to Aaru to look for an item called "Aaru's Shut" to begin their plan. Nicole introduces herself to the group, and her voice causes Collei to realize she was the one who had been helping her. She agrees to answer her questions in a secluded spot, but to her surprise, most of them have also followed suit. Nicole reveals that the god remains that Dottore had injected inside her were actually from Nabu Malikata, surprising everyone present. Cyno reassures her that no matter how many fragments are in her, she'll still be who she is. As the Traveler makes their way to the Great Hall of Truths, they run into Firnas, who asks Nicole about her sculpting skills. Nicole manifests a squirrel from thin air and the three scholars are amazed by it, calling Faruzan over. Faruzan suggests adapting the sculpture's stance to a heroic pose and matching it with the first one. She quickly bonds with Nicole, though the others agree to keep Nicole's angel identity a secret from her for now.

Entering The Mausoleum of King Deshret, the group investigates Aaru's Shut and run into Thoth. Liloupar is amused by the situation the three are in while Naphis calls for order and asks the three if they could help the Akademiya in return for their freedom. Thoth quiets Heryshaf and Sobek before asking Nefer about the question he gave her, since her submitted answer was false. Nefer reveals the answer she gave him wasn't what Deshret wanted, but was her own, and she clarifies the answer to all three questions as "time." This causes the three to be released and regain their true forms. Cyno apprises the three Pillars of the situation. They ask if they're willing to accept the risks, which Cyno confirms, and thus they agree to help. Heryshaf calls the two other Pilars, King Deshret's constructs Shesepankh and Bennu. With Cyno's entreaty as Hermanubis' representative, and Apep already helping Nahida on her own volition, they declare the Seven Pillars to officially be in agreement to open Aaru.

As Aaru opens, one of the first souls that comes out is Jebrael, who is pleased to see Jeht's growth and is deeply gratified for the chance to see her one last time before dissapating into the form of a Sacred Ibis and returning to the Ley Lines. Nefer asks if they have the technological capabilities to modify Aaru, and Naphis tells her that the scholars are making their way to the mausoleum.

Act X - Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana

Darkness Looming

The scholars promised by Naphis arrive, with Kaveh giving a draft to the Seven Pillars. Although Bennu is upset by Alhaitham's lack of respect, Sobek and Thoth convince him to let the grudge go and he gives Kaveh Aaru's mainframe, warning them to use it with great caution. As they examine the structure, Thoth appears and asks them if they knew about the link between the Aaru and the Akasha. Thoth then reveals the purpose of Aaru and instructs both Kaveh and Alhaitham to close their eyes as he does the same and recites a chant, allowing them to see more of the structure. Kaveh discovers several obelisks and Alhaitham translates them. Most of the information is not useful, but they do discover that the parameters meet their plan's requirements.

Outside the mausoleum, the Traveler takes a walk as Sobek explains to them about Apep and her relationship with Deshret. The Traveler then wonders if they should go pick up Nahida, but as they say this, Apep arrives to drop Nahida off. Apep tells them that she was accosted by some "lowly insects" tugging on her tail on the way and threw them off. After Nahida regained consciousness, Apep told her to fix the Ley Lines and Irminsul; if she had any ill effects, she would hold her accountable, stating that it would not be a pleasant experience. Nahida reassures her that she'll resolve the situation as they arrive at the mausoleum. Apep warns the group not to disturb her unless absolutely necessary and she leaves. Before the group can do anything else, Sorush appears with a group of Aranara in tow; the Pari is overburdened and suddenly falls from the sky, but the Traveler dives beneath them and safely catches the group; they had been the hangers-on that Apep had found annoying. The Traveler then fills her in on recent developments as they bring their newly arrived friends inside.

The Aranara are terrified at the sight of so many humans as some approach, revealed to be the Traveler, Paimon and Nahida. The Aranara reassure Nahida that their home is staying strong in the face of all the calamity, while Arabalika informs them that they saw two suspicious Nara at Caravan Ribat. Nahida entrusts the two to investigate before telling the Aranara that they would have to reveal themselves to the humans. She tells them that if they get too nervous, they could call her name. Nahida heads to Aaru's Shut, where she informs them that the state of Irminsul meant that their plan would not work. Alhaitham then states that there's a new plan that calls for desperate measures.

Back at Caravan Ribat, the Traveler arrives with Nefer and Wanderer. Cyno learns the situation and Nefer agrees to smoke the spy out, given that very little know of her. Posing as a lost merchant, Nefer approaches the suspect, Qanafiya of the Corps of Thirty, and convinces him to assist her by claiming to peddle illegal antiques. As they leave the outpost, Cyno intercepts them, confiscates the coin and then interrogates him, learning where the next meet-up was. Wanderer is tasked with scoping the spot out, and Paimon decides to accompany him, which he begrudgingly allows. As they approach the spot, Wanderer asks Paimon what's on her mind, seeing that she never leaves the Traveler's side. Paimon admits that she's been feeling useless in recent events. The Wanderer softens and tells her that he has known exactly how she feels now, and she had two options: to stay where she was or keep moving forward. He then realizes that the contact has not shown up even after waiting for so long and becomes uncomfortable with a realization, so they head back to the mausoleum.

At the mausoleum, Nahida thanks the Seven Pillars for their assistance and reveals that the attacker entered Irminsul through death, something which she could not have defended against, as the only security measure she could have had was to block free access to the Ley Lines for all souls. Heryshaf remarks that the attacker seems oddly familiar, and as he finishes his sentence, a great rumbling can be heard and a massive tree emerges in Sumeru City, revealed to be an Irminsul tree. Nahida states that the tree's emergence is a sign of unbridled greed and that a deranged experiment has advanced to a new stage, with the tree's emergence being tied to Dottore. Wanderer also shares his thoughts on the matter, and Nahida invites everyone to discuss their new plan. Kaveh and Alhaitham would continue on the project, Cyno would provide material support, Wanderer and Sethos would deliver said materials, while Dori, Faruzan, Collei and Nicole would work on an energy amplifier. The Traveler would head to the border between Natlan and Sumeru, while some of the group would accompany Nahida to the Eternal Oasis afterwards.

A Tower Unto Wisdom and Folly

Cyno, Sethos and Wanderer dismantle several Primal Constructs, including an Algorithm of Semi-Intransient Matrix of Overseer Network and bring the components to the others. Kaveh and Alhaitham discover a chessboard, which the trio explain that solving the trials will allow them to override Aaru. The two successfully clear the trials, and Alhaitham asks them if they could increase the range, which they agree to.

The Traveler arrives at the sealed-off border and wonders what was going on as Mauvika arrives on the Natlan side and states the same. Through a manifestation, Nahida greets Mauvika and explains what was going on to her, apologizing for calling her on short notice and that Nicole hadn't passed on anything specific for a reason. She explains how Dottore had direct access to the knowledge of Irminsul through the Ley Lines and they couldn't let their meeting be recorded: thus, she had sent only the Traveler, who could not be recorded, and was transmitting her mind through them, while Mauvika was connected to the Night Kingdom instead and couldn't be recorded as long as she was in Natlan. She asks if they can claim ownership over her Pyro Gnosis, as the situation has become too dire to simply borrow it. Mauvika admits that she'd always wondered about the possibility of handing it over to someone that needed it more, and though she probably would have agreed to just Nahida alone, doing so directly to Natlan's Tumaini certainly made things easier. She wonders how she was supposed to get it to them, but the Traveler, as Nahida had hypothesized, simply walks through the barrier, another facet of being unaffected by Irminsul. Wondering how they would pass back through with it, the Traveler recalls their mastery of Pyro and absorbs the Gnosis, then walks back into Sumeru with no issues. Mauvika speculates that their mastery of Phlogiston is what allowed them to resonate with it. Asking for no further details in the interests of tactical security, she wishes them luck.

Before the day of the operation, everyone makes their final preparations and shares thoughts with their friends and acquaintances.

Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana

The following day, the Traveler meets up with Nahida, where the plan was revealed to overload Irminsul with the Akasha System to force a shutdown. The plan starts and everyone taps into the Akasha, successfully overloading Irminsul and preventing the tree from growing further. Dottore, inside Irminsul, finds the attempt amusing, claiming that he has enough time to carry out his plans. Nahida then asks the aspects to bring her to the Eternal Oasis, and Thoth asks Nefer for the use of the chessboard he gifted her, revealing a new function.

Back in Sumeru City, a Fatuus informs the mysterious man that appeared at Gurabad that their spy was captured. The man acknowledges the loss and is revealed to be Pantalone, the Ninth of the Fatui Harbingers. Pantalone informs Dottore that his last backup is placed into the Ley Lines and that they are now even for the fees he paid. Dottore reminds him that his life, ever since they met, was thanks to him. Pantalone states that nothing would have gone wrong after one of his Segments was held in Northland Bank and finds it amusing that he holds his original in such disdain, even as a copy. Dottore states that his original paid a price and erases his uniqueness, rationalizing that none of them are truly him. Dottore reminds Pantalone of his past, though he dismisses the matter. Pantalone also informs him of his other half's crushing defeat in Nod-Krai, while Dottore brushes it off as he got what he wanted from its death. A Fatuus then informs Pantalone that people are approaching the city, and Dottore asks him to stall them as long as possible.

Cyno, Dehya, Candace, Jeht, Rahman and Rana fight their way into the city as a distraction, while Tighnari, Wanderer, Paimon, and the Traveler infiltrate directly upwards through the branches and platforms of the Divine Tree to the Sanctuary of Surasthana. Meanwhile, the distraction group run into Pantalone (in his disguise), who tries to stall them. Cyno realizes that it's a fake and throws his polearm at Pantalone, revealing it to be an immaterial decoy. Well outside the city grounds, Pantalone hoped that his decoy gave enough time, but Dottore tells him that they're at his doorstep. The Traveler and Wanderer enter Irminsul, while Paimon goes to catch up with Tighnari to help Cyno.

Wanderer activates the console, bringing the two back to Irminsul's depths. The Traveler tells Wanderer that they will be leaving together and to not pull any self-sacrifice moves for the greater good, to which he agrees to. They navigate through the system but soon fall into a trap. Fortunately, Nicole transmits her voice from the Eternal Oasis and guides them out of the maze, but Dottore tries to crush them with a wall of pursuers. When it seems that the coast is clear, Nicole is suddenly cut off and Dottore emerges in-person, revealing that he knows Wanderer's erased identity as Scaramouche, shocking both. Dottore reveals that he figured out the truth when he first encountered Wanderer in Nod-Krai, having connected the dots from his odd placement in history all the way back to Scaramouche. He reassures that he has no intent to restore the information that was erased, but taunts the Wanderer that his past regrets would not ever be absolved. The two sides begin duking it out, and it is revealed that Wanderer would distract Dottore while the Traveler inserted Nahida's trinket to the Ley Lines. Nahida and the others begin the extraction of the world's information from Irminsul and redirect it to Aaru; as the weakened Dottore declares that they'll pay for interfering with his experiment, Nahida inserts herself into Irminsul from the Eternal Oasis and blocks his attack.

As Dottore finds the battle tiresome, he sends the three plummeting into Irminsul's depths. Nahida summons the Pyro Gnosis to her from within the Traveler and activates it. Invoking her right as Irminsul's keeper, Nahida finds herself with the three Shades: Ronova, Istaroth and Naberius, who ask Nahida if she is certain she wants to destroy Irminsul, as it was what she stood for. Nahida tells them that Irminsul is corrupted beyond recovery, and since it ultimately existed to protect humanity, humanity's survival, and herself as one of their protectors, should supersede Irminsul's priority. Naberius agrees that Nahida has become "a great tree" herself, so the loss of another tree is nothing to fear, and the three Shades grant Nahida permission to do so. The powerful flames of the Pyro Gnosis are ignited and engulf the roots of Irminsul. As the trio prepares to leave, Dottore forcefully attempts to drag the Traveler down with him, but is stopped by his other segments, who vengefully drag him into the flames to his death while Wanderer rescues the Traveler and follows Nahida out of the burning Irminsul.

Dottore recalls his creation, the other Segments, Zandik and his meeting with Pantalone, who agreed to his terms. Outside, Pantalone catches up with Dottore, witnessing the burning of his Irminsul tree. Dottore, knowing the burning tree meant his death, asks Pantalone how he intends to live longer as his supply of elixirs will dwindle with no one to make them. Pantalone is not too concerned about the particulars of his death, but he admits that Dottore was a rare talent. Dottore considers the experiment concluded as he fades away, bidding farewell to Pantalone as his real name, Feofan. Telling him that wisdom can be turned into an inferno if needed, Nahida bids goodbye to Dottore, noting that they will never meet again.

Your Past Is Like a Garden

With the crisis resolved, the people of Sumeru go about rebuilding and returning to their normal lives. Sethos, Dehya and Candace part ways at Caravan Ribat, while Nahida, Cyno and Layla speak to Thoth and Heryshaf about their current situation, with the two aspects deciding to remain in the Temple of Silence for the time being, though they refuse the idea of moving any of their own statues inside, believing that it would be rude to Hermanubis's memory. Alhaitham and Kaveh return to their home to repair the damage done during the fighting. Dori laments over taking a monetary loss to help save Sumeru in front of Nefer, who also reunites with Katayoun. Collei is promoted to full Forest Ranger, while Tighnari reveals that she still needs treatment for her god remains.

The Traveler and Paimon enjoy a meal at Lambad's Tavern before catching up with Nahida and Wanderer at the Sanctuary of Surasthana, where Wanderer's growth has left lasting impressions on Nahida and the Traveler. He then leaves to handle various errands in the city, while the Traveler asks about Nahida's condition. She tells them that the Pyro Gnosis took seven days and nights to burn the corrupted Irminsul, and the reconfigured Aaru has safely taken over its role in collecting and storing information, with no lasting damage, as the situation was contained before it got out of control. Nicole also transplanted her reliance on Irminsul to Aaru, so there would be no health issues for her either. Naphis then arrives with a letter from Snezhnaya, which Nahida reads. She sums up that Pulcinella apologizes to her for the trouble Dottore caused, reminds her how he had also dealt a blow to the Fatui by killing the Harbinger Sandrone, promising to punish his subordinates, and had already sent relief supplies onward to Sumeru. Naphis and Nahida agree that the letter is diplomatically airtight and that they do need to keep an eye on what Snezhnaya does in the future. Naphis then asks about the feasts, and Nahida agrees to join as long as there weren't any tomatoes, as his friends kept talking about them.

Nahida then asks the Traveler to accompany her to Natlan to meet Mauvika at the Stadium of the Sacred Flame. Mauvika is aware of the reason for their visit and Nahida reveals that the Pyro Gnosis disappeared without a trace. Having felt the moment that it happened, Mauvika accepts the loss, and the four lie on the grass of one of Natlan's cliff tops to bask in the sunlight. Two days later, Collei, Tighnari and Cyno take a trip to Mondstadt, with the Traveler and Paimon arriving with Sucrose and Albedo, preparing their usual trip. They catch up to Nicole at the library, who reveals that a friend wishes to meet them. They head to Windrise and discover Liloupar there, whom Nicole had helped to travel there. The jinn asks Collei if she wishes to have the god remains removed from her. Collei agrees, wanting to live a normal life, and Liloupar is glad to hear those words, explaining that she can finally 'reunite' with her creator and die in peace. She absorbs the fragments and fades away, while Nicole is happy to grant wishes for her friends. Sucrose also arrives with Amber, who was surprised she wasn't invited. Collei claims that she said goodbye to her old self and remarks about her new growth.

Characters

310 Characters appear in this Chapter:

• Aamu
• Aarav
• Aarto
• Adieta
• Ahvo
• Aino
• Ajaw
• Akram
• Alain Guillotin
• Albedo
• Alhaitham
• Alice
• Alida
• Alkindi
• Alrani
• Amber
• Amid
• Amir
• Apep
• Apepi
• Arabalika
• Aradashan
• Arapas
• Ararycan
• Arasaha
• Arasata
• Arayuta
• Aria
• Arif
• Arkhyp
• Arlecchino
• Artaraye
• Aryadeva
• Ashru
• Asimu
• Atarfarnes
• Avena
• Baladhuri
• Balashov
• Barbeloth
• Barmak
• Bartol
• Benben
• Bennu
• Birgitta
• Bortnikov
• Borzyslaw
• Cacucu
• Candace
• Canon
• Capac
• Capitano
• Chard Lombro
• Chasca
• Chestnut
• Chimpu
• Cintli
• Citlali
• Citrus
• Collei
• Columbina
• Cranberry
• Cyno
• Cyrus
• Dainsleif
• Daneshvar
• Darimir
• Dehya
• Demyan
• Dobrawa
• Domovoj
• Dori
• Dottore
• Dunyarzad
• Durin
• Edenyo
• Ehrnrooth
• Elemental Being: Floating Anemo Fungus
• Elemental Being: Grounded Hydroshroom
• Erfan
• Esnoir
• Estampe
• Fajeyi
• Farid
• Fariha
• Farooq
• Faruzan
• Feresht
• Fevroniya
• Firnas
• Flins
• Forest-Patrol Hound
• Freminet
• Frithr
• Gaoramus
• Gediminas
• Gori
• Gulebu
• Halva
• Hamawi
• Harim
• Hatim
• Haypasia
• Heikki
• Heryshaf
• Hintsa
• Hisham
• Horellou
• Housein
• Hroptatyr
• Hufarna
• Iansan
• Ifa
• Illki
• Illuga
• Ilmatar
• Ilyas
• Ina
• Ineffa
• Isak
• Istaroth
• Ix Raq'lapuj Chue'q Buluk
• Ixquieh
• Jacek
• Jade-Eyed Cat
• Jahoda
• Jebrael
• Jeht
• Jolanta
• Jotautas
• Kaarina
• Kachina
• Kamal
• Kantor
• Kapy
• Kareena
• Kari
• Karkata
• Kashif
• Katayoun
• Katheryne
• Katheryne
• Katya
• Kauro
• Kaveh
• Kettu
• Khaldun
• Khalid
• Kielo
• Kinich
• Kolomiyets
• Korhonen
• Koski
• Kotimy
• Krum-Clank 70% Sweet
• Kukka
• Kunegunda
• Kuuti
• Lauha
• Lauma
• Layla
• Layth
• Lemetti
• Lemta
• Lianca
• Liloupar
• Limppu
• Liouba
• Little One
• Luonnotar
• Lynette
• Lyney
• Lyulka
• Lyylikki
• Maciej
• Mahamata
• Mahla
• Maika
• Maisie
• Manetho
• Manuxsathes
• Marionette
• Mavuika
• Metta
• Mielitty
• Miemo
• Mojca
• Moonglow Firefly
• Mu'izz
• Mu'tasim
• Mualani
• Naberius
• Nabiya
• Nahida
• Naphis
• Nawid
• Naysaburi
• Nefer
• Nesterova
• Nicole
• Nidal
• Nilou
• Nizam
• Nizar
• Ognjen
• Oiva
• Onni
• Orlog
• Ororon
• Ozerov
• Padisarah
• Paimon
• Pantalone
• Phryazantus
• Plumpy
• Pochtli
• Prohor
• Puffin
• Pulonia
• Qanafiya
• Qasimi
• Qishan
• Radimir
• Rahetar
• Rahman
• Rana
• Rayagaos
• Razmaspes
• Reetta
• Rerir
• Retenu
• Rhinedottir
• Rima
• Ronova
• Rozel
• Ruha
• Rukh Shah
• Rushd
• Ryksa
• Sanad
• Sandrone
• Sapphire
• Sarakka
• Satajalka
• Satatieto
• Sedova
• Seija
• Sekkura
• Seppo
• Setaria
• Sethos
• Shakir
• Shesepankh
• Sieciech
• Siemomysl
• Sinuhe
• Siraj
• Sniffer Mole
• Snjezana
• Snorri
• Sobek
• Sonnet
• Sorush
• Sousi
• Stream
• Sucrose
• Suoma
• Surtalogi
• Taisto
• Talvikki
• Tanamart
• Tano
• Tarno
• Tartaglia
• Tawfiq
• Termezi
• Tholindis
• Thorkell
• Thoth
• Tighnari
• Traveler
• Traveler's Sibling
• Tuija
• Uncle Anpu
• Urho
• Valta
• Vanamo
• Varesa
• Varka
• Vayutana
• Vedrfolnir
• Veikko
• Velimiru
• Vereshchagina
• Vesa
• Vilemina
• Vilwis
• Wanderer
• Wecksell
• Wheel
• Xilonen
• Xsayazantus
• Yatlan
• Zaha Hadi
• Zakariya
• Zarinia
• Zhuoxin
• Zirnytsia
• Zohreh
• Zvoni

Total Rewards

42,750 Adventure EXP

420 Primogem

1,876,650 Mora

177 Hero's Wit

343 Mystic Enhance­ment Ore

1 Greeting Card for Columbina

1 Moon-Prayer Candy From Columbina

1 Moon-Prayer Blossom From Columbina

1 "Crackle-Clatter Cryptex"

1 Blueprint: Flower-Shaped Machine Component

Gallery

Logo

Song of the Welkin Moon Teaser- Moonlit Ballad of the Night - Genshin Impact

Prelude Special Program Announcement

Prelude Announcement

The Journey Home (Event)

Act I and II Special Program Announcement

Act I and II Announcement

A Dance of Snowy Tides and Hoarfrost Groves (Event)

Act III and IV Special Program Announcement

Act III and IV Announcement

An Elegy for Faded Moonlight (Event)

Act V and VI Special Program Announcement

A Nocturne of the Far North (Event)

Act VII and VIII Special Program Announcement

A Traveler on a Winter's Night (Event)

Act IX and X Special Program Announcement

As All Falls to Emptiness (Event)

Travel Log Background

Travel Log Incomplete

Other Languages

Change History

References

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Archon Quests   Prologue Mondstadt Act I The Outlander Who Caught the Wind Wanderer's Trail (Tutorial) Bird's Eye View Unexpected Power Forest Rendezvous Wind-Riding Knight Going Upon the Breeze City of Freedom Dragon Storm Knights of Favonius Winds of the Past Crash Course Sparks Amongst the Pages Act II For a Tomorrow Without Tears Shadow Over Mondstadt Unexpected Encounter That Green Fellow Let the Wind Lead Venti's Plan Venti's New Plan Wild Escape Behind the Scenes Chasing Shadows State of the Holy Lyre der Himmel Fallen Tears Hidden Tears Stolen Tears Crystal Tears Reunion With the Dragon Act III Song of the Dragon and Freedom Abyss Mage Hurdle Empty Abode Light Guiding Ceremony Calm Before the Storm A Long Shot When the Wind Dies Down Ending Note   Chapter I Liyue Act I Of the Land Amidst Monoliths Rite of Descension An Impromptu Change of Plan Wangshu Moulder of Mountains Custodian of Clouds Dust to Dust Act II Farewell, Archaic Lord An Organization Known as Wangsheng Moonfinger Three Poignant Perfumes The Realm Within Downtown Guizhong Zhongli's Treat Act III A New Star Approaches The Floating Palace Equilibrium Solitary Fragrance Heart of Glaze Turning Point The Fond Farewell Traveler Act IV We Will Be Reunited Bough Keeper: Dainsleif (Prelude) Involuntary Sacrifice A Herald Without Adherents Dishonorable Trial A Soul Set Apart   Chapter II Inazuma Prologue Autumn Winds, Scarlet Leaves A Path Through the Storm The Crux Clash Follow the Wind Act I The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia Setting Sail Confessions of an Outlander Ritou Escape Plan Three Wishes The Meaning of Meaningless Waiting To Treat the Well-Meaning Well A Swordmaster's Path Is Paved With Broken Blades A Flower Blooms in a Prison Act II Stillness, the Sublimation of Shadow Amidst Stormy Judgment In the Name of the Resistance Act III Omnipresence Over Mortals Sword, Fish, Resistance Those Who Yearn for the Gods' Gaze Delusion The Servant's Path Proof of Guilt Blind Loyalty, Reckless Courage Duel Before the Throne The Omnipresent God Wishes Traveler Act IV Requiem of the Echoing Depths In the Depths, an Unexpected Reunion The Grave of the Guarded Memories of Inteyvat The Black Serpent Knights' Glory   Chapter III Sumeru Act I Through Mists of Smoke and Forests Dark A Forest of Change Further Observation Chronic Illness Silent Seeker of Knowledge The Trail of the God of Wisdom Lost in Prosperity Ever So Close Act II The Morn a Thousand Roses Brings The Coming of the Sabzeruz Festival The Arrival of the Sabzeruz Festival The Continuation of the Sabzeruz Festival The Samsara of the Sabzeruz Festival The Causality of the Sabzeruz Festival The Empty Illusions of the Sabzeruz Festival The End of the Sabzeruz Festival Dawn (Denouement) Act III Dreams, Emptiness, Deception Like a Triumphant Hero The Gaze From a Certain God The Four at Loggerheads Act IV King Deshret and the Three Magi The Missing Village Keepers Cry From the Eleazar Hospital Secret of the Scorching Desert Act V Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises Through the Predawn Night As by a God's Side Jnagarbha Day Where the Boat of Consciousness Lies A Toast to Victory Traveler Act VI Caribert Destined Encounter Fortune-Mocking Pedigree A Lamenter at Fate's End Portended Fate   Chapter IV Fontaine Act I Prelude of Blancheur and Noirceur Soloist's Prologue The City of Rains and Remembrance Lies Cast Shadows Under Gathered Lights Act II As Light Rain Falls Without Reason Like the Faint Moonlight of Yesteryear The Truth, Lost With the Rain When All Return to the Waters Act III To the Stars Shining in the Depths A Tea Party Most Thorny Fortress of Meropide The Proscribed, Hidden in Plain Sight Lost in Deep Seas Act IV Cataclysm's Quickening Into the Deepwater Murk The Truth Shrouded in Shadow Secret Keepers and Forbidden Zones Calamitous Tread A Moment's Respite Act V Masquerade of the Guilty Deluge of Wrathful Waters Meeting Is Also Parting Hunters, Prophets Apocalypse The Opera of Noirceur and Blancheur Finale Traveler Act VI Bedtime Story Cold Case Commission Memories That Should Not Exist World-Order Narration   Chapter V Natlan Act I Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn Natlan! A New Adventure Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame Home of the Hot Springs Act II Black Stone Under a White Stone A Decision To Reclaim an Ancient Name Echoes of Life Into Eternal Night Past and Future Act III Beyond the Smoke and Mirrors All Names are Noble To Whence the Smoke Drifts The Flickering Light Splits in Twain Act IV The Rainbow Destined to Burn Beneath the Secret Source As One We Watch the Setting Sun The Surging Darkness Despair Engulfs the Heavens No One Fights Alone A Fuel Named "Fate" Interlude All Fires Fuel the Flame For the Same Land Act V Incandescent Ode of Resurrection Subterranean Ruins As the Sun Rises and Sets Journey of Stars and Flames Where All Hopes Lie When All Becomes a Monument Traveler Act VI A Space and Time for You The Key That Unlocks Fate "Savior" A Space and Time Without You   Song of the Welkin Moon Nod-Krai Prelude The Journey Home Flamelets Smoldering Searing Act I A Dance of Snowy Tides and Hoarfrost Groves Where the Moon Rises Reunion Beneath the Moonlight In the Shadows of Night Act II Elegy of Dust and Lamplight Fulminations and Undercurrents The Dark Side of Memory One There Was, Who Hunted the Moon The Ashen-White Order Burns Rest Beyond Reach Act III A Nation That Doesn't Exist Hidden in the Shadows Special Operation Everlasting As the Moon Act IV An Elegy for Faded Moonlight All Is Foretold Dance of Death: Serpent and Scorpion Echoes of Fate Act V A Nocturne of the Far North In the Shifting Light of the Moon Ripples That Will Never Reach Act VI Melting Moonlight in the Morning Mist Where Does Her Name Rest? The Night the Moon Returns Home Return to the Moon Act VII A Traveler on a Winter's Night Moonless Night Where Our Space and Time Intersect Tracing the Footsteps of the Past Act VIII True Moon The First Sliver of Moonlight Descending Moon Welkin Moon's Homecoming Sumeru Act IX As All Falls to Emptiness Where Flowers Awaken A Divergence Leading to Oneself Ancient Shadows Re-Emerge Act X Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana Darkness Looming A Tower Unto Wisdom and Folly Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana Your Past Is Like a Garden   Chapter VII Snezhnaya Act I Everwinter Without Mercy Into the Wind, Into the Frigid North Gunfire in the Silent Lands Great Deeds on the Tundra Silence Alone is Disfavored Act II Wraith's Nocturne The White Curtain Falls Lelek's Confession Winter's Mysterious Silence Wraith's Nocturne Mistilteinn   Interlude Chapter Act I The Crane Returns on the Wind Jade Chamber Rising Seagaze Sunset Bygones Times Like Dust Passing Where the Heart Finds Rest Act II Perilous Trail The Unexpected Guest Chasmic Maze Danger All Around End of the Line At Tunnel's End, Light Act III Inversion of Genesis The Night-Bird Falls at the Curtain's Call A Dance of Destruction The Kabukimono's Finale As Though Morning Dew Act IV Paralogism Crimes One and Two The Hunger of Many The Gardener   Upcoming Chapter ?? Epilogue