Varka/Storyline

Varka is the current Knight of Boreas and Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius. Half a year before the start of the Traveler's journey,^{[5][Note 1]} he departed on an expedition with eighty percent of the Knights of Favonius' manpower,^[6] leaving Jean as the Acting Grand Master in his absence. Following the defeat and suppression of the Wild Hunt, Varka's expedition has returned to Mondstadt, though a portion of troops under Varka's direct oversight have remained to keep watch over the Favonius Keep.

Profile

Based on other people's remarks about him, Varka is one of the strongest people in Mondstadt. Tartaglia calls him the "titan of the Knights of Favonius" and hopes to one day face him in combat,^[7] Barbara says that there's nothing to worry about as long as he is leading the expedition,^[8] and Eula suspects that he had been intentionally holding back during a sparring session.^[9] According to Leifhelm, Varka's level of strength is such that Capitano was the only person they encountered during the expedition to Nod-Krai who could compare to him.^[10]

Personality

In contrast to his appearance and position, Varka is an easygoing person. He gets along with just about everyone without much difficulty. He also has poor drawing skills and is not fond of paperwork, with rumors claiming that he would inexplicably disappear when the paperwork began piling up over his head. He is quite skilled hiding from others, as he claims that only Seamus, Frederica, Lohen and Mika were capable of finding him.

As with most Mondstadters, Varka enjoys drinking and has an incredibly high alcohol tolerance. This tolerance is much higher than most of his subordinates, as he generally drinks with his massive tankard which he claims "balances" his drinking bouts against them, but is unable to surpass that of Archons.^[11]

Despite his carefree disposition, Varka still has a great sense of responsibility and knows when to take things seriously. He willingly gave up on his chance of defeating Dvalin and becoming a hero in exchange of facing the Abyss in Nod-Krai, as well as carrying great guilt for not being able to prevent Columbina's disappearance during Dottore's attack.

He can also be strict when necessary, as seen at the Favonius Keep in Nod-Krai, when he asked Winfried, Ekbert and Leifhelm which of them was drunk, forcing the guilty one to run 20 laps around the mountain and the other two to do jumping jacks.

As the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, Varka takes immense pride in his own strength. He willingly accepted the Hexenzirkel's trial simply because he wanted to test himself to the point he hadn't even thought about asking for a reward.

Razor states that he likes to laugh.^[12]

Appearance

See also: Oath to the North Wind

Varka is a muscular man with fair skin and messy blond hair that is slightly long, reaching the top of his shoulders. As Razor's character stories and voice-overs suggest, he is extremely tall. Varka has blue eyes. He also has scars, namely one big scar at his neck and a smaller scar on the right side of his face.

History

Past

Varka met Barbatos when he was a young knight in search of glory, battling the Ruin Guard of the Thousand Winds Temple which caused a commotion that woke the Archon up. The two quickly befriended each other; though Varka's duties prevented him from seeing Barbatos, he did hear about his activities and current form as the travelling bard Venti. He also obtained the respect of Boreas, eventually becoming the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius.

As the Grand Master, Varka would frequently dodge as much paperwork as possible. When he first met Lohen, Varka initially saw him as a younger version of himself — he would also have Lohen sent to confinement for his numerous antics in challenging him. In one instance, when Lohen gifted him a bottle of wine, he suddenly felt dizzy and recalled Adorno's words, only realizing then that Lohen was not who he saw him as. He mustered the strength to break out of the trance, remarking that Lohen had adulterated it so much that it would have knocked out twelve Forest Boars, leaving Lohen awestruck at his strength.^[13] After witnessing him use a spear in the middle of a ranged formation, Varka also approved his promotion to become the Vice Captain of the Fifth Company, despite Seamus Pegg's concerns over his disregard for safety given the company's preferred combat.^[14]

At some point before the Traveler's arrival in Mondstadt, Varka brought Rosaria to Mondstadt so she could redeem herself, although he did not appear to have expected her to do so in her own way. He also met Razor in the forests of Wolvendom. Varka appeared to know Razor's parents, and kept a box in his office that held some of his parents' mementos. He also asked Barbatos to set up the Tripartite Conference with the Hexenzirkel. Through an unknown agreement with them, the Hexenzirkel would agree to help Mondstadt in their time of need. After a discussion with Jean and Albedo, Varka once asked Klee if she'd like to partake in the Knights' basic training regime, but when Klee happily brought bombs to the training grounds, they decided to indefinitely postpone it until she got older.^[15]

In part due to his massive alcohol tolerance, the Knights gifted Varka a massive tankard which he likened to that of a hammerhead. Huffman came up with the idea, Charles came up with the design and Wagner smithed it for him. The amount of materials needed was massive to the point that "ten or so" colleagues were needed to pay off the cost.

At another point in time, Varka would confirm with Alice that he went to Natlan to meet with the Pyro Archon, Mavuika, but somehow ended up having a drinking contest with her at the Stadium of the Sacred Flame. As well as being unable to remember that he lost to Mavuika, he had gotten so drunk that neither could he remember why he wanted to see her in the first place.

Varka would later take some of the best Knights in the organization and go on an expedition northward, not expecting that Nod-Krai might be their destination. This expedition was sent out without much intelligence as he knew that the Abyss was brewing up north and could threaten to scour all of Teyvat if left unchecked. Aware of its destructive properties, he set out as quick as possible to save as many people as possible. This also included Lohen after he gave him a thought-provoking question — "If the Knights of Favonius can't even protect themselves, how can they protect Mondstadt?" — which coupled with his potential scenarios prompted Varka to personally approve him.^[16] Before he left, he appointed Jean as the Acting Grand Master to handle any affairs that could arise in his absence, knowing she was capable of the task. He also told her that if he failed to return, she would succeed him as Grand Master and would train the next Knight of Boreas. To protect his subordinates, Varka ordered that one person would remain sober when the group drank, which was picked at random.^[15]

In reality, the expedition was also meant to check on the status of Andrius, and they traced their path to the trail that Boreas had taken when he followed the Wandering Knight. On the way, they found many Wolf Spirits, which Varka would assimilate into his claymore. These spirits were parts of Andrius that had broken off from him due to his instability at the time.

Over a year after departing from Mondstadt, Varka learned of the Fatui plots in Mondstadt and deemed them outrageous. Prior to Weinlesefest, Varka sent Mika back to Mondstadt City to inform Jean and the rest of the Knights of the expedition force's status at the northernmost reaches of Teyvat. In the letter, he explained how they met Il Capitano and that the Harbinger had been sent to Natlan. As the expedition had missed the previous year's Weinlesefest, Varka expressed regret that they would not be there for that year's celebration either. Making use of the paper he had left, he also left a note for Lisa, having deemed it time for Razor to learn about his human parents. To that end, he described where the memento box was stored in his office.^[12]

Varka then headed to Nod-Krai to investigate after discovering new information during his expedition.^[17]

When Varka learned of Durin's resurgence, Varka became worried and considered sending some knights back to help defend the nation.^[18] Fortunately, this did not come to pass, as Albedo suggested the Tripartite Conference to request a formal meeting with the Hexenzirkel. As Venti tried to call them, he accidentally called Varka, who was in a situation with enemies between them. Believing that Barbatos had called about the drinks owed, he tried to tell him about his stash but was cut off at the last second.^[19] Albedo created a new Durin to replace the original, and Varka was relieved to learn that the new Durin was an ally.

Varka, or at least other high-ranking members in the expedition, would later request for Thoma's mother, Ulrike, to join them.

Eventually, Varka and his forces arrived at Nod-Krai. He then met with Aino, asking her automaton Ineffa to bring a message to the Traveler and Paimon. Ineffa reached Natlan and met the two, restoring her memories in the process. When she opened the cryptex, they found Varka's letter, who had heard of the Honorary Knight and wished to meet them in-person. Aware that they would be arriving in Nod-Krai in the foreseeable future, Varka warned them to be prepared before they did so, as the land was far more perilous than they would expect. Once they did so, he asked to meet them at the tavern known as The Flagship.

Present

When the Traveler and Paimon arrived at Nod-Krai, they went to the Flagship to meet up with Varka, but to their surprise, he was not present and were told by the tavern's bartender, Demyan, that Varka took his knights to Amsvartnir after learning of some trouble stirring in the area. They returned with success and Varka later tailed Rerir at a cavern near Starsand Shoal. Rerir sensed his presence and demanded the person to reveal themselves, which Varka did. Varka and his men tried to subdue Rerir, but were overpowered and forced to retreat. The Traveler would finally meet him in person after he saved the Traveler, Lauma, Flins, Aino and Columbina from Rerir's thralls. Learning why they had returned, Varka, along with Albedo, formulated a plan to handle Rerir, which was a success. Varka and the others celebrated their victory at the Flagship.^[20]

Having requested that Mika bring two bottles of Dandelion Wine along with the letters from the Knights back home,^[21] Varka wrote a detailed open letter about the battle against Rerir for the Knights, which Mika once again read out loud at Headquarters after returning to Mondstadt.^[22]

When Dottore stole Columbina's Moon Marrows, Varka rallied the group with a quick pep talk stating that they were not defeated and they could still beat Dottore at his game.

While the Traveler was fighting Dottore, he pulled down the moon alongside Nicole and Arlecchino. He invoked the pact the Knights of Favonius made with the Hexenzirkel, turning in the promised "favor" of protection to ask for Nicole's help. Upon the Doctor's defeat, Varka decided to return part of the expedition back home in waves, since he was planning to return to Mondstadt over time. As he was brainstorming a letter, Varka informed Jean that he'd cashed in on the Knights' favor with the Hexenzirkel. In order to build up more goodwill, he asked her to give Klee massive leeway with her behavior to keep on the Hexenzirkel's good side, and that he'd serve out any accumulated solitary confinement for her on his return.^[23]

Varka also decided to keep a small garrison at Favonius Keep after making an agreement with Nefer to have the outpost be used for the Northern Intelligence Network so they could gather information on Abyssal attacks. While explaining this to the Traveler and Paimon, he was notified by Winfried that their special guest was in danger. Varka decided to handle the matter himself, prompting the two to follow him. They found the special guest, Donatas, who was bringing special wine from Mondstadt. This wine had to be churned in order to retain its taste, and the mechanism that was moving it had been broken by a wolf attack. They returned to camp with the alcohol, but Varka forbade his men from drinking it until everyone was back. Surprisingly, he was nowhere to be found when the party kicked off, and the Traveler found him drinking apple cider. Varka told them that one person had to remain sober to guard the camp, which unfortunately was him that night. The following day, he discovered that three of his subordinates, Winfried, Ekbert and Leifhelm had overdrank. He asked the Traveler to determine who had drank the most; that person would have to run twenty laps around camp, while the other two would have to do twenty sets of strength drills with Anselm.^[15]

With Dottore no longer posing a threat to Nod-Krai, Varka and a few subordinates would set about looking for the remaining spirits left behind by Andrius, eliminating the Wild Hunt that met them on the way. When he approached one fragment near the Pillar of Embla, he was met by a red wolf and they briefly sparred. The Traveler was later sent to assist Varka, who explained that the wolf, which called itself Roland, was leading a new wave of attacks across Nod-Krai. He ruled out killing it, as Roland had fused with Andrius' remains and killing the god would likely bring further disaster to the land. Instead, he opted on a far riskier plan that the Traveler initially opposed. When he met Roland at the last fragment, Varka held back, resulting in his "death." This death was planned to send him to the heart of the wolf, where he would reveal Boreas' thoughts to Andrius and let the god make his own decision. To prevent himself from being merged with the Ley Lines, he had Lohen send letters to various people in the Knights of Favonius to anchor him in place, escaping the domain when Roland sent the souls of the deceased at him. As he escaped, he came across the swords of the former Knights, telling his predecessors that he hoped they were proud of his work and Roland that Arundolyn and Rostam had cared for him. Varka eventually woke up in Windrise, where he found himself surrounded by the Traveler and his colleagues. Upon recovering, he decided to return to Nod-Krai to both avoid paperwork and dismiss the Knights stationed at the keep before coming home himself.^[24]

Alice and Nicole later decided to create a memory bubble so Varka and the others could experience what had happened in the nation during their absence. Sneaking off earlier than the others, he assisted in the project, fighting Cyrus in a simulation. The following day, the bubble became contaminated by the Abyss, prompting him, Jean, Diluc, Venti and the Traveler to fix the issue. They encountered an alternate version of events in which Dvalin would be corrupted by the Abyss and had to be killed. Varka reassured them that the enemy they were facing was not the Dvalin they knew and confronted the corrupted aspect in Stormterror's Lair. During the battle, they were assisted by Dvalin, and Varka dealt the finishing blow on the corrupted Dvalin. The group was then forcibly ejected from the bubble, with Varka being kicked by Paimon as they were thrown out.^[25] He later visited the Traveler as they were tending to the event's bar, asking for a Thorny Lake. The Traveler later made him a modified version more suited to his tastes, which he was greatly pleased with.

Juggling his duties at Mondstadt and Nod-Krai, Varka later returned to Nasha Town to partake at the annual expo. He found a person claiming to sell authentic Mondstadt wine, but knew the person was lying and decided to let the officials handle it. He then met with Liben, who had brought a stock of apples from Mondstadt. The apples reminded Varka of home, and he purchased Liben's entire stock, telling him that he would send people to pick up the order.

When Varka learned of Lohen and Theodore's experiments with Ursa's flesh, he had no choice but to confront the vice-captain himself, telling him that the monster that had attacked him bore Ursa's mark. He told him that while he was not interrogating him, he hoped that he would come clean, and Lohen did so. Uncharacteristically of him, Lohen asked Varka to give him one more day to finish everything, even swearing an oath. Varka remarked that it was the first time he had ever sworn since they met, but he agreed to his oath and told him to uphold his promise. Unfortunately, Lohen and Adorno disappeared into the night, so Varka had the Traveler and Diluc help him.^[26] They were able to track down the laboratory, clearing the area of monsters and destroyed the rest of Ursa's flesh. After the battle, Varka told Lohen that he would decide both his and Theodore's punishments before telling him to stay with "him" to the end (referring to Adorno), which Lohen was grateful for.^[27]

Trivia

• Varka informed Razor of his name and taught him how to fight with claymores, suggesting he uses them himself.^[28]
  • This is later proven true as Varka is seen wielding a claymore in both promotional material and in game, namely the Wolf's Gravestone.
• Varka wrote A Letter With Rough Handwriting in the Event World Quest All's Well That Ends Well in Hidden Strife. Diluc's reply is found as the Letter Addressed to Grand Master Varka in Jean's office during the event.
• Varka sent a letter to the Knights of Favonius with Mika when the latter returned to Mondstadt during the expedition. Mika read this letter in the Event Story Quest Sounds From Afar in Of Ballads and Brews: Act I.
• His Constellation, "Lupus Majoris," is Latin for "Greater Wolf." It contrasts Razor's Constellation, "Lupus Minor," Latin for "Lesser Wolf."

Aliases and Titles

• Varka is known by these aliases or titles:
  • Mightiest Knight of Boreas^[29]
  • Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius^[8]
  • The North Wind^[30]
  • Wolf of the North^[31]
  • Invincible Knight of Boreas^[32]
  • Grand Master Who Rivals the Gods^[32]
  • Sir Writes-A-Lot (by Paimon)^[33]

Etymology

• Varka's name is likely based on the Old Persian 𐎺𐎼𐎣 varka, meaning "wolf." It may also be alluding to Varka and Golshah, an 11th-century Persian epic.

Notes

Other Languages

Language	Official Name
English	Varka
Chinese (Simplified)	法尔伽 Fǎ'ěrjiā
Chinese (Traditional)	法爾伽 Fǎ'ěrjiā
Japanese	ファルカ Faruka
Korean	바르카 Bareuka
Spanish	Varka
French	Varka
Russian	Варка Varka
Thai	Varka
Vietnamese	Varka
German	Varka
Indonesian	Varka
Portuguese	Varka
Turkish	Varka
Italian	Varka

References