Chapter IV

The God of Justice lives for the spectacle of the courtroom, seeking to judge all other gods. But even she knows not to make an enemy of the divine.

—Dainsleif, Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview^[1]

List of Acts[]

• Act I - Prelude of Blancheur and Noirceur
  • Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 40 and complete Archon Quest Chapter III: Act VI - Caribert.
• Act II - As Light Rain Falls Without Reason
  • Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 40.
• Act III - To the Stars Shining in the Depths
  • Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 40.
• Act IV - Cataclysm's Quickening
  • Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 40.
• Act V - Masquerade of the Guilty
  • Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 40.
• Act VI - Bedtime Story
  • Requirements: reach Adventure Rank 40.

Summary[]

Act I - Prelude of Blancheur and Noirceur[]

Soloist's Prologue

Arriving at Caravan Ribat, Paimon reminiscences about the first time they arrived, helping free Nahida from the corrupt sages of the Sumeru Akademiya. As they prepare to go off to Fontaine, Dehya arrives and greets them, who had just finished a commission to transport some goods. She asks them what they were planning to do, and when the Traveler mentions going to Fontaine, a Fontainan looks at them with suspicion. Dehya is surprised by the notion but remembers that they were traveling, so she offers to have some mercenaries escort them to the border between the two nations, though they kindly decline. Dehya admits that she finds it hard that the real heroes would leave quietly, but wishes them luck on their journey. After finishing up their own business in Sumeru, the Traveler and Paimon make their way to Romaritime Harbor.

Once they arrive at the port, Paimon is amazed by the advanced technology and the two briefly talk about what to do in the nation. The Traveler suggests they meet the Hydro Archon right away, with Paimon wondering what her personality would be like after Nahida mentioned that she had a "unique personality". Seeing two locals nearby, Paimon suggests talking to them to get information about the Hydro Archon. Rena and Etienne talk about the recent trial at the Court of Fontaine, the former explaining that it is similar to an opera house. When Paimon worries about the trials not being taken seriously, Rena tells them that with Neuvillette and the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale created by the Archon, false charges and injustice were a thing of the past. Paimon then asks them where they could meet the Hydro Archon, and Etienne tells her that their archon, Lady Furina, basically lives there. Rena correctly deduces that they want to talk with her and tells them that the process is much more complicated, as she's wildly popular by the people and anyone wanting to see her would have to make an appointment in advance.

The Traveler deduces that while the people of Fontaine like their Archon, they do not revere her. As Paimon suggests they spend the time exploring the city, the Traveler spots a girl by the edge of the port and decides to check on her. The girl remarks about a memory in the past, but it is now submerged and she mysteriously states that they will be, too. Before they could go on, her brother appears, thanking them for taking care of Lynette. He then introduces himself as Lyney and Paimon explains that Lynette was talking to them. This surprises Lyney, who explains that she usually keeps to herself. Paimon asks about Lynette's mysterious statements, so Lyney explains that there is a prophecy going around in Fontaine. He then formally greets the pair. Learning the reason for their visit, Lyney offers to take them to the opera house.

As they make their way around, they are instead greeted by Furina and her entourage, surprising Paimon. Furina directly addresses the Traveler and Paimon, aware of the disruption they caused in other nations but nonetheless welcomes them as the nation's Archon. She then asks them if they have the qualities to communicate with her as the person from before bows, having informed her of their arrival. The people believe that the Traveler had come to duel her, so the Traveler draws their sword. Clorinde prepares to intercept, but Furina has her stand down, commending on their bravery to stand against a god. As a normal duel would be too predictable, Furina instead declares that they will have a duel in court, surprising the Traveler and Paimon as they had only just arrived in the nation. Furina then points out that they had just broken a law by releasing a flying object on the first three days of a month - referring to Paimon, thus giving legal grounds to arrest them.

Lyney objects to the order on the grounds that Paimon is something else. Furina hears his claim, so Lyney snaps his fingers, revealing a red cord tying the Traveler and Paimon. He claims that this makes Paimon a balloon. Furthermore, the pair they had arrived in the nation like this, making the charges unwarranted. Furina is entertained and drops the charges. She then leaves, expecting a good performance from Lyney and Lynette later on. Paimon is left baffled by the encounter, while Lyney explains that he had remembered such a law and made preparations just incase. He then reveals that he and his sister are having their first performance in the court, which serves as an opera house when a trial is not in session.

Lyney gives them a Magic Pocket and tells them more about the prophecy; everyone is born with sin, and not even the Hydro Archon could absolve them. One day, the water levels would rise in Fontaine, drowning the people and leaving the Hydro Archon alone, weeping on her throne; so that the sins of the nation could be washed away. Paimon asks to why the people are born into sin, but Lyney is not able to give a clear answer. Regardless, the people believed the claims to be baseless until recently when the nation's water levels began to rise. Thus, the Magic Pockets will allow people in the waterside to transport their belongings as they relocate.

After giving the Magic Pockets to nearby people, the two return to Lyney, who wanted to have the people prepared in the worst-case scenario. Before they could leave, he asks them to help gather some Romaritime Flowers. Once they do so, they spot a girl pickpocketing the people and concoct a plan to catch her. The twins move in as the traveler cuts off the thief's escape route. Some time passes and the traveler decides to check on Lyney, who had returned the stolen items. The thief fled, but Lyney hurt himself, forcing them to abort the pursuit. With everything finally resolved, they take the aquabus. Just as it pulls out, Charlotte rushes on.

Charlotte is surprised to see the Traveler and Paimon, not having heard anything about their visit to the nation. She introduces herself to Lyney and Lynette before discussing recent events, mostly a case with young women disappearing over the past 20-years with no resolution in sight. Once they arrive, Charlotte leaves for an interview. Then Lyney asks the Traveler and Paimon to follow him to their home.

The City of Rains and Remembrance

Arriving at Lyney and Lynette's home, they run into Freminet and ask him where everyone else went. Freminet tells them that everyone went out, prompting Lyney to state that "Father" was returning soon. Freminet then asks Lyney about something in private, after which he collects the materials for the Magic Pockets. Suddenly, the sky begins to darken and rain breaks loose, surprising Paimon. Lyney tells them that the weather usually changes when trials take place while Freminet looks at the sky. He tells Paimon he heard story that the Hydro Dragon used to live in Fontaine. While no one knew where it went, people believe that when it wept, the skies cloud up and rain.

The rain lasts longer than usual, so Lyney decides to finish some business and asks Freminet to take the supplies to the workshop. Freminet is too scared to go, being an introvert, so the Traveler offers to it for him. Arriving at Beaumont Workshop, they hand the items to Estelle. She tells them they don't have to pay, as Lyney did so in advance. Paimon is impressed by the machine she use. Estelle tells her that the machine runs on Indemnitium, a source of power made from the trials at the court. She then talks about another source of energy before being rudely interrupted by Truand and his lackeys from the Confrerie of Cabriere. As the Traveler tries try to leave, Childe unexpectedly appears and warns the group of their own debt to Northland Bank. Paimon waves at Childe, surprising him. He says he was getting bored and their arrival meant things would get interesting.

Childe continues his talk with the Traveler and Paimon, angering Truand to the point that he and his lackeys attack. Childe easily overwhelms them, with the Traveler and Paimon serving as witnesses to his actions being made in self defence. Truand then realizes that Childe is actually one of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, but Childe suddenly loses control of his Hydro weapons. Truand takes the opportunity to attack, but Childe knocks him out with a single punch. The Traveler, Paimon and Childe wonder what happened, though Childe reasures them that he still has his Delusion as a backup. Paimon asks what he's doing in Fontaine. Childe tells them that he has been in a bad mood recently and began to feel something stirring inside him. Paimon surmises that this might be the cause of his Hydro Vision weakening. Childe then tells them about his time in the Abyss, including his meeting with Skirk, who took him as an apprentice because he had "it" on him and her lessons would help in the future.

Childe then reveals that while he's been idling around in Fontaine, he's been sparring with their official Champion Duelists. Childe explains that before going to court, the accused are given one chance to redeem their honor in a duel against a Champion Duelist, but they are some of the nation's strongest fighters. If the defendant wins, the charges are dropped, but if they lose, they must go to trial, though some simply die and rarely anyone has ever been freed in such a manner. Childe states that he was about to spar with Clorinde. Then, in light of recent events, he gives the Traveler his Vision for safekeeping so that it doesn't get in the way of his duel, before leaving.

Heading to the Fountain of Lucine, the Traveler hears a mysterious voice as Lynette appears to greet them. They ask her about the voice, so she gives them a theory about the tears that eventually flow into the fountain holding intense emotions. She then takes them inside the opera house to catch up with Lyney, believing a talk with him would allow him to cool his nerves before the big show. Inside, Lyney gives them tickets to the best seats before being called by Cowell to handle the props. As they go inside to their seats, they find a man seated next to them, resulting in a long, awkward moment. The man then apologizes, with Paimon introducing herself and the Traveler. The man had heard about their travels across Teyvat and attempts to introduce himself, only for Lyney to come in and call him by his name, Neuvillette, being pleased to see he was going to watch his show. Lyney properly introduces Neuvillette to the two, even showing the seat at the top of the court which the chief justice uses. Neuvillette then tells the Traveler that Furina was trying to get their attention, so they look at her briefly, which he deems enough to satisfy her.

As the audience trickles into the opera, Lyney and Lynette begin the show. Lyney performs some small tricks before bringing in a water tank. He does a trick to make Lynette disappear inside the tank before she reappears outside, which entertains Furina and the guests. Paimon is left shocked at how he was able to pull it off. Neuvillette tells her that she should be focusing on the show and not the hidden tricks. Lyney then pulls out two magic boxes and uses a machine to "randomly" select an audience member. In the process Lyney has some difficulty in finishing the trick. While he successfully gets out of his own box, the audience member fails to do so. The water tank from earlier falls, crushing the box and leaving Lyney shocked. Neuvillette puts the entire opera house into lockdown. After a quick investigation, Neuvillette reveals that Cowell was found dead in the box and the girl from the audience has gone missing, making her the latest victim in the serial disappearances of women case. Furina then declares Lyney a suspect due to the circumstances involved. Neuvillette then asks Furina if she was going to press charges on Lyney, which surprises her. However, in order to please the audience, she ends up declaring a duel between her and the Traveler.

Neuvillette then declares a trial the following day, assigning the Traveler as Lyney's attorney, while Furina wonders what the Traveler would do in the trial. As everyone leaves, the Traveler and Paimon talk with Lyney and Lynette, who are relieved that they have their support for the upcoming trial.

Lies Cast Shadows Under Gathered Lights

As they go to collect evidence, the Traveler and Paimon speak to Esmond, who believes that Lyney is truly the suspect. Searching around, they begin to build up a case to defend Lyney. During the process, they run into a mysterious woman guarded by two men in black suits. She introduces the group as Navia, Silver and Melus of the Spina di Rosula, an investigation organization. Navia agrees to help, as she sees the trials as something more serious and her group is also after the truth behind the disappearances. After showing how they performed the magic box trick, Lyney and Lynette are escorted out. This leaves the Traveler, Paimon, Navia and her associates to investigate the tunnel under the stage that they used. During the investigation, the group discovers many irregularities and Paimon jots down notes. Navia suggests they go to collect their thoughts, but Melus tells them that they are now associated with the twins, so they cannot leave until the trial concludes. As the group needs some tea and snacks, Melus reveals a baking stove and Silver takes out ingredients, which Navia uses to make macarons. Paimon takes two extra macarons, but swears she's taken the same amount as everyone else. The trio then leave to collect more information, so the Traveler waits the following day for the trial to start.

The next day, Neuvillette declares the trial to start while both parties give their statements. When Lyney maintains his innocence, Furina points out that around the half-way mark, there was a loud thud and expresses doubt that he could not have heard it, surprising him, while the scales tilt in her favor. She then exposes them as members of from the House of the Hearth, surprising the Traveler and Paimon with their friends' Fatui background. This results in the audience supporting Furina's claims while she notices the Traveler is speechless, believing herself to have won. Neuvillette asks Lyney to confirm this, and he does, resulting in the scale dropping further towards Furina. The Traveler then requests a recess, which Neuvillette grants for an hour.

At the opera's backstage, Lyney expresses surprise that Furina would have dug deep into their past, while the Traveler and Paimon are upset by the deception and that they were Fatui members. The twins apologize for not being more transparent, but Lyney insists that he is innocent in this case. The Traveler agrees to help see justice served correctly, so Lyney begins telling them his perspective of the events - he wanted to investigate the Oratrice's core, but ended up retreating when a voice called out to him. When he got back into the tunnel, he saw the smashed vase and scattered clothes, though he could not give it much thought as the countdown was about to end.

Furina manages to regain some of the audience's sway after the Traveler is unable to deduce the full truth, but the Traveler then realizes that they need to go from another angle. They request to inspect Cowell's belongings, believing he may have used the water from the tank to take another form. Furina finds this absurd, as it's only a magic trick. However, Neuvillette agrees to the request so that the trial can progress. Esmond then comes in and reveals that Cowell's bag had labeled tubes of water from the Primordial Sea and that he belonged to an organization selling illegal drugs. Navia then realizes that something and leaves with her associates.

With the new evidence supporting Lyney's innocence, Neuvillette allows the Traveler to continue with their hypothesis, tilting the scales towards Lyney's favor. Furina, on the other hand, becomes worried about having wrongly accused someone, even agreeing slightly with their reasoning. Neuvillette then brings in Vaughn, having been informed of new evidence found; the same water was found in Lyney's belongings. Furina uses the opportunity to cement her claim, knowing that the Traveler has nothing to defend against it. However, before the sentencing can start, Navia bursts in with new evidence. She reveals the box from before and asks Lyney to repeat the trick. Lyney snaps his fingers and the missing woman from the audience reappears. She confesses to the entire crime and reveals that she was actually Liliane, not Halsey. She was the thief that the Traveler and Lyney were chasing at the harbor. She stole a ticket and came to the show to relax. She became terrified when the random number generator picked her and Lyney mentioning the Fortress of Meropide (a prison), believing he was onto her.

Now relating the story in Liliane's perspective, the scales tip towards Lyney's favor, leaving Furina shocked and unable to muster any words. She admits defeat and Neuvillette puts the information into the Oratice, which returns a "Not Guilty" verdict to acquit Lyney and Lynette. However, Neuvillette does remark that both Lyney and Liliane's conduct should warrant additional investigation. Neuvillette then realizes that Vaughn was Cowell's accomplice because he previously presented false evidence to frame Lyney. Furina yells at him for deceiving her judgement and Neuvillette recommends he confess to everything and seek the protection of the Gardes. Vaughn begins to confess to the entire plot, but before he could reveal the identity of the "Boss", he dissolves into water. Neuvillette orders another inspection on the entire audience, though no evidence is yielded.

With the case over, Lyney and Lynette talk to the Traveler again, thanking them for their help and apologizing for the deception. They explain that, as orphans, their goals aligned with the House of the Hearth and the Knave. After their parents died, he and Lynette were able to survive after watching a street performer's show. After being adopted by a noble, Lyney became horrified when he learned that she was being trafficked to another noble because of her appearance. He went to rescue her, but when he arrived, the Knave had already slain the noble, rescuing her and several others before offering them a spot in the House of the Hearth. Lyney reveals that the Knave, who is also known as Arlecchino, believed in the prophecy. Thus, before she took the Hydro Gnosis to Snezhnaya, she would try to use it to save their home, Fontaine. Lyney apologizes again for the deception but promises to help should they need it.

As the Traveler prepares to leave the opera, Navia and her associates manage to catch up, believing that the whole case is not solved yet. However, she learns from them that they were only there to defend Lyney, not the disappearances case. Despite this, she decides to have a farewell meal at Hotel Debord, which the Traveler and Paimon agree to.

Act II - As Light Rain Falls Without Reason[]

Like the Faint Moonlight of Yesteryear

Arriving at Hotel Debord, Navia orders food as the three sit at a table and begin to enjoy it. They talk about the disappearance case; due to the previous trial, they now know that there is an organization behind the disappearances, though unsure as to their motives. While Paimon laments the fact that they were close to finding out who they were, Navia expresses a lack of faith in the Garde, stating that they needed to look at the case from another perspective to gain more clues. Navia then asks them what they plan to do, learning that they wanted to speak with Furina as part of their journey to find the truth of Teyvat, though the chance was lost after the trial. Navia then suggests less legitimate means, though the Traveler and Paimon shoot them down. However, this results in them getting an idea to talk to her while she's on break, since Navia believes that Furina was embarrassed after losing the trial.

Navia then notices that her Fonta was gone, resulting in Paimon apologizing for drinking it. The Traveler and Paimon note that it felt off, so Navia decides to blacklist the hotel's Fonta should they return. She later sees them off, promising to help them with their requests should the need arrive.

Returning to the Fountain of Lucine, the Traveler hears a voice calling for Vacher from the fountain and walks towards it, blacking out in the process. When they come to, they find themselves inside with an Oceanid, asking them about Vacher. The Traveler tells it they are not Vacher, while the Oceanid tells them that it has lost a lot of their memories while human, causing them to realize that they were one of the disappearing girls. The Traveler offers to find Vacher, but the Oceanid refuses, as their reunion has since long passed and that she deserved to be forgotten. She laments the fact that she could not comfort Vacher as she was dissolving, but nonetheless is glad that they sensed her presence and tells them to tell Vacher to forget about her before sending them out, as Paimon was calling for them.

When the Traveler comes back to the real world, they immediately find Navia, Silver and Melus fighting a large horde of Clockwork Meka. During the battle, Navia spots Clorinde, and her assistance allows them to defeat the entire horde. Afterwards, Navia asks Clorinde how she managed to come, who admits that she was following her because danger had been tracking her too closely as of late and wanted to honor her father's wishes, though this simply creates tension as Navia is still upset about her father's demise. Getting back to the point, Clorinde tells them that the mastermind behind the disappearances is very powerful and that their performance would certainly attract their attention. Navia asks her how the Meka were controlled, as the Gardemeks could only be operated by the Maison Gardiennage. Clorinde tells her that these were illegal meka, as they had no serial numbers with them. She warns them to be careful, though Navia insists that they'll find the truth behind the matter.

As Clorinde leaves, Melus tells Navia that she could have tried to thaw relations, though Navia finds it hard to do so. Paimon tells the Traveler that the Meka appeared after they fell unconscious, only for Navia and her group to save her. Navia credits Paimon for tipping her off, as Fonta was not supposed to be "salty and icky" and that the color was off - it had been spiked with water from the Primordial Sea that was meant for her. When she realized this, she also realized that the Traveler was in danger and came to their rescue. The Traveler then tells her about the Oceanid they encountered in the water, giving them a good lead. Navia tells them to meet at one of their bases to discuss more.

Heading into the sewers of the Court of Fontaine, the group catches up to Melus. Navia admits that when her father was the head of the Spina di Rosula, their funds were much better. Asking about her father, they learn from her that three years ago, her father, Callas, was accused of murdering his friend, but rather than standing trial, he chose to duel to maintain his honor, only to die doing so. Therefore, coupled with the death of her mother (who he had hidden from her also), she was resolved to find the truth, believing that the disappearance case was tied to the murder. Melus reveals that the person who killed Callas was Clorinde, hence their strained relationship.

The following day, the Traveler and Paimon find Navia greeting them, who had sent Melus and Silver back to their headquarters. She had spent the night trying to find out who Vacher was, but discovered that there were no traces of him at all. However, she decides that there is one place that they could never reach - the archives stored by Neuvillette, which would be their best bet to find more information.

The Truth, Lost With the Rain

Heading to Neuvillette's office, the Palais Mermonia, the three are stopped by Sedene, who asks the reason for their visit. Navia claims they came to archive information on a follow-up case, so Sedene lets them pass. They enter Neuvillette's office, with Paimon apologizing for the deception. Neuvillette does not mind and asks why they came, so Navia tells them that they were looking for a man named Vacher, who was a witness to the disappearance case. Neuvillette begins going through the files but finds nothing about Vacher. As they leave, he apologizes to Navia for Callas' death, resulting in her becoming offended as she knew he had no emotion behind his words and that even though he agreed that something was wrong with the case, he let the duel go through. After calming down, she apologizes for taking her emotions out on him and leaves.

Outside, it begins to rain, causing the Traveler to realize that the real murderer might have been dissolved into water to leave no evidence at the crime scene. Navia realizes this and accepts their logic, so they head to Poisson and catch up with Melus. There, Navia deduces that with her father's case, there had been a popular drink known as Sinthe which she believes was spiked with water from the Primordial Sea. Sinthe was popular for recreation, but Callas, seeing the dangers of extended drinking, banned it from his group, which incurred the sellers' wrath. To learn more about the mastermind, he made relationships with some of the vendors, such as Jacques, who was ashamed of his work. During a banquet, Callas shot Jacques dead, though she now knows that a third party might have been involved as there were clothes lying around at the scene. Melus warns Navia that there was no shame in backing out of the case as their enemy was highly dangerous, but Navia insists on finding the truth.

Melus reveals that he had hidden more from Navia; he was diagnosed with an illness that meant that he did not have a long time to live and that he had a contingency plan by exposing the dangers of Sinthe to the public - the group had targeted Navia, but did not make an attempt on her life until now because their plans and motives would be exposed if they did so. Melus is confident that with the Traveler's help, she could uncover the truth for herself. He advises that they not storm their headquarters, as it was tantamount to war. Instead, he gives three potential suspects to investigate on - Florent, Thierry and Marcel, but they first stop by Jacques' family.

Collecting evidence, they discover that Jacques' betrayal was noticed by the higher-ups in his organization and he was forced to kill Callas, but struggled with the order. They also learn that Callas was off on the day of the murder and that when he left to get air, he had left his gun inside, ruling out the possibility that he had a second gun on him to kill Jacques. When they meet up with Thierry, she asks him about the Gardemeks that attacked her. He tells her that they were nearly impossible to modify without keeping a secret and that either someone rich and/or powerful could get their hands on private units. Finally, they meet up with Marcel; while he does not recall the events during the banquet, he is willing to defend her.

With all the information collected, the Traveler concludes that Marcel was the likely suspect, seeing that he was the only one of the three to be wealthy enough to afford private Meka. Before they could go any further, Thierry darts in, informing them that the authorities have accused Tartaglia of the disappearances. Realizing what's going on, the Traveler offers to infiltrate the enemy headquarters while Navia goes to the opera to stall for time.

When All Return to the Waters

Heading underwater to the Sinthe production facility, the Traveler and Paimon arrive at the entrance and infiltrate it. Back at the opera house, Tartaglia is confused as to what he's being charged for but is willing to accept it if he could duel Clorinde again, as he was disappointed that she had held back in their sparring session. Before the trial could go anywhere, Navia barges in and accuses Marcel of being the prime suspect, going back to her father's case. Neuvillette begins to recall the case, which Navia refutes with the evidence she acquired. Furina asks for physical proof, which she does not have, but Navia states that it would be coming soon, while Neuvillette orders Marcel to court. She also reveals that she had been the next target in the disappearing cases, prompting Furina to ask why Callas did not want to defend himself. Navia explains that if Callas had done so, Spina di Rosula would not exist and many lives would have been lost. She then asks Clorinde to tell the truth, since she was the one who killed him.

Furina asks Clorinde if what Navia said was true, which she confirms; as a Champion Duelist, she could tell when someone was fighting to live or die, and that Callas wanted to die. Furina finds this as sufficient to open the case, but Neuvillette asks her to explain the link between her father and the disappearances. Navia states that on that day, the suspect would have had to attend both events and was willing to dissolve someone in water in front of many witnesses to protect their identity; coincidentally, Marcel was in both events. Marcel defends himself by stating that she was rushing headlong without sufficient evidence by proving where he was, turning the scales in his favor. However, Navia pulls a trump card by mentioning Vacher, which catches him by surprise, confirming that he did know him.

Back at the Sinthe facility, the Traveler and Paimon begin to explore and reach the innermost sanctum, collecting evidence for Navia's case. After collecting enough, they find Vigneire's notebook containing Marcel's name.

Returning to the opera house, the Traveler presents the evidence to Neuvillette, who asks Marcel to defend himself. Marcel does not, instead blaming the system for failing him as when he reported about the dissolving to the Garde, they simply laughed him off. He even drinks a large amount of the Primordial Water to no effect. As he appears to show signs of mental distress, Neuvillette declares that Tartaglia is innocent and reviews the evidence provided by the Traveler, recollecting the entire event. He then submits the information into the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, which returns a "Guilty" verdict. Tartaglia prepares to leave, but Neuvillette stops him, as he too also has to be cleared from the charges initially pressed against him. Neuvillette puts the information in the Oratrice, which hands a "Guilty" verdict on Tartaglia, surprising everyone present, as it was the first time that it gave a verdict different than his own.

Tartaglia is unamused and attempts to escape using his Electro Delusion and his Foul Legacy Transformation. Before he could fully transform however, Neuvillette leaps from his seat and crashes down on Tartaglia, using an unknown Hydro power to knock him out. As the Gardemeks apprehend Tartaglia, Neuvillette apologizes to him but promises to personally investigate the matter. Once the scene settles, the Traveler and Paimon talk to him about the verdict. He admits that it is the first time the machine had put him in a situation like this, but had to uphold the court rules nonetheless. Neuvillette suggests asking Furina, though when everyone stares at her, she becomes nervous and even shows signs of agitation before composing herself, claiming that the verdict was right and leaves to save face.

As the Traveler leaves the opera, they run into Marcel and Esmond. Marcel asks the Traveler how they knew of Vacher, who tells them about the fountain. He asks to go to the fountain, which a passing Neuvillette grants as he accompanies them there. They then begin to hear Vigneire's voice and Marcel finds himself in the dream realm. He meets the Oceanid, but it is not Vigneire, but instead the collective consciousness of the women he had dissolved. The Oceanid tells him that Vigneire is avoiding him because of his actions and that she did not want him to come because they would kill him. The entire consciousness, including Vigneire, "drown" Marcel; in the real world, his death is ruled as a panic attack.

A few days later, the Traveler and Paimon finish shopping and catch up with Navia. With her father's honor restored, Navia holds a memorial for him and decides to visit his grave. When they arrive, they find Neuvillette there, who explains why he let the duel between him and Clorinde continue. He admits that Callas had proved him wrong and that without his sacrifice, the case would have never been solved. After paying their own respects, the Traveler and Paimon asks Neuvillette several questions. He reveals that he was prepared for such an outcome from the Oratrice. He promises to continue investigating Childe to prove his innocence and that Furina herself took the prophecy seriously.

Act III - To the Stars Shining in the Depths[]

A Tea Party Most Thorny

Walking around the Court of Fontaine, Paimon suggests to the Traveler that they take a rest at the Spina di Rosula base underneath the city. A few days pass before Isadora arrives, telling the two that Neuvillette wishes to speak with them at Palais Mermonia. Neuvillette tells them that he has a situation on his hands, but allows the Traveler to decide whether or not they wish to help him in the matter.

Earlier, Neuvillette asks Furina that The Knave requested a meeting with her, which he recommends to decline due to the recent events resulting in Childe's apprehension and detainment into the Fortress of Meropide. However, Furina decides to entertain the Knave's request as she believes that they needed to explain their actions and expresses confidence in Neuvillette's assistance, though Neuvillette points out that it could make the matters worse; nonetheless, he agrees to help.

Furina accepts the request and has the Knave arrive, who thanks her for her service to the House of the Hearth in part due to making the children's' lives better. However, she came specifically for Childe and requests his custody, though Neuvillette denies it since the trial had already concluded. She then suggests entering the Fortress of Meropide to check on his condition, though Neuvillette tells her that the prison operates outside of the court's jurisidition but instead offer a proposal to her.

Back in the present, Neuvillette informs the two that Childe had also disappeared from the prison, though he is not sure as to where he went since there were no reports of him being seen outside the prison either. His proposal to the Knave was to have someone else investigate on her behalf, which she accepted with some hestitation. To enter the prison, he offers to press false charges on them, which they accept.

Arriving at Café Lutece, Paimon stuffs herself in anticipation of poor food in the prison when the two run into Charlotte. Paimon accidentally mentions the prison, causing Charlotte to ask what they did. The Traveler manages to bluff their way out, though Charlotte asks them to help gather information about Wriothesley for a new story, as he was given the rare title of "Duke" and that there's virtually no information about him.

Neuvillette accompanies them to the prison's entrance, where he hands them off to the guards; the charges against the Traveler and Paimon are eating cake meant for Furina (which he had offered them earlier) and that they are to spend 45 days in prison as punishment.

Fortress of Meropide

Inside the fortress, the Traveler and Paimon are escorted by Deakin, who explains about life in the prison, mostly the Credit Coupons which serve as the prison's currency. When they arrive at the actual entrance, the three are greeted by a large number of Gardemeks and Wriothesley himself, who takes over the rest of the prison tour. During the tour, they run into Lyney, though he pretends to brush them off as an illusion. Finally, they head to the infirmary and meet Sigewinne, concluding the tour.

As the two are led to the dormitory, the Traveler and Paimon talk about Lyney's presence, thus concluding that they too are also investigating the prison and resolve to meet with him the next day. After doing some work, they meet up with Lyney and Lynette, who threw themselves in prison with a small "theft" performance to do so. Lyney, not wanting to hide any more secrets following his previous experience with them, reveals that the prison hides a secret and that "Father" was able to confirm that Furina did not have the Hydro Gnosis. Therefore, they should focus on learning about the "forbidden zone". As they have their meal, Vidoc heads to them, telling them not to break any "hidden rules" and that they should speak to him when they get more coupons.

Once their meal is finished, the two return to the dorms and sleep, while the Traveler has a flashback of Childe's time in the prison.

The Proscribed, Hidden in Plain Sight

The next day, the Traveler informs Paimon of the dream they had of Childe. They decide to learn about the "rules", exploring the facilities that the prison has to offer. During their investigation, they learn two of the "rules"; working for three days straight would result in being served mystery meat and that it was not allowed to bet on two fighters in a match. After acquiring all they could for the day, the Traveler realizes that they aren't related to Childe and take a rest.

Lost in Deep Seas

Having acquired enough coupons, the Traveler and Paimon approach Vidoc and ask him about the "hidden rules". He tells them to avoid the pipes late in the night, as there are rumors of cannibals preying on victims and turning them into other "forms". They prepare to investigate the new rule after lunch, where they discover Vidoc missing, but other people nearby. They ask them, but are refused, leaving them suspicious.

Needing another angle, they instead approach Fielding and tell him that they have trouble sleeping at night due to strange sounds. He confirms this, having heard rumors from his colleagues that they happen during pipe-cleaning days they have every month, with one of them happening tonight. They then return to the dormitory and sleep, where the Traveler gets a vision of Childe and realize that he used the pipes to escape.

Following the pipes, they find the three people from before, who admit that the "hidden rules" were a farce to protect Childe. They had originally viewed him with disdain, but he proved them wrong with his strength and decided to follow him. One day, he told them he had to leave as he heard that "voice" again, escaping through the pipes, though he had not returned for some time. They approach the entrance to where he left, but find it completely flooded.

With this new information, the Traveler decides to have Lyney ask Freminet to help in the task. Paimon is puzzled as to Childe's behavior, but is confident that they'll get to the bottom of the situation in no time.

Act IV - Cataclysm's Quickening[]

Into the Deepwater Murk

The following morning, the Traveler and Paimon wake up to find one of Lyney's cards near them. Reading the card, they discover that the prison has their monthly "free day" off and to meet at the usual spot, as he has new information.

While making their way to Lyney, the two run into various individuals, such as Laverune and Cuistot, the "Bombshell Bros". They learn from them that getting the Duke's attention is beneficial and that two people have been frequently visiting the infirmary. They also overhear several prisoners deciding to stay in the prison even after their sentences are over before meeting up with Lyney. Lyney reveals that "Father" knew that Childe had initially come to Fontaine for personal reasons and they were tasked with finding his location. Therefore, Freminet would be suited for the task, while Lynette would continue gathering information and Lyney himself would assist Freminet.

Still needing more information, Lyney asks the Traveler to help infiltrate the infirmary by feigning illness, though they get no relevant information from Sigewinne or the two people, Jurieu and Lourvine. During next few days, the Traveler collects information and passes it to Lynette, preparing for their meeting with Lyney.

The Truth Shrouded in Shadow

On the ninth day, the Traveler meets up with Lyney, who reveals that Lynette had also feigned illness to acquire more information from the infirmary. However, when they arrive, Lynette is nowhere to be seen and the bed she was using tidied, causing Lyney to become uneasy. They soon discover a paper and read the contents, learning that Wriothesley had known of their motives. Lyney, worried for his siblings' safety and not wanting to be separated from Lynette again, decides to confront Wriothesley, against the Traveler's wishes, forcing them to follow him into the office.

Lyney heads to the administrative office and accuses Wriothesley of kidnapping Lynette and likely Freminet, though he appears to dodge the accusation, much to his anger. Wriothesley states that he simply locked Freminet out, knowing that he would not abandon his family. He offers Lyney a proposal; their safety would be guaranteed if he asks "Father" to come for a talk, since he did not like the Fatui intrusion in his fortress, though Lyney refuses, believing that he was trying to blackmail them. Wriothesley decides to end the negotiation for his afternoon tea, though the Traveler steps in on Lyney's behalf. Wriothesley allows to hear the Traveler out, since they had come under Neuvillette's request and agrees to release them if they answer several questions of his.

Wriothesley questions the Traveler over the "hidden rules", starting with the Production Zone. They deduce that the "strange meat" is actually Sigewinne's cooking, meant to help restore stamina to those working non-stop, but because of how Melusines perceive differently, humans would believe it to be non-edible and thus avoid it. Wriothesley is pleased that someone had acknowledged Sigewinne's cooking and then asks them about the strange red liquid. The Traveler deduces that the liquid is actually experimental Fonta which was only accepted because Wriothesley had allowed it, and thus meant to teach prisoners how to spend their Credit Coupons wisely. Wriothesley acknowledges the answer and then asks about the secret behind Sigewinne and the people in the infirmary, though the Traveler is unable to answer it as they had not covered it. Lyney suddenly snaps and charges at Wriothesley, alarming the Traveler, but before he could do anything, he is hit in the neck by a projectile. Sigewinne had come in and had shot a tranquillizer dart, which causes him to collapse before Wriothesley states that they have incoming guests.

The guests turn out to be Clorinde and an unconscious Freminet who Sigewinne immediately inspects and deduces from his symptoms that he consumed Primordial Water, shocking Lyney. Clorinde reveals that the concentration of Primordial Water had increased significantly around the prison and that Freminet had correctly deduced something was wrong when he tried to follow Childe's path. Sigewinne gives Freminet a pill while Lynette arrives and they bring him to the infirmary, where he regains consciousness and warns the group of his discovery, recalling the events leading up to his near-death encounter. Learning that Clorinde had saved him, he decides to thank her in person. Sigewinne suggests they talk to Wriothesley for more information, while Lyney decides to remain behind with his siblings.

Secret Keepers and Forbidden Zones

Returning to the office, the Traveler and Paimon ask Wriothesley to "enlighten" them about recent events. He tells them that he knew the children were all Fatui operatives at the start and originally believed they were sent to find Childe, but learned of Lyney's true motive during their work around the prison; he wanted to look into the "forbidden zone". Once he realized this, he intervened for both their and the prison's safety and that he had hired Clorinde for "work". He offers to take them to the "forbidden zone", which they accept.

Wriothesley takes them to the area, explaining that only he was allowed to enter. When they arrive at the central room, they find a large sluice gate in the middle of the room, where he asks Paimon what she thinks the gate was for. Paimon makes some guesses, but Wriothesley tells her she's incorrect and explains the gate's purpose and the readings on the dashboard nearby. They had never moved when he first laid eyes on them, but they had slowly begun to increase in the past year; coupled with Freminet's near-death experience, he concludes that the gate must be holding back the water from swallowing Fontaine and that it would eventually fail.

Wriothesley then begins to explain about the fortress' purpose; when the previous Hydro Archon, Egeria, ruled the land, all the criminals were exiled with nowhere to go and shunned by society. Some of these people began to repent and beg for forgiveness, which she granted by having them guard her secret beneath the waves, which they did with the present-day fortress. Meeting up with Jurieu and Lourvine, Wriothesley reveals that after believing the Primordial Sea to be behind the gate, he had begun constructing a boat after being inspired by Remurian legend, though it had been kept secret from the rest of the prison as they would likely riot should they learn of it. Before they leave, he tells them that they had the option of informing Lyney and his group of what he just told them.

Calamitous Tread

Returning to the infirmary, Lyney informs the Traveler and Paimon of his deductions through their information they acquired, which impresses the two as he was nearly right on every topic. They in turn then inform the three of what they learned from Wriothesley, telling them that they had no time to fight. The three siblings are shocked by the revelation but thank them for the information, with Lyney thanking them for saving his family. Paimon soon becomes hungry and they head to the canteen, where Sigewinne treats them to a delicious meal.

Once the meal is finished, the two return to the dorms to sleep, only to be interrupted by Cuistot, Laverune and others in a large panic. Cuistot informs them that they've been given orders to head upwards, away from the bottom. The Traveler realizes that the sluice gate had likely failed and they rush down to find Wriothesley, finding him with Clorinde just as the gate fails. Wriothesley manages to hold the waters briefly with his Cryo powers, though it soon smashes through the ice. Clorinde then shoots a control panel with Electro before Wriothesley freezes the entire gate to stop the water from advancing. With a brief moment of respite, Wriothesley informs the Traveler to fetch Neuvillette, knowing that they would not be able to hold back the water for long.

Returning to surface entrance to the prison behind the Opera Epiclese, they find Neuvillette there, who asks them to watch Furina as she was in a meeting with the Knave, worried for her safety and agrees to head to the prison to deal with the growing situation. The Traveler and Paimon arrive at the meeting, defending Furina from the Knave's attempts to pressure her. During the meeting, Paimon notices their cups shaking, making Arlecchino realize that they might be in the next stage of the prophecy.

Back at the prison, Neuvillette arrives and takes over the situation, using his powers to push the water back and reseal the sluice gate, stating that the sentence was too severe for the people of Fontaine. Back at the party, Arlecchino drops the pleasantries and confronts Furina over the prophecy, accusing her of not protecting her people. Furina claims to have a primary and backup plan, though when Arlecchino questions her over it, claims both to be confidential. Arlecchino then asks about the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, as she wonders what the large amount of Indemnitium was going to be used for. She then realizes Neuvillette was not present and they change to less serious topics at hand before concluding the tea party, but asks the Traveler to see her off.

As they leave the opera house, Arlecchino thanks the Traveler for watching over her "children", confident in the siblings' judgement and abilities in the prison before asking what they thought of Furina. When the Traveler is not able to come up with their perspective on her, she decides to share her own. Learning of Childe's apprehension, she decided to meet the Archon in-person, knowing that he had given her an opportunity to do so. One night, she discovered Furina trying to play with a cat and attempted to take the Gnosis, but discovered that she did not hold it before sensing a "curse" on her. Furina, believing that someone was trying to assassinate her, begged for mercy. Noting the genuine fear in her eyes and with no Gnosis, Arlecchino left. Her subordinates then confirmed that Furina was severely shaken by the "assassination" attempt, unable to sleep or even eat her cake. She then entertains the thought that Neuvillette might be the Hydro Archon and/or knew where the Gnosis was.

With Childe having gone missing from the fortress soon after, Arlecchino realized that she could diplomatically pressure Furina and Neuvillette for a meeting. Paimon is surprised that she would blatantly attack the Hydro Archon, though she reminds her that no one would believe the claim. She then tells them that she believes that Neuvillette is not the Hydro Archon either, as their behavior was not fitting of one given her time with the Tsaritsa.

Neuvillette then arrives, prompting Arlecchino to take her leave, though she tells the Traveler that she would be happy to cooperate with them if needed. The Traveler then asks Neuvillette about what he did. He then remarks about mourning the recent turn of events, causing the area to begin raining. The Traveler then recalls what Freminet told them about the Dragon of Water before realizing that Neuvillette is actually the Hydro Sovereign. When he indirectly confirms it, he spots Furina stealing a quick glance at the Traveler before running off, distracting him before Paimon calls him back to his senses before confirming that he's the Hydro Sovereign, though telling them to keep it a secret. He then tells them about the dragons' past; when the First Usurper arrived on Teyvat, they took part of the Seven Sovereigns' power to create the Archons' Authorities. Paimon asks if he could stop the prophecy, of which he states that he would not be able to do much unless the Hydro Archon gave his Authority back to him and thus should look towards other solutions.

A Moment's Respite

Returning to the fortress once more, the Traveler and Paimon talk to everyone they met, learning that the prison was faring fine after Neuvillette pushed the water back. Wriothesley allows them to wander around the fortress and even stay in their cell until their sentence is finished. Upon returning to their cell, the Traveler and Paimon remark about their adventures and take a sleep.

Meanwhile, at the Primordial Sea, Childe can be seen drifting through its depths when he regains consciousness. He becomes shocked to find a massive narwhal swimming right above him.

Act V - Masquerade of the Guilty[]

Deluge of Wrathful Waters

At the Fortress of Meropide, the Traveler and Paimon wake up; aware that their "sentence" is over, they head out to sign the release papers with Monglane. During the process, the prison shakes, surprising everyone, so the Traveler decides to talk to Wriothesley to see if he knew anything about it. Wriothesley reminds them that the seal that Neuvillette had placed earlier would not fail, and if it did, the inmates would be in a panic; rather, the tremor came from the surface. After seeing the two off, they head to the Palais Mermonia to speak to Neuvillette.

When they arrive, the place is buzzing with activity; Sedene spots them, but as they're welcomed guests, lets them enter Neuvillette's office. Inside, they speak to Neuvillette once he finishes his work, informing him of the narwhal-like entity they saw from Childe's Vision. He also wonders as to how he ended up in the Primordial Sea, since people aren't normally able to enter it. They then ask him about the tremor, which he confirms happened in Poisson; after the tremor, the water levels rose quickly before they receded. However, he suspects that the water might have been related to the Primordial Sea and thus stays behind to form disaster prevention plans, asking the two to go in his stead.

The two arrive at Poisson where they find the city devoid of normal activity as Spina di Rosula members rush to aid the wounded. They eventually find Navia, who tells them that after the tremor, water began rushing out, soon revealed to be Primordial Water and dissolved everyone on the lower levels and causing panic to everyone else. The Traveler then realizes that people are missing and asks about Melus and Silver, but before she could answer, another member requires her attention. Once the situation is sorted out, she asks them to accompany her to her father's grave. There, she breaks down, revealing that when she initiated the rescue plan, the two went to save people, but were caught in the waters and dissolved. She laments that she could not hold a funeral for them, as they had previously requested for her to bury them by Callas' side when the time came. Navia then hands them a list of the victims, which she considered fortunate for the costs. The two reassure her that she shouldn't see it that way and Paimon tells her to think of Melus and Silver as heroes, which she appreciates.

Arlecchino then walks in to discuss the arrangements she made with her. As they were in the area, she had the Fatui lend them a hand in the relief efforts. Navia apologizes for testing Arlecchino, since she wanted to know who she was working with at the time, while also revealing that Arlecchino had set her subordinates to plenty of work with supplies, water levels and headcounts. Arlecchino sends her regards for Melus' and Silver's demise, but before she leaves, asks the Traveler for assistance. She reveals that the House of the Hearth had learned that a child stumbled upon some ancient ruins near Poisson; as such, she had sent her subordinates for ruin exploration, but with the disaster on hand, had them assist in relief efforts. The Traveler accepts the task and Navia decides to tag along to keep her mind off her friends' deaths.

Meeting Is Also Parting

Arriving at the ruins, they quickly discover the area is flooded with Primordial Water. Paimon initially suggests that Navia head back, but upon realizing there isn't a path back, she decides to continue forward with them. As they walk across a bridge, it suddenly gives way. Navia slips and the Traveler turns back but fails to catch her as she plummets into the water. Navia then wakes up in Poisson with Melus and Silver, but she realizes something is off. The two then escort her to the Opera Epiclese where she is put on trial. The prosecutor, Joinville, declares her guilty and the audience demands she joins them, but Melus and Silver realize something is off and begin defend her. Navia then realizes that everyone present were victims of the disaster, but before the audience could take her, Neuvillette appears and dismisses them. Melus and Silver say their final goodbyes to Navia as Neuvillette brings her back to reality, where she relates her dream. Neuvillette explains that Navia fell into water from the Primordial Sea, but she was protected by two Oceanids just long enough for him to rescue her.

Navia is humbled that the two would continue protecting her even after death, while Neuvillette pulls the Traveler and Paimon aside as to give her some space. He reveals that he had come to Poisson to meet up with them. He was surprised to see the Fatui helping out and ran into Arlecchino, who told him where the group had gone. The four then continue exploring the ruins until they discover several stone slates on the wall, though the first one appears to be missing. Paimon reads the text, surprising her as it relates to the prophecy about Fontaine's destruction. Looking at the second slate, they find several people kneeling while facing an island in the sky. The third image shows Furina in the water, surrounded by people in the water, while the fourth image aligns with the prophecy of her alone, weeping on her throne. They then realize something is off with the order of the images and deduce that the significant person in the second image is Egeria, the previous Hydro Archon, who appears to be kneeling as if forgiveness for a sin. With no further leads to go on however, they leave the ruins. Navia leaves to check on her organization while Neuvillette goes to confront Furina about the prophecy. Navia has the Traveler and Paimon rest at their headquarters in Fleuve Cendre.

Hunters, Prophets

When the two arrive, the Traveler and Paimon are treated to a large meal by Tetreaux before Mona spots them. Mona had come to Fontaine for some business and reveals her master's name, Astromancer Barbeloth Trismegistus. She insists that she is not a Fontainian, having been born in Mondstadt. The two ask her about the prophecy, and it turns out that The Steambird invited her to join a panel about it. She expresses her inability to comment on the prophecy's "world-changing" claims, but states that the other Hexenzirkel members could discern it. The Traveler asks her to get in touch with her master for more information. Though surprised, she agrees.

The next day, the Traveler and Paimon head to Neuvillette's office to see if he gained any useful information from Furina. Upon arriving, Sedene informs them that the two are having an argument. Neuvillette asks Furina to stop dodging the question and he hands her a list of victims from the Poisson incident. Neither of them want it to happen again, so he pushes her to yield information about the missing stone slate and the prophecy from Egeria. Furina states that she and Egeria are two different people and thus she is not privy to her predecessor's secrets. She asserts that she has a plan in motion and orders Neuvillette not to speak of the incident again as she darts from his office, failing to notice the Traveler at the door. The Traveler then enters and Neuvillette explains that the only way to get the truth out of Furina will be to put her on trial. Even though he doesn't want to do this, he has no choice given the circumstances.

The Traveler contacts Navia, Lyney, Lynette, Freminet, and Clorinde to meet up in Poisson with Neuvillette. There they discuss a plan to trap Furina and force her to reveal her secrets and deal with the prophecy. When the Traveler and Paimon return to Fleuve Cendre, they talk about their plan before someone sets a cup of tea down and joins them, though the person is nowhere to be seen. The Traveler quickly realizes that it must be Mage "N" who tells them that even the gods' gaze has blind spots. The Traveler thinks about her words before going to sleep. When they wake up again, they find Mona, who had talked to Charlotte about the prophecy. They also tell Mona about N's visit, and she remarks that the situation must truly be dire for N to talk to them in person.

Paimon decides to take a walk around the city, where they stop at Hotel Debord to get a quick bite to eat. Paimon notices the cake that was served in the tea party with Arlecchino and Furina and goes to order one, but Sedene suddenly appears and orders one too. Paimon asks her what she would do if the place disappears beneath the flood, and she answers that she would continue her routine regardless. Seeing that they're sad, Sedene buys two more slices of cake for them to lift their spirits. Then they go to the Steambird and meet up with Charlotte. Paimon also asks her what she would do if Fontaine were flooded. Charlotte states that she would still continue her work. While she could leave, she would be duty-bound to stay as a journalist and not forsake her homeland.

After walking around the city, Paimon and the Traveler stand beside the sea and she asks the Traveler the same question. The Traveler responds that they would continue journeying in Teyvat. The Traveler and Paimon spend the next few days in Fleuve Cendre before Isadora arrives, telling them that there was a small-scale riot in the Opera Epiclese. During a show, some people accused Furina of ignoring the "prophecy crisis". Then, others began joining in, causing her to flee while the Marechaussee Phantom dealt with the situation. However, now that it was resolved, Furina was nowhere to be found. Knowing Furina, the two head to Poisson to look for her.

Apocalypse

In Poisson, the Traveler and Paimon find Furina lamenting the victims of the recent disaster. When approached, she pretends she's fine before several people appear and chase her. The three manage evade their pressures before entering a house, where Furina begins to unravel and admit that she had been investigating the prophecy, but to seemingly no avail. The Traveler manages to convince her to open up to them as a "witness", since they are a spectator, not from Teyvat. But, before she could say anything, the house quickly collapses and reveals to be an elaborate opening act by Lyney to begin her trial. Furina finds the idea of being tried absurd, but Neuvillette takes this as a refusal. Since the other option is a duel with Clorinde, Furina refuses the duel by raising both hands up, surprising the audience. Furina then clarifies that she is not completely surrendering, rather she is agreeing to the trial.

The Traveler then prosecutes Furina, hoping to get the truth if they best her in court. Before they start, Furina asks how much time was spent to force her on the stage and learns of the plan to trap her. Navia's subordinates lured her both at the opera and at Poisson, while the Fatui built a "Giant Magic Box" to replicate Lyney's original trick and tunneled all the way to the opera house, where Clorinde was ready to duel Furina should she refuse trial. Furina then assumes that the Traveler was only intending to prosecute her, but they tell her that they wanted to give her one last chance to admit everything in the box. As the stage was already set, Furina states that the only action left for her is to begin the trial.

The Traveler presses the charge of Furina being a fraud, surprising everyone due to the blatancy of the accusation. Despite this, they manage to convince the audience through supporting information compiled by Charlotte's interview, culminating with Navia providing a sample of Primordial Water for her to touch. Furina is initially hesitant to touch the water, but does so to maintain her innocence. Neuvillette then calls Sigewinne in for a check-up, who reveals that she shared the same symptoms as other Fontanians exposed to impure Primordial Water. The audience is fully convinced and Nevuillette concludes the trial, deeming her guilty and leaving her in tears. Neuvillette then asks the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale for the final verdict. It declares the Hydro Archon guilty, to be punished by the death sentence, even though the trial just proved that the defendant, Furina, was guilty of not being the Hydro Archon. Everyone is surprised and the verdict confuses Neuvillette greatly. Suddenly, Freminet appears with the missing first stone slate.

Neuvillette analyzes the slate and asks the Traveler to interpret it. They discover Egeria using her power to turn the Oceanids into humans, who became Fontaine's people. Using what they learned from the other slates, they deduce the truth of the prophecy. The people would be dissolved, turning into Oceanids, Celestia declared that the Hydro Archon and her people would be killed for her "sin", Navia's near-death experience was a "trial" meant to make her stay, and the eruption of the Primordial Sea at the Fortress of Meropide confirms that the prophecy would eventually be fulfilled. The Traveler gives their hypothesis of the prophecy, which impresses Neuvillette. He then reveals that there was another truth hidden, which he was unable to decipher at the time as they only had three slates.

In the Fontaine of old, Egeria's Oceanid followers yearned to live on land, but Egeria did not have the ability to create life herself. Thus, she used the Primordial Sea to grant them humanoid bodies by pouring it into their blood vessels. That is why, if Primordial Sea water made contact with them, they would "dissolve" back into their original forms. As she did not gain permission for this from the Heavenly Principles, the Hydro Archon had "sinned" by appropriating the power of the Primordial Sea. This revelation baffles the audience. Neuvillette then explains that the Traveler's hypothesis has some flaws. The third slate does show people in the water, but the water is not from the Primordial Sea; rather, it symbolized judgement and justice. Thus, the third slate shows how the people of Fontaine would put the Hydro Archon on trial, which they have just done. The fourth slate is actually a sign of things to come. The prophecy will be fulfilled by the massive narwhal-like entity seen in Childe's dream.

Suddenly, the ground shakes as a large rift opens in the opera house. The aforementioned massive narwhal-like entity emerges and Neuvillette briefly holds it off before it shifts its focus to the audience. Before it can consume them, though, Childe in his Foul Legacy form appears and works with Neuvillette to push the creature back into the rift before he also tumbles back into it. Neuvillette, seeing the monster first-hand, realizes that the monster had roamed the Primordial Sea for ages and was responsible for the rising water levels. Once it consumed all it could, it would then target any remaining sources on Teyvat, namely, the people of Fontaine. However, its appearance had been delayed by Childe's efforts, though it would recover and return soon. When it did, it could not be stopped as it held the power of the Primordial Sea itself. Recalling N's words, the Traveler realizes there would be a way to fulfill the prophecy and save everyone at the same time. Then the Oratrice prepares to carry out its death sentence. The Traveler rushes to Furina and one of her tears lands on their hand, which sends Neuvillette and the Traveler into different realms.

The Opera of Noirceur and Blancheur

Inside his alternate realm, Neuvillette encounters Focalors, asking her why she deceived them. Focalors explains that she did so to deceive the Heavenly Principles and resolve the situation thrust on her by Egeria. After much thought, she realized the only way to save her people would be to outwit their accuser, the Heavenly Principles. Focalors herself was also a transformed human, originally being an Oceanid. When she ascended as an Archon, she split her divinity, leaving her human body as Furina and her divine spirit as Focalors. Furina was everything she wanted as a human, but to maintain her ploy, Focalors cursed her. The "curse" she placed on Furina was that as long as her divinity existed, she could not die. She also could not live her life in the pursuit of happiness, and thus she was forced to play her role in the opera for 500 years.

The Traveler sees what Furina had gone through in the past 500 years while Focalors explains her plan and impending sacrifice to Neuvillette. As she executes herself, her Gnosis is returned to a shocked and grieving Neuvillette, while she thanks Furina for her role and wishes for her to live as a human. Neuvillette, with his full power restored, absolves the sins of all Fontainians. Thus, even when the prophecy will be fulfilled, the people will be immune to the dissolving effects of the Primordial Sea. Returning to reality, he tells the group that they can finally defeat the beast, since his authority as the Hydro Dragon has been fully restored. As the Oratrice is no longer functioning, he then asks the Traveler to accompany him as his executor.

Entering the Primordial Sea, Neuvillette and the Traveler subdue the All-Devouring Narwhal. Before they can do anything else, a woman appears and uses a strange power to convert the beast into an orb before she hurls both it and Childe into a rift. She remarks on how her disciple and her "master's pet" began brawling. Paimon recognizes her as Skirk, Childe's master. Skirk is impressed with their strength, as they had defeated it without relying on the powers of the Abyss. They ask her about her master, who she calls Surtalogi, though they do not know that name. She then lists the names of others who she believes are a similar sort to Surtalogi, in that all of them are "pursuing some form of perfection." She then asks about Vedrfolnir, who they fail to recognize, before asking about Rhinedottir, who Paimon recognizes as Albedo's creator. Skirk informs them that the narwhal used up all its strength and that the prophecy is now in full swing. As the waters flood Fontaine, the people are unaffected due to Focalors' deception and Neuvillette's absolution of primordial sin. The waters quickly recede, and a shocked Furina looks outside, seeing the people were unaffected.

Finale

With the prophecy averted, the people of Fontaine begin to rebuilding their society while the Steambird prints free copies to calm the masses and get them hooked on the inevitable follow-ups. Charlotte asks the Traveler to accompany her as she heads to Poisson to document the rebuilding efforts for said follow-ups. The rebuilding of Poisson is going smoothly with help from the Fatui and Clorinde, who was laying low there since her reputation skyrocketed after she challenged Furina to a duel. Once she finishes all her business in the town, Charlotte heads to the Fortress of Meropide for an interview with Jurieu and Lourvine about the flying ship. Finally, they head to Romaritime Harbor and catch up with Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet. Lyney tells them that "Father" was given the Hydro Gnosis and that Childe returned to Snezhnaya to recover from his injuries. Paimon remarks on how they've allied with the Fatui for the first time. Then Arlecchino appears, surprising them. When asked, she states that as a Harbinger, it's her duty to hand over the Gnosis to the Tsaritsa. The Traveler also asks her to return Childe's Vision.

After seeing both groups off, the Traveler and Paimon look for Neuvillette, who's waiting outside the Erinnyes entrance to the Fortress of Meropide. He tells them everything that happened and that with his fully restored powers, he deemed Fontainians "true humans", preventing them from being dissolved upon contact with the Primordial Sea. After some time passed, Furina abdicated from her role as Hydro Archon and left the related affairs (though not the title) to Neuvillette before leaving the Opera. Neuvillette promises to ensure that her needs are be taken care of. He also reveals that, after sending the two back to Teyvat, he spoke further with Skirk, who commented on his Hydro Gnosis, which she revealed was the "remains" of the third Descender. She recommended that he remove such "items of misfortune". Neuvillette tried to ask about this third Descender but Skirk insisted that she did not know. However, she promised to ask her master and have Tartaglia relay the information back to him. Neuvillette also reveals his full reasoning behind giving the Fatui the Hydro Gnosis to them.

With this information, the Traveler informs Neuvillette that they're the fourth Descender, leaving him impressed. They are still unsure as to what the Gnoses actually are, though they decide to ask Childe rather than make blind guesses. Neuvillette then ponders the gods' will and the difference between the rain that falls on everyone. He assumes the Traveler and Paimon will head to Natlan next, the land of endless war and a nation where both human and dragons coexist. The intel gained from the negotiation with The Knave also reveals that Il Capitano has "thrown his hat" into the endless ring of war in there. Neuvillette suggests them to fully prepare themselves before going.

Act VI - Bedtime Story[]

Cold Case Commission

The Traveler and Paimon received a commission from Katheryne to find a missing person from Vimara Village. The commission is jointly issued by the residents of Vimara Village and a dozen successive efforts to complete it have all ended in failure. Katheryne informs them that none of the residents know the missing person's name and they can only provide his general appearance. The Traveler and Paimon accept the commission and head out to Vimara Village.

Arriving in the village, they ask around for information regarding the missing person. Bahram describes him as a young man in his early twenties, a very kind person, and always willing to help around the village. According to Amadhiah, he likes to accompany the elderly and play with the orphans in the village. After gathering information, the Traveler suspects that this person may only exists in their memories and this person never actually exists.

Atossa approaches them and takes them to a tree where they used to sit together and talk for hours. Atossa would confide in him about her problems and she considered him as a family that she never had. She mentions that it always seemed to be around dusk every time they were together and although they have been talking for hours, the sun did not seem to move. The Traveler realizes that it could be the key to solve the case. A Pyro Abyss Mage suddenly appears and attacks them. The Travelers wonders what the Abyss Order is up to around the village and Atossa mentions that the Hilichurls around Vimara Village has been more active lately and they always seem agitated.

Memories That Should Not Exist

Atossa heads back to the village as the Traveler and Paimon find Dainsleif. Dainsleif is also investigating the Abyss Order and he suspects that they are up to something. The Traveler reminds Dainsleif about his promise to explain the mysterious voice from their last meeting. He reveals that the Sinner is "The Visionary" Vedrfolnir, who is his older brother and one of the Five Sinners of Khaenri'ah. The group consists of five highly esteemed and powerful individuals; Vedrfolnir himself, along with Rhinedottir, Surtalogi, Rerir and Hroptatyr. He believes that if they had worked together with him, they could have stopped the Vinster King from rocking the foundation of Teyvat, but instead they became allured by the power of the Abyss and shared a world-shattering power among themselves. Paimon recognizes Rhinedottir and Surtalogi, before Dainsleif explains that when the cataclysm came, none of them came to defend their nation, which he would never forgive and would always remember despite the erosion of his memories.

Dainsleif has been investigating the Loom of Fate operation, the operation keeps going forward even without the eye of the first Field Tiller. He suspects that the Loom of Fate is closely related to the Ley Lines and he decides to accompany the Traveler on the missing person investigation, seeing the possibility of someone existing only in memories.

The next day, the Traveler sees Dainsleif zoning out and seemingly agitated. He feels that memories of a person he never met before suddenly appeared on his mind when he woke up and Dainsleif is giving away the first Field Tiller's eye to this person in this new memory. He deduces that the missing person has something to do with Abyss Order and may have an ability to implant memories into other people and that the Abyss Order never stopped looking for the eye. Dainsleif takes them to the location of the eye to confirm if they still have it.

At the entrance, Dainsleif zones out again but quickly tells them to keep moving. The Traveler is curious of what did he wanted to say. Later on, he realizes that the Abyss Order is tailing them and that the fake memories is a trap for him to reveal the location of the eye. Sensing a disturbance in the Ley Lines, Dainsleif tells them to quickly leave the place and return to Vimara Village and this time they will have the opportunity to locate the missing villager. The Traveler thinks that something is off but they reluctantly do as he says.

After the Traveler and Paimon leave, the Traveler's Sibling slowly approaches Dainsleif from behind and holding a golden sword. Dainsleif reveals that he always knew that it was a trap but decided to go along with it for a chance to meet the Traveler's Sibling. The sibling had opted to confront him alone, as they knew that sending an army when the Twilight Sword was ready would spell their demise. The sibling further tells him that if they want to talk, he'll have to beat them first.

World-Order Narration

As the Traveler and Paimon explore the area surrounding Vimara Village, they notice that the previously agitated hilichurls are now unusually calm. Returning to the village, they ask about the missing villager, but to their surprise, no one appears to remember posting a commission related to them. The Traveler concludes that there are some flaws in the memory and find Atossa with a strange man. They quickly deduce him to be Caribert. Caribert realizes that they had seen him through their sibling's memory and was planning to say farewell to Atossa, but decides to leave her a message instead and asks them to follow him.

Caribert brings the Traveler to his consciousness, where they begin asking him about the Loom of Fate. He explains to them that while his father told him that he was the foundation for the Loom and that the person before the Traveler was just a memory. The Loom of Fate was a device that could create Ley Lines; in its primitive form, it could create and implant memories, but when fully unlocked, it could create Ley Lines of its own, losing its previous ability to create and implant memories, but could "change" the world. Thus, everything that happened in Vimara Village was of his own doing in order to have a "chance" at the life he was denied.

The Traveler decides to leave to help Dainsleif, but Caribert tells them that the Loom of Fate was completed. He explains that he had guessed how he would act; he had hidden the eye in his body in order to draw the sibling out, then give the eye to the Traveler while they left. This was never achieved, as Caribert had implanted a false memory of him giving the eye to them, thus explaining his distraction. While he has no idea what the sibling plans to do with the completed Loom, he wanted to make his own reality and fades away in peace, just as the sibling arrives.

The Traveler is delighted to see their sibling again, but discovers that they cannot physically touch them. The sibling explains that they did not belong in Caribert's memory and were thus intangible, and that they would be ejected soon. They share a short conversation, where the sibling explains their motives for continuing their war against the divine. They are in a rush to fully unlock the Loom before the Heavenly Principles would awaken, as they did not do so despite the Divine Throne of Hydro being destroyed. They also express their loneliness to them, wondering if their actions were the right choice. Caribert's memory then begins to collapse, and the sibling informs then that they would not remember the conversation as they are separated.

As they awaken, Paimon explains that the villagers found them sleeping at the outskirts and were unable to wake them up, so they decided to bring them to the village. She also reveals that Dainsleif had come to check on them and that he had been seemingly injured and had a lot on his mind. The villagers then remember about the missing villager, Caribert, though realize that he had left with two others. The Traveler and Paimon then look for Atossa, who hopes that Caribert would return to the village one day. Paimon then asks the Traveler what happened after speaking to Caribert, but they are unable to remember before noticing something in their pockets, pulling out a picture of them, their sibling and Caribert, who urges them to get along with each other regardless of what happens.

Characters[]

94 Characters appear in this Chapter:

• Adele
• Alexis
• Amadhiah
• Arlecchino
• Atossa
• Augereau
• Bahram
• Bavilliers
• Bernette
• Calcagni
• Cannes
• Caribert
• Charlotte
• Chlothar
• Clorinde
• Collins
• Coralie
• Cowell
• Cuistot
• Dainsleif
• Deakin
• Dehya
• Desyree
• Downcast Convict
• Esildor
• Esmond
• Essonnes
• Estelle
• Etienne
• Fielding
• Fitzroy
• Florent
• Focalors
• Freminet
• Furina
• Galathee
• Garrick
• Gerunt Snezhevich
• Giverny
• Grainville
• Grumpy Convict
• Guard
• Guard
• Guard
• Hermosa
• Irimia
• Isadora
• Joinville
• Jolienne
• Joliot
• Jurieu
• Katheryne
• Laverune
• Lectoure
• Leonide
• Liliane
• Lourvine
• Lynette
• Lyney
• Madeleine
• Mage "N"
• Marcel
• Marette
• Maurice
• Melissa
• Melus
• Molly
• Mona
• Monglane
• Navia
• Neuvillette
• Paimon
• Poirier
• Promoter
• Quentin
• Rena
• Roussimoff
• Rowan
• Sedene
• Sigewinne
• Silver
• Skirk
• Tartaglia
• Tetreaux
• Thierry
• Traveler
• Traveler's Sibling
• Tristane
• Truand
• Vaughn
• Vidoc
• Vigneire
• Wolsey
• Wriothesley

Total Rewards[]

25,050 Adventure EXP

360 Primogem

1,096,675 Mora

3 Memory of Running Stream

103 Hero's Wit

200 Mystic Enhance­ment Ore

2 Guide to Equity

2 Guide to Justice

2 Guide to Order

1 Tears Among the Stars

1 "A New Life's Beginning"

Gallery[]

Fontaine Chapter Story Card

Traveler Chapter Story Card

Act I and II Special Program Announcement

Act I and II Announcement

Act III and IV Special Program Announcement

Act III and IV Announcement

Act V Special Program Announcement

Act V Announcement

Act VI Special Program Announcement

Act VI Announcement

Other Languages[]

Change History[]

References[]

Navigation[]

Archon Quests   Prologue 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 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 Act IV We Will Be Reunited Bough Keeper: Dainsleif (Prelude) Involuntary Sacrifice A Herald Without Adherents Dishonorable Trial A Soul Set Apart   Chapter II 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 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 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 Act VI Caribert Destined Encounter Fortune-Mocking Pedigree A Lamenter at Fate's End Portended Fate   Chapter IV 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 Act VI Bedtime Story Cold Case Commission Memories That Should Not Exist World-Order Narration   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   Upcoming Chapter V Chapter VI Chapter ?? Epilogue