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reginrokkr · 2 years

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→ Study 𝐗𝐕𝐈: Colors of the rainbow —elements—. White light, Ether and Void.

Today while I was speed-running Lisa's event to get her outfit, I was reminded of an old thought of mine that I never elaborated upon. We know that the Elemental Sight can perceive the world in a different way so long as what it's being seen is touched by the elements, but thus far we only know of 7 of them which coincide with the current Heptatheon of Archons. However, there have been bits and pieces that let on the premise that there are more than 7 existing elements, and I'll start first with a namecard's description which I think it's pretty neat for this:

It's curious to see something that was released so early on in the story already alluded to this, but in truth we see this happening in more places. Do you know the portal to the Spiral Abyss? The portals of some events that lead to domains like Lisa's? The portals of the Theatrical Mechanicus? All of them share something in common: they can be perceived via the Elemental Sight, but while they're blue in color, they don't match with any of the 7 elements.

Before I continue with what I want to say, I want to direct your attention briefly at something that Tsumi, the Dragon / Vishap-person of the event the Three Realm Gateway that took place in Enkanomiya said:

It's known that before Phanes' arrival, there used to be 7 Sovereign Dragons one of each element, although Vishaps are described as creatures that break down raw, primitive elemental energy into milder elemental energy. This can call for some consideration that the elements we're used to are more than what they know of, or even that in breaking down this raw primitive elemental energy, new variations of elements could occur.

Now I want to mention two words that are used in the Bathysmal Vishap Experimental Records: Ether and Void.

Four of the elements here are the four primal elements that the universe is made from in Greek philosophy (which is the language after which Enkanomiya takes from as the original language, arguably used in other civilizations that existed at the same time as Enkanomiya in the big continent that used to be on the surface before the Second Who Came's arrival), but there is a fifth element which is (A)Ether, Void being most likely a new addition into the Genshin universe which refers directly to the Abyss.

At this point of the story we don't know yet what element is exactly this Ether (as in having a thorough confirmation), but we've seen Void or the Abyssal element being used in this same event and also by the Abyss Sibling and other places too.

For this I'm going to say I rely on hypothesis theory (as I don't have the means to check this myself because those missions were done a long time ago), but it's said directly by the Aranara that Marana and the "vanguards of the Abyss" which at the time were the Abyssal Wolves, Gold's creations, are one and the same. We know that Marana —and by extension, the Withering— is showed in red, as Marana's avatar mixes purple and red colors, which always made me wonder: what if the purple of the Abyss we currently know of, in truth, it's a mix of a red and blue energy? We know that the Abyss by itself looks like a galaxy area and in the Spiral Abyss there are traces of blue energy in the sky. If this same blue energy was what existed before the Second Who Arrived's arrival and this red energy belongs to them (as it was stated that it was them who brought all this chaos), then the namecard description about there being more colors than 7 as there could be more elements than 7 seems to stand true.

In regards of Ether as an element, my lead is to think that perhaps the blue that doesn't seem to equate to Hydro which we can observe in several portals I mentioned earlier could be an element directly related to Irminsul. By definition in the Greek philosophy, celestial spheres (made of aether) hold stars and planets. Stars are a common thematic that stems from the core of Irminsul, be it the very core itself or the space that it's in. Maybe other elements could be attributes to the sets of blues we see that are similar and follow a same pattern, maybe it's one. As a curiosity, Aether is also attributed as that which fills the void and it's thanks to it that light propagates and white light is made of 7 colors: the same colors that represent the elements we know of. Sounds familiar? It's through Ley Lines that all the elements are distributed to every corner of the world in order to sustain it. This is a hypothesis, of course, but there are various leads that make me consider that this unknown Ether element is the one that represents Irminsul.

Before wrapping this up, I want to make a special mention to a curiosity that happens in We Will Be Reunited, when Traveler wants to find the eye of the first Field Tiller at the top of Old Mondstadt's tower to no avail, to which Dain says "This requires another method. Using Elemental Sight on a Field Tiller is of no use because it is not powered by the elements" while at the same time, it's thanks to the "element" Dain uses that he's able to use something akin to psychokinesis to take it out of the Field Tiller. Just some food for thought.

Lastly, under cut I'll add some screens of my own gameplay for reference:

#◟༺✧༻◞ analysis within the ley lines ichor ┊study.┊#man this got long #but it was worth it #what a nice exercise #to go through these again #something I forgot to mention is #that it's curious how Ether seems to be #the celestial-like element #it's so oddly fitting #that Ether and Void clash with one another #which we also see for instance in Requiem of the Echoing Depths #with Dain dissipating that abyss barrier #around the Nameless Ruins #with the thingy he uses #if this blue thingy in particular #is one and the same #I have to say that it's in so many more places #that I haven't mentioned #like them big mushrooms in Sumeru's forest #I forgot its name #there are some floating squares #that can be seen with the Elemental Sight too #it's also in King Deshret's mechanical thingies #but I'm not sure if I'd attribute it to the same #also if you've been in one of the Ruin Golems #the energy needed to do whatever inside is bright yellow/gold #which can be seen via Elemental Sight too #perhaps that's another element under a different name #who knows

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genshinnrambles · 3 years

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Patch 2.5 Analysis: Ley Lines, Ley Line Disorders, Ambition, and Elemental Energy Theory PART 2

This post will review some of the major lore revelations from Raiden Ei’s second story quest and Enkanomiya as they pertain to the Ley Lines and energy flow. This will update, clarify, and expand upon my previous Ley Line theory and attempt to complicate it as much as my brain can handle given the new dimensions of Time, Space, and Realms that we have to deal with when theorizing about Teyvat’s laws of physics.

SPOILERS: Enkanomiya [2.4 main quest and Collections of Dragons and Snakes], The Three Realms Gateway Offering, Sakura Arborism, Divina Vulpes Chapter Act I, and Imperatrix Umbrosa Chapter: Act II: Transient Dreams. Dragonspine, Watatsumi Island, Tsurumi Island, and Narukami Island lore will also be discussed.

Well, I never thought I would write another Ley Line post (not out of lack of necessity, but out of the sheer enormity of the task), but here we are.

Many moons ago [~version 2.2], I bit off more than I could chew and made an attempt to explain energy flow in Teyvat, focusing on elemental energy, its relationship to ambitions, and the complex Ley Line network that carries the elements through the land. The TL;DR of that post's claims is: Ley Lines, in addition to carrying elemental energy, respond to the wishes and desires of humans, gods, and elemental beings, which in turn affects energy flow and shapes the natural environment. Normal Ley Line flow can be obstructed when desires and ambitions are corrupted into obsessions, causing Ley Line disorders. Again, all of these were just theories with very little in-game text to support it, aside from the idea that the elements themselves carry ambitions and emotions within them.

A lot has happened in-game since I made that post. Mostly, Enkanomiya happened. And I am, in all honesty, not sure what to do with Enkanomiya just yet. In addition, Raiden Ei’s second story quest just happened, and it has some pretty exciting (and in my opinion, easier to work with) implications for some of the claims I made back then.

First, I’m going to review some of the major lore revelations from Raiden’s second story quest: Transient Dreams. Then, I will attempt to recap some of Enkanomiya’s energy flow lore, specifically what the new Three Realms Gateway Offering event reveals. So, big spoilers ahead for version 2.5! And, I'm so sorry, but because this post is a follow-up and not a rewrite, it may not make a lot of sense without the context of the original post. So, I'd encourage you to read that one first.

TRANSIENT DREAMS LORE

1. The Sacred Sakura Tree purifies “filth” directly from the Ley Lines.

Katheryne: For a long time, the Sacred Sakura has been absorbing filth from Inazuma's Ley Lines to maintain stability in the land.

Katheryne: If it were ever damaged, the filth would once again invade Inazuma, causing great catastrophe. That's why this is a rather urgent case.

This was the most surprising support for a theory I posited in the last post - the Sacred Sakura Tree is connected to the Ley Lines, its roots hold the filth in them directly, and the tree needs to be purified periodically when large amounts of filth accumulate over time. Before, I thought the Sacred Sakura's function seemed similar to how Ley Line outcrops and the Irminsul trees in the domains require resin to clear up blockages obstructing normal energy flow - so, I thought, maybe filth accumulation in its roots can produce something like a Ley Line disorder in the land. Note, this does not necessarily mean that the Sacred Sakura Tree’s roots = Ley Line roots, just that the roots can connect to them somehow and rid them of "filth."

And how could the Sacred Sakura Tree do that? Well, my theory is that the wishes of the people who visit the Grand Narukami Shrine and their unwavering belief in the Electro Archon is what gives the tree the power to draw out impurities. Therefore, its ability to function could depend on (at least) two things - the belief of the people in the protective power of the Electro Archon, and the periodic purification of its roots through the Sacred Sakura Cleansing ritual. If either of these is absent, the tree will fail with time. Whether or not this is how it actually works remains to be explicitly seen in the text.

This also has interesting implications for the Dragon-Queller Tree’s connection to the Ley Lines. As I mentioned in the previous post, the Azhdaha documentary shows that he draws his elemental power directly from the Ley Lines - with the added support from Ei’s story quest, I think there’s grounds to speculate that the Dragon-Queller Tree might have a connection to the Ley Lines too, assuming that Azhdaha isn’t capable of drawing elemental power from them no matter where in Teyvat he may be. And unfortunately, we may never know the answer to this.

Finally, I think this does not support my assertion that gods such as Orobaxi and Ei actually have this substance flowing through their bodies. In the case of Orobaxi, I wonder if his bones contain the substance because his corpse is so deeply integrated with the land on Yashiori Island now - it can be difficult to tell where the island ends and the serpent’s bones begin. For this, I wonder if his bones may be helping to purify Yashiori Island instead. But honestly, I’m not sure. What I find interesting about this possibility, however, is the fact that Durin’s bones do not contain any substance like the “filth” within them, which would suggest that he is unable to cleanse the land because he is the one poisoning it to begin with, whereas the Frostbearing Tree does contain the (corrupted) substance in its branches and is growing from it.

2. Filth is the glowing blue-white substance seen in the Sacred Sakura Tree (and potentially by extension the Dragon-Queller tree, Orobaxi’s bones, and potentially the Perches on Tsurumi).

When the Rifthounds attacked the roots of the Sacred Sakura Tree, this “filth” seeped out of them onto the ground, and was smeared across Narukami Island following their trail. This helps illustrate what these trees are actually doing - they are containing the filth inside them, but the filth can escape if the tree is damaged in some way.

Interestingly, in the viewpoint description for the Dragon-Queller tree, this substance is actually referred to as “moonlight” that “flows” within the branches (Moonlit Tree: Nantianmen). I’m not gonna touch that with a 10-foot pole right now, but it’s worth noting for people who are more versed in the deeper lore.

3. The filth contains memories and wills of varying levels of purity - particularly impure memories and wills can physically manifest as aggressive beings, while purified filth will present as an ephemeral memory.

Ei: An entity formed with strong filth would be highly aggressive. But when purified, it presents in the form of a memory. Purified filth quickly dissipates and will be absorbed by the Ley Lines shortly afterwards. In other words, it cannot exist for too long.

This adds up with the assertion that the Sacred Sakura removes impurities from the Ley Lines - Ley Line energy is thought to contain the elements, and it is thought that elements contain “emotions and hope” (Living Beings: Pyro Regisvine) within them. The fact that we have now seen with our own eyes a memory of a deceased being spawn into a ghostlike form from an energy that originated in the Ley Lines is astonishing. The Sinshades and ghosts on Tsurumi were already there, we never really witnessed them spawn in this same way. However, I am also trying to be conservative here given Yae Miko’s closing remarks from the quest: "There's plenty more besides memories held in the Ley Lines." So, Miko, what do they contain? Time and space itself? ....You know what, don't answer that.

Paimon: This stuff that's flowing out, is it sap or something? And how come it's glowing...

The light disperses in all directions before coalescing into human form...

Also of note here is the description of "light" dispersing from the roots before conjuring a human form (a memory or will). Contrast this with the "pitch-black fog" that Ei talked about covering the land of Inazuma during the Cataclysm.

In my previous post, I tried to roughly parse out what corruption could be - one of the ideas I posited was that corruption is born from obsessions, and that obsessions can take the form of regrets, fears, and excesses of ambition (or, in other words, greed). In this vein, Furuyama made an interesting comment when he materialized from the Sacred Sakura roots in Araumi:

Furuyama: People flee out of a desire to live on. And the desire to live on stems from a feeling of having unfinished business in life. But me? I have no such thoughts, and I have no regrets.

Furuyama is not aggressive and does not last long after we leave to fetch a teaset, suggesting he is a purified filth manifestation. If regret could be part of the piece of the puzzle of corruption, I wonder if Furuyama's lack of regret could be why he manifests as a pleasant memory rather than an aggressive one. And that, moreover, would imply that non-purified filth is stained with corruption.

While strong regret does not necessarily produce corruption every time (see: Kapatcir the Thunderbird, at least to our knowledge right now), in the case of the Cataclysm there is particularly good evidence that strong filth from this time would be a product of corruption. Elaborated on below.

4. The Cataclysm had multiple origins. Inazuma was attacked both locally and from monsters originating in Khaenri'ah.

Interesting implications to this. This was kind of evident from existing lore in the game, but it's nice to have this outright confirmed. Supposedly, at least as we are led to believe, Gold was at the heart of the eruption of monsters in Khaneri'ah, and it is written that she was corrupted by her greed (Breeze Amidst the Forest). So then, what was at the heart of Inazuma's disaster? Well, supposedly Urakusai did something that later led to "the incursion of the Abyss" (New Chronicles of the Six Kitsune: Vol. V), but Miko does not seem to harbor any ill-will toward him today despite the hell that the Abyss War caused Inazuma (and, in Miko's interest, caused her friend Ei).

I suppose this is what I'm wondering - if my thought that Ley Lines respond to emotions, will, and ambitions indiscriminately is correct, and that when these things are corrupted they produce blockages in the Ley Lines that can become Ley Line disorders is also true, then does the eruption of the Abyss (a long-established corrupting force in Teyvat) in multiple locations at once suggest that there is a local component to the Ley Lines' response? In other words, a Ley Line phenomena in Inazuma would be specific to the emotions, will, and ambitions of people in Inazuma, not in Mondstadt.

And yes, I am suggesting that the Ley Lines may have had a hand in bringing the Abyss to Teyvat 500 years ago. From the Ley Lines' perspective, they may have just been responding to what they "felt" from the Human Realm. Or...maybe it is the Abyss that was responding to the Ley Lines.

This seems like basic inference, but I do think it's important to have some kind of in-game text that is now supporting this idea of localized energy flow phenomena and catastrophes.

5. "As long as the Ley Lines flow, the relentless erosion of time will never stop."

Again, this is suggesting one of the things Miko alluded to being contained in the Ley Lines may literally be time itself. And this makes sense when we really think about it: Tsurumi Island was cursed to repeat the days leading up to Kapatcir destroying it again and again until the Traveler and Ruu resolved her regret on Seirai Island, Dragonspine has been trapped in an eternity of snowfall for thousands of years. Both of these locations are known to have strange relationships to time and the environment due to Ley Line disorders, the former caused potentially by "a fragment of Celestia" and Kapatcir, and the latter due to the destruction of the local Irminsul Tree by the Skyfrost Nail. Don't even get me started on the timey-wimey bs that happened on our way to Makoto's Realm of Consciousness.

And hmm, something responded to our wishes and strong will to reach Ei despite her being surrounded by "chaos." I wonder what (or...who) that could have been?

While this is not all that we learned from the quest, it's where I'll conclude this part of the analysis. Now,

THREE REALMS GATEWAY OFFERING LORE

Ley Line Disorders, Revisited

One of the major pieces of world-building lore we learned from Enkanomiya is the existence of the three realms: The Vishap Realm (or Light Realm), the Human Realm, and the Void Realm. In the Three Realms Gateway Offering, Enkanomiya is covered in a dark fog triggered by Enjou utilizing the Towers of the Void to release Abyssal energy into Enkanomiya. It should come as no surprise, then, that the Void Realm is likely another way to refer to the Abyss. If that is true, then Abyssal energy from the Void Realm may be one of the forces responsible for corruption in the Human Realm.

"During the 'Three Realms Gateway Offering' event, Enkanomiya will be covered in darkness. This darkness has a corrupting influence, and if allowed to build up, it will cause battles to be abnormally difficult. Upgrade your Bokuso Box to increase your resistance to darkness." -Loading Screen: The Encroaching Dark

And on that note, this is a a truly fascinating description of the darkness in Enkanomiya during this event. May I remind us that Ley Line Disorders are abnormal flows of energy that typically favor a specific method of combat over others - some elements will receive a boon, the others will be punished and make combat more difficult. The two descriptions are dissimilar enough that I wouldn't try to equate the two, but then there's the Bokuso Box to consider - when we go to darkened areas in Void Enkanomiya, there is a "Corrosion Intensity" to be aware of, and the Bokuso Box can protect the player from the Corrosion for a certain amount of time. Corrosion itself is considered both a status effect and a Ley Line disorder. So, what gives?

In my original post, I stated that obsessions may be what bring about Ley Line Disorders by causing obstructions in the Ley Lines. I think this lore points to a need to revise that theory: Abyssal energy produces (or maybe is) Corrosion, which is capable of producing Corruption (Corrupted Waypoints, for example). Obsessions may be producing Abyssal energy, or maybe Abyssal energy responds to obsessions, which can cause Corrosion (a specific type of Ley Line Disorder), which can cause Corruption. Not all Ley Line Disorders, in other words, are a result of or a response to obsessions.

I still think there is a lot of room for clarification on what exactly Ley Line Disorders are and how they are produced. We have only the most general of ideas right now. I look forward to being able to rewrite this statement again in the future.

The Environmental Story of Genshin Impact, Revisited

Haven't seen these rocks since the last time we saw Dainsleif

Another claim I tried to argue was that elements, as units of energy that are said to contain emotions and hopes (and may also respond to emotions and hopes), can shape the natural environment in Teyvat. I also pointed out that, from Dragonspine, we can see that corruption produces these changes as well. From the new event, we can see again that it's not just the elements or any corruption that flows in the Ley Lines that can affect the environment. High concentrations of Abyssal energy is literally pulling on the Earth, attracting it toward the Towers of the Void.

The entire occasion for this event in the first place is to prevent the Holy Soil phenomenon from occurring on Watatsumi Island - Kokomi attempted the ritual with the Bloodbranch Coral we obtained from the Bathysmal Vishaps below the Dainichi Mikoshi, but rather than reversing the phenomenon (or...perhaps, reversing time), it "merely...paused." Tsumi, a presumed Vassal of Orobaxi, explains that the ceremony awakens Orobaxi's secondary familiars, the Sangocorallia, which break down "primitive elemental energy" into the "milder elemental energy of the Human Realm." They behave somewhat similarly to bacteria, in a way. And, they seem to be key to reversing the Holy Soil phenomenon, which Tsumi is implying to be caused by a build-up of the primitive elemental energy of the Light Realm. Perhaps the primitive elemental energy is more difficult for the Ley Lines to process, considering Tsumi cites the Ley Lines as an entity of the Human Realm (compared to the elemental currents of the Light Realm and dark currents of the Void Realm).

(Top) Tsumi: This tower seems to hear my wishes...I just need to think the thought and it will change its brightness.

(Middle) Tsumi: And If I so desire, it will collapse before me.

(Bottom) Hideaki: I-I'll talk! B-But it's not as if anyone cared about these trees anyway! Can't a man and his brothers make some money off their power?

In the main quest for Enkanomiya, we obtained a Bloodbranch Coral that was grafted onto the bodies of the Bathysmal Vishaps below the Dainichi Mikoshi, as part of an ancient ritual developed since the Enkanomiyans rose to the surface and lived with Orobaxi as their God on Watatsumi Island. Through our exploration of Enkanomiya, we learn that the Enkanomiyans studied the vishaps at the Vishap Research Lab, a location that has been erased from the map, where they performed atrocious genetic experiments on them and created their first successful graft of the Bloodbranch Coral on their bodies.

By the end of the Three Realms Gateway Offering, we learn that, in addition to being a Vassal of Orobaxi, Tsumi was raised by vishaps and is sympathetic to them and their plight under the Enkanomiyans and their descendants. She collaborated with Enjou to unleash the Encroaching Darkness on Enkanomiya so that the remaining captive vishaps could escape, but she did not know that Abyssal energy is toxic to elemental beings and humans, and Enjou didn't bother to tell her out of his own self-interest as an agent of the Abyss Order.

Tsumi: With the cognitive equivalent of a click of the fingers, I could destroy this source of great pain for the vishaps. So why... why can't I do it...?

When we meet up with Tsumi again, she reveals her role in the phenomenon and her goal to free the Bathysmal Vishaps from their exploitation by Watatsumi, even if that would devastate the island's ecology. She states that she knows no interaction with humans can end in anything other than betrayal, which is a fair conclusion given the history of vishap experimentation in Enkanomiya, but she does not voice aloud how Enjou, a Void being, has also betrayed her and the vishaps significantly through this plan.

Her threat to collapse the Dainichi Mikoshi is an empty one because of this. Because a human (ahem, as Tsumi understands us) showed her kindness and trusted her intentions. The Traveler met her with a pure heart. Together, they fought back the Void Realm from Enkanomiya.

"Also known as the realm of the elements. Though, much like mother nature, this realm has fallen under the dominion of humanity, it will still lend humans its aid against the encroaching void." -Loading Screen: Light Realm

This harkens back to the Azhdaha documentary once again, where Xiao Luohao posed an important concept and subsequent question:

"Azhdaha can be deemed as a representation of nature, whereas humans represent the spirit of expansion and development. So, what kind of damage will be done to nature in the process of mankind’s continuous exploration and usage of nature?"

As we are exploring this tension once again, this time through Bathysmal Vishaps and humans rather than the Geovishaps, we are not only reconfronting the ways the Human Realm has hurt the Light Realm and damaged trust, but we are also seeing the possibility for new bridges to be built between them as the task of defending their Realms from the encroaching Void looms large with the Abyss's growing power and influence.

Kokomi: Still, now that we know how Bloodbranch Coral works, I, as Divine Priestess of Sangonomiya, may need to think of a new way to counteract the Holy Soil phenomenon.

My greatest hope for this possibility came from Kokomi. Instead of relying on a centuries' old method for protecting the land, Kokomi recognizes that this is a cycle of abuse that must end, and she is willing to rise to the occasion so that it never happens again. Perhaps Watatsumi will never be forgiven, but they must change regardless of this if they even hope to rebuild this trust.

In Summary:

New Information

1. Each Realm has different energy units from one another. The Light Realm has "raw" elemental energy, the Human Realm has a milder elemental energy utilized by the Ley Lines, and the Void Realm has Abyssal or Void energy.

2. The Void Realm's energy is toxic to both humans and elemental beings.

3. A definitive link between Corrosion and Corruption is established with the event's Ley Line Disorder mechanic.

4. In Enkanomiya, all three realms' energy currents are exceptionally strong.

New Theories

1. The Sacred Sakura Tree's ability to purify filth from the Ley Lines is contingent upon the periodic cleansing of its roots through the Sacred Sakura Cleansing ritual, AND the unwavering belief of the people in the protective power of the Electro Archon (with the tree as a representation of her protection)

2. With the indication that the Cataclysm had local components as well as Khaenri'an components, I believe the Ley Lines may have been what drew the Abyss to each region in Teyvat.

3. Obsessions, born from fear, regret, and greed, produce a specific type of Ley Line Disorder (Corrosion) and can therefore lead to Corruption.

4. It is not just Ley Line energy that impacts the environment - primordial, raw elemental energy from the Light Realm (Holy Soil phenomenon) and Abyssal energy from the Void Realm (sharp rocks in Enkanomiya and the upside-down statue domain) can also shape the environment and its energy flow.

Edit history:

2/22/20222: Revised mentions of Void Energy to Abyssal energy, which is consistent with the script for Three Realms Gateway. Never hit submit before you've done several rounds of edits. /o\

References:

All screenshots are my own, from my main account (Lumine) or my alt account (Aether).

Imperatrix Umbrosa Chapter Act II: Transient Dreams

Divina Vulpes Chapter Act I: The Great Narukami Offering

Three Realms Gateway Offering: The Eve

Three Realms Gateway Offering: Aftermath

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