#gi has paimon traveler and the abyss twin

[kyogre-blue]

Dain quest 3 finally done. 

Lore points: 

Khaenri’ah was started by one bloodline, and those descended from it are considered “pure-blooded.” They seem to have been the nobility. 

When the Cataclysm went down, the pure-bloods like Dain were cursed with immortality, while anyone descended from people who worshipped archons turned into a hilichurl. 

Khaenri’ah people blame Celestia and the archons for all this. 

It seems to be some time later, potentially years after the Cataclysm, that Dain and the sibling traveled together. 

The sibling was already considered the Prince(ss) of Khaenri’ah before the Cataclysm and was worshipped due to Khaenri’ah nobility at least believing that the sibling has the power to control the Abyss. 

Kaeya seems to be of mixed blood, but it’s unclear why he’s not a hilichurl. He claims to not remember anything of Khaenri’ah (vaguely supported by Dain’s observations). He was curious about it as a child but now says that he cares about it less and less. 

The hilichurl child (Caribert) of an Alberich ancestor (Chlothar) either became or became part of the Loom of Fate. 

Whatever is under hilichurl masks is horrifying. 

There is some kind of Abyss entity called the “Sinner” that instills instinctive worship in both hilichurls and humans. It called the sibling a flower that bloomed from sin but is pure. 

It seems like the Abyss Order was trying to invoke it via the Defile Statue back in Dain quest 1. 

Traveler says they and their sibling traveled between planets for countless years. 

Paimon says “just you wait, Heavenly Principles” when declaring our determination to find out the truth, so we are in some manner treating the Heavenly Principles as an opponent. 

Chlothar Alberich is confirmed after the flashback to be the founder of the Abyss Order. 

Despite being called a curse of “immortality,” your body still breaks down under it. Eide mentions that his eyesight has worsened, and Paimon pointedly comments how Dain’s senses are still very good. However, it seems like the damage to one’s mind is more potent. 

Chlothar did eventually die, so it seems he found some way out of the curse. 

I think those are the relevant points. 

Now, in terms of the quest quality... it’s bad. 

I do think a lot of people will think it’s good, because it’s Dain, and it’s sibling stuff, and it has a lot of new lore details, and people will say it’s trying to do horror. But we’re two years into the story, and they still haven’t put out anything that’s actually good, so I’m unwilling to praise some theoretically potential that isn’t being even slightly lived up to. 

First, this quest is insanely contrived at almost every step. 

Kaeya just happens to be in Sumeru on a puzzling excuse (researching local alcohol... for the Knights, who definitely do that). He just happens to decide to start talking about his background, which he himself says he doesn’t like to do. Dain just happens to be nearby and overhear. It just so happens that some of Dain’s previously unmentioned missing memories have come back. It just so happens that the Traveler is affected by the leylines in a specific way that lets them relive their twin’s memories. The twin and Dain just happened to have stopped for the night at the house of a former Khaenri’ah noble. Dain just happens to have left the twin alone for an extended period of time. The twin for some reason decides to insist that they want to go inside this total stranger’s house and start poking around. There just happens to be a super cursed cave with an Abyss god nearby. Etc, etc. 

Not only are the plot points themselves extremely contrived, they’re also written in the clumsiest way possible. It’s extremely painful to deal with. 

Second, the twist is extremely stupid, unnecessary and just stinks of them thinking they’re hot shit for thinking it up. You could have just played the sibling from the start, especially since the quest inexplicably locks you from changing your party. But as always, Genshin only gives you the relevance after the quest is done. 

Third, the writing in general is full of the usual Genshin issues. 

We continue to be extremely heavy-handed about stuff like “Paimon is our good frend :) the bestest friend :) we love Paimon :)” Like, it’s SO obvious that they’re setting up a stupid twist later. You can tell.

Kaeya is here pretty much purely to set up an entirely different character... a flashback NPC. Because we all love that. Welcome to Kazuha round 2. 

The quest plays up how awful and horrifying the hilichurl situation is, how this hilichurl is literally just a child trapped in the body of a monster, how tragic it all is... and then you can fight hilichurls in the domain. Cool! And then you can go on your usual daily commissions where Paimon suggests drowning some of them. Very cool! Remember how Alice gruesomely murdered so many of them? Wasn’t it funny? 

Etc, etc. 

I know people will say that’s very cool that Genshin is poorly aping horror with the whole hilichurl curse, Eide’s madness, the evil god thing, the sudden revelation that you’re living your sibling’s memories, etc. But like, the tone is so poorly done. 

AND, just to be clear, it is transparently clear that, as horrible as the things that happened to Khaenri’ah’s people are, they brought it on themselves. 

Eide’s unhinged rants are exactly like the crazy worshippers of the dead gods, who insist their deity was killed by an Archon. You can tell it’s the same writing as Wan’yan, the eremites, even the extremists on Watatsumi. And they were all wrong. Their gods were in the wrong (or the worshippers themselves, with Havria), and the Archons did nothing wrong, ever. Yeah, Eide says that gods cursed Khaenri’ah’s people, but let’s be real. He admits they were already trying to control the Abyss via the sibling in some fashion. This is all self-inflicted, and the story is very happy to show you how selfish and ungrateful Eide is. 

Honestly, the whole experience was dragged out, poorly implemented, and unpleasant. 2/10 at best. Also, Lumine’s JP voice is so soft and breathy, it’s really annoying to listen to.