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The entire plot is a Christian allegory. God (Focalors) sent a piece of herself (Furina) to be incarnated as a human (like Jesus), to live among humans, then get martyred (the trial) in order to absolve the people of Fontaine of the original sin (the original sin).

ngl i genuinely did not expect genshin impact to give me a genuinely interesting allegory of the holy trinity

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Yes! So much in Teyvat ultimately ties back to the fragility and malleability of memory--both individual and collective--and the ways in which it can be altered or erased.

There has to be some significance to the fact that the Traveler, as an outside element, is not subject to that same kind of alteration and loss.

Rewatching the trailer, and right now thinking about the line "The water is gradually swallowing our memories."

We found out about erosion for the first time through Zhongli's quest, and Geo was thematically appropriate an element for this, because stones suffer erosion and it's an unavoidable force of nature.

Water is what can cause erosion, however. So continuing to delve into erosion, into the effects or causes of it, is appropriate for Fontaine and for Hydro. The livestream implied that Fontaine suffered repeated sinkings (??), and showed underwater ruins and abandoned buildings. The trailer also showed someone trying to recall who she was, and we can assume that this is either the previous Hydro archon or another character similar to Azhdaha.

The fact that Fontaine will deal with masks and illusions was blatantly advertised. But when we strip back these things, what is the actual substance that we're going to find under that? Is it about loss of memory (potentially of history) and how identity is formed and reformed in its absence?

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Rewatching the trailer, and right now thinking about the line "The water is gradually swallowing our memories."

We found out about erosion for the first time through Zhongli's quest, and Geo was thematically appropriate an element for this, because stones suffer erosion and it's an unavoidable force of nature.

Water is what can cause erosion, however. So continuing to delve into erosion, into the effects or causes of it, is appropriate for Fontaine and for Hydro. The livestream implied that Fontaine suffered repeated sinkings (??), and showed underwater ruins and abandoned buildings. The trailer also showed someone trying to recall who she was, and we can assume that this is either the previous Hydro archon or another character similar to Azhdaha.

The fact that Fontaine will deal with masks and illusions was blatantly advertised. But when we strip back these things, what is the actual substance that we're going to find under that? Is it about loss of memory (potentially of history) and how identity is formed and reformed in its absence?

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Gonna be honest, though, the first thing I thought when Focalors appeared in the trailer was 'bestie, that's not how you develop a polaroid'.

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I'm fascinated with Focalors in this PV, because the entire video has this visual focus on photographs while the monologue expounds on how appearances can be deceiving, and used to manipulate others' perceptions.

Focalors, in turn, has a very brief presence in the video, during which she acts like a bratty child. But she's holding a photograph that is burning away in her hand as she overlooks Neuvillette holding trial. And her tone is very whiny, but if you listen to her words, she says that she sees right through the twists of the trial, and it's nothing new to her.

I'm honestly so curious to see what role she is going to have in the next archon quest.

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Okay, so my takeaway from that cutscene is that Madam Ping hates AI-generated art.

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The funniest dynamic I can imagine between Scaramouche and Tartaglia when they were both Harbingers is just like

Scaramouche: nice scarf, nerd. Did your mommy knit it for you?

Tartaglia (cheerily): yeah! She did, actually! :)

Scaramouche (holding back tears): cringe

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I really like the idea of Wanderer meeting Albedo. If I had a mora for each artificially-created being made shortly after the fall of Khaenri'ah, I'd have two mora. Which isn't a lot, but it's funny that it happened twice.

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I'm looking forward to seeing an actual festival in Sumeru. One that doesn't include being imprisoned in an evil time loop, at least.

This is because every region seems to have its own flavor to festivals. Mondstadt's events, for example, are cozy and rustic, focused on cherishing the little things: love, wine, family, friends. They're just very joyful, celebratory events.

Liyue's festivals are focused on traditions and honoring the past. Liyue's full of history in every rock, and they're living in an age of prosperity brought about by all the people in the past who worked to make this a safe place to live, so it makes sense so much of that is brought to the forefront during celebrations.

And Inazuma's festivals are very much cultural events put on by cross-faction cooperation, with Yae providing her own unique... spice to the proceedings. It seems that maybe stuff like this kind of fell by the wayside during the decree, so Inazuma's events are a celebratory revival as the country returns to a peaceful state.

Anyway, I'm curious what kind of cultural festivals Sumeru would have as a result. We haven't really seen a proper Sabzeruz festival yet, and the fungus tournament technically wasn't put on by Sumeru, so there's still the opportunity to see what kind of bent Sumeru festivals are going to have.

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I love when Yae and Ayato appear together during an event. They're always so in cahoots. Plotting and scheming. Cackling ominously probably.

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Hmm, kind of weird that Cyno has a spirit living inside him yet hoyo doesn't choose to elaborate on it at all. Why is there? Where did it come from??

Instead they choose to focus more on the fact that Cyno likes card games? Kinda weird priorities there.

Wait...

...

Fuck...

...

It's A Yu-Gi-Oh! reference????

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I think that ultimately, a reconciliation between Wanderer and Ei is not on the table because the notion that she was his mother was held solely by Wanderer.

To Ei, he was just a little guy. Some lad. He got made in, like, a workshop or something, and she looked at him and went 'hm, using a sentient being like a gnosis tote bag is pretty yikes morally, I think he would appreciate actually living an autonomous life' and then once he was loose in the world, she didn't give him any more thought than she would have to some bird that accidentally entered her house and that she had to shoo out the window again. He's out there somewhere, and surely he's happy not flapping against the ceiling giving himself concussions.

And on the other hand, little baby Wanderer learned about the concept of a mother and went 'I'm going to create a relationship so parasocial--'

Anyway, I don't think there's anything recoverable from this relationship.

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In most games, if characters have special powers, they're usually part of some elite para-military group, but I appreciate the fact that in Genshin, Vision holders can have just. mundane-ass jobs. Housekeeper. Bartender. Architect. What the fuck does an architect need a Vision for? idk, who cares. He just has it.

More like that. A therapist. A tax collector. Theater usher. The less useful a Vision is to their day job, the funnier it is that they have one.

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I love using Layla since I got her, but I always feel guilty running around with her in the overworld. Poor girl is tired enough as it is.

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Talking with @owlphallacies about my very serious Wanderer dreams.

[Azzandra : ALSO idk if it's just because he's taken over my conscious mind completely lately, but when I napped today I had a dream about Wanderer. that he was just walking around the teapot checking it out, and in the distance, he sees the Traveler sitting in the shade of a tree talking to Kazuha. and Wanderer stands there for a while looking at them, just STEWING in jealousy like, 'who is that guy. what's he doing here. why are they sitting so close. why did the Traveler laugh just now. what are they talking about.' until Traveler notices him and waves him over, and introduces Kazuha to him. at which point Wanderer is like 'OH. that's fine then, this guy is cool' because there is one (1) Inazuman he tolerates and that's Kazuha snaketentacles : zuzu’s been g. he’s been grandfathered in]

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LOVED the Wanderer's demo. First time seeing a man behaving tsundere towards a bird.

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Maybe the reason Wanderer doesn't wear his hat while hovering is because it would make it look too much like he was getting abducted by a flying saucer.