#more theories about why the stellaron came about and everything

[artheresy]

I’ve had this fic idea for Honkai star rail that has progressively transformed into like full ocs being made and a full planet with a history and a social culture that came about as a result of a Stellaron and a complicated relationship between them and the IPC who have taken over their planet and refuse to deal with the Stellaron on the excuse that “after much research and simulation of what would come to pass for this planet after containing the Stellaron, we have realized it cannot be dealt with in a way that wouldn’t severely harm this planet and its people” which is a load of bull and a Doctor that aids the Astral Express who now has a whole history and motivations deeply tied to the Stellaron

And it’s just gotten so out of hand but I think I love it

It started as an excuse to portray my ideal form of whatever the fictional disease trope that Hanahaki is (aka with it representing repressed emotions not unrequited love and not requiring mutual love to heal and also being much more horrific and painful, not just coughing up planets, bc I think if we’re doing something like this it should be dialed all the way up to its potential) but it has morphed into connecting with other emotions as well not just love and just growing to completely overtake the body and now because of this there are numerous factions on the planets with their own theories of its origin as well as ways of handling it and just a lot spawned from it

And I have grown so attached to it without meaning to, it started as an excuse to fulfill this trope in the HSR universe but I love the characters and concept so much uelp help me

[ihatechosingnames]

Alert Theory!!! Luocha

I hope everyone did their companion quest for Luocha and actually got him on the Parlor Car because otherwise this is SPOILER.

To use with caution.

So, if you went back to check the video at the Commission you will get, first of the achievement for the hidden side of Luocha, and then this scene play:

So, Luocha got his coffin at his side (how? he went back to the inn to get it?) and he is also talking to it. That should be the Ambrosial Arbor?

So, what do we know about Luocha? Not much, he is a travelling merchant, so probably has a lot of names depending on the planet to make himself look more friendly. I don't know if there is a language barrier between the different planets, but definitely there is a cultural barrier. Maybe his name is too much different from the names used on Xianzhou that he switched on a more familiar name for his clients to use while on the ship.

We know, thanks to Dan Heng's side story, that Luocha was on Cloudport after it was closed for the emergency, and after Silver Wolf hacked our way in. Dan Heng found him alongside Sushang maybe 30-45 minutes after Stelle, March and Welt departed and met Tingyun that says "nobody else should be here", so he possibly came a little after the main team but before Dan Heng. If my reasoning is correct, Luocha didn't cause the Stellaron incident, since everything was closed because of the Stellaron Incident. Kafka asked the Astral Express crew's help because the Xianzhou had a problem with the Stellaron but it wasn't their (Kafka and Blade) fault (most likely they knew that was going to be a problem and needed the AE crew to be there for all the reason to get the MC powerful enough to fight Nanook).

But why was he in front of the Arbor before it was revived with the Stellaron?

He says "yes, none of this is our concern... The journey has only just begun to-" that can be read differently if you think he did revive the Arbor or not.

He didn't revive the Arbor: Luocha being there to do something about the Arbor being revived even if the conflict between the Sanctus Medicus and Xianzhou is not his problem.

He did revive the Arbor: the conflict between the Sanctus Medicus and Xianzhou, the problem the Arbor will cause, all of this is not his concern because it's only a step for a journey that has only begun.

If we take the complete phrase, the second option is the most likely. At the beginning I was thinking he didn't revive a thing and he was most likely a red herring to point the direction of the audience elsewhere, while the culprit did everything. But I find it's unlikely for Hoyo to do so, I mean, look at Dan Heng, we speculated about him being a dragon boy because there were hints about it and if we look now at certain promo images, everything fit. And here there are hints that says the Luocha did something on or near the Ambrosial Arbor, he is hiding something inside the coffin, and he is kind of suspicious even inside the Parlor.

So, he has sensed the Stellaron in our "possession" but it's different from the others Stellaron.

First of all, I don't think Luocha is Otto or Void Archives from HI3. There would have been an hint about it in his dialogue with us on the Parlor (since Welt is there!!) but nothing. Actually he doesn't acknowledge anyone in it, until we speak to him. The others interact with Himeko and Welt in some way, Luocha doesn't. Even Welt says it's possible that he is just someone who shares the same appearance:

and we have a very present example of this: Bronya Raad and Silver Wolf. Both share the same appearance but have different ages, different experience and different lives. Himeko herself is a different version of another Himeko, Seele, Bronya, Natasha... they all are.

From what I see, Luocha is marginally involved in everything in Xianzhou, but his appearance, the fact is hiding something, especially during a time like that, make him very suspicious and this could be something that Elio and the Stellaron Hunters are using at their advantage. He is also very powerful and most likely an ally than an enemy.

Basically my theory is that Luocha is a Red Herring, one crafted by the story so that we can focus on him and not on someone else. He is definitely hiding something but it's not related to this Stellaron Crisis. He managed to gain Dan Heng's trust so he was invited to the Astral Express (I absolutely think that The Astral Express got a consciousness and physically can stop people from accessing without an invite, different problem is when they are not physically there, like Kafka and Silver Wolf's hacking, or the Messenger for the Forgotten Memories) but he won't interact with anyone on his own.

What do you think? Is Luocha involved with this crisis or has a bad timing?

[ultimate-blorbo-collector]

Okay, so I haven't finished the new quest yet, and I wanted to put my thoughts here so I can say I was right/wrong whatever. I've just finished where you talk with the whole Astral Express crew, and I haven't talked to them individually. I have also done like no side quests btw. I did the event with the TVs and the Meme, but that's been about it.

Spoilers for 2.0 penacony but not really for 2.1 bc I'm not that far yet.

Here's who I trust/distrust and why (also a percentage about how strong I feel about it):

Trust:

Astral Express crew - 100% - We have no reason to question them unless we think it's Sparkle in disguise. Imo Sparkle isn't that slick since I knew something was off with the Sampo in the quest (though I hear Sampo's changed recently. Idk. All ik is I heard them say Sampo instead of "Sampo Koski! :3" and I was low-key sad about it) and Sunday caught on real quick (I feel like he would have even if Robin was alive).

Black Swan - 70% - Idk man. This one's just based off pure vibes. I think she wants to help overall.

Stellaron Hunters/Elio - 50% - Unpopular opinion but hear me out. I think Kafka genuinely thinks what she's doing is right. After the Sam/Acherone conversation, I think he is also doing what he thinks is right. Would I be super surprised if we end up getting stabbed in the back? No, but I trust Sam, Kafka, and Acheron.

Acheron - 50% - I've had a real strong feeling since the beginning that she's been framed for this. Aventurine REALLY wants us to think she did it. As you can see, Aventurine is down the list, so... Also, the Sam/Acheron conversation really convinced me on it. I think she's doing what she thinks is right.

Dr. Ratio - 30% - Okay, I know that putting Ratio and Aventurine at opposite sides of this doesn't make sense but hear me out. If he was telling the truth to Screwllum, I think Ratio follows some Utilitarian ethics (as in, "It doesn't matter if I do this bad thing if the result is a net positive"), so while I think he genuinely does care about Aventurine, I think he’d throw him under the bus and do what he thinks is the net good if it came down to it. At the same time, it could be the reverse for us. The only thing is we have no clue what this mf is up to or what he's thinking. We've seen him, like, twice. I might also be biased since, like Aventurine, he's my little uwu baby who can do no wrong.

Sunday/The Family - 30% - I think March(? I don't remember who said it lol) is right about the family being low-key sketchy. The fact that they've been hiding deaths and the Meme is... eh... but overall I think they're somewhat trustworthy. It could be a 'keeping things quiet while we investigate' type of thing. We still don't know what's going in with the watchmaker and the invites though.

Misha/Clocky - 20% - Maybe this is just because of the watchmaker theories, but I feel like there's something more going on with Misha and/or Clocky. The fact that no one else can see him except us?? They've also been real quiet lately. Maybe they're just goofy side characters, or maybe not. I don't think they're bad, but I don't think they've told us everything.

Distrust:

Aventurine - 70% - I love Aventurine, and in my fanfics that I haven't posted, he's such an uwu baby who can do no wrong. BUT. I feel like the man will do anything to survive. Like Himeko and Welt said, he's very manipulative and wants us to think a certain way. I also feel like the "My schemes are out in the open" is a lie. Like, you can say your scheme is out in the open, but they might not really be in the open. I really feel like that's a logical fallacy but idk the names of the fallacies. Something also doesn't feel right working with imperialists. Sorry, Aventurine.