#the way focalors accepted her death

[anantaru]

focalors made me cry

[priestessoffurina]

Thoughts on Focalors & Furina

Part of me feels conflicted with the fate of Focalors/Furina.

On one hand, it kinda sucks that the hydro archon didn't "fully" die. A cop-out you know? I would have loved the whole spectacle of an archon dying, although I guess we did get that in end...it was less drama and more sad tho.

But then again I'm not like completely surprised it went this way.

I've accepted that if a character is gonna be playable, that means they won't die. I know there are still people who believe that since Hoyo has done it with their other games, it will happen with Genshin. But we're over half way through the Teyvail Chapter now and no playable death in sight. So the chances of that happening are slim (at least until the very end or something)

But on the other, I'm super glad Furina gets to live. She suffered so much (Focalors as well) in protecting Fontaine. Keeping up the act until curtain's call. And if she were to die after everything she has been through, it would be a sad ending. Also Neuvillette would probably flood Fontaine.

This having it both ways could also be a way of going against The Heavenly Principles. Having it both ways.

Nicole said;

"the gods" meaning The Heavenly Principles. They aren't as all and mightly as they claim. And even if you can't change fate you could change how it means; the destination is the same the but path travelled is different.

Focalors devised a plan to not only save all of Fontaine from the flood but also rid of the sin from the first archon as well as give the Sovereign his birthright back. All the while making sure that Furina could in the end, live too.

And in the end Furina deserves this ending. She is the embodiment of Focalor's wish; to live out life as a human, pursuing her own happiness.

[pencilofawesomeness]

Hey Pencil, can I ask you what you think of Neuvilette's character after the end of the current Archon quest? Not gonna lie, I was a bit disappointed at how he and everyone else treated Furina, but I was curious about your thoughts on the matter

ohohohohohohohoho anon. Dear sweet anon, you've activated my trap card, otherwise known as the Pencil Essay card, because I have sooooo many thoughts about this.

I will say though, I see Neuvilette in context of the story quests too, especially Furina's, as well as his friendship stories and voicelines. So, er, spoilers for that I suppose, but I can't separate those bits away from his character at this point. Anyway.

I frickin love Neuvilette. As a character, he checks a lot of boxes of traits that I adore, like being hella old, a dragon, somewhat isolated from normalcy, a cinnamon roll that can kill you, and Doing His Best. Now, as an important addendum to this, the fact that he is a dragon is a crucial part of the basis, because that's where a lot of conflict starts. He's separated from his kind, he's not a human yet he is confined to a human form, he remembers that the elemental authority should be his but Celestia took it and the archons have it now. The idea he has that he will forever be isolated, and that there will forever be a certain taste of bad blood between him and the rest of the world is founded. And yet. AND YET. Long ago, Focalors asks for him to help lead Fontaine, and he!!! Agrees!!! Neuvilette's character is rooted in a sense of justice and fairness, and in such, he tries to remain open-minded, and thus, he must witness things for himself. When he is presented a change in perspective, he accepts it.

Honestly I thought the Archon Quest did this rather nicely. He worked with Furina, believing her to be Focalors, for years. While Furina did waaay too good of a job in being as showy as possible, their close proximity meant that some of her true ethics and anxieties did make themselves known to Neuvilette. He knew when Furina was panicking and lying, just not why. Likewise, he has had inklings of when she's been sincere, and also, has a better perspective on how other people perceive her. More on that in a second.

Knowing what we know in hindsight, the Archon Quest is....very harsh. But. I understand why it happened that way. It was very clear that neither the Traveler nor Neuvilette wanted to put Furina on trial, however, neither of them were able to get her to tell the truth in private, and time was of the essence. The threat of a whole populace dying (and!!!! People have already died at this point!!!! Civilians!!!) is kind of a big deal. Something happens, or they all die; full stop. Hence, calling out the big guns. Which, to their credit, was just meant as a display of pressure on an actual deity, not an actual trial with death sentences and the discovery that Furina was a stressed out human all along. Focalors wanted that, however, so all according to plan. But very much not what Neuvilette wanted.

Fast forward. For Neuvilette, I think there is something really special to be said that he cares about both Focalors and Furina. He's only ever seen glimpses of both, but when Focalors aims to die to give Neuvilette back what is rightfully his, he protests! He doesn't want that! If there was a way for Focalors to undo the sea, he would accepted that, despite the janky usurped power thing. She is making a divine sacrifice, one that nobody else will truly know, and he mourns the person that is lost for it. Meanwhile, for all that Furina acted as a mask, and acted as if she was entirely self-sustainable, Neuvilette has shown to be concerned over her as a person. He caves so quickly to meet with Arlecchino when it's clear she's nervous, he asks Traveler to look after her, he tries to ask her when she's clearly being flighty. Even little things, like when he tells Traveler to acknowledge Furina at the beginning of the quest when she's showing off, because he knows she equates attention to success (just not why) and he is throwing her a bone. Yes, he is exasperated just as frequently, but Furina is not making it easy at that stage. Her entire schtick is to purposely keep people at arm's length, to be entertaining before she's likable, so really, I think there's an impressive amount of patience to be had.

The thing I have noticed about Neuvilette is that he is the kind of just that is caring. The law is for the sake of the people, and thus, people have become his focus. He denies this for a long time on account of believing himself to be forever an Other, but it is persistent all the same. He quickly wants to see the melusines treated well and with respect when they are integrated with society. He wants to see justice for those who are hurt. He understands, even, when those who do wrong are not bad people, like with Wriothesley. Neuvilette is, at his core, a kind person; however, he is terrible at expressing care in ways we would expect it. In part because he's just Like That, and in other part because he spent so long unaware of it. Usually, this means that he takes things at face value. If a melusine is being threatened, then there is a problem regarding humans' view of melusines again; if Wriothesley crawls out of hell with a Vision and the new title of Duke, then that means he found something to live for and he will support it; if Furina asks for space, then he tries to give her space. Neuvilette is a sincere person, even if sometimes he misunderstands the emotional complexity afoot.

Back to Furina. When it's revealed that she is a human, and she absolutely crashes, Neuvilette may not be the picture of fatherly comfort, but he is there for her in the way she asks, and even, in the ways she doesn't. She wants to be left alone, because Furina is tired of a facade and at this point she believes that everyone will hate both the fake her and the real her. Neuvillete obliges, and he arranges to pay for her apartment and food and make sure she is taken care of, when Furina is clearly not thinking that far ahead. It's clear that he would visit more often, but he's busy being the effective Archon now, and also, he doesn't think Furina would want that. Face value interpretations and all that. However, Neuvilette still appreciates the good that Furina did accomplish, in the mask and out of it. He doesn't fully understand Furina's hangups, but he respects what she does or doesn't want to do.

Now, Furina absolutely hit that depressive slump of a crash. Homegirl is living off of noodles like a broke college student. She thinks the world hates her and that everyone only put up with her because she was the archon and a superstar. Did she need someone to intervene? Sure. But she pushed Neuvilette and Clorinde away when they awkwardly tried, so Furina has to go through the long story quest way, and come to a bit of her own realization that people genuinely respected her ability to act as a skill and a thing of beauty, not just as a lie.

Furina's story quest offers the very best presentation of how Neuvilette sees her, and how, in his own way, he apologizes but also respects everything she has done and is. When Furina goes on stage, despite her valid reservations, and she gives it her all for that actresses sake, and she gives it her all because its real to her too, and Neuvilette sees this and sees her bravery, her spirit, and all of the hard work that Furina has given Fontaine for 500 years. So he tears a chunk off of his power and he gives it to her, in the form of a Vision.

The Visions are such a wonderful representation, because now that Neuvilette is the sole sovereign, without Celestia's janky throne in the way, he has full power over the granting of Visions. He can stop if he wants, because Visions are made by ripping chunks off of the god in question, but Neuvilette has studied and he has learned that humans are amazing and they earn their ambition, and he wants to give to that. So it's an incredibly purposeful gesture here and it carries the meaning of his care and respect in ways that he cannot articulate.

Neuvilette is kind. He's stiff, dutiful to a fault, has trouble being vulnerable and recognizing it in others, but he is trying, and he is kind. He gives credit where credit is do, and he tries to do the right thing, even when he misses the mark. He accepts when he's wrong, though, like with Focalors and Furina, like with missing how the general populace adores the melusines now, like with Childe when he honestly was baffled by the oratrice's absurd verdict. He's an old dragon and he's slow to catch up, but he makes that effort anyway, which I think is really neat. Neuvilette learns and he implements that. In Lantern Rite, he listened to Furina and finally managed to take a vacation, and he made a dumb little dragon ladle and had fun doing it. And he walked away from that realizing why taking a break was important.

So, er, yeah. I think Neuvilette is neat. Furina too. I really wish we can see them interacting more now that Furina is finally getting it through her skull that people do, in fact, want to be her friend and spend time with her, and I would love to see more on the implications that Traveler has told him of the other archons' exploits and he is forced to admit that they also either have no idea what's going on or that they known of them took the elemental authority on purpose/for the sake of it, but that's either an end-game thing or we'll never get it. Alas. Still I think Fontaine and all of hydro is in good hands with him.

Also he's an awkward dragon yall know I love grandpa dragon men who have parental bones but have no idea how to use them on purpose. I have. a type. of course I'm looking hard at neuvilette he's got the whole package

So uhhhhhh yeah. Yeah. I will. End it there.

[lupins-hehim-pussy]

I wanna know ur Fontaine msq criticisms 👁️👁️👂I’m all ears

I'm not sure if you wanted me to talk about this secretly or publicly but! Here I go!

The TLDR: Fontaine MSQ aestheticised prison, poverty, child abuse, the justice system/court and didn't properly address any of it.

More:

Focalors/Furina has way too much of a sympathetic angle for a dictator who's lets people drown with her inaction.

Neuvillette feels Bad for sentencing some people to death/prison, but that's it. He's one of the most powerful people in Fontaine. If he felt like there are systemic injustices, I.E sending an abused Child to prison, he should be the first person to DO something about it, not just cry and be sad so the audience can be like aw, that's complex character writing isn't it? No it's not! And guilt doesn't absolve you!!!!!!! (These are stuff we deal with in OTCOJ read my fic now /j)

Meropide has children in it, both Sentenced there (Wriothesley) and BORN THERE (Lanoire), and this is just a quirk of the place. Not only that, Meropide accepts prisoners of all genders and crimes. There are abusers and abuse victims in one place. Do you know how bad that is? How much potential for crimes to happen in a place like that— oh wait, Meropide isn't under Fontaine's jurisdiction. If you are assaulted as an inmate it literally means nothing to the court.

Wriothesley had no qualifications when he took over. Depending on how long he lived on the streets, how old he was when he killed his parents, how old he was when he was first taken in by the orphanage, etc, the man might never have more than 4–5 years of formal education. Sigewinne probably had to teach him how to write reports. And do Meropide's spreadsheets. Edit because I forgot to elaborate on this one: This isn't a point brought up anywhere, which is bad, because when poverty and incarceration robs you of a proper education (and the rights to vote in many places too, too, by the way), it reduces your prospects for jobs, reduces many people's ability to get a home etc etc. Wriothesley was just, narratively, Given his position.

Meropide is an industrialized prison, and they portray this as a good thing. Prisoners are paid in coupons for their labour, and this is also portrayed as a good thing.

The One-Meal-A-Day reform was something Paimon gushed about being so great of a perk, that people might want to go to jail for food (could be interesting and reflective of systemic poverty if MHY had brains, but they don't, so I was just Pissed because essentially all Paimon wanted to say was "Prison isn't so bad, but still don't go to prison guys! Prison labour is really hard!"). By the way, in most real-world prisons they are obligated to feed you three meals a day. Because that's how much food a human needs. MHY went with one meal just so they can say "if you want to eat more, you have to work." And then the welfare meal is a goddamn gacha. So imagine you're a starving child who's too weak to work in the fucking robot assembly line, and you wander up for your first meal in 24 hours, only to luck in with a shit one. I'd kill myself.

They wrote Wriothesley, who's a victim of the system, into a guy who's say shit like "I'm the Duke I can do whatever I want" for a cool moment where he choke-slams an inmate (I know he was a bad guy. But also, in copaganda when cops are violent/disregarding protocols, they are always only portrayed to do that against bad guys, so what does our critical thinking tells us about this one?) They wrote Wriothesley, who was an inmate of a prison so bad, so notorious that it is the literal boogeyman of Fontaine, that has a legal (???) fighting pit, with an administrator who abuses his position to be unreasonable, to willingly stay in the place and become an Administrator who would choke-slam an inmate while saying a cool line about how he has the power to do whatever he wants. They wrote him, the guy who had to be fed on the streets by melusines, to think one-meal-a-day was a good enough reform (while he spends god-knows how much on his boat). This wasn't a victim-turns-into-abuser narrative either, they want all this to be seen as positive character growth.

And then, the final kicker is, they gloss over his entire abuse. You can only read about these shit in his profile, which most people don't because they don't Have Him or doesn't care to unlock it/read it online, and they jammed his entire backstory into a flaccid info-dump at the end of his character story quest. This man isn't Allowed to feel abused and neglected and show any reaction to it within the narrative of Fontaine itself, because if they actually Gave Weight to what happened to him, they'd have to confront THE FUCKING JUSTICE SYSTEM they had NO PLANS on criticising. I don't think they ever explicitly said the fucking Crime-Theatre nonsense was Bad either.

I could go on, but this is already so long. But yeah, I hope this gave you an idea.

[energydrinkking]

Furina's constellations and their meanings!

Furina is known for having extremely long constellation names. Many know that all these names are taken from operas and songs, in character for Furina since she loves operas and arts in general. But… is there more behind it? Here are my thoughts on the constellations and how they fit her story and character!

C1: “Love is a rebellious bird that none can tame”, the lyrics are taken word by word from the opera “Carmen”. The lyrics of the opera often reference love as multiple things at the same time. “Love does not know law!”. “Love is far, you can wait for it”. “Love is a child”. The opera itself deals with proletarian life, immorality, lawlessness and the tragic death of the main character on stage. Furina’s love for Fontaine does not know law. She impersonated a god, which is punishable, but she still did for her people. Her love for her people cannot be tamed by law, or by anyone. She would choose to act out this painful act another 500 years if it meant that her people would be safe.

C2: “A woman adapts like duckweed in water”, the name is a stretched-out version of the opera “Rigoletto”, the original title of the opera is called “La maledizione” (The Curse). it deals with a curse that was put on the main character, and it only comes to fruition when Gilda (the female love interest) starts falling in love with him, he is then saved by her, sacrificing her own life for him. Sound familiar, no? A curse, a prophecy, a sacrifice. Furina fits all these themes in one way. Furina also, quite literally, adapts to any situation thrown at her (like duckweed in water).

C3: “My secret is hidden within me, no one will know my name“, the sentence is taken word by word from the opera “Turandot”. The opera follows the Prince Calaf, who falls in love with the cold Princess Turandot In order to win her hand in marriage, he must solve three riddles, with a wrong answer resulting in his execution. Calaf passes the test, but Turandot refuses to marry him. He offers her a way out: if she is able to guess his name before dawn the next day, he will accept death. Furina often uses her God name “Focalor” when describing herself, to keep her image as a god. In the opera, the main character is glad that the princess doesn’t know his name. However, in Furina’s case, she is probably saddened by the fact that she can’t let anyone know her “real” name. Everyone knows the name “Furina” but do they really KNOW “Furina”?

C4: “They know not life, who dwelt in the netherworld not!”, is a retelling of the ancient legend of Orpheus and Eurydice and comes from “Orpheus in the Underworld” Orpheus in the play is portrayed as carefree, indifferent to the loss of his wives, even eager to escape the constraints of marriage. This might draw parallels with Furina who, to the people of Fontaine, appeared inactive in the face of Poisson's disasters.

C5: “His name I now know! It is…!“ the sentence is also taken word by word from the same opera as the C3, “Turandot”. The princess finally learns his name at the end of the final act. She uses the words “It is… love!” I 100% believe this is a reference to Neuvillette.  With her C3, where she is telling everyone that no one will ever know her name, and in this constellation, she seems weirdly happy about knowing someone’s name… or in better words: knowing someone. Seeing Neuvillette grow as a person and learn to love humans as much as she does. She now knows the true Neuvillette, the one who loves and adores humans. As she has a close relationship with Neuvillette, he can open himself up to her, he has no secrets that he must keep from her. Many fontainians have tried to get close to him, but all have been rejected. No one knows his full name, except for Furina. She, however, cannot ever let Neuvillette get to know the real her. Her secret is hidden within her.

C6: “hear me – let us raise the chalice of love!” is a duet from “La traviata” and is considered a brindisi (a song that encourages drinking). Now, this is going to sound lazy but I feel like this constellation name is something Furina would say out of the blue when she’s drinking alcohol. Clorinde once had to stop her from getting up on the table when she was drinking too much. I also want to mention that Furina, who has acted as someone she was not, may fall back into that character. It was also mentioned in Furina’s voice-overs that she sometimes cannot separate the real Furina with the “god” Furina.

These are my thoughts!

[definesanity]

I'm so happy that you like Elden Ring and SAGAU, because here's a concept I thought of recently and I'm dying to share it with someone - SAGAU Imposter AU, but with Ranni the Witch!Reader. Self-indulgence on my part (and Elden Ring spoilers) but hear me out:

- Canon Ranni has unusual allies, such as a troll blacksmith whose species are used as slaves in the Lands Between. Ranni!Reader who isn't the only one disgusted by the Archons' actions - Traveler and Paimon are officially done with the Seven's sh*t, and offer Ranni!Reader their help. The 'truth of this world' can wait, now that Traveler's seen the true face of the Archons. Maybe Nahida chose to be reasonable and stay out of it. Maybe the Tsaritsa is too busy with her own plans to care about some mere mortal 'stealing' the Creator's face. Either way the twins are reunited earlier than expected, and Ranni!Reader now has an army at her back.

- Canon Ranni stole a fragment of Destined Death to kill her flesh and Godwyn's soul. Ranni!Reader is the Creator, she has sovereignty over death in Teyvat. Ranni!Reader lets the Archons capture and publically execute her, to reveal her true identity (golden blood ✨️) and turn the mortals of Teyvat against their idiot Archons. Speaking of Archons, they're all horrified and panicking. The once-cheering crowd is in silent shock, then all hell breaks loose. The Hydro Archon, who struck the killing blow, becomes a soulless shell - a living corpse, just like poor Godwyn. Unlike Godwyn, not a single soul cries for Focalores. This was her punishment, after all. She brought this on herself.

- We don't know who crafted canon Ranni's doll body, maybe she did it herself. Maybe Ranni!Reader does the same, maybe she employs the services of a certain wandering puppet, or perhaps the doll body is a peace offering from a certain Fatui Harbinger...

- Canon Ranni wants to completely remove the influence of Outer Gods from the Lands Between. Ranni!Reader wants the same, just replace 'Outer Gods' with 'Celestia.' It's not dissimilar to what both the Abyss Order and the Fatui want. For all that the two groups hate each other, they are willing to accept Ranni!Reader's radical proposal. They can go back to killing each other when this is done, for all she cares, but they need to keep it together for this one plan.

- Canon Ranni takes the Tarnished as her consort in her ending. For Ranni!Reader - well, there's the Abyss twin and Traveler, for starters. The Adepti, Xiao and Ganyu, who turned their backs on Rex Lapis after Reader's execution. Childe, who's fighting style could translate perfectly into Elden Ring. Any one of the Anemo boys. Pick a fave and go for it, honestly.

- Canon Ranni, once the Erdtree is burned and the Elden Beast is dead, brings forth the Age of Stars and removes the influence of Outer Gods on the Lands Between. Ranni!Reader and co. crush Celestia, undo the curse on the people of Khaenri’ah, and Ranni!Reader purges Teyvat of divine influence forever - no more Archons, no more Celestial gods, no vague and infuriating requirements to 'earn' elemental powers - the elements can be wielded by anyone now if they have the stats, catalyst and slots for it. The people of Teyvat are free to take control their own destinies, for better and for worse. Still preferable to being divine pawns for uncaring gods.

- Canon Ranni, despite what the English translation would have you believe, departs the Lands Between for the stars, taking the not only her consort with her, but the Elden Ring itself, to ensure the Lands stay god-free. Ranni!Reader bids Nahida and the Tsaritsa a heartfelt farewell - they committed no crime against the Reader, so what is there to forgive? But then the other, now-mortal Archons come to grovel, desperately begging Ranni!Reader to stay, spewing endless apologies. Various Vision holders join in. Ranni!Reader is unmoved.

"Ye art not sorry for thine actions. Only that ye were wrong. Were I not thy God, but a regular mortal, ye wouldst feel no remorse. I care not that I wasn't recognized - I care that ye were willing to make up a crime, and kill innocent people for something they could not control. Monsters, the lot of ye. T'was worth it, I hope, this callous and heartless behavior - I loved ye once, truly, but no more." Ranni!Reader turns to the Vision holders, "If anyone, blame them," Reader points to the heartbroken Archons, "t'was them who caused this. Do what ye will with them - this is the last ye will ever see of me."

Ranni!Reader departs. Perhaps to other worlds, perhaps the Abyss. Perhaps she has a consort at her side. The twins and Paimon are believed to be in Khaenriah. Nahida and the Tsaritsa, now mortal, quietly settle into somewhat normal lives. The remaining traitorous Archon, now powerless, are left at the 'mercy' of their former worshippers. Centuries pass, and tales of gods become half-forgotten myth and legend.

I'm aware that this turned to complete word vomit, but I'm super excited that you wrote Tarnished!Creator SAGAU

Congratulations, you just made my fucking neurones activate xd

LIKE???? HOLY SHIT????

Now, consort-wise, I AM in a Faruzan mood... but I'll just go with Ganyu for now:

Yeah, I can see how that certain someone--Sandrone--would be one to craft Ranni!Reader's body; what would they be previously, however? A mere spirit, or perhaps their old body, before bringing about The Knight of the Black Knives?

I mean, gonna say this now; I did Ranni's quest and got her ending so... yeah xd

Still, ouch to Focalors; a Soulless husk of a body? Then again, imagine striking down on the Creator's neck and seeing the blood of your God. Focalors genuinely believes that she can do no evil. Well, perhaps now it's time for her to learn... the hard way.

KSKSIISJDSJDJ I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS MY FELLOW YOU JUST WROTE A GODDAMN MASTERPIECE--

Imagine other characters too; Millicent!Reader? Gideon Ofnir!Reader? Heck, Morgott!Reader sounds cool!

Still, thanks, I'll have to continue this later but sidnsjdjjddj thanks! And don't worry, always happy to see another Tarnished :3

If you have any other ideas, honestly? Feel free to share them! I'd love to hear them! :D

[spunkykirby]

As noted yesterday, I compiled a list of Morax's sins. The following are all of his unforgivable sins according to the fandom, the inexcusable blood on his leger, the utterly indefensible actions of Morax that call him to the stand:

1. Participant in the Archon War.

Zhongli participated in the war for the stolen Authorities. No, we don't know if all Archons knew the seats held the Dragon Authorities, we just knew they knew Celestia was choosing 7 gods to rule the land and exiling the others. All that matters is he participated in it, doesn't matter if he didn't know the reason, didn't start it, or was forced! Dragon authorities are up there and that's all that matters!

...wait, we do have one reason.

"I wish not for dominion, yet I cannot let the common folk suffer." [Zhongli's Character trailer].

So it's confirmed he participated to stop innocents around him from unnecessarily suffering, he never actually wanted the leadership role. His Adepti also refer to him (and themselves) participating for the sake of "bringing prosperity back to the people" [Xianyun Story 3].

However, there is no prosperity in participating in war PERIOD, silly gooses!! How dare you act in the only way possible to lessen the violence for the innocents caught in the crossfire?? The arrogance. War criminals!! You shouldn't have participated in the first place! What happens to all the other innocents you've directly witnessed caught in the crossfire is up to them and their misfortune to bear. Not. You!

(now that I think about it, calling all of them war criminals for participating in the archon war (with majority of their moves being made in self defense) would more than likely be equivalent to calling Wriothesley a willing accomplice in the child tr4ff1cking ring he was victim to or Childe 100% guilty for everything that happened in Fontaine). But anyways.

2. He killed Chenyu Vale's god, and became the new ruler over the now godless and defenseless (because the Archon War was not over after her death) people.

Fu Jin states Chenyu was peaceful under that god's rule until the Archon War was called. She didn't know if her god chose to "go mad" over survival or "seeking the position of a god who may rule this world". Either way, she instigated a war against Morax and, frustrated in not being able to get the upper hand, decided to flood Bishui river in a last ditch attempt (which was also set to kill not only her people but the people Morax was assigned to look after. Queue his contract with his people triggering into effect).

It's not explicitly stated she died but she more than likely did. I mean, it's a war, and she wasn't going to stop murking all the innocents until she took the Archon spot.

Also...I...actually don't know if I could call it unrightfully stolen land (and before y'all bring up the whole "Archons don't belong they're on stolen land b/c usurpers" thing, so are all of the humans and beings created by the PO on this planet. Everyone who isn't a Vishap should be blamed). In order for a land to be stolen, it needs an owner still claiming ownership over it, and there was no owner holding ownership over it anymore.

The battle was also not instigated by Morax in an attempt to steal Chenyu Vale, it was first and foremost a battle out of self defense that later changed to a land naturally "changing hands" (leaders. For example you wouldn't say Focalors "stole" Fontaine after Egeria died, Ei "stole" Inazuma after Makoto or Venti "stole" all of Mondstat after the first leader's death). It would also constitute as unrightfully stolen if the native habitants fought against Morax now leading them, but they accepted his rulership over them with no underlying contempt/force. A natural and consenting change of hands.

But! Either way! Rightful self defense or not, he m6rdered! Which is bad!!!! He deserves to be punished for it and it's added onto his list of crimes!!!

3. He murked Osial, whose "d3ath"bed was the foundation of Guyun Forest.

Morax was noted to have murked Osial because Osial "wrought chaos upon his domain". Another piece suggests this was also an act of self defense, for Osial's power (whether it be out of hatred for Morax (which seems to be the more likely case because Zhongli says they were long grudging rivals) or just his general existence is unknown) extended over a large range, reaching Liyue's citizens and terrorizing them. Morax's intervention/confrontation of Osial was only noted after Osial's power reached and terrorized his citizens. There are no pieces insinuating nor confirming the opposite. [Diary of Roald the Adventurer, Vol. 6]. [Monolith Fragment].

...soooo the crime is once again murking in self defense. But violence is violence!! Punishable by law!! If Morax didn't want to be charged for this, he should've stood aside and let the waves terrorize and kill his people for many millennia to come (though wouldn't that also be breaking the contract/rules of being an archon, which is to act in the health/benefit of their citizens first and foremost?). Zhongli is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. But who cares! Whatever he does or doesn't do in this instance is punishable by law and *true* justice!!!

4. He murked the Chi/Qingce.

It is noted the Mountainplace the Chi "ravaged" long stood before it decided to make its living place there (dispelling the myth that its corpse formed the land). People also lived there before it started to cause havoc too. It is unknown why it was driven to cause chaos, but the fact of the matter is, it caused chaos to Liyue's people specifically, and as per Morax's duty as an Archon, he stepped in to slay(?) it. It's not completely dead, just separated into pieces. Morax could not permanently kill it.

...violence is violence though! What he did is punishable by law!! Though, technically doing anything else in this instance is also punishable by law (doing nothing and allowing the monster to ravage his people is against the ideals of an archon but forcing them to move is also punishable by causing liyueans emotional duress via forcibly moving them due to outside forces they can't control but he can. Doing this each time a monster appears onto the land they've dwelt on before its existence is also unfair). [The Stars Inscribe the Year].

5. Marchosius and other Adepti participated and sacrificed themselves as a result of the war neither them nor Morax started!

...so you could say it's all technically due to Morax they're forced under these conditions (even though he didn't start the war, force the war to happen, nor force them into a contract)! Punishable!!

The Adepti, who were not forced into following Morax [Xianyun Story 3], established a contract with him to protect Liyue and his citizens. There were risks that came along with this job they decided to commit to, but they still did so dutifully. The circumstances they agreed to led to many of their deaths, including Xiao's karma, of which there isn't an insta-relief potion to. Zhongli can only slightly offset the effects.

Basically they're literally a walking: "Well if it isn't the consequences of my own actions."

6. Liyue AQ.

Morax inadvertently went through with a plan to unleash a sealed god beneath the sea, as a test (more specifically for the people who signed up knowing their job's risks. Nonetheless, they are risks he was somewhat responsible for this time around).

Despite the test naturally having risks (as any test in existence does, it's not a proper test without risk), it was a battle partially planned by his own hand. Even if he didn't directly throw the chaos at them, he was still behind the scenes, therefore shared some responsibility for it and the consequences.

The game does go out of its way to confirm nobody was ever in any real danger (3 characters confirming this, Signora doing most of the talking in the scene) and the battle wasn't even at Liyue Harbor (Keqing stating it wasn't) however Osial is still a crazy god and if anyone got injured Zhongli would share some responsibility (he could've stopped it).

This (excluding Khaenriah, we don't know what happened there) is pretty much the only "stain" on his career, in terms of judging him for being guilty of not handling the Authority healthily or whatever. He could arguably be declared guilty because he set up a risk-less divine test that came out the wazoo or he could be declared as not guilty by being argued as responsible enough (as an Archon) to properly ensure everything is prepared for his stepping down (alongside there being confirmed no actual danger). His multi millennium experience with these things is further reassurance for this claim.

7. Azhdaha.

This is...this is pretty self explanatory. There is absolutely no defense to Azhdaha's actions nor a reasonable excuse for Zhongli to not confront him (especially when Azhdaha is more than likely the Geo Sovereign. There are literally no other contenders in Liyue to stop a crazed sovereign hellbent on decimating all humans on his continent).

This...this shouldn't need any arguments. It was literally Morax confronting him or the end of Liyue (this is the same dragon frog who caused immense earthquakes when turning around in a nap. Now imagine him up and raging about!).

PS: There is no confirmation anywhere whatsoever he directly took part in decimating the Sovereigns alongside the Shades. And if this were so, it would make zero sense for Azhdaha to automatically submit and wish to become BFFs with Morax after Morax tried to lay waste to him and his brethren some years prior.

PPS: We don't know if he was directly at Khaenriah. Despite all Archons being called there, quite a few didn't actually make it to Khaenriah (Venti, Rukka, Egeria, and we have some pieces stating Morax personally directed the troops to deal with the Abyss breaking through in the Chasm during the Cataclysm).

PPPS: Zhongli does not owe Neuvillette alone anything. Neuvillette is, above all, a judge. Of Fontaine. Do you see judges of the US rushing over to Cnada to subjugate over others in accordance to their own personal laws of their land? No? It also wouldn't make sense for Ei to go over to Fontaine to wreck havoc over Fontainians not following her personal Inazuma law(s) either right? Alright same applies here (with some game logic).

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

How the Archon’s Love (As Told by Tarot) pt 1

tags: gn!reader, tarot, headcanons (bonus: platonic!nahida because she is my precious daughter)

a/n: it has been a long minute since i made one of these tarot style headcanons for genshin so i might as well do it for everyone’s favorite archons. as more archons get released, i’ll make more of these even if it’ll be slow going considering we get one nation released each year. this year it’s the focalors wanters time to be fed, any of y’all planning to pull for the hydro archon or are there other fontaine characters that you want? i’ll probably skip for venti and get her on a rerun tbh...

deck: true black tarot

venti

five of swords, death, five of pentacles, nine of pentacles

venti’s love is selfish. cheerful he may seem, the god of freedom has lost many friends as the years have gone by. he has put mondstadt first plenty of times and he always will when a moment calls that he knows is his people cannot handle on their own. but for now, venti is doing things differently. he’s being indulgent. he wants to savor what the two of you have and not take you for granted. mortal lifespans pass in the blink of an eye for gods and despite his cheerful demeanor, barbatos is very aware that your light is will shine only briefly compared to his own. as such he is going to fully enjoy your company as mondstadt’s most talented and spirit-loving bard as long as you’ll have him.

zhongli

seven of swords, the lovers, ten of wands, four of wands

as rex lapis, he has done many a service to benefit liyue. has struck down gods, cultivated mountains and provided the world its currency. but as zhongli the man he is no longer tightly tied to those obligations as he once was. now he is free to love you for as long as time allows. his true identity as the lord of geo is still a secret he keeps from you, he plans to tell you soon enough but as it stands zhongli wishes to enjoy your relationship as it is without that knowledge hovering over your head for a while longer. should you accept him and his love fully, knowledge of his identity included, your contract is as follows: you will remain by each other’s side as each other’s sole partner’s until death do you part. it’s life-binding and as good as marriage although zhongli isn’t opposed to a wedding. if you leave it to him, you’ll have the most extravagant wedding ever seen in the history of liyue- no in the whole of teyvat. just try not to let his fanciful tastes put you in bankruptcy.

ei

six of pentacles, five of swords, the moon, six of cups

in some ways ei is just as selfish as venti when it comes to you. ei knows loss, she knows it too well in fact. losing makoto was enough to nearly destroy her and cause her to hide away in a realm unseen by the mortal eye. she doesn’t want to entertain the thought of the pain losing you would cause her but it is never too far from her mind. still, ei loves you as much dedication as she places in leading inazuma, perhaps even more so. you have a prolonged honeymoon phase in this relationship. there’s something innocent about it, you’re likely her first love and she revels in the new memories she makes with you while opening up about the fond memories she shared with friends long since passed. it’s hard opening up to her people. she’s spent so long in the realm of euthymia and the reverance inazumans hold for her make it hard to connect, but you are one of the few people she can simply be “ei” with and that is good enough for her.

rukkhadevata

the hierophant, destiny, king of cups, ace of cups

rukkhadevata’s love flows as easily as the soothing rain nurturing saplings to grow. you’d think it would be hard to forget that she is a god and yet somehow you do when you’re with her with how easy it was for you to connect with her. fate is a fickle thing but perhaps you were meant to love the dendro archon and she was meant to love you, your lives are intertwined as a tangle of vines. your relationship is one that wasn’t merely by chance, at least that is what the god of the wood believes. (and who are you to doubt the god of wisdom?)  rukkhadevata didn’t shy away from her feelings when she realized how deeply they ran for you and she doesn’t shy from them now even when she has an entire nation to lead. it’s easy to love rukkhadevata and for her, it is more than easy to love you.

bonus:

nahida

four of wands, king of swords, the hanged man, temperance

the smallest archon with the most amount of love to share with everyone. she’ll put aside her needs for sumeru even if it means putting her own life at risk. nahida knows she is a long way from the archon the people of sumeru need her to be, but these things take time. rushing the progress of trial and error benefits no one, least of all an entire nation depending on her, but nahida knows you are one of her closest friends she can rely on for help. nahida is wise but still naïve in the way of human interaction. she’s 500 years old but still a child by the standards of the divine. so nahida likes that she can still be that child with you and learn the ways of mortal interaction so she can be the best archon for her people. just don’t be surprised when she stumps you with her analogies or with questions to deep even for you to understand. it’s all fun and games in the eyes of the young dendro archon and she’s an adorable companion to have.

[tiredthingbehindyou]

The Show Must Go On

(Part 1 'The Curtain Call')

At a gathering of all Furina's closest friends, including you and Neuvillette, Furina was being celebrated for her 574th birthday. Now that she was fully human, that was about equivalent to a normal human’s 74th birthday.

She was getting older, her hair was now a light, silver gray, she now had wrinkles around her eyes and mouth, she now had gray hairs around her scalp. She was indeed aging now… Just as Focalors said she would.

Despite her age, Furina’s party was quite the sight, with all of her friends gathering to see her. She was surrounded by love now, and that was all she ever asked for.

"How you doing, oldie?” You ask as you ruffle her silver hair. You hadn’t changed in appearance in the slightest.

You still remember when Furina burst into your house, yelling about her first gray hair among the white and blue. She seemed so happy that you forced yourself to hold back the tears at the first signs of your friend finally, truly aging.

Furina giggles, her hair was indeed beginning to feel quite thin and soft... but she was still as sweet as she was back then. She looks up at you, with her signature dimples on her cheeks.

"Oh, I am aging, aren't I?" She asks playfully, leaning up into your touch. "How have you been doing all these years, my dear?”

“I’m still kicking Neuv’s ass in board games. He’s got the heart, but always overthinks.” You chuckle and wrap your arm around your less-dramatic-than-usual friend. She had slowly started to do fewer and fewer stunts as her muscles weakened and her bones protested.

“How have you and Neuvillette been getting along?” Furina asked, nuzzling into your embrace. It was so warm in your arms, and she often needed to wrap a blanket around herself now.

You pause and whisper, "...comforting each other about your inevitable passing. You're getting older, Furina. You don't have many years left. Neuvillette and I are immortal; we stay on Teyvet forever, but you'll pass on through the gate."

"And do you know what?" Furina smiled brightly. "I'm okay with that. After all, what's the point of being immortal if you don't know what death feels like? I have lived over 500 years, and I'm okay with passing on."

"So don't be sad, okay?" She laughs softly. "I have lived such a happy life, filled with joy, laughter, love, and even a little bit of sorrow... I am so happy, I don't want you to be sad when I finally leave."

She grabbed your hand and led you deeper into the depths of the party. “For now, let’s party! Neuvillette pulled some strings and managed to get a bard all the way from Mondstant. The graying red-head who also delivered the alcohol said the bard was a drunkard.”

You pause and glance at Furina. “The doctor said you’re not supposed to drink, Furina!”

The old lady cackled in amusement and let go of your arm. She dashed deeper into the crowd much faster than she should’ve been able to, leaving you scrambling to head to the wine table, trying to stop her before she got drunk.

Nobody wanted to have to drain her house for the 6th time.

Furina lay on her bed, weak, frail, and ill... Her hair gray and soft, her face gaunt, and the lines on her face very pronounced, she was, finally, a fragile being.

It was a bittersweet sight to see, but Furina was content, despite how poorly she felt.

You and Neuvillette were sitting by her bedside, waiting, watching over her.You hold her hand softly as tears well up in your eyes. "It's okay, my dear... You can pass on now. We're ready. You don't need to stay for us."

"Don't cry, my dear..." Furina giggled softly, her voice growing soft, frail, she was weak. "I am not so scared anymore... I've accepted it... I'm no longer afraid of death."

"In fact, the only thing I am scared of now... is you and Neuvillette not being by my side when I go..." Tears began to stream down her face as she continued to grasp your hand. "Stay with me... Until the end..."

"We're here," Neuvillette said as he gripped his cane. "We'll be here until the end."

Furina smiled softly, her eyes growing misty, Neuvillette's voice was as comforting and tender as a feather. Furina looked at both of you as you sat by her side.

"Thank you..." she said softly, clutching their hand, squeezing it tightly. Her breath grew shallow, and you could hear the steady sound of her heart monitor.

These were her last moments alive...

As time passed by, Furina's grave had been made. A simple stone engraved with a simple epitaph.

Furina

An Actress with the soul of a Goddess,

A Goddess with the soul of an Actress,

May she live on in this world

Two people had gathered for Furina's grave, with candles and baskets of flowers placed around the area. Neuvillette and you were the two who stood by her grave.

"I must admit something," you say to Neuvillette, ashamed.

"What is it, dear?" Neuvillette asked softly, his voice as kind and tender as ever. There was no way to be ashamed in front of him. He would love you no matter what.

"I've forgotten her face," you admit. "I can't quite remember the shade of her eyes or the shape of her nose. The way her lips quirked up into a smile during interesting court cases escapes me."

Neuvillette takes a deep breath and pats your shoulder. "I too struggle with the same problem... But that does not mean she is not in our hearts."

He pauses for a moment before continuing. "We may not remember all of her traits, but we remember who she was, do we not? We remember her laugh, her smile, her quirky attitude, and we will always remember her."

He squeezes your hand softly. "And that is what matters..."

"I know," you whisper. "But it's like the memories are just out of reach. So agonizingly close that I can almost remember those things about her..." You trail off, letting your words hang in the air.

Neuvillette chuckles softly and places a hand on your shoulder once more. "And the harder you try to remember, the further they slip away from your grasp. Such is life..." He continues to smile softly, but you begin to realize even Neuvillette has forgotten some of Furina's traits, perhaps even more than you have…

"I think... I think her gravestone has been beaten up by the elements too much again." You kneel down and trace your fingers over the fading letters. "We should make her a new one again."

Neuvillette looks down, seeing the same thing as you are seeing, seeing how her gravestone has been damaged once more. But he sighs softly, patting you on the back.

"She deserves nothing less... we shall make her a new one." Neuvillette nods softly, a small smile playing on his lips as he offers his hand to help you up.

You let out a weak sob and punch the ground next to the tombstone. "You dumbass! Why?! Why did it have to be you?! If it wasn't for Celestia, Focalors wouldn't have had to sacrifice herself! And then you would still be here, Furina!"

"Shh, shh, it's all alright, my dear." Neuvillette gently placed a hand on your shoulder to comfort you as your sobs became worse. “If Furina could hear you right now, she would laugh and reprimand you for crying over her death."

"She wants you to be happy, not in tears and sorrow, she would definitely say to you, 'Don't cry because it is over, smile because it happened.'" Neuvillette chuckles softly, squeezing your shoulder tightly.

"You don't know that!" You snap, standing up and grabbing his robes in a fit of rage. "She isn't here! We don't know what her stupid face that neither of us can remember would say!"

Neuvillette pauses, letting you grab his robes as you lash out. "Perhaps you are right. Perhaps we will never know. Perhaps it is stupid to even have an idea of what she might have said."

"Yet... I know what she would want for us," Neuvillette's voice became tender once more. "She would want us to smile, to live our lives happily. As we mourn, we can not let our hearts be clouded and filled with grief and sorrow. Otherwise..."

He paused once more.

You let go of his robes and sat down next to the gravestone. "You can head back to the city. I'll stay here for a bit."

"If you... wish to stay in privacy, I shall take my leave... but may I first say something before I do so?" Neuvillette asks softly, looking at the gravestone while he waits for you to give him permission to speak.

"What?" You ask, irritated as you gently caress the grave of your closest friend.

"I just... wanted to tell you… That... I am glad it was you and not someone else..." Neuvillette pauses for a long moment, as if he is trying to find the right words.

"I... I'm glad it was you who got to be with her for all those years... Furina was... very lucky to have you by her side..."

Neuvillette looks at you, his expression solemn, there was little to no happiness in his eyes, as he slowly begins to walk away.

You close your eyes and lay on the ground in front of the gravestone once Neuvillette leaves. "...you idiot..."

The rain continues to fall, but you no longer care. The mud of the ground became wet from the rain and your tears, but you could not bring yourself to move.

"It's been centuries, Furina," you whisper. "And I'm starting to forget. Forget things about you. Things I shouldn't've forgotten."

You wrap your arms around her gravestone. "I miss you, you fucking bitch."

You let out a loud, bitter laugh through your tears. "I miss you... You stubborn, quirky, adorable, annoying, beautiful, gorgeous fool... I miss you. I miss you a lot."

Even as you insult her, you can't help but get this stupid smile on your face now, thinking back to all the memories you have made with her.

"I miss you, Furina..."

"You should be here, with your arm around me. We should've been talking about the last crazy trial. This should be one of those moments where we danced in the rain together." You sob loudly as you stumble over your words.

"If I had just one wish... It'd be that you didn't have to be gone. You should be here. With me. With Neuvillette. Helping us judge those stupid cases brought to court."

"And after those cases, we'd go get something sweet to eat. But Neuvillette and I had to make sure you didn't eat too much or else you'd go on one of your little...sprees."

"You would probably eat too many sweets and then go crazy and do something stupid, yeah... You would still be here, making Neuvillette and me have to constantly play nanny and stop you from doing something dumb... But in the end we would laugh, we would be so happy..."

Tears stream down your face as your heart yearns for her presence once more. "I want to hold you and laugh with you.. I want to joke with you... I want to live life with you... I want it all back, just one more time..."

You kiss her gravestone before falling asleep at the base of it.

The ghost of Furina looked at you. She saw the way you tried to keep yourself together as you kissed her grave and spoke so sorrowfully...

She also heard the words you were whispering, how you wanted nothing more than to hold her and feel her warmth and laugh with her more.

Furina slowly walks forward and hovers above your face, her long, silver-gray hair blowing softly from the winds of the rain. She gently placed a translucent hand on your cheek.

It was all she could do for you now...

And it was enough.

[drifting-cloud]

i think during the early parts of furina’s act of 500 years was when her act was absolutely perfect. like she had a job to do and she had the energy to do so. she was fooling everybody into thinking she was their beloved archon, even herself with the way she constantly has to act. i even think during that 500 year act furina had moments where she had mania, switching between moments where she deludes herself into truly thinking that she was fontaine's god or has crushing imposter syndrome that would haunt her dreams. i don’t know much about mania, but i think furina had some episodes since 500 years is a lot of time to experience a lot of things. plus, in the cutscene where furina repeats her life in a monotone routine, i definitely think furina had some of those aforementioned manic episodes.

the reason why in the archon quest furina was showing signs of susness was because she was nearing the end of her rope. 500 years, no signs of the prophecy. while she was on the stake out for this prophecy, she also investigated different possible methods to how she could stop the prophecy. then when some random outsider comes in and all the events listed in the prophecy are happening, and her own judge to be questioning her and already knew about the private investigations she was having. we see how she starts losing it by avoiding everyone and even allowed herself to personally go to poisson to mourn the dead people there when that’s logically a stupid move since she risked getting caught (and she did by said outsider). then when she finally mustered up enough courage and trust to tell the traveler the truth about everything, she is then thrust into a court trial with everyone there to witness her downfall. then came all of the stuff that happened in court with the traveler and everyone else disproving her claims.

even without the visuals, i can legit picture the amount distress furina was in. it's both pitiful and tragic in a way that she wasn't able to stop the prophecy, that everything played out in the end as exactly foretold. you can literally see the soul crushing defeat furina felt when everything she built towards was sent crashing down during the cutscene where she falls back on her chair, crying. though i haven't really studied tragedy, i think furina's tale is a textbook example of a tragedy. good thing that that tragedy swerved into a happy end with focalors, neuvillette, and the traveler fixing things up.

also, her story quest. her entire story quest was her coming to terms and bringing a close to her act. like, officially bring a close to her emotional baggage pertaining to being exposed as a human and a false god. we got all the good details involved with the release of emotions, like hearing how the people still love her despite posing as their archon, and how she brings a close to the troupe's leader's story. i feel like that entire storyline of furina witnessing this troupe's leader's legacy and learning about what happened made her somewhat relive her life. thinking about focalors and how she would power on towards the end of the prophecy. like maybe furina saw focalors in the troupe leader with how she loved the troupe and treated all of them like family. and when furina lectures the troupe near the end about how they need to get their act straight and how the troupe leader wouldn't want to see all of them fight, i think furina was also talking to/about herself as well. y'know, with focalors and everything.

furthermore, i like how the troupe leader's death contrasted furina's life story. a human who died to the primordial sea water that furina was immune to. an mortal and a former immortal.

now the ending cutscene. we all know how the ending cutscene and song of furina's story quest directly mirrors her experience. and the very end where she sacrifices herself in the play and gains a whole ass hydro vision was beautiful as shit. like that's the part where she accepted what she was, what she experienced, and i like to think that the gods rewarded her for that. for accepting the grief she's been through, the tragedy that unfolded yet still lived till the end, furina still lived and is more importantly free.

all of this might be a simple thought process and i might've been yapping for the sake of yapping, but i think everything that happened to furina is neat

[yookodee]

archon rank list! genshin spoilers all that jazz. its based off of actions and stuff so its not just opinion based soo unless you have a rebuttal built on logic and shit don't even.

1- nahida!!!! bby did not deserve to be locked up the way she was. the fact that she was still doing her best to help save her nation when it was in danger even though barely anybody worshipped her and she was not all that powerful, and the fact that she protected dunyarzad during the samsara loop to ensure she would not die because of the way the sages wereusing sumeru to harvest dreams. the fact that she did her best to break the people of her nation out of the samsara loop, the fact that even after she erased greater lord rukeddevetra from existence and therefore took her place in history and yet the timeline did not change to have her work any differently. the fact that she saved apep from her suffering even though she was actively threatening violence against her. nahida. slayed.

2- venti. i love him! i do! he actively protects the people of his nation even though he leaves them to govern themselves since yk. archon of freedom and stuff. he is actually doing his job and improving the lives of citizens by keeping them from danger in the shadows, even though he could get all sorts of better treatment if he were revealed as the archon he does not actively try to take that glory or reveal himself to be their god unless it is necessary for the protection of the people, he accepts their worship from the shadows and helps them when he must. you go venti.

3- focalors. i have so many bones to pick with her like toruting furina with thee acting stuff but at least shes not as bad as zhongli and ei. she did her job in protecting the people and saving them from celestia's prophecy (girlboss) and she destroyed the throne of the hydro archon in the process to ensure fontaine's freedom (girl boss.) i cannot argue with her motives, but the fact that she had to put furina through like. incredible torture and was not actively present within the nation wasn't great. at least she had neuvillette there to be able to protect them should they need it but still!

4- zhongli. he abandoned his fucking nation by FAKING HIS DEATH. in what world is that a good idea? hes their god for fucks sake, they're going to be so upset? literally terrible. and a falling dragon corpse from the sky onto a large gathering of people is stupid, he could have easily crushed someone. not only that but the idea was to fake having been MURDERED which, clearly hes going to send a whole nation on a revenge path. he did not think that through properly, AND HE DIDN'T EVEN LEAVE HIMSELF ANY MONEY??? to be fair though, letting your nation move on to become independent of you as a god and giving them the oppurtunity to test if they still need your defense while being able to step in if necessary is fairly solid. this is the only reason he is ranked above the raiden shogun.

5- ei. i dont even need to explain this but i will. she attacked and persecuted her people during the vision hunt decree and completely ruined their lives and put their visions ON DISPLAY on a STATUE, locked herself in the plane of euthimiya and abandoned her friends (yae miko), completely ignorant of what was happening in her nation and blindly following what political informants did.

[sagnaevi]

The former "archon" took deep breaths as she fidgets with the bag in her hands. She knew that making amends and reconnecting was a two way street and he had been so willing and patient when it came to her. Furina believed it was her turn to try and connect.

And that was the main reason she was here, to try and rekindle the relationship they had...she felt like after everything went down he wouldn't want to see her but after the events at lantern right-

With as much courage she could muster she knocked on his door before stepping inside.

" G-greetings my beloved chief justice! I hope you don't mind me seeking out your company !"

Her voice while enthusiastic wasn't as loud as before, nor was it as boisterous. She couldn't find herself willing to give out that much energy today even if she wished for company.

✧ ┊ ❛ ⸺ 𝘶𝘯𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘬 ❮ always accepting! ❯ / @doloniaxdiegesis

Like the flowing river, time passes by - with ease. It is of no consequence for the eternal, and yet - time has never felt so... Dreadful. It could not be shaken; the visage of her execution. A disturbing image, bloody... And so increndibly tragic. All of those who were born with original sin, has been forgiven - but the one person his couldn't forgive was, himself. How could he not have seen it, the heartbreaking torture which Furina had been suffering for all these years? Her grandeous theatre, her sorrowful finale - shed an exposing light unto Neuvillette; unveiling something uncomfortable, painful even - that he did not understand humanity. As the Iudex, as Chief Justice, should he not be able to discern truth from falsehood? Never had he felt more separate from the people he wished to understand. Oh, Furina... Forgive me. I should have seen it.

Seated by his desk, a large pile of paperwork gathered dust as he stared at a select few reports. Given it's dull nature, it did little to clear his head, nor fill it with something other than that death sentence... The repeat of Focalors demise, it played on repeat - whenever his duty as Chief Justice did not distract from that invasive memory; bringing forth a solemn rain unto Fontaine.

The knocking on his door, familiar in sound; a saviour in disguise. Prismatic eyes blinked - and his deep thoughts dispersed, for now, together with the dreary rain outside. Yet another thing to thank Furina for. ❛ Hm? Ah, come in. ❜

Setting the reports aside, Neuvillette cleared his throat and shifted his focus unto her, fully - without any grievances. He is surprised by her visit, however, for what could his company give her? While he felt an inherent fondness for the former archon, he doubted he was of any particular interest to her - especially not now, when her grand opera had closed it's curtains. A gentle smile is given her way, nonetheless. ❛ Not at all, Lady Furina. How can I be of help? ❜

[yokelish]

Thots on Fontaine

I think the fact Oceanids didn't accept Focalor is very significant. Not only because of the waters that changed. I think, Furina, is what you would call a puppet Archon. She has the name, everyone believes she is. But she probably knows the truth that she isn't, not really, not quite.

Furina lied on her resume and got the job but has no clue how to do it. She is just really good with a performance.

I won't be surprised if she never even held the Gnosis. She probably knows it exists and where it is (my suspicion is the Oratrice), but the Gnosis isn't hers. Not to say she isn't a god, she is just a very minor one. Or maybe some other elemental creature.

As to why I think Focalors nerve claimed the Gnosis, it's her timidity and ignorance on the topic. When challenged in any way, she backs down quite easily. And I don't think it's her other personality, I think she knows full well what she can and can't do. And when her performance isn't enough to intimidate the other party, she back down. By all accounts, Neuvillette is technically her subject and doesn't seem to be the violent sort. But even he intimidates her to no end if she knows he isn't on her side.

The power of water is it's ability to take any shape. And Focalor is a really great representation of it. She can take shape, she just won't hold it without a container. And that container would likely have been Gnosis. If she couldn't claim it, she is mostly left with her innate powers. Nahida's power of Dendro doesn't just belong solely to her alone. Probably the same is with the water. Oceanids hold great power over water if by leaving Fontaine alone they changed the property of the waters.

But why, you ask, since Furina is so close to Celestia's ideals. Well, that's what she thinks. That's what most are made to believe. No one can know for sure how Celestia feels about it. And, given that the people of Fontaine are born with sin that cannot be absolved...

See, usually , the sinners are decided by the Divine. It's highly unlikely that Furina seems her own people are siners. It's counterproductive of her. So, who else would have proclaimed Fontaine people to be born in sin? Celestia. Oceanids and/or other Hydro elemental beings too. Maybe even the previous Archon herself. Her death is a mystery still. The sin of Fontaine people really seems like a curse. And we know that gods are really good at placing curses of people if they are born of certain land.

Now the question is, of course, why Childe was judged guilty.

[someuncreativi2]

[] What the Alia Fabula AU Archons do after the game ends []

(Spoilers for first four chapters of Genshin Impact)

As we can see throughout Genshin Impact, the archons change along with their respective nations. This makes me think of all the ways they can change and what they might do at the end of the game. So, including my own fan made archons, I have set out what they would do after the end of the game.

Firstly, Venti. To me, I see him changing the least; he probably still drinks his wine and plays at taverns and protects Mondstadt and whatnot. After all, it worked as well this time as every other.

Next, Zhongli. I have no doubt that he will continue to protect Liyue, but considering he’s given up the position of Archon, I see him trying to blend in with humans more- adapt to their modern customs, fit into societal norms, et cetera.

For Raiden, I think her arc is characterized by accepting change; Inazuma changed, meaning her ideals have failed, but ultimately, she is fine with that. It is still Inazuma, no matter what. For this, and also the Archon quest in general, I see her as trying to be more laidback- not hands off, but she’s trying to let Inazuma run its course.

Nahida is a unique case. She doesn’t have respect like the other Archons, and she doesn’t actually know much about being an Archon, seeing as how the Akademiya locked her away for her whole life. Personally, I see her trying to widen her horizons as much as possible, not only because she is the god of wisdom, but because she has a genuine interest in learning more about the world and its inhabitants.

Then, there’s Marione. In this AU, Focalors is someone else completely- Sandrone impersonating the Archon for her own gain. In this time, Marione was lessened to just a servant of Focalors without any free will of their own. After the game ends, after Sandrone resigns from head of Fontaine, I imagine that Marione would go around and try to regain their lost respect; meeting with the other Archons, restoring Fontainian nature, and rebuilding their own reputation.

Murata, like Nahida, is an interesting story. In this timeline, her and the previous Archon had a friendly rivalry going on, that is until the Cataclysm made her the only Archon of Natlan. Out of rage, she waged war on everyone and anyone who she saw as responsible for her friend’s death. Her chapter would be summarized by self-reflection- no individual was responsible for these happenings, but most people don’t realize that because they haven’t given themselves time to process. After this, Murata would put her war-prone tendencies to rest, focusing on trying to give not only her people the care they need from their god, but also herself the time to emotionally heal.

Odelayo is, to me, one of the only Archons that might legitimately give up the title of leader for their own selves, next to Zhongli, of course. After hundreds of years of living in fear and isolating herself from the world, desperately trying to shield herself from being hurt again by someone she wants to love- whether that be her family, her people, or even Pierro- she realizes, through the other Archons, that she doesn’t need to continue thinking that love, the concept she holds dear, is anything but good. Whether it be self-love, friendship, romance, or what have you, yes, you have to be vulnerable, but love has its place, and love can help us realize a lot about our world and ourselves.

After the game, as I said, she’d resign from being the Archon of Cryo (truth be told, she never actually wanted to be a god, much less the patron deity of Snezhnaya). She turns to trying to enjoy her life with those she cares about, traveling the world to see it for the good it has to offer rather than the bad.

In relation to these ideas, I drew a quick (well not quick cuz it took 4 hours somehow) piece of Odelayo traveling around Inazuma in a boat because fun

Oh btw Raiden isn’t here because she’s like sight-seeing in her own city and not because I didn’t have room for her lmao

[aromanticasterisms]

sitting bolt upright in the middle of the night with the realization that furina is not a parallel to seele, she's a parallel to veliona. walk with me,

obligatory disclaimer that i do not think furina and focalors are an "expy" of the seeles [taking this word away from hyv fans and putting it on a shelf] because nothing shared across these games is ever a one for one copy. even for characters whose names and appearances are the same or similar, inspiration is drawn from multiple different sources. [talk to me about different aspects of mei being seen in makoto and ei respectively, and yae miko being more like rin / higokumaru than sakura]. the setting and tone of each game is very different, and this shapes the characters in different and interesting ways.

i enjoy seele and furina's stories because they're distinct and different entities!! but it's fun to draw comparisons between the two and see what aspects of these stories have been repeated versus where they differ from each other.

like okay listen. i've understood the shallower parallels between focalors and furina and seele and veliona for a while. there's two of them. one of them has short hair the other long. the sea of quanta / the primordial sea. the little mermaid analogies. the shade of life creating focalors's predecessor / veliona being a stigmata of the previous era herrscher of death, seele becoming the herrscher of rebirth. okay yeah fine whatever.

the seeles' story is one of codependency as a result of trauma and isolation, and recovering from it and learning to rely on each other in healthier ways. focalors and furina's story is one of loneliness, duty, and sacrifice.

but both of them are about identity.

since the time they came into being, both furina and veliona have taken on this role of protector to something they hold dear - furina's doomed people, veliona's meek and fragile other half. in order to take on this role, they put on masks - furina's arrogant and exuberant showmanship, veliona's harsh and sarcastic demeanor - to hide away the insecurities that lie beneath.

and when their counterpart is killed / separated from them, these insecurities come right up to the surface, and they're at a loss for what to do with themselves. they don't know who they are if they're not projecting this mask and playing the part of protector. who is veliona when seele grows stronger, makes more friends, doesn't need her anymore? who is furina, after five hundred long years, when she doesn't have to pretend to be a god anymore?

without their counterpart to hide behind, to give them meaning, who do they have that cares for them? that sees past the mask they've put between themselves and the world?

perhaps surprisingly to them, a lot of people!

their friends pick them up when they stumble and pull them forward into a more hopeful future where they can be themselves and live their own lives. seele assuring veliona she does want her around, bronya accepting her, the herrscher of sentience trying to get her to be more confident in herself. neuvillette looking after furina's financial costs, clorinde inviting her out drinking and to meet up with friends so she doesn't stay locked in her apartment forever, the people of fontaine accepting furina as she is.

in the end, they don't entirely abandon these masks of theirs, but repurpose them, borrowing that false confidence and making it into something more real as they take steps to discovering who they are and who they want to be.