Probably the most poignant strains in Genshin Affect’s newest replace got here after I found a bouquet of white flowers laid subsequent to the our bodies of lifeless Hilichurls. As I surveyed the grisly scene, the wanderer Dainsleif stated, “The Inteyvat [flower] is an emblem for a wanderer removed from dwelling, signifying the tenderness of the homeland.” His phrases had been rendered tragic, as a result of his beloved nation had been destroyed centuries in the past. In impact, Genshin Affect’s newest archon quest is a philosophical query about loving a nation that can not love you again.
Genshin Affect just isn’t enthusiastic about simple solutions and options to severe themes akin to struggle and displacement. The place potential, the sport likes to go away its moral quandaries open ended. And nowhere is that this extra obvious than the newest fundamental story quest: Requiem of the Echoing Depths, the place you assist the wanderer Dainsleif cease a dastardly plot enacted by the dreaded Abyss Order.
A little bit background: In Genshin Affect you play as a traveler looking for their misplaced twin. (I’m taking part in the male model of the traveler, named Aether, so my misplaced twin is the feminine model, Lumine.) You ultimately discover out that your sibling has grow to be the chief of the Abyss Order, a shadowy group that seeks to overthrow the rulers who reside in Celestia. Dainsleif is the one character who is aware of sufficient in regards to the Order’s ambition to overthrow Celestia, and becoming a member of up with him appeared to be the one solution to successfully oppose them.
However the story grew to become extra convoluted with each replace. Final 12 months, Lumine revealed that the Abyss Mages and Hilichurls (Genshin’s model of Bokoblins from The Legend of Zelda) who roamed the open world had been the remodeled survivors of the Khaenri’an genocide from 500 years in the past—the identical monsters I might usually struggle throughout my every day quests. Whereas Dainsleif is at present a nation-less knight, he was as soon as a royal guard from Khaenri’ah. Lumine hated him as a result of he opposed their objective to destroy Celestia. Whereas most of his personal individuals wished justice, Dainsleif was alone in his opposition to struggle.
At first, I assumed that his actions had been noble. Right here was the gallant knight who wouldn’t prioritize his nation’s vengeance over the world’s security. However as I’ve been exploring the ruins of a anonymous civilization and studying extra about Dainsleif’s struggles, I’ve began to doubt him.
The most recent quest started when some miners instructed me that the Hilichurls had been venturing down the underground chasm with out returning to the floor. I ventured down and found that the cavern may suppress the creatures’ curse of immortality. Regardless of their restricted intelligence, these Hilichurls had come right down to this darkish, damp cavern with a purpose to die. Their suicides had been an incredibly darkish revelation for a sport that’s usually comparatively light-hearted. The Hilichurls had been in fixed ache, and Dainsleif ought to have shared their destiny. He did, however solely partially.
“Even now, I can really feel the curse slowly permeating my complete being, turning into a part of me, slowly however certainly changing me.” Dainsleif says. “Maybe it could be potential to suppress the corrosive impact of the curse for a time, however cleaning it solely… Think about it tantamount to burning away an integral a part of your physique. It isn’t a course of that one may ever hope to outlive.”
Nevertheless, Dainsleif’s and the Hilichurls have totally different lived experiences. Whereas Dainsleif too experiences continual ache from the curse, his physique was not transfigured, nor did he undergo the same lack of psychological acuity. He doesn’t actively search loss of life. For all of his struggling, he is without doubt one of the fortunate ones, and doesn’t appear to really feel as determined because the numerous different Khaenri’an survivors who’ve misplaced their very humanity.
Through the newest quest, the Abyss Order makes an attempt to make use of a wierd machine to forcibly dispel the Hilichurls’ curse of immortality. Aether, my protagonist, selected to foil the plot as a result of the Order had not obtained the Hilichurls’ consent to try such a reckless gambit. Dainsleif, in the meantime, left me shocked when he condemned the act of making an attempt to take away the curse in any respect: “There may be nothing else left of these hilichurls. Nothing apart from the curse itself.”
It was laborious to inform if Dainsleif was referring to those transfigured survivors or himself. Whereas Lumine was actually responsible of projecting her personal beliefs on these Hilichurls, so was Dainsleif. These had been beings who laughed and danced round their campfires. They developed their very own architectural aesthetic, they usually loved the poetry that I might learn to them throughout a selected every day quest. The survivors of Khaenri’ah suffered, however in addition they appeared to get pleasure from their lives in their very own approach. They didn’t acknowledge Dainsleif as certainly one of their very own, and so he wandered the world alone for a whole bunch of years, later touring with Lumine for an unknown time frame.
The search incorporates a flashback cutscene of Lumine inserting Inteyvat flowers subsequent to the Hilichurl corpses. As Dainsleif defined, this flower is an emblem of Khaenri’ah, which usually solely lives for 2 weeks earlier than wilting. But when taken in a foreign country, the petals harden and protect indefinitely, and solely deteriorate upon returning to its native soil. Subsequently, the Inteyvat symbolized the nation’s love for residents who’d traveled overseas. In providing them to Hilichurl, the Abyss Princess was making a symbolic gesture to convey her enduring love for the Khaenri’an diaspora. I puzzled if Dainsleif had ever obtained a Inteyvat from his individuals. The Order’s Abyssal monsters had been always making an attempt to kill him, and Lumine regarded him as a traitor. On a day-to-day foundation, he had no cause to really feel motivated to save lots of his homeland.
To be trustworthy, I get that. Like Dainsleif, I’m a weirdo who Chinese language individuals wrestle to like. The Chinese language diaspora is commonly seen as too overseas for mainland Chinese language individuals, and we’re seen as too Chinese language (aka too scary) within the non-Chinese language communities during which we reside. And I’m queer, which provides one other layer of mistrust for any cishet one who’s ever needed to work together with me. It’s not simply me who faces scrutiny from all sides–Olympics skier Eileen Gu was publically crucified by People for selecting to compete on China’s crew. And that’s why I need Dainsleif to be higher. If the absence of affection would stop one from loving, there’d be no hope for any of us. Or no less than, that’s what I need to imagine. The choice is worse: turning into as nihilistic as Dainsleif.
On the finish of the questline, Halfdan’s ghost asks him, “Khaenri’ah…didn’t fall, did it? Because you’re nonetheless right here…” I discovered it irritating when he responded, “Right. So…no have to revive the homeland.” It’s comforting to suppose that merely surviving is sufficient after your private home now not exists. However within the current, Dainsleif isn’t merely surviving. He’s actively sabotaging any makes an attempt to provide the Hilichurls a greater existence.
I’m not fully unsympathetic to Dainsleif. Change is inherently laborious. After witnessing 500 years of Celestia’s absolute energy, hegemonic change should appear not possible. However this newest quest reveals that he didn’t oppose the Abyss Order out of idealism; he fought them as a result of he didn’t imagine that the Order may rebuild Khaenri’ah or save their individuals. Celestia has an extended historical past of retaliating in opposition to rebellious nations, and Dainsleif just isn’t courageous or idealistic. He’s making an attempt to guard individuals in his personal approach, however after seeing how this quest performs out, I now not suppose that he’s in the best.
Ought to one oppose evil if harmless individuals would undergo within the course of? Is it worse to simply accept an unjust hegemony? Genshin has been grappling with these questions since model 2.0 landed final summer season. However on this occasion, I feel the reply is evident. Even when Dainsleif and his misplaced kingdom’s extra monstrous-looking survivors are often flawed of their strategies, all of them deserve justice for Celestia’s struggle crimes. It’s only a disgrace that the survivors preserve getting in one another’s approach.