arrow_back Genshin Impact Quests 
Prologue: Act III
Song of the Dragon and Freedom
You came to Stormterror's Lair to once again attempt Dvalin's rescue. However, it is surrounded by wind barriers made by Stormterror, and the dark forces at work have no intention of letting you break through those barriers so easily.
Go to the entrance of Stormterror's Lair
Paimon:
It's a storm barrier!
Paimon:
It looks so dangerous...
Venti:
Let me at it.
Venti:
Although this wooden lyre is all I have...
Venti:
I don't need the lyre to break through this kind of storm barri— Ah, wait, what is that?
Jean:
Enemy attack! Prepare yourselves!
Defeat the assailants
Venti:
The stage will need to be cleared before I can begin my performance.
Venti:
Generally speaking, such chores are not the concerns of the performer himself...
Jean:
Wait. What's going on? Something's not right.
Jean:
There shouldn't be any hilichurl camps in the vicinity of Stormterror's Lair...
Disperse the wind barrier
Venti:
Ahh...
Venti:
The hilichurls usually do not venture into areas with high elemental concentrations.
Venti:
It puts a heavy burden on their bodies.
Diluc:
The Abyss Order must be manipulating them behind the scenes, yet they shouldn't have been able to determine that we would come.
Diluc:
They're presumably spreading their forces to halt our plans.
Venti:
Without further ado...
Venti:
I suppose I can play faster if my only audience is the wind.
Paimon:
It actually opened! You're not entirely useless, Tone-Deaf Bard!
Jean:
This is it. We are now entering Stormterror's Lair.
Jean:
Watch yourselves. Let's move.
Assailed by many enemies, you realize that this road will not be an easy one. The way into Stormterror's Lair is strewn with obstacles, and so you must proceed with caution to find a path along the ruined walls.
Enter Stormterror's Lair
Paimon:
Looks like this is the front gate to Stormterror's Lair.
Paimon:
The gate is enormous compared to us... But still, Paimon wonders how Dvalin gets in there with a body that huge?
Venti:
He doesn't walk in, he flies in.
Paimon:
...Oh. Hmm, you do have a point.
Go towards Stormterror's Lair
Paimon:
It's stuck.
Venti:
It's stuck.
Paimon:
Hey, check out that roof. Is there a giant hole in it?
Venti:
Hmm... I suppose we could make use of that wind current.
Paimon:
Let's make a detour then. Heading up!
Venti:
Let's make a detour then. Heading up!
Enter the tower
Paimon:
Hmm... Do you think there will be Abyss Mages hiding in the ruins?
Paimon:
Either way, if we do run into one, we will let the victorious Master Diluc do the—
Diluc:
Do not underestimate them just because I have beaten one of them before.
Diluc:
I'm not boasting. I'm simply saying there is more to the Abyss Order than a few mages.
Venti:
Correct. That's why I tagged along, after all.
Venti:
Well, that — and also for your safety.
Venti:
Ah, why am I so diligent? Too diligent for a poet, in fact!
Paimon:
So says the person that made zero effort to search for the dragon tears and drank in the tavern all day!
Paimon:
Paimon doesn't get it, what part of you is remotely diligent?
Paimon:
Look! A wind current.
Paimon:
It might lead us to the top of the tower.
The entrance to Stormterror's Lair is just ahead, but the light seals bar the way in. You must once again face a trial in order to break those seals.
Investigate the seal at the top of the tower
Venti:
Oh, we can't advance any further. The ruins seem to be guarded by ancient seals.
Paimon:
Is this the work of Dvalin?
Venti:
No. These ruins were once part of an ancient city. Dvalin just happens to be nesting in these ruins for now.
Venti:
These ruins even predate the existence of The Four Winds.
Venti:
Mondstadt is a city without a ruler. However, before it was...
Venti:
It was ruled over by a tyrant.
Venti:
Anyway... I'll sing you that story when we have a chance in the future.
Diluc:
The markings on this seal... If my archaeological knowledge is not mistaken, this appears to be a light actuator.
Diluc:
If we retrieve and reintegrate all the parts, we should be able to get it working.
Jean:
We should be close to completing the ceremony for this actuator.
Jean:
Let's put the last part back and see.
Talk to Venti
Venti:
Looks like we're right.
Venti:
There are three more halos circling the tower...
Jean:
Which means, there are three more corresponding light actuators to activate.
Jean:
I can see one from here.
Jean:
The rest must be scattered within the ruins around here. Let's go find them.
Paimon:
...Why did Dvalin pick a place filled with puzzles and seals as his lair? Doesn't he get annoyed coming back home?
Venti:
He doesn't walk in, he flies in.
Paimon:
...You do have a point.
The three light seals have each been broken by you in their turn, and the path to the decisive showdown is open. You once again return to the lair's entrance to put an end to things.
Go back to the top of the tower
Venti:
I'm thinking about turning these adventures into songs after we're done...
Venti:
Hopefully, this song will be sung for years to come by the people of Mondstadt, just like The Legend of Vennessa.
Jean:
I have loved that song since I was small.
Jean:
How are you feeling today Traveler?
Jean:
I am completely prepared and fully confident that we can do this.
Paimon:
Even Master Diluc accompanied us to the very end.
Paimon:
Despite only being an accidentally involved...
Paimon:
...Bystander.
Diluc:
You shared your secret with me, and I only returned your trust to the same extent.
Paimon:
As for Master Jean... "responsibility" perhaps?
Paimon:
What about the Tone-Deaf Bard?
Venti:
It's "freedom."
Paimon:
Freedom...?
Venti:
When you first arrived at Mondstadt, did no one tell you that Mondstadt is the City of Freedom?
Traveler:
Amber...
Venti:
Hahaha... She really is a child of freedom!
Venti:
Mondstadt is a romantic city, without the reign of a king.
Venti:
And its citizens enjoy the most freedom amongst the seven nations.
Venti:
I hope the dragon that once protected Mondstadt will soon be free too...
Venti:
No one should have deceived him by telling him that Mondstadt betrayed him.
Venti:
And no one should have told him that it was his eternal duty to protect the city.
Venti:
He has the right and freedom to choose his own way of life.
Paimon:
Venti...
Venti:
Well then, Traveler, may the thousands of years of wind that have blown through Mondstadt go with you.
Venti:
Just like the last time, I shall channel Anemo energy for you.
Paimon:
Oh! No wonder Traveler said his voice sounds familiar!
After a long and daring pursuit of Dvalin, who has been led astray by the Abyss Mages, you are about to finally confront him once and for all.
Defeat Dvalin
movie
As Dvalin is cleansed of the venomous blood, Stormterror's Lair begins to crumble. The newly freed Dvalin catches those who are falling, and is once again granted power befitting the Anemo Archon's familiar...
Amber says that Jean is waiting for you at the Cathedral. Apparently, it's something to do with the Holy Lyre der Himmel...
Meet Jean and Venti at the Cathedral
Jean:
This is Barbara, the Deaconess of the Church. She is here to retrieve the Holy Lyre der Himmel.
Barbara:
May the Anemo Archon protect you.
Barbara:
I'm not really in a position to speak compared to our Acting Grand Master...
Barbara:
But I still want to thank you all on behalf of all of Mondstadt for your assistance!
Barbara:
Fortunately, everything was resolved peacefully... I can't imagine how an all-out war between the military and the dragon would have ended...
Jean:
Now the Fatui have no choice but to keep their mouths shut.
Jean:
They must be annoyed that things didn't turn out as planned for them.
Jean:
This time, they even lost their best excuse to pressure the Knights of Favonius.
Jean:
Diplomatically speaking, they gained nothing, and on the contrary simply proved just how vexatious they can be.
Barbara:
Sounds like quite the story. So, did you bring the Holy Lyre with you?
Barbara:
We cannot ask you to keep defending the lyre forever. The Seneschal has been pressing me for a while now...
Paimon:
We ahh... did bring it with us... Ummm... It's just... it's a little...
Barbara:
Oh, don't worry! I'm not here to collect rent! The Church has always received special funding...
Give the Holy Lyre der Himmel to Barbara
The sight of the badly damaged Holy Lyre causes the pious Barbara to panic. Venti sees no choice but to use a magical illusion to "fix" the lyre, and the rest of you quietly leave the Cathedral before Barbara has the chance to see through it. But just outside the Cathedral, Fatui Harbinger Signora appears, steals Venti's Gnosis, knocks you unconscious, and hastily departs.
Talk to Barbara
Barbara:
Ah! Honorary Knight, you're awake!
Barbara:
Um... I wouldn't say he's "alright," exactly.
Barbara:
I found you lying unconscious outside the Cathedral, and used my elemental powers to heal you...
Barbara:
That bard awakened first, but strangely, my healing powers had almost no effect on him...
Barbara:
This is the first time I've encountered such a patient. But he just said "it's completely normal," and then got up and left the Cathedral...
Paimon:
He left? Already? Where'd he go?
Barbara:
The Symbol of Mondstadt's Hero, that's what he said.
Barbara:
I wanted to stop him, but Jean— I mean, Master Jean said to let him leave. How strange.
Paimon:
Paimon remembers Venti healing under that tree before...
Paimon:
(It's probably due to the connection between Windrise and the Anemo Archon. Master Jean has figured it out as well, but we can't tell Barbara...)
Find Venti at Windrise
Venti:
The wind amongst the branches is good, I love the way it smells...
Venti:
Haha, I said the exact same thing the last time. *sigh* Why do I only say these things when I'm down on my luck?
Traveler:
So... what is a Gnosis?
Venti:
Ah, so you noticed.
Venti:
*sigh* This isn't something I'm meant to discuss with ordinary people. But I suppose I can let you in on the secret.
Venti:
As you know, Visions are external magical foci that only a small minority of people possess. They use these Visions to channel elemental power.
Venti:
In truth, every wielder of a Vision is one who can attain godhood and ascend to Celestia. We call such people allogenes.
Paimon:
Allogenes? Paimon's never heard of them before.
Venti:
Hehe, that's because this is a secret that only archons are privy to. We don't need primitive tools like Visions.
Venti:
Instead, each archon has an internal magical focus that resonates directly with Celestia itself... known as a Gnosis.
Traveler:
What about the thing hanging off your hip?
Venti:
Eh-he. It's just a glowing glass ball I carry around to avoid suspicion.
Paimon:
So who was that nasty woman who sent Paimon flying and stole your Gnosis?
Venti:
Her name is Signora, No. 8 of the harbingers.
Venti:
She and the rest of the harbingers have been given god-like executive authority by the Tsaritsa of Snezhnaya, and with it, strength surpassing that of other mortals.
Paimon:
The Tsaritsa of Snezhnaya? Isn't that...
Venti:
Indeed. She is one of The Seven, the Tsaritsa who reigns from the Zapolyarny Palace, and the one person that the Fatui Harbingers all answer to.
Venti:
The Seven don't always get along well, but still — I never thought that she would plot to steal another archon's Gnosis...
Traveler:
What sort of god is the Tsaritsa?
Venti:
Ah... How should I put this?
Venti:
Five hundred years ago, I knew her well. But I can't say the same is true now.
Venti:
You see, a certain catastrophe happened five hundred years ago, and after that, she cut off all ties with me.
Venti:
But we can save discussion of the Cryo Archon and the Fatui for another day.
Venti:
Traveler, if you seek the rest of The Seven, many difficulties lie ahead of you still.
Venti:
You should head for Mondstadt's neighboring nation of Liyue. The Geo Archon who reigns there, unlike me, administrates his entire region personally.
Venti:
He only descends once every year to give his divine predictions, which set the direction for Liyue for the rest of that year.
Paimon:
Even so, it sounds like he works much harder than a certain someone.
Venti:
Eh-he?
Venti:
...In any case, this year's Rite of Descension is soon to begin. If you miss it, you'll just have to wait another year.
Paimon:
WHAT!? Why didn't you tell us before? Well then bye. Traveler, we're going!
Venti:
One moment, Windborne Outlander.
Venti:
Yup.
Venti:
Traveler, as you set off on your journey once again, you must remember that the journey itself has meaning.
Venti:
The birds of Teyvat, the songs and the cities, the Tsaritsa, her Fatui and the monsters... they are all part of your journey.
Venti:
The destination is not everything. So before you reach the end, keep your eyes open. Use the chance to take in the world around you...
Venti:
Great. So that's that for the Anemo Archon's admonishments! Back to Venti Time!
Venti:
If you want to chat, now's the time — a bard stays not always in a single clime.
Venti:
Up till the end, Dvalin remembered his duty as one of the Four Winds.
Venti:
As such, I don't intend to forcibly strip him of that duty and force my ideals of freedom onto him.
Venti:
I just hope that Dvalin will be able to choose for himself and understand what freedom is.
Venti:
Before I became an archon, I too was taught the meaning of freedom in this way by a friend.
You used the Holy Lyre der Himmel to summon Stormterror, only to be prevented from saving it due to the interference of the Abyss Order. But you haven't given up yet — and Diluc has been able to swiftly obtain a new lead...
Talk to Diluc
Diluc:
The Abyss Order... Enemies of the human race. Even the underground networks rarely come across any information on them.
Diluc:
With that said, it was a bit of a hassle, but I managed to dig up a few clues.
Venti:
Really? That quickly? You really are well connected, Master Diluc.
Paimon:
Come to think of it, Mr. Big Anemo God Barbatos — why exactly do you need the help of mere humans...?
Venti:
Ahh... How do I put it...
Venti:
"The Seven" as people now know them, were once known as "The Seven Archons."
Venti:
Each archon presides over their own part of Teyvat. That is the role the archons play.
Venti:
Only in performing this duty can we attain power, but I don't like the idea of "ruling" Mondstadt — and I don't feel Mondstadt would really like it either.
Jean:
"Go forth and establish a city of freedom without rule." We have not forgotten Barbatos' wish for Mondstadt.
Paimon:
Jean... You're such a devotee!
Paimon:
Maybe someone got a little too free and is just too lazy to care...
Venti:
Ahh... However it may have come to be... I haven't been back to Mondstadt for an extended period of time.
Venti:
Without a doubt, I am now the weakest archon among The Seven!
Venti:
Aww, you flatter me.
Diluc:
Oh, such a humble god... Is it a blessing, or a curse?
Diluc:
But we digress. Let's get back to the topic at hand: the common enemy of all mankind.
Diluc:
We have tracked the Abyss Mage to the vicinity of the winery.
Jean:
I cannot stress enough how important it is to not let it escape.
Traveler:
Let's hunt it down!
Defeat the assailants
Venti:
Huh? What's this...
Venti:
After the Abyss Mage was defeated, a certain energy dispersed from its body...
Venti:
It seems that energy was being used to cut off the connection between me and Dvalin.
Venti:
...
Venti:
Traveler, do you know of Stormterror's Lair?
Venti:
But Jean and Master Diluc are no doubt aware of it.
Venti:
After Dvalin woke up, he took the ancient ruins as his lair.
Venti:
As it was with the storms that previously cut Mondstadt off from the outside world, the entrance to the ruins is also sealed by a special barrier.
Venti:
But now, as the energy dispersed from the Abyss Mage, I was able to read the rhythmic flow of how the barrier's magic was woven.
Venti:
I must admit, it sounds even more horrendous than a chorus of hilichurls, but...
Venti:
...It should be enough to let us break through the storm barrier and reach Stormterror's Lair.
Diluc:
Which means we're going to confront Dvalin?
Diluc:
I'm fine with that... Jean is the one who wishes to avoid any direct confrontation.
Jean:
No. When there are no other options left, it is my responsibility to alter our course of action.
Jean:
If slaying him is our only choice, I will gladly become the knight that leads the charge.
Venti:
Fortunately, we have yet to need to go that far.
Diluc:
Hmm?
Jean:
By that, you mean...
Venti:
I mean that the Holy Lyre is not our trump card.
Venti:
Our real trump card? Traveler of course.
Paimon:
Traveler?
Venti:
Agreed.
Venti:
The impurities in the tears, and the curse that binds Dvalin belong to the same maleficent power.
Venti:
Which means...
Paimon:
You Tone-Deaf Bard, don't you see how crazy this is?
Paimon:
You've seen what Dvalin is like when he's ticked off! Traveler will be swallowed whole before he even gets to lift a finger!
Diluc:
...Hey.
Diluc:
Nice plan. Worth a shot.
Jean:
I am with you, Honorary Knight!
Paimon:
Ho~! So we just need to fight monsters from the abyss... and a dragon! No pressure or anything.
Diluc:
Humans aren't without their strengths. Let's go.
Venti:
And so...
Venti:
The epic actions of brave heroes finally leads to this eleventh hour.
You finally managed to save Dvalin. Is this where the story of the wind ends?
Talk to Amber
Amber:
You guys are back! The Honorary Knight returns triumphant!
Paimon:
Yup, Traveler's back from tussling with Dvalin!
Amber:
You just returned yesterday, right? Jean got back first, and she told us all about your heroic deeds.
Amber:
*sigh* I wonder if I'll ever get an opportunity like that...
Amber:
That doesn't come into it. You guys deserve all the credit for how you resolved this crisis.
Amber:
When I brought you into the city that day, I was just doing my duty as an Outrider.
Paimon:
You're welcome! ...But, have you been waiting for us here this whole time?
Amber:
Of course not! Just because I'm not out on the front line doesn't mean I don't have work to do... In fact, I'm dealing with the aftermath of the crisis as we speak.
Paimon:
Aftermath? Here? What happened in Mondstadt?
Amber:
While Master Jean was away, the monsters lurking nearby made a coordinated attack on the city.
Amber:
Fortunately, we weren't completely taken by surprise. I detected the hilichurls were moving closer to the city a while back.
Paimon:
Oh yeah! Paimon remembers. When we first met, you were clearing out one of their camps...
Amber:
Exactly. And if we hadn't started making preparations back then, Mondstadt would be in much greater danger by now.
Amber:
Me too. But I have a strange feeling that we're not out of the woods yet...
Amber:
Hilichurls aren't usually capable of coordinating like this...
Amber:
Our best guess is that the Abyss Order is behind it.
Paimon:
They've taken over the hilichurls? Hmm... Good thing we saved Dvalin, or they might've taken him, too...
Amber:
That's right. And since I'm the Outrider, it's up to me to keep eyes on the Abyss Order from now on.
Amber:
Ugh, I'm sorry. You should be celebrating your victory, not listening to all this somber talk!
Amber:
Hmm... I promised to take you out for some Sticky Honey Roast, didn't I? Before everyone got caught up in the Stormterror crisis.
Amber:
There's no time like the present, right? You guys hungry?
Paimon:
You bet! You may have forgotten till just now, but it's been on Paimon's mind this whole time!
Amber:
Awesome, let's go! It's been way too long since I last ate a Sticky Honey Roast myself.
Amber:
Wait for me at Good Hunter. I'll be right there, I just have to clean up here real quick.
Chat with the locals (Cyrus)
Cyrus:
Here we go! This is it!
Cyrus:
Crisis! Danger! The thrill of adventure!!!
Cyrus:
Adventurers' Guild! Finally, our days of rescuing kittens and finding lost puppies are over! The age of adventure is upon us!
Cyrus:
Roll up, youngsters, join the Adventurers' Guild today! In this time of great upheaval, we must rally together, take on the dragon, and save our great city of Mondstadt!
Traveler:
Yeah, about that...
Cyrus:
...What!? WHAT!?
Cyrus:
The Stormterror threat is resolved? I missed the Acting Grand Master's speech?
Cyrus:
...
Cyrus:
...Bah! Stormterror should have put up more of a fight! We didn't get to join in...
Chat with the locals (Nimrod)
Nimrod:
Long live the heroes! Thank you, it's finally over.
Nimrod:
Many trade routes have closed due to the Stormterror incident. We can cope for now without fresh fruit and vegetables... But if the wine supply dries up, we're all doomed!
Nimrod:
I cannot imagine a world without wine.
Nimrod:
I hope they get the trade routes back up and running soon.
Chat with the locals (Grace)
Grace:
So, Stormterror's true identity is Dvalin — one of the Four Winds! We never should've forgotten his past sacrifice for Mondstadt.
Grace:
Every cloud has a silver lining — we're fortunate that our relationship with the Dragon of the East didn't sour past the point of no return.
Grace:
For that, we have you to thank. And Jean, for her unfailing devotion.
Grace:
As long as we have the Knights of Favonius, peace and freedom will prevail in Mondstadt.
Go to Good Hunter
Sara:
Greetings, may I take your order?
Kaeya:
Why so cold? I've always thought that we enjoy quite the intimate friendship.
Kaeya:
Hahaha... It seems your great battle sharpened not only your combat skills but your wit as well. A knight after my own heart.
Kaeya:
To bask in the presence of Mondstadt's new big hero is quite the morale boost. And that's coming from a knight.
Paimon:
Sweet-talking sugar-coated Captain Kaeya...
Kaeya:
Haha, nonsense! I speak from the heart.
Kaeya:
Just looking for a quiet spot to collect my thoughts.
Paimon:
While all the other knights are working hard to clean up after the battle...
Kaeya:
Thinking can be an arduous task, you know. Believe me, I'd much rather be taking out the trash.
Paimon:
So, whatcha thinkin' about, then?
Kaeya:
The Abyss Order.
Kaeya:
A dragon wreaks havoc in Mondstadt, and the Acting Grand Master leaves the city to combat the threat. Strategically, that's the perfect moment for the Abyss Order to make their move.
Kaeya:
If you were the Abyss Order, would you squander this golden opportunity by sending in nothing more than a few hilichurls?
Kaeya:
To get to the bottom of it, I decided to wait. So I waited, and watched for their next move.
Kaeya:
Then came the day you made all hell break loose in Stormterror's Lair, just as the hilichurls' cries sounded from the city gates...
Kaeya:
That same day, I saw shadowy figures lurking in the city itself.
Paimon:
Inside the city!?
Kaeya:
Well, all the other knights were outside, fighting the enemy. As you can imagine, that left the inside of the city completely unguarded.
Kaeya:
Except for me, of course. And so I approached the Abyss Order infiltrators for a bit of... hmm, let's call it fraternizing.
Kaeya:
Through various means, I managed to gather some rather interesting intel.
Kaeya:
The situation is this: The Abyss Order... they are united under a single leader.
Paimon:
The Abyss Order has a leader?
Kaeya:
Yes. And it was this very leader who devised the plot to turn Dvalin into a weapon of war.
Paimon:
What exactly did you have to do to find this out!?
Kaeya:
Hehehe... Let's just say I'm blessed with certain linguistic powers.
Kaeya:
There's more... The Abyss Order has a name for this leader... They call her "The Princess."
Traveler:
Princess...
Kaeya:
Now, I'm sorry to cut this intelligence briefing short, but I do believe I spy Amber heading this way...
Kaeya:
I think she's still angry with me for my absence from the defense effort during the attack... I'd better slip away before she notices me.
Amber:
One minute I see Kaeya, the next he's slipped away! Clear sign of a guilty conscience...
Amber:
Are you sure? Because that sounds like exactly what he'd say to talk himself out of trouble...
Amber:
But let's forget about him. I worked super hard today and my tummy's rumbling. Let's order!
Amber:
Hi Sara! One Sticky Honey Roast, please...
Talk to Amber
Amber:
So. Now the Stormterror threat is behind us, what are your plans for the next step?
Paimon:
Paimon thinks it's time to leave Mondstadt, and keep looking through the seven nations until we find clues about his sister.
Amber:
Huh, really? Oh... Well, I guess this is goodbye for now...
Amber:
Hey, don't feel down! You'll always be a friend of the Knights of Favonius and our Honorary Knight. Wherever you may go, and wherever the wind may blow.
Amber:
That's the spirit! Remember, Mondstadt will always welcome you.
Amber:
Alright, now let's eat before it gets cold!
Paimon:
Mmm, that was goooood! Note to Paimon, Amber's recommendations are worth the wait!
Amber:
Of course! While I don't trust myself in the kitchen, you can always trust me with the menu!
Amber:
Oh, I almost forgot to mention...
Amber:
Jean's waiting for you at the Cathedral. It's something to do with the Holy Lyre der Himmel... You'd better head there now.