Quick Links
As the nation of Pyro and War, Natlan has been the talk of theGenshin Impactcommunity since its release. The overwhelming aura of the ever-so-revered Pyro Archon and the first of the Fatui Harbingers has been a much-awaited clash that many players have been waiting for. There have been mixed reviews on the consensus, with some calling the story mediocre in comparison to previous Archon Quests; however, it would bode well to remember that the story is simply part of a much bigger picture.
Since Natlan is the sixth nation Travelers have visited, it also means one is closer to the end of the story.Snezhnaya is but a hair’s breadth away, and the mystery surrounding the Traveler’s sibling is slowly coming together. Natlan’s Archon Quest gives a lot of context clues and confirms quite a few phenomena in the world of Teyvat, despite it being such a tumultuous region. Perhaps it is indeed in its nature that allows players to see the bigger picture through this warmongering nation.
Updated in April 2025 by Aditi Jeyanathan:Natlan’s story is ever-evolving, and more secrets are yet to be revealed as the Traveler embarks on their journey through this warmongering land. One thing that many players from the Genshin Impact community can appreciate about Natlan is the unanswered questions it has brought to light in regard to the Heavenly Principles. There’s much lore to uncover and Version 5.1 onwards tightened up any loose ends and brought Natlan’s story to a supposed halt.
Recap Of Events Before Natlan
Before getting to the Natlan chapter of the Archon Quest,Genshin Impactplayers would have completedthe previous Archon Quest: Bedtime Story. A familiar face, Dainsleif, shows up during the quest, andthe reunion between Aether and Lumineproved to be a fruitful one for manyGenshin Impactplayers. Unfortunately, the Traveler loses their memories of the incident, and any information they received from their sibling is wiped from their memory.
As of right now, the Abyss has already found a way to create the Loom of Fate, but what players do not yet know is how effective it is against the Heavenly Principles. Another plot point to note is Dainsleif’s explanation oftheFive Sinners of Khaenri’ah— it will be important to remember in futureGenshin Impactchapters and the introduction of the strongerFatui Harbingers, especially the ones closest to the Tsaritsa. Each of the Sinners of Khaenri’ah betrayed the nation, which eventually led to its downfall and the Heavenly Principles decimating the nation. A rebellion by the Tsaritsa may see some literary parallels to the Five Sinners.
After the events in Fontaine, Travelers receive more information fromNeuvillette regarding the Samsara cycle, which was discussed withNahidaback during theSumeru Archon quest. It was revealed that the ashes of the Third Descender were used to make the Gnoses. That, unfortunately, leads to more questions about who the Descenders are, and it seems likeSurtalogi (Skirk’s master)is one of the few people who know.
It would also bode well to know that Surtalogi ofGenshin Impactwas originally one of the Five Sinners of Khaenri’ah.
The Night Kingdom And The Wayob
One thing thatGenshin Impactplayers may not have expected is Natlan’s close relationship with the Night Kingdom.Each of the six tribes in Natlanhas their own designatedWayob, which are capable of seeing the past and the future. The Wayob are corporeal beings that reside in the Night Kingdom and bestow various tribe members with Ancient Names.
Ancient Namesin Natlan are immensely significant inGenshin Impactlore. Being granted an Ancient Name by the Wayob shows that a recipient is destined for great things. The Ancient Name that someone receives carries the heroic legacy of the previous bearer and acts as a source of inspiration, including passing on their memories to future recipients. However, if the name is not passed on, it can be easily forgotten — and so too will the heroic deeds of all the past warriors. This leads to the importance of thePilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flameand theNight Warden Wars.
The Night Warden Wars and The Pilgrimage
This is a continuous conflict that Natlan has hadto deal with since the Cataclysm 500 years ago. Unlike the other regions, Natlan does not have stable and deep-rooted Ley Lines.
The easiest way to describe whatLey Linesare is as follows:They arespiritual energy roots that run across the planet,and contain memories of the past, while also stabilizing the energy flow of the world and resisting the influence of the Abyss.
Since Natlan does not have strong Ley Lines, the nation unfortunately suffered way more casualties than the other nations. Instead of strong Ley Lines,the Night Kingdom was reformatted by Yohualtecuhtin, Lord of the Night, to serve the same purpose. They are what hold the memories of all the past deeds, peoples' will, and elemental energy inGenshin Impact.
The Abyss and their continuous effort to invade the Night Kingdom is the main reason The Night Warden Wars take place. The Abyss’s main goal is to weaken the Wayob’s connection to each tribe, as this will bring down Natlan’s final wall of protection.If the Wayob are lost, all the deeds of the past heroes, their will, and the energy that has manifested will also be lost. The Abyss will have basically no deterrence and will be able to destroy Natlan from within.
As a result, the people of Natlan and their Archons have had to create a new way to repel the Abyss. This takes the form of the Night Warden Wars, which is an ongoing series of battles against the Abyss. Those who fight in the Night Warden Wars are selected via the Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame. This Pilgrimage is a yearly skirmish between Ancient Name bearers to find the strongest warriors in Natlan. It also, as a byproduct, produces Contending Fire, an energy that fuels the Sacred Flame and strengthens Natlan’s resolve against the Abyss, as the Sacred Flame is a conduit of communication between Natlan and the Wayob.
The Pyro Archon And The Ode Of Resurrection
The Ode of Resurrection is an important ritual in Natlanese culture and is exactly what it sounds like. The Pilgrimage acts as a sort of ‘competition’ between the warriors of Natlan, and each Pilgrimage creates Contending Fire. It’s important to note thatContending Fire is also what fuels the Sacred Flame— the very burning fire that brings Natlan’s citizens back to life, due to its connection with the Wayob inGenshin Impact.
Winners of the Pilgrimage, (mainly Ancient Name bearers) need to head into the Night Kingdom with their teams and fight the Abyss. This is where Natlanese warriors have the advantage,because even if they die, they can be brought back to lifeunder certain conditions via the Ode of Resurrection inGenshin Impact. The warriorneedsto bear an Ancient Name, and at least one member of the deceased’s team needs to return. If these conditions are met, the Pyro Archon can use the power of the Sacred Flame to resurrect the fallen teammates. If the entire team has fallen, there is no way of being resurrected, and their souls will forever be lost and forgotten in the Night Kingdom.
The Ode of Resurrection was created as part of Xbalanque’s “rules” for Natlan. The first Pyro Archon, Xbalanque, made a bargain with Ronova, the ruler of death. He borrowed her power to establish the Ode of Resurrection, allowing all future warriors to use it in combatting the Abyssal invasion. He also used this bargain with Ronova to establish other “rules” for Natlan: chief among them, the process by which ordinary mortal humans could ascend to the post of Pyro Archon, and the Pilgrimage.
Mavuika Vs Capitano - The Long Awaited Battle For The Gnosis
In present time, after the Traveler is introduced to the first three tribes with the help of Mualani, they head back to the Stadium of the Sacred Flame. There, they find out thatKachina has fallen in battle, but since some of the team members made it back safely, she will be resurrected. This relief is short-lived, however, as Kachina’s resurrection fails since the Sacred Flame has somehow been tampered with by the Abyss. As such, Mavuika decides to sacrifice some of her power, turning it into Contending Fire to keep the Sacred Flame going, despite the dangerous implications of doing so.It’s after this that Capitano, the first of the Fatui Harbingers, shows up.
It’s no surprise that the communityenjoys meeting all the Fatui Harbingers under the Tsaritsa,but Capitano was the most awaited afterArlecchino. His entrance was nothing short of regal, and like the war-fanatic himself, he immediately challenged the Pyro Archon to a fight. Capitano believes that Mavuika failed to uphold the oath that was made 500 years ago, and it is time for him to take up the mantle with a new set of rules. This is the very same oath that Mavuika sacrificed her life for, and it seems thatGenshin Impactplayers can definitely speculate about theTsaritsa’s additional plans for eliminating the Abyss alongside the Heavenly Principles.
Their clash leaves Capitano wounded and Mavuika struggling to keep up, but as everyone knows, it does take a lot to bring down an Archon. Despite claims of Capitano’s power rivaling that of a god, it seems like Mavuika’s crown of being the number-one warrior in Natlan cannot be easily taken away. Capitano is then whisked away in a fog of smoke created by one of the tribes of Natlan, theMasters of the Night-Wind. Mavuika notes that she senses a familiar presence,and it can be easily speculated that Ororonmay be involved in these traitorous acts against Natlan from his conversation with Capitano shown in the following cutscene.
Kachina’s Rescue and Entering the Night Kingdom
Kachina’s rescue from the Abyss required the Traveler, Mualani, Chasca, and Iansan. There is a lot of lore that can be unpacked here. When the team arrives at the entrance to the Night Kingdom, they go further in and find ruins. One can mistake these ruins for theirsimilarity to the ones in Enkanomiyaand wonder how advanced the civilization of Natlan was back then. Chasca confirms that these ruins are not related to Natlan, but are theruins of the Elemental Sovereignsthat existed in the days of old.
The Elemental Sovereigns are better known as theSeven Sovereign Dragons, who were the most powerful creatures in the Light Realm ofGenshin Impact. They were eventually struck down by the might of theHeavenly Principles, and their stolen Authorities were used as the basis for the current Archon’s Authorities. If an Archon dies and relinquishes their Authority, only then will the Dragon Sovereign get it back. It seems theDragon Sovereigns' civilization lay beneath Natlanand used technology far more advanced than imagined. They ruled over all species and are closely related to the Natlan Saurians thatGenshin Impactplayers see today. TheBathysmal Vishaps down in Enkanomiyaare also close relatives of the Elemental Sovereigns.
As the team ventures further in, they see various souls lost in battle and the extent to which the Abyss has corrupted the Night Kingdom. After successfully rescuing Kachina, Mualani comes into her own as she meets a fellow warrior who recognizes her talent. She, too, becomes an instrument of the plan to save Natlan, and the team heads back to reality with the help of Mavuika. It is when they are recovering thatChasca’s sister, Chuychu, notices that the Traveler is immune to the Abyss, unlike the other Natlan citizens.
The first timeGenshin Impactplayers witnessed this ability was when the Traveler managed topurify the Abyss-corrupted tears of Dvalin.
There is a theory that the Traveler’s ability to purify the Abyss is because of their resistance to forbidden knowledge and their existence outside Irminsul,as learned from the Sumeru Archon Quest.
Upon returning to the Speaker’s Chamber, Mavuika explains that she is attempting to assemble six heroes of Natlan, bearers of the Ancient Names of six great heroes that served alongside her during the Cataclysm 500 years ago. So far, only Xilonen, Kinich, Iansan, and Mualani had awakened, and time was running out.
?
Sanhaj
Ancient Name Forging and Ororon’s Disappearance
After Kachina’s rescue, the Traveler ends up back at the Children of the Echoes tribe, where they meet Xilonen. She’s the main point of contact when it comes to Ancient Name forging, and despite her reluctance to forge a name for an outlander, she understands Mavuika’s order and challenges herself to it. The only setback is that the Traveler isn’t Natlanese and needs to be recognized by the Lord of the Night for it to work. This leadsthe party to finding Citlaliafter learning from Kinich that Ororon was the one who helped Capitano escape. As Ororon’s guardian and an Elder of the Masters of the Night-Wind tribe, Citlali then agrees to help the Traveler get in touch with the Lord of the Night, and in return, they need to help her find Ororon and clear his name.
During their search, theTraveler encounters Ororonand Capitano in a dream, and after exchanging a few words, Capitano suggests the Traveler meet him in a place free of listening ears. The two of them eventually meet up later on in the night, and Capitano explains his goals to the Traveler. He had already heard so much fromTartaglia, that he had no doubt that the Traveler would listen to him before choosing to go down the path Mavuika had planned. There is quite a lot of foreshadowing that goes on here as Capitano insists that Mavuika’s plan is too risky and comes at a cost. He prefers to use his plan to make sure all of Teyvat is safe and history doesn’t repeat itself. Their meeting is unfortunately cut short by Citlali finding them, and before any questions can be answered, Capitano disappears.
Capitano’s Plan vs Mavuika’s Plan
The Traveler and Paimon end up heading back to the inn to rest, but their night is interrupted when they find out that the Abyss has launched a nationwide attack. The team splits up as the Traveler prioritizes their meeting with Mavuika. She informs them that her backup plan is extremely risky as it results in the entire history of the Night Kingdom being wiped to repel the Abyss. This also means all of Natlan’s history and heroes disappear too. Capitano, on the other hand, had a completely different plan.
Through a little manipulation, Citlali managed to copyall of Ororon’s memories, and it was there that they found out what Capitano planned to do to save Natlan. He proposed thatreconstructing the Ley Lineswas the only viable option. This is similar to creating a Loom of Fate — a device that the Abyss have already constructed, which has the ability to manipulate everyone’s memories. Once Mavuika is informed of Capitano’s dangerous plan, they all set out to destroy the Source Mechanism — one of Natlan’s ancient devices that Capitano requires to reconstruct the Ley Lines. Unfortunately, by the time the team gets there, it’s too late.
Capitano and Ororon have switched the Secret Source Mechanism on and Ororon’s body immediately gets possessed by one of Capitano’s old comrades. The Traveler manages to switch the device off in the confusion, and afterOroron finally receives his Ancient Name and place among the six heroes of Natlan, does a new being enter the story. The Lord of the Night, Yohualtecuhtin, has awakened from their slumber and revealed to everyone that switching the Source Mechanism on does not repair the Ley Lines. It seems that during one of Teyvat’s wars, Natlan’s Ley Lines became so damaged that the Lord of the Night had to use fragments of the old Ley Lines to reconstruct a similar network and stabilize them, becoming known as the Night Kingdom.
After much arguing, players finally find out Capitano’s reasoning for reconstructing the Ley Lines. It was becausehe is a survivor of Khaenri’ah during the Cataclysm, andhe didn’t want history to repeat itself. He believes that the six heroes will not be able to achieve the prophecy and Mavuika should not hold on to false hope. Mavuika’s plan is risky but, with a small nudge from the rest of the team, Capitano agrees to help with her plan andorders the Fatui to assist her.
Who Exactly Is The Lord Of The Night?
The Lord of the Night’s existence has been concealed for a long time, and it’s only during this Archon Quest that players finally learn of their background, and connection to the Heavenly Principles. The Lord of the Night is asold as the dragons of ancient times. Before her kind died out, they were once known as Angels, beings of immense power who had the ability to restructure Ley Lines at the cost of their existence. These Angels are more commonly known as Seelies, whichGenshin Impactplayers may see scattered across the land.
Furthermore, the Lord of the Night is also the only one able to create the Pilgrim’s Chronicle — a sacred scroll that the Traveler will carry around Natlan to record their deeds. Though it may come at the cost of their lives, it has already been established that they will do whatever it takes to save Natlan.
The Horrors Of War Are Not To Be Taken Lightly
While the team was conversing with the Lord of the Night underground,the Abyss kept raging above ground. A large manifestation of the Abyss appeared in the sky over Natlan, called Gosoythoth, and snuffed out the Sacred Flame. The Abyss’s attacks kept increasing, even reaching remote settlements in the Collective of Plenty. Although the Traveler and Paimon had seen their fair share of strife and discord, Natlan was far more overwhelming. As Mavuika ordered them to use the hot air balloon to travel across the nation and lend their aid, they witnessed the bodies of both humans and Saurians littering the battlefield. Many of these casualties were created by the multiple Abyssal tumors that had rained down on the land from Gosoythoth and acted as gateways for monsters to come through.
Unfortunately, things get worse from there. The Scions of the Canopy has been overtaken by monsters, the Children of the Echoes' tribe has been evacuated to the Stadium, and the Flower-Feather Clan has completely fallen to the Abyss as the tumors hit their area the hardest. The Traveler ends uprushing there to find Chascaand Chuychu fighting against some monsters. They help defeat them and find Chuychu is unconscious and contaminated by Abyssal energy. They purify her, and she wakes up, but only for a moment to convey her last words to her sister Chasca, before she succumbs to her wounds. It’s at this moment that Chasca receives her Ancient Name, and she wakes up as the final hero of Natlan needed for Mavuika’s plan.
The Heroes Assemble
Chasca, the Traveler, and Paimon head to the Stadium with Chuychu’s body and Mavuika vows to make sure that her sacrifice wasn’t for nothing. They all begin the ritual to empower the Archon and declare a Night Warden War with the Ode of Resurrection to everyone on Natlan’s soil. This means that the entirety of Natlan is protected by the Ode of Resurrection and can be resurrected by the Sacred Flame. This power-up gives all of them the ability to defeat the tumors stricken across the land and, as the enemy emerges on the Stadium to douse the Sacred Flame, Mavuika unleashes her final attack on the rift in the sky. In an awe-inspiring moment, Mavuika’s punch packs a wallop into Gosoythoth thattears through the ‘false sky’behind it, and despite not many noticing the debris of what seems to be a celestial object, the Traveler notices this brief change before the tear is immediately covered up.
The Battle Is Never Over
Now that the rift in the sky has been dealt with, the Abyss forces retreat into the Night Kingdom. Natlan now has a short period of time before they are attacked again, but Mavuika uses this opportunity to head into the Night Kingdom herself and snub the enemy first. Unfortunately, due to the Abyssal corruption, no one else but the Traveler would be able to join her on this journey. Citlali warns the Traveler ofMavuika’s fatenow that she has used the Ruler of Death’s (Ronova) power. According to Ronova’s rules, despite the fact that Mavuika used the power to heroically defend Natlan, she is still expected to die in exchange.
On the other hand,Genshin Impactplayers come to find out that Mavuika is not the only one who has a history with Ronova. Capitano, who showed up to speak with the Lord of the Night during the battle, states that he is aware of Mavuika’s sacrifice. The Lord of the Night figures out that Capitano had his own run-in with Ronova 500 years ago, and now he requires her help for all the lost souls that he carries, as well as Natlan’s future.
In the aftermath, the Traveler and Paimon make their way to the Flower-Feather Clan to help with relief efforts and find out that many of the tribe members are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.Gosoythoth, The Reaper of the Abyss (the rift in the sky that Mavuika momentarily destroyed), was too powerful for them to fight against. The Traveler vows to help purify the Abyssal contamination within the tribe, but when no change occurs, they decide to go for a more therapeutic approach.Capitano ends up helpingone particularly difficult patient, and provides the entire tribe with a medicine that should only be used for dire cases.
The Traveler and Capitano talk for a while, and he explains to them the nature of Ronova, who is a God that predates the Archons. Ronova can be best described as one of the Shades that serves the Heavenly Principles, and she rules over the embodiment of Death. She was also responsible for both his and his people’s suffering in Khaenri’ah, and it’s only when Capitano takes off his mask and shows them his face, do the Traveler and Paimon realise the extent of her power.
The End To A New Beginning
The forging of the Traveler’s Ancient Name has been finished by Xilonen, and they are now ready to head into the Night Kingdom. The Traveler becomes the firs to bear the name “Tumaini,” which means “hope.” Mavuika and the Traveler set out for the Night Kingdom. After wishing the people of Natlan a farewell, the two of them go down different paths. Mavuika heads toward the enemy’s core, whilst the Traveler heads towards its lair. On the way there, the Traveler meets various NPCs they encountered in their early travels, whom have now passed on. They all band together to help the Traveler reach their designated point in the Night Kingdom, further sacrificing their life energy as souls of the Night Kingdom. The Traveler also meets with the same heroes of Natlan from 500 years ago who bless the Traveler. The Lord of the Night sends her seelies toguide the Traveler to Mavuika.
The Traveler finds Mavuika fighting against Gosoythoth, which transforms into a sword-wielding dragon. The Lord of the Night grants the Traveler the power of Pyro and, together with Mavuika, they both defeat this entity. The Sacred Flame is not extinguished, and the two of them head back to the land of the living. The crowd celebrates and all is seemingly well, but Citlali pulls the Traveler aside and warms them of Mavuika’s coming death. She mentions that they need to get in touch with the Lord of the Night again, and their best bet is the fallen city of Ochkanatlan.
However, the moment they arrive, they notice ahuge rift in the sky above Ochkanatlanwith several eyes glaring down on them. These eyes belong to Ronova, the Ruler of Death, who then confirms that she couldn’t care less about Teyvat. All she wants is payment for using her power and the only price she’ll accept is death. Mavuika shows up and says that she isn’t ready to give her life yet as the Lord of the Night is still weak and cannot protect Natlan like she used to. She prefers to place her life in the Sacred Flame once more, but Ronova is quite irritated. She orders the Lord of the Night to take Mavuika’s life, but she hesitates, as there is another who wishes to take Mavuika’s place instead.
The Immortalisation Of Natlan’s Greatest Hero, Thrain
Capitano arrives with Ororon and tells Mavuika of the responsibility she still has to protect her people. She created a future for them, and she should be there to share it. He, on the other hand, has been wishing for death for the past 500 years. Capitano reveals to the Traveler his real name and purpose. He was once calledThrain, a Sentinel Knight of Khaenri’ah, who had his heart modified to convert the memories and souls from the Ley Lines into knowledge. Over the years, many souls latched onto him, awaiting their final rest, and he carried them around with him, like a vessel of never-ending torment.
His opportunity for death meant that he would fuse his existence with the Lord of the Night, thus making her immortal too, and taking his revenge out on Ronova for the curse she laid onto him. He doesn’t believe that the innocent Khaenri’ahns should’ve been punished for the crimes by theFive Sinners of Khaenri’ah. With Capitano transferring his immortality to the Lord of the Night, the souls that he has carried with him will then be released back into the Ley Lines and not be in torment anymore. The immortality of Khaenri’ahns is a punishment from Ronova and the Heavenly Principles, preventing them from dying, but Capitano would subvert this by offering his life in Mavuika’s place.
This would create a paradox that not even Ronova could accept — taking Capitano’s life despite the curse of immortality. Ronova cannot violate the curse of immortality inflicted by the Heavenly Principles, and so, Capitano gave the Ruler of Death an ultimatum: either forsake her rules by breaking the immortality and accepting his death, casting the world into an impossible paradox, or rewrite the rules of Natlan’s Ley Lines. Ronova decides that her upholding of the immortality curse is vital. So, she allows Capitano to fuse his life force with the Lord of the Night, finally allowing the souls contained within him to enter the afterlife, and causing the Lord of the Night to be immortal.
After fusing his life force into the Lord of the Night, Ronova disappears. With Capitano’s immortality infused into the Lord of the Night, she can now essentially exist forever, stabilizing the Ley Lines and the Night Kingdom for the foreseeable future. The Traveler and company pay their respects to Capitano (who can still be found seated on the throne of Ochkanatlan) and leave.
A celebration breaks out all over Natlan, and the nation commemorates the victory against the Abyss by immortalizing Capitano, Mavuika, and the Traveler as Heroes of Natlan with gigantic murals. The Traveler and Mavuika discuss their future adventures, and she suggests they check out the situation in Nod-Krai.Nod-Krai is a border town of Snezhnaya, and she’s noticed that many of Dottore’s soldiers have been loitering about Natlan and reporting back to Nod-Krai. Although Capitano requested the Tsaritsa withdraw his mission to steal the Pyro Gnosis, Mavuika believes there is still a chance that another Harbinger might attempt to do so instead.
The Traveler’s adventure in Natlan has now come to an end, and all they need to do is wait for the next area that calls them.
