Who are the Twin Travelers in Genshin Impact?

When we begin our journey through Teyvat and meet Paimon, we understand that our character, one of the golden-haired twin siblings, Lumine or Aether (in English, as they have other names in different languages), is a world-exploring traveler who was passing through Teyvat, but was prevented from leaving by a powerful goddess.

This goddess separates us from our sibling and traps us in the world. So, let's go after the Archons and try to find out who this goddess is and where’s our sibling. But that was back in 1.0! Currently, in version 5.3, we know that everything we initially thought is not quite true and, instead of having answers, we only get more questions.

What are the Descenders? Who are the Heavenly Principles? What is their connection to our sibling, and why have they joined the Abyss and are obsessed with destroying them? What is the “truth of that world” that they discovered? We don't know, but let's put together what we've already learned about the siblings regarding this so we can draw some conclusions, speculations and theories and, if you have any questions, leave a comment.

In Genshin Impact, the concept of the Descenders is central to understanding the intricate relationship between Teyvat, the Heavenly Principles, and travelers arriving from outside. These individuals, called "Descenders", do not originally belong to the world of Teyvat, and each appears to occupy a unique position in the game's cosmos.

The Heavenly Principles

The Heavenly Principles, also known as fate or the divine, are progenitor gods who allegedly came from beyond Teyvat and currently rule both Celestia and Teyvat. All the intrigue surrounding the Heavenly Principles and the conspiracies against them drive the game's conflicts, as both the Abyss Order and the Fatui seek to overthrow this power and put an end to its rule over Teyvat.

The Heavenly Principles are capable of casting irreversible curses which fundamentally change beings. Hilichurls, for example, are actually transformed humans, who have suffered the “curse of the jungle” that deprives them of their forms and intellect. This curse was cast upon the impure Khaenri'ahns during the cataclysm. Furthermore, pure-blooded Khaenri'ahns have suffered the curse of immortality, as is the case of Capitano and Dainsleif.

When they were fully introduced in the The Byakuyakoku Collection, chapter 2, Before the Sun and the Moon, they were referred to as the Primordial, and the author speculates that they could also be Phanes, a mythological figure of creation. The Heavenly Principles have remained silent since the cataclysm that occurred 500 years ago.

The unknown god who stopped the Traveler and their sibling 500 years ago, in the game's opening scene, introduced herself as the “sustainer of the Heavenly Principles”, but the true meaning of this expression hasn’t yet been clarified.

Meeting with the Sustainer

The journey of the Traveler and their Twin began with an unforgettable encounter: upon trying to leave Teyvat, they were stopped by the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, a mysterious and powerful figure. Described as the Unknown God, she holds enough authority to block the twins from leaving, trapping them in Teyvat. This figure appears to be directly connected to the Heavenly Principles, which Nahida, the Archon of Wisdom, refers to as the First Descenders.

If the Sustainer and the Heavenly Principles are actually the same entity or are linked, it suggests that the divine power sustained by them is absolute. Even the Archons of Teyvat recognize the superiority and authority of the Heavenly Principles, avoiding questioning or challenging them directly, as Nahida speaks to Dottore when threatening to destroy his gnosis, preventing Dottore from having it. Such a relationship places the Principles as the ruling force of Teyvat, in contrast to the Archons, who are mere pieces of its power.

The Truth About Gnosis

The Gnosis, objects shaped like chess pieces, symbolize the Archons' link with the Heavenly Principles. Each Gnosis is associated with the element governed by the corresponding Archon and appears to bear traces of a Descender.

In her negotiation with the Fatui Dottore, Nahida (Buer) revealed that the Gnosis represented the delegated power of the Heavenly Principles. Although she described the symbolism as a "bluff", subsequent evidence reinforces that the Gnosis are, in fact, tangible symbols of heavenly influence.

In Chapter IV of the Archon's Quest, Skirk mentions to Neuvilette that the Hydro Gnosis contains the remains of the Third Descender, whose identity is still unknown. Only Surtalogi, master of Skirk and one of the Five Sinners of Khaenri'ah, knows who this Descender is, adding further layers of mystery to the connection between the Descenders and the Gnosis.

The Twins

During the opening cutscene of Genshin Impact, both siblings are fighting the Unknown God. Depending on the gender chosen by the player, one of them loses the fight, being sealed in a cube, while the Traveler continues the battle, but ends up defeated and has their powers sealed. The Traveler we choose then wanders the land until he finds (or fishes) Paimon.

The other sibling, after the Cataclysm (that destruction of the world with the red sky that we see in several moments), wakes up in Teyvat 500 years earlier and travels the world of Teyvat with Dainsleif. At the end of their journey, the brother/sister realizes the “truth of this world” and separates from Dainsleif for unknown reasons. They eventually meet Dainsleif's older brother, Vedrfolnir, and begin working with him. During this trip, the sibling passes through the nations of Teyvat, being referenced in several situations.

At some point in the past, the sibling encountered the Aranara race of Sumeru and helped them solve a serious problem affecting the rainforest. In gratitude, the Aranara named them "Nara Varuna" (or Golden Nara). Before saying goodbye to the Aranara, "Varuna" told Araja about another golden-haired human who would visit them in the future and give them even more good memories.

In the Fourth Quest, Chapter I: Act IV – We Will Be Reunited, of the Archon’s quest, the Traveler's brother/sister briefly encounters the Traveler in front of the Desecrated Statue of the Anemo Archon, following a fight between the Traveler and an Abyss Herald. There, the sibling asks the Traveler not to confront them, nor them nor the Abyss. They also reveal the truth about Dainsleif's origins and that the monsters of the Abyss were actually inhabitants of Khaenri'ah transformed into hilichurls by a curse.

The Traveler tries to convince them to leave Teyvat and continue their journey together, but the brother/sister agrees to do so only after the war against the gods is over. They then tell the Traveler to continue their journey through Teyvat, hoping that they too will see the true nature of the world ruled by the Seven and Celestia. They then leave with the Herald through a portal.

At some point during the journey through Teyvat, the sibling we didn’t choose visited the Abyss in Liyue and saw several dead hilichurls who had become lost in the caves. There, they discovered a pool of water that reduced the effects of the curse. The hilichurls had been drawn to the water and were heading towards it to die in peace.

Angry and saddened by the unnecessary suffering, the sibling authorized the activation of a device which would amplify the effects of the water so that the curse could be removed once and for all, regardless of how unlikely the plan's success was. If the device worked, the hilichurls would revert to their human forms, but if it failed, it would cause the hilichurls extreme and unnecessary pain. The device failed and was destroyed by Halfdan, with the help of Dainsleif and the Traveler.

In the Archon's Quest – Chapter III: Act VI – Caribert, it’s revealed that the Traveler's sibling encountered Chlothar Alberich and witnessed the effects of the gods' curse on the people of Khaenri'ah through Chlothar's son, Caribert, who had been transformed into a hilichurl. After using the abyssal power infused into him by the Sinner, Chlothar was able to temporarily reverse the curse and bring Caribert back to consciousness.

However, Caribert ended up removing his mask and an “immense energy” – the power of the Abyss – attacked the Traveler with force. When he awoke, Chlothar addressed them as the Prince/Princess of Khaenri'ah, who controlled the Abyss. The Khaenri'ahns believed that this would bring “new strength and hope” to their nation. This initially made the brother/sister uncomfortable, but over the course of the journey with Dainsleif, they realized that Chlothar was right and joined the Abyss Order as its current leader.

In the Archon's Quest – Chapter IV: Act VI – Bedtime Story, despite not having acquired the eye of the first Field Tiller, the brother/sister was somehow able to move forward with the operation of the Loom of Fate, which raised concerns in Dainsleif, who also realized he had a memory of having given the eye to someone. This false memory, implanted by Caribert, allowed the sibling to infiltrate the ruins where Dainsleif had kept the eye. They were being followed by a single Abyss Herald, who intended to steal the eye.

The Traveler defeated this Herald and Dainsleif sent the Traveler away, drawing his sword, while the sibling confronted Dainsleif and had a brief combat with him, although Dainsleif hesitated to attack. After the battle, the sibling was taken to Caribert's memories and reunited with the Traveler.

They had a short conversation, where the sibling revealed that they were trying to find the full potential for the Loom of Fate before the Heavenly Principles awakened, although they didn’t know when or how they would do so. The sibling admitted to missing the Traveler, but wouldn’t reunite with them until the war against the gods was over. Caribert's memory then began to crumble, and the sibling revealed that they wouldn’t remember the conversation and, regretfully, said goodbye to the Traveler.

The Role of the Traveler as the Fourth Descender

Nahida shared one of the most impactful revelations during her interaction with the Traveler: they are recognized as the Fourth Descender, while their Twin is not considered a Descender.

According to information obtained from the Irminsul Tree, which holds all of Teyvat's memories, the Traveler's Twin originally belongs to the world, unlike the protagonist. This distinction is also reinforced by the Fatui Messenger, who alludes to the Traveler as the fourth of their kind to arrive in Teyvat.

The twin's existence in Teyvat also left traces in different narratives. For example, the Aranaras, magical creatures of Sumeru, mention a figure called Golden Nara, who may be the twin. Evidence suggests that they passed through Sumeru long before the Traveler's arrival, suggesting that their journey took them through different parts of the world.

Although still shrouded in mystery, it’s evident that the Irminsul Tree “recognizes” the twin as part of Teyvat, while the Traveler remains an outsider. This difference in origin seems to be a key element in the narrative of the Descenders and their relationship with the world.

The Heavenly Principles and their Influence

The reference to the Heavenly Principles as the First Descenders connects their divine authority directly to the power structure in Teyvat. They not only rule the Archons, but also shape the reality of the world.

The Archons' obedience and reverence for the Heavenly Principles reflect their subservient position in relation to this greater force. This is why Venti, Zhongli, and Raiden Shogun failed to provide substantial information about the Twin's whereabouts to the Traveler; they simply do not have access to the knowledge held by the Heavenly Principles.

However, Nahida, being directly connected to the Irminsul Tree, has a unique advantage. Her ability to access information blocked from others explains why she can unlock deeper truths about the Heavenly Principles, the Descenders, and the Traveler's role in Teyvat.

Although many pieces of this story have already been revealed, several questions remain without definitive answers. For example:

• What is the true identity of the Third Descender, whose remains are in the Hydro Gnosis?

• Is the Sustainer of the Heavenly Principles indeed the First Descender, as suggested by Nahida?

• What is the Heavenly Principles' ultimate purpose in interfering with the twins' exit from Teyvat?

These questions show that the mystery of the Descenders is just one facet of Genshin Impact's larger narrative. The relationship between the Heavenly Principles, the Gnosis, and the Archons reveals an intricate system of power, while the role of the Traveler and their Twin challenges the pre-established structure of Teyvat.

And what about you? What do you think is happening? Leave it in the comments.