User:NeinMillion/sandbox(Requiem of the Echoing Depths)

"Requiem of the Echoing Depths" is the fourth and final act of Chapter II of the Archon Quests of the miHoYo action role-playing game Genshin Impact, and the twelfth act of the Archon quests overall.

An Adventure Rank of 30 and completion of the fourth act of Chapter II "Omnipresence Over Mortals" is required to start up and access this act. Additionally, it is recommended that the "The Heavenly Stone's Debris" World Quest be completed prior to beginning this quest, as this act requires access to the Nameless Ruins located in The Chasm, Liyue, which is unlocked by completing this world quest.

This act features the return of Dainsleif, who last appeared in the Chapter I Archon Quest "We Will Be Reunited". Quest-exclusive NPC Halfdan also appears in this act.

Completing this act rewards the player with the achievements "When One Gazes Into the Abyss...", "The Beautiful and Damned", "The Will to Live and the Depths of Lamentation" and "May Glory Go With You".

This act was released on March 30, 2022 alongside Version 2.6.

Plot
Arriving at Liyue's Adventurers' Guild branch, Paimon and the Traveler greet Katheryne. Katheryne is in a cheery mood and tells the Traveler that they will have an unexpected reunion, later explaining to Paimon that she had just returned from Inazuma's Grand Narukami Shrine. The words remind the Traveler of their sibling, much to Paimon's concern. Paimon then asks Katheryne if she has a commission for them, which she confirms. A man named Yuehui placed a commission regarding The Chasm and she wishes them luck, while also remarking that they're plunging into the abyss.

On the way to the mine, the two are greeted by some Millelith guards who recognize them due to their involvement in the battle against Beisht. They let them pass and they find Yuehui inside. Yuehui explains to them that the Qixing reopened the Chasm and he and his men were the first to get a permit to mine on the outskirts. While one of his miners was on a break, he saw some hilichurls walk straight into the Chasm in a trance and they never returned. As such, his men are concerned about what's going on inside and that it's beginning to hamper mining operations. Paimon suggests considering the offer, but the Traveler takes it right away, as they suspect that the Abyss Order must be involved in some manner.

After unlocking access to the Chasm and unlocking a few mysteries, the Traveler and Paimon discover some underground ruins similar to the Defiled Statue. Just then, Dainsleif runs in and both groups are surprised as they never expected to run into each other. Dainsleif explains to the two that he was on the trail of another Abyss Herald when it retreated through the portals. He also discovered that the Abyss Order directs where the portal goes. As such, when he ran into the portal during their encounter with their sibling, he ended up in Stormterror's Lair. The Traveler inquires as to his identity, in which he reveals a bit about Khaenri'ah but is reluctant to do so. They then notice a lit brazier nearby and decide to investigate.

Upon arriving at the site, they find evidence of hilichurl activity. After Paimon remarks about the evidence, Dainsleif asks them what they were doing in the Chasm. Paimon then tells him that the Traveler was commissioned to investigate hilichurl activity. Dainsleif then remarks that the area appears to lessen the curse and that the hilichurls coming here are expecting to die, as they too also hail from Khaenri'ah and the masks are used to hide their true faces.

Just then, two Black Serpent Knights attack the trio, which they repel. Dainsleif explains that the Knights were originally men under his command, but have since been consumed by the curse and lost all honor. Paimon and the Traveler then spot another Knight which doesn't attack them, but instead leaves when Dainsleif refocuses on it. He wonders if the Knight had somehow remembered him despite lacking "it."

Arriving at the entrance to the inverted ruins, Dainsleif dispels a barrier to gain access, stating that the building might have belonged to a civilization older than his. They find some Black Serpent Knights inside and eliminate them, discovering that they were guarding some hilichurls who were aware they were going to die, not being related to the Abyss Order. More Black Serpent Knights then appear, but the Knight from before comes in and orders them to retreat; before Dainsleif could act any further, the special Knight had also left. Dainsleif then suspects that the Knight must be "Halfdan," a promising young man and an elite in the Royal Guard. Dainsleif recalls that during the fall of Khaenri'ah, he had given Halfdan the order to "inform all Black Serpent Knights to protect the people of Khaenri'ah at all costs," and believes that despite their curse, they still remember their final orders. Dainsleif then reminds them they need to climb the summit, but the Knights should no longer obstruct them.

Once they arrive at the summit, they find a water structure which Dainsleif recognizes as the source of weakening the curse. Halfdan then arrives and urges them to follow him.

As they follow Halfdan's path, they come across several Hilichurl settlements on the way. At the last site, Dainsleif asks them to investigate everything. The Traveler finds a flower which Dainsleif recognizes as an Inteyvat, a flower that wilts upon two weeks of blooming but hardens if taken out of Khaenri'ah. The Traveler then recalls a flashback in which they witness their sibling talking to an Abyss Herald about their plan to remove the curse and rebuild Khaenri'ah regardless of how slim the odds were. Dainsleif considers the plan folly due to his stance that the curse is vital despite loathing it and that they should stop the Abyss Order as it would tarnish Halfdan and the other Knights' legacies. The Traveler chooses to assist him due to their growing stances on the world.

On the way out of the settlement, a bright light flashes and the Abyss Herald warps in and admits that it had made a mistake in not overseeing where Dainsleif would have gone. It insists that the Abyss Order is doing a service for the hilichurls, but Dainsleif dismisses it as folly. They kill the Herald after a short battle, upon which Dainsleif tells them to hurry back to the temple to destroy the device.

Making their way to the summit, they spot an Abyss Lector trying to attempt the ritual that ends up bringing suffering to the hilichurls, Knights, and Dainsleif. Dainsleif asks the Traveler to stop the device, but before they could act, Halfdan runs in and covers it with his body, temporarily stopping the device. Dainsleif is impressed by Halfdan's soul as he had expected him to turn to ash on contact. The Traveler then kills the Lector and offers to take the device's power in Halfdan's stead, but Dainsleif tells them that there's several smaller devices powering it and sends them off to destroy them.

After destroying the four devices, they return to the center where they confirm that Halfdan is dead. As Dainsleif walks away, Halfdan's soul appears and the two salute each other. Dainsleif reassures Halfdan that Khaenri'ah still stands and thanks him for his service. After his soul passes on, Dainsleif tells the Traveler that the Abyss Order's operation is still ongoing and that they'll need to pick a side soon, while Paimon suggests he take a short moment of respite as the device had harmed him significantly.