If you are someone who is currently participating
in life then you probably know that dying is bad… After all the last thing you want to
happen while you are being alive is to one day wake up and receive a notification from God
telling you that your membership has expired… … Except all of that doesn’t
apply to you… Because you, yes YOU… Are a Gamer… Which means the grass
is an object you never touch and the sunlight is your enemy… So who needs to worry about
the dangers of the outside world when you can stay in the safety of your home and
play Genshin Impact… Because in a game, death is just an inconvenience. You can die over
and over, again and again, and it will never matter… You will always come back, but… … What
about those who don’t?... What happens to them? As we understand it, Death… Is the end… It
is the ultimate destination of all life… And normally on its own, this statement
shouldn’t be controversial, although, in Genshin that’s… Not necessarily
the case… What if I told you that when you die in Teyvat… What awaits you
on the other side is much, much worse. Because, You see… If Life
in of itself is a Blessing, then what do we make of that which ends
the Blessing?... What would Death be? Those… Were a lot of questions that I just
asked in quick succession… And don’t worry, I don’t plan on letting you ponder upon them for
too long… However, I still have one final critical question to ask you… One that will set the stage
for all that which I will discuss moving forward. Tell me, what do Hu Tao,
Kitsune Saiguu, Jakob Baker, and Doctor Baizhu all have
in common… WITH SKIRK???... CURSES… The answer is Curses… All of the
aforementioned characters are fighting their own battles in pursuit of trying to avoid
becoming Curses… Either by preventing them, or directly killing them, OR by seeking
to transcend humanity… By becoming TRUE IMMORTALS that rise above the mortal and mundane. The reason I am making this vital distinction
is because not all that which is Immortal is Transcendent… As we have seen before…
Immortality itself can also be a Curse. Remember what the Traveler said during the
Caribert Archon Quest… To have infinite time, yet no hope… Can only be called Torture.” Anyway… Before I get TOO ahead of myself
here, I need to clarify what I mean by Curses because when I say Curse, I ain’t
talking about some kind of spell that someone casts onto you to inflict harm or
misfortune … I am talking about… THESE… … OK relax, before you roll your eyes from the sheer
magnitude of BatChesting… Yes, OBVIOUSLY Jujutsu Kaisen and Genshin Impact have nothing to do with
each other… Nonetheless, both stories draw major inspiration from a particular concept in Buddhism
known as the Pretas, which is associated with the Vengeful Spirits of Japanese Folklore and both of
those will be EXTREMELY important later. Which is why I am making this comparison to provide you
with some conceptual insight into the matter. But, until we get to “Later”, let us first
take a step back and look at the overall picture so that we can better comprehend what is
going on with the souls of the dead in Teyvat. Starting… With one of my favourite
characters in the game, Mona… … Now, there are several interesting things to point
out about Mona… From her super suspicious acquaintances to her ability to read people’s
Fates through Hydromancy… The list of topics that I could discuss about her is impressive,
to say the least… And out of everything that there is to say about Mona, I
want to talk about her name… During the Archon Quest Masquerade of the Guilty,
Mona herself tells the Traveler that her name is not… Actually, her real name… Rather, Mona
Megistus was bestowed upon her by her Master. Now, this is something that we’ve known for a
very long time. In fact, we knew this ever since Genshin came out… But this is still the first
time in the story where the writers go out of their way to make it a point that Megistus
is a name passed down to Mona… And Megistus itself previously belonged to Mona’s own Master
where the word itself simply means “The Great.” While Mona is known as Megistus, her Master
is called Astromancer Barbeloth Trismegistus, or “Old Hag” for short… And just like with Mona,
I have a long ass list of things which I want to say regarding the Old Hag… But also like Mona, I
am currently only interested in her name… Well, Not the Barbeloth part, I will
get to that in a different video, and Oh Ho Ho, you best believe I WILL…
But for now, let us focus on Trismegistus. As you can easily surmise if Megistus
means ‘The Great’ then Trismegitus would mean ‘The Thrice-as-Great’ or
‘The Thrice-Greatest’ which is the title that Barbeloth adopted after
taking in Mona as her apprentice. Now, what’s interesting is that Barbeloth
Trismegistus belongs to the Hexenzirkel… A coven of Witches who have multiple members
confirmed to be highly skilled in alchemy such as Alice and Rhinedottir, more on her later…
Therefore, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched for me to say that Barbeloth too dabbles in some alchemy…
And since I am on the topic of alchemy, Hoyoverse took the name Trismegistus from a Legendary
figure in alchemy known as Hermes Tristmegistus, who also happens to be extremely relevant in
Gnosticism, from which Genshin also draws heavily. Although it is unclear whether Hermes Trismegistus
ever lived to begin with… There exists many texts in alchemy which are attributed to him… And
perhaps most famously, he is the alleged author of the Emerald Tablet which alchemists widely
regarded as the foundational pillar of their art. And honestly, believe it or not, the Emerald
Tablet and its contents are so renowned in alchemy that I would be surprised if you have never
heard about it before or at the very least read a throwaway line in from story, TV show, anime,
or video game that references it… For example, the infamous phrase "As above, so below” is
derived directly FROM the Emerald Tablet… And IGNORING the fact that Alchemy in the real
world is a practice developed by complete idiots and has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with
modern Chemistry… The influence which Alchemy has had on Philosophy and Mysticism from
a historical point of view is undeniable. Ergo, where alchemy truly shines is in the realms
of fiction and esoterics… Proven by the thousands of stories drawing inspiration from it, with
Genshin Impact being just one such story. This, by extension, implies that the writings of Hermes
Trismegistus could be extremely important to the cosmology and world-building of Genshin. And
as you are about to see, it really, really is. To demonstrate what I mean, let us take a quick
look at Baizhu… Notably, because Baizhu’s research sheds a lot of light on the nature of Teyvat and
its “quote-on-quote” Laws… As a matter of fact, Baizhu does talk about the Nature of the
World in one of his Voice Lines… Here it is: If you already see how important this
quote is regarding what Baizhu is alluding to then that’s great, you probably know
exactly where this video is going… But, if you are someone who would prefer further
explanation, then here is what you need to know: Baizhu’s story and character design feature
a hefty amount of inspiration from Buddhism, which for the most part I will discuss in a
different video… But, I will still briefly mention that Baizhu is contracted with the Serpent
Changsheng through which he can manipulate Life Force… And the Serpent is prominently depicted
in a particular interpretation of the Cycle of Samsara in Buddhism known as the Bhavachakra,
which translates to the Wheel of Life, where it Symbolizes Mortal Temptation and
Desires… And the primary objective in Buddhism is for one to abandon all of these meaningless
attachments and desires that defile the Soul, so that they may achieve Nirvana and
transcend the Cycle of Samsara altogether. This idea of mortal temptation and
achieving Nirvana is going to be very important later… SO PLEASE KEEP IT IN MIND. In addition to Buddhism, Baizhu’s character is considerably influenced by Daoism… Especially
in his Philosophy and some of his animations. Now, Historically Speaking, Daoism was
closely connected to Chinese Alchemy… And one of the primary endeavours that
the Chinese Alchemists went after was the Grand Elixir of Immortality… Which
can be compared to the Philosopher’s Stone that European Alchemists sought
since one of its functions is said to have been granting Immortality… And as you
know, Baizhu’s main goal is Eternal Life. But there is a big obstacle in
Baizhu’s path… Remember earlier, not all Immortality is good… Which is why he
needs to figure out a method that is compatible, conducive, AND congruent with human prosperity… Luckily for him, there are others
pursuing a similar path… For example, Evolution has been a major theme throughout
Fontaine, whether it is Evolution through Machinery from Allain Guillotin, or Evolution by
becoming Neohumans like how Rene turned Jakob, or even Evolution through the Foul Legacy of
Sutalogi… Which by the way, it might just be an advanced version of Jakob’s Neohumanism…
But the point I am trying to make is that Evolution appears to be an effective method or
at least path for Humans to achieve Immortality. After all, we know that Skirk has her own
Foul Legacy transformation and she does say that she no longer wishes to return to the
surface, as she chose to abandon the bonds that would turn her into a Curse… Which is
reminiscent of what I said about abandoning mortal desires and attachments to achieve
Nirvana and escape the Cycle of Samsara. And akin to Baizhu, I believe that
Rhinedottir is also searching for an effective method for Immortality… In
case you didn’t know, this mysterious Red Energy from Rhonedottir’s creations Durin and
Elynas is the power of the Alchemical Rubedo, the Philosopher’s Stone which
is said to grant immortality. In his notes, Jakob Baker mentions the Alchemist
Rhinedottir and talks about how she joined the Hexenzirkel… Now interestingly enough, in the same
notes, Jakob also talks about another Organization of Alchemists known as the Universitas Magistrorum
that I believe Barbeloth used to be part of, which is one of the many reasons that
led me to say that she uses Alchemy. Now it is worth mentioning that Barbeloth is
taken from an Aeon in Gnosticism called Barbelo, which is just an emanation of the Gnostic
Monad, the Supreme God… And if The King of Kings shown in the Gnostic Chorus
is the Monad then his two offsprings, the two crowned heirs which likely correspond
to the Second and Third Descenders respectively, are also probably Aeons… Likely Sophia for the
Princess and Jesus for the Prince, which is why this Prince is an actual character in the game
and not a metaphorical concept, but who knows? Anyway, in Gnosticism, which
Genshin’s Cosmology is based on, one of the primary goals for humans is to obtain
a Gnosis, which corresponds to Enlightenment, or I suppose Visions in Genshin, and
then return to a higher, divine realm And you know what, speaking of Humans, let’s
talk about them for a bit since we know that Humans, with the exception of certain
minorities, are alien to the World of Teyvat… This is something that has been hinted
at since Enkanomiya came out in patch 2.4, where the Scribe of Istaroth writes that the
Primordial One, the Progenitor God of Humanity, came from outside the world… A couple of years
later in Fontaine, this sentiment was further reaffirmed in the description of the Wind
Glider, Wings of Merciful, Wrathful Waters, where it is written by the developers that
although the Shade of Life was a God of Humans… Her creation of Egeria, the First Hydro Archon,
was a process that utilized materials native to Teyvat, entirely without outside elements…
Here, it is important to recognize that the developers making this distinction indicates
their intention of implying that the Shade of Life and the Human Species she rules are
all alien to the world… Unlike Egeria. Furthermore, based on the opening paragraph
of The History of the Decline and Fall of Remuria… We know that the Unified Humans
of the First Civilization lived through an era of abundance and prosperity directly
underneath the rule of the Primordial One, with the Heavenly Envoys acting as their guides. With that being said, over time, the people
of the First Era grew bored of their life… Eternally peaceful, forever unchanging…
Humanity became restless and was overrun by temptation making them desire that which was
not promised to them by Heaven… Celestia on the other hand was not very fond of humans trying to
break free from their Fate… Soooooo the Seelies then asked the Humans: “Would you lose?”
And the Humans were like: “Nah, I’d Win.” Aaaand then Celestia proceeded to
wipe them off the face of Teyvat. Notice what happened with the first Civilization…
The Primordial One created the first humans, numerous as the stars in the sky,
and gave them what is practically an Eternal Paradise where they would
have no want or need… But over time, humans grew dissatisfied with the tranquillity
of their unchanging and everlasting world… They wanted something more… They wanted
something exciting… They wanted… To be Free… Freedom to do whatever they want; however
they want… Freedom to be evil, to be good, to have power and to use that power…
And compared to those possibilities… Oh, how stale and crude an Unchanging
Eternity appears to be… Thus, did the Primordial One extinguish the
flame of their ambition and start all over. Now I would wager that quite a few of
you watching have already picked up on the uncanny resemblance between the
First Civilization and the storyline of the Inazuma Archon Quest… This is quite
peculiar… Especially when you take into account Beelzebul’s boasting about how
“Only through Eternity are you closest to the Heavenly Principles.”... Which could
mean that GIGA-Brain Writers at Hoyoverse used the Inazuma Archon Quest as a sneaky way
to foreshadow future events in the story. Alright, perfect… So, what does the Inazuma
Archon Quest have to do with this video? Nothing… It has nothing to do
with what we are talking about, that was just a cool detail
that I wanted to point out. Nonetheless, the records of the First
Civilization as found in The History of the Decline and Fall of Remuria share
extremely interesting parallels with the writings of the guy I was talking
about earlier: Hermes Trismegistus. In one of his excerpts, which I am going
to paraphrase heavily for the sake of this video… Hermes writes that in the beginning, God
created the Universe along with its Divisions, separating the Microcosm from the Macrocosm…
He then creates and appoints several minor deities to govern what he had made… Finally,
God fashioned Human Souls out of a mysterious transparent substance… Keep this substance in
mind, this ENTIRE video is basically about it. What is important to understand is that
God placed these Souls in the Astral Realm, not the Physical Realm, and instructed
them to create the various life forms and animals of the Earth… Which they did, for
a while at least, until they grew prideful and greedy then succumbed to temptation
and sought to become equal to the Gods. As a punishment for mankind’s arrogation,
their Souls were trapped into mortal shells in the Physical Realm… These bodies were
relatively weak and susceptible to hunger, disease, pain, and the cruelty of the
weather… A Cursed was then placed upon the Humans to continuously suffer in their lives
on Earth… God then told the Humans that if their actions in the Physical Realm were worthy
of their divine origins, then they would be rewarded handsomely and EVENTUALLY ASCEND
back to the Heavenly Realm… HOWEVER, those who fail to meet the appropriate criteria would be
condemned to reincarnate over and over again. OK… There is A LOT to unpack here…
And while I highly doubt I can cover everything in this video, I will try my
best to include all that is relevant. First of all, I want to point out that these
Hermetician writings are considerably similar to another Creation Myth which I
talked about before in this video behind me right here… The Aztec Creation
Myth where once the world is destroyed, the Gods Quezlcoatl and Cihuacōātl create
bodies from the bones of the deceased races and then inject them with Quezlcoatl’s own
blood giving them life… If you haven’t seen that video then DO NOT worry about it, I
just wanted to mention it for those who did. At any rate, one thing that is worth noting is
that in the writings of Hermes Trismegistus, the first humans were essentially Ethereal
Souls made from a Mysterious Transparent Substance drifting in the Astral Realm…
And when I read that… I went: Hmmmmm… And you know what made me go Hmmmmmm?
Let me tell you what made me go Hmmmmm… The Narzissenkreuz Ordo of Jakob Baker and Rene de
Petrichor hypothesize that Teyvat is ensnared in a Cycle of Samsaras where the world is constantly
destroyed and remade anew at the dawn of each iteration… The Ordo posits that Teyvat has already
gone through Three Cycles so far, those being The Hyperborea, Natlantean, and Remuria… With
Khraun-Arya being the Fourth and current Samsara. These Root Cycles and the Narzissenkreuz
Ordo in general are inspired by a real-life esoteric occult movement known as Theosophy
which was founded primarily by this idiot, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky… Now look, I have
a lot of things to say about Theosophy, aaaaaand none of it is good… BUT, I should
also say that Theosophy does actually fit very well within the framework of a video game fantasy
world and there are many interesting similarities between it and the story of Genshin which you
can check out at your own leisure if you care. I, on the other hand, am gonna put my personal,
uuuhhh… Distaste… Aside… And skip right to the part relevant to this video, which is regarding a
concept in Theosophy known as the “Root Races”... Aside from the fact that the Root Cycles of
Genshin are directly taken from these Root Races… There is one distinction to keep in mind because
it is that distinction which made me go Hmmm. While the Narzissenkreuz Ordo lists Four Root
Cycles, there happen to be Seven Root Races in Theosophy with the last Three being Unknown…
Our focus centers around the First Root Race—the Polarians… And the reason they matter is because
they are described as a race made out of Ethereal Matter, mirroring the depiction of the First
Humans by Hermes Trismegistus in Alchemy. Additionally, these Polarians lived during an age
when the Primordial Ocean covered the surface of the Earth and only a SINGLE Mountain rose above
the sea… That mountain was called… Mount Sumeru… And do you know what reading that reminded me of?
It reminded me of Elynas… And it reminded me of Canotila… And Caterpillar… And Hu Tao,
and Baizhu, and Skirk… AND ALSO… Bosacius… Now that’s a lot of things to remember… So,
strap on your seat belts and get ready because all of the build-up that I have done so
far is about to pay off in 3, 2, 1… GO When the Traveler talks to Elynas
at the Ancient Colours World Quest, the latter says that before his Mother found
him, he used to be a Formless Entity drifting endlessly in the cold Cosmic Darkness
where he was very sad and lonely… Then, the Witch Rhinedottir plucked him out of that
Cosmic Darkness and gave him a name, a body, and many adorable siblings such as the wicked
Golden Wolflord and the Evil Dragon Durin. Aside from the Wolflord, Elynas and his
siblings had a childlike nature making them naive to the destruction and suffering that
their happiness brought to the world… I find this quite compelling because do you know who else can
often exhibit a childlike outlook on the world? Dogs… Well, at least domesticated ones
because African Wild Dogs are expert predators and killers… BUT, the point I am
trying to make is that dogs can in many cases be characterized by childish curiosity
and playfulness… And Elynas’s Mother, uh she allegedly made many Dogs… The Rifthounds…
Y–You know, similar to the Rifthound that attacked the Traveler in Jakob’s Dream Realm which
Canotila and later the Traveler both saw as a Dog… Yeeeaaah, guys… That Dog… He
is the Will of a dead man named Carter, who was the assistant of Alain Guillotin
in the Institue of Natural Philosophy… 500… Years ago… Keep him in mind, because you
best believe I am gonna get back to him later. But for now, let us not forget the main theme
of this video… Death… And I don’t know about you but when I think about Death in the context
of Genshin Impact, the first thing that comes to my mind are Hu Tao and Baizhu… Because, you see,
these two have a long history with one another, stretching all the way back to Hu
Tao’s Grandfather and Great-uncle. Although the two brothers dealt in the trade
of death at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao’s Grandfather and Great-uncle grew
to embrace vastly differing ideologies over time… Where her Great-uncle wanted
to become a doctor to prolong life and delay one’s death for as long as possible…
Hu Tao’s Grandfather firmly believed that some things are divinely ordained and that
the impermanence of life and permanence of death are among those immutable truths… The
two brothers argued for hours over the Cycle of Life and Death until their dispute in
philosophies drove a rift between them. Eventually, Hu Tao’s Great-uncle would
go on to form a contract with the white snake Changsheng, taking a young Baizhu
as his disciple… While her Grandfather, seeking to preserve his family’s long-standing
traditions, would carry on with the Parlor’s business… And out of their stubbornness, the
two brothers never talked to each other again. Which is extremely ironic when you take
a moment to think about how the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor started off as a Doctor’s
office at its inception before incorporating the funeral services that it is known for
today… And speaking the Parlor’s foundation, it is actually very important for
this video… So, let’s talk about it. Legends say that The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor
was established hundreds of years in the past by a group of humans in Liyue who dedicated
themselves to cleansing the land from the plagues and curses brought about by the Fallen
Gods from the Archon War… Because as it turns out, when a God dies, their hatred and resentment
linger in the world and manifest as Curses and Demons that bright about miasma and disease…
This is why Morax always preferred sealing the Gods he defeated whenever possible
instead of directly killing them. An excellent example of this took place on
Yashiori Island, where following the execution of the white serpent god Orobashi, his Will and
Power became a Curse known as the Tatarigami which engulfed the entire Island in a violent
perpetual rainstorm and slowly drove all of its inhabitants to illness and madness, killing
most of them in the process… But as it turns out, Gods are not the only ones that turn
into Curses when they are killed. Going back to Liyue, the founders of
the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor worked hand in hand with the Adepti to maintain the
balance between life and death… Unfortunately, a great number of the Yaksha who fought
the demons and curses of the gods that Morax killed accumulated massive amounts
of negative karma which either drove them insane or killed them, rereleasing
those Curses back into the world. Even Bosacius, the first and arguably
the mightiest of the Yaksha, succumbed to his Karmic Debt, and lost his sanity…
Until he met Yelan’s Ancestor, Boyang, 500 years ago… The two, united in purpose,
fought side by side with the Melillith to push back against the Abyss Monsters crawling from
The Chasm following the Cataclysm of Khaenri’ah. Eventually, Boyang and Bosacius used a device
known as the Fantastic Compass to seal the Monsters of the Abyss along with themselves
in a Chaotic Space… 5 centuries later, Alatus, Yelan, Yanfei and The Traveler found
themselves in that same space… Here, Adeptus Xiao mentions something VERY important…
He remarks that the Chaotic Space of the Fantastic Compass exists on the border between the Physical
Realm and the Void Realm, which is the Abyss. Furthermore, the group soon discovers that
Fantastic Compass can control time… And can you guess how many time periods it
transports us across during the Archon Quest?... … Four… Four different
Eras… THIS… Changes everything. Although I am extremely tempted to say that
the Four Eras shown by the Fantastic Compass are representations of the Four Samsaras of
Teyvat listed by the Narzissenkreuz Ordo… I am not gonna go that far yet… With that being
said, I do still think that there is some merit to this idea, at least allegorically… What
do I mean by that?... Well, hear me out. Xiao says that the Chaotic Space is both
intelligent and malevolent… Being able to read and understand the minds of those within it, slowly driving them insane and turning
them into Lost Souls which it devours. Now, let me take you all the way back
to the start of this video when I was discussing the conversation that
Skirk had with Neuvillette and how she told him that when people die,
they become Curses upon the world. I then went on to associate the Curses that
Skirk speaks of with the Cursed Spirits of Jujutsu Kaisen… NO WAY, JUJUTSU KAISEN? I HEKIN
LOVE JUJUTSU KAISEN… OK, Calm down... Listen. The Cursed Spirits in Jujutsu Kaisen are
directly inspired by the Vengeful Spirits of Japanese Folklore… These Vengeful Spirits
are in turn based on a concept in Buddhism called the Pretas which means Hungry Spirits…
The process of becoming a Hungry Spirit in Buddhism involves the accumulation of Negative
Karma due to someone’s past actions if those actions are driven by greed and harmful intents…
These Souls are then reborn in the Preta Realm in the next Samsara and they become Hungry
Spirits, fueled by suffering and resentment. This is UNLIKE those Souls who achieve
enlightenment and the State of Nirvana which leads to their liberation from the Cycle
of Samsara… Beyond Life, Death, and Rebirth. OK, why does this matter?... Well, earlier
I spent some time emphasizing the importance of Hermes Trismegistus to the Cosmology
of Genshin Impact… And in his writings, God Cursed the Humans for overstepping their
authority and imprisoned their Souls in the Physical Realm as a punishment… Those amongst them
who prove that they are worthy of their divine origins ascend back to the Heavenly Realm. But do
you remember what happens to the souls that fail? They die and are forced to
reincarnate again to suffer. Towards the end of the Perilous Trial
Archon Quest, Yelan, Xiao, The Traveler, and the rest of the group attempt to escape
the Chaotic Space when they are attacked by a conglomerate of really really angry spirits that
wanted to halt their escape and keep them trapped. In theory, these Ghosts should be the Souls of
Millelith who locked themselves with Boyang and Bosacius in the Chaotic Space and eventually got
devoured by it… However, I have an additional proposition to make… These might actually also be
the Souls of the Abyss Monsters that Boyang and Bosacius used the Fantastic Compass to trap in the
first place… And THIS is where things get WILD… When I said that the Fantastic Compass
could be an allegory for Teyvat’s Samsaras, I wasn’t really referring to the Spacetime
anomalies of that domain… You see, I had ulterior motives… And while yes, the Time
Travel part is a nice additional evidence for my theory… The main motivating factor that
drove me to say what I said was… The Dog, or rather I should say the Rifthound, that The
Traveler and Canotila saw in Jakob’s Dream Realm. As you probably know by now, Caterpillar is a
Hilichurl that was imbued with the Persona of Carter Scherbius by Jakob Baker and Rene de
Petrichor… And following the World Quest In The Wake of Narcissus, when the Traveler goes
to check on Canotila in Jakob’s Dream Realm, we learn that the Rifthound who attempted to
kill us in that realm is the Will of Carter, found in that Abyss-Like Domain. Later when the Dog vanishes, a Sunflower can
be found along with some notes left behind by Jakob where we learn that he spent a while
studying the work of Rhinedottir to replicate it. And since Rhinedottir's quote-on-quote
work involved plucking out Souls from the Abyss and giving them bodies
in the Human Realm… THENNNN, that doesn’t really leave much to the
imagination for what’s going on in Teyvat. You know how I talked about the Fantastic Compass
taking us through Four Different Eras? Weeeeell, that’s not really the full picture,
because it actually has Five… And look at what we have here… An ethereal
realm… Representing the Abyss… Representing the vast Cosmic Darkness from where the
Witch Rhinedottir found Elynas’s Soul. Also don’t worry, this is not a plot hole
in my theory… While it is indeed true that the Narzissenkreuz Ordo lists Four
Samsara Cycles, remember that Theosophy, the ideology which the Root Cycles of
the Ordo are based on, has FIVE KNOWN Root Races… With the First… Or, the Fifth
in this case, being the Polarians… Who are described to be ethereal beings that existed
when the Primeval Ocean covered the Earth. And do you remember what Humans used to
be originally before getting cursed by the Divine in the writings of Hermes
Trismegistus?... They were Souls fashioned out of a mysterious transparent
substance, inhabiting the Astral Realm. Knowing the fact that Caterpillar’s Spirit takes
the form of a Rifthound in Jakob’s Abyssal Dream Realm, the Angry Spirits that attack Xiao and his
group in the Chaotic Space being the Souls of the Abyss Monsters that Bosacius and Boyan trapped
with them becomes a very real possibility now… And this doesn’t make sense at first… Because
these Spirits look very humanoid… In fact, they are almost identical to the
Souls of the Dead which bring back to the Boatman on Tsurumi Island and
the Shade of Tokoyo in Enkanomiya. Soooo... What’s going on here? Do these
Spirits belong to the Melillith or to the Abyss Monsters?... … Well, it doesn’t
actually matter… Regardless of who these Souls belong to… Whether it is the Melillith or
the Monsters of the Abyss… They are all human. We know that Rhinedottir created many
monsters… But have you ever thought about what drove her to make them in the first
place?... After all, it couldn’t have been out of necessity… Khaenri’ah was a mighty nation with
hundreds of thousands of advanced machines under their command… Therefore, one would assume
that they had no shortage of labour force. Earlier, I talked about the Japanese
Vengeful Spirits which are based on the Pretas in Buddhism and how the Souls
of those who accumulated Negative Karma in their life are reborn in the Hungry
Ghost Realm during the next Samsara where they become full of resentment
and suffering… In Genshin Impact, Karma is a real force that operates throughout
Teyvat… And the Yaksha absorbed a tremendous amount of Negative Karma in their battles due to
their constant exposure to it from the Curses and Demons that manifested from the resentment
and hatred of the Fallen Gods and Spirits. Which means that the Monsters of
the Abyss… The Formless Entities drifting in the Cosmic Darkness might
be the Souls of all the people from the current and previous Samsara Cycles
of Teyvat who die and leave behind bonds that become Curses on the world… The Souls
of those deemed to be Sinners by Celestia… Buuuut… Uuummm… We have a problem here… In Teyvat…
You don’t have to be evil to qualify as a Sinner… As we have seen in the Archon Quest, Masquerade
of the Guilty, the overwhelming majority of Fontaine’s population had nothing to do with
Egeria’s Original Sin… Yet, despite that they were all punished regardless… And then we have
Orobashi, who was a benevolent God sentenced to Death by Celestia for the crime of reading a book…
And ended up leaving behind the Tatarigami Curse over Yashiori… Which means that a sinner in Teyvat
is… Whatever the fuck Celestia decides it to be. This is why I no longer believe that
Rhinedottir was trying to create an army of Abyssal Monsters… Rather, the exact
opposite… I now think that Rhinedottir in reality was attempting to find a way to save
the Souls of those who failed to satisfy the Heavenly Principle… Those who died and
became Curses upon the world and thus were cast out of the Cycle of Samsara
and disposed of as Filth in the Abyss. So, if the Void Realm is essentially a really big
trashcan where the unworthy are filtered into… Then how do they get there in the first place
and what is their destiny from there onwards? Alright, earlier I brought up how the Wangsheng
Funeral Parlor works to maintain the balance in the Cycle of Life and Death… The Traveler
witnesses one such method firsthand during Hu Tao’s First Story Quest where they ensure
that the Souls of the deceased pass through the Border of Life and Death peacefully so that
they may not become Curses in the Human Realm. And even though Hu Tao’s Great-uncle and his
disciple Baizhu did not see eye-to-eye with the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor due to the issues he had
with the Old Hu… They nevertheless understood the importance that these funerary services hold… In
fact, in Baizhu’s Fourth Character Story, I read a passage which I found so interesting to the point
where this entire theory exists became of it. Whenever a patient under Baizhu’s
care dies, Bubu Pharmacy contacts the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to set up
a ceremony for their passing… And what really caught my attention is that the one
who holds these ceremonies is Zhongli… And the implications that this holds are way more
important than what appears on surface level. When I first read that part in Baizhu’s
Character Story I immediately stopped and went: “Wait… But why?”... You see in almost
every religion, funerary ceremonies, while yes they are conducted
in honour of those who died, primarily serve to appease a higher
divinity on behalf of the deceased’s soul. However, in this case, the man conducting
these religious ceremonies IS MORAX… HE IS The God… So what is even the point
in bothering with these ceremonies? Surely he isn’t doing it for himself, that
would be ridiculous… And based on the last 20 minutes of this video, I can confidently
say he isn’t doing it for Celestia either. Perhaps he is doing it for show… To uphold
traditions in front of the common folk? Actually, No… Even that does work because
it is written that the process is done in a secluded thatched cottage in the
dead of night, away from any crowd. Then I realized something that made me laugh…
Morax is not holding these funerals as religious ceremonies, but rather as insurance policies… He
is doing it to minimize the risk of these souls, failing to pass on, getting corrupted and
becoming Curses that blight the mortal world. AND THIS IS SUCH A COOL DETAIL that you
unfortunately have to go completely out of your way to find which makes me sad
because I wish Hoyoverse put a little more effort into showcasing these things in
the game itself instead of putting it in an obscure paragraph in a long Character Story
that is locked behind Baizhu’s 5th Ascension… At any rate, if the Soul fails to pass on after
Death, it becomes a Curse and is then fated to be filtered out of the Cycle of Samsara and discarded
into the Abyss… I suspect this is the case because if you recall the Sacred Sakura Cleansing ritual
that the Traveler performs with Kitsune Saiguu, they spend a great deal of time treating
the Ley Lines around Narukami Island. At the end of that World Quest, the
Traveler faces off against a massive tumour that infects the roots of the
Sakred Sakura… And during that fight, the tumour summons the Souls of Fallen warriors,
likely ones who died a resentful death and became Vengeful Spirits, or in Buddhist terms,
Hungry Spirits… Or as Skirk puts it… Curses. You see, after completing the World Quest on
Tsurumi Island, the Traveler spends a while herding the souls of the dead to the Boatman
who rambles about his Lady of the Golden Halls, the Lady of the Silver Palace and whatnot…
At this point, I think that his Lady might be the Shade of Death, but this is just an
idea I am throwing out so don’t take it too seriously… What’s interesting is that the
Boatman also mentions Oak and Cypress wood… Next to the Boatman, you can find this
Ley Line Branch… Similar branches can be found in The Chasm aaaaand also in the Tomb
that Amun made for the Goddess of Flowers. All in all, these branches are found
in locations where Death runs rampant leading me to conclude that they
serve to reabsorb the souls of the deceased into the Ley Lines and into
Irminsul where they can be reused later. However, if the Soul is corrupted, then
reabsorbing it would damage the Ley Lines which why is such Souls need to be filtered out… This
also explains why the Rifthounds are attracted to the Roots of the Sacred Sakura which is a Ley
Lines Tree, during Beelzebul’s Second Story Quest. You know what… Speaking of Beelzebul,
earlier in this video I mentioned that she talks about how Eternity is the Closest
Ideal Unto the Heavenly Principles… Well, thinking of it now… Have a listen at
what Dainsleif has to say about this:... What Dainsleif says here reminds me
of the lines in Before Sun and Moon where the Primordial One separated the
world from the rest of the Universe… I suppose this Sheltered Eternity would then
be Teyvat… Because Teyvat means Ark in Hebrew and an Ark is a vessel or sanctuary that
serves as protection against extinction. While those who Dream of Dreaming would be the
ones cast outside of that Ark… Out into the vast extent of the Cosmic Darkness, where
they would feel nothing but cold, sorrow, and loneliness… They are Souls tortured by
infinite time… Yet no hope for salvation. Considering just how terrible someone’s
fate can potentially be when they die, it isn’t completely accurate for me
to call Teyvat a sanctuary… In truth, this world is really more of a purgatory
where Celestia separates the souls that the divine eyes see as worthy from the
rest who are segregated into the Abyss. With such a miserable state of affairs, it should be to no one’s surprise that there
are those who wish to transcend the shackles of the world and go against its natural
order… Doctor Baizhu is one such individual. When Baizhu was young, he lost most of his friends
and family to a terrible disease that struck their village… Thus Baizhu fully understands the
suffering and loneliness that death brings… Qiqi herself wonders why Baizhu hates death so
much yet spends all his time researching it. Now, funny enough, the answer to Qiqi’s
quandary is quite simple… It has to do with Gold. Despite the enormous difference in
their methods, I have a feeling that Baizhu and Rhinedottir are trying to achieve the
same goal… They are both looking for a way to rescue the inhabitants of Teyvat from the
cruelty that awaits their souls when they die. And believe me, I know how weird this sounds
but think about it… Rhinedottir’s son Albedo is already older than any ordinary human
in Mondstadt… And let me tell you right now… This guy isn’t gonna age anytime soon…
In fact, he might actually be semi-immortal. Mind you, Albedo has no father, Rhinedottir did
not give birth to him, she made him… So where, Oh where, do you think she got his soul
from?... The exact same place she found Elynas. The Adepti of Liyue, along with the Wangsheng
Funeral Parlor, work tirelessly to help the spirits of the dead pass on through the border
while destroying those who don't… However, those are but temporary measures in
a never-ending Cycle and the effort and bloodshed exhausted in them in tremendous…
That much, Baizhu understands very well… Thus, the solution he seeks is a permanent
one and that is no easy task. To become a Curse after dying is a horrible fate…
Especially when we know that even catching the attention of the Divine Gaze by obtaining
a Vision does not guarantee your salvation… A Vision only means that you have the potential
to ascend, the final decision is up to Celestia. Hence why Skirk and the rest of those who live
below do not wish to return to the surface… Instead, they walk the path of their mater,
Surtalogi, The Foul… And speaking of Surtalogi, I think that the Foul Legacy which
he developed also serves as a means to transcend immortality and bypass Death… I
suppose that instead of escaping the Abyss, Surtalogi’s philosophy is to embrace it… And on
that note, I do have to say, I don’t think the Abyss is “Evil” or “Bad”... Whenever it is
depicted, the Abyss just looks like… Space. Surtalogi’s own pet is called the Visitor
from the Far Side of the Sea of Stars, which is funny because both Aether and Lumine are
referred to as Travelers from the Sea of Stars. I have a feeling that the Evil part of the Abyss
is just the accumulation of all the Curses, Demons, and Vengeful Spirits that
were cast into it as a punishment for the mortal arrogations of the
First Civilization… Where Humanity fell from grace and became subject
to the Cycle of Life and Death. In other words, Surtalogi, Rhinedottir, and Baizhu are all pursuing the same kind
of perfection… A method through which they can achieve Nirvana and escape the Cycle of
Samsaras imposed upon Teyvat by Celestia. This perfection won’t be an easy one
to achieve… And based on Skirk's words, neither Rhinedottir nor Surtalogi have reached it
yet… This means Doctor Baizhu still has a lot of research and studying to do… But, there is still
hope… He is getting there… One step at a time. At the end of The Heart of Healing story
quest, Baizhu utilizes the knowledge he has gathered so far to temporarily postpone the
death of a man named Jialiang… This procedure appears to be a preliminary method based
on Baizhu’s research into Qiqi’s condition. But Qiqi is merely a zombie, she is not truly
immortal, she is not truly alive… So, whether it is The Foul, whether it is Gold, or whether
it is the Doctor of the Bubu Pharmacy, the search for Immortality continues… And their endeavours,
regardless of if they succeed or not, prove one undeniable truth… The strength and perseverance of
the Human Spirit in the face of impossibilities. And who knows… Maybe Baizhu was right… Maybe, just
maybe the Contract that Changsheng began hundreds of years ago… Will end with him.
_______ Just like how this video is about to end
soon… Because we have reached the Outro and dear God for some reason this video was
unbelievably complicated to make… It mostly took so long because of how many pieces
are there to the puzzle and even now after 40 minutes of yapping I still haven’t covered
everything that there is to say about this topic. For example, I still have a lot
more to add regarding Qiqi, Baizhu, and the First Civilization… However, I am just
gonna leave those for a different video in the future… Although I do want to add that I
find it comical how Celestia eradicated the First Civilization for overstepping
their boundaries… Only for the humans who came after them to continue overstepping their
boundaries with Baizhu being one such example. Anyway, I still have SO MANY more videos to make
but do not worry, the upcoming batch won’t be as complicated and convoluted as this one has been…
So I better get going now and continue working. Thanks for watching… And take care.
