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bahbzxxx · 1 year

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A Barbz Brainrot~🤍

Still thinking about Venti and a composer/performer windblume ngl~🎶

Maybe you meet him at the Irodori festival, later at night at Ritou, a light and pleasant breeze enveloping you as you sit on the dock, facing the sea. Most people have turned in for the night except for you and a most peculiar green clad bard who had caught you humming to yourself, notebook and pen in hand, trying to create a melody to accompany the harmony you had composed.

"I don't think I've seen someone write music without a lyre in ages! Ehe..." He chuckles, you trying to compose yourself and be rid of the bright pink dust on your cheeks. It's surprising how you managed to not fall into the water.

"Uhm, yes! Yeah, I'm not...I'm not that good with a-a lyre...to be honest?" You say awkwardly to the stranger with pretty braids and a flower you don't think you've seen before in his hair.

"Aha...I'm just messing with you. But if you've ever stepped foot in Mondstadt..."

He gives you a cheeky smile and takes out a lyre, prettier than you had thought one could be.

"You'd know exactly what I mean."

"So I take it you're from Mondstadt?" You ask, already able to match his energy for some reason.

He daintily strums the lyre, his face turning into a posh smirk. "Guilty as charged."

As you laugh softly into your hand, you take more notice of his features. You could have sworn you could have seen him before...

"So!" He announces as he plops down right beside you. "What's a little poet like you doing all alone out here? It may not seem like it, but the night is still so young!"

"Oh...no no no, I'm not a poet, see, this is just a bunch of nonsense and vomit in the form of what I like to call "lyrics." You anxiously giggle, already alert of his emerald eyes dangerously eyeing up the journal stuffed with sheet music in your lap with a growing chaotic excitement.

"I-im also a bit shy when it comes to performing and the like, so..."

"Why? You've got one of the most beautiful voices I've heard since I've been here! And trust me-there is way too much talent here."

Your heart skips a beat.

"But I wasn't even-"

"Don't be silly, humming counts." He says sing-songingly.

"Well, I- uhm, thank you, Mr. Bard." You finally give in, a small blush dusting your cheeks.

"Ah, that's more like it." He sighs with a relaxed smile on his face.

...

He looks at you expectantly, knowing what you're going to ask him.

"I'm sure your voice is lovely too! Uhm... Mr...Bard...uhm... Wouldnt you prefer if I called you anything else?"

"Other than the 3x winner of 'Best Bard of Mondstadt?" He can't help but laugh at how your mouth forms an o shape.

He leans over and props his elbow on his knee, raising his eyebrows dramatically. "You, Cecelia, may call me "Venti."

He leans a little closer, shoulder to shoulder with you, and gives dramatic jazz hands. "Venti the Bard..."

You try to do the jazz hands along with him, but you just can't help but look at him in awe. Was he bluffing? Sure he was kind of flamboyant, but...

"Allow me to soothe your troubled mind~a Cecelia is a flower from Mondstadt...personally my favorite, but..."

You're still staring at him, kinda confused.

"ah, I see." He smiles. "A flower is a plant that grows out of the ground! It's got pretty peeetaals, and steeemmms, and-"

You lightly bop him on his head so his hat falls slightly over his face. "Not that!"

He fixes up his hair as he smiles goofily at you. "I'm just messing with ya!"

"it's just that your...are you actually..."

"What? Don't trust me?"

"No, no! I-"

"I'll have you know that I have a multitude of compositions to my name, thank you very much!" He playfully yells, whipping out some sort of book and flipping the pages so they all brush against your nose. You crinkle your nose and close your eyes, trying to stifle your giggles. Who even is this person?

"Here. Hold my lyre for a moment." He says, plopping his pretty lyre in your lap softly before thoroughly digging through his music.

"Mein Frühlung is a dear thing, but she's seen some things. Feel free to play a little bit! Go on! We've a performance in a while, she needs a good warm up."

"Why so late?" You ask, letting your fingers delicately grace the strings of the lyre.

"I told you. The night is still is still so young. Taverns are thriving, and the locals have not even had an ounce of their fair share of Mondstadt music."

"I suppose that makes sense. Also isn't tonight one of the nights where performers get free drinks or can at least guarantee someone's gonna buy a drink for them?"

"Oh! That's even better...hehehe..." The Bard recalls deviously as he seems to have located the music he was looking for.

"Alright, cecelia~ I'm gonna prove to you that I can make pretty music too, just like you~"

"I don't doubt you, "Mr Venti the Bard." You giggle as you look at the music now laying in your lap. He takes the lyre from you, and then already looks prepared to play.

"Ready?!”

You look back up at him as he adjusts himself to the key. “Wait, what?!!!”

He huffs. “Well, how will you know if you like my music if you haven’t sung it?”

“But-“

“And it’s a dueeettttt~”

“Wait, really?”

“Sure is, silly! Now… top or bottom? Both voice parts are closer in range to each other, but the top is definitely the main melody for most of the song. Personally I think you could go either way, but I kind of want your voice to stand out…”

You giggle, still in disbelief that he’s actually getting you to sing. “Okay, fine~ I’ll take the melody. It looks quite pretty.”

He smiles warmly and doesn’t waste time in playing a delicate intro to his piece.

The first verse belongs to him-his voice catches you off guard with how smooth and soft it is. There was something so unique about it too. You had heard so many male performers with beautiful voices, but there was just something so different about Venti’s. It was almost as if it were the wind itself-so innocent and free, yet it knew all the secrets of the world. Before you can get too lost in the beauty, his eyes lock with yours, cueing you in.

Now it’s his turn to hear your gift. You’re sight-reading~ he knows this. It doesn’t phase him one bit when your voice is a bit shakey. He doesn’t understand how you could be so nervous with a beautiful and consistent voice like yours. It’s so distinct, but just fits perfectly. Something about it resonates with him…but he’s going to contain his excitement so he doesn’t ruin your flow.

When your voices meet in the chorus, it’s a dance. Two beautiful voices intermingling and breathing life your waltz, only supported by a harmony of arpeggiated chords on the lyre. When you repeat the chorus one last time, the bard decides to play the chords together-one reason being variety, the other just being…it feels right.

The last chord settles, and all you can do is look into the bards eyes. You had no idea someone could sing like that…even with such a simple song, he put so much life into it.This clearly wasn’t a gig just for money, or a silly title like “Best Bard of Mondstadt” to him.

“Well, what do you say?” He says, cocking his head. “Is it worth my title?”

“That was so pretty…how did you make that all by yourself?”

He chuckles. “Well, I can’t take all the credit…your voice truly is something, my dear.”

You put your hands on your cheeks. “Oh please… even then, I didn’t write it!

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He asks, gently strumming his lyre.

“I mean-“

“Ah. You’ve never played a lyre. I’d love to teach you!”

“That’s not what I meant…but wait, you’d do that?”

He puts a friendly arm around your shoulder, and you allow him to pull you slightly closer.

“Of course I would! You’re already clearly a talented musician, so it wouldn’t be too much trouble-just a lot of dedication on your part.”

He takes your hand with his free hand and inspects it. “And you’ve got some good hands, by the way. They would be perfect for lyre playing.”

You blush deeply, eyes widening at the out of pocket compliment. “Uhm, thank you!”

“So, how would I repay you? I’m far from rich, but I’ll do anything to return your kindness!”

He smiles cheekily, his cheeks turning slightly red. “Ehe~”

“Mr. Venti the Bard?”

“So…first of all, may I have your name? We’ve a deal to strike.”

“Oh dear…”

“Come on, come on! You just said…” he says.

“It’s (y/n).” You respond with a huge nervous smile. With this bard, he could be asking anything.

He takes your hands in his. “Well, fair (y/n)… in exchange for me taking you under my wing, would you be willing to do me a few favors from…time to time?”

You still are smiling, eyes now closed. “What type of favors?”

“Ehe~”

Archons help me.

“So… remember that performance I was talking about?” He asks, twirling his braid in his fingers.

“Yes…you were referring to you and you’re lyre, right?”

He just smiles. It’s a very pretty smile.

“Right?”

He raises his eyebrows.

“Oh archons, I should have known!” You say, laughing nervously into your hands.

“Please (y/n)? I promise, I know what a beautiful voice is. I’ve been there and done that, I have a lot of experience! More than you would think!” He begs. He gently takes your hands back into his own.

“I’m gonna mess it up…”

“No you’re not! And even if you do, nobody has a clue. Only me. And I think the performance has much more to do with quality rather than memorization and using the score as a script…okay?”

…

“Pretty please?”

“Promise you won’t get mad?” You ask shyly.

He holds out his pinkie to you. “I promise.”

The deal was made, and he instantly pulls you up with him and links his arm with yours.

“I’m so happy you’ve decided to join me!” He says, beaming. “Now let’s go!”

"Its now?

“Archons help you…”

#venti x windblume #venti x reader #genshin venti #genshin impact #irodori festival #bard!darling #venti #beloved of the anemo archon #venti fluff #genshin #blessings from the anemo archon barsibitos #fr #cringe #venti brainrot

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genshinnrambles · 2 years

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We Have the Raiden Gokaden Downfall All Wrong, Part 2

I was gonna write about Xamaran, but then Kazuha pulled up in the Mystery Machine and told me it was Raiden Gokaden lore time again. Let’s talk about what happened in that story quest, specifically as it relates to the Raiden Gokaden and Scaramouche.

SPOILERS: Acer Palmatum Chapter, Act I: A Strange and Friendless Road (he’s just like me fr), the new Cursed Blade lore, the new Fatui reveal teaser (A Winter Night’s Lazzo), a little bit of the Summer Islands event, Raiden’s Story Quest Part 2, the Irodori Festival event quest, all the Raiden Gokaden lore in existence, and all the Scaramouche lore in existence. You have been warned!

Previous Scaramouche Analyses:

Character Analysis: Scaramouche’s Transient Dream [jan 2022]

The Kamisatos, Scaramouche, and the Rather Aged Notes: A Theory [march 2022]

On Kuronushi, Kunikuzushi, and the Lessons of Irodori [april 2022]

We Have the Raiden Gokaden Downfall All Wrong (the Part 1 of this post) [may 2022]

***EDIT***: in light of ~the 3.1 archon quest~, I’m happy to say I have more clear language to articulate what I was trying to get at here — basically, my argument here or in the previous post was not so much about arguing that Katsuragi could not have been a member of the Niwa Clan, but rather that this fact could not be true at the same time as the theory that the Raiden Gokaden operation being about avenging his death at the hands of Nagamasa. Things are still abundantly unclear in 3.1, but assuming that the illustration and narration of Scaramouche’s back story from 3.1 was not intentionally misleading (which Mhy has done before…….within this same patch, to boot), then I feel vindicated by that cutscene that at the very very least, the Raiden Gokaden operation was in fact not a mission to avenge Katsuragi’s death. Until further information is revealed, I stand by this theory. Also I am so ridiculously happy and heart-broken over Niwa Katsuragi and his resemblance to Kazuha ;___;

DISCLAIMERS:

Despite this post’s heavy focus on Kazuha’s story quest, it will not contain analysis of Kazuha or Kazuha’s character. I have already discussed and analyzed him at length in two other posts (here and here), and those opinions are unchanged based on the content of his quest. I am more interested in the quest’s additions to the Raiden Gokaden lore, its foreshadowing of Scaramouche’s Third Act, and its implications regarding both his past and his future.

My goals are to:

Revisit the arguments made in this post and to a lesser extent this post. As this is a follow-up, it may not make sense without the context of part 1.

Revise some of those arguments with the information presented in “A Strange and Friendless Road.”

Further theorize in new directions by putting this quest in conversation with other lore bits, both new to this version and old.

While this quest was very heavy-handed with its parallels between Scaramouche and Kagotsurube Isshin and the contrast between Scaramouche (or rather, his ideals) and Kazuha, I think there are still ideas worth restating and discussing here, given that these two have been a hot topic since the Irodori Festival.

Because it was so heavy-handed, I feel this quest may serve a few narrative purposes regarding the continuation of the Irodori plot: first, this quest turns Kazuha’s character development and ideas expressed in the Irodori event into permanent content. Therefore, its secondary purpose is also to make Kazuha’s conclusions regarding the story of Kuronushi Kunikuzushi permanent, albeit divorced from the original context of the fall of the Kaedehara Clan. Despite this, his takeaways are largely the same. In the Irodori quest, he decides not to pursue Kunikuzushi, in accordance with his great-grandpa Kaedehara Yoshinori’s wishes, and he also reminds the group of the importance of the present over the past. Rather than pursue a path of vengeance like Kunikuzushi did, Kazuha once again chooses freedom for his heart.

Ultimately, I interpret this quest as a substitute for a Talk no Jutsu scene between Kazuha and Scaramouche, which many anticipated after Irodori’s conclusions. Personally, I am extremely doubtful that these two will interact in any capacity before Scaramouche gets his head out of his ass, though it would be fun for them to meet in the future. Not everyone will be satisfied with this, but I think this makes the most sense narratively and allows Hoyoverse the creative freedom to conclude Scaramouche’s major character arc in a much more impactful way that is tied to the upcoming Archon Quests in Sumeru, and therefore also tied to the worldbuilding we need to establish as we move into the second half of the game. Maybe that way we get some follow-up to that blasted “the sky is a lie” one-liner nearly *checks watch* 2 years later??? Just a thought :)

Unity Between Blade (Body) and Mind (Heart)

This may sound far-fetched at first, but in fact a very early piece of Inazuma lore that alluded to the story of the Raiden “family” actually likened their story to the traditions of ancient Inazuman blades and their forging arts. This can be found an enemy drop, called the Kageuchi Handguard:

A handguard mounded upon a sword of some distinction.

Inazuma has a long tradition of sword-making. When making swords, smiths will often make several different weapons at once, before choosing from among them the "shinuchi," or the best weapon, while the others are known as "kageuchi."

I wrote a twitter thread about this, which you may read here, but the tl;dr is that within the context of Ei’s puppets, the “shinuchi,” or true blade, is like the Raiden Shogun, while the “kageuchi,” her shadow, is Scaramouche, and this metaphor is further reflected in the history of Makoto (in this case, the “shinuchi”) and her kagemusha Ei (the “kageuchi”). If the handguard alone feels like too much of a stretch, it is more directly addressed in Treasured Tales of the Chouken Shinkageuchi, which tells the story of Makoto and Ei as twin gods of Inazuma:

“No famous craftsman merely forges one blade in one sitting. The greatest of their works are known as "Shinuchi," and are given a lovely name before being offered to the craftsman's lord or deity. These are not built for taking lives and are to remain pure. The others are known as "Kageuchi" and will be given to retainers for them to use as weapons. These will often be used to shed blood and will thus be stained with impurity and filth.

From the day Narukami Gongen, the First Shogun, began her dominion over the land of Inazuma, she was accompanied by her younger twin sister. "Shin" and "Kage," light and dark they were, mediating and holding court, ordering and giving battle. The younger of the two was named "Ei," and if her name were to be written plainly, it would likely be the word for "shadow," which she was in relation to the first Shogun, to whom she would become the successor.”

What is most interesting about this book, other than its contradictory nature regarding the public’s knowledge of Ei and Makoto’s deception, is the fact that it adds a surprising twist to the story we were told by Miko at the end of the Archon Quest: in fact, Ei died in the Archon War to help Makoto ascend to her celestial throne, but then Makoto “reforged her body,” bringing her back to Teyvat as her kagemusha, which is an interesting choice of words to use when we’re talking about recreating an animate being’s body. Though the story itself sounds outlandish compared to Miko’s story, Ei herself confirms its veracity in her own voicelines:

“The account given in the book "Treasured Tales" is largely an accurate one. At that time, she was preoccupied with various domestic matters within the island, so as her kagemusha, I assumed her identity and joined the troops dispatched to pacify Watatsumi. After this point, however, the story turns into mere wishful thinking. Back then, I was just a martial artist wrapped up in all the fighting, not a social reformer or moral leader.” -More About Ei: III

I find this blade-as-body metaphor unsettling given Albedo’s account of his own creation, using the term “pontil mark” to refer to the star on his neck where energy was “blown into” his body:

Albedo: Have you ever seen an intricate glass ornament and wondered how it was made? Well, one method for crafting with glass is a technique known as "glassblowing."

Albedo: Glassblowing is not a widely known art in Teyvat. For this reason, glassware made in this way is usually very expensive.

Albedo: As the name implies, glassblowing involves blowing air into a hole, much like blowing up a balloon.

Albedo: This type of glassware is known for having a "pontil mark" at the point where the blowpipe was inserted, where the hole was sealed at the very end. This mark is a sign that the item was crafted by a human hand.

If creating a synthetic being like Albedo can be compared to a craft like glassblowing, could we not also wonder if the technology Ei used to create her puppets can be compared to blade forging? Note that I don’t mean to equate the blade forging that the Raiden Gokaden performed to the “technology lost to time” that Ei used for her puppets, but only to raise questions about the nature of that technology itself. But regardless of whether this metaphor truly makes sense or not, we can also turn to the story of Musou Isshin itself to further tease it out.

Like Kagotsurube Isshin, Musou Isshin is an Isshin blade, though it precedes Masagomaru and his formal teachings of the Isshin Art to Akame Mitsunaga, Kaedehara Kagemitsu, and Niwa Nagamitsu. Unlike Kagotsurube Isshin, Musou Isshin was “born from Makoto’s divine might,” though the former Electro Archon never used the blade as a weapon. Only upon her death and its change of hands to Ei did Musou Isshin become tainted with the blood of Narukami’s enemies. Shortly after Makoto’s death, Ei would use Musou Isshin as a vessel for her consciousness, and her newly created puppet the Raiden Shogun would serve as a vessel for the blade itself, and therefore also for Ei.

When she connects with Ei, the Shogun’s eyes take on a similar hue to Kazuha’s when he was possessed by Kagotsurube Isshin

The Isshin Art’s central dogma is that the mind must harmonize with the blade from the moment it is forged in order to draw its true strength as “an extension of its wielder’s will.” The Shogun is an extension of Ei’s will to rule Inazuma as an immovable God, and she is the physical manifestation of her dream of stasis. And while the Shogun is no slouch on her own, the two undoubtedly reach a higher plane of strength (that is, not necessarily limited to physical strength) when they harmonize at the end of “Transient Dreams.” Ei achieves a similar harmony with Mussou Isshin during their duel as well, with Ei’s will to change and atone for her mistakes awakening Makoto’s will within Mussou Isshin, thereby fully unleashing the power of that blade. I find this concept interesting to explore in the context of these three characters because the role they play (whether a “blade” or the “mind”) changes depending on which relationship is being examined - Ei as Makoto’s blade, Mussou Isshin as Ei’s blade, the Shogun as Ei’s blade, etc. etc.

With these comparisons established, let’s examine how Scaramouche’s story also reflects the discordance between his artificial body and the Electro Archon’s Gnosis.

Scaramouche, the Sentient Sword

“I do not wish for forgiveness. I only hope that you will see my transgressions as mine alone, and not let them stain the legacy of Isshin Art.”

Nowhere in this quest do the allusions towards “the Case of the Eccentric” become more clear than in our second meeting with Kagotsurube Isshin, who has possessed Amenoma Yuuya’s body. Like in Part 1, I think parts of these scenes with Kagotsurube Isshin deserve a close reading to demonstrate this blade’s parallels with Scaramouche and his ideals so that we can try to understand Scaramouche’s intentions better:

Prized Isshin Blade: Many, many years ago, I was forged by a famed bladesmith of the Isshin tradition. I was his pride and joy, in me, he placed all his hopes and dreams.

Prized Isshin Blade: As a descendant of the Kaedehara Clan, you should be able to guess our greatest regret.

Kaedehara Kazuha: I presume it has something to do with the Raiden Gokaden.

Prized Isshin Blade: Indeed. At that point in time, he failed to live up to the Raiden Shogun's expectations. In the end, all he could do was to flee the nation by sea, on a ship bound for Snezhnaya.

Prized Isshin Blade: He was a bladesmith of great renown, a master of his craft! There was nothing that he could not accomplish! All he needed was more time, and a little faith.

Prized Isshin Blade: And sure enough, in the end, he achieved what he had set out to do. All of his life's work — his wisdom, his skill — it culminated in his creation of me.

Some initial analysis housekeeping: Kagotsurube Isshin is representative of two things here, both Scaramouche and Scaramouche’s delusion. When I say delusion, I do not mean the things the Fatui manufactures, but delusional thoughts. Likewise, Kagotsurube Isshin’s creator, Akame Kanenaga, can represent both Scaramouche and Ei. I will focus on how the creator represents Scaramouche and the blade represents his twisted world view, but just know there is at least one other layer of meaning beneath that.

When Ei created Scaramouche, a prototype of the Raiden Shogun puppet, she likely initially intended her puppet to have the ability to store the Gnosis. However, Scaramouche shed tears in his sleep and could not perform the task Ei had in mind. She sealed his power and let him sleep in Shakkei Pavillion, abandoning this design idea altogether and left the Gnosis with Miko at the Grand Narukami Shrine.

Admittedly, we know very little about what actually transpired in Shakkei Pavillion that is not from Scaramouche’s perspective, but it is commonly inferred from the Husk of Opulent Dreams artifact lore and the Surpassing Cup lore that Scaramouche 1) views the Gnosis, and his ability to hold it, as the reason for his existence, 2) that he views Ei with contempt for abandoning him, and 3) continued to pursue the Gnosis to fulfill that purpose. It’s still difficult to say with any confidence what his motives truly are besides his desire to feel emotions, but the text lends itself to the interpretation that he also wants to show Ei that he is capable of holding the Gnosis as intended - that he is not “weak.”

Prized Isshin Blade: He not only bestowed upon me the greatest of strength, but also endowed me with a consciousness of my own.

Prized Isshin Blade: In her conceit, the Raiden Shogun lost not only the single most perfect blade in the entire world, but also an irreplaceable achievement in the art of blade-forging!

Prized Isshin Blade: The people of the time in which I was born never believed I had that kind of power. They saw me as a mere blade – a sharp and well-crafted one, but in all other respects an ordinary weapon. Hmph, but that gave me the opportunity to take action.

Prized Isshin Blade: After the death of my creator, I decided to leave Snezhnaya, and began my long quest to return to the distant land of Inazuma. Moving from one person to the next, I controlled the minds of countless hosts along the way, each bringing me one step closer to my ancestral home.

Prized Isshin Blade: I seek but one thing: to face the full force of the Raiden Shogun’s blade, and prove my power, the might of Isshin Art!

I find this recurring theme of Isshin blades having space for consciousness rather fascinating, particularly in the context of the previous section’s analysis of the Raiden family, but let’s not go there for now. The first portion of this passage gestures towards the Surpassing Cup, where Scaramouche laments that he is a divine creation cast aside like “worthless dross.” One interpretation of the final sentence could be that Scaramouche’s goal in eradicating the Raiden Gokaden was primarily to demonstrate his worth to Ei through power, and maybe also to face off against her, though I doubt it’s meant to be taken literally.

If Kagotsurube Isshin represents Scaramouche’s delusions, then this passage also makes clear that it is Scaramouche who had to buy into them and give them a life of their own. He cannot think rationally about his life, and he cannot face reality. He can only focus on his single-minded, selfish, destructive goal: attaining the “heart” he was born to hold. In a later passage, Kagotsurube Isshin says as much: “Facing reality offers me nothing! I have no need of anything that would stand in my way. Not hesitation, not reflection, and certainly not your so-called-reality!”

Kaedehara Kazuha: Tell me, what happens to those you've possessed when you've finished using them?

Prized Isshin Blade: My hosts? Who cares what happens to them. They are but tools that serve my mission.

Prized Isshin Blade: When they got tired, or injured, or unusable, I hopped to the next one in line. All I needed them for was to take me back to Inazuma.

...

Prized Isshin Blade: After I returned to Inazuma, I decided to bide my time in Nagato's warehouse, until Amenoma Yuuya handed himself over to me on a silver platter.

Prized Isshin Blade: At long last, I am approaching my journey's destination. By Amenoma Yuuya's body I have found you, and by your hand I shall defeat the Raiden Shogun!

Prized Isshin Blade: Kaedehara Kazuha, you stood against the Raiden Shogun's Musou no Hitotachi. There can be no other to serve as my host for what is to come.

It can be difficult to tell with Scaramouche when he is a puppet in a given situation and when he is a puppet master. Perhaps the key here is honoring that he is often both, though I feel his role as a puppet master is often overemphasized to the detriment of seeing how he also allows himself to be used by others. Both must be appreciated at the same time to recognize the extent of his folly.

Kaedehara Kazuha: You wanted to reach a state of harmony with me. For perhaps then, you would still be able to wield commendable power.

Here it must be stated that Kazuha represents two things in this metaphor as well - the Gnosis, and the ideal of true freedom. What Scaramouche believes he needs to prove himself is to obtain and master the Gnosis, and he seems absolutely hellbent on doing so. Indeed, there is no room for failure where this is concerned. Even after obtaining it, even after he realizes it is not what he truly desires, he insists on keeping it - or he “would no longer be able to feel anything at all.” What Kazuha points out, however, is that this has no basis in reality, and ignores the context in which these events have come to pass. Kagotsurube Isshin is not truly in control of the situation - he is exhausted, he is broken, and he is backed into a corner.

Kaedehara Kazuha: Your fighting style... it is indeed the forms of Isshin Art.

Kaedehara Kazuha: But from your movements, I sense only hatred and arrogance, as well as a thinly veiled mania and despair.

…

Kaedehara Kazuha: If you ask me, the mania is probably due to your desperate, single-minded ambition. You believe I am your only hope.

Prized Isshin Blade: Are you trying to claim that I am helpless without you?

Prized Isshin Blade: On his deathbed, he passed to me all of Isshin Art's secrets. The little that you know barely scratches the surface.

Prized Isshin Blade: In that regard, why would I ever need your help?

Kaedehara Kazuha: Because all of that is in the past.

Kaedehara Kazuha: I've been wondering why you've not caused more trouble in all the years that you've been in Inazuma, if you are indeed a cursed blade that can possess its owner.

Kaedehara Kazuha: Now that I've seen inside your mind, everything finally makes sense. You weren't biding your time... you were trapped.

Prized Isshin Blade: Hmph...

Kaedehara Kazuha: After all the time that's passed, you have grown weak, to the point that you are now unable to acquire a new host without making physical contact.

…

Prized Isshin Blade: Hmph, what of it!

Kaedehara Kazuha: Well, that brings me to my second point. There's a despair in you that is so strong, it threatens to overwhelm you.

…

Kaedehara Kazuha: You returned to Inazuma to prove the unparalleled brilliance of Isshin Art. But to make this arduous journey, you committed countless atrocities, and showed a blatant disregard for human life.

Kaedehara Kazuha: Even if you were to sever that divine light... is this truly the outcome that your maker would have desired?

…

Kaedehara Kazuha: How could you possibly unleash the full potential of Isshin Art, when you act in perfect discordance with the principle of harmony between a blade and its bearer?

You get my drift, lots of Talk no Jutsu. I won’t repeat myself here, but if you’re interested in reading some power analysis of Scaramouche and his relationship to the Fatui, I did so in a character analysis and in a close reading of the delusion factory cutscene.

Paimon: Is this the same blade as before!? It looks like a piece of junk!

Traveler: The wear and tear is severe. It really looks like it’s about to break.

The Raiden Gokaden Downfall, Revisited

Regardless of the true role Scaramouche played in the Raiden Gokaden’s downfall, whether he was the mastermind or a puppet or some combination of both, the Fatui’s involvement as a whole is confirmed by Kujou Kamaji and further solidified by the Cursed Blade weapon lore. Those bladesmiths who heeded Kunikuzushi’s warning and abandoned their forging arts later fled to Snezhnaya to avoid judgment from the Shogunate, suggesting that this operation did indeed run deeper than Scaramouche’s personal revenge mission. Why would the Fatui offer asylum to these bladesmiths in the first place? What did they have to gain here? It certainly would not be out of the goodness of their hearts.

“We later learned that the whole misadventure had been secretly orchestrated by the Fatui. Attributing all of the blame to the Kamisato and Kaedehara Clans was neither proper nor just.”

My only guess at this moment is largely the same as what I proposed in part 1: the Fatui wanted to destabilize Inazuma and get their hands on Jade Steel, which would allow them to study Tatarigami as an energy source and material for the massive manufacturing of delusions, which would later be put into place as a part of the Vision Hunt Decree operation. Alternatively, maybe they just planned to recruit them as soldiers, similar to what they did with dismissed Shogunate officials after the Vision Hunt Decree was repealed, but I also find this explanation too small for our favorite antagonists.

As for Scaramouche’s personal investment in this part of the plan, I find it only questionable at best. Knowing that he had the entirety of the Fatui behind him in this operation, I still find it improbable that he was not being used.

Katsuragi and the Niwa Clan, Revisited

Through it all, I am still not convinced that Katsuragi was the main reason for Scaramouche’s decision to end the Raiden Gokaden schools, and therefore I do not think that, if the Katsuragi = Niwa Clan theory holds true, he ended the mission because he was confronted with someone of that lineage. That is, he did not end the operation because of who is in the Niwa clan, but because of what that clan represents to Scaramouche. I will explain more in just a bit. I do think that Katsuragi’s death was “the final straw” for his younger self, making him prioritize power and cruelty over kindness, and that this is what made him susceptible to joining an organization like the Fatui.

Presuming that I’m correct in saying the main motivation for the Raiden Gokaden’s downfall was not Katsuragi’s death, but in fact Scaramouche’s single-minded ambition to demonstrate his power and worth to Ei, then I have to wonder once again what the significance of the Niwa Clan is to him to end such a grandiose scheme, especially since he was not acting alone. I still don’t have any solid answers for this or the Kaedehara Yoshinori scene, however I do have further speculation based on a throwaway lore bit from the quest. The Niwa Clan specialized in a practice called clay tempering, a Japanese forging technique for “tempering” the overly-sharp parts of a katana by coating these parts in clay before performing the heat treating and quenching steps of the blade forging process (I am no expert on this, so please read here for more details c: ). If the blade is too sharp, it will be too brittle and break easily. The idea of clay tempering, therefore, is that a blade requires a fine balance of sharpness and flexibility in order to be a truly great sword. Sound a little familiar by now?

If his body can be compared to a blade, then Scaramouche would be an overly sharp blade, as he has prioritized strength (anger) and his reason for existence (the gnosis) over his psyche for nearly 500 years. Scaramouche is among the least emotionally flexible characters in the game - he lacks resilience in the way that Kazuha is overflowing with it. Rather than giving him the strength he desired, his choices have hurt him over and over again, and now that he has acquired the heart he has always wanted, I would wager that if the metaphor holds true, then he is nearing that physical breaking point. So, I wonder if encountering Kaedehara Yoshinori, a descendant of the Niwa Clan, was a reminder of temperance as a form of strength?

And if that is the case, maybe it was the reminder of those principles that stopped him in his tracks and made him hesitate, if only briefly. And if he was initially taught those principles by “the kind young deputy,” I wouldn’t be surprised at all.

The Warehouse Thief, Briefly Revisited

Another mystery from before was the ambiguity surrounding the warehouse thief’s identity in the Irodori Festival. While the warehouse thief’s identity being anyone other than Scaramouche didn’t really make any sense to me, it’s undeniable that descriptions of this thief left room for interpretation:

Kuronushi's Likeness: (The way Ayato puts it, it seems that the person who tried to furtively search for the secret was a Fatui spy. But "who" would want to hide Kunikuzushi's past?)

The other issue is that this thief was quite clumsy compared to how we’ve previously encountered Scaramouche. In Unreconciled Stars, he concealed his true intentions from the party and was only thwarted by Mona’s foresight. He is chillingly deceptive, and capable of switching seamlessly between personas depending on the situation. But in Kazuha’s story quest, Kagotsurube Isshin is only growing weaker and weaker, even after Kazuha wields him in battle. I wonder if the Gnosis is weakening Scaramouche too, and that his carelessness in raiding the warehouse reflects that. But, this is largely baseless speculation for now.

Final Thoughts

Considering we’ve been given Scaramouche crumbs for damn near every patch since his last actual in-game appearance in September 2021 (totally not bitter), I would be seriously shocked if his arc is not nearing its end. This is further supported by the lore dump that was A Winter Night’s Lazzo. Though the focus of the teaser is Signora’s funeral, the issue of Scaramouche and the Gnosis is also raised by Capitano, to which Dottore cooly replies: “Conventional wisdom holds that Divine Knowledge cannot rationally be comprehended. After conquering the divine gaze, he will make his next move.” Several things stick out to me about this remark: first, this teaser is very clearly meant to not only drip market the Harbingers, but also give the players a taste of what is to come in the Sumeru patches and beyond. The fact that Scaramouche is mentioned here, I think, is no coincidence at all and indicates he will be highly involved in the upcoming Archon Quest in Sumeru. Second, Dottore’s comment seems to foreshadow that if Scaramouche will indeed conquer the divine gaze of the Gnosis, it will be a major breaking point in what sanity he has left. What will he learn from that amiable husk? This is where the Traveler and Paimon come in.

Rather than foreshadowing an ideological or physical showdown between Kazuha and Scaramouche, I believe the Raiden Gokaden subplot was foreshadowing the more likely route of the Traveler vs. Scaramouche. I’m neutral to the Traveler overall, but I do think there is no person better suited to this task than them.

Kaedehara Kazuha: If a blade built for Isshin Art cannot enter a state of harmony between blade and bearer, it cannot unleash its true power.

Kaedehara Kazuha: If he wants to avoid reality, then we need to fight until he has no choice but to face it. He shouldn’t last long in an intense combat situation.

But, I don’t think his boss fight will disappoint. I’m expecting something truly epic.

Lastly, Kazuha’s story quest concludes with Kagotsurube Isshin possessing Kazuha’s body to reforge the blade, so that it may shine again. If this metaphor does extend to the physical condition of Scaramouche’s body, I wonder if he’ll need some similar “repairs”?

Kaedehara Kazuha: When the heart is clear, the world is too. And when the heart is unladen, the same is true.

….And that’s all I got. To be honest, this is probably the last if not the second-to-last analysis I will ever do of Scaramouche because 1) I’ve said all I need to say, 2) writing analysis for him is very stressful because I care a lot about his character and don’t want to get him wrong, and 3) I truly do think that his lore is winding down and is going to conclude with major worldbuilding information such as the nature of the false sky and the Gnosis, and to be totally real, that stuff is not my forte. Gonna leave those to the experts. So, assuming this is the end of the Mouchey posts, thank you for reading and coming on the journey with me :) I am very excited to see how this all pans out.

#genshin impact #genshin lore #scaramouche #raiden gokaden #husk of opulent dreams #fatui harbingers #kaedehara kazuha #kunikuzushi #irodori festival #genshin theory #long post #theory

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