[4.2] The Secret Of The Gnosis Isn't What You Think - A Genshin Impact Theory

I had a lot of ideas about what a gnosis was and what it was used for... but I never expected it to be the remains of the third descender! But this single line by Skirk uncovered an even greater secret that changed the way I see EVERYTHING in Genshin Impact.

**SPOILER WARNINGS**
- Chapter 4 Act 5
- Narzissenkruez part 4 (notes in the tower)
- Yoimiya Story Quest 2

**TIMESTAMPS**
0:00 Introduction
1:34 The Third Descender
2:36 Gnosis Ability 1
7:07 Gnosis Ability 2
8:35 Gnosis Ability 3
9:32 Gnosis Ability 4
11:50 Visions
21:39 Thrones of Heaven
27:39 A Noble Wish
32:00 Bonus Theories

**RELATED VIDEOS**

**MORE INFORMATION**
This section is a combination of citations and terms/topics that came up during the video alongside their wikipedia articles (or similar related sources) which should help get you started when doing your own research.

[Ashikai]

**NOTES/CORRECTIONS**

- I am aware that the translation for constellations in Chinese is more literally translated into "constellation of destiny" rather than "destiny seat" but ALSO realize that we're looking at the wordplay here as well. Hoyo *really* loves puns and using words/phrases with double meanings, and the sheer amount of these that have come up in the past and became relevant/functioned as foreshadowing makes digging into these instances of wordplay almost a necessity.

- The same can be said for the Shen Yuan/Yuan Shen situation. Despite putting the characters on screen at the same time, a lot of people seem to have missed the disclaimers.

[why]

Crazy how some of us use to thought that focalor will be on the heavenly principal side base on dan's voice line in the trailer it turned out she was the one who gave Celestia the biggest middle finger.

[dewitt]

So Khaenriya lost the 50/50 when summoning the twins

[Truck-kun]

From the beginning of the game we have had multiple characters saying that receiving a Vision comes with a great price, and apparently we now know what that price is:
You become a prisoner of Fate, which is a system created by the Heavenly Principles to keep Teyvat under control.

[kolt]

if traveler are wish granters, that explains something for me. during random reward events in game where the npc is in the middle of nowhere in the map, i always wondered how traveler able to know where they are. it now seems that they are actually responding to their wish. the npc were always pondering how to complete whatever task and all of the sudden the traveler arrives as if blessing from the gods

[yowaimoiya]

Kept thinking "oh shi ashikai was right" throughout almost the entire 4.2 quest and boy ive been waiting for what do you have to say for the new loredrops in it. Finally momma's cooking again and i'm hungy

[huynhkhangninh]

If Celestia is using the Vision/Gnosis and the constellations/sky/stars as a way to control fate, then the phrase: "In Teyvat, the stars in the sky will always have a place for you" from the loading screen, suddenly got a lot more ominous

[EricVinicius]

It's interesting that, about Furina's vision, one could say that she regained her ambition during the Little Oceanid performance, considering that she didn't want to perform on stage anymore.

[geosustento]

I actually think that Venti and Zhongli are aware of the "curse" of the remains of the Third Descender which was why they were both too willing to let go of theirs. It also explains why Venti didn't think too much of Signora taking his gnosis.

[jenilein]

Fun fact about the Narwhal: he is actually called "Sternenverschlingender Narwal" in the German version, which literally means "star devouring narwhal" so the translation team agrees with you

[Truck-kun]

- The Travelers are Shooting Stars

- At the beginning of the game two golden stars are shown falling in Teyvat

- We know that Khaenri'ah summoned the Travelers from beyond the firmament

*Conclusion:* The two golden stars at the beginning of the game are the Travelers being summoned by Khaenri'ah in a similar way to the Wish system we use to summon characters.

[felipemath]

I wonder if the traveler will is so strong because of their wish to rescue their sibling. Maybe that was the plan of the heavenly principles, to separate them to make their will strong enough to make them a descender. That would explaing why the sibling is not a descender, because they were not put in this path. Paimon's role must have something to do with this too.

[iyxon]

The "reading backwards" pun in Chinese (despite different characters and inflections) is a thing Hoyo has done in Genshin before! I'm copying this post I found on Twitter:

CN Genshin fans found something shocking abt the CN title of Fontaine Act V, "罪人舞步旋" (zuì rén wǔ bù xuán), or "Dance Steps of the Guilty."
Reversed, it becomes "旋步舞人罪" (xuán bù wǔ rén zuì), which is almost phonetically identical to the phrase "宣布无人罪" (xuān bù wú rén zuì), where only the inflections of the first and third characters are slightly different.
The meaning of "宣布无人罪?" "DECLARATION: NONE ARE GUILTY."

[ElectricLimeade]

This ties in quite nicely with what I cooked up after this patch! It also links to Nahida's riddle about Visions - I think a person receives a Vision when they "see" their fate. Their ambition, their wish, is so strong as to become certain in their own mind - almost like a premonition, or perhaps... a vision. The Vision then crystallizes to grant their wish, which naturally becomes their fate. Celestia then inscribes that fate upon a constellation to enforce it.

[Kino-K]

22:25 Dainslef also says this in the Tevat Storyline trailer:

"The gods goad us on with the promise of their seven treasures. Rewards for the worthy. The doorway to divinity.

Yet buried in the depths of this world lies smoldering remains: a warning to those that dare tresspass.

'That throne in the sky is not reserved for you.' "

Just thought it should be mentioned 😊

[mintyyy]

25:30 that makes sense bc when the Melusines wanted to read Neuvillettes constellation, it said in his character story that he doesn’t have a constellation bc his constellation is just Neuvillette. 🤭

[Boughkeeper]

Surtalogi might have a connection to Boughkeeper, ..both coming from north mythology, him being the twilight sword and also having the Quantum blackhole in his official background .

[Arcanewhim]

I was wondering if childe’s vision was acting up because he was about to realize his ambition… like what happens if a vision wielder gets their original wish granted or has their original ambition radically changed?

But i like the idea of childe having a rouge vision granted by a random star beast

[Deepstab]

Given some recent commentaries on allogens I think getting a vision basically means finding your place in this World, the role you are supposed to hold on the stage that is tevyat

[optinium]

The thing about Neuvillette reestablishing his kings throne in his constellation is funny to me because there was a bug fix to his c6 when 4.2 came out. Assuming his c6 is his kings throne and it being fixed on the update that established he got his authority back is a funny little coincidence to me