The History of the Outlander Twins (Genshin Impact v3.2 Lore, Theory, & Speculation)

SPOILERS for the Archon Quest, Chapter III, Act V: “Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises," as well as the "Aranyaka" World Quest.

Here I do a basic breakdown of the timeline of the twin's arrival in Teyvat, the cataclysm, the destruction of Khaenri'ah, the appearance of the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, and the twins' journeys to understand the truth of this world. I attempt (but mostly fail) to answer the burning question we all have: why is our sibling not a Descender, and why are they being recorded by Irminsul? Warning: lots of tinfoil hat theories!

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[ece-pous]

At the end of the Inazuma archon quest Yae Miko asked about the travelers ambition. The traveler said that they wanted to find their sibling. Yae miko said that this was merely a temporary goal and not an ambition. This dialogue always stuck with me. I think the reason why the abyss sibling is recorded in Iriminsul is that they have an ambition and we do not. We know that people who have ambitions are tracked by visions and visions are given to them in moment of need. I think the reason why the sibling suddenly appeared inthe records in Khanriah is because that was the moment they gained an ambition. I dont know if they have a vision or not but that is the primary difference between the siblings.

[mariapazgonzalezlesme]

I wouldn't be a surprise if Istaroth is the one pulling the strings. I always found strange why it took so long for Traveller sibling to wake up, and the Abyss sibling woke up earlier. Meaning that she is playing the long game, and found the Traveller as wild card to defeat the current Celestia, and free Teyvat from it's ciclycal loop.

Another suspicious subject is Dainsleif, he is the Boughkeeper. He have a connection with the Irminsul, who is to say, that he can control memories of the Ley Lines? Despite his great knowledge around people and places, he is still an unrealible narrator.

However, this also make us question the Traveller's memories, which they were messed up after being sealed for more than 500 years of darkness and nightmares.

[Pixieebub]

The timeline makes a lot of sense! Hoyo has scattered clues everywhere and it's so hard to be sure of everything :')

[prophetkat]

It bothers me to no end that they don't say why enkenomiya thinks the primordial one won. Why would the primordial one block them from coming back? Its just so weird

[akramgenshingaming]

Traveler didn't wake up 2 months before the game story starts. It was meeting paimon 2 months before the story. But we still donno when he woke up, what happened to him during all this time whether asleep or awake. And why didn't he meet or interact with anyone at that time.

[kgptzac]

I always interpreted the opening cinematic as it happens during the Archon War where the fire and destruction took place. Abyss sibling woke up first around the time Khaenri'ah was destroyed, and much later, the protagonist woke up. Unless there are specific evidence that the cinematic must be describing Khaenri'ah that I don't know, it's a smoother theory and doesn't conflict with Dain's travel with the abyss sibling.

[phatbeatz]

omg we have the same theory!! about the abyss sibling! yeah it would make sense since the Art of Khemia is creating synthetic life. My headcanon is Lumine died during the destruction in Khaenri'ah and she got reborn? or her soul? gets transferred into a synthetic body of herself and retain her memories on it this would in turn made her existence be recorded into Irminsul!

[windeen]

One thing is:
Arama calls the planet that Teyvat is located on:
"This Earth" at the end of the main Aranyaka quest.
I've asked numerous theory crafters and lore people on YT- they don't think much of it.

But its REALLY been bothering me.

My reasoning:
Why call it "this Earth" and not "this planet", "this world" or "this realm".
Also, it was not said in a way that made me think they were talking about "soil" as Earth.
It was capitalized.

How does an Aranara like Arama (who had just touched a VAST amount of memories to help create a new tree that could produce a Bija) know the term "Earth" in the first place...?

Never mind why it is in Arama's vocabulary, but- why does that word even exist in this world at all.... Aside from the explination of:
"It's Alice's fault"- I can't think of anything I know of that could be the answer- other than it IS a version of Earth.
If it isn't, then how the hel! does this world even KNOW the word "Earth"?

It's REALLY been bothering me.
It COULD be a massive clue.

I say "could" like that because:
I play with the English dub on.
I imagine that they USUALLY need to get confirmation about the translation from China.
So:
I THINK it can be trusted.

But, I don't know if the Chinese or Japanese dubs use the term "Earth" or if it was the English team taking liberties with translation -
Which is not LIKELY given how careful HoYoVerse seems to be about crafting the story.
But, it's also NOT UNLIKELY that they could have taken those liberties.

[creatifproduction]

a roozevelt video drop always makes my day brighter <3

[joeystable]

WAIT
what if..

>the rooster guy is close with Tartaglia’s family
>Tartaglia gets sick/exhausted in battle easily, doesnt really know why?
>plot wise Tartaglia would probably need a good reason to turn against the harbingers, including rooster.
>or the rooster isnt a good guy, so its suspicious he’s so nice with c a n d y

[Horne_Baka]

The earth all along theory makes sense seeing as the traveller NEVER talks about any of the other worlds he/she visited... And is naive despite being a hardened astronaut

[Horne_Baka]

Maybe the abyss twin is recorded in Irminsul cuz the abyss twin used [teyvatian knowledge] called art of khemia to fashion a puppet body for himself/herself.

[Horne_Baka]

Did anyone find Zhongli's impromptu speech just after the dinner party hosted by Hu Tao sus?

The trend is that Zhongli's epilogue speeches are always foreshadowing something.
Like how he gave a speech about traveller being a recording device. At the time we thought little of it but after sumeru archon quests, we now know it's because he /she is a descender and cannot forget.

This time he said something along the lines of "different people have different POV of the truth. Don't dwell on it"

I'm guessing something in Fontaine will be revealed that is the truth but different characters view the truth differently.

Or it will be revealed that Morax assassinated Guizhong and the truth is different for Morax and different for the people who find out

[vans]

Hoyo playing fast and loose with the timeline is so annoying sometimes lol. And also not knowing concretely any rules in the worldbuilding doesn't help. 'Heavenly Principles' what're those exactly, Irminsul holds knowledge and memories, but how, who or what can edit it, who knows. Hell we still don't even know how Visions work. Hazy, hazy wordbuilding.

[Owudukan]

I think the catavlysem might have taken multiple years

[justadragonnamemarcus]

So what's the actual truth of tevyt?
I wonder what we will know after hydro archon

[arcaean]

Okay take this. What if it’s like Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles. What if the Abyss sibling is a clone and the real one is stuck in a pod somewhere and the Traveller’s memory was fabricated to the existence of them having come to Teyvat with the sibling. What if the original abyss sibling arrived in teyvat first, got trapped, cloned and the clone got dispatched to the traveller they came here together and started this whole cycle of journey. Crack I know but seemed very anime like for Hoyo to do.

[Horne_Baka]

People keep making all sorts of wonky theories when the greatest mystery was thrown around just like that.
1. The traveller(player character) woke up 2 MONTHS before game start. What was he/she doing in all that time?
2. Where did the traveller wake up exactly? If we go back to that place we will get a lot of answers

[trickthemisfit]

It could be... that Dain is the reason why the Abyss twin got recorded by Irminsul? This is a wild theory, but I can point out why Dain was never mention in the Aranara quest... he is an adult and not a dreamer. 😅

[Orion_TheyThem]

Well, after the Caribert quest, we do know that Dain was with the Abyss Sibling after the cataclysm. And the Abyss Sibling left Dains company around then.