Genshin Impact’s Abyss Lore Explained

Summary

The Abyss Order in Genshin Impact is a mysterious group of cursed humans who wish to bring back Khaenri'ah, the old world.
The Abyss Prince/Princess rules over the Abyss, which includes the Abyssal creatures. They show little concern for the lives lost in their quest.
Characters like Skirk and Surtalogi have ties to the Abyss and Khaenri'ah, suggesting a connection between the Abyss and the old world.

Genshin Impact's Abyss Order lives in the Void Realm, the Abyss, and operates nearly silently in the shadows. Their expansive system works in mysterious ways not privy to the Traveler or players at this point. Only the basics are memorable for Genshin Impact players that don't absorb every lore piece; they used to be humans, now cursed by the gods, and they wish to bring back Khaenri'ah. The Abyss sibling supposedly sits at the head of it all, though being named 'Prince/Princess' does imply a King or Queen of the Abyss.

Many quests across Genshin Impact's massive world of Teyvat mention the Abyss and its wrongdoings. Some characters in these quests have even managed to be fan favorites, such as Abyss Herald Enjou that players ran into during the Genshin Impact Enkanomiya World Quest From Dusk to Dawn. The introduction to creatures such as Abyss Heralds and the strange Rift Hounds that have ties to the Abyss spur on curiosity and confusion.

Genshin Impact’s Abyss: What We Know

Abyssal Creatures

After the Requiem of Echoing Depths quest with Dainsleif in Genshin Impact's Chasm, players were given a startling realization: hilichurls, as well as many other common monsters, were once humans. They, like Dainsleif, were cursed after the fall of Khaenri'ah. However, unlike Dainsleif, they were not given eternal life, but rather, cursed to look like monsters with masks that hide their true faces.

Abyssal Royalty

The first time players saw the missing sibling, they revealed themselves to be the Abyss Prince/Princess. This news was tragic, naturally, as players had been encouraged to fight against Abyssal monsters all this time. And yet, it was their very own sibling who ruled over them. The Abyss Sibling didn't seem to mind too terribly, not speaking on it to the players, but in separate cutscenes, fans would see the sibling giving flowers known as Inteyvats to some common enemy Hilichurls that had crawled to their demise.

However, Dainsleif's concern about the pain those beings were going through seems to go over the Abyss Sibling's head. It was almost as if they didn't care if a few lives were lost in the fight to bring back the old world, Khaenri'ah. It had originally fallen due to the use of Khemia, and yet the sibling fights to bring this back as the true world. Given that the lore often implies Teyvat's fate cannot be changed, some fans wonder if this means that the revival of the old world is just inevitable.

Abyssal Residents

When players first heard of Genshin Impact's Skirk, it wasn't clear if she traveled to the Abyss or resided in it. However, after the recent Fontaine Archon Quest, she confirmed that she stays there and trains continuously. Not just here, but she spoke of someone referred to as "The Foul." Obviously, this ties back to the Foul Legacy form that she had taught Childe to take on when he fell into the Abyss at 14, then known as Ajax.

The name Skirk dropped for this "Foul" was Surtalogi. The community has already looked up this name to see where his connections would lie and many theorize he must have ties to Khaenri'ah, further solidifying a connection between the Abyss and the old world. If the sibling means to bring back the world, then these people who chase perfection in its depths are key players that must be directly under them. Gold, the famous alchemist, was also brought up in that same discussion, bringing ties between her and Khaenri'ah. Players should stay tuned to see what might come in future Genshin Impact regions.

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OpenCritic Reviews: Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 87%

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Released: September 28, 2020
ESRB: Teen / Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
Developer(s): HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
Publisher(s): HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
Engine: Unity
Multiplayer: Online Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play: All platforms