When Genshin Impact’s Version 2.2 came out, players were introduced to the western islands of Inazuma that were known for their deadly environments. Tsurumi Island was a part of this list, enshrouded in a mystery so deep that the Shogunate chose not to go near it.
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Travelers of Genshin Impact only received this commission to investigate the island from Sumida, a native of the main island who is looking for content to write her book. She asks the Traveler to retrieve an instrument known as the Maushiro from Tsurumi Island with the help of her assistant, Kama. It’s from here on out that players begin to unravel a lost story of a sorrowful bird and a sincere boy stuck in a never-ending time loop.
The Traveler, Ruu, And The Ritual
When Genshin Impact players first reach Tsurumi Island, they meet a little boy they come to know as Ruu. He takes players on a 4-day journey across the land in hopes of successfully completing the ceremony for the Great Thunderbird that the people of Tsurumi Island worship. Players find out that the ceremony is meant to thank the Thunderbird for keeping the civilization safe with the Sea of Fog. However, it is only on the second day of the quest that the Traveler begins to notice something is amiss.
After reconfirming with Sumida, they come to find out that the island is trapped in some sort of maddening time-loop after its destruction, and its inhabitants are forced to repeat the day of its demise. The civilians seen on Genshin Impact’s Tsurumi Island are not exactly ghosts, but ‘occurrences,’ according to Sumida, that are stuck replaying the same memory over and over again. Despite this, Traveler hopes to save Ruu from completing the sacrifice, even though they know he too might be an illusion of the past.
When the ritual is finally stopped, Ruu is all but happy, in pure anguish over the Traveler’s betrayal. It is here that Genshin Impact players find out that Ruu is the only one who is not considered to be an “occurrence” like the others on the island, but he is still trapped in this repeating memory like they are. He is aware he is trapped in this illusion of creating the perfect ceremony so that the Thunderbird does not decimate their entire civilization, but what he has failed to remember is the important promise he once made to his dear friend.
The name of the Great Thunderbird in Genshin Impact is revealed to be Kanna Kapatcir, and after seeking help from Kama (a descendant of the last survivor of Tsurumi Island who escaped before it’s destruction), the Traveler manages to break the time loop and help Ruu reunite with his friend. The following story tells the tale of the ancient civilization that ruled Tsurumi Island and their unfortunate hopes that were crushed by the weight of the skies.
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The Legend Of Tsurumi And The Thunder Manifestation
Over 3000 years ago, there lived an ancient civilization that built underground structures beneath Tsurumi Island. Similar to the ones seen in Sal Vindagnyr, this civilization will come to be known as the Pre-Thunderbird Civilization. It seems that the Pre-Thunderbird worshiped Celestia, but according to the Prayers for Wisdom artifact set, they coveted a divine power that was prohibited. The civilization “...questioned heaven’s authority...” And so Celestia decided to wipe them out of existence. It is here that Kapatcir of Genshin Impact witnessed “strange objects” falling from the sky and striking Tsurumi Island, creating the fog.
It is believed that these ‘strange objects’ are the Divine Nails that Celestia is known for casting down onto Teyvat whenever they are displeased with a civilization. The current Thunderbird Civilization are said to be the survivors of the Pre-Thunderbird civilization who left the underground and settled on the surface. It is here that they find the existence of Kapatcir, who was merely a powerful monster that migrated between Seirai Island and Tsurumi Island.
The people of Tsurumi believed her to be a powerful God that placed the dense fog around the island to protect them from the darkness outside. However, that was far from the truth, as Kapatcir couldn’t care less about those humans on the island. Unfortunately, the people misunderstood her flight patterns and would interpret any sign of her as a divine revelation. They began to fear and worship her, turning to offer blood sacrifices for protection and blessings. Kapatcir was unaware of the horrors that occurred in her name until she met Ruu of Genshin Impact.
One day, as Kapatcir was flying high above the skies, a pleasant song broke through the clouds and captivated her. She flew down near the shores of Tsurumi Island and found a young boy who introduced himself as Ruu. Since she was merely a monster with no name, the boy names her Kanna Kapatcir, after the Great Eagle of the Storm, and the two become fast friends. Kapatcir longs to hear Ruu’s voice, and so, after their short meeting, he promises to sing to her the next day. When she returns, she’s sadly confronted with the boy dead and his blood in the sacrificial cup (Omen of Thunderstorm Goblet artifact piece in Genshin Impact).
As Kapatcir was not aware of the island's rituals, upon seeing Ruu’s lifeless body, she flew into a fit of rage. She only saw this act as the murder of an innocent child and the breaking of a promise. As an act of revenge, she blew up the entire mountain and rained lightning down on the entire island. Even though Ruu believed that his sacrifice was an honor bestowed upon special members of the tribe, Kapatcir could not forget their promise. So, after killing the entire civilization, she placed a curse on the island that could only be broken if she were to hear Ruu’s song once again.
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Kapatcir’s Death During The Archon War
Kapatcir is eventually slain by the Raiden Shogun sometime during the Archon War, and her lingering rage/regret resulted in the Thunder Manifestation that Genshin Impact players see at the top of Seirai Island. Once the time-loop breaks, the Traveler takes Ruu to Seirai Island in order for him to fulfill his promise to his dear friend. They bring Kapatcir home in the form of a feather, and Ruu bids farewell to the Traveler. The ending is bittersweet, and two friends, who have longed to see each other, are once again reunited and at peace. The misunderstandings are clear, and they hope to see the world in a new light, instead of the chaos that once ensued.
Genshin Impact
- Released
- September 28, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- 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
- Cross Save
- All platforms
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, iOS, Android
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action, Adventure, Gacha, Open-World
- X|S Optimized
- yes
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
