Baal and Scaramouche: Could They Actually Be Related?
Okaayyyy I am BACK on my theories so buckle up my dudes I’ll fill you in
Looking back on both Zhongli and Venti’s constellation names, (Lapis Dei and Carmen Dei, respectively) we see a pattern with the “____ dei” and we all assumed that Baal would follow this
However, we were wrong, as hers actually turned out to be “Imperatrix Umbrosa”, which translates to Empress of the Shadows
Perhaps the “____ dei” naming system was only reserved for the original 7— the first archons. However, Baal’s constellation name may be a clue for us to find out who she really is, and her motives for implementing the vision hunt decree, as well as her search for answers about eternity
So first, we’ll start off with this tweet:
From this tweet, as well as the fact that Inazuma bases heavily off of Japan, makes the translation of her constellation as her being a shadow empress all the more significant
This means that if Baal were one of the two swords, she was the “better kageuchi”— the better ‘sword’ of the two electro deities created in or by celestia
Which means that out there, is her counterpart
Left unsigned or, in other words, left untouched by fate or the gods— simply roaming as they please
And although it had started as a joke, who was the first person everyone had connected to Baal once we saw her character design? The person people liked joking about as her sibling? The person who looked exactly like her, had she been male?
Or at the very least, one who was likely connected to her?
Our beloved 6th Fatui Harbinger, the Balladeer; Scaramouche.
Now, if anyone was even a bit familiar with the artifact sets’ lore, we’d all agree that the pale flame set likely talked about the harbingers themselves
In this, one of the most popular assumption was that the lore for the Surpassing Cup was Scaramouche’s
And as we do, let’s all break it down
“He was a transcendent being, divinely created, but he was cast aside like worthless dross.”
It could be referring to him being the second sword— the lesser kageuchi— cast aside once they realised that Baal was the better ‘sword’ of the two
He, like Baal, was created to fill in the empty seat of the electro archon. However, it seemed that only Baal qualified for it, and so she was awoken, and took her place as an official archon
He must’ve been asleep, yet somehow he managed to awake from it. Whether it be because of a fault on Celestia’s side or because of something else, we don’t know
Scaramouche was probably not supposed to awake from his slumber, but against all odds, he did. It shows that he was, in fact, strong— and we see this thing happen again during the unreconciled stars event, when he consciously pulls himself out of the dream state, which we only know to be a basically impossible feat, yet he did so with little to no problem
He calls himself a vagrant from Inazuma, a fellow wanderer, but even before joining the Fatui, he had been wandering.
But why? The Sakoku Decree hadn’t been implemented by then— Inazuma was still open and well
Why did he leave Inazuma?
Although we have no sure timeline as to how long he had spent his time wandering, was it truly such a coincidence that the Vision Hunt Decree was implemented once he was gone? What truly was Baal’s purpose for such a thing?
Why does she search so much for the key to eternity, when the element she represents is anything but eternal?
Yae mentions in a quest that she had a friend who had lost themselves
Could that person have been Baal? Did she also descend into a unique state of madness, because her sword shadow, the other kageuchi, had left? Had turned his back on her?
“I am a ‘human’ who surpasses all others.”
Though it could’ve been talking about his vision, why does he say ‘all others’? And why put quotes on the word ‘human’?
Is he truly human? Or is he also a being of Celestia?
"Even the gods daren't meddle in my fate."
"Neither mortal nor god, nor fate itself, is qualified to be my judge."
Why is he so sure of this? Why does he say so confidently, that even gods wouldn’t play him like a pawn in whatever scheme they would plan?
It’s simple: it’s because he’s the lesser kageuchi— the sword that was “kept” by the maker and left unsigned; unused
Scaramouche knows that he is of no use to them— that they don’t see why they would bother meddling in the life he chooses to live
“I am free to choose how I wish to spend the remainder of my days.”
A sword that had been shunned and ignored by its creator has decided to carve his own path, to make his own mark
"Since these mask-wearing people are so fun to be around..."
"I think I'll become one of them."
And he decides to side with the Fatui
dededos
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