Genshin Impact & HSR Rambles

— Come talk to me about anything Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail related! — — ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whentwostarscollide —

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

thoughts on planarcadia?

Very neutral at the moment, Hoyoverse hasn’t teased enough information for me to feel strongly about it. Like many other people, I’m a little disappointed at the loss of a Japan-themed planet, but they might recycle the concept for a later time when politics change. But most of their teaser images are pretty average to me so far.

This image does look cool though, I’ll give them that. Typically Aha is depicted with a human body behind the masks. But in this image, THEY’re not. Instead, a variety of characters familiar and unfamiliar all are depicted. This is aligns with the idea of characters competing to become an Aeon for a short amount of time that seems to be the premise of Planarcadia, depicting them as the person behind the masks instead of Aha THEMSELF. An interesting concept that could be quite entertaining, but aside from that nothing has really stood out for me. I’ll still be looking forward to learning more though!

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

who do you predict will run in 3.8? based on leaks that 4.0 will be delayed for 3-8 weeks, do you think it’s possible there could be 3 rerun phases instead of 2?

Rerun speculations are often very inaccurate, but I’m happy to give my two cents purely for fun. All we know so far is that The Dahlia will mostly likely run for the entirety of 3.8, similar to Cyrene. It is possible, albeit unlikely in my opinion, that she may only run for one phase though. Of course this naturally begs the question of who will rerun concurrently? As of this post, it hasn’t been confirmed but we can speculate.

In the cover of the 3.8 Special Program, we see The Dahlia along with Robin and Firefly. This seems to suggest they may have some plot relevance in 3.8, but could also hint at a rerun. Characters tend to run at their most relevant, after all. That being said, both Robin and Firefly have already had three runs (original run + 2 reruns). Very few characters have reached four runs so far, only Kafka and Silver Wolf to my knowledge. Still, it isn’t impossible. Firefly seems to be a strong contender due to her nature as a Break unit, which seems to be compatible with The Dahlia.

If we follow the pattern of Break units, then characters such as Rappa, Fugue, and Boothill could potentially rerun. All three haven’t rerun in a decent amount of time and can be Break-oriented. I think it is also possible that Black Swan could rerun. Although not Break-oriented, she is a character highly relevant to Penacony that has not had a banner since before Rappa’s release. It’s safe to say we can probably expect the remaining Chrysos Heirs who have not already reran to appear in early 4.X if banner patterns continue, Hysilens being among them. If Hysilens is to potentially rerun soon, it would make sense to see Black Swan rerun near her as a DoT support (similarly to how Sunday has ran before or concurrently with Phainon). That’s my guess, at least.

As for the leaks of 4.X’s delay, I do believe they would include an extra rerun phase if the delay ends out to be closer to the 8 week mark. It has occurred before and simply would not make sense to have two phases last that long, let alone The Dahlia’s banner. This would make it possible for all the characters I’ve mentioned to rerun in the same patch update, and appears to be the most logical solution to a large delay: more characters available = more happy players despite delays. Though some extra jades wouldn’t hurt as compensation…

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

have you tried the hsr sorter? it’s here on tumblr, basically it makes you pick between two characters multiple times then ranks all of the characters based on your answers? if not, you should! perhaps do it a couple of times with different prompts (who you like more, who you think is stronger, etc)? thank you!

Sorry I didn’t answer this one for a while, but I actually haven’t tried it! Despite being lore player, I am so incredibly horrible at powerscaling that I simply do not think I could accurately fulfill your request to do it more than once. But I will still rank the playable characters! They are as follows, according to the sorter:

Aside from a couple tweaks I’d say this about right, honestly. I don’t have a least favourite character, but many of the lower ranked characters are just characters I don’t feel any intrigue toward. They don’t really interest me conceptually, simply put. To be honest, I didn’t expect Bailu to rank so high but the little purple gremlin has grown on me I guess.

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

Kind of a silly question. But is Phainon still a destruction pathstrider? I've seen a lot of people being sad because to them it seemed like hoyo forgot about his ties to the destruction / the implication that he would be a lord ravager in the future but for me it seems like they will tackle all of that in the future

That’s not a silly question at all! As far as I’m aware, there is no definitive answer given in-game as to whether Phainon remains a pathstrider of Destruction. It is entirely possible he retains this status, and also entirely possible that he does not. After the battle of Irontomb, there seem to be two plausible outcomes for him. They are as follows:

Phainon loses his status as a destruction pathstrider - After the battle of Irontomb, Phainon remarks that we destroyed the destruction with destruction, or something along those lines. This seems to be in references to Irontomb, but in the beginning of the fight Irontomb was located within Phainon’s chest. Irontomb’s destruction fed off of Phainon as a fellow pathstrider. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to believe his own destructive power was destroyed along with Irontomb, since the two were connected. Additionally, the golden blood of Nanook was removed from Amphoreus by the Xianzhou Luofu. Alongside the great many coreflames, this blood was one of Phainon’s sources of destructive power and symbolic of Nanook’s gaze on Amphoreus. The removal of the golden blood combined with Irontomb’s annihilation could have affected Phainon’s abilities, but again this is purely speculative. We have no definitive proof.

Phainon is still a pathstrider of the destruction - There is no definitive proof that he isn’t, so it’s entirely plausible Phainon simply retained his power. The destruction of Amphoreus’ destruction does not necessarily equate to Phainon ceasing to stride the path of Destruction. After all, we know that’s not how pathstriding works. Once an Aeon has gazed upon an individual, in this case Phainon, the power they receive can only be revoked by said Aeon. There was no indication that Nanook retracted THEIR gaze upon Amphoreus, and by extent THEIR fuelling of Phainon’s power. Some people argue the case that since Phainon no longer appears in his Khaslana form after the battle, he must’ve lost the ability to do so. Or rather, the coreflames within him that fuelled his second form must’ve been extinguished. This is possible, but it is also possible Phainon can freely switch between the two forms. We know this to be true for the Flame Reaver, as in his flashbacks he takes the forms of both Phainon and Khaslana interchangeably. It stands to reason that the final version of Phainon we witness can do the same. In fact, it would be in character for him to do so. After the battle with Irontomb, all the Heirs return to their families and friends. Phainon’s parents and friends from Aedes Elysiae would not recognise his Khaslana form, which can easily explain the change. It could also be argued that he is simply most comfortable in his original form around others (considering he typically only uses the Khaslana form for combat against his fellow Heirs), or that his code resets him back to his original form when the final cycle ends. Regardless of the reasoning, it does not necessarily indicate his status as a pathstrider.

So there we have our two options. Personally, I am more inclined to believe the second option. If we look at the bigger picture and consider the overall narrative direction of Honkai Star Rail, it seems inevitable that we will one day fight against Nanook THEMSELF. THEY are the big bad of the game, so to speak. If we assume that we are going to fight Nanook eventually, we’ll need to recruit some powerful allies. Why wouldn’t we recruit the only known person that has actually hurt Nanook to fight THEM? Phainon proved that it is possible to hurt the Aeons, and it would be a very peculiar narrative choice if they did not so much as mention him when the time of fighting the Destruction inevitably comes to pass. His larger narrative purpose has not been fully served yet, so I too hold out hope that we will see him in his Khaslana form again. His links to the Lord Ravagers cannot be ignored.

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

What are your thoughts on 3.7 and cyrene's development?? :0

It was a unique plot direction, I’ll give them that. Having the Cyrene Phainon knew and the Cyrene the Trailblazer/we know be different iterations of the same entity was a smart decision to explain the vastly contrasting designs. The design of Demiurge Cyrene was what Philia093 Cyrene could’ve become, but sadly never got to. I liked that they got to interact with each other, and it certainly made me feel more sentimental toward Cyrene regardless of the subtle shift in personality. Demiurge and Philia093 were established with distinct differences, but ultimately came together as one. It was a thoughtful decision, albeit one I didn’t quite anticipate. Her arc truly displayed the power of humanity, and for that I enjoyed it.

A slight critique would be the whole marriage aspect of her design not really translating into the plot. At no point does Cyrene really ‘marry’ humanity, even in the metaphorical sense. To me, her story was driven by platonic love more so than romantic. It was finding the beauty in all life and its diverse, incomprehensible reasons for moving forward. The marriage imagery did not feel necessary for me. Also, I do think it would’ve been more impactful for both the plot and Cyrene’s development as a whole if she actually got to interact with Phainon more beyond their childhood memories. I know Phainon was sealed away until the final battle, but as the Demiurge they surely could’ve written a way for them to communicate. The powers of love, hate and lament are intertwined, and utilising one of Amphorues’ many detailed philosophical monologue moments for these two could’ve emphasised the overarching themes of choosing love in a world of hate, returning to yesterday for the hope of tomorrow. Aside from these small critiques her story was good. A soulful, albeit tragic tale like none that has come before.

I can appreciate the emotional, nuanced plot too. The overarching theme of love in all forms, despite an environment that inherently fights against it, is truly heartwarming. That must be the heartwarming aspects they spoke of, because the rest of it quite frankly isn’t. Beautifully tragic, yes. But not heartwarming. There is no happy ending. It’s bittersweet at best. Sure, the Chrysos Heirs and all the loveable NPCs of Amphoreus aren’t permanently gone. We will likely see them again, be it part of the main plot or a random event. But it cannot be denied that for all their struggles, they ultimately deserved better. I believe it was a fitting end, as much like Belobog it demonstrates the realistic nature of recovery. The Astral Express aren’t heroes, they can’t just appear and magically make everything better. Healing takes time, and that I understand. The ending is well-written, even if I wished for a happier one.

I don’t quite have an in-depth analysis of the 3.7 plot beyond this yet, I’m still sort of processing it. But ultimately, I did enjoy the tale of Amphoreus. For all its flaws, it truly is a beautiful tale with soulful characters. The same can be said about Cyrene, despite some of the smaller issues I have with her design and plot shift. She is a soulful character that deserved a happy ending with all the other heirs. I don’t know how the next planet will follow such a powerful act, but many people said the same thing about Penacony. We’ll have to wait and see.

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

3.7 SPOILERS!!!!

I’m so confused 😭 are the amphoreus cast dead or not it’s so vague

I believe the answer was left to be deliberately vague as an open-ended conclusion to the story of Amphoreus. But rest assured, our beloved Chrysos Heirs are not dead. Rather, they have not been organically born yet.

Amphoreus became a reality, a true planet beyond the simulation. That was caused by the Trailblaze’s miracle, so to speak. But the people within the simulation have yet to become realised. Their memories are stored within the physical copy of As I’ve Written, like a data upload to an external hard drive, waiting for another miracle to bring them to life. They are dormant, but not dead. The spread of the As I’ve Written throughout the cosmos aids the realisation of the Chrysos Heirs. There is a side quest that you can complete after the 3.7 main story where this happens, and Herta explains the situation well.

Alongside our efforts, our two genius companions are also working to return Amphoreus’s glory. They salvaged part of the data and have confirmed that Amphoreus will become a full reality one day, but today is not that day. much like Belobog, we simply have to let the planet recover on its own. We’ve done as much as we can, and now the rest is up to Amphoreus. It’s also worth noting that Cyrene isn’t dead either, Herta states she’s in a state similar to sleeping but I forgot to screenshot it. It’s quite likely we will see Amphoreus again, even as a cameo, in later patches.

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

What do you think about the idea that Phainon's character was not well established/interesting before 3.4? I've seen people bring this up in defense of the whole cyrene thing and i don't think i quite agree. Specially because i think both of them did had a lot of stablished characterization before their respective patches (even though cyrene's isn't out yet).

I personally disagree with the idea that both Phainon and Cyrene were not well-established before their playable release. These characters have been so integral to the lore from the very beginning, and there hasn’t been even a single patch where they weren’t relevant to the plot through a direct appearance or the consequences of their actions.

I can see how some people may feel Cyrene wasn’t well-established, at least in the earlier patches when we really only saw her through the character of Mem. Because Mem was such a consistent, positive animal-type character as opposed to a humanoid character, her characterisation leading up to Cyrene’s first official humanoid appearance had the issue of being easily overlooked. A general consensus I’ve seen among the fandom is that Mem was just there. They didn’t really care much about her at all, so the traits that established the essence of Cyrene’s character often went unnoticed. However, I disagree with the notion that her characterisation wasn’t established. It was, and anyone who paid attention to Mem’s subplot could reasonably acknowledge as much.

Claiming Phainon wasn’t well-established to defend Cyrene really doesn’t make sense to me. Like at all. Amphoreus started off slow, true, and this could’ve led to such a conclusion maybe. But it only had a slow start because Amphoreus has such a long story to tell and it needs a moment to establish the characters and setting. This was in no way indicative of Phainon’s character. You could really claim any of the Chrysos Heirs were all that interesting in the early days of Amphoreus, because we literally only just met them. Maybe Aglaea and Castorice, but that’s pretty much it. I’m saying that as someone who is quite attached to the Chrysos Heirs as characters, by the way. That’s just the way it was meant to be.

Beyond 3.0 however is where my understanding of this claim lessens. Even in 3.1, Phainon’s characterisation had depth. He was well-established as a seemingly charming and easygoing person masking an ungodly amount of wrath and self-loathing. That was an interesting spin on the cheerful hero persona we were led to believe, and you cannot deny it. Phainon had intrigue, a tragic backstory that literally defined the entire plot of Amphoreus long before we knew the extent of it. If you removed his characterisation, Amphoreus as a story would not function. He had to be well-established for the plot to play out the way it did, or else Amphoreus as a whole would be boring. Beyond merely worldbearing, he also bears the responsibility of powering the plot forward. Both Phainon and Cyrene do. Perhaps some people overlooked this because Phainon and Cyrene hadn’t had their moment in the spotlight yet, playing a somewhat secondary role to the Chrysos Heirs that were becoming playable at the time.

Ultimately, I agree with you. Both Phainon and Cyrene were well-established as characters before their release and deeply integrated into the plot. If people simply weren’t interested in either of them before 3.5, that’s completely okay! People are entitled to their own opinions, but that’s no reason to deny the profound writing of the characters. They were well-handled.

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

how can you be complaining about cyrene when hysilens is right there 💀

waifu bait will forever be part of the game, move on bro

As mildly passive aggressive as this ask is, I do agree with you. Cyrene and Hysilens do share the issue of revolving around the Trailblazer, at least to some degree. If we’re really deciding to play the comparison game here, you can make the same argument about many of the female characters in Honkai: Star Rail. Hoyoverse writes majority of their female characters differently to their male characters and it shows. They’re trying to appeal to the “waifu” enjoying side of their playerbase. That is their chosen target audience, and all those that find an issue with it clearly are not part of this target demographic. I am one of those people.

I won’t discuss Cyrene too much again as I assume you’ve read the original post, and all those who haven’t can easily find it on my blog’s masterlist. However, I would like to talk about Hysilens since you’ve brought her up. You’re right, Hysilens was largely written around the Trailblazer. Her teasers held very little lore related to her character, simply revolving around a bunch of silly shenanigans with Stelle. I agree that it was an issue, but not to the same extent as Cyrene. Hysilens, though reliant on the Trailblazer throughout the story, stills displays traits and relationships independent of the Trailblazer’s influence. She has a close connection with Cerydra and Aglaea, and we see the impact she has on others like Tribbie and Cipher even in her absence. Her struggles with finding a purpose in life and assigning meaning to violence are entirely independent of the Trailblazer’s influence. The new characterisation of Cyrene is not. To state it simply, Hysilens is influenced by the Trailblazer but retains her own individuality, whereas Cyrene appears to be losing her individuality in favour of being influenced by the Trailblazer.

To be clear, characters having arcs in which the Trailblazer plays a significant role isn’t a bad thing. Characters like the express crew, Acheron and Phainon all manage to revolve be heavily involved with the Trailblazer while still retaining an intriguing and engaging story. The Trailblazer is the main character of the game, their increased relevance to other characters is practically a given. It’s actually good writing to have the Trailblazer be heavily involved, and I really think it’s only an issue when the characters lose their personality or autonomy over it. I think in the time of Penacony, Firefly was the closest we got to this. But even then, Firefly still retained intriguing lore and teasers that demonstrated her character outside of the Trailblazer. A struggle with autonomy was the primary focus of her arc, so to an extent I could excuse it. Even if I didn’t particularly enjoy the direction Hoyoverse wanted to take with her, it made sense for her character. Hysilens’ attachment to the Trailblazer in an attempt to assign some purpose to her life made sense for her character. Cyrene’s behaviour in her teasers does not make sense for her character.

It really has only come to my attention, and perhaps the attention of other too, because of how Amphoreus is written. We as an audience know that Hoyoverse has the capacity to write characters in a thoughtful and complex manner entirely independent of the Trailblazer. Up until about 3.5, the Trailblazer was almost entirely irrelevant to the Amphoreus plot line. Characters such as Aglaea, Mydei, and Anaxa possess arcs that scarcely even include the Trailblazer. In part, I do believe this is why Aglaea had such a controversial reception in the fandom. We have been conditioned from previous story quests to see view the Trailblazer as the driving force of the plot, with female characters frequently assisting them along the way. To see a powerful female character such as Aglaea not need or even want the Trailblazer’s presence contrasted what the audience was led to desire.

But as Amphoreus’ writing progressed, the audience adjusted to the storyline that had grown independent from the main character. We witnessed firsthand Hoyoverse’s capacity to write a skilful, multifaceted narrative with thoughtful, independent characters. These issues I’ve discussed have only really become prominent when Hoyoverse has begun to return relevancy to the Trailblazer through their role as the Deliverer. The shift in narrative tone highlights the underlying issue that Hoyoverse consistently returns to: women are portrayed as plot devices to either advance the story of a man and/or appeal to the audience. That’s it. There are exceptions, of course, but that’s the true core of the issue. It isn’t Hysilens or Cyrene, it’s Hoyoverse themselves. Do with that what you will.

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

thoughts on cyrene?

As a character in-game, I have enjoyed her contribution so far. She’s a fun, cute yet tragic character integral to the lore, not all that dissimilar form Phainon but still distinctly her own person. But unfortunately, I do agree with the discourse in regard to her playable character. It leaves a lot to be desired.

To clarify, I don’t think Cyrene’s playable model is poorly designed. No, it’s a nice design that seems to be well thought out, taking inspiration from the likes of HI3’s Elysia while also forming a new design. The model is nice, aesthetic even, but it isn’t Cyrene. Or at least, it doesn’t feel like it. There’s a jarring disconnect between the Cyrene we’ve seen so far VS the Cyrene Hoyoverse is trying to sell to us, and I think that’s where the core problem lies.

For reference, here are the two models side by side. It can’t be denied that they do look plausibly related. If you told someone who doesn’t play HSR that these are the same character, they’d probably believe you. But for those who are familiar with Cyrene’s NPC form, with her storyteller and time-related themes, it stops being believable. They share similar hair and colour schemes, and yet Cyrene’s new model shares none of the themes that have been previously integral to her character. Instead, she seems to be a combination of March 7th and Elysia, yet retains neither of the features that make those two characters likeable or interesting.

Perhaps this would be fine if it could be reasonably explained. If Cyrene’s first form were simply a younger version of her, perhaps the audience could believe that her fashion sense and other aspects of her life have simply changed. But at no point are we led to believe that smaller Cyrene is some younger past version. In fact, it is greatly implied that her original form is that of an adult, considering we see her live past her youth in the reset cycle with the same model. They are the exact same age, same character, and yet so fundamentally different. Even with their faces side by side pulling a very similar expression, it doesn’t feel like the same character to me.

I wont even go in-depth her kit either, because it’s been spoken about to death. My opinion on the matter is that it isn’t great, but it isn’t as bad as some people make it out to be. But overall, Cyrene isn’t a successful character to market. In fact, it almost seems like Hoyoverse knows that their audience will be dissatisfied. They’re releasing a skin for her weapon to encourage players to actually pull for her, also allowing them to earn more money from the fewer people who will pull for her. Not to mention her banner is set to run for the whole update as opposed to the usual first or second phase, leaving people longer to decide to pull for her after theyve pulled the other more desirable characters. Hoyoverse knows they’re marketing an unmarketable product, but they’re attempting to gloss over it with aesthetics to meet their desired quota of income per banner.

But moving on from her design. I can’t speak for the other members of the community that are disappointed with playable Cyrene, but at least to me it isn’t solely about her design. I could easily overlook its flaws if it were still the same Cyrene we’ve come to know and love. But it isn’t, and therein lies the other issue I have: Cyrene’s writing has taken a shift. As of this post, version 3.7 isn’t available yet. So I can’t speak for how the Trailblaze missions will actually characterise Cyrene, but there seems to be a stark difference in the teasers she’s featured in since her playable model’s drip marketing. In-game, Cyrene has been an upbeat, optimistic girl bordering on gullible with her intense desire to protect humanity- Including Phainon, by the way. Especially Phainon- Yet we see none of this in her teasers.

In the teasers, Cyrene is still positive. But now her personality seems to revolve around the Trailblazer. They have become close in the storyline, true. Both Phainon and Cyrene have waited for cycles upon cycles for the Astral Express’ arrival, so it’s natural they’d be close with the Trailblazer, but their characterisation of this is very different. Phainon bonded with the Trailblazer, but his motivation ultimately remains to be saving all of the Chrysos Heirs. It’s worth noting that he seemed to bond with Dan Heng too as part of the Astral Express crew, at least enough to emerge from his self-imposed seal to assist his journey. Cyrene, however, has been portrayed in her teasers as caring solely for the Trailblazer. Her close bond with Phainon, her childhood friend and motivation for delaying Era Nova, doesn’t even make a notable feature. Hell, none of the other Chrysos Heirs do. They appear briefly in one of her teasers, but are characterised as an aspect of a story she’s telling as opposed to people she has grown to care for through cycles of longing observation. The characters that are so integral to her essence as a person are reduced to almost nothing in favour of a romantic story, a one-off line that shouldn’t really be as important to her character as they’ve decided to make it.

And on top of all of this, she apparently seems to harbours some sort of desire to join the Astral Express crew? Since when? The way they’ve portrayed Cyrene in the short amount of time in her teasers makes her appear shallow, at least in my opinion. They’ve erased her interesting traits and motivations, her grim determination to remain hopeful despite her circumstances, in favour of acting out of love for the Trailblazer.

Of course, I remain hopeful that this is merely a misinterpretation on my part of her teasers. The upcoming in-game Cyrene could be vastly different to how I’ve perceived her, and I truly hope she is. If Hoyoverse manages to believably write her into Amphoreus’ grand ending, then I will happily withdraw my sentiments and forever keep my peace. But much like Cyrene’s wait for a new dawn, only time will tell.

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

who are some characters you wish would meet or interact more in star rail?

That’s an interesting question! In terms of interacting more, I think seeing the Jarilo-VI cast interacting with just about anyone would be nice. With each new update, I feel like they get more and more irrelevant to the plot (except for Sampo). We did get the Wardance event, but to me it felt very Luka-central. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, the event was about Luka and Yanqing so of course it was going to focus on them a lot. But it would’ve been nice to see more of Lynx and the others during their visit too, perhaps in a side quest?

As for specific characters meeting each other, I would definitely have to say Aventurine and Anaxagoras. Once the Amphoreus saga ends, presumably happily with the cast becoming more than just code (because that is what the story has been building up to with the events surrounding Phainon, Anaxa, Cerydra and Cyrene, surely they wouldn’t pass up the opportunity for their “heartwarming story”?), I think it’d be really interesting to see them interact.

Anaxa and Aventurine are fundamentally similar, after all. Both of them watched their family die, their older sister die, and felt powerless against it. They are (one of) the sole survivors of a devastating attack on their respective groups, and they are both willing to wager their lives to support a believe very few people believe in. Likewise, they both have an inherent need to be in control at any given moment. However, their responses to these events are also vastly different. Anaxa is a man stuck in the past, with his childish interests and standoffish nature being born from a trauma he can’t escape from. In stark contrast, Aventurine strives forward into the future, building himself a comfortable life and stealing back the power from his oppressors in the only way he can. They are similar but also different and I think that would build a very multifaceted interaction.

In general, I do think seeing the Amphoreus cast interact with anyone beyond the sky would be interesting! Be it Cyrene or Phainon with Acheron, Aglaea with Bronya, the Tribios triplets with Sunday, Cipher with Sparkle or Sampo, or Welt with Mydei — all of these combinations are just a few that could be rather entertaining.

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

think it’s been over a year or smth itd be interesting to do the top 3 fav chara per element chart again just curious

I almost forgot about that! It definitely must’ve been over a year by now, so why not do it again? For reference, here is the template:

Here are my completed versions! The first one is the original version I completed a year ago, while the second image is the version I have completed just now:

I’ve been enjoying Amphoreus’ cast a lot so most of the first chart has been overhauled by them. Interestingly, my preferences on fire and lightning characters is still very similar. Also yes, I do enjoy pink-haired women. No comment.

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

I would love skins for the Trailblazer in "what if they were a part of another faction" what-ifs. What faction would you like to see an outfit for?

Wow, it’s been a long time since I was last active on tumblr. This ask was sent December last year!

But to answer the question, I think a Genius Society Trailblazer would be nice. They aren’t nearly smart enough to join the Genius Society (sorry Trailblazers) but I think it’d be cool. But just in general I think a different outfit for different planets would’ve been nice. They could’ve just changed the outfits when the Trailblazer switches paths, like March 7th’s very distinct outfits.

Unfortunately, I don’t think Star Rail will ever have MC skins outside of path changes but we can hope. There are a lot of characters I’d like to see with skins though.

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

do you think the gems they’re named after can spoil stuff about the stone hearts?

I wouldn’t say spoil per se, but it certainly gives some insight into their character due to it being the whole basis of their concept. Allow me to elaborate.

Topaz is generally associated with wealth, a perfect concept to introduce the audience to the IPC through. It is believed to heal and promote strength/vitality, tying into Topaz’s lore regarding her planet’s deterioration with the IPC restoring its ‘health’ and the strength of the people in turn. Also tying into her planet’s lore is the fact that in its natural state, common topaz is traditionally colourless. It is the heat or radiation treatment that gives it its colour, reflecting how the IPC’s grooming of Topaz and her entire planet’s citizens into IPC employees largely shaped who she is today. In Feng Shui, topaz is viewed as a stone of nobility, love, passion and purpose. These aspects reflect in Topaz’s personality, with her love of animals and passionate drive for work and customer satisfaction.

Aventurine primarily symbolises good fortune, again tying in with the core concept of the IPC. Green aventurine in particular is said to be a stone of opportunity and good luck, linking with Aventurine’s infallible luck and subsequent (self-destructive) gambling tendencies. More blatantly, it is known as the ‘gambler’s stone’ since it is believed to bring fortune in games of chance. Interestingly enough, aventurine is associated with the planet Mercury, named after the Roman god of wealth, good fortune, commerce, fertility, and thievery. These aspects tie into Aventurine’s ethnicity as an Avgin, the poor reputation of his people and their mother goddess’ blessing. Cruelly ironic, some believe it to represent self-love, and it is cheaper than most gemstones.

Jade holds symbolism of purity, harmony and protection, referencing Jade’s false guise of sincerity to seal her deals. It is a very valuable and sought-after gem, translating into Jade’s status. East Asia covet jade for its cultural and spiritual affiliations, serving as a metaphor for virtue, wisdom, truth, and Heaven and Earth. This is most likely where Jade Lilith/Eve dual symbolism was derived from. Jade is actually an umbrella term for two silicate minerals, nephrite and jadeite. Again, this seems to be inspiration for her two-faced nature. As of the time of this post, we do not know much about her past and as such it cannot be determined how interlinked it is with her stone.

From the three playable Stonehearts (as of the time of this post), we can clearly see that their lore is deeply interwoven with the symbolism of their gems. They are, in a sense, the embodiment of their Stoneheart namesake. So can it spoil the next Stonehearts? Without context, probably not. But we can still speculate, right?

Obsidian is heavily associated with blocking, absorbing and/or transforming negative energy. It isn’t actually a mineral, rather volcanic glass, typically classified as igneous rock or a mineraloid. For a long time, obsidian was primarily used in the creation of weapons, not jewellery. Referred to as the stone of clarity, it is beloved to release spiritual blockages and draw out stress and tension. Obsidian is naturally quite sharp, and as such some consider it to be capable of piercing into darkness to reveal the truth itself. Like her namesake, Obsidian could be one to cut through false pleasantries in favour of the raw truth, no matter how violent or unpleasant. She certainly seemed quite eager for a bloodbath in the Stoneheart trailer, perhaps due to having an affinity for the true nature of people being revealed and to tie into the primary purpose of obsidian being weaponry. The transformation and absorption of negative energy aspect could potentially relate to the vampire symbolism she seems to has.

Agate generally symbolises strength, protection and courage. It is believed to protect people from negative energy and enhance communication. Ironic, considering Agate is the only Stoneheart who doesn’t communicate at all in the Stoneheart trailer. In Greek mythology, it is linked to the earth mother, Gaia, and symbolises strength and stability. Interestingly, agate is formed within lava and is primarily found in areas with high volcanic activity. Its colour is dependent on the presence of other surrounding minerals. This is interesting because it seems that Agate and Obsidian share some common ground in terms of creation. Perhaps the characters will share similar views or characteristics too, explaining why Obsidian was allowed to vote on Agate’s behalf. The mineral agate being dependent on other minerals seems to further strengthen the idea of Agate possessing some form connections with another Stoneheart (seemingly Obsidian from the little information we have, but could be anyone).

Pearl signifies innocence and faith. It is believed to enhance personal integrity, inhibits immodest behaviour and bring truth forward. Pearl is often used in bridal jewellery as it can symbolise beauty and new beginnings. The gem is of organic origin but is not organic material, perhaps inspiring her existence as an Intellitron, alive but not technically living. We do seem to have enough information on Pearl to link her to her gemstone, another aspect being she seems to hold justice as a primary value. This seems to lie in the pearl’s symbolism of truth and integrity. Perhaps Pearl still believes in an inherent good in the world too, tying into the gemstone representing purity and innocence.

Sapphire is considered to be a stone of wisdom, royalty, prophecy and divine favour. It is a symbol of power and strength, often connected to religious symbolism. From what we’ve seen of Sapphire, this seems to check out. They value oaths above all else and exude an air of righteousness. Much like Pearl, they seem to have a strong set of morals. It is worth noting that sapphire is the second hardest natural mineral, second only to diamonds. So Sapphire has the potential to be one of the strongest Stonehearts in terms of raw power.

Amber is rather obviously associated with natural warmth, but also cleansing and renewal. As far as I have researched, its symbolism seems to revolve around protection and positivity. Consisting of fossilised tree resin, amber is classified as an organic gemstone and isn’t technically a gemstone at all (potentially similar to yet opposite of Pearl?). It was historically believed to bring good luck to warriors in battle and could be used to assist in creating balanced decision-making. The latest aspect may possibly have influenced Amber’s seeming neutrality in the Stonehearts trailer. Bringing good luck to warriors in battle could translate to avoiding conflict altogether, so all parties involved will not lose any prospects. Judging by the gem’s symbolism, Amber seems to be a bit of an outlier amongst the Stonehearts and perhaps that’s why she has yet to show her face.

Sugilite is a stone that drains unwanted connections and evil thoughts. Thought to be a nurturing gemstone, it promotes positive emotions and installs a deep satisfaction of freedom. In great contrast, Feng Shui depicts sugilite as possessing high Yang energy. It is full of emotion, passion and action. This could potentially reflect Sugilite’s personality, driven by passionate desires behind a mask of apathy. Regarding the satisfaction aspect, perhaps Sugilite lives in chase of fulfilment, hence the feast imagery in the Stonehearts trailer.

Opal is considered to be a symbol of hope, purity and truth. Since opal possesses most colours of other gems, the Romans believed it was the most precious and powerful of all gemstones. Indigenous Australians believed it to symbolise a bridge between the earthly and the divine. This seems to align with what we know of Opal so far. I’d wager he’s a little full of himself, tying in with the Roman view of his namesake. Opal also appears to be something akin to the right hand of Diamond, essentially the bridge between the emanator and the other Stonehearts.

Diamond symbolises strength, love and health. They are often worn by leaders and people in power to represent invincibility. The diamond is also considered a symbol of light and brilliance; unconquerable; treasures, riches and intellectual knowledge. We know very little about Diamond, but this all does seem to align with the idea of the leader of the IPC’s Strategic Investment Department. A powerful, untouchable figure, seemingly benevolent and caring but really only in it for the money.

Of course, I’m no expert on gemstones and so this information should be taken with a grain of salt. But that is my take on what I believe we can learn about the non-playable Stonehearts (as of the time of this post, have faith guys) from their gems.

TL;DR: No, information about the Stonehearts can’t be spoiled by their namesake gems. It can be speculated though.

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

so I saw this TikTok abt mavuika/pyro archon’s zipper going all the way around like it actually goes from front to back n people in the comments were talking abt her coochie getting caught in it n someone in particular said her voiceline should be “hold on, my rainforest got stuck in my zipper” and now I’m scared

I’m sorry WHAT

That is NOT what I expected to open my ask box to. I will say it’s definitely an impractical design choice to have a zipper in such a position but wow, some people are absolutely unhinged. I do think I actually saw a similar TikTok and I’m suddenly very glad I didn’t look at the comments, even if I now know anyway.

Thanks for sharing, I guess??

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

May I perhaps request Acheron textposts? I am obsessed with my girl. Also I once had a wacky HSR dream where Topaz was Elio and it confused me.

This ask has made me realise this limited the amount of Acheron textposts is. As such, there’s a little less than usual. Hope that’s okay!

Elio and Topaz being the same person is so wild and unhinged, as are most HSR dreams. I imagine she would get along with the Stellaron Hunters fairly well anyway.

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

how does the halovian halo work in terms of birth? like are they born with it and their poor mom has to pop it out? or is it like the placenta where it comes out after the birth and then you have to push out a FUCKING HALO, sometimes with SPIKES? or do they form them later in life? are they even part of their body or is it actually just an accessory?

Canonically speaking, no one knows. Fandom depictions of baby Sunday (yes, we’ve all seen them) don’t often include the halo.

Though uncertain on the logistics, I would say it’s very unlikely a Halovian is born with their halo. Since males seem to possess larger/sharper halos, the mother would sustain deep injuries during birth or potentially even before birth, the maternal mortality rate skyrocketing and perhaps making male Halovians rarer. I do not believe a highly evolved race like the Halovians would experience this issue (though it would be a unique take for Halovians to live in dread of having a son for this reason), and Sunday’s mother surviving past his birth and going on to have Robin later supports this. It would be more likely for the halos to gain their defined shapes later on in life, simply coming out like a disk, or to not exist at all yet.

I can answer the last question with certainty. The answer being yes, the halo is part of a Halovian’s body. I can see how you might think it’s more of an accessory, as they seem to be capable of moving it as they wish and outright removing it. However the Halovians are all defined by their halos, not a single Halovian lacks one. It’s a trait of their race much like the feathered wings most of them possess. The Halovians are capable of telepathic communication through their halos, which means the halo must be linked to their minds to some degree.

I hope this helps, and may you find answers for your first few questions lol.

Edit: In light of the recent HSR patches, I have discovered the Halovian halo is actually a projection. Do with this what you will 🤷

[genshin-hsr-rambles]

wait so opal is a child?

We don’t know for certain, but that does appear to be the case without any further information.

An alternate theory that’s been circulating is that he’s a Pepeshi, a Penaconian race resembling a child with a fluffy sphere antennae protruding from their head. We have yet to see the top of Opal’s head in any of his scarce appearances, it’s either been cut out of frame or obscured by a hat, so it is plausible. This theory would also support Opal’s view that Penacony was meant to be his mission instead of Aventurine’s, almost acting like he had a right to it. Being a local would definitely make him feel more entitled to it, and him holding Penacony in his palm in the Stoneheart trailer would be a subtle yet strategic hint. The placement of the Opal stone itself in the trailer is reminiscent of the fluff of a Pepeshi’s antennae, though that could just be a coincidence 🤷

Either way, I’m just happy that we finally get a Hoyo male with the child model, even if that wasn’t how I imagined Opal to be.