Genshin Impact: Luna IV Storyline Details!

After latest Genshin Impact version update, as the story progresses, we know: The Doctor ascended to a false god through mortal power, parting the False Sky with a mere flick of his finger; Columbina walked alone to the end of time to close the loop, painting the gentlest punctuation on the moon; Sandrone entered the fray personally, the mechanical being with emotions completing the rite in the bravest stance.

The Wanderer used his only chance to save the Traveler, while Rerir and Tholindis, though in the same space, were separated by an insurmountable distance. Their storyline moved countless players to tears, tying up loose ends and echoing details from the previous few versions' narratives.

A Traveler on a Winter's Night

The Luna IV storyline is undoubtedly one of Genshin Impact's best ensemble narratives since its launch. The version title—"A Traveler on a Winter's Night"—pays homage to Italo Calvino's novel. It deeply mirrors the novel's structure, where readers constantly jump between the beginnings of ten unrelated stories yet never reach a complete narrative, much like the Damselette traversing time and space, piecing together fragments from past versions.

The Luna IV plot structure unfolds across three interwoven threads: the Traveler confronting The Doctor, Columbina's time-travel journey, and the rest of the team dealing with crises to rescue the Traveler. These three lines intersect simultaneously, creating a stunning ensemble drama.

Columbina: Past and Present

To prevent The Doctor from seizing the power of the Three Moons, Columbina voluntarily opened the Lunar Gate and leaped into it. When she opened her eyes within the moon's reflection, searching for a way to escape this space, she found herself moving further into the past. From the Death card she drew during the Moon-Prayer Night, the shoulder tap that made the Traveler look back, the moonlight text left on the flagship, and protecting the Frostmoon Scions on Hiisi Island. 

Finally, the hint in the Final Night Cemetery and the very origin of Lunoontar's birth. These were all discoveries where the effect preceded the cause, leading Columbina to gradually realize that the past she was now influencing was the future of her past self. It's worth noting that as Columbina collected fragments in the moon's reflection, the symbols formed by the pieces resembled an infinity symbol, hinting that she was using time to complete a loop.

Traveling from the future back to the past, from the end to the beginning. While meticulously arranging a precise causal loop, the writers also did not forget to provide closure for the previous plot, showcasing the charm of the overall narrative at this moment.

The Ending of Rerir and Tholindis

When meeting Rerir, no one expected him to be so calm. He not only told Columbina about his cooperation with The Doctor but also cleared away the Abyssal threats for her, behaving completely differently from his portrayal in earlier storylines. Thanks to his body having interacted too much with Kuuvahki, Rerir, entering this space for the second time, was not torn apart as before. After rejecting the Abyssal power within the space that did not belong to him, Rerir's world found a moment of peace.

It was also at this time that he saw Tholindis's figure ahead. Burdened with guilt, Rerir saw his own cowardice clearly and accepted his current fate. His only remaining desire was the same as before—to see Tholindis one more time. But in this temporal cage, Rerir stands in the future while Tholindis remains in the past. Though the lovers share the same space, they are separated by the greatest distance in the world. He could only rely on Columbina to convey his feelings.

The lesson that love should be honest came 500 years too late. The hand he failed to hold back then ultimately became an eternal regret in the young man's heart, leaving them only able to gaze at each other from afar, trapped within the fissure of time. Tholindis, once a researcher of the Iridescent Moon, also provided crucial information to Columbina. Fortunately, the Damselette shared news of Dainsleif with Rerir—Dainsleif understood the hardships she faced back then. The Damselette also conveyed Dainsleif's remorse and struggles to Rerir, offering him some solace.

Meeting the Trinity of Moon Goddesses

When Columbina finally reached the source of the moon's reflection, waiting for her were the primordial power representatives of Teyvat—the three Moon Goddesses at the beginning of time, the sisters she had never met. This also corresponds to what Nicole mentioned in Luna III: "This place is the prison where Nibelung imprisoned them." Knowing the outcome, they accepted Columbina's request and transferred the authority of the Three Moons onto her alone.

Yet we all know the fate of the Three Moons was not a happy one, especially for Sannada. As the Eternal Moon and the Frost Moon departed first, Sannada, mentioned in Luna II's storyline, became filled with immense fear, was corrupted by the Abyss, merged with it, and transformed into Khaenri'ah's Crimson Moon.

At the beginning of time, Columbina transformed her body into moonlight, scattering it over Nod-Krai, which also explains the origin of Kuuvahki within Nod-Krai's land. She then left her soul within the moon's reflection and hid the authority of the Three Moons within the Frost Moon, awaiting the future reunion of her body, soul, and the Three Moons' power.

Foreshadowing about the Dottore

Meanwhile, the Traveler confronted The Doctor directly, while the companions sought ways to rescue the Traveler and contemplated how to bring Columbina back. During the discussion on dealing with The Doctor, note the detail Varka mentioned: the father of a former Knight of Favonius member was harmed by The Doctor. This refers to Diluc and his father, Crepus.

On Diluc's 18th birthday, The Doctor placed a mechanical bird on the carriage carrying Diluc and his father back to Mondstadt, triggering the rampage of the dragon Ursa, which led to Crepus's death.

Upon hearing the Traveler had been captured, Paimon shed tears for the second time in the storyline since the Sabzeruz Festival. To her, we are but one star among millions, yet we are her entire world. This portrayal of Paimon is particularly special, perhaps hinting at future storylines involving her.

The dialogue and philosophical exchange between The Doctor and the Traveler are arguably the most profound part of the entire plot. He argues that desire drives the advancement of civilization, yet forgets that boundless desire brings only destruction, not progress. His words are deceptive, appearing as temptation while actually probing the underlying darkness of human nature.

We also learned that the rewards for daily commissions are all provided by The Regrator—earning the Fatui's money while fighting the Fatui's people. Now the Fatui truly become the biggest fools. The Doctor, speaking from a position of superiority about giving everyone a chance, treats human life as worthless grass, viewing lives as mere toys to be manipulated at will, arrogantly considering everything a controllable experiment.

Yet he refers to The Wanderer as a "new face," implying The Doctor is not immune to the World Tree's memory alteration, so he remains bound by the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's design of fate. This is also the reason the Four Shades do not intervene.

In response to The Doctor's invitation, the Traveler's answer was simple: a direct and clear stab through the non-existent barrier. The Wanderer used his only chance for a surprise attack, ushering in his own moment of glory. He charges alone into The Doctor's energy domain, rescues the Traveler, and when breaking through the domain, one can see not only the Wanderer's blade but also Albedo's Solar Flower and Durin's dragon flame.

It can also be seen that at the very end, while escaping the domain with the Traveler, the Wanderer was hit by The Doctor's laser, which is how he got injured. Later, he even gives up the chance to personally kill The Doctor, risking never waking up again, by offering up his central core for Sandrone to perform calculations.

Regarding The Doctor's actions in Nod-Krai, Tartaglia also brings the Tsaritsa's judgment to Arlecchino and Sandrone: if The Doctor poses a threat, they are permitted to eliminate him. Upon hearing the Traveler had been captured, Tartaglia immediately wanted to go find The Doctor. Meanwhile, Sandrone lives up to expectations, successfully calculating the ritual that could bring Columbina back using the theories and technology left by Rene, contributing the most verbal takedowns of The Doctor on record.

Columbina: The Moon Returns

During the process of deducing the ritual, in addition to the Narzissenkreuz Ordo, the Remuria branch storyline was also tied together. The materials mentioned a system of Teyvat's destiny that the people of Remuria sought to oppose, which manipulated human fate by controlling the soul within the limbs.

If you listen carefully to the BGM while Sandrone is researching the materials, you'll notice it's a variation of the Narzissenkreuz Ordo's theme music. These elements delve more into the realm of mystical arts, though Albedo also acknowledges that these techniques contain a certain foundation in alchemy. In the end, Sandrone did not hesitate to personally enter the fray. Pulonia was paralyzed after being struck and blocked a fatal blow for the Traveler, buying time to complete the ritual.

The embrace in Luna III turned out to be the last warmth. What must have been going through her mind as she held Sandrone's lifeless body? The flashback in the storyline was another tender yet painful twist. Sandrone saw Columbina resting on the bed and didn't disturb her. Instead, she quietly finished preparing the snacks before waking Columbina.

Varka, Arlecchino, and Nicole joined forces to bring Columbina back to everyone. During the boss fight, everyone took turns unleashing their Elemental Bursts to break off the Eternal Moon Marrow. The power of the Three Moons hovered in the air, and Columbina, with her eyes open, released an unprecedented energy shockwave in a calm tone. The Doctor dissipated into the white light, and peace returned to Nod-Krai.

According to the children's words, the moon in Teyvat is now different from the past—the false moon has been replaced by the real one. The Three Moon Goddesses no longer represent three individuals but refer solely to Columbina. After this crisis, various factions in Nod-Krai jointly established a council. Though the speaker at the assembly podium was eloquent, the audience had actually fallen asleep. Despite stumbling and still facing some skepticism, they have truly united from their previous state of operating independently.

With her powers restored, Columbina could finally fulfill her earlier promise with the Traveler, and the Traveler also brought the lost greeting card from Luna III. However, before heading to the moon, Nicole delivered a message to the Traveler: the disaster at the world's boundary has been contained, but it has left everyone exhausted, so they must not let their guard down.

Nicole mentioned that the disturbances caused by this disaster have made Teyvat easier to observe from the cosmos. This means there are things in the universe eyeing Teyvat—it could be the Abyss or other higher-dimensional entities, which aligns well with the Dark Forest theory. Here, Nicole also stated that to prevent the embers from smoldering, maintaining vigilant observation of the world is necessary. These "embers" likely refer to those entities that once brought disaster to Teyvat.

Foreshadowing in the Traveler's Story

Later, Columbina took the Traveler to the moon and found the spacecraft that had once landed in Nod-Krai but was now hidden on the Frost Moon. Columbina told us that the one who hid the spacecraft was none other than the sovereign high above, the Heavenly Principles itself. The reason why the Heavenly Principles hid the Traveler's spacecraft remains unclear; perhaps there is crucial information within it.

Before heading to the moon, there is another detail: Columbina asked if we were wondering what kind of story was hidden on the moon. Our reply was that we hoped for a story with a good ending. But Columbina answered that this is a story without an ending, hinting that starting from the spacecraft, the Genshin Impact storyline has limitless potential for expansion.

The passage leading to the moon is presented in a very unique way: we walk sideways through the world as seen through Columbina's eyes, as she gently recounts past events.

Speaking of the mural content related to the Traveler, the scene shown here is exactly from the launch PV—"We Will Be Reunited." The illustration that appears in the storyline also corresponds to "The Road Not Taken," released in 2024, and we even ride a boat together. The beautiful visuals paired with the music create an atmosphere that is ethereal, healing, and sacred. We even take a moonwalk, with a blue planet in the distance. Seeing this moment while experiencing the story is truly breathtaking, and we earn an achievement—"to the moon."

After viewing the spacecraft's operation logs, the records indicate that the Traveler had already passed over Teyvat a thousand years ago. However, strangely, the spacecraft did not land at that time but instead landed in Nod-Krai a thousand years later. Recalling that our sibling was found outside the spacecraft, yet no one had ever left the spacecraft. Considering the story, it seems the twin stars had long been captured by the planet's gravity, undergoing a prolonged cycle of return. Does this mean our sibling actually arrived in Teyvat by other means during the spacecraft's first pass over the planet?

After many years, the Traveler finally changes into a new outfit. However, rather than being truly new, it is actually an old set of clothes previously stored in the spacecraft's wardrobe. Columbina decides that from now on, she will use her own eyes to see more of this world and helps the Traveler lift some of the restrictions placed by the world of Teyvat.

From earlier conversations between The Doctor and the Traveler, we learned that the Traveler currently holds the identity of a Descender but lacks the power that a Descender should possess. Now that some restrictions have been lifted, the storyline may eventually remove them all, and we might see the Traveler's complete form in the future.

We can also learn some information about Snezhnaya from Columbina here, specifically the mention of Kresnik's Torch. When the Nod-Krai version first launched, travelers from Snezhnaya in Nasha Town mentioned it in dialogue. Kresnik's Torch is a landmark structure located in Snezhnaya's capital, Snezhnograd, emitting light and warmth amidst the snow and wind.

Project Stuzha is also mentioned. Project Stuzha was first referenced as early as the Fontaine version in dialogues between Arlecchino and Tartaglia, and the Tsaritsa also requested that Arlecchino and Tartaglia join it. Appearing alongside Project Stuzha is the name "Mistletoe." Mistletoe is the weapon that triggered Ragnarök, and its raw materials may play a significant role in the future.

After the Grand Master finished writing the letter, a quest completion screen appeared in the moonlight. Interestingly, this is the first time it appeared on the moon. Having a quest completion screen appear twice in one storyline is a strange design choice, perhaps hinting that one of the endings is false. Earlier, at the dock, when bidding farewell to the Wanderer, he achieved self-redemption and realized his self-worth.

Although the Wanderer, who also fulfilled his long-held desire for revenge in name, still felt unsettled and mentioned it wasn't that satisfying. Additionally, the "A Winter Night's Lazzo" PV shows The Doctor burning the Irminsul. Combined with the meaningful glance exchanged between the two in the story, perhaps The Doctor realized something. Moreover, the second quest completion screen flickered with pixelated static, suggesting that everything in Luna IV might once again be an experiment by The Doctor.

Finally, returning to the easter egg in the Flagship: it is a note left for us by Sandrone. After reading it, we learn that Sandrone was a creation of Alain Guillotin's later years, indeed modeled after Mary-Ann, with Pulonia being created after Sandrone. Moreover, Alain stated that Sandrone is different from Pulonia, most likely meaning Sandrone is not purely a mechanical construct.

The update log at the end notes that Sandrone iterated on her self-preservation mechanism. The Wanderer also mentioned that Sandrone always leaves herself a way out. Perhaps having Arlecchino return her and Pulonia to Fontaine was the backup plan she prepared. Combined with the character shown only as a reflection in the preview and the Narzissenkreuz Ordo achievement "What Should Reflect in Clear Water," this may indicate that Sandrone will return in a new form.

Looking back at the entire Song of the Welkin Moon version, Genshin Impact has truly narrowed the information gap with its players. It has not only told the current story of each version well but has also resolved a large number of foreshadowed plot points and converged various storyline threads. The character ensemble portrayal speaks for itself, making everyone even more curious about the future Snezhnaya storyline.

We look forward to even better stories in the future of Genshin Impact. Thank you, Travelers, for reading. Remember to keep following the new articles and merchandise on the site. See you next time!