Vol.04: The Depths of the Tsaritsa and the Fatui - A Comprehensive Analysis of the Rebellion Against The Heavenly Principles and the "Burning of the Old World"

Introduction: The False Sky and Gnostic Cosmology

When unraveling the history and cosmology of the continent of Teyvat, no organization demands a more multifaceted and highly philosophical interpretation of its raison d’être and behavioral principles than Snezhnaya’s “Fatui.” In the superficial progression of the narrative, they have been depicted as an antagonistic faction maneuvering in the shadows across the seven nations to usurp the Gnosis. However, by synthesizing the deep mythological framework and fragments of the hidden worldview, it becomes evident that their true objective is not mere hegemonism, but an existential rebellion against the absolute cosmology known as “The Heavenly Principles.”

To truly comprehend the structure of this colossal rebellion, it is essential to analyze Teyvat’s cosmology through the paradigm of “Gnosticism.” In the Gnosticism of real-world religious studies, the material world we perceive is defined not as a creation of the supreme, true God, but as a flawed product forged by an ignorant and arrogant “false god (Demiurge).” According to this thought, a “spark of light (a fragment of the true God)” is trapped within the essential soul of humanity, and the Demiurge uses a prison system called fate to thoroughly obstruct humanity from realizing this truth.

In the hidden historical facts of Teyvat, it is inferred that the role of this “Demiurge” is fulfilled by the First Descender, “The Primordial One (Phanes),” which is to say, the current “The Heavenly Principles.” Having usurped authority from the ancient Sovereign Dragons, The Heavenly Principles constructed the “False Sky” and the system of fate via the Ley Lines through its own Laws (the Four Shades), thereby confining humanity within a miniature garden. In contrast, The Tsaritsa (the Cryo Archon) of Snezhnaya and the Fatui Harbingers have seen through the deception of this structure, seeking to liberate humanity from the “Loom of Fate” by physically and metaphysically destroying the false Laws.

This article will systematically discuss the profound proposition they advocate—“the burning away of the old world”—and the true intent behind their method of collecting the “Gnosis,” intertwining religious studies, the alchemical processes (Nigredo, Albedo, Rubedo), and the latest lore of Natlan and Snezhnaya as of 2026.

2. The Reality of the “Gnosis”: The Remains of the Third Descender and the Alchemical Usurpation of Authority

The greatest mission that the Fatui have advanced across the seven nations for many years is the retrieval of the “Gnosis” from The Seven. To understand the true intent of this objective, one must first define the physical and metaphysical identity of the “Gnosis.”

At the conclusion of the Archon Quest in Fontaine, it was explicitly revealed through the words of The Foul (Skirk) that the Gnosis is the “remains of the Third Descender.” A “Descender” in Teyvat is an absolute, extraterrestrial entity that does not belong to the Laws of this world (fate or the records of Irminsul) and possesses “a will that can rival an entire world.” To compensate for the severe damage sustained in the war of vengeance (the gruesome battle against Nibelung and the Second Descender), The Heavenly Principles (the First Descender) sacrificed the Third Descender and created the “Gnosis” from their remains. It then bestowed them upon The Seven, the victors of the Archon War, using them as keystones to maintain the world’s governance system (the Archon system).

In real-world Gnosticism, “Gnosis” signifies the “absolute knowledge and awakening” required to realize the divinity (true light) within oneself and break free from the domination of the Demiurge. However, the “Gnosis” in Teyvat functions as a “tool of domination” for The Heavenly Principles to bind The Seven within the Laws and have them manage elemental powers. This is an extremely ironic structure, both linguistically and systematically.

The Tsaritsa’s act of gathering all these “remains” is not merely the usurpation of power from other nations. It is a process to reconstruct the “will and power of the Third Descender,” which is unbound by the Laws (fate) of the world, and to fundamentally rewrite the system of The Heavenly Principles. Pierro, the Director of the Fatui who holds the codename “The Jester” and serves as the royal mage of Snezhnaya, clearly states in “A Winter Night’s Lazzo” that “on this chessboard, ‘checkmate’ is not where the game ends.” The collection of the Gnosis is nothing less than an alchemical ritual (Magnum Opus) to physically sever the system from the “pieces” of The Heavenly Principles—The Seven—and to transmute new “Laws” to oppose The Heavenly Principles on the true board (Celestia). Pierro’s statement, “The sages think themselves to be all-knowing, but we alone know the virtue behind their folly,” is a declaration that denies the absolute intellect of fate decreed by The Heavenly Principles and affirms the existential Free Will of humanity.

3. The Philosophy of Destruction and Rebirth Hidden in the “Shivada Jade Gemstone”

In deciphering the abyss of The Tsaritsa’s behavioral ideology, one of the most important primary sources is the flavor text of the “Shivada Jade Gemstone,” the ascension material for Cryo characters.

Engraved on this item are the sorrowful words of the Cryo Archon herself: “Sorry… to also have you shoulder the grievances of the world. Since you could endure my bitter cold, you must have a burning desire in your heart? Then, burn away the old world for me.”

This short text encapsulates the fundamental philosophy of the Cryo Archon. As the term “Grief-Narrating” suggests, the Cryo Archon is an entity harboring deep love and sorrow for the world. As Pierro states before La Signora’s coffin in “A Winter Night’s Lazzo,” “Absolute peace. Such is the gift from the Tsaritsa, such is Her Majesty’s benevolence,” their ultimate goal lies in the eternal cessation of conflict. Pierro also vows, “Your final resting place will be the entirety of the ‘Old World’.”

What is extremely important here is the naming convention “Shivada.” This originates from “Shiva,” the supreme god presiding over “destruction and rebirth” in Hinduism. Shiva’s dance (Tandava) completely destroys the world, but this is affirmed not as a mere end, but as an inevitable and sacred process for the creation of a new world. “Burn away the old world” means to completely dismantle the false fate constructed by The Heavenly Principles—that is, the physical and spiritual Laws of the current Teyvat—and to create a new world from the ashes.

The contradiction of presiding over the power of “bitter cold (absolute zero)” while harboring a “burning desire (flame)” in its depths. From an alchemical perspective, this closely resembles the process of the “Magnum Opus,” which begins with “blackening (Nigredo: putrefaction and dissolution),” passes through “whitening (Albedo: purification and cleansing = ice),” and ultimately reaches “reddening (Rubedo: the completion of the true self = flame).” What Snezhnaya is attempting to trigger is the “whitening” of the system across all of Teyvat, followed by the “reddening (burning)” of the old world.

4. Project Stuzha and the Omen of Ragnarok

As the concrete execution phase of this “declaration of war against the old world,” the massive project being advanced by the Fatui is “Project Stuzha.” As Dainsleif warns, “Brace yourself, Teyvat is about to get cold,” and as noted in the Chinese version as “提瓦特的天气要变了 (The weather in Teyvat is about to change),” this project is an event accompanied by physical and spiritual climate change (global cooling) on a worldwide scale.

Snezhnaya is located in the extreme north of Teyvat, a nation locked in harsh blizzards. This severe climate is not merely a natural phenomenon, but the embodiment of the Cryo Archon’s sorrow and resolve. In a mythological context, this strongly corresponds to “Fimbulwinter,” the harsh winter lasting three years that arrives as an omen of “Ragnarok (the Twilight of the Gods)” in Norse mythology. Project Stuzha in Teyvat is considered an attempt to induce an “artificial Fimbulwinter” that freezes the functions of The Heavenly Principles (the old order) and halts the Laws of the world.

In Norse mythology, Ragnarok begins in earnest when Skoll and Hati swallow the sun and the moon. For the gods, the sun and the moon are symbols of order (time and day/night), and destroying them signifies the complete negation of the old order. Snezhnaya’s expansion of its own severe cold to the world, covering the entirety of Teyvat, aims to physically and lawfully block the intervention of Celestia. Within that frozen world, one can discern the strategic intent to reboot (burn) “new Laws” using all the collected Gnosis (the remains of the Third Descender). In fact, the developers have clearly defined the region of Snezhnaya as a nation “at the very forefront of the struggle against fate,” which seeks to “defy the Heavenly Principles and Fate.”

5. The Inversion of Commedia dell’arte: The Masks of the Harbingers and Existentialism

The codenames of the Fatui Harbingers originate from the stock characters of “Commedia dell’arte,” an Italian masked comedy popular in Europe from the 16th to the 18th century. However, their personas within the game do not merely follow their original roles in the comedy; rather, there is profound philosophical meaning in the fact that they are “intentionally inverted.”

This structure of inversion is an expression of ultimate irony and rebellion against the “fate (role)” given to them by the Demiurge known as The Heavenly Principles. Below is a comparison between the major Harbingers and their original sources in Commedia dell’arte.

As the text of the “Pale Flame” artifact set vividly illustrates, the Harbingers are all, in some form, a gathering of “those rejected by the world (fate).” They view both “God (The Heavenly Principles)” and “The Abyss” as enemies, choosing a third path that opposes both.

In Commedia dell’arte, the Zanni (clownish servants) function as the “engine” that disrupts the progression of the play and subverts the intentions of the ruling class (the masters). Similarly, by donning masks (roles), the Fatui Harbingers mock the “way things should be” as decreed by the Loom of Fate, inverting those roles by their own will. Their supreme imperative is to ruin the grand play of The Heavenly Principles that is Teyvat itself, and to burn away the stage mechanisms (the old world).

6. The Dedication of “Il Capitano” in Natlan: Resistance to Fate and the Paradox of Self-Sacrifice

As an example where the philosophy of the Harbingers manifested most prominently and heroically, one can cite the actions of “Il Capitano” in Chapter V of the Archon Quest (the Natlan chapter). Although Il Capitano is considered “cowardly and selfish” in Commedia dell’arte, his actions in Natlan completely shattered the image of his original source.

In his confrontation with the Pyro Archon Mavuika, Il Capitano displayed “power rivaling that of a god.” Mavuika herself recounted that she sensed “the pinnacle of human strength” from him during their battle, and their abilities were completely matched. However, his true reason for going to Natlan was not merely the usurpation of the “Pyro Gnosis.” In fact, at that time, Natlan was on the verge of complete collapse of its Ley Lines and the “Night Kingdom” due to the encroachment of The Abyss.

As a fact worthy of special mention here, Il Capitano chose the path of self-sacrifice, utilizing the “curse of immortality (a curse that traps souls for hundreds of years, not even allowing them to sleep)” harbored within him, exchanging his life and existence to stabilize the Ley Lines of the Night Kingdom. He halted the collapse of Natlan by fusing his own existence and sharing his eternal life (the curse of immortality) with the Lord of the Night (Ronova). Despite this being a fatal act that invited his own “decay,” he did not hesitate.

This action clearly proves that while the Fatui behave as “enemies of the world,” their essence lies in “the survival of humanity and the protection of the world.” The Cryo Archon’s words in the “Shivada Jade Gemstone,” “Sorry… to also have you shoulder the grievances of the world,” are directed precisely at the grueling dedication of Harbingers like Il Capitano.

Although it remains within the realm of speculation in some communities, the aura resembling “Nightsoul” emitted by Il Capitano, and the “unfulfilled oath from 500 years ago” spoken of by Mavuika, strongly suggest the possibility that Il Capitano himself hails from Natlan and was one of its heroes of the past. He resisted the fate (the destruction of Natlan) decreed by The Heavenly Principles, driving a wedge into the Laws of the old world by burning his own life. This self-sacrifice was the creation of a grave paradox against the “Shade (the Shade of Death)” of The Heavenly Principles, and a fatal rebellion against the absolute Law of death.

There is the fact that his body serves as the power source for the Night Kingdom in a state of being “neither dead nor alive,” and it is speculated that the “Pyro Gnosis” he left behind is destined to be retrieved later by another Harbinger (such as Columbina). This series of events is the embodiment of Snezhnaya’s new ideology: acquiring the Gnosis not through martial force, but through honor and sacrifice.

7. The Jet-Black Bloodline and the Incineration of Fate: The Singularity of “The Knave” and the Alchemy of the Crimson Moon

Another singularity shaping the rebellion of the Fatui is the existence of the 4th Harbinger, “The Knave (Arlecchino).” Hidden in her background is extremely dangerous lore that shakes Teyvat’s system of fate to its core.

As a matter of fact, Arlecchino’s origins are not in Fontaine, but as a descendant of the “Crimson Moon Dynasty” of the godless nation of Khaenri’ah. Khaenri’ah once advanced a project (the Crucible of the Hearth / the story of Perinheri) to artificially cultivate and imitate “Descenders,” entities outside the dominion of The Heavenly Principles. As a pure inheritor of that bloodline, or an entity embodying its power, Arlecchino harbors a “cursed flame” within her body from birth.

Her flame is not a mere elemental power brought about by a Vision. That flame possesses the special property of “burning away memories (or erasing the target along with its existence).” In Teyvat, “memory” is the “history” recorded in Irminsul, and is “fate” itself. In other words, Arlecchino’s flame harbors the power to sever the connection to Irminsul and “erase” an individual’s existence from the system of fate (the power of fate alteration).

In the “House of the Hearth,” her proposal to Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet to fake the “death of their family” and sever their fate through a ritual (the assassination of their identities using a special potion) can be considered her way of following the alchemical process of creating a “Descender (one unbound by fate)” conducted by the Crimson Moon Dynasty. From the perspective of The Heavenly Principles (the Demiurge), Arlecchino is the very “bug” lurking within the system of Irminsul.

The reason Director Pierro welcomed her as a Harbinger was not simply because she possessed the strength to assassinate her predecessor (Crucabena). It is because her “flame that burns fate” perfectly aligns with the Cryo Archon’s ideal to “burn away the old world.” She herself affirms “Deception,” which is a reflection of the trickster nature of her original source in Commedia dell’arte, while simultaneously being a solitary philosophy that embodies the organization’s supreme imperative to “deceive The Heavenly Principles and fool the False Sky.”

8. Those Who Gather in the “Pale Flame”: The Roles Borne by Columbina, Sandrone, and Childe

The singularity of the organization known as the Fatui lies in its active incorporation of “those rejected by fate” by The Heavenly Principles. As the “Pale Flame” artifact set narrates, while harboring the contradiction of declaring war on the world for the sake of peace, they converge their respective distorted desires and abilities toward the single objective of “burning away the old world.”

Regarding the 3rd Harbinger “Columbina” and the 7th Harbinger “Sandrone,” their true natures are also gradually being elucidated. According to fragments of information, it is suggested that Columbina is not a mere human, but a transcendent entity connected to the Seelies or angels, and the “power of the moon goddess” she contains is directly offered to The Tsaritsa, bearing an extremely sacred and eerie role. Furthermore, Sandrone has elevated Ruin Machine technology to its limits, possessing the ability to deploy mechanical units as physical combat weapons on the battlefield. Her maddened pursuit surpasses the Field Tiller technology of the former Khaenri’ah, and can be said to be an attempt to counter the authority of the gods through a mechanistic approach. These profiles also align with the fact that their personalities have been intentionally reinterpreted and inverted from their original sources into “gentleness” or “tsundere-like aspects.”

And the 11th Harbinger, “Childe (Tartaglia),” occupies an extremely unique position even within the Fatui. Despite being of the Fatui, he fell into The Abyss during his childhood and was directly taught the “Foul Legacy” and abyssal martial arts by The Foul (Skirk). The Fatui view not only “The Heavenly Principles” but also “The Abyss” as enemies, yet they will utilize the power of The Abyss if it is for the destruction of the old world. What Tartaglia embodies is the “philosophy of pure conflict and destruction.”

In Project Stuzha, the possibility is considered that Tartaglia will fulfill a role as some kind of “Vessel.” This stems from the fact that he is an extremely rare “entity on the borderline” capable of simultaneously containing three powers: the Vision prepared by The Heavenly Principles, a Delusion, and the power of The Abyss. The remnants of the “All-Devouring Narwhal” and the instinct for conflict sleeping within him harbor the potential to become a crucial trigger for physically dismantling the world in the process of “burning” that destroys the old world.

Conclusion: Ressentiment on the Board and the Magnum Opus Toward the True Starry Sky

Synthesizing the fragments of lore elucidated up to 2026, it can be concluded that the “burning away of the old world” envisioned by Snezhnaya is a Magnum Opus (alchemical completion) with the following multi-layered process.

The first stage is the “Freezing of the Laws (Nigredo).” Through Project Stuzha, they will induce an intentional severe winter (Fimbulwinter) to physically and spiritually halt the functions of Teyvat’s Ley Lines and the system of The Heavenly Principles (the Loom of Fate). The second stage is the “Reconstruction of Divinity (Albedo).” By integrating the “Gnosis (the remains of the Third Descender)” usurped from The Seven, they will alchemically re-transmute the “authority of the Descender,” which is not subject to the dominion of The Heavenly Principles. And the final stage is the “Burning of the Old World (Rubedo).” Using the “burning desire (flame)” harbored by the Cryo Archon and the singular powers of the Harbingers (Il Capitano’s immortal sacrifice, The Knave’s Crimson Moon flame that burns fate, etc.) as catalysts, they will completely burn away the False Sky and the thrones of Celestia.

The reason the Fatui call themselves “Fools” is that, from the perspective of the “logic of the sages”—the absolute fate decreed by The Heavenly Principles—their rebellion appears to be an utterly impossible folly. However, Pierro’s words, “The sages think themselves to be all-knowing, but we alone know the virtue behind their folly,” are the entirety of their philosophy.

The collection of the Gnosis is not a mere plundering of power. It is the most grandiose and tragic rebellion in the history of Teyvat, aimed at liberating the “spark of light” bound to the fate of the material world by the Demiurge (the false god), and reclaiming humanity’s existential freedom and absolute peace. The Cryo Archon standing upon the freezing lands of Snezhnaya, and the Eleven Harbingers who fight for the world despite being rejected by fate, fix their gaze upon the “true starry sky” that lies beyond the impending end (Ragnarok), continuing to burn their own lives and souls upon the ruthless chessboard today. Whether the conclusion of this battle reaches beyond the starry sky or returns to the great Void depends on the temperature of the Pale Flame they emit.