Intro:

Let's get the basics out of the way first.

This is a THEORY, I am by no way saying I consider this to be whole canon beyond head-canon and personal opinion. I have made accurate game predictions before (Scaramouche being a false god, though never shown publicly) and like to dig into implied applications of lore and cultural nuances.

The theories of this post will be marked. This is a discussion thread, not an argument or a debate. The information within is based on my own personal research, cultural understandings, and dissection of content from CN and EN sources.

I accept all forms of criticism when it applies to the content, but less so with my personal tastes.

Hate messages and any comment I deem uncomfortable to the atmosphere will be hidden and reported if violating the community rules including but not limited to "Engage in friendly interactions", "Treat the work of others with respect," and "Be open to other perspectives".

Please enjoy the read and have fun with it!

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Known Information:

Things you need to know before we get to the lorecrafting

Who Was Anfortas?

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Anfortas is the presumed commander of the Schwanenritter, a group of knights within Khaenri'ah that operated and controlled the Ruin Golems. Little is known of his life before the cataclysm, but held the name of Knight Marshal before the events led to the destruction of his homeland.

During the fall of Khaenri'ah, King Irmin was indisposed and Anfortas declared himself Regent until the kingdom was restored to normalcy. (Sauce )

A fight with the last of his compatriots, Hadura, over what is noted as treasonous actions, Anfortas lost his left eye. Despite this, he gave them a knight's funeral.

This means Anfortas cannot be the Jester, Pierro.

Many records reference Anfortas directly or indirectly, including a wonders of the world achievement called 'in the name of Anfortas' which leaves a final transmission saying "We Schwanenritters have fought until the last one." (Sauce -> Sauce of the Sauce )

This means he was not affected by the Hilichurl curse as some of his comrades. A note from Kaeya's mysterious box confirms that the Alberich clan was both noble blood (thus making them immortal) and the ones who took regency- so Anfortas was Alberich. (Sauce )

We do not know his exact lineage to Chlothar, but they existed at the same time, and were likely different branches of the family.

Anfortas' ultimate fate is unknown.

The Schwanenritters

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A group of super golems that were made using knowledge from beyond Teyvat. Much like their smaller counterparts - Ruin Guards and Graders- these giant robots were able to fire lasers as well as feats of immense strength. The massive constructs were mysterious creations of unknown purpose- believed to be tools of war or some sort of guardian force. The real reason behind their creation is marginally unknown, and notable three have been found in Genshin's world thus far.

During the cataclysm, the civilians were escorted and aided by the Scwanenritters above ground in an attempt to evacuate any and all able bodied citizens to safety. They fought against the abyss monsters that ravaged the land, and one Darshan of Sumeru hailed them as "heroes of the (Khaenri'an)"- this Darshan would later be called the Order of Skeptics.

The name "Schwanenritter" translates to "Swan Knights."

In Norse mythology, the Valkyries were able to turn into swans. Swans are considered very symbolic to bards as and many other myths and legends surrounding germanic stories and celtic myths. There is also a myth about a figure directly called "The Swan Knight" who defended a damsel in a boat driven by swans, provided she never ask his name.

The Mountains

• This golem was the one that had Ynghildr- a schwanenritter that went missing during the events of the cataclysm. Nothing was found of her body but her signet ring and she was given a knight's funeral. She would later return as a Shadow Husk and guard the internal golem until defeated by the player.
• This is the golem in the worst shape, barely able to move and overgrown within.

The Desert

• Hadura's Golem, this one was evacuated when it broke down to the Marshal's Golem.
• Weapons systems overheated after leading 'the beasts' to the canyon and destroyed them
• The machine was rendered inoperable after internal damage destroyed the bearings it was no longer mobile.
• Hadura was awarded the title of "Sentinel of the Golden Hall" for their actions in successfully delaying the beasts.
• Hadura would later cause irreversible damage to a machine, and be executed for treason.

The Sandstorm

• The most operable of the three Golems, this is the only one able to physically able to move and walk across the map during the events of the Golden Slumber (Part 2).
• For whatever reason, this golem was abandoned, but not destroyed like the other two, leaving it in relatively good condition.

Lore: Anfortas and the Holy Grail

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The name Anfortas comes from something called Parzifal by Eschenbach. Parzifal is an Arthurian legend about the immortal Fisher King (Anfortas) and the Holy Grail.

Legend states the Holy Grail is a relic of immense power, capable of curing the Wasteland, healing, granting immortality or ascension. "The Wasteland" in celtic mythology is less a place and more of a thing- a curse or plague that ravages the land and can be broken by the acts of a Hero.

The Fisher King is always depicted as having some sort of injury that can only be cured by the acts of a knight-hero and their deeds. The origin and placement of the injury varies from story to story, but in Parzifal he wound is healed in the ending.

Parzifal is the only variant of the story that includes the name "Anfortas."

Lore: The Statuettes

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The three statuettes are picked up from the bodies of "Shadowy Husks"- the remnants of Khaenri'ah's Royal Guard. These were both Schwanenritters and those under the command of the Twilight Sword (Dain).

The figure in the images is missing it's LEFT eye, and the relics are said to give courage and comfort to those who carry them.

One of them even specifically says "My child" which is... curious. The word is 孩子 specifically.

Lore: Kaeya, The Last Hope

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“Remember always that it was the Alberich Clan, who did not have royal blood, who stepped in as regents when the strength of the one-eyed king Irmin failed. Though we could not restore Khaenri'ah to life, we of the Alberich Clan should leave lives as those who blaze like fire, rather than those who wallow in the embers.”

If you flip the paper over, there are other words there. You reckon these must be annotations of some sort.

“I saved this one memento from the fire ‘Father’ made while he wasn’t paying attention. This was in violation of our principles. Our clan’s affairs should never be recorded. For me, this sheet of paper cannot serve as any form of identification, and will not give me passage anywhere. Now that I look at it, his handwriting was as grieving as a smoking ash pile. There is no way that I can write something like that, living in Mondstadt as I am.”

- Hidden Strife, Mysterious Box

「这是你的机会，你是我们最后的希望。」

亲生父亲捏紧凯亚单薄的肩头，视线越过他，望向了更远的地方。

地平线另一头，有着父子俩遥远的故乡坎瑞亚。

凯亚从未忘记那混杂着憎恨与希冀的眼神。

- Kaeya Story IV (CN)

"This is your chance. You are our last hope."

Kaeya's father squeezed his son's lean shoulders as he spoke, seemingly looking right through Kaeya to some place far beyond. On the other side of the horizon sat their distant homeland of Khaenri'ah. Kaeya would never forget the look of both hope and hatred in his father's eyes as he uttered those words.

- Kaeya Story IV (EN - Hoyo)

I will point out that Kaeya calls his father 亲生父亲 here for future notation. This word means "biological/birth father."

It also says 单薄, meaning Kaeya was very small or weak when he was young.

Someone asked about the word 'eyes' in CN and based on what I researched, can say it does not literally imply two eyes and could be translated as 'sight' or possibly even 'gaze' in a more metaphysical meaning of the word.

We later learn that Kaeya doesn't mention a bit of the last interaction with his father in Story 4 from Ballads and Brews. We actually hear his father speak the lines- "This is where you must stay. You are our only hope. Forgive me, Kaeya."

Chinese: Kaeya, 义子 of Crepus

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The word 义子 has some implications in Chinese that were completely lost in the EN translation "Adopted Son."

My bias and hatred of the english translation for causing so many misunderstandings with this aside, this does have a major nuance that was lost to EN speakers completely and robbed us of important theorycrafting regardless of how you interpret Kaeya and Diluc's relationship.

义子 would literally translate to "Righteous Son" or "Sworn Son" and is a cultural aspect that has no english comparison or translation.

义父 is the paternal figure of the relationship, meaning "righteous father" or "sworn farther.

There are two ways that people typically become a 义子 and 义父. (There is a third way, but involves gay marriage and makes Crepus the proxy sworn; so we won't get into that one here.)

Method One:

One is that the parties choose to enter the relationship rather mutually- in the same way children become close friends with an adult figure like a teacher, neighbor, friend, ect. In EN relationships, some people 'adopt' adult figures in their life in a similar way that a 'sworn' relationship is in Chinese. A role model, paternal figure, or mentor of sorts that is an adult person that the child looks up to in some way. CN takes this a bit more seriously and has a word for it- that is the 'sworn' relationship between father and child.

Using other games as examples from a more western POV-

Joel and Ellie from 'The Last of Us' (part one) in some ways could be considered a 'sworn' relationship.

Ellie had the power to leave whenever she wanted to, she didn't have to stay, and Joel did not have to keep her there either. They mutually accepted that sort of guardian/mentor relationship. Joel recognizes that Ellie is not his daughter, but takes care of her as if she was in many ways. Another example is Lee and Clementine from the Walking Dead series, and though she had less choice in the relationship- she could have went with other survivors if she wanted to.

In English we don't have a word for that sort of "chosen" paternal figure, but in Chinese they do- and that is "sworn."

Method Two:

The second is through a Sworn Sibling.

A sworn sibling is a close bond between two (or more) people that is considered a deep, personal connection. In English culture this would be similar to an extremely close best friend, or someone that you value the life of as much as your own. You generally consider this person your family of heart and soul, rather than blood. You can easily read this as like 'found family' in EN concepts or 'soul bound' in literature. You have bonded to this person, and you picked them as your 'family' and extension of yourself. Your most trusted persons. (Think 'The Three Musketeers' if you need a reference.) This is still not family-family (it's a bit deeper than that but mutual respect and trust) but for the sake of English understand of the concept, we will call it that for now here.

If your Sworn Sibling was to have a child, that child would become part of your extended, sworn family. This makes any child of theirs your sworn son/daughter by immediate proxy in the same way EN has "godson" relationships. The major difference between a godparent relationship and a sworn one is the utter lack of religious implication and that it is more based in deep friendship. The child, like mentioned above, can choose to reject the relationship.

Should something happen to you, and your sworn sibling was capable, your child would relatively be seen as their child and they could choose to stay with their 'sworn father' instead of being placed in foster care or someplace else.

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Lore Theory Crafting

Now we get to the fun part.

Anfortas survived the Cataclysm

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Nothing in the current lore (Version 3.6 at time of writing) directly states that Anfortas died. In fact, there is mild suggestion he survived for quite a while based on the transmissions and notes left behind.

It is possible to surmise he was operating the Golem that was abandoned, rather than destroyed. The fact it was completely operable with no shadow husks inside means none of the knights remained inside the machine when it was left behind.

The fact the shadow husks still cling to the gloomy statuettes for comfort also give some suggestion that the figure depicted in them may still be alive to some degree- and the person shown is missing their left eye rather than their right. The only noted character we have so far that specifically lost their left is Anfortas, though it is possible this could be King Irmin.

If this is true, that means the line spoken in the description of the Gloomy Statuette- is Anfortas.

Anfortas is Kaeya's Father and Kaeya is the Holy Grail

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Anfortas in mythology was the guardian of the Holy Grail- the cure to the Wasteland (a curse).

Translating this into Genshin is very easy- the corruption and hilichurl curse are the Wasteland, and the key to saving the land that was dying.

The only character we have referred to as being a pawn, key, or anything of Khaenri'ah- is Kaeya.

Kaeya is stated quite bluntly as the last hope for Khaenri'ah, and left with the Dawn Winery.

So whoever had him, was the 'keeper' of the cure as well as Kaeya's father.

I feel it is important to note the Holy Grail could be considered the Loom of Fate; as they would essentially do the same thing and undo the fate done to the people of Khaenri'ah.

4.7 update: we can now confirm that Kaeya is not the Loom of Fate, but there may have been attempts to make him into it like his cousin was. Cynos story quest II confirms what children are more susceptible to divine energy and recovery, so it's possible Kaeya was given to the Ragnvindrs to save him from the same fate as Caribert. He could still be the Holy Grail.

Dain says Kaeya is 'descent' from Chlothar, but that could be linear or collateral descent. Dain also has a terrible memory and is constantly forgetting things, and cannot be considered a truly reliable source beyond his disdain for the abyss order. He may not remember Anfortas. He may not remember anyone in the noble families outside of Chlothar just out of sheer spite.

Side note: The Schwanenritter are easily considered the 'cavalry' of Khaenri'ah, and Kaeya is a cavalry captain without a horse.... Get in the robot, Kaeya.

Kaeya's Father and Crepus- Sworn Brothers?

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We know for a fact that Kaeya did not know Diluc or Crepus before arriving at Dawn Winery. While he is an unreliable narrator, he said he was left there and 'found' by Master Crepus.

He then later, and consistently, calls Crepus his 义父 in his story and dialogue.

The Ragnvindr family is one of noble blood and had absolutely no obligation to take in a stray child. Kaeya could have been very easily handed over to the church, the adventurer's guild (like Bennett), or any other family that was willing to take him in. Instead, he was raised at the Ragnvindr Manor.

The son of a sworn brother, is a son of your own, and this would also make Diluc and Kaeya automatically 'sworn siblings' but not as strongly as bonded as their parents. They would likely have to decide to carry on the 'sworn brotherhood' relationship as adults, and Kaeya even says he hasn't seen Diluc that way in a long time- while still calling Crepus his sworn father. Diluc left at the age of adulthood, so it is entirely possible to say Kaeya's bond with Diluc was not as strong as it was with Crepus- possibly because Diluc was only 'sworn' by proxy.

Kaeya also tried to reject this relationship once, running away to Sumeru, but was dragged back by Crepus personally, despite not knowing him for very long. Kaeya describes it as "shortly after" he arrived in the winery. This exceeds the requirements for a man who found a random boy on the street- he full accepted Kaeya into the household very quickly, suggesting he may have either known his parents or his family in some way.

Another theory is that Crepus may have received some sort of compensation for taking in Kaeya, but that does not explain their relationship (which would make it more of a wardship and less of an 'sworn' situation) and the honorifics within.

Side Note: A Khaenri'an book is in Crepus's study within the webtoon, though it not addressed and merely shown.

Why Mondstadt? Why Crepus?

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Kaeya's story 4 describes him as "lean" in english but the word could also mean weak, frail, feeble, ect or other words indicating a person that is in lesser condition.

He himself also says that he theorized his father left him there to give him a better life, considering the way he got to live in Dawn Winery was a stark contrast from whatever he went through beforehand.

Venti is the most absent of the Seven, asleep for large periods of time, and generally hands off with very little interaction with his people that would influence their ways of perceiving Barbatos- even noted by Dain with the line "What is Freedom if demanded of you by a god?" He is the most likely of the seven to leave someone alone, even if they are somewhat a threat or conspiring against Celestia.

The land of Freedom would be the safest place to leave a Khaenri'an, given the lack of Bias in the Mondstadt people outside of the Lawrence family, who hates everyone.

The influence of Istaroth (God of Time) is also notable, but I'm waiting for more information on them before I make any conclusions. Istaroth was generally well liked by many sects of ruined civilizations and respected as a friend to humanity (she was the only one who made an attempt to help the people of Enka), having a strong hold in Mondstadt even today, despite her disappearance.

Mondstadt is also the furthest place you can go by foot from Sumeru that isn't a frigid, loveless land (Snez).

Kaeya's father picked the best possible solution to protect and guard Kaeya when he could no longer do so.

Kaeya Does Not Know His Role

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Kaeya describes himself as an "agent" in the EN but this also translates to "pawn" and "player in a game" as well. This word in CN indicates that Kaeya knows he's being used, but not necessarily for what reasons, and has some manner of autonomy in the decision though not fully.

Based on his reaction to Dain's commentary about his link to the Abyss Order, he likely believes that to be true at face value and has no idea about Old Man Memory Problems (Erosion). He may very well believe that he is descent from an order of evil inclination and bad things- he certainly acts as if he's some sort of sinner and indirectly calls himself as such.

If he really is the Holy Grail, he holds the key to saving Khaenri'ah.

What that is, however, is unknown.

We do not know how Kaeya was not affected by either curses; given he is not pure blood and not immortal.

(He ages, and he is clearly not a Hilichurl, even if he is a goblin at times.)

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Outro:

I don't really have many conclusions yet. A lot of this is just theorycrafting based on chains of events and small clues, as well as an entire cultural nuance we simply lose in the EN completely and plays into his relationships with Crepus.

I can firmly say there is a high possibility Anfortas plays a larger role in the story of Genshin. I do not think we are done with him storytelling wise. I do believe there is a high possibility that Kaeya plays an extremely important role to the conclusion of Khaenri'ah and we've been hinted at that for a very long time.

I am very curious to see what parts of my theory are on point, which points aren't, and what else has been lost in the translation sauce.

Hope guys enjoyed and look forward to your thoughts!

Edited to add some links.

• Who was Anfortas and More Theories regarding his Relationship to Kaeya
• "In the Name of Anfortas" Achievement Retranslated and Explained Nuanced
• Kaeya and Crepus, their relationship and more
• Kaeya and Diluc versus actual sibling dynamics
• Breakdown of Kaeya and Diluc interactions - Spoilers, they don't hate each other is.
• What Kaeya actually is to the Ragnvindrs
• Other messed up examples of sworn brothers and the one time it isn't.
• Kaeya using "brother" in the English translated webtoon and the actual translations
• Calla Lily doesn't exist
• Collection of all my Info Posts
• External: The Difference between CHS Kaeya, JPN Kaeya, and EN Kaeya.