This article is about the gameplay mechanic. For the crystal, see Arkhium.
Arkhe is a combat and exploration mechanic related to Fontaine.
Arkhe consists of two opposing energies — Pneuma and Ousia. When the two energies meet, an Annihilation reaction will be triggered, causing a variety of effects based on the setting.
Overview
Spiritbreath Thorn
Surging Blade
Upon hitting an Arkhe-infused entity with the opposite energy, special interactions will be triggered to stun Clockwork Meka, stun Breacher Primuses in their stressed state, and solve puzzles in the environment.
Pneuma and Ousia Blocks can be found in the world. Once picked up, the character's next Normal/Charged/Plunging attack will be infused with its corresponding Arkhe.
Fontainian characters, as well as the Hydro Traveler can release Spiritbreath Thorns (Pneuma) or Surging Blades (Ousia) based on their innate Arkhe alignments. These attacks trigger as follow-ups to one of their Combat Talents, but have a fixed cooldown once triggered which is separate from the Talent's cooldown. Spiritbreath Thorn and Surging Blade attacks do not apply elemental effects. While diving, characters' attacks will be infused with their Arkhe alignment by default, as they do not have access to their Combat Talents.
The innate Arkhe alignment of Fontainian characters is represented by their Vision design.
Character Innate Arkhe
Preview
- Arkhe Ability Cooldown
Hover over previews to view in higher quality.
- Arkhe Weapon Effect
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Talents
Pneuma
There are 7 Talents that match the category selection:
| Talent | Description | Type | Arkhe Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
 Aquacrest Saber  Aquacrest Saber Traveler (Hydro) | Unleashes a torrent that can cleanse the world. Press Sends a Torrent Surge forward that will deal Hydro DMG to opponents it comes into contact with. Hold Enter Aiming Mode and constantly fire off Dewdrops in the direction in which you are aiming, dealing Hydro DMG to opponents they hit. When the skill ends, it will send a Torrent Surge forward that will deal Hydro DMG to opponents it comes into contact with. Suffusion: When using the Hold configuration of this skill, if the Traveler's HP is higher than 50%, the DMG dealt by Dewdrops will increase based on the Traveler's Max HP, and the Traveler will lose a fixed amount of HP every second. Arkhe: Pneuma At certain intervals, after using Torrent Surge, this skill will unleash a Spiritbreath Thorn that pierces opponents, dealing Pneuma-aligned Hydro DMG. | Elemental Skill | 9s |
 Card Force Translocation  Card Force Translocation Lyney | Normal Attack Performs up to 4 consecutive shots with a bow. Plunging Attack Fires off a shower of arrows in mid-air before falling and striking the ground, dealing AoE DMG upon impact. Charged Attack Performs a more precise Aimed Shot with increased DMG. While aiming, flames will run across the arrowhead before being fired. Different effects will occur based on the time spent charging.
The lowest Lyney can drop to through this method is 60% of his Max HP. Grin-Malkin Hat
Arkhe: Pneuma At certain intervals, the Prop Arrow will cause a Spiritbreath Thorn to descend upon its hit location, dealing Pneuma-aligned Pyro DMG. | Normal Attack | 6s |
 Cool-Color Capture  Cool-Color Capture Charlotte | Normal Attack Taking aim at targets using Monsieur Verite, her custom Kamera, Charlotte performs up to 3 consecutive attacks, dealing Cryo DMG. Charged Attack Consumes a fixed amount of Stamina, and after a moment's preparation, will deploy Monsieur Verite to deal AoE Cryo DMG. Plunging Attack Gathering the power of Cryo, Charlotte plunges toward the ground, dealing DMG to all opponents in her path and dealing AoE Cryo DMG upon landing. Arkhe: Pneuma At certain intervals, upon using a Charged Attack, Charlotte will cause a Spiritbreath Thorn to descend and pierce opponents, dealing Pneuma-aligned AoE Cryo DMG. | Normal Attack | |
 Fragrance Extraction  Fragrance Extraction Emilie | Creates a Lumidouce Case that deals AoE Dendro DMG. Lumidouce Case
Arkhe: Pneuma At intervals, after Emilie creates a Lumidouce Case this way, a Spiritbreath Thorn will descend in front of her and pierce her opponent, dealing Pneuma-aligned Dendro DMG. | Elemental Skill | 10s |
 O Tears, I Shall Repay  O Tears, I Shall Repay Neuvillette | Summons a Raging Waterfall that will deal AoE Hydro DMG to opponents in front of Neuvillette based on his Max HP. After hitting an opponent, this skill will generate 3 Sourcewater Droplets near that opponent. Arkhe: Pneuma At certain intervals, when the Raging Waterfall descends, a Spiritbreath Thorn will descend that will pierce opponents, dealing Pneuma-aligned Hydro DMG. | Elemental Skill | 10s |
 Pressurized Floe  Pressurized Floe Freminet | Performs an upward thrust that deals Cryo DMG and causes Freminet to enter Pers Timer for 10s. While Pers Timer is active, his Elemental Skill will turn into Shattering Pressure. Shattering Pressure Executes different sorts of attacks based on the Pressure Level of Pers Timer, and then cancels Pers Timer.
Pers Timer When Freminet uses Normal Attacks, he will also unleash waves of frost that deal Cryo DMG and increase Pers's Pressure Level. The accompanying Cryo DMG dealt this way is considered Elemental Skill DMG. Arkhe: Pneuma At certain intervals, after using the upward thrust, a Spiritbreath Thorn in the form of another upward thrust will be created, dealing Pneuma-aligned Cryo DMG. | Elemental Skill | 9s |
 Soloist's Solicitation  Soloist's Solicitation Furina | Normal Attack Performs up to 4 consecutive strikes. Charged Attack Consumes a certain amount of Stamina to unleash a solo dance, dealing Physical DMG to nearby opponents and changing her Arkhe alignment. If Salon Members or Singer of Many Waters summoned by her Elemental Skill "Salon Solitaire" are present, their lineup will switch in response. Arkhe: Seats Sacred and Secular At intervals, when Furina's Normal Attacks hit, a Spiritbreath Thorn or a Surging Blade will descend based on her current alignment, dealing Hydro DMG based on her current alignment. When Furina takes the field, her starting Arkhe will be Ousia. Plunging Attack Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact. | Normal Attack | 6s |
Ousia
There are 7 Talents that match the category selection:
| Talent | Description | Type | Arkhe Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
 Ceremonial Crystalshot  Ceremonial Crystalshot Navia | When a character in the party obtains an Elemental Shard created from the Crystallize reaction, Navia will gain 1 Crystal Shrapnel stack. Navia can have up to 6 stacks of Crystal Shrapnel at once. Each time Crystal Shrapnel gain is triggered, the duration of the Crystal Shrapnel stacks you already have will be reset. When she fires, Navia will consume all Crystal Shrapnel stacks and open her elegant yet lethal Gunbrella, firing multiple Rosula Shardshots that can penetrate opponents, dealing Geo DMG to opponents hit. When 0/1/2/3 or more stacks of Crystal Shrapnel are consumed, 5/7/9/11 Rosula Shardshots will be fired respectively. The more Rosula Shardshots that strike a single opponent, the greater the DMG dealt to them. When all 11 Rosula Shardshots strike, 200% of the original amount of DMG is dealt. In addition, when more than 3 stacks of Crystal Shrapnel are consumed, every stack consumed beyond those 3 will increase the DMG dealt by this Gunbrella attack by an additional 15%. Hold Enter Aiming Mode, continually collecting nearby Elemental Shards created by Crystallize reactions. When released, fire Rosula Shardshots with the same effect as when the skill is Tapped. Two initial charges. Arkhe: Ousia Periodically, when Navia fires her Gunbrella, a Surging Blade will be summoned, dealing Ousia-aligned Geo DMG. | Elemental Skill | 7s |
 Darkgold Wolfbite  Darkgold Wolfbite Wriothesley | Activating his boxing gloves, Wriothesley strikes out with an icy straight, then uses Icicle Impact to cause multiple instances of AoE Cryo DMG in a frontal area. Arkhe: Ousia After Icicle Impact ends, a Surging Blade will descend upon the opponent's position, dealing Ousia-aligned Cryo DMG. | Elemental Burst | 10s |
 Enigmatic Feint  Enigmatic Feint Lynette | Flicks her mantle and executes an Enigma Thrust, dealing Anemo DMG. When the Enigma Thrust hits an opponent, it will restore Lynette's HP based on her Max HP, and in the 4s afterward, she will lose a certain amount of HP per second. Based on whether you (presspress/taptap) or hold this ability, she will use Enigma Thrust differently. (PressPress/TapTap) She swiftly uses an Enigma Thrust. Hold Lynette will enter a high-speed Pilfering Shadow state and apply Shadowsign to a nearby opponent. You can control her movement direction during this state, and you can end it prematurely by using this skill again. When this high-speed state ends, Lynette will unleash her Enigma Thrust. If there is an opponent with Shadowsign applied to them nearby, Lynette will approach them in a flash before using Enigma Thrust. A maximum of 1 opponent can have Shadowsign at any one time. When this opponent gets too far from Lynette, the Shadowsign will be canceled. Arkhe: Ousia At specific intervals, Lynette will unleash a Surging Blade when she uses Enigma Thrust, dealing Ousia-aligned Anemo DMG. | Elemental Skill | 10s |
 Hunter's Vigil  Hunter's Vigil Clorinde | Preparing her pistolet, she enters the "Night Vigil" state, using steel and shot together. In this state, Clorinde's Normal Attacks will be transformed into "Swift Hunt" pistolet attacks, and the DMG dealt is converted into Electro DMG that cannot be overridden by infusions, and she will be unable to use Charged Attacks. Using her Elemental Skill will transform it into "Impale the Night": Perform a lunging attack, dealing Electro DMG. The DMG done through the aforementioned method is considered Normal Attack DMG. Swift Hunt
Impale the Night The current percentage value of Clorinde's Bond of Life determines its effect:
In addition, when Clorinde is in the Night Vigil state, healing effects other than Impale the Night will not take effect and will instead be converted into a Bond of Life that is a percentage of the healing that would have been received. Clorinde will exit the "Night Vigil" state when she leaves the field. Arkhe: Ousia Periodically, when Clorinde's Swift Hunt shots strike opponents, she will summon a Surging Blade at the position hit that deals Ousia-aligned Electro DMG. | Elemental Skill | 10s |
 Rebound Hydrotherapy  Rebound Hydrotherapy Sigewinne | Blows a Bolstering Bubblebalm that can stimulate blood flow and help patients drift off to sleep using a bubblegun specially made in the Fortress of Meropide. Bolstering Bubblebalms will bounce between nearby opponents, dealing Hydro DMG based on Sigewinne's max HP to opponents it hits. When it bounces, it will restore HP to all nearby party members except Sigewinne herself. The amount healed is based on Sigewinne's max HP. After bouncing 5 times, the Bolstering Bubblebalm will disappear and restore HP to Sigewinne based on her max HP value. When no opponents are present, the Bolstering Bubblebalm will bounce nearby. Only one Bolstering Bubblebalm created by a Sigewinne may exist at once. When Held, the Bolstering Bubblebalm can be boosted to an even bigger size. Hold Enter Aiming Mode to begin blowing an even bigger, even more breathtaking Bolstering Bubblebalm! The Bolstering Bubblebalm will grow bigger the longer the skill is Held, until it grows up to two tiers in size. Each tier it grows increases its DMG by 5% and healing by 5%. When a Bolstering Bubblebalm bounces, it will drop down a tier in size, until it returns to being a normal Bolstering Bubblebalm. After weaker opponents are hit by big Bolstering Bubblebalms, they will be imprisoned and will be unable to move. In addition, 2 Sourcewater Droplets will be created near Sigewinne when she uses this Skill. Each Sourcewater Droplet Sigewinne collects will grant her a Bond of Life worth 10% of her Max HP. When Sigewinne's Bond of Life is cleared, she regains 1 Elemental Energy for every 2,000 HP worth of the Bond of Life that was cleared. Sigewinne can regain up to 5 Elemental Energy in this way. Arkhe: Ousia Bolstering Bubblebalms periodically call down a Surging Blade on the position they hit, dealing Ousia-aligned Hydro DMG based on Sigewinne's max HP. | Elemental Skill | 10s |
 Short-Range Rapid Interdiction Fire  Short-Range Rapid Interdiction Fire Chevreuse | Chevreuse quickly shoulders her musket and fires at her opponent(s), dealing AoE Pyro DMG. For a short duration after Chevreuse fires a shot, she will continuously restore HP to the active character on the field. The amount healed is based on her Max HP. Hold to fire in a different fashion. Hold Enter Aiming Mode, locking a target in her sights to fire a precise interdiction shot. If Chevreuse has an Overcharged Ball, then she will fire the Overcharged Ball instead, dealing greater Pyro DMG in a larger area. Chevreuse gains 1 Overcharged Ball every time a nearby character in the party triggers an Overloaded reaction, and can have up to 1 Overcharged Ball at a time. Arkhe: Ousia Periodically, after Chevreuse's Short-Range Rapid Interdiction Fire hits, a Surging Blade will be called forth that deals Ousia-aligned Pyro DMG. | Elemental Skill | 10s |
Soloist's Solicitation Soloist's Solicitation Furina | Normal Attack Performs up to 4 consecutive strikes. Charged Attack Consumes a certain amount of Stamina to unleash a solo dance, dealing Physical DMG to nearby opponents and changing her Arkhe alignment. If Salon Members or Singer of Many Waters summoned by her Elemental Skill "Salon Solitaire" are present, their lineup will switch in response. Arkhe: Seats Sacred and Secular At intervals, when Furina's Normal Attacks hit, a Spiritbreath Thorn or a Surging Blade will descend based on her current alignment, dealing Hydro DMG based on her current alignment. When Furina takes the field, her starting Arkhe will be Ousia. Plunging Attack Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact. | Normal Attack | 6s |
Weapons
1 Weapon match the category selection:
| Icon | Name | Quality | Base ATK (Lv. 1) |
2nd Stat (Lv. 1) |
Passive Ability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sword of Narzissenkreuz | 
|
510 (42) |
ATK 41.3% (9%) |
Hero's Blade When the equipping character does not have an Arkhe: When Normal Attacks, Charged Attacks, or Plunging Attacks strike, a Pneuma or Ousia energy blast will be unleashed, dealing 160~320% of ATK as DMG. This effect can be triggered once every 12s. The energy blast type is determined by the current type of the Sword of Narzissenkreuz. |
Tutorials
- Pneuma, Ousia, and Their Mutual Annihilation
These are the properties found in the life-forms, earth, air, and watery veins of Fontaine. The collision between energies of different properties causes annihilation and the production of greater energies — it is this principle that powers many clockwork meka. Of course, the power supply of these meka is unstable, resulting in Pneuma or Ousia-aligned energy states. Attacks with the opposite alignment can be used to overload and disable their power supplies.These are the properties found in the life-forms, earth, air, and watery veins of Fontaine. The collision between energies of different properties causes annihilation and the production of greater energies — it is this principle that powers many clockwork meka. Of course, the power supply of these meka is unstable, resulting in Pneuma or Ousia-aligned energy states. Attacks with the opposite alignment can be used to overload and disable their power supplies.
- Underwater Pneumousia Energies...
Most characters from Fontaine have an Arkhe, and thus can use their attacks to trigger energies corresponding to their Arkhe attribute underwater without the use of Pnuemousia Blocks.Most characters from Fontaine have an Arkhe, and thus can use their attacks to trigger energies corresponding to their Arkhe attribute underwater without the use of Pnuemousia Blocks.
Trivia
- Arkhe could be a reference to matter and antimatter. When matter comes into contact with antimatter, they mutually annihilate each other and releases an immense amount of energy as the matter is converted to energy.
Etymology
- Arkhe or Arche (Ancient Greek: ἀρχή) is a Greek word referring to the beginning, origin, or first principle of the world.
Other Languages
Arkhe
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Arkhe | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 始基力 Shǐjī-lì | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 始基力 Shǐjī-lì | |
| Japanese | アルケー Arukee | — |
| Korean | 아르케의 힘 Areuke-ui Him | Power of Arkhe |
| Spanish | Arjé | Arkhe |
| French | Arkhe | — |
| Russian | Архэ Arkhe | — |
| Thai | พลังปฐมภูมิ | Power of Primal |
| Vietnamese | Sức Mạnh Nền Tảng | |
| German | Arkhe | — |
| Indonesian | Arkhe | — |
| Portuguese | Arkhe | — |
| Turkish | Arkhe | — |
| Italian | Archè | Arkhe |
Pneuma
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Pneuma | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 芒性 Mángxìng | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 芒性 Mángxìng | |
| Japanese | プネウマ Puneuma | — |
| Korean | 프뉴마 Peunyuma | — |
| Spanish | Pneuma | — |
| French | Pneuma | — |
| Russian | Пневма Pnevma | — |
| Thai | พลังวิญญาณ | Power of the Soul |
| Vietnamese | Pneuma | — |
| German | Pneuma | — |
| Indonesian | Pneuma | — |
| Portuguese | Pneuma | — |
| Turkish | Ruh | Soul |
| Italian | Pneuma | — |
Ousia
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Ousia | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 荒性 Huāngxìng | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 荒性 Huāngxìng | |
| Japanese | ウーシア Uushia | — |
| Korean | 우시아 Usia | — |
| Spanish | Ousía | — |
| French | Ousia | — |
| Russian | Усия Usiya | — |
| Thai | พลังสสาร | Power of Matter |
| Vietnamese | Ousia | — |
| German | Ousia | — |
| Indonesian | Ousia | — |
| Portuguese | Ousia | — |
| Turkish | Öz | Essence |
| Italian | Ousia | — |
Change History
Released in Version 4.0
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