Return to the Moon is the third part in the Teyvat storyline Archon Quest Song of the Welkin Moon: Act VI - Melting Moonlight in the Morning Mist.
Steps[]
- Set out on the path back to the moon
- Discuss what to do with your companions
- Go outside and gaze at the moon
Gameplay Notes[]
- Completing this quest will grant the Wonders of the World achievement Melting Moonlight in the Morning Mist.
- After completing this quest, going to Silvermoon Hall will start the World Quest The Empty Courtyard.
Dialogue[]
Quest DescriptionThe Moon-Prayer Night has come. On this final night, what memories will she leave behind?
- (Approach the bridge in the Phantom of the Sanctuary)
- Columbina:[Note 1] (In just a few moments... I will be gone...)
- Columbina: (I still don't know what to expect on the moon...)
- Columbina: (Will I really be able to send messages to my friends...?)
- Columbina: (The kuuhenki... The animals of Nod-Krai... I'll never get to see them again...)
- Columbina: (I wonder where I'll be when the next Moon-Prayer Night comes?)
- (Approach the marked location)
- Columbina: This is... this is where the people of Hyperborea used to communicate with the moons...
- Lauma: Eternal Moon, Frost Moon, Iridescent Moon... When the power of all three converge...
- Columbina: The gate to the moons shall open.
- Lauma: Mmhmm...
- (The Traveler and Arlecchino place their respective Moon Marrows on two of the three altars)
- The Knave: Moon Marrow preparations are complete. Only the final step remains.
- Columbina: ...I'm sure Nasha Town is livelier than ever at this moment.
- Paimon: Yeah... It's a shame you couldn't be there for it. But it's now or never, right?
- Columbina: It's fine. I'm more than happy with this... my last piece of luggage — my only piece of luggage.
- (Columbina gazes at the greeting card in her hand)
- Columbina: ...
- (Columbina channels her power into the third altar, and the other Marrows pulse in response)
- (A column of flowing light appears around the statue at the heart of the temple)
- Columbina: I can already feel the moon calling to me.
- Columbina: ...
- The Knave: Your home lies on the far side of this light, Columbina.
- Lauma: From now on, we will at last have a reason to pray to the true moon.
- (The Traveler steps forward)
- (Traveler): Columbina.
- Columbina: Yes. I'm listening.
- (Traveler): Be sure to come back and see us when you get the chance!
- (Columbina pauses for a second, then smiles gently)
- Columbina: Hah... Of course.
- (Traveler): But if that chance doesn't come... Then remember that you have friends on this planet — people who will miss "Columbina."
- Columbina: Yes, I will. Thank you for everything you've done for me.
- Columbina: And remember... Come night or day, the moonlight shall always connect us.
- Columbina: ... Well then... Farewell, my friends.
- (A cinematic plays)
-
- Cutscene's Travel Log summary:
-
- (The verdant crests on Hiisi Island glow brightly as festival-goers continue to enjoy the Moon-Prayer Night celebration in Nasha Town)
- (The Dodocommunication Device that Alice gave to Albedo and Durin starts ringing, but only the nearby Ashru notices)
- (As Columbina prepares to leave, she turns to her companions one last time)
- Columbina: Thank you
- Columbina: This was my happiest night in Teyvat
- (Traveler): Farewell, Columbina
- (As the Traveler and Paimon wave goodbye, Columbina turns around and walks into the light)
- (The column of light dissipates into flower petals that float into Nasha Town, where a child catches one)
- (The Dodocommunication Device continues to ring, but nobody is around to pick up the call)
- (Ominous clouds suddenly cover the "moon")
- The Doctor: The moon
- The Doctor: Really is closer than ever tonight...
- Lauma: ...Columbina!
- (As Columbina struggles to catch her breath, the Marrows of the two other moons gather around The Doctor)
- The Doctor: All three moons in one place...
- The Doctor: Time for one final experiment
- The Doctor: Reason, life, death, time, and space...
- The Doctor: They all believed I would fail...
- (Plumes of water burst out of the sea below the platform)
- (Varka and Flins dash across the rooftops of Nasha Town while Durin and Wanderer follow them in the air, everyone racing towards the platform in the sky)
- Paimon: How could this happen!?
- (The Doctor rises even further into the air)
- The Doctor: But Teyvat's primordial power
- The Doctor: Never did belong to the throne of heaven
- The Doctor: And now
- The Doctor: They are mine
- (The Doctor snaps his fingers, creating a shockwave that freezes everyone in place, save for the Traveler)
- (The Doctor is briefly surprised, but recovers quickly and sends a swarm of dagger-like weapons flying towards the Traveler)
- (The Traveler infuses their sword with Pyro and deflects the projectiles, using them as stepping stones to reach the floating platform)
- (The Traveler rushes at The Doctor, but he easily defends against their attacks)
- Columbina: (No...)
- Columbina: (As long as I'm here...)
- (The Traveler switches to attacking with Electro, but The Doctor blocks their strike with an energy shield)
- Columbina: (The Doctor is free to wield the three moons' power...)
- (The Traveler uses Hydro to defend themself against The Doctor's laser)
- Columbina: (It's the only way...)
- (Columbina uses her remaining power to open a Moon Gate behind her, catching the attention of the combatants)
- Columbina: I guess
- Columbina: I won't be going home today...
- (Traveler): Columbina
- (The Traveler twists away from the laser's path and desperately rushes towards her)
- (Traveler): No!
- (Flashbacks of Columbina's time with the Traveler are shown before she falls into the Moon Gate, which shatters before the Traveler can reach it)
- (The other moons' authorities begin to resist The Doctor's command)
- The Doctor: Stubborn world... Do not try to control me...!
- (The Doctor destroys the platform and disappears, sending the Traveler plummeting towards the waters below)
- (Traveler): Columbina...
- (Columbina's greeting card is shown falling after the Traveler)
- (Cinematic ends)
- (After some time passes, everyone regroups at the Curatorium of Secrets)
-
- (The mood is solemn as Lauma tends to the Traveler's injuries)
- Lauma: Are you alright? Do your wounds still hurt?
...- Nefer: I had someone prepare a little medicine that could prove effective. Take it if you need to.
Thanks...- But I'd rather talk about what just happened...
- Durin: In that case, let me relate the contents of the call we made to Alice after the incident occurred.
- (Flashback begins)
- Alice: That Dottore is a crafty one... He distracted the Hexenzirkel by creating a huge fuss at Teyvat's borders.
- Alice: I'd assumed that the cause was an Abyssal intrusion from the outside world — which, in fairness, is a rather common occurrence.
- Alice: But after learning that you managed to influence the phantoms in Nod-Krai, I realized that perhaps this interference could have come from within Teyvat instead.
- Durin: But we weren't able to change their fates...
- Alice: True, you couldn't change how their stories ended. But you did build some "variables" around yourself.
- (Wanderer): Variables?
- Alice: Yes — things you heard that you could not otherwise have learned, ideas that would otherwise have never crossed your mind... All these things are "variables."
- Alice: Of course, most variables usually pale into insignificance with the myriad of possibilities floating around. But the moment you start treating them as building blocks and intentionally stacking them, that changes things.
- Alice: That's what Dottore did, and it's how he created the necessary conditions so that when you activated the portal tonight, it played right into his plan.
- Nicole: However, we have no way of knowing exactly what he did.
- Varka: Yeah. We also need to ascertain Columbina's status.
- (Flashback ends)
- Durin: And that about sums it up.
- The Knave: As I suspected, Dottore has disappeared completely. If it's any consolation, he wasn't able to control Columbina as he might have wished to.
- I'm afraid that's small consolation, given the reason why...
- Paimon: Oh no...
- To disrupt The Doctor's plan...
- ...She escaped into the "moon's reflection."
- Paimon: What? She did what!?
- Wait, didn't any of you see her do that...?
- Paimon: All we saw was, Dottore appeared and used some kind of power... The next thing we knew, he and Columbina were gone, and you were falling into the sea.
- (Traveler): (I see... The Doctor froze time, which is why only I could move freely.)
- (Traveler): (From their perspective, the battle and Columbina's decision all happened in a single instant.)
- (Traveler): (So that's the power of the three moons? But why wasn't I affected? ...Is it because I'm a Descender?)
- Nefer: So, Columbina intentionally opened the Moon Gate, and escaped into the same mysterious world as Rerir and Tholindis...
- Varka: Sounds like bad news.
- The Knave: ...
- This must be why Dottore's been lying low this whole time.
- ...He was biding time until he could execute his plan.
- Albedo: Seen in that way, the "Trilunar Syzygy" and Rerir's emergence... Dottore might have been pulling the strings in both cases.
- Albedo: According to Miss Alice, he is attempting to transcend his destiny and finish an experiment that only a god might complete.
- The Knave: ...An utter lunatic.
- Paimon: Wait a sec, where's Hat Guy? Seems like he'd wanna be here for this.
- Durin: He took off with the Dodocommunication Device after we spoke to Alice. He said he had a hunch that he wanted to investigate by himself.
- Durin: The look on his face was terrifying... I've never seen him like that before.
- (Traveler): (Probably anger and frustration at the fact that Dottore was one step ahead, despite his best efforts.)
- (Traveler): (And honestly, I feel the same way...)
- (Wanderer): I'm back.
- Durin: Hat Guy!
- (Wanderer): I went to look for the Hyperborean phantoms again. I think I've gotten to the bottom of it.
- (Wanderer): I got them to talk to Nicole on the other end of the communications line. Turns out, the history they describe is different from how Nicole remembers it.
- Paimon: Really? But how? Surely Nicole can't have been wrong...
- (Wanderer): Because the phantoms are the ones who were deceived. They speak of a "savior" who appeared in their history, one who never should've existed.
- (Wanderer): This savior promised to create a new moon within the false sky, and even bring back their Moon Goddesses.
- (Wanderer): Foolishly, they believed in him, and told him everything he wanted to know about the moons.
- (Wanderer): It's obvious that this was Dottore's doing.
- Lauma: Now you mention it... The first time we entered the Hyperborean ruins, we heard the phantoms discussing their history, and I remember Nicole commenting that something sounded a little strange...
- Paimon: But Dottore shouldn't have been able to get in there in the first place!
- (Wanderer): He didn't. Nicole said that this was an anomalous state triggered by disruptions in the causal connections between phantoms from the same era.
- (Wanderer): The "variables" that Dottore put in place were substantial enough that they even affected phantoms that he never met.
- Nefer: So it's not that their memories were unclear... they'd been tampered with.
- (Wanderer): That's exactly the possibility Dottore was trying to manufacture. He turned these variables into knowledge and engineered the situation so all that knowledge would fall into his hands.
- (Wanderer): Then, he harnessed that knowledge on Moon-Prayer Night... to truly create a "false moon."
- Paimon: How is that even possible?
- (Wanderer): To be precise, he exploited a weakness in the way the spell works.
- (Wanderer): The spell senses kuuvahki to detect the moon's location. So, as long as the "false moon" more strongly resembled a moon than the Frost Moon beyond the skies...
- (Wanderer): That gate would teleport Columbina to the false moon's location... in other words, to Dottore's side.
- (Wanderer): Once he had her under control, the teleportation spell remained active, and he manipulated her power to seize both Moon Marrows.
- Lauma: At that moment, the Moon Marrows disappeared right before our eyes... It was already too late even as we were leaving the ruins.
- The Knave: By then, Dottore had already amassed the power of all three moons.
- Paimon: So... Where does this leave us? What do we do now?
- The Knave: I'd certainly like to know what Her Majesty thinks, now that the concerns I expressed to her have come to pass. But we cannot simply sit and wait for her to decide the matter.
- The Knave: And in any case, it is not the Fatui Harbinger, "Damselette," who sees us as her friends, but rather, Columbina Hyposelenia.
- The Knave: If, even in such extreme circumstances, Her Majesty will not lift the prohibition on Harbingers drawing steel against one another...
- (Arlecchino clenches her fist)
- The Knave: Then I will do as my heart demands. I will fight as Peruere instead.
- Paimon: Arlecchino...
- The Knave: Time is short, so I'll make the first move.
- (Arlecchino heads for the exit with purpose)
- Paimon: Whew, even Arlecchino seems to be losing her cool now...
- (Traveler): (I'm sure she feels partly responsible for this... And so do I...)
- (The Traveler clenches their fist)
- (Wanderer): ...
- Durin: ...
- (Everyone falls silent, the situation weighing on their minds)
- Varka: Alright, alright, alright. Lose those dejected looks for a moment, and let me get a word in.
- Varka: It looks bad, I won't lie. Very bad, in fact.
- Varka: So Dottore's pulled some real dirty tricks to gain the upper hand — for now.
- Varka: And yeah, it's to the point where even the mages say that his "variables" have affected destiny. I'm not so sure, though.
- Varka: Many have told me that Teyvat's destiny is fixed, and that does appear to be the case. Well, what makes Dottore so sure he'll be the exception?
- Varka: And since he was able to stack these "variables" up, who's to say we can't do the same?
- Varka: You, of all people, should not be discouraged, traveler from afar.
- Varka: This isn't over yet.
- Mm...
- Still... I can't help but blame myself.
- Varka: And you're not alone in that. Everyone here does, whether they've spoken thus far or not.
- Varka: But none of us are the type to sit back and wait for the sun to shine again.
- Varka: That's exactly how a knight should roll — they knock you down, you get back up and get back in it. Don't forget, Honorary Knight, you're a legitimate member of Mondstadt, too!
- Hmm...
- Paimon: Varka's right! This is far from over!
- Paimon: Dottore's already way overdue a butt-kicking given his past shenanigans. And after this, he's earned himself a double dose!
- Varka: That's what I'm talking about!
- Varka: How's everyone else feeling?
- Lauma: I'll use kuuvahki to investigate Columbina's whereabouts. I'm not ready to give up either.
- Nefer: Leave the intel-gathering to me. Whatever happens within Nod-Krai's borders, when the Curatorium of Secrets wants to be in the know, we always find a way.
- Ineffa: Aino and I will do all we can to support you. We will attempt to reverse engineer Dottore's actions and seek a breakthrough that way.
- Durin: Alice and Nicole are busy dealing with an emergency at Teyvat's borders, so they can't return just yet...
- Durin: But they're both very angry about this. They've asked Albedo and me to act on the Hexenzirkel's behalf and do everything in our power to fight back against Dottore.
- Albedo: Are you ready, then? We're going to have to conduct a lot of research, even in the early stages.
- Durin: I'll do my best.
- (Wanderer): As for me, I'm pretty familiar with Dottore's way of doing things, so I can try to predict his next move. I'll help with your investigation.
- Varka: Nice. Looks like we have our basic division of labor.
- Varka: I'll get in touch with Flins and Illuga, get them to have a chat with their Starshyna. Couldn't hurt to bring the Lightkeepers on board as well.
- Varka: At the same time, I'll pass on instructions to the Knights present in Nod-Krai to assist the Lightkeepers and other organizations in ensuring the safety of those living here.
- Understood...
- We've got to be prepared for anything.
- Paimon: Yeah! We'll show him!
- Varka: That's it, then. Good luck, everyone.
- (The scene changes to show the Traveler in Nasha Town at night, thoughts of Columbina swirling in their head)
- (Traveler): (Columbina...)
- Columbina: I never thought that "Columbina" would become my real name.
- Columbina: It went being from a Fatui codename... to "something my friends call me."
- Columbina: And remember... Come night or day, the moonlight shall always connect us.
- (A pigeon flies by, and the camera follows its path towards the moon before fading to black)
- (The scene changes to show Columbina falling through the void of space)
- Columbina: ...
- (Columbina disappears, leaving only white feathers behind)
Gallery[]
Cutscene Animation- "Where the Moon Belongs" - Genshin Impact
Notes[]
- ↑ From this point on, the name appeared on her dialogue box is changed to Columbina, however it still appears as The Damselette in the Travel Log.
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Return to the Moon | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 回到月亮上去 Huídào Yuèliàng Shàng Qù | Return to the Moon |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 回到月亮上去 Huídào Yuèliàng Shàng Qù | |
| Japanese | 月に帰ろう | |
| Korean | 달로 돌아가는 밤 Dallo Doraganeun Bam | |
| Spanish | De regreso a la luna | Back to the Moon |
| French | Retour à la lune | Return to the Moon |
| Russian | Возвращение на Луну Vozvrashcheniye na Lunu | Return to the Moon |
| Thai | กลับไปยังดวงจันทร์ | |
| Vietnamese | Quay Về Mặt Trăng | |
| German | Rückkehr zum Mond | Return to the Moon |
| Indonesian | Kembali ke Bulan | |
| Portuguese | Retorno à Lua | |
| Turkish | Aya Dönüş | |
| Italian | Ritorno alla luna |
Change History[]
Released in Version "Luna III"
