Autumn Winds, Scarlet Leaves guide: All you need to know for this Archon Quest

Following the aftermath of the last Archon Quest (and boy was that a plot twist), our dear traveller is left ruminating what their next move is - and how they can track down both their potentially villainous sibling and the mysterious deity that sent them careening into Teyvat in the first place.

To do that, they’ll need to find a way into Inazuma: home of the Electro Archon, the Shogun Raiden, who appears to be ruling the country with an iron fist. Step one is getting into the isolationist country in the first place... and that means tracking down Captain Beidou of the Crux and by extension, the wandering ronin Kaedehara Kazuha.

Before we get any further, here are the prerequisites needed to start up the quest:

• Be Adventure Rank 36 or higher
• Complete the Archon Quest “Chapter I Act IV - We Will Be Reunited”

That second part in particular is important. The last Archon Quest has a lot of very relevant plot to digest - so get to it if you haven’t already!

Starting the Quest

With that all sorted, head to your journal, track the new quest, and get this show on the road. You’ll be led to teleport to the outskirts of Liyue, where Paimon and the Traveller will have a heart-to-heart about recent revelations and discuss their next actions. Namely, getting into Inazuma.

That’s trickier than it sounds, and you’ll be prompted to talk to Atsuko, an Inazuman native who you’ve met before in Liyue Harbour. Having headed over to her, she’ll warn you getting into Inazuma is a dangerous business, and suggests you get in touch with Beidou and The Crux.

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That means heading over the The Alcor, flagship of The Crux, which is located next to the Guyun Stone Forest. You’re best off teleporting to the nearby Domain, then jumping out of the back of the cave and swimming over to the oars of the ship, from which you can then climb up to the deck.

On board, you’ll find the ship’s captain, Beidou, and newcomer to the game Kaedehara Kazuha. Yes, the full name is used all the time… be grateful it’s a stylish one! After a conversation with both, Beidou will make you a deal: win the fighting tournament she’s put on, and she’ll take you to Inazuma in lieu of the normal prize. 

The Crux Clash

The tournament has been put on by Beidou to try and uncover hidden talents within Liyue, with the prize being a coveted Masterless Vision. The winner will get their hands on said vision, all in the hopes that it will then resonate with them. As the Traveller, you aren’t interested in the vision (you have your own, with far more versatile elemental powers), but it does put you in a difficult position - you’ll need to compete with just your raw abilities in order to avoid awkward questions about how you can use the elements without a vision.

Still, step one is to scout out the competition. Head on over to the arena where the competition will be held in the south-west of the Guyun Stone Forest, and talk with the various entrants as directed. It’ll quickly become apparent that the Traveller, a hero of multiple countries who’s faced down gods, harbingers, and dragons may be a bit over qualified for the tournament…

Still, enter you must. With your scouting done, go over and talk to the Zhuhan nearby to kick things off.

It’s important to note that it is the Traveller fighting, not any of your companions! You’ll probably want to at least give them a useful sword before kicking things off. Don’t worry over-much about levelling them up and equipping them though, as the game will scale you up for the fights.

Having beaten your way through the semi-finals, your opponent Rongshi will warn you that the man you’re set to fight in the finals is dangerous. Paimon will suggest gathering information about them, before diving into the finals blind.

Eventually, you get around to asking Beidou and Kazuha about your opponent, at which point the wandering samurai will make you an offer to head somewhere a little quieter to give you some information.

The Talk with Kazuha

After agreeing and distancing yourselves, Kazuha will reveal he knows the Traveller can use multiple elements, not just one. He wishes to see your abilities in action in trade for information on your finals opponent. Bring down the nearby slimes (this time with whatever active party you’re running), and he’ll be satisfied.

Kazuha will then say you have little to fear having seen you in action. Your opponent is quick… but relies on the element of surprise. With the preparation you have, victory should be yours. 

The conversation isn’t done however, as Kazuha will confess that he is the one who provided the Masterless Vision as the prize for the tournament. The narrative plays out alongside a gorgeous new cutscene explaining the tragic story of how he got it in the first place. No spoilers here though: you’ll have to watch it yourselves.

A No-Show for the Finals… and a Thief!

After your heart-to-heart, the three of you (Paimon counts!) return to the arena… where your opponent hasn’t shown up, much to Beidou’s consternation! Even worse, the Masterless Vision has been stolen. Kazuha quickly volunteers to chase down the culprit, and you join him. Follow the trail, and take the highlighted wind currents to find the thief.

Eventually you’ll come across a group of Treasure Hoarders blocking the way. Dispatch them, to finally catch up with the thief: another Treasure Hoarder and your would-be opponent in the finals, Fei the Flyer!

Bitterly, he explains that once he realised he would be facing down a hero who had clashed with literal gods he felt he had no chance in winning, and tried to run off with the vision. Sadly for him, he’s been caught and the vision didn't activate either. The Traveller convinces Fei to give up the vision and let the matter drop, but Kaedehara Kazuha has different ideas.

The ronin intimidates the Treasure Hoarder into fighting anyway via visceral threats of the punishment for theft at sea. Unsurprisingly, you’ll need to beat Fei up at this point. He’s a crossbow wielding Treasure Hoarder who likes to move around, but shouldn’t pose too much of a challenge.

With Fei defeated, Kazuha will gather the winds to take you back to the arena… where the competition is already over! It turns out Ningguang has heard this year’s competition had gotten too out of hand, and summoned Beidou to explain herself.

Kazuha will assuage your fears, however - you still won, and Beidou will take you to Inazuma. The Inazuman renegade will warn you the journey will be a difficult one however, and to prepare yourself for the storms ahead…

… Which you’ll deal with in the next patch when Inazuma launches! 

Thus ends this Archon Quest guide. Time to get excited for Inazuma, which is coming with patch 1.7!

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