Chapter Text
Introduction
"Khaenri'ah was a proud nation, once upon a time."
Kaeya Alberich
A Chance Encounter
I first became acquainted with the cavalry captain of the Knights of Favonius in the early summer a few years ago. During the morn of my personal initiation into their ranks, the captain caught my eye. He was a striking individual from head to toe – his deep blue hair shone with velvet luster, his gait confident and sprightly. Yet, his most distinguishing feature was his one visible eye, and in it, a dark pupil in the shape of a star.
The captain hid his otherness well. He was a man beloved by the city of Mondstadt, blessed as they came. I had even heard of the famed Kaeya Alberich before my own appointment into knighthood, as a testament of how far his reputation spread. I was only able to pick up on his foreign heritage with what little extra knowledge I had been granted. My master had enlightened me of the significance of this seemingly minute feature of a star-shaped pupil. Indeed, the constellations hidden in his eyes harken back to ancient civilisation that fell approximately 500 years ago – Khaenri'ah.
With this in mind, I chose not to approach Kaeya at first with the fact that I knew this information. This was a good move for us both, as at that time I was busy with investigations in Dragonspine of Mondstadt and Kaeya had his horses to train. Yet, on the rare occasions I was back in the city, Kaeya and I shared a simmering comradeship. It was one borne of the fact we were of similar rank and age, and as the years went by I found myself in his company rather often.
After my research in Dragonspine finally came to an end, I ascertained that this was no time to stagnate. The world of Teyvat remains vast with infinite amounts of unsolved mysteries. It was at this point that Kaeya's heritage came to the forefront of my mind. When our schedules next aligned, I approached Kaeya as the captain of the Knights' investigation team with a proposal. His response was one of shock at first, before he quickly smoothed it down into one of his famed charming smiles. He offered to discuss it further after a quick outing, and seemed even more pleasantly surprised when I accepted.
Over dinner in his personal home, Kaeya asked me just what I was going to do with this information. He seemed even more amused at the thought I was interested in shedding light on the culture behind this ancient nation cast in shadows. After all, it is not everyday that one runs into a descendent of the ruins lost to time. My curiosity was piqued, and Kaeya must have sensed this, for he let out a hearty laugh after another swig of wine. I must extend my gratitude towards him. The captain agreed to allow me a glimpse into his past, and his only request was for my 'lovely company'. Indeed, it appears that the Khaenri'ahn men were a humble, gentlemanly sort. I am most thankful for his willingness to share the following precious accounts of a long-forgotten culture.
A Solitary Childhood
Kaeya Alberich was born an only child to two unnamed parents in the outskirts of Teyvat. At that time, he lived with several stragglers as refugees in the wilderness. Kaeya and his people travelled between hilichurl camps in order to survive. They cleared them out, poaching boars by day and seeking shelter in the huts by night. Yet, they had to constantly be on the move due to the monsters roaming around the wilderness. It was dangerous out in the wild, especially at night. This way of living was especially stressful on children like Kaeya. The weaker members often fell sick or starved, and many did not survive. It was often that this small tribe of nomads had to bury their weak, elderly, and young.
There was usually no time to sit by idly. From a young age, Kaeya's skills had to be honed to be as sharp as possible. When he wasn't sleeping, Kaeya was often training with the adults in the basics of wielding a sword. His strength and endurance were built up as well, as the weapons they had access to were often rusty and brittle from years of worn-down use. They were sometimes dangerous to the users themselves, in fact. A middle-aged archer had attempted to fire an arrow, but the bowstring drew taut finally broke apart the fragile wood. The splinters landed in their eye, and they passed away a few days later from infected wounds.
Throughout all of this hardship, something kept them going. Kaeya was little at that time, but recalls the adults talking about 'last hopes' and 'bringing glory once more'. It seems this was the fire that kept the nomads going even through the coldest of nights. This lifestyle, to Kaeya, encapsulated the saying 'survival of the fittest' to a truly horrible extent. He was visibly rattled recounting his experiences. For his sake, I asked to skip a few years of his recount, and he was quick to oblige.
Living with the Ragnvindr Family
Albedo: So how exactly was it, Sir Kaeya, that you ended up here in the city of Mondstadt?
Kaeya: [slyly] Always so respectful. It's almost cute in a way, but I'm not telling you until you just call me Kaeya, my dear alchemist.
Albedo: ...Kaeya, then. Would you be kind as to oblige now?
Kaeya: Anything for you, of course. My… father, shall we say. That good-for-nothing dumped me over at the Dawn Winery one fine day. Said he was off to 'buy grape juice', the damn bastard. He never came back.
Albedo: I'm truly sorry to hear that. And how did you feel?
Kaeya: You know what? What have I got to lose anyway? [laughing] Said we'd always stick together, some bullshit that turned out to be. Bet they got sick of caring for me. A liability, wasn't I?
Albedo: I'm sure that's not true. There must be a good explanation.
Kaeya: Is there, Albedo? Is there?
When he was older, yet still a young boy, Kaeya was left alone outside the mansion of Mondstadt's famous Dawn Winery. Crepus Ragnvindr, head and owner of the winery at that time, took Kaeya in and raised him as his own son alongside his own, Diluc Ragnvindr.
It was during this period of adolescence that Kaeya was introduced to, and subsequently grew accustomed to, Mondstadt's carefree culture. It took the young Kaeya some time to get used to this new normal. No longer had he any need to constantly look over his shoulder and tremble in fear. He was welcomed as an equal into the Ragnvindr family, and he responded in kind.
The infamous details of the subsequent falling apart of the family are a separate issue, and are outside the scope of what I set out to cover. Kaeya, however, was most generous in divulging some of the details to me. He recalls his Khaenri'ahn heritage being a distinct point of contention between him and the young Ragnvindr heir after the death of Crepus Ragnvindr. This reinforces the fact that our current inhabitants of Teyvat tend to lack knowledge about Khaenri'ahn culture and harbour certain beliefs towards those of Khaenri'ahn descent.
Research, Continued
As the day drew to a close, I thanked the cavalry captain for his time and was surprised when he paid for my meal. He held up a hand against my protest, and in hindsight, I must admit he distracted me with the promise of more knowledge to come.
Kaeya's smile was gentle, and yet forlorn. He bade me goodbye after walking me out amongst the darkened street lamps.
As I treaded a familiar pathway home, my mind and thoughts were abuzz with the new information I had gained today. It isn't often one finds themself face to face with a living relic of times gone by – even my acclaimed master, Rhinedottir, had never been privy to such deep insights. To say I was intrigued was to say the least.
In the following chapters, I discuss more of my findings gleaned both from Kaeya's accounts and my own field research. I trust that the reader will find this helpful, concise, and last but not least, fascinating.
Albedo
Chief Alchemist of the Ordo Favonius