#luama

All the characters look pretty cool and I'm looking forward to getting to know some more about them. Also like this cast is stacked. We have 2 Hexenzirkel members, at least 3 Fatui Harbingers (Dottore, Sandrone, and Columbina), the Grandmaster of the Knights himself Varka, the new factions with the Frostmoon Scions, Lightkeepers, and Clink-Clank Krumkake Craftshop. And that's not accounting for meeting any new characters from the Adventurer's Guild and the Treasure Hoarders (and I think I may be forgetting a faction or two still).

Ineffa also looks to keep at least some relevancy after the events of the Nod Krai preview which is pretty great. Usually X.8 characters don't really seem to be in main story stuff after they debut, at least not until long afterwards, so it's nice that we can expect to continue to see her.

DURIN REAL! Oh my boy. Love, love, love how he kept the horns, wings and tail (even if he seems to be uncomfortable when asked about them). Think that was a tease of OG Durin in the tea cup too, I sense angst and questions of identity.

Got the painterly style back like that we saw in that Shades teaser, look to see it. That line about "... that era There was no boundary between life and death" has got me thinking to something similar in this year's Lantern Rite. I don't remember the specifics and I still haven't actually done Hu Tao's Story Quest, but I do remember that there was talk about the war in Natlan having these effects on the border between life and death in Liyue. Still don't know if it's the same thing, but it's what I thought of.

Also Varka I'm sorry but what

Like how Mondstadt's name means "moon city", hmmmmm.

Also cool little detail but it looks like Luama actually cut herself with the blade to draw blood, and doesn't have red blood.

That Alice face reveal with the Albedo and Wanderer jumpscare, beautiful. (Special shout out to Nicole for also finally getting her face revealed) Hope that Albedo still manages to be important in some way shape or form, Wanderer for sure seems to be going after Dottore. One of my friends pointed out to me that his reflection in the water was actually that of Scaramouche, which is a nice tie-in with Columbina's lines earlier.

Also makes me wonder if somehow his erasure from Irminsul is going to somehow be reversed. Would be a pretty rough time.