Alberich Clan

The Alberich Clan is a Khaenri'ahn aristocratic clan which has existed since at least the Eclipse Dynasty era, known for producing leaders of Khaenri'ah's knights. During and after the cataclysm 500 years ago, two of its members played major roles in history: Anfortas was the substitute leader of Khaenri'ah when King Irmin was unable to rule, while Chlothar became the founder of the Abyss Order.
The clan managed to survive the kingdom of Khaenri'ah's destruction during the cataclysm and has continued its lineage to the present day, with Kaeya as part of the current generation.
==Story==
Based on Perinheri, the Crimson Moon Dynasty ended and changed to another dynasty — likely the Eclipse Dynasty — sometime between Perinheri's childhood and becoming one of Khaenri'ah's best knights.Perinheri (I)'s introduction states "In those days, a crimson moon shone down upon the subterranean realm, and not the dark sun of latter days." Towards the end of the volume, the passage of time is noted with "the crimson moon set, and the dark sun descended into a yet darker dusk." If taken metaphorically, these two passages may be referring to the Crimson Moon and Eclipse Dynasties. By the time of Perinheri (II), someone simply named "Alberich" was the commander of half the knights and was considered one of the four strongest people in Khaenri'ah, alongside the Beastmaster Knight Njord, the Universitas Magistrorum's strongest warrior Alf, and the "undefeated" Perinheri.
===500 Years Ago===
Because of the Alberich Clan's status, Chlothar had access to the Royal Library of Khaenri'ah, employed servants, and was held to very restrictive standards; however, he was not reputable enough to have been personally acquainted with the Traveler's sibling, who had been granted a royal title. At some point, he fell in love with a woman from Mondstadt who had come to Khaenri'ah and had a son, Caribert, with her. However, due to her commoner status, their relationship was not accepted by other members of the Alberich Clan and Chlothar was unable to protect his lover or illegitimate son.
Meanwhile, Anfortas, the Knight Marshal and leader of the Schwanenritter, was of high enough standing that he was able to personally give counsel to King Irmin.Interactable: Someone's Abandoned Letter While his background is unknown, he can be deduced to be a member of the Alberich Clan given that he became Regent when Irmin was "indisposed,"Interactable: Barely-Legible Bulletin and the present-day Alberich Clan claims that "it was the Alberich Clan, who did not have royal blood, who stepped in as regents when the strength of the one-eyed king Irmin failed."Event Hidden Strife Interactable: The Brick
====The Cataclysm====
When King Irmin was in an "indisposed state" and could not handle the threat of dark beasts attacking the kingdom, Anfortas declared himself Regent without any currently known resistance. Anfortas and the Schwanenritter made the decision to evacuate able-bodied survivors to the surface,Interactable: Ancient Journal using the Mechanical Wardens — likely referring to what are now known as Ruin Golems — to fight against the dark beasts.Interactable: Soiled Orders Anfortas was the last surviving Schwanenritter and presumably died in Dharma Forest;Achievement Description: In the Name of Anfortas their last operating Ruin Golem can be found at Devantaka Mountain, and Nagarjuna fought alongside the Schwanenritter before leading his Darshan to the Girdle of the Sands to carry out the Schwanenritter's will of completely destroying the dark disaster.
Chlothar and Caribert were in Khaenri'ah when the gods laid down curses on them. Due to his pure-blooded lineage, Chlothar was cursed with immortality while Caribert was given the "curse of wilderness" and transformed into a hilichurl. What exactly happened to Chlothar's lover is never addressed, but she is implied to have been killed at some point during Khaenri'ah's destruction.
====After the Cataclysm====
Following the cataclysm, desperate to do something for his son even if the curse could not be broken, Chlothar traveled to Sumeru to make a medicine that would supposedly restore Caribert's intelligence and consciousness, enlisting the help of the Traveler's sibling when they stumbled into each other. After failing to obtain power from the God of Wisdom, Abyssal power from an unknown "Sinner" was discovered underground and obtained instead. The medicine imbued with the power of the Abyss worked on Caribert, earning the Abyss a devout follower in Chlothar. However, Caribert remained a hilichurl and was eventually unable to handle the power of the Abyss. Caribert eventually took off his mask, and after becoming enveloped in Abyssal power, he disappeared; his exact fate is unknown.
After Caribert's disappearance, Chlothar called Caribert the "Loom of Fate," believing the absent Caribert to be free to rewrite his own fate. Chlothar went on to found the Abyss Order, as he still saw the "Sinner" as his and Caribert's salvation as fellow "sinners." It is suggested that this series of events was also what convinced the Traveler's sibling to side with the Abyss.
After a hundred years, Chlothar went insane. At an unknown point in time, Chlothar also discovered a way to rid himself of his curse of immortality. He eventually died and was buried together with an unknown female, suggested to be Caribert's mother, in the field where the Strange Mushrooms grew. It is unknown who buried them, but it is suggested that Chlothar buried his wife there before meeting the Traveler's sibling.Chlothar avoids explaining what happened to Caribert's mother, while the Strange Mushrooms' item description and the Traveler during Fortune-Mocking Pedigree both call into question the mushrooms' growing conditions. Much to the Traveler's alarm, watering the field attracted Fungi, which prompted them to find out what was buried underneath after waking up. They unearthed the two skeletons, and Dainsleif notes that the male skeleton was interred much later than the female one.
===Present Day===
Because of Chlothar's role in establishing the Abyss Order, Dainsleif calls Kaeya a "descendant of the Abyss Order's founder," while Kaeya states that the revelation confirms some "old suspicions" of his and this association may be the reason why his biological father left him in Mondstadt as a child. Interestingly, the Alberich Clan history Kaeya was taught as a child — or at least, the part he secretly saved, as the present-day Alberich Clan does not keep written records of their affairs — emphasizes Anfortas' role in the clan's history, although it is currently impossible to determine the relationship between Anfortas and Chlothar, nor does Dainsleif indicate whether Kaeya is a lineal or collateral descendant of Chlothar's.
The Alberich Clan's current goal has not been explained, although it likely involves waging war against the seven nations of Teyvat. Kaeya's biological father left him in Mondstadt as an "agent of Khaenri'ah," calling Kaeya "our last hope" or "our only hope" while Kaeya previously struggled between where his loyalties would lie should Khaenri'ah and Mondstadt go to war. Currently, Kaeya has distanced himself from his past and has no intention of carrying out his original duty, and considers the Abyss Order his enemies. Dainsleif and Mona, however, both question whether he will be able to maintain that distance in the future.
==Known Members==
===Eclipse Dynasty (?–500 Years Ago)===
Early Eclipse Dynasty
* AlberichIn Perinheri (II), Angelica simply gives their name as "Alberich." Whether they were the founder of the Alberich Clan or an unspecified descendant of the clan cannot be determined at this time. - Commander of "half the knights"
500 Years Ago
* Anfortas - Knight Marshal, Regent
* Chlothar
** Caribert (illegitimate son)
===Present Day===
* Kaeya's father
** Kaeya
==Notes==
==Trivia==
===Etymology===
* Alberich is a German name which means "ruler of supernatural beings (elves)." In Germanic legend, was a dwarf that guarded the Nibelung's treasure. Alberich was also the name of a prominent character in , a cycle of musical dramas composed by Richard Wagner.
==Other Languages==
==References==
es:Clan Alberich
pl:Klan Alberich
uk:Клан Альберіх