Masquerade of the Guilty

Masquerade of the Guilty is the fifth act in Chapter IV of the Archon Quests.
==Quests==
# Deluge of Wrathful Waters
# Meeting Is Also Parting
# Hunters, Prophets
# Apocalypse
# The Opera of Noirceur and Blancheur
# Finale
==Summary==
;Deluge of Wrathful Waters
At the Fortress of Meropide, the Traveler and Paimon wake up; aware that their "sentence" is over, they head out to sign the release papers with Monglane. During the process, the prison shakes, surprising everyone, so the Traveler decides to talk to Wriothesley to see if he knew anything about it. Wriothesley reminds them that the seal that Neuvillette had placed earlier would not fail, and if it did, the inmates would be in a panic; rather, the tremor came from the surface. After seeing the two off, they head to the Palais Mermonia to speak to Neuvillette.
When they arrive, the place is buzzing with activity; Sedene spots them, but as they're welcomed guests, lets them enter Neuvillette's office. Inside, they speak to Neuvillette once he finishes his work, informing him of the narwhal-like entity they saw from Childe's Vision. He also wonders as to how he ended up in the Primordial Sea, since people aren't normally able to enter it. They then ask him about the tremor, which he confirms happened in Poisson; after the tremor, the water levels rose quickly before they receded. However, he suspects that the water might have been related to the Primordial Sea and thus stays behind to form disaster prevention plans, asking the two to go in his stead.
The two arrive at Poisson where they find the city devoid of normal activity as Spina di Rosula members rush to aid the wounded. They eventually find Navia, who tells them that after the tremor, water began rushing out, soon revealed to be Primordial Water and dissolved everyone on the lower levels and causing panic to everyone else. The Traveler then realizes that people are missing and asks about Melus and Silver, but before she could answer, another member requires her attention. Once the situation is sorted out, she asks them to accompany her to her father's grave. There, she breaks down, revealing that when she initiated the rescue plan, the two went to save people, but were caught in the waters and dissolved. She laments that she could not hold a funeral for them, as they had previously requested for her to bury them by Callas' side when the time came. Navia then hands them a list of the victims, which she considered fortunate for the costs. The two reassure her that she shouldn't see it that way and Paimon tells her to think of Melus and Silver as heroes, which she appreciates.
Arlecchino then walks in to discuss the arrangements she made with her. As they were in the area, she had the Fatui lend them a hand in the relief efforts. Navia apologizes for testing Arlecchino, since she wanted to know who she was working with at the time, while also revealing that Arlecchino had set her subordinates to plenty of work with supplies, water levels and headcounts. Arlecchino sends her regards for Melus' and Silver's demise, but before she leaves, asks the Traveler for assistance. She reveals that the House of the Hearth had learned that a child stumbled upon some ancient ruins near Poisson; as such, she had sent her subordinates for ruin exploration, but with the disaster on hand, had them assist in relief efforts. The Traveler accepts the task and Navia decides to tag along to keep her mind off her friends' deaths.
----
;Meeting Is Also Parting
Arriving at the ruins, they quickly discover the area is flooded with Primordial Water. Paimon initially suggests that Navia head back, but upon realizing there isn't a path back, she decides to continue forward with them. As they walk across a bridge, it suddenly gives way. Navia slips and the Traveler turns back but fails to catch her as she plummets into the water. Navia then wakes up in Poisson with Melus and Silver, but she realizes something is off. The two then escort her to the Opera Epiclese where she is put on trial. The prosecutor, Joinville, declares her guilty and the audience demands she joins them, but Melus and Silver realize something is off and begin defend her. Navia then realizes that everyone present were victims of the disaster, but before the audience could take her, Neuvillette appears and dismisses them. Melus and Silver say their final goodbyes to Navia as Neuvillette brings her back to reality, where she relates her dream. Neuvillette explains that Navia fell into water from the Primordial Sea, but she was protected by two Oceanids just long enough for him to rescue her.
Navia is humbled that the two would continue protecting her even after death, while Neuvillette pulls the Traveler and Paimon aside as to give her some space. He reveals that he had come to Poisson to meet up with them. He was surprised to see the Fatui helping out and ran into Arlecchino, who told him where the group had gone. The four then continue exploring the ruins until they discover several stone slates on the wall, though the first one appears to be missing. Paimon reads the text, surprising her as it relates to the prophecy about Fontaine's destruction. Looking at the second slate, they find several people kneeling while facing an island in the sky. The third image shows Furina in the water, surrounded by people in the water, while the fourth image aligns with the prophecy of her alone, weeping on her throne. They then realize something is off with the order of the images and deduce that the significant person in the second image is Egeria, the previous Hydro Archon, who appears to be kneeling as if forgiveness for a sin. With no further leads to go on however, they leave the ruins. Navia leaves to check on her organization while Neuvillette goes to confront Furina about the prophecy. Navia has the Traveler and Paimon rest at their headquarters in Fleuve Cendre.
----
;Hunters, Prophets
When the two arrive, the Traveler and Paimon are treated to a large meal by Tetreaux before Mona spots them. Mona had come to Fontaine for some business and reveals her master's name, Astromancer Barbeloth Trismegistus. She insists that she is not a Fontainian, having been born in Mondstadt. The two ask her about the prophecy, and it turns out that The Steambird invited her to join a panel about it. She expresses her inability to comment on the prophecy's "world-changing" claims, but states that the other Hexenzirkel members could discern it. The Traveler asks her to get in touch with her master for more information. Though surprised, she agrees.
The next day, the Traveler and Paimon head to Neuvillette's office to see if he gained any useful information from Furina. Upon arriving, Sedene informs them that the two are having an argument. Neuvillette asks Furina to stop dodging the question and he hands her a list of victims from the Poisson incident. Neither of them want it to happen again, so he pushes her to yield information about the missing stone slate and the prophecy from Egeria. Furina states that she and Egeria are two different people and thus she is not privy to her predecessor's secrets. She asserts that she has a plan in motion and orders Neuvillette not to speak of the incident again as she darts from his office, failing to notice the Traveler at the door. The Traveler then enters and Neuvillette explains that the only way to get the truth out of Furina will be to put her on trial. Even though he doesn't want to do this, he has no choice given the circumstances.
The Traveler contacts Navia, Lyney, Lynette, Freminet, and Clorinde to meet up in Poisson with Neuvillette. There they discuss a plan to trap Furina and force her to reveal her secrets and deal with the prophecy. When the Traveler and Paimon return to Fleuve Cendre, they talk about their plan before someone sets a cup of tea down and joins them, though the person is nowhere to be seen. The Traveler quickly realizes that it must be Mage "N" who tells them that even the gods' gaze has blind spots. The Traveler thinks about her words before going to sleep. When they wake up again, they find Mona, who had talked to Charlotte about the prophecy. They also tell Mona about N's visit, and she remarks that the situation must truly be dire for N to talk to them in person.
Paimon decides to take a walk around the city, where they stop at Hotel Debord to get a quick bite to eat. Paimon notices the cake that was served in the tea party with Arlecchino and Furina and goes to order one, but Sedene suddenly appears and orders one too. Paimon asks her what she would do if the place disappears beneath the flood, and she answers that she would continue her routine regardless. Seeing that they're sad, Sedene buys two more slices of cake for them to lift their spirits. Then they go to the Steambird and meet up with Charlotte. Paimon also asks her what she would do if Fontaine were flooded. Charlotte states that she would still continue her work. While she could leave, she would be duty-bound to stay as a journalist and not forsake her homeland.
After walking around the city, Paimon and the Traveler stand beside the sea and she asks the Traveler the same question. The Traveler responds that they would continue journeying in Teyvat. The Traveler and Paimon spend the next few days in Fleuve Cendre before Isadora arrives, telling them that there was a small-scale riot in the Opera Epiclese. During a show, some people accused Furina of ignoring the "prophecy crisis". Then, others began joining in, causing her to flee while the Marechaussee Phantom dealt with the situation. However, now that it was resolved, Furina was nowhere to be found. Knowing Furina, the two head to Poisson to look for her.
----
;Apocalypse
In Poisson, the Traveler and Paimon find Furina lamenting the victims of the recent disaster. When approached, she pretends she's fine before several people appear and chase her. The three manage evade their pressures before entering a house, where Furina begins to unravel and admit that she had been investigating the prophecy, but to seemingly no avail. The Traveler manages to convince her to open up to them as a "witness", since they are a spectator, not from Teyvat. But, before she could say anything, the house quickly collapses and reveals to be an elaborate opening act by Lyney to begin her trial. Furina finds the idea of being tried absurd, but Neuvillette takes this as a refusal. Since the other option is a duel with Clorinde, Furina refuses the duel by raising both hands up, surprising the audience. Furina then clarifies that she is not completely surrendering, rather she is agreeing to the trial.
The Traveler then prosecutes Furina, hoping to get the truth if they best her in court. Before they start, Furina asks how much time was spent to force her on the stage and learns of the plan to trap her. Navia's subordinates lured her both at the opera and at Poisson, while the Fatui built a "Giant Magic Box" to replicate Lyney's original trick and tunneled all the way to the opera house, where Clorinde was ready to duel Furina should she refuse trial. Furina then assumes that the Traveler was only intending to prosecute her, but they tell her that they wanted to give her one last chance to admit everything in the box. As the stage was already set, Furina states that the only action left for her is to begin the trial.
The Traveler presses the charge of Furina being a fraud, surprising everyone due to the blatancy of the accusation. Despite this, they manage to convince the audience through supporting information compiled by Charlotte's interview, culminating with Navia providing a sample of Primordial Water for her to touch. Furina is initially hesitant to touch the water, but does so to maintain her innocence. Neuvillette then calls Sigewinne in for a check-up, who reveals that she shared the same symptoms as other Fontanians exposed to impure Primordial Water. The audience is fully convinced and Nevuillette concludes the trial, deeming her guilty and leaving her in tears. Neuvillette then asks the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale for the final verdict. It declares the Hydro Archon guilty, to be punished by the death sentence, even though the trial just proved that the defendant, Furina, was guilty of not being the Hydro Archon. Everyone is surprised and the verdict confuses Neuvillette greatly. Suddenly, Freminet appears with the missing first stone slate.
Neuvillette analyzes the slate and asks the Traveler to interpret it. They discover Egeria using her power to turn the Oceanids into humans, who became Fontaine's people. Using what they learned from the other slates, they deduce the truth of the prophecy. The people would be dissolved, turning into Oceanids, Celestia declared that the Hydro Archon and her people would be killed for her "sin", Navia's near-death experience was a "trial" meant to make her stay, and the eruption of the Primordial Sea at the Fortress of Meropide confirms that the prophecy would eventually be fulfilled. The Traveler gives their hypothesis of the prophecy, which impresses Neuvillette. He then reveals that there was another truth hidden, which he was unable to decipher at the time as they only had three slates.
In the Fontaine of old, Egeria's Oceanid followers yearned to live on land, but Egeria did not have the ability to create life herself. Thus, she used the Primordial Sea to grant them humanoid bodies by pouring it into their blood vessels. That is why, if Primordial Sea water made contact with them, they would "dissolve" back into their original forms. As she did not gain permission for this from the Heavenly Principles, the Hydro Archon had "sinned" by appropriating the power of the Primordial Sea. This revelation baffles the audience. Neuvillette then explains that the Traveler's hypothesis has some flaws. The third slate does show people in the water, but the water is not from the Primordial Sea; rather, it symbolized judgement and justice. Thus, the third slate shows how the people of Fontaine would put the Hydro Archon on trial, which they have just done. The fourth slate is actually a sign of things to come. The prophecy will be fulfilled by the massive narwhal-like entity seen in Childe's dream.
Suddenly, the ground shakes as a large rift opens in the opera house. The aforementioned massive narwhal-like entity emerges and Neuvillette briefly holds it off before it shifts its focus to the audience. Before it can consume them, though, Childe in his Foul Legacy form appears and works with Neuvillette to push the creature back into the rift before he also tumbles back into it. Neuvillette, seeing the monster first-hand, realizes that the monster had roamed the Primordial Sea for ages and was responsible for the rising water levels. Once it consumed all it could, it would then target any remaining sources on Teyvat, namely, the people of Fontaine. However, its appearance had been delayed by Childe's efforts, though it would recover and return soon. When it did, it could not be stopped as it held the power of the Primordial Sea itself. Recalling N's words, the Traveler realizes there would be a way to fulfill the prophecy and save everyone at the same time. Then the Oratrice prepares to carry out its death sentence. The Traveler rushes to Furina and one of her tears lands on their hand, which sends Neuvillette and the Traveler into different realms.
----
;The Opera of Noirceur and Blancheur
Inside his alternate realm, Neuvillette encounters Focalors, asking her why she deceived them. Focalors explains that she did so to deceive the Heavenly Principles and resolve the situation thrust on her by Egeria. After much thought, she realized the only way to save her people would be to outwit their accuser, the Heavenly Principles. Focalors herself was also a transformed human, originally being an Oceanid. When she ascended as an Archon, she split her divinity, leaving her human body as Furina and her divine spirit as Focalors. Furina was everything she wanted as a human, but to maintain her ploy, Focalors cursed her. The "curse" she placed on Furina was that as long as her divinity existed, she could not die. She also could not live her life in the pursuit of happiness, and thus she was forced to play her role in the opera for 500 years.
The Traveler sees what Furina had gone through in the past 500 years while Focalors explains her plan and impending sacrifice to Neuvillette. As she executes herself, her Gnosis is returned to a shocked and grieving Neuvillette, while she thanks Furina for her role and wishes for her to live as a human. Neuvillette, with his full power restored, absolves the sins of all Fontainians. Thus, even when the prophecy will be fulfilled, the people will be immune to the dissolving effects of the Primordial Sea. Returning to reality, he tells the group that they can finally defeat the beast, since his authority as the Hydro Dragon has been fully restored. As the Oratrice is no longer functioning, he then asks the Traveler to accompany him as his executor.
Entering the Primordial Sea, Neuvillette and the Traveler subdue the All-Devouring Narwhal. Before they can do anything else, a woman appears and uses a strange power to convert the beast into an orb before she hurls both it and Childe into a rift. She remarks on how her disciple and her "master's pet" began brawling. Paimon recognizes her as Skirk, Childe's master. Skirk is impressed with their strength, as they had defeated it without relying on the powers of the Abyss. They ask her about her master, who she calls Surtalogi, though they do not know that name. She then lists the names of others who she believes are a similar sort to Surtalogi, in that all of them are "pursuing some form of perfection." She then asks about Vedrfolnir, who they fail to recognize, before asking about Rhinedottir, who Paimon recognizes as Albedo's creator. Skirk informs them that the narwhal used up all its strength and that the prophecy is now in full swing. As the waters flood Fontaine, the people are unaffected due to Focalors' deception and Neuvillette's absolution of primordial sin. The waters quickly recede, and a shocked Furina looks outside, seeing the people were unaffected.
----
;Finale
With the prophecy averted, the people of Fontaine begin to rebuilding their society while the Steambird prints free copies to calm the masses and get them hooked on the inevitable follow-ups. Charlotte asks the Traveler to accompany her as she heads to Poisson to document the rebuilding efforts for said follow-ups. The rebuilding of Poisson is going smoothly with help from the Fatui and Clorinde, who was laying low there since her reputation skyrocketed after she challenged Furina to a duel. Once she finishes all her business in the town, Charlotte heads to the Fortress of Meropide for an interview with Jurieu and Lourvine about the flying ship. Finally, they head to Romaritime Harbor and catch up with Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet. Lyney tells them that "Father" was given the Hydro Gnosis and that Childe returned to Snezhnaya to recover from his injuries. Paimon remarks on how they've allied with the Fatui for the first time. Then Arlecchino appears, surprising them. When asked, she states that as a Harbinger, it's her duty to hand over the Gnosis to the Tsaritsa. The Traveler also asks her to return Childe's Vision.
After seeing both groups off, the Traveler and Paimon look for Neuvillette, who's waiting outside the Erinnyes entrance to the Fortress of Meropide. He tells them everything that happened and that with his fully restored powers, he deemed Fontainians "true humans", preventing them from being dissolved upon contact with the Primordial Sea. After some time passed, Furina abdicated from her role as Hydro Archon and left the related affairs (though not the title) to Neuvillette before leaving the Opera. Neuvillette promises to ensure that her needs are be taken care of. He also reveals that, after sending the two back to Teyvat, he spoke further with Skirk, who commented on his Hydro Gnosis, which she revealed was the "remains" of the third Descender. She recommended that he remove such "items of misfortune". Neuvillette tried to ask about this third Descender but Skirk insisted that she did not know. However, she promised to ask her master and have Tartaglia relay the information back to him. Neuvillette also reveals his full reasoning behind giving the Fatui the Hydro Gnosis to them.
With this information, the Traveler informs Neuvillette that they're the fourth Descender, leaving him impressed. They are still unsure as to what the Gnoses actually are, though they decide to ask Childe rather than make blind guesses. Neuvillette then ponders the gods' will and the difference between the rain that falls on everyone. He assumes the Traveler and Paimon will head to Natlan next, the land of endless war and a nation where both human and dragons coexist. The intel gained from the negotiation with The Knave also reveals that Il Capitano has "thrown his hat" into the endless ring of war in there. Neuvillette suggests them to fully prepare themselves before going.
==Achievements==
==Soundtracks==
==Gallery==
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==Other Languages==
==Change History==
==References==
==Navigation==
es:Mascarada de los culpables
ja:罪人の円舞曲
ru:Маскарад виновных
vi:Vũ Điệu Của Tội Lỗi