Unbegun, Unending Story

Unbegun, Unending Story is an World Quest in Mondstadt, Mondstadt. Completing the quest unlocks the Imaginarium Theater gamemode.
==Steps==
# Enter the room on the lower level of the Knights of Favonius Library
# Explore the mysterious room
#* While in the room, the player's party is limited to the Traveler. They cannot use their Talents, and the Party screen cannot be accessed.
==Gameplay Notes==
* After the first dialogue section with Wolfy (one Act finalized):
** The desserts, the chest, and the closet can no longer be interacted with.
** The painting and the desk have new interaction dialogue.
** The curtain and the window retain their original dialogue.
* After the second dialogue section with Wolfy (one Act with a Primary Antagonist finalized):
** The curtain can no longer be interacted with.
** The painting, the desk, and the window retain their most recent dialogue sets.
==Dialogue==
;(Enter the room)
: Paimon: Huh. What's a place like this doing in a library? Could this be the Restricted Section Lisa mentioned?
: Paimon: Hmm, doesn't quite feel like it, though...
: Paimon: ...You don't think this place is hiding some terrible secret, do you? Like those rooms you always hear about in scary stories? Y'know, the ones that are usually totally off limits?
: Surely it would be locked if that were the case.
: Paimon: That's true... We just kinda waltzed in here. And it didn't seem like the lock had been broken, or anything...
: Paimon: Wait, hang on a minute! This isn't the door we came in through! Are we even in the library anymore?
: We could be underneath Cider Lake?
:: Paimon: You think? Wow. That's pretty impressive, building all this under the lake... Wait, no, that's ridiculous! No way is that where we are.
: Perhaps we've reached another world...
:: Paimon: And what world would that be, huh?
: Paimon: Hmm... Too bad Lisa's not working today, otherwise we could ask her... Well, we're here anyhow, and this place doesn't look too dangerous. Why don't we take a look around?
: Paimon: New places are meant for exploring, after all! You've gotta try all kinds of new things to become a good and experienced guide.
: Paimon: Ooh, look, a stuffed wolf toy! So cute!
: Paimon: It's so fluffy and soft! Huh, wonder who left it here...
: For all you know, that toy might be this room's real master.
:: Paimon: "Awoooo! Foolish Traveler! You dare enter this fortress of doom without invitation! Prepare to be eaten alive!"
: Or it might be the guardian of this mysterious room.
:: Paimon: What sorta guardian would be dozing away on the sofa like this?
:: Paimon: "*snore* No danger in sight... Saw nothing, means nothing happened... *snore*"
: Paimon: ...We should probably just leave it here for now. This place is huge, so let's keep on exploring!
----
;(Investigate wolf toy)
:Paimon: It's so cute, Paimon can't stop herself from petting it.
: (Pat its head)
: (Rub its ears)
: (Poke its tummy)
:
:Paimon: Hehe, so soft! It's warm, fluffy, and full of cotton, just like Paimon imagined.
:Paimon: Alright, . Let's keep looking somewhere else!
;(Investigate painting on the wall near the wolf toy)
:Paimon: Whoa, is the person in that painting... moving!?
:Paimon: Umm, hi! Paimon's Paimon, and this is . You couldn't tell us what this place is, could you?
: Howdy there!
: I'm the Honorary Knight of the Knights of Favonius!
:Paimon: Nope, nothing. She doesn't seem to be able to hear us at all...
: Maybe our greeting wasn't formal enough?
::Paimon: "O fair and noble lady, hearest thou our question?"
::Paimon: Oh, yeah, all we needed to get a response was an elegant greeting... Pff, as if! Surely it's just a painting that can move?
::Paimon: Anyway, mysterious as it is, we're not gonna find the answer by just waiting around. Why don't we go search for clues someplace else?
: Why don't you take a look inside the painting, Paimon?
::Paimon: Ahh, so all Paimon needs to do is go inside the painting and we'll magically get to the bottom of this... Yeah right! Just how is Paimon supposed to do that!?
::Paimon: And why are we even talking about this like it's a possibility? What world are you living in, ?
::Paimon: Never mind... As mysterious as a moving painting is, we're not gonna find the answer by just waiting around. Why don't we go search for clues someplace else?
;(Investigate treasure chest in the southern room)
:Paimon: Look, , a treasure chest!
:Paimon: So beautifully decorated and in such an unmissable spot... Almost as if it's trying to tempt us into opening it!
: Maybe the key's somewhere nearby?
::Paimon: Let's have a look around, we might be able to find it. Wonder what kind of treasure it's hiding...
: Probably better not to touch it.
::Paimon: Y—You've got a point. After all, barging into someone's room uninvited, opening a treasure chest that they've gone to the trouble of locking, then running off with said treasure... It doesn't sound very nice put like that, does it?
::Paimon: Anyway, we should tell Jean first, right?
;(Investigate desserts on the table in the center)
:Paimon: , look over here! These desserts look delicious!
:Paimon: You'd think desserts like those wouldn't last long, but even the fruit on the cake looks so fresh, like someone just made it! Paimon's drooling just looking at it...
:Paimon: Mmm... ? Just think, there's no one else around, and it'll go to waste if someone doesn't eat it soon. Why don't we just try a mouthful... or two?
: I don't think that's a good idea.
::Paimon: M—Maybe you're right. They look so lovingly made, and it might have been Lisa who made them... It seems wrong to just start eating them without asking permission...
::Paimon: *sniff* Paimon would love to try them out, but seeing as you're against it, let's leave them for now...
: It might be a trap for catching Paimons!
::Paimon: Huh!? You're saying that these desserts are actually monsters in disguise, and that when Paimon goes to eat them, they'll *chomp* gobble her down in a single bite instead...?
::Paimon: N—No way, that's impossible! But they look so lovingly made, and it might have been Lisa who made them... It seems wrong to just start eating them without asking permission...
;(Investigate desk in the southeastern room)
:Paimon: The words on these pages... Ugh, this writing's so blurred, Paimon can't make out what it says.
:Paimon: But is that a clock hanging behind the desk? It's completely still... Looks like it's broken.
: "Linger a while, thou art so fair..."
::Paimon: Huh? A—Are you okay, ? Seriously, stop suddenly saying such strange things!
::Paimon: *ahem* Anyway, doesn't seem like there's anything worth looking at here. Maybe we should try somewhere else instead?
: Let's go.
::Paimon: Alright, let's try looking elsewhere.
;(Investigate window at the east end)
:Paimon: Agh, it's so white outside, Paimon can't see a thing...
;(Investigate closet in the northeastern room)
:Paimon: Looks like it's just an ordinary closet. What's up, , something wrong?
: Perhaps we'll meet a lion in there...
::Paimon: ???
::Paimon: Uhh, why would there be a lion in a closet? Perhaps we should try somewhere else, and keep the strange comments to a minimum while we're at it...
: Let's go.
::Paimon: Alright, let's keep looking!
;(Investigate curtain in the northern room)
:Paimon: Now you mention it, this place does look a bit like a stage. But then... Shouldn't the curtains be hanging in front of the stage? D'you think they've been put here to hide something behind it?
:Paimon: Anyway, never mind that for now. Let's look elsewhere.
===Post-Quest Dialogue===
;(After completing one act in the Imaginarium Theater)
: ???: Oh no! Sorry! Guests, hello!
: ???: I've been waiting here for the longest time, and nobody came... I was only planning to rest my eyes for a bit, but the sofa was so comfy, I guess I dozed off...
: Paimon: Eek! The toy can talk!
: ???: Sure can! Talking is one of the things I can do. Alright, sooo... Ah, yes! Introductions are in order, aren't they?
: ???: Greetings, my dear guests. My name is... uh...
: ???: ...Wait. What's my name?
: Paimon: Uh, not sure we can help you with that one, buddy... Guess you were in a pretty deep sleep, huh? Seems like you're still waking up.
: You're Sir Howlsworth.
: An Honorary Knight, much renowned and loved by all.
: ???: Huh? Really!?
: Paimon: We're, uh, just messing with you, hehe...
: Paimon: Anyway, Paimon's name is Paimon, and this is . ...Okay, great, that went well. At least this mysterious room doesn't rob everyone of their memories.
: ???: I must apologize... I must have slept for so long that I can't remember what's real and what was a dream anymore. I did have a lot of dreams while I was asleep...
: Wolfy: Okay, concentrate... Alright, so — if I'm not mistaken... the current me is a "concierge," in charge of attending to any guests that find themselves here. Ah yes, and you may call me "Wolfy."
: Paimon: Okay. But, um, if all you can remember are your dreams, what makes you think any of them are real experiences? They're just products of your imagination, right?
: Wolfy: You mean... If it comes from my imagination, it... can't be real life? Well, it sounds like you know more about that kind of thing than I do. I can't tell the difference at all...
: Wolfy: I remember a time when a horrid curse was put on me. My heart was cased in unmelting ice, and I had to spend my days in agonizing solitude, surrounded by nothing but boundless tundra...
: Wolfy: I also remember playing with White Fang in the misty forest. We chased golden butterflies, waded through rushing streams, and shattered the very moon beneath our feet...
: Wolfy: And I'll never forget marching in that celebratory procession with the other troops, being showered in confetti as I excitedly waited for Her Majesty the Queen to bestow her honor upon me... Ah, it was glorious!
: Wolfy: To me, all these events are indistinguishable from real experiences. Take my latest dream for instance. I remember being in a garden of forking paths, and Madame Mage said to me...
: Wolfy: "From now on, you are a concierge. Be sure to treat your guests well!"
: Wolfy: Then I found myself here. And like I said, I waited, and waited, and waited... and now, finally, two guests have arrived! At last, I can fulfill my duty.
: Wolfy: Is there anything else you'd like to ask me?
: About Madame Mage...
:: Paimon: Yeah, who is this Madame Mage? Is she really just a figure from your dream? Seems like there could be more to it than just that...
:: Wolfy: Well... Madame Mage is Madame Mage. Just as you, dear guests, are guests.
:: Wolfy: Her and her friends — oh, yes, and they're all mages, too! Each one of them is a master of their own type of magic. Conjuring, illusions, and so on.
:: Wolfy: One of them uses a quill pen to cast her spells. She has a very mysterious ink bottle that contains "fantasy truth." I had a little taste when she wasn't looking, and oh my goodness, it was bitter... blech...
:: Wolfy: But the other mages all love her magic. They use their powers of creation to transform her "fantasy truth" into "true fantasy."
:: Wolfy: How do they do that? I haven't the slightest idea. I'm just a toy, with stuffing for brains...
:;(Dialogue returns to option selection)
: About this room...
:: Paimon: Yeah, what is this place? We came in here through this one door in the library, but we were never able to open it before...
:: Wolfy: Ah, well, congratulations on your successful entry, dear guests! This is a special room, one that can only be accessed by those who are invited!
:: Wolfy: Seeing as you two have this privilege, you can invite your friends to enter as well!
:: Wolfy: On that note, I'd better tidy up this place as soon as possible. Oh, and I should prepare some tea and snacks too. You don't mind if they're on the sweeter side, do you?
:: Paimon: Of course not! ...Wait, before we get ahead of ourselves, mind telling us where we are exactly? Are we even still in Mondstadt?
:: Wolfy: Hmm. That is a difficult question. Madame Mage created this room using magic, and I don't know magic...
:: Wolfy: Still, you have my guarantee as concierge that this is a safe and comfortable place. I sincerely hope you enjoy your time here.
:;(Dialogue returns to option selection)
: About that book and the battle we just fought...
:: Wolfy: Yes, I saw! You were magnificent! I was completely enraptured by your performance.
:: Paimon: ...What do you mean "performance"?
:: Wolfy: Well, Madame Mage says that every page of a storybook is a segment of the "present."
:: Wolfy: I'm sure only the most distinguished of guests are able to take the stage as the story's protagonists, and put on a show as spectacular as yours!
:: Wolfy: What a thrilling battle... Yes, that's what every story needs to spice things up! Naturally, those are the kinds of stories I love reading the most.
:: Wolfy: I wonder what would make a good title for a book about your magnificent performance? Should we call it a saga? An epic? A tale of conquest? A chronicle of combat? Ah, choices, choices.
:: Wolfy: In any case, I do hope you will be so kind as to indulge us with more of your fine performances. ...In fact, scratch that — I'm afraid I shall have to insist! The story of the "present" is waiting to be written, and you, dear guests, are the ones to fill its pages!
:;(Dialogue returns to option selection)
: That's all I wanted to ask.
:: Paimon: This place is getting more confusing by the second... But Wolfy seems alright. So... we should be fine, right? Besides...
:: Paimon: Our goal is to set foot in every corner of Teyvat... And the courage to boldly go where others dare not to tread is what will take us there.
:: Wolfy: Wow, what a wonderful line! Spoken like a true adventurer!
:: Paimon: You bet! We're the real deal!
:: Wolfy: Is that so? Well then, I'd better make sure I do my duty as concierge of this place. I hope this can be somewhere for you to rest and recuperate when you're weary, so that you can embark on your next adventure refreshed and renewed.
:: Wolfy: Come back here anytime if you get tired. I'll be sure to take good care of you!
----
;(Talk to Wolfy again before defeating a boss in the Imaginarium Theater)
: Wolfy: I'm afraid I still have some work to do before everything is ready... Thank you for your patience, my dear guests.
: Wolfy: If you'd like, you can take the stage and perform once more. There'll be Toy Medals waiting for you in treasure chests afterwards!
;(Investigate desk)
:Paimon: The words on these pages... Ugh, this writing's so blurred, Paimon can't make out what it says.
:Paimon: Huh? Wait, is this the "mysterious ink bottle" that Wolfy mentioned?
: Looks like a perfectly normal ink bottle to me...
::Paimon: Hmm, that's true... Maybe Paimon's overthinking this. After all, you wouldn't usually find mysterious magical items like that just lying around, would you?
::Paimon: Anyway, doesn't seem like there's anything worth looking at here. Let's go, .
: Let me have a quick taste...
::Paimon: D—Don't do that! What else could ink taste like anyway!?
;(Investigate painting)
:Paimon: Come to think of it, Paimon thinks she's seen this character in a storybook before...
----
;(After defeating a boss in the Imaginarium Theater)
: Wolfy: Bravo, bravo. Another spellbinding performance.
: Wolfy: Are you interested in learning any new Thespian Tricks? By which I mean dashing and elegant poses! In fact, what would you say to a friendly exchange? I'll teach you some Thespian Tricks in return for Toy Medals from the treasure chests.
: Wolfy: Friendship is a wonderful thing, isn't it? Ah, just the word itself gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling in my heart and stomach...
: It is a lovely thing indeed.
:: Paimon: Yep yep! Gotta love friendship... But, uh, when you say a warm, fuzzy feeling in your stomach... There is something slightly concerning about that.
: All my best friendships are built on a warm, fuzzy feeling in my stomach.
:: Paimon: Oh for the love of... Please don't tell Paimon you're thinking about "emergency food" again? We're talking about friendship here, okay? Paimon will never understand why that's where your head goes...
: Paimon: Aaanyway... Are you sure you're okay with just Toy Medals? What can they be worth if they're just toys?
: Wolfy: As long as you believe, even Toy Medals can be more valuable than gold. That is the magic of imagination. Madame Mage told me that. I can't say I entirely understand what she meant, but...
: Wolfy: The Thespian Tricks — I actually got those from a wish I made to Madame Mage. So as long as she thinks it's a fair trade, I think it should be fine...?
: Paimon: Hmm, sounds kinda ominous... Don't a lot of scary stories start out that way? You make a reckless wish to a wicked witch, but you end up regretting it when she forces you to pay an impossible price in return...
: Wolfy: I believe you're misunderstanding the situation, dear guest. There is absolutely nothing to fear. To start with, mages are quite different from wicked witches. And besides, I already told you what the price is — it's the Toy Medals. There's no catch!
: Paimon: And you're... sure about that?
: Wolfy: Yes, completely! In any case... I was the one who made the wish, so if someone has to end up paying an impossible price, just leave it to me!
: ...Why do you sound so proud of that?
: We still feel a little bad...
: Wolfy: I enjoy watching your performances, so it's well worth it as far as I'm concerned! Hmm, I wonder how many blank pages are left in this book...
: Wolfy: Ah, but not to worry. Even if we run out of space, new blank pages will be added very soon!
: Wolfy: I do look forward to the day when all empty pages are filled with stories...
----
;(Finalize a performance in Act 6 or higher)
: Wolfy: Hello, dear guests! Please, come here!
: Wolfy: I have some good news to share with you. This took much longer than it should have... But in any case — at long last, the new stage is now ready for action!
: Wolfy: Put on a spectacular show for your audience, and you will receive a key that opens the door to the World Within the Painting...
: Paimon: Whoa, hold up! First storybooks, now a world inside a painting? This place is making less and less sense all the time...
: Wolfy: I know what you mean! But as I read in a storybook once, if a magician reveals all their tricks to the audience, it robs them of the surprise.
: Wolfy: So, it's quite right that things don't make sense. Madame Mage's magic is just like love — not something to try and make sense of, but something you just feel.
: Paimon: Fair enough, that explanation sorta works... But anyway, about this new World Within the Painting stage — is it any different from the other stage?
: Wolfy: The World Within the Painting is a world of many rules... This new stage will put friendship and trust to the test — a classic tale!
: Wolfy: And all those who pass the test will receive a small blessing from Madame Mage...
: Paimon: Ooh! Is it a good-luck spell or something? Like, um...
: Be careful what you wish for...
: I doubt it, and besides...
: Paimon: Ah! Yep, good point, we should be careful what we wish for...
: Wolfy: I assure you, there's nothing to be nervous about. The paint is already on the canvas, and Madame Mage's blessing is no longer a secret.
: Wolfy: If you're ready, you can step onto the World Within the Painting stage and see for yourself.
: Wolfy: As you embark on your new adventure, do as they do in the stories: Whistle your favorite tune, cast your worries aside, and keep courage in your heart.
:;(Unlock Envisaged Echoes)
==Trivia==
* "Linger a while, thou art so fair..." is a reference to by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
* "Perhaps we'll meet a lion in there..." is a reference to .
* The second dream Wolfy describes is a reference to .
* Madam Mage's friend with an ink bottle that contains "fantasy truth" may be the same witch described in the Artifact Set Nighttime Whispers in the Echoing Woods.
* This quest makes multiple references to The Boar Princess:
** The first dream Wolfy describes is similar to the wolf pup's situation.
** The girl in the painting is likely the eponymous Boar Princess.
** The dialogue about friendship and "a warm, fuzzy feeling in [the] stomach," particularly Paimon's mention of "emergency food," is likely a reference to how the Boar Princess sacrificed and ate her companions with the wolf pup.
==Other Languages==
==Change History==
es:Una historia sin principio ni final
vi:Câu Chuyện Không Mở Đầu Không Kết Thúc