Seven-Hued Ruins

Seven-Hued Ruins is the third quest in .
==Steps==
# Wait till 11:00 – 13:00 the next day
# Go to the agreed location
# Go to the ruined site of the battlefield
# Enter the ruins of the Battle of Seven Colors
# Go deeper into the ruins
# Continue onward
# Analyze the mechanisms in the ruins
# Continue going deeper into the ruins
# Leave the labyrinth
#* Area 1 
#* Area 2 
# Stop Montluson and his group
#* Area 3
#** Wave 1: 
#** Wave 2: 
# Discuss what to do with Paimon
# Find a way to make a breakthrough
# Withdraw from the ruins of the Battle of Seven Colors
# Capture Montluson
==Gameplay Notes==
* During steps 5-10 a trial Citlali joins the party.
* Permanently missable chests inside the domain: , .
==Trial Character==
==Dialogue==
;(Approach the marked location)
: Paimon: This should be the place we decided to meet yesterday.
: Paimon: Who knows if Citlali will show up on time... She drank so much last night, she might not even be up yet...
: Citlali: Ahem...!
: Paimon: Citlali!
: Citlali: No need to sound so surprised... Drinking is just a way to pass the time. I mastered the art of moderation long ago.
:: (...)
: Citlali: Last night doesn't count... It was a minor slip up, that's all. Anyway, I gave everything a lot of thought, and I think you're right about something.
: Citlali: The Battle of Seven Colors holds the key to a lot of the answers I've been searching for.
: Paimon: So, that's why you're here so early...
: Montluson: , Great Shaman, sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we head out?
: Citlali: Just follow me. I'll confirm the location myself.
: Montluson: Of course.
;(Approach the marked location)
: Citlali: This should be it.
: Paimon: So, the battlefield is inside this place...
: Allier: That could explain a lot of our academic questions...
: Montluson: Don't lose focus. Once we get to the actual site of the battle, all the evidence needed for publication will be at our fingertips.
: Citlali: Everyone ready?
: Let's go!
----
;(Enter the domain)
: Paimon: So, the Abyss invaded through a cave like this?
: Citlali: When the Abyss first began to corrode the Ley Lines, they took every opening they could get.
: Montluson: All the items here should be useful for our research...
: Citlali: You're not to touch a single one without my nod of approval.
: Allier: I don't support invasive excavation techniques, either...
: Montluson: ...Ah, of course. I'll defer to the experts on this matter. Well, shall we continue?
;(Approach the marked location)
: Allier: There are weapons here from every tribe in Natlan. The battle must have encompassed the entire nation.
: Montluson: Hm, sounds like we're getting closer to what the legend describes.
: Montluson: But, all we can really say is that a battle took place here. There's still no evidence of any colors or some elaborate maze.
: Paimon: Wow, you're really invested in the Battle of Seven Colors...
: Montluson: Haha... Well, it's the reason I came to Natlan in the first place.
: Montluson: Grudoc, send some of your men to search the area. We might miss something all grouped together like this. I'd like to cover all our bases.
: Grudoc: All the bases? You got it.
: Citlali: Don't jump to conclusions — of course this isn't the site of the actual battle. We have to keep going.
;(Approach the wall)
: Paimon: This wall is in our way!
: Citlali: I might have an idea... , try removing that sphere.
;(Pass through the wall)
: Paimon: Whoa, we passed straight through! What was that? Some kind of color magic?
: Citlali: It's very close to the technique Huitzilin might have used.
: Montluson: That's it? Doesn't quite compare to the scale described in the legend.
: Allier: Still, what a terrific archaeological find!
: Citlali: Enough chit-chat. We should keep going — the deeper we go, the more we'll find.
;(Approach the blocks)
: Citlali: Hold on — if we step here, we might fall through.
: Paimon: You mean... there are traps in here?
: Citlali: Remember how we were able to pass through the wall just now? It must have been because, on our person, we were carrying the same "color" as the wall.
: Citlali: Let's put the sphere down, and see what happens.
;(Insert the sphere)
;(Hint)
::Try switching to Citlali and holding the Jump button
;(Land on the first platform)
: Paimon: Whoa, you're right! We can keep going now!
;(Pass through the wall)
: Paimon: Wait, what was that? What is this place?
: Allier: Look! A maze made of colors!
: Montluson: It's real... I can't believe it.
: Citlali: Hold on, the quality of this space... This isn't reality. It's a realm of memory!
: Paimon: Huh?
: Is this the Night Kingdom?
: Citlali: No, this is a space constructed using memories as a medium. The principle is similar, but the two are not the same.
: ???: Correct!
: Citlali: Huitzilin!?
: Paimon: What?
: Citlali: ...No, it's just a trace of her consciousness left behind after creating this space.
: Huitzilin: Friends, this is my question to you — what is our strongest weapon against the Abyss? In my opinion, it's "memory."
: Huitzilin: After all, is it not after losing the capacity for memory, love, and compassion that our enemies fell to the Abyss?
: Huitzilin: That is why, with our memories, we possess a power the Abyss cannot hope to match.
: Huitzilin: I have discovered the perfect medium for us to wield that weapon. You know it as "color."
: Huitzilin: The more cherished the memory, the more vivid its color. As memories disappear, their color fades first. That is why color is the best vehicle to wield the power of memory.
: Huitzilin: Guided by vibrant colors, your capacity for memory is what will allow you to navigate this maze.
: Huitzilin: Without that capacity, enemies will fail to cross the barrier in front of them and be trapped here for eternity.
: Huitzilin: So, be brave, my friends, and march forward!
: Paimon: Any ideas, Citlali?
: Citlali: Hmph, sounds like she left a tutorial. Not surprising, she always did have to hand-hold her talentless students... Follow me.
;(Approach the platform)
;(Enemies appear)
: Paimon: There are monsters here, too?
: Citlali: Abyss creatures, likely trapped here for some time...
: Citlali: Looks like a few monsters made it out of the battle all those years ago.
;(Fall through color-changing platforms)
: Paimon: What's with these color-changing blocks!?
: Paimon: You and Citlali fell through all of a sudden... You scared Paimon half to death!
: Citlali: Must be one of the mechanics of the maze.
: Citlali: I'm guessing the purpose is to help allies navigate this place...
;(Encounter more enemies)
: Paimon: Oh no, more monsters?
: Citlali: Shoot, they're blocking the way forward... Let's get rid of them.
;(Walk on the bridge made of floating platforms)
: Paimon: This place is so pretty... If not for those monsters, Paimon would have never guessed this was a battlefield.
: Citlali: Tch... The showmanship's not bad, I'll give her that.
;(A bridge nade of colors appears)
: Paimon: Is this... a bridge made of colors?
: Citlali: Don't sound so surprised. We just need to cross, and we should reach the end.
;(Leave the maze)
: Paimon: We're out... Looks like we made it through the maze.
: Citlali: Hold on, this is...
: Paimon: Whoa, so pretty! The thing inside the sphere looks exactly like the maze!
: Citlali: It's like a miniature blueprint made from a special dye.
: Montluson: That color...
: Citlali: The dye was modified using a secret technique to harness the power of memories and create mazes like the one we just witnessed.
: Citlali: Without that power, it's just a normal dye. But, the color it produces is still quite rare.
: Citlali: I would say this is the most direct evidence that the Battle of Seven Colors actually took place.
: Paimon: The expert has spoken!
: Montluson: Perhaps I could take a closer look? It's an important piece of physical evidence, after all...
: Citlali: No, you may not.
: Paimon: What are you doing!?
: Citlali: You noticed my signal... Not bad, . We make a good team.
: Montluson: *scoff*... So, you've been watching me?
: Citlali: A self-proclaimed book merchant who's never heard of "Shogun Almighty: Reborn as Raiden With Unlimited Power"? Please, that work was a commercial success across Teyvat.
: Citlali: I knew you were fishy, but I didn't expect you to pull something like this.
: Allier: Monsieur Montluson, we just need a few pictures for our research, not the artifact itself! What if it gets damaged or destroyed!?
: Montluson: Shut it! I couldn't care less about preserving this piece of trash. I would destroy it right now if I could!
: Paimon: But, then there would be no evidence to prove the battle took place!
: Montluson: What if that was my goal all along?
: Paimon: What!?
: Montluson: Hmph, pretending to be a book merchant, pretending to promote the history of Natlan and its heroes... was the only way to get information out of the people in this tribe.
: Montluson: But, make no mistake — I'm no lowly merchant. I am the future owner of the largest printing company in all of Teyvat!
: Montluson: But, the dye in that sphere ruined all my plans before they could even get off the ground...
;(Flashback begins)
: Otila: We've received a report that your advertisement in the paper makes false claims. Fontaine law demands it be taken down immediately.
: Montluson: False claims? The dye I advertised is an unprecedented innovation! It produces colors of unmatched radiance!
: Otila: Unfortunately, its qualities are neither "unprecedented" nor "unmatched." According to the lady who made the report, she saw a woven scroll in Natlan made with a similar dye.
: Otila: Even more miraculous, that substance dates back hundreds of years.
: Montluson: How!? Creating this dye is the culmination of my entire life's work! You're telling me I'm hundreds of years too late!?
: Otila: Calm down, sir...
: Montluson: Sorry, it's just... I know this product will be a hit. The economic boost to Fontaine will be huge! We just need to advertise it as written.
: Montluson: Fontaine's publishing industry is one of the best in the world. All we need to do is publish something in the paper, and all of Teyvat will think it was our invention first!
: Montluson: We don't need to worry about more reports. Fontaine is far more advanced than Natlan — no one will believe such an innovative product could come from a place like that.
: Otila: That... That goes against all of Fontaine's advertisement regulations! We can't do that!
: Montluson: What if... I give you a portion of the profits? All you have to do is let the advertisement stay.
: Otila: You're trying to bribe me? Careful, I'm dangerously close to reporting this to Monsieur Neuvillette.
: Montluson: *frustrated grumble*...
;(Flashback ends)
: Montluson: I knew, if I was just allowed to market my product, it would be a hit — a bestseller, even! I would be a giant in the printing industry!
: Montluson: But now, no one will see it as anything more than a... poor imitation marketed centuries too late. No matter how good the product actually is, not a single one will sell.
: Montluson: *scoff* I will never accept that someone from this backwards, ignorant nation could come up with that dye. Not two hundred years before me!
: Citlali: Even when the truth is right in front of you?
: Montluson: *scoff* "Truth" is in the eye of the beholder. I'm already in the printing industry — I can go into publishing no problem.
: Montluson: All I have to do is destroy this sphere, write a detailed report about my findings, and publish it around the world. Then, the so-called "truth" becomes your word against mine.
: Montluson: Once my report is accepted as "fact," no one can accuse me of making "false claims."
: Paimon: That's awful! What happened to "restoring the truth of history"!?
: Montluson: Haha, that plan hasn't changed! I will continue to spread MY truth for all of Teyvat to see!
: You talk a big game.
: But, did you forget who you're talking to?
: Montluson: Ah, you mean a hero of Natlan who's not actually from Natlan? And a great shaman who, according to rumor, abandoned her tribe long ago?
: Montluson: From a practical perspective, there's no reason for either of you to stand against me.
: Paimon: Shows what you know!
: Citlali: Since you like rumors so much, have you heard the one about what happens to people who get on my bad side?
: Montluson: Ah, the wrath of Granny Itztli... Like I said, our interests aren't at odds.
: Montluson: I knew from the beginning that you would accept my invitation, considering Huitzilin was your rival.
: Montluson: You've lived longer than her, you're far stronger than her... And yet, she has always been more revered than you. Now, that can change.
: Montluson: With the backing of the printing industry, I can take any book and send it to all four corners of Teyvat. This part of Natlan's history will be mine to tell.
: Montluson: And in my version, I can erase the Battle of Seven Colors. You can be the one to have all the glory!
: Citlali: That's not real history.
: Montluson: That's a no, then? *scoff* Your history means nothing to me. But, it's not allowed to stand in the way of my Mora!
: Citlali: Done running your mouth? Good... Before handing you over to the tribe, I think I'll have my way with you first.
: Teach him a lesson.
: And make it stick.
: Grudoc: If this comes to a fight, per my contract, you're gonna have to go through me.
: Montluson: That's right! I didn't pay all that Mora for nothing!
: Paimon: Wait, aren't you subordinates of The Captain? Why are you helping someone who wants to erase Natlan's history!?
: Grudoc: The Captain? You actually bought that?
: Grudoc: United in the pursuit of Mora, we travel the land to collect debts. Our loyalty is to Regrator, his interests, and his wealth.
: Paimon: Regrator!?
: Montluson: Haha, The Captain means nothing to them. They serve a different Harbinger altogether, Regrator!
: Grudoc: This man has the potential to become a giant in the printing industry and disrupt Fontaine's economic system. This aligns with Regrator's interests.
: Paimon: It's all been a lie, from the very beginning!
: This doesn't change anything, Paimon.
: Just one more guy to beat up.
: Citlali: I don't care who you serve. When it comes to punishment, I don't discriminate.
;(After defeating the Fatui)
: Paimon: Hmph, that's what you get for messing with the Hero of Natlan and Granny Itztli! They could give Regrator a run for his Mora!
: Grudoc: *cough*... When did this person get so strong? Looks like the men following The Captain failed to update us on the latest intelligence...
: Grudoc: Not good... This is becoming more trouble than it's worth. You're on your own.
: Montluson: Hey! What about our contract? Your boss signed it himself!
: Grudoc: Our boss never signs a contract without loopholes. Even a veteran businessman like yourself fell into his trap... That's what makes him the best.
: Grudoc: Go home and read the fine print... All I did was trigger the exculpatory clause.
: Montluson: You...
: Grudoc: The other stipulations have been fulfilled. I set up explosives around the cave, strong enough to destroy this place — as instructed.
: Grudoc: Oh, and for security purposes, all explosives have been rigged to blow at a specific time. Shouldn't be too long now...
: Paimon: What? This whole place is gonna collapse?
: Montluson: You were supposed to wait until I made it out! Are you trying to kill me?
: Grudoc: That depends on how fast you can run! I'm off... Ugh!
: Citlali: You think you can just waltz out of here? , stop them, and then we'll make a break for it!
: Can do!
: Grudoc: Hmph, if I'm caught, I implicate my boss. Time for the backup plan...
: Citlali: Wait... Don't!
:
;(Scene transitions back to the maze of color)
: Paimon: Where are we? Back in the maze? Our surroundings look different, though... What did that Fatui guy do?
: We need to find Citlali.
: She's probably somewhere around here, too.
: Paimon: Good point... She'll know how to get out of here. Let's hurry — if we don't make it out before the cave collapses, we might never be able to leave!
: Where could she be?
: Paimon: Let's see... Citlali!
: Paimon: Looks like it's not gonna be that easy... What should we do?
: I saw the special color.
: It seems to be guiding me.
: Paimon: The special color? The one you saw on that woven scroll? Why would it appear around here...
: There's no time to think about that.
: Paimon: You're right... Lead the way, !
;(Elsewhere, on a different floating platform of the maze)
: Citlali: He triggered it just like that!? If the technique isn't activated correctly...
: ???: Instead of a realm of memory, the subjects in question will be trapped in a temporary space like this.
: ???: If you cannot escape in time, it's mutually assured destruction. But, I can't fault someone for using it as a last resort.
: Citlali: ...Hmph, I knew it. Someone of your skill wouldn't leave behind memory fragments just to parrot instructions. You must have the capacity for conscious thought...
: Huitzilin: I appreciate the compliment. It's been a long time, my friend.
: Citlali: This is no time for a reunion. The cave outside is about to collapse. I know time flows differently in this place, but that still doesn't leave us much time.
: Citlali: Can you help me get out?
: Huitzilin: You misunderstand, Citlali... I'm nothing more than a fragment of memory. There's not much I can do.
: Citlali: What do you mean? This space can be manipulated, right? The exit of your maze... I remember its structure. If I create an exit here, I can leave.
: Citlali: ...You just need to tell me how to manipulate this space.
: Huitzilin: The maze you saw earlier was constructed using the memories of many warriors of Natlan.
: Huitzilin: When people leave deep impressions on each other, their memories form connections.
: Huitzilin: These connections are particularly strong between comrades-in-arms.
: Huitzilin: That is how I created my maze — the connections between the memories were my needle and thread, and the special color was my fabric.
: Huitzilin: But, if that color is crudely combined with an isolated memory, one without connections, you get a place like this.
: Huitzilin: This space is a combination of my color and your memories. There is no way to alter or construct anything within it.
: Huitzilin: Because there are no "connections" at your disposal.
: Citlali: ...Hmph, over two hundred years, and not a single lasting connection. This is my punishment, huh...
: Huitzilin: Well, at the very least, you have a connection to me. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to appear in this space.
: Citlali: That's only because you never gave me a moment's peace... Still, it's a shame you're not around. You said it yourself — a memory fragment can't be used to create the "connections" I need...
: Huitzilin: Citlali...
: Citlali: But, now that I have the chance to talk to you again, I need you to give me an answer.
: Citlali: Your special technique... You didn't pass it on to your students. You passed it onto the rival you could never beat — me. What I want to know is... Why?
: Huitzilin: ...So, you figured it out.
: Citlali: After what I saw in the maze and everything you just told me, I'm certain the technique at the center of all this... is the same one you taught me all those years ago.
: Citlali: But, you never brought up the fact that you used it to win a battle. From your description, it might as well have been a simple color trick.
: Citlali: I'm getting the feeling you always meant for me to come here... But, if this is a foreshadowed event, I'm not happy with the narrative setup.
: Huitzilin: Citlali, ever since you learned that technique, you've been able to see a special color, haven't you?
: Citlali: You mean...
: Huitzilin: That color is the core of the technique, but it isn't my invention. It's something I discovered in the work of our ancestors.
: Huitzilin: More specifically, you could call it... the color of memories.
: Huitzilin: In truth, passing on the technique is a process of using that color to "tint" another person's memories.
: Huitzilin: Yes, the technique has the power to decide victory. But, in my opinion, the capacity to add color to someone's memories is where the true value lies.
: Huitzilin: You are fated to live a far longer life than me, Citlali. I couldn't bear the thought of all those years existing as a blank canvas in your memory...
: Huitzilin: So, I wanted to leave a little color behind...
: Citlali: ...Your color, you mean.
: Huitzilin: One day, you, too, will want to leave behind your color in someone else's memory. When that day comes, you will understand my decision.
: Citlali: I...
:
:
: Citlali: ...I have to get out of here. That's the only way to rescue them.
: Huitzilin: Citlali, what are you—
: Citlali: I understand the true principle of this technique now. If I can't construct an exit, then I will separate this color from my memories by force!
: Huitzilin: But, you could lose a portion of your memories that way!
: Citlali: I know, but my memory is just a blank canvas I've neglected for two hundred years. My friends are worth the risk...
: : (I have to find her...)
: Citlali: ?
: Huitzilin: When you entered the realm of memory I constructed, I used your memories to learn about your recent experiences. I have a feeling... you're the one who will be saved this time.
: Huitzilin: After two hundred years, someone has appeared by your side — the kind of person I could have never anticipated.
: Huitzilin: The Night Kingdom harbors Natlan's memories, and the Traveler's connection to that realm is incredibly strong, surpassing even the shamans who worship the Lord of the Night.
: Huitzilin: This means that, even without your tutelage, he can see the "color of memories."
: Citlali: What did you say?
: Huitzilin: Although he doesn't know how to wield it, he unknowingly left behind a trace of color in your memories.
: Huitzilin: That was enough to guide to this space. You now have a "connection" at your disposal.
: Huitzilin: Well, Citlali, it looks like part of this was foreshadowed, but the rest is a surprise.
: Citlali: ... !
: Paimon: That's... Citlali's voice! She's just up ahead!
: Huitzilin: This is goodbye, my friend. Your memories over the past two hundred years are much more than a "blank canvas"... Cherish them.
: Citlali: Huitzilin...
:
: Paimon: Citlali!
: Citlali: Paimon, ...
: We finally found you.
: Let's find a way to get out of here.
: Citlali: ...Hold my hand!
;(Scene transitions to outside the domain)
: Paimon: Did we teleport out? Man, that place was so—
:
: Paimon: Whoa! We made it out just in time!
:
: Paimon: Wonder what happened to the Fatui guy and the others...
: Citlali: He was most likely trapped inside that space, just like us.
: Citlali: The external structures supporting that space would have collapsed with the ruin. Unless he managed to escape, he would have been crushed.
: Paimon: He still preferred that to being caught, huh...
: What about the Fontainians?
: Paimon: They were standing a bit further away, right? They probably weren't pulled into the space. Maybe they already made a run for it...
: Allier: Um... Hello...
: Paimon: It's one of that guy's employees!Actual voice-over: "It's one of Montluson's employees!" Quick, restrain him!
: Allier: I—I can explain! I had no idea Montluson was such a terrible person. I couldn't stop him from running, so I stayed behind and tried to find people to help rescue you.
: Allier: I'm so glad you managed to get out of there!
: Citlali: Either way, the guards will take you back to the tribe. You'll be their problem.
: Allier: I understand...
: Citlali: Anyway, I'm not here to harp on you. I just need to know one thing — which way did he run?
: Allier: He went that way! But, I'm not sure if you can catch up...
: Citlali: That way... Hmph, unless he suddenly grows a pair of wings, I think we're okay.
: Citlali: , Paimon, come with me.
;(Talk to Allier, optional)
: Allier: I'll wait here for the tribal guards. I'm so sorry the ruin was destroyed...
;(Approach the Iktomisaurs)
: Paimon: Hey, it's Elder Tlapo and a group of iktomisaurs! They caught Montluson!
: Citlali: Something felt off about him yesterday, so I set a few things in motion... Looks like it's time for that foreshadowing to pay off.
: Montluson: My bank balance... No! NO!
: Paimon: What's wrong with him?
: Citlali: Ah, that's one of the tricks Claw uses to scare people... He makes people hallucinate the thing that scares them the most.
: Citlali: It's particularly effective on weak-minded people like him.
: Paimon: Serves him right!
: Tlapo: ...
: Citlali: I know, it was a lot to ask, making you come all the way out here during the day...
: Tlapo: !
: Paimon: Was that a declaration? Elder Tlapo didn't appoint us to a whole other task, did he?
: Citlali: Forget about him for now... The iktomisaurs will make sure Montluson doesn't escape before the guards arrive. In the meantime, we have unfinished business, remember?
: Paimon: Right! The special scroll! But, the dye is buried underneath a bunch of rubble now...
: Citlali: Don't worry, Huitzilin's technique hasn't been lost at all. Come with me, I'll explain everything at my house.
: Citlali: Oh, and , everything you said about memory... I've finally figured out my answer.
: Tlapo: !
: Citlali: I knew you'd want to tag along. Let's go.
;(Quest completes)
;(Talk to Montluson, optional)
: Montluson: My bank balance...
==Notes==
==Other Languages==
==Change History==