A Herald Without Adherents

Follow our Genshin Impact walkthrough to complete the Archon Quest 'A Herald Without Adherents,' detailing enemy strategies and lore insights.

Alright, let's dive into the Archon Quest "A Herald Without Adherents." This is the second quest in Chapter I - Act IV: We Will Be Reunited. We'll cover the rewards and how to get through it smoothly.

Before we start, here's a quick rundown of what you'll get and what you need:

Adventure EXP	Mora	Other Rewards	Requirements	Next Quests
650	31,125	3 Hero's Wit, 6 Mystic Enhancement Ore	AR 26, Complete "The Meaning of Lupical"	Dishonorable Trial

So, after that whole ordeal in the creepy ruins, you bump into Dainsleif. You'll team up and start chasing after the Abyss Herald again, heading back into those same ruins. Let's get to it!

Steps

1. Look for traces of the Abyss Order (part 1)
2. Look for traces of the Abyss Order (part 2)
3. Look for traces of the Abyss Order (part 3)

Look for traces of the Abyss Order (part 1)

First things first, you'll need to teleport to the Minlin Waypoint in Liyue. From there, head northwest. You'll run into some enemies: one Cryo Abyss Mage, one Hydro Abyss Mage, and two Hilichurl Fighters. When you're fighting these guys, always take out the Hydro Abyss Mage first. Seriously, its healing abilities can really drag out a fight. Once it's down, focus on the Cryo Abyss Mage. To break their shields effectively, use Cryo against the Hydro Abyss Mage and Pyro against the Cryo Abyss Mage. Once their shields are gone, they'll be much easier to defeat.

After you take them down, you'll get a cutscene. Paimon thinks you were ambushed, but Dainsleif clarifies that the Abyss Mages were actually rummaging through some old Ruin Guards, looking for something valuable. After a bit more talking, Dainsleif suggests you keep searching.

Look for traces of the Abyss Order (part 2)

Now, head southeast through the ruins. As you get to the top of some stairs, you'll encounter more enemies. This time it's a tougher group: one Cryo Abyss Mage, one Hydro Abyss Mage, one Hilichurl Fighter, one Pyro Hilichurl Shooter, one Electro Hilichurl Shooter, and a Ruin Hunter. Like before, prioritize the Hydro Abyss Mage, then the Cryo Abyss Mage, while trying to dodge the Ruin Hunter's attacks.

Once the mages are dealt with, it's time to focus on the Ruin Hunter. Keep an eye out for these attacks:

• Drill Thrust: This usually happens if you get too far away. It'll turn its arm into a drill and charge at you. It can take you down in one hit, so be ready to dodge about 2 seconds after it starts charging.
• Slash Combo: It performs a two-hit slash followed by a spinning slash. This also does a lot of damage, so dodging to the side is your best bet.
• Bombardment: It launches eight missiles that rain down on the area. Stay mobile to avoid them, or try shooting its weak point (its eye) to stun it temporarily.

It has a few other moves, but those are the most dangerous. If you have characters like Zhongli or Noelle in your party for their shields, this fight will be a lot easier. Once you've defeated them, another cutscene will play.

Paimon notices that Ruin Guards are often found near Abyss Mage hideouts, but Dainsleif explains that it's not a coincidence. He reveals that both the Abyss Order and the Ruin Guards originated from an ancient nation called Khaenri’ah, which was destroyed 500 years ago. He shares some details about the place, and the Traveler mentions having fragmented memories of it, including a sea of flames and a god encountered 500 years ago. After some more discussion about Khaenri’ah, Dainsleif urges you to continue the search, promising to explain more later.

Look for traces of the Abyss Order (part 3)

Head southwest, over the mountains, and onto the cliff in Cuijue Slope. When you arrive, you'll trigger another scene. You'll see a Ruin Guard with some Abyss Mages nearby. Paimon wonders if Khaenri’ah had lots of ruins guarded by Ruin Guards, and Dainsleif explains that they were called 'Field Tillers' back then, and the people of Khaenri’ah often gave their weapons codenames. After the city's destruction, the Ruin Guards wandered aimlessly until they settled near old ruins. Once the scene ends, you'll face another battle. This time, you'll fight one Pyro Abyss Mage, one Cryo Abyss Mage, one Pyro Hilichurl Shooter, one Cryo Hilichurl Shooter, two Hilichurl Guards, and one Ruin Guard.

This fight is a bit easier than the last one, more like the first encounter, except you have a Pyro Abyss Mage instead of a Hydro one, and a Ruin Guard. You can break the Pyro Abyss Mage's shield with Hydro. For the Ruin Guard, aim for its weak point to stun it with a bow user, or use a combination of Hydro and Cryo to keep it frozen. After you defeat them, you'll get another scene. Paimon spots a talisman dropped by an Abyss Mage, containing a message. Dainsleif can decipher parts of it, revealing that the Abyss Order is planning something significant. He deduces that their operation involves Osial and the ancient technology of the Ruin Guards, which they intend to use to control the subdued god.