Almona

Almona is the het ship between Albedo and Mona Megistus from the Genshin Impact fandom.

Lore
Albedo and Mona are both students of renowned masters who once knew each other in the past, along with the famous adventurer, who is Klee's mother. Since they were both outlanders, their masters gave them each a specific task, which required them to be sent to Monstadt as a starting point. Alice's involvement is present in both tasks, as assigned Albedo to find her and give her the letter of recommendation so that he could complete his final task, while Mona was tasked with retrieving her master's prized box from Alice's successor. It is currently unknown how Albedo and Mona first met, but by now they have an established friendship, as seen in Klee's voiceline about Mona and Mona's character story 4.

Voicelines
"Mona is the best! It's so much fun when she comes to play with me and Albedo. She talks about all these amazing things, and I don't understand most of it but... Ah, I just love it when Mona comes round!"

- Klee's voiceline about Mona

"Ah yes, Alice's daughter. She's in the custody of the Knights of Favonius, and Albedo looks after her too."

- Mona's voiceline about Klee

"Albedo? Ah... I envy his ability to solely focus on his research without getting bogged down in mundane worldly affairs. What a wonderful life! If that batty old lady hadn't had one too many screws loose, perhaps that's the life I'd be living by now myself..."

- Mona's voiceline about Albedo Albedo doesn't have a voiceline about Mona or mentions as of now.

Character Story Profile
In Mona's Character Story 4, Mona sometimes meets with Klee and Albedo for lunch, primarily to get a free meal, but because of their respective backgrounds in alchemy and astrology, the two also exchange pointers as they both desire to unravel the principles of Tevyat. Essentially, the two are truth seekers, and it's expected that they will eventually work together as disciples of known masters. Mona fiercely defends her teacher's image in front of Albedo, though she complains about the "old hag," causing him to be puzzled by the way Mona speaks of her.

"You speak of your illustrious lineage, yet you also refer to your master as a "hag" and a "stubborn dimwit." Which of these descriptions is accurate?"

- Albedo to Mona

Windblume's Breath (2023)
After reading all the submissions to the various riddles, Collei, Sucrose, and the Traveler decide to pick the best answer to each riddle. The three then summon Albedo, Mona, Klee, and Timaeus, finding their answers more interesting than the others. The large group then heads to the locations suggested by Venti, only to find an empty table decorated for the tea party. Albedo suggests looking around to make sure everything is safe, and while he's busy checking for dangers, Mona decides to scry.

Once the group figures out how to use the lamp on the table, Mona and Albedo have a chance to talk to Alice, Klee's mother and a an elder of the Hexenzirkel. During the following cutscene, it is revealed that both Barbeloth (Mona's master, "B") and Rhinedottir (Albedo's creator, "R") are members of the Hexenzirkel, meaning that both Mona and Albedo are possible future members as their successors.

"Klee: Hmmm... I'll just do what Albedo said! Albedo: Yes, let's test the hypothesis together, Klee. Klee: Mhm! C'mon, join us, Mona! Mona: Oh...Alright."

- Conversation between Klee, Albedo, and Mona during Windblume's Breath

Genius Invokation TCG
Albedo, Klee, and Mona appear together on one of the Genius Invocation TCG cards. The card shows Albedo and Klee watching a miniature version of themselves and Mona in an adventure. Klee seems quite excited to see herself and two people she loves represented in this way, while Albedo watches the scene with a gentle expression on his face. The card's description suggests that the plushies were Albedo's creations at Klee's request, presumably to help her tell a more engaging stor. "Not to worry. The experiment has been completed, and it is — if I may say so — a great success."

- "Calx's Arts" description, Alchemical Experiment.

Fanon
While this pair is often overlooked due to their canon interactions being locked behind the voice lines and character stories of five-star characters, there is no denying that these two will play a crucial role in the fate and possible demise of Tevyat in future updates. Earlier fans of Almona were drawn to the deep lore potential of these two as a result of the Unreconciled Stars event and the upcoming 1.2 Dragonspine update, leading them to discover their established relationship behind infowalls, particularly Mona's Character Story 4, where it is deliberately stated that it's rather expected for them to come out and work together. Mihoyo drops subtle hints about their relationship outside of the game, possibly foreshadowing future events.

In Mona's Collected Miscellany, the narrator, Dainsleif, stated, "There are few who possess the ability and a desire to seek truth equal to hers [Mona]," and the only character in the game so far who openly admits to wanting to uncover the truths of this world is none other than Albedo himself. Rhinedottir, Albedo's master, gave him the following final task: "Your final assignment: show me the truth and meaning of this world." He also mentions it in his investigation voice line:

"The truth of this world, *sigh* What could it be?"

- Albedo

This shows that he is not only carrying out the will of his master, but that he has his own personal desire to continue working towards this goal. Whereas for Mona, her hunger to unravel the truth is thoroughly present in her story quest, the Unreconciled Stars event, and her voice lines.

"...One step closer. Maybe soon I shall finally uncover the truth of this world?"

- Mona

Not only are Albedo and Mona bound by similar motivations, but they also draw parallels to their predecessors, Rhinedottir and Mona's master. Not much has been revealed about their master, but we do know that they were once acquainted with Klee's mother, Alice. Since Albedo and Mona ended up in the same place as Klee, we can either interpret this as a work of fate, or perhaps it was done on purpose by their former masters? Besides being one of Tevyat's most famous adventurers, Alice is also an elder of the Hexenzirkel —  an organization of magicians with which Mona is also associated. They conduct research of Irminsul, surveying the leylines and petrified trees rooted deep into the abyss. It is very likely that Mona's master is also a part of the Hexenzirkel, though it is not directly stated due to her relationship with Alice and Mona possibly joining on her master's recommendation. Albedo also shows some insight into these trees, as they are within his areas of interest, as seen in his "Interesting Things" voiceline.

"You would like to know more about petrified trees? Erm... Actually, the petrified trees you have come across in domains aren't that ancient. Truly ancient trees usually grow to around one or two miles in height."

- Albedo

— Another area of common interest between the two geniuses. However, this piece of information opens the door to another possible theory for the two, their plausible connection to Khaenri'ah. There is ample evidence that Albedo is a homunculus creation of Khaenri'ah, mainly because Rhinedottir may also be the same person as Gold, the alchemist who lived five hundred years ago. Gold is associated with the cataclysm that led to the fall of Khaenri'ah's Eclipse Dynasty, which spawned monsters as a result. As of update 2.3, in the Shadows Amidst Snowstorms limited event, Albedo reveals to the traveler that Rhinedottir is gold, and that Albedo, along with many other prototypes, were creations under her. In the current timeline, Rhinedottir is currently missing. Could the perilous journey Alice is currently on be related to Gold? And what about Mona's master?

In "More about Mona: III," it is strongly implied that her master created the art of hydromancy, a technique that does not require the aid of a vision. Since we don't know the origins of Mona's master, we do know that she and Mona are not interested in the works of a vision. What other group of people emphasized this lack of dependence on the gods? That's right, Khaenri'ah. Could Mona's master have come from the Khaenri'ah lineage? Keep in mind that she is constantly referred to by Mona as an "old hag" though she may maintain a youthful appearance like Alice. Long life is no stranger to the people of Khaenri'ah, as evidenced by the fact that Dainsleif himself is cursed with immortality. Another piece of evidence is Kaeya, whose original mission assignment does not match the age he appears to be. Bringing up the Hexenzirkel again, if the Irminsul expeditions they conduct are related to Khaenri'ah — knowing that they have strong ties to the Abyss where most of these petrified trees are found — this supports a possible connection between Alice and Khaenri'ah, and by equal association, Mona's master.

To further expand on Mona's tentative connections to Khaenri'ah, the portal she was seen using in her story quest and Unreconciled Stars event is almost identical to the Hydro Abyss Herald, down to the amount of runes left around the portal after use. And while the overabundance of stars in her character design/play style may be in keeping with her role as an astrologist, it's curious why so many of those stars align with figures associated with Khaenri'ah (Dainsleif, Kaeya, Albedo, Ruin Guards, Heralds, etc.). Mona and Albedo even share the same diamond-shaped star on the same part of their necks.

Going back to the Hydro Abyss Herald, in update 2.4 we learned that Abyss Heralds and Lectors have the ability to transform into any human being, could Mona's master possibly be one of these Abyss creatures? Or are her origins in Enkanomiya? Keep in mind that it is Mona's master who gave her the name Mona Megistus, and Megistus refers to Hermes Trimegistus, a Hellenistic figure who combined knowledge of both the spiritual and material worlds. Enkanomiya has ties to ancient Greece, as seen in the topography and associated lore, so it's not too far-fetched to make a connection between Enkanomiya and Mona's master.

It could not be clearer that Mona and Albedo are connected, from their mutual desire to uncover the truth, to their fates that may have been preordained by their predecessors, and how they have both been heavily involved with the Traveler so far, as they are among the few who have figured out that the Traveler is not from their world. Twitter user moondstadt has pointed out that they seem to be aware of a "falseness" to the world even before the revelation of the "stars being a hoax." They both show doubt about the current state of the world, why else would they be so driven to seek the truth behind it? We learn that as soon as Orobashi grasped a truth about Enkanomiya, he was ordered to be killed by Celestia, who are, in short, outlanders from outside of Tevyat. This potentially puts Mona and Albedo in danger, as they are also searching for a similar truth. The two characters have a core theme of astrology and alchemy, respectively, which are complementary disciplines; these "sciences" are precursors to modern chemistry and astronomy, both fields that have helped unravel many of the unknowns in our universe. Even Albedo's character trailer emphasizes the importance of astrology in supporting alchemy, as it is the stars that lead to the creation of the Earth, and ultimately to the birth of Chalk & Alchemy.

"Soil and chalk, the universe and earth, pure dust and the birth of human life…"

- Albedo

When interacting with the formerly hydro-sealed door after Mona's story quest, Mona states that she's conducting experiments in there. However, since the labs in Monstadt are geared toward alchemy, and Mona is more skilled in astrology, is she capable of using this lab to its full potential? Since she exchanges hints with Albedo, it is possible that he will teach her how to make better use of these alchemical tools, and vice versa. Using the alchemy table, both Mona and Albedo have similar skills when it comes to synthesizing weapon ascension materials. Perhaps more than shared passion and genius binds them together.

Only time will tell whether the findings will be addressed or negated later, but the awareness of their underlying potential is what motivates Almona shippers to look forward to future updates.

The official Almonaweek account is on Twitter.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

FAN ART

TUMBLR

TWITTER
 * Almonaweek2021 account on Twitter
 * Almonaweek2021 account on Twitter
 * Almonaweek2021 account on Twitter

Trivia

 * Mona and Albedo were both featured in the Genshin Impact PS5 trailer and gameplay footage trailer, along with Klee and Diona, all in a team composition.
 * During the Windblume Lyre challenge, Mona and Albedo share the same track, which is "Frost Parable", a Dragonspine soundtrack (its original title was "Moonlike Smile").
 * Observing their constellations, some similarities can be noted in both, such as the presence of the same diamond-like star and a similar crescent-like structure.





"What food do I dislike? ...Large portions of meat at restaurants. I have a rather small appetite, so a meal like that only ends up in tragedy — either I overeat and the joy of the taste is lost, or I don't finish it and the food is wasted. I decided to simply not go to restaurants, although that has also meant I must spend more time preparing my own food..."
 * Mona and Albedo have similar burst animations, with the right arm coming out with a hint of a wrist flick at the end.
 * Their story quests are positioned next to each other in the story quest menu.
 * In Albedo's Collected Miscellany, he is seen in front of Mona's house gathering Philanemo mushrooms, both the ascension materials of Mona and Klee.
 * Mona and Albedo have similar eating habits, especially when it comes to eating fancy food.

- Albedo "Least Favorite Food"

"You know, all those... overpriced, fancy foods. Personally, I think it's uncivilized and, frankly, dangerous to splash out and indulge yourself every time you have a little hunger pang."

- Mona "Least Favorite Food"


 * Mona and Albedo have a common interest in the origin of Paimon.

"There's something I've always wanted to ask you, but feared rejection and disappointment...Eh-hem... I am very interested in your little floating companion. May I borrow her to investigate for a short while?"

- Albedo "Something to Share"

"This... travel companion of yours — do you know anything of her origins? No matter what, I cannot seem to discern a single shred of information regarding this floating fairy's fate. ...Oh? So you don't know where she comes from, either?"

- Mona "Interesting Things"


 * Both have the same perception of time.

"It´s already time for you to turn in? If you ask me, there´s never enough time in a day."

- Mona "Good night, Mona" (Serenitea Pot Conversation)

"There's just never enough time, is there? Even when I remove the most troublesome matters from my schedule, I still can't find enough time for everything."

- Albedo "Albedo´s Troubles"


 * They seem to have similar opinions about socializing.

"You want to chat... for fun? Oh... I don't usually have spare time for such activities, especially when I have so many columns left to write... Then again, since it's you, it might be worth it. Hehe, a change of pace once in a while isn't such a bad thing."

- Mona "More About Mona: I"

"Relationships are... quite troublesome. Once you establish a relation with someone, you must continue to maintain it; if you lose contact, you must reestablish the relation. This taxing cycle requires a lot of time..."

- Albedo "About Albedo: Socializing"


 * When entering the crafting table screen in the character selection menu, both Albedo and Mona play a similar role in weapon ascension materials, with Mona having a 25% chance of refunding some of the crafting materials used, and Albedo having a 10% chance of doubling the product.
 * In 2.3's Shadows Amidst Snowstorms event, Albedo refutes Eula's statement about sharing meals, implying that eating with someone on a regular basis says a lot about their relationship, and in Mona's Character Story 4, it states that she often eats lunch with Albedo and Klee.
 * In 2.8's Summer Fantasia event, the tracks "Menacing Cove" and "All-Conquering Tide" can be heard in Mona's domain. The tracks are part of the Dragonspine OST, a location heavily associated with Albedo.
 * Common symbols used for this ship are: ☀🌙, ☀🌠, 🔮🔶, 🌻🌊.
 * The two share the same zodiac sign, both being Virgos.
 * When asked on Twitter for his thoughts on Albedo x Mona, Khoi Dao (Albedo's English voice actor) said it was "very cute; super into it; relationships built on free meals are the strongest".