Venneti

Venneti is the het ship between Venti and Vennessa from the Genshin Impact fandom.

Prologue: Songs of the Wind
The bulk of Venti and Vennessa’s interactions take place in the prologue of the webtoon that's set roughly one thousand years before the start of Genshin Impact.

In the beginning of the manga, the scene is set with Vennessa tending to her ill sister, Linda. Feeling a sense of resolve, Vennessa exits the small home they live in and goes outside at night to pray for her sister’s health. Getting up from her bed, Lind bumps into her sister and they notice how Celestia is much closer than it ever has been before. Vennessa agrees that it is and says the gods will be pleased with her recovery, and asks Lind to return inside. While Lind pleads for her sister not to fight, Vennessa states that she fights for their people so that they can one day be freed.

Because of her people’s status as nomadic Muratans (implied to be blood descendants of Murata, Pyro Archon at the time), they’re unjustly charged with them being slave gladiators by the corrupt aristocracy that wrested control from the common people in the 1,600 years Barbatos had been hibernating that allowed the country to fall under their jurisdiction. However, the next scene shows Venti awakening from his long slumber to see the status of his people and country.

In the following scenes, it follows Venti recounting recent events, such as the nobles’ corruption, the oppression of the common people that are banned from celebrating festivals the nobility gatekeepers, and the tyranny of Ursa the Drake. Venti arrives on the day of Ludi Harpastum to see how Barca Lawrence, a son of the Lawrence Clan, cheats during the event. Venti catches the ball only he was supposed to, but eludes the enraged boy. Giving chase, Venti collides with Vennessa while Barca tails them.

While Barca tries to intimidate Venti, the bard instead hides behind Vennessa and she protects him, her invincible reputation as the Lionfang Knight keeping Barca at bay who then desists. The scene ends with Venti escaping and Vennessa returning home to her little sister with the promised herbs. However, Barca appears and declares that he’d bought the entire tribe and promises their freedom if they win 12 battles. Determined to save her fellow Muratans, she accepts her fate and is interred in a prison wherein she waits until morning.

Venti appears singing, “Herald of freedom, bane of kings; feel on your skin the breaths of spring,” with the key in hand and guards knocked out. The pair proceed to introduce each other, and he explains he wants to free her as thanks for helping him that morning. He tells her the story of her people’s history while Vennessa explains her tribe only learnt the art of combat and survival, especially when they were pursued by Ursa the Drake. Instead of accepting Venti’s offer for freedom, she says she wants to save herself and her people her own way. Accepting that, Venti instead asks if they can be friends and offers her an apple, which Vennessa happily acquiesces to.

The next day, Vennessa is called to the outer limits of Mondstadt to learn of the rigged battle for her freedom will be between her and her entire tribe against Ursa the Drake. Though the spectators cry foul, Vennessa is forced to fight and orders for the children and elderly to be protected while she single-handedly slaughters a legion of Hillichurls. In a desperate moment, Venti appears as Barbatos to Vennessa and the crowd and elects to help her, empowering her attacks with Anemo to fight Ursa the Drake. Dealt a devastating blow, Venti banishes the dragon and gives Vennessa another apple in the aftermath.

He asks again if she can be a part of his songs, and Vennessa happily agrees to be. He then proceeds to hold Lord Lawrence to his promise to hand over the keys to the city and all his properties for the victory, which then leads to the events that culminate in Vennessa’s Rebellion.

According to much in-game lore like The Legend of Vennessa, it details how she found camaraderie in the Wanderers’ Troupe that had tried and failed to provoke a rebellion, but under Vennessa’s banner, they succeed. She goes on to found the Knights of Favonius that take control of the city and restore it to what Venti intended. As seen in Venti’s character teaser, he had an active part and regularly worked with Vennessa as Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius.

In the epilogue, Vennessa is shown with Venti as she ascends to Celestia to attain godhood at Windrise, birthing the enormous tree, the Symbol of Mondstadt’s Hero. Later, Venti is shown reminiscing with Aether when they both encounter Vennessa in hawk-form in a flyby while Venti muses if the world grew stronger like she hoped to see.

Character Stories
Within Venti’s character stories, she’s mentioned in both Character Story 2 and Where the Wind Doth Not Blow. There’s an additional mention in Jean’s fourth character story that ties her and Venti together once again.

Venti's Character Stories, Character Story 2 & Where the Wind Doth Not Blow
“There is a towering oak tree at the center of Windrise, said to have sprouted when Vennessa ascended to the heavens a millennium ago. In the past few months, travelers resting in the shade of the great oak sometimes hear a young bard singing the tales of Barbatos, the Anemo Archon.”

“Thus the Anemo Archon returned after these 1,600 years to what was once the City of Freedom. He heard the cry of the slave girl Vennessa, and together with her raised a rebellion that overthrew the aristocracy.”

Jean's Character Story 4
“The great tree at Windrise is where the first Dandelion Knight came to the end of her journey. She was Vennessa, the founder of the Knights of Favonius and the restorer of Mondstadt. She bade farewell to the city she had vowed to protect, leaving behind her legend and a single sapling. After centuries of basking in the bliss of the thousand winds, this sapling grew into a towering tree.”

Windrise
One of the more sentimental aspects of Venti and Vennessa's relationship is his connection to Windrise. Shown by the likes of Dr. Edith to be a hotspot of Anemo elemental energy, it's also a favorite haunt of Venti and the spot where Vennessa ascended to godhood, the sapling left behind flourishing into the largest tree in Mondstadt, a massive oak where a Statue of the Seven sits at its roots. Venti says it's a place where he likes the scent of the wind, and as shown in Scenery & Sentiment: Mondstadt Edition, where he spends much time in the boughs of to play his lyre and sing ballads. In addition, Venti's statue before the Church of Favonius points directly to Windrise. Whether Windrise or the statue came first is a topic of much debate, but ultimately a moot point.

Interestingly, it's also known to be the only place Venti is able to heal himself at. When the Traveler first encountered him in the Whispering Wood trying to tend to Dvalin's Abyssal poisoning, the Traveler's interruption resulted in him being afflicted with secondhand poison. Barbara was shown to be unable to heal him, but resting at the roots of Windrise purified the poison completely. As he'd gotten the idea when the Traveler purified Dvalin's tear to heal Dvalin's poison from his body, he does this again after Signora rips the Anemo Gnosis from him. Because he cannot be healed by normal means, only Windrise can repair the damage done to his body originally made by the Anemo Gnosis' power due to Windrise's connection to Celestia.

The Legend of Vennessa
The Legend of Vennessa is a two volume book collection that centers on Vennessa's legend and the details regarding Mondstadt's reconstruction, her past, and meeting Barbatos that contributed to the Mondstadt of today. Many details corroborate what happened in Prologue: The Songs of Wind, and they read as follows: ''“Friends of Mondstadt, let us revel! Drink to your hearts' content! To freedom! To the Anemo Archon! To Vennessa, the first Knight to grace this world! Sons and daughters of Mondstadt, may the gift from the Anemo Archon be engraved in your hearts! And let it be known that this gift is not freedom, but just defiance!''

''It transpired in ages past. Friends, do excuse me for improvising, For it should be clear as day, that the glory and freedom of Mondstadt Were born when Barbatos struck the strings dolce. Poems sing of heroic fame, Yet to commemorate unnamed freedom should they aim.''

''Chained by royals, Mondstadt could barely suspire, And festivities were but vanity games of the rich, Beyond the grasp of the ordinary people. A withering dungeon, Mondstadt was. In slavery games the royal gaily relished, Oblivious to their place, the inmates were.''

''A fiery-headed dame confined to a cell, From the southern plains she did hail. Born free but now bound by chains, Though restrained by a tyrant her flesh remained. Still her pious soul never ceased to pray, For her people, for Mondstadt, for illusive freedom if she may. - The Legend of Vennessa, vol. 1 “Friends of Mondstadt, let us revel! Drink to your hearts' content! The day came when Barbatos answered her devotion. The Anemo Archon sought her fiery hair and descended to her position. "Every being deserves a name," the spirit grinned. "To weave your fair name into a song I yearn," "I seek nothing but your friendship in return." The girl happily reciprocated, her fears swiftly dissipated.''

''And so, to the battlefield she marched to Barbatos' singing voice, The demonic dragon fled from her might and the people did rejoice. Corpulent aristocrats crawled under tables at such a valiant sight. "Mondstadt is freedom," the winds sang for their people in delight. Lonely forest breezes converged, jointly they overthrew the tyrant's tower from the sky. Broken free from shackles at last, the young lioness stood firm in the winds with her head held high.''

''And so, the fiery-headed dame won herself prestigious fame. Her heart swelled with appreciation to sing by the Anemo Archon's side. But no words of gratitude should she utter, Barbatos replied: "You first conducted what now transpires in your song." "You have entrusted me with your friendship and your name." "To praise your freedom, my songs came."''

''Friends, let us drink some more! For thence flows the freedom of Mondstadt. When days become nights and faces fill with despair, Never forget the heroic tales of Vennessa, the dame with the flaming hair! Never cease to pursue freedom, even when the land is bare!”'' - The Legend of Vennessa, vol. 2

Quotes
"Good Lady, you’re hard as stone. Good thing I didn’t break any bones."

- Venti, meeting Vennessa (Prologue: Songs of the Wind)

"Alright, warrior. That temper of yours is very Muratan."

- Venti, meeting Vennessa again (Prologue: Songs of the Wind)

"Hear me, fiery-haired dame, every being deserves a name. A name to be called upon, and woven into song. So… will you share your fair name?"

- Venti, to Vennessa (Prologue: Songs of the Wind)

"You fought bravely for the freedom of your people, so allow me to fight for your freedom as well. After all, we’re very good friends."

- Venti, to Vennessa (Prologue: Songs of the Wind)

"To defend justice, and fight against the odious, flame-haired Venness founded the Ordo Favonius. At the end of the sagas of flame-haired Venness, the gods gave her a seat in holy Celest."

- Venti’s ballad about Vennessa (Prologue: Songs of the Wind)

"She’s still keeping watch over Mondstadt after all these years. Now I wonder if the world became a little bit stronger… she always hoped to see that happen."

- Venti, to Aether (Prologue: Songs of the Wind)

"But now, before us stands the Symbol of Mondstadt's Hero, the place from which Mondstadt rose. The wind amongst the branches is good, I love the way it smells… Being here with you beneath this great tree feels like when the tear was purified earlier. Like the poison is leaving my body… Mmmmmmm... Feels much better."

- Venti, about Windrise (Archon Quest: Let the Wind Lead)

"This plain bathes in an everlasting breeze. An ancient, monumental tree left behind by an ancient heroine speaks softly amidst the winds."

- Viewpoint, Windswept Wilderness: Windrise

"A valley surrounded by winds. In its middle grows a large oak tree. The shade of the tree protects the Statue of The Seven built at its feet from the rain and the wind, like Vennessa once protected Mondstadt."

- Expedition description

"Right now I wish I was sat at the top of a tree, looking out over a meadow, cider in hand... *sigh*"

- Venti, Chat: Apple Cider (given his tendency to roost at Windrise, it's likely this is the tree he's thinking of)

"Acting Grand Master Jean... Well, what do you think of her? Yes, I couldn't agree more: conscientious, courageous... kind and considerate too. Reminds me of another good friend…"

- Venti, about Jean (The “good friend” he’s referring to possibly means Vennessa)

"The Anemo God called upon them, each one in turn; first their leader, the west wind, though he found himself spurned. The Lionfang Knight was less than impressed; “I’ve no time to join you and sing, dance, and jest, for you see to those three while I handle the rest!”"

- Venti, Character Teaser: The Four Winds

"The Anemo Archon heard their agony, though he had refused to rule. But to protect his old friends' dream, and defend the wind-kissed fields of green."

- Elegy for the End, description (To "protect his old friends' dream" likely includes Vennessa, as defending Mondstadt was hers.)

Fanon
Due to the fact that Vennessa made her debut in 2018 in the Genshin Impact webtoon, her presence in many fanworks is fairly negligible and small compared to other characters. Most of the content that features her and Venti is platonic with only a handful of people shipping them in a romantic light. There are currently 22 works on Ao3 that features them together platonically, less than 10 that's romantic, and the ship is largely overshadowed by his other pairings with minimal contention from those who ship Vennessa and Ragnvindr due to the popular fanon that Vennessa is Diluc’s ancestress who married into the Ragnvindr Clan after her rebellion was waged.

However, given the fact that the webtoon foreshadowed the emergence of characters that gained immense popularity such as Cyno, Collei, and Il Dottore, and with Vennessa being the first character with ties to Natlan and Murata, it’s entirely possible she could serve as a later bridge to both.

Regardless, Venti and Vennessa have a rather warm relationship with each other, works revolving around them centered mainly on Venti’s nostalgia for the past and recounting his past friendships with Vennessa and the other Four Winds, a glimpse of which figures in Venti’s character teaser that shows him interacting with the three. Given how Venti and Aether are shown encountering Vennessa in her falcon form at the end of the webtoon’s prologue, and shortly after Venti awakens after being dormant for five hundred years, it means she’s still active in Mondstadt and possibly keeps up interactions with Venti offscreen.

Many works also like to focus on the time of the Rebellion and showing the pair’s efforts to rebuild Mondstadt as Venti intended before his assumed first hibernation after Decarabian’s fall. Canonically, Windrise is the tree that Venti spends the bulk of time within, often showcased in both the Archon Quest prologue and other media. Compared to even the other lairs of the two other known Four Winds—Dvalin in Old Mondstadt and Andrius in Wolvendom—he seems to favor Windrise the most. This speaks volumes of the closeness that Venti still feels for Vennessa, his “friend so dear.”

Due to the successive, in-game trope between an Archon and their dear friend that is a running theme with others in the Seven, Venneti’s close relationship shares parallels with EiMiko and ReZhong. This is especially true given how the Geo and Electro Archons and their close friends also share close ties with a notable tree, such as EiMiko with the Sacred Sakura and ReZhong with the Dragon-Queller in Nantianmen. To a familial degree, this is also true of Scarahida with the Divine Tree or Irminsul in Sumeru.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

Trivia

 * Both share the Anemo element, as Dr. Edith notes in the “Leaves on the Wind” commission, the leaves of Windrise bear Anemo elemental power.
 * "Vennessa" is likely an alternate spelling of the English name Vanessa. The name was coined by poet Jonathan Swift after one of his lovers, Esther Vanhomrigh . Given how Venti also has some talent as a poet, and how he nicknamed Vennessa “Venness” in his ballads, this could also relate to him and Vennessa.
 * The name Vanessa also became the name of a genus of—typically red—butterflies. In some symbology, red butterflies are also indicative of boundless passion and romance.
 * The weapon ascension materials, the Gladiator Shackle, are found in a domain known as the Cecilia Garden; they’re attributed to Vennessa in their descriptions. Cecilias are Venti’s favorite flower and he wears them in his cap and adorns his lyre with them.
 * Windwheel Asters, a popular Windblume candidate flower, only grows at Windrise or at Dvalin's lair. The Rather-Fine Windwheel Aster grows specifically at Windrise alone.
 * Venti and Vennessa both bear heavily implied relations to a former god as well as Celestia itself.
 * Vennessa, as a "flame-touched Muratan" is heavily implied to be a direct descendant of Murata, the previous Pyro Archon. Given how she ascended to Celestia when she was chosen for godhood, her ties to Celestia are clear. In addition, her name related to the butterfly genus previously was thought to connect to Phanes, but has been discredited.
 * Venti is believed to be an offshoot or descendant of Istaroth, the god of time and one of the Four Shades, who was previously worshiped alongside the wind before he ascended as Anemo Archon. Given how the Anemo Gnosis was granted to him by Celestia, he also implies that he's been to Celestia before but found the experience lacking.
 * Since ancient times and across many cultures, one of the hidden meanings for an apple is a symbol of love . Venti gives Vennessa an apple twice in the webtoon, and asks her if she'd be willing to be the subject of his ballads near the end.
 * Both characters share connections with the Hellenist Anemoi, or the Venti as they're called in Latin. Vennessa can be attributed to Favonius/Zephyrus, the West Wind, whose Roman equivalent has dominion over plants and flowers.
 * The poet Horace wrote a verse on Favonius that went: "Why do you weep, Asterie, for the man whom the bright west winds will restore to you at the beginning of spring?" This is fitting given the verse Venti greets her with when they reunite in the prison: “Herald of freedom, bane of kings; feel on your skin the breaths of spring,” that echoes Horace's poem closely, along with the possible romantic connotation attached to it.