Almona

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

Lore
Albedo and Mona are both students of well-revered masters that were once acquainted in the past along with famed adventurer, who is Klee's mother. With both of them being outlanders, their Masters tasked them each with a specific assignment, requiring them to be sent to Monstadt as their starting point. The involvement of Alice is present in both tasks, as assigned Albedo to find her and give her the recommendation letter in order for him to complete his final assignment, while Mona was entrusted to retrieving her master's prized box from Alice's successor. Currently it is unknown how Albedo and Mona first meet, but as of 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 up with Klee and Albedo for lunch, primarily to gain a free meal, but because of their respective backgrounds in alchemy and astrology, the two also exchange pointers as they both desire to unveil the principles of Tevyat. Essentially, the two are truth seekers and it’s rather expected they would eventually work together as students of acquainted masters. Mona strenuously defends her teacher's image in front of Albedo, despite complaining about the "old hag," causing him to be puzzled by the way Mona speaks of her.

""You say that your line has a unique pedigree — but you also say that your hag of a teacher is a stubborn dimwit. Which of your descriptions of your master is accurate?""

- Albedo to Mona

Fanon
Despite this pair being often overlooked due to their canon interactions locked behind voice lines and character stories of five star characters, there is no denying that these two will play a crucial role regarding the fate, and possible demise of Tevyat in future updates. Earlier fans of Almona were attracted to the deep lore potential these two held 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’s deliberately stated that it’s rather expected for them to come forth and work together. Mihoyo sprinkles subtle hints about their relationship outside of the gameplay, 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 game so far who straightforwardly admits in wanting to uncover the truths of this world is none other than Albedo himself. Rhinedottir, Albedo’s master, assigned him the following final task, “Your final assignment: show me the truth and meaning of this world.” He also brings it up in his investigation voice line:

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

- Albedo

Exhibiting that he is not only carrying out his master’s will, but he has his own personal desire to keep working towards this goal. Whereas for Mona, her hunger for unraveling 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, they also draw parallels to their predecessors, Rhinedottir and Mona’s master. Not much about their master is revealed thus far, however we do know that these two were once acquainted with Klee’s mother, Alice. Seeing that Albedo and Mona wound up in the same place as Klee, we can either interpret this as a work of fate, or perhaps, this was done intentionally by their previous masters? In addition, outside of being one of Tevyat’s renown adventurers, Alice is also an elder of the Hexenzirkel —  an organization of mages that Mona is also associated with. They conduct Irminsul explorations, surveying the leylines and petrified trees that root deep down into the abyss. It is highly likely that Mona’s master is also part of the Hexenzirkel despite it not being directly stated due to her relationship with Alice and Mona possibly having joined under her master’s recommendation. Albedo also shows some insight on these trees as they are within the areas of his 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 interest shared between the two geniuses. However, this bit of information opens the gateway to another possible theory for the two, their plausible connection to Khaenri’ah. There is ample evidence that supports that Albedo is a homunculus creation originating from Khaenri’ah, primarily because Rhinedottir may also be the same person as Gold, the alchemist who lived five hundred years ago. Gold is linked to 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, alongside many other prototypes, were creations under her. As of the current timeline, Rhinedottir is currently missing. Could the dangerous journey Alice is currently on be associated with Gold? And what about Mona’s master?

In “More about Mona: III” it is heavily implied her master created the art of Hydromancy, a technique that does not require the aid of a vision. As we don’t know the origins of Mona’s master, we do however know she and Mona are not interested in the works of a Vision. Which other group of people emphasized this lack of dependency on the Gods? That’s right, Khaenri’ah. Could Mona’s master have derived from the lineage of Khaenri’ah? Keep in mind, she is constantly stated to be an “old hag” by Mona despite possibly maintaining a youthful appearance like Alice. Long life is not foreign to the people of Khaenri’ah, proof being Dainsleif himself seeing he is inflicted with the curse of immortality. Another piece of evidence is Kaeya, whose original mission assignment does not align with the age he appears as. Bringing up the Hexenzirkel again, if the Irminsul expeditions they conduct are related to Khaenri’ah — knowing they have strong ties with 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 with Khaenri’ah, the portal she’s seen using in her story quest and Unreconciled Stars event is almost identical to the Hydro Abyss Herald, all the way to the extent of lingering runes bordering the portal after usage. And while the excess of stars on her character design/playstyle may be to align with her role as an astrologist, it’s uncanny as to 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 spot of their necks.

Going back to the Hydro Abyss Herald, in update 2.4, we learn that Abyss Heralds and Lectors have the ability to shapeshift into any human being, could Mona’s Master possibly be one of these creatures of the Abyss? Or do her origins lie in Enkanomiya? Keep in mind, it is Mona’s master that gave her the name Mona Megistus, and Megistus references Hermes Trimegistus, A Hellenistic figure that combined knowledge of both the spiritual and material world. Enkanomiya has ties to Ancient Greece as seen in the topography and attached lore, so it isn’t too far-fetched to establish a connection between Enkanomiya and Mona’s Master.

It cannot be any clearer that Mona and Albedo are connected to one another, from their mutual desire in uncovering the truth, to their fate possibly preordained by their predecessors, and how they both have been heavily involved with the traveler thus far, as they are part of the mere few that have figured out 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 display doubt toward the current state of the world, why else would they be so driven to seek the truth behind it? We learn that once Orobashi grasped a truth regarding Enkanomiya, he was ordered to be slain by Celestia, who in short, are outlanders from outside of Tevyat. This puts Mona and Albedo potentially in danger as they are also seeking a similar truth. The two characters have a core theme that are respectively astrology and alchemy which are complementary disciplines; these “sciences” are precursory to modern day chemistry and astronomy, both fields which have contributed to unraveling many of the unknowns in our universe. Even Albedo’s character trailer highlights the importance of astrology supporting alchemy, as it is the stars which lead to Earth’s creation, and ultimately, soil births 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 she’s conducting experiments in there. However, as labs in Monstadt are tailored towards alchemy, and Mona is more proficient in astrology, is she capable of utilizing this lab to its full potential? Seeing she exchanges pointers with Albedo, it is possible that he would teach her how to take better advantage of these alchemical tools and vice versa. When 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 links them.

Only time can tell whether findings will be later addressed or negated, but being aware 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

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.
 * Observing their constellations, some commonalities can be pointed out in both, such 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, bringing forth their right arm 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 home 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 shared 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 about 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 share 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"


 * While 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 to refund a portion of crafting materials used, while Albedo has a 10% chance to double the product.
 * In 2.3's Shadows Amidst Snowstorms event, Albedo refutes Eula's statement on sharing meals, implying that having meals with someone on a regular occurrence speaks a lot on their relationship, and in Mona's Character Story 4, it states she often has lunch with Albedo and Klee.
 * Common symbols used for this ship are: ☀🌙, ☀🌠, 🔮🔶, 🌻🌊
 * When asked on Twitter about his thoughts on Albedo x Mona, Khoi Dao (Albedo's English voice actor) stated that it was "very cute; super into it; relationships built on free meals are the strongest".