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Dainfolnir is the family ship between Dainsleif and Vedrfolnir from the Genshin Impact fandom.
Canon[]
Dainsleif and Vedrfolnir are biological brothers from Khaenri’ah, both of whom played important roles in their nation's history before its destruction. Despite never interacting on-screen, their connection is heavily implied through dialogue, quests, and the Xbox-exclusive Wind Glider Wings of Fate’s Course Intertwined, which tells a tale of their intertwined paths.
Vedrfolnir is first introduced as the "Voice Inside the Head" during the Archon Quest A Lamenter at Fate’s End. Later, in Memories That Should Not Exist, Dainsleif confirms that this entity is in fact his older brother, Vedrfolnir—one of the Five Sinners of Khaenri'ah. These five individuals were once revered as the brightest among their peers, entrusted with the hopes of the nation. However, they ultimately succumbed to the lure of the Abyss and divided between them a power capable of destroying the world. This betrayal led to their transformation into transcendent beings with terrifying power, marked forever as "Sinners."
Vedrfolnir was blinded in both eyes and imprisoned for "giving oracle," a cryptic act that remains unexplained. According to the lore, Dainsleif once mounted a rescue mission to free his brother, gathering other gifted young heroes to join him. This mission may have indirectly saved the nation, though the actual results remain unknown. Still, the cataclysm happened, and neither Vedrfolnir nor the other Sinners took action to defend Khaenri’ah, something Dainsleif deeply resents. He states outright that he will never forgive them.
Centuries later, Vedrfolnir reappears in the memories of the Traveler’s sibling, where he takes on a new form—a chained, floating crystal with a glowing Abyssal core. He seems to possess a mysterious charisma or compulsion that draws beings like hilichurls and even Chlothar to worship him. Though he denies being a god, Vedrfolnir addresses Chlothar and the Traveler in a calm, almost prophetic voice, calling them “dear creature” and expressing sorrow over their fate. He grants Chlothar Abyssal power, allowing him to temporarily cure his son Caribert, which ultimately leads Chlothar to renounce the Seven and establish the Abyss Order in Vedrfolnir's name.
Though Dainsleif initially hesitates to name the crystal-bound figure, he later confirms with the Traveler that the "Sinner" they saw was indeed Vedrfolnir. He implies that Vedrfolnir was able to perceive the Traveler through the memory, hinting at some form of higher awareness or time-transcending consciousness.
The Xbox-exclusive glider Wings of Fate’s Course Intertwined offers an indirect but glimpse into Dainsleif and Vedrfolnir’s story. The lore describes a golden-haired heir—implied to be the Traveler’s sibling—being declared the successor to Khaenri’ah’s throne, while a humble young knight—Dainsleif—watches from afar. At the time, Dainsleif was just a Royal Guard, tasked with maintaining order. His life changed when he attempted to rescue his imprisoned older brother, Vedrfolnir, blinded for delivering an oracle. The wing lore mentions that this rescue effort was meant to save Vedrfolnir but ended up becoming an accidental act of national salvation. In parallel, the heir was used as a vessel for Abyssal power and became key to Khaenri’ah’s eventual fall. These events marked the moment Dainsleif and the heir’s paths first crossed, described as two fates entangled by tragedy.
Eventually, the young knight would be promoted and given the title Twilight Sword, and while their lives took different directions, both Dainsleif and Vedrfolnir became beings shaped by Khaenri’ah’s collapse and the Abyss that followed.
Quotes[]
- “There were five of them... The Five Sinners of Khaenri'ah.
"The Wise" Hroptatyr, "The Visionary" Vedrfolnir, "Gold" Rhinedottir, "The Foul" Surtalogi, and "Rächer of Solnari" Rerir.
No matter how eroded my memory may become, I will never forget their names... One day... I shall have my vengeance.” - — Dainsleif in the "Memories That Should Not Exist"
- Lumine/Aether – “My sibling came into contact with your brother.”
- Dainsleif – “...Indeed. If they are not stopped, the day is sure to come when they will also betray the entire world.”
- — Traveler and Dainsleif in the "Memories That Should Not Exist"
Fanon[]
This sibling relationship is currently very niche and not widely discussed in the Genshin Impact fandom. The main reason is that their full backstory hasn’t been revealed in-game yet. Dainsleif, while a major lore character tied to Khaenri’ah and the Traveler’s journey, is still unplayable, and much about his past and true motivations remain unknown. As for his brother, Vedrfolnir, he has never made a physical appearance in the game. The only glimpse players have of him is his consciousness in the form of an irregular rhombic Abyssal crystal, bound by six chains, as seen during the Memories That Should Not Exist quest in the Caribert Archon Quest.
Because of this, there are no direct on-screen interactions between the two brothers. The only in-game mention of Vedrfolnir is when Dainsleif briefly speaks his name to the Traveler. No visuals, flashbacks, or voiced lines from Vedrfolnir exist yet, making their relationship more implied than explored in the current story.
Due to the lack of official visuals, most fanworks depicting Dainsleif and his brother together rely entirely on artistic interpretation. Artists and writers are free to imagine what Dainsleif’s brother might look like—whether he resembles Dainsleif, has Abyss-like features, or something entirely different. This gives the small number of fanworks their own creative flavor, but also makes the ship very obscure and not well known, especially since many players aren’t aware that Dainsleif even has a brother unless they follow the deep lore.
Still, for those who dive into the hidden storylines of Khaenri’ah, their relationship holds a tragic and emotional potential, hinting at themes of loss, betrayal, corruption, and the consequences of fate—all of which are tied to the fall of their homeland and the choices made since.
This ship currently has 5 plantonic and 2 romantic works on AO3 as of now.
Fandom[]
- FAN FICTION
- Dainsleif & Vedrfolnir tag on AO3
- Vedrfolnir/Dainsleif tag on AO3
- TWITTER (X)
- Dainsleif and Vedrfolnir posts on Twitter
- Vedrfolnir and Dainsleif posts on Twitter
