|
|
|
|
|
|
- Defeat me, command me to step aside, show me that you are worthier than I to rescue her. [...]
My memory has all but faded completely... But I will always remember how much she too, loved these flowers. - —Dainsleif about Lumine in Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview
DainsLumi is the het ship between Dainsleif and Lumine from the Genshin Impact fandom.
Canon[]
Depending of the chosen twin, Dainsleif will accompany the Traveler in all the Traveler's Quest Acts. If the player chooses Lumine as their Traveler, she will befriend Dainsleif and the two become the travelling partners, searching for Aether, who turned into an evil Prince of the Abyss. On the other hand, if the player chooses to play as Aether, Dainsleif and Lumine are former travelling partners, but for some reason, Lumine, after becoming the Princess of the Abyss, turns into Dainsleif's sworn enemy.
Promotional Material[]
Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview[]
Apart from the game's quests, we also get a possible glimpse into their relationship in the Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview. In this video, Dainsleif acts as the narrator, going over each of the 7 nations. Towards the end of the video, he directly addresses Aether: "Step forth, if you have understood the meaning of your journey. Defeat me, command me to step aside, show me that you are worthier than I to rescue her." At the very end he quietly muses to himself how most of his memory has faded but what he can never forget is "how much she too, loved these flowers." The flowers he refers to are most likely the Inteyvat, the national flower of his homeland, Khaenri'ah, which Lumine also wears in her hair.
"The Road Not Taken" Animated Short[]
This animated short provides a glimpse into Lumine and Dainsleif's journey through the nations of Teyvat. Despite there being a perceptible distance between them in almost all their scenes, Dainsleif is always close by, always watching over her. Towards the end of the short, he is seen softly touching her shoulder, gently urging a dispirited Lumine to continue her journey.
Quests[]
Bough Keeper: Dainsleif[]
Dainsleif is first introduced in the World Quest "Bough Keeper: Dainsleif", in which he cryptically talks of a travelling partner who he refers to as "her".
We Will Be Reunited[]
Towards the end of the Archon Quest "We Will Be Reunited", Lumine appears before Aether and Dainsleif, blocking their attack on an Abyss Herald and revealing herself as the Princess of the Abyss Order. Here, it is officially revealed that Dainsleif and Lumine do indeed know each other. Lumine however, considers Dainsleif to be her enemy due to the fact that she is the currently working with the Abyss Order, Dainsleif's main opponent. Given from Dainsleif's expressions however, he appears to feel betrayed and hurt by Lumine declaring him as her enemy. Lumine tells Aether that Dainsleif was a royal guard of the final dynasty of Khaenri'ah who failed to prevent its destruction 500 years ago. She also tells Aether that he should not team up with Dainsleif. Aether then tells Lumine to return home with him, but she refuses. Lumine then departs into a portal shortly after that and Dainsleif dashes after her, following her into the portal.
Caribert[]
When asked about why Dainsleif is in Sumeru, he tells Aether that he's investigating the Abyss Order's Loom of Fate, as he remembered Lumine mentioning it back when they used to travel together, with Sumeru being the place they were traveling to when the matter was brought up. Dainsleif plans to go back to the place she mentioned it before, which is the Avidya Forest.
After searching the Avidya Forest, we get a memory in Lumine's perspective, back when Dainsleif and Lumine used to travel together. In the memory, Dainsleif tries to wake up Lumine, and teases her about being a deep sleeper. Once seeing that Lumine was crying in her sleep, he suggests she rests a bit longer, with a noticeable change in his speaking tone. This is most evident when using the Japanese voiceover, in which Dainsleif's tone is much gentler waking the Abyss Twin/Lumine up when compared to the tone he uses to wake the Traveler up. In the same memory, Chlothar also points out that Dainsleif spent the night keeping watch over Lumine when she was sleeping.
When Aether tells Dainsleif about what he saw in these memories, Dainsleif is upset about the fact Lumine never told him about speaking with Chlothar. He wonders if that was the moment she decided to go down a different path, and says that those events most have sparked a long period of contemplation for her.
Bedtime Story[]
In "Bedtime Story", Aether and Dainsleif worked to gain further insight into the Loom of Fate, an operation that Lumine wishes to use to try to destroy Teyvat before Celestia awakens.
When Aether and Dainsleif notice that the Abyss Order is still trying to retrieve the Eye of the First Field Tiller first, Dainsleif lures them into a false location and persuades Aether to leave so that he could get Lumine to come out of her hiding place. This works, and as Lumine approaches Dainsleif, he clenches his fist. He tells Lumine that he knew going along with her trap would be the only way to meet her face to face. Lumine notes that it was a gamble for Dainsleif to risk his safety and that of the eye just to see her, but then also says that she believes she is walking into a trap laid by Dainsleif. Dainsleif is surprised to see that Lumine had come by herself, to which Lumine tells him that any army she would send would be no match for Dainsleif, so it was better for her to come alone. Lumine knows that Dainsleif must have a lot to say, but challenges him to defeat her in a duel if he wants a conversation with her. Dainsleif is hesitant and has a pained expression on his face, but gets ready for the battle anyway.
The specifics and outcome of the duel between Lumine and Dainsleif is unknown, but Lumine tells Aether that she didn't expect Dainsleif would be so hesitant to fight her after everything, "Were it not for that... Perhaps I'd still be no match for the Twilight Sword. Even after five hundred years."
Quests[]
Bough Keeper: Dainsleif[]
Dainsleif is first introduced in the World Quest "Bough Keeper: Dainsleif", in which he cryptically talks of a travelling partner who he refers to as "him". Together, Lumine and Dainsleif learn about Khaenri'ah, a very ancient civilization which is considered cursed: the pure-blooded Khaenri'ah inhabitants have the immortality curse while the impure ones turn into Hilichurls, because they commited much sins and therefore, Celestia decided to make a judgement against them in that way.
We Will Be Reunited[]
Towards the end of the Archon Quest "We Will Be Reunited", Lumine and Dainsleif were fighting against the Abyss Emissary, but Aether appears, blocking the attack before they could defeat him. He reveals Dainsleif and Lumine that he is the Prince of the Abyss Order. Here, it is revealed that Dainsleif and Aether do indeed know each other, but they turned into sworn enemies due to the fact that he is the currently working with the Abyss Order, Dainsleif's main opponent. Given from Dainsleif's expressions however, he appears to feel betrayed and hurt by Aether declaring him as his enemy. Aether tells Lumine that Dainsleif was a royal guard of the final dynasty of Khaenri'ah who failed to prevent its destruction 500 years ago. He also tells Lumine that he should not team up with Dainsleif. Lumine then tells Aether to return home with her, but he refuses. Aether, feeling that fighting with his own sister would be pointless, departs into a portal shortly after that and Dainsleif dashes after him, following him into the portal. But in the end, Dainsleif also lost all Aether's traces.
Requiem of the Echoing Depths[]
In this quest, Lumine finds Dainsleif again, who offers her to travel into the Chasm to show her the Khaenri'ah ruins. They travel together and they soon discover the true nature of the Hilichurls. Due to the reality-changing nature of the curse, Dainsleif deems Aether's attempt to restore Khaenri'ah to its former glory as a futile effort and tells Lumine that it will only bring the hilichurls even more suffering. Lumine decides to help him stop her brother's plan, believing that he has no right to subject others to near-guaranteed suffering for an infinitesimally small chance of redemption.
Bedtime Story[]
Lumine and Paimon received a commission from Katheryne to find a missing person from Vimara Village. The commission is jointly issued by the residents of Vimara Village and a dozen successive efforts to complete it have all ended in failure. Katheryne informs them that none of the residents know the missing person's name and they can only provide his general appearance. Lumine and Paimon accept the commission and head out to Vimara Village. This commission led Lumine to meet Dainsleif again. Together, they worked to gain further insight into the Loom of Fate, an operation that Aether wishes to use to try to destroy Teyvat before Celestia awakens.
Later on, Lumine and Dainsleif notice the Abyss Order is still trying to retrieve the Eye of the First Tiller, so Dainsleif lures them into a false location while keeping Lumine clueless about his real plan. He then tells Lumine and Paimon that they should leave the place. When Lumine asks him if he will be alright on his own, he says to think of it as a way to "divide and conquer". Lumine goes to leave, but feels that something is off.
Near the end of the quest, Paimon tells Lumine that Dainsleif had come to check on her despite being injured from his fight with Aether.Quotes[]
- “Dain, what is that strand of blonde hair to you? Someone you must kill? Or the object of your penitence?”
- — In Dainsleif's official introduction card, the strand of blonde hair referring to the Abyss Twin.
- “Paimon – That does sound pretty dangerous... Maybe they're [Abyss Order] looking for a better time to ambush us or something...
Aether – They won't defeat me/I'll defeat them.
Paimon – Uh-huh! We're super-duper strong!
Dainsleif – (That manner... it's just like hers.)” - — Conversation between Paimon, Aether, and Dainsleif, during "Bough Keeper: Dainsleif".
- Paimon – “Uh, you know, Dain, you keep talking about that person this, and that person that... Where are they now, anyway”
- Dainsleif – “She... *sigh* No longer travels. I'm afraid that traveling can be... too exhausting at times.”
- — Conversation between Paimon, Aether, and Dainsleif, during "Bough Keeper: Dainsleif".
- “Dainsleif – Lumine. We meet again.
Paimon – Wh—What's going on here? Dain knows her, too!
Lumine – You shouldn't team up with this man. He is my enemy.
Dainsleif – Lumine...” - — Conversation between Dainsleif and Lumine in "We Will Be Reunited".
- Aether – “What is the history between you and my sister?”
- Dainsleif – “We were travel partners. We both partook in a painful journey of searching for our fate, but regrettably... we did not make it to the journey's end together.”
- — Chapter II, Act IV: Requiem Of The Echoing Depths - "In the Depths, an Unexpected Reunion"
- “I didn't expect that after everything, he would still hesitate to raise his sword against me...”
- — Lumine in Chapter IV, Act VI: Bedtime Story - "World-Order Narration"
- “The young knight was not of insignificant background, but that was worth little in the grand scheme of things. The royal golden-haired heir's fate was far nobler, but now having lost her world, she yearned for but a single realm.”
- — "Wings of Fate’s Course Intertwined" lore
- “This was the moment that their paths intertwined- one a noble, tumbling from the light into the Abyss, the other a humble existence, climbing upward from the darkness.”
- — "Wings of Fate’s Course Intertwined" lore
Fanon[]
This ship had started after the Bough Keeper: Dainsleif quest. Initially, when players didn't have an idea about which twin is the canon Traveler, most of players formerly preferred the Traveler Lumine's path, so they would enjoy more her relationship with Dainsleif. But as the trailer "We Will be Reunited" confirmed that Lumine is canonically the Princess of the Abyss, this quest had given the players the idea that Dainsleif was a traveling companion of the Traveler's Sibling. And with the content of the Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview, that had only strengthened the Romantic Implications. A twitter artist named june had created a comic called "A memory from long ago" which follows this ship back to when the two were traveling together. The comic was later dubbed RedVelvetVA and Sylleblossom.
The most common dynamic depicted in Dainslumi content revolves around them being ex-lovers, with Dainsleif still being head-over-heels for Lumine. As for her, she's either still in love with him but too caught up in her own plans to harbour those feelings in a healthy way, or she's completely over Dainsleif and entirely focused on her mission to "revive the homeland". Because of their shared history and the bitterness between them now, a great majority of fanfiction and fanart takes on a more angsty tone, especially compared to other ships. It's also not unusual for shippers to speculate about their relationship before the Cataclysm, and what a healthy relationship between the two might have looked like.
Currently, Dainslumi is the most popular ship involving Abyss Lumine, even more so than ships involving Traveler Lumine. The ship has a strong fanbase, and several fans have made in-depth analyses of their dynamic. One such analysis can be found here: Dainslumi Relationship Analysis Mega Doc
Fandom[]
- FAN FICTION
- Dainsleif/Lumine tag on AO3
- Dainsleif & Lumine tag on AO3
- Dainsleif/Lumine on Ficbook
- TWITTER (X)
- DainsLumi hashtag on Twitter
- DainLumi hashtag on Twitter
- @shien_kikyo on Twitter
- @loavesbread on Twitter
Trivia[]
- In multiple Collected Miscellany videos that Dainsleif narrates, he mentions the Abyss Twin and how important it is to have a traveling partner by your side.
- This is seen in Ayaka, Shenhe, and Dehya's Collected Miscellany, where Dainsleif talks about the importance of a travel companion, as well as in Collei's, where he mentions how it is a pity that the Abyss Twin lacks Collei's clarity on overcoming the past.
- The Pale Princess and the Six Pygmies is an in-game book that has a story closely resembling that of Khaenri'ah. The characters in the book, "The Pale Princess" and "The Light Prince", are explicitly referred to as lovers and have many similarities to Lumine and Dainsleif.
- The Pale Princess and the Light Prince are travel companions in the story, just like how Lumine and Dainsleif were. The prince was also cursed and betrayed by sinners like Dainsleif, and the princess is royalty and has moon symbolism just like Lumine.
- Inhabitants of Teyvat sometimes try to preserve historical events by disguising them as fairy tales in order to save them from being erased from the Irminsul, so this story could very possibly be about Lumine and Dainsleif.
- In the "Luminous Glimmer" Commemorative Trailer, (Abyss) Lumine makes a report regarding Aether's journey across Teyvat. Enjou is with her, and teases her about Dainsleif, saying that Paimon has "nothing on [her] former partner", that former partner being Dainsleif.
- In the animated short "The Road Not Taken", Dainsleif and Lumine are seen visiting Mondstadt during the Windblume Festival, suggesting that they celebrated it together. It should be noted that the festival that has many romantic undertones and traditions, sharing lots of motifs with Valentines Day.
- In the same short, Lumine and Dainsleif can be seen in the Chinju Forest, with Dainsleif watching Lumine as she steps in the same lake that Ayaka did when she danced for the Traveler.
- After Dainsleif's encounter with the Abyss Twin in the 4.7 quest, you get an achievement called "Long-Awaited Moment", with it's description being "Without your knowledge, Dainsleif crossed swords with your sibling..."
- In official arts, Dainsleif can be seen holding an Inteyvat flower (which is heavily associated with Lumine, no matter what traveler you pick), while looking at Lumine.
- The “Wings of Fate’s Course Intertwined” glider lore description talks about Dainsleif and the Abyss Twin (Lumine)'s relationship, and how their paths "intertwined".
- Both Lumine and Dainsleif are younger siblings who have an estranged older brother.
- Dainsleif is heavily based on the character Siegfried from the play Der Ring des Nibelungen composed by Richard Wagner. In the play, Siegfried falls in love with Brunnhilde, a divine/godlike woman who traveled with him. For Dainsleif, Lumine is the divine/godlike woman who he traveled with.
Gallery[]
Official[]
Fan Art[]
- All art in this section is fan made, and must be sourced back to the original artist. It also must have permission from the original artist to be posted here. If your art is here without your permission and you wish to have it taken down, please inform an admin, so that we may delete it.
