Simulanka Might Be Foreshadowing 6.6 Archon Quest
So I was rewatching Simulanka recently, and I realized that the first act of the main story in the Forest of Blessing might actually contain a lot of foreshadowing for the upcoming Luna 7 / 6.6 Archon Quest.
This will probably be quite a long post, because I’ll retell most of the Forest of Blessing story here so people who don’t want to rewatch the event can still follow along with the theory and parallels I’m talking about.
I’ll try to break down some of the parallels and possible hints I noticed. I’d also love to discuss it further and hear other interpretations, because I feel like they implied more than I can fully grasp right now.
1. The General Setting
The story revolves around the “Forest of Blessing,” which already points to Sumeru, and the story also focuses on Nilou. These two are obvious, but not only that — the Forest of Blessing becomes the place before Act 2 of the Simulanka story, which takes place in Constellation Metropole. And as we can see, Constellation Metropole is most likely a foreshadowing of Snezhnaya (at least visually).
Constellation Metropole, train and castle-like city with stars hanging in the sky above.
Snezhnaya has trains and also a castle-like city with the stars and aurora in the sky above.
I’m sure many people have already mentioned this, so I don’t need to explain more. But I think it’s interesting that Luna 7 / 6.6 also happens shortly before Snezhnaya’s release, just like how the Forest of Blessing comes before Constellation Metropole.
2. The Calligraphy Tavern and Magic Tonic
In the Forest of Blessing, there is this place called the Calligraphy Tavern, which produces something known as Magic Tonic for the origami creatures living in the forest.
The Magic Tonic is basically ink that is said to maintain the vitality of the origami creatures. If the origami beings go too long without consuming it, their colors gradually begin to fade. Along with that, they slowly lose their memories until they can no longer even remember their own names.
Magic Tonic explained by Almond.
Fading Colors explained by Almond.
In Teyvat, the memories and records of everything originating from Teyvat are connected to the Ley Lines, while the Ley Lines themselves are rooted in Irminsul. Irminsul acts as the repository of all information and memories within Teyvat, and disturbances in the Ley Lines are often shown to affect the beings around them, especially their memories. We have already seen multiple examples throughout the story of how the Ley Lines and Irminsul can alter, erase, or preserve memories.
So if we connect the two, the Calligraphy Tavern might resemble Irminsul itself, while the Magic Tonic might resemble the information flowing through the Ley Lines — including memories, souls, elements, and all kinds of data connected to Teyvat’s existence.
However, unlike the beings and objects in Teyvat, which seem to remain constantly connected to the Ley Lines and Irminsul at all times, the origami beings in Simulanka do not appear to rely on a continuous connection. Instead, they only need to periodically replenish the ink within their bodies to prevent their colors from fading and their memories from disappearing.
If I were to make an analogy, the beings of Teyvat are like a system constantly connected to a central network. The Ley Lines continuously carry memories, souls, and elements throughout the world, while Irminsul functions as the central repository that stores and regulates all of that data. As long as the connection remains stable, everything functions normally.
However, once that connection becomes disturbed, abnormalities begin to appear. Memories can become distorted or erased, souls may weaken, and even existence itself can be affected.
The origami beings of Simulanka, however, seem to function differently. Rather than relying on a constant connection, they are more like beings operating on temporary local storage. The Magic Tonic acts as a stored reserve of “data” within their bodies, allowing them to continue functioning independently for a period of time.
But once the ink begins to run dry, their colors fade, their souls weaken, and they gradually lose their memories until they can no longer even remember their own names.
Another way to look at it is through the analogy of electricity. Beings in Teyvat are like devices that must remain constantly connected to a power source in order to function properly. Once the connection becomes unstable or disrupted, malfunctions begin to occur throughout the system.
Meanwhile, the origami beings are more like battery-powered devices: they can continue operating independently for a while, but eventually need to recharge by replenishing the Magic Tonic within their bodies.
Regardless, there is a clear parallel between the Calligraphy Tavern = Irminsul and Magic Tonic = the substance within the Ley Lines.
3. Magic Tonic Ingredients
For the origami creatures, the Magic Tonic is what preserves their existence, while the Calligraphy Tavern is responsible for producing and distributing it. But how exactly is the Magic Tonic created in the first place?
In the story, Nilou mentions that there are three ingredients needed to create the Magic Tonic:
• “A setting sun that never sets,” referring to Sunsettia
• “A dragon that cannot fly,” referring to Snapdragon
• “A moon that only shines at night,” referring to Nilotpala Lotus
Before getting into the meaning behind these three ingredients, there’s another detail I want to point out.
While searching for the ingredients, two origami frogs mention that the moon has been stolen. Right afterward, we find two Nilotpala Lotuses surrounded by Fungi, and we have to fight them in order to obtain the flowers.
Fungi and two Nilotpala Lotuses.
This one clearly foreshadows Dottore (the Fungi) stealing the two Moon Marrows (Nilotpala Lotuses), with us eventually having to fight in order to reclaim them.
I think they deliberately placed this scene within the Forest of Blessing story because the 6.6 / Luna 7 Archon Quest will likely take place after the Nod-Krai Archon Quest event.
Now, back to the three ingredients.
These ingredients could symbolize many different things within Teyvat, but considering that the Magic Tonic is directly tied to memory, souls, and elements, what stands out the most to me is the possibility that they represent the three primordial powers.
The first ingredient, “a setting sun that never sets,” may symbolize Phlogiston, a primordial power deeply connected to the sun and fire. Phlogiston is described as a higher or more advanced form of Pyro, and it functions similarly to a form of programmable matter capable of storing information. This really ties in with how the Magic Tonic in Simulanka works.
The second ingredient, “a dragon that cannot fly,” refers to Snapdragon in the story. Snapdragon grows near water, and the Chinese name of Snapdragon is 金鱼草, which literally means “goldfish grass.” The only playable Dragon Sovereign currently on our side is the Hydro Dragon Sovereign, who is deeply connected to the Primordial Sea, the origin of much of life in Teyvat. Because of this, I think the second ingredient most likely represents Primordial Seawater.
The third ingredient, “a moon that only shines at night,” is perhaps the most straightforward symbolically, and most likely refers to lunar power or Kuuvahki. Nilotpala Lotus itself is called 月莲 in Chinese, literally meaning “Moon Lotus.”
We know that Phlogiston and Kuuvahki are branches of the Light Realm energy, which is the original form of elemental energy in Teyvat, while Primordial Seawater is capable of creating life.
Elemental energy, Light Realm energy, and Kaveh's device explanation.
In the 6.6 trailer, Collei uses a device created by Kaveh that can convert elemental energy back into its original form. So I wonder if the “Magic Tonic” and its three ingredients are actually foreshadowing the process of restoring or recreating that primordial state of energy itself.
Kaveh's device used to convert pyro to Light Realm energy on Nod Krai AQ act 6.
Kaveh's device on 6.6 trailer.
This is just one interpretation of the three ingredients, and honestly I’m still not fully sure if this makes sense. I made these ingredients their own section because I think they could foreshadow something beyond the Forest of Blessing story itself, so I hope maybe someone can point out a better interpretation of this.
I also have other interpretations of the Magic Tonic and the three ingredients that are much more related to the story of 6.6 and make more sense, which I’ll explain in the next section.
4. Forest of Blessing Story
The main story of Forest of Blessing (Simulanka Story Act 1) starts when we encounter Almond in the Cliff of Prophecy.
He tells us about the prophecy:
>The hero from another world, supported by their companions, shall restore peace to this world.
But he forgot who gave him this order.
Almond then tells us much more information, including the crisis happening in the forest: some of the origami creatures are experiencing “Fading Colors,” causing them to lose their memories and even some of their abilities, because the Calligraphy Tavern that produces Magic Tonic has been closed after the dragon’s attack.
I think this crisis foreshadows Sumeru’s crisis regarding Irminsul in the 6.6 Archon Quest, and this crisis will affect the people of Sumeru similarly to how forbidden knowledge corrupted Irminsul, affecting the land through Withering and the people through Eleazar.
Suspicious “Ley Line Blossom” with colors similar to \"Dottore\".
Closed Calligraphy Tavern with ash-like colors.
The closed Calligraphy Tavern looks like ashes after being burned, so maybe the timeline this story foreshadows is after Irminsul was burned, or maybe it's just symbolism.
Then we go to the Hut of Blessing to find the Forest Fairy prophesied to join the Hero on the journey.
Nilou acts as the Forest Fairy in this story, and she says that in a dream before entering Simulanka, she was told to save the forest using the magic she possessed.
In the upcoming 6.6 Archon Quest, Collei also dreams about the burning Irminsul, and Nicole says that dreams can act as signs of the future. Collei is also the one performing something within Nicole’s circle in the trailer.
So I think Collei may become the “Forest Fairy” of the Archon Quest story.
Nilou wears her Forest Fairy skin, whose main design theme is Padisarah. Padisarah is a flower born from Nabu Malikata, and it went extinct after her death. Nilou’s default design already resembles Nabu Malikata a lot, and they has always tied Nilou closely to her, so I think they wanted to emphasize that connection even more here in the story.
If Nilou is foreshadowing Collei’s role in the Archon Quest, then this might also imply that Collei will somehow have a connection to Nabu Malikata as well.
Nilou also tells us that she spent time reading all the books in the Hut of Blessing to understand the world of Simulanka and learn how to help the Forest of Blessing.
One of the books gives this explanation about magic:
>The incantation, ‘Abracadabra,’ means ‘to create what I say.’ This is a world of words, where fantastical powers can be wielded by all.
Nilou then tries to perform magic by taking one origami creature, kissing its forehead, saying her wishes to it, naming it “Padisarah,” and successfully bringing it to life.
I think this is also a connection to Nabu Malikata “creating” the Jinn.
When Nilou performs the magic, she says she can sense the magic flowing through the forest — in the flowers, the trees, and inside the creatures living there — but there is also some hollowed-out space beneath the Tavern where she cannot sense anything at all.
There, they find an empty ink bottle that was meant to store the Magic Tonic.
This empty ink bottle immediately reminded me of Wanderer.
If the Magic Tonic symbolizes some kind of “existence ink” — a substance that keeps beings written into the world — then an empty ink bottle could represent an empty vessel meant to contain that very substance.
Wanderer was created to hold something, yet was left empty, and much of his story revolves around searching for what could fill that emptiness: a heart, an identity, a purpose, or even a place within the world itself.
The hollow space beneath the Tavern, where no magic could be sensed, also feels reminiscent of his connection to Irminsul — especially after he erased himself, leaving behind what was essentially an absence in the world’s memory.
An empty bottle is still a vessel. It can still be filled.
And somehow, that makes me wonder whether Wanderer himself could eventually become a new container for whatever “existence ink” sustains Teyvat, considering his core also from Irminsul.
Nilou also says that she learned how to make the Magic Tonic from the books in the Hut of Blessing, where the information is presented in the form of three riddles.
Each of the three riddles mentions one ingredient:
• “A setting sun that never sets” (possibly symbolizing Phlogiston, Deshret, the Pyro Gnosis, or Mavuika)
• “A dragon that cannot fly” (possibly symbolizing Primordial Seawater, Apep, or Amrita)
• “A moon that only shines at night” (possibly symbolizing Kuuvahki, Thoth, or the Frost Moon)
In the 6.6 trailer, Collei directly quotes the words of Nabu Malikata from the Scroll of Streaming Song book:
>I am a spirit created at the beginning,
I am a flickering illusion,
I am the shimmering light that flows from the eyes of the creator.
This book contains the story of Nabu Malikata testing Rukkhadevata’s wisdom by giving her three riddles.
I think it’s quite clear that the three ingredients written as riddles foreshadow the three riddles in the Scroll of Streaming Song book, and they might become the key to solving Sumeru’s crisis in the Archon Quest.
But I still can’t say for sure how the three riddles and their answers will actually save the crisis. And honestly, because I wanted to post this before preinstall, I didn’t have enough time to dig into it more deeply.
So I’ll leave the riddles from the Scroll of Streaming Song book here for discussion.
The first riddle:
>What is cold as the dead while alive,
Yet gives warmth upon death?
The first answer:
>You speak of the fragile rose of late spring. Even when covered in thorns, her beauty shines through.
Her flowers plucked to make perfume, her stems snipped into the wicks of oil lamps.
Lovers throughout history have been smitten by her, and even the king in red admires her beauty.
But the rose has never pined for anyone. She merely withers with the new moon and morning dew.
The second riddle:
>What rises from the earth, then descends from the sky,
No one has seen it, yet it sees all,
As above, so below, and as at the bottom, so too, the top,
Yet only top to bottom may be, and never bottom to top?
The second answer:
>You speak of the universal law created in heaven, the divine laws established in the beginning.
No one has seen the eternal law, yet it governs all.
One may only bow down and worship Vaana of the heavenly spirits — no arrogation, deception, or trickery is permitted.
If one dares to imitate the forbidden arts, only calamity awaits at the edge of divine knowledge.
The third riddle:
>What cannot stop arrows, yet can stop destruction,
Cannot destroy armor, yet can destroy cities,
Does not submit to envoys from above, nor kingdoms down below,
What can neither gods nor demons, for all their might, prevail over?
That princess answered thusly:
>You speak of endless wisdom, it is what protects the civilization of (...).
It will be reborn with (...), and remain eternal like (...).
Even if the sands of time swirl beneath its feet, it will still remain like (...) ten million years after.
The people will rejoice because of its (...), and it will (...) because of them.
Nilou then creates the Magic Tonic based on the instructions from the book. We give it to Almond, and it really restores his colors. Nilou then tells Almond to bring the concoction (the Magic Tonic) to the room underneath the Tavern and place it next to the empty ink bottle.
I think this detail — putting the concoction filled with Magic Tonic underneath the Tavern — will actually happen in the Archon Quest.
From the trailer, we can see Traveler seemingly fighting Dottore while carrying something in his hand.
The place also looks like they are inside Irminsul itself, so I think the foreshadowing comes in here. I think this device or object needs to be placed somewhere inside Irminsul… or maybe even on “Dottore” itself.
Nilou then performs the magic by chanting her wishes and creating rain made from the Magic Tonic, which heals the Calligraphy Tavern.
The origami creatures regain their colors, and Almond also says that he finally remembers everything.
He remembers that he was the one who went to the top of Constellation Metropole and witnessed the Goddess’s Prophecy. The prophecy said that the Hero would descend from the Cliff of Prophecy, which is why he waited there in the first place.
I think it’s interesting that Almond only remembers the prophecy after the Calligraphy Tavern itself is restored, not after Nilou gives him the Magic Tonic directly.
So I think this foreshadows how the truth of Teyvat — and things erased from Irminsul — may only return once Irminsul itself is restored.
I also want to mention that the story uses “rain” to heal the forest.
And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that rain is also something that can extinguish a burning tree.
So if Irminsul really burns during the Archon Quest, I think it will eventually be extinguished by some form of “rain,” just like Nilou did in Simulanka.
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That’s mostly everything I can say for now.
I skipped many details because I still can’t fully figure out what they might foreshadow, especially the parts where we help the origami creatures prepare to reopen the Tavern.
But honestly, I really recommend rewatching the Forest of Blessing story again.