Lan Yan

Lan Yan is a young master rattan weaver from Qiaoying Village in Chenyu Vale and a respected member of the Chenyu Vale Artisans Association. Born into the Lan clan, a family of geomancers who have practiced the ancient Qimen arts for generations, she learned traditional weaving techniques and studied the clan's mystical teachings under her elders. Her family's knowledge traces back to Wind Reader, an ancient thaumaturge associated with the Eight Adepts who fought against the god Tao Dou. The clan also preserves its historical connection to the adeptus Jade-Plumed Silverwing, whose image appears in a treasured family heirloom. Although Lan Yan possesses an aptitude for the Qimen arts, she has devoted most of her life to perfecting rattan weaving, eventually earning a reputation that attracts wealthy merchants and officials from Liyue Harbor. Her Anemo Vision appeared unexpectedly inside her gathering basket while she was collecting vines in the mountains, and she accepted it without ceremony.

During Lantern Rite, the Ministry of Civil Affairs personally requested Lan Yan's assistance with the festivities, prompting her first extended journey into Liyue Harbor. Her experiences there inspired her to consider traveling farther beyond Chenyu Vale, although she remained deeply attached to her homeland. She subsequently became involved in the struggle against Tao Dou's lingering influence, drawing upon her family's ancient traditions during the rites performed to confront the threat. During a later Moonchase Festival, Lan Yan encountered the legacy of her ancestor Lan Junming, the Wind Reader, and his centuries-old promise to Jade-Plumed Silverwing. Learning how the adeptus had lost much of her memory and consciousness through the disappearance of the swallows that sustained her existence, Lan Yan sought to resolve Lan Junming's lingering regret. She studied and reconstructed an ancient art connected to the swallows, helping bring closure to a promise that had endured since the Archon War. Through these events, she came to understand the importance of preserving her clan's traditions while pursuing her own path as an artisan.

Appearance: Lan Yan is an average height. She has a pale complexion and calf-length black hair with small front streaks of teal. Her eyes are black with a highlight of purple, periwinkle, and green.

Lan Yan's hair is styled into a side bang to the right and two shorter front strands framing her face. Her hair is split down her neck at the back, resembling twin tails. She dons a sliver headband and a hairpin of the Jade-Plumed Silverwing attached to the left of it.

Lan Yan wears a light green pleated dress with red and black zig-zag patterned ends and white ridges with tassels. She has dark teal sleeves decorated with white ridges and prismic beads, attached to a long cape where her Anemo Vision is hung in the middle by a small gem and adorned with golden and white tassels. For jewelery, she wears two wide silver bangles on both her wrists and silver lanceolate-shaped earrings with green gems in the middle. On one of her thighs is a green band tied to a silver ornament. Lan Yan sports a pair of black closed-toe sandals with red bands and various small silver ornaments.

Personality: Lan Yan is cheerful, affectionate, considerate, and remarkably easygoing. She prefers spending her days wandering through Chenyu Vale, gathering weaving materials, singing traditional songs, and playing with wild animals. Her curiosity extends to folk superstitions, local legends, and unusual stories passed down through generations. Although she is exceptionally talented, she remains modest about her accomplishments and dislikes being treated with excessive formality. Her playful disposition occasionally makes her appear absentminded, particularly when she becomes distracted by wildlife or an interesting discovery. However, she demonstrates considerable patience and concentration when working on her handicrafts, to the point that she struggles to divide her attention between weaving and conversation. She rarely remains upset for long and prefers resolving her unhappiness through outdoor activities. Lan Yan also possesses a strong independent streak, often disappearing into the mountains without informing her family, although she remains affectionate toward her parents and respects her grandfather's teachings.

Lan Yan maintains a childhood friendship with Gaming, whose mischievous younger years she remembers fondly. She considers Xiangling a friend after visiting Wanmin Restaurant and has promised to introduce her to unusual ingredients found in Chenyu Vale. Xiangling's companion Guoba is particularly fond of her. Lan Yan is acquainted with Hu Tao, who recognizes her surprising proficiency in removing harmful influences and illnesses through the Qimen arts. She has also encountered Chongyun during her grandfather's divination work, although his unusual constitution remains something she does not fully understand. Keqing respects her craftsmanship and appreciates her company, while Lan Yan hopes to make a woven finch for Qiqi. She shares a growing friendship with the Traveler and willingly invites her companions to explore her homeland. Within her own clan, she respects her ancestors and relatives, including her uncle Lan Yu and cousin Lan Ying, while maintaining her preference for weaving over formal geomancy. Her encounter with Lan Junming further strengthens her appreciation for the legacy of Wind Reader and Jade-Plumed Silverwing.

Lan Yan possesses an Anemo Vision and practices the Qimen arts, a tradition involving geomancy, divination, protective rituals, and the manipulation of supernatural forces through specially prepared rattan figures. Her primary weapons are Feathermoon Rings, bladed chakrams that she controls using Anemo energy. Her fighting technique, Black Pheasant Strides on Water, consists of successive ranged attacks with these rings. Through Swallow-Wisp Pinion Dance, she summons a protective Swallow-Wisp Shield, rushes toward an opponent, and springs into the air to release Feathermoon Rings that ricochet between enemies. Her Four Sealing Divination Charms allow this shield to absorb Pyro, Hydro, Cryo, or Electro energy, altering its protective properties and imbuing her thrown rings with the corresponding element. Her Lustrous Moonrise technique creates a Feathermoon Swallow Array, generating concentrated Anemo currents that draw nearby enemies together and repeatedly strike them. Her Skyfeather Evil-Subduing Charm strengthens these techniques through her understanding of elemental energy.

Beyond combat, Lan Yan is an accomplished master of rattan weaving, capable of producing intricate furniture, baskets, decorative figures, and ceremonial objects. She understands the preparation and properties of different vines and can incorporate traditional geomantic practices into her creations. Her Qimen training also permits her to perform divinations and rituals intended to dispel harmful spiritual influences. Her technique Thought and Intent, Like Silken Scent reflects her unusual affinity with wildlife, allowing her to approach Crystalflies and numerous small animals without startling them. Among her personal possessions are a bamboo gathering basket, a pruning knife, and a silver swallow hair ornament passed down through her family in remembrance of Jade-Plumed Silverwing.