Xinyan

Rock 'n' roll is an avant-garde art in Liyue Harbor and Xinyan is the pioneer in this field. She rebels against ossified prejudices, using her music and passionate singing to awaken dazed souls fatigued by worldly matters. If you get the chance, do not miss out on her next performance!

Xinyan is a trailblazer of rock ’n’ roll in Liyue, using music and fire to challenge tradition and prejudice. Bold, defiant, and full of passion, she transforms every performance into a rebellion, wielding her Vision and her handmade instrument to light up the night.

Rock ’n’ roll, which originated in Fontaine, is only just beginning to find its footing in Liyue Harbor, and Xinyan stands at the forefront. Each night, she slings her self-built instrument across her back, constructs her own stage, and performs her own songs before crowds of enthusiastic fans. Her music is raw, unrefined, and fueled by energy rather than precision, but her supporters don’t care for virtuosity—they care for the spirit she embodies. Her fiery Vision amplifies the spectacle, sparks and flames leaping in rhythm with her chords, turning night into day. Even critics in The Steambird have praised her talent for commanding an atmosphere. Though she lives humbly, she shrugs off worldly burdens with her philosophy: “If you know how to rock, then it’s easier to roll.”

Her style of performance constantly draws the attention of the Millelith. Her impromptu stages often go up in flames by the show’s climax, leaving nothing but charred wood and cheering audiences. Though officials repeatedly tried to shut her down, their efforts proved futile. Xinyan’s quick thinking and the unexpected support of “friends of rock” within the Millelith themselves—guards who were won over by her spirit—helped her stay one step ahead. Eventually, the authorities adopted a lenient approach, choosing to ignore her antics so long as no harm came of them.

Xinyan’s fierce appearance—tall, sharp-eyed, clad in stage gear at all times—causes many in Liyue to misjudge her. Bystanders shy away from her in public, and children often cry or flee at the sight of her. Even when she does nothing, she is treated like a menace. Determined not to trouble others, she practices smiling and studies graceful expressions each morning, hoping to soften her image. But her efforts rarely succeed. One attempt to comfort a bullied child ended in terror, the child frozen with fear, while the bullies screamed of a “monster.” Frustrated, Xinyan nonetheless presses on, refusing to give up on connecting with others.

Her worldview is rooted in rock’s philosophy of resistance. To Xinyan, anything just and upright—defending the weak, facing challenges—is “rock ’n’ roll,” while cowardice, oppression, and trickery are “not rock ’n’ roll.” She lives by these standards, however unorthodox they may sound to others. Though she has few friends, Xiangling of Wanmin Restaurant is one of them, and Xinyan often volunteers to taste-test Xiangling’s experimental dishes, finding musical inspiration in every explosive combination of flavors.

Her greatest battle is against prejudice. Born into poverty, her parents hoped she would grow into a refined “phoenix,” but Xinyan’s height, appearance, and rejection of traditional feminine arts set her apart. This made her deeply aware of the harm of prejudices. Yet she refuses to abandon skills like cooking or sewing, believing that giving up for lack of talent is itself another kind of prejudice. When Yun Jin once visited her home, she was surprised to find it clean, orderly, and decorated with hand-sewn ornaments—far from the chaotic image of a rock ’n’ roll rebel. Though Xinyan worried this contrast might alienate her fan, Yun Jin’s admiration only deepened.

Xinyan believes that many adults never realize their potential because they surrender to fear and prejudice. She pours these beliefs into her music, even when mocked by those who dismiss her as a “brat.” For her, every song plants a seed—perhaps small, but capable of sparking inspiration in those who hear it. If someone wakes the next morning and sees their burdens as lighter, then her rock has done its work.

Her handmade instrument, modeled after Fontaine’s rock tools, is as unique as her music. She modified it extensively—adding a crescent axe-blade for combat, integrating her Vision for fiery sparks, and designing failsafes to make it self-destruct if stolen. Its sound is one-of-a-kind, embodying both her defiance and creativity.

The story of her Vision reflects her resilience. Struggling to find her place in Liyue, she once considered leaving. Critics derided her early attempts, and she nearly abandoned music entirely. Sitting atop Mt. Tianheng, she resolved instead to become the flame that would ignite Liyue’s passion. She fused fire into her performances through painful trial and error, burning her hands and shattering instruments until, at last, the gods recognized her resolve. When her Vision manifested in her grasp, she ran down the mountain and set the harbor ablaze with her first true concert, sparks flying in time with her chords.

From then on, Xinyan’s journey as the Blazing Riff of Liyue began—her music a fire that resists prejudice, her stage a battlefield where she proves that even in tradition-bound Liyue, rock ’n’ roll has a place.

Appearance: Xinyan is an average height. She has dark skin, amber eyes, and shoulder-length dark brown hair with dark red streaks and some orange undersides. Xinyan's hair is pulled back into two buns with spiked bands. Xinyan wears a black-brown tank top fastened by knots and white shorts, with a red and white vest with flared red, black, and white sleeves. She has a black and red ribbon tied around her right leg, and a netted calf accessory on her left. Her footwear consists of a pair of open-toe boots which have spikes at the top and have multiple slits along the side. She also carries a drum on her back.

Xinyan owns a white, brown, and red square ruan with an axe-like bottom.

Personality: Xinyan is a fan of rock 'n' roll and returned to Liyue to spread it across the nation. Despite having difficulty in improving its reputation for many reasons, she is not discouraged and continues to play, appreciating all who come to her performances. She does not have any formal training for her music, having learned it herself on the go. As such, she is very supportive of others who show interest, even if they have no experience.

Having a fiery, hotheaded, and loud personality, she likes standing out in her own way, but many consider her to be weird and/or terrifying as a result. While aware of this, her attempts to make herself more presentable to them ends up in failure. Despite her rebellious attitude, however, she can keep her home surprisingly tidy.

Weapon: She uses a greatsword called the Blackcliff Slasher.

Xinyan uses a Pyro Vision.

Elemental Skill: Sweeping Fervor: Xinyan brandishes her custom ruan instrument, dealing Pyro DMG on nearby opponents, forming a shield made out of her audience's passion.

Elemental Burst: Riff Revolution: Strumming rapidly, Xinyan launches nearby opponents and deals Physical DMG to them, hyping up the crowd. The sheer intensity of the atmosphere will cause explosions that deal Pyro DMG to nearby opponents.

Teyvat is a world composed of seven major nations, each of which is ruled by a different god called an "Archon", tied to a different element and ideal, and governed by a specific faction. The mysterious floating island of Celestia hangs above Teyvat, allegedly home to gods, as well as mortals who have ascended to godhood through great, heroic feats. Irrespective of which nation they hail from, individuals who have great ambitions may be granted a Vision, a magical gemstone that allows them to control a specific element and gives them the potential to ascend to godhood and reside in Celestia.

Liyue Harbor: A bountiful harbor that lies in the east of Teyvat. Mountains stand tall and proud alongside the stone forest, that, together with the open plains and lively rivers, make up Liyue's bountiful landscape, which shows its unique beauty through each of the four seasons.

The nation of Liyue is marked by its emphasis on "contracts," Morax's ideal. It is said that people from all seven nations of Teyvat flock to Liyue Harbor, the economic hub of the continent.

Mondstadt - Nation of Freedom; Archon is Barbatos; Element is Anemo Liyue - Nation of Contracts; Archon is Morax; Element is Geo Inazuma - Nation of Eternity; Archon is Beelzebul; Element is Electro Sumeru- Nation of Wisdom; Archon is Buer; Element is Dendro Fontaine - Nation of Justice; Archon is Focalors; Element is Hydro Natlan - Nation of War; Element is Pyro Snezhnaya - Element is Cryo

Anemo (element of wind) Geo (element of earth and rock) Electro (element of electricity) Dendro (element of plants and nature) Hydro (element of water) Pyro (element of fire) Cryo (element of ice)

Combining elements creates a reaction.

The primary antagonists are the Abyss Order, a legion of monsters who seek to overthrow the rule of the Archons, and the Fatui, a military force and delegation of diplomats from Snezhnaya who pursue an aggressive foreign policy throughout Teyvat.

Hilichurls are a goblin-like family of monsters. As a hilichurl grows and survives, they eventually turn into Mitachurls, who are larger and bulkier. Mitachurls that continue to grow and survive eventually accumulate an excess of the elemental energy in their area, turning them into Lawachurls. It is not known how long it takes for this growth to occur. Many Hilichurls are also affiliated with the Abyss Order, as the Abyss Mages are able to speak fluent Hilichurlian.

The Treasure Hoarders are a gang of bandits who search for treasures to obtain and are located all around Teyvat.

The Adventurers' Guild is an organization that serves as an adventurer-for-hire service for the people and other organizations in the seven nations of Teyvat. The Guild collates all the complex word-of-mouth information it receives and redistributes it in the form of quests and adventures assigned to adventurers. "Ad astra abyssosque!" is the guild's motto. Katheryne is the receptionist for the Adventurers' Guild. Multiple, identical Katherynes exist, all serving as the Guild's receptionists.