Overview

Profile

"Tranquility of mind and purity of heart — the Free Adeptus, The Unfettered — performs no action and sets no rule. Their presence is beyond mere mortals."

—A stone tablet on Mt. Aocang

Cloud Retainer is one of Morax's old allies, having been friends with him and Guizhong while the latter was still alive. Retainer and Guizhong had a shared interested in mechanics and were compatriots in their research in the subject, though Guizhong eventually perished during the Archon War in the same battle that led to the fall of the Guili Assembly.

At some point in time, Cloud Retainer built the Dwelling in the Clouds above Qingyun Peak. Interestingly, the journal found there suggests that its writer — which to current knowledge would be Cloud Retainer — speaks of the adepti as though she were not one of them, at least at the time the journal was written. Also notable is that unlike her fellow adeptus Mountain Shaper's domain, which is sealed by a large adeptal talisman, the door to Cloud Retainer's abode is identical to other domains found throughout Teyvat.

Near the current events of the game, Shenhe's father attempted an art known as "Fate Transference" to bring back his deceased wife, but used his daughter as sacrifice for the art. Shenhe refused to go quietly and managed to subdue the god's remnants with her mother's dagger. Cloud Retainer, sensing the evil of this art, eventually discovered Shenhe at the source. Shenhe initially believed her to be a threat, but Cloud Retainer was able to convince her she was friendly and the girl fell unconscious. Taking pity on her due to the circumstances she had endured and noting her talent, Cloud Retainer decided to adopt her. She believes that even if she had tarried, Shenhe would have still won.

When the Traveler arrived in Liyue, they went to the Rite of Descension to speak with Morax but instead witnessed his death. After being informed by Tartaglia to speak to Moon Carver, the adepti told them to inform the others. The Traveler managed to get Cloud Retainer out by cooking some food for her; when she learned of the situation, she flew into a fury but was calmed by the Traveler after reminding her of her contract with Morax. She later assisted her fellow adepti and the Liyue Qixing in fighting Osial.

After Osial's defeat, Cloud Retainer agreed with the other adepti to let mortals govern Liyue but they would be maintaining a close watch on them. She told the Traveler about Shenhe's past and watched the fight against Beisht. When Beisht fled, Cloud Retainer approached the group and remarked to Keqing on how Shenhe had contributed significantly but was pleased with how the mortals were fending for themselves.

Personality

Like her fellow adepti Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver, Cloud Retainer speaks in a formal, yet old-fashioned manner. Despite her way of speaking, there are cues that indicate some of Cloud Retainer's true feelings.

Despite Retainer's outwardly aloof attitude, she is quite sentimental. Even several thousand years after Guizhong's death, Retainer has kept the table that they and Morax dined together at, even having their usual seats engraved with their names, as well as keeping evidence of each person's preferred dish. When she heard of Morax's supposed death, she flew into a fury and was only abated when the Traveler reminded her of her contract with Liyue. She is aware that Zhongli is his current form, as she lets him be whenever he comes to Mt. Aocang to seat himself at the table she kept. She is fond of Ganyu (Genshin Impact) and Shenhe; she frequently reminisces about Ganyu's childhood to others if she is around much to her embarrassment, while she sees Shenhe as the closest to herself, even expressing regret that she is limited by her human lifespan. While she claims that she prefers to keep a distance from the mortal realm, she still cares deeply for humanity, and Zhongli considers her "generous and kind, honest and forthright," and a rare example of both a friend and a teacher.

Retainer is proficient in creating buildings and machinery, expressing jealously toward Ningguang's Jade Chamber, intending to create a floating building that would far surpass it. She claims that it is her "duty" to correct the "mistaken direction" that she believes the Jade Chamber will lead mortal mechanics in. During the Moonlight Merriment, she created the Supreme Cuisine Machine, a device capable of tracking high-quality ingredients and cooking them on the spot. She also expressed great interest in the Launch Tube that Keqing gifted her during the Lantern Rite.

As with the other adepti, she is not fond of most visitors to Jueyun Karst. Her formal manner means she has no experience with modern speech, believing a "sore loser" is someone who has sores and has lost something recently. She is not fond of inviting guests to her abode and quickly has them leave once their business inside is finished.