The Chasm of Genshin Impact is an explorable zone that was released in Genshin Impact's 2.6 update along with Kamisato Ayato. The release of The Chasm included two new areas to explore: the Surface and the Underground Mines. And even though the Chasm offers a lot of lore about how and why it came to be, putting the story together can be a little hazy.

Genshin Impact has deep lore and has always hinted at bits and pieces throughout the Chasm and its origins, and for the longest time in the game's history, it was a mystery as to why the Chasm was closed off. However, not only does the Chasm's main story quest offer answers to a lot of the Chasm's mysteries, the Archon Quest and several of the Chasm's side quests do as well. HoYoverse has done well to make the Chasm's story a puzzle that needs to be pieced together.

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The Chasm has been the site of several events in the lore of Genshin Impact. It has starred characters like Rex Lapis, Azdaha, and even the Fatui. The zone also has a lot to say about Teyvat's geography, as well as the history of other events like Khaenri'ah and the Archon War. The side quest "Paleontological Investigation in The Chasm" shares a brief history of what the Chasm used to be. Since the fossils found in this quest are those of marine animals, the NPC Khedive speculates that the Chasm actually used to be an ocean and that whatever had preserved the fossils so immaculately had happened in rather an instant. This instant preservation is actually due to a falling star.

The Chasm In Genshin Impact: Lore and History

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A meteorite had fallen onto the land known presently as The Chasm, creating the deep crater now known as the Underground Mines. According to Genshin Impact legend, the meteorite had a "proud and agitated temper" and was likely sent by Celestia itself. However, the constant combat and strife during the Archon War sent the meteorite right back up, leaving the massive open Chasm that players are able to explore. The impact and removal of the meteorite left behind a huge amount of jade, which turned the Chasm into an industrial mine as the jade became a huge source of profit for Liyue Harbor. However, this caused the Ley Lines flowing through the Chasm to become disturbed, which caused Azdaha to become crazed, so Rex Lapis, Moon Carver, Mountain Shaper, and a third Adeptus had to calm the beast, which Rex Lapis then had sealed away so that humans could continue working in the Chasm.

During the Cataclysm, or fall of Khaenri'ah, Abyssal energy began to surge through the Chasm, making various monsters from the Abyss pour from it, and Rex Lapis had to send the Millileth to enter the Chasm and evacuate all of its miners and fight back the Abyss. An unnamed yaksha, similar to Xiao in Genshin Impact, had joined the Millileth in its fight against the Abyss, and it is speculated (but not confirmed) that the yaksha had ultimately perished in battle. Some side quests in the Chasm, like the one where the player aids the Fatui, let the player know that the battle against the Abyss is still being fought inside the Chasm, which is why it is theorized that the unnamed yaksha may still be alive after all.

Why The Chasm Was Closed In Genshin Impact

The recent sealing of the Chasm in Genshin Impact was due to the mysterious and harmful energy, which the game refers to as Dark Mud, beginning to build up inside. The Fatui offered to aid the Millieth in removing this Dark Mud, but their plan failed and they became trapped in the Underground Mines when the Chasm became too dangerous and was ultimately closed by the Liyue Qixing. However, after the event in Liyue Harbor with Childe and Osial, the Qixing slowly began to reopen the Chasm in hopes of restoring it to the mine it used to be.

Since the Chasm plays a part in revealing a lot about the history of Teyvat, it can be speculated that it may play a huge part in the future of Genshin Impact as well. The Chasm is on the border of Sumeru, which is the next region to be released after Inazuma. The game has also been hinting that the Traveler will be running into this unnamed yaksha, which could reveal much more about the history of Liyue.

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