http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/GenshinImpactFortressOfMeropide

Fortress of Meropide

An undersea Penal Colony in Liffey Region north of the Court of Fontaine and overseen by Duke Wriothesley. Unlike the rest of Fontaine, the Fortress is an autonomous entity (save for a few overworld-based security forces), making it technically a gathering place for exiles.

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In General

The Alcatraz: The Fortress of Meropide is a massive underwater prison-factory complex where criminals serve their sentence. It is also an autonomous region where the Fontaine justice system has no authority, and new inmates are briefed that normal social rules need not apply there. While life in the fortress looks bleak at first from the lack of sunlight and the damp and leaking atmosphere, it is actually a surprisingly decent place to live in thanks to Duke Wriothesley's efforts, and many criminals actually prefer to keep living in the Fortress instead of going back to society.
Company Town: The Fortress of Meropide is also a factory that employs convicts for the production of Gardemeks for the Court of Fontaine.
Dark Secret: The Fortress of Meropide was built on top of the Primordial Sea during Egeria's rule. This facet of the Fortress was forgotten by the residents up until Wriothesley took office, where he decided to do something about it once he realized the severity of the situation.
The Exile: The Fortress of Meropide is technically an autonomous entity not controlled by the Court of Fontaine, so prisoners sent here are technically exiles.
Global Currency Exception: Mora is useless in circulation in the Fortress of Meropide, with Credit Coupons being used instead to pay for meals and commodities.
I Choose to Stay: Due to the prison's conditions actually being quite pleasant, prisoners often choose to stay rather than leave once their sentence is done.
Luxury Prison Suite: Compared to other prison institutes, Wriothesley took measures to make sure that the inmates are actually being rehabilitated than punished, making several reforms to the Fortress to do so. The conditions are so good under Wriothesley's watch that most inmates don't even want to leave once their sentences are done - such that the more traditional prison/dungeon sector, which Dougier repurposed as the Beret Society's true HQ, has been closed-down precisely because of its oppressive nature. It's still very industrial and dimly lit due to the prison being similar to an undersea company town, however.
Penal Colony: The Fortress of Meropide is legally considered a separate sub-community with its own rules and currency, enabling convicts are given a chance to leave the baggage of their overworld lives behind and start afresh.
Safely Secluded Science Center: As requested by Wriothesley, Jurieu and Lourvine worked on a construction of a flying ark in a secure facility within the Fortress in preparation for the eventual flood.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Wriothesley and Sigewinne closely resemble Vautrin and Carole, Neuvillette's friends from century's past when he was starting out as Iudex, with Wriothesley being convicted for taking justice into his own hands much like Vautrin while Sigewinne is a Melusine doing her part to keep the peace in the Fortress and looking out for everybody like Carole. They even have a dynamic together like their past counterparts did.
Underwater Base: The Fortress of Meropide is so deep underwater that most inmates looking to escape would have a hard time trying to find a safe exit that isn't the entrance, and it's also built on top of a sluice gate holding back the Primordial Sea.

Staff

Sigewinne

Sigewinne

Introduced: v4.7 "An Everlasting Dream Intertwined"
Voiced By: Zhao Shuang (Chinese), Hina Kino (Japanese), Kim Chae-rin (Korean), Sarah Anne Williams (English)

Wondrous Dragonheir

Rarity: 5★
Element: Hydro
Arkhe Alignment: Ousia
Weapon: Bow
Constellation: Nereides, the Sea Nymph

The head nurse of the Fortress of Meropide and a special Melusine who has a distinctly human-looking appearance.

Ambiguously Human: Or, more specifically, Ambiguously Half-Human Hybrid. So far, she's been stated to be a Melusine with a "special body" that looks more human, but what exactly this actually means (such as in the case of her possible parentage) remains to be seen. Granted, considering what has been revealed about Melusine biology, it's entirely possible they don't even procreate the biological way to begin with.
Anime Hair: Her bangs are layered and curl inward.
Animal Motifs: Sea slugs. Sigewinne dons some Melusine features, such as her rhinophores and a curled tail on her back, as it was shown that Melusines are sea slug-like creatures, and her bunny-like features are also a reference to "sea bunnies", a play word referring to real-life nudibranchs. Her constellation, Nereides, takes the shape of a sea angel, a type of deep-sea sea slug.
- Her motifs regarding to rabbits also count. Her pair of gloves each has a print resembling a bunny, and she has gold rabbit-shaped trinkets on each side of her shorts.
Badass Adorable: Sigewinne is a kind and pure-hearted Cute Monster Girl who possesses keen skills in marksmanship with her trusty bow and weaponizing medical tools to good use.
Breaking Old Trends: Sigewinne is the first bow wielder who has a unique aim mode shot that is not a level 2 charged shot that Ganyu, Tighnari, Lyney, or Sethos have. Instead her bow will continually fire "Mini-Stration Bubbles" while her bow is fully charged, and can do so indefinitely as long as the arrow isn't fired.
Creepy Good: Sigewinne looks and behaves like she walked out from a saccharine fairytale in great contrast to the dimly-lit underground industrial environment of the Fortress. While she does genuinely have good intentions, she instantly became a Memetic Psychopath when her flashback revealed that she knew that the Traveler faked their illness to eavesdrop and deliberately played along to deter their suspicion, all the while recalling the events with a smile on her face.
Sigewinne: What a delightful turn of events. I like smart people, but I also like playing dumb. I like the feeling of "being trusted"...Being able to read human expressions is quite the useful skill.
Cute Monster Girl: Sigewinne looks like a young human girl and a sweet personality to match, but with Melusine features.
Early-Bird Cameo: Appeared in the Overture Teaser: The Final Feast alongside the other members of the Fontaine cast prior to the release of the Fontaine Archon Quests.
Exotic Eye Designs: Downplayed; her eyes have distinctive sideways diamond-shaped highlights, but her pupils are the standard oval shape seen in most characters.
Foil:
- As both Vison-holding staff of the Fortress of Meropide, Wriothesley couldn't be more different from Sigewinne.
  - Sigewinne's short stature, red eyes and majorly green and white nurse's uniform and contrasts with Wriothesley's Tall Male model, Icy Blue Eyes and black, dark grey and red three-piece suit. Sigewinne's design is also very colourful, consisting of green, red, light blue, white and minor touches of purple and pink, in contrast to Wriothesley's simple dark neutral shades and red.
  - Wriothesley fights with his gauntlets, while Sigewinne has her bow and weaponized medical tools.
  - Wriothesley's imposing presence as the Duke belies a playful personality, while Sigewinne's child-like demeanor hides her cunning mind.
  - Their Animal Motifs are based on prey-predator animals. Sigewinne's rhinophores and curled tail resemble rabbit features, while Wriothesley has wolf motifs. Similarly, as a Melusine, Sigewinne has the characteristics of a sea slug while she and her kin make stickers depicting Wriothesley as a shark.
- Sigewinne and Neuvillette are both the region's unusually humanoid non-human Hydro wielders with draconic origins and a personal relationship with Wriothesley who can use long ranged attacks. However, as the Hydro Soveriegn, Neuvillette is native to Teyvat, while Sigewinne is a Melusine, a race that was created due to man-made intervention.
Giant Medical Syringe: Her Burst has her pull out a giant floating syringe that she floats on as it fires off a stream of bubbles.
Girlish Pigtails: She has her pale blue hair tied into two low pigtails, highlighting her child-like appearance.
Guys Smash, Girls Shoot: Wriothesley attacks mainly with his fists infused with Cryo energy, while Sigewinne wields a bow along with a plethora of other ranged tools like pills, bubbles, a syringe, and a tranquilizer gun.
Half-Human Hybrid: Implied. According to Menthe, she is a companion of the Melusine, and has several of their features, such as having the same ear-like appendages (rhinophores), tiny back wings, and a curled tail, but otherwise looks distinctly human compared to the rest of them.
Hidden Depths: Sigewinne is a good nurse who is kind and genuinely caring to her patients. She's also more sharp-witted and capable than she seems, often playing dumb so she would be trusted by the people in the fortress and managing to tranquilize both Lyney and Lynette - both of whom are skilled Fatui agents - on her own. There's a reason Wriothesley trusts her as the head nurse.
Horned Humanoid: Her rhinopores are referred to as horns.
Hot Skitty-on-Wailord Action: Her existence raises questions on how she came to be and the logistics behind it, especially since Melusines are smaller than humans.
Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: She and Wriothesley are the two main leadership figures of the Fortress of Meropide, with Sigewinne earning the inmates' trust by acting clueless, and Wriothesley imposing his authority from day 1. They are also very close friends.
Lethal Chef: Zigzagged.
- She fixes dishes that are delicious and healthy, but due to being a Melusine, she doesn't actually perceive dishes the same way as humans. Thus, her meal presentation looks horrible to humans, deterring most people from consuming something that would be good for them.
- On the other hand, her special drinks are... Something else. When Paimon and The Traveler have a hearty meal made by her, they note that everything is delicious, but the Traveler almost lets it slip that the smoothies were awful, but backtracks to not hurt Sigewinne's feelings. Wriothesley puts it a different way:
  Wriothesley: "Have you ever had one of Sigewinne's milkshakes? The taste that comes to mind is... what's that flavor... desolation."
Making a Splash: Sigewinne possesses a Hydro Vision.
Obfuscating Stupidity: Despite seeing through the Traveler and Paimon's act of getting sick to scout her infirmary, Sigewinne gave no indication of that being the case at all and even played along, with the Traveler being none the wiser. A flashback to the scene from her perspective revealed that she likes playing dumb to other people because she likes the feeling of being trusted.
Older Than They Look: Sigewinne's height and whimsical nature can be easily mistaken as an indicator of her being a child, but she's been around long enough to have seen the (heavily implied to be) human Emile grow from a baby to an adult.
Red/Green Contrast: Downplayed as Sigewinne has multiple red decorative elements in her outfit as well as red eyes, but her green nurse's uniform stands out amongst dark red elements in the other Fortress' staff uniforms, fitting her role as the softer, more nurturing Head Nurse of the prison.
Stalker Shot: After Lyney rushes out of the prison infirmary in a panic with the Traveler and Paimon hurriedly following, Sigewinne is revealed to have eavesdropped their entire conversation, leading to the bigger reveal that she is a lot more crafty than her demeanour first suggests.
Token Mini-Moe: Sigewinne is the smallest of the playable Fontaine cast.
Token Wholesome: Out of the Fontaine playable characters and the characters with the "Short Female" model, Sigewinne wears the most clothing with only her wrists and head exposed, which enhances her image as a wholesome nurse.
Tranquilizer Dart: She uses a tranquilizer gun as one of her weapons. She ends up using it on Lyney to stop him from attacking Wriothesley.
Winged Humanoid: She has a pair of Ridiculously Small Wings on her back, like some of her fellow Melusines.

Wriothesley

Duke Wriothesley

Introduced: October 17, 2023 (v4.1 "To the Stars Shining in the Depths" [second half])
Voiced By: Liu Beichen (Chinese), Daisuke Ono (Japanese), Kwon Chang-wook (Korean), Joe Zieja (English)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wriothesley_transparent_portrait.png

Emissary of Solitary Iniquity

"Word of advice: Don't break the law. Hmm, is there anything else? Oh, yeah... Seriously, don't break the law."

Rarity: 5★
Element: Cryo
Arkhe Alignment: Ousia
Weapon: Catalyst
Constellation: Cerberus, The Guard Dog of the Underworld

Inmate-turned-warden of the Fortress of Meropide. Having rose to power, Wriothesley uses his uniquely earned authority to introduce numerous reforms to a better life for the inmates, to the point that many choose to stay even after their sentences are served. The Traveler and Paimon arrive to the Fortress of Meropide under false charges to investigate the case of Childe, learning from Wriothesley himself about the Fortress' true purpose during their stay.

Wriothesley metes out his brand of justice with relentless Cryo-imbued punches, able to maintain his poise even while sprinting or using his Elemental Skill, Icefang Rush, wherein he enters the Chilling Penalty state that, apart from boosting his flinching resistance, powers up his punches at the cost of losing some HP so long as it is over half its maximum value, while his Elemental Burst, Darkgold Wolfbite, activates his mechanical gauntlets to deliver a devastating haymaker that additionally unleashes an Ousia-aligned Surging Blade strike.^note

Actor Allusion: In the Japanese dub, Wriothesley lets out an "ORA-ORA!" as a battle cry for his charged attack. Daisuke Ono, his voice actor there, previously voiced Jotaro Kujo, the main character and titular JoJo of the Stardust Crusaders arc of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, whose Stand emits the same cry. In addition, Ono has also voiced Snow Villiers of Final Fantasy XIII, another pugilist associated with ice.
Actually Pretty Funny: When Neuvillette asks Clorinde what she has to gift Wriothesley for losing their Side Bet, she responds that a set of legal codices would serve him more than another bag of tea. Wriothesley just laughs at the light jab and continues the banter.
Animal Motifs: Wolves. He has a large fur cloak that resembles raised hackles, pale blue eyes, and several wolf-head emblems on his clothing. His hair spikes up in two points, almost giving him the appearance of a pair of perked ears.
- The Melusines usually draw him as a shark with his black hair and eye color and put those stickers of him on his belongings to his annoyance.
Anonymous Benefactor: He usually avoids giving interviews because of his Dark and Troubled Past, rejecting Charlotte's constant requests. In the aftermath of the Archon Quest, he finally agrees as long as the interview gives the spotlight to Jurieu and Lourvine since they were the ones who designed the floating ship. He even refuses to have his photo taken, despite Sigewinne telling him it's a memento between them.
The Ark: Towards the end of the fourth act of the Fontaine Archon Quest, he reveals to the Traveler that the sealed gate in the Fortress's "Forbidden Zone" contains Primordial Seawater that will eventually break out and engulf Fontaine; in response, he started a secret project to build a ship that could hold Fontaine's populace.
The Atoner: Though the motivations behind the crime he did could be justified, Wriothesley still felt guilt for doing so, and confessed all details of the crime in order to obtain a just conviction.
Badass in a Nice Suit: His regular outfit consists of a dark grey three-piece suit with a vest, a black dress shirt underneath, a loose red necktie, and a fur black coat draped over his shoulders. The accessories that give his attire a badass style are the black straps around his arms and neck, the tight high boots with metal knee pads, the piercings in his ears, fingerless gloves, and the handcuffs.
Berserk Button: As seen in his Story Quest, people who abuse their power over others through fear while hiding it with a fake smile are a huge sore spot for him, so much so that he completely loses his cool and barely able to keep himself from killing them. Given his backstory, it’s not surprising.
Big Damn Heroes: He takes a back seat after the prison arc is completed, and arrives to the surface with the ship to rescue the citizens from the flood.
Boxing Battler: He fights using boxing moves and a pair of gauntlets.
Breaking Old Trends: Nearly three years into the game's lifespan (and on a threefold level, no less), Wriothesley is both the very first Cryo Vision holder to wield a catalyst and the very first male 5★ of that element (hence giving all seven elements a playable character on both fronts), as well as the first of that element with a Tall Male model since Kaeya (from all the way back at game launch).
Bring It: After defeating Dougier's Gardemeks, Wriothesley has this to say to him:
"If you think fear can control everything... Well then, terrify me."
Cast from Hit Points: Wriothesley's kit focuses on manipulating his HP to increase his strength, comparable to the tactic of enduring attacks to lure the opponent into lowering their guard (or in boxing terminology, the Rope-A-Dope), in particular through his Skill consuming HP worth 4.5% of its maximum value (so long as it is over half) to enhance his punches. His first-ascension passive partially mitigate this by giving him a healing option (see "Situational Sword" below).
Casual Danger Dialogue: Even when being threatened by Lyney after his siblings go missing in the Fortress of Meropide, Wriothesley maintains his nonchalant demeanor and occasionally drops deadpan statements in contrast to an agitated Lyney, and he casually intends to leave for a cup of tea right after Sigewinne tranquilized Lyney by shooting him. He also has these interactions with Clorinde, making a Side Bet while dealing with a tense situation.
Character Tics: Shares one with Neuvillette: at the end of their normal attack chains Wriothesley adjusts his tie and Neuvillette adjusts his jabot.
The Chessmaster: It's revealed that he always knew about the Fortress of Meropide having Fatui infiltrators based on their behavior and promptly disposed of them. When Lyney and his siblings arrived to continue investigating, he decided to monitor them but otherwise leave them to their devices under the assumption they were searching for Childe and that they'd be able to lead him to the missing Harbinger. Once they start digging into the "forbidden zone" however, he lays bait for him and the Traveler and effectively takes Lynette and Freminet hostage, having Sigewinne tranquilize the former and locking the latter out of the fortress when he tries investigating Childe's escape route... or so he claims. Unbeknownst to the Hotel Bouffes d'ete trio, the water around the Fortress of Meropide has started mixing with Primordial Seawater, and Freminet had unknowingly dived straight into it. Knowing Lyney would desperately chase after his sibling if he knew the danger, Wriothesley instead baits him into a confrontation to keep him from becoming another rescuee while sending Clorinde to save Freminet. Though these methods seem extreme, it's a good thing he was so thorough; Clorinde only barely saves Freminet and notes she wouldn't have been able to save two people.
Coat Cape: Like Yelan, he "wears" his coat over his shoulders.
Color-Coded Elements: Subverted; he has a Cryo Vision, but his color palette is predominantly red, gray, and black, giving him the appearance of a Pyro or Electro Vision user. Like Clorinde, the real hint of his Vision is his Icy Blue Eyes.
Covered with Scars: He has numerous prominent scars of unknown origin, most notably one under his eye, three vertical ones down his throat that look like claw marks from a large animal, and across his forearms. He never tells where he got most of them as he just brushes the question off with a joke.
"Hmm? Oh, the scar on my body? It's from a gash I got while battling a gigantic undersea monster that tried to take over the Fortress of Meropide... Hah, just kidding."
Crazy-Prepared: In case the prophecy ever comes true and the Primordial Sea does rise to consume all of Fontaine, Wriothesley's been working on a gigantic ship hidden beneath the Fortress of Meropide to ferry all of Fontaine's populace to safety. While the prophecy is successfully prevented, Fontaine is still flooded so the ship comes in useful during rescue operations shown in a cutscene.
Cruel Mercy: At the end of his Story Quest, Wriothesley decides to punish Dougier by not punishing him. This is actually worse because he will live the rest of his life in prison fearing a punishment or an attack at any moment, so he will have to live in constant fear for his safety, which is a poetic retribution for all the suffering he caused to his fellow inmates.
Cultured Badass: He is a seasoned underground fighter who landed in the Fortress of Meropide and assumed leadership of it. He also always has a soft spot for his tea time, which he serves in fancy porcelain, as seen in his office.
Custom Uniform: His outfit follows the same color scheme as the prison guards, but has significant alterations that distinguish him as the leader of the Fortress. He is the only prison staff who wears a fur-trimmed coat with red lining draped over his shoulders, a vest, a loose red necktie, wolf silver badges, and many belts and black bandages around his arms.
Cutscene Power to the Max: During the climax to the fourth act of the Fontaine Archon Quest, he stops the initial torrent of Primordial Seawater by freezing it with his punch, and when that doesn't last, he fires icicles to seal the isolation gate that holds the Seawater in the room and buy time until Neuvillette arrives. While he'd likely be able to do this if he was a normal Catalyst user, Wriothesley in gameplay is a Kung-Fu Wizard Close-Range Combatant with no ranged abilities.
Dark and Troubled Past: As a child, he was an orphan who was adopted by a couple who had many adopted children in an orphanage-like environment. Once those children were older, the couple would take them to the market to “sell them” to other people with no idea of what became of them, and those who weren't bought or found out the truth were “disposed of”. Once he discovered their activities as a teen, he murdered the couple to free the children, even though this caused him to be exiled in the Fortress in the process.
Dark Is Not Evil: His palette is dominantly red and black and he’s the administrator of an underwater prison, so before he's introduced one would probably think he would likely have a personality more like Diluc, but Wriothesley himself is an affable Reasonable Authority Figure who has made various reforms to the Fortress and turned it into a better place to live. His introduction during the main story demonstrates how respected he is in the Fortress and how his affable personality very much contrasts with his appearance. That doesn’t mean he can’t be ruthless when eliminating threats to the Fortress though, as Lyney would find out. And even then, as long as you don't genuinely piss him off, he's still relatively polite and affable, even inviting Lyney to tea to talk things over.
Deadpan Snarker: Wriothesley's rugged appearance belies his wry sense of humor. When Paimon asks if he plans to blow up the Fortress of Meropide to save Fontaine from the deluge of Primordial Seawater threatening to breach the Forbidden Zone, he jokingly agrees.
Difficult, but Awesome: Compared to Lyney and Neuvillette before him, Wriothesley's survivability is a bit harder to maintain due to his Close-Range Combatant nature, forcing players to keep an eye on his health so they'll know when to heal him, either through his "Vaunting Fist" or other means. However, provided you're careful, his nature as a Cryo Catalyst allows him to cause powerful Element Reactions like Melt and Freeze, with the high damage his Skill and passives allow him to deal personally further adding to his offensive potential.
Early-Bird Cameo: Appeared in the Overture Teaser: The Final Feast alongside the other members of the Fontaine cast before the release of the Fontaine Archon Quests.
Enemy Mine: It's suggested that he'd be willing to work with Arlecchino for his plan to save Fontaine's people if him demanding a meeting with her from Lyney in exchange for his siblings' safety is anything to go by.
Exotic Eye Designs: He has pale blue eyes with solid black pupils, as opposed to most characters' pupils, which are often the same color as their irises but in a darker shade. His pupils are also highlighted in yellow.
Extremity Extremist: Unlike fellow Kung-Fu Wizard Heizou, Wriothesley relies entirely on his fists without any kicks in his arsenal, owing to being a Boxing Battler.
Fight Clubbing: Wriothesley honed his skills in underground fights, but has since left that less-than-legal life behind. Those abilities are now one of many tools at his disposal for keeping order as the administrator of the Fortress of Meropide.
Foil:
- Wriothesley is what Lyney could have been without Arlecchino's intervention. Both are male Fontainians who dress in black and red, were orphans who were exploited by guardians connected to child traffickers, and have risen to become capable leaders in their respective organizations. However:
  - Lyney is a Pyro user while Wriothesley is An Ice Person.
  - In terms of appearance, Lyney is a slim youth who dresses somewhat femininely while Wriothesley is a rugged Hunk.
  - In gameplay, Lyney is a bow user while Wriothesley fights at close range with his boxing gloves.
  - Lyney has feline Animal Motifs while Wriothesley has a canine one.
  - Lyney is practically inseparable from his siblings while Wriothesley consciously decided not to reunite with his foster siblings after his incarceration to start afresh.
  - Their Arkhe alignments are the opposites. Lyney's is Pneuma, while Wriothesley is aligned to Ousia.
- Wriothesley and Neuvillette are both intimidating and stoic-looking leaders of a branch of Fontaine's justice system that are catalyst users with Tall Male models who have undergone "rebirth" and distanced themselves from society. However, their Noble Male, Roguish Male differences manifest in the following ways:
  - Wriothesley's short hair, visibly muscular and battle-scarred body, along with a black/silver and red color scheme and a fur coat gives him a wilder appearance that contrasts with Long-Haired Pretty Boy Neuvillette's white hair and gilded deep blue judge's robes that emphasize his aristocratic look.
  - Wriothesley is the Duke of the "underworld" Fortress of Meropide that is autonomous from the "overworld" territory of Fontaine that Neuvillette presides over as Chief Justice.
  - In gameplay, Wriothesley boxes his enemies at close range with his gauntlets while Neuvillette attacks from a distance using his Classy Cane as a Magic Wand.
  - Wriothesley had a symbolic "rebirth" from his Dark and Troubled Past while Neuvillette is the reborn Hydro Sovereign.
  - Since Fontaine has inspiration from countries such as France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Spain, both have different origins for their given names. Wriothesley’s name is British, while Neuvillette has a French name.
  - Their Specialty dishes also are very contrasting. Wriothesley’s barbecue ribs are meaty, heavy, and full of flavor from the mystery BBQ sauce. Neuvillette’s consomé, on the other hand, is light, refined, and doesn’t have a notable flavor profile because Neuvillette prioritizes the purity of the water used (which tastes exactly the same for regular people).
  - Their Leitmotif's in their teaser trailers have contrasting styles as well. Wriothesley’s theme has a lot of electronic bass drops that compliment his underground fighting background, while Neuvillette’s theme, which uses classical orchestra and some classical rock remix, goes according to his mysterious and solemn aura.
  - Their Arkhe alignments are the opposites. Neuvillette's is Pneuma, while Wriothesley is aligned to Ousia.
- As both Vison-holding staff of the Fortress of Meropide, Wriothesley couldn't be more different from Sigewinne.
  - Sigewinne's short stature, red eyes, and majorly green and white nurse's uniform contrasts with Wriothesley's Tall male model, Icy Blue Eyes, and black, dark grey, and red three-piece suit. Sigewinne's design is also very colorful, consisting of green, red, light blue, white and minor touches of purple and pink while Wriothesley has dark neutral shades and red.
  - Wriothesley fights with his gauntlets, while Sigewinne wields a bow along with a plethora of other ranged tools like pills, bubbles, a syringe, and a tranquilizer gun.
  - Wriothesley's imposing presence as the Duke belies a playful personality, while Sigewinne's childlike demeanor hides her cunning mind.
  - Their Animal Motifs are based on prey-predator animals. Sigewinne's rhinophores and curled tail resemble rabbit features, while Wriothesley has wolf motifs. Similarly, as a Melusine, Sigewinne has the characteristics of a sea slug while she and her kin make stickers depicting Wriothesley as a shark.
Full-Contact Magic: Similar to Heizou, he's technically a Catalyst user but fights using fisticuffs.
Gathering Steam: His fourth-ascension passive, There Shall Be a Reckoning for Sin, allows the Chilling Penalty state to gather up to five stacks of Prosecution Edict whenever his HP rises or falls, which provides a 6% Attack boost each (hence a maximum of 30%). In addition, his second Constellation upgrade, Shackles for the Arrogant, allows each stack to increase the power of his Burst by 40% (hence a maximum of 200%).
Genius Bruiser: Wriothesley is one of the more muscular characters, known for his incredible strength and talent as a boxer. It would be easy to underestimate his brilliance as the administrator of the Fortress of Meropide, which functions as an independent political entity and is responsible for much of Fontaine's meka production. But he quickly proves to be quite The Chessmaster, establishing himself as capable of outwitting the Fatui and having numerous plans of his own in motion.
Glass Cannon: Wriothesley dishes out some serious damage with his punches, and can empower them with his skill to hit even harder. In return, however, said empowerment consumes a percentage of his HP with every punch he lands, which can leave him vulnerable in a tight spot.
The Good King: He's chief warden of the Fortresss, but he has Duke as a title, his subjects refer to him as 'His Grace', and in practice he's the absolute monarch of the place. During his story quest, when the villain tries to appeal to the law against extrajudicial torture and killing, he makes it clear that as Duke, law is what he decides. Thankfully he's a Reasonable Authority Figure, otherwise the Fortress would be a hellhole on par with any Dystopia stories out there.
Good Is Not Soft:
- As mentioned under Dark Is Not Evil, Wriothesley is firmly on the side of good as seen with him taking active action against the Primordial Seawater threat. However, fitting a former criminal turned warden, he can resort to some pretty brutal methods to protect the integrity of the fortress as shown when he put the squeeze on Lyney by holding his siblings hostage and threatening their lives, shocking even The Traveler. However, it's later revealed Lynette was simply tranquilized and kept in a safe room by Sigewinne and Wriothesley sent Clorinde to rescue Freminet. Wriothesley was effectively distracting Lyney so he wouldn't try to go after Freminet and put himself in danger, albeit causing Lyney a lot of anguish.
- In his Story Quest, Wriothesley himself explains that he usually prefers to act as a Reasonable Authority Figure despite his near-limitless authority as the Duke of the Fortress of Meropide to positively influence the behavior of the Fortress as a whole. Nevertheless, Dougier's actions and cruelty cause him to hit his Rage Breaking Point, due to the circumstances mirroring elements of his own Dark and Troubled Past. After swiftly choke slamming him, Wriothesley coldly reminds Dougier that he has the power to dispose of him without answering to anyone if he decides so.
Ground Punch: He is the only Catalyst user who strikes the ground with his gauntlet fist for his landing animation upon making contact with the ground from a plunging attack.
Guys Smash, Girls Shoot: He has this dynamic with both Sigewinne and Clorinde. Wriothesley attacks mainly with his fists infused with Cryo energy, while both Clorinde and Sigewinne have guns in their arsenals. In Sigewinne's case, she has a tranquilizer gun, while Clorinde's main weapon is a gun that shoots Electro-infused bullets.
Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: He and Sigewinne are the two main leadership figures in Fortress of Meropide, with Sigewinne earning the inmates' trust by acting clueless, and Wriothesley imposing his authority from day 1. They are also very close friends.
Hunk: Though he does have a few shades of Pretty Boy due to his face, Wriothesley remains one of the more muscular male characters, and has some scars that emphasize his rugged look. Alongside Alhaitham and Itto, this especially puts him at odds with most of the playable male cast.
Icy Blue Eyes: Has pale blue eyes that fit his Cryo Vision.
Indy Hat Roll: After Clorinde blasted the gate controls to shut down the three isolation gates and stop the Primordial Seawater from leaking through, Wriothesley, who is being chased by the torrent, makes it through the final closing gate in this style.
Internal Reformist: He used to be a prisoner in the Fortress of Meropide and he made reforms to it by becoming its administrator. The current conditions in the Fortress are said to have improved so much that some of the convicted prefer remaining in prison rather than returning to the outside world.
"Kick Me" Prank: As a prank from Sigewinne and the Melusines, Wriothesley often finds cute hand-drawn stickers all over his belongings. In one of his voice lines, he asks the Traveler to take off the stickers if he happens to find some over himself, and in his idle animations, he is seen removing different stickers from his boxing gauntlets.
Klingon Promotion: Subverted. Wriothesley challenged the previous warden after the warden attempted to steal his fairly-earned credit coupons, but the previous warden fled rather than dare fight him, leaving Wriothesley to take over the Fortress anyway.
The Leader: He is in charge of Fortress of Meropide after just taking the position from the previous warden, and later takes it upon himself to gather resources and experts in different areas to solve problems under his command, making him a Levelheaded type who excels at tackling practical problems.
Honestly, my personal abilities are pretty limited. I got no talent in medicine, inventions, or ship-making. But what I do know how to do is find those people with those talents, and get 'em to come work for me.
Look Behind You: Defied. In Act 4, Wriothesley messes with Lyney during their confrontation by telling him that his sister, whom he had previously kidnapped, might just appear behind him if he looked. Lyney takes a moment to assess Wriothesley's potential intentions and correctly concludes that he is simply trying to bait him and Lynette is still alive.
Man of Kryptonite: He’s a cryo catalyst user, meaning that all of his attacks will deal Cryo Damage. For this reason, he can keep Hydro Slimes, Hydro Abyss Mages, and other normal adversaries who are permanently shrouded in a hydro aura permanently frozen as he punches out their health.
Meaningful Rename: "Wriothesley" is the name he gave himself to cut himself off from his Dark and Troubled Past, which he found by chance upon an obituary of a successful old man.
Messy Hair: His hair is black and grey and full of spikes, more notably two in the shape of wolf ears.
Mirror Character:
- To Arlecchino. Both Fontainians have a red and black color scheme, murdered their abusive and exploitative foster parents, took over leadership of their respective organizations to become InternalReformist, and are spearheading their own initiative to save Fontaine from The Prophecy (Wriothesley is overseeing the construction of an ark while Arlecchino attempted to steal Focalors's Gnosis). However, Arlecchino has a Pyro vision while Wriothesley is a Cryo vision holder, and while Wriothesley seems suspicious but is ultimately a morally upright character, Arlecchino has been implied by both Childe and Scaramouche to be manipulative and completely insane behind her affable exterior. Their subordinates' (Lyney and Sigewinne) vision abilities also create a Fire/Water Juxtaposition.
- To Kaeya, as both are Cryo users with a playful sense of humor in front of the people close to them, and both have shady backgrounds before working for their Nation's Law Enforcement. Kaeya hails as a descent from Khaenri'ah and later joins the Knights of Favonius as Cavalry Captain and Wriothesley was a prisoner in the Fortress of Meropide before becoming its Chief Administrator, which despite being an autonomous territory, serves as the National Prison. Unlike Kaeya, who is fond of alcoholic beverages, Wriothesley prefers tea. As for their backstories, Kaeya was Happily Adopted and wasn't responsible for Crepus Ragnvindr's death, while Wriothesley discovered that his foster parents were selling children away or disposing of them, so he decided to kill them.
- To Heizou as both are Catalyst users with a fighting style based on physical contact, their clothes don't follow the usual Color-Coded Elements aesthetic, and both of them need the local beetles as Ascension Materials. Both work with the Law Enforcement of their respective Nations and have a witty sense of humor.
- He also shares some similarities with Kamisato Ayato. Both have nobility titles (Ayato is the Head of the Kamisato clan, and representative of the Yashiro Commission, while Wriothesley has recently been given the title of “Duke” in the Court of Fontaine in honor of his work at Fortress of Meropide), both have an eccentric sense of humor, and like drinking tea (Ayato is always seen with bubble tea, while Wriothesley loves tea). They both operate with hidden agendas for the benefit of their people, and manage to gather information through their subordinates or by themselves. However, Wriothesley would avoid Sigewinne’s weird smoothies in favor of his classic old teas, while Ayato would relish them the weirder they get.
- He also contrasts with Itto's archetype as the tall, muscular guys who are Reformed Criminals, are natural leaders of their respective groups, their combat styles are based on direct contact with their enemies, and their Ascension Materials include the local beetles from their Nations. Regarding their differences, Itto wields a Geo Vision and a claymore, while Wriothesley has a Cryo Vision and a catalyst. Despite both being orphans, Itto's past and antics are portrayed in a comedic light, and he was Happily Adopted by Granny Oni, while Wriothesley's past is serious and dramatic, was forced to murder his adoptive parents, and he tries to bury it the deepest. Itto is the leader of the Arataki Gang despite not being the most intelligent so he depends on Kuki Shinobu to keep them functioning, while Wriothesley uses his leadership skills to get talented people to work for him. Itto is clueless, immature, and a goofball, while Wriothesley is cunning, smart, and always focused on multitasking his duties.
Moveset Clone:
- Gameplay-wise, Wriothesley's skillset is fairly similar to the Wanderer's, minus the latter's ranged normal attacks. Both are catalyst wielders whose Elemental Skill is a stance that empowers their basic attacks for a duration and should they have their second Constellation unlocked, have an Elemental Burst that scales in potency based on the state of their Skill's stance.
- His Elemental Burst has a notable resemblance to Luka's from Honkai: Star Rail, as both shoot a powerful blast through a metal fist full of energy. Unlike Luka, whose arm is mechanical and powered by built-in rockets, Wriothesley's gauntlet only appears when he is about to shoot and is launched by his own Cryo energy.
Mr. Fanservice: A Hunk with very visible muscles and a pretty, yet scarred face. A lot of focus is also made on his big chest, arms, and butt.
Must Have Lots of Free Time: As noted by Paimon, Wriothesley is unusual in that they never seem to interrupt him while he's working. He is always available for a tour, lunch, or chat over tea. In response, he jokes that he hardly ever works. In reality, he is always on the clock, but has extremely flexible duties and enough skill at Xanatos Speed Chess to accommodate for distractions. He obscured this using humor, as it was too early to confess that he had worked the Traveler into his plans at the time.
Mundane Utility: As a Cryo Catalyst user whose normal attacks innately apply Cryo right in front of him, he can make effective use of "ice-bridging", being able to navigate bodies of water by repeatedly throwing hands.
Mythical Motifs: His Constellation is named and patterned after the three-headed guard dog of the Underworld in Classical Mythology. This perfectly matches his canine motif, and role as the head of the underwater prison where the (con)damned go. He and the other prisoners even refer to the Fortress of Meropide as the "underworld" and the surface of Fontaine as the "overworld."
Noble Male, Roguish Male: The Roguish to Neuvillette's Noble. Both are catalyst users who differ in how they use them in their combat styles. Wriothesley fights in close range and uses his elemental powers to enhance his punches, while Neuvillette keeps his distance to launch his elemental attacks. Both are good at keeping their real emotions under wraps, but while Neuvillette is mostly stoic and his sadness manifests through rain, Wriothesley keeps his cool with an affable personality and some dry humor, even in the middle of a tough situation.
Nonchalant Dodge: During the climax of Wriothesley's story quest, Dougier pulls out a pistol and fires multiple times while Wriothesley casually saunters towards him. He casually tilts his head to avoid one lucky bullet with a confident smirk before creating an ice shield to block the rest.
Not So Above It All: Around those Wriothesley trusts, he displays a more playful side, teasing a pair of researchers who act Like an Old Married Couple about their relationship status and making a Side Bet with Clorinde while at risk of being dissolved should they fail to contain the Primordial Seawater before Neuvillette arrives.
Odd Friendship: His dry sense of humor oddly makes him friends with deadpan people who get along with him.
- In a minor level, Sigewinne and him are on the same page when it comes to keep their keen natures under wraps, but Sigewinne is naturally kind and perky, while Wriothesley keeps an affable but stern front, which creates a notable contrast at first glance.
- He is shown to be good friends with Clorinde. Despite her almost emotionless personality, Wriothesley can work in perfect coordination with her and she gets on with his quips, even humoring him on Side Bets and playful banter.
- Despite his difficulty with social behavior, Neuvillette trusts him a big deal, having met him during Wriothesley's trial. Wriothesley has enough closeness with him to joke during the Primordial Seawater crisis and makes a habit of sending him tea baskets. In the epilogue of the 2024 Lantern Rite, Wriothesley is surprised when Neuvillette makes him a gift as a reference to the Legal Codices joke, especially because it was Neuvillette trying to be funny and nice at the same time, despite his awkwardness.
Power Fist: He fights using giant metal gauntlets powered by his Catalyst.
The Prankster: He tends to respond with some dry-humor jokes, and in one of his voice lines, he thinks that he might have been a bad influence on Sigewinne as she and some Melusines have taken the habit of leaving stickers on his clothes as a prank.
Punched Across the Room: His Burst is a powerful right-handed punch enhanced with the mechanical gauntlet that launches icicles on foes in front of him, as well as launches a follow-up Ousia-aligned strike.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: According to the other inmates, Wriothesley used to be another prisoner who slowly started to climb his way up as the leader of the Fortress of Meropide.
Rags to Riches: Zig-zagged. As an inmate, Wriothesley steadily accumulated enough Credit Coupons to become the richest within the Fortress... until the previous administrator confiscated all of his wealth. Wriothesley responded by challenging the administrator to a duel to get it back, and when the latter fled he simply took over as the Fortress' new head.
Real Men Eat Meat: His Specialty Dish "Secret Sauce BBQ Ribs" is a spin on Barbeque Ribs. If the dish's description is to go by, he is quite good at cooking meat and making it sound extreme.
"Soon after kicking out his subordinates with the excuse, 'Feel free to leave, but I'm staying! Things are heating up in here, and it could blow!', a meatastic delicacy greets your eyes. A full-bodied sauce slathered over flaky skin brings an extraordinary double blast of deliciousness, though as you taste it, it does seem to be practically identical to a condiment that has become awfully popular recently..."
Reasonable Authority Figure:
- He rules the Fortress of Meropide with a strict set of rules (including the "secret rules") and is ruthless in dealing with the Fortress’ enemies, but he is willing to bend and give some extra courtesy to the Traveler and Paimon because they were sent by Neuvillette. He can also jump protocols if the safety of everyone inside is at risk.
- In his Teaser Trailer, Wriothesley goes personally to take a prisoner to the Fortress and pretends to be a colleague in front of his daughter before social services take her. After she leaves, the man cries and thanks him for letting him say goodbye to his daughter one last time, Wriothesley clarifies that his empathy is for the little girl since he knows that learning that her father is a criminal would break her.
- In his Story Quest, he says that the easiest way to keep order in the Fortress would be to impose his authority with an iron fist, but he prefers to set an example amongst the inmates and guards by being fair himself. Then he makes it clear to Dougier that if he wanted to dispose of anyone, he wouldn’t need to justify his actions or respond to nobody, knowing well that people like him can’t be swayed by reason.
Reduced Mana Cost: Played with. If he has unlocked his first-ascension passive (see "Situational Sword" below), his charged attacks see a negated Stamina cost if he has the Gracious Rebuke effect.
Reformed Criminal: In the past, he was exiled to the Fortress of Meropide after his murder of his foster parents, but rose to the leadership of the Fortress. He’s now collaborating with Fontaine’s authority to maintain order and peace.
The Runaway: As a child, Wriothesley escaped from his foster home for his survival after finding out that his guardians were Human Traffickers who wouldn't hesitate to dispose of him if they ever caught him for finding out the truth.
Running Gag: Most of the jokes around Wriothesley have him offering anyone a cup of tea, to the point that Neuvillette and Clorinde often try to guess if he is going to have something related to tea.
Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: Wriothesley prefers to abide by the rules as a Reasonable Authority Figure who treats everyone justly and fairly, but he makes it clear to Dougier if he personally wants someone dead, he doesn't need to justify it.
Secretly Selfish: A downplayed, comedic case. Wriothesley is very quick to offer people tea, ostensibly to be nice and show his hospitality. When he extends such an offer to Clorinde, she calls him on how he really just wants to have tea himself and is only offering her some to give himself an excuse to break out a fresh pot. He's somewhat amused that she's on to him.
Self-Made Orphan: Wriothesley never knew his biological parents and he ended up killing his foster parents after learning of their involvement with a human trafficking ring.
Self-Made Man: His character's journey through prison wasn't an easy one. He had to work hard to get his first coupons, then got in a lot of fights with other inmates, gaining a lot of scars. When he finally challenges the prison warden and wins, he takes the position and starts to reinforce his authority among the Fortress' population.
Shipper on Deck: Repeatedly teases Jurieu and Lourvine, the two technicians working on his flying ship, that they are "using their work as a cover for their relationship". Both insist every time they are not a couple. Wriothesley's teasing is soon joined by other characters like Paimon, the Traveler and Charlotte.
Side Bet: With Clorinde from all people. While waiting for Neuvillette to arrive, they made a bet on whether Neuvillette would arrive with an entourage or alone. Wriothesley won.
Significant Birth Date: His listed birthday is not his biological birthday, but rather the day he was put on trial and sentenced to the Fortress of Meropide to symbolize his rebirth from his Dark and Troubled Past.
Situational Sword: His first-ascension passive, There Shall Be a Plea for Justice, grants him a stack of Gracious Rebuke whenever his HP falls to no more than 60% (with at least 5-second intervals), which upgrade his next charged attack into Rebuke: Vaulting Fist, negating its Stamina cost, providing a 50% boost to its damage output, and healing him for worth 30% of his Max HP. In addition, his first Constellation upgrade, Terror for the Evildoers, allows him to obtain a stack after five Chilling Penalty-enhanced punches, halves its activation interval to 2.5 seconds, quadruples the damage multipler to 200%, and adds four seconds to the duration of Chilling Penalty should his strikes connect at least once, while his fourth enhances the healing to 50%.
Starting a New Life: Wriothesley saw his exile to the Fortress of Meropide as an opportunity to be "reborn" from his Dark and Troubled Past, going so far as to change his original name and birthday on official documentation during the process of his sentencing.
Status Buff: Apart from enhancing the healing potency of his enhanced charged attack (see "Situational Sword" above), his fourth Constellation upgrade, Redemption for the Suffering, provides a boost to attacking speed whenever his healing surpasses his Max HP—either 20% for himself for four seconds if he is on-field, or 10% to the party for six seconds otherwise.
Stealth Pun: Wriothesley is the Duke of the Fortress of Meropide who fights with his fists and was formerly an underground pugilist. 'Dukes' can refer to fists and to 'duke it out' means to get into a fight.
Super Mode: His Skill puts Wriothesley in the Chilling Penalty state, where for ten seconds he gains heightened flinching resistance as well as powers up his punches in exchange for consuming some HP (see "Cast from Hit Points" above).
Sympathetic Murder Backstory: In his story quest, Wriothesley's crime is finally revealed. He explains that he was one of many orphans adopted by a couple, who would eventually arrange for the children to be adopted by more affluent families. But as a teenager, Wriothesley discovered that his foster parents were actually part of a human trafficking operation, responsible for preparing children to be sold to the highest bidder. Those that didn't sell or otherwise caused problems were killed, a fate Wriothesley escaped by killing them and setting all the children free. While he admits that his actions were extreme, his actions are presented as perhaps illegal but not necessarily wrong. According to Neuvillette's documents of his case, Wriothesley immediately declared himself guilty before a proper trial since he was conscious of his actions and the consequences.
Tall, Dark, and Snarky: He is the tallest of the Fontaine cast, prominently dresses in dark colors, and peppers his speech with quips.
Tea Is Classy: He has a fondness for tea and holds the title of "Duke".
Toxic Friend Influence: Played for Laughs. In his voice lines, Wriothesley worries that he might have been a bad influence on Sigewinne and the other Melusines by teaching them how to make pranks, which resulted in them putting hand-drawn stickers all over his belongings.
Trademark Favorite Food: Tea. Wriothesley is constantly asking others if they'd like to share tea with him and sends people he wants to gain favor with tea baskets.
- In his teaser scene in "Final Feast", he grabs his teacup despite Sigewinne trying to make him take her smoothie.
- In the Archon Quest aftermath, Navia tells Clorinde that Wriothesley also invited her for a cup of tea and they ended up drinking two entire teapots.
- In his voice-over lines, Wriothesley specifically mentions that he likes his coffee with milk, and drinks his tea with two cubes of sugar.
Upgrade Artifact: A pair of variants.
- His third and fifth Constellation upgrades, Punishment for the Frauds and Mercy for the Wronged, add three levels to, respectively, his Skill and Burst.
- His sixth, Esteem for the Innocent, boosts the Critical Rate and Damage of his enhanced charged attack by, respectively, 10% and 80%, as well as augments it with an extra icicle with damage equivalent to said attack.
Vague Age: Wriothesley is implied to be somewhere in his late 20s to early 40s. He was incarcerated as a teenager, and received the title of Duke when "his age had nearly doubled". His introductory post then indicates he met Callas in person as the Duke before the latter's death three years before the events of Chapter IV.
Weapon Specialization: Wriothesley's debut banner ran concurrent with that for Cashflow Supervision (5★), whose Ascension substat is Critical Rate (4.8–22.1%), and whose "Golden Blood-Tide" passive boosts its wielder's Attack stat by 16–32% and grants up to three stacks of a four-second-long damage boost to their normal and charged attacks whenever their HP rises or falls (by, respectively, 16–32% and 14–28%, hence a maximum of 48–96% and 42–84%), in addition to attacking speed by 8–16% if they have three stacks. This further powers up his Skill, which already increases his damage output at the cost of some HP, as well as complements his fourth-ascension passive (and, to some extent, his first, which gives him a self-healing option).
Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Discussed. In Wriothesley's character lines, he suspects Arlecchino sent Lyney and Lynette to the Fortress of Meropide knowing he'd be less inclined to deal with them in the same way he'd formerly dealt with her agents due to their age. Given his backstory where he was forced to kill his foster parents as a teenager to protect himself as well as free the other foster children, this makes sense. While he threatens Lyney with the safety of his siblings to force him to bring Arlecchino to him, he otherwise never causes any actual harm to befall them and even actively collaborates with Clorinde to rescue Freminet from the contaminated seawater surrounding the Fortress.
Xanatos Speed Chess: While he is no doubt a brilliant strategist all around, Wriothesley admits that he is not omnipotent. Nevertheless, he makes up for it with keen and constant observation and quickly formulates a new plan whenever his Plan A falls through.
- He only realized the Hotel Bouffes d'ete trio's true objectives later on in the Archon Quest. When it became apparent that they were not only investigating Tartaglia's disappearance but also the secret behind the Fortress of Meropide, he baited Lyney and Lynette into a trap to distract them.
- The Traveler interrupted Wriothesley during an operation by finding a replacement for a hat that Wriothesley had taken from a Beret Society member. He had been examining the hat due to suspicions that their leader was coercing members of the society into obedience. The Traveler's good deed blew any hope of remaining covert under the water, as the owner of the hat would no longer be able to hide. In response, Wriothesley gave back the hat and took the Traveler on a tour of the Beret Society's supposed base, exploiting the Traveler's 100% Heroism Rating to convince Beret Society members of the honest intentions of his investigation. This allowed the Duke to operate openly when he wasn't able to beforehand.
You Are in Command Now: He became the Fortress of Meropide's Administrator by challenging the previous administrator to a duel after the latter cruelly stripped away a small fortune Wriothesley had amassed in the fighting ring. Rather than face him down, the previous administrator fled. As it so happens, that was the day Wriothesley was scheduled to be released. Wriothesley simply walked into an empty office and assumed the relevant responsibilities. Given the previous administrator was pointedly callous to everyone from prisoners to guards, no one complained.

Estienne

A guard at the Fortress of Meropide who appears in the "Unfinished Comedy" World Quest. He likes to hold a competition called "Coupon Millionaire," where winners are allowed to go to the surface to perform maintenance on the fortress from there.

Big Damn Heroes: Estienne stops his junior guard Noailles from interrupting the Traveler and Caterpillar's attempt to break Lanoire out of the Fortress of Meropide and takes him into custody for his unauthorized use of Guardameks in his previous attempt to take in Lanoire.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Aside from his game, he treats the inmates fairly. He also acknowledges that Lanoire doesn't belong there, and is willing to enable her escape. He also arrests Noailles at the end after the Traveler and Caterpillar defeat him. Lanoire even refers to him as "the good sorcerer."
There Are No Rules: The only rule that Coupon Millionaire has is "the person/team who earned the most coupons in the set time period is the winner." This allows inmates to team up, forfeit their coupons to another player/team, or outsource tasks to acquire coupons, among other possibilities.

Jurieu and Lourvine (Unmarked Spoilers)

Two members of the Fontaine Research Institute brought in by Wriothesley to work on a top secret project regarding the "secret" of the Fortress.

The Ark: Jurieu and Lourvine are working on a giant ship on Wriothesley's orders based on the giant ship from Remurian legend to ferry Fontaine's population to safety once the prophecy goes live and the Primordial Sea starts flooding the region.
Belligerent Sexual Tension: Both members deny any kind of attraction to one another despite the obvious hints rising from their conflicts, with tension being so high that it can be cut with a knife. Wriothesley constantly ribs them on endlessly especially once others begin to take notice.
Subordinate Excuse: Wriothesley accuses Lourvine of this, sticking close to Jurieu as an assistant because she has a crush on him which she strongly denies.
Surpassed the Teacher: Jureiu was the former assistant of genius researcher Edwin Eastinghouse, and his floating Ark had surpassed Edwin's own failed attempts to create a floating utopia in order for Fontaine to escape the Primordial Sea according to Charlotte.
Tsundere: Both are Type A towards each other. They'll argue about their work again and again but they'll ultimately get the job done. When the Archon Quest for Fontaine is over, they can be seen having a conversation about what to do with the flying ship now that the catastrophe has been prevented. When it's mentioned that the ship can be used to hold weddings, Lourvine shoots Jurieu a look that is implied to be romantic. He promptly freaks out and asks her why she's looking at him like that and the cycle repeats.

Noailles (Unmarked Spoilers)

Noailles

A new guard at the Fortress of Meropide who appears in the "Unfinished Comedy" World Quest. He is a firm believer in order, making sure that all rules, especially for inmates, are followed to the letter.

By-the-Book Cop: Appears to be this early on. As the quest progresses, however, it quickly becomes evident that he's more The Unfettered Principles Zealot.
The Cameo: He appears in Wriothesley: Indispensable Protocols Character Teaser's opening — Wriothesley is going to personally escort the prisoner to the Court of Fontaine, and subtly chastises him by telling him that the prisoner escort is a "task isn't left to someone who... lacks propriety".
Children Are Innocent: He firmly rejects any belief in this trope. When asked outright whether he believes a girl as young as Lanoire belongs in the Fortress of Meropide, he replies that children are just as capable of criminal behavior as adults.
Establishing Character Moment: In his first scene, he comes up to Estienne while the latter is planning a new round of Coupon Millionaire and chewing him out for allowing discipline to be lax and not making sure the inmates are obedient. It's a sign as to how firmly he believes inmates must follow the rules.
Hypocrite: For all of his bluster about others obeying the rules, he doesn't apply the same standards to himself. He had no problem violating the rules to commandeer over a dozen Gardemeks for the purpose of preventing Lanoire's escape.
I Lied: Caterpillar attempts to negotiate with him to let Lanoire go as long as Noailles is able to be seen capturing a monster. Noailles agrees, then reneges on the agreement the instant he has Caterpillar captive.
Jerkass: Nobody, not even the other staff, likes him. Lanoire even refers to him as "the evil sorcerer."
Laser-Guided Karma: After opting to convict a child who has done nothing wrong and refusing to allow inmates go when they are given the right of way, he is eventually removed from duty and made an inmate himself for violating regulations.
Principles Zealot: Believes that order is the most important aspect of life in the Fortress of Meropide. When thwarting the first escape attempt, he has no problem enforcing imprisonment on those without actual records of their arrest and conviction indefinitely (or even for the rest of their lives), and breaks an agreement with Caterpillar to let Lanoire go, effectively bypassing Fontaine's court system in the process. If the Traveler chooses to call him out on this, his only response is essentially, "Save it for your appeal."
The Unfettered: Will stop at absolutely nothing to ensure order in the fortress and that all inmates know their place. He breaks several regulations in the process of requisitioning over a dozen Gardemeks in order to stop Lanoire's escape attempt, and violates a verbal agreement within seconds of making it, all to make sure that those inside the fortress never escape — even if they never did anything to end up there in the first place.
Would Hurt a Child: Although he never attacks or threatens her with physical violence, he has no qualms whatsoever keeping Lanoire in the fortress for the rest of her life, despite the fact that she never committed a crime and was only there because it's where she was born. Thus, he's perfectly willing to harm her psychologically, if not physically.

Inmates

Avice and Faisolle

A couple who are members of the Beret Society who appear in Wriothesley's Story Quest "Reborn in the Land of Grievances".

The Cameo: Wriothesley's 2023 birthday art shows that they (identified by the pair of stickers on the tag) sent him a present.
Forced to Watch: Avice is forced to apply liquid fear to Faisolle and watch after the two of them got Wriothesley's unwanted attention on the Beret Society. Thankfully, Wriothesley's intervention makes it so that nothing comes out of this.
I Choose to Stay: At the end of Wriothesley's Story Quest, Avice states that she and Faisolle made many irreplaceable memories in the Fortress of Meropide, and thus the couple resolved to stay there even after their sentences end.
Signature Headgear: As members of the Beret Society, they wear their signature berets to show their affiliation, with Faisolle refusing to show himself when Wriothesley stole his hat. That said, they ditch the hats following the group's disbandment and Dougier's capture.

Caterpillar (Unmarked Spoilers)

Caterpillar, Chrysalis of the Phantasmic Moth

Also known as Cater, a mysterious young-looking inmate who appears in the "Unfinished Comedy" World Quest. However, it is soon revealed that there is more to him than his appearance would suggest.

Animal Motifs: As his name and full title suggest, both caterpillars and butterflies. He was given the name in the hopes that he could turn into a butterfly by emerging from his cocoon, as his master hoped he would one day become a full human.
Beyond the Impossible: He's an example of a cured Hilichurl, something even Dainsleif thought to be impossible due to the divine curse on them. Subverted, as he is not in fact a cured Hilichurl, but the consciousness of a human placed into an empty vessel.
Butterfly of Death and Rebirth: He is heavily associated with butterflies, and is the reborn form of Carter Scherbius.
Blow You Away: His true form is an Anemo Hilichurl Rogue, and he uses those abilities alongside you in story battles.
Connected All Along: After the completion of "Unfinished Comedy" another set of World Quests open up which reveal Caterpillar to have a part in the stories of both Seymour and Ann.
Dull Eyes of Unhappiness: His eyes look completely dead with zero shine in them, similar to Childe's eyes, and he's not a very emotional person. In fact, he willingly spent 400 years in the Fortress of Meropide under the belief that he is guilty and deserves it. His eyes may also hint at his true identity, a hilichurl, creatures known for being empty husks.
Early-Bird Cameo: Caterpillar was first mentioned in "An Artist Adrift" world quest, which was added in version 3.6, before making his first on-screen appearance in version 4.1. If said quest is completed before "Unfinished Comedy", Traveler and Paimon will recall hearing Caterpillar's name before.
Foreshadowing: Both his arms and legs are colored a blackish-brown and have the same patters as those of a Hilichurl, which hints at who and what Caterpillar really is.
Guest-Star Party Member: Fights in his hilichurl form alongside the Traveler at multiple points in the questlines he appears in.
Humanity Is Infectious: Befriends Lanoire and helps her escape from the Fortress of Meropide because such actions help him to imitate humanity and attempt to find a greater understanding of humans. He notes the Irony of the situation. Zig-Zagged given that Cater was originally the human Carter Scherbius.
Identity Amnesia: Caterpillar cannot remember who he was before having been a Hilichurl.
Jedi Mind Trick: Pulls one on Noailles when the guard is trying to extract his past from him. It lasts until Rave unwittingly breaks it. Previously, Caterpillar was able to use a similar trick to make the artist Julien gain confidence in his own skills, which lead to the latter interpreting it as Caterpillar giving him a blessing.
Kids Versus Adults:
- Played With, as Caterpillar is only debatably a child, but in Estienne's Game of the Rich, he and Lanoire form the "Kids Team" and compete against several adult teams.
- Played for Laughs in Search for the Algae Sea when the group confronts Jakob.
  Jakob: What nonsense are you all going on about...
  Ann: Adults shouldn't interrupt children.
  Jakob: ...
  Caterpillar: (shifting into his human form) And I'm a child, too.
Name That Unfolds Like Lotus Blossom: "Chrysalis of the Phantasmic Moth" describes his character, justified as he was given the name with the hopes that he would be able to undergo metamorphosis from a monster into a true human.
Punny Name: Caterpillar's nickname, Cater, is one letter off from his original identity, Carter. This also applies to the Chinese script (which usually prefers to directly translate the meanings of names), in which his name is transliterated as 卡特皮拉 (with the abbreviation Cater being 卡特, the same characters used for Carter).
Really 700 Years Old: He's actually nearly 500 years old, having been created by Jakob around the same time as Narzissenkreuz.
Token Heroic Orc: Most hilichurls are very hostile, and even the ones that aren't tend to not be welcoming of others. Caterpillar is a Hilichurl rogue who displays selflessness and concern for others on many occasions.
Uplifted Animal: At first, he appears to be an "Uplifted Monster". His true form is that of an Anemo Hilichurl Rogue who was given a higher intellect by his "master", the sage Narzissenkreuz. It is later revealed that the consciousness of a human had been grafted onto the body of a hilichurl.
Vocal Dissonance: According to the narration, his voice is much deeper than what would you expect coming out of the body of a kid.

Dougier (Unmarked Spoilers)

The founder of the Beret Society, who uses fear to enslave inmates to his will in a bid to take over the Fortress of Meropide.

Arc Villain: Of Wriothesley's Story Quest.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Dougier puts on a cordial, helpful façade when the Traveler first meets him, but he is later revealed to be an utterly heinous Sadist who uses fear to control the Beret Society's members.
Card-Carrying Villain: When describing all the inmates in the Fortress as irredeemable monsters who deserve punishment, hence his justification for his actions, he seems to refer to everyone period instead of excluding himself.
Control Freak: Dougier won't even let his followers talk to each other without permission. Those who disobeyed would be punished, either with his fear-inducing injections, starving them to death, or worse.
Dirty Coward: For all of his big talk about power, he sends his robot army against the Traveler and Wriothesley instead of personally confronting them. And when he fails to shoot straight at Wriothesley, he decides to target the Traveler instead, only to be quickly stopped. When he’s finally at the mercy of the Duke, he tries to use the Fortress' rules against him, but Wriothesley is quick to remind him that, since he is in charge of the prison and the Fortress is free from Fontaine’s jurisdiction (it is considered an independent de-facto state), he could kill him if wanted to without fear of consequences.
Does This Remind You of Anything?: His tactics to control all the people of his, and his methods of torture and punishment whenever they step out of the line, even for the pettiest reason (like talking to each other without his permission) is a clear metaphor of how cult leaders operate to manipulate their members through fear, not unlike real life people such as Jim Jones, or many of Scientology’s survivors can attest to.
Fate Worse than Death: Dougier's "punishment" by Wriothesley is to live eternally in fear of punishment or retribution from the people he tried to enslave to his will. Wriothesley subverts this to an extent - he explicitly mentions that this is only 'part' of Dougier’s punishment, with the official punishment to be handed out once Wriothesley comes up with something “creative” to do to him.
Hate Sink: Once Dougier's true colors are revealed, he is shown to be about as despicable as they come. He actively attempts to force his followers into socially isolating themselves under fear of punishment, which includes injecting a substance into their brain that will make them experience their worst nightmares. In some cases, he even starved some of his followers to death for disobeying him.
Hypocrite:
- When Wriothesley bests Dougier's last defenses and has the man at his mercy, Dougier cites that unauthorized punishment and torture are prohibited in the Fortress, despite him doing exactly the same thing to keep his followers in line.
- Early on, he tries to justify his actions as if he deserves (or is even entitled) to have the same power as Wriothesley to control the Fortress, and that everyone inside it is an unrepentant monster that must be punished. Except, as Wriothesley points out, unlike the former, he abuses his power over people and even takes it from others by fear, and secondly, Dougier himself is a convicted criminal, so by following his logic, he should be punished as well, which he is eventually.
Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy: He couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn when he tries shooting Wriothesley, and it’s highly doubtful that he would have been able to hit the Traveler when he turns his gun on them, even before Wriothesley disarms him.
Nothing Is Scarier: Dougier's punishment by Wriothesley is for the latter to do nothing (for the time being), forcing Dougier to live in fear of his impending punishment and in fear of retribution from those he enslaved in the Beret Society.
Psychological Projection: He appears to believe Wriothesley is the same as him, someone who craves authority so he can lord it over others. His initial reaction to Wriothesley cracking down on his actions is presented as if he thinks Wriothesley is simply being greedy. After all, he already rules over the entire Fortress, so why can't he let Dougier have the Society for himself?
Sadist: He not only enjoys torturing his subjects by injecting fear-inducing liquid through their brain or starving them to death, but he orders one of the members of his society to slowly torture her boyfriend right in front of the Society to Make an Example of Them.
Unexplained Accent: He speaks with a American Southern accent in the English Dub.
Villainous Breakdown: When Wriothesley destroys Dougier's Gardemeks, the latter pulls out a pistol and takes some very poorly-aimed panic shots at the former. He then tries turning his gun on the Traveler, prompting Wriothesley to disarm him and lift him by his neck.

Domenico (Unmarked Spoilers)

Domenico

An inmate sent to the Fortress for his unwitting involvement in a smuggling ring.

Arc Villain: Of Neuvillette's Story Quest, for a given value of "villain."
Big Bad Wannabe: He kickstarted Neuvillette's Story Quest by getting a subordinate to send a threatening letter to the Melusine who busted him, but in person he's pretty pathetic. Not only are his motives petty and misplaced, but his plans are heavily flawed and easily go wrong, such as when he tried inciting a riot to no avail thanks to the Mutual Aid Network. Notably, unlike previous Story Quest antagonists who you often have to pursue into a Domain and beat up their mooks to get to them, he doesn't even get that; his grand comeuppance amounts to one scene where he's dragged to Wriostheley's office, forced to confess, and gets a dressing-down for his actions before being sent off for further punishment. In the end, he is but a footnote in a Quest where the bigger "threat" is Neuvillette's excessive worry for the Melusines due to the Fantastic Racism they suffered in the past, which he never realised faded out due to removing himself from public interaction.
Misplaced Retribution: If what he says is to be believed, he was unwittingly made a member of a smuggling ring and, when the ring was caught through the efforts of Kiara, sent to the Fortress of Meropide after being declared guilty by Neuvillette. However, instead of resenting the guy who tricked him into the ring in the first place, he lays the blame on Neuvillette for doing his job and, when his initial attempt at inciting a riot fails, decides to spite him by sending a threatening letter to Kiara for catching him.
Revenge Before Reason: His misplaced resentment towards Neuvillette is one thing, but the fact that the Melusine he decided to have a threatening letter sent to is the one who helped catch him, despite the fact that it’d make the letter easily tracked back to him, simply screams this.

Lanoire

A child born to convicts in the Fortress.

Children Are Innocent: She never committed any crime, and is only in the Fortress because she was born there. As far as the law is concerned, she doesn't exist, what with her lack of documentation, without which she can't get out through normal means. She also doesn't understand the concept of death yet, since she doesn't know that her mother is dead despite Caterpillar telling that fact to the Traveler and Paimon in front of her.
Heartwarming Orphan: Her mother died sometime after she was born, and we're never told who her father is. That said, she's mostly well-cared for, as the inmates and guards either treat her well or leave her alone, Caterpillar takes her under his wing, she's very optimistic, and at the end of the quest, she's taken in by her grandfather.
Missing Mom: Her mother died a few years after Lanoire's birth, but Lanoire doesn't understand the concept of dead yet and she's under the misconception that her mother just left the Fortress of Méropide. When Lanoire is reunited with her grandfather, she asks him if her mother will come back home, with her grandfather replying that she never will return to it — her mother left home because she didn't like it.
The Pollyanna: Despite having never committed a crime, she isn't bothered much by the fact that she's trapped in the Fortress of Meropide. This is justified, as she's never seen the outside world from the day she was born.
Raised by Grandparents: Once she's freed from the Fortress of Meropide, she's taken in by her grandfather, Earnshaw.

Mutual Aid Network

A group founded by former Special Security and Surveillance Patrol leader Vautrin after he got sentenced to the Fortress of Meropide for massacring the masterminds who framed Carole in an attempt to discredit then-green Iudex Neuvillette.

Good Counterpart: To Dougier's Beret Society. They practice the same virtues that Dougier preaches in helping the exiles get rehabilitated and protect them against the more morally corrupt convicts. The one difference between the two is that Vautrin is sincere in wanting to reform the inmates, while Dougier only wants to control them by using fear. The Mutual Aid Network genuinely want to help out, while the Beret Society will only act upbeat when their founder is around but behave in a withdrawn and fearful manner if said founder is absent. This becomes apparent if Wriothesley's Story Quest is completed first before doing Neuvillette's.
Small Role, Big Impact: The Network prevented an attempted uprising in the Fortress orchestrated by Domenico against Neuvillette. In response, Domenico decided to switch targets to the Melusine who put him there in the first place: Kiara, thus kickstarting the events of Neuvillette's Story Quest.
You Remind Me of X: The badges the group uses to identify themselves resemble the Medal of Peace that Neuvillette gave to only Carole and Vautrin, prompting the Traveler to investigate the group on the Iudex's behalf. This is used to identify Vautrin as the group's founder and support Wriothesley's report that Vautrin was a model convict during his stay in the Fortress.

Characters / Genshin Impact: Fortress of Meropide

Fortress of Meropide

Staff

Sigewinne

Introduced: v4.7 "An Everlasting Dream Intertwined"
Voiced By: Zhao Shuang (Chinese), Hina Kino (Japanese), Kim Chae-rin (Korean), Sarah Anne Williams (English)

Duke Wriothesley

Introduced: October 17, 2023 (v4.1 "To the Stars Shining in the Depths" [second half])
Voiced By: Liu Beichen (Chinese), Daisuke Ono (Japanese), Kwon Chang-wook (Korean), Joe Zieja (English)

Estienne

Noailles

Inmates

Caterpillar, Chrysalis of the Phantasmic Moth

Domenico

Lanoire

Mutual Aid Network

Alternative Title(s): Genshin Impact Wriothesley

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Characters / Genshin Impact: Fortress of Meropide

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Fortress of Meropide

Staff

Sigewinne

Introduced: v4.7 "An Everlasting Dream Intertwined"Voiced By: Zhao Shuang (Chinese), Hina Kino (Japanese), Kim Chae-rin (Korean), Sarah Anne Williams (English)

Duke Wriothesley

Introduced: October 17, 2023 (v4.1 "To the Stars Shining in the Depths" [second half])Voiced By: Liu Beichen (Chinese), Daisuke Ono (Japanese), Kwon Chang-wook (Korean), Joe Zieja (English)

Estienne

Noailles

Inmates

Caterpillar, Chrysalis of the Phantasmic Moth

Domenico

Lanoire

Mutual Aid Network

Alternative Title(s): Genshin Impact Wriothesley

Previous

Index

Next

Introduced: v4.7 "An Everlasting Dream Intertwined"
Voiced By: Zhao Shuang (Chinese), Hina Kino (Japanese), Kim Chae-rin (Korean), Sarah Anne Williams (English)

Introduced: October 17, 2023 (v4.1 "To the Stars Shining in the Depths" [second half])
Voiced By: Liu Beichen (Chinese), Daisuke Ono (Japanese), Kwon Chang-wook (Korean), Joe Zieja (English)