Fatui Harbingers

Lore & Background

Tartaglia's journey began in Morepesok, a town in Snezhnaya, where he was named Ajax after an adventure hero. At age 14, he ran away and fell into the Abyss, spending three months there while only three days passed outside. There, he met Skirk, became her disciple, and learned to traverse the Abyss, acquiring his Foul Legacy transformation skill before returning home with a drastically changed personality. Promoted by Harbinger Pulcinella, he received his codename 'Childe' and was granted a Delusion by the Tsaritsa. In Liyue's main story, Tartaglia manipulated events to frame the Traveler for Rex Lapis's death and later fought them. When the Gnosis was missing, he summoned the sealed god Osial to force a confrontation, only to discover later that Zhongli (the true Geo Archon) had made a contract with Signora to give her the Gnosis. In Fontaine, Tartaglia was falsely accused of women's disappearances and imprisoned in the Fortress of Meropide; before his Vision stopped working, he entrusted it to the Traveler. He later escaped the Fortress and fought the All-Devouring Narwhal in the Primordial Sea, until Skirk appeared and took the Narwhal away; Tartaglia was left behind and later returned to the surface. His current whereabouts are unknown.

In Their Own Story

Tartaglia's narrative is defined by sharp contradictions and pivotal battles. In Liyue, he directed the Traveler to the adepti while secretly monitoring them, eventually engaging in a direct battle at the Golden House after his plot to seize the Gnosis failed. Realizing the Exuvia did not contain the artifact, he summoned Osial, leading to a massive conflict involving the Liyue Qixing and adepti. Upon learning of Zhongli's deception and Signora's success in obtaining the Gnosis, the situation shifted entirely. His backstory reveals a deep devotion to his family; voice actor Ryōhei Kimura noted that Tartaglia 'dotes on' them, finding it difficult for fans to dislike him completely despite his battle-maniac nature. In Fontaine, after being cleared of the murder charges by Navia and the Traveler, he was still sent to prison where the Traveler discovered him battling the All-Devouring Narwhal. The narrative arc concluded with Skirk's intervention, transferring both Tartaglia and the monster away from the Opera Epiclese.

Reader's Guide

As a five-star Hydro bow user, Tartaglia offers a unique gameplay mechanic allowing players to switch between ranged bow attacks and melee combat using Hydro blades via his Elemental Skill. His Elemental Burst adapts to this mode: unleashing area-of-effect arrows in ranged stance or performing a sweeping slash with a Hydro polearm in melee stance. He possesses the 'Riptide' mechanic, enabling high area-of-effect damage output. His signature weapon, released in version 2.2, is Polar Star. Players should note his boss form, which appears during the second phase of his encounter, where he transforms using 'Foul Legacy - The Devouring Deep'. His combat style demands skill to manage the mode switching and maximize damage, contributing to his reputation for a high skill ceiling.

Did You Know?

• Tartaglia's real name is Ajax, named after an adventure hero from his father's favorite stories.
• In the Abyss, Tartaglia spent three months learning techniques from Skirk, but only three days passed in the outside world.
• His signature weapon, Polar Star, was released by miHoYo in version 2.2 of the game.
• Voice actor Ryōhei Kimura described Tartaglia as 'a little unfair' because his love for battle contradicts his gentle devotion to his family.
• Tartaglia's name is based on a stock character from Italian commedia dell'arte.