Varesa

Biodata

Background

Family and Exile

Water Nymphs once inhabited lakes throughout Snezhnaya and its coastal waters. After an order from the Tsaritsa, Varesa’s parents and most of her tribe were driven into an isolated place of exile, beyond the reach of letters and ordinary travelers. Varesa remained separated from them and rarely encountered another Water Nymph before meeting Bai You 12.

Her memories of home include a manor, thick bed curtains, a fringed dress, and morning sunlight. Her mother taught her that the aurora was a torch in the sky lighting the way home; as a child, Varesa hoped to watch it someday with someone she wanted to return home with 22 27.

Singing Career

Varesa became a famous, wealthy singer in Snezhnaya, performing with the Korolevsky Troupe alongside Odette 8 85 112. Her success also brought disappointment: some recipients of her tickets resold them at enormous markups or used them to demonstrate their social influence rather than appreciate her singing 124.

One acquaintance, Lishnaya, gave a front-row seat Varesa had reserved for her to a wealthy merchant she wanted to impress. Lishnaya later became a wealthy merchant herself and continued attending performances and sending flowers, but Varesa no longer regarded her as someone who genuinely valued her songs 124.

Appearance

• Hair: Long blue-green hair, also described as teal, light blue, or cyan; often decorated with white flowers 1 7 15.
• Eyes: Green 10 12.
• Complexion: Porcelain-white skin and naturally pale pink lips 1 15.
• Build: Slightly taller than Bai You and light enough for her to carry 5 16.
• Water Nymph traits: A turquoise fishtail in aquatic form and fin-shaped ears that remain present in human form 12 13.
• Performance clothing: A long pale cyan dress with layered tulle and delicate white embroidery at the waist and cuffs 106.
• Stage makeup: Subtle foundation, pale teal eyeshadow, and a light lip color 105.
• Bai You-induced catgirl form: Pale cyan cat ears and a large, fluffy cyan tail 102.

Personality

Varesa is affectionate, playful, and especially fond of teasing Bai You into blushing. She takes obvious delight in being called “big sister” or “sis,” pretends to sleep to provoke a reaction, and finds a loophole in Odette’s sleeping arrangements so she can spend the night beside Bai You. When Bai You confidently returns her teasing or affection, however, Varesa can become flustered herself 5 16 17 27 55.

Her cheerful manner conceals loneliness over her family’s exile and the loss of her former home. She treasures companionship and has kept a diary for years, recording particularly happy experiences. Her attachment to Bai You includes playful jealousy, especially when Bai You’s kitten form settles into Odette’s or Columbina’s lap 12 27 97 98.

Varesa is also perceptive and willing to set boundaries. Experience with audiences has taught her to recognize hidden motives, and she refuses to indulge people who exploit her performances: she can invalidate tickets and publicly expose serious misconduct 124 128.

Abilities & Skills

Singing

Varesa is a professional soprano whose singing leaves Bai You transfixed 1 20.

• Performs with Odette, adjusting her delivery to support Odette’s dancing and breathing 34 85.
• Can begin a public performance a cappella, without an instrumental prelude 132.
• Improvises wordless music with Venti, following his lyre while he follows her humming 135.
• Continues refining her technique: Columbina corrects an abrupt breath during a key change and notices her momentary distraction during rehearsal 85.

Water Nymph Physiology

• Can change between legs and a fishtail for movement on land or underwater 169.
• Swims, plays, and blows bubbles underwater with Bai You 142 169.
• Retains fin-shaped ears even in human form; she explains that these are normal, persistent traits of her race 13.
• Normally needs little sleep and rises at first light 32.

Cooking and Personal Care

• Prepares meals for the theater household; Columbina praises her cooking, and she makes an extra serving of Odette’s favorite salad 55.
• Regularly leaves warmed milk for Odette before morning practice 32.
• Styles Bai You’s hair, including a loose half-up arrangement and ribbon-tied twin tails 7 105.
• Applies her own stage makeup with practiced movements 105.
• Nurses Bai You through recovery by feeding her porridge, helping her bathe and dress, and carrying her when she is tired 77 78 80.

Other Demonstrated Skills

• Dancing: Guides Bai You through a waltz during a street performance 36.
• Craftwork: Made the flower-shaped hair clips she habitually wears 7.
• Externally induced transformation: With her consent, Bai You gives her functional cat ears and a tail. This transformation comes from Bai You’s talent rather than an ability Varesa demonstrates independently 102.

Equipment & Personal Items

• Bond Necklace: A pale cyan-white gemstone necklace engraved with Bai You’s mermaid likeness, paired with the necklace Bai You wears 15 18 19.
  • Allows the wearers to sense one another’s emotions and physical condition in real time 15.
  • Allows teleportation to the other wearer’s side, limited to three uses per day 15 19.
  • Varesa uses its sensing function to discover that Bai You is awake and missing her 28.
  • Bai You later uses the paired necklace to intercept Dottore’s attack on Varesa 69.
• Flower hair clips: Handmade, water-splash-shaped ornaments with delicate patterns and a soft shimmer; Varesa places them in Bai You’s hair during their first day together 7 8.
• Diary: A worn notebook in which she has recorded especially happy events for years 27.
• Seashell: A gift Bai You finds and gives her during their seaside swim 142.

Relationships

• Bai You — Initially an unexpected visitor whom Varesa shelters, later her romantic partner. Their bond develops through shared daily life, mutual care, and explicit confessions of affection 5 58 116 117.
• Odette — Fellow performer and close companion. Varesa sings for her rehearsals and looks after her meals; Odette arranges accommodation for Bai You and eventually replaces Varesa’s single bed with a double bed for the pair 24 32 34 38.
• Columbina — Guest, rehearsal adviser, and traveling companion. She attempts to examine Bai You after Dottore’s attack and uses Lunar Authority to calm the distraught Varesa 53 70 85 138.
• Sandrone — Companion during the Mondstadt trip. She helps Bai You construct the stage and arrange the surprise concert for Varesa 126 131 138.
• Venti — Musical collaborator during an impromptu lyre-and-humming performance in Mondstadt 135.
• Parents — Separated from Varesa by the exile of their tribe. Bai You promises to help reunite them 12.
• Dottore — Attacks Varesa in a final attempt to hurt Bai You, who shields her from his spear 69.

Major Story Events

Meeting Bai You

• Bai You appears in Varesa’s shell and accidentally bites her tail. Varesa’s initial anger subsides after seeing her embarrassment 1 2.
• After learning that Bai You has no home or family to return to, Varesa offers her shelter and dry clothing 5.
• The two build a snowman in a hidden snowy area of Tide Song Cavern. Varesa calls it something belonging only to them 9.
• Varesa learns that Bai You is also a Water Nymph, shares the history of her people’s exile, and accepts a Bond Necklace from her 12 18 19.
• She brings Bai You to the Korolevsky Theater while the cave is being renovated. Their temporary separate sleeping arrangements soon give way to sharing a bed 20 27 32 38.

Dottore’s Attack and Bai You’s Recovery

• Dottore targets Varesa after Bai You breaks his defenses with Primordial: Annihilation Strike. Bai You teleports in front of her, takes the attack, and loses consciousness after confessing her feelings 69.
• Unable to find Bai You’s breath or pulse, Varesa tries to stop her bleeding and warm her body. She blames herself for failing to protect her 70.
• Varesa carries Bai You back to the theater and places her in their room 71 72.
• When Bai You awakens, Varesa stays beside her and helps nurse her back to health. After learning about her Harbinger position and the circumstances of the attack, she insists that Bai You discuss dangerous matters with her in the future 75 77.

Romance and the Mondstadt Concert

• Varesa tells Bai You she has liked her for a long time. Bai You reciprocates, and Varesa kisses her 116 117.
• After hearing how Varesa’s songs have been treated as social currency, Bai You secretly plans a free concert in Mondstadt to show her that audiences elsewhere can genuinely love her singing 124 126 131.
• Although Bai You worries that she arranged the surprise without asking permission, Varesa accepts the microphone and begins singing a cappella 131 132.
• Following the formal performance, Varesa shares an improvised musical exchange with Venti 135.
• During the seaside outing, she and Bai You swim together, exchange affection, and choose two neighboring stars to represent themselves 142 145.

Journey to Liyue

• Varesa reveals that she previously reached Chenyu Vale by accidentally swimming too far while in Fontaine. She agrees to take Bai You to Liyue 152 153.
• They swim south through Dihua Marsh in Water Nymph form. Xiao observes them but senses no evil or history of bloodshed and leaves them undisturbed 169.
• Varesa attends the Rite of Descension with Bai You, Lumine, and Paimon, witnessing Rex Lapis’s apparent death 173.
• When the Millelith question them, she calmly presents their travel papers and identifies them as members of the Korolevsky Troupe. Bai You protects her during the subsequent escape with Childe and Lumine 174 175.
• While accompanying the preparations for the Rite of Parting, she promises Bai You an outfit made from Cluster of Clouds fabric and buys her a pink cat kite 179.
• She later stands beside Bai You on the gallery overlooking Childe’s confrontation with Lumine 182.

Notable Quotes

“Since you're a Water Nymph like me, I'll look out for you from now on. I'm a very famous Water Nymph in Snezhnaya, you know.” 17

“Harbinger or twelfth seat, whatever you are, to me you're my Little Bai You.” 77

“Whenever we can't see the way ahead, we can look up and see that there's a star in the sky that belongs to us.” 145

Trivia

• Ice cream has been one of her favorite foods since childhood 140.
• Blowing bubbles is a regular pastime; Odette knows to look for her in the little lake behind the theater 32.
• Before meeting Varesa in person, Bai You already admired her appearance, singing, and mischievous behavior from the game’s story 1.