If there is something Hoyoverse is good at is building intricate stories for their games, sparing no detail even when it comes to a World’s background. This is something that is often seen in its beloved titleGenshin Impact, where World Quests, as they are called, take us on many adventures that help us learn more about Teyvat.

Aqueous Tidemarks is a crucial World Quest, offering vital insights into Fontaine’s lore. Understanding this knowledge early on can help you piece together Fontaine’s history, benefiting you in future quests.

An image split in two. On the left, there is a picture of a part of the Fontaine map. On the right, Cyno is seen about to speak to Virgil, an NPC from this same nation in Genshin Impact.

Where To Find And Start The Quest

Thelocation for the NPC that will give you this questis easy to find. As youget into Fontaine and reach the Court of Fontaine Region, you will find aStatue of the Seven in the heart of the city, next to the Palais Mermonia.Virgil is standing right nextto the statue. You will need tospeak to him to begin the quest. He will give you an option to start right away, which willtransport you directly to the next location, or you may ask him for some time to prepare andreturn to him later.

Curiously,this quest will show up on the maponce you unlock the Statue of the Seven in this area, whichrarely happens for World Quests.

Genshin Impact’s Cyno investigating an underwater clue.

How To Search For And Collect Clues

You willbegin the quest by diving. A marker willprogressively lead you Southeast, around the edge of the Court of Fontaine. This marker willshow you the locations of four spotswhere you will be prompted toinvestigate these soaked ‘“clues"Virgil mentioned. The last one isby a Teleport Waypoint that is right on the edge of some underwater ruins. Arriving there will trigger somedialogue between Paimon and Virgil.

How To Explore The Former Site Of The Liliacruces Forum

You will need tofind a key in this placeto be able to move forward. To do this, you will have to use aXenochromatic Hunter Ray’sability, sinceyou will be cutting through some Fontemer Seagrass.

There aretwo Xenochromatic Hunter Rays in this area, and they are both right by the place you approach the ruins from. To borrow their abilitiesuse Transoceanic Sourcewater on them: Left Click on PC, LT on Xbox controller, L2 on Playstation controller.

Cyno from Genshin Impact floating over some sunken ruins in Fontaine.

Cut through the Fontemer Seagrass in the areaby entering aiming mode and aiming the crosshair directly at the glowing orbon the FontemerSeagrass.

There area few Exquisite Chests in this area, but the key will not be contained in either of those. Instead, you will be able tofind it in a smaller Mora Chestthat can either be trapped in some Fontemer Seagrass, orsimply lying around the room somewhere. Explore andopen every chest in this area to continue.

Genshin-Impact’s-Cyno-aiming-at-the-weak-spot-in-Fontemer-Seagrass

Finding the key willautomatically let you move onto the next area, where you will swim forward until youencounter a big, cracked rock. There will be a Xenochromatic Armored Crab there, you will need toborrow its ability to be able to break the rockand continue to make your way forward.

You will then findthe door to the Liliacruces Forum, hence the need for the key.Interact with the mechanism nearbyand the door will unlock. The quest objective will change to “Search for and collect clues” once again.

An-image-showing-Cyno-from-Genshin-Impact-standing-in-the-middle-of-a-relay-puzzle-mechanism-in-Fontaine

The area you just unlockedwill require that you activate the shieldfrom the Xenochromatic Armored Crab’s ability so you can continue, as youcan’t swim through pressurized water currentswithout it.

Keep swimming forward until youfind another cracked rock, and as before,use the projectile from the Xenochromatic Armored Crab’s abilityto break it and get through.

An-image-showing-Cyno-from-Genshin-Impact-standing-atop-a-staircase-before-a-relay-puzzle-mechanism. Some arrows point at the Pneumosia mechanisms.

You willreach a Teleport Waypoint in this area, and finally arrive at your next intended destination, triggering more dialogue between Paimon and Virgil; they will discuss that you mustfind a way to open a locked doorto move forward. Then, Virgil will mention that he is going up to investigate, and you will immediately beprompted to leave the water to go talk to him.

How To Find A Way To Open The Path Forward

After you chat with Virgil outside the water,you will be prompted to find the way to unlockthe door that is keeping you from progressing into the ruins. Thankfully,the mechanism you have to activate isn’t overly complicated. Furthermore, it is in plain sight.

If you look around you willeasily spot two glowing orbs and two glowing relays; this is anArkhe powered puzzle.

Cyno-from-Genshin-Impact-floating-in-water-next-to-a-mechanism

You won’t be needing specific Ousia or Pneuma units to solve this, as you havesome Pneumosia blocks floating nearby.

To clear this part andunlock the door to the next area, all you have to do is pick up a block, andattack the relay glowing in the opposite colorwith a normal attack. This willtrigger the Mutual Annihilation reactionand your mechanism willinstantly unlock.

Cyno-from-Genshin-Impact-standing-in-front-of-a-dormant-Ruin-Guard-and-a-locked-gate

Opening the door will lead you to a hallway where you canfight a few Armored Crabs. Continue forward and jump into theopening in the groundthat lies ahead. You will need to swim through this area until youresurface on the other side. You will need todefeat two Area Alert Mekshere, and Virgil willengage you in conversationonce again, boasting about Fontaine and its many accomplishments. Continue forward through the archway where the Area Alert Meks formerly stood.

The Relay Puzzle you will find in this areais not necessary to the quest, but completing it willgive you a Common Chest, so you probably want to do it anyway.

Cyno-from-Genshin-Impact-staring-at-a-dormant-Ruin-Grader,-there-are-some-highlighted-spots-in-the-area,-marking-where-you-need-to-investigate-in-the-alleged-Liliacruces-Forum

Proceed down the stairs and toward the end of the hall, where a Seelie is seen floating about. When you begin chasing it, it will ascend. You, on the other hand,need to jump down the space in the corridorbelow where the Seelie just was.

you’re able to jump down confidently, asthere is some water you will fall in.

Virgil,-an-NPC-from-Genshin-Impact,-talking-to-the-Traveler-from-behind-a-door-he-just-locked

Interact withthe mechanism at the centerand the space willbegin to fill with water, taking you upwards as well.

Wait until thewater has filled all the way up.

You will see adoorway as you ascend, but you can justignore that for now. You will have an opportunity togo back there later.

When you’ve reached the top,take a left. You will find another twoArea Alert Meks on both sides of an Exquisite Chest. Defeat them to get the treasure and thenfollow the Seelie forward. It will take you through anothersubmerged part of the hallwayand as it resurfaces on the other side, you will be able toclaim a Common Chest.

How To Defeat The Ruin Guard And Open The Door

In this next area you willencounter a dormant Ruin Guard. Paimon and Virgil will talk about it some, eventually concluding that, as usual,you will have to fight and defeat itso everyone can move forward.This is a regular fight; there is nothing special about this Ruin Guard, soproceed as you normally would and defeat itto advance.Only after it is defeated will you be able to open the door, the switch ison its right side, and you only need tointeract with it for the door to open.

RememberRuin Guards have both long range and melee attacks. you may use their weak spot, which is their eye, to slow them down andtemporarily disable them.

How To Find The Secret Treasure

After one last conversation with Virgil, he willprompt you to investigate the chamberto find the secret treasure you’ve been looking for all along. At this point the traveler suspects something is definitely suspicious about Virgil, but they continue with their mission nonetheless.

There arefour spots for you to investigate in this area;a Kamerato your left,the Ruin Graderin the middle of the chamber,the cracked glassa few steps away from the Ruin Grader, and some otherstrange mechanical devicewith a purple crystal to your right.

Once you interact with all the points in the room you can investigate, a cut-scene will be triggered.Virgil has turned on you, as you will probably have inferred fromhis sketchy dialogue.

He will lock you and Paimon inside the chamber, where you will have to face the Ruin Grader you just saw. This Ruin Grader was modified during investigations, so it is very strong and also has self-healing abilities. To be able to move forward, you will have to empty its health bar at least twice.

While theRuin Grader is down recovering its HP, your attacks will dealno damageat all.

When the Traveler and Paimonrealize that they will not be able to keep up the fighting, Paimon will suggest that youbreak the glass wallwhere you saw the crack moments before. Attack it a few times, and it will break, triggering a quick cinematic.

You will beswept away by the strong currentand will need tonavigate your way out from the instituteby using its force. Youdon’t need to do anything but move around in the waterto avoid obstacles or pass through rings that will increase your speed.

The current will take you to a placeright next to a Teleport Waypoint in Thalatta Submarine Canyon, next to which you’llfind a Luxurious Chest. As soon as you arrive there, the quest will be over, and you willunlock the Hidden Achievement Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea.

NEXT:Genshin Impact: All Fontaine Shrine Of Depths And Key Locations