Jean

The Knights of Favonius are the protectors of Mondstadt, the swords and shields of the city.

In addition to keeping the city and the surrounding travel routes safe from the threat of wild monsters, the Knights' most important responsibility is maintaining order among Mondstadt's inhabitants.

Mondstadt is the City of Freedom, but unchecked freedom without any kind of rules only invites chaos and anxiety.

Jean's understanding of this is the reason she remains diligent at all times, holding herself to impeccable standards.

However, she often finds that she exhausts her monthly quota of coffee within the first few days of the month as a result.

The Gunnhildr Clan is the oldest family of knights in Mondstadt, dating back to even before the very first epic was written.

However, this long and proud lineage can also be a burden. Jean was raised by her mother to be the successor to the Gunnhildr Clan.

She was trained in all the things a knight must know and all the qualities they must exhibit, from discipline, etiquette and conduct, to knowledge of history and ballads, as well as maintaining peak swordsmanship and physical fitness. Only by upholding this standard can Jean carry the mantle of the Gunnhildr Clan, whose motto is: "For Mondstadt, as always."

Some time ago, there was a joke commonly told in Mondstadt's taverns: A Gunnhildr learns to say "For Mondstadt, as always" before learning to say "Mommy."

As a child, Jean once lifted her head up from the book she was reading, "Breeze Amidst the Forest - Ballad Selection," and saw the other children her age happily playing with pinwheels outside the window. The young Jean knew in that moment what her family motto meant to her.

Now, when she lifts her head up from her piles of paperwork and sees the next generation of children doing the same thing, Acting Grand Master Jean has no regrets about her years of service to that motto.

"You have to give your all to do the right thing. Always."

"Master Jean is so reliable."

"If you ever run into trouble, seek Jean. She'll know what to do."

The denizens of Mondstadt, civilians and knights alike, all rely on Jean.

If someone needs help for the right reasons, Jean does not hesitate to render assistance.

Be it a quarrel down at the market, a relationship issue...

No matter how unrelated it may be to a knight's job... Jean gladly lends a hand whenever she can.

"The chance to help someone in need is reason enough for a knight."

To her, her knightly duty takes priority over her role as Acting Grand Master. She believes helping others herself is the best way to assist.

She holds her fellow knights to the same standard.

Lisa the Librarian once suggested that Jean take a break and "enjoy some afternoon tea, as is befitting of a lady."

However, to Jean, doing that which is befitting of a knight takes priority over doing that which is befitting of a lady.

"Jean is so reliable."

Such is the reputation Jean enjoys in Mondstadt.

Her only gripe is that there are not enough hours in the day. She could never help all of those in need, even by forgoing sleep.

The dedication and commitment required to become someone so reliable is unimaginable.

Given everything Jean has brought to her role as Acting Grand Master, people sometimes forget that there is, in fact, a Grand Master who is her superior.

This does not bother her in any way, though. Her role and title within the Knights of Favonius do not affect her work ethic in the slightest.

Her passion, honesty, and meticulousness come from two things.

One is her education and training, which instilled in her a chivalrous spirit from a young age.

The other is the devoted teachings of Varka, the free-spirited Knight of Boreas and Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, currently dispatched on a crusade.

The effect the relaxed and unruly Knight of Boreas Varka has had on Jean's growth has been great.

"Grand Master, please take your job seriously. All of Mondstadt looks up to you."

"Well, you are my second-in-command, so helping me out is part of your job description. This way, I can focus on the really important things, wouldn't you agree?"

He is the knight of new frontiers and legendary conquests, while she is the knight of maintaining peace and freedom.

Jean does not resent Varka; perhaps there is wisdom in his conduct. However, what Varka leaves undone falls on her shoulders, and it is then down to her to do the right thing.

Half a year ago, Varka led the elite knights of Favonius on yet another expedition away from Mondstadt.

An expedition — how typical of Varka's character.

"I'll leave things here to you. I mean, you've basically been doing my job for years now, anyway."

"Leave it to me, Grand Master."

After seeing the Grand Master off, Jean sat by the window and thought to herself:

Upon your return, I will show you a kinder, more prosperous, and more peaceful Mondstadt.

The great tree at Windrise is where the first Dandelion Knight came to the end of her journey.

She was Vennessa, the founder of the Knights of Favonius and the restorer of Mondstadt.

She bade farewell to the city she had vowed to protect, leaving behind her legend and a single sapling.

After centuries of basking in the bliss of the thousand winds, this sapling grew into a towering tree.

Jean was conferred the title of "Dandelion Knight" at the age of fifteen.

The Dandelion Knight is also known as Lionfang Knight. Passed down through generations of knights, the title is bestowed upon only the most distinguished.

On the day she received the title, Jean excused herself from the celebrations that followed the conferment ceremony. As if following in the footsteps of her childhood hero, she went and stood before the great tree.

The title of Dandelion Knight symbolizes Vennessa's legacy of resistance and benevolence. So how, Jean thought, could one such as herself be worthy of this honorable title?

More than a millennium had passed since Mondstadt's restoration. Did she really have what it would take to continue to protect this ancient and proud land of freedom?

Beneath her outwardly mature visage lay the heart of a young girl, who had only just received the title and remained wholly unprepared for the task that lay before her.

The wind blew from far away, and she felt it flow within her as it gently whisked away her doubts and worries, leaving her with an unwavering determination:

For Mondstadt, as always.

To become a warrior as kind and as determined as Vennessa, and to fight for her people and for freedom... Yes, this was the true meaning of her simple family motto.

To this day, whenever Jean feels weary or feels herself beginning to waver, she comes and stands before this tree and lets the wind console her once more. It carries away her fatigue, so that she may once more have the strength to carry on.

The great tree at Windrise marked the end of the first Lionfang Knight's journey.

So too does it symbolize the beginning of Jean's.

Master Jean has a secret.

The Gunnhildr Clan is a venerable knightly house. This prideful blood comes from Jean's mother, Frederica.

Jean's father on the other hand is Seamus Pegg, an adventurer famed throughout the continent. When he came to Mondstadt, he dusted off his past self and started anew with the Church of Favonius, and ascended to high office within it, becoming known as the Cardinal of Daybreak.

The two lovers eventually parted ways. Young Jean, holding her mother's hand, would watch the silhouettes of her father and her sister, Barbara, grow ever more distant.

Later, Barbara would follow in her father's footsteps and join the Church of Favonius, becoming a deaconess much beloved by the people.

Jean has always wanted to get closer to her younger sister by blood, but cannot bring herself to say anything when faced with Barbara's evasive eyes.

Perhaps this all-too-similar awkwardness is a sign that the sentiment is shared.

Master Jean has yet another secret.

No matter how many times she has read the historical classics, despite her title of Dandelion Knight, and though she has become the Acting Grand Master whom everyone relies on...

Jean still loves romance novels.

This is not for the years as a young girl that she missed amid her training and duties, or due to the rift that formed in her parents' marriage.

Jean simply yearns for the mutual attraction spoken of in such stories, for those emotions as subtle and fragile as spider-silk.

As a knight, she must put Mondstadt and the Knights of Favonius first.

But...

"If I too could..."

In her office, deep at night, Jean once again finishes reading "Vera's Melancholy."

"If I have the time, it should be fine to go to Cape Oath, just before daybreak... right?"

Lowering her head, Jean peeks out her window at the glittering stars above.

This schedule is accurate down to the minute.

From a morning run with Amber followed a breakfast trip with Lisa on the way, to doing her own laundry by hand and settling her own change of clothes at night — all things great and small pack Jean's schedule rather tightly.

Every completed item is ticked off, while ones delayed due to external factors list the detailed whys and wherefores.

Next to the item "Mondstadt Public Facilities Review" — delayed due to a bout of illness — is written the following "completed at 3 am, end-of-month book purchase award is canceled."

Jean sometimes thinks that inspiration for this schedule may have been the training program her mother drew up for her ten years ago.

If one were to go by skill alone, Jean has long become one of the best swordsmen in Mondstadt.

But in Jean's heart, she would rather be a shield that defends freedom and song than a sword that cuts through corruption and darkness.

"Protecting" has always been a tougher task than "destroying."

Around the time when she was promoted from Captain of her squad to Master of the Knights, a huge challenge stood before her. From without, the Fatui exerted diplomatic pressure, and from within, there were traitors — comrades of the former Inspector. Regrouping and finding a way to break through was no easy task.

But Jean was able to fend off the external pressure with one hand, and lead the Knights to smash the many plots of the Abyss Order with the other, re-establishing the authority of the Knights of Favonius.

Jean will never forget the moment she received her Vision. At that moment, all seemed to grow quiet as she felt the breeze flow through her hand. The world seemed to fade away, save for the time-honored motto of the house of Gunnhildr:

"For Mondstadt, as always."