Honkai: Star Rail - Penacony's Story Explained

As a seasoned adventurer who’s traversed the labyrinthine dreams of countless worlds, I must say that the tale of Penacony and its Dreamscape has left me spellbound. The twists and turns it presented were as intricate as the gears of a grand clockwork mechanism, each piece perfectly crafted to keep one guessing until the very end.


Among the standout aspects of Honkai: Star Rail is its captivating storyline, praised as thoughtfully crafted for a free-to-play game. The most intricate and complex major arc thus far, centering around the planet of Penacony, has recently concluded, leaving some players puzzled due to the numerous unanswered questions it raised. The narrative is rich with elements like dreams, secrets, intrigues, and background stories that culminate in a grand final battle and a poignant conclusion

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Planet Penacony is famously recognized as the “Festival World,” a title upheld by its governing body called “The Family.” It serves as a sprawling cosmic hotel frequented by wealthy travelers from across the galaxy, seeking to indulge their whims. Astral Express was invited to this planet for the Charmony Festival, yet they were also assigned to discover the “Watchmaker’s Legacy,” which in turn reveals Penacony’s troubled history. This quest also brings them face-to-face with another Stellaron catastrophe, a recurring plot point in the main narrative of Honkai: Star Rail.

The Dark History of Penacony in Honkai: Star Rail

Honkai: Star Rail - Penacony's Story Explained

The narrative of Penacony presents two central enigmas: the inner workings of its dream world and Sunday’s elaborate design. Guests often encounter Penacony during their long slumber periods in the unique dream pools situated within the Grand Hotel, but initially, it remains unclear how this dream world operates and maintains itself. In the world of Honkai, Sunday is a notable figure representing his family and the mastermind behind the Charmony Festival. His sibling, Robin, is a renowned singer who is slated to perform at the event. At first glance, Sunday appears amiable; however, he harbors a clandestine scheme to ensnare Penacony’s citizens in an eternal and painless dream state that serves as an escape from reality. To fully comprehend this audacious and self-deceptive goal, one must delve into Penacony’s tumultuous past

A Brief History of Penacony as an IPC Prison Camp

Initially serving as a penal colony by the Interastral Peace Corporation (IPC), Penacony was once known as the Planet of Imprisonment. The exiles were forced to mine Memory Orbs, a precaution against an unspecified calamity. These Memory Orbs are composed of Memoria, a substance that, according to the game, holds a person’s memories and consciousness. Notably, Memoria is abundant and leaks rapidly within the Asdana Star System where it naturally occurs. Over time, the incarcerated individuals in Penacony gradually lost touch with reality and the external world, likely due to their prolonged exposure to Memoria and the prison conditions designed by the IPC

During this time, a catastrophe known as Stellaron erupted in Penacony, often referred to as a spark of chaos. This upheaval gave the imprisoned populace an opportunity to revolt against the IPC, leading to a fierce conflict. The IPC’s grip on the planet weakened, eventually allowing the prisoners to take control. In the midst of this war, the Astral Express arrived at Penacony and forged a connection to other realms once more. Among the Trailblazers, Mikhail, Tiernan, and Razalina chose to remain on the planet, offering their assistance to help the prisoners regain their freedom

In the Aeon of Harmony known as Xipe, recognizing the disorder left by the war by the Penacons, the prisoners were assimilated into one mighty group, The Family. This influential organization, sanctified by Xipe herself, aims to bring unity among all beings across the cosmos

The Family, The Watchmaker, and The Dreamscape Explained

In the town of Penacony, the Trailblazers eventually dispersed, leaving only Mikhail to guide the planet’s future. A faction that disagreed with his leadership seized the opportunity and triggered the Stellaron. The Family stepped in to help Mikhail, apparently locking away the Stellaron, and collaborated with him to transform Penacony into the lively Planet of Festivities it is famed for today, constructing hotels, theme parks, and various opulent attractions. With his inventive mind, Mikhail breathed life into even ordinary items. It was during this illustrious period that he received the title of “The Watchmaker.”

The Stellaron Disaster Within Honkai: Star Rail’s Penacony

At the beginning of the tale, it becomes apparent that two individuals, Stellaron Hunter Firefly and Robin, have been mysteriously slain within the Dreamscape by an unidentified entity. This revelation stirs the curiosity of the Charmony Festival attendees, particularly the Astral Express Crew, IPC executive Aventurine, and the supposed Galaxy Ranger Acheron, regarding the enigma surrounding Penacony’s Dreamscape

Acheron Vs. Aventurine

In a frantic bid to expose his secret, Aventurine resorts to endangering others until Acheron intervenes with a destructive strike from her sword. This act is said to eliminate Honkai: Star Rail‘s Aventurine and leaves a large wound on the Dreamscape. In his final moments, Acheron appears to him once more as his life story unfolds, revealing that Penacony’s Dreamscape functions like an isolated island surrounded by towering walls. Historically, this island floated on the sea of Memoria, but it now seems to be sinking, which may be causing its inhabitants to deteriorate both physically and mentally

Outside the Golden Dream

Somehow revived, Firefly shares with Trailblazer – their earlier companion – that they had merely woken up in a location beyond Penacony’s primary dream realm. The player then guides Trailblazer to this area. Concurrently, Sunday confronts Gallagher, a security officer for the Bloodhound Family. Suspecting him of the crime, Sunday’s accusations prove accurate when Gallagher summons the same beast that harmed Firefly, which subsequently attacks him

In Dreamflux Reef, situated beyond Penacony’s primary Dreamscape, The Trailblazer, along with the rest of the Astral Express and Firefly crew, find themselves awake. Robin and Sunday join them in this location too. Here, they receive information from Gallagher that Dreamflux Reef serves as a waking place for those who exit the Dreamscape. Interestingly, Dreamflux Reef is the original source of the Dreamscape, implying that the adventures our characters have experienced thus far might have been dreams within dreams

The Watchmaker’s Legacy

Gallagher clarifies to everyone that he is a trusted associate of Mikhail, the first Watchmaker. Contrary to popular belief, The Family did not conceal the Stellaron on Penacony; instead, they utilized it to construct the Dreamscape, which is now recognized as the Celebration Planet. However, this construction has proven to be unstable and has had a severe impact, both physically and mentally, on its inhabitants, as previously mentioned by Acheron

The team discovers that Misha, who works as a bellboy at the Grand Hotel, is actually the Watchmaker’s Heir. He was also the young form of Mikhail, whom the Watchmaker envisioned in a dream while anticipating the arrival of the Trailblazers in Penacony. Prior to his death, he hands over his hat and pocketwatch to the Astral Express crew as a final request

Sunday’s Turn and Endgame

As a devoted admirer, I find myself caught in a whirlwind of events. The team is set to revisit the primary Dreamscape, intending to confront Gopher Wood, the present Watchmaker, about his use of the Stellaron. Yet, it seems that Sunday has other schemes brewing. He’s colluding with Wood to construct a brand new dream realm devoid of pain, yet paradoxically preserving free will – all in the name of Ena, the Aeon of Order. However, Sunday’s ambitions run deeper as he intends to establish a world untouched by Aeons or Paths. The ensuing conflict between our team and him escalates, but with the aid of Jing Yuan and Dan Heng, we emerge victorious in this intricate dance of dreams

Initially, it appears that the player has woken up to a strange serenity. However, it quickly becomes clear that this calmness was a clever deception by Sunday to fool everyone into believing there were no more problems, while simultaneously imprisoning them within his recently created dream realm. Eventually, The Trailblazer and their team challenge him once more for the true, climactic battle

The Aftermath

On Sunday, following his loss against the Astral Express, the family made an arrest. Gopher Wood allegedly took his own life prior to the start of his scheme with Sunday, in a bid to awaken within Sunday’s dream. In the conclusion, Lady Bonajade, a colleague of Aventurine, reveals she was tasked by Robin to aid Sunday. Yet, he remains wary of Bonajade’s intentions

At the conclusion, the Interstellar Peace Council (IPC) discusses with The Family regarding their intention to recapture Penacony while it is vulnerable. They agree on a contract where IPC will provide The Family with substantial funds to reconstruct Penacony through a loan for rebuilding purposes. On the other hand, the player and the Astral Express team participate in the genuine Charmony Festival, pay tribute to the deceased Trailblazers, and subsequently depart from Penacony to their next location

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2024-09-04 18:18