Alright, Travelers, gather 'round! It’s that magical time of year again in Teyvat—the Lantern Rite Festival has returned to Liyue! As a veteran player who’s been through every iteration of this festival since version 1.3, I’ve got to say, the 2026 version, still running with the breathtaking "Fleeting Colors in Flight" theme, is packed with more nostalgia and fresh challenges than ever. The streets of Liyue Harbor are glowing, the fireworks are crafting themselves, and yes, the Jade Chamber is back in the sky, but not without a little post-battle chaos. This year, I’m diving deep into one of the best sub-events: The Great Gathering. If you want to help Beidou and the Crux Fleet recover lost artifacts scattered across the Guyun Stone Forest, and snag those sweet Immaculate Talismans for Ningguang’s stunning outfit, you’re in the right place. Let’s set sail!
Unlocking the Voyage: How to Start
First things first! This isn’t an event you can just jump into fresh out of Mondstadt. The Great Gathering automatically pops up once you’ve progressed the main story to the point where the festival is active. But here’s the kicker—you need to kick off the specific quest chain by having a little chat with the Tianquan herself.
Head over to the Jade Chamber and consult with Ningguang. She’s not just sipping tea up there; she’ll explain that during the fierce battle with Beisht, the sea monster wife of Osial, a bunch of invaluable artifacts got blasted out of the chamber and are now sleeping with the fishes. Naturally, the ever-reliable Beidou has already been contracted for the salvage job. Your mission? Go give her a hand. You can easily navigate to both the Jade Chamber and Beidou’s ship, the Alcor, using the quest tab and teleporting directly via the map. It’s a huge time-saver!
Once you warp to the Guyun Stone Forest area and catch up with Beidou, the real action begins. The event isn't just one big thing; it’s broken down into a series of distinct challenges that unlock over a few days. Think of it as a multi-course meal of mayhem. Here’s the full menu:
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Interrogation by Night: Amphibious assaults on Treasure Hoarder camps on land.
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Curio Salvage: A high-speed Waverider collection frenzy, nabbing floating crates while blasting enemies.
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Midpoint Interception I and II: A frantic chase to destroy Transport Balloons before they escape.
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Return to Safe Harbor I and II: A white-knuckle race against the clock, snagging cargo on the way to a destination.
Each of these activities has its own unique icon on the map around the islands. The easiest way to track them is to open your event page, select The Great Gathering, and click the handy Go to Challenge button. Oh, and keep an eye out for new Waverider summoning points! You’re going to need them.
Shore Leave Shenanigans: Interrogation by Night
Let’s start with the landlubber portion. Interrogation by Night is all about storming the beaches and laying down the law. At each marked enemy camp, you’ll spot the usual rabble of Treasure Hoarders, but with a twist.
See that big guy with the red symbol floating above his head? That’s an Elite Treasure Hoarder. He’s got massively increased DEF, and your standard elemental skill spam isn’t going to tickle him much. The trick is environmental warfare. Look around the camp for one or two boxes of fireworks. You can pick one up and use it just like a Gadget! Drag that explosive kit right next to the Elite and detonate it to significantly debuff his resistances. After that, it’s a fair fight. Wipe them all out, grab the artifact crate, and you’re golden. Pro tip: at one location, a stone’s throw away, there are several Ruin Guards just idling. Do yourself a favor and keep the fight right by the shoreline to avoid waking those mechanical monstrosities. Trust me, you don't want that smoke.
A Whale of a Chase: Destroying Transport Balloons
Now for my favorite part of The Great Gathering: Midpoint Interception. This is a full-on naval pursuit where you chase down Treasure Hoarder Transport Balloons with your trusty Waverider. It’s fast, furious, and a little unforgiving if you spam the wrong buttons.
Your Waverider has two attack modes. The Normal Attack button fires a rapid but weak stream of projectiles. The Elemental Skill button, however, launches a big, heavy cannonball on a cooldown. Both can chip away at the balloon’s HP directly. But let me drop some real pirate knowledge on you: don’t just shoot the balloon! The waterways are lined with explosive barrels. Maneuver your ship so you can line up a shot from your heavy cannon onto these barrels right as the balloon drifts past them. The resulting explosion deals a massive chunk of damage and is the key to finishing these challenges with time to spare.
Sometimes, the balloon will take a shortcut through a narrow archway or behind a rock formation that you can’t fit through. Don't panic! If you see the balloon slip through a barrier you can’t break, you need to find the alternate route. The game is pretty good at marking these with a trail of yellow orbs. Follow them, but keep your cannons hot—hostile Treasure Hoarder skiffs will be lying in wait along the detour.
The Spoils of the Sea: Event Rewards
Okay, we’ve done the work, now let’s talk about the loot! The reward structure for The Great Gathering isn’t one-size-fits-all. It depends on what you’re doing.
| Activity | Objective | Reward Style |
|---|---|---|
| Interrogation at Night | Defeat all camps | Completion-based |
| Curio Salvage | Collect all crates | Completion-based |
| Midpoint Interception I & II | Destroy the balloons | Time-sensitive |
| Return to Safe Harbor I & II | Reach the destination | Time-sensitive |
For the land battles and salvage ops, just finishing them is enough to get all the rewards. But for those Waverider time trials? You’ll need to be slick and quick to snag every last prize. The material loot includes Primogems, Hero’s Wit, and Mystic Enhancement Ore, which are always welcome.
However, the real treasure, and I cannot stress this enough, is the Immaculate Talismans. This event-specific currency is the golden ticket. You’ll spend it in the Afterglow Market Stage 2 section of the Event Shop. This is the only way to get your hands on the exclusive Lantern Rite-themed Serenitea Pot Furniture. And better yet, collecting a set amount of Immaculate Talismans is absolutely essential for unlocking Ningguang’s breathtaking new outfit, Orchid’s Evening Gown, from the The Moon’s Comely Brow event page! It’s a free, stunning 5-star caliber skin for one of Liyue’s most iconic characters, so do not miss out!
So there you have it, mates. The Great Gathering is a brilliant mix of combat, sailing, and treasure hunting. It’s events like this that keep me anchored to Teyvat. Now hoist the sails, light the fireworks, and I’ll see you at the Afterglow Market!