In the last version, Trailblazers were still feeling regret for Teacher Nakexia. Then came the Version 3.6 storyline, and we realized Cifera deserved our regret once more. A seemingly insignificant "thief" who nonetheless shone with an extraordinarily dazzling light. With the opening of the character warp, we welcomed another character who had already gloriously sacrificed herself before we could even obtain her—Cipher. Today, let's talk about why her story moves us so deeply!
1. Honkai: Star Rail—The Origin of Cipher
The city-state where Cipher was born is named "Dolos," a place where everyone from the king to the commoners took pride in scheming and deception, earning it the name "City of Rogues." The book "Tales of the Dolos Rogues" mentions that over a thousand years ago, the first Kindling Hunt ended in the complete annihilation of the Chrysos Heirs. After that, the Golden War reignited, and the various city-states once again fell into a state of misery and suffering, with the people living in destitution.
During this time, the nobles of Dolos saw not the suffering populace, but only opportunities for profit. They issued a decree banning fraud, monopolizing the channels of monetary flow within the city. This plunged the common people into a desperate crisis. To survive, many commoners who turned to theft left their homeland, using their wits to swindle and steal from others. Over time, about three hundred men and women, young and old, gained reputations and became known to later generations as the "Three Hundred Rogues of Dolos."
Living in such a city-state, the grandmother who depended on and lived together with Cipher taught her to be "honest." However, Cipher yearned for the worldly vanities and was unwilling to trade honesty for poverty. The first time she won a hairpin through her own efforts, it became, twisted by the original owner's lies, the catalyst that destroyed her grandmother and cost her her own home. Their true target was her golden blood. Still just a child, she was forced to leave Dolos, relying on deception and trickery to survive. From then on, no theft attempt left empty-handed, her speech full of deceitful tales began, and she started her life-or-death race for survival.
As she grew older, Cipher's deceptive skills became increasingly refined. She arrived at the eternal holy city, Okhema, and passed by the "Goldwoven" shop—a store renowned in Okhema—many times. The shop owner was the tailoring master Aglaea, who possessed golden threads. Naturally, she couldn't overlook this stray kitten. Although Cipher so often desired to add the shop's collection to her own treasury, Aglaea understood that everything she did was for survival, regardless of the cost. Buried deep in Cipher's heart was her most unspeakable shame: she felt she was just a poor wretch, a thief, and a swindler. Even though the blood flowing in her veins was the same color as that of the Chrysos Heirs, she believed she only tarnished this glorious lineage—she was merely a petty thief living by stealing. Understanding this, Aglaea offered her another choice: to stay, to remain at the "Goldwoven," and learn to mend her shattered self-respect.
Aglaea gave her a pair of golden boots said to grant great speed, ensuring she would never be caught again. Cipher stayed, and during the subsequent Flame-Chase journey, she completed the "Deception" trial. This process was exceptionally bizarre, truly representing the highlight of Cipher's early years. Cifera, using her legendary legs that could travel a thousand miles in a day, and with her own maneuvering and Aglaea's help, employed every method over four years and seven months to gather the renowned but scattered Three Hundred Rogues of Dolos. On the Ghost Day, when Zagreus's true form was predicted to appear, all 301 individuals, utilizing the power of "Passage," rushed to different city-states, each executing their most audacious scheme, resulting in almost all of them being imprisoned.
Zagreus, as expected, was lured out and specifically went to taunt each Rogue. When it was Cipher's turn, Aglaea, who had been lying in ambush for a long time, appeared and used her Truth-Golden Threads to bind the deceitful Zagreus, accomplishing the great "Dolos Deception Feat Against the God." Furthermore, Cipher, through her wits, managed to get the anti-fraud decree in Dolos repealed, thwarting the nobles' plot to monopolize wealth and thus benefiting the populace. Along the way to Okhema, tales began to spread about the name of the swift and shadowy demigoddess—the protector of wanderers, the punisher of evildoers—Cipher.
2. Honkai: Star Rail—"Schrödinger's Cipher."
Having accepted the "Deception" Titan and gained the ability to "make lies become truth," Cipher used this power to protect the Deception Titan Zagreus, allowing it to wander as the rogue spirit "Bartholomew." While stealing the World Gem from the Council of Elders, Cipher, disguised as an acolyte, happened to hear the dying words of the High Sacerdos Phoros, unraveling a secret he had long hidden, which also twisted the path of her own life.
It turned out that before the oracle Kephale descended into silence, he had informed the High Sacerdos that the Dawn Machine would extinguish after three hundred years. The High Sacerdos concealed this timeline, but on his deathbed, he felt ashamed and wished for his acolyte, Atticas, to reveal this secret to the people in his stead. Cipher, assuming Atticas's identity, announced to everyone, "The light of the Dawn Machine will never go out." This audacious lie, believed by all without question, became reality, granting Okhema centuries of additional radiance and prolonging hope for the Flame-Chase journey.
That day, a bounty for the stolen World Gem was posted in the Council of Elders. That day was also the moment Cipher had to bid farewell to maintain this fragile lie. Fearing that the perceptive Aglaea would discover the truth, she stayed away from Okhema, wandering outside, avoiding meetings with Aglaea, and masking her absence as estrangement born of aversion.
To save Okhema, Cipher shouldered this secret alone. For centuries, she watched from afar, hood pulled low, as new heroes arrived in Okhema time and again; yet, time and again, she evaded the golden threads, taking life-risking steps. When a turning point came for the Flame-Chase journey, she finally returned to become one who aided us. But by then, it was already the time when Aglaea's light was fading. That lady of the "Goldwoven," who was like a mother and an elder sister, died tragically in the bathhouse, using her very being to propel the Flame-Chase journey forward.
But she who has read countless hearts, even in the end, could not understand with her golden threads what she had done wrong to make Cipher distance herself from them. Cipher could not give her an answer, because the battle belonging to her was still ongoing. The final value of shining lay in protecting the Coreflames of Kephle, entrusted by Phainon.
Regarding how Cipher outwitted the Council of Elders and the Flame Reavers with her brilliant schemes, it perfectly exemplifies what is called "Schrödinger's cat". If we think Cipher only pretended to steal the Coreflames, that's too superficial. Considering her divine authority over lies, we can grasp the most unsolvable wonder within it and also understand one fact: the moment Cipher agreed to Phainon's request, she was already resolved to die. When the Council of Elders saw her touch the Coreflames, she had actually made them believe that "the Worldbearing Coreflames were upon her." The lie, believed unquestioningly, became truth, and thus Cipher truly possessed those Coreflames. I think this is the key reason why the Coreflame-sensitive Flame Reavers pursued her relentlessly.
Why is the attribute "Quantum"? Because this is undoubtedly a quantum superposition state. If Cipher did not die, then she forever carries the real Coreflames; if Cipher died, the lie collapses, and the stolen Coreflames become fake. The real Coreflames regain their definition within the body of the Deception Titan. The reason "the letter can only be opened when it gets dark" lies here, for it announces the collapse of the lie, requiring Zagreus to begin the cleanup. This is truly a chain of exquisitely interlocking logic. Cipher is the real hero, yet, severely wounded by the Flame Reavers, she fell before a gate unnoticed by anyone.
3. Honkai: Star Rail—The Best Cipher
The dying Cipher seemed to see Aglaea coming for her. She praised Cipher's efforts, acknowledged her hardships, and told her, "Your struggle truly has meaning." But in reality, this was merely Cipher's illusion. Even if it was just deceiving herself, even facing an Aglaea conjured from her own imagination, it could make her as happy as a child, her face flushing red.
In reality, they waited for centuries, yet never again got that chance to speak frankly. Let us return to the initial research: the name Cifera is another form of the Latin word "Cifra," which originates from the Arabic word meaning "zero, empty, nothing," sharing the same etymology as the word "zero." Due to the ancients' early insufficient understanding of the number zero, this word gradually took on a mysterious color, and its meaning extended from "zero" to "cipher."
Cifera's nickname "Cipher" also means cipher. 'Zero' is Cipher's essence; it is worthlessness and meaninglessness. This is her deepest fear and what she wants to overturn. Yet, through her own running, she interprets that 'zero' is also those infinite possibilities and profound puzzles. She became her own cipher. It is true that everyone might be like a piece of code, yet they still retain all the greatness and indomitability belonging to humans. And Cipher, possessing an identity most looked down upon by the world, used this encoding, weaving with her ingenuity a cipher that the entire world cannot decipher.
Perhaps some will know that it was the power of the "Deception" demigod that was exerted, that her near-perfect power extended the miraculous time for the Flame-Chase. So much so that Amphoreus awaited a transformation; perhaps some will know that an inconspicuous thief defended the spark with her life until the very end. But no one will know the cost of her crafting the cipher: it was a long series of misses, just like turning the dials of a combination lock, never able to stop aligning the correct numbers. Because that is when the numbers correspond, and the cipher is solved. Each turn of the numbers hides an escape and a gaze into the distance; no one will know that the end of the cipher is not his majestic savior figure, but lonely death and a love that never had the chance to be spoken.
"Goldwoven" led the journey for a thousand years, only to fall in a warm water pool; "Deception" fulfilled its thousand-year term, passing away in an unnoticed corner. Neither failed their mission, yet they failed each other. She wove a lie with belief in tomorrow, deceiving every sleepless night spent tossing and turning, as time passed and changes occurred, stories were rewritten by time itself. Who is the person you are thinking of now? We know that she never feared the death that will eventually come; what she feared was a worthless passing; we know that there is such a person who blooms with resilience, love, and hope at the world's end; fortunately, we all know that each and every one of us has witnessed it well, and that is enough.
This is the entire story of Cipher. After reading it, will you be moved by her story? The story of Amphoreus continues, and we will inherit Cipher's will to carry on our journey. Remember to keep following our articles and in-site merchandise. See you in the next story!