by tink and jasper
The Fatui are a delegation of diplomats from the Zapolyarny Palace of Snezhnaya.
There is also a military detachment led by the Eleven Fatui Harbingers and the Tsaritsa herself.
They are one of the two main antagonistic factions alongside the Abyss Order in Genshin Impact and the main antagonists in the official supplementary manga.
A singular member of the Fatui is called a Fatuus.
The Fatui are a powerful military force in terms of power and numbers, making it the strongest of all the seven nations.
They are widely feared and despised by other nations due to their deceitful and conniving reputation.
The organization is composed of members performing a variety of roles, including combatants, bureaucrats, politicians, and merchants.
Hailing from the frozen lands of Snezhnaya, the Fatui are publicly seen as a political department of the nation that represents the goodwill of the Tsaritsa and manages foreign affairs with all six other nations.
However, despite how they initially present themselves, the citizens and governments of those nations are often already aware of their true colors,
and treat both their diplomats and individual members of the organization with distrust.
They often use underhanded methods to establish their power and influence in another nation, and as a whole are willing to go to extremes to further the Tsaritsa's vision for a "perfect world." Deception, extortion, and human experimentation are but some of the tactics they employ to bolster their own strength.
Despite their loyalty to their empress, most of the Fatui grunts themselves are unaware of the Tsaritsa's true plans. The Harbingers are likely some of the few among the ranks who are truly aware of the Tsaritsa's true intentions, as they are the ones assisting her in collecting Gnoses.
The Fatui are divided into divisions, each of which is headed by one of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. Each Harbinger operates with a different modus operandi which also influences how their underlings act.
There is often a lack of thorough communication between fellow Harbingers, Harbingers and their subordinates, as well as between different divisions of Fatui operatives.
However, some members of the Fatui are quite loyal to their leading Harbinger, to the point of being willing to seek revenge for their sake.
The Fatui come from a variety of backgrounds:
some were taken in at the House of the Hearth orphanage, others choose to join their ranks, while others, like Childe, can be enlisted by their parents.
They also do not hesitate to help financially and diplomatically strategic allies in order to interfere in foreign policy.
They receive certain advantages in exchange for their services, such as supplies, salaries, or powerful weapons; in exchange for this, however, they choose neither the destination to which they are sent, nor the superiors to whom they obey.
Many of the Fatui NPCs in the game are everyday workers who are oblivious to their superiors' true intentions, but are nevertheless very loyal to the Tsaritsa and Snezhnaya.
Members have differing opinions on being stationed in other nations, ranging from intense homesickness to having developed fondness for their new home.