Alain Guillotin

Overview

Alain Guillotin is a historical figure and pioneering inventor from Fontaine in Genshin Impact, recognized by titles such as the Miracle Machine Lord and the White Knight of the Country. Having spent his childhood as an orphan at the Narzissenkreuz Institute, he eventually established the Fontaine Research Institute of Kinetic Energy Engineering as its founding director. He plays a fundamental role in Fontaine's technological history by discovering the Pneuma and Ousia energy annihilation reaction, devising the Arkhe system, and revolutionizing Clockwork Meka development.

Appearance

Alain Guillotin is a human male featuring grey hair styled in a ponytail and blue eyes. Historical records illustrate his visual appearance across two distinct life stages: his childhood years at the Narzissenkreuz Institute and his adulthood while working as an agent for the Marechaussee Phantom.

Personality

Alain is characterized by a pragmatic and intensely rational mindset. As a dedicated scholar, he easily loses himself in mechanical research to the point of neglecting surrounding affairs and social interactions. He harbors strong disbelief toward phenomena that cannot be logically analyzed or empirically verified. Despite his cold demeanor, he holds deep affection for his inner circle, demonstrating heartfelt care for his adoptive sister Mary-Ann and his ill assistant by crafting specialized clockwork devices for their safety and remembrance.

Abilities

Alain was the first to discover the annihilation reaction between Pneuma and Ousia, inventing controllable annihilation energy modules and establishing the Arkhe energy system. His engineering talents encompassed kinematics and artificial neural networks, enabling him to construct Seymour (Prototype 4ACV07), an autonomous mechanical dog equipped with reconnaissance, intelligence, and photographic functions. He also directed the design of heavy combat meka units such as the Scherbius type and possessed the skills to build advanced sentient automatons.

Background

Born prior to the Cataclysm, Alain grew up as an orphan at the Narzissenkreuz Institute. Following the institute's closure after the disaster, he and his adopted sister Mary-Ann were adopted by former Marechaussee Hunter Emmanuel Guillotin. Alain was introduced to the Institute of Natural Philosophy, where his scientific brilliant flourished. However, after his childhood friends René and Jakob used Abyssal power on his assistant, Alain parted ways with them. He later joined the Marechaussee Phantom to thwart the Narzissenkreuz Ordo's apocalyptic ambitions. After the decisive clash, Alain founded the Fontaine Research Institute, eventually retiring to a secluded personal workshop where he spent his final years.

Relationships

Alain shared a loving bond with his adoptive father, Emmanuel Guillotin, and his adopted sister, Mary-Ann Guillotin, creating the mechanical dog Seymour to protect Mary-Ann. Though close childhood friends with René de Petrichor and Jakob Ingold, Alain severed ties with them over their unethical Abyssal experiments and apocalyptic plans. He valued his assistant Carter Scherbius, naming a specialized heavy meka design after him. In his later years, he constructed the automaton Sandrone, modeling her appearance after his late sister.

Trivia

The pocket watches Alain presented to his childhood companions contained a group photograph taken during their youth at the Narzissenkreuz Institute. The name of the Oceanid duck Al from the Narzissenkreuz Adventure Team originates from Alain's name. His character design draws references from Alan Turing, the father of computer science, while his surname pays homage to Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, the French physician after whom the guillotine is named.