Cryo Traveler Ascension and Talent Materials Genshin Impact

Cryo Traveler is the Traveler’s seventh elemental form in Genshin Impact, unlocked by interacting with any Statue of the Seven in Snezhnaya during the Version 7.0 update. As a free 5-star Cryo Sword character and Stellar Glimmer Linchpin, Cryo Traveler is one of the most important characters to level and talent-max in Version 7.0 — and unlike banner characters, they cost no Primogems to obtain. Their ascension and talent materials span both Mondstadt (Windwheel Aster, Masks) and Snezhnaya (talent books, weekly boss material), meaning a significant portion can be pre-farmed before reaching the new region.

• Ascension gemstones: Brilliant Diamond (Sliver, Fragment, Chunk, Gemstone) — unique to the Traveler
• Local Specialty: Windwheel Aster ×168 — found in Mondstadt, available immediately
• Common enemy drops: Damaged Mask ×18, Stained Mask ×30, Ominous Mask ×36 — from Hilichurls anywhere in Teyvat
• Talent books: Charity, Fortitude, and Glory series — all from Relics of the Fallen Grace, Fellfrost Peak, Snezhnaya (Tuesday / Friday / Sunday)
• Weekly boss material: Elixir of the Heretic ×6 per talent (×18 total) — from The Doctor weekly boss in Nod-Krai
• Crown of Insight: ×3 (only if crowning all three talents)
• Total Mora (ascension): 420,000
• Total Mora (all three talents to Level 10): approximately 4,957,500
• Cryo Traveler uses no field boss material — unlike most characters, there is no world boss drop in the ascension list

How to Unlock Cryo Traveler

Unlike the Pyro Traveler, the Cryo Traveler can be unlocked by simply interacting with any of the Snezhnayan Statues of the Seven, making it easy to access as soon as you reach Snezhnaya. No quest completion or special condition is required beyond reaching the first Statue of the Seven during the Everwinter Without Mercy Archon Quest. Once interacted with, Cryo Traveler becomes immediately playable as the active elemental form.

Cryo Traveler gains CRIT DMG each time they ascend, totalling 38.4% at Level 90. This makes ascending Cryo Traveler quickly one of the most impactful investments available in Version 7.0 — each ascension phase delivers a direct damage boost through the CRIT DMG substat, on top of the higher HP and ATK from level increases.

Cryo Traveler Ascension Materials — Complete List

Total ascension cost (0★ → 6★): 1 Brilliant Diamond Sliver, 9 Brilliant Diamond Fragment, 9 Brilliant Diamond Chunk, 6 Brilliant Diamond Gemstone, 168 Windwheel Aster, 18 Damaged Mask, 30 Stained Mask, 36 Ominous Mask, and 420,000 Mora.

Note: Cryo Traveler is the only character who uses Brilliant Diamond for ascension — they do not use element-specific gemstones (Shivada Jade for Cryo, etc.). This means Brilliant Diamond cannot be farmed from elemental bosses in the same way as other gem types.

Ascension by Phase

• Phase 1 (Lv. 20): 1 Brilliant Diamond Sliver, 3 Windwheel Aster, 3 Damaged Mask, 20,000 Mora
• Phase 2 (Lv. 40): 3 Brilliant Diamond Fragment, 10 Windwheel Aster, 15 Damaged Mask, 40,000 Mora
• Phase 3 (Lv. 50): 6 Brilliant Diamond Fragment, 20 Windwheel Aster, 12 Stained Mask, 60,000 Mora
• Phase 4 (Lv. 60): 3 Brilliant Diamond Chunk, 30 Windwheel Aster, 18 Stained Mask, 80,000 Mora
• Phase 5 (Lv. 70): 6 Brilliant Diamond Chunk, 45 Windwheel Aster, 12 Ominous Mask, 100,000 Mora
• Phase 6 (Lv. 80): 6 Brilliant Diamond Gemstone, 60 Windwheel Aster, 24 Ominous Mask, 120,000 Mora

Cryo Traveler Talent Materials — Complete List

Cryo Traveler’s talent books follow a unique pattern that applies to all Traveler elemental forms: the Traveler is unique in that the Talent Books they require alternate through all three book series for a region with each level, depending on their Elemental Alignment. For Cryo Traveler, this means all three Snezhnaya book series — Charity, Fortitude, and Glory — are used across the talent levels. You should not farm only one book series if you plan to triple-crown the Traveler.

Total cost to max one talent (Level 1 → Level 10): 3 Teachings each of Charity, Fortitude, and Glory; 21 Guides each of Charity, Fortitude, and Glory; 38 Philosophies each of Charity, Fortitude, and Glory; 6 Elixir of the Heretic; 1 Crown of Insight; and 1,652,500 Mora.

To max all three talents, triple the totals: 9 Teachings of each series, 63 Guides of each series, 114 Philosophies of each series, 18 Elixir of the Heretic, 3 Crown of Insight, and approximately 4,957,500 Mora.

Talent Level-Up Requirements

• Level 2: 3 Teachings (alternates Charity / Fortitude / Glory per talent), 6 Damaged Mask, 12,500 Mora
• Level 3: 2 Guide to [series], 3 Stained Mask, 17,500 Mora
• Level 4: 4 Guide to [series], 4 Stained Mask, 25,000 Mora
• Level 5: 6 Guide to [series], 6 Stained Mask, 30,000 Mora
• Level 6: 9 Guide to [series], 9 Stained Mask, 37,500 Mora
• Level 7: 4 Philosophies of [series], 4 Ominous Mask, 1 Elixir of the Heretic, 120,000 Mora
• Level 8: 6 Philosophies of [series], 6 Ominous Mask, 1 Elixir of the Heretic, 260,000 Mora
• Level 9: 9 Philosophies of [series], 9 Ominous Mask, 2 Elixir of the Heretic, 450,000 Mora
• Level 10: 12 Philosophies of [series], 12 Ominous Mask, 2 Elixir of the Heretic, 1 Crown of Insight, 700,000 Mora

Talent Priority

Cryo Traveler’s talent priority depends on whether they are played as a main DPS in Stellar-Conduct teams or a sub-DPS in Stellar Swirl teams. Cryo Traveler’s Elemental Skill creates the Frostpierce Star and helps generate Frostglow stacks, while the Elemental Burst consumes those stacks for powerful Cryo and Stellar Glimmer damage.

• Priority 1: Elemental Skill — creates the Frostpierce Star and builds Frostglow stacks for the enhanced Charged Attack
• Priority 2: Elemental Burst — the Javelin consumes all Frostglow stacks for high Stellar Glimmer burst damage
• Priority 3: Normal Attack — relevant for main DPS builds that use Charged Attacks to build Frostglow stacks on-field

For the complete build guide including talent priorities by playstyle, artifact sets, and weapon recommendations, see the Cryo Traveler best build guide.

Where to Farm Each Material

Brilliant Diamond (Ascension Gemstones)

The Traveler is the only character to use Brilliant Diamond for ascending — the gem drops reliably from Ascension Rewards granted at the beginning of the game and from certain challenge events. Brilliant Diamond cannot be freely farmed from standard bosses the way element-specific gems can, but sufficient quantities for full ascension are obtained through gameplay progression and the Pity Ascension system. If you are short, Brilliant Diamond can also be crafted at the Alchemy Bench by combining lower-rarity versions, and excess gem shards can be converted using Dust of Azoth.

Windwheel Aster (Local Specialty) ×168

Windwheel Aster is a Mondstadt Local Specialty and one of Cryo Traveler’s biggest advantages over Snezhnayan characters — it can be farmed before reaching Version 7.0 content. Windwheel Asters can primarily be gathered in the wilds of Mondstadt, with dense clusters found near the Statue of the Seven at Windrise, Stormterror’s Lair, and the Statue of the Seven near Dawn Winery.

Additional sources: Flora’s floral shop in Mondstadt City sells up to 5 Windwheel Asters every three days. Windwheel Asters can also be grown in the Serenitea Pot using A Path of Value: Luxuriant Glebe gardening fields. The plant is also used by Bennett and Sucrose for ascension, so if you have already farmed for either character, you may have surplus stock. Respawn time is 48 hours.

Hilichurl Masks (Common Enemy Drops)

Damaged Masks drop from Level 1+ Hilichurls. Stained Masks drop from Level 40+ Hilichurls. Ominous Masks drop from Level 60+ Hilichurls. You can also craft masks at the Alchemy Bench: three Damaged Masks and 25 Mora create one Stained Mask; three Stained Masks and 50 Mora create one Ominous Mask.

Hilichurls are among the most common overworld enemies in Genshin Impact, found across every region. Most long-time players already have substantial Mask reserves. If you are short, use the Adventurer’s Handbook enemy tracker to locate Hilichurl camps in your current region and clear them on your daily route. Because Masks are used by many characters, Alchemy Bench conversion from surplus lower tiers is often the fastest way to reach the Ominous Mask total.

Charity, Fortitude, and Glory Talent Books

The talent materials for Cryo Traveler can be obtained from the Relics of the Fallen Grace domain in Snezhnaya’s Fellfrost Peak region, which is available on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The domain is located in Fellfrost Peak — to reach it, unlock the Fellfrost Peak Statue of the Seven during the Archon Quest, then turn northwest from the statue and drop down to find the domain entrance.

Because all three Snezhnaya book series are needed for Cryo Traveler’s talents, every single domain run is useful regardless of which series drops — unlike characters who only use one series and must check the rotation. Run the Relics of the Fallen Grace domain every available day using Condensed Resin for maximum book throughput.

Elixir of the Heretic (Weekly Boss Material)

The Elixir of the Heretic is the weekly boss material for Cryo Traveler’s talents, obtained by defeating The Doctor (Dottore) weekly boss. The Doctor is located in Nod-Krai’s Special Territory Research Institute and costs 30 Original Resin per claim. You need 6 Elixir of the Heretic per talent (18 total for all three talents), time-gated to one claim per week per account. Begin farming this weekly boss as soon as it is accessible — Elixir of the Heretic is also used by Alyosha, so shared drops across both characters accelerate progress if you are building both simultaneously.

Dream Solvent can be used to convert excess Elixir of the Heretic drops into other weekly boss materials (or vice versa), giving some flexibility if you are farming The Doctor for multiple characters with different weekly material needs.

Crown of Insight (Optional)

Crown of Insight is required to push any talent to Level 10. Three Crowns are needed if maxing all three talents. As a free 5-star main DPS with a strong kit for Stellar Glimmer teams, Cryo Traveler is a better candidate for crowning than most 4-stars — particularly the Elemental Skill, which drives the core Frostpierce Star and Frostglow stack mechanic. Crowns are available from seasonal events, Sacred Trees, and Paimon’s Bargains. Crown the Elemental Skill first if only one Crown is available.

Total Materials Summary

Total Ascension Materials (Level 1 → Level 90)

• Brilliant Diamond Sliver ×1
• Brilliant Diamond Fragment ×9
• Brilliant Diamond Chunk ×9
• Brilliant Diamond Gemstone ×6
• Windwheel Aster ×168
• Damaged Mask ×18
• Stained Mask ×30
• Ominous Mask ×36
• Mora ×420,000

Total Talent Materials (All Three Talents Level 1 → Level 10)

• Teachings of Charity ×3 / Fortitude ×3 / Glory ×3 (9 Teachings total across all three series)
• Guide to Charity ×21 / Fortitude ×21 / Glory ×21 (63 Guides total)
• Philosophies of Charity ×38 / Fortitude ×38 / Glory ×38 (114 Philosophies total)
• Damaged Mask ×18 / Stained Mask ×66 / Ominous Mask ×93 (combined with ascension totals below)
• Elixir of the Heretic ×18
• Crown of Insight ×3 (only if crowning all talents)
• Mora ×4,957,500

Combined Mask Totals (Ascension + All Talents)

• Damaged Mask ×36 total
• Stained Mask ×96 total
• Ominous Mask ×129 total

What to Pre-Farm Before Version 7.0

Cryo Traveler has one of the best pre-farming windows of any new character in Version 7.0, because their Mondstadt materials are available long before Snezhnaya unlocks.

• Farm now (pre-7.0): Windwheel Aster ×168 from Mondstadt, Hilichurl Masks from any region, Mora stockpile of at least 5–6 million, Hero’s Wit ×420+
• Farm on Day 1 of 7.0: Begin running Relics of the Fallen Grace on its first available day — all three book series drop from the same domain, so every run counts
• Farm weekly from 7.0: The Doctor weekly boss every reset for Elixir of the Heretic
• Brilliant Diamond: Collect from story rewards and Ascension Rewards; convert surplus using Alchemy Bench if needed

For most players, the best target is simple: gather the full 168 Windwheel Asters, keep enough Masks for ascension, save at least 5.4 million Mora for ascension and talents, and hold your Crowns until you know which Cryo Traveler talent matters most for your team.

For details on how Cryo Traveler’s kit interacts with the Stellar Glimmer reaction system and which Stellar teams they enable, see the best Cryo Traveler teams guide. For the Scarlet Proof artifact set that pairs with Cryo Traveler in Stellar Swirl compositions, see the dedicated artifact guide.

Frequently Asked Questions