You've probably spent hours scouring the jagged cliffs of Natlan by now. It’s a massive region. Honestly, the verticality alone is enough to make anyone’s head spin, especially when you're hunting for specific evolution materials or those elusive local specialties. But if you’re here, you’re likely looking for the purple obsidian ring in Genshin Impact, or more accurately, the Ring of Wayob that helps you break into the secret meditation chambers scattered across the Nation of War.
It isn't a single drop.
That’s the first thing people get wrong. You don’t just kill a boss and watch a shiny purple ring pop out of a golden chest. It’s a process of accumulation, frustration, and a whole lot of RNG. Specifically, we're talking about the Yellow-Edged Obsidian Fragments. You need three of them. Just three. But getting them feels like pulling teeth if you don't know which tribe's territory you're actually stomping through.
How the Purple Obsidian Ring Actually Works
Natlan is divided by its tribes. You have the Children of Echoes, the People of the Springs, and the Scions of the Canopy. Each of these groups has a "Secret Rune Cave" or a meditation area locked behind a barrier that only an Obsidian Ring can open. The "purple" one people often refer to is typically associated with the Scions of the Canopy (the Dendro-aligned tribe that loves mountain climbing and grappling hooks).
To craft the ring, you have to collect three fragments of the corresponding color. For the Scions of the Canopy, you are looking for the yellow-edged fragments. Once you have three, they merge in your inventory to create the ring. It’s a key. Nothing more, nothing less. It doesn't give you +20% Crit Damage. It doesn't make your Mualani hit harder. It just opens a door.
But behind that door? That’s where the real loot lives. We’re talking about Sanctifying Elixirs and high-tier Artifacts from the Cinder City of Ancient Stars or Scroll of the Hero of Binding sets.
The Brutal Reality of Fragment Drops
Let’s talk about the drop rates. They’re kind of abyssal.
You find these fragments in Precious and Luxurious Chests within the specific territory of the tribe. If you’re hunting for the purple/yellow-edged ring fragments, you need to be in the Scions of the Canopy region. Open a common chest? Nothing. Exquisite? Usually nothing. You need the big ones.
I’ve seen players clear out half the map and still be sitting at 2/3 fragments. It’s purely random. There is no "guaranteed" chest that holds a fragment, other than the fact that they only spawn in those high-tier containers. If you’ve run out of Luxurious chests in the forest, start looking for world quests or hidden puzzles you might have skipped. The "Revelations from the Past" questline is a good place to start because it forces you into areas with high-density chest spawns.
Where to Use the Ring Once You Have It
So you finally got the three fragments. You clicked "Forge" or "Combine" in your inventory. Now you have the Yellow-Edged Obsidian Ring.
Where do you go?
You need to head to the Scions of the Canopy village. Look for the massive, glowing green barrier tucked away near the base of the cliffs or hidden behind the local obsidian pillars. When you approach it, the game will prompt you to "Give" or "Insert" the ring.
The barrier vanishes.
Inside, you aren't just getting a chest. You’re getting a piece of Natlan’s history. Usually, there’s a trial or a brief interaction with a Wayob manifestation. Most players are just there for the Sanctifying Elixir, which is arguably the most valuable item in the game right now since it lets you custom-define the main stat and sub-stats of an artifact.
Common Misconceptions About Obsidian Colors
It's easy to get confused.
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- Green-Edged Fragments: Belong to the Children of Echoes (the Geo tribe).
- Yellow-Edged Fragments: Belong to the Scions of the Canopy (the Dendro tribe).
- Azure-Edged Fragments: Belong to the People of the Springs (the Hydro tribe).
People call the Scions' ring "purple" because the base material—the obsidian itself—has a deep violet hue in the icon, and the glow of the quest items can look different depending on your monitor's HDR settings. If you’re looking for a "Purple Obsidian Ring" and you’re staring at a yellow-edged icon, don’t panic. You’re on the right track.
Strategies for Efficient Farming
Don't just wander aimlessly. That’s a recipe for burnout. Natlan is vertical, and if you're not using the right characters, it’s a nightmare.
- Use Kachina or Xilonen: Seriously. If you’re in the Scions' territory, you need mobility. If you don't have Kinich, use the Saurian indwelling mechanic. The Yumkasaurs (those green grappling-hook dinos) are mandatory for reaching the high-altitude Luxurious chests where the fragments hide.
- Mark Your Map: If you find a Precious chest and it doesn't have a fragment, mark it anyway. It helps you keep track of which "high-value" zones you’ve already depleted.
- Prioritize the "Manas-Measured" Quests: These sub-quests often lead to underground chambers that aren't visible on the main surface map. These chambers are packed with the exact chests you need for the purple obsidian ring in Genshin Impact.
The game doesn't tell you how many chests are left in a region. You have to rely on the exploration percentage. If your Scions of the Canopy area is at 90% and you still don't have the ring, you’ve likely missed a hidden cave. Check behind waterfalls. Natlan loves hiding things behind waterfalls.
Why You Shouldn't Rush This
Honestly? The rewards are static. The Secret Room isn't going anywhere.
Some players get incredibly frustrated because they see people on social media showing off their "perfect" artifacts crafted with the elixirs found inside. But remember, you only get one elixir per secret room. Once it's gone, it's gone. If you spend three days grinding chests just to get a flat DEF roll on your new sands, you're going to want to throw your controller.
Take it slow. Explore Natlan for the sake of exploration. The fragments will come.
Actionable Steps to Complete Your Collection
If you're stuck at 2/3 fragments and losing your mind, follow this exact sequence:
- Check the "Night-Jade" questline: Some chests are locked behind the completion of "In the Footsteps of the Chosen of Dragons." If you haven't finished the specific sub-quest involving the Scions of the Canopy, some areas remain phased out.
- Teleport to the "Ancestral Temple": There are several puzzles in this vicinity that reward Precious chests. Specifically, look for the torch puzzles and the Manas-Needle alignments.
- Use the Treasure Compass: If you've reached the required Reputation Level in Natlan, craft the Natlan Treasure Compass. It won't point to "hidden" quest chests, but it will lead you to the standard Precious chests you might have glided right over.
- Confirm your inventory: Go to the "Quest" or "Precious Items" tab. Check if you actually have fragments from different tribes. If you have two yellow and one green, you cannot make a ring. They must match.
Once the ring is forged, head to the Scions of the Canopy's secret area located north of the stadium, near the cliffside settlements. Use the ring, claim the elixir, and use it sparingly—save it for an elemental damage goblet or a crit rate circlet. Those are the hardest pieces to farm manually.