with Natlan, Mihoyo is 100% setting up the Abyss Order as a Morally-Grey, and NOT the "greater evil"

one thing that struck me in Natlan is the sheer amount of effort Mihoyo has put in narratively to distinguish the Abyss Order from the Abyss on every Level, distancing it from the evils of the Abyss that ended Kaenri'ah and is attacking Natlan.

all of this to me is leading to the fact that the Abyss Order is being set up to be morally grey, or even helpful.

2 main points:

---------------- it's distanced it from the "Bad parts" of the Abyss ----------------

especially since that prior to Natlan, the Abyss and Abyss Order were synonymous, Hoyo could have easily continued that trend, but rather undertook a narrative project to split them.

The Abyss Order has zero involvement with the Abyss Threat against Natlan, no connection with Gosoythoth and the Abyss Attacks on Natlan, no appearances, no deals.

and this goes down even to the Enemy Selection. The Abyss Forces are all "beasts", Hilichurls, Rifthounds, and Mimiflora, notably EXLCUDING almost all Sapient Abyss Creatures that are usually associated with the Abyss Order.

and enemies associated with the Abyss Order, Namely Hydro, Pyro, and Electro Abyss Heralds and Lectors are noticably absent, as they all have voice lines preaching/praising the Abyss. While they appear in other abyss-order strongholds like Enkanomyia, they don't appear in Ochkanatlan or any of the enemies.

and the the only one that does appear explicit purpose of showing that the Abyss Order is' involved the only not-enjou voiced Pyro Lector that appears in the 1st Act of the Quest's entire purpose is to tell us that he's only SPECTATING the events,

and Cryo Heralds typically more associated with non-abyss-order anyways, with the Caribert Quest introducing them has them "not be from the Abyss Order", so the one that Mavuika fights doesn't mean much.

so mihoyo has distanced, separated the Abyss Order from the "evil perpetrated by the Abyss Itself that hurt Natlan and Khaenr'iah

mihoyo could have easily put abyss Lectors into the armies of the abyss, but chose not to. instead making the Abyss Primordial and Bestial, purposely Excluding the Sapient Abyss Order.

------------and an honestly non-stop chain of relatively positive portrayals. -------------------

Enjou. While he's repeatedly declared to just a "clerk" to the Abyss Order, he's also the ONLY representation that the Order has been given, and it has been quite positive. You have to think about it in terms of author intent.

It's like Childe where that while he may not represent the Fatui, Mihoyo portraying Childe as being "good" in his story quest is 100% them also saying that the Fatui are not "all that bad".

and Ever since the Chasm, we've just been having non-stop...non-villianous portrayals of the Abyss Order

the Chasm was more morally grey.

Caribert is just Tragic

Bedtime Story seems to be overall positive for the Order

while you may say that these are still villianous, when you compare it to when Mihoyo wants to make a proper 1D-pure-evil villian, the Abyss Order is definitely being set up for something