#1. archons love to lose a loved one during the cataclysm

[cor-lapis]

They put my boy is soup can't have shit in Fontaine

when/if Childe gets back to the Harbingers he's never getting another overseas vacation approved in his life

[almightyelectro]

eternal grief.

an introspection on ei from genshin impact, focusing on her concept of grief, life and human emotions.

sadly because reading old stories on genshin is hell, a lot of my information has to be pulled from the wiki, my own memory and some videos (i usually love to back up my thoughts with quotes but...genshin is way too tiring to dig up info for, i'm sorry)

will go into spoilers involving the inazuma archon quest and the sumeru archon quest (particularly involving wanderer/scaramouche).

everything mentioned is about ei's feelings on the matter, as i cannot speak for others and their characters!

the creation of the raiden shogun (who will be shortened to the shogun) and kunikuzushi (who will be shortened to kuni) and her treatment of them is something that gives us great insight on how ei processes her grief. for one, we need to talk about why ei is grieving-- and though i'm sure we do all know, i'm going to talk about it in detail anyway.

ei's source of grief is pretty well known: she lost her twin sister during the cataclysm. anyone losing a family member, especially one so close to them, would be torn... but there's a bit more to it than that. for one, ei and makoto have been together since the very beginning, and as far as we know they're the only family they had. second, the death of a god in this universe isn't really as simple as a mortal's death. while they're aware gods can die (based on the archon war, though we don't know exactly what went on during it), ei and makoto lived in relative peace for a very long time before the cataclysm occurred. i think it's safe to say that before this event they likely considered the possibility of the other dying.

i personally believe that makoto realized just how dangerous it was and this was why she went to khaenri'ah all on her own-- or perhaps she believed she could handle it on her own without involving her sister. either way, makoto's care for ei is why she went all by herself, eventually leading to her death and ei taking up the role of the raiden shogun.

so, what does this have to do with the shogun and kuni's creation? well, the biggest thing is what happened when she first created kuni in order to host the gnosis. once kuni was created he shed a tear, and ei deemed him unsuitable for his purpose. i think a lot of people misunderstand ei's motives when it comes to kuni, especially because the two of them have different views of what happened.

while it can be read that she saw him as weak, something to pity, i think there's a bit more to it than that. as mentioned before, makoto went into battle on her own, likely due to wanting to spare her sister's life. makoto's own emotions are what caused her death-- or at least, that's how ei views it. yes, she did pity him, but deep down i believe she was afraid that his emotions would get in the way...that they would put him in danger, just like makoto.

i think it's also important to note that...ei didn't create kuni with the intentions of him being a son, or a family member. if she met kuni (now our beloved wanderer) now and learned that was how he viewed her, i think she would be genuinely shocked. it probably never crossed her mind that to her creation she was more than just that-- a creator. she was a mother, gave him life and sentience, but in her eyes...she is simply a god crafting a puppet. i dont think she would even be against accepting him as family (especially since she gave him the golden feather so that he may return to her), but...can a god like herself really understand what it means to be a mother? it's a foreign concept to someone like her. all she knows is she is his creator, and she truly believed she would give him a better life by stripping him of his duties and allowing him to choose his own fate.

the shogun, meanwhile, was her final product. a (seemingly) emotionless puppet that would follow her ideals. but...the shogun and ei aren't even 1:1. i think this especially hammers home the idea that ei was not only afraid of erosion, but worried that her own emotions would result in her death. she spared them from knowing of her sister's fate, from having to mourn, but if she died there would be no way to shield them from it.

it's pretty common for people to see ei as just the shogun 2.0, but there are pretty noticeable differences. for one, the shogun is very matter of fact, capable of making decisions without hesitation if it means furthering her ideals...while ei's voice is much more soft, and she has a tendency to ask questions. even when it comes to apologizing for the shogun's actions ei hesitates. she believes the shogun should do so-- and though this could be read as her not wanting to take responsibility for her creation, i think it has more to do with the fact that ei is just...not used to being a leader. for most of her life she was an unseen shadow, makoto did all of the talking. even now she stands behind the shogun, acting as a shadow (until post sq2)

tldr: i dont thinkwe should be expecting gods to fit our morals when it comes to how they process things. nya

[savarii]

Timeline

This is the order of major events in Genshin Impact incase if you're confused about WHEN things happened. I'm listing bullets of important events from the earliest until present time.

Before anything, some things don't have certain and exact time but they're quite important and is still part of the history. For uncertainty like this, they do happen somewhere between before/after major events, so I'm putting event points order by divided section. This is the simplest history review I can make.

Before Morax (>6000 years ago) :

Before everything in history, Celestia (heaven) already exist.

There were 3 moon sisters that orbit heaven, they take turns in reign, so all three of them get a chance to orbit.

The world is filled with raw elemental power, and in it Seelie race exist (they're spirits but with humanoid form). Seelie race was the glorious civilization over the world, tasked to guide humanity with wisdom. So here humans also exist.

There is a certain point where the 3 moon sisters reign cycle got messed, and that failure caused a disaster (the first known cataclysm)

Seelies were grieved after the disaster, and their civilization fall. With that fall, humans lose their wisdom guide and began to rise on their own.

Humans are scattered over the world, with any land part they can civil in, and certain group of people blessed by wisdom built a godless kingdom, Khaen'riah.

6000 years ago, Morax is born

Before and during Archon war (>2000 years ago) :

There were gods and some of them are also envoys from heaven. They live along with humans and occasionally some of them may rule over lands.

a bit after Morax is born, a star fell on west of Liyue and it is known today as The Chasm.

It is still uncertain when was the exact start of Archon war, but it happened because Celestia opened 7 ideality seat for gods.

In Mondstadt, god Decarabian reign rise to rule over humans and their capital was located at what we know today as Stormterror Lair.

At some point, other god Andrius declared war on him, and during this war hostile blizzards were made on the land.

Because of that blizzard, group of people who did not side with Decarabian moved to fertile mountain at Dragonspine and built their own kingdom named Sal Vindagnyr.

In Inazuma, there was a Tanuki-Kitsune war, because Tanuki is native of Inazuma and Kitsune is from mainland Teyvat and they want to dominate Inazuma.

In Liyue, gods Morax and Guizhong made an assembly to help humans in Liyue, and their capital is located on Guili plains.

There were also humans who live in Lisha region that beliefs in a sea god. Overtime Morax supress all other Gods and protect Liyue people that beliefs in him

3700 years ago, Guili assembly fell because Guizhong died and Morax took the people of Liyue to south where it is now known as Liyue Harbor. In here he established The Qixing and Millelith and helped Liyue people develop better life.

2600 years ago, Decarabian reign is overthrown by a revolution led by Nameless Bard (with wind spirit Barbatos), Amos, Gunnhildr knight and Ragnvindr warrior. In here Barbatos also ascended to godhood and tame Mondstadt for a while then leaves humans with their own freedom.

After Archon war (2000 years ago) :

2000 years ago, The Archon war is over when Celestia settles down with seven ideal archons.

In Mondstadt, after Barbatos left, an aristocracy led by Lawrence clan happened and last until

1000 years ago, Barbatos is back and disguised as Venti, he also lend power to Vennessa defeating Ursa The Drake, which led to a revolution again where aristocracy was thrown down, and Mondstadt lives under protection of Knights of Favonius (found by Vennessa) and Church of Favonius is restored.

Cataclysm (500 years ago) :

In Liyue,

1000 years ago, Azhdaha attacked The Chasm and destroyed Tianqiu valley settlement, but later was sealed in a pocket dimension under Nantianmen by Morax and some adeptis.

500 years ago, The Cataclysm happened where Celestia and seven archons destroyed Khaen'riah (during Eclypse dynasty).

For record, some archons did die during this event too, one of them is previous Dendro archon which then replaced by current Dendro archon.

Aether and Lumine were already here in Teyvat (may associated with Khaen'riah), and then attempted to leave Teyvat but got stopped by Unknown God. They were separated in time after that. Traveler's sibling stayed and traveled with Dainsleif until at some point they separate and then Traveler's sibling lead the Abyss Order,

In Mondstadt, during this event Dvalin battled Durin, and Durin corpse fell on Dragonspine (This time Dragonspine is already dead cold).

Recent past to present time :

After the Cataclysm, most events happened around humanity dealing the impact and continues on with human life under the seven archons.

In Mondstadt, one of The Seven statue were stolen by Abyss Order at some point. Then there's a problem with Knights of Favonius that affect some people including Diluc.

4 years ago, Diluc's father passed away and that caused Diluc to leave Mondstadt and nomads over Teyvat.

6 months ago, the current grandmaster Varka left on expedition bringing Knight of Favonius elites and leave Jean as acting grandmaster. After the grandmaster leaves, Diluc returned to Mondstadt and take his responsibilities back.

2 months ago, Traveler meets Paimon, nd our story starts when Traveler begin their journey with Paimon.

In Inazuma,

1 year ago, the shogun implements Sakoku decree (nation lock) and Vision Hunt Decree. Since then there's no electro vision given to humans too.

Present time, is all the things we've encountered as traveler in the game.

a/n : I have high understanding and read lores very well. I strip off anything that's vague/theory-like so these are 98% canonically correct and I guess I can say it is safe from any major spoilers and mistaken prophecy. Reblogs are greatly appreciated, and you may give me some of your thoughts through my askbox. Thank you for your time reading these, and have a nice day ^^. (more notes : if you really want more detailed things, I see that the fandom wiki is quite detailed, you should try to read it there, but for the love of God this post is made to simplify that yk)

[tarucore]

I find it very interesting that Venti is repeatedly called the weakest of the Seven and yet in his lore he supposedly was the one to level the mountains that made up Mondstadt at the time, essentially terraforming it with only the power of wind

In fact the history of Musk Reef is that it used to be a mountain, Pilos Peak, as mentioned in the Unreconciled Stars event, but Barbatos destroyed the mountain completely and the peak of it was swept off into the newly formed sea

Now this was almost 2,600 years ago from modern Teyvat, so multiple things could have happened since then to make sense of the amount of power that Barbatos once had to the power the bard had before his gnosis was stolen

1. The original Seven Archons were just that powerful that even the ability to reshape a country paled in comparison to their own power

Venti being referred to as the weakest could simply be in comparison to the great amount of power wielded by the other members of the original Seven

(I don’t think that the modern day Seven will be comparable to the first ones, for both power scaling issues in game mechanics, and we don’t know how these new gods came into possession of their gnosises, some could even have been mortal once)

2. Venti has been gradually losing power as he refuses to rule Mondstadt, but he started out with an incredible amount after he received it

We know this is mostly correct, as the Archon’s direct control over a land influences their power, but while Barbatos was leading his people in revolution he had direct control over them for a brief period, which might have given him the power to reshape the landscape

3. Venti lost a good chunk of his power in the Cataclysm that destroyed Khaenri’ah, killed the God of the Woods, and turned the Tsaritsa “evil”

I put these events in the same category because they all happened at the same time, 500 years ago, and this is more of a crackpot theory anyway

The history of Khaenri’ah and Barbatos are somehow linked, as Mondstadt seems to have been the closest nation to it before the Cataclysm. We know from the manga that Venti holds no love for Celestia and might even fear them. The Cataclysm occurred when the alchemist Gold’s experiments grew out of control and its people thought to have been cursed by Celestia because of that arrogance. It’s implied that the God of the Woods was present and killed in the disaster in the chinese version of the Viridescent Venerer set. The corruption of Durin also occurred around the same time period.

Mondstadt sent assistance to their neighboring nation during the crisis leading to the Knight Rostam, the Crimson Witch and the Viridescent Venerer falling in battle. I think that as the Cataclysm was part of divine punishment for Khaenri’ah, Baratos was “punished” for helping by both the arrival of Durin following the fall of Khaenri’ah and losing a great deal of his power and connection to Celestia.

[kyogre-blue]

Insanely long, sorry to any fool caught up in it. 

List of Inazuma lore to look into later, since there’s so much new stuff and I can’t keep track. 

Viewpoints: 

Ritou: “Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, Lord Hiiragi Hiroshi of the Kanjou Commission miraculously built a prosperous trade center from a deserted island.” 

(This dude came up elsewhere too.) 

Tenryou, Inazuma City: “Under the eternal and silent gaze of Her Highness the Ogosho Shogun, the people living in the hustle and bustle of the city will finally be free from the worries of obsession, and move to a paradise where they no longer need to chase and compete for their aspirations.” 

(This Ogosho title is interesting. Also, note the “eternity”/euthymia goal that Yoimiya touched upon in her chapter 1.) 

Tatara Islands, Kannazuka: “The magnificent Blast Furnace here is used to produce a steady stream of high-quality Jade Steel for Inazuma. Recently, however, due to the war, the Mikage Furnace that drove the production has been damaged.”

Kujou Encampment: “Legend has it that during a disaster hundreds of years ago, Shigeyori Kujou, a mortal general whom Her Highness valued greatly, built a battlefront fortress in one night and fought valiantly against the forces of darkness.” 

(Another event from the Cataclysm.) 

Nazuchi Beach: “In the ancient language of the Inazuma ancestors, "Nazuchi" means "to be tenderly caressed by the hands of the gods." Ironically, Nazuchi Beach has been ravaged by war since a thousand years ago and has become a place for scavengers and pirates, with few inhabitants.” 

(“Ancient language of Inazuma” huh. This war from thousands of years ago... should bet the Archon Wars, I guess? Or it might be Abyss-related.) 

Yashiori Island, Musoujin Gorge: “According to the legend, the strike that brought and end to the serpent god was slashed right here. In this deep canyon that runs through Yashiori Island, the remnant reverberations of lightning bolts continue to this day, as if the thunder elves are still chattering about the legendary scene that tore through the sky and the earth thousands of years ago.”

(Hang on!! This serpent was killed thousands of years ago?! So then Ba’al wasn’t the one who did it? Or else, is she much older than her reign as Archon?) 

Serpent’s Head: “According to the legend, the giant serpent that once ventured into the deep sea was finally slain on Yashiori Island.”

(Interesting note about the deep sea. When hyping up a kaijuu’s credentials, you’d normally say they came from the deep sea, so this point about the serpent going there should be implying something about the... corruption and old gods lurking there?) 

Most notable part is the serpent killing, island splitting timeline. Is it really like that, or am I misunderstanding? 

--------------

Artifact sets: 

Shimenawa's Reminiscence

Belonged to a human shrine maiden named Kanade, who trained under the Kitsune Saiguu. 

Confirming that Lady Saiguu was a “mighty kitsune.” At the very least, she was not entirely human, perhaps not human at all. 

She had a tobacco pipe that she sometimes knocked people on the head with. 

“Everything in the world is entangled. Hence, illusory visions were born out of concrete reality. The so-called omamori cannot make one's wishes come true at all, but they can make them eternal through this entanglement." (vis a vis eternity and also her memories leaving such a deep impression on the land that Kazari was born.) 

Regarding people affected by Lady Saiguu’s passing: “The Great Tengu went into self-imposed exile, enraged at her own incompetence as the Lady Saiguu's protector, leaving Teruyo behind. Harunosuke left for another country amid the fury of his mourning, while Nagamasa joined the Shogunate to clear the Mikoshi name. As for the man who taught me archery in the sacred forest and patiently listened to my naÏve promise under the scarlet sakura boughs, he will eventually return to me, even if he were to be blinded by splattered blood, or turned into a fierce beast by that dark defilement...” 

Regarding the time while Kanade was at the shrine: During this time, even someone as inhuman as the mighty Yougou Tengu has gotten a daughter. Even that leatherhead Konbumaru has also become one of the Shogun's own Hatamoto, and shall soon marry the daughter of a high-ranking samurai. "Such a lovely kid. Even the great Yougou Tengu, who used to kill all day for fun, had the mother inside her brought out... just a little."

(Based on a later comment, Konbumaru had some kind romantic thing with Kanade?) 

About memories: "No... it means that the person you're missing will be lucky enough to become a part of your memories forever." That's why you have to be strong and must live on for a long, long time. Even if all the people you cherish are gone, as long as you are still alive, The time you spent with them will never perish...

About losing memories, per Lady Saiguu: "Life is full of uncertainty. Love is fleeting, and even lasting memories may be lost. Losing one's memory is no different from losing one's life. It is like death amidst darkness eternal."

Emblem of Severed Fate

About the last member of the Mikoshi oni clan, who became “Douin” Iwakura Doukei. 

"Mother had bared her fangs against the Shogun, who had been kind to her and who had given her a treasured sword. In the end, the only thing that was sent back to the Mikoshi Clan was the tsuba of that blade which she had loved so dearly.

“She would make such contributions as to make an eternal name for the ever-thinning blood of the war-oni. If she was engulfed by the pitch-black tiger-beast of sin itself, then she would tear it apart from the inside.“

“But it was stained black in the end, together with her fiercely beating heart...“

The eldest son (a mortal with oni-blood) met a Yougou Tengu girl, who gave him a new family name, Iwakura. 

Her name was Teruyo. His name was Doukei. 

"Thinking back, I changed your name in hopes that you might escape from the curse of the oni bloodline. With that war, non-human blood grows thinner and thinner. Ah well. We should not covet the happy endings that humans enjoy, after all. But you're different. You are now 'Iwakura.' You are no longer the 'Mikoshi' who shoulders the burden of oni blood."

“In the distant past, when Seirai Island had yet to be shrouded by storm clouds, memories would rise and fall like breaths. In the end, the elegant container that contained thunderstorms and tremors could not be handed over to the one to whom it was promised.”

(What’s this??) 

Doukei once repaired a “seal cage” (an inro, a kind of rigid pouch that hangs from the belt) for a Hatamoto. 

This Hatamoto was skilled with a sword but also learned archery from a Tengu. He was a gambler and also had a “sweet wife.” He was also a gambler. He had “terrifying nightmares, in which he cut off his own head...” 

“With his secret sword technique, Tengu Sweeper, Iwakura Doukei became the Kujou Clan's swordsmanship instructor. He also received the title of "Douin" and founded a successful sword school.” (He is then referred to as “Sir Douin.”)

He was contemporaries with the young Kanjou head, Hiiragi Hiroshi. 

"With your sword, even Ako Domeki of Seirai would be no match..."

(More people for the 500 years ago gang.) 

---------------

Weapon materials:

Coral Branch 

Watatsumi Island is the furthest from Narukami Island in the Inazuman island chain, and its name means "the god of the oceans" in the island's ancient tongue. Legend has it that when the great serpent first arose within the abyssal nation of ever-night, its fluorescent body was covered in myriad-colored coral.

This coral cannot be found anywhere in Teyvat, but was a gift that the great serpent obtained when it broke into the Dark Sea. 

Fleeing into the Dark Sea, the god that had lost everything met the abandoned people who had nothing within the ocean depths. Thus it elected to remain and become their "Orobashi no Mikoto," their "Watatsumi Omikami."

It is said that the great snake god once broke off all the coral branches on its body to give light to the children who were curled up in the darkness. They also say that it used these coral branches to create a huge ladder to allow those children to once again reach the surface and see the light of day.

And it was also because the serpent god now had people who worshiped it that it stayed in the world it should have long fled, breaking off the coral branches that adorned its body, treading upon land where it should not have, and facing a foe it could never hope to match — till at last, its divine form was sundered along with the mountains, its ichor turned into plasma, and its will and power became a curse that could never be extinguished: Tatarigami.

Lots of interesting points coming together here. The Tatarigami was previously the deity of Watatsumi “Orobashi no Mikoto.” Probably, the old tensions between Narukami and Sangonomiya that Ayaka mentioned are because the Electro Archon (based on Narukami) killed the Tatarigami. 

The Watatsumi gained power from the “Dark Sea” (probably the Abyss, or connected to it), but it willingly gave away that power for the sake of “abandoned people” in the ocean’s depths. This is probably Kokomi’s ancestors. 

Narukami tomoe 

Ba’al insights: 

In the past, the ancients would climb the peak now known as Mt. Yougou and bend wood that had been charred by lightning into a hook to offer as an effigy unto the thundering force that lit up the skies and shook the earth. This shape would eventually become the "Electro Mitsudomoe" symbol, symbolizing the favor, wisdom, and might of Electro, and also the people who represent these values.

In the monster-filled tales of the ancient past, those who were deeply trusted by the Shogun would bear talismans with this hooked design on their person, and just as the word "commission" means to "joyfully serve" in the old tongue, those who received her favor would return it with love and loyalty. Yet, after a certain point in time, nothing would be as it was before.

All demons who wander in the wilderness or live amongst mortals will be attracted by the sight of the Almighty Narukami Ogosho, represented by the Electro Mitsudomoe. Though their lives may be longer than any creature, they will at last come to their end. If those with limited lifespans hanker after eternity, then they can only pray that "Eternity" remembers them. And she did indeed answer their prayers, remembering them all, friend and foe alike, in her heart. No matter whether it was the demon owls who resided amidst the fog and ripped through the skies, the bake-danuki who dared to trespass her imperial gardens, or that female oni, lovely as the moon and mighty in battle, yet who would eventually come to blows with her... Whether it was the tengu who soared on dark wings or the Kitsune Saiguu who once walked by her side, but who eventually disappeared forever... These countless tales have come to rest within her heart, and someday, they will surely shine again in the eternal paradise of her dreams.

The treasure of the lord of thunder is her majesty, and that majesty is embodied in her valor and wrath. Her wrath comes from the love that persists in her heart, and her valor supports that anger. Thus, whomsoever should block the path towards eternity or lay a finger on Inazuma's people shall become her foe. They say that there were four great spirits, three divine foxes, and two great swords — but that the symbol of Her Excellency, the Almighty Narukami Ogosho, could only be a single strike, unsurpassed and brilliant as a meteor.

Oni mask

Holy shit, the rarest mask had like five paragraphs of lore alone. 

There was an oni named Torachiyo, who would eventually betray the Shogun and revolt, becoming shorn of an arm and a horn in the battle before fleeing and slaying itself in a fit of furious madness. He once shattered the Shogun’s naginata with a single bite.

The oni nursemaids tell is differently: "He was once a beloved lieutenant of the Shogun, and he followed her into the dark abyssal realms to repel the defiled ones, winning renown for the oni, whose blood thinned with each passing day.”

“Chiyo, a warrior of the oni tribe with the Electro Mitsudomoe emblem emblazoned on her back, was once swallowed whole by a beast from beyond this world that had a tiger's body and a serpent's tail while holding back the forces of darkness. At last, she tore the creature's innards apart from within, breaking free.”

OG Torachiyo was actually female: “This is the origin of the phrase "Chiyo the Tiger-Bite," and would be changed over many years to "Torachiyo."”

“But within the belly of the beast, she was stained by a deep sin and saw her comrades ripped to shreds by those blood-red teeth. Steeped in darkness as far as the eye could see, she would eventually draw her sword upon the Almighty Narukami Ogosho.” 

So this is Iwakura Doukei’s mother. She lost her sanity due to corruption from the Abyss. 

“Or perhaps she even met the oni-masked, sword-bearing doll near the corpse of the giant serpent, and there ended her life's journey.” (It’s Maguu Kenki! It’s older than 500 years.) 

“Few among those who fought against the abyss in those days were spared pitch-dark dreams. Those who slew monsters and then became them were hardly the minority. The border between worlds grows fragile, and corruption of this kind is perhaps not merely monodirectional.” 

---------

Weapons: 

Mistsplitter Reforged

"Arataki of the Front Gate, Iwakura the Successor, Kitain the Serpent, Takamine the Mistsplitter." 

Takamine was the user of this sword. 

He also learned archery from the Yougou Tengu, and passed that knowledge on to a person he loved. At the end of his life, he assumed the position of one of the Shogun's yoriki and fought against a dark army.

"Asase, our promise... No, say rather our great bet. I will not lose it, not for the world!"

The sword broke into a thousand pieces as he fought this battle. 

The yet unreleased bow Thundering Pulse also belonged to this guy. It confirms that Konbumaru is also his name. He was taken as a servant of the Tengu after a bet and learned archery from them then. 

This means he is the guy Iwakura Doukei mentions in the Emblem artifact set. This would also make him Kanade’s love interest. I suppose Asase would be her family name. 

(Also, Thundering Pulse’s last lines are brutal. Mistsplitter mentions how he clung to the wager to return, clutching at his broken sword’s hilt... “The lone returnee who came stumbling back from the abyss finally met the shrine maiden again, though by now she could no longer be called young. Dull eyes stained with dried blood and tears regained their radiance, but were pierced through by a barbed arrow glowing with power.” Bullshit!!! You can’t do this to me!)