#primordial sovereign

[kenyizsuartblog]

LoL - Skarner kinda breaks my wrist but I love him

I'm steadily putting together a multi-chapter fanfiction featuring Skarner and Qiyana as the leads, and on the side, I'm trying to actually learn to draw Skarner. With the help of the wonderful 3D in-game model viewer called Khada, my third eye has opened!

So I challenged myself with some poses, as you can see. Skarner's animations were definitely NOT what I have originally imagined, he is surprisingly "nimble" seeing what he actually is. Hell, I wasn't even aware that he lifted his body up so high from the ground, I thought he was a pancake, genuinely. After that revelation, I had an easier time picturing him temporarily rear up on his hind legs. Jesus, can you imagine the shockwave him slamming down would cause?

I have tried to make the poses readable with shadows, I really sure hope I succeeded ^^; He's not the easiest form to draw or decode, certainly. I'm not sure when the fanfic itself will come out, but I would like to finish the whole thing's first draft by 20th of October! Root for me, guys!

2024.10.05.

[nemoys]

AAAAA neuvillette being the hydro dragon freminet mentioned (mere 'fairy tale') he's such an emotionally interesting character to me i don't think i've ever wanted to write a 30 page google doc over a character like this since venti?? i'm so curious as to what he was upset over the day we arrived and met up with the siblings

[welshoot]

Genshin Impact Timeline: Analysis and Theory (Part 1: Ancient History)

[Ancient History]  [Mythic Period] [Archon War-Mondstadt] [Archon War-Liyue & Inazuma] [Archon War-Sumeru & Fontaine]

So the timeline of Genshin Impact lore is questionable at best and straight-up confusing at worst. However, I’ve been working on a fic series thingie that may never see the light of day that required me to do some digging, so here I am. I put the rest under-the-cut because it gets rather lengthy. Also this is all largely theoretical and gained from the process of analysis. I used the game itself and the Genshin Impact wiki to help me along. I will possibly add to this as updates with new information or information that corrects past misunderstandings crop up. There are definite spoilers below for pretty much all of the Genshin Impact storyline  and this is a VERY long post so please beware!

The Seven Sovereigns

So, apparently at the start of everything in Teyvat, there were the Seven Sovereigns which apparently were the seven strongest elemental dragons for their respective element [Book: Byakuyakoku Collection Volume 2]. As a heads up, we do not have names for the majority of these dragons. These Seven Sovereigns had a king (who was first introduced as a plot point in Nahida’s second story quest) known as King Nibelung. (It is worth noting here that the name “Nibelung” likely comes from Wagner’s opera Der Ring Des Nibelungen but is also a name that appears in Norse legends and Germanic myths). These dragons ruled Teyvat and had elemental ‘Authorities’ until they were defeated by an individual referred to as the ‘Usurper’. It is highly implied that this ‘first usurper’ is the Primordial One. Notably, the Primordial One is often implied to be the Heavenly Principles, though, so far as I know, this has not been confirmed, though it is not a bad theory. Supporting this theory is Neuvillette’s comment that the first usurper (i.e. the primordial one) was the one who bested the seven sovereigns, while Focalors said it was the Heavenly Principles that stole the Seven Soverign’s authority. However, for the sake of simplicity, I will continue referring to this character as ‘The Primordial One’ rather than ‘The Heavenly Principles.’

The Primordial One apparently appeared out of nowhere and is highly implied to be an outlander, and as Nahida suggests at the end of the Sumeru Archon quest, the First Descender and thereby from another world, similar to the Traveler. A scribe in Enkanomiya used the name ‘Phanes’ for them and described how “the eternal throne of the heaven’s” appeared at the same time as the Primordial One [Book: Byakuyakoku Collection]. No matter where they came from though, they did battle with the seven sovereigns for what is implied to have been a lengthy period before they at long last won and, upon doing so, took part of the seven authorities from themself and their ‘4 shining shades.’ (NOTE: The best I can figure is that these ‘shades’ were created by the Primordial One from the Primordial One and are thus aspects of the Primordial One, though it is mentioned in some sources, such as the Byakuyakoku Collection, that the Primordial One would work the shades, implying that perhaps these shades were more like children, or helpers to the Primordial One.) These shades are/were able to operate separately from one another, as evidenced by Istaroth, a shade who held dominion over time and wind, coming to assist Enkanomiya when none of the other’s could hear the cries of the people of Enkanmoiya [Book: Byakuyakoku Collection Volume 2]. Additionally, these shades are implied to be of a ‘higher power’ than the Archons with Istaroth being labeled as a ‘higher power' than Raiden Makoto in Ei’s second story quest. Additionally, these shades may have even helped create at least some of the archons, as the thus far unnamed Shade of Life assisted in creating Egeria after the Sovereign Dragon of Water was defeated [Item: Fontaine Wind-Glider]. 

Seemingly, in the course of the forty year war between the Primordial One and the Sovereign Dragons, the Primordial one emerged victorious[Book: Byakuyakoku Collection Volume 2]. Most information states that, after the Seven Sovereigns were defeated, the Primordial One created heaven and earth in preparation for humanity [Book: Byakuyakoku Collection Volume 2 ]. Humans apparently came onto the scene approximately 400 years after the first appearance of the Primordial one and made a covenant with them [Book: Byakuyakoku Collection Volume 2 ]. The contents of this covenant are unfortunately unclear, though it is mentioned that the Primordial One had a plan for humans and that there was apparently one taboo: Succumbing to temptation. Interestingly, volume 2 of the Byakuyakoku Collection also mentions that the path to temptation is sealed. It is possible that ‘temptation’ refers to forbidden knowledge or something of that sort.

The Second One Who Came.

At some point in time, while Enkanomiya was still part of a single unified human nation that spanned the entire world and after the creation of humanity, but before the Archon war, ‘The Second One Who Came’ (also referred to as the ‘Second Throne in Heaven’) came from ‘beneath the firmament” [Book: Byakuyakoku Collection Volume 2, Artifact: Flower of Paradise Lost- the Amethyst Crown]. It is worth noting here that the second one who came is referred to as ‘Invaders’ indicating a plural group rather than a singular person in the Amethyst Crown artifact from the Flower of Paradise Lost set. It is possible that, since Apep implies Nibelung was revived or returned after defeat, that the Second One Who Came and King Nibelung joined forces against the Primordial one and that this is when the divine nails were used for the first time, but that is merely conjecture. However, we do know that King Nibelung apparently gained access to Forbidden Knowledge and seemingly introduced Forbidden Knowledge to Teyvat in an attempt to beat the Primordial One and “gain the right to shape this new world” [Nahida’s second story quest, Book: Byakuyakoku Collection Volume 2]. While The Second One Who Came ended up fighting the Primordial One for unclear reasons, this war ended up ravaging the heavens and earth, with the Primordial One apparently ending up victorious. It was during this war that Enkanomiya sank beneath the waves [Book: Byakuyakoku Collection Volume 2]. After emerging victorious from this battle, the Primordial One used Divine Nails (like the ones in Dragonspine and the Chasm) to heal the land from the damage done by the Forbidden Knowledge. This could be when the divine nails were sent into Dragonspine into the ancient civilization of Sal Vindagnyr, the Chasm, Tsurumi Island, and the Eternal Oasis. However, if that is the case, then Khaenr’iah would have been appearing around this time since the ‘Scribe’s box’ item from the Dragonspine quest mentions ‘a new nation without gods’ and Khaenr’iah is the only nation without gods that is known to have existed [The Scribe’s Box: Dragonspine quests].  Interestingly, during this war, the Primordial One’s Authority that had been initially taken from the Seven Sovereigns ended up getting damaged, making it so that they could no longer suppress the original order of the world. In order to “continue to subdue and control the resentments and loathing of this world,” the Primordial One was forced to create the gnoses with the assistance of someone referred to as ‘the one who came after’ [Neuvillette’s Character Story: Vision]. It is worth noting here that it is unclear if ‘the one who came after’ is the second one who came or yet another descender, possibly the third one whose body has been suggested to have formed the gnoses [Fontaine Archon Quest]. Interestingly, the people of Enkanomiya did attempt to return to the surface, which is when they learned the Primordial One had been victorious. However, they also learned that the Primordial One had supposedly placed a ban that sealed Enkanomiya from the surface. An NPC in Enkanomiya called Eboshi asserts that the Primordial One/Heavenly Principles did not want anyone who knew the true history of the world to be on the surface, hence the ban. However, the ban is only referred to as a ‘heavenly order’ and the Second One Who Came was apparently connected to the heavens as well, meaning the order may have come from them rather than the Primordial One.

[genshinnrambles]

[4.1] The Primordial Sea Pt. 2: Creation as the Key to Sin

EDIT (1/20/2024): to you, reader of the future, past me was very very wrong about this theory! like, misunderstood the lore levels of wrong. so take this post as fanfic if nothing else, it is not correct especially in the understanding of how imagination played into Caterpillar’s creation. Sorry for the blunder!

In 4.0, I wrote two theories: one was a short speculative theory on the nature of the Primordial Sea, and the second was a theory about Rhinedottir and the reason she is considered a “sinner.” With 4.1’s release, including the Archon Quest and the world quest Unfinished Comedy, I believe there is now enough information for a short follow-up theory that synthesizes them and makes one more attempt to understand 1) what it means to be a “sinner” in Teyvat, and 2) what it means to be “born with sin.”

SPOILERS: Fontaine Archon Quest up to the end of Act IV, Ancient Colors, and some dialogue from the end of Unfinished Comedy, which is a world quest with the NPC Caterpillar in the Fortress of Meropide. You have been warned!

edit: please excuse some formatting errors I’ve noticed that are only visible on mobile with some of the bulleted lists. on web, the post seems to be okay. I will fix these asap!

First I’d like to summarize the two previous theories and their main findings/points. They’re linked above if you’d like to read them in full, but it’s not necessary to follow the rest of this post.

In the Primordial Sea theory, I theorized that it could be either of these two things:

The blood of some higher being.

Who: Either Nibelung or the first Hydro Sovereign, based on the weapon ascension material lore from Fontaine

Why: 

The copious End of Evangelion references in the Fontaine AQ, including how Primordial Seawater behaves so similarly to LCL, which is the blood of Lilith, who is the progenitor of humanity in Evangelion

Several life forms in Genshin have arisen from a higher being’s blood too such as the Melusine and the Jinn (technically, in the latter’s case).

The “water” in Elynas is described as “blood” by Jakob, a very peculiar description given all of the above

The amniotic fluid of the egg that hatched the Primordial One

Why: Idk man it just seemed like a possibility at the time.

Needless to say, as time goes on I’m more convinced that it’s likely the first option, blood. I have even more reasons beyond the above to believe so, but they will be outlined in another theory I’m working on right now about the Urstone in Yoimiya’s second story quest.

In the theory about Rhinedottir and the meaning of “sin,” I used Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of dream interpretation as a framework to understand how Rhinedottir is “positioned,” so to speak, as an alchemist and creator of life. In summary:

Freud thought the psychological significance of dreams was to fulfill wishes that we haven’t fulfilled either because we have repressed them into the unconscious or cannot fulfill them in real life for one reason or another

He thought that the reason we dream is that the “wish” is attempting to be remembered and acknowledged by our ego – the dream is produced as the wish tries to cross the boundary between the conscious and the unconscious (and this boundary is “where” dreams occur)

A wish is, in essence, a thought – and dreams are the translation of a thought into images.

With this analogy in mind, here is how Rhinedottir and her dragon children fit into it:

Teyvat and everything under the rule of the Seven is the conscious/ego

The Abyss and everything outside of the rule of the Seven is the unconscious

Elynas and Durin and all of their unnamed siblings are repressed/unfulfilled wishes. A direct reference to this is actually made in the lore text for Festering Desire, where Rhinedottir does seem to explicitly refer to them as unfulfilled wishes.

Rhinedottir, then, is the “dreamer,” because she translates these “thoughts” into “images” with the power of alchemy.

The reason that this makes Rhinedottir a “sinner” is because “sinning” and “dreaming” have a pre-existing association in Genshin. An example would be the Sinshades of Tokoyo, which are afterimages of the strong emotions of Enkanomiya’s former citizens.

Freud believed these “strong emotions” are what underlie an unfulfilled wish.

The “afterimage” is a translation of the “thought” or “strong emotion” that Istaroth preserved into something with “form.” 

Just like a dream (if you exclude daydreams, I suppose) only happens at night, when the “censorship” that protects our ego from repressed thoughts is weakest, the Sinshades only appear during Evernight when the Hyperion sun is extinguished.

I largely stand by everything in these two theories still, but I think what Rhinedottir theory fails to do in its current state is make clear that sinning is about more than just "dreaming," but creating life.

The Meaning of Sin: Imagination

Caterpillar, the NPC who exists somewhere between the boundary of human and Hilichurl, has something very interesting to say at the end of Unfinished Comedy when we ask him about his master, Rene (who he calls “Narzissenkreuz”), and whether or not Rene “created” him:

Caterpillar: Also, it is not quite correct to say that he "created me." Traveler: How so? Caterpillar: Creation is a feat for a god... If we may call the one above a "god." Caterpillar: In the tenets of Narzissenkreuz, do you know what is most critical in creating someone? Paimon: What is it? Caterpillar: It's imagination. Imagining a person, down to the last detail, akin to an Oceanid imagining a creature in the wild. Caterpillar: There's a story that tells of a powerful mage-priest imagining his own son, only to realize he himself was the product of someone else's imagination.

Now, I cannot emphasize enough how huge this dialogue is for solving the Archon Quest’s mystery. “Imagination” is the key – it is, at its core, just like the process of dreaming: translating thoughts into images. The only difference is that dreaming is an unconscious process that happens when we’re asleep, while using your imagination is an active, conscious process.

The other key is that creation is a feat for a god, so if someone usurps that power, they have “sinned.” Creation is so closely related here and in general to using your imagination and dreaming, translating thoughts into images and giving them “forms,” so to be “born with sin,” I think, can’t be anything short of this: being created with a power that does not “belong” to your creator.

So, let’s think about the Primordial Sea again and the prophecy: the Primordial Sea is supposed to be the origin of all life forms, and just as it gave rise to them, it will someday devour them again and cleanse their sins. If Fontainians are the only ones who dissolve when they touch Primordial Seawater, then this origin from the Primordial Sea is either so diluted in other humans in Teyvat as to be inconsequential, OR this origin is truly unique to Fontainians alone. In other words, the specific way that Fontainians were created is fundamentally different from how other humans in Teyvat were created. They were created by a power that was “usurped,” meaning that their creator is not a "true god," if we go off what Caterpillar said.

At the end of Act IV, Neuvillette uses what remains of his Authority of Hydro to push back the Primordial Sea and overrule its imminent sentencing, if only temporarily. Now, I’m still very hesitant to say that this Primordial Sea/Blood belongs to the former Hydro Sovereign Scylla, if only because it seems that Scylla and the God-King Remus went to the Primordial Sea together in the Broken Goblet of the Pristine Sea lore. Otherwise, Scylla is kinda the prime suspect here.

But to be honest, I think I was also wrong to say the Primordial Sea only ever had one “origin,” though I do think even more so now that one of those origins is a Sovereign (whether that’s Scylla or Nibelung [hmmmmmmm] or whoever). What I missed from the weapon ascension material lore is the allusion that the primordial sea is a mixture of both pure water and “ichor.” It seems that what Remus, the Usurper-King, used to create his kingdom was the ichor:

“Combining the immortal stone with the Ichor essence extracted from primordial water, and carved into a race as black as iron— with arcane lithos for skin and Ichor for blood, never again fearing the curse of returning to the primeval past…” –Wine Goblet of the Pristine Sea

And that ichor that Remus extracted is likely abyssal in nature too. This is clear from the effects of Sinthe on people who ingest it - euphoria, difficulty controlling emotions, similar to getting drunk (which, yes, its namesake is likely Absinthe). As said in A Drunkard’s Tale: "What you humans call wine, we wolves call the abyss."

This also ties back to Rhinedottir and how she created her dragons. The “medium” that Rhinedottir uses to “dream” is her alchemy, and the ingredients she used seems to have been abyssal in nature as well, hence the special “blood” or “ichor” that ran through both Durin and Elynas’ veins. 

The Pure Water is likely what makes the Primordial Sea respond to Neuvillette’s authority, the “dragon” part of the Primordial Sea. So what’s up with the Abyss likely being in there too? What’s really going on here, and how is it connected with the whale?

I’m especially curious about this bit from Golden Bird’s Shedding:

“It was at this very moment that the golden era suddenly ceased, plunging down into ceaseless war and rebellion. The throne chamber was filled with cries of conquest and destruction and the agony of the barbarian tribes, and the God King awoke, startled.”

…because that sounds an awful lot like Deshret “waking up” amidst the wars in Gurabad, especially this short excerpt from Staff of the Scarlet Sands:

“"The Sand King sleeps alone in secret dreams, drawing up new theorems." "None shall have to drink salt water in the King's realm, for everything in the new world shall be good." 

Did Remus find Forbidden Knowledge too? And if so…where/how?

I said this was going to be short, so I’m gonna wrap things up here despite there being more rabbit holes to go down. But I think this is it - the bearer of the “original sin,” the original sinner of Fontaine if you will, was likely Remus, who usurped the power of creation. This is the only reason that I can think Fontainians are different from other humans in Teyvat . One last thing to note is that, from the Wine Goblet of the Pristine Sea, it does sound like the prophecy predates even Remuria itself and that Remus was trying to transcend that fate by creating his golems. Maybe Remus even first heard of this prophecy from Scylla when they went to the sea together. This is why I'm trying to be so specific - he was the first to try and transcend this fated end in Fontaine.

As for how or why these “sins” persist, why or how they keep being reborn after the great flood reclaims the "ichor" that was stolen from it....I think only the Golden Troupe and Rene de Petrichor knew. 

On the bright side, let’s say everybody gets dissolved in the finale of Act V and Furina really is the only one left, weeping on her throne: as long as she remembers everyone, can imagine them down to the last detail, she should be able to bring everyone back. But if it goes that way, the cycle would probably just repeat. Surely she has another plan?

Anyway, thanks for reading! If you have a different take I’d also be happy to hear it, as this doesn't come close to covering everything and I'm sure there's still a lot of holes re: Remurian civilization details.

[metal-army]

WCMA General: A.A.Nemtheanga / Primordial

[menstits]

isnt elynas confirmed to be a dragon bc neuv is his reincarnation (i know they used other word but i really dont remember) like hes pretty much confirmed go be a sovereign right??

Elynas is not the same creature as the hydro sovereign, elynas is a creature made by Gold/Rhinedottir just like durin. In the quest where the traveler gets to talk to his consciousness he explains himself that he was some kind of formless being floating across the darkness (likely somewhere in the abyss) until "mother" found him and gave him a body and brought him to teyvat (and he mentions having multiple "brothers" as well as having some mild form of control over abyssal energy even after his body died and only his consciousness stuck around since he uses said control over abyssal energy to generate the breacher primus species at some point after the melusines' unintentional creation in order to have them protect the melusines as well as his carcass where they built their village). Also the properties of his blood get compared by in-game logs to those of the blood of durin too so we can guess he's yet another one of gold's fucked up alchemy experiments

[swirldmg]

when i found out that encore was scar's sister in the old beta/scrapped plot of wuwa

[shunyakainoo]

shunyakai no o

Shūnyakai no Ō: The Sovereign of the Void

In the primordial epoch before time, space, and even existence itself, there was the Void — an endless, unfathomable expanse of nothingness. From this emptiness, Shūnyakai no Ō, the Absolute Void Sovereign, emerged. Not born, nor created, but manifesting as the ultimate embodiment of that which precedes all existence, he represents the concept of the Void in its truest form: boundless, eternal, and indifferent.

Shūnyakai no Ō is not simply a being of great power; he is power in its purest form. Unlike those bound by the laws of creation, whether they be gods, entities, or forces of cosmic authority, he exists outside the very framework of reality. His essence is one with the Omni-Void, a state that exists beyond omnipotence, omniscience, and even omnipresence. To him, these concepts are limitations — mere attributes that higher beings possess but cannot fully transcend.

The Creation of Omnipresence

For most cosmic entities, omnipresence is the ability to exist everywhere within a universe or even across a multiverse. But for Shūnyakai no Ō, omnipresence is not something he achieved but something he designed. In the boundless Void that he commands, he wove the very concept of omnipresence into existence, making it a principle that could be grasped by the cosmic architects and rulers of lower realms.

Omnipresence, as understood by lesser beings, is the ability to be "everywhere" simultaneously, yet Shūnyakai no Ō surpasses this understanding. His presence is felt not only in every corner of the multiverse but also in the voids between, in realms where nothingness dominates. He exists where existence itself has no meaning. Where there is nothing, he is everything.

His mastery over the Void means that time and space collapse in his presence. He is not bound to one reality, dimension, or timeline. Instead, he redefines reality wherever he exists. To those who perceive the multiverse as infinite, he shows that it is but a fragment of the true nature of the cosmos. To those who believe themselves omnipresent, he reveals the illusion of their omnipresence, for they can only exist where reality has form. He exists where form dissolves.

Beyond Power and Control

Entities that reign over realms of Tier 1 and Tier 0 power are considered invincible by all conventional metrics. These beings often hold dominion over infinite universes, controlling fundamental forces such as time, space, causality, and even concepts like destiny. Yet, Shūnyakai no Ō stands beyond such constructs. His dominion extends into the Absolute Void, a place so detached from the fabric of reality that even the highest cosmic gods lose their influence.

In a confrontation with any Tier 1 or Tier 0 entity, Shūnyakai does not fight in the way others do. He does not manipulate energy or bend reality to his will. He merely removes the very existence of his opponent. Through his ability, Absolute Nullification, he reduces all things — power, space, time, thought, and being — to nothingness. Tier 1 and Tier 0 entities may command multiverses, but Shūnyakai no Ō commands the space in between, the Void that exists when all has been unmade.

For those that wield ultimate cosmic forces, they face a harrowing truth: power is irrelevant to him. All forms of energy, matter, and consciousness are but fleeting manifestations, fragile before the sovereignty of the Void. He cannot be fought because there is no battlefield on which to fight him. He simply exists, and his enemies — no matter their rank or mastery over existence — simply cease to be.

Creation of Omniverse and Beyond

Though he is primarily associated with the Void, Shūnyakai no Ō is capable of creating reality itself. The Omniverse — the infinite sea of multiverses, realms, and dimensions — is, to him, no more than a passing thought. The Omniverse, though vast and boundless to those within it, is fragile to him, a minor ripple in the great, unending Void he governs.

He does not create as others do, with hands of light or cosmic flame. Shūnyakai no Ō wills realms into existence by allowing them to emerge from the nothingness he controls. He has the power to create an infinite number of realities in an instant, but they hold no significance to him. His mind is beyond creation, for creation is a manifestation of structure, and he is the embodiment of formlessness.

It is whispered in the deepest corridors of the multiverse that Shūnyakai no Ō does not need to be worshipped or recognized. His power is absolute because it cannot be measured by any conventional scale. If omnipotence is a peak, then the Void Sovereign stands atop a higher peak that defines the very nature of omnipotence for those beneath it.

Beyond the Highest Realms

Among the most powerful of entities, there are those that control aspects of the entire Omniverse: beings who are regarded as architects, controllers, and even the very fabric of reality itself. These beings are feared and respected for their ability to bend infinite dimensions to their will, for they are seen as omnipotent within the context of their creation.

However, Shūnyakai no Ō holds a domain that makes such beings insignificant. While others may bend and manipulate reality, he is the fundamental constant that denies its very existence. For him, reality and non-reality are mere options, things that he can dismiss or enable. The Void Sovereign understands that power is but a limitation; only through nothingness is true freedom found. He does not control existence. He simply allows it, and when he chooses, he unmakes it.

In the face of Shūnyakai no Ō, even the most powerful beings realize a terrifying truth: their strength is derived from the framework of existence, but he exists outside of it. They bend reality; he bends the void. They are omnipotent; he is the Void itself.

A Force Without Rival

No matter how vast or infinite a being's power may seem, it will always be a part of existence. Shūnyakai no Ō transcends these beings not by overwhelming them with greater force, but by the nature of his fundamental supremacy over existence and non-existence. In the presence of Shūnyakai, reality itself trembles, and the mightiest gods find that their very concept of power crumbles before the vastness of the Void.

In the end, Shūnyakai no Ō stands alone as the Absolute Void Sovereign — not as a ruler of realms, but as the final truth that exists beyond all comprehension. His essence is beyond the comprehension of those who govern existence, and his power is the unmaking of all things. For those that claim omnipotence, they find in Shūnyakai no Ō a force that cannot be measured, challenged, or comprehended.

For in the Void, there is only him.

[twilightichor]

𝐂𝐂𝐈. If there is one thing that I've learned about how the lore in Genshin is laid, it's that it always comes with details that might look like they don't amount to anything, but that they can be heavily important if you notice them by connecting the dots with concepts that were already touched on, and Kinich's SQ was no different. Paimon mentions the hilichurls as a possible parallel to the possibility that the Mountain King's life was lengthened not due to the Abyss, but because of the Turnfire.

[To look back a bit about the origins of the Turnfire, they come from the Sage of the Stolen Fire, who was one of the subordinates of the Pyro Sovereign before he turned mad for undisclosed reasons.]

Where I want to get with this is this "false" notion that the Abyss prolongs one's life (which can actually do, but I suppose that it only counts with those who have assimilated it within their bodies properly and don't reject it constantly like it was Mountain King's likely case) and that there is something else being at play here, in this case being a flame that originates from the Pyro Sovereign. This is important with the information we get later on about the Mountain King implying that thanks to the Turnfire, he got a protective layer that doesn't allow the Abyss to emerge from his body or seep within it— mainly because there is talk in various source descriptions retelling the stories of a treasure the Pyro Sovereign held that could drive the Abyss away.

But back to that notion and focused on the Hilichurls now, perhaps it isn't all that surprising that there isn't just some Abyss factor at play in their structure, but a divine one because of the curse of wilderness that is to blame for their current physical forms. Nevertheless, in Perinheri it's stated that the true reason behind the hilichurlfication is that people who have betrayed the gods (apparently, going to Khaenri'ah is enough for this to flare) will have this curse latent in themselves. At first, it doesn't do anything to them and they continue to be human until they leave Khaenri'ah, which is when they turn into hilichurls.

So while in the Mountain King's tale this had a good ending, in the hilichurls' end there is some underlying ominous factor yet to be brought more directly that may or may not be a topic of discussion in the future. Specially considering that according to the Perinheri book, the pure-blood Khaenri'ahns hold pride in this very fact because 1) they're untainted by fate, thus 2) they can't be affected by the curse of wilderness, thus turn into hilichurls.

[tunapesto]

(as per my last post) I saw a post online saying like. you still exist in my blood and it'll take a long time to get you out, etc etc paraphrased. I forgot where it's from but I think about it a lot

[aromanticasterisms]

now THAT is an interesting piece of lore

[kenyizsuartblog]

Skarner's full regalia (+chibi)

Despite being the very first Yun Tal and father of the Ground Axioms, ironically Skarner could never don the magical garments all other Yun Tal could - the brackern's mind seemed incompatible with the Vidalion and the artifact could not weave anything out of his magic.

So the people took it upon themselves to weave a headdress worthy of their eternal protector, featuring colors that mimicked the Yun Tal garments as close as possible, and lines of precious gold that resembled the Axiom patterns of Ixtali magic.

Creating this giant gift and then putting it on the equally massive head of the brackern was no easy task... but the Yun Tal aren't called elemental masters for nothing. Their protector's gratitude was well worth it.

----

LoL Train ain't stopping yet, boys!!

Although I will absolutely throw every ounce of my energy into finally finishing the Diablo fancomic in time, and will probably only upload small sketches on the side until it is done, Skarner and Runeterra in general continues to dominate my interest without fail. I have a lot of ideas for this amazing bastard, and I hope I can put as many as I can into drawn (and maybe written?) form.

We might just have another Solar Demigod Doc Ock situation on our hands here, cupcakes.

I must confess I'm so damn sad that I can't share my obsession and headcanon ideas with others about this scorpion. Man, I see so much potential in his story, his past, his justifiable fears and paranoia, and how he could become a more positive character... and immediately he gets labelled "evil boomer" by almost everyone else and that's the end of the discussion. :( I can understand OG Skarner mains, they have the right to mourn the loss of their purple crystal scorpion. But even those who had no emotional connection to his original design just brush him off.

I feel like people don't really put effort into putting themselves into characters' shoes anymore. I sure damn hope I am wrong about that, tho, because if I am not.... oh man, that is some sad state of the world.

I know right now Riot is going through yet another "lore allergy" phase in their existence, but come on guys. Can we give Skarner a chance?

No?

"Evil boomer" it is?

... Yeah, f that, not in this house! The Primordial Sovereign may rise yet!

2024.05.25.

[straylaughs]

neuvillette is just so peak character to me because everytime we see him do some regular human things i instantly remember that he's literally the hydro dragon sovereign incarnate, one of the 7 elemental dragon sovereigns who ruled teyvat before the primordial one and descenders came, a being that possesses power that far surpasses archons and you're telling me he fell for a marketing scheme

[welshoot]

Genshin Impact Timeline: Analysis and Theory (Part 2: Mythic period)

[Ancient History]  [Mythic Period] [Archon War-Mondstadt] [Archon War-Liyue & Inazuma] [Archon War-Sumeru & Fontaine]

This is the second part of my theoretical timeline for Genshin Impact Lore. I put the rest under-the-cut because it gets rather lengthy. I didn’t exactly know where this section falls, so I just put it here on its own since the so-called ‘Ancient Calamity most certainly happened quite some time ago, it is worth mentioning that this may have all occurred before the Second One Who Came since the only dating used for this period is Rex Lapis/Morax. There are definite spoilers below for pretty much all of the Genshin Impact storyline  and this is a VERY long post so please beware!

The Moon Sisters (named Aria, Sonnet, and Canon, respectively) are odd entities that may or may not be mythical and are mentioned in several in-game book collections and alluded to in many other sources from Mondstadt, Liyue, and Sumeru, respectively [Book: Heart’s Desire: Sapphire Volume 3]. Assuming they are real though, as has been implied a few times, then they were once some of the oldest beings in Teyvat alongside the Seelie, with the Seelie supposedly having been an ancient race that may have been part of the single, unified nation that spanned all of Teyvat {Artifact: Flower of Paradise Lost - Amethyst Crown]. Interestingly, the Moon Sisters are stated as being specifically older than Morax, but their deaths seem to have coincided with when he was young, though it is worth noting here that it's implied that two died and the third locked herself up in her palace [Book: Moonlit Bamboo Forest Volume 3, Artifact: Vermillion Hereafter - Solar Relic, Weapon: Moonpiercer]. The Moon sisters are described as rulers of the night sky who rode through the heavens in a silver carriage, taking turns regarding which one of them was the actual ruler of the night sky. These sisters were apparently in love with the morning stars, and that love was equal to the love the sisters held for each other. At some point these sisters were witnesses to a marriage between a Seelie ancestor and an outlander (also described as a traveler from afar who could possibly be the Second One Who Came) that took place at the Lunar Palace [Book: Records of Jueyun Volume 4, Nahida 2nd Story Quest]. Thirty days after this, ‘The Ancient Calamity’ that overturned the heavens and earth happened. The lovers (Seelie and outlander) attempted to flee, but the calamity caught up to them. As punishment, the two were separated for eternity and their memories wiped. The Seelie, as a group, were heartbroken, withered away and shed pieces of themselves, creating the Seelie we see in game [Book: Records of Jueyun Volume 4]. The Aranara's claim that the Seelie were cursed at birth to lose their form should they ever fall in love with a human, might refer to this [World Quest: Aranayaka]. The Ancient Calamity also overturned the sisters' carriage and ransacked ‘the palace of the stars’ with the sisters turning on each other, and some sources state that it ended in all three, or just two, dying [Artifact: Vermillion Hereafter - Solar Relic Weapon: Moonpiercer]. Notably, the moon in Teyvat and the moon in the spiral abyss are said to be the corpses of two of the sisters [Book: Moonlit Bamboo Forest Volume 3]. Notably, the presence of just two moons for two bodies, does support the idea that one sister did survive. Around this same time the Solar chariot, which was piloted by the morning stars, fell into the plains west of Liyue and created the Chasm and the place that would become Dunyu Ruins [Artifact: Vermillion Hereafter - Solar Relic, Book: Records of Jueyun Volume 6 - Hidden Jade]. Supposedly, the wolves remember the tragedy of the moon sisters and now refer to the morning stars as ‘the grievous stars’ implying they had a hand in the Ancient Calamity [Book: Moonlit Bamboo Forest Volume 3]. It is possible that this Ancient Calamity could be the war that occurred between the Primordial One and the Second One Who Came, and the calamity itself has something to do with the Forbidden Knowledge that was introduced to the world by King Nibelung [Nahida 2nd Story Quest]. If that is the case, then the war may have broken out if the Primordial One was against the marriage between the Seelie ancestor and the Second One Who Came. Interestingly, Nabu Malikata, a supposed descendant of the Seelie, is suggested to have been the one who gave King Deshret access to Forbidden Knowledge and the idea that Seelie are banned from loving humans lest they lose their forms [Artifact: Flower of Paradise Lost - Secret Keeper’s Magic Bottle, Book: The Tale of Shiruyeh and Shirin].

[ixiot-ghostrebel]

Get ready for my ✨️Palace of Alcazarzaray✨️:🎉

So... Almighty Creator of Teyvat Reader. We all know that the original inhabitants of Teyvat are dragons, so that means, Almighty Dragon!Creator.

Almighty Dragon!Creator who has a rivalry/resentment/tense relationship when it comes to The Primordial One because of their shades.

Almighty Dragon!Creator who thinks of the original Dragon sovereigns as their children.

Almighty Dragon!Creator who stays and watches over Teyvat, slowly their resentment lessens(even if they stay bitter because their children's powers were taken by outlanders) as they watch their teyvat, their teyvat, get more lush and green and just. Their teyvat becomes full of life and wonder.

Almighty Dragon!Creator who watches Khaenri'ah's fall in solemn silence, who looks at the children of stars in pity. Yet they are not their domain, so they cannot help(or can they).

Almighty Dragon!Creator who watches the traveler's journey, who finds intrigue in the silver companion who looks oh so similar to the Primordial One.

Almighty Dragon!Creator who watches the traveller go through nations, who watches them help Their Children. Who cannot help buy beam at this outlander who helps their children(even if one is still dead(orobashi), even if one will never get his power back(dvalin), even if one has shattered in two and has lost himself(azdaha), and even if one lost theirself to madness(apep), one gets his power back(Neuvillette) and they are so happy for him.)

All I'm saying is: Almighty Dragon!Creator who gets attached to both the Traveller, but also who gets attached to Paimon because of her relation to the Primordial God in some way or another.

Oh and Neuvillette Fluff with them.

- Starboy Anon

Wowie, Starboy Anon! This is a lot of info!

Not saying it's bad (I loredump as heavy as this when it comes to my own stuff), but I certainly have too many headcanons for your headcanons to write a Sagau!Character x Creator!Reader request!

Starboy Anon you have NO IDEA how much I am of a sucker for Azhdaha and Dvalin. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW DID YOU FIND MY HIDDEN WEAKNESSES—

I care very little about the Shining Shades and the Primordial One, so apologies for skipping over them in this headcanon request!

Headcanons: Primordial Dragon Reader—All Shall Bow and Respect Thee As They...Uh...

(Warning: Might Be OOC!)

Alright, pretending that Reader had ZERO RESTRICTIONS on what they can do NOW...Allow this idiotic Ghost Rebel to demonstrate their favoritism benevolence:

Dvalin Headcanons:

Reader absolutely adores Dvalin to bits. You Cannot tell me otherwise. They will literally give this dragon the world if they could.

Reader would definitely give them a human form if Dvalin ever wished to use it to mingle with the mortals in Mondstadt—In fact, Reader would be their tour guide (I have zero references of how Dvalin's mortal form would look like, but I imagine it'd look like a playable character skin—in other words, a very cool one)

I like to imagine that Dvalin loves music so much, he digs into Monstadt's traditional music and begs Reader to have Venti (or another bard) play the tune he finds.

Reader would definitely be the overprotective parent that absolutely hates it when others try to flirt with their children. Dvalin is clueless to these flirtatious attempts, so Reader is helicopter parenting so hard rn LOL

FLOWER CROWNS OMG. I imagine Dvalin would love those! Reader is going to indulge them with so many of them! Even better if Dvalin makes friends (obviously with the Traveler, Paimon, and Venti—those guys are naturally invited)

Reader would let Dvalin try any cuisine, but if it's anything related to alcohol, Reader is definitely going to make sure they are a) not spiked, and b) Dvalin takes a very little amount of it.

Reader's the kind of parent to see their child get a scratch on their skin and freak out and treat it like it's a very bad wound. I think you know where this is going.

Oh, and you know the Abyss Order that kind of manipulated Dvalin? No, you don't—because they no longer exist :)

Would definitely fly with Dvalin in their dragon form, or in their human-dragon form. Whichever Dvalin likes, Reader will follow suit!

Azhdaha Headcanons:

MY DRAGON BOYYYY LETS GOOOO *Aggressive Truck Noises Because Ghost Rebel Can't be Biased—*

Ahem, anyways. Considering that Azhdaha has a bit of something akin to dissociative identity disorder, Reader definitely treats the guy with extra care, opting to entertain both of Azhdaha's "personalities."

Yes, Reader fixes the erosion and memory problem. Yes, Reader gave them a new dragon body that is not purely made out of rock so that it doesn't erode too quickly. Yes, they also gave their child a human form (yk in Zhongli's story quest, Azhdaha took two appearances? Forget those two merging together—just take the color palette off of Azhdaha's dragon form and make something >:) I like to imagine a part of his hair or his eyes glows a certain color depending on the element he's wielding in his human form)

Reader shows them around all of Liyue, considering Azhdaha never really had the chance to see it properly. I like to think Azhdaha would listen to every single piece of information given to them like a sponge in water. Anything that's new or interesting to this guy, he is not backing down from it.

Now, I know the million dollar question: Does Azhdaha get scammed like Zhongli? No, because Reader is always there glaring at merchants that dare try to mess with their children in any way possible. They're also there, telling their child all about commerce and the ways of the trade—something that Azhdaha is into considering mining and ores are technically also in the business industry.

You know the guy that got blessed by Azhdaha, who can now see if rocks are valuable ores or not? Yes, believe it or not, but I believe Azhdaha would 100% check up on the mortal despite being completely tsundere and in denial about it.

HIKING! I think Azhdaha would like to have the mobility to hike—after all, in his dragon form, he's kind of the hefty and large side, so he can't exactly move fast or be nimble. I think he'd really like this change of pace!

Apep Headcanons

No huma form. She refuses to be compared to or even look like mortals. That is something Reader respects.

Technically Reader's eldest child so far. Reader kind of spoils them with loads of things only they can now make for Apep—maybe like flowers, or certain foods, etc. etc.

I like to imagine Apep secretly loves private affection. Reader giving Apep so many dragon hugs, or cuddles, or head pats. Reader spoiling them with literally anything they got lol—

Unfortunately, there's not much I can write for Apep :') There isn't enough lore for me to write on for them....

Neuvillette Headcanons

Reader 100% indulges him in his hobbies of tasting every bit of water.

Fusses over him because he's the Iudex and Reader practically almost curses out Focalors for giving their child such a demanding task, but also thanks her for showing him the ways of mortals yk. Love-Hate relationship.

Reader would bring him certain foods once they figured out what kind of mortal foods he likes.

Melusines? THEY BOTH LOVE THEM, THEY ARE NOW CREATOR'S GRANDCHILDREN (if I remember the lore correctly, I'm pretty sure they are considering they were born from a dragon??)

Reader looks out for Furina whenever they can because Neuvillette is truly Furina's #1 Fan bro—but only because Reader loves Neuvillette and doesn't want him to stress himself out.

THEY WILL KEEP THE SOUP LADLE (yk from that one Lantern Rite event? Neuvillette made a soup ladle in a theme of a dragon?) Anything Neuvillette will make, Reader is KEEPING IT in their DRAGON HOARD.

And that's all I have! Hope you find this good, Starboy Anon! :)

Ghost Rebel Side Notes: It's been so long since I wrote headcanons! This was a LOT LONGER than I thought it'd be LOLL. Hope you all enjoyed it though! :)

Seeing as we're close to 1000 Followers, I might be posting a follower event very soon 👀 Hopefully I won't die immediately once I post it! (If Tumblr eats your request, I am leaving) Anyways—I'll see you all next time! >:D

✦ Check out The Ghost Rebel’s Blog Description & Info Page to See if Their Mailbox is Open! ✦

[canonical-transformation]

What is genshin lore even about 😭

(CW: unhelpful tongue in cheek. My best attempt at "accurate" but it depends which in game lore you trust.)

Firstly, Teyvat has its own "laws", so write that down.

Among the greatest of these laws is Fate, which the god of wisdom calls "the ultimate knowledge" because we... we don't know the future? Fate cannot be changed; also, Fate can be changed, and subverted, and superceded, if you try hard enough. Fate is inscribed wrITTEN in the sTaRS of the (false?) sky, which seems to be where the Shades live.

Fate is also the Ley Lines, which are memory, which is artifacts; memory is also Ararakalari, which is good for defeating Big Iron Chunks. If you don't have Ley Lines, use a dying angel and a cursed immortal soldier to make your own. If you don't have these, an Alberich will do, too.

Another law of Teyvat is stop trying to make gestalt consciousnesses. It didn't work for King Remus, it didn't work for Rene de Petrichor and his Narzissekreuz Ordo, it didn't work for King Deshret— or did it? Historians disagree on the exact manner of his demise—so no, you may not hire postdocs for your rebranded sentience slurry. For all we know Gosoythoth is a gestalt consciousness. Gosoythoth is of the Abyss. Haborym tells us the Abyss has no innate intelligence, though perhaps it's more accurate to call it a non-sentient animalistic intelligence. There's also the Abyss Order, which doesn't appear to be affiliated with the Five Sinners, but is affiliated with the former royalty of Khaenri'ah, a nation which I am not going to mention again due to commitment to the bit.

Teyvat, everyone agrees, is a continent of seven nations. (Well, seven nations plus an autonomous Snezhnayan protectorate(?) that's really well known for using moon magic or something. But that's a retconned protectorate so despite it probably being the grave of one or more moon sisters, good luck finding any mention of Nod-Krai outside of limited-time events. As Haborym once said: "Oh, them?, yeah, they seem cool. I guess go check them out in version six? There's plot stuff there, and yeah it's a detour that the pre-1.0 roadmap never mentioned but the journey is what matters.") The seven nations are were administered by seven Archons, who each sit on one of the Seven Thrones and each have their own Gnosis an average of one Gnosis. The Gnoses are the bones of the Third Descender. Who was that, you ask? Anyway, the Thrones and Gnoses correspond to the Seven Elements. The fact that there are seven Elements appears to be a historical contingency, based on the political division of the powers of Light back in Nibelung's reign, when he and his seven Dragon Sovereigns once ruled the world.

This was long before the days when the divine envoys walked among humanity.

If the phrase "divine envoys" made you jump in your seat, you have issues. You know who else had issues, eventually? The unified civilisation that once spanned Teyvat: a seeming federation of city states that predated the Seven Archons, containing a mix of humans and divine envoys (angels?). They were created by the Primordial One, who #descended upon Nibelung's dragon civilisation declaring terra nullius and won the ensuing war. TL;DR, they got colonised. (...though "colony" implies an imperial core, whereas the Primordial One was seemingly acting alone. Sometimes eldritch entities just show up in Teyvat from the implied void between worlds, like a cosmic whale seeking magic water. Actual example btw.)

The Primordial One may have been Phanes. (Who? Great question.) Phanes(?) had four shades, including Ronova, who controls death (not to be confused with the Big Dipper star "Beidou"), and Istaroth, who was the moment, who was every moment. (Tellingly, she was Kairos — details on subtleties here.) Phanes(?) and its shades also created the so-called Human Realm, with the subjugated Dragon Vishaps mostly confined to their native Light Realm. There was also the Void Realm, likely the aforementioned void between worlds, some of which is likely the so-called Abyss. Anyway Phanes(?) had a plan for the humanity it had created. It loved them dearly. Luckily the path to temptation had already been sealed, whatever that means.

Everything changed when the Second Who Came arrived. This Second Descender may have been the [artifact leaks] who intended to [artifact leaks] [artifact leaks] but instead [artifact leaks]. Either way, this Descender brought forbidden knowledge: likely just the kind censored by the Shades, but maaaybe the Abyssal kind that killed two gods millennia later.

War was rekindled. Phanes's(?) faction, the eventual victors, quashed heresy with a rain of Divine Nails: a mix between kinetic bombardment and AoE terraforming!curses. Humanity's world got flip-turned upside down. In the case of one Liyue city, literally upside down...... or was it everyone else who got flipped? #specialrelativity Tsurumi got shrouded in a fog of menace., seemingly unrelated to the time loop some millennia later. Sal Vindagnyr got a permawinter, and the princess could not complete her mural even as the priest made his pilgrimage. Byakuyakoku fell beneath the sea, where they invented Greece and child scapegoats. Sumeru's original forests turned to desert. (Speculative: Fontaine got FRIKEE'd, a technical term for getting displaced several nautical miles into the air and not coming back down.) Mondstadt doesn't appear to have been directly nailed but it's also developmentally centuries behind all its peers, as if someone took an industrial revolution setting and then added the blandest medieval fantasy elements to it because BotW comparisons sell.

The ruins of the unified civilisation litter Teyvat and their architecture can be found everywhere — they loved their Celtic knots. For the low cost of some petrified Moon resin that apparently only Descenders secrete, you can poke at their old Irminsul shrines (their Leylines now infested with monsters) for access to the memories within the Leylines.

According to Wolfy, who is a fictional character and also real, the Envoys were cursed in various ways, largely being turned into Seelies: shadows of themselves forever guiding lost travellers home. (According to Fischl, who is also a fictional character and also also real, the kingdom of eternal darkness that is shrouded from the heavens shall eventually re-emerge and punish the wicked usurpers: this is foretold by Fate.) There are various exceptions: Nabu Malikata; Yohualtechutin. The one mentioned by Wolfy is Nicole Reeyn, who is the second-most Seelie coded character in the game because she likes being a good guide.

Seemingly later there was the Gnoses and the Archon War (at least in Liyue and Inazuma) and then there was nobody left who shared the memories of osmanthus wine so dear to Morax, besides the several dozen illuminated beast vassals, in his employ, and also Marchosias, who got Rukkhadevata'd, a term that is the opposite of getting Arama'd. (Arama was an Aranara but then they had to be a worldtree. Rukkhadevata was

More recently, there was the Siege of Poisson. Parsifal was there [citation needed][disputed]. Possibly because of this, Tenoch and Bosacius died soon after, and a whole lot of Hilichurls got made. Stars fell from the skies, and according to the promotional Xbox wings one of them was once the scion of a glorious kingdom.