Genshin Impact Teyvat Complete Worldview (Deep Dive, Including Detailed Descriptions of the Seven Nations + Nordkrai)
Adapted for Odette's fanfiction, this includes the fundamental laws of the universe, ancient history, and details for each of the Seven Nations: geography, deities, history, social customs, and internal conflicts; a complete overview of Nordkrai's factions and culture; major ancient events, core factions, and the entire power system are fully elaborated.
I. Universe and World's Fundamental Settings
Teyvat is a closed planet encased by a False Sky (Eggshell).
• Inside the Eggshell: The Heavenly Principles and their rulers reside on the Floating Island; Outside the Eggshell: The Sea of Darkness, chaos and void, the source of Abyssal power. The False Sky fabricates stars and moons, obscuring the true cosmic vista.
1. Travelers
Beings not native to Teyvat, arriving from beyond the planet.
1. First Traveler · Phanes, the Primordial One (First Heavenly Principle): Split the Sea of Darkness, created the Eggshell, reshaped Teyvat, created humanity, and established the Four Shadow Archons: Life, Death, Time, and Space. The Anemo Archon = Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, the woman who intercepted the twins at the beginning. Phanes was severely wounded and fell into a deep slumber after the War of the Seven Sovereigns, causing a significant decline in the Floating Island's power.
2. Second and Third Travelers: Records are incomplete, leaving behind echoes and fragments of power. The Flames of Both Worlds are related to the Travelers' power.
3. Fourth Traveler: The Traveler twins. The twins are external travelers, not entirely bound by Teyvat's fate.
Archons, Dragon Kings, humans, and Fatui Harbingers are not Travelers; they are native beings.
2. The Three Realms' Fundamental Powers (World's Underlying Laws)
1. Light Realm Power: The planet's native power, controlled by the ancient Seven Dragon Lords. It is violent and corrosive to humans. Examples: Neuvillette, Natlan's Elemental Energy. It predates the birth of the Seven Elements.
2. Human Realm Power: A gentler power, tamed and domesticated by Phanes after reshaping Teyvat. The Seven Elements (Anemo, Geo, Electro, Dendro, Hydro, Cryo, Pyro). Archons and Vision holders use this power. The Gnosis is essentially a high-level nexus of Human Realm Power.
3. Void Realm Power (The Abyss): Originates from beyond the Eggshell, distorts reality, alters memories and fate, and possesses strong corrosive properties. The Abyss Order, the Black Serpent Knights, and the Hunters in the Snow use Void Realm Power.
Different powers cannot be mixed freely. Odette simultaneously carries the Fatui's Cryo (Human Realm Power) and the residual Flames of Both Worlds from the Signora, which continuously burdens her body.
3. Ley Lines & The World Tree
• Ley Lines permeate the entire continent, recording the memories, history, life, and death of all living beings; they are the world's collective memory bank.
• The World Tree is the central hub of the Ley Lines. Modifying the World Tree can only rewrite the memories of all beings, not change objective facts that have already occurred. The Dendro Archon Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's deletion of herself is a prime example.
4. Visions / Gnoses
• Visions: Bestowed by the Floating Island upon mortals with sufficiently strong desires, granting them the ability to wield elemental power. They are not created by the Seven Archons. Their holders are called "Genshin." Visions are essentially tools of surveillance.
• Gnoses: Granted by the Heavenly Principles to the Seven Archons of the mortal realm, used for communication with the Floating Island and to wield the authority of a nation. Their power level is far superior to Visions. The Fatui's goal is to collect all seven Gnoses.
5. Archons and the Archon War
Archons are powerful native beings of Teyvat, each possessing unique authorities and ideals. Approximately 2000 years ago, the Heavenly Principles initiated the Archon War. The entire continent was engulfed in conflict, and countless Archons were annihilated. The seven strongest surviving Archons were enfeoffed by the Heavenly Principles, becoming the Seven Archons of the mortal realm and establishing the Seven Nations. The remnants of defeated Archons form Archon Residue, continuously polluting the land.
6. The Cataclysm of Khaenri'ah (500 years ago, the turning point of the entire story)
Khaenri'ah, an ancient nation of gods, was built underground. It rejected divine protection, studied alchemy and mechanical technology, and developed an extremely high civilization. It was divided into the Red Moon and Black Sun dynasties, researching the secrets of the moon and black earth alchemy (Art of White Clay).
• Excessive pursuit of forbidden knowledge and contact with Abyssal power triggered a pitch-black calamity, and a beast tide swept across all of Teyvat.
• The Heavenly Principles summoned the Seven Nations of the mortal realm to send troops and destroy Khaenri'ah. Its citizens were cursed with eternal life, transforming into Hilichurls and Black Serpent Knights, forever suffering.
• The cost of the cataclysm was immense: The first Dendro Archon, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, sacrificed herself to purify the calamity; a large number of Archons died in battle.
• The twins happened to pass through Teyvat and were caught in it: The Abyssal Twin (blood relative) was corrupted by the Abyss; the player Traveler was sealed and fell into a five-hundred-year slumber by the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.
• After the cataclysm, the Cryo Archon completely renounced the Floating Island, formed the Fatui, and set her sights on collecting the Gnoses to shatter the fate woven by the Heavenly Principles.
II. Detailed Descriptions of the Seven Nations of the Mortal Realm
1. Mondstadt | Nation of Anemo · Pursuit of Freedom
• Deity: Barbatos (Venti, God of Anemo)
• Geography: Northeastern part of the continent, plains, lakes, wind-eroded mountains. Once ruled by the Tyrant of the North Wind.
• History
During the Archon War, the Tyrant Decarabian imprisoned his people. A nameless young hero and an Anemo spirit (Venti) revolted and overthrew the tyrant. The young hero died, Venti became a god, and blew away the wind and snow to shape the Mondstadt plains.
A thousand years ago, the old noble Lawrence family tyrannized the land. The slave Vennessa revolted and established the Knights of Favonius. Venti chose to slumber, not ruling directly, allowing humans to govern themselves.
• Social Customs: Reveres poetry, wine, wind, and freedom. The city is managed by the Knights of Favonius, with the Church operating in parallel. The people are relaxed and romantic, despising oppression.
• Internal Conflicts: Freedom is not unconditional; ordinary people often waver between freedom and responsibility; remnants of the old nobility still exist; the Anemo God is often absent, leaving the nation lacking direct divine protection.
Core Philosophy: Humanity should have the freedom to choose their own destiny.
2. Liyue | Nation of Geo · Contracts
• Deity: Morax (Zhongli, God of Geo, the oldest of the Seven Archons)
• Geography: Eastern part of the continent, rocky mountains, harbors, diverse terrain, rich in mineral resources.
• History: During the Archon War, Morax defeated countless Archons, unified the Adepti, Yakshas, and humans through contracts, and established Liyue Harbor. He personally created the Mora, which became the currency circulating throughout the continent. He personally protected Liyue for over two thousand years. In the main story, he fulfilled his contract and chose to abdicate, handing over the nation entirely to the human Liyue Qixing for governance.
• Social Customs: Values trust, contracts, and commerce. Commerce is extremely prosperous, attracting merchants from all over. Traditional rituals are important, and Adepti coexist with mortals. The Liyue Qixing holds secular power. The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor handles life and death.
• Internal Conflicts: Conflict between ancient traditions and new human ideologies; Archon Residue from the Archon War continues to pollute the land; a gap exists between the Adepti and mortals.
Core Philosophy: Contracts are inviolable, and humans will eventually grow up and become independent.
3. Inazuma | Nation of Electro · Eternity
• Deities: Makoto (First Electro Archon); Ei (Baal, current Electro Archon)
• Geography: Easternmost islands, composed of multiple large islands and smaller islets; mountainous terrain, lightning-prone landscapes.
• History: During the Archon War, the sisters Makoto and Ei fought side-by-side to unify the islands. During the Cataclysm of Khaenri'ah, Makoto was killed. Ei, fearing loss, pursued "Eternity," establishing the Shogunate. She issued the Sakoku Decree and the Vision Hunt Decree, confiscating the Visions of her citizens. After resistance and the Traveler's intervention, Ei understood true eternity, abolished the Sakoku and Vision Hunt Decrees, handed over secular power to the Shogunate, and continued to pursue her inner eternity.
• Social Customs: Samurai culture, singing and dancing, flower festivals; ruled by the Shogunate, with the Tri-Commission managing state affairs. The Grand Narukami Shrine manages faith. Yokai and humans live together.
• Internal Conflicts: The pursuit of static eternity in the past caused immense harm; corruption within the Tri-Commission; historical grievances between yokai and humans.
Core Philosophy: Eternity is not static, but rather maintaining one's true self amidst change.
4. Sumeru | Nation of Dendro · Wisdom
• Deities: Greater Lord Rukkhadevata (First Dendro Archon, sacrificed in the calamity); Lesser Lord Kusanali (Nahida, the current Dendro Archon)
• Geography: Central-western part of the continent, with rainforests and deserts. The desert contains ruins of the ancient Sumeru civilization; the rainforest is the location of the Akademiya. Khaenri'ah's territory lies beneath Sumeru.
• History: Greater Lord Rukkhadevata created Sumeru and established the Akademiya. During the Cataclysm of Khaenri'ah, to purify forbidden knowledge, Rukkhadevata erased herself, and the World Tree rewrote everyone's memories. The Akademiya degenerated, attempting to create a god and reclaim the knowledge imprisoned by the Heavenly Principles. Nahida was imprisoned for five hundred years; the Traveler helped her regain power and reform the Akademiya.
• Social Customs: Reveres academics and wisdom. The Akademiya has six major schools, and scholars hold high status; the desert preserves ancient tribes, with long-standing estrangement from the rainforest. Dreams, reincarnation, and memory are the themes of this nation.
• Internal Conflicts: Wisdom does not equate to kindness; knowledge can save or destroy; the thousand-year rift between the rainforest and the desert; pollution from lingering forbidden knowledge.
Core Philosophy: True wisdom encompasses ignorance and acceptance, not omniscience and omnipotence.
5. Fontaine | Nation of Hydro · Justice
• Deities: Egeria (First Hydro Archon); Furina (Human); Neuvillette (Hydro Dragon Sovereign, reclaimed all Hydro authority)
• Geography: Coastal nation, dotted with rivers, lakes, fountains, and opera houses. The sea level is rising, posing a crisis.
• History: The first Hydro Archon, Egeria, transformed exiled humans from Khaenri'ah using primordial seawater, planting the seeds of prophecy. The prophecy stated: All Fontainians would dissolve into the Primordial Sea. Egeria died, and Furina, as a mortal, impersonated the Hydro Archon for five hundred years, acting to await the prophecy's resolution. Neuvillette reclaimed all Hydro authority, resolving the prophetic crisis. Fontaine was freed from divine rule and handed over to the human Court of Appeal for governance.
• Social Customs: Obsessed with trials, drama, and opera. The highest authority is the Court of Appeal. The public fervently watches trials. A vast gap exists between the nobility and the common people.
• Internal Conflicts: The pursuit of justice is rife with class inequality; the shadow of an ancient prophecy; the identity crisis of humans transformed from seawater.
Core Philosophy: Justice is not merely court rulings; compassion is the foundation of justice.
6. Natlan | Nation of Pyro · War and Rebirth
• Deity: Murata, the current Pyro Archon. The Pyro Archon's authority is passed down among warriors.
• Geography: Southwestern part of the continent, volcanoes, lava, grasslands, with many ancient dragon ruins. It is the nation with the most remaining Light Realm Power (Elemental Energy) among the Seven Nations, with deep symbiosis between humans and dragons.
• History: Ancient Natlan possessed a glorious ancient civilization. It was severely damaged during the Cataclysm of Khaenri'ah. Natlan's various tribes formed alliances with different dragon species; tribes completed inheritance through combat, competition, and flame rituals. Death is not the end; souls are reborn through the sacred flame.
• Social Customs: Reveres combat, dance, and rebirth. Numerous tribes exist, such as the Echoes of the Children and the Flowing Springs, where humans and dragons live as companions. The Sacred Flame is the spiritual core of the entire nation.
• Internal Conflicts: War is not the goal; rebirth comes with immense sacrifice; the secret of the ancient moon remains; continuous infiltration of Abyssal power.
Core Philosophy: Amidst constant destruction and rebirth, preserve the tribe's flame.
7. Snezhnaya | Nation of Cryo · Defiance of Fate (Odette's Nation)
• Deity: The Tsaritsa (Cryo Archon)
• Geography: Northern part of the continent, perpetually frozen lands, glaciers, snowfields; the southern part includes the autonomous border region of Nordkrai. Harsh living environment.
• History: The Cryo Archon won during the Archon War. The Cryo Archon's initial ideal was love and compassion. During the Cataclysm of Khaenri'ah, witnessing the tragedies of countless beings, her beliefs completely changed, and she resolved to defy the predetermined fate set by the Heavenly Principles. She established the Fatui, recruiting all those who bore pain in the world, forming the Eleven Harbingers, collecting the Gnoses, and executing the "Snezhnayan Plan" to prepare for the final confrontation with the Heavenly Principles.
• Social Customs: The people are resilient and tenacious, enduring the long winter. Drama and ballet are highly developed arts. Class stratification is evident; many refugees and displaced people gather here. The Fatui have extremely high authority within the country, but the organization is not monolithic; there are significant ideological differences among the Harbingers.
• Internal Conflicts: Beneath the noble goal of defying the Heavenly Principles lie conspiracies, sacrifices, and morally gray methods; many members do not agree with the Tsaritsa's entire plan but are merely bound by personal grudges or debts (Odette belongs to this category); governance of refugees and border regions is a challenge; the lawless state of Nordkrai.
Core Philosophy: Tear apart the predetermined fate, even if it means bearing all sins.
III. Nordkrai (Nod‑Krai) — The Lawless Frontier Under the Tsaritsa
Not an independent nation among the Seven, it is administratively subordinate to Snezhnaya, but the Tsaritsa has relinquished direct control, making it a highly autonomous island frontier region, the location of Odette's story, "Song of the Empty Moon."
Geography
The southernmost part of Snezhnaya's territory, an archipelago situated between Snezhnaya, Fontaine, and Natlan. The terrain consists of fjords, tundra, fog seas, and numerous ancient ruins. The islands are divided into northern and southern archipelagos; the north is heavily eroded by the Abyss, while the south is relatively prosperous. Abandoned mechanical fortifications from Snezhnaya's early failed development projects are scattered throughout. The Dunannana Chasm is the site of ancient moon power ruins.
Origin and Ancient History
Nordkrai is a remnant of the moon civilization. After the fall of the three ancient moon goddesses, fragments of the moon fell here. The native inhabitants, the Frost Moon Children, have worshipped the moon for generations and possess Moon Matrix Power (Kuuvahki), an ancient power predating the Seven Elements and not belonging to Human Realm Power. Historically, it has accepted exiles, refugees, and criminals from all over Teyvat, hence its name, "Land of Wanderers."
Major Factions (Multiple factions in a state of division, no unified government)
1. Frost Moon Children: Native inhabitants who worship the new moon (corresponding to Harbinger Colombina), guard the secrets of the moon, and possess Moon Matrix Power; they are distant towards outsiders and resist the Fatui's plundering of ancient moon power.
2. Fatui (Dottore's Faction): Dottore uses this place as a secret base, madly researching ancient moon remains and Moon Matrix Power, with numerous secret laboratories scattered across the islands. Odette, as a former subordinate of the Signora, comes here and must deal with Dottore's faction, placing her in a very delicate position.
3. Voinich Trading Company: The largest commercial power in this land, controlling the core town of Nasha. A mixed bag of merchants, smugglers, and mercenaries, where money is paramount, and they mediate between major factions.
4. Lantern Bearers: A civilian militia that has guarded Nordkrai for generations. They wield lanterns against Abyssal erosion, hunt the spectral army of the Hunters in the Snow, and protect ordinary refugees, owing allegiance to no major power.
5. Hunters in the Snow: Spectral armies born from the Abyss, wandering in the northern erosion zone, slaughtering living beings, the embodiment of Abyssal power.
In addition, there are over a dozen smaller gangs, religious groups, and wandering mercenary bands, engaged in constant power struggles and conflicts.
Social and Human Landscape
• Known as the "Lawless Frontier Under the Tsaritsa," where laws are almost non-existent. Exiles, bankrupts, criminals, and adventurers from all Seven Nations gather here. Opportunities and dangers coexist.
• Nasha Town is the central marketplace, where trade, intelligence, black markets, and entertainment converge. With money, one can buy almost anything, but it is also easy to be robbed.
• Locals revere the moon and have unique moon festival celebrations; legends and songs of the ancient moon are passed down among the people.
• The Snezhnayan central government has attempted to conquer and develop these islands multiple times, failing each time, and can only allow them to govern themselves. Different factions of Fatui Harbingers engage in power struggles here.
Connection to Odette's Character
Nordkrai simultaneously possesses ancient moon power, Dottore's cruel experiments, and clues about the Flames of Both Worlds left by the Signora. As a former subordinate of the Signora, Odette is dispatched here. While completing Fatui missions, she witnesses the suffering of countless ordinary people in this land, further prompting her to reflect on the rightness and wrongness of the Fatui's "Snezhnayan Plan."
IV. Overview of Major Factions in Teyvat
1. The Floating Island & The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles: Maintain the established fate script, suppress human overreach. Currently, the Heavenly Principles' main body is dormant, and many directives are issued indirectly by the Archons.
2. The Seven Nations of the Mortal Realm: The Seven Archons of the mortal realm, each with different ideals. Zhongli and Furina have abdicated; the Cryo Archon is the only god openly opposing the Floating Island.
3. The Fatui (Snezhnaya): The Eleven Harbingers under the Cryo Archon, most members bearing trauma. Their goal is to collect all seven Gnoses and declare war on the Heavenly Principles. Internal positions are divided: some seek revenge, some pursue ideals, and some are simply bound by gratitude (Odette).
4. The Abyss Order: Remnants of Khaenri'ah, led by the Traveler's blood relative, the Abyssal Twin. Their goal is to overthrow the Heavenly Principles; Abyssal power is immense but corrosive, and many are consumed by it, losing their sanity. They are not purely evil but a group of tragic rebels.
5. The Hexenzirkel: A secret organization of women spanning millennia, loyal to no nation, observing the world's trajectory, and possessing many ancient secrets.
6. The Divided Factions of Nordkrai: Detailed above.
V. Core Themes Running Through Teyvat
1. Fate and Choice: The Heavenly Principles attempt to predetermine everyone's fate; the Tsaritsa seeks the power to rewrite fate; the Abyss desires to tear up the script; ordinary people (like Odette) are trapped by the shackles of family, gratitude, and duty, searching for their own path.
2. The Price of Power: All powerful forces inevitably come with sacrifice, physical toll, and mental anguish. There is no salvation without cost.
3. Memory and Self: The World Tree can alter memories, but true experiences do not disappear. Are people shaped by their memories, or defined by their choices? Odette's greatest conflict: Should she use the Flames of Both Worlds to erase her memories and completely abandon her identity as an agent?
4. The Gray Nature of Rebellion: Those who rebel against oppression also commit sins; the Fatui's goals are noble, but their methods involve sacrifice. Good and evil are not black and white.
If you need it, I can provide a simplified fanfiction summary (removing the lore details and directly usable for Odette's fanfiction).