Chapter Text
Thousands of years ago, chaos reigned in Teyvat. The people lived scattered across the face of the land in hundreds of small cities, constantly at war with one another. Dangerous experiments had upset the elemental energies, and natural disasters plagued every continent as a result. The sick, widowed and orphaned were treated with contempt, and frequent famines had left many starved.
As populations begin to suffer and dwindle, and all hope seemed to be lost, there arose six Archons to establish peace in Teyvat. Each wielding authority over one of the disrupted elements, they worked together to put an end to the catastrophes and organized the people into nations. Each nation took responsibility for one element to ensure the balance of nature would be safely maintained, and all six nations began to live in harmony.
However, as the centuries began to pass and the original six Archons had long been laid to rest, the new reigning Archons began to grow prideful. Some abused their power, others flattered their nations, and eventually the Archons, though merely acting as rulers, came to be worshipped as gods. Temples began to be built in their name and churches were established to sing their praises. Archon worship soon became an integral part of every culture in Teyvat, leaving the well-being of the people to become dependent on nature of their reigning Archons. While good Archons fostered peace and prosperity, wicked Archons brought war and destruction, costing the lives of countless people.
Eventually, certain groups of people among the six nations grew weary of placing their well-being in the fickle hands of the archons. Banding together, they journeyed to an island to establish a nation of their own, known as Khaenri'ah. Despite the new Khaenri'ahns’ fears, the reigning archons at the time, who had already begun to privately question the god-worship established by their predecessors, embraced the new nation, pleased to see their people striving for independence and welcoming their new ideas.
And so, with the support of the other nations in trade and diplomacy, Khaenri'ah began to flourish. Its people proved to be intelligent inventors, and they developed technologies never before seen in the land, rapidly advancing Teyvat's previously limited knowledge. People flocked from all parts of the world to visit the new island nation and businessmen rushed to establish new deals with them, turning Khaenri'ah into a booming center of culture and influence.
Meanwhile, many leagues below the waters of Teyvat, a new people began to search for a change of life. From the beginning of time, a race of merfolk lived in the seas, ruled by the Primordial One, a mysterious being even the Archons themselves knew little about. But over time, the Primordial One had become selfish and cruel, and the merfolk were beginning to suffer. They watched the nations of Teyvat grow from afar, longing for the freedoms that a life on land provided. The wishes and cries of the merfolk began to influence even the very element in which they lived. Storms ravaged the seas, bringing floods and great winds to the land dwellers. The people turned to their Archons for help, but with none to hold authority over Hydro, they were powerless against it.
Just as the storms began to worsen and the people feared that all hope was lost, a seventh archon came to light. This new Hydro Archon rebuked the Primordial One for his negligence to his people, and granted the merfolk human forms, allowing them to establish the nation of Fontaine on land, free from the Primordial One's grasp. Believing the Hydro Archon had taken the authority that was rightfully his, he waged war against her new nation, ultimately forcing the new archon to sacrifice herself to defend her nation. With her dying breath, she drew all the primordial water that granted him strength into the waters of Fontaine, forcing him to retreat deep into the trenches of the sea, never to be seen again.
Though saddened by the loss of the ruler who had so graciously saved them, the Fontainians did not waste the opportunity she had given them. Led by a new Hydro Archon, they worked hard to build their new lives on land. The people of Teyvat welcomed the Fontainians with open arms, helping them to adjust to their human forms and build a home for themselves. The Khaenri'ahns, happy to support their new neighbors, led the efforts, teaching the Fontainians how to implement their technologies and helping them to build architectural wonders. Once again, Teyvat was at peace.
All was well for a time. The eight nations lived in harmony, growing and developing side by side. Khaenri'ah continued to expand its research, seeking to learn more about the world they lived in and use the knowledge they gained to benefit it. But everything changed one fateful day when a team of underwater explorers disturbed a dark force known as the Abyss that had been lurking under the water.
Led by an entity calling itself the Sinner, it unleashed otherworldly creatures upon the land, threatening to destroy everything in sight. The Sinner, claiming to be a living representation of all the corruption in Teyvat, proclaimed that the Archons had caused this destruction to be brought upon the world by allowing themselves to be worshipped by the people and demanded that they renounce their authorities and allow themselves to be destroyed.
Knowing that Teyvat would fall into the hands of the Sinner if they complied, the Archons gathered all their strength for one desperate, final push against him. Though they came out triumphant, the resulting battle cost the lives of two of the archons, and the collapse of the Sinner triggered a Calamity that sunk the island Khaenri'ah was built on. All efforts to rescue the people failed, leaving the Archons to do nothing but watch helplessly as they drowned.
Greatly grieved at the loss of the Khaenri'ahns’ lives and disturbed by the Sinner's accusations, the remaining archons tracked down the successors to their fallen companions and determined to make a change. One by one, they each renounced their sovereignties passing on the right to rule to trusted humans, only retaining their elemental authorities. All except for the Cryo Archon, who refused to follow the others, believing them to be cowards. Maddened by the loss of both her husband and only child in Khaenri'ah's destruction, the Cryo Archon believed the world had been tainted by the Abyss and believed it was the Archons' responsibility to hunt down and eradicate every last trace of it. The other Archons believed her ideas to be dangerous and irrational and pleaded with her to follow their lead, but she would not listen. Instead of renouncing her sovereignty, she strengthened it, turning her nation of Snezhnaya into an autocracy and garnering the unquestioning loyalty of her people. Now known as the Tsaritsa, she sought to usurp the other Archons' elemental authorities to aid her quest of purifying Teyvat, forcing them to scatter and disappear into hiding.
The stories of the people of Khaenri'ah have long since been reduced to legends, distant memories buried far in the past. And though the Tsaritsa continues her hunt for the other Archons to this day, they too have become nothing more than whispers and rumors among the people. Life continues on and though peace is no longer a constant, the inhabitants of Teyvat live comfortably, thoughts of destruction pushed far from their minds...