Egeria

Egeria, also known as the Mistress of Many Waters,^[5][12] was the original Hydro Archon^[13] and the predecessor of the latest Hydro Archon, Focalors.

Egeria assumed control of Fontaine after the fall of Remuria and the death of its God King, Remus.^[14] She died in battle at Tunigi Hollow during the cataclysm 500 years ago and her body turned into the water of the Amrita. Greater Lord Rukkhadevata grew the Harvisptokhm from the Amrita to anchor Egeria's consciousness to the mortal realm,^[15] allowing Egeria to contain and cleanse the Abyssal defilement in the Girdle of the Sands.^[16]

Her voice was heard in Overture Teaser: The Final Feast.

Profile[]

Egeria became the god of Fontaine after Remus' death, uniting the various tribes that remained after Remuria's destruction. She established Fontaine's laws and was known by various titles, including "Noble Navigator," the "Ruler of Rivers and Seas," and the "Queen of All Waters."^[14] Little is currently known about Egeria's reign, although it is believed that she knew about Fontaine's future conundrums; rumors claim that the prophecy now spreading around Fontaine — that all Fontainians are born with sin, and that the waters will rise and dissolve the people of Fontaine, leaving only Focalors behind — are rooted in Egeria's last words.^[17] In The Final Feast, Egeria states: "The original sin is the fairest: Everyone sinks... Make the most of the final feast, because for the sinners, the curtain call has come," although this has not been identified as her last words.

Egeria is the alleged creator of the Oceanids, and although this view has been challenged by later researchers,^[18] the Oceanids willingly followed Egeria and the strongest of them traveled all over Teyvat to follow Egeria's command of "connect[ing] everyone in the world."^[19] Following Egeria's death, many of the Oceanids chose not to return to Fontaine, in part out of a refusal to recognize the new Hydro Archon Focalors,^[19] and in part because Fontaine's waters suddenly grew bitter from pain and hate, and finding other sources of pure water was necessary for survival.^[20] With Egeria's death, most of Fontaine's waters are no longer capable of naturally creating Oceanids.^[21]

When the cataclysm struck and the Abyss' power emerged all over Teyvat, Egeria was among the Archons who fought at Tunigi Hollow. After she was slain, her body transformed into the pure, primordial waters of the Amrita, from which Greater Lord Rukkhadevata grew the Harvisptokhm. When even the Amrita began to succumb to the Abyss, Rukkhadevata summoned Simurgh, the Khvarena given to her long beforehand by the late Nabu Malikata, to drink from the Amrita and burst into thousands of motes of Khvarena which would then cleanse the Abyss' defilement.^[15] The Pari, who are motes of Khvarena which have sentience, consider the Harvisptokhm their god.^[22]

Story[]

History[]

An Oceanid legend states that after the Hydro Dragon was removed from its position as the "heart" of the Primordial Sea, the Shade of Life (unofficial name), one of the Four Shades of the Heavenly Principles, created Egeria as the Primordial Sea's new heart. Despite the Heavenly Principles's alien origins, Egeria's substance and essence were formed entirely from material originating from Teyvat. At the time, no divine duty had been assigned to her.^[23]

According to legend, the first Oceanid was born after Egeria shed the "first tear," which then gave birth to all other Oceanids. Egeria bestowed a task to the Oceanids "to seek an understanding of the diverse array of species and to love every creature." The Oceanids, following their master's desire to connect everyone in the world, thus dispersed across the waters of Teyvat to act as spies,^{[Note 1]} the most powerful of whom was Rhodeia of Loch.^[19] Despite the usage of the term "spy," however, Endora — communicating on Rhodeia's behalf — denies any ulterior motive on Egeria's part.

Some of Egeria's followers soon desired to live on the surface, having seen and envied human life. Not wanting to refuse her followers, Egeria decided to fulfill the request herself, taking water from the Primordial Sea and inserting it into the Oceanids' "blood" vessels, thus creating humanoid forms for them to walk on land. This action did not go unnoticed by Celestia, who deemed it a sin and sentenced her to be sealed for her crimes, claiming that a prophecy would come to dissolve the people of Fontaine in order to wash their sins away.^[24]

After Remuria was destroyed by conflicts and rebellions, Celestia commanded Egeria to return from her primeval prison^[25] to take over Remus' position and rule Fontaine.^[5] Egeria returned to Fontaine and gathered the survivors, mediated between their feuds, and instructed them to establish new cities around flowing springs, thus commencing an era guided by law which has endured to the present day.^[3] She was awarded a Gnosis,^[23] ascended as the Hydro Archon, and became one of The Seven.^[15]

She exiled all of the criminals from her nation, who lived in misery as they were shunned by society. Eventually, some of these criminals begged for forgiveness, which she heard through the waters. Egeria granted their wish for redemption, ordering them to guard her secret beneath the waves, which they did. This resulted in the construction of the Fortress of Meropide, a living place for them, with its main purpose to stop the path leading to the Primordial Sea, though this was eventually forgotten over time.^[26]

While knowing she could not make an enemy of the divine, Egeria did not want harm to befall her followers because of the prophecy. She assigned Focalors, one of her Oceanid followers, to be her successor, hoping that she would be able to concoct a plan to deceive Celestia.^[27]

The Cataclysm[]

Five hundred years prior to the events of the main story, the cataclysm began. Egeria was among several gods who ventured to Tunigi Hollow to combat the forces of the Abyss spewing forth from the rift there. However, she was eventually slain during the conflict, and her body was subsequently turned into a pool of pure dew called the Amrita.^[15]

As Egeria had been stained by corruption and unable to be reborn in a purer plane, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata grew the Harvisptokhm from the Amrita, allowing Egeria's consciousness to remain anchored to the mortal realm by dwelling within the Gaokerena, a giant lotus within the Harvisptokhm.^[28] The power of the Harvisptokhm would maintain the seal and absorb the defilement at Tunigi Hollow, keeping the Abyss at bay for years to come while the Amrita nourished the Vourukasha Oasis around the Harvisptokhm.^[22]

Eventually, as the corruption of the defilement began taking its toll on the Harvisptokhm, a Khvarena bird named Simurgh was forced to make her destined sacrifice by drinking the water of the Amrita and transmuting herself into limitless Khvarena lifeforms. This resulted in the creation of the sentient Pari and other Khvarena forms, who began to defend and worship the Harvisptokhm as their god.^[22]

Legacy[]

Following Egeria's passing, she was succeeded as Hydro Archon by Focalors. However, the Oceanids, who worshipped Egeria and refused to recognize Focalors as the new Hydro Archon, ventured to the Harvisptokhm in search of their master.^[16] Upon discovering what remained of their former god, the Oceanids spread across Teyvat to continue their former god's wish in exile.^[29] Since then, many of the Oceanids have cut all ties with Fontaine.^[19]

Over 400 years ago, Rene de Petrichor, Jakob, and Karl Ingold traveled to the Girdle of the Sands in hopes of finding a way to avert Fontaine's impending water crisis. There, Rene discovered that his and Jakob's physical constitutions were similar to the Gaokerena's, but Karl's was not.^[30]

Present Day[]

Centuries later, massive defilement build-up — which was not ritually cleansed by the Order of Skeptics, who had lost their connection to the Pari — caused the Sign of Apaosha to form over the Harvisptokhm, threatening to erode it. During the World Quest Series Khvarena of Good and Evil, the Pari Sorush teams up with the Traveler and Paimon to purify the defilement and awaken Egeria's consciousness.^[22] With help from Mihir and Rashnu, the trio perform the Rite of Chinvat at Tunigi Hollow to gain access into the Harvisptokhm.^[28]

Inside the tree, the trio traverse through various Defiled Chambers within Egeria's consciousness to extract several Spenta Hearts within them. With the hearts, the trio perform the Rite of Ab-Zohr to bloom the Flower of Sanctity within the Gaokerena and awaken Egeria's consciousness, which then unleashes Amrita across the land to rid it of its defilement, extinguishing the Sign of Apaosha and allowing the withered Harvisptokhm to regrow.^[31]

When the Traveler and Paimon arrive in Fontaine, they learn that a prophecy has recently been circulating around Fontaine: That all people from Fontaine are born with sin that cannot be absolved; one day, the waters of Fontaine will rise and the sinful people will all be dissolved into the waters, and only the Hydro Archon will remain, weeping on her throne — only then will the sins of the people be washed away. Neuvillette speculates that it is rooted in Egeria's last words before her death, believing that it is the "conundrum" she left behind for her successor.^[17]

Character Mentions[]

Character Stories

Character	Stories
Neuvillette	A Fontainian Nursery Rhyme

Character Voice-Overs

Character	Voice-Overs
Neuvillette	About Neuvillette: The Meaning of Trials  Media:VO_Neuvillette About Neuvillette - The Meaning of Trials.ogg Media:VO ZH_Neuvillette About Neuvillette - The Meaning of Trials.ogg Media:VO JA_Neuvillette About Neuvillette - The Meaning of Trials.ogg Media:VO KO_Neuvillette About Neuvillette - The Meaning of Trials.ogg This is a topic that's been discussed ad nauseum... I don't mean to condescend to humanity, but it is quite clear to me that society's concepts of justice, fairness, equality, and rule of law are not equivalent, and can never be. Now of course, water always seeks its own level, and it was in this spirit that the previous Hydro Archon, Egeria, hoped to achieve universal equality by connecting all things with love. Her successor chose instead to seek equality by means of the law. But ultimately, due to various external factors, this unfortunately manifested itself in the distorted form of trials for the sake of trials. Nevertheless, there are reasons for everything. I should refrain from criticizing her.

Trivia[]

Etymology[]

• Egeria, also called Aegeria, is a nymph from Roman mythology. She is the legendary divine escort and counselor of Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome.
  • She is usually regarded as a water spirit, fitting Egeria's role as the previous ruler of Fontaine, the nation of Hydro. Incidentally, her successor's vessel, Furina, is also named after a Roman water goddess.
• Amrita (Sanskrit: अमृत) is a Sanskrit word meaning "immortal" and has a central importance within Indian religions, often referred to in ancient Indian texts as an elixir that grants immortality.

Gallery[]

Overture Teaser- The Final Feast - Genshin Impact

Notes[]

Other Languages[]

Change History[]

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