The Eremites

The Eremites are a group of people who hail from Sumeru's desert region. Most of them are mercenaries by trade and conduct business across Teyvat.^[1][2]

Overview[]

Rather than a 'hero,' I'd call myself someone who 'isn't afraid of dying so that they might truly live.' This was something that a senior from Sumeru told me, and she herself heard it from the Eremites.

—Zhiqiong, Valor's Afterglow

The Eremites hail from the ancient, now-collapsed civilizations of the Great Red Sand.^[3] They are split into multiple factions and tribes, each with their own beliefs and codes of conduct, although these factions are not always mutually exclusive. Strife sometimes erupts between different Eremite groups, which is why consultants and advisors are appointed by Rukh Shah to facilitate communication. In fact, the name "Eremites" is simply a blanket term for all of the tribes of the desert, ignoring any of the distinctions between said tribes.^[4]

The Eremites "have a claim to part of the legacy" of the ancient civilizations they come from, "as a deterrent of last resort in a crisis."^[3] They have passed down the knowledge of their ancestral civilization in oral form, though their stories are gradually disappearing or being distorted over the generations. Still, those among the Eremites who remember their history make sure to keep it alive.^[4] Their history also survives through their performing culture and combat style; for example, the combat skills of the Eremite Sword-Dancers were passed down since the days of Deshret's civilization and are now an art as well as a combat style,^[5] and the Eremites' dance traditions were passed down from their ancestors' worship rituals.^[6] They can also be seen playing instruments, such as a tambourine and a lute-like stringed instrument.

As the Eremite mercenaries are very loosely organized, anyone can join them. Traditionally, only those hailing from the desert can join, but there have been a few exceptions, such as Rukh Shah.^[7] Others simply use the name for their own benefit, causing unaware foreigners to hire them for a poor job, making the group as a whole looked down upon. One example is Kasim, who uses the name for his own benefit and is known as a fraud by the Corps of Thirty.

Nazafarin, a scholar from Sumeru, has a negative perception of them and describes them as "true soldiers of fortune who will do anything for money," and goes on to state that some of its members wield "formidable" elemental powers.^[2] These powers are not inherent to the Eremites themselves, but are rather borrowed from ancient desert spirits (or fragments thereof) which can manipulate the elements. These spirit fragments dwell within the Eremites' weapons and awaken during times of peril, to the boon of the Eremites wielding them.^[8] However, it is suggested that once the spirits awaken, they can only be satisfied once blood has spilt, whether of the Eremites or the other side.^[9]

The Eremites have an open partnership with the Adventurers' Guild,^[10] and they conduct business all across Teyvat. For example, Younan often travels to Inazuma since his job involves facilitating international trade from Sumeru, while Irus' crew was commissioned by an individual in Fontaine. Sumida once commissioned a member of the Eremites to assist her in the quest for the Maushiro, to no avail.^[1] The Eremites are also fond of Genius Invokation TCG, and many can be seen across Sumeru playing the game.

Factions[]

Corps of Thirty[]

Main article: Corps of Thirty

The Corps of Thirty are members of the Eremites who guard Sumeru City.^[11] They are based in the Citadel of Regzar, to the northeastern side of Sumeru City. Unlike most other Eremites, they wear green scarves instead of red ones. Their name comes from the fact that the group had thirty founders, and they are said to be one of the oldest Eremite groups in Sumeru.^[12]

Dehya is a notable former member of the Corps of Thirty.

Aybak's group[]

Aybak is the leader of a group of Eremites in Caravan Ribat. This group is under contract with the Akademiya and is responsible for the security of Caravan Ribat, as well as maintenance of the Wall of Samiel. The group is very tight-knit and treats each other like family, calling each other brothers and sisters.^[13]

Rahman's faction[]

Rahman has his own Eremite faction located near Valley of Dahri. Similar to Ayn Al-Ahmar, he and his faction are also believers of King Deshret and initially despised Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and the forest folk. They even kidnapped the Village Keepers of Aaru Village, believing that it would help bring about King Deshret's resurrection.

However, after witnessing the truth about the great deed of the previous Dendro Archon, Rahman and his group abandoned their prejudice. Realizing their true enemy was the Akademiya, they aided the Traveler's group in freeing Lesser Lord Kusanali, and are currently working with Setaria and the reformed Akademiya to promote education among the Eremites and other desert peoples.

Blazing Beasts[]

The Blazing Beasts are a group of Eremites, of which Dehya is the most renowned member. Dehya joined the Blazing Beasts at a young age, after her last argument with Kusayla; Kusayla secretly arranged the faction to rescue Dehya and ensured that she would leave Dakan Al-Ahmar without harassment from Deshret's Relics.^[14]

Farrokhzadan[]

Main article: Farrokhzadan

The Farrokhzadan are a tribe of Eremites related to Agha Farrokh. They are currently led by Siman Farrokhzad, Agha's daughter, and are assisting Il Dottore and the Fatui in their goal of capturing Aranara.

Thutmose[]

The Thutmose are a group of Eremites active in the desert, and are also devout believers of King Deshret. To be able to explore the secret of Al-Ahmar, Thutmose has sought knowledge and collaborators from many sources, from Sumeru researchers to the Fatui. Jebrael and Samail were once referred to as the twin blades of Thutmose.

The Thutmose secret base is located on Lamb-Devourer Rock.

Tanit[]

Main article: Tanit

The Tanit were a nomadic Eremite tribe active in the desert led by their matriarch Babel. Their most recent campsite was at the southern border of the Desert of Hadramaveth, where they relied on the wenut trade with outsiders. They would eventually be annihilated by the Traveler and Jeht, after Babel's attempts to manipulate and get rid of them had failed.

Deshret's Relics[]

Deshret's Relics were formerly a large group of Eremites that blackmailed its members by making them leave behind "records" at their headquarters, which detailed something unpleasant about its members such as sins, unforgivable acts or immoral exploits, which they claimed was a sign of "loyalty." Following Kusayla's burning of the records, many left the group, leaving behind a few loyalists. The group was eventually dismantled by Dakan Al-Ahmar, Dehya and the Traveler, and its members taken into custody by the Corps of Thirty.^[15]

Ayn Al-Ahmar[]

Ayn Al-Ahmar is a subgroup of Deshret's Relics^[16] that are active in Port Ormos, led by Mizri. Like many Eremites, they are devout followers of King Deshret, and view Greater Lord Rukkhadevata poorly in comparison to him. They take their name after King Deshret's alleged true name, Al-Ahmar. They were in competition with other Eremite factions in Port Ormos to obtain a Divine Knowledge Capsule rumored to hold the power of King Deshret, and succeeded in obtaining it through an auction. However, Mizri went mad after using the knowledge capsule and briefly rampaged before being defeated by Alhaitham, who secretly took the Divine Knowledge Capsule from them afterwards.^[17]

Dakan Al-Ahmar[]

Dakan Al-Ahmar was a subgroup of Deshret's Relics led by Dehya's father Kusayla. After Kusayla's death, the group sought revenge on Deshret's Relics. They began conducting raids on not only members of the Relics, but on merchant caravans and innocent citizens as well, seeking to accumulate resources for their crusade against the Relics. After Deshret's Relics was destroyed and their revenge was fulfilled, Dakan Al-Ahmar's remaining members surrendered themselves to the Corps of Thirty for their crimes.

The Caracal Battalion[]

The Caracal Battalion is an Eremite faction active in Port Ormos. They were in competition with other factions such as Ayn Al-Ahmar to claim a Divine Knowledge Capsule rumored to hold the power of King Deshret. Tariq and Tumart of Ayn Al-Ahmar claim that, unlike them, the Caracal Battalion is "nothing but a bunch of money-grubbing opportunists out for a quick Mora."^[18]

Afiyah[]

The Afiyah are a nomadic Eremite tribe in the Desert of Hadramaveth. Members of the tribe colluded with Aderfi of the Tanit to ambush the Traveler and take Liloupar.^[8]

Others[]

Two other known Eremite tribes are the Uzza and the Shimti, both of which are said to have matriarchs and venerate the Goddess of Flowers, much like the Tanit.^[19]

Other Eremite tribes and brigades operate on their own accord. They usually only receive commissions from individuals or families to act as bodyguards, and do not have a clear operating structure like other factions.

Members[]

There are 125 characters who are or were part of the various groups of Eremites:

Trivia[]

• Like the Treasure Hoarders, the Eremites are also capable of escaping upon being defeated rather than fading normally like other human enemies, using a special powder that dissolves them into sand. This will apply even if they are drowned or ragdolled.
• Lion and its tales are the famous stories among the Eremites, representing the unyielding spirit of the desert dwellers. Some Eremites have "Lion" in their titles, such as Dehya^{[Note 1]} and Jehiet.^[20]
• The Eremites are mentioned in the descriptions of the following 7 Furnishings:
  • "Team Spirit"
  • "Warmth and Cold Overlaid"
  • Athelwood Metal Buckler
  • Athelwood Metal Combat Shield
  • Desert Gate: Windjammer
  • Long Athelwood Table
  • The Eremites' Fame

Etymology[]

• The name Eremite is likely derived from the Ancient Greek word ἐρημίτης erēmítēs, meaning "of the desert."
  • The Ancient Greek word is also the origin of the English words eremite and hermit, both of which originally referred to those who secluded themselves in the desert for spiritual enlightenment.
• Its Chinese name, 镀金旅团, uses the phrase 镀金, which literally means "gilded" or "gold-plated" but figuratively means making something ordinary appear special.
  • As a metaphor, the phrase has a pejorative connotation and refers to people who go leave for other places to polish their qualifications despite lacking the actual skills.

Gallery[]

Other Languages[]

Language	Official Name	Literal Meaning
English	Eremite	—
Chinese (Simplified)	镀金旅团 Dùjīn Lǚtuán	Gilded Brigade
Chinese (Traditional)	鍍金旅團 Dùjīn Lǚtuán
Japanese	エルマイト旅団 Erumaito Ryodan	Eremite Brigade
Korean	도금도금鍍金 여단여단旅團 Dogeum Yeodan	Gilded Brigade‍[※][※]Sino-Korean reading of Chinese name
Spanish	Los Eremitas	The Eremites[• 1]
French	Érémites	Eremites
Russian	Пустынники Pustynniki	The Hermits[• 2]
Thai	Eremite	—
Vietnamese	Eremite	—
German	Goldbrigade	Gold Brigade
Indonesian	Eremite	—
Portuguese	Eremitas
Turkish	Münzevi	Recluse
Italian	Eremita

Change History[]

Notes[]

References[]

Navigation[]

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