Khaenri'ahn Dynasties

The subterranean kingdom of Khaenri'ah has two known ruling dynasties: the Crimson Moon Dynasty^[1] and the later Eclipse Dynasty, which was also the last before the cataclysm 500 years ago led to the fall of Khaenri'ah.^[2][3]

Crimson Moon Dynasty[]

During this era, a crimson moon "shone" over Khaenri'ah. The only information currently known about this dynasty comes from the legend of Perinheri, which is set around this time but whose accuracy cannot be verified.^[1] According to the legend, a sage of this era suggested to the then-ruler that an organization be established to house children who came from beyond this world, hoping that one such child would have the power to transcend the gods. The ruler gave their implicit permission, and this organization came to house Khaenri'ahn orphans from all walks of life, with the outlander Perinheri^[1] and the alleged Liyue-born Angelica^[4] among its members.

According to archaeological records discovered by the Narzissenkreuz Ordo, alchemy and the Beastmaster Knights enjoyed the peak of their influence during this time. The "Darksprites" mentioned in Perinheri's legend refer to the first version of black wolf warbeasts created via alchemy.^[4]

The "crimson moon set, and the dark sun descended into a yet darker dusk" sometime before the events of Perinheri (II),^[1] set during the Archon War.^[4]

Arlecchino is a descendant of the Crimson Moon Dynasty, which is the source of the Balemoon Bloodfire running through her veins.^[5][6]

Eclipse Dynasty[]

Khaenri'ah's "crimson moon" was replaced by a "dark sun" at some point,^[1] likely during the Archon War.^[4] This dynasty ruled up until the cataclysm 500 years ago, during which they were ruled by King Irmin, the final king of Khaenri'ah.^[7] After arriving in Khaenri'ah 500 years ago, the Traveler's Sibling was adopted as royalty and was believed to be the one who could control the Abyss and thus, "control everything."^[8]

The Universitas Magistrorum and an Alberich are both mentioned in Perinheri (II), indicating that both were established names by the start of the Eclipse Dynasty. By the time of the cataclysm, a force of royal guards known as the Black Serpent Knights included "Twilight Sword" Dainsleif and Halfdan; aside from Dainsleif, the other Black Serpent Knights have become Shadowy Husks by the time the Traveler encounters them in The Chasm: Underground Mines.

This dynasty's focus on mechanical engineering and "secrets from beyond the skies" met resistance from those who believed such techniques were unreliable compared to "human will,"^[9] and diverted attention away from alchemy and the Beastmaster Knights.^[4]

Trivia[]

• In both the original Chinese text and the English localization, the dynasty names "Eclipse" (Chinese: 黑日) and "Crimson Moon" (Chinese: 赤月) are also used in Dainsleif's official introduction, and "Eclipse" also comes up as the name of one of the hilichurl tribes at Dadaupa Gorge.
  • In the Traveler's "About the Eclipse Tribe" Voice-Over, Paimon states that only the Dada Samachurl knows why the Eclipse Tribe reveres the eclipse symbols that they draw, causing the Traveler to mull over the word "eclipse." Given that the Traveler witnessed the destruction of Khaenri'ah,^[3] they may have been familiar with the name "Eclipse Dynasty."
• Dainsleif's Official Introduction makes an allusion to the two dynasties: Chalk pursues gold [...] the eclipse is swallowed by the crimson moon. (The middle phrase, which was not in the original Chinese text, has been omitted.)
  • "Chalk pursues gold" refers to the alchemical process of creating the Magnum Opus, or masterpiece, which typically refers to the transmutation of gold. Albedo (chalk, or whiteness) is the second step in creating the Magnum Opus, while citrinitas (yellowness, or gold) is the fourth and final step.
    • This line may refer to the synthetic humans produced by "Gold" Rhinedottir's Primordial Human Project. While she only managed to create a successful version in Albedo — whom she referred to as "chalk"^[10] — after Khaenri'ah fell,^[11] her experiments began before the Khaenri'ah disaster. One of Albedo's failed predecessors was fed to Durin, another one of her creations, sometime before Durin was slain at Dragonspine during the cataclysm.^[12]
  • "The eclipse is swallowed by the crimson moon" is a poetic rendition of the original Chinese phrase, where 复仇 fùchóu more directly translates as "to avenge" or "take revenge."
• The imagery of a crimson moon has been associated with the Khaenri'ah disaster: in the Story Trailer "We Will Be Reunited" as Lumine (as the Traveler's Sibling) recounts the events of the cataclysm, and in Ei's Plane of Euthymia, which was created after Ei witnessed the events at Khaenri'ah.
• The achievement "La Luna Rossa" (Italian: The Red Moon) may be a reference to the Crimson Moon Dynasty, although there is no further context linking the Crimson Moon Dynasty to the area of the ancient desert kingdom where the achievement is unlocked.
  • The achievement is earned through completing the chessboard in Safhe Shatranj, and the description reads: "Across this vast chessboard, what horrors have been enacted under the light of the blood-red moon?"
    • Potentially, the implication may be that the fall of Gurabad happened "under the light of the blood-red moon."
• The footnotes in Perinheri (II) provide a connection between alchemy and the two dynasties: alchemy and the Beastmaster Knights were "mainstays" during the Crimson Moon Dynasty, but fell to the wayside when the Eclipse Dynasty shifted its focus on mechanical engineering. Notably, attacks from "beasts"^[13] (likely the Riftwolves created by Rhinedottir using the Abyss' power, which wreaked havoc during the cataclysm^[14]) and other "unknown threats"^[15] (later remarked to be "forces from beyond the sky"^[16]) drove Khaenri'ahns to the surface of Teyvat 500 years ago,^[17] which caused the Abyss' spread throughout Teyvat and resulted in the cataclysm.

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