The Night Warden Wars are a continuous series of conflicts that Natlan has fought against the Abyss.
The Cataclysm[]
The conflict began with the cataclysm, when the Abyss invaded Teyvat five hundred years ago. Natlan, lacking stable and deep-rooted Ley Lines, suffered more under the invasion than any other nation. A tribeless warrior named Tenoch gathered six other warriors, one from each tribe, to fight back against the Abyss; these became the original six Heroes of Natlan. Although the Abyss was ultimately repelled from the overworld, they continued to invade the Night Kingdom, gradually weakening the six tribes' connections to the Wayob. If the Night Kingdom were completely lost to the Abyss, Natlan would lose the ability to resist. However, in the aftermath of the invasion, the tribes were left shattered, and its people did not have hope for the future.[1]
The Pyro Archon at that time, Mavuika, gathered the heroes, and together they formed a plan to save Natlan. They knew that they only repelled the Abyss because the tribes were united. To free the Night Kingdom, they would have to restore each tribe's strength and reunite. As the connection between each tribe and its Wayob was restored to its original power, the Wayob would select a hero, which would receive the Ancient Name of one of the original six heroes that fought during the Cataclysm. When all six tribes were restored and the six heroes gathered, Natlan would be strong enough to drive the Abyss from the Night Kingdom once and for all. Mavuika sacrificed herself, placing her life in the Sacred Flame, so that she could reemerge near the time that the tribes were ready to take the offensive against the Abyss.[1]
The Pilgrimage and the Ode[]
In order to restore the strength of the tribes, warriors needed to be found who could be sent to fight the Abyss. The Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame was established to identify Natlan's strongest warriors. Those who prevailed in the Pilgrimage and who were Ancient Name bearers would be sent to fight the Abyss in the Night Warden Wars. The Pilgrimage also results in the generation of Contending Fire, which fuels the Sacred Flame.[2]
Natlanese warriors had a key advantage: Should they fall in battle, the Pyro Archon could enter the Sacred Flame and raise them to life once more via the Ode of Resurrection. There were two requirements for the Ode to be successful: First, the subject must be an Ancient Name bearer. (For this reason, non-bearers were not sent to the Night Warden Wars.) Second, at least one member of the deceased's team must have returned victorious. If the entire team falls, they cannot be restored. The souls of those who are not brought back via the Ode are stranded in the Night Kingdom, and their Ancient Names are eventually forgotten and lost.[2]
The warriors who are not lost to the Night Kingdom eventually retire when they become too old to fight or suffer a major injury, but continue to serve Natlan in other ways. Eventually, they pass away normally, and their Ancient Name is inherited by another warrior. In this way, the history and heroism of Natlan is preserved from one generation to the next.[2][3]
Mavuika's Return[]
By the time that the Traveler arrived in Natlan, Mavuika had returned as the Pyro Archon to oversee the tribes' preparations to retake the Night Kingdom. However, only three of the six modern heroes had received the acknowledgement of the Wayob, who had become infected by the Abyss, further weakening their connection to the tribes.[1]
As a result of this interference, Kachina's Ode of Resurrection failed. To ensure that no other warriors risked being lost without a way to resurrect them, Mavuika suspended the Pilgrimage and sending anyone to the Night Warden Wars, essentially falling back from the Night Kingdom to defend the overworld. This created a dire situation, as the Sacred Flame was running out of Contending Fire to fuel it and was in danger of going out. Without it, Natlan would permanently lose the ability to resurrect warriors, and would inevitably be overrun by the Abyss. As a stopgap, Mavuika sacrificed her Archon power to feed the Sacred Flame.[4]
The Modern Abyss Invasion of Natlan[]
Through a series of dangerous encounters and with the assistance of the Traveler, Kachina was rescued and two of the remaining heroes received their acknowledgements. In an attempt to prevent Natlan's final hero from being acknowledged, the Abyss launched a full-scale invasion of Natlan. This attack resulted in a great many casualties, including Chuychu, Chasca's sister. Her death, however, triggered Chasca's acknowledgement as the final hero.[5]
The Heroes gathered at the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, where together they were able to call upon the Ruler of Death to empower Mavuika and temporarily extend the blessings of the Ode of Resurrection to all Natlanese warriors, even those without Ancient Names. With this power behind them, Natlan turned the tide of the war and drove the Abyss back to the Night Kingdom.[6]
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Night Warden Wars | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 巡夜者战争 | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 巡夜者戰爭 | |
| Japanese | 夜巡者の戦争 | |
| Korean | 밤 순찰자 전쟁 Bam Sunchalja Jeonjaeng | |
| Spanish | Guerra de los Peregrinos | War of the Pilgrims |
| French | Guerre des veilleurs nocturnes | Night Watchmen War |
| Russian | Войны ночных дозорных Voyny nochnykh dozornykh | |
| Thai | สงครามผู้พิทักษ์ราตรี | |
| Vietnamese | Trận Chiến Người Gác Đêm | |
| German | Kriege der Nachtwächter | Night Wardens' Wars |
| Indonesian | Perang Penjaga Malam | |
| Portuguese | Guerra da Guarda Noturna | |
| Turkish | Gece Nöbeti Savaşları | |
| Italian | Guerre dei Guardanotte |
Change History[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Archon Quest, Chapter V, Act II - Black Stone Under a White Stone, Part 5: Past and Future
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Archon Quest, Chapter V, Act I - Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn, Part 1: Natlan! A New Adventure
- ↑ NPC Dialogue: Cauich
- ↑ Archon Quest, Chapter V, Act II - Black Stone Under a White Stone, Part 1: A Decision
- ↑ Archon Quest, Chapter V, Act IV - The Rainbow Destined to Burn, Part 4: Despair Engulfs the Heavens
- ↑ Archon Quest, Chapter V, Act IV - The Rainbow Destined to Burn, Part 5: No One Fights Alone
[]
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||