Exorcist

Exorcists, also known as thaumaturges, are people in Liyue who have sworn an oath to cleanse the land by hunting down ghosts, spirits and demons. They are highly adept in combat, magic, and martial arts.^[1] Most exorcists are raised in families which practice the art as the family trade, although so far only one such group has been named: the Tianheng Thaumaturges.

Overview[]

Little is known about the origins of Liyue thaumaturgy, although it developed into its modern form 500 years ago, after the destruction wrought by the cataclysm led to a revolution in weaponsmithing and catalyst production. During this time, a shift was made which favored supernatural arts over traditional martial arts,^[2] although thaumaturges continue to practice both.

Some thaumaturges in history have had close relations with the adepti. Sea Gazer in particular is known to have been friends with a thaumaturge, to whom he gifted the Fantastic Compass.^[3] It later fell into the hands of Yelan's ancestors,^[4] who may have researched it as the basis for the catalysts which can only be operated by members of her clan.^[5] Chongyun also acknowledges Shenhe — who was trained in the adepti arts and not mortal thaumaturgy — as a master exorcist, which suggests that the supernatural arts practiced by exorcists may be derived from, or imitations of, adepti arts.^[6]

So far, characters who have been seen utilizing exorcist arts in-game have all been Vision-bearers, and it is unknown how exorcists without Visions perform supernatural arts. It seems that magic is not limited to Vision-bearers,^[5] but what exactly magic encompasses is left equally vague.

Known Exorcist Clans[]

Tianheng Thaumaturges[]

Heart be pure, evil be erased. Mind be purged, world be saved.

—Mantra^[7][8]

The Tianheng Thaumaturges, an exorcism clan in Liyue, has a high number of exorcists within its ranks. Chongyun's family is from the clan,^[9] and his aunt, Shenhe, was from a branch family.^[10][11] Shenhe never learned any thaumaturgy from her parents, as her mother died when she was a child and her father went insane shortly after and attempted to sacrifice her to an evil spirit.^[12] However, her training in adepti arts has given her techniques similar to those used by exorcists, and Chongyun recognizes her as an adept exorcist.^[6] After it was openly learned that Shenhe was actually still alive, the clan elders were overjoyed.^[13]

The clan keeps books passed down through the generations which record the evil spirits they have defeated.^[14] Despite his training as an exorcist, Chongyun has never personally met a spirit due to his abundance of yang energy, which banishes demons around him.^[1] However, he does not allow this to stop him on his way to becoming a master exorcist, though it does hinder the accuracy of the drawings in his clan's book.^[14]

Chongyun and Shenhe's mother both used weapons to assist them in exorcism. Chongyun has a sword made of ice,^[15] and Shenhe's mother had a dagger that later ended up in Shenhe's possession.^[16]

On Chongyun's birthday, he performed prayer rituals with the elders of the clan on Mt. Tianheng.^[9]

Known Members[]

• Shenhe's father (deceased)
• Shenhe's mother (deceased)
• Chongyun
• Shenhe (possibly)^{[Note 1]}
• Yuandai's husband

Yelan's Clan[]

At an unknown point in the past, Yelan's ancestors inherited the Fantastic Compass, a device which can seal away evil creatures and was also previously owned by the adeptus Sea Gazer before he gave it to his thaumaturge friend.^[3] Using the Fantastic Compass as a basis, her clan developed several other catalysts, whose operating mechanisms are kept a secret within the clan.^[5]

500 years ago, Yelan's ancestors Boyang and Rongzhao were exorcists who participated in the battle at The Chasm alongside the Yaksha Bosacius, and brought the Fantastic Compass with them. During the grueling campaign, the Millelith discovered a space which, for unknown reasons, had the power to suppress the Abyss. Boyang and several other Millelith decided to sacrifice themselves by luring the Abyssal monsters into this space — which Bosacius had already entered — and use the Fantastic Compass to seal them all within, with Rongzhao assisting with the sealing process from the outside. Rongzhao returned to Liyue without his brother, and rendered insane by exposure to Bosacius' karma.

Despite this, the clan has survived to the present, although it is unclear how much of their techniques are still practiced or if there are any members besides Yelan. Yelan possessed a family heirloom, a pair of bracelets engraved with a communication spell, but lost one of her bracelets while investigating one of Pantalone's secret trade routes.^[17] She continues to wear the remaining bracelet as an accessory and it glows when she uses her Vision.

Known Members[]

• Boyang (deceased)
• Rongzhao (deceased)
• Yelan (not practicing the family business)

Notes[]

Change History[]

References[]

Navigation[]