Erosion is a general term for the process of getting mentally worn down over time, by a combination of factors affecting someone's life, including natural memory loss as well as emotional loss or experiencing traumatic events. Eventually, erosion will cause a person to lose their sense of self. Even powerful, long-lived beings like gods and elemental dragons are susceptible to erosion. It seems to have some connection to the Ruler of Time, Istaroth.[1][2]
Effects[]
Erosion naturally occurs over time, and is both caused by and causes the loss of memories. Eventually, it will result in the loss of one's consciousness and sense of self, making them more irritable and suspect to explosive fits of rage; as a result, the more powerful a person is, the more dangerous they become under the effects of erosion. Zhongli, the current form of the former Geo Archon Morax, indirectly confirms the Traveler's suspicions that erosion was one of his motivations for stepping down from his position.[3]
Currently, the only entity known to have completely succumbed to erosion is Azhdaha. He lost his memories of Morax, Liyue Harbor, and his coexistence with humanity despite Morax's attempts to delay Azhdaha's erosion. Mining at The Chasm damaged the ley lines, which inflicted pain on Azhdaha. Already irritable from the effects of erosion, Azhdaha flew into a rage and lashed out at the miners, forcing Morax and three of the adepti to seal him away underneath the Dragon-Queller. With what little consciousness he had left, Azhdaha willingly allowed himself to be sealed away; however, over time, erosion wore away his memories of his choice, leading him to believe Morax a tyrant.[3]
Prevention[]
Morax shared with us some of his power, to prevent further erosion. But... it was futile. Everything returns to dust. It is the natural order, an unstoppable force.
Two attempts at stalling or circumventing erosion have been mentioned.
The first is Zhongli's attempt to halt Azhdaha's erosion by sharing his powers with Azhdaha, which ultimately failed. According to both Azhdaha and Zhongli, erosion is part of the "natural order" and is "imposed" by the Heavenly Principles.[3]
The second is Ei's creation of the Shogun, an autonomous puppet designed with the explicit purpose of withstanding erosion.[4] Following the losses she sustained during the cataclysm and her ascension to the seat of the Electro Archon, Ei became fixated on "eternity," hoping to preserve Inazuma's prosperity forever. Aware that her spirit was susceptible to erosion, she created the Shogun, who would rule Inazuma in her stead while she secluded herself within the Plane of Euthymia to stave off erosion through meditation.[5] Because Ei believed she could potentially become an enemy of eternity herself, she deliberately made the Shogun's operational rules difficult to change even by herself, as change would not be conducive towards eternity.[6]
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Erosion | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 磨损 Mósǔn | Abrasion |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 磨損 Mósǔn | |
| Japanese | 摩耗 Mamou[7] | Abrasion |
| Korean | 마모 Mamo | Abrasion |
| Spanish | Erosión | Erosion |
| French | Érosion | Erosion |
| Russian | Эрозия Eroziya | Erosion |
| Thai | การสึกกร่อน Kan suek kron | |
| Vietnamese | Sự Mài Mòn | Abrasion |
| German | Erosion | — |
| Indonesian | Erosi | Erosion |
| Portuguese | Erosão | Erosion |
| Turkish | Erozyon | Erosion |
| Italian | Erosione |
Change History[]
References[]
- ↑ Book: Springs of Hidden Jade
As for her, she had no choice but to be trapped within the shell of the starry sky, forced to tarry within this stagnant, foreign land, awaiting her mother's thousand threads, awaiting the erosion of hardy stone [...] - ↑ World Quest, Agnihotra Sutra, Part 3: The Final Chapter
Aranaga: Here, Aranaga's remembrance, is this flower. Cannot blow him away, the Ad Oblivione; cannot destroy him, the device that takes away dreams [...] Yes, the wind that flows forever, the thousand winds that return to one. But, on earth is the stream, and the ubiquitous is the wind. - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Story Quest, Zhongli, Historia Antiqua Chapter: Act II - No Mere Stone, Part 4: Amidst Chaos, the Rock Is Unmoved
- ↑ Raiden Shogun's Voice-Over: About the Raiden Shogun: Eternity
- ↑ Raiden Shogun's Character Story: Character Story 4
- ↑ Story Quest, Raiden Shogun, Imperatrix Umbrosa Chapter: Act I - Reflections of Mortality, Part 1: The Lonesome Euthymia
- ↑ Story Quest, Zhongli, Historia Antiqua Chapter: Act II - No Mere Stone, Part 4: Amidst Chaos, the Rock Is Unmoved (Japanese Voice-Over)
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