Saurians (-saurus, plural -sauri)[1] are the dragons of Natlan. They have undergone long years of development and evolution, and unlike dragons in other nations of Teyvat, Saurians are common in Natlan and closely coexist with humanity.[2]
Overview[]
Dragons are the original lifeforms of Teyvat. However, after the invasion and conquest by the Heavenly Principles, their dominance was overturned, to be replaced by humanity. The world's new ruler considered Natlan's phlogiston-rich soil part of the Holy Soil phenomenon,[3] something that benefited the expansion of the dragons[4] and hindered the capacity of humanity to farm.[5] As such, at some point, divine nails were cast down to disrupt this. Since dragons possess great adaptability via evolution,[6][7] the Pyro Vishaps of Natlan underwent significant changes to survive, becoming Saurians. Both Kukulkan and Och-Kan considered this a form of "devolution", as Saurians had lost the wisdom and power of their ancestors.[8][3]
People in Natlan have a tradition of taking on Saurian companions, with Natlan's warriors dressing in imitation of their companions.[9] It appears that Saurians can choose their human companion and refuse to team up with anyone they don't acknowledge, as seen in the tale of Kuntur, who was ostracized by humans and Saurians alike until he accomplished something great and earned the recognition of an Iktomisaurus comrade.[10]
According to Wayna, Saurians are simple creatures that cannot easily distinguish right from wrong. Most of the time, they simply follow their emotions and trust their human companions.[11] Saurians have their own language, which is only understood by other Saurians. Likewise, humans do not understand the natural language of Saurians, simply guessing their words based on their mood. Few are able to translate the Saurian language into common tongue, such as Ajaw and Cacucu, though the latter is only able to speak limited phrases due to the limits of his vocal cords.
Saurians can live in a myriad of environments outside their associated tribe; large flocks of Qucusaurs have been seen living in Ochkanatlan and the Great Volcano of Tollan. These groups are likely to be wild and have little to no association with humans.
They are stated to possess fur,[12] while Iktomisaurs[13] and Qucusaurs[14] have feathers.
Yumkasaurs are known to have a life span roughly under that of a century. If they live longer than that, it is considered unnatural, with the Yumkasaur Kongamato living much longer, highly suspected to be from Abyssal contamination.[15] According to various signboards in the Scions' village, young Yumkasaurs enjoy being touched by their ears, but dislike having their tails groomed. Adult Yumkasaurs enjoy having their tails groomed, showing it off with pride.
Qucusaurs are very prideful and are willing to let people, particularly from the Flower-Feather Clan, to ride them. However, this requires an immense amount of trust between the rider and saurian, as they will refuse to let people ride them if they sense even the slightest of hesitation, as a mistake by the rider would result in severe injuries or even death to both parties.
Iktomisaurs can live long periods of time, as Elder Tlapo is known to be a bit over two centuries old, having grown up alongside Huitzilin and Citlali. They are frequently seen meditating in solitude or with a few others of their kind.
Tatankasaurs are fairly docile, but when angered, become completely unreasonable until their energy is spent.
While humans and Saurians live in harmony in the current era, this does not appear to have always been the case, with Saurians having been subjugated by humanity during Och-Kan's time; in one incident, a man was condemned to death for protecting his tribe's Saurians.[16] In the modern day, there are also groups that poach Saurians.
Some Saurians like Little One can be born with a distinctive red mark, which is known as the Flamelord's Blessing. Saurians with this mark are noted to have much stronger powers over normal Saurians, but they are considered by the people of Natlan to be dangerous, as Saurians imbued with such power either succumb to it or become insane, which causes the Wayob and Night Kingdom to also reject them. The tribe that is related to the Saurian with the mark are "dealt with" by sending them back to the Night Kingdom. If this option is not chosen, the Saurian and their companion could instead travel to the Great Volcano of Tollan to perform a ritual by washing the name of the companion as remembered by the Fallen Dragon Xiuhcoatl to allow the Night Kingdom to accept them once more, though by the present era, this ritual was considered outdated due to a near nonexistent rate of success. It is later revealed that expression of the Blessing was controlled by Kukulkan after long experimentation, in order to pass on great power and wisdom to future dragons.[3][17]
Varieties[]
Historical[]
- Stegosaur
Present Day[]
There are 6 current varieties of Saurians in Natlan:
- Tepetlisaur
- They live in the mines of eastern Natlan, alongside the Nanatzcayan people.[20] Their young are characterized by round eyes and round bellies.[1] They are able to dig underground and climb Solid Phlogiston crystals.
- Iktomisaur
- They have the ability to fly[1] by floating up and making themselves as light as a feather[21] and live alongside the Mictlan people of Natlan's western cliffs. They are also capable of entering a "Spiritspeaker" state. An individual Iktomisaur named Mahamba accompanied the warrior Sanhaj during Tenoch's campaign against the Abyss.[19]
- Koholasaur
- They live alongside the Meztli people of Natlan's southern springs and have the ability to swim at high speeds through water and Liquid Phlogiston.
- Yumkasaur
- They live alongside the Huitztlan people of the trees of southeastern Natlan and can use their tongues as grappling hooks. An individual Yumkasaur named Kongamato, also known as the Mountain King, accompanied the warrior Burkina during Tenoch's campaign against the Abyss.[19]
- Qucusaur
- They live alongside the Tlalocan people of Natlan's northwestern mountain peaks and can fly through the air and Gaseous Phlogiston using their wings. An individual Qucusaur, known as Holawaqa Ngoubou, accompanied the warrior Menilek during Tenoch's campaign against the Abyss.[19]
- Tatankasaur
- They live alongside the Collective of Plenty in Natlan's southwest. An individual Tatankasaur named Kayeke accompanied the warrior Wanjiru during Tenoch's campaign against the Abyss.[19]
Known Saurians[]
Tepetlisaurs[]
23 Characters match the category selection:
- "Gigadrill"
- "King Coconut"
- "Marigold"
- Anpao
- Ayo
- Big Parenty Tepetlisaurus
- Cetan
- Clever Little Tepetlisaurus
- Dopey Little Tepetlisaurus
- Hanwi
- Hnaska
- Hora
- Huruk
- Iengu
- Little One
- Little Tepetlisaurus Learning How to Dig
- Lively Little Tepetlisaurus
- Milray
- Nini
- Tree-Climbing Little Tepetlisaurus
- Uchu
- Ur
- Valiant Tepetlisaur
Koholasaurs[]
6 Characters match the category selection:
Yumkasaurs[]
13 Characters match the category selection:
Iktomisaurs[]
3 Characters match the category selection:
Qucusaurs[]
13 Characters match the category selection:
Tatankasaurs[]
5 Characters match the category selection:
Trivia[]
- The companions of the heroes mentioned in the lore for Talking Stick are likely to be Saurians, considering how they are all named after mythological creatures, and Kongamato and Holawaqa Ngoubou are the names of Saurian Normal Bosses.
- Long-Necked Rhinos are not considered Saurians.
Etymology[]
- In zoology, "saurian" is used to refer to any species under the sub-order Sauria, a taxonomic class which includes all modern reptiles and similarly extinct ones. The word saurian itself derives from the Ancient Greek word σαῦρος saûros meaning "lizard."
- Iktomi is a spider trickster spirit in Lakota mythology.
- Tepetl means "mountain" in the Nahuatl language.
- Koholā means "humpback whale" in the Hawaiian language.
- Tatanka means "buffalo bull" in the Lakota language.
- Yumká is a forest-dwelling elf in Chontal Mayan culture.
- Yum Kaax means "lord of the forest" in the Yucatec Mayan language, and is also a god in Mayan culture.
- The name Qucusaur may derive from Qucumatz (standardly spelled Qʼuqʼumatz), the Feathered Serpent god of wind and rain of Kʼicheʼ Maya, where qʼuqʼ means "quetzal" in the Kʼicheʼ language.
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name |
|---|---|
| English | Saurian |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 龙 Lóng |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 龍 Lóng |
| Japanese | 竜 / サウリアン Ryuu / Saurian |
| Korean | 용용 Yong |
| Spanish | Saurio |
| French | Saurien |
| Russian | Завриан Zavrian |
| Thai | Saurian |
| Vietnamese | Saurian |
| German | Saurier |
| Indonesian | Saurian |
| Portuguese | Sauriano |
| Turkish | Sürüngen |
| Italian | Saurico |
Change History[]
- Tatankasaurus is released.
- Iktomisaurus and Qucusaurus are released.
- Koholasaurus, Tepetlisaurus and Yumkasaurus are released.
- Saurian was mentioned by Ranjit.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 NPC Dialogue: Ranjit
- ↑ Archon Quest, Chapter IV, Act V - Masquerade of the Guilty, Part 6: Finale
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 An Omen of Annihilation and the Final Entreaty
- ↑ Eboshi
- ↑ Three Realms Gateway Offering: The Eve
- ↑ Bathysmal Vishap Experimental Records
- ↑ Moment of Awakening
- ↑ Notes Someone Left Behind
- ↑ Event Specially-Shaped Saurian Search World Quest, Part 1: Search Chronicle: Burning Up!
- ↑ Event Specially-Shaped Saurian Search World Quest, Part 3: Search Chronicle: For Childhood Dreams!
- ↑ World Quest, In the Footsteps of the Chosen of Dragons: Lies and Promises
- ↑ Kachina's Voice-Over: Kachina's Troubles
- ↑ Archive, Living Beings, Enemies and Monsters, Mystical Beasts: Iktomisaurus
- ↑ Archive, Living Beings, Enemies and Monsters, Mystical Beasts: Qucusaurus
- ↑ Tribal Chronicles, Yupanqui's Turnfire, Act II: A Hero's Rite
- ↑ Artifact, Unfinished Reverie: Faded Emerald Tail
- ↑ Fallingstar Fields
- ↑ Weapon: Mountain-Bracing Bolt
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 Weapon: Talking Stick
- ↑ HoYoLAB: Gemstone Wrought of Tears and Mettle
- ↑ World Quest, Tale of Dreams Plucked From Fire, Part 2: Seeker No Finding
Chikya: I told you I could jump great distances with an Iktomisaur on my back, but I'd be fooling you — for Iktomisaurs can float up and make themselves as light as a feather, so they don't weigh a thing.
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