The Seven Sovereigns are the seven strongest elemental dragons of their respective element, and the strongest type of elemental lifeform.[2] The original Seven Sovereigns ruled the old world and held the seven elemental Authorities, but lost both their status and Authorities when the Heavenly Principles came to Teyvat and created a new order over the world.[3][4]
The Sovereigns' stolen elemental Authorities were eventually given to the Archons', now bounded to them and their divine thrones.[3] As a result, the living Sovereigns cannot utilize their full abilities and powers unless their corresponding Archon dies and returns their Authority to them.[3]
Overview[]
Like all vishaps and elemental dragons, the Seven Sovereigns are creatures of the Light Realm and each harnesses one of the primordial elements. The Seven Sovereigns were the mightiest among dragon-kind[2] and ruled over the old world and its seven nations.[4]
When the Heavenly Principles appeared, it took the Sovereigns' Authorities for itself. It and its four shining shades waged war against the Seven Sovereigns and after a long struggle, the Heavenly Principles vanquished the Seven Sovereigns, while those who refused to yield to the Heavenly Principles fled into the ocean depths. Afterwards, the world was remade to be suitable for humanity[4] and the Human Realm was established by breaking down the raw, primordial elements.[2][5]
With the original Seven Sovereigns' power fading away, a new generation is being born.[6] However, because a Sovereign's dragonhood is intertwined with the elemental Authorities, which were used as the basis for the Archons' powers, none of the living Sovereigns can access their full abilities or memories of the old world until the Archon's divine seat is destroyed and their Authority returned.[3] As of the end of the Archon Quest Chapter IV: Act V - Masquerade of the Guilty, the Hydro Sovereign's Authority has been fully restored.[7]
Sovereigns can only be born from dragons who are elementally pure. As such, the next Hydro Sovereign was not born from the Bathysmal Vishaps, who strayed from their "pure" Hydro forms into "impure" Cryo and Electro variants. It is also possible for Sovereigns to be reborn in human form, as the current Hydro Sovereign takes on the form of Neuvillette, due to the aforementioned impurity of the Bathysmal Vishap.[8]
Story[]
The Old World[]
The Dragon King Nibelung was born alongside the world.[9] From "the dawn of time," the world belonged to the dragons.[10] The world was led by Nibelung and the Seven Sovereigns.[11][12] Each of the Seven Sovereigns held one of the Seven Authorities, and the world was divided among them. Their respective land was attuned to their elemental affinity.[4]
At one point in the distant past, Nibelung met Seutervoinen, a voyager who traversed the cosmos, who told him that Teyvat would be destroyed and he should leave with her. However, he refused to abandon his people, and instead attempted to lead the dragons to the stars.[9] Nibelung eventually left Teyvat and created Three Moons to govern the cycle in his stead.[13]
In Sumeru, Apep held the Dendro elemental Authority.[14] She ruled over a lush, forested land while nurturing some of the most ancient and primordial beings known simply as Dendro lifeforms.[15]
The Hydro Dragon, in addition to holding the Hydro elemental Authority, also presided over the Primordial Sea and could be considered the original "God of Life." All life on the planet can trace its origins back to the Primordial Sea. Because of this, it is sometimes referred to as "birthing waters" or "amniotic fluid."[16] Life within the Primordial Sea was a collective rather than made up of individuals.[17]
In Natlan, Xiuhcoatl held the Pyro elemental Authority, and presided over all light, heat, and wisdom. He was able to manipulate Phlogiston, the atomic form of the Light Realm and a basic unit of information. At the moment of his birth, he created another dragon named Kukulkan, who he named "brother."[18]
Eternal Throne of the Heavens[]
After the Heavenly Principles's arrival, the Seven Sovereigns were defeated and rendered unconscious, entering a deep slumber. Xiuhcoatl is known to have been frozen inside Liquid Phlogiston, and experienced a "false death."[18] Subsequently, otherworldly life forms were introduced to the planet and the creation of life no longer relied on the Primordial Sea.[4][16] However, the creation of Egeria was an exception; she was created as a replacement "heart" for the Primordial Sea using "all original matter from this world, entirely without outside elements."[17]
The New World[]
During the Funerary Year,[19] Nibelung returned to Teyvat, having brought Abyssal power into the world.[11] Nibelung's return with the Abyss triggered the reawakening of the slumbering Dragon Sovereigns, who were unable to resist its call, and joined him in a "great war of vengeance" against the Heavenly Principles.[20] The damage that ensued was unprecedented and pushed the world to near collapse. Apep and other dragons fought alongside Nibelung, but they were ultimately unsuccessful in taking back power.[11] To suppress the forbidden knowledge unleashed by Nibelung, as well as the Holy Soil produced by the Light Realm[18], the Heavenly Principles dropped Celestial Nails, drastically altering the environment and causing the demise of several human civilizations. In Sumeru, what had once been a lush forest turned to sand. To Apep, this heralded the end of the dragons' era.[11] However, by the war's end, the Heavenly Principles was severely weakened and could no longer single-handedly suppress the original order of the world.[20]
Because the Heavenly Principles was unable to continue suppressing the old world with its own absolute authority, it collaborated with another entity known only as "the one who came after," to use the remains of the Third Descender and steal a part of the Sovereigns' elemental Authorities to create the seven Gnoses. Subsequently, this led to the Archon War in which the many gods of Teyvat were driven to conflict against each other in order to determine the seven victors who would each win one of the seven new thrones.[20][Note 1]
During the war, Nibelung and other dragons burnt the Ley Lines of Natlan and devoured all of Natlan's Angels except Yohualtecuhtin, Lord of the Night.[21][22] After Nibelung's defeat, Xiuhcoatl briefly regained his lucidity, and resolved to cleanse the Abyss from Natlantea at any cost. To this end, he created "artificial stars" known as Tzitzimimeh (or Astral Assemblages) which could purge the Abyss by annihilation reactions; he then created a device called Huitzilopochtli which if activated would convert everyone and everything in Natlan into pure Phlogiston, thereby becoming impervious to the Abyss at the cost of becoming ineffably altered. The creation of these devices took a long time, however, and as time passed Xiuhcoatl experienced fewer and fewer bouts of lucidity, and thus sealed himself inside the Heart of the Sacred Mountain beneath the Great Volcano of Tollan. He eventually became a shadow of his former self, unable even to recall the name of his brother Kukulkan, and feared the day he would be entirely corrupted by the Abyss.
Huitzilopochtli could only be activated by the authority over Pyro invested in one of Xiuhcoatl's eyes. However, Kukulkan was vehemently opposed to using the Huitzilopochtli at the time and schemed to find another way to save Natlan and the dragon race from destruction. To this end, Kukulkan created a human-dragon hybrid named Och-Kan who would slay Xiuhcoatl and become the new Pyro Sovereign and unite both humans and dragons; however, Och-Kan resolved to side with the human Xbalanque instead.
Xbalanque's federation of human tribes laid siege to the Sacred City, where Xbalanque seized upon Xiuhcoatl's weak point and took the Pyro Dragon down alongside himself[23]; as Xbalanque was resurrected by Ronova, the authority of Pyro was usurped, and Xbalanque became the first Pyro Archon. Even after Xiuhcoatl's death, his power occasionally manifests in Saurians directly descended from him, in the form of a unique red mark and power over flame.
In Liyue, the Geo Sovereign Azhdaha's awakening caused the earth to tremble with every movement he made.[24][Note 2] Morax approached him, seeking to stop the earth's shaking, and managed to befriend the dragon for some time,[25] with the dragon even participating in the Archon War on Morax's behalf. However, later on, a combination of erosion and human mining at the Chasm caused Azhdaha to forget his friends and his love for humanity. Azhdaha lashed out and attacked the Chasm, destroying the settlement at Tianqiu Valley in the process.[26] Morax chose his duty to protect humanity and personally went to the mines to subdue him. The Geo Archon's power alone was insufficient to overpower the eroding dragon, and he needed the help of Moon Carver, Mountain Shaper, and an unnamed adeptus to create a domain that would be able to seal Azhdaha away. Even then, Azhdaha willingly allowed himself to be sealed.[24][27]
Post Cataclysm[]
Around 500 years ago, Neuvillette — the new Hydro Sovereign, born in human form as the Enkanomiyans had prophesized — was invited by the new Hydro Archon Focalors to become the Chief Justice of Fontaine.[7] Although initially uninterested in humanity, Neuvillette agreed in order to uncover his missing memories regarding his powers.[28]
Present Day[]
In Amidst Chaos, the Rock Is Unmoved in Zhongli's Story Quest, Historia Antiqua Chapter: Act II - No Mere Stone, Azhdaha, through the artificial vessel Jiu, attempted to break Morax's seal at the Dragon-Queller by having miners chip away at the seal from outside, while Azhdaha overpowered it from within. The plan was eventually thwarted when Zhongli, the Traveler, and Kun Jun — who was unknowingly possessed by a fragment of Azhdaha's consciousness that retained his goodwill towards humanity — investigated the miners' disappearance and stumbled upon the plot. After a hard-fought battle, Azhdaha's body was resealed, while his spirit went dormant again.[24]
In Nahida's Story Quest, Sapientia Oromasdis Chapter: Act II - Homecoming, the Dendro Archon Lesser Lord Kusanali, Paimon, and the Traveler meet the Dendro Sovereign Apep.[14] Despite Apep's initial hostility towards anyone related to the old world's usurpers, it calms down after the three successfully purge the forbidden knowledge eating away at it. While still dissatisfied with the current world order, it explains the Sovereigns' past to them and decides to simply observe humanity and the gods for the time being, as there is no point in destroying them anyway.[11]
During the events of Archon Quest Chapter IV: Act V - Masquerade of the Guilty, the second-to-last Hydro Archon Focalors is put on trial for the "original sin" that the Heavenly Principles had declared on Egeria. This trial reveals that Furina is not the real Hydro Archon, but rather the "humanity" of Focalors, who has played the role of the Archon for 500 years while Focalors orchestrates her plan to deceive the Heavenly Principles. However, a death sentence was issued, and Focalors soon reveals her plan to Neuvillette, saying that acquiring the stolen power of the Hydro Sovereign is not true to her ideal of justice. This plan becomes successful when the Indemnitium acquired through the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale forms a giant blade that proceeds to execute her, resulting in the destruction of the Hydro Archon's throne. After Focalors' death, the Hydro Sovereign's Authority is left to him, giving him absolute control over the Hydro element.[29]
Eventually, Kukulkan lost faith in humanity and decided to activate Huitzilopochtli to combat the Abyss as originally planned. Kukulkan manipulated Saurian bloodlines to produce a direct descendent of Xiuhcoatl fit to inherit the mantle of Pyro Dragon Sovereign, resulting in Little One. He manipulated countless humans to guide them to unite the two halves of Xiuhcoatl's pupil and bring one such Saurian to the Heart of the Sacred Mountain. Eventually, the Traveler and Paimon succeeded, and Little One was given the choice as to whether to activate Huitzilopochtli and inherit the Authority of Pyro. Little One refused, deciding to trust humanity and being unwilling to put his companions at risk. Huitzilopochtli was left without the power to ever activate, the Pyro Authority remained in the hands of Mavuika, and Kukulkan peacefully passed away.[18]
Alternate Present-Day[]
In a non-canonical outcome, Little One did choose to activate Huitzilopochtli. However, he became the sole surviving being remaining within the Primal Flame, and endured billions of years of loneliness. He never forgot Paimon or the Traveler, and always wondered whether he could have made a different choice.[18]
Known Sovereigns[]
| Element | Name | Region | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
 [Note 3] |
Azhdaha[Note 2] | Liyue | Alive (sealed by Rex Lapis) |
 |
Apep[14] | Sumeru | Alive |
|
Unknown | Unknown[Note 4] | Deceased (succeeded by Neuvillette) |
| Neuvillette | Fontaine | Alive | |
 |
Xiuhcoatl | Natlan | Deceased (slain by Xbalanque) |
Trivia[]
- The Seven Sovereigns are elemental dragons and are the purest embodiment of the elements.[2] For this reason, Dvalin
, an elemental dragon said to be born in the same manner as slimes and crystalflies,[30] and bearing the title "Erstwhile King of the Skies",[31] may also be counted among their number. Additionally, Nahida likens the Dendro Sovereign Apep to Dvalin—[15]and Dvalin, Azhdaha, Apep, and Neuvillette are similarly grouped together elsewhere as notable dragons, but others such as Scylla are not.[32][33][34]
Notes[]
- ↑ Neuvillette's Vision story states that "all fragments of the primordial were driven to devour each other" following the Gnoses' creation, which aligns with Soraya's line in the World Quest Treasure Lost, Treasure Found about the Archon War starting when seven divine thrones — the Archons' seats — opened up in Celestia.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The term for "Dragon Sovereign" (Chinese: 龙王 "dragon king") in the English localization is derived from the same term used for Azhdaha's title of "dragon king" (Chinese: 龙王). Additionally, the Chinese version of Azhdaha's boss title, the "Sealed Lord of Vishaps" (Chinese: 被封印的岩龙之王 "Sealed King of Geo Dragons"), matches the Chinese title for Xiuhcoatl as the Pyro Dragon Sovereign (Chinese: 火龙之王 "King of Pyro Dragons").
- ↑ Can also absorb Cryo, Pyro, Hydro, and Electro
- ↑ The original Hydro Dragon likely had a presence in Fontaine, given its control over the Primordial Sea. Whether its domain was limited to modern Fontaine's borders has not been addressed.
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Seven Sovereigns | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 七王 Qī Wáng | Seven Kings |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 七王 Qī Wáng | |
| Japanese | 七王 Shichiou[!] | Seven Kings |
| Korean | 일곱 왕 Ilgop Wang | Seven Kings |
| Spanish | Siete soberanos | Seven Sovereigns |
| French | Sept souverains | Seven Sovereigns |
| Russian | Семь властителей Sem' vlastiteley | Seven Rulers |
| Thai | ราชาโบราณทั้งเจ็ด Racha Boran Thang Chet | Seven Ancient Kings |
| Vietnamese | Thất Vương | Seven Kings |
| German | Sieben Herrscher | Seven Rulers |
| Indonesian | Tujuh raja | Seven Kings |
| Portuguese | Sete Soberanos | Seven Sovereigns |
| Turkish | Yedi Hükümdar | |
| Italian | Sette sovrani | Seven Sovereigns |
Change History[]
References[]
- ↑ Weapon Lore: Fractured Halo
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Event Three Realms Gateway Offering Quest, Aphotic Diffusal: Three Realms Gateway Offering: The Eve
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Archon Quest, Chapter IV, Act IV - Cataclysm's Quickening, Part 4: Calamitous Tread
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Book: The Byakuyakoku Collection, Vol. 2 - Before Sun and Moon
- ↑ Item: Coral Butterfly
- ↑ Archive, Living Beings, Enemies and Monsters, Mystical Beasts: Bolteater Bathysmal Vishap Hatchling
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Archon Quest, Chapter IV, Act V - Masquerade of the Guilty, Part 5: The Opera of Noirceur and Blancheur
- ↑ Book: The Byakuyakoku Collection, Vol. 4 - Bathysmal Vishap Experimental Records
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Artifact, Finale of the Deep Galleries: Deep Gallery's Distant Pact
- ↑ Character Level-Up Material: Worldspan Fern
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Story Quest, Nahida, Sapientia Oromasdis Chapter: Act II - Homecoming, Part 2: What Shape Does the Self Hold
- ↑ Archive, Living Beings, Enemies and Monsters, Mystical Beasts: Primordial Bathysmal Vishap
- ↑ Weapon Lore: Fractured Halo
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Event Ruins Exploration: Fieldwise Center Quest, Ruins Exploration: Act II, Part 1: Headlong Into the Sands
Thoth: Al-Ahmar would insist the Dendro Dragon Sovereign was one of us, but the dragon herself rejected that idea. - ↑ 15.0 15.1 Where Lies the Path Home in Nahida's Story Quest, Sapientia Oromasdis Chapter: Act II - Homecoming
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Neuvillette's Character Story: A Fontainian Nursery Rhyme
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Wind Glider: Wings of Merciful, Wrathful Waters
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 World Quest, A Finale Emberforged, Part 1: An Omen of Annihilation and the Final Entreaty
- ↑ YouTube: Song of the Welkin Moon Teaser: Moonlit Ballad of the Night
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Neuvillette's Character Story: Vision
- ↑ Weapon Ascension Material: Blazing Sacrificial Heart's Hesitance
... those envoys from the skies above, under whose guidance the earthly civilizations had thrived, were devoured by the awakened dragons ... - ↑ World Quest, Between Pledge and Forgettance: Revelations from the Past
The pitch-black flames scorch the land, and even the white tree nearly withered, and the final envoy's glow shattered and smashed, only able to subsist on the last leaves of the severed roots. - ↑ World Quest, A Finale Emberforged, Part 1: An Omen of Annihilation and the Final Entreaty
"Kukulkan: And such a fantasy came true once, when Xbalanque seized upon Xiuhcoatl's weak point and slew him." - ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Story Quest, Zhongli, Historia Antiqua Chapter: Act II - No Mere Stone, Part 4: Amidst Chaos, the Rock Is Unmoved
- ↑ Weapon Lore: The Unforged
- ↑ World Quest: Trails in Tianqiu
- ↑ Liyue Hidden Exploration Objective, Unordered: Hidden in Nameless Treasures
- ↑ Story Quest, Neuvillette, Diluvies Chapter: Act I - The Remains of the Past Day, Part 1: A Familiar Threat
- ↑ Archon Quest, Chapter IV, Act V - Masquerade of the Guilty, Part 5: The Opera of Noirceur and Blancheur
- ↑ Book: Breeze Amidst the Forest
- ↑ Archon Quest, Prologue, Act III - Song of the Dragon and Freedom, Part 6: A Long Shot
- ↑ World Quest, Ann of the Narzissenkreuz Act I - The Narzissenkreuz Adventure
- ↑ Web Event, Starlight Reverie - Journey in the Akasha
- ↑ World Quest, Lost in the Woods
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