Under the guidance of Lesser Lord Kusanali, the God of Wisdom, Sumeru's culture primarily revolves around studying and research.
Life in Sumeru[]
As the nation that houses Sumeru Akademiya, Teyvat's largest known academic center, much of what is known about Sumeru is set in the context of the Akademiya.
People in Sumeru value rationality and wisdom, and the fact that many adults in Sumeru do not have dreams is in fact a source of pride for them. Knowledge was originally managed as a resource through a device known as the Akasha system, which is powered by the Gnosis of the previous Dendro Archon, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.[1] The people of Sumeru frequently used to use their Akasha Terminals to find information, and essentially every adult had one; children do not. After the suspension of the Akasha System, the people of Sumeru were now able to dream once more.
While humans are predominant, there are also a few humanoid races living in Sumeru; the only known group so far is Tighnari's kind, known as the Valuka Shuna, who are considered to be a rare sight. The Jinni, a race of spirits from the desert oases, and the Aranara, a race of forest spirits, also live in Sumeru. The Pari, a race of avian flower-like spirits, dwell in the Girdle of the Sands.
Sumeru has both forest and desert. Originally the entire nation was forest, but after the dropping of a Divine Nail, a large amount of the land was terraformed into desert. The desert is said to be a harsh place, an endless expanse of sand, scorching sun and sandstorms. It is filled with ruins from both Khaenri'ah and King Deshret's time. Like Khaenri'ah, King Deshret's civilization was highly advanced for its time, as they had the capability to create Primal Constructs, along with colossal structures such as The Mausoleum of King Deshret and the irrigation system in the present-day Desert of Hadramaveth that are in relatively good condition even after centuries buried beneath the sands.
In the deserts of Sumeru, some Eremites live in tribes. The only tribe the Traveler encounters is the Tanit, which they and Jeht destroyed as a result of Babel's machinations. There are three other known tribes; the Afiyah, who were briefly seen working with Aderfi, and the Uzza and Shimti tribes, which have yet to appear in-game.
Education[]
Education can take an extremely long time at Sumeru Akademiya, despite being renowned across Teyvat. Lisa, the most talented student to attend in two hundred years, managed to graduate in merely two years;[2] most other students are not nearly so lucky.
The unnamed author (most likely Gregor) of a certain message on the Cat's Tail Message Board was selected by a sage at the Akademiya and has gone to study there, but expresses regret that his parents will be old by the time he graduates. His message suggests he has recently come of age, putting him around 18 years old; assuming his parents are in their mid-40s to early 50s, this means his education will likely take somewhere around 15 to 20 years. This is corroborated by Hosseini's dialogue, in which he claims he is "not even 30 yet" and that being an undergraduate at his age is not uncommon.
Lisa mentions feeling disillusioned with its workaholic culture, citing it as the reason for why she became so lazy after returning from Sumeru Akademiya.[3]
Cuisine[]
Sumeru cuisine generally revolves around spicy foods, especially curry. The forests and deserts of Sumeru also contain many edible flowers, mushrooms, fruits and nuts, which are used in their cuisine.
Economy[]
Knowledge is generally seen as both a measure of wealth and privileges in Sumeru, as there is a thriving black market in the nation for those who wish to acquire Knowledge Capsules, which allow the user to access the knowledge within without prior vetting. Dori and the Eremites are known to sell them to customers, which often consist of researchers from the Akademiya.
Shaggy Sumpter Beasts are also a way to measure wealth in Sumeru, likely due to the prevalent role they play in transporting goods, particularly across harsh areas like deserts.
Port Ormos is Sumeru's main port, where foreigners from other nations come to buy and sell goods.
Other traded goods include crocodile produces, spices and essential oils for beauty products. In the Desert of Hadramaveth, Eremite tribes conduct trade with merchants who proceed to sell the goods in the city, who likewise bring them goods from there.
Designs, Motifs, and Symbols[]
Character Cards[]
The overall shape of Sumeru Character Cards is a large circle with a darker crescent covering the upper part of the circle. To either side of the crescent's inner edge are circles with symbols, which varies based on the character's overall affiliation with either the rainforest or the desert.
Rainforest[]
Those affiliated with Sumeru's rainforest region have a total of six circles, each with a different design, representing the Six Darshans of the Sumeru Akademiya:
- Bottom left is a horse with an hourglass, the symbol of Vahumana
- Middle left appears to be a bird — possibly a simurgh, huma, or griffin — with a wheat stalk, the symbol of Amurta
- Top left is a lion with an Ionic column, the symbol of Kshahrewar
- Top right is an elephant, the symbol of Rtawahist
- Middle right is a tree branching into a peacock, the symbol of Spantamad
- Bottom right is a bull with a scroll, the symbol of Haravatat
Arabesque-like patterns are also prominent in the background, alongside Moroccan trellis patterns (or quatrefoils) which can be seen towards the bottom of the Cards. The trellis is more obvious on the Chinese Character Cards (see Collei's official Chinese introduction).
Desert[]
Those affiliated with the desert region (Candace, Dehya and Sethos) of Sumeru have four circles, reflecting the four ministers of King Deshret. Although Cyno was born in the desert, he uses the rainforest card background as he was raised within the Akademiya,
- Bottom left is an Ammit (crocodile) head (from the Chinese and Japanese Character Card, it is apparent that the figure lacks pointed ears, which rules out a jackal or Anubis head)
- Top left is a ram's head
- Top right is a bird, most likely either an African sacred ibis or an Egyptian vulture
- Bottom right is a scorpion
The background features hieroglyphic and Egyptian designs.
Akademiya Symbols[]
The emblem of the Sumeru Akademiya can be found on the clothing of Akademiya students and on the scarfs of the Corps of Thirty.
Furthermore, each of the six Darshans has their own emblem. These are sometimes worn on the hats of Akademiya students.
Deshret's symbols[]
King Deshret is commonly represented by 'the sun and the eye'.
Another symbol, the sun motif (unofficial name) is also commonplace. It can be found on the Eremite enemy drops of Trimmed Red Silk and Rich Red Brocade. All mid-tier and high-tier Eremite enemies wear the motif on their eye coverings. It can be found on the material dropped by the Algorithm of Semi-Intransient Matrix of Overseer Network and in a more complex form on Primal Constructs.
Eremite Symbols[]
The Eremite Crest is composed of the sun motif above a pair of cross scimitars, all within a triangular shape. It can be found on the scarfs of low-tier Eremite enemies, on the furnishing The Eremites' Fame, and on some Eremite-associated buildings.
Families and Lineages[]
In Sumeru, people may derive their surnames from their ancestors. Descendants' surnames will prefix their ancestor's name with Pur (Persian: پور "son"; Chinese: 普尔); Anisa's full name is Anisa Purbiruni, where "Purbiruni" (Chinese: 普尔比鲁尼) is derived from the great sage Biruni who lived 500 years ago.[4] Based on the previous example, "Pursina" (Chinese: 普尔希娜) may be a surname used by descendants of a woman named Sina.[Note 1] The Traveler mentions that this practice might not necessarily imply biological descent, but also be a form of admiration for the sages of old and imply following in their footsteps.[5]
Fashion[]
Men's Clothing[]
Women's Clothing[]
Sumeru Akademiya Uniform[]
Forest Ranger's Uniform[]
Eremite Attire[]
Corps of Thirty Uniform[]
Festivals and Holidays[]
Sabzeruz Festival[]
Politics[]
Sumeru Akademiya governs Sumeru and handles much of the daily affairs of the nation. The Grand Sage appears to be the leading figure in the nation, seeing how the previous Grand Sage, Azar, enacted several decrees and negotiated with The Doctor over the creation of an artificial god. If no Grand Sage is present, an acting Grand Sage will be implemented. While the nomination process is unclear, it appears that anyone prominent in the Akademiya can be selected as a Grand Sage; Alhaitham, the Akademiya's Scribe, and Siraj, a rising Vahumana scholar, were both considered for the position.
The nation does not have any official military force of their own; the Eremites instead serve as an unofficial placeholder, who are mercenaries originating from the desert. They are often hired as bodyguards by the people of Sumeru, mostly researchers but also for important families and other clients. The Corps of Thirty, a large Eremite group, helps maintain peace and order in Sumeru City, Port Ormos and Caravan Ribat.
Eremite tribes in the desert are not affiliated with the Akademiya and are self-governed, usually led by elders and possibly matriarchs. They have their own set of rules that usually revolve around the well-being of the tribe. Violating these rules often incurs harsh punishments, such as exile or death.
Notes[]
References[]
- ↑ YouTube: Sumeru Preview Teaser 03: Prelude to Wisdom
- ↑ Lisa's Character Story: Character Details
- ↑ Lisa's Character Story: Character Story 5
- ↑ World Quest: Solitary Sea-Beast
- ↑ Traveler's Voice-Over: About Purbiruni and Pursina
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