Anacharsis

Anacharsis, also known as Seutervoinen by the Frostmoon Scions, is a voyager from the sea of stars who reigned in Hyperborea as Exalted Saint^{[Note 1]} 6,000 years ago. She initially arrived in Teyvat in the distant past and met Nibelung, warning him of the Abyss. She later returned during the end of the unified civilization, taking possession over the body of a young man, and married Koitar; the two of them led Hyperborea for a period of thirty years in an attempted rebellion against the Heavenly Principles. Though the rebellion ended in failure, with the couple separated and Anacharsis departing from the planet, their actions have had a profound effect on the history that followed.^{[Note 2]}

Profile

Anacharsis is a scribe whose mind traveled the cosmos while her undying body slumbered in a "distant celestial disk-construct." She charted countless peoples and civilizations fated to perish, and was duty-bound to never interact directly with them. As she describes humans as "chordate animals," it is likely that she is either an invertebrate animal, or not an animal of any kind.^[2]

The unnamed Hyperborean youth Anacharsis possessed was described as a boy of humble^[3] birth with star-shaped pupils.^[4][5]

Anacharsis was married to Koitar.^[1] According to a legend from the Songbook of Saint Strivozha, the two of them gave birth to seven "Preexistent Gods" and twelve "Preexistent Men," who in turn sired countless descendants.^{[6][Note 3]}

Story

Anacharsis belonged to an interstellar civilization of chroniclers that has existed for billions of years.^[7] As one of these chroniclers, she had the ability to transport her mind across interstellar distances. She used this ability to observe and record the destruction of countless worlds across the sea of stars. While meditating for tens of thousands of years, she was jolted into awareness after sensing the presence of Nibelung on Teyvat, whose will shone brighter than all the civilizations she had ever seen. Feeling both wonder and sorrow, she warned the dragon of Teyvat's inevitable destruction by the Abyss, and invited him to journey beyond the stars with her. However, Nibelung refused, and instead asked Anacharsis to return later to witness the path of his people.^[2]

Thousands of years later, Anacharsis visited Teyvat once more, Nibelung was gone, the Heavenly Principles having taken over in his absence, and the world was bound by the Four Great Rulers. According to the Belyi Tsar, Anacharsis had come to Hyperborea in search of "the light from the very genesis of the world." The Belyi Tsar further explains that this "light is undissipated hope itself" and possesses "the potential to illuminate the entire cosmos." He also reveals that this same light was responsible for his own creation from the Cryo Dragon.^[8] She was confused by Nibelung's absence, but did not want to disturb the Heavenly Principles, so she cast her consciousness into the body of a youth in the Golden City of Hyperborea and listened to the people's debates.^[2]

At the time, the people of the Golden City had angered the Angels by questioning the progress of knowledge, and the priests argued amongst themselves on how to quell their wrath.^[3] Anacharsis snuck into the priests' chamber and refuted all their arguments of heresy, pointing out the inconsistencies in their concept of sin. Finally, the chief priest told him to plead his case to Koitar below the Irminsul tree.^[3] Anacharsis descended underground and met Koitar, inquiring her about the most forbidden origins of Teyvat and telling her of his true origins as a voyager from afar. Upon hearing his words, the angel's crown broke and she discovered true freedom for the first time. She fell in love with the youth, telling him the secrets of creation, and the youth swore an oath to stand by her side in rebellion against the Heavenly Principles. This act of defiance was witnessed by the Three Moon Goddesses.^[9]

Koitar told Anacharsis that she dreamed of a time when nations could live without fear of the Heavenly Principles, and gods and mortals could reside in the heavens together.^[10] Anacharsis and Koitar took control over Hyperborea, teaching its people advanced technology and encouraging them to explore the sea of stars beyond the false sky.^[11] They were in charge of the city for thirty years,^[8] until the city was struck down by the Heavenly Principles with Celestial Nails shortly prior to the war of funerary flame.^[10] Realizing their impending defeat, Anacharsis was encouraged by Koitar to escape the planet, who then released her hold on the body of the Hyperborean youth after bidding Koitar farewell.^[12]

Legacy

During the expeditions of the Belyi Tsar into the Shadow Realm, while exploring the ruins of Hyperborea, he came across records concerning Hyperborea. Initially believing that Anacharsis had led Hyperborea to its destruction through his own delusions and folly,^[13] he later discovered the true records of Hyperborea. Upon accessing them, he learned of Anacharsis' true purpose on Teyvat and that Hyperborea's destruction had been fated by the Heavenly Principles long before the arrival of Anacharsis, a calamity which Koitar and Anacharsis had managed to delay by thirty years. Recognizing the error of his earlier conclusions, the Belyi Tsar acknowledged that his initial judgment of Anacharsis had been mistaken.^[8]

Anacharsis was also responsible for the creation of the Shadow Realm, which was able to repel the Abyss. After the Belyi Tsar opened the Realm, the Abyss began to seep into Teyvat, but the Realm's properties ensured it would only do so slowly.^[14]

Skirk is currently searching for Anacharsis, under orders from her master Surtalogi.^[15]

Gallery

Trivia

• Anacharsis is referred to with both feminine and masculine pronouns, depending on the current shape of her physical form.
• The unnamed boy that Anacharsis vested her consciousness in is described as having star-shaped pupils,^[4] suggesting a possible connection to the nation of Khaenri'ah, which was established near the end of the war of funerary flame.

Aliases and Titles

• Anacharsis is known by these aliases or titles:
  • Exalted Saint^{[11][Note 1]}
  • Seutervoinen (by the Frostmoon Scions)^[1]
  • Apostle of the Far North^{[1][Note 1]}
  • King of Hyperborea^[6]

Etymology

• Anacharsis was a Scythian prince and philosopher who may or may not have actually existed, dated to around the 6th century BCE. They were said to have been killed by their brother Saulius for worshipping the Snake-Legged Goddess, and participating in rites which resembled those of the Enaree priesthood. The Enarei were assigned male at birth, but were considered to have undergone a divine transformation of their sex, and so lived and dressed as women. Later writers characterized Anacharsis as a "noble savage" figure, an opponent of anti-intellectualism, and as an inventor.
• "Anacharsis Cloots" was the alias of Prussian nobleman Jean-Baptiste du Val-de-Grâce, baron de Cloots, who was a notable figure during the French Revolution. Cloots carried epithets such as "Orator of the Human Race" and "personal enemy of God', as well as anti-monarchist views.
• "Seutervoinen" is an epithet for the Finnish supernatural being Sampsa Pellervoinen, who is hailed as the creator of all vegetation on Earth. It is likely his original role was as a protector of crop fields.

Notes

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References