The Eremites

The Eremites are a group of people who hail from Sumeru's desert region. Most of them are mercenaries by trade and conduct business across Teyvat.^[1][2] They are the only authorized mercenary organization in Sumeru.^[3]

Overview

Rather than a 'hero,' I'd call myself someone who 'isn't afraid of dying so that they might truly live.' This was something that a senior from Sumeru told me, and she herself heard it from the Eremites.

—Zhiqiong, Valor's Afterglow

The Eremites hail from the ancient, now-collapsed civilizations of the Great Red Sand.^[4] They are split into multiple factions and tribes, each with their own beliefs and codes of conduct, although these factions are not always mutually exclusive. Strife sometimes erupts between different Eremite groups, which is why consultants and advisors are appointed by Rukh Shah to facilitate communication. In fact, the name "Eremites" is simply a blanket term for all of the tribes of the desert, ignoring any of the distinctions between said tribes.^[5]

The Eremites "have a claim to part of the legacy" of the ancient civilizations they come from, "as a deterrent of last resort in a crisis."^[4] They have passed down the knowledge of their ancestral civilization in oral form, though their stories are gradually disappearing or being distorted over the generations. Still, those among the Eremites who remember their history make sure to keep it alive.^[5] Their history also survives through their performing culture and combat style; for example, the combat skills of the Eremite Sword-Dancers were passed down since the days of Deshret's civilization and are now an art as well as a combat style,^[6] and the Eremites' dance traditions were passed down from their ancestors' worship rituals.^[7] They can also be seen playing instruments, such as a tambourine and a lute-like stringed instrument.

As the Eremite mercenaries are very loosely organized, anyone can join them. Traditionally, only those hailing from the desert can join, but there have been a few exceptions, such as Rukh Shah.^[8] Others simply use the name for their own benefit, causing unaware foreigners to hire them for a poor job, making the group as a whole looked down upon. One example is Kasim, who uses the name for his own benefit and is known as a fraud by the Corps of Thirty.

Nazafarin, a scholar from Sumeru, has a negative perception of them and describes them as "true soldiers of fortune who will do anything for money," and goes on to state that some of its members wield "formidable" elemental powers.^[2] These powers are not inherent to the Eremites themselves, but are rather borrowed from ancient desert spirits (or fragments thereof) which can manipulate the elements. These spirit fragments dwell within the Eremites' weapons and awaken during times of peril, to the boon of the Eremites wielding them.^[9] However, it is suggested that once the spirits awaken, they can only be satisfied once blood has spilt, whether of the Eremites or the other side.^[10]

The Eremites have an open partnership with the Adventurers' Guild,^[11] and they conduct business all across Teyvat. For example, Younan often travels to Inazuma since his job involves facilitating international trade from Sumeru, while Irus' crew was commissioned by Jakob in Fontaine. Sumida once commissioned a member of the Eremites to assist her in the quest for the Maushiro, to no avail.^[1] The Eremites are also fond of Genius Invokation TCG, and many can be seen across Sumeru playing the game.

Groups

Aybak's group

Aybak is the leader of a group of Eremites in Caravan Ribat. This group is under contract with the Akademiya and is responsible for the security of Caravan Ribat, as well as maintenance of the Wall of Samiel. The group is very tight-knit and treats each other like family, calling each other brothers and sisters.^[12]

There are 2 known characters who are part of this group:

• Brother Aybak (leader)
• Sister Safie

Blazing Beasts

The Blazing Beasts are a group of Eremites, of which Dehya is the most renowned member. Dehya joined the Blazing Beasts at a young age, after her last argument with Kusayla; Kusayla secretly arranged the faction to rescue Dehya and ensured that she would leave Dakan Al-Ahmar without harassment from Deshret's Relics.^[13]

During the events of the flagship event Whirling Waltz, Traveler and Paimon became the official partners of the Blazing Beasts.^[14]

There are 4 known characters who are part of this group:

Related Playable Characters

1 Character matches the category selection:

Icon	Name	Quality	Element	Weapon	Region	Model Type
	Dehya		Pyro	Claymore	Sumeru	Tall Female

Corps of Thirty

Main article: Corps of Thirty

The Corps of Thirty are members of the Eremites who guard Sumeru City.^[15] They are based in the Citadel of Regzar, to the northeastern side of Sumeru City. Unlike most other Eremites, they wear green scarves instead of red ones. Their name comes from the fact that the group had thirty founders, and they are said to be one of the oldest Eremite groups in Sumeru.^[16]

There are 36 known characters who are or were part of the Corps of Thirty:

Dehya is a notable former member of the Corps of Thirty.

Deshret's Relics

Deshret's Relics were formerly a large group of Eremites that blackmailed its members by making them leave behind "records" at their headquarters, which detailed something unpleasant about its members such as sins, unforgivable acts or immoral exploits, which they claimed was a sign of "loyalty." Following Kusayla's burning of the records, many left the group, leaving behind a few loyalists. The group and its leader at the time, Mishal, were eventually dismantled by Dakan Al-Ahmar, Dehya and the Traveler, and its members taken into custody by the Corps of Thirty.^[17]

There are 3 characters who were part of this group:

Ayn Al-Ahmar

Ayn Al-Ahmar is a subgroup of Deshret's Relics^[18] that are active in Port Ormos, led by Mizri. Like many Eremites, they are devout followers of King Deshret, and view Greater Lord Rukkhadevata poorly in comparison to him. They take their name after King Deshret's alleged true name, Al-Ahmar. They were in competition with other Eremite factions in Port Ormos to obtain a Divine Knowledge Capsule rumored to hold the power of King Deshret, and succeeded in obtaining it through an auction. However, Mizri went mad after using the knowledge capsule and briefly rampaged before being defeated by Alhaitham, who secretly took the Divine Knowledge Capsule from them afterwards.^[19]

There are 3 characters who are or were part of this group:

Dakan Al-Ahmar

Dakan Al-Ahmar was a subgroup of Deshret's Relics led by Dehya's father Kusayla. After Kusayla's death, the group sought revenge on Deshret's Relics. They began conducting raids on not only members of the Relics, but on merchant caravans and innocent citizens as well, seeking to accumulate resources for their crusade against the Relics. After Deshret's Relics was destroyed and their revenge was fulfilled, Dakan Al-Ahmar's remaining members surrendered themselves to the Corps of Thirty for their crimes.

There are 8 known characters who were part of this group:

Rahman's faction

Rahman has his own Eremite faction located near Valley of Dahri. Similar to Ayn Al-Ahmar, he and his faction are also believers of King Deshret and initially despised Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and the forest folk. They even kidnapped the Village Keepers of Aaru Village, believing that it would help bring about King Deshret's resurrection.

However, after witnessing the truth about the great deed of the previous Dendro Archon, Rahman and his group abandoned their prejudice. Realizing their true enemy was the Akademiya, they aided the Traveler's group in freeing Lesser Lord Kusanali, and are currently working with Setaria and the reformed Akademiya to promote education among the Eremites and other desert peoples.

There are 3 known characters who are part of this group:

• Rahman (leader)
• Maqrin
• Tanina

The Caracal Battalion

The Caracal Battalion is an Eremite faction active in Port Ormos. They were in competition with other factions such as Ayn Al-Ahmar to claim a Divine Knowledge Capsule rumored to hold the power of King Deshret. Tariq and Tumart of Ayn Al-Ahmar claim that, unlike them, the Caracal Battalion is "nothing but a bunch of money-grubbing opportunists out for a quick Mora."^[20]

Thutmose

The Thutmose are a group of Eremites active in the desert, and are also devout believers of King Deshret. To be able to explore the secret of Al-Ahmar, Thutmose has sought knowledge and collaborators from many sources, from Sumeru researchers to the Fatui. Jebrael and Samail were once referred to as the twin blades of Thutmose.

The Thutmose secret base is located on Lamb-Devourer Rock.

There are 2 known characters who were part of this group:

Tribes

Afiyah

The Afiyah are a nomadic Eremite tribe in the Desert of Hadramaveth. Members of the tribe colluded with Aderfi of the Tanit to ambush the Traveler and take Liloupar.^[9]

Farrokhzadan

Main article: Farrokhzadan

The Farrokhzadan are a tribe of Eremites related to Agha Farrokh. They are currently led by Siman Farrokhzad, Agha's daughter, and were assisting Il Dottore and the Fatui in their goal of capturing Aranara.

There are 7 known characters who are part of this tribe:

Iab

The Iab are descendants from the Thamudians. Around 20 years ago, a sandstorm blocked up the Shimti's well, rendering the tribe incapable of drawing water from it. Desperate, the current chief of the tribe, Sinuhe, traveled into the territory of the Iab and Unut tribes. Finding that the Iab tribe's well was intact, he drew water from it without their permission and retreated, but not before being spotted by tribe members.

Not long after, the Iab tribe would arrive in Shimti territory and apprehend Sinuhe for his theft. The Iab ultimately massacred his entire tribe, save for his daughter Nefer who was hidden.

To get revenge for her tribe, Nefer plotted to turn the Iab and Unut against each other, posing as an ambassador of the Akademiya. By this time, the Iab tribe had grown strong in the region through ruthless and unscrupulous ways. It also seized a well by force that belonged Unut.

Nefer succeeded in turning the tribes against each other and caused a battle which led to both tribes' warriors being massacred. The Iab ultimately won in the battle. During a victory feast, an Unut assassin beheaded the Iab chief in front of the entire tribe, resulting in them scattering into the desert and never being heard from again.

Arif was the last known chief of the Iab tribe.^[21]

Matriarchal tribes

The Tanit, Shimti and Uzza tribes all had matriarchs and venerated the Goddess of Flowers. All three matriarchs referred to themselves as "Daughters of the Flower Goddess."^[22]

Tanit

Main article: Tanit

The Tanit were a nomadic Eremite tribe active in the desert led by their matriarch Babel. Their most recent campsite was at the southern border of the Desert of Hadramaveth, where they relied on the wenut trade with outsiders. They would eventually be annihilated by the Traveler and Jeht, after Babel's attempts to manipulate and get rid of them had failed.

There are 25 characters who were part of this tribe:

Shimti

The Shimti tribe had their origins in Tulaytullah and was famous for the beauty of their women.^[23] They had relatively good relations with the other tribes until around 20 years ago. Back then, a sandstorm blocked up the tribe's well, rendering the tribe incapable of drawing water from it. Desperate, the current chief of the tribe, Sinuhe, traveled into the territory of the Iab and Unut tribes. Finding that the Iab tribe's well was intact, he drew water from it without their permission and retreated, but not before being spotted by tribe members.

Not long after, the Iab tribe would arrive in Shimti territory and apprehend Sinuhe for his theft. The Iab ultimately massacred his entire tribe, save for his adopted daughter Nefer, whom he had hidden.^[21]

There are 3 characters who are or were part of this tribe:

Related Playable Characters

1 Character matches the category selection:

Icon	Name	Quality	Element	Weapon	Region	Model Type
	Nefer		Dendro	Catalyst	Nod-Krai	Tall Female

Uzza

There is currently no information on this tribe. Urwa is the only known NPC that has ties to this tribe.

Unut

The Unut are also descendants from the Thamudians, like the Iab tribe. They, together with the Iab were eradicated after the plot Nefer contrived to get her revenge for the Shimti tribe. They lost the battle against the Iab, but an assassin from the tribe managed to avenge their fallen warriors by beheading the Iab chief in front of their tribe during a victory feast.

Nizar was the last chief of the Unut tribe.^[21]

Others

Other Eremite tribes and brigades operate on their own accord. They usually only receive commissions from individuals or families to act as bodyguards, and do not have a clear operating structure like other factions.

There are 47 known characters who are or were part of other groups of Eremites or that can't be placed with any of the above groups and tribes:

Trivia

• The design of the Eremite seems to be inspired by North Africa (in fact you can see a mix of Berber, Arab and Coptic elements)
• Many Eremites NPCs are named after important historical figures or places related to North Africa.
• Lion is part the Eremites' folklore, representing the unyielding spirit of the desert dwellers. Some Eremites have "Lion" in their titles, such as Dehya^{[Note 1]} and Jehiet.^[24] This seems to be a reference to North Africa, where the Barbary Lion was beloved and considered the symbol of the region.
• Fire is an important symbol for the Eremites, much like for Natlan's warriors — they believe that "only valor's flame shall never be extinguished." Building a campfire will boost team morale, and putting out an enemy's campfire will effectively demoralize them.^[25]
• In the case of a dire emergency of running out of food and water, Eremites have learned to bleed their Sumpter Beasts for fluid as a last resort.^[26]

Etymology

• The name Eremite is likely derived from the Ancient Greek word ἐρημίτης erēmítēs, meaning "of the desert."
  • The Ancient Greek word is also the origin of the English words eremite and hermit, both of which originally referred to those who secluded themselves in the desert for spiritual enlightenment.
  • Its Chinese name, 镀金旅团, uses the phrase 镀金, which literally means "gilded" or "gold-plated" but figuratively means making something ordinary appear special. As a metaphor, the phrase has a pejorative connotation and refers to people who go leave for other places to polish their qualifications despite lacking the actual skills.
• Ayn Al-Ahmar (Arabic: عين الأحمر) means "Eye of the Red One."
• The Proto-Semitic word *ḏaḳan- means "beard" and is the source of the words for "beard" or "chin" in many Semitic languages, such as ḏaqan (Arabic: ذقن "chin, beard on the chin"). Thus, Dakan Al-Ahmar (Arabic: ذقن الأحمر) can mean "Chin of the Red One" or "Beard of the Red One."
• The Caracal Battalion is likely named after the caracal, a wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. The name caracal was proposed by Georges Buffon in 1761 who referred to its Turkish name 'Karrah-kulak' or 'Kara-coulac' (Turkish: karakulak), meaning "black ear."
• Thutmose is an anglicization of the ancient Egyptian personal name dhwty-ms (Egyptian: 𓅝𓄟), usually translated as "born of the god Thoth." The name was common among royals of the Eighteenth Dynasty, which is thus sometimes called the "Thutmosid" Dynasty from the reign of Thutmose I onward.
• Afiyah (Arabic: عافية) means "health." In the Moroccan Arabic dialect, it can also mean "fire."
• The Iab tribe is likely named after Iabet, a goddess in Egyptian mythology and counterpart of Imentet. She is a cleanser of the Sun god Ra and goddess of the east. Her main husband is the fertility god Min. She was worshiped in Panopolis with her husband.
• The Unut tribe is named after Unut, a prehistoric Ancient Egyptian hare and snake goddess of fertility and new birth.
• The Shimti tribe may derive its name from the Akkadian word šīmtum, meaning "fate." Shimti can be either the name of a goddess in her own right or a title of other Mesopotamian goddesses such as Damkina and Ishtar.
• The Uzza tribe is named after Al-Uzza (Arabic: العزى), one of the three chief goddesses of Arabian religion in pre-Islamic times. She was worshipped by pre-Islamic Arabs along with Al-Lat and Manāt.
• The Tanit Tribe takes its name from the Punic goddess Tanit, who became the chief deity of Ancient Carthage after the Phoenicians had assimilated into the local culture. Tanit was the consort of Baal Hammon and is considered an equivalent of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar.

Gallery

Other Languages

Language	Official Name	Literal Meaning
English	Eremite	—
Chinese (Simplified)	镀金旅团 Dùjīn Lǚtuán	Gilded Brigade
Chinese (Traditional)	鍍金旅團 Dùjīn Lǚtuán
Japanese	エルマイト旅団 Erumaito Ryodan	Eremite Brigade
Korean	‍도금鍍金‍ ‍여단旅團‍ Dogeum Yeodan	Gilded Brigade‍‍[※]Sino-Korean reading of Chinese name‍
Spanish	Los Eremitas	The Eremites[• 1]
French	Érémites	Eremites
Russian	Пустынники Pustynniki	The Hermits[• 2]
Thai	Eremite	—
Vietnamese	Eremite	—
German	Goldbrigade	Gold Brigade
Indonesian	Eremite	—
Portuguese	Eremitas
Turkish	Münzevi	Recluse
Italian	Eremita

Change History

Notes

References

Navigation

Factions Transnational Adventurers' Guild Four Great Rulers Hexenzirkel Legion of Soulblazers Northern Intelligence Network Seven Sovereigns The Seven Three Moons Treasure Hoarders Wanderer's Troupe Mondstadt Church of Favonius Four Winds Knights of Favonius Mondstadt Wine Guild Noble Families Imunlaukr Clan Gunnhildr Clan Lawrence Clan Ragnvindr Clan Liyue Adepti Yakshas Feiyun Commerce Guild Guhua Clan Liyue Qixing Ministry of Civil Affairs Eight Trades Communications Office Sword and Strongbox Secure Transport Agency Huishan Hall Shenglu Hall Yinyuan Hall Millelith Mighty Mythical Beasts The Crux Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Inazuma Arataki Gang Grand Narukami Shrine Inazuma Shogunate Shogun's Army International Trade Association Komaniya Express Raiden Gokaden Kaedehara Clan Sangonomiya Shrine Sangonomiya Clan Watatsumi Army Tri-Commission Kanjou Commission Hiiragi Clan Tenryou Commission Kujou Clan Yashiro Commission Kamisato Clan Shuumatsuban Sumeru Forest Rangers Order of Skeptics Seven Pillars Sumeru Akademiya Darshans Amurta Rtawahist Spantamad Haravatat Vahumana Kshahrewar Matra Temple of Silence The Eremites Corps of Thirty Tanit Fontaine Champion Duelist Confrerie of Cabriere Court of Fontaine Maison Cardinalice Maison Gardiennage Garde Gardemek Maison Gestion Maison Ordalie Marechaussee Phantom Daydream Club Golden Troupe Fontaine Research Institute Fortress of Meropide Beret Society Mutual Aid Network Fruity Order Lochknights Narzissenkreuz Institute Narzissenkreuz Ordo Spina di Rosula Natlan Muratans Saurian Relics Association Six Tribes Children of Echoes Collective of Plenty Flower-Feather Clan Masters of the Night-Wind People of the Springs Scions of the Canopy Thirteen Sovereign Lords Snezhnaya Korolevskiy Troupe Rokot Zapolyarny Palace Druzhna Fatui Armory Palace Eleven Harbingers House of the Hearth Royal Energy Commission of Snezhnaya Snezhnaya Royal Railway Transport Bureau Snezhnograd Veche Nod-Krai Conch Gang Curatorium of Secrets Frostmoon Scions Lightkeepers Seahook Gang The Wild Hunt Voynich Guild Khaenri'ah Alberich Clan Abyss Order Court of Khaenri'ah Schwanenritter Universitas Magistrorum