Irmin

Irminsul was the last Vinster King of Khaenri'ah over 500 years ago. His interest in and usage of Abyssal power became the cause for the Cataclysm and led to the emergence of the Five Sinners of Khaenri'ah. After Irmin became "indisposed," Schwanenritter Knight Marshal Anfortas took the post of Regent.

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Under Irmin's reign, Khaenri'ah began creating machinery using "secrets from beyond the skies," which was likely related to forbidden knowledge. While this allowed them to create vastly enhanced machines which were no longer bound to this world's laws, some Khaenri'ahns distrusted such methods,^[2] but they failed to persuade Irmin to stop using it.^[3]

Appearance

Little is known about Irmin's physical features besides the fact that he only had one eye.^[4]

Story

Irminsul was the last Vinster King of Khaenri'ah's Eclipse Dynasty.^[5] He was originally sane, but he eventually became mad and lost his mind.^[1]

At some point before the cataclysm began, he approved using "secrets from beyond the skies" — likely related to Abyssal power — to enhance Khaenri'ah's machinery and allow their machines to "throw off the shackles imposed by this world's laws." An unknown writer left a letter to the Knight Marshal, Anfortas, imploring that Anfortas petition the king so some of Khaenri'ah's old machinery, created before the usage of otherworldly knowledge, would be preserved for future generations.^[2] It is unknown whether anything came out of this request. Pierro's memories about his failures to gain Irmin's favor or prevent Irmin and the sages from "tearing away the veil of sin" suggest that Irmin did not heed forbidden knowledge's detractors.^[3][6]

After the Traveler's Sibling arrived in Khaenri'ah, Irmin would eventually appoint them as the heir to his throne and grant them the title of (‍PrincessText for male Traveler‍/‍PrinceText for female Traveler‍) of Khaenri'ah, prompting a great celebration that a young Dainsleif was present for. During the celebration, Irmin and the Court of Khaenri'ah proclaimed that the Sibling would bring great prosperity to the kingdom, and began to promote them as a prophesied "Savior."^[5][7]

At some point, he ordered all descendants of the Crimson Moon Dynasty lineage killed, believing that they would pose a threat to his own dynasty, even the young and distant relatives that had branched off. Additionally, he focused more research onto Abyssal energy, resulting in Tholindis' team being moved to prioritize it, leaving her alone in researching the Moon Marrow. He also had immense trust in both Vedrfolnir and Hroptatyr. When Vedrfolnir gave a word of warning to Irmin, telling him that Khaenri'ah would fall if he continued down his path, Irmin was infuriated by the words and punished Vedrfolnir by having his eyes gouged out and thrown into a decrepit cell.^[1]

Irmin would later lead the Sibling down into the deepest depths of Khaenri'ah and used them as a vessel with which "unlimited abyssal power" might be absorbed. At this time, Dainsleif, Vedrfolnir's younger brother and now knight Captain of the Royal Guard, brought together Rhinedottir, Rerir, Surtalogi, and Hroptatyr to storm the palace and save Vedrfolnir.^[1] Irmin is implied as having been killed by Dainsleif and his party.^[5]

Legacy

The Abyssal power that Irmin had the Traveler's sibling absorb was stolen by Rhinedottir, Rerir, Vedrfolnir, Surtalogi, and Hroptatyr when they stormed the palace, who then became known as the Five Sinners of Khaenri'ah.^[1] This then became the direct cause of the Cataclysm when Rhinedottir's creations began to attack Khaenri'ah and the Seven Nations of Teyvat.^[8] The Heavenly Principles, which greatly feared forbidden knowledge,^[9] directly intervened at Khaenri'ah and caused them to "lose everything,"^[10] laying curses on those who survived.^[11]

A bulletin left behind in the underground Khaenri'ahn ruins at Gavireh Lajavard announced that Anfortas had declared himself Regent as a result of "King Irmin's present indisposed state and the current unknown threats facing the Kingdom."^[12]

Kaeya secretly kept a piece of paper regarding the family history of the Alberich Clan, which taught that "it was the Alberich Clan, who did not have royal blood, who stepped in as regents when the strength of the one-eyed king Irmin failed."^[4]

Trivia

• The statuettes dropped by Abyss Heralds, Abyss Lectors, and Shadowy Husks depict a one-eyed figure, possibly Irmin. The statuettes are described as possibly representing a holy icon^[13] and inspiring courage in those who know their significance.^[14] If they are indeed modeled after Irmin, they would indicate he was missing his left eye.
  • Alternatively, the statuettes may depict Anfortas, Irmin's regent, who lost his left eye in a fight against Schwanenritter traitor Hadura.^[15] While no link has explicitly been made between Anfortas and Chlothar Alberich, the founder of the Abyss Order, the Alberich Clan teachings which Kaeya secretly kept^[4] is enough to prove that Anfortas and Chlothar were both Alberich Clan members who lived during the cataclysm.
  • Of the few Khaenri'ahns presently depicted in human form, three significant ones — Pierro, Dainsleif, and Kaeya — are shown to cover the right sides of their face at all times, generally (though not always) including their right eyes. However, neither Halfdan nor Chlothar share this practice, leaving the face covering's purpose unclear.

Etymology

• The name "Irmin" has Germanic roots but is not clearly defined, and several different interpretations of the name exist. It is believed to mean "Great" and is often used in compound words.
  • The Irminones, named after their ancestor Ermenius, are classified as one of the tribes that inhabited the interior of Germania. Other tribes included the Ingvaeones, who lived along the coast, and the Istvaeones, who occupied the remaining areas.
  • The Viking Age Norse equivalent for Irmin is Jörmunr, which is used in the Poetic Edda as an epithet for the Norse god Odin.
  • The word "Irminsul" is a compound of Irmin (great) + sûl (pillar). In Saxon beliefs, Irminsul were sacred, pillar-like objects; in-game, "Irminsul" is the English localization's name for the silver-white trees found in domains, which are linked to the ley lines. (See Irminsul § Localization for additional information.)
• "Vinster" is a Middle High German word, meaning "dark."

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References