Sumeru
Last updated 2026-08-10
A fantastical nation of both lush rainforest and barren desert, where countless fruits of wisdom grow and are buried. Whether Travelers travel from afar through the forest to reach the academy city or delve deep into the desert to discover the historical ruins of the red desert, a wealth of valuable knowledge awaits them here.
Sumeru is one of the seven nations of Teyvat and one of the major regions in Genshin Impact. It is the nation that worships Lesser Lord Kusanali, the Dendro Archon and God of Wisdom. It is renowned as Teyvat's center of learning for housing the Sumeru Akademiya.
Archon Quest Chapter III and Acts IX and X of Song of the Welkin Moon takes place in this region.
How to Access
Access to Sumeru is unlocked after completing the Archon Quest Prologue: Act I - The Outlander Who Caught the Wind. The Dharma Forest is directly accessible from The Chasm, Liyue. Upon completing the Archon Quest Prologue: Act III - Song of the Dragon and Freedom, a Teleport Waypoint located at Girdle of the Sands, supposed to provide quick access to Fontaine, can also serve as a quick access to the Sumeru desert.
Description
Sumeru's landscape features both deserts[1] and forests.[2][3] In Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview: Travail, Dainsleif likens it to a desert, and Liben mentions that "Sumeru is all rainforest and desert."
During the cataclysm 500 years ago, the previous Dendro Archon and God of Wisdom, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, was slain[4] and Lesser Lord Kusanali took her place.[5] Under the aegis of the God of Wisdom, the sages of Sumeru drive themselves into hysterics and abandon all that is worldly in their pursuit of esoteric wisdom.[2]
Lisa went to study magic at the Sumeru Akademiya, where she was considered the best student they had seen in 200 years. Despite the prestige she enjoyed there, she ultimately returned to Mondstadt after growing disillusioned with the "raving-mad scholars" and the cost of "uninhibited erudition" she witnessed in Sumeru.
The Eremites are a faction of mercenaries from Sumeru who travel throughout Teyvat.[6] They see themselves as people who are not "afraid of dying so that they might truly live."[7] Nazafarin, a scholar from Sumeru, claims that some of its members wield "bizarre yet formidable powers," and finds the subject of the Eremite unpleasant enough to swiftly drop the subject after briefly explaining them to the Traveler.[8]
Sumeru's Statue of The Seven depicts a childlike female figure who wears a similar cloak and draping clothing to that of the other known Archon statues. Her small frame is also shown sitting on a huge leaf, an attribute owing to her mantle as the Dendro Archon.
Areas and Subareas
Dharma Forest
There are 7 areas in Dharma Forest:
| Area | Subareas |
|---|---|
![]() Ardravi Valley |
|
![]() Ashavan Realm |
|
![]() Avidya Forest |
|
![]() Lokapala Jungle |
|
![]() Lost Nursery |
|
![]() Vanarana (Area) |
|
![]() Vissudha Field |
Great Red Sand
There are 4 areas in Great Red Sand:
| Area | Subareas |
|---|---|
![]() Desert of Hadramaveth |
|
![]() Hypostyle Desert |
|
![]() Land of Lower Setekh |
|
![]() Land of Upper Setekh |
Girdle of the Sands
There are 2 areas in Girdle of the Sands:
| Area | Subareas |
|---|---|
![]() Gavireh Lajavard |
|
![]() Realm of Farakhkert |
Characters
Playable Characters
14 Characters match the category selection:
Related Playable Characters
1 Character matches the category selection:
| Icon | Name | Quality | Element | Weapon | Region | Model Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nefer | Dendro | Tall Female |
Upcoming Characters
No Characters match the category selection.
NPCs
Notable Features
Normal Bosses

Electro Regisvine
Jadeplume Terrorshroom
Aeonblight Drake
Algorithm of Semi-Intransient Matrix of Overseer Network
Dendro Hypostasis
Setekh Wenut
Iniquitous Baptist
Local Specialties

Henna Berry
Kalpalata Lotus
Mourning Flower
Nilotpala Lotus
Padisarah
Rukkhashava Mushrooms
Sand Grease Pupa
Scarab
Trishiraite
Domains
Challenge Domains
5 Domains match the category selection:
Trounce Domains
3 Domains match the category selection:
One-time Domains
11 Domains match the category selection:
Specific Exploration Mechanics
Sumeru features many unique mechanics and environmental hazards:
Ruin Devices
Ruin Devices are mostly found within and around temples in the Great Red Sand. Each device has a clearance requirement that you must fulfill by upgrading the ![]()
Scarlet Sand Slate.
- Everlight Cells can be moved or rotated to cause Primal Beams to strike targets called Neverlight Cells. Some Everlight Cells revert to their original state a certain amount of time after the player interacts with them. Dual Everlight Cells emit two beams, and Dual Neverlight Cells must be struck by two beams to activate. Sometimes an obstructing wall may need to be made transparent by activating nearby Obscuring Cells.
- Large Fan Blades may cycle between active and inactive states automatically, or be controlled by a Plinth of the Secret Rites. While active, they can push the player or obliterate Primal Embers.
- Pipe Diverter Valves can adjust pipe connections, changing the flow of sand within them.
- Plinths of the Secret Rites can be used to perform various actions, such as opening doors, removing Primal Barriers, or turning Large Fan Blades on and off. Different Plinths require varying levels of clearance.
- Primal Barriers are forcefield-like obstacles that must be turned off to allow the player to pass.
- Flipping a Primal Sandglass reveals the locations of other nearby Sandglasses. After a certain amount of time, a flipped Sandglass will flip back. Usually, getting all nearby Sandglasses in the flipped state at once will complete the puzzle. Sometimes, the Sandglasses are simply part of a larger puzzle that spawns objects such as Four-Leaf Sigils while any nearby Sandglass is flipped.
- Primal Embers can be located resting within Primal Sconces. Interacting with one causes it to move along a predefined path. The Ember may stop at another sconce until the player interacts with it again, or at other locations, waiting until the player approaches. Leading the Ember to a Primal Torch causes the Torch to activate. Often there will be multiple Torches in a room which must be activated to solve a puzzle.
- Prisms of Khaj-Nisut can glow blue or red, and are used to control objects of the same color. You can also interact with them to change their color and colors of other objects.
- Replicator Keystones can be activated with Forged Primal Light to create ruin devices.
- Rune Mechanisms emit a beam of energy that can remove sand piles. Attack them to change the beam's direction. Some are mounted on tracks which allow them to be moved. The energy may be blocked by a Runic Window, which can be opened by using a Runic Pane Switch.
- Activating Verity Cells causes hidden objects near the player to be revealed for a limited time.
Sorush
Obtaining Sorush during the World Quest The Splendorous Sky That Day in Series Khvarena of Good and Evil grants the player a number of abilities in the Girdle of the Sands:
- The player can switch control to Sorush, who can fly anywhere within a fixed distance from the player.
- The player can receive rewards by igniting Bright Flame Altars, absorbing energy from Burgeoning Spirits, awakening Residual Pari inside Fravashi Trees, and causing Sunyata Flowers in the Vourukasha Oasis to bloom and bringing Amrita Mayflies to them.
- Defiled Beacons can be purified to stop their attacks.
- Great Songs of Khvarena are protected by a barrier which Sorush can pass through once she has obtained the Twin-Horned Chaplet.
- Khvarena Barriers can be activated to provide a temporary shield.
- Khvarena Inscription Fragments, Lightcall Paths, and Mysterious Floating Stones can be made visible.
- Sorush can temporarily dispel Mysterious Amrita Seals to allow the player to pass.
- The power of Nirodha Fruit can be used to destroy Solidified Amrita or Purple Mist in Asipattravana Swamp.
- Sorush can collect Plumes of Purifying Light to offer to the Amrita Pool.
- Special Four-Leaf Sigils can be moved to more advantageous locations.
- Ruebright Blooms can be activated to create platforms and Four-Leaf Sigils.
- Sorush can cause Udumbara flowers to sprout from Runestones in Asipattravana Swamp, allowing the player to collect

Udumbara Pistils, which are offered to the Residual Pari in two of the Fravashi Trees.
Tri-Lakshana Creatures
Tri-Lakshana Creatures can change between different states when an Element is applied: Scorched (inactive) from Pyro, Normal from Dendro, and Activated from Electro:
- Bouncy Mushroom: Launches the player into the air (higher when Activated).
- Dream Flower: Clears enemy Aggro for nearby players (Normal) and reveals Phantasmal Seeds (Activated).

Fungus: Dropped items on defeat will change depending on state.- Poisonous Mushroom: Attacks with Dendro when not Scorched.
- Rocklifting Branch: Rises from the ground in Normal state, revealing hidden objects underneath (rises higher when Activated)
- Seed Mirror: Reveals Nascent Withering Zones (Normal), reveals Mischievous Aranara (Activated).

Starshroom: Restore health when consumed: 1 HP (Scorched), 300 HP (Normal), 800 HP (Activated).- Tri-Yana Seed: Can be immobile (Scorched), moving (Normal), or reveal hidden objects (Activated).
Vintage Lyre
Playing the Vintage Lyre can activate various objects in Dharma Forest, once the corresponding song has been unlocked:
- Remove obstacles near Claustroflora
- Repair Dendro Elemental Monuments (can also be repaired using the

"Kusava") - Gain access to Domains via Gloomy Paths
- Switch between the real and dream worlds at Silapna
- Summon a Healthy Dendrograna at Sprouting Branches
- Rotate Vamadha
- Activate Varuna Contraptions, enabling the player to change the weather in Apam Woods
- Unlock challenges at Phantasmal Gates
- Please Music-Loving Aranara
The Withering
The Withering is a climate effect that causes dangerous areas called Withering Zones, which apply Decay to the player. If the player accumulates 10 units of Decay, all their characters will fall. The player must use Dendrograna to destroy all Withering Branches within the zone, defeat the enemies that spawn, then interact with the Tumor of the Withering to permanently eliminate the Withering Zone.
- Fetid Boughs may attack the player, doing damage and applying a unit of Decay when hit.
- Flames of Life may appear within the zone, which remove one unit of Decay when consumed.
- Seelies of Life (unofficial name) and Candles of Life can continually remove accumulated Decay for nearby players, as will any Teleport Waypoint that happens to be located within the zone.
Other

Dendroculi can be offered at Statues of The Seven in Sumeru for rewards.- Dendrograna augment Charged Attacks and Aimed Shots with a Dendro-based attack. Dendrogranum attacks are the only way to destroy Dendrogranum-Locked Rocks, Fetid Boughs, and Withering Branches and trigger Valaya. They are summoned at Auspicious Branches.
- Energy Blocks are used to power relays within some Ruin Golems.
- Four-Leaf Sigils permit the player to rapidly traverse the terrain and travel to areas that may otherwise be difficult to reach.
- Primeval Rosin is used to unlock paths in Domains.
- Stamina Flowers (unofficial name) grant 80 Stamina when approached.
- Dharma Forest
- Ashvattha's Concourses are locations that each contain a Vasara Tree that is infected with The Withering. The player must cleanse these areas during the World Quest Series Aranyaka: Part II - Dream Nursery.
- Applying Dendro to Clusterleaves of Cultivation will spawn Four-Leaf Sigils that will last for 24 hours.
- Energy Extraction Devices are challenges found in Eremite forts. You must find control keys and defeat enemies to deactivate them.
- Nurseries are puzzles that grant a

Vasmrti and a Chest when solved. - Stone Pillar Seals can be neutralized with Pyro to release

Ruin Machines.
- Great Red Sand
- Atmospheric Vortices come in small and large varieties. They function as walls which push the player back on contact but do no damage. Touching one with

Jinni in the Magic Bottle — Liloupar equipped drains some of the Jinni's Might from the bottle and dispels the Vortex. Large Vortices require the bottle to be upgraded to level 6. Jinni's Might can be replenished at Jinn Shrines. - Cascade Spouts emit sand into Cascade Pools. They can be toggled on and off with attacks. For most of them, completely filling all the Pools in a puzzle area with sand grants a Chest.
- There are three Flower Buds (unofficial name) which exist only in the Eternal Oasis. Touching one causes it to move along a trail of purple flowers to specific locations, where you can select Activate Memory to cause changes in the environment which can unblock the Bud's path and reveal Chests. Leading each Bud to its destination grants a Memories of the Eternal Oasis (

I, 
II, 
III) item and another Chest. - Illusory Keystones are platforms that disappear a few seconds after the player steps on them.
- Loose Sand Piles can cover objects or enemies. They can be dispersed with Anemo or by an obscured enemy who senses the player's presence.
- Manifestation Mechanisms can be activated to release a Signal Spirit. Escort the Spirit to each Mechanism in a chain. Bringing the Spirit to the final Mechanism grants a Chest.
- Mysterious Murals appear in pairs. Interacting with one at night spawns enemies. Defeating all enemies spawned by both murals grants a Chest.
- Primal Obelisks can be used to locate Sacred Seals, which can then be returned to the Obelisk. Returning all of an Obelisk's Seals grants a Precious Chest.
- Intermittent Sandstorms reduce visibility in the Desert of Hadramaveth. Intensity increases with proximity to the heart of the storm. The

Jinni in the Magic Bottle — Liloupar predicts when a sandstorm is approaching and significantly improves visibility in a sandstorm when equipped. If the magic bottle has been upgrade to at least level 5, the player can summon or dispel Sandstorms at the branch within any Jinn Shrine. - Suda's Flow manifests as glowing orbs surrounded by vines, only appearing inside the Ruin Golem in the Valley of Dahri. Any attack destroys them, and destroying all the ones associated with a seal removes the seal.
- Tumbleweeds can be found rolling across the Great Red Sand. Running into or attacking one will destroy it, sometimes releasing an item.
- Weathered Obelisks come in groups, with each Obelisk having a matching one nearby. With each pair of Obelisks, one has a symbol that can be changed with an attack, while the other does not change. Make all changeable Obelisks in a group match their pairs to solve the puzzle.
- Weathered Rocks can be damaged by Wenut attacks.
- Atmospheric Vortices come in small and large varieties. They function as walls which push the player back on contact but do no damage. Touching one with
- Girdle of the Sands
- Gray Crystals block passages, or encase enemies, interactable objects, or energy control systems. These Crystals can be dissipated by bringing a Farrwick nearby.
- Kory Drums can be played using attacks. Finding and playing Kory Drums is required to complete the World Quest Awakening's Real Sound in Series Khvarena of Good and Evil.
- Rune Mechanims can unlock devices within the Khaenri'ahn ruins below Tunigi Hollow.
- A Trial of the Soul Bell requires the player to interact with a Soul Bell, then reach each checkpoint in turn until the end to receive a reward.
Soundtracks
Trivia
Screenshot from Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview: Travail
- In the trailer Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview: Travail, under the title of the quest Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana, there is a line written in Teyvat's Latin script. It reads "Sub floreis lumen sagacitatis" which translates to "Light of wisdom under the flowers."
- Sumeru's local specialty wine is frigid snake wine.[9]
- A bubble universe known as "Seed of Sumeru" also exists in Honkai Impact 3rd, HoYoverse's previous game.
- Khaenri'ah is located directly underneath Sumeru. A massive underground gate to the ruined nation can be seen beneath Hangeh Afrasiyab, a large underground Khaenri'ahn outpost beneath Tunigi Hollow.
Etymology
- Sumeru is one of the many names of Mount Meru (Sanskrit: मेरु), a sacred five-peaked mountain in Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cosmology.
- The Chinese name for Sumeru, 须弥 Xūmí, is also the Chinese name for Mount Meru.
- Sumeru's name may also be derived from the ancient society of Sumer (Akkadian: 𒋗𒈨𒊒 šumeru), the earliest known civilization in the world.
- Although highly dubious, given Sumeru's ancient Egyptian influences, the name could also possibly come from Sumenu (Egyptian: S(w)mnw), an ancient Egyptian town in upper egypt, which later served as the primary place of worship for the crocodile god Sobek.
Cultural References
- Sumeru is inspired by South Asian, Central Asian, Middle Eastern and North African cultures.
- Zoroastrianism and the Avestan language are prominently featured in relation to Sumeru Akademiya, particularly in its titles for students and researchers and the names of its six main schools, the Six Darshans, which are each named after one of the Amesha Spenta.
- Concepts from Dharmic religions, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism, are prominently featured in Sumeru quests; in the names of locations, plants, and items indigenous to Dharma Forest; and in the lore of various locations in Dharma Forest.
- The three God-Kings of Sumeru — Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, Nabu Malikata, and King Deshret — may be inspired by the Trimurti, a Hindu concept in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified as a triad of deities. Some NPCs also have names of Vedic origin.
- Several terms used in Sumeru's lore are derived from the names of Vedic deities, such as the Varuna Contraption (named after the Hindu god of water, Varuna), Aranyaka (named after Aranyaka). The Dendro Archons' common names, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and Lesser Lord Kusanali, are also derived from Dharmic concepts.
- Some Vedic inspiration can be seen in the Sumeru Archon Quests' fifth Act title, Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises (Chinese: 虚空鼓动,劫火高扬 "Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises High"):
- Akasha, in reference to the Akasha System, takes its name from the Sanskrit word akasha (Sanskrit: आकाश ākāśa), meaning "sky," "space," or "aether."
- In Hindu and Buddhist cosmology, a kalpa (Sanskrit: कल्प) is an immense period of time, generally between the creation and recreation of a world or universe. Therefore, an alternate translation for the phrase 劫灰 jiéhuī can also be "kalpa ash," referring to the ashes left behind at the destruction of a world at the end of a kalpa.[11]
- Sumeru's ultimately unused featured Act title in Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview: Travail, Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana (Chinese: 虚空劫灰往世书 "The Puranas of Akasha Calamity Ash,") contains another Vedic reference: Puranas (Sanskrit: पुराण purāṇa; Chinese: 往世书) are a genre of Indian literature that covers a wide array of subjects, typically relating to legends and other traditional lore. It is also a Hindi word meaning "old" in a nostalgic or memorable context.
- The Vedic concept of samsara (Sanskrit: संसार), a word which means "world" and now primarily refers to the process of reincarnation, is prominently used during Act I to refer to the sages' dream-harvesting scheme, and is later used to refer to Lesser Lord Kusanali's relationship to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
- Several NPCs, mentioned or historical characters, and clans have names inspired by prominent figures from the Islamic Golden Age, such as the House of Purbiruni (al-Biruni), the House of Pursina (Ibn Sina), Alhaitham (Ibn al-Haytham), and Firnas (Abbas ibn Firnas).
- Sumeru music is a mix of both South Asian (especially Indian Hindustani classical music) and Middle Eastern music. In some areas, Yoga music is also played. The desert region is based on many different cultures from around North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, so is the music.
- The Great Red Sand, particularly the remains of King Deshret's civilization, is heavily inspired by Ancient Egypt and North Africa, including Amazigh people as well as the Iberian Peninsula during Al-Andalus.
- The architecture of King Deshret's tomb is inspired by the many pyramids of Ancient Egypt, mainly the Great Pyramid of Giza. While Candace is named after the Nubian warrior queens, the Kandakes and Cyno's design echoes the Egyptian god Anubis.
- Dehya is named after Dihya a rebel historical figure of the Amazigh people, while the Tanit tribe is named after the namesake North African and Carthaginian goddess, of Wisdom, War and Rain, an equivalent to the goddess Astarte.
- The Tighnarian race of which Tighnari is a descendant are named after Tignar, a small disappeared town near Granada during Al-Andalus, Tighnari himself named after Al-Tighnari, an Andalusian botanist who came from that same town. Despite not being located in the Great Red Sand, Dori's Palace of Alcazarzaray is partially named after the Alcázar, a type of castle or palace built in Al-Andalus; the Dharma Forest also bears elements reminiscing the same civilization.
- The Tanit tribe and its matriarch, Babel, are ultimately a reference to the fall of Babylon as described in the Bible. Babylon, the capital city of the Mesopotamian Babylonian empire, was known as the center of learning and scientific advancement during its prime, but prophets in the Bible predicted that its sins would cause its eventual collapse.
Other Languages
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Sumeru | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 须弥 Xūmí | Sumeru |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 須彌 Xūmí | |
| Japanese | スメール Sumeeru | Sumeru |
| Korean | 수메르 Sumereu | Sumeru |
| Spanish | Sumeru | — |
| French | Sumeru | — |
| Russian | Сумеру Sumeru | — |
| Thai | Sumeru | — |
| Vietnamese | Sumeru | — |
| German | Sumeru | — |
| Indonesian | Sumeru | — |
| Portuguese | Sumeru | — |
| Turkish | Sumeru | — |
| Italian | Sumeru | — |
Change History
- Expanded Desert of Hadramaveth west to connect with Tequemecan Valley, Natlan.
- Expanded Lokapala Jungle, Vissudha Field, and Desert of Hadramaveth north to connect with Nostoi Region, Fontaine.
- Expanded Realm of Farakhkert east to connect with Nostoi Region, Fontaine.
- Expanded Lokapala Jungle north to connect with Chenyu Vale: Southern Mountain, Liyue.
- Expanded Realm of Farakhkert northeast to connect with Romaritime Harbor, Fontaine.
- Added Girdle of the Sands containing areas:
- Added Desert of Hadramaveth to Great Red Sand.
- Added Joururi Workshop Domain to Sumeru City, Avidya Forest.
- Added Dendro Hypostasis to Land of Lower Setekh.
- Added Aeonblight Drake to Devantaka Mountain, Ardravi Valley.
- Added the Great Red Sand containing areas:
- Sumeru was released with Dharma Forest containing areas:
References
- ↑ Furnishing: Parched Stone
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Book: Customs of Liyue, Vol. 2 - Receiving God
- ↑ Lisa's Character Story: Character Story 5
- ↑ Artifact Set: Viridescent Venerer
- ↑ Archon Quest, Chapter I, Act III - A New Star Approaches, Part 3: Solitary Fragrance
- ↑ World Quest, Through the Mists: A Particularly Particular Author
- ↑ World Quest, Valor's Afterglow: Valor's Afterglow
- ↑ Event Spices From the West World Quest: A Visitor From Westward Realms
- ↑ Archon Quest, Chapter I, Act II - Farewell, Archaic Lord, Part 2: Moonfinger
- ↑ Encyclopaedia Iranica: Anahid
- ↑ Chinese Wikisource: 劫灰(佛学大辞典)










































