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Sumeru

Last updated 2026-08-10

The city of scholars located in the west-central part of Teyvat.
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
Ardravi Valley
Ashavan Realm
Ashavan Realm
Avidya Forest
Avidya Forest
Lokapala Jungle
Lokapala Jungle
Lost Nursery
Lost Nursery
Vanarana
Vanarana (Area)
Vissudha Field
Vissudha Field

Great Red Sand

There are 4 areas in Great Red Sand:

Area Subareas
Desert of Hadramaveth
Desert of Hadramaveth
Hypostyle Desert
Hypostyle Desert
Land of Lower Setekh
Land of Lower Setekh
Land of Upper Setekh
Land of Upper Setekh

Girdle of the Sands

There are 2 areas in Girdle of the Sands:

Area Subareas
Gavireh Lajavard
Gavireh Lajavard
Realm of Farakhkert
Realm of Farakhkert

Characters

Playable Characters

14 Characters match the category selection:

Icon Name Quality Element Weapon Model Type
Alhaitham Icon Alhaitham 5 Stars Element Dendro Dendro Weapon-class-sword-icon Sword Tall Male
Candace Icon Candace 4 Stars Element Hydro Hydro Weapon-class-polearm-icon Polearm Tall Female
Collei Icon Collei 4 Stars Element Dendro Dendro Weapon-class-bow-icon Bow Medium Female
Cyno Icon Cyno 5 Stars Element Electro Electro Weapon-class-polearm-icon Polearm Medium Male
Dehya Icon Dehya 5 Stars Element Pyro Pyro Weapon-class-claymore-icon Claymore Tall Female
Dori Icon Dori 4 Stars Element Electro Electro Weapon-class-claymore-icon Claymore Short Female
Faruzan Icon Faruzan 4 Stars Element Anemo Anemo Weapon-class-bow-icon Bow Medium Female
Kaveh Icon Kaveh 4 Stars Element Dendro Dendro Weapon-class-claymore-icon Claymore Tall Male
Layla Icon Layla 4 Stars Element Cryo Cryo Weapon-class-sword-icon Sword Medium Female
Nahida Icon Nahida 5 Stars Element Dendro Dendro Weapon-class-catalyst-icon Catalyst Short Female
Nilou Icon Nilou 5 Stars Element Hydro Hydro Weapon-class-sword-icon Sword Medium Female
Sethos Icon Sethos 4 Stars Element Electro Electro Weapon-class-bow-icon Bow Medium Male
Tighnari Icon Tighnari 5 Stars Element Dendro Dendro Weapon-class-bow-icon Bow Medium Male
Wanderer Icon Wanderer 5 Stars Element Anemo Anemo Weapon-class-catalyst-icon Catalyst Medium Male

Related Playable Characters

1 Character matches the category selection:

Icon Name Quality Element Weapon Region Model Type
Nefer Icon Nefer 5 Stars Element Dendro Dendro Weapon-class-catalyst-icon Catalyst Nod-Krai Emblem Night Nod-Krai Tall Female

Upcoming Characters

No Characters match the category selection.

NPCs

Notable Features

Normal Bosses

Local Specialties

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 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:

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 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 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:

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

Soundtracks

Trivia

Screenshot from

Screenshot from Teyvat Chapter Storyline Preview: Travail

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.
    • Lesser Lord Kusanali, the current Dendro Archon, is described as the provider of "Anahitian Blessing." In Zoroastrianism, Anahita (Anāhīd/Nahid) was a goddess of "the Waters" and subsequently associated with fertility, healing, and wisdom.[10]
  • 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

LanguageOfficial NameLiteral Meaning
EnglishSumeru
Chinese
(Simplified)
须弥
Xūmí
Sumeru
Chinese
(Traditional)
須彌
Xūmí
Japaneseスメール
Sumeeru
Sumeru
Korean수메르
Sumereu
Sumeru
SpanishSumeru
FrenchSumeru
RussianСумеру
Sumeru
ThaiSumeru
VietnameseSumeru
GermanSumeru
IndonesianSumeru
PortugueseSumeru
TurkishSumeru
ItalianSumeru

Change History

References

  1. Furnishing: Parched Stone
  2. 2.0 2.1 Book: Customs of Liyue, Vol. 2 - Receiving God
  3. Lisa's Character Story: Character Story 5
  4. Artifact Set: Viridescent Venerer
  5. Archon Quest, Chapter I, Act III - A New Star Approaches, Part 3: Solitary Fragrance
  6. World Quest, Through the Mists: A Particularly Particular Author
  7. World Quest, Valor's Afterglow: Valor's Afterglow
  8. Event Spices From the West World Quest: A Visitor From Westward Realms
  9. Archon Quest, Chapter I, Act II - Farewell, Archaic Lord, Part 2: Moonfinger
  10. Encyclopaedia Iranica: Anahid
  11. Chinese Wikisource: 劫灰(佛学大辞典)

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