All Genshin Impact Lore Explained: A Complete Timeline

Last Updated on August 19, 2025 by Dante

Welcome to the ultimate Genshin Impact lore timeline, a deep dive into the world of Teyvat, from the birth of the universe to the Traveler’s current journey.

If you’ve ever been confused by terms like “The Second Who Came” or wondered what really happened to Khaenri’ah, this wiki will walk you through every era and regional conflict.

The Birth of the Universe (Pre-Teyvat Timeline)

Before Teyvat, there was no sky, no land, and no elements. Just the chaotic mess of the cosmos composed of: Light, Void, and dreams of form.

At some point before the world of Genshin Impact as we know it, a being known only as the Primordial One arrived.

No one knows what this entity looked like or where they came from. But what is known is that this being created the framework of reality in Teyvat. They brought order to the chaos, established laws, and shaped the foundations of the world.

Most theories agree that the Primordial One is possibly Phanes, a name rooted in Gnostic and Greek mythology. This being separated the elements, gave shape to the land, and banished the shadows. It’s also implied they created the first humans, spirits, and even time itself.

But not long after, another being appeared, one referred to only as “The Second Who Came.”

This rival entity challenged the Primordial One’s authority, sparking a cosmic-level battle that would shake the entire universe.

Most records of this event are lost or intentionally erased, but according to the “Before Sun and Moon” text, this battle ended with the defeat of the Primordial One and the beginning of something else entirely.

Pre-Teyvat Timeline:

• Chaos, Light and Void exist without form

• The Primordial One arrives and creates the laws of Teyvat

• The Second Who Came challenges the Primordial One

• Cosmic War ends and reality is rewritten

Sources & References

Before Sun and Moon (Enkanomiya book)
Nahida’s Voice Lines
“We Will Be Reunited” Archon Quest
Unreconciled Stars Event Dialogue

The Age of Dragons and the Seven Sovereigns

Teyvat wasn’t always ruled by Archons. Go far back enough, and you’ll find a different order entirely, one dominated by ancient dragons known as the Seven Sovereigns.

Each Sovereign was the embodiment of an element: Pyro, Hydro, Electro, Cryo, Geo, Anemo, and Dendro. These weren’t dragons in the traditional sense. They were elemental forces given form, living manifestations of raw power that shaped the world without needing permission from the skies.

According to fragmented lore, the Sovereigns operated across different regions of Teyvat. They didn’t care about borders, politics, or Celestia. They reigned by sheer presence. Wherever one took root, the element followed. No thrones, no cults, no divine mandates.

Just dominance.

One name surfaces more than any other: Nibelung. This figure is linked to the ancient moons, Aria, Sonnet, and Canon, and may have created them using forgotten dragoncraft or something more advanced.

Whether Nibelung was the leader of the Sovereigns or something even older is still debated. What’s clear is that he didn’t survive whatever happened next.

Of the original seven, only Apep and Neuvillette have been confirmed to endure.

Apep, the Dendro Dragon, is found deep beneath Sumeru. Once revered as a guardian, she became unstable after being exposed to forbidden knowledge. Now, she’s corrupted and barely coherent, locked in eternal struggle just to stay alive. Her story unfolds during the Apocalypse Lost quest.

Then there’s Neuvillette, the Chief Justice of Fontaine. Calm, calculating, and ancient, he isn’t just a judge. He’s the Hydro Sovereign reborn in human form. Unlike Apep, he adapted to Teyvat’s current order, choosing to walk among mortals rather than fight the gods.

But make no mistake. He remembers the past.

The rest of the Sovereigns?

Gone. Sealed. Corrupted. Forgotten.

Their legacies are scattered across artifact sets, obscure questlines, and environmental storytelling. Their fall marked the end of the dragon era and the rise of the Heavenly Principles.

Dragon Reign Timeline:

• Elemental dragons awaken and spread across Teyvat

• Seven Sovereigns establish dominion over each element

• Nibelung forges the three moons: Aria, Sonnet, Canon

• Forbidden knowledge begins corrupting Apep

• The Heavenly Principles descend, ending the dragon era

• Apep (Sumeru) and Neuvillette (Fontaine) emerge as surviving Sovereigns

Sources & References

Apocalypse Lost (Sumeru Questline)
Enkanomiya: Before Sun and Moon
Character Stories: Neuvillette, Nahida, Apep
Pale Flame Artifact Set
Fontaine Archon Quests (4.1–4.3)

The Arrival of the Heavenly Principles

Something changed.

After the cosmic battle between the Primordial One and The Second Who Came, Teyvat began reshaping.

A new force descended, one the game only refers to as the Heavenly Principles.

We don’t know exactly what the Heavenly Principles are. Some fans think it’s a divine system. Others think it’s an actual being, like the Unknown God who ambushes the Traveler in the prologue. The opening cutscene shows her using spatial locks and divine restraints, freezing space itself to separate the twins.

She doesn’t say who she is. Only that the Traveler has “broken the laws” by being in Teyvat.

And that’s a major clue.

From that point forward, reality as we know it becomes locked down. Forbidden knowledge becomes dangerous. The sky is no longer natural. Time and memory can be rewritten. Even gods, beings like Rukkhadevata and Guizhong, are powerless to stop it.

The most terrifying part?

Most people in Teyvat have no idea any of this even happened.

But the clues are everywhere:

• In Sumeru, Dottore speaks of a false sky.
• In Enkanomiya, records claim the moon was changed and that “the laws were rewritten.”
• In Fontaine, the Hydro Dragon remembers a time before gods… and isn’t fond of how things turned out.

It’s widely believed that this era, the moment the Heavenly Principles took over, is when the Primordial One was erased. Their vision of Teyvat, their laws, their people, overwritten.

And if you believe Dottore, then the world we’re playing in is a copy of something older. Something that was never meant to be forgotten.

The Heavenly Principles created emissaries who prefer to stay hidden. They’ve been mentioned in Genshin Impact before and are:

• Asmoday: The Ruler of Space
• Istaroth: The Ruler of Time
• Naberius: The Ruler of Life (Fused with Rhinedottir)
• Ronova: (The Ruler of Death)

These entities, known as the Four Shades, are extremely powerful. Asmoday was able to immediately incapacitate the Traveler, and the others are said to be more powerful than both the Archons and Dragons.

Hoyoverse released a very exciting trailer that revealed the Four Shades and how they’ll possibly impact the story going forward:

Celestial Takeover Timeline:

• Heavenly Principles descend into Teyvat

• Laws of the world are rewritten

• The Primordial One disappears

• Moons and sun are altered or sealed

• Seelie and humans lose their original connection

• Forbidden knowledge becomes a curse

• 500 years ago — The events of Khaenri’ah awaken old questions

Sources & References

Nahida Story Quest
Enkanomiya: Before Sun and Moon
Opening Cutscene: “We Will Be Reunited”
Sumeru Archon Quests (3.0–3.2)
Enkanomiya Lore Tablets
Dainichi Mikoshi, Dottore Dialogue
Internal community analysis (r/Genshin_Lore)

The Moon Sisters and the Seelie Catastrophe

This is where the story shifts from cosmic to tragic.

Long ago, three divine beings known as the Moon Sisters watched over Teyvat from above: Aria, Sonnet, and Canon. These moons weren’t just celestial bodies. Instead, they had personality, purpose, and power like humans.

The moons were closely linked to the Seelie, an ancient race of luminous beings who guided humanity during Teyvat’s earliest days. The Seelie helped humans grow, taught them wisdom, and connected them to elemental forces. This was an age of beauty and balance.

But something went wrong.

One of the Moon Sisters, likely Canon, betrayed the others.

Why?

We don’t know. Some say jealousy. Others believe she was influenced by a foreign power, possibly The Second Who Came or even the Heavenly Principles.

The betrayal shattered the balance. A divine conflict broke out between the moons. Aria and Sonnet perished, their light extinguished. Only one moon remained, which is the one we still see in Teyvat’s sky today.

And the Seelie?

They were caught in the fallout.

As punishment for siding with humanity, the Seelie were cursed. Their bodies became weightless. Their light dimmed. They could no longer speak, love, or guide. They were scattered across the world, reduced to wandering wisps in ruins, forests, and ancient machines.

Every time you follow a Seelie into its pedestal, you’re retracing a broken memory.

The lore doesn’t spell it out directly. But the clues are everywhere in Spiral Abyss terminals, Enkanomiya’s lore tablets, and even Dragonspine’s fragmented stories.

The Moon Sisters were guardians. The Seelie were their messengers. And both were erased because they stood on the wrong side of the new order.

Moon & Seelie Timeline:

• Three Moon Sisters orbit Teyvat in harmony

• Seelie guide early humanity and elemental development

• One Moon Sister betrays the others; Aria and Sonnet fall

• Remaining moon becomes Teyvat’s sole satellite

• Seelie are cursed and scattered across the world

• Moon lore fades; Seelie become forgotten relics

Sources & References

Spiral Abyss Terminal Lore
Enkanomiya Tablets (Lore of the Moons)
Dragonspine Stone Tablets
Event: Lost Riches (Seelie Event dialogue)
“Before Sun and Moon” text

Lost Period: The Great War of Vengeance

Some wars are never recorded. Not because they weren’t important, but because someone wanted them forgotten.

The Great War of Vengeance is one of those.

This conflict is never mentioned outright in Genshin’s main quests, but its shadow can be seen in the ruins of Enkanomiya, the whispers of the Abyss Order, and the stories buried under layers of “forbidden knowledge.”

After the fall of the Moon Sisters, and after the Heavenly Principles locked the sky, something ignited one last spark of resistance.

Whether it was remnants of the dragons, cursed Seelie, ancient humans, or something else entirely, a rebellion formed. Not just against Celestia’s rule, but against the unnatural laws that now governed the world.

This war wasn’t fought over land or power. It was about memory. Autonomy. Truth.

And it ended in total loss.

The details are sketchy, but here’s what we do know:

• Massive entities were sealed or destroyed
• Forbidden knowledge was outlawed, likely because it played a role in this war
• Civilizations like Enkanomiya were buried
• The skies remained false, and Celestia’s grip grew stronger

Some believe the Abyss Order was born from the ashes of this war. Others say the Khaenri’ah apocalypse 500 years ago was a revival of the same defiance.

Whoever these rebels were, they failed.

And the world we know now, the Archons, the nations, the divine order, was built on top of their bones.

Vengeance Era Timeline:

• Celestia enforces divine laws after rewriting reality

• A rebellion rises across Teyvat’s ancient factions

• The Great War of Vengeance begins

• Defeat of rebels, destruction of history

• Forbidden knowledge sealed; laws of Teyvat reinforced

• Surviving knowledge buried in Enkanomiya and Abyss domains

Sources & References:

Spiral Abyss Terminal Lore
Enkanomiya Tablets (Lore of the Moons)
Nahida Story Quest
Caribert Questline
“Before Sun and Moon” text

The Archon War Begins

By now, the old world was gone. The dragons had fallen. The Seelie were scattered. The sky was fake.

So when elemental power began to stir again across Teyvat, it didn’t return to those ancient forces. It went to someone else:

The gods.

The Archon War wasn’t a single battle. It was a centuries-long power grab. Over 2,000 gods emerged, each tied to one of the seven elements. Some rose naturally, others forced their way in through unknown means. These gods clashed endlessly for control of regions, people, and power.

Entire nations were erased during this war. Humanity was caught in the middle, often serving, fighting, or dying for gods they barely understood. Elemental domains were unstable. Memory itself was fragile. And through it all, a new structure began to form.

The Seven eventually stood above the rest.

1. Barbatos liberated Mondstadt and left it to the people
2. Morax unified Liyue through contracts and war
3. Makoto and Ei ruled Inazuma together, before tragedy
4. Rukkhadevata nurtured Sumeru, until forbidden knowledge destroyed her
5. Focalors (the original) would later fall, replaced by Neuvillette’s law
6. Mavuika rules over Natlan as their beloved Archon
7. The Tsaritsa survived the war, but changed forever after Khaenri’ah

With the Seven came the Gnosis System, which were divine tools granted by Celestia that symbolized each Archon’s place in the hierarchy. These Gnoses are essentially leashes for the Archons. Every Archon who accepted one also accepted the rules of Celestia.

And from this, The Seven Nations were born each shaped by the philosophy and power of their respective Archon.

Archon War Timeline:

• Elemental power reawakens post-dragon era

• 2,000+ gods appear across Teyvat

• Massive battles reshape the regions

• Morax and Barbatos begin to unify their people

• Rukkhadevata becomes Sumeru’s Dendro Archon

• Rise of the Seven; Gnosis system begins

• Celestia establishes divine hierarchy

• Archon War ends; surviving gods fade into legend

Sources & References:

Zhongli and Venti Voice Lines
Raiden Ei’s Story Quests
Sumeru Archon Quest (3.0–3.3)
Enkanomiya and Irminsul-related lore
Character Stories: Nahida, Venti, Zhongli, Raiden Shogun

The Fall of Khaenri’ah

500 years before the events of Genshin Impact, the world changed again: violently.

In the depths of the earth, far from Celestia’s gaze, a nation called Khaenri’ah rose to power. Built by humans who rejected the gods, this underground empire fused ancient knowledge with alchemy and technology. It thrived without divine intervention. It wanted nothing to do with Archons, Visions, or Celestia.

That independence was its downfall.

Using a branch of alchemy called Khemia, Khaenri’ah crossed boundaries no other civilization dared to approach. They tampered with life, created artificial beings, and manipulated the very essence of the world.

Their greatest alchemist, Rhinedottir, known as Gold, pushed further than anyone. He was a member of what is now known as the Five Sinners of Khaenri’ah:

1. Hroptatyr: “The Wise”
2. Vedrfolnir: “The Visionary”
3. Rhinedottir: “Gold”
4. Surtalogi: “The Foul”
5. Rerir: “Rächer of Solnari”

Gold created Durin, a monstrous dragon made of synthetic flesh and corrupted energy. She also created Albedo, the “perfect being,” though his role in the destruction is still unclear.

Surtalogi created the All-Devouring Narwhal and trained Skirk, but not much is known about the others.

Eventually, Khaenri’ah did something, or became something, that Celestia saw as a threat.

And then came the divine punishment.

In one cataclysmic moment, the Heavenly Principles descended and wiped out the entire nation. Cities were shattered. Families torn apart. Knowledge sealed or erased. People were cursed, their bodies twisted into the creatures we now call the Abyss Order.

Dainsleif, once a royal guard of Khaenri’ah, became cursed with immortality. He now wanders the shadows of the world, watching it repeat its mistakes. His former ally, the Traveler’s twin, survived the fall but chose a different path, working with the Abyss in a quest for answers.

The Abyss Order as we know it was born from the ruins. Not as a terrorist group but as a legacy. A reaction. A force dedicated to tearing down the divine systems that condemned their people.

And it’s still active. Right now.

The Fall of Khaenri’ah Timeline:

• Khaenri’ah is founded underground; rejects the gods

• Rhinedottir develops Khemia and creates Durin, Albedo

• Khaenri’ah’s actions threaten the balance of the world

• 500 years ago — Celestia descends; the nation is annihilated

• Aftermath — Dainsleif and others are cursed; Abyss Order is formed

• Present — Traveler’s twin works with the Abyss to oppose Celestia

Sources & References:

Caribert Archon Quest (3.5)
“We Will Be Reunited” Archon Quest
Dainsleif Voice Lines & Interlude Story Quests
Albedo Story Quest + Character Profile
Enkanomiya texts on forbidden knowledge

The Modern Era

Over the next few centuries, the Seven Archons stabilized power across Teyvat. Wars slowed. Divine rule became subtle. Nations developed around the personality and philosophy of their god.

Mondstadt learned to worship freedom only after overthrowing tyrants.
Liyue perfected contracts under Morax, but only after centuries of divine manipulation.
Inazuma turned isolationist.

Sumeru enslaved knowledge. Fontaine gave power to laws that were literally killing its people. Natlan was locked in a never-ending battle with the Abyss, and Snezhnaya is trying to overthrow Celestia.

Each nation pretended peace had arrived. But underneath?
Old wounds. Forgotten truths. And systems that still served Celestia.

Then came the Traveler.

Falling into Teyvat while fleeing the Unknown God, the Traveler wakes up centuries late. Their twin is gone, their memories wiped, and their presence in the world feels… out of place.

Over time, they journey across the Seven Nations, assisting Archons, fighting the Fatui, and slowly unlocking the truth behind Teyvat.

They:

• Free Dvalin and help Mondstadt reclaim itself
• Witness Morax retire and Liyue become self-governing
• End the Vision Hunt Decree and confront Raiden Ei’s trauma
• Cleanse Sumeru of corrupted knowledge and reboot the Akasha
• Tear down Fontaine’s false justice and unearth the Hydro Dragon’s identity
• Destroy the Abyss stronghold in Natlan and learn of Celestia’s next move

And yet, no matter where they go, one pattern emerges:

Every nation is a lie.
Every Archon is trapped.
And Celestia hasn’t moved… but it’s watching.

Modern Era Timeline:

• 500 years ago — Archon system stabilizes post-Khaenri’ah

• ~400 years ago — Mondstadt overthrows Decarabian

• ~300 years ago — Guizhong dies; Liyue shifts

• ~200 years ago — Makoto dies; Raiden Ei isolates Inazuma

• ~100 years ago — Nahida sealed; Dottore begins Sumeru infiltration

• Present — Traveler arrives, beginning in Mondstadt (1.0)

Sources & References:

Archon Quests (Acts I–VI)
Character Stories: All current Archons
World Quests: Mondstadt → Natlan
Caribert + Irminsul lore (3.5)
Neuvillette and Apep Voice Lines
Sumeru Lore Books (Teyvat Historia, Books of Ley Lines)
Traveler Lore and cutscenes (1.0–5.8)

The Traveler’s Journey: Region by Region

The Traveler didn’t come to Teyvat by choice.

Attacked by the Unknown God and separated from their twin, they woke up in a world already broken. And with every region they visited, a bigger picture started to unfold.

Let’s break it down.

Mondstadt: The Nation of Freedom

Key Quest: Prologue Act I–III
Main Arc: Stormterror Crisis
Archon: Barbatos (Venti)

Mondstadt looks like a free nation but its dragon guardian, Dvalin, is corrupted, and its god is missing in action. The Traveler steps in to stop the Abyss Order from fully possessing Dvalin, restoring him and indirectly pulling Venti out of hiding.

But freedom, as Venti shows us, doesn’t mean peace. He refuses to interfere further, saying the people must choose their own path.

First clue: The Abyss isn’t just monsters. It’s intelligent. And it’s personal.

Liyue: The Nation of Contracts

Key Quest: Chapter I: Act I–II
Main Arc: Morax’s Retirement
Archon: Morax; Rex Lapis (Zhongli)

Liyue tests the idea of divine authority. The Geo Archon fakes his own death to see if humans can run their nation without him. The Fatui, through Childe, manipulate everything nearly leading to the release of the ancient god Osial.

The Traveler works with Zhongli to stabilize the fallout, but the biggest reveal is what Zhongli gives up: his Gnosis. Willingly. To the Fatui.

Second clue: Why did Zhongli give up his Gnosis. What deal did he strike with Snezhnaya?

Inazuma: The Nation of Eternity

Key Quest: Chapter II: Act I–III
Main Arc: Vision Hunt Decree
Archon: Raiden Ei (and the late Makoto)

Inazuma is frozen in time. The Raiden Shogun enforces the Vision Hunt Decree to halt all progress, fearing loss and decay. But the Traveler challenges her, dismantles her puppet, and reveals that her sister Makoto died centuries ago in the cataclysm.

The Fatui manipulate the conflict behind the scenes again. Ei eventually reforms, but only after confronting her grief and seeing her own nation suffer under her ideals.

Third clue: What in the world happened during the “Cataclysm” that required all Archons to attend?

Sumeru: The Nation of Wisdom

Key Quest: Chapter III: Act I–V
Main Arc: Erasing Rukkhadevata
Archon: Nahida (Lesser Lord Kusanali)

Sumeru’s people live under a system where knowledge is currency, and dreams are monitored.

The Akademiya uses the Akasha System, powered by the Archon’s own consciousness. Nahida, a child-god born after Rukkhadevata’s erasure, slowly realizes she’s a fragment, not a replacement.

The Traveler helps dismantle the system, stop the Grand Sage, and defeat the corrupted god Scaramouche (The Balladeer).

Fourth clue: Irminsul can rewrite reality. And someone is already doing it. How in the world did Dottore know something Nahida didn’t?

Fontaine: The Nation of Justice

Key Quest: Chapter IV: Act I–V
Main Arc: Oratrice Mecanique + Neuvillette Reveal
Archon: Focalors (deceased), replaced by Neuvillette

Fontaine is the most outwardly advanced nation but its legal system is literally rigged. The Oratrice feeds on public trials to maintain divine energy.

When the truth comes out, we learn: Focalors was still alive, and Neuvillette is the Hydro Sovereign.

The prophecy of a great flood is stopped. But the Traveler realizes something deeper: Celestia’s will can be overwritten.

Fifth clue: Celestia’s will is not absolute, and destiny can change.

Natlan: The Nation of War

Key Quest: Chapter V: Act I–V
Main Arc: National Uprising Against the Night Kingdom
Archon: Mavuika

In Natlan, the Traveler joins forces with the Pyro Archon Mavuika to liberate the nation and burn out the Abyss Order’s stronghold once and for all.

This is where things turn.

• Mavuika reveals that the Abyss is just a symptom
• The Captain partners with Natlan
• The Fatui have moved their operations to Nod-Krai
• Dottore is hunting down Ancient Moon Fragments
• And the sky is growing more unstable by the day

Sixth clue: There are beings that supercede the Archons and tons of hidden Teyvat history.

Nod-Krai and the Road to Snezhnaya

The Traveler is invited by Grandmaster Varka to visit Nod-Krai, an autonomous region near the border of Snezhnaya.

There, they’ll find:

• Evidence of the Moon Sisters’ power
• Dottore’s private experiments with pre-Celestial technology

We’ve already why you should be excited for Nod-Krai’s release in update 6.0.

This arc is already shaping up to be the final domino before Snezhnaya.

Because in Snezhnaya, the Tsaritsa is waiting.

She has nearly all the Gnoses. She sees the Traveler as both tool and threat. And behind her throne?

Is likely a staircase that might lead directly to Celestia.

Teyvat Regional Timeline:

• 1.0 – Mondstadt (Stormterror Crisis)

• 1.1–1.6 – Liyue (Rite of Parting, Osial’s release)

• 2.0–2.3 – Inazuma (Vision Hunt Decree, Raiden’s awakening)

• 3.0–3.3 – Sumeru (Akasha shutdown, Scaramouche defeat)

• 4.0–4.6 – Fontaine (Focalors’ death, Neuvillette’s rise)

• 5.0 – 5.7 – Natlan (Abyss War)

• 5.8+ – Nod-Krai arc begins

• ?? – Snezhnaya arc: Final confrontation

• Endgame – Celestia

Sources & References:

Archon Quests (Acts I–V)
Character Stories (All Archons + Neuvillette, Albedo, Dainsleif)
World Quests (Traveler’s twin, Spiral Abyss lore)
In-game events: Unreconciled Stars, Shadows Amidst Snowstorms
Developer Interviews, Lore Books, r/Genshin_Lore, Honey Impact

The Unknown Beyond Teyvat: Celestia, the Abyss, and the Final Truth

No matter how far the Traveler goes, the real answers have always been out of reach, hidden above the sky, buried in the Abyss, or rewritten by forces no one fully understands.

Every Archon they’ve met is chained to a system older than history.

Every rebellion traces back to a lie Teyvat was built on. And now, with the Abyss wounded, the Fatui divided, and the Sovereigns stirring, only one path remains.

Whether by choice or design, the Traveler is heading to Snezhnaya and beyond that, to Celestia.

Not to serve it.

Not to destroy it.

But to learn the truth about what this world really is.

Also, who is Paimon?

We’ve still got a ton of ground to cover.