Layla

Layla is a student of the Rtawahist Darshan at the Sumeru Akademiya, specializing in Theoretical Astrology and Illuminationism. Renowned for her tireless work ethic, she spends her nights drawing star charts and writing theses, often buried under a mountain of papers due to the high expectations placed upon her. This intense academic pressure has resulted in severe chronic sleep deprivation, leading to dark circles under her eyes and a perpetually exhausted demeanor. Despite her anxiety and self-doubt, she is incredibly resilient, possessing a quiet determination to succeed and make her family and mentors proud.

Her extreme stress has manifested as a unique form of sleepwalking. When Layla falls asleep, a secondary persona—referred to as "The Stars' Blessing" or "Sleepwalking Eccentric"—takes over. This alter ego is confident, sharp, and brutally efficient, capable of completing complex calculations and writing intricate theses that the conscious, insecure Layla struggles with. While Layla remains unaware of her actions during these episodes, waking up to find her work mysteriously finished, she unknowingly houses a brilliant and assertive mind that compensates for her waking anxieties.

Though she views herself as unremarkable and struggles with social interactions, often appearing aloof or arrogant due to her shyness, her peers and teachers recognize her genius. She possesses exceptional observation skills, capable of tracking celestial movements faster than anyone else. Her dedication to the pursuit of truth was solidified when she challenged a senior Herbad on established astrological doctrines, a debate that lasted six months and ultimately proved her correct, earning her a Cryo Vision as a symbol of her unyielding pursuit of knowledge. In her rare moments of free time, she enjoys visiting Port Ormos, finding joy in the simple wonders of street performers and the vibrant life outside the Akademiya's rigid walls.

Appearance: Layla is an average height. She has fair skin, golden eyes with white pupils, dark blue hair that fades to a lighter shade at the tips, and pointed ears. Layla's hair is styled into twintails that twirl at the ends till about hip length. Her fringe is shoulder-length and also twirls at the ends. She sports a gold headpiece similar to a diadem adorned with a star-like ornament. Her indigo "hood" is similar to that of a dupatta drape, popularized in South Asia for formal occasions, nobility, and modesty. Sometimes, it is also wrapped around the waist (which Layla also sports a similar design) or shoulders. It seems, however, that it is modified at the back tip to resemble a night cap with a golden cuff.

Layla's outfit consists of a black tunic with a white front, white tights with gold rings around her left thigh, and golden sandal heels. She also has puffy, detached indigo-colored sleeves. Around her wrists she sports thick gold bangles with star-shaped chains dangling from them and black gloves with golden nail guards on her first three fingers. Around her waist is a long piece of indigo fabric tied together to form a belt with a number of gold details. Her Cryo Vision is attached to a spot behind her tunic above her belt.

Personality: Due to in part of the Akademiya lifestyle, Layla is highly devoted to her studies, but this has also left her somewhat paranoid and severely sleep-deprived, making her very timid and looking like she could collapse from exhaustion at any moment. Despite these traits, Layla is unusually perseverant, having outlasted several of her classmates who had joined at the same time as her.

Layla's lack of sleep is so severe that she ends up sleepwalking in the night, where an alternate personality manifests. This persona is energetic and determined, helping solve all of her problems (who dubs the present Layla as "Daytime") in an instant. When Layla wakes up, she expresses surprise as to how her papers had been completely finished. She appears to be unaware of her alternate persona, instead believing that she is blessed by the stars.

Weapon: She uses a sword.

Layla uses a Cryo Vision.

Sword of the Radiant Path Though she is a scholar first and a warrior second, Layla wields her blade with the Sword of the Radiant Path. She executes a series of up to three rapid, calculated strikes, tracing the trajectory of the blade as if drawing a star chart. When the situation demands urgency, she consumes her stamina to unleash two swift, decisive slashes. From high altitudes, she can plunge toward the ground, striking with the force of a falling meteor to damage all foes in her landing zone.

Nights of Formal Focus Utilizing her Nights of Formal Focus, Layla deploys the Curtain of Slumber, a shimmering shield of Cryo energy rooted in her own vitality. This barrier is particularly effective against freezing cold, briefly applying the element to herself as it forms. While the shield holds, it accumulates Night Stars—manifestations of gathered starlight that appear periodically or when allies unleash their elemental power. Once four stars have gathered, the shield reaches critical mass, transforming the lights into homing Shooting Stars that autonomously seek out and strike nearby opponents, ensuring Layla's study session remains uninterrupted.

Dream of the Star-Stream Shaker Layla unleashes her full astrological power through the Dream of the Star-Stream Shaker. She manifests a Celestial Dreamsphere, a floating construct woven from sweet dreams and starlight, which hovers over the battlefield. This sphere continuously fires Starlight Slugs at opponents within its radius, dealing Cryo damage. Furthermore, these star-bolts resonate with her shield; every time a slug strikes a target, it generates a Night Star for her Curtain of Slumber, creating a perfect cycle of offense and defense under the watchful gaze of the cosmos.

Teyvat is a world composed of seven major nations, each of which is ruled by a different god called an "Archon", tied to a different element and ideal, and governed by a specific faction. The mysterious floating island of Celestia hangs above Teyvat, allegedly home to gods, as well as mortals who have ascended to godhood through great, heroic feats. Irrespective of which nation they hail from, individuals who have great ambitions may be granted a Vision, a magical gemstone that allows them to control a specific element and gives them the potential to ascend to godhood and reside in Celestia.

Sumeru: Region 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 City is known across Teyvat as the "City of Wisdom." It is under the jurisdiction of the Sumeru Akademiya and is built on top of the Divine Tree.

The Sumeru Akademiya is Sumeru's main governing body, as well as the most prestigious institute of learning in all of Teyvat, located in the middle of the tree trunk of Sumeru City. It is particularly renowned for its corpus in arcane arts and historical records.

Grand Bazaar is a point of interest located in Sumeru City. It is known as a lively, artistic space, filled with merchants selling handmade products.

Rtawahist is one of the Six Darshans, the six main schools of Sumeru Akademiya. It is specialized in illuminationism, the study of the stars, and includes disciplines such as astronomy and astrology.

Its school color is blue. Azar was formerly its sage and also formerly the Grand Sage of the Akademiya. The mascot on its symbol resembles an elephant.

Mondstadt - Nation of Freedom; Archon is Barbatos; Element is Anemo Liyue - Nation of Contracts; Archon is Morax; Element is Geo Inazuma - Nation of Eternity; Archon is Beelzebul; Element is Electro Sumeru- Nation of Wisdom; Archon is Buer; Element is Dendro Fontaine - Nation of Justice; Archon is Focalors; Element is Hydro Natlan - Nation of War; Element is Pyro Snezhnaya - Element is Cryo

Combining elements creates a reaction.

The primary antagonists the Abyss Order, a legion of monsters who seek to overthrow the rule of the Archons, and the Fatui, a military force and delegation of diplomats from Snezhnaya who pursue an aggressive foreign policy throughout Teyvat.

Fungi are an enemy group found in Sumeru. They are an evolved species of mushrooms with increased abilities to reproduce and protect the flora, though most people consider them to be monsters.

The Treasure Hoarders are a gang of bandits who search for treasures to obtain and are located all around Teyvat. 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. Some are aggressive criminals.

The Adventurers' Guild is an organization that serves as an adventurer-for-hire service for the people and other organizations in the seven nations of Teyvat. The Guild collates all the complex word-of-mouth information it receives and redistributes it in the form of quests and adventures assigned to adventurers. "Ad astra abyssosque!" is the guild's motto. Katheryne is the receptionist for the Adventurers' Guild. Multiple, identical Katherynes exist, all serving as the Guild's receptionists.