Zhongli

A consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, he is later revealed to be the Geo Archon, Morax, who has decided to experience the world from the perspective of a mortal. Zhongli, consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, is outwardly regarded as a refined gentleman of deep knowledge, one whose mastery of Liyue’s traditions makes him invaluable to Hu Tao’s business. His impeccable grasp of etiquette, rituals, and history earns him admiration across the land, though his eccentric habit of never carrying Mora leaves others footing his bills. Beneath this calm, scholarly exterior, however, lies the truth: Zhongli is none other than Morax, Rex Lapis, the Geo Archon, the God of Contracts and History, who has ruled Liyue for over 6,000 years. Having relinquished his Gnosis and his role as Archon, he now walks among mortals to observe the rise and fall of Liyue firsthand.

As Morax, he was one of the original Seven Archons who emerged victorious from the brutal Archon War. With Guizhong, the God of Dust, he co-ruled the Guili Assembly, but their efforts fell short when war claimed Guizhong’s life. The Assembly collapsed, and a flood 3,700 years ago forced Zhongli to lead his people south to found Liyue Harbor, where he established a thriving center of trade and contracts under the protection of adepti and law. Known by many titles—the God of Contracts, the Lord of Rock, the Groundbreaker, the Warrior God, and even the God of the Stove—he forged the nation’s traditions through strength and law, shaping it into the commercial hub it remains. His Mora, named after him, is the lifeblood of Teyvat’s economy, further cementing his role as the God of Commerce.

Through the ages, Zhongli upheld the sanctity of contracts above all, declaring that those who broke them would suffer the wrath of stone. The Liyue Qixing expanded upon the foundations he laid, refining laws over millennia. While mortals know only fragments of his history, every opera, custom, and stone monument in Liyue carries echoes of Rex Lapis’ hand. He also fought tirelessly against countless threats, from rival gods to strange horrors, including an ancient campaign to purge abysmal sea-creatures that infested Liyue’s homes and streets, an ordeal so unpleasant that it left him with a lasting aversion to seafood—at least in its living form.

Despite his divine might, Zhongli is remembered by other Archons less for war than for fellowship. Among the first Seven, he shared bonds with Barbatos, the carefree Anemo Archon, whose frequent visits to Liyue left Zhongli bemused by his lightheartedness and endless wine. These gatherings of the Seven, once common, faded with time as most of the original Archons perished or stepped aside, leaving only Morax and Barbatos to endure. As centuries passed, the weight of eternity eroded even Rex Lapis’ unyielding resolve, and eventually he questioned whether his duties had finally ended.

In the modern era, he orchestrated the Rite of Parting, presenting his own “death” to Liyue in order to transfer leadership fully into mortal hands. He made a binding contract with the Cryo Archon, surrendering his Gnosis to Signora of the Fatui. This act symbolized his Contract to End All Contracts, the final step in his long plan to allow Liyue to stand without him. Though the price was immense—the loss of his divine ability to protect his people—Zhongli deemed it necessary for their growth. What he gained from this exchange remains unknown, but as the God of Contracts, he would not have entered such a bargain without balance.

Now, as Zhongli, he continues to guide subtly through wisdom, stories, and rituals. He remains a man of refinement, his knowledge vast and his manner calm, yet his role has shifted from ruler to observer, from god to man. To Liyue’s people he is living history itself, but to himself, he is simply a witness to the rise and fall of a nation built upon contracts, law, and the enduring will of stone.

Appearance: Zhongli is tall. He has fair skin, amber eyes with yellow diamond-shaped pupils and red eyeliner on the lower lids of his eyes. He has mostly short, dark brown hair with a longer fringe on the right side of his face and Geo-amber tips that glow when he uses his Elemental Skill or Elemental Burst. There is one section of his hair on the back of his head that is waist-length instead of being cut short. Zhongli's attire is elegant and form-fitting, consisting of a beige dress shirt, a brown and amber waistcoat, slim black trousers, black dress boots, and black gloves with twin silver archer rings on the thumbs. His neckpiece is a white tie pinned at the throat by an amber gemstone. His left ear is adorned with a jeweled tassel earring. Over everything, he wears a long dark brown tailcoat with dragon scale patterns, gold and silver accents, golden tassels, and Rex Lapis' diamond symbol on the back. Zhongli's clothes are decorated with diamond symbols found on his sleeves, belt, trousers, waistcoat buttons, and tailcoat buttons. He wears a Geo Vision embedded on the chain at the small of his back.

Personality: Zhongli is a calm, reserved, and polite man, who holds an air of nostalgia. Whereas he is said to have a stoic demeanor for duty, Zhongli also has a sentimental side. He knows much about Liyue history and culture in part due to his time as the Geo Archon; he has many experiences and memories, as he was a god well before The Seven even existed and one of the oldest still living in Teyvat. He holds philosophical ideas towards money and has great respect for Liyue's traditions. Zhongli tends to be humble.

Zhongli tends to forget about Mora in transactions, agreeing to spend large sums of it without having any Mora on hand and even taking "discounts" as granted despite being an obvious scam. He often ends up relying on his acquaintances for financial support, such as the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Although he works for Hu Tao, he does not like her childish behavior.

Zhongli's "carelessness" stems from being the creator of Mora, Morax. With the Gnosis allowing him to create limitless Mora, he never had to worry about running low on his personal finances.

Being the reminiscent person he is, Zhongli enjoys Osmanthus wine as it was the drink he and his former Archon friends used to have when they met up in Liyue. He dislikes seafood as it reminds him of the promise he made to his people in the past when he fought a particularly annoying type of sea creature, although he does not mind eating them if they have been ground to a pulp.

Zhongli uses a Geo Vision.

Weapon: He uses the spear Vortex Vanquisher.

Elemental Skill: Dominus Lapidis: Commands the power of earth to create a Stone Stele. When created, deals AoE Geo DMG. It also shields his allies.

Elemental Burst: Planet Befall: Brings a falling meteor down to earth, dealing massive Geo DMG to opponents caught in its AoE and applying the Petrification status to them.

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.

Liyue Harbor: A bountiful harbor that lies in the east of Teyvat. Mountains stand tall and proud alongside the stone forest, that, together with the open plains and lively rivers, make up Liyue's bountiful landscape, which shows its unique beauty through each of the four seasons.

The nation of Liyue is marked by its emphasis on "contracts," Morax's ideal. It is said that people from all seven nations of Teyvat flock to Liyue Harbor, the economic hub of the continent.

The Liyue Qixing is a committee made up of seven merchants and business leaders who govern Liyue, specializing within the commerce and trade sectors. The job of the Qixing is to manage the day to day governance of the region of Liyue.

The adepti are a group in Liyue that consists of both illuminated beasts and gods. Most adeptus are bound by a contract to protect Liyue from demons and evil gods and are led by the Prime of Adepti, Rex Lapis himself.

The Millelith is a military force stationed around Liyue to serve as guards, reporting to the Liyue Qixing. Alongside patrolling the Liyue's lands, the Millelith also conduct undercover infiltration against criminal groups to weaken and/or apprehend them.

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

Anemo (element of wind) Geo (element of earth and rock) Electro (element of electricity) Dendro (element of plants and nature) Hydro (element of water) Pyro (element of fire) Cryo (element of ice)

Combining elements creates a reaction.

The primary antagonists are 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.

Hilichurls are a goblin-like family of monsters. As a hilichurl grows and survives, they eventually turn into Mitachurls, who are larger and bulkier. Mitachurls that continue to grow and survive eventually accumulate an excess of the elemental energy in their area, turning them into Lawachurls. It is not known how long it takes for this growth to occur. Many Hilichurls are also affiliated with the Abyss Order, as the Abyss Mages are able to speak fluent Hilichurlian.

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

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.