User Name/Nick: September
User DW: None
E-mail: None
Other Characters: None

Character Name: Zhongli
Series: Genshin Impact
Age: 6000+ (Appears early 30s)
From When?: Post Chapter 1 Act 3 and also after completing his character story Historia Antiqua Act I.

Inmate/Warden: Warden

Zhongli possesses six thousand years of life experience as well as a deep well of patience. He prefers to think things through before putting any plans in action, and he is a stern adherent of logic over emotion. He would be capable of being a mentor to younger inmates, due to his age and gentle personality. He is patient enough to endure provocations without taking it to heart, and his high defense/physical strength means that he can keep violent inmates suppressed until they've calmed down. If needed, he can revert to his old 'God of War' personality to deal with inmates who need harsher words. He genuinely wishes for others to improve, and he would dedicate himself to his Warden duties without being distracted by others or the happenings on the barge.

Item: A compass carved out of Cor Lapis


Abilities/Powers:
Part of the immense power of each Archon is sourced from an item called a Gnosis that allows them to tap into the power of the Sky Realm, Celestia. As of the events of Chapter 1 Act 3, he has wilfully relinquished his Gnosis. However, even without the Gnosis, he still possesses some abilities granted to him by his species and his age.

♦ Morax is one of the Adepti - supernatural beings characterized by their powerful magic and acute magical senses. Adepti are not invincible and can be slain in battle, but they do not age and can live thousands of years away from conflict. They can also change their physical appearance at will, and take on various forms such as animals, humans, and even objects. Zhongli (as Morax) has taken on various human appearances, and also appears as a large dragon at the Rite of Descension. No matter what form he takes, his eye colour remains the same; described as a bright amber.

♦ The Adepti invented three secret arts: Danding (Alchemy), Fulu (Sigils), and Waijing (Sub-Space Creation). The game states that 'With Fulu (Sigils), the adepti can store their power in the form of symbols, and with Waijing (Sub-Space Creation) they can fashion a cosmic paradise with the power of their minds. Using Danding, they can create various elixirs which are able to grant weapons transcendent powers.' Morax is acknowledged as the Prime of the Adepti, and he possesses knowledge of such matters - though practical usage of these secret arts require specific materials.

♦ Zhongli's ingame kit has shown him summoning rock pillars, conjuring energy spears both to wield and throw, calling down a meteor from the sky, and temporarily turn living things to stone. His powers come from the earth, so as long as he is on firm ground, he is able to create constructs.

♦ He is also a very good miner... there is an actual game mechanic that allows him to quickly extract metals and ores from surrounding rock.

♦ While not available to the player, he is also able to directly control rocks and metals, kind of like Earthbending from Avatar. Morax was able to rewrite the entire landscape of Liyue and summon an archipelago's worth of stone spears without the use of a Gnosis during the Archon War. As Zhongli, he makes the conscious choice to not display such feats of strength to preserve his disguise.

♦ Like all Teyvat residents who are capable of controlling elements, he possesses Elemental Sight, which is a sixth sense that allows him to detect the elemental affinity of his surroundings and visualize strong sources of elemental energy. As the embodiment of the Geo element, he would be able to sense vibrations through the ground as long as he is standing on it and use it to deduce the movement of others.

♦ Zhongli has also shown various miscellaneous abilities that fall under the umbrella of 'generic godly powers' such as teleportation, telekinesis, conjuring an orange aura around him, exerting palpable 'psychic pressure' should the need arise, etc.

♦ He is an experienced warrior in both the magical arts and use of weaponry. In his human form, he is most proficient with the spear. He can be ruthless and decisive if the situation calls for it, adapting his style to accommodate the presence of companions.

♦ As a combatant, his strongest asset is his very high defense and endurance. Trying to hurt him is like punching a rock wall. Of course, he does have his limits, but he would most likely play the role of tank or melee DPS in a group.

♦ He is able to heal, though not so much as to knit together serious injuries or save people from the brink of death.

♦ Zhongli is extremely knowledgeable in all things about his nation, including its history, geography, traditions, medicine, literature... the list goes on. While he does not advertise it, his eclectic knowledge and thousands of years of experience give him skill in many trades (herbal medicine, jewelry-making, textiles, smithing, etc).

♦ The above is only achievable because he is able to remember everything he has experienced in great detail.

♦ If he so chooses to, he is able to suppress his divine presence and strength to appear as an ordinary human both physically and with regards to magical senses. His disguise is good enough to prevent long-time allies from recognizing who he is, even when he was still holding his Gnosis. Though, he has stated that he can return to his full power if he deemed it necessary.

♦ He is also able to identify ingredients in food and perfume with uncanny precision.


Personality:
Zhongli gives the impression of a calm, polite, and learned man on first encounter. In the original Chinese text, he frequently speaks in idioms and archaic expressions. Translated into English, he has a formal manner of exposition and does not use contractions or slang. Coupled with his patience and ability to recite historical facts at the drop of a hat, he fills the role of an old soul quite well. He does have some quirks, though - such as his habit of buying things at outrageous prices and never having any money with him. Most attribute this to a fatal oversight in his wisdom, or simply sigh when they are asked to pay off his purchases for him. Of course, he isn't so simple as to conveniently forget about the fact that things have to be paid. Rather, this trait is a window into the identity that he has temporarily put down - that of the Geo Archon, Morax.

Gods do not think in the same way that mortals do. Like the other gods, there is a certain distance that he puts between himself and the humans around him. Humans are, to gods, lesser beings that are on a rung below. They may ascend to become the Illuminated Adepti, or forge friendships with the deities that watch over them, but their lives are ultimately fleeting and they cannot comprehend time in the same way as immortals do. Morax is not exempt from this kind of thinking. He has protected humanity for millennia, taught them the ways of commerce, and enforced the rule of fairness that would make Liyue the most prosperous nation in Teyvat. His concern is ultimately on the greater whole rather than small things such as profit and loss. He simply does not consider the possibility of being poor, because he is wealth itself, and such a deep preconception is not easily shaken by the decision to go incognito.

What Zhongli does consider important is upholding fairness and the adherence to rules and standards. One of his divine aspects is the God of Contracts, and the essence of a contract is to make a fair exchange. He considers a contract fair if both parties stand to gain something from it. Conversely, if the rules are broken, then the perpetrator shall face the 'wrath of the rock', or in other words, his personal displeasure. In a similar vein, he has a strong distaste for liars, swindlers, and people consumed by greed. He must put things right, and it is his readiness to enforce his laws that ensured the disposition of Liyue's folk towards following rules. All that threatened justice and verity needed to be destroyed, even if it entailed the use of overwhelming force. That being said, he is disinclined to use violence to resolve matters as his current identity - he would try to talk things through first, or make a deal that could smooth things over.

Zhongli's dedication to his duty is one of his greatest strengths, and also a sign of his determination. He is a man of initiative - given that his duty is to protect his people, he would actively seek out avenues of improvement and correct what should not be happening. No matter how troublesome or painful the task, he would set his mind to it; he does delegate duties when they become too much for him to handle alone (such as handing some of the administrative tedium to the Liyue Qixing), but he would always give 110% effort to what he can do and not a single bit less. That being said, Zhongli's attitude towards things that don't fall under his duties is tepid at best; willing to let the Qixing take on the whole burden of reconstructing Liyue's economy once he had decided that he officially became retired. After all, if he is to give his all for his people, then there would be nothing left to spare for anything inconsequential.

Most people remark that Zhongli is a very 'particular' person - in his human disguise, he is known for buying only items of the highest quality. His eye for detail lets him appraise materials and crafted works easily (sometimes to the chagrin of the seller), and thus he is used to passing quick judgments on things. This is borne out of his personal adherence to high standards; he believes in striving for the best in all that he does, and in turn expects to only be presented with the best in return for his service. Thus it is difficult to appease him with gifts or physical objects, as his particular preference would result in steep costs. In turn, he values the 'gold' in people's hearts, as good morals and positive personality traits cannot be bought with coin.

As the oldest surviving god in all of Teyvat, Morax is revered by scholars as the God of History. Having lived such a long life is both a strength and weakness for him; Zhongli has an extremely good memory, and he bears the weight of countless experiences both good and bad. He keeps a lot of his heavier emotions to himself, rarely expressing anything stronger than is appropriate for his human disguise. Unlike the Adepti warriors who fought alongside him in the Archon Wars, he is not suicidal, because he bears the hopes and dreams of the people who gave up their lives for a brighter tomorrow. He remembers them in vivid detail, and it is his way of keeping their legacy alive, to witness the peace that they had dreamed of. In this way he is rather sentimental as his mortal incarnation, distinct from the uncaring personality of Morax the Lord of Geo.

When it comes to the distinction between his mortal disguise and his 'true' role, Zhongli is very secretive about his identity as Morax. He always dodges the question when asked, and prefers to let people believe that he is a strange old man rather than someone with any connection to the (supposedly) departed Geo Archon. There are people who see him as stupid because of his inadvertent lack of money and the way he speaks of the god without reverence, but he bears it without complaint. He stands at a turning point in his life where all of the austerity and ruthlessness that he had needed to embody are suddenly not needed anymore, and he is finally, finally capable of doing things for selfish and indulgent reasons.

While he is not likely to have any significant changes in personality, Zhongli is noticeably more warm than the game's portrayal of Rex Lapis. He is willing to try forging friendships with humans and learn more about their perspectives. Of course, he is still able to don the visage of Morax if needed, to lay down the law with spears of stone, but he actively chooses not to. The Age of the Adepti and Gods has come to an end, and the Age of mankind is dawning. Liyue does not need Morax anymore, and Zhongli does not need to become him. His retirement starts now.


Barge Reactions: Coming from a medieval fantasy setting, Zhongli would be intrigued by the technology on the Barge and try to familiarize himself with it. He's largely curious about the presence of people from other worlds, since he does know about the possibility of a multiverse, but never had the time to learn about them in detail. He would be open to hearing about other characters' worlds, and sharing details about his own world, though he would keep his identity as a god secret. He would also be interested in learning skills that weren't present in his own world. As methodical as he is, he would approach floods and breaches in a logical manner, trying to help others tide over the event with minimal damage.


Deal: It is hinted at in canon that he and several other Archons in Teyvat are working towards something that will enact great change, potentially against the wishes of Celestia, though it is not explained to the players what it is. Since he does know it in canon but I (the player) do not, I will have his deal as something that will further this unknown plan and he will never disclose it to any other character ingame until Genshin Impact reveals what it is.


History:
The wiki links are detailed but disparate so I will be summarising Zhongli's involvement in text. For reference they are as below:

♦ Timeline
♦ Main Story Chapter 1 Act 1 | Act 2 | Act 3
♦ Character Page for Morax and Zhongli
♦ Historia Antiqua Act I: Sal Flore

Zhongli is the current identity of Morax - one of the Seven Archons, or elemental gods, that rule over the world of Teyvat. Not much is known about the creation and distant past of Teyvat, though what we do know is that gods have lived alongside humans for millennia. Morax first came into existence six thousand years before present day (ingame) and like most gods of that era, he amassed a following of humans who would live under his protection. He became allies with the Goddess of Dust, Guizhong. He would act as the humans' physical protector, while she taught them how to farm and live in civilization. The land that their city was built on would be named the Guili Plains. It was around this time that he attained the status of an Adeptus and became the Adepti's respected leader.

Centuries later, the Archon Wars erupted as the gods of Teyvat vied for the title of Archon from the Sky Realm Celestia. Not all of them intended to conquer, and others fought only to protect their territory. Morax was one of them, intent to defend his people from the fires of war alongside Guizhong and the Adepti. However, he was unsuccessful, and Guizhong was slain in the conflict. He did not falter even with the grief of losing a dear friend, and took his people south to where the city of Liyue stands today. The Archon Wars would last for centuries, and Morax defended Liyue from countless threats big and small. Notable (named) opponents included Osial, the Lord of the Vortex, whom he pinned under the sea using massive stone spears that would later form an archipelago. He also used a large black meteor to sink monsters into the deep open ocean. He had the Adepti by his side, and his status as the Prime of the Adepti ensured their loyalty to him. In the name of defending Liyue, he also cast five beings as Yakshas and gave them great power in battle. However, this meant that he was also the one responsible for cursing them to an existence of endless suffering. He was known to be cold and ruthless, even to friends-turned-foes. However, he staunchly upholded his principles of justice and fairness, which led the people to revere him despite that.

Within Liyue, he would take on any task to ensure that his people could live an easier existence. This included slaying the monster Chi despite its great strength, and going to great lengths to dismember and seal it to prevent its revival. He went as far as to personally exterminate the tentacled version of plague rats from Liyue, even though he had to do this task a single pest at a time, because he gave his word and he would never break a promise. This resulted in him having a strong revulsion towards living sea creatures.

The Archon Wars came to an end two thousand years before the current time. Seven victors remained and were granted the title of Archon, each having an elemental aspect and ruling over a nation. Of the original Seven, five of them have died in the two thousand years since, and only Barbatos (Wind) and Morax (Earth) are still alive. Since then, Liyue developed into a prosperous trading post under the watchful eye of Morax. He created the currency of Teyvat, the Mora, and contributed to the establishment of trade throughout the world. Unlike Barbatos, who left Mondstat to govern itself, Morax was a constant presence in Liyue. He would rule as a large dragon, but also go incognito in the city in many forms. Liyue's more mundane matters were overseen by the Liyue Qixing, a committee of merchant leaders. Its people take pride in being side-by-side with their deity and all that he represents.

Eventually, the wear and tear of repetitive matters took a great toll on Morax's heart, and he entertained the idea of retiring. However, he could not leave until he was sure that Liyue could survive without him. To do this, he constructed a test for the nation. In exchange for the Cryo Archon's help, he would give her his Gnosis, his symbol of authority as Archon. She agreed to send agents from her nation to Liyue and begin to pose a threat to Liyue's stability, tasking them with the mission to assassinate Morax and acquire his Gnosis (without telling them that she would already receive it). Thus the events of the game and the main character's arrival in Liyue unfold.

Morax faked his death at the Rite of Descension, a yearly event at which he was supposed to give prediction and guidance to the city for the next twelve months. While the Qixing scrambled to investigate his supposed death, he observed everything as his mortal disguise Zhongli. He took the time to assess the main character's personality by inviting them to prepare for Morax's funeral. Things came to a head when the Fatui decided to steal the Gnosis from Morax's 'corpse' - which naturally was not there. As a backup plan, the Fatui unsealed Osial from under Guyun Stone Forest, and it was beaten back by the combined efforts of the Qixing, the Adepti, and the main character.

Satisfied with the mortals' performance, Morax gave his Gnosis to the Cryo Archon's representative and commenced his retirement, continuing to live out his role as Zhongli. He would maintain his mortal disguise for a time until he encounters the main character again on board the Pearl Galley at a gathering of archaeologists. He permits the main character to accompany him on his visits to Guyun Stone Forest and Sal Terrae in search of historical artifacts. After dismissing one of their companions for breaking their contract, he continues into the ruins of Sal Terrae and shows the main character what happened to the deceased Goddess of Salt. He then returns to Guyun Stone Forest with the Goddess' artifacts and consigns them to the sea so that they would not fall into mortal hands once more.


Sample Journal Entry: Here from the TDM
Sample RP: Here from the TDM

Special Notes: None!