Dragon Sovereigns... [Headcanons]
"What's the worst thing you could do to a Dragon Sovereign? Make them just humanoid enough to piss them off."
[It would be wrong not to introduce readers' original court - The First Dragon Sovereigns weren't assembled to just be Teyvats magistrate, noooo. They had another purpose to serve before Nibelung made them generals following your disappearance...]
[Worldbuilding Headcanons of the Sovereigns and Teyvat before and after the Funerary War]
Ft. Lord of Eroded Primal Fire [Xiuhcoatl], Apep, Azhdaha, Zhongli, Neuvillette, and Dvalin. Brief with the Old Electro, Hydro, and Cryo Dragons x Creator!Reader or [Dragon Monster x Reader]
But we do not have names for them yet, so They will be referred to as Elec, Hy, and Krai, respectively. Zhongli and Neuvillette is also here, but he's not the main focus. I, uh, dont have a Dvalin design i like yet [He is who i believe to be the anemo Sovereign], or the half dragon Neuvillette either. but I do have these three :] Love connecting in game Lore to fan creation lore.
Imagine them as their original dragon version, though.
[Just for a quick recap before Headcanons- Wild life and the Creator! - Go to Dragon Sovereigns]
The First Court did originally consist of the 7 Dragon Sovereigns of Old, In fact, this is how the custom of forming a court during times of propsperity came about; With a little bit of tweaking and title adjustments, the Heavenly Principles and its Shades were able to successfully hide the identies of such creatures while exasperating your importance to the humans.
Xiuhcoatl, Apep, Azhdaha, Dvalin, Elec, Hy, and Krai...
Pyro, Dendro, Geo, Anemo, Electro, Hydro, and Cryo...
Brought to Teyvat shortly after its creation, the seven were already all well-known dragons from across the realms and travelled to assist in helping the newly formed planets eventual ecosystem to fruition, supporting your goal of creating a new home for Dragon kind under you, The Aeon of Permanence and True Dragon King.
[Fun Fact - Teyvat canonically means 'Arc' - So a literal 'Noahs Arc']
And so- thus began Teyvat. Xiuhcoatl took over the production of the Phlogiston core, Hy brought forth the Primordial seas while your Brother Nibelung created the moons to aid the tides and times flow, Azhdaha dug into the cooling obsidiann created from the two elements and created solid land for Apep to sow seeds of life and deth from the dense sands outwards, Dvalin produced winds to spread them and aiding Elec in creating the weather, then finally Krai, to cool the planet and put the place into a state of spatial preservation.
The seven and their servants were granted sanctuary by your order and allowed to ask for any one thing in return. Each had asked to stay by your side.
Sovereigns Headcanons...
Xiuhcoatl - Disciple of Elation; A Fragmented Prince, used to the absorbtion of life and light. His initial goal was to woo you with his abilities but found himself falling short, having seen the world you created by yourself.
He's considered the Emperor Consort, being the only known 'noble' among your seven suitors, publicly regarded as your 'main' partner
He's a cocky bastard in the beginning of his courting; projecting his voice and having you confused if it was him who spoke, stirring up the Phlogiston wells and continuously triggering it to flash [Nightsoul Blessing flash]
Was so surprised you didn't like that and was purposefully avoiding him to hang out with the other consorts
The people loved his personality back at home
Dvalin and Hy are likely the ones to pity him, assisting the Pyro dragon on your likes and interests, telling him to stop being self-centred if he wanted companionship or just the status of being Emperor Consort
It does bet to him eventually.
As an apology, he focuses on one of his interests, Technology, and creates you a range of different beings [Secret Source Automations]
When he came to Teyvat, he brought his brother Och-kan, of course. So he ws eager to introduce him to you
Och-kan was shy, just leaving his Hatchling phase, but was awfully curious about you, the Dragon King.
Xiuhcoatl did use his brothers cuteness to try sweeten things too [Failing to realise that you cared for many of the Arcs hatchling yourself, more kids was not a positive aspect disregarding your inability to produce them yourself.]
His control over light energy is the strongest out of the Seven, Phlogiston being the closest to your own output
So strong, that he can slightly influence the other elements and even create little moulds of the Sovereigns for his dragon kin to eventually evolve into [Modern day Saurians]
The others were off put by his first renditions, but he found them hilarious, proceeding to have them born in their likeness
He's a dragon that's half solid half liquid- Cooled Phlogiston making the obsidian exterior while the still burning Phlogiston dripps off his frame
Aesthetically, he's proud of himself and likes placing himself next to you
Enjoys flying [Hovering in his case] with you among the floating islnds in Natlan
Cant gift you his non existant scales, but he does pluck off obsidian feather and carve the titles of Grandeur on them for you [Ancient names]
[Teyvat Now]
Its taken him a while, but he loves humans and their ingenious imagination, it never fails to make him joyus to see what they do next
Mauvika - The current Pyro Archon and holder of his sovereignty, He can't say that he's upset by that fact, especially after seeing her dedication to you.
The Wayobs all listen to him. If he were to even speak to them, that is. he's fine with how humans have taken over Natlan. They protect his blood [Phlogiston], his kin [Saurians], and his dear Dragon King [You]
He has no reason to speed up his recovery, content with drifting in and out of the leylines, seeing you weekly and allowing you to extrct the remnants of the Heavenly principles distortions from his body [Weekly Boss fights]
Apep - Disciple of Abundance; A Dragon that propogates and spreads spores across each and every world she approaches, Has no one home but is a known force throughout the galaxies. With you by her side, there would be no one who could defy her.
Jealous she did not get Emperor Consort but is fine with the title just under, as Empress Consort.
She acts more as the 'Noble Monarch' with her legion of mindless fungal spores [Mushroom enemy mobs from Sumeru] even if it is considered a hivemind
But she does care for the creatures that burrow within her leaves
She is not a fan of humanoid creatures, sees them as lesser because of their individuality, inability to control or predict - but like her spores, they multiply endlessly like a plague.
She will adorn you with different succulents and vine clusters, weaving them around you with a suffocating care
Fueling her curiosity earns you her renewed interest as she condumes knowledge without end.
She's a scaley dragon and sheds very often, temperature affecting her severely, so she has assisted her with moults anytime the weather changes or she has to traverse from the desert out to where the others live
She's also wingless, which she's content with. Flying isn't her favourite activity. She is much happier burrowing and chasing you through tunnels of brambling mossy trenches
[Teyvat Now]
She still does not like the humans, and now, they all seem to have the pollution in their veins and spread the filth everywhere [She refuses to accept hermown hypocrisy on the matter]
But... there is a fondness for the out of place - the abandoned. So she picks and chooses who she grants her blessings to; Nahida [Post Story quest.], Nabu Malikata ["A fallen Angel, how interesting..."] and Zandik ["A man made catastrophy, yes. He shall be my disciple of abundance."]
When she senses the flicker of your light come from Nahida, she eases her sandstorms to let her and her party pass with relative ease but will not allow them to enter her leyline disruption without one of her blessed ones or you present [Weekly Boss fight]
Azhdaha - Disciple of Preservation; He and his right hand man Morax came from a distant world called Amphoreus. The tempering of earth and roaming foreign lands in search of a fate defying God, Whost else could they seek but the Aeon of Permanence.
He's the oldest of the seven, and acts like it too
His goals were less about himself and more about seeking help - but to receive it, he always had a policy to lend a hand first; A contract of sorts.
And while he is aware of the saying "As tough as stone," he was not in the best condition. Mostly Blind, unable to move much, his memory kept reseting to certain days.
which is why he has his right hand, man, Morax at his side, accompanying him on his journey to find you.
The heir was to be his succsesor, so it made sense to bring him anyway.
He uses the crystal leaves from his tail to grind into charms for you to wear, his favoured goft to bestow upon you [apart from the softer, belly scales he sheds every century]
He's like a 'bull in a chinashop' with you. He's a large dragon, the weight of 60 mountains, and there's not one other who has beaten him yet [That he knows of]
He's more rock than he is a dragon in his opinion, he can't fly with you, his scales dont drop often and are impossible to preen and he leaves a layer of dust on you everytime he nestles you beside him withing the nest
So he's a little insecure, comparing himself to your other Consorts, which he solves by having you perched on his back as he trots around withnyou hidden among the spikes
he did not fare well during the Funerary War, losing much of his rocky exterior that protected the golden ichor that laid within and damaging his memory severely
[Teyvat Now]
His memory is still very choppy, somedays he's an old man, others. He's just a hatchling.
He does not like using his physical form as he crumbles too easily, so he hopes you like the humanoid projections of himself that he's condensing his light energy into
Very rarely with he wander outside of the seals, prefering to wait for your weekly visit [Weekly Boss Fight]
Depending on how he's feeling mentally, changes on who his favourites are. [The Fights' duo Elements of the day] and never wants Morax present for your visit - His presence [More, the Celestial presence] drags his memory back to the Funerary war when he ws fighting for his life.
Dvalin - Disciple of The Hunt; Like a butterfly forever trapped in a premature cycle of biological Immortality - Life for him is as fleeting as the seasons but a permenant fixture. Seeking you to break him from a burden he'd not asked for yet still had been gifted.
He is much like a mother hen, the gaggle of wind spirit puffs that float around like dandelions following wherever he leads [Imagine the Mandragonas from Nod-krai]
Most of the time, he'd take you gliding, creating wind tunnels and lifts so the both of you can sit relaxed in glace as the cool air wafts over you
Sheds a lot of his feathers. He's not a scaley dragon. Rather, he's made of slick feathers and softer plume with tufts of fur around his limbs
Its very good insulation for making nests with you and scents it with his own musk making the others huffy
Even without that factor, if hes feeling mischievous, he simply uses anemo to waft away their scents or manipulate it in a way so you just can't smell them
The only Sovereign to make it out of the Funerary war 'alive' and not currupted. Since he exists much like a pheonix does, when his authority was usurped and he was struck down, he went into a cacoon and, when he was reborn, found himself crackingmout of his sheel to face a very cjrious wind spirit [Canon Venti and Dvalin Lore]
[Teyvat Now]
He does not remember much about the old you, but he does feel the inexplicable connection between you
He does find himself lonely without his wind spirits. He hard even knows if they still exist aside from venti, so he takes up the wandering seelies if they enter his domain
Hes fond of the humans but won't actively seek them out nowadays unless he cn sense your presence among them
His capabilities of flight are very limited, his wings damaged from the abyssl corrosion, so he sticks to his wind tunnels and gliding which mimics what looks like flight to the untrained eye
And the 3 unknown Sovereigns - we will revisit you more later
Elec - Disciple of Erudition; Led to one to the next, curiosity creates curiosity ---
Hy - Disciple of Harmony; A step to the left, a step to the right, a Syphony that never ends even in dreams ---
Does not have a single physical form, can switch hosts indiscriminately, and is a force of pure energy [Inazuman Puppets]
So nesting habits depend on whatever host they have.
Gifts exist of trapping parts of their electro into orbs for you [Electrogana]
Krai - Disciple of Rememberence: It seems to have originated from a place called ---
Scaleless dragon made of water [Liquid form, much like a slime] with an eel appearance
Underwater nesting practices, engulfing you in a bubble like structure [The water bubble Hydro Slimes do]
Can siren song you and nearby individuals
Scaleless and wingless dragon, a hardy exterior close to an exoskeleton of hard ice with an insulating layer of fur below [Andrius]
Zhonglis' Role In the Arc...
Multiheaded and has a mirage like ability, bursting into fractal imagery of a shattered mirror [Mirror maidens and Fae]
He is a Light based ‘Geo’ [Not called that at first, the title is coined later by the Heavenly Principles] Dragon hybrid whose form and essence has been slowly polluted by the introduction of elemental magic [The Heavenly principles influence and human influence brought to Teyvat] which has rendered him incapable of wielding the true force of the Light realm powers
This man has been around for a long time. He came to Teyvat via the ‘Arcs’ base; your abode. Since he was there at Teyvat’s creation, he isn't considered an outlander despite coming from another world and is fully connected to Irminsul
[How Zhongli seems to know so much about Traveller at the first meeting in the game and has a buff against erosion and Irminsul]
He, as a pure ‘Geo’ elemental, was in charge of helping reform the cooling phlogiston based planet and help solidify [hah.] the earth under the reign of the Sovereign, Azhdaha.
He had only seen glimpses of the true Dragon King!Reader, mostly because the dragon king never really showed themselves to the public, busy waging wars against those who sought the power of Creation and Destruction, caring for the Dragon hatchlings, introducing them to the world or exploring new worlds and forging allyship with other powerful beings [The Aeons’]
Then came the day where they had to go to sleep to recover their lost energy, and begin anew- he was devastated, he did not like Nibelung and did not want him as their new Dragon King so he abdicated and sought residence within the mountains of Teyvat the moment he felt your presence fade
Then Nibelung left his position, and everything started falling apart.
The Heavenly principles descended.
Azhdaha fell first, corroded by the pollution of the light energy by the humans arrival and effect on the land, which was exasperated by the Heavenly Principles seizing control of the Laws
He returned to find Azhdaha in his defeated and enraged state. He no longer recognised the Dragon before him - Blinded and confused.
[This leads into the canon storyline of Azhdaha and Zhongli, Adlib]
he does hold resentment towards the establishment that Nibelung had created but not toward Nibelung's kin [Moon Goddesses and their daughters] and sought them out after the Funerary war to understand what was happening only to learn the three moon goddesses had been slain [trapped in the moons reflection] and had left the shattered moons and their kin in their wake
He doesn't like the Sovereigns [sans Azhdaha] because he believes they willingly allowed Nibelung to stray from Readers' rules, laws, and code of conduct.
So when the Archon war was announced and the Celestial throne and Sovereign's power stolen, he'd realised he was one of the last remaining who still knew of the Readers true nature and created a plan to seize that authority back from the inside, if he were to sell himself into the Heavenly Principles control through a bound contract that seemed like it abode by their rules, one day he could use it against them as revenge and potentially take them down and send a message to the next incarnation of you, Dear Reader.
‘A contract to end all contracts’ - that's what he bargained with the Tsaritsa for, the chance to bring Reader back and aid in their reinstatement of authority and to find himself next to you once more
Neuvillettes' Role in the New age...
Being the only remaining healthy Sovereign, he does feel the pressure of living up to the title, so much so that it weighs heavily and opens the skies the moment he begins thinking about it
He doesn't know the full truth. There doesn't exist a being in Teyvat that he can simply talk to about the past [willingly]. But as someone who values justice and fair judgement, he will continue until he does
So, with your arrival, it opened many pathways for him. Like his discovery that some of the other Sovereigns still lived, he wasn't alone. He... was unable to leave Fontaine to assist them.
The first was with Dvalin. The Anemo Sovereign had been in hiding after becoming captured by the Abyss and its minions, becoming the haunting 'Stormterror' and targeted by its people and foreign dignitaries.
Next was the tremors that were felt all the way in Fontaine from below the ground, To him it felt like heartbeats as Azhdaha began to awaken, shaking off the wards the Geo Archon, Deus Auri hand bound him with.
Then there was that foul cry that only he could hear coming from the harsh Deserts of Sumeru, reports that the nations' fungi had started appearing limp and washing up on his shores in response to the screams of the Dendro Sovereign, Apep.
Then he was introduced to your Acolyte, The Traveller.
He thought after his seizing of the authority, it would be better from then on, your Traveller telling him of the three Sovereigns currupted states being slowly purified now. They were recovering.
Then the Traveller left to Natlan. The moment the Lord of the Eroded Primal fire rose from the flames, he himself had collapsed in a heap - being connected directly to the Primordial seas meant he was more intune with the whole of Teyvat. it just so happened to be that the Phlogiston core that the Pyro Sovereign drew its power from was so entrenched in his new element.
Xiuhcoatls revival almost left him bedridden, the abyssal invasion flaring not just within Natlans' boarders - but all throughout the lands riling up the other Sovereigns were still in recovery. No nation was able to lend a hand, not when they were dealing with their own issues.
He is still recovering his strengths, body slowly absorbing the light that is returning to Teyvat, and now you've returned, too.