Phanes plot theory
Every new update we get every get the more that joke I made about the primordial one being a literal parasite starts becoming canon
It literally did some cuckoo bird move, pushing out the original inhabitants then stealing the resources from their planet.
They stole the homeland of the dragons, recycled their bodies and powers into their creations (gnosis and egeria). Then place their own people in charge (while also making sure those people can’t rebel against them).
They did the same with the moon sisters, the shades pushing them out and stealing their roles. They buttered up humanity by having them act as the “mother god” while keeping the moon sisters locked up. Seeing how worship is power for gods they are essentially keeping the moon sisters to weak to fight back while empowering themselves
The dragons they have made (Zhongli) are smaller and weaker the original dragons. While also making that they are bound by their rules. So Phanes internally made sure that the remaining dragons where under their thumb and too weak to every fight back so the sovereigns could never use them to rebel
Oddly enough when the angels start trying to become more powerful (posing a threat to Phanes) they slowly revert into dragons which implies that they too might be created from the dragons remains. Oddly enough this works to have the human masses associate dragons with fear and cruelty, as what was done with ursa the drake. So humanity would not trust the dragons making rebellion harder. it also ensures that the dragons are unable to weaponize the power of worship against Phanes
Also by banning any sort of book that speaks about the truth of the world, that being the earth beliefs to dragons. It paints the funerary war as random ruthless aggression on the part of the dragons against this god that the people trust. It took history and flipped its and nibelungs places, painting the dragon king as the alien invader and Phanes as the king just trying to protect its people
Phanes attempt to stop extreme advancement also makes sense because the more humanity is able to act on its own no longer subjected to the whims of a god, it loses its power of worship. Making it weaker to attacks it would also lead to humanity investigating its roots and discovering its truth. A world in chaos is more likely to desperately pray to a higher god than a war of peace.
That’s why it randomly started the archon war, it not only gets rid of gods who don’t blindly follow its orders along with gods too weak to do it’s bidding (and some likely to well to defend its self against a dragon uprising) but also this helps to replenish its lost power. What did the gunnhildr ancestor do in fear? pray to a higher god for help.
Honestly I’m now starting to think that they might have planned the Catalysm for this purpose because it all benefits them. 1) gets rid of a growing threat to their authority (khaenriah) while also villainizes said enemy. 2) paints the dragon race in a bad light as well causing people to further dislike and not trust any dragons not made by them 3) gets rid of archons to weak to defend the primordial one enhancing their security 4) causes wide spread fear increasing the amount of worship directed to them, the nations where they are more likely to get worship are hit the hardest causing more prayers and more power
All the events of tevty benefit the primordial one as well. Mondstadt involves a plot where a (sovereign maybe??) dragon is villainized while the primordial one’s allies are treated as hero’s. Liyue a dragon dies (not really) and another dragon tries to attack the habor. Inazauna is a civil war where no gods seem to listen (would not have ended without us(. Sumeru rot situation would have caused mass panic and most likely worship for Phanes. Fontaine would have drowned, leaving the sovereign powerless and the people desperate for something to answer their prayers. Natlan and nod Kai is another hopeless situation where people are more likely to pray to Phanes to for help.
As seen by that meeting with the shades, the tsaritsa and her harbingers aren’t a threat to them that’s why they aren’t acting agonist then.
If it had not been for the traveler everything would have gone Phanes way, generating more hate towards the dragons races and praise towards it. The primordial one seems to be trying to cause another Catalysm to report itself again
Why isn’t it fight back you might ask? Because it doesn’t need to, a free and well worshipped battery is coming to them. I think they are planning on stealing the travelers appearance and power to continues its reign of terror