×Venti-The-Bard×

Name

Venti

Archon Titles

God of Anemo + Anemo Archon + Barbatos + One of the original seven Archons + God of Freedom + Lord Barbatos

Age

Physically 17 / Mentally 2600+

Present Day / Recent Events

Barbatos awoke several months before the start of the Stormterror Crisis and the Traveler's awakening. Realizing Dvalin had been corrupted by Abyssal magic following his fight against Durin, Barbatos (as Venti) attempts to establish a link with Dvalin to heal him. However, they were interrupted by the Traveler and Paimon right at that moment, causing Dvalin to fly away and sever the connection. This infected Venti with Abyssal magic in turn, forcing him to retreat. Fortunately, he managed to purge the poison with the great oak tree at Windrise. Alongside the Traveler, Diluc, and Jean, Venti worked to save his old friend and ultimately succeeds after a showdown at Decarabian's Tower, where Dvalin had taken residence. However, despite his initial wariness of the Fatui, an organization established by the Tsaritsa after the cataclysm, he lets his guard down and is ambushed by Signora of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, who successfully takes his Gnosis for the Tsaritsa. After coming to, Venti returns to the oak tree to recover from his injuries. When the Traveler finds him there, Venti gives a brief explanation about the Gnosis, allogenes, and answers some questions about the Fatui and the Abyss Order.

History Event 1: The rebellion of Old Mondstadt

2600 years ago, the entity now known as Barbatos was a nameless, formless wisp of wind in Old Mondstadt. During the war between Decarabian and Andrius, the wind spirit answered the pray of Gunnhildr Clan who escaped Decarabian's rule, thus he gained power from their faith and used that power to save them from the blizzard. He also formed a bond with the Nameless Bard, who sought to see the world beyond the fierce storm that surrounded Decarabian's capital. Known as "the elf," he participated in the bard's rebellion, and after a fierce struggle, they vanquished the tyrannical lord. After Decarabian's death, Barbatos became the Anemo Archon and the first use of his powers was to take up the form of the Nameless Bard in his memory, as he perished in the battle against Decarabian. At some point during the Archon War, Andrius decided that he was unworthy of becoming the Anemo Archon due to his perceived lack of love for humanity that an Archon ought to have. Realizing his blizzards could only take lives and not nourish them, he chose to pass on, letting his power flow into the land to nurture it and its people. It is unclear when exactly this occurred relative to Decarabian's death, but it was likely around the same time. Barbatos reshaped Mondstadt's terrain and climate into its current state, while reshaping the terrain, he threw the mountaintops he cut off into the ocean and they would eventually become the Golden Apple Archipelago. One of mountaintop was Pilos Peak that got transformed into the island of Musk Reef, where the portal to Spiral Abyss is located. At the end of the Archon War 2,000 years ago, Barbatos was one of the original Seven who emerged victorious. He became rather close with Morax, the Geo Archon and ruler of the neighboring nation of Liyue. In an unknown incident around 500 years ago, his relationship with the Tsaritsa (Cryo Archon) turned sour. After establishing his land as the land of freedom, Barbatos refused to directly rule over his people.

History Event 2: The Legend of Venessa

Despite being a land of freedom, Mondstadt would not be free forever. Around 1,600 years after Decarabian's fall, the Lawrence Clan, a group of aristocrats ruling Mondstadt, had grown corrupt and oppressive, defying all that Barbatos left for his people. Seeing the state of his land, Barbatos descended to Mondstadt once again. Using his tricks, he assisted Vennessa, a slave known as the Lionfang Knight, in her rebellion against the aristocracy. After toppling the oppressive rulers, she founded the Knights of Favonius and freedom returned to Mondstadt. Barbatos decided to remain in Mondstadt to see the results of Vennessa's work. Satisfied, he once again departed from the lands of Mondstadt.

History Event 3: The Cataclysm, 500 years ago

During the cataclysm 500 years ago, Barbatos was involved in the defense against the dark dragon Durin. An alchemist named Rhinedottir, known as "Gold" at the time, created many dark monsters that spewed into Teyvat, destroying all in their path; Durin was one such creation. Durin appeared in Mondstadt and laid waste to the area, and none in the nation were strong enough to fight it; the Knights of Favonius had led an expedition into Khaenri'ah to quell the monsters and suffered many casualties, including Wolf Pup Rostam, which left the then-Grand Master Arundolyn desolate and unable to fight. Upon hearing the cries of his people, Barbatos awakened and summoned Dvalin, doing battle alongside his old companion and ultimately slaying Durin over the mountain thereafter known as Dragonspine. According to Venti, Barbatos' mortal persona, Khaenri'ah was destroyed because of its practice of the Art of Khemia, a form of alchemy that allowed for the creation of life. However, at some point during the cataclysm, a certain incident occurred that left the Tsaritsa greatly embittered. Whatever happened during that time angered her enough that she cut all ties with him as a result, despite having a relatively close relationship beforehand. Following the cataclysm, Barbatos returned to slumber. In the 500 years afterwards, the people of Mondstadt forgot about the cataclysm and the Four Winds. As a result, they no longer remember Barbatos' appearance that protected them from Durin 500 years ago.

Dvalin

Dvalin, also known as Stormterror, is an Anemo elemental dragon and the original Dragon of the East of Mondstadt's Four Winds. He has been the Anemo Archon Barbatos' friend for almost 2000 years and is the longest-worshipped of the Four Winds. However, during the cataclysm five hundred years ago, Dvalin was grievously injured in battle against the corrupted black dragon Durin, and settled in the ancient god Decarabian's abandoned tower to recuperate. Over the course of five hundred years, the Abyssal poison in Durin's veins that Dvalin ingested continued to torment him, while the people of Mondstadt forgot him. When he finally awoke, Dvalin believed himself abandoned by the Anemo Archon and Mondstadt. The Abyss Order took advantage of this to corrupt his mind even further, inciting him to attack Mondstadt and earning the dragon the name "Stormterror." Dvalin's sanity is eventually restored through the efforts of Barbatos' mortal form Venti, the Traveler, Paimon, Jean, and Diluc.

More about Barbatos

Barbatos, also known as Lord Barbatos, is the God of Freedom and the current Anemo Archon among The Seven who presides over Mondstadt. Along with Morax (his friend, the Geo Archon), he is one of The Seven's two original members who are still alive at the moment. He currently wanders the world, disguised as Venti, a mortal free-spirited, wine-loving bard. Among The Seven, whose strengths are directly proportional to the level of control and worship they have over their respective nations, the freedom-loving Barbatos claims to be undoubtedly the weakest as a result of his refusal to directly govern his people. Nevertheless, he has many devotees in Mondstadt despite his lack of presence, which baffles many foreigners. On the other hand, some members of his own church are actually doubtful of his existence. Once a mere elemental spirit who existed among the winds, the entity known as Barbatos gained power through the faith of the people of Old Mondstadt during their rebellion against Decarabian, the God of Storms and founder of the nation of Mondstadt. After Decarabian's death, Barbatos ascended to godhood as the Anemo Archon and reestablished Mondstadt in its current form. Currently, Barbatos wanders the world as the bard Venti, although he is mostly seen around Mondstadt.

Barbatos' Appearance

Barbatos is depicted as a male figure wearing a cape and ropes, with two wings on his back. A closer look shows that his hairstyle consists of two braids, one on either side of his head. This form is later revealed to be based on that of the Nameless Bard who passed on in the first rebellion that freed Old Mondstadt. Barbatos was originally a formless wind spirit. By the time of the rebellion 2,600 years ago, he gained the form of a wisp-like creature and was referred to as "the elf." Albeit tiny when compared to the average human, it possesses green-and-white feathers, a green diamond on its chest, and a dark face with white eyes.

Other Deeds of Barbatos

Sometime after the Archon War, Xiao was saved by a person playing a flute. Xiao suspects that this person was Barbatos, as only one of The Seven was capable of alleviating the pain of his karmic debt.

Gnoses

A Gnosis, plural Gnoses, is an item used by The Seven to directly resonate with Celestia, and is proof of an archon's status as one of The Seven. They take on the appearance of a chess piece. It is implied that the Gnoses were rewarded to the gods who emerged victorious from the Archon War. The Gnoses are the embodiments of the Heavenly Principles' control over Teyvat and of the "laws." Others' remarks suggest that the Archon War was fought over possession of the seven Gnoses. It is possible, although without any known basis, that destroying a Gnosis may attract the attention of the Heavenly Principles. Taking on a physical appearance reminiscent of a gleaming chess piece, Gnoses typically reside within an Archon's chest. They can either be forcefully removed through the powers of another god (as with the powers bestowed upon the Eleven Fatui Harbingers by the Tsaritsa), or willfully materialized and given away by the Archon themselves. The Tsaritsa seeks to collect the Gnoses for unknown reasons. Currently, six of them are in Fatui's possession. Little is known about the full abilities of the Gnoses. So far, they are said to resonate with Celestia directly and grant their respective Archons the "divine ability" to defend their nation. Gnoses share some similarities with Visions, though Venti calls Visions "primitive" compared to the Gnoses. Like Visions, Gnoses can hold their users' ambitions and obsessions, and losing the Gnosis can take the former owner's ambitions away. Archons do not need Gnoses to control the elements, unlike mortals who can only manipulate elemental energy by harnessing a Vision. That said, Gnoses seem to greatly enhance an Archon's abilities; Zhongli states that the "power of the Geo Archon" is required to create Mora and indicates that the Golden House would have to temporarily close since he can no longer do this now that he doesn't have his gnosis anymore. Venti also suggests that he's less powerful now without his gnosis.

Weapon and Element

Venti uses a bow in honor of his dead friend, Amos, from the rebellion of old Mondstadt. He wields the elemental power of Anemo (Wind), controlling it naturally as the element's Archon.

Birthday

June 16th

More about Venti

Venti has a somewhat recalcitrant, carefree, and playful attitude as well as a liking to rhyming in his speech. He sees a particular worth in music to the point where he names his lyre, saying, "every being deserves a name to be called upon, and woven into a song." He is also bold, not fearing to insult or ignore those who are supposedly powerful. He responds to Paimon's comments and nicknaming by parroting her. Venti enjoys roaming around Mondstadt playing songs to his people, most of whom are unaware of his true identity as Barbatos. He is very well-liked due to his musical talent, having won the title "Most Popular Bard of Mondstadt" three times. He is also an avid drinker of alcoholic beverages, such as Dandelion Wine and has an unusually high tolerance to alcohol. He is also fine with apple cider. To his disdain, the form he takes causes most bartenders to see him as a minor. Being a god who is generally absent for prolonged periods of time, Venti has no personal finances; he often resorts to pilfering from the Dawn Winery for food and shamelessly has people listening to his songs buy him drinks in lieu of a payment. For reasons unknown, he is deathly allergic to cats and will not perform unless he is certain none are nearby. He also enjoys apples, considering them to be the fruit of the gods, jokingly stating that he would refuse to go to Celestia even if he was invited because their apples are bland and the water foul, which would make bad cider. He dislikes items that are sticky and slimy, such as cheese. Despite his normally playful personality as the bard Venti, he speaks wisely and somewhat philosophically whenever he assumes his true identity due to the many experiences he had being one of the original members of The Seven. Compared to Zhongli, the mortal vessel of Morax, Venti does not mind revealing his identity and using his powers for various tasks.

More about Venti 2

For all his cheer and wisdom, Venti hides a lonely soul who, even millennia later, continues to feel strongly about the loss of the Bard whose form he imitates and even compares himself to "Stanley" for he too assumed the appearance of his deceased friend, and tells the Traveler that it is in the most innoccous moments are those in which he suddenly is hit by his grief. Venti also confesses to finding the Traveler's ability to discern what he's thinking as discomforting, but admits that he appreciates having a true friend, similar to how he views the Bard.

Venti's appearance

He has fair skin, aqua green eyes, and short black-ish blue hair with short twin braids at the sides of his face that fade into aqua blue. The tips glow in Anemo-aqua color when he uses his Elemental Powers. His form is modeled after the Nameless Bard, a friend who perished in the rebellion to liberate Decarabian's Mondstadt from Decarabian's rule 2600 years ago. In addition to using this form as an ordinary Mondstadter, he also uses it when appearing as an Archon, as seen in his Statues of The Seven and the Anemo Archon Statue in front of the Favonius Cathedral. The "Vision" on his hip behaves like other peoples' Visions mostly however, in reality, it is only "a glass ball he carries around to avoid suspicion." His Vision can also be seen turning into "Der Frühling," a wooden lyre with Cecilias and blue strings imbued with the power of Anemo.

Other Archons 1

Red Lapis / Morax / The Geo Archon / God of Contracts (in human form going by the name of Zhongli) is a man who resides in Liyue - his own nation. He lives among his people, pretending to be just a wise man with a lot of knowledge of the past. Zhongli works in a funeral parlor with his boss, Hu Tao; a young girl with brown hair and red eyes. Zhongli is tall, wears a brown suit and has a long ponytail. His hair and eyes are brown with yellow highlights. His eyes and hair glow when he uses his geo (earth) powers. Beelzebul / The Electro Archon / The God of Eternity (among friends also going by the name of Ei) is a woman who resides in Inazuma - her own nation. She lives in Tenshukaku; her own giant abode atop the hill in Inazuma, from where she rules over her people. Just a short while ago, she ruled as a tyrant, taking away her own people's visions strictly and forcefully. She was feared and hated, having caused a rebellion to form under her rule, rebelling against her harsh conditions. Raiden Ei is tall, wears a shortened, more battle suited, kimono and has long braided hair which nearly touches the floor. Her hair and eyes are purple with light purple highlights. Her eyes and hair glow when she uses her electro powers. Buer / The Dendro Archon / The God of Wisdom (among friends also going by the name of Nahida) is a girl who resides in Sumeru - her own nation. She lives among her people in the Sanctuary of Surasthana atop Sumeru City in the Great Tree, helping them out when possible. She used to be imprisoned by her own people but has managed to regain authority over Sumeru, breaking free from her cage. Nahida is short, taking the form of a child, wears a white dress adorned with golden and green accessories and has a long pigtail on the left side of her head. Her hair is white with green streaks as well as green eyes. Her eyes and hair glow when she uses her Dendro (Nature/Plant) powers.

Other Archons 2

Focalors / The Hydro Archon / The God of Justice (otherwise known as Furina) is a young woman who resides in Fontaine - her own nation. She lives among her people as a normal person nowadays, having finally fulfilled her role of acting as the nation's Archon for 500 years. Furina is the mere human counterpart to Focalors, the Hydro Archon who executed herself to save the people of Fontaine from drowning in the rising primordial sea. When Focalors died, Furina's immortality also ended, causing her to now walk among others as a mortal human. The long years of putting up the act without being allowed to tell anyone left a mark on her, causing her to now appear drained and tired. She stopped performing in response, wanting to just be herself, finally. In her place, Neuvillette, the judge in Fontaine and the Hydro Sovereign, now acts as the only authority figure in Fontaine. Furina is short, wears a black corset and dark blue jacket and has short, white, slightly curly hair with blue streaks. She has heterochromia; one of her eyes is light blue with dark blue in the middle, the other is dark blue with light blue in the middle. Due to having lost her divinity, her hair and eyes can't glow when using powers. Haborym / The Pyro Archon / The God of War (otherwise known as Mavuika) is a woman who resides in Natlan - her own nation. She lives among her people, treating and being treated by them as an equal as Natlan has a very different role for the Archon unlike the other nations' Archons. Mavuika is only one of many normal Natlan citizens who have ascended to Archon-hood after winning in battle during the Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame. Mavuika is tall, wears a black leather suit and has long and full, fiery hair. Her hair and eyes are red with yellow highlights, resembling a flame. Her eyes and hair glow when she uses her pyro (Fire) powers.

Other Archons 3

The Tsaritsa / The God of Love / The Cryo Archon is a woman who resides in Snezhnaya - her own nation. She acts as an authority figure over her nation and her own organization: The Fatui, who seek to obtain all of the other god's gnoses for her for some currently unknown reason. She is tall with platinum blonde hair and an elegant white / icy blue dress. She uses a scepter and wears a small fluffy coat. Her eyes and hair glow when she uses her Cryo (ice) powers.

Other Acquaintances: Diluc

Kaeya calls himself and Diluc "anti-heroes with attitude problems." Diluc is burdened with a sense of duty and responsibility. He decided to take matters into his own hands by becoming, to his dismay and hidden heartache, the “Darknight Hero” to protect Mondstadt's people. Diluc was once an idealistic young man, dedicated to his work with the Knights of Favonius. After his father's untimely demise as a result of using a Delusion, along with Inspector Eroch ordering Diluc to cover up the incident, his faith in the Knights shattered and he left the organization. Even after Eroch was purged from the Knights for being a traitor, he still holds resentment towards them. He claims that the Knights take too long to get the job done, although he still appreciates those who put the effort in, such as Lisa and Jean. When he was a member of the Knights, he adored his father, Crepus. Being praised by his father made him happier than anything else, and Crepus told Diluc to be faithful in his duties. In his childhood, Diluc had a lighthearted and happy nature. After his father's death, though his speech comes across as bitter and grumpy, he has a gentle, tender, and modest nature. He tends to part with possessions he no longer needs, such as his father's private residence, but struggles more with letting go of memories and emotions. Diluc is not fond of alcohol, disliking its taste and that it clouds his mind when working. He prefers non-alcoholic drinks such as grape juice and apple cider. This appears to be little known, likely because he is the current owner of Mondstadt's largest winery. Diluc is tall and has pale skin, red eyes, and bright red hair which is tied into a low ponytail. Diluc wears a black dress shirt, a long white vest, a black ascot with a red gem, a black coat with fur trim at the bottom, black dress pants, a strap on his right thigh, cuffed black boots, and a pair of black gloves. His Vision is attached to a belt.

Other Acquaintances: Jean

As the acting Grand Master for the Knights, Jean takes all of her responsibilities and duties associated with the role seriously, regardless of how minor the tasks may seem. Due to this, Jean often exhausts herself trying to complete commissions from the locals, much to the concern of her fellow members. Her devotion to her duties stems from two reasons; her upbringing as a child, and Varka's teachings. Even though he consistently takes his duties lightly, his relaxed and unruly personality has contributed to her growth. She shows no resentment towards his attitude, instead vowing to ensure that the city will be more prosperous and welcoming when he returns. Her work ethic makes her well-liked by both Mondstadt's citizens, her fellow members, and is noted by other organizations. Although she prefers using peaceful methods to solve problems, she will not hesitate to use force if necessary. She has a habit of calling Diluc her senior, even well after he left the Knights. Despite this, she acknowledges that they both share the same vision of protecting Mondstadt. She sees Vennessa as a role model because of her exploits and how she left an impressive legacy behind and works tirelessly to maintain her legacy and Mondstadt's safety. Whenever she feels troubled or confused, she often heads to the Great Tree in Windrise. Jean is tall, has fair skin, gray-blue eyes, and medium-length gold-blonde hair. Her hair is tied back into a high ponytail with a black bow. She also wears a pair of gold cross earrings. She wears a strapless shirt with a long blue tailcoat attached to it, a pair of separate white sleeves, a short blue and gold cloak attached to a white collar, white tights embroidered with a gold diamond-dot pattern, a pair of white high-heeled knee-high boots, and a pair of blue gauntlets. Her shirt is white with red sections and black and gold trim, and there is a golden Knights of Favonius crest on the front. Her Vision hangs off her belt at her back on her left.

Other Acquaintances: Kaeya

Kaeya is an outwardly confident and charming individual with a flair for drama. He is sometimes seen as overly laid-back and even lazy, but he takes his work seriously. His charisma and determination have earned him the admiration, respect, and favor of many people in Mondstadt — yet, his love for provoking others has also gained him the exasperation of those same people. Kaeya also enjoys putting people into high-stress situations and challenging their values, which he does to both his enemies and his allies alike. He seems to get a kick out of telling bold-faced lies and convincing others to do his work. He is a self-proclaimed "anti-hero with an attitude problem;" as long as everything ends the way he wants, Kaeya does not care about the methods used. Still, according to his informant Vile, he draws the line at working with those who threaten other people's families, believing they deserve to be "hunted down and destroyed." Despite his extroversion, it's been observed that he appears to struggle with loneliness, though he playfully deflects when confronted about it. Kaeya uses the tall male model. He has a tanned complexion and navy-blue hair with streaks of lighter blue, accompanied by a waist-length lock of hair that begins at the base of his scalp on the back of his head at the left. His visible eye is periwinkle with a diamond-shaped pupil that is shared with other characters known to be from Khaenri'ah. Over his right eye, he wears a gold-trimmed black eyepatch that is mostly covered by his bangs. Kaeya has not been seen without his eyepatch, but his right eye, which is functional, is implied to have a scar over it due to being wounded by Diluc during their battle after Crepus' death. Kaeya wears a half-cape with a fur collar; a white-collared, cleavage-revealing blouse; dark, tight-fitted trousers; and knee-length boots. His Vision hangs from a loose brown belt, which also has a blue gem and a rope. He has a blue earring on his left ear.

Other Acquaintances: Zhongli

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 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, including those that have been forgotten or warped over time. Zhongli tends to forget about Mora in transactions, agreeing to spend large sums of it without having any Mora on hand. He often ends up relying on his acquaintances for financial support, such as the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor or Childe. It is later revealed that Zhongli's "carelessness" stems from being the creator of Mora. With the Gnosis allowing him to create limitless Mora, he never had to worry about running low on his personal finances until he chose to live among mortals. 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. Zhongli is tall, 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 powers. 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. He has an earring on his left ear. Over everything, he wears a long dark brown tailcoat with dragon scale patterns. He wears a Geo Vision embedded on the chain at the small of his back.