◇|- Zhongli -|◇

Short Biography:

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.

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.[2] He knows much about Liyue history and culture in part due to his time as the Geo Archon; like Venti, 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, including those that have been forgotten or warped over time. Zhongli tends to be humble, being worried he comes off as a "bourgeois parasite."[3] 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.[4] He often ends up relying on his acquaintances for financial support, such as the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor or Childe. Although he works for Hu Tao,[5] he does not like her childish behavior.[6] 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. Unfortunately, when he chose to live among mortals, he lacked the foresight to find an alternative for them to continue minting Mora in his absence, along with creating a retirement fund for himself. As a result, he shamelessly spends the Mora of others. 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.

Appearance:

Zhongli uses the tall male model. 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 form appears to be the same as the one he uses as an Archon, as seen in his Statues of The Seven and various cinematics that show him as an Archon. The Geo Vision seen at the small of his back behaves like other characters' Visions in most gameplay; however, it is not a real Vision, and there are a select few gameplay mechanics that reflect this. In Archon Quest Rite of Descension in Chapter I: Act I - Of the Land Amidst Monoliths, Zhongli as Rex Lapis appeared as a brown and amber Chinese dragon with gold accents known as the Exuvia.

Summary:

On the surface, Zhongli currently serves as a consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. He works under "The Director," Hu Tao, and seems to be well-versed in an abundance of subjects. This has earned him the respect of Liyue's citizens, granting him the label of an old-fashioned gentleman. However, this knowledge did not come from thin air. Zhongli is in truth the latest mortal vessel of the Geo Archon, Morax, also known as Liyue's overlord and protector: Rex Lapis. He now wanders the streets of Liyue, as he "ought to be here to witness its rise and fall."[7] To the people of Liyue, their Archon carries many titles: the Geo Archon, the God of Contracts, the God of History, the Lord of Rock, the Groundbreaker, and the Warrior God among them. Having lived for over 6000 years, Zhongli has first-hand experience with much of Teyvat's history. He has presumably witnessed many of Teyvat's events, such as the cataclysm, the creation of the Chasm, and the fall of Aria, Sonnet and Canon. Nonetheless, he is most known for his cold-blooded participation in the Archon War, and his founding of Liyue. Around the beginning of the Archon War, Zhongli was the co-ruler of the prosperous Guili Assembly alongside the God of Dust, Guizhong, and the adepti. However, their combined forces could not stop the tides of war from taking the life of Guizhong. During a certain battle, despite their efforts and the aid of the adepti, Guizhong was overpowered by the opponent and the Guili Assembly was destroyed. After a massive flood swept through the area 3700 years ago, Zhongli was forced to move his people south of Mt. Tianheng and established Liyue Harbor,[8] where it stands to this day. In present time, Zhongli has handed over his gnosis and with it, he has lifted the heavy weight of rulership he has borne for millennia. As the gnosis is now in Fatui possession, Zhongli is no longer inclined to act as Archon. He now spends his time reminiscing and enjoying the mortal experience.