Chapter Text
To first understand the history of the Archons, you must learn of the Dragon Sovereigns and the power they hold.
The Archons were not the original bearers of the seven Authorities. Those belonged to the Dragon Sovereigns of the Light Realm. The Old World was full of raw elements, and that is what Teyvat used to be.
Until the Heavenly Principles descended and took part of the Sovereigns Authorities for themselves. It and its four shining shades waged war against the Seven Sovereigns and the Dragon King, Nibelung.
After the war, the Heavenly Principles remade the world to be suitable for humans by breaking down the raw, primordial elements. Thus, the Human Realm was created.
With the Authorities stripped from them, the Dragon Sovereigns lost their abilities to access their full range of power and their memories. It could only be returned if the Divine Seat for the corresponding Archon is destroyed, which gives the Authority back to the Sovereign.
The Hydro Dragon isn’t just the one who held the Hydro Authority originally, they also preside over the Primordial Sea and could be considered the God of Life. No matter who holds the Authority, the Hydro Dragon can command the Primordial Sea, as it is the “heart” of the Sea.
Furious with the Heavenly Principles actions, Nibelung left to obtain power that could rival the Heavenly Principles. The power Nibelung brought was forbidden knowledge. With this power, Nibelung and the seven Sovereigns started a war of vengeance against the Heavenly Principles for the right to shape the world. The war devastated the land, almost collapsing Teyvat itself.
Even with the combined strength of each Dragon Sovereign and Nibelung, the Heavenly Principles still won the war. Their efforts weren’t entirely fruitless, however, the Heavenly Principles was wounded severely and could not suppress the original order of the world alone.
Because the Heavenly Principles couldn’t use its absolute authority, it and another- who is only known as “the one who came after”- used remnants of the Third Descender to steal elemental Authority from the seven Sovereigns and created the seven Gnoses. After, the Archon War began to determine which gods would ascend to the new thrones of power.
The creation of the Gnoses wasn’t the last thing the Heavenly Principles did. To suppress the forbidden knowledge Nibelung unleashed to Teyvat, it created and dropped the divine nails, which drastically changed the landscape of Teyvat. Even going so far as to change part of the Sumerian rainforest to a dry desert.