Chapter Text
The world fragmented not too long ago. Some young people could even remember their lives before it all went to shit. They said that the plague was a divine punishment; in truth it was a mistake that even the gods couldn’t control.
The Plague changed the way its hosts thought; it made them long for much more than they could handle. People who once experienced the joys of life were ravaged by a voracious hunger for ‘divine knowledge’. It drove people insane with greed, an all consuming wrath, unparalleled by any other.
It spread through Teyvat like wildfire.
Natlan, the nation of war, fell first . They could protect themselves from the abyss, but there was little they could do against their own people. In the craze of the plague, the once united nation began to war against itself. Different ideas of what to do about those driven mad fractured trust. Unable to stand together, The Mad were able to tear it all apart. A whole nation, broken within days. The last any nation heard from organized settlements in Natlan were from The Scions Of The Canopy and The Masters Of The Night-wind. Transmissions from the nation abruptly stopped at one point; nobody knows if there are any survivors left.
Liyue took a different approach, the people tried to negotiate with the mad. Even when Mora lost its worth, the people of the land of commerce still believed in trade. They exchanged their knowledge for their safety. When the knowledge became insufficient, however, even the adepti couldn’t save Liyue. The adepti retreated to their abodes, and the Liyue Qixing retreated to the jade chamber. No known public human settlements exist in Liyue.
Sumeru City fell soon after, the akedemiya becoming a breeding ground for the infected. Knowledge was power, but not nearly enough of it. For a period of time the Akasha was a hindrance to those who were sane. It helped the mad just as much as it helped them. With some tweaking came the new akasha, a version that aided those who maintained sanity, and them alone. The new akasha system helped those who remained establish various safe zones across Sumeru. Gandharva Vill, Alcazarzaray and Various Bases in the Apam woods house the few lucky survivors.
Fontaine’s ideals were its downfall. They tried to be a sanctuary for all who were scared of the plague. The plague didn’t play fair, for those infected weren’t dead, simply…changed. The Nation was overtaken by the Mad over a two month period. Those who survived were those sheltered by the spina de rosula in poisson or those who belonged to the house of the hearth.
Mondstadt refused to fall. The outriders evacuated citizens living in the outskirts of the nation into the city as soon as possible. They destroyed Dornman port, ensuring that nobody could come into their land. They isolated themselves from the outside world, living off of the small parts of land they had.
The Raiden Shogun had locked down Inazuma even before the plague, and it's likely their citizens live unaware of the plague. Nobody knows what is happening in Inazuma. Many have tried to flee to Inazuma, but due to lack of contact, it's likely that none of the fleeing souls have made it.
The no man’s land known as ‘Nod Krai’ houses a variety of independent towns that are each in a different state. The city known as ‘Nasha Town’ stands strong. Due to the presence of the curatorium of secrets, The Mad constantly try to infiltrate Nasha Town. Their kuvahki cannon is the force that protects them thus far.
Snezhnaya is overseen by a mysterious group that had the nation barred off, almost as heavily as Mondstadt. Nobody knows much about this nation, despite steady communications. Senzhnaya no longer considers itself at war with all of Teyvat. They fight The Mad, although the other nations are suspicious of their seemingly advanced knowledge of The Mad