Vol.12: Neuvillette - Authority of the Sovereign Dragon. The "Judgment and Forgiveness" Found in the Fleeting Existence of Humanity by the Hydro Dragon Destined to Reclaim the World from the Usurper (The Heavenly Principles)

Introduction: The Alien Arbiter and Existential Isolation in Teyvat’s Cosmology

Neuvillette, the Iudex of Fontaine, embodies law and justice on the continent of Teyvat. While he reigns over human society as the master of a strict court, his true identity is the reincarnation of the “Hydro Dragon,” one of the seven Sovereign Dragons that ruled this world in the primordial era. This report aims to unravel the cosmological fate he bears and his existential perspective on humanity as creations.

His story goes beyond a mere judicial drama of a single nation. It is a fundamental rebellion against the “usurper” (The Heavenly Principles) who created the miniature garden of Teyvat, and a manifestation of a grand myth surrounding the “false god” (Demiurge) and “true salvation” in Gnosticism’s cosmology. How did he, having regained the complete “Authority” of the Sovereign Dragon, overcome the deterministic fate of revenge against the creator, and grant “Judgment” and “Forgiveness” to the fragile existence known as humanity? This article will demonstrate the full picture by strictly distinguishing between in-game facts and the philosophical and mythological considerations derived from them.

1. The Primordial Usurpation and the Construction of the “False Sky”

To understand Neuvillette’s existence, one must first unravel the “usurper” who took everything from him and the formation process of Teyvat’s current system. His perspective is rooted in the primordial memories of the planet, beyond even the reach of Irminsul’s memory tampering.

1.1 Fact: The Great War of Vengeance and the Birth of the “Gnosis”

In Neuvillette’s Character Story regarding his “Vision,” the hidden ancient history of Teyvat is clearly articulated. Teyvat was once a world ruled by the Sovereign Dragons, but “the foreign usurper,” The Primordial One (Phanes), descended and stripped the dragons of their authorities. Subsequently, “the great war of vengeance” broke out, leaving the usurper severely injured and causing them to lose the function of ruling the world with their absolute authority.

At this time, to suppress the resentment and hatred filling the world and to maintain their own order, the usurper and “one who came after” conspired to create the system of the “Gnosis.” Through this system, the authorities stolen from the Sovereign Dragons were redistributed as seven elements, establishing a surveillance regime over the material realm by The Seven. Furthermore, through an old fairy tale of Fontaine, Neuvillette remembers that the usurper independently appointed a “God of Life” to suppress Teyvat’s original life force (the Primordial Sea).

1.2 Consideration: The Reign of the Demiurge in Gnosticism

Comparing this fact with the mythological framework of Gnosticism, The Heavenly Principles (Phanes and their successors) perfectly aligns with the “Demiurge” (Yaldabaoth), the false god who created the material world and imprisoned souls. The Demiurge deludes itself into believing it is the absolute, one true god, concealing the existence of the true light and enforcing an order based on ignorance and fear. Neuvillette is a victim who was stripped of his power and incorporated into the system under the “False Sky” constructed by this Demiurgic usurper, while simultaneously being one of the few possessors of “spiritual knowledge” (gnosis) who knows the truth. The reason he explicitly states that he will not obey any “edict from the heavens” is simply because he knows that the authority of the current gods and The Heavenly Principles is nothing more than a fiction built upon fundamental “theft” and “oppression.”

2. Egeria’s Original Sin and the Determinism of Inevitable Fate (Prophecy)

The history of Fontaine begins with the mistake of another divine entity who defied the Demiurge known as The Heavenly Principles. That is the “Original Sin” committed by the first Hydro Archon, Egeria, and the accompanying “prophecy.”

2.1 Fact: The Humanization of Oceanids and the Punishment of The Heavenly Principles

According to the prophetic slate and historical records, Egeria, the administrator of the “Primordial Sea,” the source of life in Teyvat, responded to the desperate wish of her familiars, the Oceanids, who “wanted to become human.” Without obtaining permission from Celestia, she injected the water of the Primordial Sea into the bodies of the Oceanids, granting them human form by constructing pseudo-blood vessels. However, this act was deemed a “usurpation of the authority to create life” against The Heavenly Principles. The Heavenly Principles branded Egeria and her creations with “Original Sin” and set an apocalyptic prophecy: “One day, the sea levels of Fontaine will rise, the people bearing the sin will dissolve into water and revert to Oceanids, and only the Hydro Archon will remain weeping on her Divine Throne.”

2.2 Consideration: Sophia’s Mistake and Deterministic Ruin

In Gnosticism, the goddess who attempted to create life by her own will without the permission of the supreme god, resulting in the creation of an imperfect material realm, is called “Sophia” (Wisdom). Egeria’s compassionate yet fatally unauthorized creation is precisely a metaphor for Sophia’s mistake. The Fontainians created by Egeria are depicted as imperfect beings (those with faux blood) whose spiritual essence as Oceanids is imprisoned in a pseudo-physical cage made of “water from the Primordial Sea.” The “prophecy” handed down by The Heavenly Principles is not merely a prediction of the future, but the execution of absolute “Determinism.” The heavenly system did not tolerate these imperfect creations and activated a program to forcibly reduce them back to primordial chaos eventually. Neuvillette, as the Iudex, would continue to observe the fragile history of the people of Fontaine, caught between this “mistake of a god” and the “curse of The Heavenly Principles.”

3. Echoes of Those Who Resisted — The Remurian Empire and Scylla’s Requiem

Against the deterministic ruin decreed by The Heavenly Principles, various forms of resistance were attempted by non-divine beings throughout the history of Fontaine. The greatest of these was the ancient Remurian Empire.

3.1 Fact: Golden Ichor and Scylla’s Rebellion

During the era when Egeria was imprisoned by The Heavenly Principles, King Remus founded the Remurian Empire and sought his own solution to evade the prophecy. He fused the water of the Primordial Sea with imperishable stone to create “Golden Ichor,” attempting to transplant the souls of his subjects into golem bodies that would not dissolve in water. However, due to the rampage of Boethius, one of the Harmosts who had been granted power, the empire was swallowed by madness. Ultimately, King Remus made a secret pact with Scylla, the Prince of the ancient Vishaps. Far from hating humans, Scylla cooperated with King Remus to unleash a symphony of destruction called the “Requiem,” sinking the maddened empire itself to the bottom of the sea. Scylla was subsequently sealed for a long time, but upon his later release, he expressed a desire for an audience with Neuvillette, the true Hydro Dragon.

3.2 Consideration: The Fallacy of Physical Perpetuation

King Remus’s preservation of souls through “Golden Ichor” was an attempt to prevent physical dissolution by turning bodies into immutable stone. However, from a philosophical standpoint, it was tantamount to depriving humans of their existential freedom to “change and grow,” imprisoning their souls in eternal stagnation (or madness). In order to resist the determinism of The Heavenly Principles, they merely escaped into another form of physical determinism. Scylla’s rebellion and the Requiem can be interpreted as a purge by nature (or the ancient race) against arrogant usurpers (such as Boethius), serving as an ancient typology of the “Judgment” that Neuvillette would later carry out.

4. Eternal Vigilance and the Pinnacle of Alchemy — The Magnum Opus of the Narzissenkreuz Ordo

After the fall of Remuria, Egeria returned as the Hydro Archon. Between that time and her eventual death during The Cataclysm, another history of resistance was being woven beneath the surface.

4.1 Fact: The Catalyst of Eternal Flow and the Watchers

The text of the catalyst “Tome of the Eternal Flow” records the teachings of the “Watchers,” passed down through generations in a submarine monastery. They took an oath to “guard the foundations of the city of water and never forget the bondage of sin,” fulfilling their solitary duty on the sunless seabed as a bulwark against the eventual arrival of the “harbinger of the apocalypse” (the All-Devouring Narwhal) and the great flood. Their stronghold later became the “Fortress of Meropide,” a massive sealing facility designed to plug the vents of the Primordial Sea.

4.2 Fact and Consideration: The Alchemical Liberation of the Narzissenkreuz Ordo

In modern times, the “Narzissenkreuz Ordo,” centered around Rene and Jakob, fused their unique alchemy with the power of The Abyss for the purpose of salvation from the prophecy. Their ideology is deeply connected to the “Magnum Opus” in real-world alchemy.

The real-world alchemical process consists of the following four stages, but significant differences in interpretation can be seen between the Narzissenkreuz Ordo and Teyvat’s alchemy (Khemia of Khaenri’ah).

Rene attempted to nullify the fate of dissolving in water itself by dissolving himself into the primordial water and becoming a “Transcendent” that integrated the wills of others. However, reaching this “Rubedo” completely negated Egeria’s original wish of “granting Oceanids lives as individual humans,” in that it erased individual boundaries (identities). Consequently, they were subjugated by the Marechaussee Phantom led by Neuvillette. This event is an important historical fact demonstrating how much Neuvillette respected the “individual will as a human” and how he judged under the law a runaway salvation (assimilation) that sought to strip it away.

5. Christological Passion and the Justice of Trompe-l’œil — Focalors’ 500 Years

It was through the conclusion of the magnificent 500-year trompe-l’œil painted by the current Hydro Archon, Focalors, that Neuvillette truly engaged with Teyvat’s cosmology and established his own philosophy.

5.1 Fact: The Separated Divinity and the Secret of the “Oratrice”

After Egeria perished in The Cataclysm, Focalors, who became the new Hydro Archon, concluded that the only way to evade the prophecy of The Heavenly Principles was to “deceive The Heavenly Principles themselves.” She completely separated her “Divinity” from her human body and spirit, “Furina.” Cursed with agelessness, Furina continued her performance as the “Hydro Archon” for 500 years, successfully deceiving The Heavenly Principles and the people of Teyvat. During that time, Focalors’ divinity hid within the “Oratrice Mecanique d’Analyse Cardinale,” secretly accumulating the energy of faith (Indemnitium) generated in the courts of Fontaine. Her sole purpose was to destroy the “Divine Throne” of the Hydro Archon established by The Heavenly Principles, along with her own life, and return the “Authority of Hydro” incorporated into the system to its rightful owner, the Hydro Dragon Neuvillette.

5.2 Consideration: The Passion Play and Ultimate Selflessness

Metaphors of the “Passion” and the “Atonement for Original Sin” in Christian theology are extremely intricately woven into this series of plans.

1. Inheritance of Original Sin: The sin borne by the people of Fontaine (creation without divine permission) is comparable to the Original Sin of Adam and Eve. To atone for this, an absolute sacrifice was necessary.

2. Division of the Trinity: Focalors (God the Father) sent Furina (Christ the Son) as a pure human to the earth, burdening her with immense mental anguish (500 years of solitude).

3. Judas’s Betrayal and the Unjust Trial: Despite being loved by the people, Furina was ultimately drawn into a Roman court (Pilate’s judgment = the trial at the Opera Epiclese) by the trap of the Traveler (the role of Judas), and was found guilty of the blasphemous crime of “usurping the title of a god.”

4. Death and the Resurrection of Authority: Behind the scenes of Furina bearing the cross of guilt, the true divinity, Focalors, is executed. Through the death of the god, the sin is cleared, and the Authority of Hydro returns to its “original father,” the Hydro Dragon.

Neuvillette continued to sit in the court as the “Iudex” without being informed of the full scope of this plan. The true reason Focalors appointed him as the judge was to have him observe the joys, sorrows, weaknesses, and nobility of humans over 500 years, guiding him to “love” humanity. Witnessing Focalors’ death, Neuvillette expressed his condolences, saying, “You are truly devious, Focalors.” The god’s deception had forever rewritten the dragon’s existence.

6. The Existentialism of the Iudex — The Philosophy of Judgment and Forgiveness

Having fledged into a complete Sovereign Dragon through the return of his authority, Neuvillette did not revert to an avenger who would destroy the world. Here lies the essence of his philosophy as the “Iudex.”

6.1 Fact: The Constellation “Leviathan Judicator” and the Truth of Tears

Neuvillette’s constellation, “Leviathan Judicator,” indicates that while he is the king of sea monsters, he is simultaneously a Judicator. In his combat style, he absorbs “Sourcewater Droplets” to deliver Equitable Judgment. These droplets are a systemic metaphor for him absorbing past history and the tears of the people, sublimating them into the power of judgment.

A fairy tale in Fontaine contains the line, “Hydro Dragon, Hydro Dragon, don’t cry.” In Neuvillette’s Character Story, his own dry monologue is recorded: “People once misunderstood that the Hydro Dragon would shed tears, but the Hydro Dragon is not such a sentimental creature that would weep in mourning for humans or the heavens.” However, at the moment he witnessed Focalors’ self-sacrifice and Furina’s wailing in the court, and at the moment he completely pardoned the “sin” of the people of Fontaine, a heavy rain poured from the sky. The rain he shed was the embodiment of existential “empathy” and “forgiveness,” transcending mere sympathy for the creations (humans) of The Heavenly Principles who had stolen his power.

6.2 Consideration: Transcendence from Judgment to Forgiveness

“Iudex” is Latin for a judge in the Roman Empire, and simultaneously, in a theological sense, refers to the one who delivers the “Last Judgment.” The early Neuvillette was a Demiurgic judge who maintained absolute fairness based on law and evidence, without interjecting personal feelings. He was unfamiliar with the complex emotions of humans and recognized himself as a “terribly solitary existence.” However, through human trials, he learned the complexity of “individual emotions and motives” that cannot be neatly divided by determinism (laws and fate). Having regained his complete authority, he freely wielded the power of the Primordial Sea, converting the “faux blood” flowing within the bodies of Fontainians into “true blood.” This act was simultaneously a “declaration of legal innocence” as a judge and an “affirmation of existence (forgiveness)” as a god of life. The prophecy of ruin decreed by The Heavenly Principles was practically shattered, having fulfilled the superficial event of “the Hydro Archon weeping on her Divine Throne.” He shattered fatalistic determinism and granted humans the right to celebrate their Free Will.

7. The Vision System and the Affirmation of Free Will

Neuvillette’s philosophical transformation is also clearly evident in his attitude toward the “Vision,” the fundamental system of Teyvat.

7.1 Fact: The Embodiment of Wishes and the Dragon’s Treasure

According to his Character Story “Vision,” when the usurper (The Heavenly Principles) constructed the Gnosis system, an obligation was imposed on The Seven: “When a human’s strong wish reaches the heavens, they must grant a fragment of their own power (authority).” And when those granted a Vision fulfill their mission, a richer power is returned to the gods (or the system of The Heavenly Principles). Having regained his authority and broken free from the control of The Heavenly Principles, Neuvillette completely lost the obligation to obey edicts from the heavens. However, recognizing the preciousness of “Human Will,” he resolved to continue granting Hydro “Visions” to humans in the future, as if sharing a part of himself from the dragon’s hoard.

7.2 Consideration: The Victory of Will over Fatalistic Determinism

This decision holds extremely significant philosophical meaning. The Vision system constructed by The Heavenly Principles is essentially a deterministic system that “exploits human Free Will and ambition as energy to maintain the world.” However, rather than hating that structure of exploitation, Neuvillette evaluated the “wishes” of humans striving to carve out their own Fate in a harsh world as an independent virtue in themselves. As he watches over through Furina’s Vision (though not directly granted by him, it is based on his authority), the grace of the Hydro Dragon has now transformed from a coercion by the program of The Heavenly Principles into a pure “contract” and “blessing” from a transcendent being to humanity.

8. At the End of Causality — Judgment upon the Sovereign Dragon Nibelung and the Pyro Archon Mavuika

Neuvillette’s philosophy is not confined to Fontaine; it is also directed toward the historical evaluation of all of Teyvat, especially his brethren, the Sovereign Dragons, and the other members of The Seven. Through the latest lore of Natlan, the criteria for his “Judgment” have been brought into sharper relief.

8.1 Nibelung, King of the Sovereign Dragons, and the Taboo of The Abyss

Nibelung, the King of the Sovereign Dragons who once united the seven kings, is said to have brought back “forbidden knowledge (the power of The Abyss)” from outside the planet after losing the first battle against The Heavenly Principles, and challenged them to another great war that engulfed the world. According to Neuvillette’s voicelines and lore analysis, he shows a strongly critical attitude toward Nibelung dabbling in the power of The Abyss to defeat The Heavenly Principles. For Neuvillette, The Abyss, which fundamentally pollutes the life of Teyvat and reduces everything to nothingness, is an absolute “black void.” Even if their goal of judging the heavenly usurper aligned, an alliance with The Abyss that necrotizes the world was a madness that significantly deviated from the ideal of the “balance of life and water” that he presides over.

8.2 The Pyro Archon Mavuika and Xbalanque — The Dilemma of Praise and Condemnation

Furthermore, the history of Natlan brings a new dilemma to Neuvillette’s ethics. In the history of Natlan, the first Pyro Archon, Xbalanque, despite being a mortal human (or a being equivalent to one), defeated the Pyro Dragon Sovereign who had turned into a tyrant, absorbed its authority (Primal Fire), and created a “framework for humans to inherit the position of the Pyro Archon.” He did not completely destroy the dragons, but built a social structure where humans and Saurians coexist.

The current Pyro Archon, Mavuika, in order to save Natlan from the invasion of The Abyss, utilized her own fate and the “authority of the Pyro Archon” to lay down rules of death and rebirth, sacrificing everything to seize victory. Neuvillette pays the utmost respect to Mavuika, stating that “utilizing rules and legacies to overcome The Abyss is a feat truly worthy of praise.” However, at the same time, he declares that “continuing to hold the authority stolen from the dragons remains an unpardonable sin.” Here lies Neuvillette’s strict demarcation as a judge. No matter how noble human courage, self-sacrifice, and defense against The Abyss may be, the illegitimacy of “usurped ownership” from a cosmological perspective is not offset. While deeply understanding the weight of Mavuika’s sacrifice, he has not bent his will to eventually drag all of The Seven into court and demand the settlement of their “sins.”

Conclusion: The Stairway to the “True Sky” Guided by the Hydro Dragon

Through the deep research and analysis of this article, it has been proven that the existence of Neuvillette goes far beyond the boundaries of a mere “judicial officer of Fontaine” or a “survivor of the mighty Sovereign Dragons,” and is a cosmological singularity of Teyvat.

He willingly threw himself into the mire of human society, unjustly shackled by fate under the “False Sky” ruled by the false god (Demiurge). As shown by the light of Arkhium shining in the depths of the Fortress of Meropide, the abyss of alchemy fanatically pursued by the Narzissenkreuz Ordo, and the echoes sinking to the seabed of Remuria, humans have constantly struggled and bled against the absurdity of the world. Neuvillette did not condemn this struggle as a “foolish sin,” but affirmed it as the “Free Will to live” (Human Will).

At the end of the grand play orchestrated by Focalors, the Hydro Dragon regained his authority, rose from the throne of a cold-hearted judge, and granted the absolute grace of “forgiveness” to humans, who were not his own creations. The significance of his existence is not to return the world to the past “tyrannical rule of dragons.” With the “Traveler,” a Descender (recorder) who crosses the sea of stars, as his witness, he will dismantle the distorted laws of causality created by the usurper under the law.

The day will eventually come when the gods of all Teyvat will face his judgment. At that time, the scales of the Iudex Neuvillette will mercilessly destroy the gods’ system of exploitation, while forever retaining the memories and wishes of the humans who burned out desperately within that system, as a single drop of rain that will never dry, within the pillar of his heart. The philosophy of “Judgment and Forgiveness” that he discovered will be the first and greatest stairway to reclaiming the “true sky,” where the life of Teyvat can live without being bound by Original Sin.