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| “ | She is a god with no love left for her people, nor do they have any left for her. Her followers hope only to be on her side when the day of her rebellion against the divine comes at last. | „ |
| ~ Dainsleif on the Tsaritsa. |
| “ | Her Royal Highness the Tsaritsa is actually a gentle soul. Too gentle, in fact, and that's why she had to harden herself. Likewise, she declared war against the whole world only because she dreams of peace. | „ |
| ~ Tartaglia on the Tsaritsa. |
| “ | Sorry... to also have you shoulder the grievances of the world. Since you could endure my bitter cold, you must have the desire to burn? Then, burn away the old world for me. | „ |
| ~ The Tsaritsa. |
The Tsaritsa of Snezhnaya, also known as the Cryo Archon, is one of the two main antagonists of the 2020 action role-playing fantasy video game Genshin Impact (alongside the Traveler's twin).
The Tsaritsa was the supreme ruler of the technologically-advanced nation Snezhnaya who sent her fanatical followers in the Fatui across the nations of the continent Teyvat to serve as diplomats, although in reality the Fatui worked as miscreants who spied on the other nations and sowed chaos at the Cryo Archon's behest.
During the time in which the Traveler emerged as a hero on Teyvat, the Tsaritsa tasked her Fatui servants with obtaining the Gnoses of the other Archons through any means necessary. Although her motives remain unclear, the Tsaritsa seemed to want to bring about peace and usher in a new world.
It was said that the Tsaritsa was once a kind and gentle soul who embodied love until the cataclysm that destroyed the nation Khaenri'ah five hundred years ago deeply affected her, leaving her a cold and bitter person with no love left for her people.
Synopsis
History
The God referred to as the Tsaritsa by her people was not an original member of the Seven Archons that each presided over an element and a nation on the continent Teyvat. Rather, she gained her position as the Cryo Archon after the death of her predecessor. She was the ruler of Snezhnaya, a technologically-advanced nation with a frigid climate, and was regarded as a compassionate and kind-hearted God. However, the Tsaritsa's attitude changed after the destruction of the subterranean nation Khaenri'ah at the hands of the Gods.
The Cryo Archon's love for her people dwindled until she became a cold-hearted woman solely dedicated to rebelling against the divine and creating a new era of peace through war. She formed the Fatui, a militaristic religious group comprised of her fanatical followers, and tasked them with sowing discourse in the nations of the other Archons. The Tsaritsa personally attended the investiture of the Eleventh Fatui Harbinger Tartaglia, watching on sternly from her throne as Pierro pinned an Electro Delusion on the newest addition to the Fatui Harbingers.
Collecting the Gnoses
Five hundred years after the destruction of Khaenri'ah, the Tsaritsa commanded her Fatui Harbingers to bring her the Gnoses of the other active Archons. The first to fall into her possession was the Gnosis of the Anemo Archon Barbatos, which was taken by force by the Eighth Harbinger La Signora. The Tsaritsa then entered into a contract with the Geo Archon Morax that would require him to hand over his Gnosis in exchange for a confidential bargaining chip.
Upon the fulfilment of the contract, the Gnosis was collected by Signora and Tartaglia and presented to the Tsaritsa in Zapolyarny Palace. The Gnosis of the Electro Archon Baal was obtained next by the Sixth of the Harbingers Scaramouche, who received it from Baal's immortal familiar Yae Miko as a bargaining chip for the life of the Traveler who had been led into a trap by the Harbinger. However, instead of bringing the Electro Gnosis to the Tsaritsa, Scaramouche went on the run with the item.
Powers & Abilities
Powers
- God Physiology: The Tsaritsa of Snezhnaya was one of the gods of Teyvat, an enigmatic race of beings who ruled over the human realm. The Seven Archons, all of whom were gods, drew strength from the worship of their followers and by extension the amount of control they exerted upon their subjects. Generally speaking, gods were tremendously powerful lifeforms who, at their full might, were virtually impossible for mortals to defeat one-on-one in a fight.
- Cryokinesis: All gods were able to harness immense amounts of elemental energy without the aid of an external source of power like a Vision. As the Cryo Archon, the Tsaritsa could presumably harness the power of the Cryo element to conjure and manipulate ice on a grand scale.
- Immortality: The gods of Teyvat were long-lived when compared to mortals, with the oldest known example being over six thousand years old. Even when a god was killed, their willpower would remain imprinted on the world. The eternal nature of the gods was limited however, as a process called erosion could gradually erode their minds until they inevitably lost their senses of self.
Abilities
- Political Influence: As a member of the Seven and the ruler of Snezhnaya, the Tsaritsa had a broad political influence that gave her total executive control of her nation and the people within. She could call armies of loyal followers to fulfil her every whim, and was virtually infallible to prosecution due to her status as a god and a head of state.
Trivia
- In the real world, Tsaritsa is the female equivalent of Tsar, a title previously used to designate sovereign rulers and/or monarchs in Eastern European nations such as Bulgaria and Russia.
 Villains
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Houkai Anti-Entropy Schicksal World Serpent Quantum Shadows Imaginary Creatures A Post-Honkai Odyssey Others  Overall | ||
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Fatui Abyss Order Mondstadt Liyue Inazuma & Enkanomiya Snezhnaya Khaenri'ah Other Human Factions Monsters | ||
Antimatter Legion Jarilo-VI Fragmentum Monsters Robots | ||
 Ethereals Vision Corporation Red Fang Gang | ||
