What are the adepti in Liyue, and what are their true forms?

As is well known, in Genshin Impact, there are many adeptus in Liyue, also known as the mighty and illuminated adepti, who signed a contract with the Geo Archon to protect Liyue for thousands of years.

What are the adepti in Liyue?

The known adepti in Liyue currently include the Xiao, Cloud Retainer(Xianyun), Moon Carver, Mountain Shaper, Streetward Rambler (Madame Ping), Sea Gazer, Sea Gazer, Skybracer.

Adeptus Xiao. I will be here when you call

Xiao, known as the Yaksha, is a familiar figure, often referred to as the Guardian Yaksha. Despite having the appearance of a young man, Xiao's true age exceeds two thousand years. Among the adepti, Xiao's seniority and prestige are remarkable, yet his renown among mortals is not high. He always keeps a certain distance from the bustling world, engaging in numerous battles against darkness in unseen places, enduring unimaginable pain. Nevertheless, he remains committed to the contract with the Geo Archon, silently safeguarding the myriad lights of Liyue for thousands of years.

The emblem of Xiao's Constellation is that of the Golden-winged Bird, originating from the folk tale of the Twelve Heavenly Generals. There is a well-known group of guardian yakshas in some Buddhist denominations known as the Twelve Heavenly Generals. All but one of them correspond to different animals in the Chinese zodiac, while Mekhila, who would otherwise correspond to the rooster, is instead associated with a bird deity, the golden-winged Garuda, a figure from various Indian religions. The story goes that this golden-winged bird deity was a fearsome predator who ate only evil dragons, until one day the dragon poison he had consumed became too much for him to bear, and he burned to death, leaving only a crystal heart behind. This story seemed to resonate with aspects of Xiao's character. Furthermore, the Chinese name Jinchi Peng Wang Niao (金翅鹏王鸟, Golden Winged Great Peng ) embodies a history of evolution — it represents a convergence between Garuda and the Peng, a Chinese mythological bird, showing that some adaptation occurred in the process of his adoption into Chinese religion. The official merchandise, Xiao Bird plush , depicts the image of the Golden-winged Bird in a cute, blue bird form, which is quite amusing!

Cloud Retainer, Xianyun

One of the Mighty and Illuminated Adepti of Jueyun, known as Cloud Retainer. Expert in all kinds of mechanical contraptions, her heart now turns towards the affairs of the mortal world, through which she walks under the name Xianyun.

The Cloud Retainer, residing in the Mt. Aocang, is the master of Ganyu and Shenhe. He enjoys chatting with people and often inadvertently reveals Ganyu's dark history.

Cloud Retainer loves food, excels in invention, and is proficient in adepti sigils. A thousand years ago, she followed the Rex Lapis in the war, guarding Liyue. At that time, she mostly appeared in human form, brave and clever, admired by people. After the war, she secluded herself in Mt. Aocang, living unrestrainedly, often appearing in the form of a crane. Recently moving to Liyue, she claims to be unsociable, yet she is widely popular among people, who find Cloud Retainer humorous, talkative, warm-hearted, and easy to get along with. However, she considers herself not good at words. She is modest and has a proud demeanor.

Mountain Shaper

Mountain Shaper is Madame Ping, the good friend of the God of Dust, Guizhong. Madame Ping is indeed an adepti In the Genshin Impact story PV - Echoes of the Heart, the story of Guizhong and Madame Ping is introduced. They were kindred spirits, often discussing music, mechanics, and all the affairs of the mortal world. However, due to the Archon war , Guizhong tragically passed away. Later, Mountain Shaper requested the Cleansing Bell from the Rex Lapis to commemorate her friend.

Many players are curious: Aren't adepti supposed to remain forever young? Why did Mountain Shaper age? Perhaps it's due to a change in mindset, believing that eventually, one returns to the mortal realm. Thus, many players speculate that Mountain Shaper aged voluntarily. As for the prototype of Mountain Shaper, the official has not mentioned it, so it remains an unsolved mystery.

Moon Carver

Moon Carver, disciple of Rex Lapis. The kindest adeptus amongst all, in the manifestation of a stag.

The Moon Carver and the Cloud Retainer are friends. They appeared in the main storyline of Liyue, the Geo Archon's Assassination, helping us clear the suspicion of the murderer. After the awakening of the Osial, the God of Dust, they, along with other immortals, the Seven, and the Traveler, defeated him. They also appeared in the recent Lantern Rite as humans in Liyue Harbor. Due to their suspicious behavior, they almost aroused Paimon's suspicion and were almost caught. Based on their appearance, it is estimated that they will not enter the gacha. Unlike the Cloud Retainer's crane form, the Moon Carver resembles a deer.
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The Mountain Shaper, residing in the Mt. Hulao, shares the crane form with the Cloud Retainer, but only its neck is white, while the rest of its body is brown or chestnut. Like the Moon Carver, it has appeared only a few times in the main storyline of Liyue. During the recent Lantern Rite, the Mountain Shaper had an interesting conversation with the Moon Carver. It turns out they cannot cook. While Shenhe can prepare some food on ordinary days, when visiting different adepti for training, they must respect their habits (only able to eat nearby wildflowers and grass?). These two immortals suddenly realized that with this cuisine machine, Shenhe could eat normal meals when she comes to practice in the future.

Skybracer

I wonder if travelers have noticed during the Lantern Rite festival in version 1.3 of the game, there's a statue of a deer. This deer represents the image of the Adeptus, Skybracer. However, he's no longer with us, having fallen in battle while protecting the people of Liyue.

His antlers, considered his pride and joy, were a gift from Morax, made from the essence of Morax's divine power, rendering them the hardest substance in Liyue. During a critical battle in the Archon War, an enemy god attacked Mt. Tianheng, causing it to collapse towards a village below. To protect the villagers, Skybracer sacrificed his antlers, using them as a wedge to support the mountain and prevent disaster. Despite suffering severe injuries and bleeding profusely, Skybracer continued fighting until he eventually succumbed to his wounds. The blood he shed became the Bishui River.

Sea Gazer

This Adeptus has long passed away, and his life stories are quite fragmented. Official storyline like Sunset Vermillionite and Fantastic Compass are linked to Sea Gazer. From these story, it appears he was an easygoing and sociable Adeptus who cherished friendships. In version 3.4's Lantern Rite event, as per the conversation between Ningguang and the Traveler, it's evident that this event is dedicated to commemorating Sea Gazer. Therefore, we can easily guess that Aogin Seiga's prototype is also a bird, possibly a crane or a wild goose, but the specifics are still unknown.