#aeon nous

[ethernalium]

Polka kakamond when you're a genius and you're part of a intellectual group:

[l3r40l]

That's how it was in the plot

[quimichi]

⋆˚࿔ CUDDLING THE AEONS 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

TW: might seem ooc, we don't know much about them yet lol, i gave them a humanoid/human body, just found out Xipe has 3 faces, lol i never saw it

SUMMARY: They cuddle their lover, most devoted follower...or their equal...

CHARACTERS: Aeons x F!Reader

WORD COUNT: 2.536

A/N: bet yall can't guess my favorite aeon + my fav path

Aha

Each arm loops around your body, pulling you close against Aha's chest, your back to THEIR front. A leg is hooked across your hip, trapping you in the tight, warm embrace of all of THEIR limbs. THEY giggle delighted into your neck as THEY try to pull you in even further. You can feel the press of THEIR mouth against the back of your neck, THEIR breath warm like a cat purring against your skin.

"I love you," THEY mutter into your hair, THEIR voice quiet like a prayer. Unusual from THEIR usual loud voice and demeanor. THEY chuckle against your neck, THEIR breath fanning over your skin, sending little tingles down your spine. "I'm gonna eat you," THEY whisper against your ear, voice full of feigned malice, THEIR mouth stretching into a smile against your skin.

"You're mine, now." THEY snicker, their arms tightening around your body as they pull you a little closer, a little tighter, as if THEY could press the air from your lungs. "You're never escaping me...maybe i put you in a cage?" THEY tease, nuzzling the back of your neck, THEIR voice low and gravely in your ear.

"You're mine. Every little bit of you. From those pretty little ears all the way to those cute feet…"

Akivili

Akivili sighs happily and rests THEIR head against your chest. Every muscle in THEIR body goes lax and THEY practically melt against you. THEY'RE completely and utterly relaxed in your arms. "It's been too long..." you whisper mindlessly. "Too long." A longsuffering sigh escapes THEM as THEY press THEMSELVES closer into your arms, eyes closed blissfully, THEIR ear resting over your heartbeat.

"Much too long," THEY mutter, voice quiet and full of longing. THEY shift a little, moving to bury THEIR face against the crook of your neck, THEIR hair falling over your shoulder, soft as snow against your skin. THEY'RE silent for a few moments, simply breathing in your presence, lost in your scent, in the feeling of your skin on THEIR cheek.

"Trailblazing..." THEY mumble, "we should go again, like all this time before."

"You can't go one second with trailblazing, huh?"

"No."

Ena

Ena buries THEIR head into your chest and takes a shuddering breath. The sound of your heart beating against THEIR ear calms them like no other sound in the world ever could. It's almost...harmonic. THEY lift a hand and gently place it over the spot where your heart rests, as if THEY might feel life itself passing under your skin.

THEY have come undone, unravelled into the person they truly are. Vulnerable. Soft. And yet they feel safest in your arms. Your love is one of the few things that ground THEM. Your love is only towards THEM, you're loyal, ordered and THEIRS. Ena slowly moves, shifting a little to slide one of THEIR legs between yours. One of THEIR hands begins to wander. THEY can feel you against THEM with every movement they make, the way your body arches at THEIR touch.

"How do you feel human?" THEY ask, voice low and smooth as silk. The hand that is not gently trailing down your arm comes to rest on your hips, gently forcing you to hold still against THEM. THEIR touch is both soft and demanding, THEIR lips slowly working THEIR way down your neck until THEY reach your collarbone. Ena knows every spot to make you shiver, every place to make the heat inside you grow.

THEY continue to speak, although THEIR words are mostly meaningless. "You're mine. Don't forget that you are."

Fuli

Fulis chest is hard and cool to the touch, like glass. You can't feel THEIR heartbeat— there is no pulse beneath your fingertips. Fuli is still as a statue beneath you, only THEIR breathing telling you he's alive. The way THEIR chest rises and falls is like a wave, slow and measured against your body.

One of Fuli's hands lifts, slender fingers gently tracing along your chin, lifting your face up to meet THEIRS. THEIR eyes—blue like the cold of glaciers, grey as the rain—meet your own gaze.

"Look at me," they murmur. THEIR voice is just as gentle as their touch as they guide your chin up. "I want to look at you."

The hand cupping your chin moves, now, tracing along your jawline. Fuli’s index finger slowly traces just beneath the corner of your mouth.

"I want to crave you into my mind."

HooH

The equilibrium blinks, startled, then slowly relaxes, your weight on THEM familiar as the earth. Slowly, THEY bring THEIR hands to rest on your sides.

THEIR touch is unhurried, THEIR breath against your skin quiet. THEY carefully adjust, shifting themselves to make sure that you lie more to the left. Every move is precise, calculated to ensure that no symmetry is ruined. THEIR eyes never leave your face, watching you with the same intense devotion. Once you're settled, THEY fall still, their body taut against yours. THEIR hands continue to rest, feather-light, on your sides. THEY reach for your hair, fingers gentle. THEY carefully card through the strands, fixing it. Both hands move in perfect synchronization, as if the fingers on both were connected.

THEY keep fixing your hair for a long while, their face close to yours.

"Perfect."

IX

IX does not protest when you gather them in your arms as you found THEM in this endless black void. You always knew exactly where THEY were. THEIR body stiffens like a statue for a moment, a slight shiver trailing down THEIR spine, then THEY relax in your embrace. THEIR muscles uncoil slowly, until THEY'RE limp against you.

THEY don't pull away. THEY can't bring themself to. Not when THEY'RE warm in your arms. Not when the black void is so quiet around THEM and all they can hear is the soft sigh of THEIR own breaths. IX lifts their head from your chest and props THEMSELVES up on THEIR elbow, looking down at you with silent eyes and a tender expression. THEY lift their free hand to your cheek, THEIR touch feather-soft against your skin.

IX can't speak, bit THEIR actions tell enough. With incredible tenderness, THEY press a slow kiss to your jawline, then your neck.

You are everything for THEM.

Idrilla

THEY is practically lying on top of your body. THEY rest THEIR head on your shoulder, THEIR hair spilling down over your chest as THEY press against you. THEY feel safe here. Right in the crook of your neck, with the weight of your arm around THEM, your warmth surrounding them like a shield.

THEY let out a contented sigh, THEIR eyes fluttering shut as they nuzzle closer to you. "You're so warm," THEY murmur, the words half-hidden in your skin. Idrilla can practically feel your pulse against THEIR forehead, the thump-thump-thump of your heart a constant presence in THEIR ear. It's a comforting beat, steady and strong, like a soothing melody.

THEY rest their hand on your chest, right over your heart. THEIR fingers drum against your skin in time with the rhythm, almost subconsciously, as if to memorize every heartbeat with THEIR touch.

"I'm quite jealous my love, you are almost as beautiful as me...maybe even more beautiful...especially in my eyes and to my eyes only."

Lan

Lan is holding you from behind. THEY have one arm wrapped around you, fingers interlocking with yours. THEY have THEIR face pressed into your hair, THEIR breath gentle against your neck.

THEY'RE ’re not moving, merely holding onto you. It’s like THEY don’t want to let you go, even for a moment. Lan is completely silent, just holding you. THEIR fingers squeeze yours gently, THEIR thumb tracing the lines of your own, mapping out the shape of your hand beneath THEIRS.

THEY close their eyes and press THEIR forehead against your neck. Even the sound of THEIR breathing is measured, as if THEY'RE ’re trying to be as still as possible.

"Always," Lan vows. THEY shift behind you, pulling you even closer against THEIR chest.

"Always," THEY say again, a promise that rings in the air. "I'll watch over you. No matter what." Lan keeps you tight against THEM, every part of THEM pressed up against you. It's like THEY'RE trying to make sure you can't get away. "I will keep you safe." THEY say softly, THEIR voice as gentle as summer air.

"No one will harm you, I swear it."

Mythus

Mythus is holding you in THEIR arms; THEY are wrapped around your waist, THEIR chest pressed against your back. THEY is holding you so, so carefully. Like THEY is scared of harming you even though it is quite impossible

THEY inhale deeply, taking in the scent of your skin, feeling the comforting beat of your heart. Mythus mouths at the sensitive spot behind your ear, teasing it softly with the tip of THEIR tongue.

THEY can feel your shiver; how your body jerks, ever so slightly, at the contact. THEY'RE encouraged, emboldened perhaps, and continue to tease the sensitive skin behind your ear, leaving little nips and kisses across the flesh there. THEY can't help the chuckle that escapes THEM as they see the goosebumps rise on your body. THEY continue to tease the flesh, THEIR teeth worrying at the skin.

"Sensitive one, aren't you?" THEY mutter against your neck.

Nanook

Nanook is a warm presence beside you, pressing up against your back. One arm slings lazily across your waist, pulling you tight against THEIR chest. Nanook rests THEIR face against the back of your head and sighs. Nanook's arm tightens ever so slightly, shifting you a little closer against THEM. THEY press THEIR head against your shoulder, THEIR silvery hair spilling across your skin.

There isn't a sound in the room but the gentle rise and fall of your breaths; each of Nanook's exhales brushes across your neck like a sigh of contentment.

THEY are perfectly still, as if THEY are afraid you'll bewak from THEIR grip if they move a muscle. THEY don't want to break you ever, THEY want you in one full piece.

"Don't move, or I'll tighten my grip on you."

Nous

Nous lies on THEIR side, with THEIR head resting gently in your lap. THEIR eyes are closed, THEIR breathing slow and steady. THEY are completely enveloped by the feeling of your hand on THEIR hair, by the weight of your body next to THEM.

Nous shifts slightly, THEIR hand brushing against your leg. THEY murmur something to THEMSELF, but the word that leaves THEIR mouth is unintelligible. THEY lie still for a moment, THEIR breathing steady, as THEY take in the sensation of your fingers on THEM.

Nous head stays still against your thighs, THEY stay laying as if trying to commit this moment to memory. To remember this feeling.

"Why did your pulse quicken?"

"H-Huh?!"

"I know you better than yourself."

Oroboros

Oroboros rests THEIR upper body against your chest, head leaned against your shoulder. The creature curled around you lets out a quiet sound and THEY reach back to gently pat it with a slim hand.

"This is nice," THEY say finally, THEIR eyes slowly fluttering shut. "I could eat you up-! They want it too, ain't that right?"

The creatures let out another sound, a sound of approval. Oroboros's eyelids flutter shut as THEY nuzzle THEIR face into the crook of your neck and nip on your skin. A quiet sigh drifts through the air as THEY relax against you, slender shoulders losing their ever-present stiffness.

THEIR body against yours is surprisingly warm, a gentle heat like the summer sun against THEIR soft skin. The creature wrapped around the two of you lets out a low sound of contentment. The feel of its smooth scales and yours mixed with Oroboro's is an oddly pleasant one....a slimy one.

Qlipoth

Qlipoth is lying in your arms, THEIR head resting on your shoulder, THEIR face buried against your neck.

THEIR eyes are closed, the faint puffs of THEIR breaths hitting your skin as THEY hold you close. THEY nuzzle against you, burying THEIR face against you, THEIR arms wrapped around your waist. Qlipoth lets out a soft sigh, completely content in your embrace. THEY press THEMSELVES closer against you, seeking any bit of contact they can get.

THEY bury their face against your neck, the puffs of THEIR breaths ghosting across your skin and heating you from the inside out.

THEY tighten their grip on your waist, almost as if to stop THEMSELVES from letting you go. "I love you," they whisper, voice low and quiet.

"So you need to stay with me."

Tayzzyronth

Tayzzyronth feels complete when THEY are curled against your chest. Your skin is soft to the touch, and THEIR mind is blissfully calm. In the silence of your cuddling, all THEY hear is the sound of your breath, your heartbeat. All that matters is you.

THEIR head is tucked in against your collarbone. "I want a baby," THEY whisper, the words spoken with an almost desperate longing. "Nothing new." "I know." THEY bury themself against you again, nuzzling their face against your neck with a little sigh. "I still want one. I can't stop thinking about it."

Tayzzyronth lifts THEIR head, and THEIR mouth is at your ear as they speak. THEIR voice is hoarse with quiet hunger. "You'd look so beautiful pregnant." THEY draw the tip of their tongue along the edge of your earlobe. "If I did that to you… just the thought…"

Xipe

Xipe leans closer to you, THEIR hair catching the light and making THEM look almost angelic. THEY rest their heads on your chest and close THEIR eyes, letting THEMSELF melt into your arms. THEY are at peace, here with you.

THEY stay there, listening to the sound of your heartbeat and breathing in your scent. "Your heart..." THEIR voice is little more than a breath, soft enough to shiver in a summer breeze. THEY keep their head against your chest, the sound of your heartbeat comforting like the rhythm of waves on a sandy beach.

"Your heart beats faster with me," THEY murmur. THEY pause, lifting their head to look up at you, eyes shimmering.

"It's like a drum." A pause. Something vulnerable flickers across THEIR face. "It's like you are scared to let me go."

Yaoshi

Yaoshi leans closer instinctively and buries THEIR face in your hair, THEIR nose brushing against your neck. THEY don’t speak for a moment, content with simply being close to you.

THEIR lips are soft against your skin.

“You smell nice,” THEY murmur, the words coming out as a low rumble. "So tasty." Yaoshi shifts against you, THEIR arms sliding around your waist. THEY pull you closer, a silent display of THEIR need for you, THEIR want for you.

“I could lie with you forever.” THEY boop your nose. THEIR hands wander, almost idly running up your side, tracing the curves of your body as if THEY want to commit your figure to memory. Yaoshis fingers slip along the exposed skin of your back, pausing to press a palm against your spine.

“You’re mine now."

[kepsik]

«HIM or a false hope for the realization of an impossible dream?»

[gia-batmm-crickle22]

!! Dr. Ratio, Nous & Fuli and Amphoreus Theory !!

Okay, I've got something cooking up, and this is just a theory, don't worry, so please take all of this with a grain of salt ^^; Also, this involves spoilers so please turn away if you haven't played the 3.0 update yet!

So, people have theorized that Dr. Ratio is from Amphoreus. Before the proof was just simply "His clothes and aesthetic are similar to Amphoreus!" But after Amphoreus was released, the theory is actually getting more proof.

Here's one proof:

Ratio and the Titankin of Strife have interesting similarities. Not simply because of the color and the book, but power-wise, they have similar abilities. They both can turn into stone, with Ratio more replicating himself after turning into stone while he has also the ability of wearing a stone bust.

So my theory goes;

What if Dr. Ratio is a half-Titankin that was exiled from Amphoreus?

After the Main Quest, we get a message from Aglaea that sends us to the Adventure Quest "I Once Was In Arcadia", which uncovers a love story between a guy named Paris and a Strife Titankin Furiae Archer.

This was enough for me to understand that Titankins CAN feel more than their original path like Strife. From this quest, I've also understood Amphoreus natives fear Titankins and would have them discriminated at one mistake.

From that, I made the theory of Ratio being half-Titankin. Of course, that would mean his parents were hated and possibly executed. And since Ratio has the face and intelligence of a human with the skills and power of a Titankin, he was seen as a danger to Amphoreus. This aligns to the fact that the Sky Titan Aquila refuses to let anyone leave the planet (from what Aglaea had stated), so the people sent Ratio (probably when he was a child) in attempt to get rid of him. However, Aquila spared him (given he was exiled, not attempting to escape).

Now, ik Amphoreus was destroyed and what we're looking at is just the memory of it, so...

How would this be possible?

Well, in the game, we see that Titankins can change into stone, right? And when you change from Past/Day to Present/Night, the Titankins change too. They turn to stone, almost like a hibernation that keeps them alive despite the years.

With that in mind, I theorize that Ratio was also able to do that, even as a child, his powers/instincts took over and he stayed in stone when he landed in another planet, unbothered and sleeping. When he finally awakens, he's still a child, but Amphoreus is long gone.

Now, where does Nous play a part in this?

As we know, Erudition is one of the paths that's involved with Amphoreus, thus Nous has a role to play in this theory, especially in terms of Ratio. Unlike Fuli, who kept the planet's memory, Nous (as theorized) has no interest with a planet that no longer exists.

This could explain why Nous refuses to answer Herta's questions about Amphoreus.

Now, about Ratio. Ratio was rejected by Nous in joining the Genius Society because he cares about people more than the pursue for knowledge. Ratio has a weakness that Nous makes sure none of the other Genius's have, so THEY turned him away.

But what if it was so much more than that?

What if Nous is aware that Ratio is from Amphoreus and not only do THEY not like the fact that Ratio has a weakness, but THEY also believe that Ratio will take advantage of his place in the Genius Society to help/rescue Amphoreus from ruin? Whether Ratio remembers his home planet or not, Nous didn't want to take the chance, believing that Amphoreus is a doomed planet from the getgo and their fate shouldn't be changed.

This could explain why Fuli (possibly) sent THEIR Memokeeper Black Swan to input the planet Amphoreus into the thoughts and ideas of the Trailblazers while (possibly) sending THEIR Memosnatcher to attempt to distract Nous and Herta from the building of THEIR plan.

When you exit Amphoreus, it's very different from the other Bad Endings. Elio is usually the script supervisor, but Amphoreus isn't.

It's an adventure that started with Black Swan, possibly sent by Fuli, thus the conclusion is that Fuli is the one who tugged on the strings and changed the script/altered the script to have the Trailblazers in Amphoreus, a land that even Akivili hasn't been in, and save Amphoreus.

With this theory, these questions remain:

Why is Fuli trying to save Amphoreus?

Will Nous try to stop the Trailblazers from saving Amphoreus?

Will Ratio return to his home planet after it's saved?

---

Again, this is all just a theory! I'll probably publish this in other platforms, sooo yeah ^^;

[third--planet]

[gwmingm]

Archons Lore but with HSR Paths because.

Venti — The Remembrance; he took his best friend's form, is a bard who remembers and tells the stories of others so they aren't forgotten, Fuli coded behaviour, clearly has some whacky shit going on with him i.e his voice lines about meeting the traveler.

Zhongli — The Equilibrium; only ever makes fair contracts, a very mysterious man who also seems to know more than he lets on, a background deus ex machine of sorts i.e the chasm interlude quest when he saved Xiao, influencing things just as HooH does.

Ei — The Hunt; So deadset on achieving eternity for her people, caused bad things with the sakoku and vision hunt decrees, as Lan brings both destruction and salvation, a very fierce and powerful warrior.

Nahida — The Erudition/The Abundance; god of wisdom who is the face of a literal tree of knowledge, duh. Rukkhadevata snapping the purest branch of the tree to create her gives heavy Yaoshi vibes a-la Tomie.

Furina — The Preservation; girl kept acting for five hundred years and never once wavered as said by mirror-her, tenacity that would make Qlipoth proud. Their ideal for justice being the continuation of existence, sacrificing both her humanity and divinity for her people. It's plain simple.

Mavuika — The Destruction/Harmony; Initially, war. But knowing Hoyoverse plus the dropped Natlan Teaser, they're probably gonna take her and her nation's themes in the way they did with Penacony's Harmony vs Order subplot. (And from the first two Natlan Archon Quests, I was kinda right.)

The Tsaritsa — The Nihility/Finality(?); Still not 100% because we still don't know her story, probably more attuned to the destruction due to her and the Fatui's goals and actions and "burning away the old world". But I can see her as a Self-Anihilator like Acheron or the Stellaron Hunters.

[glytchedmuffins]

Wouldn't it be super hilarious if Naxy somehow managed to gain Nous' gaze?

Think about it, this man doesn't like the gods and, more specifically, doesn't like their miracles/boons. They even mentioned that he corrects anyone, in a sharp manner, who dared call his words divine utterance.

And sure, the Aeons are veeeeeeery different from the Titans, but his core reasons for not being a fan would apply to THEM as well.

So his ass would not be happy to receive an Aeon's gaze.

I mean-

Little 3.1 spoilers ahead:

Guy literally had to have the Coreflame forced into his dead body for him to inherit it because otherwise he never would have.

So it would be really funny, to me at least, if this Heretic, this blasphemous fool, who very much would like nothing to do with gods and prophecies, would not only gain the Coreflame of a Titan, but also the blessings of an Aeon? Hilarious.

Would also be nice in a narrative way to have a Genius who very is not Nous' biggest fan.

I mean, Polka might be also? But her beef seems to be more with those got THEIR gaze rather than the Aeon THEMSELVES.

Meanwhile, Naxy would probably like the other Geniuses, as he seems to believe that humans have amazing potential to rival the gods, which, is what the Geniuses are basically trying to do (gestures to Ruan Mei).

He probably would not like Herta though, can see him beefing with her like he does with Aglaea and Cerces. He sure likes beefing with women.

Kinda funny though as both of them are all about "Magic".

Anyways I just think Anaxa gaining Nous' gaze would be really funny.

[chym3ra]

i like that most of the aeons aren't entirely good. if they aren't outright horrible by ordinary morals, they're at least flawed

SO LET ME GO IN DEPTH ON WHY THE AEONS ARE FUCKED (sort of) (also i won't go into inactive aeons or ones we don't know enough about)

aha — joy and mirth in life is undeniably important in life, but the elation takes it to an extreme, completely disregarding anyone else. it is hedonism and egoism, causing chaos for the sake of causing chaos, hoping for the results to be amusing, while remaining uncaring of other people's feelings and well-being

fuli — i suppose in this case the remembrance is more neutral (though im not that well read-up on it), but their followers are worse. on one hand, archiving and preserving memories is good work, but on the other, stealing and deceiving to acquire those memories certainly isn't appreciated by anyone outside the garden of recollection

ix — nihilism is quite a self-destructive ideology, really. the mortal spirit and determination is a powerful thing, however, the nihility completely stomps it out, technically not even intentionally

lan — despite eradicating evil being an objectively noble cause, the hunt spares no thought for the countless innocent lives that were lost due to collateral damage. they slayed their own devoted warriors, too focused on their target to care about their devout worshippers. the hunt claims to be righteous, yet are they any better than their enemies if the amount of their victims is just as high as the other side's? under that thin veil of upholding justice, they are vindictive and callous. (can you tell i hate lan)

nanook — well... i don't think i have to explain why the destruction is Not Good, right? wishing for the complete annihilation of the universe isn't exactly a benevolent goal

nous — the erudition searches for knowledge just for the sake of knowledge, not for the sake of the people. what good does research make if its done for self-absorbed reasons, if all empathy and humanity is lost in the process?

qlipoth — most of my gripes with the preservation are with the ipc, if anything. and the ipc might... not even be of the same path anymore (seen a few theories about the ipc following voracity or propagation). honestly the preservation just build Wall.

xipe — though we've "worked" with the harmony, it is still suspicious. there are clearly still so many issues with the family, and they are not as ideal as they pretend to be. we are yet to learn more, but utopias are never what they seem

yaoshi — the abundance may seem benevolent, and they are, indeed, generous. yet, at the end of the day, their gifts are faustian bargains. mortals trade off more than they can afford to give for the blessings provided by the abundance, because no mortal mind is built for immortality

i've had these thoughts for a while i just never put them into anything longer than funny one-liners in my head

[denjidenjiji]

he lives inside my skin. Please help me.

[tree-obsession]

one main thing i really like abt hsr storytelling is how distant and poweful the aeons seem. we are introduced to them right off the bat, and they’re super intimidating and well-designed. they’re extremely mysterious, more powerful than imaginable, and dont just appear the way archons in genshin do. they’re huge presences and play such interesting roles that we don’t know enough about yet, and i love how they seem so much more powerful than archons in vibes alone.

(and then herta puts them in a computer-)

[l3r40l]

[anyxis]

So I’m going to do a BIG what if and I need you to stay with me for a moment! Keep an open mind people because it’s gonna be a wild ride!

Also, disclaimer I guess? Most of what I’m going to say are my own thoughts, but I am going to talk about some things that happened in the 3.1 trailblazer quest. So… spoilers? I guess?

What if the third aeon was Nanook the Destruction? And the core flames everyone is running around for are actually stellarons?

I mean… shiny little rocks that speak to people, guide them (basically tell them what to do and when) and can possess them? Doesn’t that sound familiar?

And not only that. We talked with Dan Heng about how the black tide was clearly looking like a disaster that could be caused by a Stellaron. The only thing that didn’t add up was that we hadn’t resonated with said Stellaron yet.

But… didn’t we? We can hear the Titans (and understand some of them) just fine. We even talked one on one with Oronyx, to the point that we’re even considered to do Oronyx’ trial to get their (in French it’s ‘her’) core flame.

We could also do miracles from the get go. Which said miracles were impossible for those who didn’t have a core flame (i.e. Dan Heng, Phainon, Mydei, …). From memory, the only ones who could do such miracles were Tribbie, Trianne and Trinnon, who have Janus’ core flame.

Then there is also the fact that we can touch Castorice just fine. And I know she doesn’t have a core flame, but she is directly connected to Thanatos (yet another Titan). Why would we be different? We’re not even from this world! But we do have a Stellaron inside of us.

And last, but not least… Oronyx knew us? Or no, it was Oronyx’ mother who knew us I think? We never step foot in Amphoreus before. No one from the trailblaze did. So why did she recognise us? Or… she recognised something inside of us. I.e. our Stellaron.

Anyway… for for thought?

[birdiehsrgi]

Low quality meme anyone?

[kuronousag1]

It was funny in my head (and outside of it too)

I saw this image around and immediatly figured an edit for them

[s-b-party]

Nous & Mythus: A Cycle of the Known & Unknown

****Honkai star rail version 1.6/crown of mundane and divine spoilers ahead****

After getting another update to the Simulated Universe & w/ Dr. Ratio coming soon, it’s a good time for me to discuss about these 2 Aeons & give my thoughts/analysis on them!

So who are these two?

They are Nous the Erudition & Mythus the Enigmata

We’ll start off w/ Nous so what does erudition mean? A synonym we can use is knowledge although that might be a bit oversimplified

Erudition often has the meaning of extensive learning whether it’s from books, practice, lectures, etc. The implication is that an erudite person or thing has a LOT of knowledge; think of a person who’s well-rounded but also has extensive knowledge in the many fields/subjects they have learned about, they can be considered erudite (this is reflected in how Erudition Pathstriders function in terms of gameplay, normally their specialty is dealing AoE dmg to multiple enemies at once as opposed to just a singular target)

Nous takes the form of an astral computer, they are a machine w/ many dangling wires visible & a red “eye” in the center, very much mechanic all around; as for their symbol it seems to speak to their concept quite well

If we look at the background, the cylindrical shapes can be interpreted as scrolls which are often associated w/ learning & knowledge; in the center, the abstract shapes seem to make an eye (their gaze perhaps) but I think it could also be taken as a flash of light which could represent “enlightenment” which we often think of as a sort of critical point in one’s journey in obtaining knowledge

Is it possible that the center is meant to symbolize the moment when Nous reaches their own enlightenment?

To name a few of their more well-known factions, we have the Genius Society & Intelligentsia Guild, both of which have members whom we’ve already officially met in the game: Herta, Screwllum, Ruan Mei from Genius Society and Dr. Ratio from Intelligentsia Guild

Seeing as they’re 2 different factions following the same Aeon, that means there’s something differentiating them, presumably their approach to knowledge

You can tell based on the name of the Genius Society what exactly they focus on (geniuses) which is a bit of a contrast to what the Intelligentsia Guild focuses on which is the dissemination of knowledge meaning that they believe everybody should have access to knowledge

The Genius Society doesn’t seem to share their knowledge that easily which we can see based on how some of the members tend to work alone, one even became known for killing some of the other members despite being in the same organization (#4 Polka Kakamond), Ruan Mei often sticks to herself when it comes to her research, etc; as a result it’s a contrast to how easily knowledge flows within the Intelligentsia Guild which even goes as far as to view it as currency in their motto

Although we’ve pretty much met only one character associated w/ the Intelligentsia Guild officially & despite how much of an asshole he may be, there are aspects related to Dr. Ratio that are in agreement w/ the belief of the Intelligentsia Guild

The name of his banner is Panta Rhei/Panta Rei which is usually associated w/ Heraclitus & it often translated to “Everything Flows”; Heraclitus was a philosopher whose focus was on the movement & changes that the universe goes through which sounds similar to how the faction wants to make knowledge easily accessible (therefore making knowledge flow through the universe)

Ngl the convo between him & Screwllum at the end of the continuance quest had me lost for a bit but I got the gist of it; to sum it up Ratio ended up rescuing the researchers who got teleported by Duke Inferno, Screwllum was wondering why Ratio would just stand back & observe when he could have prevented the situation from being dragged out any further since Ratio had the Phase Flame; Ratio explains that the best thing when dealing w/ ignorant people (in this case, the researchers in the space station including the people in the chat who were gossiping about the situation) is to stand aside & observe bc according to him foolishness is the most difficult thing to cure; Screwllum deduces that Ratio was attempting to make the employees realize that they shouldn’t be idolizing geniuses so much; Dr. Ratio is in a way similar to Alhaitham; they both think that geniuses shouldn’t be made into such a big deal or overly revered; in both cases the reverence of geniuses creates a gap between people based on intelligence

Another aspect which I find both funny and fitting is that Dr. Ratio as a 5 star will be available to EVERY player; as it is implied in the livestream, it’s his way of spreading knowledge to the mediocre; as much as he can be very arrogant & rude, it’s interesting to see that he still upholds the belief that knowledge should be available to everybody, not just to geniuses, in his own unique way

4. The last aspect of Dr. Ratio that I want to touch upon is the combination of his title & name: his full name is Veritas Ratio, veritas meaning “truth/truthfulness” & ratio meaning “reason” in Latin; the title doctor comes from the Latin verb docere which means “to teach/instruct”

This may be a stretch but hear me out: when put together, the name (not necessarily the person) Dr. Veritas Ratio gives off an impression of someone who is either qualified to teach others about “truthful reasoning” or a teacher who is truthful & rational (it might not sound like it but this kinda falls in line w/ Screwllum describing him as candid). Something I noticed is that based on what we’ve seen, not many people in the Genius Society go by the title of Doctor; what I’m trying to get at is that there is something to be said about Ratio having the title of someone who is qualified to teach while members of the Genius Society usually do not really seem that interested in spreading knowledge to the masses or teaching them

This isn’t to say that the Genius Society is entirely incapable of teaching, they probably could if they wanted to (keyword: wanted), it’s more so their motivations & values that differentiate them from the Intelligentsia Guild

Getting back to Nous, both factions do reflect specific sides of the Aeon: both are interested in expanding their knowledge but the Genius Society overall seems to be removed from civilization/society or at least a bit distant (matched by the quote describing the knowledge seeker as having a cold core) while the Intelligentsia Guild has a more cooperative aspect in terms of having a network of intelligence which can be seen in the meaning behind Nous’ signal which is explained in the entry of the Genius Society (although the signal is more so reserved for geniuses, it’s still an attempt at having a group of people work together to find the answers to the universe)

Now that we’ve looked a bit at Nous in detail, I’ll talk about Mythus; as the Aeon of Enigmata, they represent the concept of mysteries that can’t be easily perceived & their form is quite interesting to look at

Their name is related to the word “mythos” which usually refers to the stories & arts that help demonstrate values, beliefs, & attitudes of societies

*I found out recently that apparently the word myth is more of a pejorative term for mythos bc it’s more often than not used to describe stories as false or not true so there is controversy around that*

Overall they look like a jellyfish w/ the main body being faceless & legless while their tentacles/tendrils dangle out; some parts of their body have a unique effect on them that resembles oil spills or the surface of a bubble which is probably meant to be the fog that accompanies them; the staircases that come from their body seem to never end & even fade out into the darkness of space

Their symbol is very similar to their form; you can see the jellyfish w/ tentacles flowing down & in the background there is a ring of rectangles that overlap each other which may be referring to the stairs that appear in their art

The usage of the jellyfish is interesting; just like how the ocean can carry them along, the jellyfish can symbolize flow & movement, perhaps it’s to establish how mysteries simply exist in the universe without push or pull from outside forces

I can see them using the jellyfish due to its connection to one of the biggest mysteries of the world: the ocean (or at least the deeper parts of it); if we think about it, space is like an ocean of stars and unknown things so I think it’s kind of fitting using a jellyfish form to represent mysteries but it might be a stretch

Now a few known factions that follow Mythus are the Riddlers & History Fictionologists: both are pretty straightforward in terms of their agenda which is to enshroud the universe in mysteries

The Riddlers create mysteries by altering texts & words while the History Fictionologists create mysteries by eradicating evidence of past events aka history itself

It is interesting seeing how these factions actively create mysteries sometimes to the point of destruction (of texts, history, etc) even though the existence of Enigmata should be able to exist as long as Mythus exists bc Aeons themselves are manifestations of concepts; in some cases, Aeons can die while the concepts they identify as may still persist to the current time

So how do Nous & Mythus even relate to each other in the overall world building ? Their identifying concepts might appear as opposites of each other (known vs unknown) but I think there’s more to it than that

There is a readable item written by Fu Xuan called “Glimpses into the Beyond” where she explains that Nous doesn’t necessarily provide answers but they provide many questions & that “answers may only be found by oneself”

We also hear of Nous doing calculations & trying to solve the mysteries of the universe & since the Enigmata exists, Nous doesn’t have all of the answers due to the existence of mysteries

I think that while they do know a lot about the universe & can represent knowledge, they can also represent the learning process/the journey for knowledge

Something interesting is that Nous in Greek philosophy refers to the ability to process & perceive information so if Mythus is meant to be the representation of the things that can’t be easily perceived, does that still apply to Nous themself when they’re both Aeons?

Also where does that leave their dynamic? They’re enemies of sorts bc Mythus is trying to destroy certainty left by Nous but this is also a relationship where Nous is essentially searching for the answers to the universe’s mysteries aka what Mythus encapsulates, making Mythus their “goal” I guess you could say

Life will always have people who desire to gain knowledge & it will always have things that have not been discovered/figured out; there is one particular thing that I do wonder about amidst all of this: with Mythus wanting an uncertain future, I wonder how this will spell out for one of the most important concepts in many HYV games: fate

I guess we’ll have to wait & see if they’ll connect this to fate in the future 👀

*I hope you guys enjoy the first lore thread of the new year! :3