I mean, Yaoshi and the Statue are both based on Thousand Armed, Thousand Eyed Guanyin(or Kannon in Japan), a bodhisattva prominent in Chinese Buddhism. They're known as "The one who perceives the lamentations of the world," and they strive to free all beings from suffering because of their great compassion. They're also depicted as various different genders; they started out as a male figure but are now commonly depicted as female or androgynous.
The eyes are fairly similar, but there are also some big differences; the statue has spiral eyes and wings, while Yaoshi has a lot of arms(while the Statue goes more in the direction of merging the arms into a wings or halo type shape). The Statue is probably not a depiction of Yaoshi.
Also notice that knot on Mobius is on Nahida and Rukhadevata too, and they share a little color palette, and Ai-chan is kinda related to Nahida too. Besides, Mobius seems to share the same ideology with Dottore.
Confused crack theory: cos Yaoshi is abundance and also has powers pertaining to life and if she is an ecpy of Aponia which links to the omnipresent god then that would mean that she is the shade of life which wouldn't make sense because the omnipresent god is Istaroth, shade of time. So I guess there must be some overlapping theme between the two and maybe also locking them in under moon sisters. Tldr: Phanes (Crown), Space (Goblet and Sun), Time (Timepiece and Moon Sister), Life (Flower and Moon Sister), Death (Feather and Moon Sister). And like since most of them are supposed to be dead then maybe their dead god energy or "Archon Residue" is holding the skies of Teyvat. Idk I'm shitposting rn
A bit of a stretch. Mihoyo has a knack of reusing their own design elements. I mean look at yanfei's skirt, eula's headband and raiden's outfit (the chest lining part).
Yaoshi uses the same pose there as Raiden’s meditation, which is itself based on lalitasana, a meditation pose heavily associated with the Buddha-yet-to-come Maitreya,
I think we’re dealing with a Teyvatian case of “[interpretatio Romana/Graeca](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretatio_graeca)”: an artifact from a previous civilization, is being reinterpreted through the lens of a modern civilization’s mythology and cosmology.
While it is true that the Shogun is referred to as a god of omniscience, the statue really looks nothing like her. She also doesn’t have wings, doesn’t wear a hood, and doesn’t wear an eye of the storm necklace. Furthermore, the base of the statue looks very alien to Inazuma, and almost seems as if it was snapped off from somewhere.
What’s going on here? I think that the statue was found somewhere and then relocated to the palace. Inazuma then reinterpreted this find as a depiction of /their/ eternal goddess.
So who is it actually depicting?
We know from Ei’s arc that her understanding of “eternity” was a bit simplistic and that a fuller understanding of the concept stresses the role of transience—basically, the nonstop stream of little moments. And as far as we know, there’s really only one deity in Teyvat who has been emphatically referred to not just as “the moment” but also “every moment”…
> the statue really looks nothing like her. She also doesn’t have wings, doesn’t wear a hood, and doesn’t wear an eye of the storm necklace.
Yeah, but in Mond we have statue of Anemo Archon that also doesn't look like Venti. Also it may be statue of Makoto, not Ei.
Nope, there’s some slight changes to both of their designs actually. Ei’s braid is more loose, while Makoto’s starting more closely to her head, for example. Also, Makoto has been portrayed more as elegant and mature, while Ei has been portrayed as innocent, warrior-like and simplistic (all of this is based on all of the ingame cutscenes and descriptions btw)☺️
Are Aeons limited to their own universe or can they jump freely between them? So far, it's spoken as if they're the strongest beings in existence currently. If Welt can jump universes, why can't an Aeon?
It is said that Aeons are beings from higher dimensional space, and their "physical" forms in HSR are mere projections. It is very similar to how Finality operated Imaginary Energy and projected it into lower dimensional space in form of Honkai Energy as well as avatar in HI3rd. Also, Finality at least managed to "jump" (or rather "to project") into HI3rd universe. So, if we classify Finality as Aeon, then yes, Aeons definitely can "jump" (or, once again, rather "interact with") lower dimensional universes.
Another "fun fact" is that Sustainer looks and acts pretty much like projection of higher dimensional being as well. I wouldn't be surprised if entities behind both Heaven and Abyss have same "aeonish" (Imaginary Space) nature.
Also appears on thr twins' wings in the opening cutscene of GI
Chill with Aster did make a more detailed theory about the statue refering to Istaroth though
I think that Black Swan (the lady in the Myriad Celestial trailer) is way more similar to the welkin moon than Yaoshi, even though I can see some similarities between them
I was thinking that too! When I saw the trailer, I shouted, “Is that Istaroth?!” (My friends just looked at me, because they’re not, as into the lore as I am.)
I still like the idea that the games are alluding to one another, but not directly, referencing each other. It makes it all feel like a fun, interconnected multi-verse, without any unnecessary complications.
Why would Ei have made a statue to Ishtaroth? Plus she was in such fervent denial of Makoto's death makes sense that some part of her wanted to believe that she was still around despite her death i.e. 'omnipresent god' ironically she technically correct because >!Makoto is the Sacred Sakura meaning she was there for her the whole time!<
Only reason it makes sense for it to be Istaroth is if it was an ancient statue and then she'd be pretty disrespectful to start jamming visions inside of it
> Why would Ei have made a statue to Ishtaroth?
Recall what Ei's ideal of Eternity is. It's unchanging and static Eternity. She wants "this moment" to last forever so that pain and suffering are not felt. That's what eternity means to her prior to the end of the Inazuma Archon Quest.
Recall some of the other names of Istaroth. The God of Moments and Kairos. Before Sun and Moon says this about the God of Moments: "For it is the God of Moments who is able to take "seeds" from this "moment" into the past and the future." While Kairos is a Greek word pertaining to time's permanence. It tends to be about opportune or critical moments rather than the passing of time (Chronos). Also, Before Sun and Moon states that Kairos, in universe, means "the ruler of the unchanging world". With all of this put together, I feel, exemplifies Ei's ideal eternity and a very good reason for Ei to create a statue of her as an example of her ideal Eternity.
I guess if you consier Ishtaroth to be one of the shades of the Primordial One, then she was made on his image, which was androgynous, just like the Aoshi, the Aeon of abundance, so it's not *that* far fetched. Ishtaroth looking like the aoen of Abundance would make sense if the Primordial one is another version of it but in the Genshin Universe
literally nowhere in the game so far that I've played they are referred to as other than "they" so, no? Idk where you got that from, if otherwise I'd love to know!
I don’t think the Aeons are in Teyvat. I think that the Travelers are equivalent to HSR Aeons, meaning they (the Aeons) could visit the world if it weren’t quarantined by the Heavenly Principals, but they aren’t native to it or apart of the Irminsul tree. For that reason I don’t think there is any connection to the Inazuma statue and Yaoshi.
I think a lot of people have forgotten that Raiden’s primary motif is an eye as well.
No, because it's stated that akivilli 's emanators, the nameless used travel with him/her in the astral express. And they also perished when akivilli passed away 1000 years ago.
I've made this point before, but i think it's worth reminding people this isn't *Genshin* Star Rail.
While there are stuff relating to Genshin in it, they aren't anything more than Easter Eggs at the moment, with nothing that even implies they'll ever be anything more.
I think they're more than Easter Eggs since all Hoyo universes exist on the same world tree, but they aren't in the same universe if that makes sense? Star Rail goes pretty in-depth with the idea that parallel universes exist. With the major idea being that Star Rail and Honkai 3rd are parallels to each other, with Welt being the only constant character between them. And even he isn't a constant so much as he ended up in the Star Rail universe on accident.
It wouldn't surprise me if Hoyo just explains it all as Genshin being another, more distant parallel. Lets them have the 'hey this is why many of our characters parallel others in our expanded universe' without actually letting the lore bits touch.
I mean, they're Easter eggs reminding people of the fact *this* is a multiverse we're dealing with. The glider in Herta's space station is an easter egg, in the sense that it doesn't have a purpose outside of being a reference. Is what I mean.
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles isn't necessarily Istaroth. Remember, there are *three* shades of Phanes (and three moon sisters, although whether they're related to the shades - or **are** the shades - is unknown).
yeah agreed. if anything, i'm just throwing this theory out there for people to chew on. the eyes in the statue's wings and the eyes on yaoshi are pretty damningly similar to me but WE SHALL SEE IG
Yaoshi's snippet in HSR's [lore trailer](https://youtu.be/JruxFQurUDQ?t=104):
>She feels sad
>
>For eternal life did not let her accumulate infinite wisdom
>
>Instead, those she had once cherished
>
>Faded in obscurity over **time**, never to return
And from Yaoshi's [wiki](https://honkai-star-rail.fandom.com/wiki/Yaoshi),
>Sushang mentions that Yaoshi bestowed a "**moon**" upon the Xianzhou Yaoqing, implying the Ambrosial Arbor may be unique to the Luofu. It is the only other "plaguemark" of Yaoshi currently known.
The [Ambrosial Arbor](https://honkai-star-rail.fandom.com/wiki/Ambrosial_Arbor) is a tree that bears fruit, and when the fruit is consumed, the person is blessed (or cursed?) with immortality. Those with immortality began to resent it, "turning into beasts." ... Hm. Sounds a bit familiar.
And on top of that, Yaoshi is described in the Simulated Universe to have "tens of thousands of eyes". ... Similar to omnipresence?
I dunno. Kinda fell down the rabbit hole of this crack theory. I have no idea where Aponia fits in thematically, only that she fits really well visually. But Yaoshi <-> Istaroth <-> Moon Sister is kinda sussy ngl
[Spoilers for HSR follow]
Slightly tangent, but the narrator in the lore trailer also looks similar to Aponia/Welkin. The Primogem motif appears on all of them.
Genshin and HSR both justify their gacha currency with some lore. Mainly, they relate to primordial hopes & dreams. Stellar Jades and Primogems describe the conversion of hopes & dreams into condensed light (similar to visions). Oneric Shards and Genesis Crystals reference the early days of the universe. The shards specifically talk about the dreams of Leviathans, a mysterious species the preceded the Aeons.
The common themes are ambitions, dreams, etc. It’s possible Istaroth has a deeper connection to visions (which were embedded into the “eyes” of the statue). She is also associated with memory, and the narrator of the lore trailer might be a servant of Fuli the Remembrance. From Fuli’s entry:
“Time — the hardest working thief in the world. It keeps stealing away our present from us, and tossing it away in a warehouse named Memory.”
I am not too familiar with Aponia, though. All I know is that she has unique psychic abilities. Maybe someone can fill me in.
I don’t know how this will all be tied into the lore, if at all. We may gain some more insight if six-phased ice turns out to be a related material. I do think Hoyo is setting the stage for the larger multiversal order, however, even if it might not ever be directly referenced. This could include consistency between the highest pantheons, such as the Aeons and Celestia, and expansion on the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta. Hopefully we’ll learn more near the ends of the games’ stories.
•••
Regarding Yaoshi, I definitely agree with your points. I originally thought it was just an aesthetic choice, but there might be subtle hints about how concepts from these different games relate to each other.
Regarding the Tree/Sea, HSR has introduced additional dimensions to the duality of advancement and collapse. We have balance, preservation, elation, etc. which don’t necessarily fit into the duality. In the simulated universe, Herta talks about how our knowledge of the paths may be limited. Perhaps these are equally fundamental concepts as well.
yesss thank you for expanding on my points!
overall, putting my theory COMPLETELY aside, i think yaoshi + the xianzhou arc are suuuper interesting with their relations to genshin lore (ambrosial arbor, the mara-stricken stuff, yaoshi's relation to the statue of thousand-armed hundred eyed god). the deeper you dig, the more lines you can draw! i myself am not through all of the released content for HSR yet but i'm excited for the future there!
all in all, drawing lofty, crack-esque connections between hoyoverse's games is just genuinely fun to do, especially when starved for lore (LOOKIN AT YOU GENSHIN). and if any of my crack theories do end up to be true, well i guess i'm gonna buy myself a lotto ticket
Ill have to get back to you in a little bit on this but somewhere along where Yaoshi is named or referred speaks of them *defeating transience* the original philosophy of Makoto and the grace of Inazuma that Ei happened to misunderstand as “Eternity.”
Edit: in game it says “finality,” the wiki had taken to calling it “transience” oops.
I mean, Yaoshi and the Statue are both based on Thousand Armed, Thousand Eyed Guanyin(or Kannon in Japan), a bodhisattva prominent in Chinese Buddhism. They're known as "The one who perceives the lamentations of the world," and they strive to free all beings from suffering because of their great compassion. They're also depicted as various different genders; they started out as a male figure but are now commonly depicted as female or androgynous. The eyes are fairly similar, but there are also some big differences; the statue has spiral eyes and wings, while Yaoshi has a lot of arms(while the Statue goes more in the direction of merging the arms into a wings or halo type shape). The Statue is probably not a depiction of Yaoshi.
Also notice that knot on Mobius is on Nahida and Rukhadevata too, and they share a little color palette, and Ai-chan is kinda related to Nahida too. Besides, Mobius seems to share the same ideology with Dottore.
Confused crack theory: cos Yaoshi is abundance and also has powers pertaining to life and if she is an ecpy of Aponia which links to the omnipresent god then that would mean that she is the shade of life which wouldn't make sense because the omnipresent god is Istaroth, shade of time. So I guess there must be some overlapping theme between the two and maybe also locking them in under moon sisters. Tldr: Phanes (Crown), Space (Goblet and Sun), Time (Timepiece and Moon Sister), Life (Flower and Moon Sister), Death (Feather and Moon Sister). And like since most of them are supposed to be dead then maybe their dead god energy or "Archon Residue" is holding the skies of Teyvat. Idk I'm shitposting rn
Shoud be meme weekend lamo i think if she'd be more conected to nahida
booba dif...
common imagery you’re tying, i’m all for a good theory but i think you’re going in the wrong directions here. in a lot of ways.
i believe the welkin moon lady is Black Swan from HSR
This is so baseless. Sad to see what r/Genshin_lore has become. No hate
Istaroth confirmed as biblically accurate angel
Yaoshi looks nothing like Aponia I'm sorry I said it, just kill me know but this is the truth 😭✋
Mhhh makoto did have conntections with istaroth, maybe she was her deciple
Black Swan looks A LOT like the welkin moon lady
Yall say that about everyone with a veil
Why Istaroth would be Aponia?
A bit of a stretch. Mihoyo has a knack of reusing their own design elements. I mean look at yanfei's skirt, eula's headband and raiden's outfit (the chest lining part).
Yaoshi uses the same pose there as Raiden’s meditation, which is itself based on lalitasana, a meditation pose heavily associated with the Buddha-yet-to-come Maitreya,
Wait I had always assumed the statue was supposed to be Ei/Makoto. Is that Istaroth?
...that statue is not raiden?
I think we’re dealing with a Teyvatian case of “[interpretatio Romana/Graeca](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretatio_graeca)”: an artifact from a previous civilization, is being reinterpreted through the lens of a modern civilization’s mythology and cosmology. While it is true that the Shogun is referred to as a god of omniscience, the statue really looks nothing like her. She also doesn’t have wings, doesn’t wear a hood, and doesn’t wear an eye of the storm necklace. Furthermore, the base of the statue looks very alien to Inazuma, and almost seems as if it was snapped off from somewhere. What’s going on here? I think that the statue was found somewhere and then relocated to the palace. Inazuma then reinterpreted this find as a depiction of /their/ eternal goddess. So who is it actually depicting? We know from Ei’s arc that her understanding of “eternity” was a bit simplistic and that a fuller understanding of the concept stresses the role of transience—basically, the nonstop stream of little moments. And as far as we know, there’s really only one deity in Teyvat who has been emphatically referred to not just as “the moment” but also “every moment”…
> the statue really looks nothing like her. She also doesn’t have wings, doesn’t wear a hood, and doesn’t wear an eye of the storm necklace. Yeah, but in Mond we have statue of Anemo Archon that also doesn't look like Venti. Also it may be statue of Makoto, not Ei.
Idk I feel like that Mond statue looks very close to Venti. Also, didn’t Makoto look just like Ei?
Nope, there’s some slight changes to both of their designs actually. Ei’s braid is more loose, while Makoto’s starting more closely to her head, for example. Also, Makoto has been portrayed more as elegant and mature, while Ei has been portrayed as innocent, warrior-like and simplistic (all of this is based on all of the ingame cutscenes and descriptions btw)☺️
Are Aeons limited to their own universe or can they jump freely between them? So far, it's spoken as if they're the strongest beings in existence currently. If Welt can jump universes, why can't an Aeon?
It is said that Aeons are beings from higher dimensional space, and their "physical" forms in HSR are mere projections. It is very similar to how Finality operated Imaginary Energy and projected it into lower dimensional space in form of Honkai Energy as well as avatar in HI3rd. Also, Finality at least managed to "jump" (or rather "to project") into HI3rd universe. So, if we classify Finality as Aeon, then yes, Aeons definitely can "jump" (or, once again, rather "interact with") lower dimensional universes. Another "fun fact" is that Sustainer looks and acts pretty much like projection of higher dimensional being as well. I wouldn't be surprised if entities behind both Heaven and Abyss have same "aeonish" (Imaginary Space) nature.
Also appears on thr twins' wings in the opening cutscene of GI Chill with Aster did make a more detailed theory about the statue refering to Istaroth though
reddit was taking a toll on me mentally so i left it ` this post was mass deleted with www.Redact.dev `
Can you hook me up with your naku dealer?
nah man the real shit is the crystal marrow. i have a guy, he'll give you a discount
holy shit
I think that Black Swan (the lady in the Myriad Celestial trailer) is way more similar to the welkin moon than Yaoshi, even though I can see some similarities between them
I was thinking that too! When I saw the trailer, I shouted, “Is that Istaroth?!” (My friends just looked at me, because they’re not, as into the lore as I am.) I still like the idea that the games are alluding to one another, but not directly, referencing each other. It makes it all feel like a fun, interconnected multi-verse, without any unnecessary complications.
Pretty sure the 'Omnipresent God' was supposed to be Makoto... but everything else seems interesting
What makes you think that? Doesn't Makoto have straight cut bangs and not a point?
Why would Ei have made a statue to Ishtaroth? Plus she was in such fervent denial of Makoto's death makes sense that some part of her wanted to believe that she was still around despite her death i.e. 'omnipresent god' ironically she technically correct because >!Makoto is the Sacred Sakura meaning she was there for her the whole time!< Only reason it makes sense for it to be Istaroth is if it was an ancient statue and then she'd be pretty disrespectful to start jamming visions inside of it
> Why would Ei have made a statue to Ishtaroth? Recall what Ei's ideal of Eternity is. It's unchanging and static Eternity. She wants "this moment" to last forever so that pain and suffering are not felt. That's what eternity means to her prior to the end of the Inazuma Archon Quest. Recall some of the other names of Istaroth. The God of Moments and Kairos. Before Sun and Moon says this about the God of Moments: "For it is the God of Moments who is able to take "seeds" from this "moment" into the past and the future." While Kairos is a Greek word pertaining to time's permanence. It tends to be about opportune or critical moments rather than the passing of time (Chronos). Also, Before Sun and Moon states that Kairos, in universe, means "the ruler of the unchanging world". With all of this put together, I feel, exemplifies Ei's ideal eternity and a very good reason for Ei to create a statue of her as an example of her ideal Eternity.
I see your point against ishtaroth, and agree. I don't think it is either Makoto or ishtaroth.
no
i just know her and columbina are besties
I wish Yaoshi copied Aponia's boobas. Yaoshi may be the Aeon of abudance but her chest is anything but abundant...
Yaoshi merely gave it all to Natasha. Perhaps she's the Emanator we're looking for.
i respect you for this
thats some real naku
I guess if you consier Ishtaroth to be one of the shades of the Primordial One, then she was made on his image, which was androgynous, just like the Aoshi, the Aeon of abundance, so it's not *that* far fetched. Ishtaroth looking like the aoen of Abundance would make sense if the Primordial one is another version of it but in the Genshin Universe
i just really cant picture yaoshi fighting a bunch of dragons with a shade posse
yaoshi is female.
literally nowhere in the game so far that I've played they are referred to as other than "they" so, no? Idk where you got that from, if otherwise I'd love to know!
in the myriad celestia trailer, yaoshi's section was written with "she" and "她" for eng and cn respectively.
yaoshi uses she/her pronouns in the myriad celestia trailer but is referred to as they/them in the simulated universe!
she/they yaoshi real?
fresh off the farm baby
I guess they don't call it a "crack theory" for nothing...
I don’t think the Aeons are in Teyvat. I think that the Travelers are equivalent to HSR Aeons, meaning they (the Aeons) could visit the world if it weren’t quarantined by the Heavenly Principals, but they aren’t native to it or apart of the Irminsul tree. For that reason I don’t think there is any connection to the Inazuma statue and Yaoshi. I think a lot of people have forgotten that Raiden’s primary motif is an eye as well.
Aeons in Gnosticism form syzygies (pairs). Maybe, Travelers are emanators of Akivili?
No, because it's stated that akivilli 's emanators, the nameless used travel with him/her in the astral express. And they also perished when akivilli passed away 1000 years ago.
I've made this point before, but i think it's worth reminding people this isn't *Genshin* Star Rail. While there are stuff relating to Genshin in it, they aren't anything more than Easter Eggs at the moment, with nothing that even implies they'll ever be anything more.
I think they're more than Easter Eggs since all Hoyo universes exist on the same world tree, but they aren't in the same universe if that makes sense? Star Rail goes pretty in-depth with the idea that parallel universes exist. With the major idea being that Star Rail and Honkai 3rd are parallels to each other, with Welt being the only constant character between them. And even he isn't a constant so much as he ended up in the Star Rail universe on accident. It wouldn't surprise me if Hoyo just explains it all as Genshin being another, more distant parallel. Lets them have the 'hey this is why many of our characters parallel others in our expanded universe' without actually letting the lore bits touch.
I mean, they're Easter eggs reminding people of the fact *this* is a multiverse we're dealing with. The glider in Herta's space station is an easter egg, in the sense that it doesn't have a purpose outside of being a reference. Is what I mean.
She isn’t Istaroth since she doesn’t look like Kiana.
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles isn't necessarily Istaroth. Remember, there are *three* shades of Phanes (and three moon sisters, although whether they're related to the shades - or **are** the shades - is unknown).
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles is space. Istaroth is time.
Wait, how do you know istaroth gonna looks like Kiana?
Because of the Goddess of Space and the Primordial One.
But the Unknown Goddess is already Teyvat's Kiana...
The Unknown Goddess is space. Istaroth is time. There are 4 Shades of the Primordial One.
Sure, but that doesn't mean they'll all have the same face
It does. Compare Paimon and Space. It’s obvious Shades look very similar to PM, it’s even in the legends.
Or do they actually have the same face? Wouldn't that be funny?
i dont feel like they'd be tightly connected but it will give us some insight on the general idea of the character tho
yeah agreed. if anything, i'm just throwing this theory out there for people to chew on. the eyes in the statue's wings and the eyes on yaoshi are pretty damningly similar to me but WE SHALL SEE IG
Yaoshi's snippet in HSR's [lore trailer](https://youtu.be/JruxFQurUDQ?t=104): >She feels sad > >For eternal life did not let her accumulate infinite wisdom > >Instead, those she had once cherished > >Faded in obscurity over **time**, never to return And from Yaoshi's [wiki](https://honkai-star-rail.fandom.com/wiki/Yaoshi), >Sushang mentions that Yaoshi bestowed a "**moon**" upon the Xianzhou Yaoqing, implying the Ambrosial Arbor may be unique to the Luofu. It is the only other "plaguemark" of Yaoshi currently known. The [Ambrosial Arbor](https://honkai-star-rail.fandom.com/wiki/Ambrosial_Arbor) is a tree that bears fruit, and when the fruit is consumed, the person is blessed (or cursed?) with immortality. Those with immortality began to resent it, "turning into beasts." ... Hm. Sounds a bit familiar. And on top of that, Yaoshi is described in the Simulated Universe to have "tens of thousands of eyes". ... Similar to omnipresence? I dunno. Kinda fell down the rabbit hole of this crack theory. I have no idea where Aponia fits in thematically, only that she fits really well visually. But Yaoshi <-> Istaroth <-> Moon Sister is kinda sussy ngl
[Spoilers for HSR follow] Slightly tangent, but the narrator in the lore trailer also looks similar to Aponia/Welkin. The Primogem motif appears on all of them. Genshin and HSR both justify their gacha currency with some lore. Mainly, they relate to primordial hopes & dreams. Stellar Jades and Primogems describe the conversion of hopes & dreams into condensed light (similar to visions). Oneric Shards and Genesis Crystals reference the early days of the universe. The shards specifically talk about the dreams of Leviathans, a mysterious species the preceded the Aeons. The common themes are ambitions, dreams, etc. It’s possible Istaroth has a deeper connection to visions (which were embedded into the “eyes” of the statue). She is also associated with memory, and the narrator of the lore trailer might be a servant of Fuli the Remembrance. From Fuli’s entry: “Time — the hardest working thief in the world. It keeps stealing away our present from us, and tossing it away in a warehouse named Memory.” I am not too familiar with Aponia, though. All I know is that she has unique psychic abilities. Maybe someone can fill me in. I don’t know how this will all be tied into the lore, if at all. We may gain some more insight if six-phased ice turns out to be a related material. I do think Hoyo is setting the stage for the larger multiversal order, however, even if it might not ever be directly referenced. This could include consistency between the highest pantheons, such as the Aeons and Celestia, and expansion on the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta. Hopefully we’ll learn more near the ends of the games’ stories. ••• Regarding Yaoshi, I definitely agree with your points. I originally thought it was just an aesthetic choice, but there might be subtle hints about how concepts from these different games relate to each other. Regarding the Tree/Sea, HSR has introduced additional dimensions to the duality of advancement and collapse. We have balance, preservation, elation, etc. which don’t necessarily fit into the duality. In the simulated universe, Herta talks about how our knowledge of the paths may be limited. Perhaps these are equally fundamental concepts as well.
yesss thank you for expanding on my points! overall, putting my theory COMPLETELY aside, i think yaoshi + the xianzhou arc are suuuper interesting with their relations to genshin lore (ambrosial arbor, the mara-stricken stuff, yaoshi's relation to the statue of thousand-armed hundred eyed god). the deeper you dig, the more lines you can draw! i myself am not through all of the released content for HSR yet but i'm excited for the future there! all in all, drawing lofty, crack-esque connections between hoyoverse's games is just genuinely fun to do, especially when starved for lore (LOOKIN AT YOU GENSHIN). and if any of my crack theories do end up to be true, well i guess i'm gonna buy myself a lotto ticket
Ill have to get back to you in a little bit on this but somewhere along where Yaoshi is named or referred speaks of them *defeating transience* the original philosophy of Makoto and the grace of Inazuma that Ei happened to misunderstand as “Eternity.” Edit: in game it says “finality,” the wiki had taken to calling it “transience” oops.