Sumeru

Sumeru is the fourth of the seven nations of Teyvat that the Traveler goes to in the game Genshin Impact. Its element is Dendro, and following the events of the Sumeru archon quest, it is now ruled over by the Dendro Archon Nahida (also known as Lesser Lord Kusanali and Buer).

Canon

Sumeru is a nation divided into an area of rainforest and an area of desert. The forested part of Sumeru was released in update 3.0, with the desert areas coming in subsequent updates. The Sumeru Akademiya acts as both the nation's academic center and its primary governing body.

The nation is heavily inspired by both South Asian and Middle Eastern cultures.

Fan Reactions

Race, Culture and Sumeru

With the promotion and subsequent release of the Sumeru region in summer 2022, some fans took issue with the cultural inspirations of the nation as well as the designs of Sumerian characters. In contrast to the regions of Liyue and Inazuma, which are specifically inspired by China and Japan respectively, Sumeru is a mix of Middle Eastern and South Asian cultures, without directly corresponding to any one nation. This mixing of differing cultures and traditions has been criticized, especially on Twitter (need good sources). Adding to the controversy, almost all the initially released Sumeru characters had light skin, sparking a discussion on racism and colorism on the part of Hoyoverse, as well as within the fandom. Some characters' outfits were also criticized as stereotypical and orientalist.

This criticism was most prominent surrounding Dori, however some fans had similar criticisms about Nilou. Some players said they would not have cared about certain characters being white if at least the Dendro Archon skin wasn't neon white. These issues created a divide within the fandom, with some fans being vocal in their criticism (and a minority going on to threaten voice actors and others associated with the game) and others dismissing the issue's importance.

However, some fans also defended the portrayals in Sumeru; in particular @Boram76 (Amir) on Twitter wrote many lore threads on the extensive Persian and Zoroastrian influences. Amir defends portrayals such as Nilou's dance, stating that it "is perfectly animated from our Persian court dance and it is the first time ever it appears in fictional media like this". Others, like @himekoow have shared on "Haitham's cultural representation in Genshin Impact".

A year later, players reminisce on the issue. Some of them saying that they did not expect to get attached to the characters but they were well written despite still disliking their designs.

Fandom

Fanon and Common Tropes in Fanworks

Eleazar

Eleazar is a mysterious, sometimes deadly and incurable illness that affects individuals living in the nation of Sumeru. It manifests as dark, hardened scales that grow on a person's body, causing numbness and clumsiness in the affected areas. The severity of the illness varies from person to person, with some experiencing mild symptoms while others suffer debilitating effects. It is speculated to be linked to the Withering, a phenomenon that causes plants to decay and die rapidly. This connection suggests that Eleazar may be a form of corruption caused by the Withering's influence. The illness's symptoms and the social stigma it carries can provide a rich source of angst and hurt/comfort in fanworks. Characters are often depicted struggling with the physical and emotional effects of Eleazar, from pain and hardships of the illness to fear and isolation. There are characters that have Eleazar in canon, like Collei or Dunyarzad. There are also Eleazar AUs. There is a canonical tag of Eleazar on AO3.

Examples of fanworks that feature Eleazar:

• grief is love with no place to go by eiiven where Collei dies of Eleazar before they can cure it.
• pockets full of stones by alcyonenight, Alhaitham Eleazar AU

Aranara

• In particular, aranara merch is popular

Example Fanworks

Fanvids

• Sand Dust by 喵太Miota covers the historical fall of Sumeru's desert civilization, featuring the god Deshret and Nahida's predecessor Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.

Zines

• Earth Guardian's Domain