🔸Headcannons🔸

◈ Azhdaha's erosion was not a natural occurrence, it was beset upon him by the hand of Celestia. As an ancient being that has existed for an unknown amount of time, though long before Celestia arrived in Teyvat, the Geo Dragon holds not only power but knowledge that could threaten Celestia's plans. 

» Azhdaha is old enough that Zhongli — who has the oldest known numerical age at over 6,000 years old — claims, "I do not pretend to match your rhetoric when it comes to the subject of a life long-lived. I fear that the life of an elemental being is longer than any in this world." «

◈ He is capable of tapping directly into the ley lines, allowing him not only access to other elemental energy but also the knowledge that flows through them. 

◈ He has a soft spot for children, he used to let them climb over his gargantuan form and call him Grandpa or Uncle Azzy (Azhdaha was a bit of a mouthful for most toddlers). In turn he often refers to them as kiddos or little ones and, naturally, he is quite protective of them.

◈ He has become particularly fond of the forgetful zombie girl QiQi. 

◈ His human alias is "Retuo", which can be derived to mean "knowledge".

[The Chinese name 若陀 Rětuó uses the unique pronunciation of the character 若 rě which is used almost exclusively for transliterations of Sanskrit into Chinese, instead of the common pronunciation 若 ruò. Existing Sanskrit transliterations using these two characters include prajñā (Sanskrit: प्रज्ञा; Chinese: 般若 bōrě) and amitābha (Sanskrit: अमिताभ; Chinese: 阿弥陀佛 Ēmítuófó). This means that one possible derivation of 若陀 Rětuó is the word jñatā (Sanskrit: ज्ञता "knowledge").]

◈ During his time in the Archon War, his fondness for humanity lead him to commission a blacksmith to forge four Geo infused weapons, now known collectively as the 'Liyue Set'. This set consists of the catalyst weapon 'Memory of Dust', the claymore 'The Unforged', the 'Summit Shaper' sword and 'Vortex Vanquisher' polearm. The latter was given to Morax as a small gift. 

◈ Azhdaha is capable of using all four of the weapons, though in the past he favored The Unforged. Today he might prefer to use the Summit Shaper or Memory of Dust. 

◈ Stone-Seeing; Azhdaha can “See” the memory of the various ores within the earth, the clarity of those memories depends solely on the type of ore itself. For example, iron ore has a very poor 'memory' and can only 'record' events around it from just a few minutes ago. Ores like crystal or Cor Lapis however, have a much clearer memory and the largest specimens may hold memories from several years ago.

◈ You may not guess it, but he is rather fond of musical pieces and is skilled in playing the Erhu. Back in the days of the Archon War, he'd often attend opera performances in his mortal vessel. He can also sing, more often than not in a dead language. He reserves his singing for close friends however. 

◈ Azhdaha's eyes only glow that sinister red under specific emotions, rage, possessiveness and jealousy. His pupils will also shift color, depending on the current element he is channeling through the ley lines. Normally, without any emotional or ley line influence, his eyes are a striking Cor Lapis color with a white shade for his pupils, which are dragon-like even in his mortal vessel. His pupils also have a thin white ring around them. 

◈ Azhdaha suffers a great deal from his new duality that occured from his consciousness splitting into two; the rage and the reason. The rage takes the mortal form of Jiu, a child, which he finds ironically fitting. However, since Jiu is now sealed with his original body, the rage is now "Azhdaha". The reason is the half of him that inhabits "Retuo", allowing him to walk among the surface in peace. It is not without risk however, as they are still part of the same consciousness and are linked together. 

◈ In the current day, he seeks to integrate himself into human society, undoubtedly following Zhongli's example. He believes that an ideal position for him would be a historian, record keeper or similar job. Although his erosion has damaged his memory, he is slowly healing and restoring those memories through the ley line's energy. 

◈ While he does not got to extensive lengths to hide who he is, nor to inform others, he isn't overly concerned with someone finding out. He is a proud being that takes pride in who and what he is, despite his regret and the shame he feels for breaking his contract with Morax. 

◈ He is familiar with love and loss, underground he had few close enough to him to warrant substantial emotional distress. Upon the surface however, he had the privilege to experience a plethora of emotions and attachments. He would not wish for anything else, despite the pain of loss and heartache of loving someone who held affections for another. 

◈ Even he has pet names for those he cherishes, especially his lover. His favorite endearing term is “Little Geode” or “My Heart”. Both terms he may use in a dead language. Especially if the person he loves is not aware of his feelings. 

◈ In terms of personality, besides his pride, rage and reverence for Morax, Azhdaha is normally calm and slightly aloof. Upon first meetings he may come off as supercilious and though he does regard himself higher in the pecking order, he does not believe mortal lives to have any less value than his own. For one who’s hide rivals the hardness of stone, he is a very gentle individual, he knows his own strength and how easily he could hurt someone. 

◈ When it comes to displays of affection, he is not afraid to do so, no matter the situation. His love language is small gestures, gentle kisses, doting over his partner, and reminding them how much he cares for them. 

◈ He wears an earring in his right ear that matches the one Zhongli wears in his left ear. This is not coincidence, given they were very close friends before he was willingly sealed away. For Azhdaha, it meant something more but he kept it to himself. 

(His appearance before being sealed.)

⫸ Songs I feel fit Azhdaha, categorized by emotion. Feel free to suggest anything, more to be added over time.⫷

Love, fulfilled or unrequited. 

Arcade - Duncan Laurence

Tir Na Nog - Celtic Women

Ainsi Bas La Vida - Indila

Hurts Like Hell - Fleurie

Until I Found You - Stephen Sanchez

I Will Always Return - Bryan Adams

Anger, Rage or Hostility

Blood//Water - Grandson

Enemy - Imagine Dragons