La Gnosis It is an item used by Archons to directly harness Celestia's energy and is proof of her status as an Elemental Archon.
They take on the physical appearance similar to a shiny chess piece, otherwise they reside in the body of an Archon and can be forcibly removed through the powers of another Archon (as with the powers granted to the Eleven Heralds of the Fatui ) or intentionally materialized and granted by the Archon themselves.
The Zarina (leader of the Fatui and Archon Cryo) seeks to collect all the Gnosis from the rest of the Archons for reasons still unknown, and has currently collected three: the Cryo, the Anemo of Barbatos (snatched by La Signora) and the Geo de Morax (peacefully through contract).
Skills
All that is currently known about the uses of a Gnosis is that it is used to directly resonate with Celestia, and that it grants its respective archon the "divine ability" to defend their nation. However, Archons do not appear to be entirely dependent on Gnosis for power, unlike mortals who can only manipulate elemental energy by harnessing a Vision or Deception. Venti and Zhongli are able to use their elemental abilities in battle during their respective Story Missions, which are set after losing their Gnosis.
Like Venti, as he healed himself by channeling the power of the great oak into the Rising. Before becoming Archon, he was a wind elemental spirit, though formless and with little power of his own until he took on the human form of his dead friend, known in legends as The Nameless Bard.
While the Archons do not appear to depend on the Gnosis to harness elemental energy, their powers remain limited without them; Zhongli states that the "power of Archon Geo" is required to create Mora, and indicates that the Golden House will have to shut down temporarily as he can no longer do this. His lines of dialogue also indicate that he lost a significant portion of his power after giving up his Gnosis, but he still retains enough power to fight.
Anemo Gnosis de Barbatos (Wind)
Geo Gnosis de Morax (Zhongli)
Curiosities
- In Gnosticism, Gnosis is a term used to designate wisdom, knowledge, or perception of the divine nature. It is through Gnosis that one can transcend the material realms controlled by the seven archons and enter the supercelestial realm of Ogdoad.
- The Chinese term for Gnosis, 神 之 心 Shén Zhī Xīn, "Heart of God", is similar to the term for Visions (Chinese: 神 之 眼 Shén Zhī Yǎn, "Eye of God").
