Mare Jivari in Genshin Impact: What we know so far

Mare Jivari is one of the most mysterious locations mentioned in Genshin Impact’s overarching lore. It is described as an uninhabitable and lifeless region full of ashes where even the wind does not blow. Hence, its other name is the Silent Sea of Ashes.

Located further west of Natlan, Mare Jivari has appeared in various lore entries, quests, and events throughout the game. Despite never being accessible, it is considered a proving ground for the brave and strong, where most who enter do not return.

This article covers everything we currently know about Mare Jivari, from its earliest mentions to its mythological connections.

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What does Mare Jivari mean in Genshin Impact?

In Genshin Impact, in the name Mare Jivari, “mare” means “sea,” and it is unknown what the etymology for “jivari” is. However, the name of the place in the original Chinese text is “Silent Sea of Ashes,” so we can interpret that “jivari” may have something to do with “ash.”

It far west of Teyvat, past Natlan’s major areas. The land is covered in fire and ash, and is considered deadly with no winds or life.

According to in-game lore, Mare Jivari serves as a purpose for warriors to test and prove their strength, but only a few survive. The silence and danger of this region have been a consistent theme across the world of Genshin Impact, and the hints in Version 5.2 end years of speculation about its possible location.

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Early Mentions of Mare Jivari in Genshin Impact’s lore

In the initial years of Genshin Impact, one of the oldest artifact sets, “Wanderer’s Troupe” and “Lavawalker,” talk about this mysterious region.

Description of events related to Mare Jivari in Lavawalker's artifact set (Image via HoYoverse)

According to the story of the artifact set of the same name, Lavawalker is a sage who creates a fire-resistant circlet so he can walk into Mare Jivari.

His actions were seen as blasphemy by his peers, and as punishment, they ordered him to walk into the sea of fire. However, he survives and continues to explore the region for a hundred years. He eventually dies, consumed by flames on his final journey.

Description of events related to Mare Jivari in Wanderer's Troupe artifact set (Image via HoYoverse)

The other mention of the place is in the Wanderer’s Troupe artifact set. Describing a time a thousand years ago when the area wasn’t a wasteland yet, the troupe entered the region and fought a monster known as Bakunawa. They used its body to carve out a Runestone.

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Notable events and characters

In Venti’s story quest Carmen Dei Chapter: Act I, it’s revealed that many adventurers entered Mare Jivari in the past to test themselves. One of them was Stanley, a Mondstadt explorer who died saving a younger adventurer named Hans Archibald. Hans then took Stanley’s name and stories as his own to keep the real hero’s memory alive.

Kinich keeps Enjou disguised as "Sanka" captive during the Scions of the Canopy Tribal Chronicles (Image via HoYoverse)

In Natlan’s Scions of the Canopy Tribal Chronicles, the Abyss Lector Enjou investigates the history of Mare Jivari. A character from the tribe, Kinich, intercepts him and informs him that the area is difficult to reach and is rarely visited.

Citalali talking about Mare Jivari during the Iktomi Spiritseeking Scrolls event quest (Image via HoYoverse)

In Genshin Impact’s version 5.2, the Iktomi Spiritseeking Scrolls event expanded on this by describing how, 20 to 30 years before the game’s events, people of Teyvat had reported seeing a massive, dark creature in Mare Jivari. After its appearance, the entire region suddenly disappeared.

Since then, a settlement has started to grow where it used to be. These events suggest something caused a large shift in time or space, and that Mare Jivari may not follow the normal rules of Teyvat.

Much like in real life, how a star we see in the sky might have already died by the time its light reaches us, Mare Jivari, in that aspect too, seems to exist in such a fractured state.

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Bakunawa Connection in the lore of Genshin Impact

After the version 5.6’s Archon Quest Paralogism, there is an additional dialogue with an NPC called Orban.

He is a weaponsmith located in the camp near Dragonspine. We learn from him that the monster the Wanderer's Troupe fought back then is called the Bakunawa. In reality, it is from Filipino mythology where it is a huge serpent-like dragon that eats the moon.

This myth was likely the inspiration for the creature in Genshin Impact’s lore regarding Mare Jivari.

Legends of Fire and Ash

In Genshin Impact, Lavawalker’s lore in depth also tells of a phoenix that once lived in Mare Jivari. This creature was worshipped by locals as a totem and seen by rulers as a symbol of nobility.

The sage who became the Lavawalker was one of the few to survive the region’s flames. Although his journey ended in his finale, his story marked the beginning of Mare Jivari's myth in artifact set lore.

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War that Changed the Land in Teyvat

Five hundred years ago, a major battle against the Abyss took place in Mare Jivari as a consequence of the infamous cataclysm. Tenoch, along with six warriors from Natlan’s major tribes, fought to stop this calamity.

A depiction of the monster that the Natlan tribes fought against 500 years ago (Image via HoYoverse)

One of them was Sanhaj of the Masters of the Night Wind. He summoned a miniature version of the Night Kingdom in Mare Jivari to help destroy the threat. The battle left the region in ruins. The ground was covered in the ashes of fallen warriors and monsters. Sometimes, firestorms would erupt from the land. Other times, haunting screams were heard from its depths.

A depiction of Sanhaj in the Iktomi Spiritseeking Scrolls event (Image via HoYoverse)

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Other Details and Theories

An immortal creature from Mare Jivari once lost its flesh during an unknown incident. Some of it was collected by the Hexenzirkel and later used by Albedo to create Mini Durin in Genshin Impact’s version 5.6 Paralogism Archon Quest.

Albedo requesting for the flesh of the immortal beast in Mare Jivari during "Paralogism" Archon Quest (Image via HoYoverse)

It’s still unclear whether this being is the same as “Bakunawa” or the mountain-sized creature that we heard during the Iktomi Spiritseeking Scrolls event. Time travel and reality shifts have also been hinted at, adding more to the mystery surrounding Mare Jivari.

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What's next in store for Mare Jivari and its lore in Genshin Impact?

With one more Natlan region update expected before Version 6.0, Mare Jivari is likely to appear fully as a playable area in Version 5.8. From lost battles and mythical monsters to silent wastelands and missing regions, Mare Jivari is shaping up to be one of the most dangerous and important areas in Genshin Impact so far.