#they look like celtic motifs
there’s one thing that has been bothering me about Khaenri'ah and it’s inspirations. like obviously it’s in big part influenced by German\Nordic myths - Dainsleif, Alberich, Rhinedottir are all connected to them. and dwarves (Alberich is a dwarven king) kinda sorta make sense as an inspiration? An underground prosperous kingdom, famous for being skilled in crafting and technology, and refusing to bow to the Nordic pantheon of gods. sure.
But Khaenri'ah modus operandi doesn’t really jell with the classic steadfast nordic dwarves. Khaenri'ans even before the fall were highkey shady and obsessed with secret knowledge - we know they went into Enkanomiya as envoys, tried to steal “The Book of Sun and Moon” and pinned it on someone else. But what’s interesting - Khaenri'ans we meet might manipulate and hide the information, but they are very adamant that they did not lie.
Dainsleif is offended at suggestion he deceived the Traveler, and insists that him not disclosing the information is not deception. Enjou, who at this point had already admitted to manipulating, betraying and is in the process of trying to kill the Traveler, nevertheless makes a point that he never lied to them. And Traveler even agrees with him. Why “not lying” is the hill Enjou is choosing to die on, when it’d be like one of the least fucked up things he did?
This pattern of secretive and shady behavior with simultaneous insistence on “technically” not lying strongly reminded me of something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Until I realized, it’s the Irish “fair folk”, people of the hills, the fae, Tuatha Dé Danann. Like, a nation of people from the underground kingdom where time moves differently, known for their strange powers of transformation (in myths - magic, here it’s Khemia) and famous tricksters who might try to manipulate or take advantage of you, but at the same time, cannot lie or break their word if it was given.
and then it struck me. Kaeya is a literal Changeling, right? A child from the underground kingdom secretly sent to live in the human society. But wait, speaking of Kaeya, if not lying is a prerequisite, what about him? He bullshits a lot, right? He actually doesn’t, he manipulates the information like Dain and Enjou, but also he turns the truth into metaphors and parables that you have no way of deciphering until you get the reference. The “sword from heaven” and “inherited eyepatch” reference Khaenri'ah taking control of Celestia’s needle which was confirmed in the Chasm, “owl of Dragonspine” reference lore from “Wings of the Concealing snow”, a story he told Klee about monsters who can take appearance of people reference Abysslings like Enjou being able to take human form, and so on.
also, the patterns on Dainsleif armor look a lot like celtic knotwork, though this style is used a lot, like on the walls of the domains.
