The General Mahamatra of the Akademiya, leader of all the Matras. He has a unique sense of humor that never fails to leave a deep impression.
—Description from the Official Website[1]
Personality
The General Mahamatra in charge of supervising the researchers of the Akademiya. It is said that when he gets down to work, the General Mahamatra is even more sufficient than the "Great Vayuvyastra" made by the Kshahrewar.
—In-game character attributes and profile page text
Cyno is a curt, stoic and generally emotionless young man with a ruthlessness and vicious approach to his duty as a matra that make him intimidating and unapproachable. He cares little for niceties or social gatherings and is known throughout Sumeru for his ruthless efficiency at upholding the law.
Despite his young age, Cyno holds the position of General Mahamatra in the Akademiya and takes his position seriously. Cyno is extremely dedicated to upholding the Akademiya's rules and punishing any transgressions, to such an extent that even the sages of the Akademiya (ostensibly his superiors) are wary of him. Notoriously, Cyno will relentlessly pursue any individuals that try to flee his judgment, even across the desert — a trait that, in combination with his prowess as a hunter and warrior, makes escaping from Cyno nigh impossible. Due to this, Cyno's name is infamous within Sumeru and many scholars fear the prospect of ever meeting him, despite the fact that he only handles cases of significant interest.
Notably, Cyno idolizes "justice" above all; though this predominantly manifests in his pursuit of suspected criminals, Cyno will also protect criminals from any danger that arises during their escape attempts until they can, in his view, be properly judged by the Akademiya. Although he is often viewed by the Akademiya's scholars as an obstacle or a threat to their research (complaints to which Cyno is indifferent), Cyno views his role as that of a protector, preventing seekers of knowledge from being led astray and becoming dangers to both themselves and the world. However his being blessed with an Electro Vision suggests that his view of justice is closer to a desire to preserve the law, which he holds as eternal, rather than being interested in justice in and of itself.
Despite his seriousness in academics and work-related matters, Cyno is fairly relaxed outside of Akademiya duties, being an avid fan of Genius Invokation TCG. He shows concern for Collei, frequently visiting her when he has the time to ensure that she's doing well, as well as harboring friendships with Tighnari, Alhaitham and Kaveh. Despite his intentions to put people at ease, he maintains his emotionless, harsh attitude in most situations, even outside of work. Aware that his reputation as General Mahamatra often intimidates those around him (even his fellow Matras), Cyno tells jokes as a way to help people relax around him, though his jokes are generally unfunny and his long-winded attempts to explain them even more so.
Cyno also confesses to a fondness for the desert from which he hails, finding himself most at ease there and often taking nighttime strolls there to help himself relax.
Appearance
Cyno uses the medium male model. He has tan skin, red-orange eyes, and medium-length gray hair.
Manga
Cyno is depicted wearing a large, black cape including a hood with what looks like jackal ears sewn on it. His cape seems to take inspiration from Northern Africa, showing some similarities with the large capes worn in the Sahara in order to avoid the heat, and to stay protected during sandstorms.
Official Introduction
Many researchers at the Akademiya fear that the General Mahamatra will interfere with their research. However, it seems that they are worrying about nothing. Most of them do not produce results worthy of his visit.
If an Akademiya researcher is required to have a formal meeting with the General Mahamatra, Cyno, it usually does not bode well.
In general, a personal visit from Cyno implies that these researchers are perpetrators of serious academic offences: plagiarism, bribery, academic fraud, false declarations, misappropriation of funds, malicious competition, appropriation of someone else's dissertations, and more... The only thing left for these researchers to do is to follow the General Mahamatra and face disciplinary action.
But these researchers will not accept their sentence so easily.
Most of them try to bribe the General Mahamatra with Mora. These "wealthy people" will then be punished even more severely. Meanwhile, some choose to use force in an irrational act of recalcitrance... After paying the price for their defiance, they are subjected to a harsher sentence.
Others, at their wits' end, even feign madness, claiming memory loss or pleading insanity in a desperate attempt to escape punishment.
However, General Mahamatra Cyno has unfailing patience when dealing with these people. In his own words:
"As a Matra, it is one of my duties to help people 'remember' the mistakes they have made."
Character Stories
Character Details
As the leader of all Matra, General Mahamatra Cyno is well known to everyone in the Akademiya.
His duties are to arrest those who violate the Akademiya's rules and regulations, terminate illegal studies, and uphold discipline of the Akademiya. Nevertheless, researchers feel that this General Mahamatra does nothing but undermine academic progress and prohibit scientific research. Some even claim that he is "cutting off the path to knowledge" and can be seen as a dire threat to any researcher eager to seek knowledge...
Over time, researchers have come to shrink away from Cyno in silence whenever they so much as see him, wanting to have nothing to do with him.
But the General Mahamatra is hardly bothered by such things.
If this exaggerated public image can really deter some researchers, that will in no way be an inconvenience for his work.
Plus, in the words of that Forest Watcher friend of his,
"The research conducted by most researchers is nowhere significant enough to result in a talk with a Matra."
Character Story 1
Friendship Lv. 2
Wisdom can bring enlightenment to scholars, but can also lead to utter arrogance.
In the history of the Akademiya, many researchers have used their "wisdom" to commit crimes.
For example, in order to test the limit of the Specters' body inflation, one Amurta researcher adopted an illegal catalyst and created a mega-sized Specter, which later exploded during the experiment and leveled the entire research center. Then, there was a researcher from Spantamad who had aimed to test a Ruin Guard's ability to cultivate fields, but lost control of the modified machine, resulting in the ruin of many farmlands and grave injuries for several farmers. There have also been numerous criminal cases concerning academic fraud and the abuse of intelligence for personal gain...
Such researchers, who do not abide by the law and pose dangers to others, will all be pursued and judged by the Matra led by Cyno.
When they stand before the Matra, these researchers will almost always spare no effort to justify themselves. Their reasons have included but are not limited to suddenly cut funds, the Akademiya's favoritism towards other researchers, the results of their work being stolen... Some may even accuse the Matra of stopping them from completing their research out of jealousy of their talents.
Cyno's response to such sophistry is always to stay silent and press forward in subduing all those garrulous criminals and sending them to trial.
Those who violate the rules can always come up with a million excuses. However, only one ending awaits them.
Character Story 2
Friendship Lv. 3
The name of the General Mahamatra has traveled well beyond the Akademiya's walls.
According to a Forest Watcher in the Avidya Forest, he once caught a glimpse of this General Mahamatra quietly traveling through the woods in the middle of the night. A person living on the outskirts of Apam Woods can still clearly remember how a white-haired teenager asked them for a bowl of water, before venturing deep into the forest alone with just a traveling pack on his back. Adventurers resting in Sobek Oasis claim to have given directions to Cyno, though the area he was heading to had been packed with monsters. Even the proudest mercenaries and Treasure Hoarders in the Great Red Sand dare not make things difficult for the General Mahamatra, having learned this lesson well from the example of a mercenary group that was annihilated in the desert for sheltering wanted researchers.
However, for those criminals who have fallen into the hands of Cyno, their reverence for the General Mahamatra usually comes from another aspect of his character.
When escaping from the Akademiya, criminals tend to flee in an extreme panic, and can sometimes stray into perilous places. Yet, instead of letting them suffer the consequences, Cyno will come to their rescue without hesitation, just so that he can bring them back to the Akademiya to face their proper punishment.
Once, a criminal who had crossed the Great Red Sand with Cyno asked him about the point of doing all this. Cyno replied,
"Only the law can judge you, and my role here is to bring you to face the scales."
After being released from prison, the researcher, who had been a Vahumana graduate, turned their adventures returning to the Akademiya into a novel titled "The Goon," which remains a bestseller in the Akademiya. The researcher was even invited by Vahumana to give a lecture, during which they went into great detail about the portrayal of "justice" in the book.
If you ask Cyno, however, he would say that certain parts of the book were heavily exaggerated. In truth, they did not encounter any monsters created by the descendants of King Deshret, nor did they stray into a living labyrinth at the bottom of the desert or survive a sandstorm in the folds of a humongous sandworm.
Nevertheless, Cyno did appreciate the candidness with which the author described their own crimes, and would like to remind them to not commit such crimes ever again.
Character Story 3
Friendship Lv. 4
In the Akademiya, the mere mention of the Matra's office can make any researcher's heart seize up.
Apart from the renowned "evil deeds" of the Matra, what disturbs them even more is how creepy, dry laughter can be heard from the office whenever Cyno walks in...
Researchers firmly believe that this must be the Matra's way of expressing smug satisfaction at the sight of Cyno passing judgment on some hapless researcher.
But only the Matra know that the laughter is a response to Cyno's unique sense of humor.
"I once worked on a case where the researcher involved was under great pressure because his paper had been rejected multiple times at the review stage. He eventually rammed it through by successfully bribing the members of his review committee. However, the data in that paper was so wrong that it didn't even take long to be exposed as academic fraud. When I went to arrest this researcher, he asked me 'what have I done wrong?'..."
After a pause, Cyno continued,
"I answered, 'Your paper.'"
Seeing the Matra all sit there in silence, Cyno seemed to be worried that they did not get the joke, so he went on to explain it with a serious expression,
"You see, the interesting part of this story lies in how, when he asked me what he had done wrong, he expected me to say that his fault lay with his bribing of the committee due to academic pressure, yet I told him that his error was in not reaching the correct conclusions in his paper. The clever part about this joke is that I changed the subject that was being discussed..."
After he finished explaining, the Matra all exchanged looks before letting out a few dry, strangled laughs in concert...
The awkward laughter lent a strange sense of human warmth then to the often somber and solemn Matra office.
However, to prevent such an awkward situation from ever happening again, the Matra gradually came to a consensus that after Cyno finishes telling a joke, everyone in the room must force out a laugh or two in response so that he will not start explaining it.
On the other hand, any Matra who attempts to imitate Cyno's style will be harshly punished by the others through extreme means such as confiscating their canteen meal tickets.
After all, one Cyno is enough for the whole division.
Character Story 4
Friendship Lv. 5
Cyno has always believed that the Matra are not the enemies of those who seek knowledge.
Cyrus, a scholar who tutored Cyno before, once told him that without the Akademiya's laws, "wisdom" will soon turn into "calamity."
These floating scraps of out-of-control "wisdom" are like bait on a sea of ignorance, luring innocent knowledge seekers into the abyss.
They will make researchers far too arrogant and reckless, to the point where they may even attempt to tamper with life and death due to their lack of respect for human life. Eventually, they shall cause irreparable damage to the world.
The sages keep introducing new rules and regulations precisely to ensure that the knowledge seekers of the Akademiya will not be misled and go astray because of such bait.
The Matra who hunt down those who violate the law and judge them according to those same laws are in fact the "guardians" of all those who seek knowledge in the Akademiya.
However, in the eyes of researchers, they are but a bunch of "demolishers" who constantly, violently cut off their paths to knowledge.
"Dumb humanoid Fungi," "Mr. You-Can't-Do-This," "Paper Shredders"... These are all nicknames they have come up with for the Matra.
Among them, the most notorious one is "the Akademiya's Sumpter Beasts," a name coined by a Haravatat researcher.
When they first heard of this nickname, most of the Matra were rather enraged, reckoning that the researchers thought too little of their hard work.
On the contrary, Cyno noted that he actually fancied it quite a bit.
"We Matra are indeed Sumpter Beasts who walk the Akademiya's halls, carrying the rules and regulations on our backs."
"When exercising our rights, each of us must always keep that weight in mind."
After pondering the matter for a while, this General Mahamatra added,
"Plus, we could stand to be more like Sumpter Beasts in avoiding pointless arguments and focusing on, ahem, getting to our desired destination."
Character Story 5
Friendship Lv. 6
When the Akademiya was first established, its researchers wielded their boundless imagination and innovation to the fullest with the abundant resources available at their beck and call.
They had reshaped terrain, controlled the weather, recreated ancient relics... But when the knowledge of the earth could no longer satisfy their insatiable curiosity, some researchers turned their focus to the starry skies, whereas some others attempted to tamper with life and death.
However, these kinds of knowledge were not things they should or could have touched upon.
To prevent researchers from being devastated by their own knowledge, the sages laid out six cardinal sins.
They held that all the crimes in this world derive from these six sins.
The first is to interfere with human evolution;
The second is to tamper with life and death;
The third is to delve beyond the universe;
The fourth is to investigate the origin of words;
The fifth is to revere gods without acts of devotion;
The sixth is to attempt the forbidden and fear none.
Since then, the sages have been introducing new rules and regulations according to these six deadly sins while amending and revising old ones. The Matra enforce the laws, and the researchers perform their roles accordingly as well.
In this way, everything in the Akademiya functions in a desirable manner, and the Akademiya and its researchers have been marching forward with thriving clarity of wisdom ever since.
As time has passed, the six ancient sins seem to have been forgotten by most, and ambitious people have been on the move since...
However, for Cyno, the current General Mahamatra, what he ought to do has not changed.
He will, according to the six ancient deadly sins, justly judge all the lawbreakers.
Even sages shall not be exempt.
Cyno's Genius Invokation TCG Deck Box
Friendship Lv. 4
This deck box, which contains Cyno's Genius Invokation TCG deck, is his favorite physical possession.
The exterior of this deck box is wrapped with multiple layers of high-quality leather, and every seam has been carefully handled. As long as the rope fixed on the leather remains tightly tied, the entire deck box will be completely sealed, and not even a drop of water can get through. The interior is padded with silk, which can minimize the bending of card corners. According to the shop owner, the silk used was all imported from Liyue and made from top-quality Silk Flowers. This deck box even comes with a tough leather strap, so the buyer can easily affix the box to any part of their body. The surface of the deck box is even engraved with the Genius Invokation TCG emblem and the name of one who purchased it.
Cyno has put his strongest deck in this box. He believes that as long as he gets to duel with this deck, he will be nothing short of invincible.
Of course, the next thing to do is to find a couple players who are willing to play against him.
Hmm... Would that Forest Watcher be available at the moment?
Vision
Friendship Lv. 6
When it comes to how Cyno got his Vision, many versions of the story can be found circulating in the Akademiya.
Some say that he was once instructed to arrest a researcher who had been studying methods of making counterfeit Visions. The researcher had previously bought a masterless Vision for research, which then became Cyno's Vision. Some believe that Cyno is actually a descendant of King Deshret. They say that he grew up in a temple located in the Great Red Sand and was raised by a nameless Hermanubis priest who cultivated Cyno's will and strength before, when he was ready, bestowing upon him a Vision and requiring him to cross the desert all by himself to arrive at the Akademiya and enact Hermanubis' will. Of course, according to some conspiracy theories, Cyno's Vision is closely connected with certain forbidden technologies hidden within the Akademiya. Otherwise, how could this member of the desert ilk earn a spot in the Akademiya?
No one dares to check any of the stories' authenticity with Cyno in person, and Cyno himself cannot be bothered to waste energy on these ridiculous rumors.
The truth is that the way he obtained his Vision was rather simple.
It was the day before he was about to become the new General Mahamatra. As per usual, after finishing his work as a Matra, Cyno went to the library to read books relating to the Akademiya's rules and regulations. He can still well remember that the book he was reading that day mainly talked about the six cardinal sins that the sages had decided on, which they held to be the origins of all crimes and thus served as the foundation for all the modern rules and regulations of the Akademiya. While he was reading the chapter on the sin of divulging secrets without a hint of fear, he failed to fathom some chunks of the content depicted in the book, so he closed his eyes and ruminated. The moment he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a Vision, laid nicely on the page.
Cyno looked at the Vision and fell into contemplation. He first confirmed that there was no existing rule that prohibited someone from being granted a Vision. Then he went over several academic cases with Visions involved and ensured that this Vision was not some malicious trap. He went on to ponder the challenges he might encounter after becoming the General Mahamatra and how this Vision might help in these future trials... After carefully weighing up the pros and cons, Cyno finally accepted this gift from the gods earnestly.
By then, the morning light was already shining through the windows. Cyno left the library with the Vision and his as-yet-unfinished read in hand before heading over to the location where he was to be inaugurated as the General Mahamatra.
If all went well, in half an hour, he would become the Akademiya's new General Mahamatra.
He was about to be entrusted with the sacred power to judge those who had erred, and this Vision would ensure that this sacred privilege could be exercised as intended.
Namecard
| Cyno: Silence | |
|---|---|
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Obtain: Reward for reaching Friendship Level 10 with Cyno Description: Whenever Cyno falls into a profound silence, he must be considering some weighty judgment... Or perhaps he is simply considering something amusing. |
Constellation
| Lupus Aureus | |
|---|---|
 | Story Chapter: Lupus Aureus Meaning: Golden Wolf |
Quests and Events
Archon Quests
- Chapter III
- Act III: Dreams, Emptiness, Deception
- Act IV: King Deshret and the Three Magi
- Act V: Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises
Story Quests
Hangout Events
World Quests
Events
- Fabulous Fungus Frenzy
- Act II: Nilotpala Cup: Debut Match
- Windblume's Breath
- Windblume Festival
- Part I: A Gathering of Outlanders
- Part II: A Riddle Amidst the Crowds
- Part III: Joy Above the Clouds
- Windblume Festival
- A Parade of Providence
- Duel! The Summoners' Summit!
- Round 4: Culminate! Chatter of Joyous Dreams
- Summertide Scales and Tales
- Chromatic Ode of Candies and Roses
Web Events
Character Trials
Quests
- All Returns to Silence in Cyno's Story Quest, Lupus Aureus Chapter: Act I - Sands of Solitude
- Suspicious Smuggling Case in Cyno's Story Quest, Lupus Aureus Chapter: Act I - Sands of Solitude
- The Dead Past is the Living Present in Cyno's Story Quest, Lupus Aureus Chapter: Act II - Oathkeeper
Quest Domains
- Court of Desolation — All Returns to Silence in Cyno's Story Quest, Lupus Aureus Chapter: Act I - Sands of Solitude
Events
- Hyakunin Ikki 2022-10-10
- Misty Dungeon: Realm of Sand
- Vibro-Crystal Verification
- Brewing Developments
- Fayz Trials: Hypothesis
- Misty Dungeon: Realm of Water
- Triumphant Frenzy
- Vibro-Crystal Applications
Test Run Events
- Cyno, Venti, Candace, Kuki Shinobu, Sayu — 2022-09-28
- Dehya, Cyno, Bennett — 2023-03-01
- Cyno, Kamisato Ayato, Kirara, Kuki Shinobu — 2023-11-28
Character Mentions
Character Stories
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Character Voice-Overs
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Mails
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Other Appearances
Manga
After learning about Collei's affliction, which was exacerbated by an injection of ancient gods' remains (archon residue) given to her by the Fatui, Jean brought Lisa a relevant document about the Fatui's experiments, hoping she would be able to read the ancient language it was written in. While Lisa was unable to read the document herself, she knew someone at Sumeru Akademiya who did and sent a letter to her former teacher regarding the matter.
Cyno was sent to handle the matter and arrived in Mondstadt three days later, just as Fatui personnel led by Barnabas arrived to retrieve their documents and apprehend the person who killed their diplomats — Collei. Cyno brought Amber and Collei to Starsnatch Cliff to seal the gods' remains away[2] and successfully put them into a dormant state. Tired from the ordeal, Cyno returned to the City of Mondstadt first and was not present when Barnabas attacked Amber and Collei.[3]
After Barnabas was defeated and Collei was absolved of her involvement in the Black Fire Incident thanks to Diluc and Kaeya's plan, Collei decided to return to Sumeru with Cyno.[4]
Trivia
- Cyno is the first playable male Electro character to be released since Razor and shares several similarities with him:
- They share the same Lupus constellation name; Razor's case is that he was raised by wolves, while Cyno's headdress resembles that of Anubis, a jackal-headed deity, which are also related to wolves.
- Both have white hair and red eyes.
- Their Elemental Bursts cause them to be immune to Electro-Charged reactions, applies Electro to their attacks (although Razor still keeps his physical damage) and is invoked by calling a spirit within them.
- Many aspects of Cyno's overall design draw inspiration from the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise:
- He is a fan of Genius Invokation TCG, a card game similar to Duel Monsters. He actively plays the TCG and owns his own deck of cards.
- One of his idle animations and his Featherfall Judgment icon both feature a prominent eye symbol resembling the one that appears on the franchise's various Millennium Items. Candace also features this eye symbol as part of her design.
- His Special Dish, Duel Soul, is styled like the Millennium Puzzle, and shares its name with an OST from the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series.
- Sacred Rite: Wolf's Swiftness states that a spirit indwells his body and morphs him, similar to what the Pharaoh Atem does to Yugi throughout the anime.
- At Constellation Level 6, the Day of the Jackal effect creates Millennium Puzzle-like symbols around his body.
- He possesses an Egyptian-styled design, hearkening back to the original series of Yu-Gi-Oh!
- In the Fukumoto quests, he's selected to be the model for the protagonist of "King of Invokations," a novel written by Fukumoto with a title strikingly similar to the title of Pharaoh Atem, the "King of Games."
- Cyno is the second character since Hu Tao who has differences in the base artwork used for the Character Introduction Illustration and the Wish Artwork. His right arm is raised to different heights and his left arm is bent at different angles at the elbow. The first character was Rosaria.
- Cyno wields the Staff of the Scarlet Sands in official artwork and during his duel against Alhaitham in the Archon Quest The Four at Loggerheads in Chapter III: Act III - Dreams, Emptiness, Deception.
- The spirit called upon in Cyno's Elemental Burst is likely related to the power of Hermanubis.[5]
- Despite his desert-dweller roots, Cyno lived within the Akademiya since childhood.[6]
- Cyno is older than Tighnari.[7]
- Cyno is known by these aliases or titles:
- King of Invokations[8]
- Cyno is mentioned in the descriptions of the following 7 Furnishings:
Etymology
- The English prefix cyno is derived from the Ancient Greek κύων kúōn, "dog," which could be a reference to the Anubis-like headdress.
- Cyno's title, General Mahamatra, is derived from the Mahamatra (Sanskrit: महामात्र) a group established by the Indian emperor Ashoka who were in charge of justice and religious affairs.
Other Languages
Character Title: Judicator of Secrets
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Judicator of Secrets | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 缄秘的裁遣 Jiānmì de Cáiqiǎn | The Secret Judication |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 緘秘的裁遣 Jiānmì de Cáiqiǎn | |
| Japanese | 緘秘の裁き Kanpi no Sabaki | Judge of Hidden Secrets |
| Korean | 비밀 심판 Bimil Simpan | Secret Judgement |
| Spanish | El Magistrado de lo Arcano | The Magistrate of the Arcane |
| French | Juge des secrets | Judge of Secrets |
| Russian | Вершитель таинств Vershitel' tainstv | Executor of Secrets |
| Thai | การพิพากษาอันซ่อนเร้น Karn Pipaaksa An Son Rein | Secret Judgment |
| Vietnamese | Phán Quyết Ẩn Mật | Hidden Judgement |
| German | Richter über Geheimnisse | Judge Over Secrets |
| Indonesian | Judicator of Secrets | — |
| Portuguese | Juiz dos Segredos | Judge of Secrets |
| Turkish | Sırlar Hakimi | Judge of Secrets |
| Italian | Giustiziere dei segreti | Executioner of Secrets |
References
- ↑ Official Genshin Impact Website: Cyno
- ↑ Manga, Chapter 12: Unshrouded Resolution (Part 1)
- ↑ Manga, Chapter 13: Dual Recurrence
- ↑ Manga, Chapter 16: Talks Over a Drink
- ↑ Event Windblume's Breath Quest, Windblume Festival: Part II, Part 2: A Riddle Amidst the Crowds (post-quest dialogue between Cyno and Lisa)
- ↑ Event Windblume's Breath Quest, Windblume Festival: Part III, Part 3: Joy Above the Clouds
- ↑ Event Windblume's Breath Quest, Windblume Festival: Part II, Part 2: A Riddle Amidst the Crowds
- ↑ Event Duel! The Summoners' Summit! Quest: Round 4, Part 1: Culminate! Chatter of Joyous Dreams
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