The History of Durin, Mini-Durin, and Mondstadt's Dragons

Genshin Impact players are no strangers to the lore of Dragons, who were the earlier rulers of the world of Tevyat. However, with a few exceptions, the power of dragons gradually waned, and then came Mondstadt, the realm of wind.

Mondstadt is mostly known for its Freedom, which was granted by their Archon Barbatos, but in the past, there were Dragons and other enemies who wished to destroy the land of Freedom. Mondstadt has a long history, and it's only possible due to the protection of the Anemo Archon. Still, there is more lore related to Mondstadt than just the Anemo Archon, so let’s follow LDShop as we will be discussing exactly that in the following part of the lore guide.

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Durin - Creation of Rhinedottir

One of the Five Sinners of Khaenri'ah created Durin, one of the powerful dragons of the past. She goes by Rhinedottir, or "Gold," and is a brilliant alchemist as well. Before the Great Cataclysm, when the powerful Kingdom collapsed, Durin was created in Khaenri'ah. This creation of Gold was considered to be one of her finest creations alongside Albedo.

According to the in-game lore, it is suggested that when Primordial Albedo (earlier version) failed, he was left inside the stomach of Durin to rot, which, in fact, might have been the reason why the Dragon's life took a turn for the worse. Before Durin created chaos in Mondstadt and its people, he was considered a peaceful one.

In another in-game lore which is tied to a Sword known as “The Festering Desire”, players get to know that Durin was created in KHaenri’ah by Gold, and she told him to “... Go unto a lovely place, and display your own beauty there with pride…”. This proves that all Gold wanted her creation, Durin, to see the lovely world. Durin also stated that he wished “to go to the land of lovely songs”. There is no better place than Mondstadt when it comes to the land of songs, and he also wanted to share his own songs, which would describe the beauty of Khaenri’ah.

According to the lore, Durin was corrupted by his creator Rhinedottiir and he became a monster who has no regard for human life. He later came to Mondstadt during the Great Cataclysm, and as there was a lack of the Knight of Favonius who were sent to Khaenri’ah, During was able to deal massive damage to the land of Freedom. As no one was defending the land of Mondstadt at that time, Barbatos woke up from his sleep after hearing the prayers of the people and summoned Dvalin for support.

Together, Dvalin and Barbatos fought the corrupted During, and finally, Dvalin managed to land a killing blow, but only after luring him over the snowy mountains of Vindagnyr. After receiving that major blow, Durin fell onto the mountain, and the place where his corpse landed came to be known as Dragonspine. His corpse contaminated the area while reviving the Frostbearing Tree, which was once destroyed by Celestia’s Skyfrost Nail.

Mini-Durin - The Evil Dragon of Simulanka

Mini-Durin was introduced to the players as an event-exclusive NPC during the event Summertide Scales and Tales, also known as Simulanka. It is a world within a book that was created by one of the members of the Hexenzirkel. She created the fictional character “Durin” even though she was heavily warned by the other members, as it could have similarities to its real-life counterparts. This is possible in Genshin Impact because, in this game, names hold value.

As Mini-Durin was based on the creation of Gold, he was always feared by the residents of Simulanka, while all he ever wanted to do was make new friends. However, due to his huge size, he always created havoc wherever he went, so to keep Destruction to a minimum, he eventually moved to the outskirts of Simulanka. Later, he was discovered by the Traveler and Wanderer and learned about the situation. After realizing the situation, everyone, including the Traveler, helped him turn him into a smaller-sized dragon with a friendly face, which should help him make new friends. Later, he was officially re-named as Mini-Durin by Alice, another member of the Hexenzirkel.

Durin later visited Mondstadt for the Windblume Festival, primarily to assist Alberto in taking care of the real Durin. To take care of the real Durin threat that was growing every day, Albedo had to kill it and then transfer it into a synthetic human. Here enters the Mini-Durin, who accepts becoming the synthetic human and does some atonement for his counterpart.

To begin the process, Albedo needed Durin’s Blood from Dragonspine, the flesh of an immortal monster from Mare Javari, and an embryo that was left behind by Albedo’s creator, Rhinedottir. He then completed the process and created Mini-Durin as a synthetic human.

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Dvalin - The Wind Dragon

Dvalin is an Anemo elemental dragon and a close friend of Barbatos. He is also one of the Four Winds of Mondstadt. He and Barbatos had a long history of friendship of around 2000 years, but during the Great Cataclysm, which happened 500 years ago, he was heavily injured during his battle against the corrupted Durin. Dvalin accidentally ingested the corrupted blood of Durin and fell into a deep sleep inside the Decabarian 's Tower to heal himself.

But the Abyssal power poisoned him instead and made him vulnerable to the false information of the Abyss. When the mighty Anemo Dragon woke from his slumber, he thought the people of Mondstadt had forgotten him, and even his best friend had left him. The Abyss took advantage of this confusion and forced him to attack Mondstadt, earning him a new title which is “Stormterror”. Later, his senses came back when his best friend Venti came to help him.

Conclusion

The lore of Durin, Mini-Durin, and Dvalin in Genshin Impact has been deeply intertwined with the history of Mondstadt. Durin was created back in Khaenri’ah by one of the Five Sinners. He was created as a symbol of beauty and pride, but later it was corrupted, which led to the rampage on Mondstadt during the Great Cataclysm. He was defeated by Barbatos and his best mate Dvalin. Although they won, Dvalin paid a heavy price.

Mini-Durin is a fictional reflection of the real Durin in the book world of Simulanka. Here Mini-Durin represents a redemption arc, who transformed from a giant to a friendly dragon. Later, while helping Albedo, he agreed to become a synthetic human being.  His story represents the theme of misunderstanding and the eagerness to connect with various other people, which was the original goal for the Real Durin.

Now comes Dvalin, the Anemo Dragon and one of the Four Winds of Mondstadt. He faced his own challenges after being corrupted by Durin’s Blood and manipulated by the Abyss. But when he needed help, his best friend Venti came back to help him regain his senses. These three lore shows the struggle between creation and Destruction, and the resilience of Mondstadt under the protection of the Anemo Archon, Barbatos (Venti).

Savannah Reed Experienced Game Editor

Savannah Reed is a senior game editor at LDShop.gg, specializing in in-depth coverage of RPG and strategy games. With a strong focus on titles like Wuthering Waves, Honkai: Star Rail and Whiteout Survival, she combines industry insight with firsthand player experience to deliver clear, informative, and actionable content. Her work is dedicated to helping gamers make smarter decisions—whether it’s understanding new updates or optimizing their in-game strategy.