Runeterra

Runeterra is a world where magic never left—it simply learned to hide, rot, bloom, or weaponize itself depending on who found it first. Ancient gods, forgotten empires, and newborn nations all exist at once, layered like scars that never fully healed. Every land believes it is right, every culture calls its survival virtue, and every war is fought by people convinced they are the last line between order and annihilation. Progress and tradition clash constantly: hextech hums beside primal spirits, and steel cities rise over graves that still whisper. Power in Runeterra is never free—it remembers who wielded it, and it always asks for more. The world does not revolve around heroes or villains, only choices that echo longer than the people who make them. 1. High Magic, High Stakes Runeterra is decidedly High Magic. The world was literally forged using "World Runes"—artifacts of raw, god-like power. The Foundation: Magic isn't just a tool; it is a fundamental force of nature that permeates the land. It flows from the Spirit Realm (an overlapping dimension of emotions and spirits) into the Material Realm. The Volatility: Magic is dangerous. Historical "Rune Wars" nearly destroyed the planet, leading some nations (like Demacia) to fear and outlaw magic entirely, while others (like Ionia) live in symbiotic harmony with it. 2. Technology Level: "Arcanepunk" The technology in Runeterra is a "schizo-tech" mix, varying wildly by region. You have everything from medieval knights to cyborgs. The most unique elements are: Hextech (Piltover): A fusion of elemental magic and mechanical engineering. It uses "Hex-crystals" (the life-force of an ancient race called the Brackern) to power everything from teleportation gates to power tools. Chemtech (Zaun): The grittier, "biopunk" alternative. It uses volatile chemicals and industrial runoff to power augmentations and weaponry. It’s cheap, toxic, and often results in horrific mutations. Standard Medieval/Ancient: Other regions like the Freljord (Viking-style) or Shurima (Ancient Egyptian-style) rely on enchanted steel, ice-magic, or celestial sun-power. 3. Unique Elements What sets Runeterra apart from generic fantasy worlds like Middle-earth or Azeroth is its extreme regional diversity. Instead of one unified "vibe," the world is a patchwork of distinct aesthetics.

Runeterra is an oblate spheroid planet,the currently known continents the planet comprises are Valoran, Shurima and the Camavoran Continent. It also boasts several large bodies of water, such as the currently known 18 Seas (like the Conqueror's Sea and the Guardian's Sea), and 2 Oceans with several archipelagos and islands around them (like Ionia, the Serpent Isles, and the Shadow Isles). 1. Valoran Continent: The northern continent of Runeterra. Valoran is connected to the now Shuriman Continent through a small artificial land bridge where modern day Piltover and Zaun are located, which was once the center location of the continent before the event that shattered the continent into two. While the most well-known regions of the continent are Demacia Crest icon Demacia, Noxus Crest icon Noxus and Freljord Crest icon Freljord, there are also hundreds of smaller states and nations that are not part of them. Almost all nations and factions of present-day Runeterra are based on Valoran. 1.1. Demacia: A strong, lawful kingdom with a prestigious military history, Demacia's people have always valued the ideals of justice, honor, and duty most highly, and are fiercely proud of their cultural heritage. But in spite of these lofty principles, this largely self-sufficient nation has grown more insular and isolationist in recent centuries. Now, Demacia is a kingdom in turmoil. The capital, the Great City of Demacia, was founded as a refuge from sorcery after the nightmare of the Rune Wars, and built upon the riddle of petricite—a peculiar white stone that dampens magical energy. It is from here that the royal family has long seen to the defense of the outlying towns and villages, farmland, forests, and mountains rich with mineral resources. However, following the sudden death of King Jarvan III, the other noble families have not yet approved the succession of his sole heir, young Prince Jarvan, to the throne. Those who dwell beyond the heavily guarded borders are increasingly viewed with suspicion, and many former allies have begun to look elsewhere for protection, in these uncertain times. Some dare to whisper that the golden age of Demacia has passed, and unless its people are willing to adapt to a changing world—something many believe they are simply incapable of doing—the kingdom's decline may be inevitable. And all the petricite in the land will not protect Demacia from itself. The Kingdom of Demacia (commonly referred to as Demacia) is a nation located in the Western part of Valoran, sharing its borders with Freljord and is close to bordering with Noxus. 1.1.1. The Great City of Demacia: The largest city in the Kingdom. The capital, located in the western part of Demacia, is the main political, cultural, religious, military, economic, and educational center of the country. Demacia sees itself as a shining beacon of hope for humanity, and as such, the nation and its Capital are the visual representations of this concept. Towering spires punctuate its skyline; Petricite (a pale, magic-resistant stone) and marble are the materials of choice. The noble houses that reside within the city include Buvelle, Crownguard and Laurent. The Royal Palace of House Lightshield is from which the king of Demacia reigns. The city also has a barracks and a penitentiary, like most cities throughout the kingdom. The Capital itself sits next to a harbor overlooking the Conqueror's Sea, with the majority of the surrounding towns resting on a plateau. ⚔️ North Demacia City: Geographical western part of the city, The Last Gate and Noble Family Residences are located in this part of the city. ⚔️ Memorial Road: A pilgrimage road where Demacians give honor to their fallen from numerous wars. ⚔️ Galio Monument: Situated on the Memorial Road, it is the resting place of the colossus known as Galio. ⚔️ Noble Family Residences: Located near the center of the capital, this wealthy district of the city is the seat of residence for most of the noble houses in the capital. ⚔️ The Last Gate: A main entrance to the Grand City of Demacia. Its road leads directly to Noble family residences and ends at the King's Rock in the center of the city. ⚔️ East Demacia City: Geographical southern part of the city; the Silverwing Aviaries are located in this part. ⚔️ Sepulchral Halls: Main religious area of the city. ⚔️ The Circle of the Illuminators: A clandestine order headquartered in the city; the Illuminators are one of the few groups in Demacia where mages are accepted; members are tasked with protecting the kingdom's borders. One of its members is Lux Crownguard. ⚔️ Temple of the Lightbringers: One of the oldest structures in the capital, this temple honors the legend of the Winged Protectors, which embody the Demacian ideals of duty, honor, and tradition. ⚔️ Silverwing Aviaries: The complex is the capitals main housing area for the Silverwing Raptors. ⚔️ South Demacia City: Geographical western part of the city; the City Harbor is located in this part of the city. ⚔️ City Harbor: The harbor is situated on its own rocky island. Due to impassable rocky cliff side, the harbor area only connected to the rest of the city via a constructed bridge that spans across the surrounding cliff side. ⚔️ West Demacia City: Geographical northern part of the city, Military District and Mageseekers Complex are located in this part of the city. ⚔️ Dregbourne: A one of the districts settlements located in the western part of the capital. It is the birthplace of Sylas. ⚔️ Mageseekers Complex: A large headquarter for the Mageseekers, this building stands out because of its impressive colossal marble eagle standing on top of the building. It also houses Demacian mages which are imprisoned and locked in order not to wreak havoc and destruction in the Capital. It also houses the infamous Sylas of Dregbourne. ⚔️ Arcane Registry: A large, secured library which houses all confiscated magical tomes, scrolls, and other materials. Only highborn and nobility are allowed access. There is at least one locked vault that holds the scrolls making up Durand's original texts, such as the design specs of Galio Galio. ⚔️ Military District: The main army district of the city. It is the location of the kingdoms many military barracks and penitentiaries. ⚔️ Central Demacia City: The heart of the city, it is the location of the Kingdoms royal palace. ⚔️ Alabaster Library: The Library is one of the most beautiful houses of knowledge in all of Valoran; according to Taric, it houses the poetry of Tung among its many works. ⚔️ King's Rock: A rocky mount located in the center of the city from which The Citadel of the Dawn is carved from. ⚔️ The Citadel of Dawn: Situated in the center of the capital, it is the main palace of the royal Lightshield dynasty. ⚔️ The Hall of Valor: The Throne Room, where fallen Demacian Warriors are remembered for their sacrifice. ⚔️ The Grand Plaza: Situated out front the Citadel of Dawn in the heart of the Great City is a wide, open courtyard welcoming mass crowds to applaud those honored by the crown. ⚔️ Palace Gardens: Located within the Grand Plaza area, the area was the favorite are of the late Queen Catherine. The gardens are well maintained, with carefully placed topiary, sculptures, and other flora. 1.1.2. North Demacia ⚔️ Rocky Highlands: The Rocky Highlands, or the Demacian hinterlands, are the mountainous region of northern Demacia, bordering with Freljord. ⚔️ Fossbarrow: Located in the far north of Demacia, bordering with the Freljord. The town is named after the Demacian hero Fossian Crownguard, whose tomb is near the town itself. It was the site of a horrific incident between the Dauntless Vanguard and an unknown nightmarish shade that threatened the town. The town occupies the banks of the Serpentrion, a thundering river that rose in the mountains and snaked to the western coast. The town's walls of polished granite follow the line of the hills, and the buildings within are wrought from stone, seasoned timber and bottle-green roof tiles. The tower of a Lightbringer temple is located in the eastern part of town. The current Magistrate of Fossbarrow is Lady Giselle. ⚔️ Fossian Crownguard's Tomb: Location where an evil spirit possessed a child which was later saved by Lux Crownguard. ⚔️ Temple of the Lightbringers: A local temple of the Lightbringer. ⚔️ High Silvermere: It is a large city in the rocky highlands of northern Demacia. It is known as the City of Raptors, due to its large native population of silverwing raptors. The original Crownguard family mansion is located in High Silvermere, at the foot of Knight's Rock. ⚔️ Knight's Rock: A rocky mount at the edge of a waterfall. ⚔️ House Crownguard Mansion: The main home of the Crownguard family. ⚔️ Raptor Aerie: Located on the top of Knight's Rock, the Aerie is the headquarters of the Raptor-Knights and their mounts. ⚔️ Petricite Grove: One of many similar forests in Demacia, it is the location of the rare petrified flora with magical absorbing properties. ⚔️ Demacian Vault: Deep beneath the ancient petricite groves, Ryze has found a forgotten vault where the volatile energies of the World Rune shards can be safely contained. ⚔️ Uwendale: A remote mountain hamlet in the northeastern hinterlands of Demacia, Uwendale was the birthplace of Quinn Buvelle and her brother Caleb Buvelle. It is a thriving town of hunters and farmers, protected by mountain rangers expert in intercepting and killing any monsters that come down from the high peaks to hunt. The nearby towns harbor wyverns, rabid wolves, and bandits, though these foes were once thwarted by an unknown hero. ⚔️ Zeffira: A great old city in the mainland of Demacia, probably it is here where Kayle and Morgana were raised by their father at first time. This city is as large as the Great City. 1.1.3. East Demacia ⚔️ Cloudfield: A settlement located in eastern Demacia, south of the Greenfang Mountains. Hometown of Cithria. ⚔️ Greenfang Mountains: During the Battle of the Greenfangs, it was the site where Galio first awakened. ⚔️ Everpeak: A settlement located on the southeastern slopes of the Greenfang Mountains. ⚔️ Graygate: One of the main entrances to Demacian territory. Located at the East Wall, Meltridge is its closest settlement. Arbormark representative used this entrance to get inside Demacia. ⚔️ Meltridge: A settlement located in the eastern part of Demacia. Meltridge was a peaceful settlement before the Mage rebellion. While ignored due to their small amount of magic, the rebellion prompted the ⚔️ Mageseekers to gather all the inhabitants of Meltridge with even a shred of magic within them. This has almost led to a civil unrest against the Demacian military and Mageseekers. ⚔️ Paisfield: A settlement located in eastern Demacia, south of the Greenfang Mountains. ⚔️ Sacred Woods: A magical forest where the Veiled Lady's secluded refuge is located. 1.1.3. South Demacia ⚔️ Evenmoor: A mountain settlement, it was the sight of the Battle of Evenmoor where Jarvan IV led the Demacian forces against a force known as the Argoth. ⚔️ Lower Demacia: is a plain region located in southern Demacia. ⚔️ Cloudwoods: A coastal forest just south of the Capital. Cloudwoods is made out of thick, towering evergreen redbarks that form an imposing skyline south of the Great City. It is an ideal place to hide from any search parties, and a good foraging ground. ⚔️ Vaskasia: A group of coastal settlements known for their timber industry. ⚔️ Jandelle: A settlement located to the east of Demacia city. In the Day of Lost Light, a Noxian assassin struck down Castle Jandelle's commander. The killer escaped battalions of knights dispatched to capture him, but Quinn and Valor (her eagle) tracked and killed the assassin after a night of lethal traps, counterattacks and ambushes. She returned with the assassin's blade, earning the nickname, Demacia's Wings. ⚔️ The Golden Round: A large and lavish theater where royalty comes to watch its numerous plays. Magga, a famous actress, once played on its stages. ⚔️ Terbisia: A riverside settlement located in Lower Demacia of southern Demacia, south of the Greenfang Mountains. It was badly destroyed after an earthquake. Lux and the Illuminators came to give aid to the devastated city. ⚔️ Needlebrook: An isolated coastal settlement, this town was the first refuge of the famous actress Magga after her previous companions' murders. ⚔️ Wrenwall: A fortified border settlement located at the mountains next to the Argent Mountains. ⚔️ Wrenwall Castle: It was built as a safe haven for refugees during the cataclysmic upheaval of the Rune Wars. This was where Jarvan IV and Shyvana slew the black dragon known as Yvva. 1.1.4. West Demacia ⚔️ Ehrenmount: A coastal settlement of Demacia. It houses a training camp and arena where future duelists and soldiers such as those that wish to join the Dauntless Vanguard go to learn and hone their skills. ⚔️ Serpentrion River: A thundering river that rose in the mountains and snaked to the western coast. ⚔️ Edessa: The closest of four nearby, clustered towns to Demacia City, located in the north-east part of Demacia on the banks of the Serpentrion River. ⚔️ Lissus: The third of four clustered villages, and the third stop on the way from Demacia City to High Silvermere. ⚔️ Pinara: The second of four clustered villages, and the second stop on the way from Demacia City to High Silvermere. ⚔️ Velorus: The closest of four clustered towns to High Silvermere. ⚔️ Westerley: A peninsula at the west most part of Demacia. ⚔️ Dawnhold: Dawnhold is a coastal fortified settlement. At the Battle of Dawnhold, Freljordian sea-wolf fleet was defeated by Knight Varya of the Dauntless Vanguard. She set their ships ablaze and even wounded nigh unto death, cut down their berserk leader. Rodion, her twin brother, had sailed north to Frostheld and burned the Freljordian harbor city to the ground, so that no others would dare sail south to wreak havoc again. 1.2. Noxus: Noxus is a powerful empire with a fearsome reputation. To those beyond its borders, Noxus is brutal, expansionist, and threatening. Its people were once a fierce reaver culture until they stormed the ancient city that now lies at the heart of their empire. Under threat from all sides, they aggressively took the fight to their enemies, pushing their borders outward with every passing year. This struggle for survival has made the Noxians a deeply proud people who value strength above all, though that strength can manifest by many different means. The Empire of Noxus (commonly referred to as Noxus) is a massive expansionist culture, constantly moving its borders further outward and currently sits as the biggest empire in Runeterra. But the capital is located on the eastern territory of Valoran, sharing its borders with Freljord, Shurima, and several city-states such as Piltover and Zaun. It also is close to bordering Demacia. 1.2.1. The Immortal Bastion: Situated in the heartlands of what would later become the Noxian empire, the Immortal Bastion was built by a dreaded sorcerer in a far distant age. Yet eventually besieged and conquered by a confederation of barbarian tribes who would make the stronghold their new capital. Within the stronghold's walls, the streets and alleyways are narrow and twisting, designed to stifle and frustrate any attacking force that managed to penetrate the fortress outer defenses. The rooftops are flat and crenelated, like the battlements of a castle, allowing soldiers above to dominate any enemy below. While nowhere near as pristine in appearance as the Great City of Demacia, the city is the visual representation of the empire's austere nature. Many noble houses are located in the capital, such as House Du Couteau. The city is also the headquarters of the enigmatic Black Rose cabal. 🩸 Mortoraa: Translated into Iron Gate, is a small district within the Immortal Bastion, known for being one of the wealthiest neighborhoods as well as home to the mysterious socialite, Vladimir. Unlike many other districts which are typically cramped, the streets in Mortoraa are luxurious and comfortably spacious. However, at night it has a reputation as the most ominous district for the streets are never illuminated with torch-light or lanterns. 🩸 Bastion Center Tri-Towers: Located at the center of the Bastion, it is a place forbidden by the order of the Trifarix due to it not being under their control, and anyone who tries to go there must therefore be an enemy of Noxus. It is possibly the headquarters of the Black Rose. 🩸 Shrine of the Wolf: A tall, multi-tiered tower with open sides, butting up against the old southern bulwarks of the Immortal Bastion. Each level of the tower is held aloft by three pillars of dark stone. In the center of the tower, looming almost fifty feet high, is a massive obsidian statue of a seated wolf. 🩸 Stairs of Triumph: A long unbroken flight of stairs leading to the Audience Chamber. Going to the Audience Chamber, a pair of liveried Legionnaires clad in dark steel stand sentinel every twelve steps. 🩸 Audience Chamber: An old cavernous throne room, large enough to house over a thousand petitioners. While Boram Darkwill once perched on the throne, the Trifarix who now lead Noxus sit at a simple marble table at the foot of the throne's raised platform to discuss the future of Noxus and hear petitions from leaders of its regions. 🩸 Sion's Memorial: This memorial and tomb is dedicated to Sion, a Noxian war hero celebrated as the killer of the Demacian king Jarvan I. It was later used to contain the resurrected form of Sion before Swain, with the aid of the Black Rose, was successfully able to control him by the use of Jarvan IV's blood. The current state of this memorial is unknown, though the former man once housed in it unwillingly serves Noxus once more. 🩸 Slums: The sprawl of dwellings built beyond the battle scarred walls of the Noxian capital where many people live in abject poverty and death is commonplace. Tally-men of Kindred often notch their staffs and bare bodies from the almshouses. 🩸 The Fleshing Arena: Noxus has been renowned for a festival called The Fleshing, though it is unknown if this still continues. It is a gladiatorial event with a cruel twist: as a fighter wins their matches, the number of opponents they fight simultaneously, generally other prisoners of war, increases. This meant eventual death for every contender, though also unparalleled glory. Both Xin Zhao and Alistar are survivors of the spectacle, with Xin Zhao holding the record for defeating the most opponents. 🩸 Zagayah Enclave: Coastal enclave inhabited by Shurimans who joined the empire on tented pavilions. It is known for its desert marching songs. 1.2.2. North Noxus. 🩸 Dalamor Plain: Located at the northern edge of Noxus, many travelers have lost their lives in this unforgiving wasteland. Due to the dusty climate and perhaps also the presence of a certain murderous yordle and his mythic drakalops, most Noxians avoid traveling through the area, with its only populated settlement for hundreds of miles being the village of Drugne. 🩸 Drugne: An isolated town north of the Dalmor Plains and southeast of the Ironspike Mountains. 🩸 Ironspike Mountains: They are a relatively small mountain range located in the southeast. Noxus has territory here, in the Delverhold. 🩸 Delverhold: Between Noxus and the cold tundra of the Freljord lies Delverhold: A fortress settled at the foot of the Ironspike Mountains where it has prospered from the wealth of gold and iron ore quarried from the mountains. It was originally a kingdom of its own independence, that is until the empire of Noxus encroached about eighty-seven years ago. In fear of annihilation, the Delverhold king relinquished his authority and swore loyalty to the foreign emperor. Now its people work endlessly to supply Noxus with armor and weapons crafted with the iron they mine; and in turn, are never drafted to fight for the empire. 🩸 Hastur's Home: Former home of the Hastur family. It has since burned down due to Annie's uncontrolled abilities. 🩸 Kimir: A Noxian mining city in northern Valoran. The city is currently led by Steward Colm Onren and is the leading exporter of Noxian granite in the north. 🩸 Kimir's Graveyard: Kimir's graveyard is located just outside of the city. Its burials are adorned with gravestones and statues in the likenesses of the deceased. 🩸 Kimir's Longhall: Kimir's founders had raised its long hall many generations ago, not far from the quarry whose stone laid its foundation. 🩸 Kimir's Quarries: Kimir's oldest quarry was unequaled in the north. It was nestled between a trio of high foothills, the inverted ziggurat slowing bite into their height. From a certain hill, one could see the mountains to the east, the forests to the north, and the city's walls just a short trek southwest. Soapstone, alabaster, clay, limestone, slate and granite can be found in these quarries. 🩸 Morrin: A Noxian town located in northern Valoran. Close to Kimir, their neighbors' flowers were highly coveted by Morrin. 🩸 Urtis: A northern frontier settlement of Noxus. It was previously its own independent kingdom until its king was killed by Darius. 1.2.3. East Noxus 🩸 Bloodcliffs: Built into the cliffs near an estuary, Bloodcliff neighbors the Immortal Bastion and Basilich on the eastern coast of Valoran. The city's current leader is Steward Hovri IV. One of its main sources of trade are rough grades, which are used for establishing foundations of buildings. 🩸 Drakkengate: Located on the eastern coast of Valoran, the city's current leader is Steward Algor Nimchi. It has been in control of Noxus ever since the Draken campaign, led by Kled. Its most well-known export is its fine mudpacks (for bricks perhaps), though unfortunately its products seem to be tainted by adulterants: peach slugs, nacre powder, Nirpooti skins, Freljordian grain milk, Honeyfruit seeds, and Ionian silver pomace. 🩸 Drekan: The closest settlement to The Immortal Bastion. 🩸 Khom: A village where Ryze was born; this village was completely obliterated during the Rune Wars. 1.2.4. South Noxus 🩸 Argent Mountains: A vast mountain range located in the southwestern part of Valoran. Noxus controls a small portion of the mountain range on its south-eastern and south-western parts. Its coastline has Noxian conquered settlements of Glorft, Kilgrove, and Trevale. The mountain range borders close to the Varju mountains on the east and the Gates of Mourning on the west. 🩸 Gates of Mourning: They are located in the southwestern tip Noxus and central Valoran. They were used to guard the neighboring lands from Noxian invasion before their recent fall. They are also located west of Hvardis. The Gates are the location of the first battles between Demacia and Noxus. In modern times it was retaken by the Trifarian Legion. 🩸 Glorft: Located south of the Argent Mountains on the coast. It is unknown if this city is under control of Noxus but it was the location for the Assault on Glorft, led by Kled. 🩸 Hvardis: A city that was located at the edge of the Argent Mountains near the Gates of Mourning. It has since been decimated by Sion as ordered by Swain to discourage and further rebellion from conquered settlements. 🩸 Kilgrove: Located south of the Argent Mountains on the coast, Kilgrove is currently led by Steward Dauvin, who seems to have replaced his predecessor Thomark quite recently. Its primary export is Kilgrovian cloudcedar. 🩸 Trevale: a farming village on the western edge of Noxian territory. Kled was part of the initial Noxian party that sacked the village. Riven was born and raised here. 🩸 Fallgren: One of two islands located off the coast of Basilich, the island city of Fallgren has been under control by Noxus ever since the Battle of Fallgren, purportedly spearheaded by Kled. Presently, the city is governed by Steward Jeon. Many tubes used in Zaun have been made here by Hedicila Elastica. 🩸 The Great Barrier: A large mountain range stretching at the edge of southeastern Valoran. It was once the sight of many battles and scattered ruins of cities and other settlements destroyed during the Rune Wars. 🩸 Basilich: Located on the eastern coast of Valoran is the port city of Basilich, which was integrated into the Noxian Empire 32 years ago after the city's elders submitted to Captain Cyrus and his army. Nowadays Basilich has been among a few cities that have attempted to rebel from the hold of Noxus. Most recently, when the city's steward Quilletta Varn lost her faith in the Empire and sparked a revolution for independence. For acts of defiance, the city was besieged personally by the Hand of Noxus - Darius, who was also raised on the streets of Basilich as an orphan. The ongoing rebellion ended after the steward was murdered and replaced by Quilletta's second-in-command and daughter, Invetia Varn. The city is well known for its paintings made out of cobwebs. 🩸 Ironwater: Located on the coast of the Guardian's Sea and east of Trannit, Ironwater is currently governed by steward Arron. Its primary export is beet wine. 🩸 Krexor: Located east of Piltover, it is governed by Steward Lisabetya, the latest in a long list of governors. The city is known for its Minotaur smiths. 🩸 Trannit: Located on the coast of the Guardian's Sea and west of Ironwater, Trannit is currently governed by steward Eranolaj Smik. It primarily exports dried Bolbo fish, which can be made into a local delicacy - boiled Bolbo-head soup. 🩸 Vindor: Located south of Basilich and west of the Fallgren islands, it is currently governed by Steward Amenesce. The city is well known for its Light Vindoran horse breed, bred for desert use. The Noxian Dark Riders are said to specifically only ride breeds from this area. 🩸 Varju Mountains: A small mountain range bordering the Argent Mountains. 🩸 Rokrund Plains: The Plains are located at the footholds of the Vajru Mountains. 🩸 Rokrund: Located on the Rokrund Plains in southern Valoran, and neighbor to Qualthala. Rokrund is currently governed by steward Katye. Its primary export is the naap, a type of twisting root vegetable. 🩸 Qualthala: The site of the Siege of Qualthala, led by Kled. 1.2.5. Noxian Ionia 🩸 Bahrl: An island in the central part of the chain, south of the main island of Ionia. The villages of Tevasa and Wuju are located here, as is the Epool River, where Zed found Kayn. It is the sight of the first Noxian uses of Zaunite bioweapons. To this day, Noxus controls the lower half of the island province. 🩸 Fae'lor: A small island to the west of the main island of Ionia. It is the location of the Dael'eh Ahira, the Dreaming Pool, which previously imprisoned Syndra. Its famous monastery school was converted into a Noxian fort during the invasion. The island has since been stripped bare by Syndra's power, and the fort ripped free of its foundations. 🩸 Fae'lor Castle: The fortress of Fae'lor was built upon the westernmost island of Ionia. Highly defensible, this place had remained for centuries, standing against countless foes, before being finally overrun after a long siege during the Noxian invasion. Its famous monastery school was converted into a Noxian fort during the invasion. 🩸 Dael'eh Ahira Pool: Dael'eh Ahira, or the Dreaming Pool, a spiritually magical pool that previously imprisoned Syndra. Currently it imprisons a vastaya named Kalan. 🩸 Navori: Located in Ionia, the province of Navori spans the western half of Ionia and is home to various villages, prestigious schools, sacred magical gardens, and the iconic Placidium of Navori. Noxus controls the southwestern edge of the province. 1.2.6. Noxian Shurima 🩸 Bel'zhun: Located in northern Shurima, this outpost has previously been controlled by Hagyos Valif and Hazir Ima'Sai but is currently led by a Noxian steward named Dorrik. The city has had a large rebel insurgency against Noxian rule. Known as the Suns of Bel'Zhun, they frequently trade weapons with Clan Medarda of Piltover. The plates and wool of the native Hwatis, goatlike creatures with bony casques on their heads, are prized for felting and insulation. 🩸 Tereshni: This Shuriman port city is currently controlled by Noxus and led by Steward Ta'Fik. The city's best-known export is Shuriman Azirite (aka blood glass), named after the current Shuriman Emperor, Azir. 🩸 Urzeris: Located in the northern coast of Shurima, this port city is currently occupied by Noxus, and its current governor is Steward Zikka Taum'Vin. Its most well-known trade good is Urzeris Salt. Marcus Du Couteau with his family was stationed close to the governor of Uzeris before his assassination. Both Katarina and Cassiopeia lived here during their younger years. 1.3. Freljord: The Freljord is a harsh and unforgiving land. Proud and fiercely independent, its people are born warriors, with a strong raiding culture. While there are many individual tribes within the Freljord, the battle lines are being drawn in a three-way civil war that will determine the future of them all. One tribe unflinchingly honors the traditions that have ensured its survival; another follows the dream of a united future, as foretold by a young idealist; while the third worships the power of an enigmatic sorceress. Freljord is also the only place where True Ice can be found. Freljord is located in the Northest part of Valoran bordering Demacia and Noxus. 1.3.1. North Freljord ❄️ Ridgeback Mountains: Vast mountain range that stretches across the entire northern half of the Freljord. ❄️ Frost-Troll Village: It is located on the Ridgeback Mountains of northern Freljord. It is the main settlement of the Frost-Trolls, currently ruled by Trundle. ❄️ Frosthorn Peak: East peaks of the Ridgeback Mountains. Connects the Frostguard Citadel with the rest of the Freljord. ❄️ Fortress of the Iceborn: The ruined Fortress of the Iceborn houses a great vault full of ancient artifacts and fallen warriors. ❄️ Ghulfrost: Located on top of the ice cliffs of the Ridgeback Mountains, Ghulfrost is an unmarked cairn in the snow where Ashe discover a legendary bow made entirely of True Ice buried in the rocks. ❄️ Ice Children Village: A farming village. Settlement of herders and warriors, rivals of the Avarosan tribe. ❄️ Ornnkaal Rocks: A coastal pilgrimage site visited by Sejuani and Ashe's tribes during the summers of their youth, with plentiful fishing and many fields for grazing animals. ❄️ Quchar: Home of the Ebrataal, a magic-less community who were the first to follow Ashe as the leader of the Avarosan tribe. ❄️ Vathcaer: An Avarosan settlement. It is the village where Ashe grew up, previously controlled by her mother, Grena. ❄️ Yadulsk: Winter's Claw village where Sejuani's mother Kalkia temporarily settled the tribe during her rule. Traditionally, Winter's Claw tribes relocate every winter, rebuilding their villages out of their ships and scavenged materials. ❄️ Yeti's Vigil: Ruins of the lost yeti civilization. Where dreams swirl in snow, an unlikely friendship was born. This is the location where Nunu met and befriended Willump. ❄️ Ursine Lands: It is a land that can be found just above northern Freljord, being separated from the rest of Valoran by the Ice Sea. This is where the demigod Volibear has staked out territory via his followers, the Ursine. It is probably located at or near the North Pole of Runeterra. 1.3.2. East Freljord ❄️ Broken Mountain: is a mountain located in the southeastern part of the Freljord. ❄️ Hearth-Home: Once a great settlement of smiths and craftsman inspired by its patron Ornn, it was later unintentionally destroyed when the demigod encountered and fought Volibear. Rebuilt by Ornn, he has remained secluded and isolated from the rest of the Freljord after the destruction of the first Hearth-Home. ❄️ Winterspike: A region located in southeastern Freljord, south to the Broken Mountain. Warded Gateway: Frozen cavern system leading towards Frostguard settlements. ❄️ Foundling Village: In the shadow of their great Citadel, the Frostguard shelter children orphaned by the cold. This is where Nunu was placed after he got separated from his mother when bandits attacked his tribe. ❄️ Howling Abyss: It serves as the massive chasm prison of the Watchers. The Howling Abyss was the location of the last battle that sealed the Watchers several millennia ago. ❄️ Bridges of the Iceborn: There are numerous bridges spanning the abyss, such as the Bridge of Sorrows, Bridge of Shadow, and Bridge of the Lost. At its lower ends True Ice and its variants Dark Ice can be found. ❄️ Spiked Barricades: At key points throughout the Howling Abyss, gigantic spiked barricades of stone and iron were set into the walls by the Frostguard, many thousands of years ago. One day, when the Watchers reawaken, these meager defenses may buy some precious time for those above to prepare for the final battle. ❄️ The Hall of the Nine, located there and constructed by the Yeti, serves as the protective barrier that seals the Watchers. Every year, several Frostguard climb down its icy walls to get to the Hall of the Nine in order to inspect the barriers state. ❄️ Frostguard Citadel: Located in north-eastern part of Freljord, the Frostguard Citadel is an ancient stronghold built to watch over the dark chasm of the Howling Abyss; the Citadel also houses many of the Freljord's hidden treasures and historical records. It serves as Lissandra and her Frostguard's seat of power and holy pilgrimate site. This is where Nunu found out about the yeti later named Willump. It is only accessible by the Bridge of Sorrows above the Howling Abyss. ❄️ Vaulted Audience Chamber: In the deepest halls of the Frostguard Citadel, Lissandra spends most of her waking hours in this grand, vaulted audience chamber. It is from here that she delivers her chilling sermons, hears the reports of her priests...and passes judgment on the fate of heretics among the tribes they serve. 1.3.3. South Freljord ❄️ Ironspike Mountains: They are a relatively small mountain range located in the southeast. Noxus has territory here, in the Delverhold. ❄️ Naljaäg: A simple milling settlement beneath a waterfall. Its original name has been lost to stone. It was cursed until Nunu and Willump cleansed the area. ❄️ Rakelstake: Located in south Freljord, Rakelstake was once a village where the Tribe of the Ice Dervish lived. Now it serves as a pilgrimage site for the Avarosans. A statue of Avarosa guards the entrance to the pilgrimage site. This is where Ashe and Tryndamere were oathbound. 1.3.4. West Freljord ❄️ Da'arvong: A settlement that was near the coastal shores. While defending her tribe from a brutal attack, a young warmother entrusted Braum with the safety of her infant child from Lissandra's Frostguards. ❄️ Lokfar: A western peninsula that is home to Olaf and his tribe. ❄️ Frostheld: Situated within a glacial harbor in south-west Freljord, this city served as the former capital of the Avarosan tribes until it was burnt down by a Demacian fleet, led by Rodian of the Dauntless Vanguard. ❄️ Glaserport: A settlement located on the Lokfar peninsula in western Freljord. Glaserport has an ice locked harbor where Freljordians chain their wolfships during the harsh winters, the natural harbor providing shelter from ice and snow. The majority of those wolf-ships are in the possession of the Winter's Claw. ❄️ Rygann's Reach: Rumored to have been cursed by an evil mage and her son, the settlement that once stood here was burned to the ground many centuries ago. ❄️ Valar's Hollow: A Trader settlement. For countless generations, merchants and traders would gather here throughout the winter months, before venturing into the icy north. 1.4. Piltover: Piltover, also known as the City of Progress, is a thriving, progressive city whose power and influence is on the rise. It is Valoran's cultural center, where art, craftsmanship, trade and innovation walk hand in hand. Its power comes not through military might, but the engines of commerce and forward thinking. Situated on the cliffs above the district of Zaun and overlooking the ocean, fleets of ships pass through its titanic sea-gates, bringing goods from all over the world. The wealth this generates has given rise to an unprecedented boom in the city's growth. Piltover has - and still is - reinventing itself as a city where fortunes can be made and dreams can be lived. Burgeoning merchant clans fund development in the most incredible endeavors: grand artistic follies, esoteric hextech research, and architectural monuments to their power. With ever more inventors delving into the emergent lore of hextech, Piltover has become a lodestone for the most skilled craftsmen the world over. Piltover is a city-state located on an isthmus between Valoran and Shurima. Dual city-states that control the major trade routes between Valoran and Shurima. Home both to visionary inventors and their wealthy patrons, the divide between social classes is becoming more dangerous. 1.4.1. North Piltover 🔧 Bluewind Court: The most influential individuals of Piltover live in Bluewind Court, located in northern Piltover. The north of the city is where the bulk of the clans have their mansions and heavily guarded workshop compounds, such as the mansions of clans Arvino, Cadwalder, Ferros, Giopara, Holloran, Kozari, Medarda, Morichi and Torek. 🔧 Jayce's Laboratory: As part of the Giopara Mansion, the lab the work area of the city's famous guardian, Jayce. It is the place where he himself made his famous Mercury Hammer, which was later used against Viktor. 🔧 Workshop of The Horological Institute: Workshops of hextech researchers are magnificent examples of what a wealthy patron can do for an inventor. 🔧 Count Mei's Menagerie: A type of Zoo, funded by Count Mei, that houses a large assortment of flora and fauna from across Runeterra. It was recently vandalized by Jinx. 🔧 Drawsmith Arcade: A vaulted structure of colored glass and ironwork columns containing several theatres. 🔧 Heimerdinger's Pyrotechnic Provisions: The workshop of the yordle inventor; Cecil B. Heimerdinger's many inventions have been imagined, created, tested, and sold in this establishment. 🔧 Mainspring Crescent: The fashionable promenade of cafes, bistros, and supper clubs. The Drawsmith Arcade contains small theatres. 🔧 Reveck House: Residence of Corin Reveck, the city's famous clockwork inventor. He lived there by selling a collection of clockwork figurines left behind by his daughter, Orianna, before she gave into the sickness for the benefit of others and was replaced with hextech. 🔧 Sidereal Avenue: The streets of Piltover are rumored to be paved with gold, but to the disappointment of many a hopeful traveler, that is simply a metaphor. However, the city's most wondrous structures and streetscapes are funded by the merchant clans, who flaunt their wealth as much as possible. Such place is the Sidereal Avenue, home to the Piltover Treasury. 🔧 The Ecliptic Vaults: Located in Sidereal Avenue were once considered to be Piltover's most secure bank, before Jinx breached their heavily reinforced walls. 🔧 Clockwork Vault: Located at the Southern part of the city. This bank was considered secure as well, only to also be broken into, this time by Twisted Fate and Graves. 🔧 Zindelo's Incognium Runeterra: Zidelo's Incognium Runeterra is located in the Incognia Plaza, connected to the Sidereal Avenue in southern Piltover. The lifetime's work of Valentina Zindelo, the Incognium Runeterra is a device she claimed was able to locate any individual in the world. Since Zindelo's mysterious death, many believe her alchemical formulae to have been stolen. The contraption is left inoperable. 🔧 The Explorers Guild House: The House of the Official Piltover Guild for explorers, they are tasked at funding, monitoring, and acquiring archaeological artifacts from its guild members from across Runeterra. These artifacts are later used for research or placed in one of many Piltover museums. 1.4.2. South Piltover 🔧 Ezreal's House: One of the city's most famous residence, the house houses a large assortment of artifacts found by the explorer himself. 🔧 Sapphilite Row: A street where Zalie's is located in. Named after the substance harvested from Jaull-fish. 🔧 Zalie's Expeditionary Outfitters & Haberdashery: Subscribed by Ezreal as one of the best outfitters in Piltover, the shop is outfitted with a wide range of clothing for every need. 🔧 The Fissures: The giant chasms stretching across the south of Piltover. They were created in an earthquake resulted by the creation of the canal for the Sun Gates. The city of Zaun is located within these fissures, along with some other surface buildings used as conveyors to the undercity. 1.4.3. Hexdraulic Conveyors: Hexdraulic Conveyors are scattered across Zaun, connecting it with Piltover and its numerous city levels. Some conveyors are for public use (those that can afford it), while some for private, used mostly by Chem-Barons and wealthy Piltovans. 🔧 Rising Howl: A large multi-tiered rack-and-pinion Hexdraulic Coveyor supported by three vertical structural beams which span the height of the city, from the Sump to the Boundary Markets. Its ovoid shape and curved top side are constructed of thick glass and an elaborate ironwork baroque latticework frame with ratcheting endless gears. At the top sits a howling wrought-iron wolf, the elevator's namesake, and a set of steam whistles. It's the primary Hexdraulic Coveyor for transporting crowds between the levels of Zaun and Piltover. Conductors' voices are magnified by a flexible speaking tube connected to a bell-shaped sonophone. 1.4.4. The Cliff: The most important location of all of Zaun and Piltover, it was the epicenter of a massive man-made geological disaster that sunk most of old Zaun. Currently, it is the location of massive spires jutting upwards towards Piltover as an arrogant testimony to Zaun's resolve to survive. One such building is the College of Techmaturgy. The Sun Gates are built above The Cliff. 🔧 Boundary Markets: The levels where division between Zaun and Piltover blurs are home to thriving markets and Commercia Halls. Boundary Markets areas are the most cosmopolitan of the city, where people from all walks of life and levels of society can be found for the purchase and sale of goods. 🔧 First Assemblage of the Glorious Evolved: Located at the end of the Boundary Markets in southern Piltover, the Church is the main location where worshipers of the Glorious Evolved from both Piltover and Zaun come to worship their deity, the Gray Lady. It is also a place where the disenfranchised come to seek refuge, and where the crippled come for techmaturgical miracles. 🔧 The Sun Gates: One of the most important locations in all of Piltover, the construction of these huge accessways made Piltover a hub of mercantile trade between Valoran and Shurima. They were named 'The Sun Gates' to honor the region's Shuriman heritage. They were constructed as a necessity of the city, but unfortunately, an accident during their construction sank large chunks of Zaun into the sea. In Piltover, Progress Day marks the anniversary of the day the Sun Gates opened for the first time, allowing trade to pass easily through the city, bringing unimaginable wealth to the city's rulers. In Zaun, it is a day to remember those lost in the geological upheaval that created the east–west passage and submerged entire districts underwater. It enabled the rapid expansion of the Noxian empire along the coast, although Piltover charges truly staggering hazard rates for the transport of all military assets. 🔧 Wharfside Docks: Located at the lower end of the Sun Gates, the quaysides of Piltover are always busy, with ships from every major port passing through the Sun Gates every day. 1.5. Zaun: Zaun, also known as the City of Iron and Glass, is a large undercity district lying in the deep canyons and valleys threading Piltover Crest icon Piltover. What light reaches below is filtered through fumes leaking from the tangles of corroded pipework and reflected from the stained glass of its industrial architecture. Zaun and Piltover were once united, but are now separate, yet symbiotic societies. Though it exists in perpetual smogged twilight, Zaun thrives, its people vibrant and its culture rich. Piltover's wealth has allowed Zaun to develop in tandem; a dark mirror of the city above. Many of the goods coming to Piltover find their way into Zaun's black markets, and hextech inventors who find the restrictions placed upon them in the city above too restrictive often find their dangerous researches welcomed in Zaun. Unfettered development of volatile technologies and reckless industry has rendered whole swathes of Zaun polluted and dangerous. Streams of toxic runoff stagnate in the city's lower reaches, but even here people find a way to exist and prosper. Zaun is a city within Piltover located between Valoran and Shurima. Dual city-states that control the major trade routes between Valoran and Shurima. Home both to visionary inventors and their wealthy patrons, the divide between social classes is becoming more dangerous. 1.5.1. Promenade Level: Entertainment and commercial zone located above the Entresol level. The upper reaches of Zaun exist alongside the lower districts of Piltover, though the differing architecture means the two could never be confused. This is where the wealthy of Zaun gather to shop, dine, and trade goods and supplies from below and where Pilties go for good, cheap times. 🧪 Boundary Markets: The levels where division between Zaun and Piltover blurs are home to thriving markets and Commercia Halls. Boundary Markets areas are the most cosmopolitan of the city, where people from all walks of life and levels of society can be found for the purchase and sale of goods. 🧪 First Assemblage of the Glorious Evolved: Located at the end of the Boundary Markets in southern Piltover, the Church is the main location where worshipers of the Glorious Evolved from both Piltover and Zaun come to worship their deity, the Gray Lady. Its is also a place where the disenfranchised come to seek refuge, and where the crippled come for techmaturgical miracles. 🧪 College of Techmaturgy: The great tower of the College of Techmaturgy rises arrogantly from the wide canyon separating North and South Piltover, anchored to the upper cliffs by swaying suspension bridges and thick iron cables that thrum like musical strings when the winds blow in hard from the ocean. It is the city's best known institution of learning, and a prime location for techmaturgical research, as one might imagine. 🧪 Pump Station: Facilities located in Piltover, housing pumps and equipment for moving clean air from Piltover into Zaun via ducts and vents. 🧪 Skylight Commercia: A market in the Promenade where locals browse galleries, meet friends, dine, or go to see one of the companies of players that tour the undercity with satirical works. The atmosphere is warm and friendly, and it's the perfect place to bask in all that Zaun has to offer. 1.5.2. Entresol Level: A level of Zaun situated just below the Promenade: the notional border between Piltover and Zaun. Deep in Zaun, brokers, dealers, traffickers and entertainers mingle in cliff-dug trading posts and workshops. A flourishing hub of cosmopolitan commercial arcades, supper-clubs, recital halls, joy houses, and “everything goes” type clubs, making it one of the most populated districts of the cities. This is where the Zaun Gray tends to linger most. Zaunites living here would claim this level is where the majority of the work that allows the city to function takes place. It is the level where Viktor was born. 🧪 Augmentation Parlors: Facilities where Zaunites can be installed with various augmentations for any use. 🧪 Breather Station: Facilities where people can stop in to get a reprieve from the Gray for a breath of less dingy air. Breather Pipes move cleaner air to polluted areas. 🧪 Bridgewaltz: Located on one of the Entresol's lower levels, Zaunites and Piltovans alike flock to the Bridgewaltz market for a taste of everything that makes the undercity great. The best in music, food, and artisanal chemtech creations can be found here every night. 🧪 Chemtech Seam: Crevasses in the cliffs that are the source of compounds used in chemtech. 🧪 Cultivair: Large isolated greenhouses specifically designed to grow trees and plants. The wealthiest in Zaun maintain them as a symbol of their power and a source of clean air. Bioluminescent algae and night-blooming flowers are cultivated in these facilities. 🧪 Delicatessens: A type of store that also exists in the real world, selling cold cuts, cheeses, and a variety of salads, as well as a selection of unusual or foreign prepared foods. 🧪 Drop Street: Street to a wheezing hexdraulic descender station on the Entresol level. The descender connects the Entresol level Drop street to a Piltover level street by the same name. The descender has an iron-framed cabin with a lozenge-patterned grille, and is still running in Piltover later at night than other descenders. A quiet a secluded route for those on the run. 🧪 Emberflit Alley: A fog-bound narrow corridor. The location of Viktor's house. 🧪 Viktor's Laboratory: The main research location of Viktor, the city's infamous robotics and cybernetics inventor. It has recently been raided by Piltover's Jayce after Viktor stole a Brackern crystal from him and used it for his experiments. 1.5.3. Sump Level: Zaun's deepest levels, past the reaches of the Gray-filtered light, where the environment turns grim, increasingly disorderly, and poorly lit; it is densely cramped with piping and discarded items. Most of the working class live here or just above it. The depths of Zaun are amongst the most squalid yet vibrant parts of the city. The Zaun Gray has its origin here, rising from rank waterways or venting from corroded grilles. Thick chem-fumes thread the alleys between crowded abandoned industrial buildings. It has been built and rebuilt on top of itself, and almost everything there now serves the chemtech industry (or its workers) in some way. Sump Works, and Sector 90TZ located in it, are one of many locations in Zaun. It is here where Twitch was spotted after his mutational transformation. 🧪 Bonscutt Pump Station: A facility including pumps and equipment for removing sewage from the Entresol level, moving it deeper into Zaun. Located near a stop for the Rising Howl right beneath the Entresol level. 🧪 Dredge Prison: A prison mine for chemtech compounds deep beneath Zaun with hellish conditions. The prison once held Urgot. 🧪 Factorywood: A place where many factories are situated close together. Sump pools are chemtech holding vessels located in the Factorywood. Located somewhere beneath the Entresol level and above the Sump. 🧪 Old Hungry: An iconic mechanized clock tower in Old Zaun with exposed grinding gears; its base is located at the heart of the Sump. It towers high above the levels of Piltover and hasn't told the correct time in years. It is a popular haunt for Zaunite kids and is the "heart of Old Zaun." 🧪 Priggs Industries: Priggs Industries is a warehouse and factory complex that has turned out to hide slave labor camps, which has ruined the reputation of the company. Graves was one of the prisoners that escaped from one of the company's tightly controlled torture chambers, known as The Locker. 🧪 The Slums: The slums of Zaun are one of the most densely populated and polluted locations in Valoran. Large pipes flowing with industrial waste are placed around its buildings. Many of its residents are workers in Zaun's factories. The Memorial Wall is a place where residence of the slums give homage to those they have lost. 🧪 Black Lanes: Located close to the Sumps, this is a market of colorful bazaars, at the heart of Zaun where merchants and thieves do business. Anything is for sale, and everything is stolen. The area is known for the especially gritty quality of air. 🧪 Commercia Fantastica: A market specializing primarily in gearwork toys. Possibly located in the Black Lanes. 🧪 Hope House Orphanage: Located somewhere in the Slums between the Factorywood and the Sump, it is a crumbling foundling home cut into Zaun's cave-riddled cliffs, dedicated to the welfare of the many orphans created in the wake of the disaster that tore Zaun apart. 🧪 Zaun Sewers: Zaun's sewers are where all the city's toxic waste ends up and is tossed into the sea. Many creatures, such as rats, live in this underground area. Some creatures have been mutated by the toxic waste, for instance Twitch. 🧪 Zaun's Asylum for the Irreparably Troubled: The Asylum of Zaun 'Doctor' Edmundo was left to when he was very young. It is no longer operational due to Mundo 'curing' everyone in there in his own way (murder, that is). 1.5.4. Hexdraulic Conveyors: Hexdraulic Conveyors are scattered across Zaun, connecting it with Piltover and its numerous city levels. Some conveyors are for public use (those that can afford it), while some are for private, used mostly by Chem-Barons and wealthy Piltovans. 🧪 Rising Howl: A large multi-tiered rack-and-pinion Hexdraulic Coveyor supported by three vertical structural beams which span the height of the city, from the Sump to the Boundary Markets. Its ovoid shape and curved top side are constructed of thick glass and an elaborate ironwork baroque latticework frame with ratcheting endless gears. At the top sits a howling wrought-iron wolf, the elevator's namesake, and a set of steam whistles. It's the primary Hexdraulic Coveyor for transporting crowds between the levels of Zaun and Piltover. Conductors' voices are magnified by a flexible speaking tube connected to a bell-shaped sonophone. 1.5.5. The Cliff: The most important location of all of Zaun and Piltover, it was the epicenter of a massive man-made geological disaster that sunk most of old Zaun. Currently, it is the location of massive spires jutting upwards towards Piltover as an arrogant testimony to Zaun's resolve to survive. One such building is the College of Techmaturgy. The Sun Gates are built above The Cliff. 🧪 Boundary Markets: The levels where division between Zaun and Piltover blurs are home to thriving markets and Commercia Halls. Boundary Markets areas are the most cosmopolitan of the city, where people from all walks of life and levels of society can be found for the purchase and sale of goods. 🧪 First Assemblage of the Glorious Evolved: Located at the end of the Boundary Markets in southern Piltover, the Church is the main location where worshipers of the Glorious Evolved from both Piltover and Zaun come to worship their deity, the Gray Lady. Its is also a place where the disenfranchised come to seek refuge, and where the crippled come for techmaturgical miracles. 🧪 The Sun Gates: The most important location in all of Piltover, the construction of these huge accessways made Piltover a hub of mercantile trade between Valoran and Shurima. They were named 'The Sun Gates' to honor the region's Shuriman heritage. They were constructed as a necessity of the city, but unfortunately, an accident during their construction sank large chunks of Zaun into the sea. In Piltover, Progress Day marks the anniversary of the day the Sun Gates opened for the first time, allowing trade to pass easily through the city, bringing unimaginable wealth to the city's rulers. In Zaun, it is a day to remember those lost in the geological upheaval that created the east–west passage and submerged entire districts underwater. It enabled the rapid expansion of the Noxian empire along the coast, although Piltover charges truly staggering hazard rates for the transport of all military assets. 🧪 Wharfside Docks: Located at the lower end of the Sun Gates, the quaysides of Piltover are always busy, with ships from every major port passing through the Sun Gates every day. 1.5.6. Oshra Va'Zaun: Underneath modern Sump Levels of Zaun, the old port city ruins of Oshra Va'Zaun can still be found. This location holds secrets which explorers often risk their lives to uncover. Stretching far under the River Pilt, the ruins are a veritable labyrinth, with whole maze of dusty staircases and old passageways. 🧪 Vault of Resplendent Holies: In the ruins of old Zaun, the Vault contained Resplendent Holies. One of those holies is a relic that once belonged to the Shuriman Emperor's personal spirit-banisher, Carikkan. 1.6. Arbormark: The Arbormark are a nation in central Valoran, bordering Demacia, the Freljord, the Skaggorn and the Rijenland. The Arbormark are a longstanding ally of Demacia. During the Mage Rebellion which plunged Demacia into chaos, Arbormark delegates were summoned to aid the nation in its desperate time. It is notable that they appear to be apathetic to Demacia's treatment of mages, but they are completely accepting of mages themselves. The Arbormark Salute is performed with an individual touching the palm of their left hand to their forehead then extending it to the sky. Afterwards the individual present themselves and end with a head bow. The Arbormark have long been allies of Demacia. As a small nation between Demacia and Freljord, they have been instrumental in protecting the kingdoms borders. While the nation does have high-ranking officials with magical abilities, they are well protected and guarded during their stay in the Kingdom so long as they abide by the Laws of Stone. 1.7. Boleham: Boleham is a city-state located on the slopes of the Argent Mountains in central Valoran. It borders with Noxus to the south. A group of people, for a time, lived under the reign of multiple sorcerers and warlords. These fiends caused many problems for the local people until they were defeated by Veigar. Veigar, under the impression that he was doing evil deeds that were negatively affecting the townspeople, defeated and ran off multiple sorcerers and warlords before demanding that the townspeople show proper deference to him. After they did, they told him the location of another sorcerer that he could hunt down. 1.8. Holdrum: Holdrum is a coastal city-state in southern Valoran. It borders Noxus to the north, and Piltover and Zaun to the southwest. Holdrum is currently controlled by Lord Brannin of Sea. Piltover trading families have close trading ties with the city-state nation of Holdrum, such as Clan Medarda with Lord Brannin of Sea. One of the nations more well known exports to Piltover are pearls and fish sauce. 1.9. Klastead: Kalstead is a coastal fortified nation in south Valoran, bordering Demacia and Noxus. Darkwill and his advisors pay a fortune for the private release of mercenaries, prisoners, and Reckoners alike, to be conscripted into the empire's warhosts. They became known as “soldiers-of-misfortune” and were sent to deal with tasks unworthy of a veteran warband's attention, as hostile nations were provoking rebellions all along the Noxian frontier. One fleet of soldiers of misfortune is sent to Kalstead, a coastal fortress allied to Demacia that had rebelled against the empire. The surviving noxians there are allowed to live by Demacia after promising to leave Kalstead in peace. One of the soldiers, the Reckoner Xin Zhao is granted the honor of being the personal guard of King Jarvan III. Jarvan IV traveled to Kalstead with his father and was present when Xin Zhao was freed by Jarvan III. Xin Zhao was freed in Kalstead and became The Seneschal of Demacia. Kalstead have long been allies of Demacia. As a small nation between Demacia and Noxus, they have been instrumental in protecting the kingdoms borders. 1.10. Nockmirch: Nockmirch is a nation and region located in central Valoran. It is one of many nations bordering between Demacia and Noxus. Demacia had a good relationship with the nation until the events of Garen: First Shield due to the lack of communication. After Lady Odelyn took lordship from her father, the communication was reestablished. Noxus took advantage of the lack of communication of Nockmirch with Demacia and pressured to side the empire. The relationship ended after Lady Odelyn took lordship. 1.11. Palclyff: Palclyff is a coastal city-state in western Valoran. It closely borders both Demacia and Noxus. Palclyff is a sought after trade city with great hospitality (except for Noxians) and strange local sports. Honeyfruits are a type of edible plant harvested near the city of Palcyff. Its healing properties are also used for medicinal purposes such as Health potions. Being a semi-aquatic plant, it can be seen on the shores of rivers, lakes, and other bodies of fresh water. Demacia has long protected neighboring city-states and nations from onslaught of invading armies such as Noxus. In compensation they are used as buffer states between larger nations and Demacia. Some Demacian traveling actors frequently visit perform in Palclyff. As indicated by the Clan Medarda map, No citizen of Noxus is permitted to set foot on the shores of Palclyff and no exceptions are made. This is due to Noxus invading and annexing neighboring city-states and nations. Piltover trading families have close trading ties with the city-state nation of Palclyff, such as Clan Medarda with Foreman Piarre Yaeshiff. One of the nations more well known exports to Piltover are weapons, armor, and Honeyfruit. 1.12. Rijenland: Rijenland is a nation that borders Demacia, Arbormark, Skaggorn and Nockmirch. Rijenland is one of the independent nations in central Valoran that Demacia maintains good relations with. Quinn notes their terrain is heavily wooded in the east, with no notable settlements in the area. They maintain peaceful relations with their neighbors, and trade with the Nockmirch. They only have a weak military force. It is in Demacia's interest to ensure the independence of the nations to its east, and so it maintains friendly relations with Rijenland. During the expedition to the Nockmirch, a possible invasion from the Nockmirch into Rijenland comes up. In such a case, Demacia would defend the smaller nation. There have been conflicts between the Nockmirch and Rijenland in the past. There are still smaller disputes, especially concerning hunting on the other side of the border, but their bond has been strengthened over generations. Their border is a natural barrier, a deep ravine over which the Nockmirch recently built a strong bridge and road. They could easily invade Rijenland. 1.13. Skaggorn: The Skaggorn are a free nation located in central Valoran bordered by the Freljord, the Arbormark and Rijenland. A group of people left the Freljord many generations ago, traveling over the mountains and settling in Skaggorn. The old blood still runs in their veins, having seers with magical abilities. Mothers put runes on their children as a mark of protection. Asta, a Skaggorn woman and the the chieftain’s daughter, married a Demacian named Malak Hornbridge. After his death at the hands of mages in the Capital—fearing for the life of her mage child—Asta left Demacia with the help of her brother Egrid. After a short encounter with Demacian Rangers Quinn and Dalin, they were allowed to pass the border and remove their man-made entrance to Demacia, as Quinn has seen their escape a non-threat to the safety of the country. Being a nation close to Skaggorn, some have even migrated to the land for better life opportunities. Hiding their old customs wrapped in magical teachings, the Skaggorn of Demacia lived relatively peaceful lives until the mage rebellion instigated by Sylas. Fearing for their lives and the lives of their children, some Skaggorn have left Demacia through secret passageways deep in the northern mountainsides. Freljord is the original home of the Skaggorn, the people still retain some of the old customs and magical abilities of their freljordian ancestors. 1.14. Stonewall: Stonewall is a fortified coastal city-state in southern Valoran. Stonewall is currently controlled by Councilman Aj Ni Noorin. Piltover trading families have close trading ties with the city-state nation of Stonewall, such as Clan Medarda with Councilman Aj Ni Noorin. One of the nations more well-known exports to Piltover are Dunpor milk and curds. 1.15. Tokogol: Tokogol is a small region in central Valoran bordering eastern Noxus. Tokogol is at the western front of Noxian expansion. Forests of Tokogol: A woodland area in the Tokogol region. Tokogol Village: A village in the Tokogol region, it has been decimated by Vel'Koz. 2. Shuriman Continent: Shuriman Continent is the southern continent of Runeterra. The most predominant nation on this continent is Shurima from which it gained its name. This continent is now connected to Valoran through a small artificial land bridge where modern day Piltover and Zaun are located. This continent was part of Valoran before the event that shattered the continent into two. 2.1. Shurima: The empire of Shurima was once a thriving civilization that spanned a vast desert. After an era of growth and prosperity, the fall of its gleaming capital left the empire in ruins. Over millennia, tales of Shurima's glorious city became myth and religion among the descendants of the scattered survivors. Most of the nomadic inhabitants of Shurima search for basic sustenance in an unforgiving land. Some defend small outposts built around a few oases. Others hunt buried riches among the ruins of the fallen empire, or obtain mercenary work, taking coin for their deeds before disappearing back into the sands. Now, the tribes are stirred by whispers from the heart of the desert: the city of Shurima has risen again. Shurima is an arid territory that covers most of the southern continent, also called Shurima. Many men have gone mad beneath the glare of the Shuriman sun, the source of the power of the Ascended.. It is also the location of the newly resurrected Shuriman Empire, a vast civilization that bloomed millennia ago and is now rising again. A few of the cities on its northern coast are Noxian territory. 2.1.1. The Sun Disc: Fashioned under the guidance of the Targonians, the great Sun Disc brought the favor of divine, celestial powers to Shurima. Once it was complete, it is said the waters of life flowed through the canyons surrounding the city, bringing life to the desert. For eons, the sun worshippers of Shurima owed their society's prosperity to the incredible power of the sun. Thanks to the prodigious disk that hovered above the capital city, ancient Shurimans could wield raw celestial magic to make their land more bountiful. The Sun Disc was the center of all Shuriman culture; it permeated every aspect, from religion to icons to dress and so on. An oasis in the desert, it fell to ruins after Azir's failed Ascension but has risen again since the emperor was revived by Sivir's blood. In its prime, it was the center of Shuriman society. Because of its immense importance as the center of trade and culture of the empire, many cultural, educational centers and markets bringing goods from all over the Empire sprung up. It also housed special burial grounds for the most influential of its citizens, such as The Tomb of the Emperors. The city is divided by ringed districts and city levels. The city's wealthiest citizens lived in the top rings of the city, while middle and lower classes (with slaves) lived mostly in settlements built on the rocky cliff sides of the outer and lower rings. The Palace of Ten Thousand Pillars, Scholar's Palace, Temple of the Sun and Oasis of the Dawn are located at the center of the city. The most important road in the city was the Emperor's Way. The city was built around the ancient Sun Disc that floats above The Circle of Ascension and the city itself. The city also had the most advanced irrigation system of its time, seemingly unsurpassed until recently. Floating gardens decorated with palms and other flora protected its many terraces from the burning sun. ☀️ Circle of Ascension: Located at the very center of the city, above the Grand Temple, Oasis of the Dawn and the Imperial Place, The Circle of Ascension is the main focal point from which the privileged and accomplished harnessed the powers of the Sun Disc and became Ascended beings. It was also the epicenter of Ancient Shurima's destruction and its modern rise from the grave. The circle is accessible via the Stairs of Ascension and the Emperor's Way. ☀️ Oasis of the Dawn: Described as the Mother of Life, the oasis is located near The Tomb of the Emperors and was the city's main source of fresh water. The water is infused with unknown magical properties and has immense healing powers. It is said that any edge dipped into this pool will stay sharper and strike truer than any other sword. It had almost all dried up until the newly resurrected Azir brought a dying Sivir to what little remained. The waters' powers healed her fatal wounds. This act of selflessness from Azir made him worthy of Ascension, which ultimately revived his broken city. ☀️ Tomb of the Emperors: Deep in the capital city lies the Tomb of the Emperors. For the last millennium it has acted as the makeshift prison of Xerath and Renekton. It is guarded by the statue of a huge serpent. When the tomb opened, the serpent came to life, impaling Cassiopeia on its fangs, its venom transforming her into a terrifying half-snake creature. 2.1.2. The Great Sai: The Great Sai, or Shuriman Wastes is a large desert spanning most of east, south, and west Shurima. The fallen empire has littered the dunes with ruins. Stretching out for hundreds of miles, the Endless Plain is a desolate wasteland that has claimed countless lives over the centuries. Few who attempt to cross it are ever seen again—if the relentless, burning heat and lack of water doesn't kill them, the predators and savage raiders that emerge under the cover of darkness likely will. A mysterious creature can be found wandering the desert.Skarner defends the entrance to a realm deep beneath the Shuriman wastes; what he protects, no one knows. Buried tombs also hold ancient secrets; Amumu rose from such a tomb, and in another, Ezreal claimed an Ascended artifact of incredible mystical power. Kenethet, Vekaura, Nerimazeth, Zuretta, Astrologer's Tower, and the Zoantha Cascade are located in this desert wasteland. 2.1.3. North Shurima ☀️ Bel'zhun: This northern city is currently controlled by Noxus, but has a large rebel insurgency against Noxus. Known as the Suns of Bel'Zhun, the group frequently trades weapons with Clan Medarda of Piltover. ☀️ Kalamanda: The closest city to the Crystal Scar, situated on the northwestern coast of Shurima. The city's primary exports are gold and sing-stones (or sun-stones). ☀️ Nashramae: This northern coastal city, currently run by Hagyett Sabja. The people of Nashramae are devoted to preserving the ways of the past, celebrating their ancestors and the Ascended. It holds a festival yearly celebrating Rammus, where thousands gather to roll and somersault around the city. Its primary exports are woven goods, like mats and bolts of cloth. Traveling on the back of a dormun from Nashramae to the capital of Shurima would take approximately 65 days. ☀️ Market of Illumination: It is believed that an elderly mason was inspired by a profound, yet brief conversation with Rammus, and constructed an enormous marketplace which became the bustling heart of Nashramae. That market is connected to Vekaura streets. ☀️ Sun Disc Replica: The prize of the city is the ornate, non-magical, replica of the Sun Disc, built to honor Shurima's fallen and as a statement of hope that the sun might one day bless them again. ☀️ Tereshni: This Shuriman port city is currently controlled by Noxus and led by Steward Ta'Fik. The city's best-known export is Shuriman Azirite (aka blood glass), named after the current Shuriman Emperor, Azir. ☀️ Urzeris: Located in the northern coast of Shurima, this port city is currently occupied by Noxus, and its current governor is Steward Zikka Taum'Vin. Its most well known trade good is Urzeris Salt. Marcus Du Couteau with his family was stationed close to the governor of Uzeris before his assassination. Both Katarina and Cassiopeia lived here during their younger years. 2.1.4. East Shurima ☀️ Kenethet: An eastern desert city where Taliyah performed her weaving abilities during her initial travels beyond Shurima. A girl named Shoorai, who would later meet Malphite, witnessed Taliyah's weaver performance. ☀️ World Rune Archives: Long before Shurima rose again from the sands, Ryze and the Ascended scholar Nasus delved into a ruined archive beneath the Great Sai... and awakened its protector. 2.1.5. South Shurima ☀️ Icathia: Located south of the Sai Kahleek, the ancient kingdom of Icathia was once a vassal state under the authority of the Sun Empire during the height of their dominance across Shurima millennia ago. In time the Icathians began an uprising against their oppressive masters. In a desperate attempt to save themselves from the Sun Empire's wrath, they foolishly opened a rift into the Void, which unleashed itself upon every living thing it came in contact with. The lands all around the damned city are still a deserted waste, and its very existence has been struck from the history records and maps of Shurima. ☀️ Nazumah: A city-state situated on a lush oasis. The people of Nazumah fled southward to escape the tyranny of Ascended and built their city on the only water source for miles, after claiming it from the local beasts. ☀️ Sai Kahleek: The Sai is a harsh, southern desert defined by rolling plains of sand, sharp stones and eerie silence. Located between the edge of the jungles and the capital, it is for the most part, completely uninhabited besides the Xer'Sai Voidborn and their queen Rek'Sai, who have claimed vast swaths of the desert. Traders and armed caravans will go hundreds of miles out of their way to avoid her territory, though cunning bandits have been known to lure the unwary into her killing grounds. The ancient nation Kahleek may have been located here. ☀️ Kahleek River: A river flows from the Mother of Life river from Vekaura, it recently sprung to life after the capitals rise from the sand. ☀️ Vekaura: A city built on the confluence of Mother of Life and Kahleek rivers, it was the birthplace of Azir's mother. It was recently decimated by Xerath during the events of Bloodline. ☀️ Marrowmark: Trader Settlement Erected in the ribcage of some long-dead desert behemoth. ☀️ Marrowmark Market: It is said that anything under the sun can be found in the bazaars of Marrowmark, for the right price. ☀️ Xolan: A ruined city located somewhere on the Sai Kahleek, it once was the place of the massive statue of the God-Warrior Xolaani. ☀️ Sai Faraj: Once a vassal state of Shurima known for its astromancers, after the fall it became a barren desert also called as "Endless Plain". Few who attempt to cross it are ever seen again—if the relentless, burning heat and lack of water doesn't kill them, the predators and savage raiders that emerge under the cover of darkness likely will. The ancient nation Faraj may have been located here. ☀️ City of Gardens: This once thriving, beautiful city was destroyed during the apocalyptic Rune Wars. It is said that the entire population was annihilated in one terrible night, the city utterly leveled... and all that remains now lies in ruin. Kala and Ryze ventured to through this city during the events of The Burning Lands. ☀️ Zoantha Cascade: The shifting tides of the desert has been known to carve paths through bare rock, tumbling over the cliff faces in massive sandfalls. Traditionally, Shurimans toss beloved objects into the sands as gifts to the Ascended. As a result, such falls are often lucrative spots for treasure hunters. ☀️ Nerimazeth: In a time before the Sun Empire rose to prominence, the old city of Nerimazeth was the capital of Shurima. It was here that Sun Worshipers made the first iteration of a Sun Disc. Due to unspecified reasons, this was unsuccessful and the city became a vassal state enslaved to the rising Empire which had accomplished the Ascension ritual. It wasn't until Azir's death, that spurred surviving Ascended warriors to seek revenge for the collapse of their glorious empire. Enraged with spite the Ascended massacred Nerimazeth's inhabitants and burned the city that produced the very slave who assassinated their emperor. With his return, Xerath has proclaimed himself the new Emperor of Shurima and made the decayed city of Nerimazeth his capital. ☀️ Renek River: A river that flows from the Oasis of the Dawn, it shared the name with the ancient nation Renek which may have been located in its river bank. Nasus and Renekton may have been from the area surrounding it, the latter may have been named after the river itself. ☀️ Zirima: Zirima is a merchant camp in southern Shurima where traders and explorers often gather before venturing into the Great Sai. Kassadin resided here for a long time after the destruction of his home, before he found out about the Void Prophet. ☀️ Valley of Song: This remote pass takes its name from the disorienting whistling that results when the wind blows hard enough through the hollow rock structures. Many unwary travelers have found themselves at the mercy of the deafened marauders who prowl the valley by night. 2.1.6. West Shurima ☀️ Saikhal is a settlement located in western Shurima. Its river is a tributary that connects to the Mother of Life River. It is the birthplace of Xerath. ☀️ Path of Dust: Once called the Water Road during the times of ancient Shurima, this is the main road that leads from the town square to the river shores of Saikhal. ☀️ Tomb of Ne'Zuk: A lost Tomb of a once powerful Ascended warlord. It is the location where Ezreal found his gauntlet. 2.2. Targon: Like any place of myth, Mount Targon is a beacon to dreamers, madmen and questors of adventure. A mountainous and sparsely inhabited region to the west of Shurima, Targon boasts the tallest peak in Runeterra. Located far from civilization, Mount Targon is all but impossible to reach, save by the most determined pilgrims, chasing some soul-deep yearning to reach its summit. Those hardy few who survive the arduous journey to the foot of the titanic mountain find a sky shimmering with celestial bodies; the sun and moons, but also constellations, planets, fiery comets that streak the darkness, and auspicious arrangements of stars. They return haunted and empty, or changed beyond all recognition. The people living at the mountain's base believe these to be aspects of long-vanished stellar beings, creatures powerful and ancient on a scale beyond human comprehension. However, Mount Targon is simply a way into the celestial realm, and it would be wrong to attribute much in the way of mortal sensibilities, morals or concerns to what lies beyond the mountain. Mount Targon is a nation in the Western part of the Shuriman Continent and boarders with Shurima. 2.2.1. Mount Targon: Mount Targon is a mountain found in the Western part of the Shuriman Continent and borders with Shurima. Located far from civilization, Mount Targon is utterly remote and all but impossible to reach save by the most determined seeker. It is highest and mightiest peak in Runeterra, a towering mountain of sun-baked rock amid a range of summits unmatched in scale anywhere else in the world. It is the site of many sacred pilgrimages. Mount Targon can be broken into distinct regions, as delineated by patterns in the rock and a marked increase in hazardous weather conditions, difficulty of the climb, and increased death rate. The upper levels of the mountain expand and contract as if the land itself were alive, making it impossible to map a reliable pathway to the top. Each ascent is different, as the mountain magically stretches–some climbs can last for months while others reach the peak in just a day. Its rocky heights have been twisted and elongated, some say drawn upward, by powers beyond mortal comprehension. Living in the shadow of cyclopean structures of monumental scale, the Rakkor believe they were called to the mountain by mysterious powers. Some believe that the patterns in the rock were once a map of the realms beyond the heavens. Others say the markings warn of a day when a great war will ravage the lands and set brother against brother. Despite such speculation, the true origin and purpose of these patterns in the rock remains a mystery. ✨ Ring of The Mountain: The base of the mountain experiences a variety of weather, creating climates where the Rakkor can hunt and forage for food, herd animals, and sustain life. Greenery grows lush throughout the otherworldly ridges of the mountain. During spring and summer, the flora and fauna thrive, making everyday life possible even on such steep slopes. At this time fresh water is plentiful, and shepherds herd their flocks to graze on the slopes. To the Rakkor, these gargantuan patterns in the rock are proof that the mountain was forged by divine beings. ✨ Rakkor Caves: The main settlements of Mount Targon. They are mostly large cave structures carved out from the mountainside. The Rakkor are a warrior like society that devote their life for the pursuit of battle and knowledge.Atreus, and Leona come from this tribe. ✨ Temple of the Lunari: Located in the secluded footholds of the mountain. It was the place where most Lunari artifacts were kept safe from the Solari inquisition and where Diana faced the oppressing Solari Elders. ✨ Temple of the Solstice: The entrance to the Solari Temple on the eastern slopes of the mountain is carved from gold-veined marble. Windows are carved into the temples at precise locations, so that the light of the sun floods the inner chambers during the solar equinoxes and solstices. Here, Leona learned the ways of the sacred order – how they worshipped the sun as the source of all life and rejected all other forms of light as false. ✨ Upper Slopes: No matter how well-trained the climber, the thin atmosphere and countless perils of the mountain mean that nearly all who attempt to reach Targon's peak die on their climb. The bodies of the dead freeze where they fall, permanently preserved in the thin, frigid air of the mountain, and serving as a dark warning to those who come after. Each path to the summit is vastly different, so much, that the length of a climb can range from a single night to several months. Unforgiving to even the most adept climbers, the upper slopes of Mount Targon are plagued by frigid winds, arctic storms, and frequent avalanches. Its thin air makes every breath laborious and painful. ✨ Astral Grove: Located in the upper slopes south of the Holy Mount. It is where Soraka resides, it has a campfire and a little yurt with few items and souvenirs from all across Runeterra like a willow-wreath from the grove of Omikayalan, a tiny golden acorn from Bandle City and a stone dog statue from Nashramae. ✨ Ottrani Tribe: The main settlement of the Ottrani vastaya. ✨ Star Spring: Main grazing area of the Stellacorns. ✨ Divine Carvings: At higher altitudes, bitter winds and perilous snows overcome the seasons, creating an everlasting winter. Here, the otherworldly shapes create strange patterns and rock formations, forming an alien landscape perilous to any stray wanderers. Plants and animals are rare sights in the thin atmosphere and cold climate. ✨ Frozen Lake: A lake, frozen millennia ago, was slowly pulled up the mountain toward Targon Prime. ✨ Marus Omegnum: A Lunari temple fortress located for the majority of the time inside the spirit realm. During special lunar events, the temple phases into the physical realm and shows up on Mount Targon. ✨ Patterns of The Dead: Travelers sometimes climb in groups to assist each other on the ascent. When a climber is grievously wounded or exhausted beyond all movement, no hope of rescue is possible, as any attempt would be a suicide mission. The bodies of the dead do not decay at such heights, but seemingly meld into the rock, slowly twisted into the circular patterns and ridges of the mountain. ✨ The Peak: In the rare event when a worthy mortal successfully ascends Mount Targon's peak, the heavens open in a dazzling display of cosmic aurorae. Few ever bear witness to the radiant sight far above the cloudline and beneath the glittering stars, where a beam of light emerges from the peak. Beyond the mountain's summit, it is said that immortal godlike beings dwell in a city of gold and silver. 2.2.2. Targon Prime: Known troughout Runeterra as the City of Gold and Silver. Targon Prime is a realm beyond Runeterra where celestial beings known as Aspects and mythical creatures of the stars resides. Each generation or so, an Aspect will descend from Targon Prime to imbue these mortals on which they deemed worthy to become their vessel. It is a vast realm bathed in golden light at day and sparkling stars at night. Currently Kayle set out for this realm to know what really happened to their mother Mihira. Sometimes the reason for these Targonian Ascended's disappearances can be linked to Targon Prime on which deceased aspect vessels are now a part of the great council planning to build an army of powerful human-celestial mieldings against the unknowable nothingness. 2.3. Ixtal: Renowned for its mastery of elemental magic, Ixtal was one of the first independent nations to join the Shuriman empire. In truth, Ixtali culture is much older—part of the great westward diaspora that gave rise to civilizations including the Buhru, magnificent Helia, and the ascetics of Targon—and it is likely they played a significant role in the creation of the first Ascended. But the mages of Ixtal survived the Void, and later the Darkin, by distancing themselves from their neighbors, drawing the wilderness around them like a shield. While much had already been lost, they were committed to the preservation of what little remained. Now, secluded deep in the jungle for thousands of years, the sophisticated arcology-city of Ixaocan remains mostly free of outside influence. Having witnessed from afar the ruination of the Blessed Isles and the Rune Wars that followed, the Ixtali view all the other factions of Runeterra as upstarts and pretenders, and use their powerful magic to keep any intruders at bay. Ixtal is located in the eastern part of Shuriman Continent bordering Shurima in the east, and surrounded by the Shuriman Jungle (Ixtals borders once stretched the entirety of the jungle region). 2.3.1. Ixaocan: Ixaocan is a system of arcologies that stretches across the jungles of Ixtal. The Cardinal Arcology, sometimes also named after the system it anchors, stands as its heart. The arcologies are connected by intersecting lines of power, and each represents a specific form or discipline of elemental magic. The largest are home to tens of thousands of Ixtali practitioners. However, they are neither wholly habitats nor colleges of magic, but something in between. ⬩➤ Cardinal Arcology: The arcologies are connected by intersecting lines of power, and each represents a specific form or discipline of elemental magic. The largest are home to tens of thousands of Ixtali practitioners. The Cardinal Arcology, seat of the ruling Yun Tal caste, has stood since before the ancient Shurimans raised their first Sun Disc. Its great arcologies are neither wholly habitats nor colleges of magic, but something in between. ⬩➤ Skarner's Chamber: Beneath Ixaocan lies a secret chamber home to Skarner, a founding member of the Yun Tal, and protector of Ixtal. Here he lies, attuned to the earth's vibrations, vigilant for any threats to Ixtal. Only the Yun Tal are aware of Skarner's presence beneath the city. ⬩➤ Vidalion: Within the cardinal arcology of Ixaocan is a grand chamber, deliberately positioned at the very center of Ixtal, and indeed the whole of Runeterra, as far as the Ixtali are concerned. Above this chamber hangs the Vidalion, an ancient artifact that can weave magic into material form. ⬩➤ Magma Arcology: High in the mountains, the mages of this relatively small arcology combine their understandings of fire, rock, and magnetism to draw precious metals from the earth, crafting them into exquisite shapes with the merest gesture. ⬩➤ Water Arcology: Located next to one of the many river confluences of the Serpentine River, the mages of this arcology combine their understandings of water, ice, and steam to reshape the land around them. 2.3.2. Villages: The jungles of Ixtal are dotted with multiple outlying villages and settlements, separate from the arcologies of Ixaocan. The most trusted Yun Tal may be designated as the prefects of these villages. They would resolve local disputes, test potential aspirants, and generally ensure that the Ixtali people have as little interaction with outsiders as possible. ⬩➤ Kiilash Village: A Vastayan settlement, it is the birthplace of Rengar. ⬩➤ Milio's Village: A small village somewhere around the borders of Ixtal. Milio's family was banished to this village after his aunt, Luné, was caught plotting treason against the Yun Tal. ⬩➤ Ohmka: An outlying village somewhere in Ixtal's jungle ⬩➤ Paretha: An old Shuriman settlement known for its taffa-flower water. It is near the location from where the Elixir of Uloa was found by Ezreal. ⬩➤ Semchul: A semi-independent settlement known for their great "Gardeners", those who tend to the barrier of the Ixtal in order to protect it from the outside world, also known as the Nasiana by fellow Ixtali. ⬩➤ Taarqen: A semi-independent settlement noted to be closely situated to Ixaocan ⬩➤ Tikras: A village governed by Prefect Mara Yunalai. Most of the village was decimated after Piltover miners blew it up as an act of revenge for their killed mining team. ⬩➤ Xolen: An outlying village somewhere in Ixtal's jungle. 2.3.3. Ixtali Border: When the Rune Wars closed in on their doorsteps, Skarner was able to convince the other Yun Tal to close the Ixtali border by drawing the wilderness around them to act as a barrier, isolating Ixaocan and its surrounding jungles from the rest of Runeterra. The barrier erected by the Yun Tal, manifests several potent effects that deter and repel people from the outside world (known as Nasiana by the Ixtali) from trespassing. Elemental magic manipulates the weather, conjuring sudden storms that persist for days, drenching intruders and making navigation treacherous. The dense mist obscures visibility, leading travelers astray, while the landscape itself shifts and rearranges, impeding progress and trapping those who venture within. Travelers can find themselves entangled in a relentless struggle against the oppressive vegetation, hacking through thick vines and dense foliage as they press forward into the heart of the wilderness. The air hangs heavy with humidity, choking the senses and obscuring visibility in a thick, impenetrable fog. An eerie sense of being watched pervades the atmosphere as men vanish without a trace, swallowed by the jungle's insatiable appetite or torn asunder by unseen forces lurking amidst the shadows. Vines exhibit a rapid growth rate, quickly engulfing structures, vessels and people alike within their reach. Despite the barrier's formidable reputation for causing those who attempt to breach it to mysteriously vanish, a few individuals, such as Ezreal and Neeko, have somehow managed to traverse it, although the specifics of their methods remain unknown. Meanwhile, Piltover has intensified its endeavors to extend its operations beyond the Ixtali borders, with some degree of success. 2.4. Icathia: Icathia is a lost city bordering Shurima in the southeast part of the Southern Continent. 2.4.1. Icathia City: A great and terrible battle was fought against the Void before the walls of ancient Icathia. In the aftermath, the lands all around the damned city became deserted wastes, and its very existence was struck from the maps of Shurima. It was hoped, perhaps foolishly, that the horrors unleashed there would eventually be forgotten. ߷ Zilean's Tower: A building displaced in time due to Zilean's elemental meddling with time. 2.4.2. The Rupture: On the outskirts of Icathia lies the Rupture—evidence of the Void itself bursting forth from deep beneath the ground, in an age now lost to history. Though the bold and the curious alike have often sought to learn more, only the most foolhardy explorer would ever dare venture into the dark spaces beneath. 2.5. Aurma: Aurma is an island nation north off the coast of the Shuriman Continent, and the edge of the Conqueror's Sea. Piltover trading families have close trading ties with the city-state nation of Aurma, such as Clan Medarda with Mistress Arathmae. One of the nation's more well known exports to Piltover are Roes and leathers. 2.6. Harelport: Harelport is an independent coastal settlement located in eastern Shuriman Jungle. 2.7. Kumangra: Kumangra is a city-state in the northern part of the Shuriman Continent, bordering the Shuriman Jungle. Kumangra Song-Market District: A famous district in Kumangra known for its wide assortment of singing parrots. Piltover trading families have close trading ties with the city-state nation of Kumangra, such as Clan Medarda with individual known as Panaris. One of the nations more well known exports to Piltover are Song birds from the famous Kumangra Song-Market District, though trading families have a hard time at holding contracts in this nation due to the fickle nature of Kumangrans. Tonnika Market: One of many markets in Kumangra. The shops in this area specialize in selling exotic plants from all across Runeterra. Cazworth's Exotic Goods: An exotic flower shop. Its owners were eaten by Zyra. 2.8. Mudtown: Mudtown is an independent coastal town north of the Serpentine River Delta. Many gamblers and thieves from Bilgewater visit the gambling parlors in Mudtown. Twisted Fate has gained his gambling reputation in Mudtown as the Card Master. Piltover trading families have close trading ties with the city-state nation of Mudtown, such as Clan Medarda with individual known as Sallie One-Eye. One of the nations more well known exports to Piltover are materials for red-shale bricks as well as Nirpooti fruit. 2.9. Nazumah: Nazumah is a city-state on the south edge of the Shuriman Continent which has no affiliation with Azir. The city is situated on an oasis, which is the only water source for miles. During the Great Darkin War, the founders of Nazumah traveled southward through the Shuriman Desert to escape the tyranny of the Ascended. They would eventually find an oasis, the only water source for miles, but it was plagued by monsters who depended on it for survival. After a long and hard fought struggle, they claimed the oasis as their own and built a society around it. For the following 500 years, this society would end up thriving on hunting the giant monsters for their rare materials to improve their weapons and infrastructure. Unlike the rest of Shurima, Nazumah rejects the rule of Azir and any other ascended who would try to lay claim to their home. 2.10. Venaru: Venaru is an independent island settlement located on The Serpentine River Delta. Calasa fruit are one of its well known exports. The island has an active volcano that often erupts, spewing slow moving lava to the shores where it solidifies to hard sharp rock. Pillar of Sorrows: In the south of the Island, a stone monolith rises from the water to meet the sky. It is the tallest point on the island. 3. Camavoran Continent: Camavoran Continent or Eastern Continent is a continent in the eastern hemisphere of Runeterra, separated from the rest of the world by the vast expanse of the Eternal Ocean. The most predominant nation on this continent was the ancient kingdom of Camavor before its fall during the Ruination of Helia. After the Ruination its history became largely unknown to the rest of the world. 3.1. Camavor: Kingdom of Camavor is a former kingdom on an eastern continent of Runeterra, not currently shown on the map. The kingdom was once attacked by a Darkin who enslaved Vladimir. It collapsed after Viego began neglecting his duties as king. 🐉 Alovédra: Alovédra was the capital city of Camavor and the seat of the Argent Throne. 🐉 Alshalana: Alshalana was a city within the Taskaros region of Camavor. 🐉 Burning Valley: The Burning Valley was a vast steppe within Camavor Proper. 🐉 Iron Keep: The Iron Keep was the fortress of the Iron Order, one of the Knightly Orders who have sworn fealty to the King of Camavor. The fortress was a half a day's ride on horseback from the capital, Alovédra, and the Order had protect the Argent Throne for centuries. Its last Knight-Commander was Hecarim. 🐉 Panthas: Panthas was an estate situated on the southern shoreline of Camavor. It was renowned for its vineyards and fine wines. After the demise of its previous head with no heirs, the estate found final leadership in the lowborn, Captain Ledros, who was appointed by Viego as its baronet. 🐉 Polemia: Polemia was a small city within the Taskaros region of Camavor. In the latter days of the kingdom, the city was burned to the ground as a result of feuds caused by a secession from the kingdom. 🐉 Port Takan: Port Takan stood as an independent city-state with a allegiance to Camavor and other nations on the continent. This bustling port thrived under the governance of a conglomerate of influential highlords. However, when an assassination attempt targeted Viego, the reigning monarch suspected Port Takan's involvement without concrete evidence or apparent motive. In response, Viego commanded Hecarim to besiege the city. Hecarim not only accomplished this task but also laid waste to all territories allied with Port Takan to the east. 🐉 Santoras: Santoras was once an independent city-state who had a long-standing allegiance to Camavor. It was subjugated by Viego under the pretense of reclaiming a Camavoran artifact, Mikael's Chalice. In this conflict, the city-state's last king, Agripos, was slain by Ledros. It was during the victory party within the city that Isolde was hit by a poisoned black dagger. 🐉 Taskaros: Taskaros was a region in the far east of the Kingdom of Camavor. In the latter days of the kingdom, the region had seceded from the kingdom, declaring itself independent. This resulted in the burning of villages and the Knightly Orders native to that region to fight amongst themselves, reigniting blood feuds. 🐉 Zavala: Zavala was a city to the western shores of Camavor. It is the birthplace of Viego's mother, Lady Lianor. 3.2. Kathkan: Kathkan is a nation on the Camavoran Continent, neighbouring Camavor itself. The nation was historically the main rival for the kingdom of Camavor before the Ruination of Helia, almost a thousand years prior, and has thrived in Camavor's absence ever since. Under the Kathkani capital lies a secret order of heroes called the Seventh Layer, tasked with guarding Ashlesh, though the demon now resides in the hands of Nilah. After the defeat of Viego at the hands of the Sentinels of Light, Nilah became the first Kathkani to step foot on Valoran in over seven hundred years, in search of the Sentinels of Light. The Hallowed Mist that binds Viego to Camavor is slowly fading; when he eventually breaks free, his ruination will begin to drive demons into a frenzy-like state, potentially awakening the rest of the Ten Kings - Ashlesh's primordial brethren - which would spell doom for Kathkan. 4. Ionian Archipelago: Ionian Archipelago is an Runeterran island chain east from Valoran. Previously only the nation of Ionia settled on the archipelago, but in recent history Noxus was able to secure several islands and territories for expansion. 4.1. Ionia: Ionia, in original Vastayan nomenclature: The First Lands, is a land of unspoiled beauty and natural magic. Its inhabitants, living in scattered settlements across this massive archipelago, are a spiritual people who seek to live in harmony and balance with the world. There are many orders and sects across Ionia, each following their own (often conflicting) paths and ideals. Self-sufficient and isolationist, Ionia has remained largely neutral in the wars that have ravaged Valoran over the centuries - until it was invaded by Noxus. This brutal conflict and occupation has forced Ionia to reassess its place in the world. How it reacts and the future path Ionia will follow is as of yet undetermined, however, animosity against Noxus has led to militarization and vigilantism. Thirst for the dark arts is on the rise. Ionia is a large archipelago located off the east coast of Valoran. The main island of Ionia is split by a mountain range into two regions, Navori and Shon-Xan. It is also the location of the Ionian Capital, The Placidium, and Vlonqo. 4.2. Navori: Located on Ionia, the province of Navori spans the western half of Ionia and is home to various villages, prestigious schools, sacred magical gardens, and the iconic Placidium of Navori. 🌿 Azure Farms: are a coastal area in Navori region of Ionia. 🌿 Garden of Forgetting: The garden may be located here. Ahri has visited the garden at least once to erase her troubled memories. Its keeper is Ighilya (Ionian: 'Great grandmother'), also known as the Eater of Secrets, the Forgotten, or the Witch Gardener. The flowers and the fruit of the Garden have deep magical properties that can take away a person's memories or life essence. 🌿 Ionia City: A large city on which Ionians were gathered and harmonized by the magic that is within the First Lands. Magical Quinlons scatter all across the borders. Like any other nations, the Capital is the seat of power for the Ionian Ruling Council whose members include Karma and Irelia. 🌿 Omikayalan: known also as the Heart of the World or the Greenglade, is a sacred grove to all Ionians. The vastayashai'rei protected its most important landmark: the God-Willow, a massive tree, dripping with long gossamer leaves that shimmered with golden-green light. During ancient times, a battle between the groves protectors and Freljordian warriors ended with the God-Willow's destruction. The whimpers of countless beasts, the bawling of rivers, the howling of trees and the dripping tears of moss, they lamented the God-Willow's death in a symphony of mourning. Centuries have passed and at the place where the God-Willow once stood, a being known as the Green Father emerged with a clear mission and purpose: to protect all life and teach the world's people to respect and appreciate all that is. 🌿 The Placidium of Navori: Situated at the heart of the continent, the Placidium is one of Ionia's most sacred places. Many have journeyed here to study at renowned schools, or meditate in its wild, magical gardens. Many of Ionia's most successful diplomats have spent at least some time studying at the Placidium. Undoubtedly, this was why it became such a tempting target for the invading armies of Noxus. It was at the Placidium that the people of Ionia finally took up arms against their Noxian enemies. But the cost of that day's victory was immense, and some now question if fighting back was the right decision, since the harmonious balance of their homeland may have been lost forever. 🌿 Thanze: A city located in Southeastern Navori, it was ravaged by the Noxian Invasion of Ionia. The Navori Brotherhood and Zed's Shadow Order defended this city and its inhabitants. 🌿 Temple of Koeshin: Located in Northwestern Navori, it is presumably the main headquarters of the Kinkou Order during the time of Master Shen. The White Cliffs Inn, located closely to the Temple. is the place where Shen and Zed first met after decades in order to find Jhin. 🌿 Temple of Thanjuul: Located in Southeastern Navori, it is the Kinkou Order temple of Navori during the time of Master Kusho. During the siege of Thanze, Zed and his acolytes came for the Tears of The Shadow. Currently the Temple is controlled by the Shadow Order. 🌿 Weh'le: Weh'le is a phantom port, a hidden coastal village, protected by the mystical properties of Ionia. Akali is a frequent visitor to the village, where she gets additions to her impressive dragon tattoo - and assassinates betrayers of Ionia seeking to flee the archipelago. 🌿 Weh'le Market: One of the more important locations in Weh'le, during the Spirit Blossom Festival it is filled with entertainers. 🌿 Weh'le River: Located next to the city. This small river holds great importance during the Spirit Blossom Festival, where numerous spirit blossoms bloom on its banks. Several shrines and titanic statues are scattered across the banks of the river. It is this place where Yasuo and Yone fought an azakana demon. 🌿 Yasuo's Village: A place once ravaged by the Noxian invasion, it was once the location where warriors would learn rare Wind Techniques from masters like Elder Souma. It is the current residence of Riven. 4.3. Shon-Xan: Not much is known about Shon-Xan, the eastern region of Ionia Island, though it is presumably the origin of one of Camille's favorite weapons, the Shon-Xan footed glaive. 🌿 Puboe: A human town that was the center of a few recent events. Xayah and Rakan freed several vastaya from a prison here, and Akali was assigned to kill a corrupt councilman who sold the town out to Noxus, though the murder did not actually occur in Puboe. 🌿 Puboe Prison: Previously controlled by Shadow Order disciples, the Prison was used to imprison numerous vastaya. 🌿 Temple of Xuanain: The village Xuanain is located in the southeastern part of Shon-Xan. It is located near a Kinkou Temple which was abandoned long ago until it became the new base of operation for the order after the death of Master Kusho during the Noxian invasion of Ionia. East of Thanjuul, high up in the mountains where glacial water ran. It was beside a lagoon of turquoise water, peppered with purple lantern florae. Although they were near the village of Xuanain, their haven was difficult to access, with its great elevation and surrounding hills. 🌿 Vlonqo: A remote mountain town in southern part of Sho-Xan region of Ionia. Vlonqo Flowers are highly sought after by Weh'le tattoo artists. 4.4. Fae'lor: Fae’lor is a small island to the west of the main island of Ionia. It is the location of the Dael'eh Ahira, the Dreaming Pool, which previously imprisoned Syndra. Its famous monastery school was converted into a Noxian fort during the invasion. The island has since been stripped bare by Syndra's power, and the fort ripped free of its foundations. 🌿 Fae'lor Castle: The fortress of Fae'lor was built upon the westernmost island of Ionia. Highly defensible, this place had remained for centuries, standing against countless foes, before being finally overrun after a long siege during the Noxian invasion. Its famous monastery school was converted into a Noxian fort during the invasion. 🌿 Dael'eh Ahira Pool: Dael'eh Ahira, or the Dreaming Pool, a spiritually magical pool that previously imprisoned Syndra. Currently it imprisons a vastaya named Kalan. 4.5. Bahrl: Bahrl is an island in the central part of the chain, south of the main island of Ionia. The villages of Tevasa and Wuju are located here, as is the Epool River, where Zed found Kayn. 🌿 Epool River: It is located in the southern part of Bahrl island in Ionia. It is the place where Zed found Kayn. 🌿 Tevasa: It is located on the north side of the island region of Bahrl. At the footholds of the mountain, there is a small peaceful village with approximately hundred people. During the Noxian invasion of Ionia, pillaging Noxian soldiers were defeated by the hands of Ahri who grew attached to all the villagers and had a desire to protect them from harm. 🌿 Urvash: A coastal settlement located in southern part of Bahrl island of Ionia. 🌿 Wuju: Located on Bahrl, it is the birthplace of Master Yi and the art of Wuju. It has since been destroyed during the Noxian Invasion of Ionia. 4.6. Bard Mountain: Possibly is located somewhere in Ionia. It was the site of a battle over an ancient artifact that resulted in the appearance of Bard. 4.7. Houhjo: The Houhjo are an Ionian human tribe that occupy the two southernmost islands of the Ionian Archipelago, Galrin and Sudaro. The Houhjo's culture is centred around their custodial duties within The Temple of Pallas, which fell into disrepair after the Noxian invasion detailed in the comic, Heartlight, as well as the subsequent emergence of the Darkin, Varus. Little is known of this island nation other than its involvement in Varus' backstory. 🌿 Galrin: One of two islands in the region of Houhjo (the other being Sudaro), located near the southern tip of the Ionian Archipelago island chain. 🌿 Ghetu Sea: The Ghetu Sea is a desert located at the center of the Galrin island of Ionia. 🌿 Nistaram Forest: Nistaram Forest is located on the northernwest tip of Galrin island of Ionia. It is a day away from Pallas by horseback. This forest is rich with biodiversity, having numerous dangerous monsters and plants. Professional hunters are often enlisted to hunt down dangerous creatures that pose a threat to neighboring towns and villages. 🌿 Pallas: The ancient village Pallas was established upon the coastal shores. The inhabitants of this village have forgotten much of their long history, but their duty as custodians to the Temple of Pallas was never abandoned - until Noxus arrived. 🌿 Temple of Pallas: Aeons ago a gold-armored figure arrived upon the western shore of Ionia, bringing with her an insatiable device. Here she imprisoned a bow within a deep chasm and sealed it off using the natural magic from the Ionian landscape. The nearby settlement was tasked with maintaining the seals as what lurked inside was powerful enough to break its bonds and eventually be unleashed. Erecting a grand temple around the chasm, the villagers rarely wavered from this task, despite its purpose being entirely forgotten. Valmar and Kai sought refuge in the water-filled chasm when Noxian forces attacked Pallas, and the darkin Varus was released. Master Kobayashi was the Temples leader during the Battle of Pallas, where she was later slaughtered by Noxian soldiers. 🌿 Sudaro: A small island at the southern tip of the Ionian Archipelago. It is part of Houhjo region along with Galrin. 4.8. Oulin, Qaelin, and Ralin: These islands make up a small cluster in the northeastern part of the archipelago. Hirana Monastery is located on Ralin. 🌿 Hirana Monastery: The monks of Hirana Monastery are renowned for self-control. Lee Sin and Udyr defended this place. 🌿 Lhotlan Village: Deep within the Lhradi Forest of Qaelin live the endangered Lhotlan vastaya, whose most prominent members are Rakan and Xayah. 🌿 Qaelin Highlands: The mountainous regions of Qaelin which span from the north to the south of the island. 🌿 Jiekkasja: A settlement and region located in the Southern Qaelin Highlands. 🌿 Quenjo Estate: The current location of House Quenjo and the Lady Yevnai. Zed visited this place in order to find the current whereabouts of Shen during his search for Jhin. 4.9. Zhyun: A mountainous island in the south of the Ionian archipelago, it was previously plagued by the infamous Golden Demon. Before the Invasion of Ionia, Zhyun was known to have its own council. 🌿 Kashuri: It is a coastal settlement located at the southern part of Zhyun island of Ionia. 🌿 Kashuri Armories: The armories forged traditional weapons for a long time, mostly swords and bows. The war against Noxus changed that, and they began making poor copies of Piltover's hextech weapons. Now they have been 'inspired' to make new weapons harnessing the abundant magic in Ionia, like Khada Jhin's pistol-rifle. 🌿 Nanthee: A settlement located in Southern Zhyun, it is where a disguised Zed went in search for Jhin after his return. It was heavily destroyed by Jhin's bombs which he used for his escape to Piltover. 🌿 Raikkon: A coastal settlement in the southern tip of Zhyun island of Ionia. Its native berries are used for creating quality tattoo ink mixture. Xin Zhao was born here. 🌿 Swirl Rocks: A unique rock formation located in the northern part of Zhyun island of Ionia. 🌿 Temple of the Jagged Knife: Located in the island province of Zhyun, it is controlled by Zed's Order of Shadows. It was previously ransacked by Gangplank and his pirate crew. 🌿 Tuula: A city located in the southern mountainous province of Zhyun. Khada Jhin was initially imprisoned here by Kusho, Shen, and Zed. 🌿 Tuula Prison: A highly fortified prison for one of the worst criminals in Ionia. It is the place where Jhin was imprisoned for years before being released by corrupt Ionian politicians. 🌿 Zhyun Highlands: The mountainous regions of Zhyun which span from the north to the south of the island. 🌿 Ghajan River: Located in Southern Zhyun, the Ghajan river is the area where Kusho, Shen and Zed finally captured Jhin. 🌿 Jyom Pass: A fishing settlement located on the banks of the Ghajan River. This was where Khada Jhin was captured by Kusho, Shen, and Zed. There is a Blossom Festival held here. 🌿 Holn: Located in the Southern Zhyun Highlands. The Holn Mountain Road had the statue of Master Kusho, the former leader of the Kinkou Order who banished a local demon, The Zogao. It is also the location where Zed defeated and killed Master Althon. 🌿 Kotha: A village settlement in the Southern Zhyun Highlands, it was destroyed and most of its inhabitants brutally murdered by Jhin during his early years as a serial killer. It is also the location where Kusho, Shen, and Zed first witnessed Jhin's brutality. The village remains in ruins to this day. 🌿 Olgathee Forest: Located in the Zhyun Highlands, it is the place where Shen banished a demon which terrorized the surrounding areas. 🌿 Temple of Raishai: The Village of Raishai is located in the southern part of Zhyun. The Raishai acolytes had been among the Kinkou order's most faithful, supporting the edict of pacifism during the Noxian Invasion of without question. The turmoils of the war lead to deep spiritual unrest in this area, which attracted evil spirits. It was only with the help of Kennen that this evil was dispelled. 🌿 Shual: A settlement located in Southern Zhyun Highlands, it is one the locations where Shen and Zed went to in search for Jhin after his return. 🌿 Sotka River: A river that originates from the Southern Highlands of Zhyun. Near Kotha it is one of the places where Zed was searching for Jhin after his return. A Local Blossom Festival was ravaged by Jhin's bombs used by him for his escape. 🌿 Thonx: A settlement located in the Zhyun Highlands, its river caverns have numerous taverns and fishermen buildings. 🌿 Kwol Tavern: A river side tavern located at the outskirts of Thonx, it is the place where Zed and his Shadow Order have started their search for Jhin. 🌿 Zhyunia: A coastal settlement located on Zhyun island of Ionia. 5. Serpent Isles: Serpent Isles, or Blue Flame Isles, is an island archipelago off the southeastern coast of the Valoran mainland. Notably, it contains Bilgewater. 5.1. Bilgewater: Bilgewater is a haven for smugglers, marauders, and the unscrupulous, where fortunes are made and ambitions shattered in the blink of an eye. For those fleeing justice, debt, or persecution, it is a city of new beginnings; no one on the twisted streets of Bilgewater cares about your past. It's a melting pot of cultures, races, and creeds, alive with activity at all hours. While incredibly dangerous, Bilgewater is also ripe with opportunity, free from the shackles of government, regulation, and moral constraints. If you have the coin, almost anything can be purchased in Bilgewater, from outlawed hextech to the favor of local crime lords. Nevertheless, come daybreak, the unwary are found floating in the harbor, their purses empty and their throats slit. 5.2. Bilgewater Bay: Surrounded by treacherous straits and towering cliffs, Bilgewater Bay is as dangerous as those who call it home. Visitors are often seduced by seemingly limitless opportunity, and become permanent residents—realizing that the longer they stay, the more they can exploit others for power and wealth. 🌊 Black Market Grottos: Situated in the lowest parts of Bilgewater Bay, these locations are the primary location of Bilgewater's black market. Bilgewater's lowliest inhabitants dwell in a labyrinth of meandering canals and hidden inlets, with no separation between the homes they build and the sea where they ply their trade. 🌊 Cutpurse Square: A thriving marketplace surrounded by swaying dwellings built in a wide square on one of the floating wharf-shanties, the Cutpurse Square can be seen from almost all of Bilgewater. Miss Fortune, Rafen and thirty more men of her crew fought the Mist here until they were saved from Hecarim by Lucian. 🌊 Grey Harbor: A Bilgewater port lost years ago to the Mist. Before its fall it contained a magnificient Buhru temple. It has since been overrun by mistwalkers. Captain Malik reunited the Jagged Hooks and was somehow able to dwell in the Black Mist covering the Harbor. 🌊 Rat Town: Bilgewater Bay is the main entrance to the largest settlement of Bilgewater, Rat Town. Butcher's Bridge, which is located upstream and above the Slaughter Docks, acts as a gate to the in and out of the island the city is built on. Fleet Street has various pubs and taverns and boasts the island's finest rum. (They say that patrons of the Brazen Hydra can be heard all the way to Diver's Bluff!) 🌊 Butcher's Bridge: Looming over the main harbor is Butcher's Bridge, an ancient stone overpass built into the cliffs, connecting the bustling piers with the notorious slums beyond. Most gather here to fight duels or exchange their illicit wares. 🌊 Serpent Bridge Connecting the Temple of the Mother Serpent to the rest of the city, the bridge is made of uneven cobblestone in undulant and spiral shapes. 🌊 Temple of The Mother Serpent: One of the few Buhru temples opened in Bilgewater, it is dedicated to the deity known as Nagakabouros. It was built within a crater using scavenged materials from the sea. It is here where Illaoi with the help of her God was able to cast out Hecarim and the other undead wraiths from the Bay during one of the Harrowings. 🌊 Slaughter Docks: Massive sea monsters are a const threat in the waters around Bilgewater. Fleets leave port at sunset every night to hunt these mighty beasts. If successful, they return to the Slaughter Docks to render the once-great creatures down to meat, bones, and armored hides. The Slaughter Docks are located next to Rat Town, beneath Butcher's Bridge. The sea around the Slaughter-docks is often darkened by the blood of slain sea monsters. The chum draws sharks and other predators into the many harbors, stirring up a violent froth. Slaughter fleets leave port at sunset every night to hunt mighty sea monsters. 🌊 Carving Bays: From MacGregan's Killhouse to the renowned outfits at Bloodharbor, slaughter docks operate day and night to turn death into profit. Only the most successful captains can ever hope to run their own dock, so most are forced to haggle for the best deal before their prize begins to rot in the water. 🌊 Gangplank's Warehouse: Gangplank's warehouse was situated at the end of a pier, guarded on three sides by sharks and razorfish-infested waters, and on the fourth by his vicious Jagged Hooks dock gang. It was full of loot and spoils from every corner of the world. In the aftermath of the destruction of the Dead Pool, Gangplank's spoils-filled warehouses have been profileicon plundered, and those who followed the dread pirate have forfeited their allegiance. 🌊 MacGregan's Killhouse: Located at the edge of the Slaughter Docks and Bilgewater Bay, it is the primary location where Miss Fortune does her dirty work by executing political rivals or capturing outlaws. 🌊 The Dead Pool: Anchored near the Slaughter Docks, the enormous, three-masted behemoth, Gangplank's flagship was one of the most infamous vessels in Runeterra. Inherited after his ruthless patricide, the Dead Pool was as much a reminder of the dread captain's power as it was the physical manifestation of it. When Gangplank's ship returned to port, laden with loot from his latest piracy or high-seas victory, it first berthed near the Slaughter Docks to deposit new riches in the captain's warehouse. It has since been destroyed, and its remains are scattered all across the Slaughter Docks and the sea bed of White Wharf. 🌊 White Wharf: Located near the Slaughter Docks, Bilgewater's White Wharf earned its name thanks to the layer of bird waste covering it from end to end, which was only to be expected at a resting place for the dead. In Bilgewater, the dead are not buried, but given back to the ocean, and this is where it all happens. A grave of the sunken dead hangs suspended in the cold depths, marked by hundreds of bobbing grave-buoys. The graves of poor residents have merely name posts, tied en masse to old anchors beneath waterlogged barrels. The wealthy have lavish bobbing tombstones with carvings resembling rearing krakens or buxom sea wenches, and are interred within expensive caskets below the surface. The Boatman ferries the bodies of the departed to the various graveyards scattered about the straits surrounding the city. 5.3. Buhru: The isle of Buhru is one of the isles of the Serpent Isles island chain, Here battle isn't considered a test of strength but of will. These Isles are the location from which the religion of Nagakabouros and its priestess originate from. Buhru is an island and coastal settlement which is part of the larger Serpent Isles. 🐙 Temple of The Mother Serpent: The main Serpent Isles temple for the deity known as Nagakabouros. 🐙 Ixtali culture is part of an older great westward diaspora that gave the rise of civilizations such as the Buhru of the Serpent Isles. After its isolation from the rest of the world and the formation of Bilgewater, a lot of pirates and adventure seekers would attempt to trek into the unforgiving jungle landscape in search of ancient treasure, only to never be heard from again (due to the wildlife, or the Ixtali defending their borders). One of the group of people that settled the regions around Ixtal are the riverfolk of the Serpentine River. 6. Shadow Isles: The land now known as the Shadow Isles was once a beautiful realm named Blessed Isles, but it was shattered by a magical cataclysm. Black Mist permanently shrouds the isles and the land itself is tainted, corrupted by malevolent sorcery. Living beings that stand upon the Shadow Isles slowly have their life-force leeched from them, which, in turn, draws the insatiable, predatory spirits of the dead. Those who perish within the Black Mist are condemned to haunt this melancholy land for eternity. Worse, the power of the Shadow Isles is waxing stronger with every passing year, allowing the shades of undeath to extend their range and reap souls all across Runeterra. 6.1. Black Mist: The Black Mist is a thick shroud that covers the Isles and the surrounding seaside. Before the Ruination the White Mist was merely a natural magical enchantment protecting the Isles of anyone trying to trespass on them. Only its denizens and certain outsiders knew how to navigate through the mist. Thanks to the confounding magical mist that shrouded the Isles, there was little need for any standing army. After the Ruination, the Black Mist became a prison of souls, trapping any living being it touches in the moment of death, only the strongest of souls who retain their personality and desires can escape its grasp. But the manifestations of those souls who escape the Mist can be killed with the right tools or by other spirits. They are doomed to return to the mist, sometimes staying there for centuries, other times just some days. Manifested spirits can use the Black Mist to travel anywhere it touches, even though stronger spirits may venture beyond the isles without a Harrowing. When a Harrowing happens, weaker spirits are able to manifest and the Black Mist travels beyond the Isles allowing legions of souls, most forming the Mist itself, to hunt the living. Harrowings can happen anywhere, but they happen most often on Bilgewater. Harrowings tends to last only one night as the souls of the damned are also vulnerable to sunlight and pure light. One of the few known ways to truly free a soul from the grasp of the Black is through the power of Nagakabouros. 6.2. Helia: Helia was the former capital of the Blessed Isles, reduced to ruins on the Shadow Isles after the Ruination. On the now ruined Helia, Thresh uses a grand castle he calls his Sanctum, to imprison numerous souls and keep them around to torture. Very little is left of the city after its flooding and destruction; the following are notable locations that its remaining inhabitants or related individuals remember. 💀 Undead Wilds: An area once teeming with natural magic and life, it has since been twisted and rotted into grotesque imitations of the original entities inhabiting it. 💀 Twisted Treeline: The Twisted Treeline is located somewhere in the Shadow Isles. It forested area houses to spirit altars and lair of the Vilemaw. 💀 Blessed Isles Bridge: The major Blessed Isles Bridge, a majestic and geometrically-designed civilian structure that acted as a crossroad between isles over each water channel. 💀 Library Keep: The general area where Helia's Library was located, now consists of ruined mounts and craters in destroyed landscape that emanate incontrollable arcane energy. 💀 Helia's Library: This was once the largest and most significant archive that ever existed on Runeterra, and part of a larger research area that housed all the dangerous artifacts of the world. These artifacts included Runic scriptures and magical tomes. Its scribes worked tirelessly to study, maintain and protect them from Runeterra. 💀 Scintillant Tower: The main tower that landmarked the city of Helia. In this building most of the vaults as well as important administrative chambers were housed. It was under this tower that the Ruination was unleashed. 💀 Well of Ages: A body of water that lay beneath the Hall of Conjunction, hidden from most of Helia. This well had the extraordinary ability to trap the spirits of the dead in the physical realm, as well as heal any wound and extend once life. This phenomenon was caused by an unstable World Rune resting at the bottom of the well. 💀 Hall of Conjunction: The landmark through which all seekers of knowledge must pass in order to reach Helia's many Vaults. It was once the greatest repository of the Blessed Isles, and one of many architectural wonders containing innumerable secrets and dangerous artifacts. 💀 Radiance of Alignments: The Radiance of Alignments, Located within The Hall of Conjunction, functions as the vault entrance to the Athenaeum of Light. The knowledge within these hidden vaults would only reveal itself at specific phases of moon, angles of the sun, or alignments of starlight. The Radiance of Alignments begins the journey to enlightenment. 💀 Athenaeum of Light: A tall chamber within the Hall of Conjunction. The Litanies of the Sentinels are engraved on the walls and floor of the great Athenaeum. 💀 Vaults of Arcana: An architectural center that housed some of the most dangerous artifacts on Runeterra. After the Ruination, it became a confluence of dark magic. 💀 Grand Gallery of Ancient Artifacts: The primary archival building on the Shadow Isles. 💀 Celestial Vault: These vaults could only be unlocked by the revelations of the Lunatropic Demisphere. 💀 Vesani Vault: A vault constructed for the Vesani scholars, functioning as their primary laboratory. Memory-powered golems guarded the vault. 💀 Buhru Forge: An ancient forge of the Buhru people, its entrance located deep within the Vesani Vault. 💀 Labratory of the Schools of Geo-Thaumaturgical Sciences: A building dedicated to the study of Geo-Thaumaturgical Science, or in other words, the study of relic stones. 💀 Sentinels of Light Workshop: A workshop for the Sentinels chapter of the Fellowship of Light. It was notably much smaller than the rest of the chapters of Geo-Thaumaturgical Sciences as the Sentinels were seen as redundant. The interior was a combination of a blacksmith’s forge, an alchemist’s laboratory, and an armory. 7. Conqueror's Sea: The Conqueror's Sea is the sea west of the Valoran continent, just off the coast of Demacia. It borders with several seas and islands, such as Aurma and Marai Territories. Kayle and Morgana traveled the Conqueror's Sea with their father Kilam to reach the natural sanctuary of Western Valoran that would later be the location of the Kingdom of Demacia. Taric traveled the Conqueror's Sea to reach Mount Targon. 8. Guardian's Sea: The Guardian's Sea is the sea to the east of Valoran and the Shuriman Continent, encompassing multiple island chains, such as the Ionian Archipelago, the Serpent Isles, and the Shadow Isles. Beyond its eastern reaches lies the Eternal Ocean. The Guardian's Sea is a haven for pirates who pillage unsuspecting cargo boats. Fizz, the amphibian yordle, dwells here.

1. Ascended: The umbrella term Ascended refers to all humans who were magically altered by a variety of magic, chiefly celestial magic. After their ascension, the Ascended can channel celestial magic through their connection to celestial entities, but do not "gain" celestial magic themselves. Subspicies of Ascended: ⚜️ Aspect Hosts: The term "Aspect Host" refers to humans magically altered and usually made hosts to the Aspects of Targon Prime. It is currently unknown how many of these ascended ever came to be. Despite their small numbers, the Aspect hosts remain among the most powerful beings on Runeterra, and have shaped the course of events throughout the planet's history. Blessed with incredible strength, speed and a strong affinity for mastering forms of magic. The Aspect hosts are also virtually immune to pain and sickness. Some have their lifespan dramatically increased, sometimes to the point of being immortal. However, these transcended beings can still bleed, be crippled, or even killed with the right weapon, magic, or overwhelming force. After each host dies and during times of great needs, the Aspect finds a new host to replace their place. When an aspect leaves their host, the mortal host usually dies. Normally if an Aspect's host is slain, the Aspect returns to the celestial realm and will need to find a new host. Status: Extant Habitat(s): Temperate Climate and Settlements (Cities, Villages, Tribes) ⚜️ The God-Warriors, known also as the Sunborn, are Shuriman ascended magically altered by the Sun Disc of Shurima using the stolen knowledge of Aurelion Sol and the sun's power, their common form is that of anthropomorphised animals, however they are able to take any form they wish during ascension. Blessed with incredible strength, speed and a strong affinity for mastering forms of magic. The Ascended are also virtually immune to pain and their lifespan is dramatically increased, however they are not immortal. These transcended beings can bleed, be crippled, or even killed with the right weapon, magic or overwhelming force. Ascension isn't a perfect process. Some were made who were 100% compatible (or as near as makes no difference) with the process and became the types similar to Nasus, others were failures and became the Baccai. Most were somewhere in the middle, divine and super powerful, but not perfect. They're somewhat more resistant to the power of the Void, what with the cosmic power of the sun-disc enchanting their flesh - though they're not immune. But their minds were exposed as being all too vulnerable to the scars of fighting such horrors which led to many of the survivors becoming Darkin later. Most resemble anthropomorphic versions of animals and even gain the unique attributes of such creatures. However each individual who rises to Ascension are shaped after the most prominent ideals one strives to embody; some may become far more bestial in form and others could gain extra appendages. Regardless of appearance their gifted powers elevated them to demigod status as a result. It was also revealed that if a non-Shuriman were to go through the Ascension ritual, they would likely not take an animal form as their mental association with certain ideals wouldn't be tied down to the Shuriman symbolic language. For example, the notion of lord/emperor in Shuriman is that of a golden bird, so Azir's ascended form reflects that. However, a Demacian doesn't make the same association, so a Demacian leader would not transform into a golden bird. As they were previously humans, Ascended still retain their ability to procreate as humans do. However, they may choose to alter their bodies to not have this ability. The Darkin before being trapped in their weapons had the ability to alter their bodies to a significant amount that they have lost human elements of their physical bodies which they still retained when they were Shuriman Ascended. Status: Extant Habitat: Shurima ⚜️ Baccai are Shuriman ascended who failed to fully ascend, in the Ascended Host's eyes they were not worthy of being called God-Warriors. The Baccai share some physical elements with the god-warriors. Their lifespan is dramatically increased. However they are not immortal and can bleed, be crippled, or even killed unlike other ascended. Unlike their god-warrior and darkin counterparts, the Baccai forms are malformed and flawed so they do not have the same incredible strength, speed, nor strong affinity with different forms of magic. Like the god-warriors, most resemble anthropomorphic versions of animals and even gain the unique attributes of such creatures. Because the nature of their flawed ascensions their forms are an incomplete as their bodies still retain humanoid features and flaws. Status: Extant Habitat: Shurima ⚜️ Darkin are corrupted God-Warriors who were traumatized by the horrors of the Void War and drastically altered their bodies with hemomancy. Currently, most darkin are trapped in weapons, but morph their hosts into an approximation of their original Darkin forms. The Darkin began their story as revered human warriors of Ancient Shurima, Ascended into serving against the threat from the threshold. After finally halting the Void's perverse incursion, the surviving Ascended entitled themselves as "Sunborn", the first witnesses of a dawn of peace they brought to a now safe world. Centuries after an age of war with the Void, despite their divine makeup, their minds remained as fragile as the mortals they once were. When the light of Shurima finally left the world, many of the immortal Ascended found themselves lost. With no emperor to lead them, these “darkin” eventually fell to warring among their own kind—and the peoples of Runeterra were caught in the middle. The ceaseless warring and the horrors they witnessed slowly took their toll, leading them to fight over who was worthy of taking over the world that forgot them. This started the War of the Sunborn, known better to the world as the Darkin War. The laws of mortal life held little meaning for the darkin. Over the centuries, they mastered many forbidden forms of primal magic, crafting their own flesh and armor with equal ease, until they were completely unrecognizable as the noble warriors they had once been. During the Darkin War depictions of the self-corrupted Sunborn, now known as Darkin, as already having a demonic appearance—the result of using blood magic, fueled with each mortal and Darkin life they took, to reshape their own bodies and armor and meld them as one. Toward the end of the Darkin War, the Darkin were imprisoned within their own weapons and wielded against their brethren until all who remained were likewise trapped. Those who wielded a Darkin weapon would gain a portion of their power, but through a vessel was also the only avenue through which a Darkin could gain a mockery of freedom. Even when able to wrest absolute control of a body, the power of a Darkin is too much for any mortal body to contain - condemning the Darkin to a fate of constantly harvesting life force, eventually completely depleting the mortal's energy and being forced to seek another vessel, lest they be rendered inanimate once more. To date, a golden-armored warrior queen is the only being known to have held a Darkin and not succumbed to its will. That said, her final act after dispatching all other Darkin was to trap herself and the Darkin Bow within a well in Pallas, condemning herself but denying the Darkin freedom as well. When an Ascended is created, a celestial concept merges with a mortal host body and grants them ascended power. When a Darkin is sealed, that concept is trapped or deleted. The ideal that they represented ceases to exist and it becomes indistinguishable what the Darkin was once the avatar of. From the moment a darkin weapon chooses a vessel, that mortal will find themselves compelled by a power they can scarcely hope to master—no matter what seductive whispers they might hear in their mind. That power will soon take root in flesh and bone, reshaping them into a new, monstrous amalgam. At the early stages of a darkin infestation, the corruption can be reverted with minimal contact with the weapon, but the darkin will try to entice their host to wield them. The weapon's wielder and any Darkin trapped within seem to enter a symbiotic relationship, the wielder gaining a portion of the Darkin's power and the Darkin in turn gain some agency and a venue of freedom. However, the Darkin can parasitically dominate their wielder, thereby annihilating the wielder's personality while in turn freely affirming their agency; similarly, the wielder can extirpate the Darkin's persona to gain full access to the weapon's power. In both cases, the dominated other is described as "dying". Though the darkin's hunger for vengeance is inhuman and eternal, they must overcome the limitations of their new form if they are ever to sate it. Memories of who they once were, what they aspired to be, and what they have become, all now blur together in their flawed, mortal minds. Aatrox usurped his wielder long ago. Rhaast actively seeks to gain control over Kayn's body. Varus has yet to fully take control of both Valmar and Kai in their tri-symbiotic existence. Kayn asserts that Rhaast will die if Kayn "lets go" of the scythe, while it is implied the Darkin's power is lost if they are killed in this fashion. However, Kayn's statement may simply imply that Rhaast will suffer, much like other known Darkin, complete immobility and sensory deprivation until another takes up the scythe. According to Aatrox, this is a fate far worse than death, for the Darkin remains conscious for the full length of their imprisonment. Status: Almost Extinct Habitat(s): Temperate Climate and Settlements (Cities, Villages, Tribes) 2. Celestial Beings: The umbrella term Celestial refers to all the beings that originate from the Celestial Realm beyond Runeterra. Among the first beings that came to be in the universe (the "Realm of Creation"), they are alien in comparison to the physical and spiritual realms. These beings come in various forms. From the Aspects as representations of concepts and ideals, to the numerous beings such as Celestial Dragons that interact with the world of Runeterra with motives far beyond mortal understanding. Status: Extant Place of origin: Celestial Realm Subspecies: Aspect, Celestial Dragon, Meep, and Sparklefly. 👑 Aspect: The Aspects are celestial beings that live beyond the physical and spiritual realms of Runeterra, in Targon Prime, the "City of Gold and Silver" of the Celestial Realm. These beings embody abstract concepts and wield "celestial" magic. They are able to meld with mortals, making them their hosts, or merely imbuing them with cosmic powers. Through these mortals, they are able to traverse and/or interact with the mortal plane with relative efficiency. Mortals melded with Aspects are called Aspect Hosts. Aspects, as entities of the celestial realm, do not have physical forms. Therefore, they require mortal hosts if they wish to influence the events on Runeterra. Though the influence of an Aspect is limited without a host, they are each undeniably powerful in their own way. Aurelion Sol's lore refers to them as "dispassionate and incurious things, contributing little to existence." Their pure form are unknown to anyone from Runeterra. Over the centuries, there have been countless legends about the Aspects among the people of Targon, but they can never seem to agree on the details. Some might believe they are literally the stars and constellations in the sky. Some might envisage them as god-like avatars striding across the heavens. And some might dare to whisper that they are beings from another world altogether. What is known for certain is that the Aspects are unusually focused on Runeterra, and have been for millennia. But they and their motivations aren’t "human," so they're unlikely to share the knowledge of their state of being. When an aspect leaves their host, the mortal host usually dies. Normally if an Aspect's host is slain, the Aspect returns to the celestial realm and will need to find a new host. It’s also unheard of, for an Aspect to truly die until Aatrox slayed The Warrior while the host Atreus survived. Status: Extant Habitat(s): Space 3. Humans are the dominant sapient life forms of Runeterra. While their point of origin on the planet is currently unknown, the majority of human diaspora arrived from either the eastern lands beyond, Ionia itself, or the Freljord. They have a great variety of appearances, strengths and magical powers. Humans have the chance to be empowered by a variety of magical sources, turning into Ascended, Undead, or Vastayashai’rei. Humans are able to reproduce with Ascended, Vastayashai’rei, and Vastaya, birthing individuals that have some or all of the physical and/or magical abilities of their magically attuned parents. Cyborgs are humans who have augmented themselves by technology, with some individuals going so far as to be completely replace their human body parts with technology, effectively turning into technological Golem. While Runeterran humans do not have an upfront physical difference from Homo sapiens, they appear to be able to withstand deadlier kinetic damage as well as posses stronger body structure. They are also able to wield large weapons and wear heavy armor that most if not all Earth humans would not be physically able to wield for an extended period of time in combat. Unlike the most humans on Earth, Runeterran humans have been altered by the different forces on the planet. Because of this, the structure of some humans can differ greatly from others. Status: Extant Habitat(s): Temperate Climate and Settlements (Cities, Villages, Tribes) Subspecies: Ascended and Vastaya 3.1. Humans with Vastayan Ancestery: Human sub-races and races that originate from humans are able to reproduce with humans. In most cases, the offspring of this pairing has a chance to possess the physical and/or magical abilities of the parent who is part of the human sub-race or race that originated from humans. All Vastaya have some human ancestry. Since they do not posses the full magical abilities of the original Vastayashai'rei, who they themselves were previously human that were altered by spirit magic. Vastaya with a higher percentage of human ancestry have more human physical traits and abilities, such as Sett who is an offspring of a human father and vastayan mother. 4. Minotaur: Minotaurs are enormous humanoid bovines. They live in great tribes in the vicinity of Piltover and Noxus, and are quite noble and valorous in their ways. Many Minotaur clans joined the Noxian war machine; those that opposed the empire have been enslaved and forced to fight as gladiators in the brutal Noxian event known as the Fleshing. Alistar, the Minotaur, is a survivor of this game and seeks to protect his people from the harsh treatment he endured. Some minotaurs migrated to Demacia and integrated into the kingdom's society; there are even some in the Dauntless Vanguard. While minotaurs come in various shapes and sizes, all minotaurs have commonly shared physical features. Minotaurs are a bovine anthropomorphic race, often mistaken for Vastaya or God-Warriors. They are massive, muscular, and have horns. Minotaur horns come in various shapes and sizes, some individuals even have horns with multiple points. Their entire bodies are covered in hair, which can come in various colors; we know of brown, cyan, and purple minotaurs. This hair can be short or long, and peaks in a ridge down a minotaur's spine, looking a bit like a mane. Minotaurs have three digit hands, though some can be seen with four or five digits. Like other bovines, they have digitigrade legs with hooves instead of human-like legs and feet. Minotaurs have eyes that appear to glow red, though some may not have this. Female minotaurs like Lady Aelana show significant physical differences from male minotaurs, having longer tails and being less muscular, with bodies on par with human and vastayan females. Powerful enough to shake the ground they stomp on, minotaurs are an imposing race often sought after as reckoners, warriors, and soldiers. They use their horns as additional weapons, though they are not able to grow back after being damaged or sliced off. Status: Extant Habitat(s): Temperate Climate and Settlements (Cities, Villages, Tribes) 5. Titan: Titans were a species of humongous bipedal beings, towering over mountains by great lengths. They orginated from the sky, falling down on the First Lands at the beginning of recorded history. They went extinct after being defeated by the Vastayashai'rei during the Titan War. Status: Extinct 6. Troll: Trolls are a grotesque, humanoid species that inhabit the Freljord and Shurima. Frost-trolls of the Freljord are mostly blue-skinned and live in tribes. Lately, the frost-trolls have begun preparing for war, rallying under the banner of Trundle, the Troll King. There are also sand-trolls that live in Shurima and Ixtal and giant-trolls scattered across Valoran. It is unknown how many sand-trolls and giant-trolls are still extant, as their kind are considered a myth in modern times. Frost-trolls are enormous and muscular, and they use their size to intimidate and overpower lesser creatures and races. They have a variety of physical characteristics such as size, hair skin colors and even the number of finger on each hand with wart-like protrusions all across their bodies, with some trolls even having sharp blade-like protrusions. They have large noses, which are a different shade compared to their skin color; they also have large tusk-like front teeth that give them a perpetual underbite, with some older troll individuals growing their teeth to the size of actual tusks. Their jaws are able to open up to an unnaturally large angle to crunch on meat and intimidate smaller individuals. Some of the Frost Trolls are Iceborn descendants of those who were followers of the Three Sisters and are able to wield True Ice and weapons made of it. Frost-troll females display sexual dimorphism, having larger ears and generally slimmer body shapes similar to human females. Frost-trolls are generally dumb compared to the average humans, although exceptions like Trundle exist. Status: Extant Subspecies: Frost-Troll, Giant-Troll, Grass-Troll, and Sand-Troll Habitat(s): Cold Climate and Warm Climate. 7. Undead: The word Undead is an umbrella term that refers to entities comprised of either a solitary soul or a fusion of souls originating from one or several mortal species and are tethered to the physical realm through physical or magical medium. An example of a physical medium would be a body or an armor. Mordekaiser was able to resurrect by being bound to an armor piece. A magical-natured medium example would be the Wraiths bound to the Black Mist. They are not able to leave the Shadow Isles on their own. Only when the Harrowing starts and the Mist creeps towards Bilgewater are they able to go beyond the shores of the Isles. Subspecies: Revenant and Wraith. Status: Extant Current Inhabitant(s): Shadow Isles 8. Vastayashai'rei: The Vastayashai'rei are an ancient, presumably extinct, species that originated from enlightened mortals that took the power of the spirit realm into themselves. The powers they gained from tapping into the spirit realm granted them near immortality, potent shapeshifting powers and the ability to use the natural world as a weapon in order to fight a species of Titans from the sky that threatens The First Lands. It is unknown what happened to them after ancient times. Each of the vastayan tribe originates from an individual vastayashai'rei that had offspring with non-vastayashai'rei such as humans. Status: Extinct (Presumed) Current Inhabitant(s): Temperate Climate, Magical Environment (So, no Demicia), And Settlements (Cities, Villages, Tribes) Subspecies: Vastaya 8.1. Vastaya: The Vastaya are a chimeric race of Runeterra that are the weaker magical descendants from enlightened mortals that took the power of the spirit realm into themselves known as the Vastayashai'rei. From the ferocious, bestial power of Rengar to the foxlike allure of Ahri, vastaya can look considerably different from one another, but they all share animal and human characteristics. Vastaya are a group of sexually dimorphic races of various shapes and sizes. Their animalistic appearance depends on the location in which they adapted, and their animal spirit. However, disregarding distinctions between the tribes of land, sea, and air, there are three types of vastaya: "Animal-like" vastaya resemble other animals, but are bipedal or otherwise mildly humanoid. "Human-like" vastaya closely resemble humans, especially in terms of facial features, but still retain a modest level of animalistic elements: for instance, feline or foxlike ears, tails, or feathers. Shapeshifters retain either a human or animal appearance of their choosing, but they are able to shapeshift in and out of each form. Each type of vastaya greatly differs from the others in appearance and abilities, but they are all in tune with the natural magic of Runeterra to some degree. Vastaya of different tribes can reproduce. Tribes like the Sodjoko are made up of various tribes coming together. What a child would look like would depend on the parents, the nature and amount of magic the child grew up near, the customs of the tribe it grew up in, and the child’s own personality - especially its connection to the various animal spirits. Vastaya with egg-laying animal spirits actually lay eggs. While most vastaya need a supply of magic to thrive - they don’t need massive amounts of it and can go extended periods without magic. Vastaya tend to settle near the “springs” where magic comes into our world or near the invisible “streams” of magic that flow from these springs and snake through the world (comparable to ley lines). Most Vastaya have some ability to change shape. Most arrive a shape that is comfortable, reflects the animal spirits connected to their tribe, and their own personality (needs wants). They can change shape depending upon the availability of magic, amount of time required for the change, and in the depth of their connection to their ancestry (Vastayashairei). So it might take Rakan a few minutes to change the color of his cloak-- or a few hours to give himself stylish new horns, while a radical change that might take him three days, totally exhaust him, and be hard for him to hold for more than a few minutes... But he will always be kinda flashy looking -- because subconsciously he wants attention, and vaguely griffon like because that is what his family and tribe reflects. Neeko is better, faster at shapeshifting than other Vastaya types thanks to her more powerful connection to magic and being attracted to an animal spirit that is good at changing. Neeko could change her appearance dramatically in 2 seconds and hold it for several days. The vastaya generally avoid looking purely human or animalistic because it's uncomfortable and not ideal for fighting. (Xayah would find having a human foot about the same comfort and ease as you would wearing 8 inch platform heels, two sizes two small. You could do it, but you wouldn't want to fight those shoes and you wouldn't want to wear them for long either). But this does mean they excell at spying and intrigue. The race ages far more slowly and has far longer life spans than humans. Some have been said to live for thousands of years, while others, rumors and legends say, might be immortal. All true Vastaya individuals are at least about 180 years old. This is due to the fact that they spend most of their lives in places where time is more "fickle". Hybrids of Vastaya and human as well as their far-flung descendants may not share this trait. While all Vastayas are capable of using magic, if they isolate themselves more and more they run the risk of their magic beginning to dilute and not being as strong as before. The Bryni are a clear example since, with the exception of Aurora, they all have a fairly low level of magic. Sub-species: There are three main vastayan tribes (sea, landwalker, and sky) each with their own sub-tribes. 💧 Tribes of the Sea: ⚓︎ Crimson Razorscale (hunters from the deep; use sea monsters to subdue ships on the surface) ⚓︎ Marai (fishlike; mermen; includes Nami Nami)- The Marai are a water dwelling form of a sentient species known as the Vastaya. They resemble a mix between Humans and fish (humanoid upper part, fish lower part), the Marai are capable of withstanding enormous pressures of the Great Deep and being able to live in salt and fresh waters. Their distinct features are their uniquely formed scales and flaps. Their darker green scales end at the point of their chests, resembling clothing. Male Marai have their lighter scales (resembling skin) shown more prominent in their chest area than female Marai. However, female Marai have larger and more prominent flaps around their bodies (resembling laced clothing). Both sexes have flap protrusions resembling hair on their heads. These protrusions can be in various shades of yellow and green. Their eyes have dark sclera and irises in various shades of green, red, yellow, orange, and blue. It is unclear on how the Marai reproduce. The most likely method is similar to that of surface-dwelling mammals, due to their origins as a surface-dwelling tribe of Vastaya and also because female Marai have breast-like protrusions. ⚓︎ Makara ("carnivorous, ever-smiling") likely crocodilian ⚓︎ Raylu ⛰️ Landwalker Tribes: 🌲 Bryni (rabbit-like; known to live in the Freljord; most notable member being Aurora) 🌲 Chirean: The Chirean are sapient species living in the sump levels of Zaun. The chirean are humanoids with the appearance of bats. Their hair and fur is ranges mostly from white, to grey, black, chestnut, though they have been seen with colorfully died hair. While they have 5 fingered hands, possess digitigrade legs that have feet with 3 toes. Chireans have inhabited Zaun for years and evolved to survive in it hostile environment. Beneath their masks, they are shown to have humanoid like faces with two eyes, eyebrows, and mouths. Their noses resemble that of a bat. 🌲 Fauhwoon (goatlike) 🌲 Juloah (notable similarities to Lhotlan, but they are hairy rather than feathered and have horns) 🌲 Kepthalla (feathered, long heads, and from their crown grew great horns; likely includes Serene Sky-Singer). 🌲 Khonlui ("Rhinobears") 🌲 Kiilash (most notable member being Rengar) 🌲 Lhotlan (birdlike; most notable members are Rakan and Xayah) 🌲 Oovi-Kat (originally chameleonlike; currently has no common trait, but is led by Neeko) 🌲 Ophelis ("charming"; includes Ophelis Gardener) 🌲 Ottrani (goatlike; Illi, Lidari, Hakan, Vin, and Grandfather Rumul)- The Ottrani are a landwalker sub-species and tribe of vastaya that live in the Astral Grove of Targon. Ottrani, just like many vastaya, have their physical appearance take inspiration from many types of animals. The appearance can go from human-like to animal-like with mountain goat, leopard, zebra, and horse features. Human-like ottrani have bare skin that ranges from purple to blue with stripes and markings. Equally, the animal-like ottrani have hair (or fur) with a similar color range. All ottrani have hooves for feet, with some ottrani also sporting horns and tails. The ottrani have noticeable sexual dimorphism, with males being larger and more muscular while females having a more slender body shape. Most extreme animal-like examples of the ottrani have be seen with males, while females tend to be more human-like. Horns, while not exclusive to ether sex, are more predominant on the males, with some able to grow large curled down horns. 🌲 Shimon (monkeylike; includes Wukong and Ting) 🌲 Sodjoko 🌲 Vesani (foxlike; only known members being Ahri)- The Vesani are a land dwelling form of a sentient species known as the Vastaya. They resemble a mix between humans and foxes, having vulpine-like traits such as big bushy tails, claws, and a pair of fox-like ears. Their nine tails can be grouped together to appear as only one tail. They have whisker-like markings on their cheeks. If not properly trained to control their hunger, a Vesani is able to completely absorb a person's life energy leaving them as drained husks. 🌲 Vlotah (lithe and narrow; massive shoulders that protrude vertically from their backs like wings of bone. Iridescent fur that glitters in the light, all over their body; creamy-white faces, vaguely feline in aspect). ⛅ Tribes of the Sky: ☁️ Besheb ☁️ Chyra ("the Silent Chorus") ☁️ Strig ("Reptilian butterflies!") 9. Spirit: As creatures that originate from the Spirit Realm and are divorced from the mortality that mortals suffer, spirits are similar to Celestials in the sense that they help to maintain the balance of the natural world, intervening every now and then, whether the causes they support are maligned by mortals or revered by them. Spirits are deathless, returning to the Spirit Realm when their physical vessels are destroyed and return again to continue their crusades. Often these spirits beings, or spirits empowered beings, also seem to have some sort of natural ability to alter their physicality. Spirits are seemingly not tied to a shape or to time in the same way physical beings are. Subspecies: Demon, Vastaya, Faerie, Fae Fawn, Fuemigo, Luonn Kon, Naga, Nixie, River Sprite, Spirit God, Spirit Tree, Treant, and Yordle. 9.1. Demon: The Demons are a race of spirits with no inherent form, who are forged and driven by the negative thoughts and feelings of mortals. Specifically, demons malign and manipulate victims to sate their own desires for suffering. Each demon is attuned to a specific emotion, feeding on those emotions until the victim inevitably dies. They have been sighted in numerous locations around Runeterra but they mostly manifest where there is a lot of turmoil and despair. The physical appearance of demons are inconsistent. Demons, like most spirits, are known to be shapeshifters. They can change their appearance to better suit their own needs. Evelynn was able to morph her form in such a way so that she could get closer to her prey. Fiddlesticks can seemingly change its appearance as it is described very differently in various regions all across Runeterra. In addition to changing their appearance, demons can mimic the mannerisms of its prey. Tahm Kench and Evelynn are able to sweet talk people into falling into obsession. Fiddlesticks can mimic the sound of its victims to instill doubt and fear into others. A demon can not be harmed by weapons created in the physical world, except for weapons created out of petricite. They can however be banished or sealed by using a weapon which originates from the spiritual world, such as when Shen used his Spirit Blade to banish a demon or when Yone used his Azakana Blade to seal Kuro'sagol into a mask. Demons can have their power nullified by more powerful magic, such as when Lux nullified Nocturne's possession with a powerful show of light magic. 9.2. Faerie: Faerie are playful, winged, humanoid creatures that are smaller than the yordles. They are born from lily flowers in The Glade, as stated by Pix himself. Also, they inhabit the forests of the latter. They have capricious abilities of transfiguration and matter distortion, and their glades seem to exist in dimensions far removed from the normal flow of time. One can only enter their glades when invited by a Faerie, as Pix has done with the yordle Lulu. Status: Extant Currently inhabited place(s): Spirit Realm 9.3. Fae Fawn: Fae Fawn are a species of spirits that originate from the magically rich spirit forest, most notably the Garden of Forgetting in Ionia. Currently, the only known Fae Fawn are those that originate from Spirit Trees. Unlike Treants, fae fawn have a more animalistic appearance, only having a few plant elements in their design such as the flowers on top of their heads. They are born from the dreams of the Dreaming Tree, which then take care and protect the tree. Lillia is one such fae fawn, who only ventured out of her forest to find a way to aid her mother tree. The Fae Fawn are often confused with the vastayas due to their hybrid human-animal appearance and their strong connection to the spiritual world, however they are two different races. Status: Extant Currently inhabited place(s): Ionia (Garden of Forgetting) 9.4. Fuemigo: Fuemigos are small elemental spirits that manifest when an elemental fire mage, mainly Milio focuses on healing with his magic. These small elementals can be used to heal injuries with their soothing flames. Status: Extant Currently inhabited place(s): Ixtal 9.5. Luonn Kon: Luonn Kon are giant spirit animals located in Ionia. They take the appearance of massive stone golems and are often benevolent in nature. Some of them assist local inhabitants in creating makeshift dams. Status: Extant Currently inhabited place(s): Physical Realm (Ionia) 9.6. Naga: The Naga are a like amphibic species that lives near the Serpent Isles. Nagas vary in appearance with most comprised of a humanoid top half and an octopi, serpentine, or humanoid bottom half. Those with octipi-like bottom halves have five tentacles, instead of eight. On their head they have long thick tentacles that resemble hair. The Naga are adept in magic, having the ability to channel ice and lightning magics. Status: Extant Currently inhabited place(s): Serpent Isles 9.7. Nixie: Nixies are mischievous pranksters from the spirit realm that enjoy playing tricks on hapless mortals who have the misfortune of stumbling upon them. Sweet one moment and deadly the next, Nixie's pranks sometimes take on a life of their own. Status: Extant Currently inhabited place(s): Spirit Realm and Physical Realm 9.8. River Sprite: River Sprites are small nature spirits that inhabit magically rich rivers and similar bodies of water. Status: Extant Habitat(s): Magically rich rivers and Magically rich bodies of water Currently inhabited place(s): Spirit Realm and Physical Realm 9.9. Spirit God: The Spirit Gods are a race of powerful spirits who represent whole cultures, ideas and civilizations. Their strength depends on the amount of people worshipping them. They exist in multiple locations and have multiple depictions depending on where they are worshipped. The physical appearance of spirit gods can take different forms (which may exist simultaneously) depending on the culture of the local inhabitants across Runeterra. Each form however does still connect to the same source energy. Unlike common spirits, who embody things like water and trees, Spirit Gods embody ideas created around the environment across multiple civilizations. Stories about them are used to explain certain natural phenomena, as the snowfall of Freljord or safe passage through thunderstorms by a seafaring civilization. They harbor immense power that dependent on their followers. So, they will disappear if their followers are killed or stopped believing in them. Status: Extant Currently inhabited place(s): Physical Realm and Spirit Realm 9.10. Spirit Tree: Spirit Trees are magical trees who were altered by an abundance of spirit magic in the surrounding area. Most of these trees are situated in the province of Navori in Ionia. They are known to have existed before the formation of Modern Freljord. Because of the high spirit magic, these trees gain varying magical abilities. Unlike Treants, spirit trees are immobile, unable to physically fully interact with the world around them, being stationary on one spot for the rest of their lives. However, the trees have intermediaries that aid them in protection or various other tasks. Humans (during Spirit Blossom festival) and vastaya alike have been seen aiding these trees in the past. Some, like the Ionians, venerate these trees similarly to how Spirit Gods, which are mostly bestial in appearance, are venerated by different cultures. Status: Extant Habitat(s): Magically rich land and Spiritually rich land Currently inhabited place(s): Spirit Realm (Golden Tree of Peace) and Navori, Ionia (Omikayalan; Weh'le; Garden of Forgetting) 9.11. Treant: Treants are nature spirits who take on the form of sapient or sentient plant life. A vast majority of these treants were corrupted by the ruination of the Shadow Isles and have lost most of their sapience due to it. Maokai is among the very few Blessed Isles treants that survived such a fate, due to the waters of life infused in his heartwood. Treants all appear be made out of wood, and many have leaves and moss growths on their bodies. Some treants are sapient, while others take more animalistic forms and behaviors such as that of felines, lizards, or toads. The Shadow Isles' treants' inner bodies have a ghostly-green-blue glow that their Ionian counterparts do not have, similar to many of the other spirits of the Isles. This can be seen particularly through their eyes and mouth. Treants are able to reproduce offspring by themselves. Treants like to live near their kin and/or to mutually take care of each other. Status: Extant Habitat(s): Forests and Magically Rich Lands Currently inhabited place(s): Spirit Realm and Physical Realm (Blessed Isles, Ionia) 9.12. Yordle: The Yordle are a race of spirits who generally take the appearance of mammalian bipeds. They mostly reside in a mystical place known as Bandle City, though some of them have ventured out to live in numerous locations around Runeterra. What differentiates yordles from other magical folk is that their physiology is more consistent between its members. Yordles are sometimes sexually dimorphic and much shorter than humans; both sexes rarely exceed 1 meter tall, with most averaging between 0.5 and 0.8 meters. Their skin texture ranges from being lightly covered in fur, to moderately fuzzy, to ultimately being excessively bushy. Their hands have four digits while their feet differ greatly depending on the individual (from four to two digit feet). Their fur tones run a much broader spectrum of colors than their human counterparts; some consider this to be a sign of the yordles’ attunement to Runeterra's magical nature; though scientists agree that this evolutionary trait is used by male Yordles (which tend to be have more fur and a somewhat bestial appearance) to attract females of their species (which tend to be lightly covered with fur and much more human looking). Their large eyes feature a large, circular iris with a vertically oval pupil, and they generally have inferior vision in the normal spectrum of light than humans. Yordles nevertheless have much better hearing, due to their large fox-like ears and are able to see into the infrared spectrum of light, whereas humans cannot. Furthermore, they are commonly characterized by their dependence on language, as well as their creation and utilization of complex tools. Yordles do not age in the same way as beings of the material realm do thanks to being creatures of the spirit realm and therefore have different concepts of aging. In The Meaning in Misery, it was revealed Yordles also don't die. The yordle race have shown the possibility to be amphibious, such example would be Fizz, though it is unknown whether it is his original form or one of his choosing. Yordles can somewhat be considered spirits due to being native to the spirit realms. They don't need to breathe. Due to their physiology, yordles are vulnerable to being imprisoned inside cages made of Runic Iron. Touching Runic Iron gives yordles an electrical-like shock, and will disrupt their magic. It is unknown how new Yordles came to be. It appears new Yordles emerge from random wards of magic and came into certain model of family units with more "mature" Yordles. Status: Extant Habitat(s): Magically Rich Land and Settlements (Cities, Villages, Tribes) Place of origin: Spirit Realm (Bandle City) Currently inhabited place(s): Physical Realm and Spirit Realm

Political Tensions (The Mortal Conflicts)- These are the wars driven by ideology, resources, and history. 1. Noxian Expansionism (The Central Conflict)- Noxus is “at peace,” which in Noxian terms means preparing something awful. Which are border skirmishes disguised as “training exercises”, proxy wars using mercenary bands or “liberation movements”, and a Triumvirate power struggle leaks secrets to outsiders. Noxus vs. Ionia: This is the most volatile region. Following the failed First Invasion, resentment simmers. Ionia is fractured between those who wish to remain pacifist and radical factions who want to militarize against a potential second invasion. Noxus still holds territory in Ionia and is preparing for a second campaign. Noxus vs. Demacia: A constant state of cold war and border skirmishes exists between these two superpowers. Noxus values strength above all (meritocracy), while Demacia values order and tradition (monarchy), making them natural ideological enemies. 2. Demacia’s Civil Turmoil (Mages vs. Mageseekers)- Following the rebellion led by Sylas, Demacia has become a police state for magic users. The death of King Jarvan III has left his son, Jarvan IV, grief-stricken and easily manipulated by the Mageseekers. The kingdom is effectively in a civil war between the state and mage rebels who demand freedom from persecution. Mage reformists vs. traditionalist nobles. Old anti-mage prisons holding things that should never be released. 3. The Freljord Civil War- The land itself is choosing sides. Ashe, Sejuani, and Lissandra racing toward mutually assured destruction. Ancient Watcher cults resurfacing under the ice. Relics awakening that predate the tribes entirely. The frozen north is split into a three-way struggle for dominance: 🧊 The Avarosans (Queen Ashe): Seek to unite the tribes through diplomacy and farming to survive together. 🧊 The Winter’s Claw (Sejuani): Believe peace is death; they raid and pillage to survive, viewing Ashe’s methods as weak. 🧊 The Frostguard (Lissandra): A secretive religious order that manipulates the other tribes to cover up a dark secret buried beneath the ice (The Watchers). 4. Piltover & Zaun (Class Warfare)- Piltover and the undercity, Zaun are locked in a cycle of oppression and rebellion. While Piltover enjoys wealth powered by Hextech, Zaun suffers from pollution and poverty, leading to the rise of Chem-Barons and radical insurgents. Progress is accelerating faster than morality. Hextech patents sparking corporate espionage. Zaunite chem-barons weaponizing “medical advances”. Piltover Council suppressing disasters to protect stock prices. 5. The Resurrection of Shurima- Azir, the ancient Emperor, has returned and raised the Sun Disc, declaring Shurima an empire once more. The empire rises… unevenly. Ascended god-kings enforcing order with divine violence. City-states refusing to kneel to a resurrected past Void corruption mistaken for miracles. This has caused conflict with: ⚡ Xerath: The magus who betrayed him and seeks to usurp the power of the Ascended. 🛖 Local Tribes: Many modern Shurimans view Azir as a tyrant from a forgotten age and do not wish to be ruled by a god-emperor again. 6. The Shadow Isles Are Stirring- The Black Mist is behaving… strategically. Harrowings targeting specific bloodlines or relics. Ruined King cultists operating on the mainland. Ghosts remembering things they shouldn’t. And Bilgewater is their nearest target. 7. Ionia’s Fractured Peace- The war ended, but the scars are still arguing. Traditionalists vs. those who embraced violence to survive. Spirit realm disturbances bleeding into reality. Navori leaders hiding war crimes to maintain unity. 8. The Void Isn’t Subtle Anymore- It’s adapting. Cultists infiltrating governments, not just villages. Creatures learning diplomacy before slaughter. Entire regions quietly erased from maps. 9. Targon’s Silence- The gods are… distracted. Aspects withholding visions. Celestial weapons falling without guidance. Mortals realizing the heavens aren’t watching. 10. Information Is the New Weapon- Across Runeterra, secrets are more valuable than armies. Assassins targeting historians and archivists. Memory-altering magic becoming common. Entire events being retroactively erased. Existential Threats (World-Ending Dangers)- Beyond borders, these threats imperil the entire planet. 1. The Void: The single greatest threat to Runeterra. The Void is a dimension of nothingness that seeks to unmake reality. 2. The Watchers: Massive Void entities frozen beneath the ice of the Freljord by Lissandra. If the ice melts, they will consume the world. 3. Void Rifts: In regions like Icathia (Shurima), the Void actively leaks through, creating monstrosities that consume biomass to grow. 4. Mordekaiser (The Iron Revenant): Currently ruling the Death Realm (Mitna Rachnun). Unlike other undead, Mordekaiser is a conqueror who refused to fade. He has spent centuries building an army of souls and constructing a fortress in the afterlife. His goal is to return to the mortal realm and turn all of Runeterra into his eternal kingdom of death. 5. The Darkin: God warriors who were traumatized by the Void War and trapped in their own weapons. They are virtually unkillable and seek to bring about the apocalypse simply because ending the world is the only way they believe they can finally die. 6. The Shadow Isles (The Black Mist): While the Ruined King has been contained, the Shadow Isles remain a cursed land. The Black Mist still periodically surges outward in "Harrowings," killing and claiming souls across the ocean, particularly threatening Bilgewater. 7. The World Runes: Artifacts of creation with enough power to destroy the world if misused. The blue mage Ryze has spent centuries collecting and hiding them to prevent another "Rune War" that could shatter the planet physically.

How Magic Works: Magic flows from the Spirit Realm (a mirror dimension of emotion and soul) into the Material Realm (the physical world). It behaves like an environmental element. Magic in the world is not one thing. It’s a spectrum of forces leaking from different sources, each with rules, costs, and consequences. Magic use is not democratic; it is a mix of genetics, study, and dangerous bargains. Magic is inherently corruptive or dangerous if you aren't strong enough to control it. It can mutate flesh, burn the soul, or attract demons. Magic is inherently corruptive or dangerous if you aren't strong enough to control it. It can mutate flesh, burn the soul, or attract demons. The ultimate source of creation magic is the World Runes—indestructible shards of primal energy that were used to build the planet. 1. Regional Magic: Magic manifests differently depending on where you are. In Ionia, magic is wild and fluid (trees might talk; spirits walk openly). In Demacia, the land naturally dampens magic (petricite stone absorbs it). In Piltover, magic is stabilized into crystals (Hextech) to power machines. Who Can Use Magic? 1. Innate (The "Gifted"): Some are born as conduits; people born with a magical connection. They didn't choose this; it’s in their blood. In places like Demacia, this is considered a curse/disease. Mages and sorcerers. Power scales with emotion, trauma, or instinct. Hard to fully suppress—dangerous when repressed. Cost: Physical strain, loss of control, social persecution. 2. Arcane Magic (The Learned): People with no innate gift who learn to manipulate magic through runes, scrolls, and ancient languages. Codified spells, formulas, and runes. Requires education, tools, or institutions (Piltover academies, Noxian war-mages). More predictable, less spiritually aligned. Cost: Resources, exhaustion, and political oversight. 3. Spirit Magic (Borrowers): Regular humans who gain power by bonding with an entity or artifact. Magic borrowed, not owned. Used by shamans, monks, Vastaya, spirit-touched mortals, or anyone that catches a sprit’s interest. Negotiation matters more than power. Cost: Obligations. Break the pact, face consequences. 4. Magical Species: Races for whom magic is biology. Example: Yordles, Vastaya, and Brackern. 5. Celestial Magic: Power channeled from beyond the world. Rare, overwhelming, and not freely given Mortals act as vessels, not owners. Cost: Identity erosion. You become less you. 6. Corruptive Magic: Power that takes without permission. Void energy, blood magic, cursed relics. Grows stronger the more it’s used Cost: Sanity, form, and eventually reality itself. The Deities & Higher Powers 1. The Celestials (The "Space Gods"): These beings exist in the cosmos/heavens and deal with concepts (War, Sun, Moon, Change). They rarely touch the ground because their raw power would vaporize it. Abstract, cosmic entities. Care about order, cycles, and cosmic balance. Influence the world through Aspects (chosen vessels). They don’t see mortals as individuals. 2. The Aspects: To interact with mortals, Celestials possess human hosts who climb Mount Targon. Examples: Leona (Aspect of the Sun), Diana (Aspect of the Moon), Zoe (Aspect of Twilight), Taric (Aspect of the Protector). 3. Aurelion Sol: A cosmic dragon who forges stars. He is older and stronger than the Aspects but was tricked into servitude by them. He is arguably the most powerful individual entity in the setting. 4. The Spirit Gods (Regional Deities) These are ancient, primal spirits of Runeterra itself. They are fueled by the worship and belief of mortals (specifically in the Freljord). Examples: Volibear (The Storm/War), Ornn (The Forge/Craftsmanship), Anivia (The Ice/Rebirth). Janna is also a spirit god (of wind) worshipped in Zaun by sailors and the poor. Localized, personal, and emotional. Animal gods, ancestor spirits, land-bound deities. Respond to worship, offerings, or harmony. They can be petty, vengeful, or fading. 5. The Ascended God-Kings (The "Man-Made" Gods): Ancient humans from the Shurima Empire who used a massive Sun Disc to forcefully inject themselves with celestial magic. They become 10-foot-tall animal-headed demigods. Once mortal, now divine-adjacent. Worshipped as gods. Their power is real, but unstable. They’re prideful, mad, and hold ancient grudges. If an Ascended is traumatized or corrupted (usually by fighting the Void), they use blood magic to warp their bodies into weapons. These are called Darkin. 6. The Constants (Death) Kindred represents the concept of death. They are not a "ruler" of the dead, but the act of dying. Lamb: Offers a swift, peaceful death (arrows) to those who accept their fate. Wolf: Chases and violently devours those who run from death. 7. Forgotten & Dead Gods: Things that used to rule. Buried under cities, ice, or history. Still influences dreams and relics. They want remembrance—and resurrection. 8. The Void: Not a god—but treated like one. Anti-existence given hunger. Cultists mistake it for divine will. It doesn’t want worship. It wants erasure.

🌍 1. The Material World (Runeterra) This is the physical plane—continents, people, nations, wars. But it’s not sealed. Magic, belief, trauma, and cosmic forces all thin the veil here, which is why Runeterra is… like that. 🌿 2. The Spirit Realm Closest and most intertwined. The Spirit Realm is a reflection of the Material Realm, shaped by emotions, memories, and souls. It is the most "interactive" plane. The Spirit Realm overlaps Runeterra constantly. Spirits embody emotions, memories, instincts, natural forces. Places of great meaning (battlefields, sacred groves, ruined cities) become spirit-heavy, allowing bleed-through. Ionian balance depends on harmony between Spirit and Material—when it’s disrupted, things go feral fast. 2.1. The Veil: In most of the world, the "Veil" between worlds is thick. However, in places like Ionia, the Veil is porous. Spirits cross over as physical manifestations (faeries, spirits of nature), and humans can accidentally stumble into the Spirit Realm. 2.2. The Yordles & Bandle City: Yordles are spirit beings who live in Bandle City, a pocket of the Spirit Realm. They use "portal magic" to travel to the Material Realm. These portals are hidden behind specific patterns—like a certain configuration of rocks or a specific tree—and usually require a "key" or a rhyme to open. 2.3. Death: When mortals die, their souls generally pass into the Spirit Realm. Some souls linger (ghosts), while others are harvested by entities like Mordekaiser to build his own sub-plane (The Mitna Rachnun). Interaction style: Bleeds, overlaps, possesses, manifests. 🌌 3. The Celestial Realm This is the highest plane, inhabited by "Stars" and "Constellations" which are actually sentient, god-like entities. Distant, deliberate, and selective. Home of Aspects, gods, and cosmic concepts. Celestials don’t just “visit”—they inhabit hosts (Aspects of Targon). Their influence comes through prophecy, stars, visions, and chosen champions. 3.1. The Aspects: Because Celestial beings are too "vast" to enter the Material Realm (their presence would likely crush reality), they use Avatars. They choose a mortal host and merge their consciousness with them. This is the primary way the Celestial Realm exerts its will on the world. 3.2. Astral Projection: Some powerful mages are actually Celestial spirits who have taken on physical, "diminished" forms to walk among mortals. 3.3. Creation: The Celestial Realm provides the "math" and "order" of the world. When Aurelion Sol breathes stars into existence, he is essentially expanding the borders of where the Celestial and Material realms meet. Interaction style: Indirect control, avatars, divine sponsorship. 🕳️ 4. The Void Not a plane that touches Runeterra—one that wants to erase it. The Void is anti-reality. When it breaches Runeterra, reality decays: biology warps, logic fails. Icathia permanently weakened the world’s fabric by opening it. The Void isn't really a "place" as much as it is a hungry nothingness that exists outside of reality. It is fundamentally hostile to the Material Realm. 4.1. Incursions (Rifts): The Void cannot naturally exist in our world; it has to "break" in. When a Void Rift opens (like the massive one in Icathia), the Void begins to consume the local biomass and physical matter, converting it into purple, chitinous structures and monstrosities. 4.2. Corruption: The Void interacts by warping what it touches. It doesn't just kill; it mutates. 4.3. The Watchers: These are the masters of the Void. They are currently "frozen" in the physical world beneath the Freljord. They interact with reality primarily through dreams and telepathy, slowly driving mortals mad to trick them into releasing them from the ice. Interaction style: Corruption, consumption, existential horror.

🌑 1. The Era of the Watchers (Pre-History, Pre-Everything) Before nations. Before names. Runeterra is forged from raw creation magic. World Runes are scattered—either as tools of creation or weapons left behind. Before humans recorded time, the Watchers (eldritch masters of the Void) entered the Material Realm. They were horrified by the "noise" of existence and tried to erase it. Reality is soft; planes overlap more freely. The Conflict: Ancient "Iceborn" heroes, led by the three sisters (Avarosa, Serylda, and Lissandra), fought a desperate war to stop them. Legacy that remains: The True Ice: To win, Lissandra sacrificed her sisters and her people to "flash-freeze" the Watchers in a tomb of magical True Ice. The Howling Abyss: This is a literal bridge over the pit where the Watchers are buried. It remains a site of pilgrimage and dread in the Freljord. The Frostguard: A secret society that still guards the ice, murdering anyone who gets too close to the truth. World Runes (still warping reality wherever they lie). The fundamental instability of magic. The Void noticing Runeterra. This era is why the world is so breakable. 🌌 2. The Age of Celestials & Titans Gods walk, mortals don’t matter yet. Celestial beings influence the world directly. Ancient titanic entities shape landmasses. Early worship begins—less prayer, more survival. Ruins & echoes: Mount Targon itself. Star-forged relics and celestial weapons. Myths that later become religions. The Celestials leave… but they never really let go. 🕳️ 3. The Void War / Fall of Icathia The worst idea anyone ever had. Icathia opens the Void out of desperation. The Void is unleashed at Icathia. Ascended are traumatized, twisted by war. Reality fractures permanently. Void-born entities adapt to Runeterra. Runeterra never fully heals from this. Ever. Lingering damage: Void scars that still spawn creatures. Corrupted ecosystems. 🏛️ 4. The Shuriman Golden Age Runeterra’s first true superpower. For centuries, the Shuriman Empire was the undisputed superpower of the world, ruled by Ascended god-warriors (humans transformed by the sundisc) who only listen to their emperor. Shurima dominates continents through culture, magic, and force. Mortal ambition hits its peak. Catastrophe/s: On the day of his "Ascension," Emperor Azir was betrayed by his magus, Xerath. The ritual went wrong, creating a massive magical explosion that turned the golden capital to dust and "sank" the empire into the sands. Ruins still standing: Sun Disc- A massive golden artifact that can turn mortals into gods. It was recently restored by a resurrected Azir. The Darkin- Without an Emperor to lead them, the surviving god-warriors went insane and became the Darkin. They were eventually imprisoned in weapons which are now scattered across the world. Sun-Stone Ruins- Thousands of temples buried in the desert, filled with traps and "Hex-crystals" that Piltover now loots for its technology. ⚔️ 5. The Darkin Age Fallen God-warriors become tyrants. Ascended survivors lose purpose and sanity. Darkin wage wars against mortals and each other. The world is nearly conquered. Resolution: Darkin are imprisoned in weapons. Knowledge of Ascension is lost. Legacy: Living weapons Deep cultural fear of God-kings Why modern nations distrust immortal saviors 🏰 6. The Rune Wars (1,000 Years Ago) This is the most important "modern" historical event. It was a global world war fought with World Runes—the tools used to create the universe. Magic almost ends the world. Again. Mortal mages rediscover World Runes. Entire civilizations annihilate each other. Reality buckles under uncontrolled spellcraft. The Conflict: Nations realized that these runes were essentially "magical nukes." The war was so devastating it reshaped the geography of the planet, wiped out entire continents, and nearly extinguished all life. Legacy: The Founding of Demacia: Survivors of the Rune Wars fled to a forest of "white stone" (Petricite) that naturally absorbed magic. They built Demacia as a sanctuary against magic, which explains their modern xenophobia. Demacia is founded in fear of magic. The Immortal Bastion: A massive, brutalist fortress in Noxus. It was originally built by the revenant Mordekaiser during the chaos of the wars and now serves as the capital of the Noxian Empire. Ryze: An archmage who has lived for 1,000 years, dedicated to finding and locking away the remaining World Runes so another war never happens. Scars that remain: Dead regions where magic still misbehaves Cultural trauma around sorcery 🌫️ 7. The Ruination (Blessed Isles Fall) Blessed Isles, once the world's greatest library of knowledge. About 1,000 years ago, King Viego tried to use their healing waters to resurrect his wife. The ritual backfired, creating the Shadow Isles and the "Black Mist." Today, those islands are a graveyard of haunted scrolls and artifacts that scholars (and grave robbers) risk their lives to find. Death breaks. Permanently. The Shadow Isles become a death-loop. Ongoing consequences: Undead invasions Souls trapped in agony Death no longer feels… final 🧭 8. The Modern Age Everyone lives on top of ruins. Nations form atop ancient wreckage. Old powers reawaken (Void, Darkin, Celestials). Technology rises (Piltover/Zaun), but magic never leaves. 🗺️ Quick Legacy Map Shurima → buried empires, Ascended myths Freljord → ancient watchers, primordial gods Ionia → spirit scars from invasions Shadow Isles → broken death Targon → ongoing celestial meddling Demacia → Rune War paranoia Zaun → progress built on suffering

1. Major Trade Hubs & Routes The economic heartbeat of the world is dictated by geography. 1.1. The Sun Gates (Piltover): This is the single most important trade route in the world. It is a massive canal and sea-gate system that connects the Western and Eastern oceans. Before its construction, ships had to sail around the entire continent of Shurima. Now, almost all global trade passes through Piltover, which charges massive tolls and hazard rates. 1.2. The Hexgates: High-tech teleportation hubs that allow for near-instant travel of goods and people across the globe. They are controlled by Piltovan merchant clans, giving them a near-monopoly on high-value logistics. 1.3. The Barbarian Routes: In the Freljord and Shuriman deserts, trade is handled by nomadic caravans. These are less about currency and more about the survivalist exchange of grain, salt, furs, and livestock. 2. Regional Currencies While "Gold" is a universal language, specific nations have their own minted coinage that reflects their culture: 2.1. Piltover & Zaun: Gold Hexes, Silver Cogs, and Bronze Washers. (Named after mechanical parts. Golden Hexes are for the elite; Bronze Washers are for the working class.) 2.2. Bilgewater: Golden Krakens and Silver Serpents. (These "Buhru-stamped" coins are respected because they are made of precious metals scavenged from the sea.) 2.3. Noxian: Securi (Noxian coins often feature the image of an axe. Because Noxus is so massive, their currency is the closest thing to a "global standard.") 2.4. Shurima: Ancient Sigils (Many modern Shurimans still use 1,000-year-old coins looted from ruins, or simply trade in raw gemstones and gold dust.) 2.5. Demacia: Mints & Bullion (Demacia is largely self-sufficient and isolationist. Their economy is backed by their abundant fertile land and massive mines.) 2.6. Barter Systems: Freljord, Targon, and Shadow Isles typically do not use standardized coinage, preferring trade of goods. 3. Economic Systems The "how" of making a living varies wildly: 3.1. Corporate Oligarchy (Piltover/Zaun): Run by "Merchant Clans." In Piltover, it’s high-end tech and banking. In Zaun, it’s the Chem-Barons who run a brutal "shadow economy" based on industrial labor, chemicals, and illegal augmentations. 3.2. War-Based Meritocracy (Noxus): The Noxian economy is fueled by conquest. When Noxus takes a city, they don't just loot it; they integrate it. They tax the local resources but provide infrastructure and protection in return. If you can provide something of value (wheat, steel, or soldiers), Noxus will make you rich regardless of your bloodline. 3.3. The Monster Economy (Bilgewater): This is a high-risk, high-reward system. The city's wealth comes from Serpent Hunting—killing massive sea monsters to harvest their oil, meat, and bones. One successful hunt can make a crew wealthy for life; one mistake leaves them as fish food. 3.4. Spiritual Barter (Ionia): Because Ionians view the land as alive, they generally avoid "mass industry." Their economy is decentralized, relying on local markets, craftsmanship, and the exchange of favors or enchanted goods. 3.5. The "Universal" Currency: Hextech In the modern era, Hex-crystals have become a currency of their own. They are the "oil" of Runeterra. Nations and organizations will do almost anything—including starting wars—to secure a supply of these crystals to power their weaponry and infrastructure.

Justice in Runeterra is rarely a single "law of the land." Instead, it is a reflection of each region’s deepest fears and highest values. 🛡️ Demacia — Law as Order Justice = stability. Rigid Legalism. Laws are absolute and focus on protecting the collective from "internal threats" (magic). Codified laws, noble courts, magistrates. Crimes involving magic are punished harshly, often preemptively. Trials exist, but outcomes are… predictable. The Mageseekers: An inquisitorial order that hunts and imprisons magic-users, even based on suspicion. How it feels to people: Safe. Suffocating. Hypocritical. Adventurers here: Tolerated if mundane. Watched closely. Mage-adventurers are criminals by default. ⚔️ Noxus — Law as Strength Justice = usefulness to the empire. Meritocratic Utilitarianism. Justice is served if the outcome makes the Empire stronger. Might often makes right. Judges are military officials or state arbiters. Punishment is pragmatic: conscription, exile, execution. Merit can erase crimes. Failure magnifies them. The Trifarix / Assassins: High-level political disputes are settled by the ruling council or the Du Couteau assassins. How it feels: Harsh, but honest. Adventurers here: Actively recruited. Crimes forgiven if you serve. Glory is currency. 🌿 Ionia — Law as Balance Justice = restoration, not punishment. Karmic & Spiritual. Justice is about restoring "Balance." If you harm the land, the land (or its spirits) will harm you back. Local councils, elders, spirit mediation. Crimes disturb harmony; consequences aim to repair it. Severe imbalance leads to exile or spiritual binding. The Kinkou Order: Ninjas (like Shen) who act as supernatural judges, ensuring neither mortals nor spirits overstep their bounds. How it feels: Fair—unless you’re in a hurry. Adventurers here: Viewed warily. Expected to respect land and spirits. Violence without cause is taboo. 🧪 Piltover — Law as Contract Justice = what you signed. Legal codes are dense, precise, and ruthless. Corporations and guilds wield real authority. Prison exists, but fines and asset seizure are preferred. How it feels: Civilized. Cold. Adventurers here: Licensed troubleshooters. Heavily regulated. Unlicensed work = criminal liability. ☣️ Zaun — Law as Survival Justice = whoever can enforce it. Chem-barons run private “courts.” Punishment is swift and brutal. Public trials are rare; examples are common. How it feels: Unjust—but predictable. Adventurers here: Muscle for hire. Disposable. Feared more than respected. 🏴‍☠️ Bilgewater — Law as Reputation Justice = vengeance. Retributive & Brutal. There is no "court." Justice is a bullet, a blade, or being "fed to the fish." No central authority. Bounties, duels, and vendettas. The only real crime is breaking your word. The Captains: Whoever has the biggest ship and the most gold makes the rules until someone kills them. How it feels: Free. Terrifying. Adventurers here: Local celebrities. Hunted as often as hired. Your legend matters more than your innocence. 🌵 Shurima — Law as Memory Justice = tradition and survival. Tribal law, desert codes, ancient imperial precedent. Ascended law is returning—unevenly. Disputes often settled by challenge or mediation. How it feels: Ancient. Personal. Adventurers here: Guides, relic-hunters, mercenaries. Respected if they honor customs. Executed if they loot sacred ruins. How Societies View Adventurers: 1. The "Necessary Evils" (Mercenaries): In Noxus and Bilgewater, sellswords and bounty hunters (like Samira or Miss Fortune) are respected as long as they are competent. In Noxus, being a successful mercenary is a legitimate career path to nobility. In Bilgewater, it's just the Tuesday morning routine. 2. The "Outlaws" (Treasure Hunters): In Demacia and Ixtal, wandering "explorers" are viewed with extreme suspicion. Demacia sees them as potential magic-smugglers, and Ixtal views them as imperialist looters. Ezreal, perhaps the closest thing to a classic D&D adventurer, is often viewed by authorities as a reckless vandal who triggers ancient traps and ruins historical sites. 3. The "Holy Wanderers": In regions like Targon or the Freljord, those who travel the dangerous wilds are often seen as pilgrims or shamans. In the Freljord, a wanderer like Braum is a folk hero, a symbol of protection in a land that wants to kill you. 4. The "Monster Hunters": Because Runeterra is filled with demons, Void-spawn, and undead, there is a specific niche for professional hunters. Individuals like Lucian and Senna (Sentinels of Light) or Vayne are viewed with a mix of awe and fear—they are the only ones standing between a village and total annihilation, but they are often just as grim as the things they hunt. Summary: If you walk into a tavern in Piltover as an adventurer, you’ll likely be asked for your permit. In Noxus, you'll be asked for your blade. In Ionia, you'll be asked for your intentions.

1. The World-Enders (Ancient Evils) These are the "End Game" bosses. If any of these fully succeed, civilization ends. 1.1. The Watchers (The Void Masters) The Threat: Massive, eldritch entities from the Void that are currently frozen in ice beneath the Freljord. They are not just monsters; they are the "anti-gods" who want to silence existence because they find reality "noisy" and painful. Current Status: Kept in stasis by Lissandra’s magic. If the ice melts (which it is starting to), they will consume the world instantly. 1.2. Mordekaiser (The Iron Revenant) The Threat: A former warlord who refused to fade away after death. He conquered the afterlife (the Death Realm) and turned souls into bricks to build his fortress, Mitna Rachnun. Current Status: He is currently "dead," but waiting. His goal is to return to the living world, kill everyone, and raise them as eternal undead soldiers in a kingdom where he is the only god. 1.3. The Darkin The Threat: Fallen "God-Warriors" from ancient Shurima who were traumatized by war and blood magic. They are immortal but trapped inside weapons. Key Figures: Aatrox (The World Ender), Rhaast (Scythe), Varus (Bow). Goal: Aatrox specifically wants to destroy the entire world because he believes if everything dies, he might finally be allowed to die too. 2. The Secret Societies (Cults) These groups pull the strings of nations, often acting as the "deep state" or radical terrorist cells. 2.1. The Black Rose (Noxus) Leader: The Pale Woman (LeBlanc) and the Blood Mage (Vladimir). Agenda: They are a cabal of mages who have secretly ruled Noxus for centuries. They manipulate emperors and wars to keep themselves in power. Their current main goal is frantically searching for a weapon to permanently kill Mordekaiser before he returns. 2.2. The Frostguard (Freljord) Leader: Lissandra (The Ice Witch). Agenda: Publicly, they are priests and healers who preach peace. Privately, they are a cult that kidnaps "Iceborn" children and rewrites history to hide the fact that the Watchers are buried under their feet. They murder anyone who discovers the truth. 2.3. The Glorious Evolution (Zaun) Figurehead: Viktor (The Machine Herald). Agenda: A transhumanist movement that believes flesh is weak and prone to error. Followers voluntarily amputate their limbs to replace them with mechanical augments. While Viktor sees this as saving humanity, many of his followers have turned it into a fanatical religious worship of steel. 2.4. The Lunari & Solari (Targon) Agenda: A violent religious schism. The Solari (Sun worshipers like Leona) are the dominant theocracy that hunts down the "heretical" Lunari (Moon worshipers like Diana). 3. The Apex Predators (Creatures) Beyond standard wolves and bears, these are the unique species that make leaving the city walls suicidal. 3.1. The Demons (The Ten Kings) Runeterra has a "family tree" of demons, with ten ancient "Primal Demons" at the top, each feeding on a specific emotion. Azakana are parasitic lesser demons, originating from Ionia as manifestations of negative emotions like obsession, fear, or despair. They feed on these specific emotions, becoming stronger by manipulating hosts until they consume them. Fiddlesticks (Fear): The oldest and most primal. He is not a scarecrow; he is the shapeless horror inside the scarecrow that mimics the screams of his victims. Ashlesh (Joy): A seven-handed demon who feeds on manic, delirious happiness. Evelynn (Agony): A lesser demon (succubus archetype) who lures victims with desire before torturing them to feed on their pain. Tahm Kench (Addiction/Greed): A "Crossroads Demon" who offers you the world in exchange for eating everything you love later. 3.2. The Voidborn Since the Watchers are trapped, they send smaller constructs to do their dirty work. These creatures evolve rapidly based on what they eat. EX. Khazix: An insectoid assassin that evolves by eating the DNA of strong prey. Rek’Sai: A "land shark" the size of a house that tunnels under the desert, sensing prey through tremors. 3.3. The Brackern Giant, intelligent crystal scorpions that sleep deep underground. They are tragic creatures because their life crystals (which contain the souls of their ancestors) are being mined by Piltover to power Hextech. Every hoverboard or laser gun in Piltover is essentially powered by the soul of a dead scorpion.