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There are thirteen main territories established in League of Legends, and one of the most mysterious and magical is Ionia. It has a long and exciting history, having put forth many of our favorite characters into the world. Though the inhabitants are a pacifistic and thoughtful people, Ionia has been involved in three wars so far, and most expect someone much more dangerous to challenge the peace again soon.
This list hopes to provide a little more backstory on Ionia, and shed a little light on the mystical goings-on of this seemingly peaceful land.
8 Ionia Is One Of The First Lands In Runeterra
During the formation of Runeterra (the physical world of the League of Legends universe) continents rose up from the sea and fractured to form the contemporary regions known today. Ionia was among the first region to house mortal civilizations. Up until that point, it was only demons and primordial beings that roamed the land and water.
The archipelago of islands has since been known as The First Lands, and there humans lived in a balanced peace with their environment. Due to this balance, the veil between physical and spiritual realms became thin, lending these lands a vast wealth of magic.
7 Responses To The Noxian Invasion Split The Nation
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As a place of peace and tranquility, Ionia was targeted for its 'weakness', as well as its magical artifacts, and General Darkwill sent Jericho Swain to storm the island. The people of the First Lands are not bloodthirsty by nature and so quickly fell to the swathes of Noxian soldiers. Village after village was decimated, and this would have continued throughout the islands if not for a fearless few who insisted on fighting back.
Originally a member of the Kinkou Order, Zed founded the Order of Shadows to drive back the invaders. He took on dangerous shadow magic to become stronger, and can be quoted saying "Balance is a fool's king" in reference to those who argued against fighting back. When the hoards reached the village Darha Karma was living in she made a difficult decision, going against all the voices of peaceful rulers in her head. Using her boundless powers, the avatar of Ionia easily defeated the Noxians, and betrayed the teachings of her own religion. Irelia led the initial resistance, and has since come to loathe the pacifists who won't fight to protect their homes.
Ionia has lost all balance, with individuals arguing over whether they should have fought or preserved their pacifism and died as they had lived.
6 Swain Lost To A 14-Year-Old Girl
In Navori, the spiritual Centre of Ionia exists as a beautiful city known as the Placidium. Here the largest collections of mystical teachings and spiritual enlightenment are housed, and the area is often full of scholars and theists alike. Of course, the Noxian armies swarmed to it, hoping to take the innocent villagers captive and use them as bait.
Among those captured were a small band of resistance fighters, led by a child Irelia. She'd found her family slaughtered and her home in the process of being ransacked. Her family's sigil was smashed apart on the floor, and tapping into the magic of Ionia, she used the shards and her dance moves to destroy those around her.
The Ionian avengers met with the vast battalion and a great fight ensued. Swain is a legendary leader and fighter, arrogant in his assured victory against some farmers and a child. But Irelia's grief fueled her blades and sliced off the general's left hand. The Placidium was defended, and Irelia joined Karma on the Ionian council as elders, both wearing a Mantle of Decorum.
5 The Vastaya Originate From Ionia
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At the beginning of recorded mortal history, Titans fell from the sky onto the First Lands. These are similar to those pictured in Greek mythology, standing taller than mountains and resembling the forms of nature; stone, air, water, lightning etc. To save their small tribes, a few of the most knowledgeable humans broke through the thin barrier between the spiritual realm and the physical one, merging to become magical, shape-shifting demi-gods, the Vastayashai'rei. They were able to use the natural world as a weapon, and defeated the Titans, crumbling them into the vestiges we see of them now.
For once, these demi-gods were pretty relaxed, and happily lived among their own people again, even continuing to have children. These offspring are of human and Vastayashai'rei heritage, and still exist today as Vastaya. Their magic is drastically watered down from their god-like bloodline, but they retain a deep connection to nature, an unnaturally long life span and the characteristics of nearby animals. Some tribes have split off early and all the Vastaya resemble a certain family of fauna, such as Nami in the sea, and Neeko as a chameleon in the jungle.
4 Reincarnation Exists, Kind Of
In reality, there are religions that believe in reincarnation of the soul, and multiple cycles of life and death. Karma as a value of a soul's worth exists in Hinduism as well, and League of Legends has borrowed both concepts to create this incarnation of Karma. For the first decade of her life, each life, she lives quite normally and unaware of her responsibility. The monks of the Lasting Altar journey across Ionia to find their Karma for each reincarnation. She is ancient, timeless, and has accrued many lifetime's wisdom with which she guides her people.
The voices of each pacifist host advise in Darha Karma's mind, providing their own experiences, allowing the current Karma to make difficult decisions. During the Noxian invasion she went against all the voices in her head and fought back. The monks of her order are now beginning to question who Darha is and whether her motives align with those they've worshipped for centuries.
Her guilt from not acting sooner during the invasion prompted her to become ruined during Viego's quest to bring Isolde back.
3 A Kashuri Benefactor Funds A Serial Killer
The island of Zhyun in Ionia's archipelago is known for the coastal town of Kashuri, where fine weapons are made. Their products used to be in line with the simplistic and harmonic ideals of Ionia, but when the invasion occurred Kashuri upped their complexity, attempting to recreate the hextech weapons developed in Piltover.
Jhin's 'antics' were felt throughout Zhyun, and he was quickly dubbed the Golden Demon. His innocent victims were often left posed in dramatic recreations of theater. Many people were sent to track him down, but it was only when the Kinkou order was persuaded did Khada Jhin finally get stopped. His weapon was foreign and strange, like an Ionian hextech item, but imbued with powerful magic.
Jhin was still imprisoned during the war, but someone from Kashuri with a lot of sway in the Ionian council released him when it was all over. He was re-outfitted with new weapons and armor, courtesy of Kashuri armory, and let into the world. For what purpose no one is sure.
2 Ivern Chopped Down The God-Willow Tree
We all know Ivern; the gangly green friend to all, good at creating hedgerows and has a big rock friend named Daisy. But did you know Ivern was once a blood-thirsty Frejlordian warlord? As a worshipper of Volibear, Ivern the Cruel led a crusade against Lissandra and her witchy sisters. When that failed he took a troop to Ionia to find the power to vanquish his foes, cutting down any who stood in his way. This includes the guardians of the Heart of the World, Omikayalan, where the Vastaya protected the God Willow. Anyone else might rethink destroying such a thing, but not Ivern!
Upon chopping it down with his war ax, the magic swarmed Ivern and undid his very essence. Floating around as a lost consciousness, he watched the cycle of life speed up, along with the decay of all things. He was transfixed by the beauty of life and felt urged to protect it at all costs.
1 Syndra Is The OG Angsty Teen
Now, Vex might seem like the epitome of teenage angst and unpredictable emotion, but Syndra is really out here manifesting her frustration as balls of power. As a child she was bullied by her brother and generally left out of childish activities. She spent her time sitting under a Spirit Tree, confiding her problems in it, and being a bit magical. When her brother and his friends found out her best friend is a tree... well, kids are cruel. Crying and embarrassed, Syndra inadvertently consolidated her feelings and threw them at the bullies.
She was then exiled for defending herself, and sent to a mentor on the tiny island of Fae'lor. When, after years of training, she found out her teacher was binding her magic slowly she collapsed a temple on them both, trapping her, where her isolation turned to fury at the world that let her down.