A Quick Overview of the Lore of League of Legends

League of Legends is packed to the brim with content related to the lore of its characters, maps, and even its items. Regardless of whether you're a beginner to the game or an experienced player, it may seem difficult to comprehend the sheer amount of events that have happened in the lore. To help out, I've created this quick overview of the world of League of Legends and everything that happens in it.

Runeterra

The games take place in the world of Runeterra, which consists of the supercontinent Valoran made up of the many different in-game nations as well as the continent of Ionia and the archipelago islands of Bilgewater and the Shadow Isles. Runeterra is also known as "Magic Earth" and shares connections with otherworldly plains including the Void.

A thousand years prior to the current time period of the game, "World Runes' began appearing across the world, each containing an immeasurable amount of pure magical energy. Tribes began collecting these runes and abusing their powers, eventually resulting in the "Rune Wars" which ended up almost destroying Valoran and corrupted the world with hidden magical energies.

After witnessing the once-grand city of Icathia fall to the powers of a World Rune, arcane sorcerer Ryze became determine to prevent the powers of the runes from ever destroying Runeterra and started an endless (we're talking centuries) journey to collect them. Icathia's fall also affected Kassadin and Malzahar, corrupting both humans with the power of the void.

Nations

Runeterra is made up of several smaller nations and islands, each with their own tribes, cultures, armies, and leaders. With every champion hailing from different locations, there's a lot of intertwining between the different places.

Demacia and Noxus are the two biggest nations and can be remembered as "good guys vs. bad guys." Demacia is ruled by the Jarvans, a family of kings throughout the generations, and is home to valiant warriors such as Poppy, Garen, Xin Zhao, and Lux. Demacia's magical protector, Galio, is awoken whenever there is a disruption is the previously mentioned World Runes.

Noxus, on the other hand, are power-hungry and believe power and strength are the most important values one can have. It is ruled by the Grand Tactician Swain, with Darius acting as the right-hand man. Noxus is responsible for the war on Ionia which, along with claiming countless innocent lives, worsened relationships between the two nations.

Also included in Runeterra is Bilgewater, the nautical hub famed for its pirates, Shurima, the empire city in the sands, Ionia, the nation filled with spiritual and mystical power, the Shadow Isles, where undead souls have reclaimed the land and the Freljord, where the harsh icy land has been split into three different tribes.

How Does League Fit Into the Lore?

Traditionally in the lore, the "League of Legends," also known as the Institute of War, was an open arena where summoners from each region would procure champions from their respective nations to battle it out in order to solve political disputes.

Every champion in the game has some reason to be in the arena - whether they've trapped in the arena, destined to fight for eternity, or whether they just want the fame and fortune, every hero has their own individual place in the lore of League of Legends as they make an impact on Runeterra.

Photos Courtesy of Riot Games