Ascended being of immense power. With his buried city risen from the sand, Azir seeks to restore Shurima to its former glory.
was a mortal emperor of Shurima in a far distant age, a proud man who stood at the cusp of immortality. His hubris saw him betrayed and murdered at the moment of his greatest triumph, but now, millennia later, he has been reborn as an
"Shurima was once the glory of Runeterra. I will make it so again." — Azir | |
Background[]
Early life[]
Azir was the last son of the emperor of Shurima. He never received the same love from the emperor as did the other children. It was highly unexpected that he would be the one to become emperor. He spent most of his time studying the texts rather than training for combat.
Azir met a slave looking for texts for his master in the library. Surprisingly, he was able to help Azir understand complex grammar from an ancient text. The two quickly became friends after this, and Azir named the boy Xerath, even though slaves were not allowed names.
One day, while the royal family was travelling in the desert, they were attacked by assassins. Azir and Xerath had gone out to plot the stars. Xerath managed to suppress the attacker while Azir plunged a dagger into his throat. But Azir’s brothers had all been killed before Renekton managed to slay the assassins. Azir promised that one day, he and Xerath would be brothers.
Azir, now heir to the throne, began to train in combat under the tutelage of Renekton. He learned to wield the sword and spear.
Strangely, all the sons of the emperor’s wife began to die before they were born. Then one was finally born. But during a great storm, the emperor’s wife was killed along with her newborn son. It was said that the emperor went mad with grief and took his own life, leaving Azir to take the throne.
The Catastrophic Ascension[]
Xerath had secretly longed for the power of ascension himself and saw Azir as a threat to his own aspirations; a world without slavery, and to end that, he secretly planned to guide Azir to the Dais of Ascension himself. On the day of Ascension, just as Azir is ascended-Xerath used his magic to subvert the ritual, causing it to fail and unleashing a catastrophic explosion that destroyed the capital city of Shurima, killing many of Azir's people in the process.
In the aftermath of the failed ascension, Azir was presumed dead, and Shurima fell into ruin and decay. However, Azir had actually ascended in a flawed and incomplete manner, becoming trapped in a state of suspended animation, his body and spirit separated from each other. Over the centuries, Azir's spirit remained dormant, while his body was preserved in a state of stasis within a chamber in The Sun Disc, an ancient structure that had been built to harness the power of the sun and the magic of the Ascended. It wasn't until the present day, when The Sun Disc was rediscovered and reactivated, that Azir's body was reawakened, and his spirit was reunited with it. When the tomb containing the Sun Disc and Azir was opened, chaos broke out and 's blood spilled over to the sand, awakening the falcon god in the process.
As Azir awakened, he was confronted by the brutal reality of his empire's decline and the treachery of those who had sought to undermine him, especially the now berserk
. Despite these obstacles, Azir remained determined to reclaim his throne and rebuild Shurima, using his newfound power and knowledge to unite his people and restore their former glory.Appearance[]
Azir is a tall male humanoid figure with features of a bird, specifically a falcon, his head is that of a golden falcon with blue eyes that shine like sapphires.He wears ancient golden Shuriman armor with red ribbons hanging from his arms and a white cape on his back.
When he was human, Azir was a brown-skinned man and quite stocky, with long dark hair tied in dreadlocks and various trappings of royalty.He didn't wear a shirt but his chest and arms were adorned with all kinds of Shuriman amulets and necklaces, he wore white baggy pants with red ribbons around his hips.
Personality[]
Azir is a proud, determined ruler who sees potential in others. While he originally had no chance of being emperor, he befriended Xerath and saw him more than just a mere slave, but also a friend and even a brother. He wished to repay Xerath by giving him rewards and a higher status, but the societal values of Shurima prevented this. Despite this, Azir wished to become emperor to abolish slavery and give Xerath what he would've wanted, but his power led to him becoming hubristic, which was Azir's biggest weakness and one of the causes of Shurima's downfall. While he did have selfless intentions for the empire, his arrogance prevented him from communicating his goals with Xerath and seeing when he was being manipulated, and his shortsightedness towards the consequences of his actions caused Xerath's resentment to grow to the point where by the time he announced his plan, it was too late and Xerath had already made his decision to betray him.
Since his resurrection, Azir now wishes to rebuild the empire and return Shurima to its former glory is a very noble gesture, calling upon the help of his allies in order to do so.
However Azir has shown a quite noble and generous side, since one of the things he always wanted to do after becoming emperor was to abolish slavery and help the poor, he has shown a kinder side of him when he saved Sivir's life.
Abilities[]
- Ascended: Azir is an Ascended, also known as God-Warriors or Sunborn. The Ascended are mortals that were empowered by The Sun Disc into immensely powerful demigods. Each Ascended has unique powers depending on the individual they were prior to the Ascension.
- Immortality: The ascended do not age, and do not need to eat or sleep. Barring beings of similar power, the Ascende cannot be killed.
- Sand Magic: Azir can control the sands of the Shuriman desert to his desires, creating almost anything that he desires, like massive building and cities around him.
- Sand Soldiers: Azir mainly uses his power over the sand to create his mighty Sand Soldiers, powerful constructs that serve as his personal army. The Sand Soldiers are completely under his control, are far more powerful than a normal human and don't need neither sleep nor food.
Relations[]
[]
treachery made Azir furious at his former soul brother betraying his trust to become an Ascended being and destroying Shurima in the process. He can't let go because he truly loved his nation, however much his ambition may have led him astray. He can't accept responsibility for what happened to his kingdom - he blames Xerath, but was it really Xerath's fault...? Or was it the emperor who couldn't see the cruel intent of his most trusted advisor - and friend? And yes - for the moment, he is an emperor without an empire. An emperor without a people. He has nothing - but he'll do everything with his newfound power to change that, and rebuild Shurima into the thriving, powerful empire it once was.
[]
Given
exploration of the Shurima Desert and robbing of artifacts from its tombs, it's likely Azir won't be entirely fond of him.[]
Azir dislikes
graverobbing but does not resent her. She is family after all, and saving her from backstabbing meant everything at the time of his revival. He would hold his hatred for Cassiopeia for almost ending his bloodline forever.& []
When he was young, Azir was taught ancient knowledge from
and combat from . The Ascended brothers' teachings will prove useful for the trials ahead.Azir is disappointed that a mighty warrior such as
has been reduced to a rabid beast after being tortured beyond insanity for imprisoning himself with Xerath.On the other hand, [1]
might be the only remaining Ascended that can help the Emperor. Azir deeply respects Nasus, though the Curator looks down on him for his arrogance and for what his hubris did to Shurima.Read More
Biography
Starring Champion
Mentioned Champion
Alternate Universes
Trivia[]
- Based on the timeline in Realms of Runeterra and his lore, Azir is between 3000 – 3050 years old.
- As suggested by ▶️ "Close to the ground, the sparrow flies faster than the falcon.", his Ascended form resembles that of a falcon. quote
- Azir's mother was born in Vekaura. later destroyed the city during the events of Bloodline.
- Azir originally intended to destroy Saikhal, birthplace, for revenge but was convinced not to as he was reminded that it would make him the same thing as what Xerath has become.
- Azir knows a lot of secrets about past that are only known to the two.
- Azir originally intended to destroy Saikhal, birthplace, for revenge but was convinced not to as he was reminded that it would make him the same thing as what Xerath has become.
- As stated by Riot Opeli in Azir's Q&A thread, Azir was a benevolent leader, a kind dictator devoted to his people's well-being and prosperity. Though he got a little ahead of himself with the over-enthusiastic Ascension ritual, even that was done with good intentions, for he saw Ascension as a means to have Shurima grow and influence the entire world.[2]
- This desire was never derived from conquest, as Azir truly believes Shurima was the pinnacle of civilization and could only continue to prosper.
- Azir put off abolishing slavery because doing so in a short period of time would likely lead to massive protests and possibly a coup. As power went to his head, however, he forgot that others also had worthwhile ideas.
- Azir currently wishes for the other city-states to join his empire so that they may benefit from Shurima's culture and way of life. This might prove difficult after being trapped in limbo for millennia, given the likes of Zaun are the antithesis to Shurima.
- So for now, Azir's motivation is to restore Shurima's glory.
- Back in the empire's heyday, Azir was popular with the ladies.[3] This charisma might help him restore his people to greatness.
- As stated by Gem 'Lonewingy' Lim in Azir's Q&A thread, Azir's gauntlets have ribbon-like tassels to emphasize his regal status and to resemble embroidered robes which in turn represent feathers, cementing the bird-like appearance.[4]
- Ascended power was stolen from Azir, but manifests in the wrong way due to its not being intended for him.
- At the end of Twilight of the Gods, had absorbed the - for want of a better phrase - Darkin DNA essence, which, combined with Ta'anari's heart, would allow humans to craft the weapons tailored to trap the remaining Darkin at a later date.[5] Tomb of Emperors is Shuriman, but the events of the story imbued the Chalicar with a resonance to the Ascended, so it acted as a channel between and her distant ancestor, Azir which allowed her blood to revive him. As the Alchemists of Old said, "Like attracts like...".[6]
- Azir's Q&A (Creative) by Riot Narrative team: (Note: In case people question the authenticity of the contents above, the copy-and-paste version of the orginal text is added here: )[7]
- 1. What kind of a ruler was he?
- Riot-Opeli: He was a benevolent leader. Still a dictator, but a kind one, and he was interested in his people's well-being and prosperity. He got a little ahead of himself, though - hence the over-enthusiastic Ascension ritual - but even that was done with good intentions. He wanted Shurima to grow and influence the entire world.
- 2. Why can't Azir just let go his lost empire? What he gonna rule there anyway, sands? Though I can somehow see him modeling his whole empire with sand then play empire in his head. Now I kinda got sad for him...
- Riot-Runaan: He can't let go because he truly loved his nation, however much his ambition may have led him astray. He can't accept responsibility for what happened to his kingdom - he blames Xerath, but was it really Xerath's fault...? Or was it the emperor who couldn't see the cruel intent of his most trusted advisor - and friend? :O And yes - for the moment, he is an emperor without an empire. An emperor without a people. He has nothing - but he'll do everything with his newfound power to change that, and rebuild Shurima into the thriving, powerful empire it once was.
- 3. Does Azir plan to rebuild Shurima?
- Riot-Opeli: Yes! It's his main motivation.
- 4. Does Azir wish to just peacefully rebuild Shurima and see if people join his ways? Or will he do it with force?
- Riot-Opeli: He wishes to do it peacefully, but he's not afraid of using force. It will only happen if he's forced his hand.
- 5. What's the CURRENT state of Shurima? We've heard that it's been swallowed by the desert, and that Xerath, apparently, blew up the city, but...An empire isn't just one city. What about the rest of Shurima? What did they do for the world around them when they were at their prime?
- Riot-Runaan: We talked about Shurima as a place with a really thriving culture - a place with not only a strong military and a powerful emperor, but a place with a sense of personal identity (art, music, literature, trade, magical technology etc). Azir's motivation to bring the golden light of Shurima to other nations was/is not really a "conquering" aim - it's that he truly believes that Shurima was the height of civilization, and could only continue to grow more wonderful. After Xerath's corrupt ascension, everything was more or less buried beneath the sands and left to ruin, but Azir definitely doesn't think that's the end of things.
- 6. Did Azir have any inkling that Xerath was going to betray him, or was he blind to that possibility?
- Riot-Opeli: He was blind to it. He totally trusted Xerath. :(
- 7. Did Azir rule alone, or would there have been a...Mrs. Azir?
- Riot-Opeli: It's safe to say he was... popular with the ladies.
- 8. What does Azir think of Nasus? Does he respect him or dislike him?
- Riot-Opeli: Azir deeply respects Nasus. Although Nasus views him as a little arrogant because he got to see what happened to Shurima as a result of Azir's hubris.
- 9. What does Azir think of Yordles? Does Azir know Anivia at all or have any relation to her? Did Azir ALWAYS love birds?
- Riot-Entropy: Azir would welcome their furry enthusiasm, provided they directed it toward expanding Shurima's greatness. Azir was once human, so he's a great deal younger than Anivia. Nasus on the other hand... Birds soar to great heights. I can't help but think Azir would admire that.
- 10. Does (Ascended) Azir sleep in a bed or a nest? If it's a nest, what's it made of?
- Riot-Opeli: I don't think he sleeps! At all!
- 11. Given the fact that the Shurimans aren't the only sun revering culture, what does Azir think of Mount Targon and the Solari?
- Riot-Entropy: At the very least, intrigued. Though one can't help but wonder if once the whole "You like the Sun? Me too!" phase passes they might have some serious differences to sort out.
- 12. How much of Runeterra (regions, city states etc.) does Azir know/remember from old-Shuriman days? How much has changed for him?
- Riot-Opeli: For some people, Shurima is like an Atlantis to them - they believe it's only a myth (although, obviously, they will be proven wrong). For others, like the people currently inhabiting the desert of Shurima, they knew it existed a long time ago and there are believed to be no "true" Shurimans remaining. Even Renekton and Nasus were stories for them. A LOT has changed for Azir. He has a lot of catching up to do.
- 13. Was he always so...birdy? I mean he has fabulous legs but I wonder were they like that when he was young and...alive?
- Riot-Opeli: No, he was human originally. But I also think he has fabulous legs. :P
- 14. Now that he is returned, what are his views on the other City-States like Noxus and Piltover?
- Riot-Opeli: Azir believes that the other city-states would benefit from Shurima's culture and way of life. He'll try to get them to join his empire and conform to his ideals. HOWEVER, he is in for quite the culture shock because so much has changed while he's been... away. I think Zaun would boggle him the most. But he wouldn't let anyone see that.
- 1. What kind of a ruler was he?
Change log[]
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