Mount Targon is the mightiest peak in Runeterra, a towering peak of sun-baked rock amid a range of summits unmatched in scale anywhere else in the world. Located far from civilization, Mount Targon is utterly remote and all but impossible to reach save by the most determined seeker. Many legends cling to Mount Targon, and, like any place of myth, it is a beacon to dreamers, madmen and questors of adventure. Some of these brave souls attempt to scale the impossible mountain, perhaps seeking wisdom or enlightenment, perhaps chasing glory or some soul-deep yearning to witness its summit. The ascent is all but impossible, and those hardy few who somehow survive to reach the top almost never speak of what they have seen. Some return with a haunted, empty look in their eyes, others changed beyond all recognition, imbued by an aspect of unearthly, inhuman power with a destiny few mortals can comprehend.
Champions
- Champions of Targon
The following are champions of the silver city of Targon, the civilization beyond the veil:
- Champions of Mount Targon
The following are champions of the mountain range:
Other Related Champions
Bard is a wandering celestial caretaker.- Garen banished Taric to Mount Targon.
- Ezreal found and used the World Rune of Inspiration located on Mount Targon.
- Nami is a Tidecaller searching for the Aspect of the Moon.
- Soraka was a previous resident of the silver city of Targon, sacrificing her immortality to live amongst the humans of Runeterra.
Lore
Legends
Like any place of myth, Mount Targon is a beacon to dreamers, madmen and questors of adventure. Those 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. 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.
- The power of a celestial dragon is not to be underestimated.
- Starring Aurelion Sol and Pantheon.
- When Runeterra's sacred treasures are misused, the Wandering Caretaker intervenes.
- War, war never changes.
- Starring Pantheon.
- Obey The Ra'Horak, or die by the blinding light as a heritic.
- Starring Leona.
- Even in the darkest night, light finds a way.
- Starring Diana.
- To ascend the Mountain, I had to let go...
- The Ascent
- An exiled soldier ascends Mount Targon to find redemption, only to discover a higher calling.
- Starring Taric.
- It is not easy being a Protector.
- Starring Taric.
- Deep in the oceans of Runeterra, the Marai are protected from terrors by the light of a moonstone. Through an ancient ritual, the Marai choose one of their people to dive into the abyss and retrieve an abyssal pearl, which is exchanged with a landwalker for the moonstone. Their chosen Tidecaller has not returned. Nami, a headstrong girl of the Marai, decides to descend into the black before the moonstone's light dims forever…[1]
- She brings her curiosity and a dire message. They bring torches and violent fear.
- Starring Nami.
- Change isnt always easy to overcome.
- Starring Zoe.
- The sky around Mount Targon shimmers with celestial bodies; the sun and moons, but also constellations, planets, fiery comets that streak the darkness, and auspicious arrangements of stars. 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. Some believe the power of these Aspects sometimes come down the mountain within the lambent bodies of those climbers found worthy. Such an occurrence is unimaginably rare and amazing tales of their exploits form around such individuals, who only ever appear once every few generations. It is incredibly unusual for more than a single Aspect to walk the earth of Runeterra at any given time, so the tales of several Aspects manifesting has spread a pall of fear and uncertainty around the mountain. For what threat might be arising that requires the power of so many powerful beings to fight?
- Cower. Worship. Marvel. All appropriate responses, really.
- The stars tell their own stories. Some speak of past events. Some speak of... other things.
History
Star Forger
- For more details, check this page.
Born in the first breath of creation, 
Aurelion Sol roamed the vast nothingness of the cosmos, gracing it with his wonders. A celestial dragon is an exotic creature, and as such, Aurelion Sol seldom encountered any equals. As more forms of life emerged to fill the universe, a multitude of primitive eyes gazed up and beheld his work with wonder and breathless pondering. Flattered by this audience of countless worlds, he became fascinated by their fledgling civilizations, who crafted amusingly self-centered philosophies on the nature of his stars. One such ambitious species to catch the attention of the dragon were the Valoran Targonians.
Amazed by the spectacles which the Cosmic Being performed before their very eyes, the Targonians titled the dragon Aurelion Sol and presented him with a gift as a token of respect: a splendorous crown of star-gems, which he promptly donned. Before long, though, boredom drew Aurelion Sol back to his work in the fertile vastness of space. However, the further from the reach of that tiny world he traveled, the more he felt a grasping at his very essence, pulling him off his path, directing him elsewhere! He could hear voices shouting, commanding, from across the cosmic expanse. The gift he’d received was no gift at all.
Pantheon awaiting Aurelion Sol's arrival
Outraged, he fought these controlling impulses and attempted to break his bonds by force, only to discover that for each attack against his newfound masters, one of his stars vanished forever from the firmament. A powerful magic now yoked Aurelion Sol, forcing him to wield his powers exclusively for Targon’s benefit. He battled chitinous beasts that tore at the fabric of this universe. He clashed with other cosmic entities, some of which he had known since the dawn of time. For millennia, he fought Targon’s wars, crushed any threats to its dominance, and helped it forge a star-spanning empire.
As his past glories slowly vanished from the celestial realm for lack of maintenance, Aurelion Sol resigned himself to never again bask in the warmth of a freshly ignited star. Then, he felt it - a weakening in his unwilling pact. The voices from the crown grew sporadic, clashing, arguing with each other while some fell ominously silent. An unknown catastrophe he could not fathom had thrown off the balance of those who bound him. They were scattered and distracted. Hope crept into his heart.
Driven by the tantalizing possibility of impending freedom, Aurelion Sol arrives on the world where it all began: Runeterra. It is here the balance will finally tip in his favor. And with it, civilizations across the stars shall bear witness to his rebellion and again play audience to his might. All will learn what fate befalls those who strive to steal for themselves the power of a cosmic dragon.
Locations
Architecture of Mount Targon
Environments of Mount Targon
Mount Targon is a mountain found in the Northern part of North Valoran, it boarders with Demacia and Freljord. The currently well known locations encompassing Mount Targon are:
The Peak
Mount Targon is the mightiest peak in Runeterra, a towering mountain of sun-baked rock amid a range of summits unmatched in scale anywhere else in the world. Located far from civilization, Mount Targon is utterly remote and all but impossible to reach save by the most determined seeker.
The Lunari Temple
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.
The Rakkor Tribe
The main settlement of Mount Targon, Rakkor are a warrior like society that devote their life for the pursuit of battle and knowledge. Atreus, and 
Leona come from this tribe.
The Solari Temple
The Solari temple was a towering citadel on the eastern slopes of Mount Targon, a glittering spire of gold-veined marble and polished granite. 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.
The Silver City
A glimpse of an celestial city has been sighted at the very peak of Mount Targon. It is here that both Leona and Diana were imbued with the Celestial powers of the Sun and the Moon as where Atreus ascended only to be replaced by the Celestial Aspect of War known as Pantheon.
Culture
- The Mountain
Mount Targon is the mightiest peak in Runeterra, a towering mountain of sun-baked rock amid a range of summits unmatched in scale anywhere else in the world. Located far from civilization, Mount Targon is utterly remote and all but impossible to reach save by the most determined seeker.
Many legends cling to Mount Targon, ranging from tales of blazing warriors imbued with incredible powers falling from the sky to battle monsters, to fantastical tales of gods and their celestial abodes crashing down to form the mountain. Some legends even go so far as to claim the Mountain itself is a sleeping titan of antiquity.
Like any place of myth, Mount Targon is a beacon to dreamers, madmen and questors of adventure. Those who survive the arduous journey to the foot of the titanic mountain are welcomed as fellow pilgrims by the scattered, tribal communities that have set up nomadic camps around its base.
Here the weary traveller learns of the tribes, such as the Rakkor, who have endured the harsh climate and unforgiving lands around the mountain for millennia. These people are united in their belief that living in the shadow of these cyclopean structures of monumental scale is a true calling of mysterious powers. The origin and purpose of these structures - if such things ever had one - remain a mystery, for mortals can never truly know the minds of the structures' lost creators. Many faiths find root around the mountain, but all are beholden to the 
Solari, a sun-worshipping faith whose tenets dominate the land. The Solari high temple sits on the eastern slope of the mountain, reachable only by crossing swaying rope bridges over abyssal canyons, climbing winding stairs weathered into the living rock and traversing whisper-thin ledges cut upon sheer cliffs carved with ancient symbols and vast effigies.
Some brave souls attempt to scale the impossible mountain, perhaps seeking wisdom or enlightenment, perhaps chasing glory or some soul-deep yearning to see its summit. The dwellers at the peak's base cheer as these brave souls begin their ascent, knowing the mountain will find the vast majority of them unworthy. And to be judged unworthy by Mount Targon is to die.
The mountain's sheer flanks and the treacherous conditions of its high slopes make it incredibly difficult to climb. Its rocks are littered with the contorted bodies of those who have made the attempt and failed. The ascent is all but impossible, a grueling test of every facet of a climber's strength, character, resolve, willpower and determination. Some climbers ascend for weeks or months, others for only a day, for the mountain is inconstant and ever-changing. And even for those hardy few who somehow survive to reach the top, the testing is not over. Some who claw their way to the summit do so only to find it utterly empty, an abandoned expanse of ruins and faded carvings beyond human understanding. For unknowable reasons, the mountain has found the climber's soul lacking.
For a handful of others, however, the summit is said to be veiled in a cascade of shimmering light, through which wonders and far-distant vistas can be glimpsed, the bewildering, tantalizing visions of a mythical domain beyond. Despite attaining their goal of reaching the summit, most fail this last test, turning away in fear from this inhuman realm. Of the rare few who press on, most never return, while others may reappear minutes, years or even centuries later.
Only one thing is certain - those who return are changed beyond all recognition.
- The Aspects
The sky around Mount Targon shimmers with celestial bodies; the sun and moons, but also constellations, planets, fiery comets that streak the darkness, and auspicious arrangements of stars. 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. Some believe the power of these Aspects sometimes come down the mountain within the lambent bodies of those climbers found worthy. Such an occurrence is unimaginably rare and amazing tales of their exploits form around such individuals, who only ever appear once every few generations.
It is incredibly unusual for more than a single Aspect to walk the earth of Runeterra at any given time, so the tales of several Aspects manifesting has spread a pall of fear and uncertainty around the mountain. For what threat might be arising that requires the power of so many powerful beings to fight?Government
People of Mount Targon
Pantheon in battle
The Rakkor
Eking a living from mountain plants and their precious herds, the Rakkor tribe dwells at the very limits of human endurance; honing their warrior skills to fight the war at the end of the world. Rakkor means Tribe of the Last Sun, and its people believe that many worlds have existed before this one, each of which has been destroyed by a great catastrophe. Its seers teach that when this sun is destroyed there will be no more, so its warriors must be ready to fight those who seek to extinguish its light.
To the Rakkor, battle is an act of devotion, an offering to keep the sun’s light shining. All members of the tribe are expected to fight and kill without mercy or hesitation. Rakkor warriors are trained not only to be as lethal with their bare hands as the most capable martial artists, but also to fiercely wield the many relic-weapons of the tribe. The stone-faced warrior Pantheon, the Artisan of War, is considered the paragon of his people.
The Solari
Leona emerges
Iron Solari Crest
Rather than a pursuit of war, Mount Targon’s peak is reserved for a special group of Rakkor who answer to a “higher” calling. Members of this group, the Solari, laid down their weapons for the pursuit of celestial knowledges. The warrior order of the Solari, the Ra-Horak - a Rakkor title which means Followers of the Horizon - honed their already fearsome skills with a blade into something sublime. According to legend, the Solari were formed by a warrior who could call the raw might of the sun down upon his enemies in combat. He claimed Mount Targon’s summit, the point on Valoran closest to the sun, for his solar devotion, a tradition which generations of Solari have preserved to this day.
Though they maintain their reverence, no other warrior possessed the gifts of the founder – until Leona, the Radiant Dawn. The Solari elders claimed Leona from the Rakkor tribe and assisted in focusing her abilities. With her pursuit of the heretic Diana at the very peak of Mount Targon, she was imbued by terrifying power and forgotten knowledge from the earliest epochs of the world. Her armor and weapons burned to ash in the cosmic fire and were in turn reborn as ornate warplate, a shield of sunlight wrought in gold and a sword of chained dawnlight.
Diana's discovery
The Lunari
The Solari elders taught that all life came from the sun, and that the light of the moon was false, offering no nourishment and crafting shadows in which only creatures of darkness found succor.
Diana's inquisitive nature set her apart from her brethren. She had always found solace and guidance in the night sky, and questioned the dominance of the sun in her society. The Solari elders responded to her challenges with only derision and punishment. Diana remained convinced, however, that if she could find evidence of the moon's power, the elders would listen to reason.
For years, she studied Solari archives in solitude until she discovered an encoded message hidden in an old tome. Diana learned of an all-but-extinct group known as the Lunari, whose faith saw the moon as a source of life and balance. From what Diana could glean from the fragmentary texts, the Lunari spoke of the eternal cycle — night and day, sun and moon — as essential for universal harmony. After her empowering experience at the peak of Mount Targon she stumbled at an old cave where she unearthed the hidden entrance to an ancient, sealed temple. Inside, among aging relics and faded murals, she found an ornate suit of armor and a beautiful crescent blade, both inscribed with sigils of the moon. As soon as she donned the armaments the Solari elders cournered her that night. She declared that the artifacts proved others had once worshipped the moon as she did. Her discovery of evidence challenging Solari dominion shocked the elders.
Diana after killing Solari elders.
Trivia
- Mount Targon is based on Mount Olympus, mythological home of the Twelve Olympians.
- It was previously known as Mount Gargantuan, & its new name is probably based on Persian ترگ targ "helmet".
- Rakkor, Tribe of the Last Sun, is based on Egyptian theonym Ra.
- The name of the Kor leader, Jagen, means "to hunt" in German and Dutch.
- The sectarian names Solari & Lunari derive from Latin sol and luna.
- The Solari's dismissive & disdainful attitude towards the Lunari possibly references the astronomical fact that the Moon does not emit any light, but only reflects the Sun's light.[2]
- The title Ra-Horak derives from Egyptian Ra-Horakhty "Ra-Horus of the Horizons".
- League Community Podcast made a specific episode regarding the new lore of Mount Targon.
- Mount Targon was Graham McNeill's first lore event which he specifically contributed towards.
- As Indicated by Poppy in one of her jokes, people from Targon are known as Targonians.
- Targonians also value gemstones more than gold.
- Relic Shield, Targon's Brace, Face of the Mountain, Eye of the Equinox, Locket of the Iron Solari, and Moonflair Spellblade are Mount Targon artifacts.
Media
- Related Music
See Also
References
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