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Valoran is 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.[1] Almost all nations and factions of present-day Runeterra are based on Valoran.

History[]

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The Three Sisters[]

In an ancient primordial world long before advanced civilizations, the Three Sisters (Avarosa, Serylda and Lissandra Lissandra) were born. Each sought to harness the powers at war, and each paid a terrible price with one of their senses. After losing her sight to the primal god Volibear Volibear, Lissandra chose instead to walk in dreams. As she navigated the fitful visions of those around her, she realized only she could see the darkness below for what it was: the lingering abyss of the Void Crest icon Void promised not only an ending, but infinity. It was death, both dangerous and full of potential. Unknown to her sisters, Lissandra struck a deal on their behalf with the god-like entities she had communed with — the Watchers would grant them near-immortality in exchange for preparing Runeterra for the coming of the Void.

The three sisters and their most powerful followers were named Iceborn. Those with this ability to withstand the worst of the numbing frost would be spared until the very end.

However, as her sisters grew restless while the Void did not care for platitudes, Lissandra failed to prevent it from erupting into the mortal world in the far north, and with it, Lissandra's hidden allegiance to the Watchers became undeniable. In time, Avarosa grew tired of their servitude and united the Iceborn, rallying them against their masters. The final stand against the Watchers took place on the bridge crossing the Howling Abyss. In that moment, Lissandra sacrificed her sisters and the allies they had gathered, entombing the Watchers beneath a glacial barrier of True Ice that could never be melted, in order to prevent the world from being consumed.

Lissandra soon discovered that even this elemental power was not enough. The monstrous beings she had frozen were merely slumbering, slowly tainting the True Ice around them into something darker. Now, they wandered through Lissandra's dreams as easily as she had theirs, and always she would wake, terrified, professing her loyalty to the chilling eternity they promised.

Lissandra OriginalSkin

Lissandra in the Howling Abyss

Ever the survivor, she gathered her remaining followers to venerate her and her departed sisters and gathered as much resources as they could to seal the Watchers. Lissandra and the first among her Freljord Frostguard Frostguard did everything in their power to rewrite history, seizing all records of what had truly happened though they never fully succeeded.

The Great Darkin War[]

When the light of Shurima Crest icon 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. After many years of their reign and continuous wars, the Darkin were finally destroyed or sealed inside their own weapons, but not without leaving the world in ruin.

The Iron Revenant[]

By tricking a coven of sorcerers in his service and making them bind his spirit-form in dark metal plates wrought in the likeness of his old armor armor, the brutal warlord Sahn-Uzal was brought back from the dead as Mordekaiser Mordekaiser and thus began his second conquest of the mortal realm. As before, his ambitions were great, only now empowered by necromantic sorcery he could never have previously imagined. From the fearful, dissipating souls of the sorcerers, Mordekaiser forged a weapon fit for an emperor of death — his brutal mace, Nightfall Nightfall — and seized control of the army they had raised.

To his foes, it seemed he cared only for massacre and destruction. Entire generations perished under his relentless campaigns.

However, there was far more to Mordekaiser's plan. He raised the Immortal Bastion at the center of his empire; while most assumed it was merely a seat of power, some came to know the secrets it held. Mordekaiser hungered for all the forbidden knowledge of spirits and death, and a true understanding of the realm... or realms... beyond.

Such tyranny could only bring him enemies. The Iron Revenant was defeated, surprisingly, by an alliance of the Noxii tribes, and betrayal betrayal from within his own inner circle. This hidden cabal managed to sever the anchors of his soul from his armor, and sealed the empty iron shell away in a secret place.

And so, Mordekaiser was cast out of the material realm. However, unbeknownst to anyone, he had planned for this — indeed, it was a pivotal part of his design. Domination and deceit had carried him far, but he knew that a destiny far grander than the Hall of Bones awaited him.

There, in the once empty wasteland, all those who had died under his latest reign were waiting. Perverted by dark sorcery, their spirits would never fade. The strongest became his devout, eternal army, bound to his will... but even the weak were given purpose.

From the subtle matter of their souls, Mordekaiser would forge a new empire. They would be the building blocks and mortar of his Afterworld.

The Rune Wars[]

Centuries later, magical artifacts called 'World Runes' have been rediscovered after the destruction of the Blessed Isles. Over the following decades after such event, knowledge of the Runes began to spread as more were unearthed. The world's brightest minds studied the ancient glyphs, attempting to determine the powers they possessed. Few could even begin to understand the importance of their origins, or the sheer power held within them. Some surmised that the Runes were integral to the creation of Runeterra itself. The first use of these mysterious artifacts proved catastrophic, as they reshaped the landscape of entire nations. Mistrust quickly grew as those who knew of the Runes imagined such “Makers' Might” being used as a weapon. Conflicts later related to these magical artifacts were known as the "Rune Wars."

Open warfare raged across Runeterra. The first horrors of the Rune Wars sparked fear and aggression among those who now realized the power at their command. Ryze Ryze and his master, Tyrus, have sought out to lock away every World Rune beyond the reach of man for the protection of Runeterra. Some complied with their pleas, others dismissed them due to their newfound powers and influence. After an incident with Tyrus, Ryze continued his journey alone in gathering all Runic artifacts so as to prevent another Rune War from starting and possibly destroying the world.

The world seemed to be on the verge of destruction. Many people fled to the petricite forest to the west of the continent where the trees are rumored to be capable of dampening magic, while the Noxii tribes all hid inside the Immortal Bastion. Finally, after devastating casualties all over the world, the Wars ended.

Birth of the nations[]

New nations started rising. Some built on top of the ashes of the old ones, while others were founded by refugees of the wars.

As the Noxii tribes re-emerged from the Immortal Bastion, they became one and called themselves Noxus Crest icon Noxus. Noxian capital, Noxus Prime, built on top of the derelict Immortal Bastion. This point marks the beginning of the Noxian calendar.

In the west, the young nation of Demacia Crest icon Demacia was founded by the great champion Orlon.

Locations[]

Runeterra terrain tile B1Runeterra terrain tile B2Runeterra terrain tile B3Runeterra terrain tile B4Runeterra terrain tile B5Runeterra terrain tile B6
Runeterra terrain tile C1Runeterra terrain tile C2Runeterra terrain tile C3Runeterra terrain tile C4Runeterra terrain tile C5Runeterra terrain tile C6
Runeterra terrain tile D1Runeterra terrain tile D2Runeterra terrain tile D3Runeterra terrain tile D4Runeterra terrain tile D5Runeterra terrain tile D6
Runeterra terrain tile E1Runeterra terrain tile E2Runeterra terrain tile E3Runeterra terrain tile E4Runeterra terrain tile E5Runeterra terrain tile E6
Map of Valoran

There are many regions and settlements on Valoran. Currently known are:

North ValoranFreljord Crest icon Freljord · Void Crest icon VoidValoran
East ValoranNoxus Crest icon Noxus
South ValoranHoldrum · Pilt River · Piltover Crest icon Piltover · Stonewall · Zaun Crest icon Zaun
West ValoranDemacia Crest icon Demacia · Gates of Mourning · Kalstead · Palclyff
Central ValoranAlderburg · Arbormark · Argent Mountains · Boleham · Gray Claws · Nockmirch · Old Bargate · Rijenland · Silent Forest · Skaggorn · Tokogol


Trivia[]

  • The name of the video game known as Valorant, made by Riot Games, closely resembles the name of the fictional continent of Valoran from the Runeterra Map profileicon Runeterra Prime universe and the location known as Valoran City from the New Horizon profileicon Star Guardian universe of the League of Legends icon League of Legends intellectual property.
  • As the map on universe is a rectilinear projection, places near the poles look bigger than they should in comparison to places near the equator. So Shurima looks about the same size as Valoran on the map, but that is misleading - it has a larger area.[2]

Media[]

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See also[]

References

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