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Where does magic come from?

RúPaul··2 votes·5,105 views

I know the World Runes have something to do with magic, but do they seep magic and that's how everything in Runeterra becomes magical? Are there any canon rules for what magic is, where it is, and how it works?

For example, I was trying to figure out how Brand's Pillar of Flames would work in the universe of LoL. I figured he'd make an explosion in a certain area near him, but how did that explosion happen? Did he ignite the air? Manipulate the magic in the air to combust? Or did the fire leave his body?

So yeah, what is magic?

17 Comments

RyzeTheSmurfMage2 votes

Celestial: cosmos/Targon/celestial sources Spiritual: spirit realm Undead/necromancy: Black Mist Blood magic: self explanatory Arcane and Runic: World Runes Elemental: we don't know yet, but there's a theory that it's conected with spiritual magic Yordle: nobody knows Demon magic (swain, evelyin etc): self explanatory True Ice/Dark Ice magic: True Ice/Dark Ice, might be an extension of Ice elemental magic Did I miss any?

zounet2 votes

thank you ryzethesmurfmage finally a clear answer! I think the yordles use spiritual magic, because bandle is a place in the spirit world, so our dear little hairy friends would be kind of spirits, which is strange, because they all look like little animals (so cute) !) I think the update of the yordles lore is coming very soon

Warlord Rhinark1 votes

{quoted}

Celestial: cosmos/Targon/celestial sources Spiritual: spirit realm Undead/necromancy: Black Mist Blood magic: self explanatory Arcane and Runic: World Runes Elemental: we don't know yet, but there's a theory that it's conected with spiritual magic Yordle: nobody knows Demon magic (swain, evelyin etc): self explanatory True Ice/Dark Ice magic: True Ice/Dark Ice, might be an extension of Ice elemental magic Did I miss any?

Where does Light magic (Lux, maybe Garen) fit into this? Is it Arcane or possibly linked to Holy magic?

What about Nature Magic (Ivern, Maokai, Zyra)? Related to spiritual magic?

Shapeshifting (Nidalee)? I know Udyr's is linked to spirits (I.E, spiritual magic), but I don't know if Nidalee works the same way (considering she physically changes into the animal).

Void magic is obvious where it comes from, but you missed it.

Shadow magic (Nocturne, Kayn, Zed)? Linked to Void magic?

Sand magic (Ascended)? Some form of Elemental magic?

Poison magic (Cassiopeia)?

Spider magic (Elise)?

Wychfyre (Fiddlesticks)?

Holy magic (Kayle)? Related to Light magic?

Illusionary magic (LeBlanc)?

Lee Sin?

Faerie magic (Lulu)?

Metalmancy (Mordekaiser)?

Music magic (Sona)?

Dark magic (Syndra)? Related to Shadow magic?

Card magic (Twisted Fate)?

Chronomancy (Zilean)?

That's all I could think of.

zounet1 votes

so: -lux is a mage of light, so elemental magic. Garen is not a mage but we can assume that his weapon is in petricite -ivern, maokai and zyra are partly nature spirits -nidalee is a mixture of vastayas and human -magic shadow is not related to the void, but comes from the spirit world (new nocturne lore) -The magic of the sand exists: it is an elemental magic, but the ascended uses celestial magic thanks to the sun disc -cassiopeia needs a new lore -elyse needs a new lore -fiddlestick will surely be rework, with a new lore -Kayle is rework in February (can be a celestial?) -leblanc uses arcane magic (runes) -lee sin is connected to the spiritual world -lulu is a yordle, and comes from bandle in the spirit world, with pix, her fairy -mordekaiser uses all the magic he finds: yordle magic, arcane, shadow magic (...), but he should soon be rework -sona is probably connected to the spirit world because she comes from ionia -syndra has a gift with magic (I think rather runic magic, because its magic disturbs spiritual magic) -twisted fate has enchanted cards (maybe runic magic) -zilean needs a rework

(arcane=rune magic)

Warlord Rhinark1 votes

{quoted}

so: -lux is a mage of light, so elemental magic. Garen is not a mage but we can assume that his weapon is in petricite

Is Light an element?

-lulu is a yordle, and comes from bandle in the spirit world, with pix, her fairy

But Pix isn't from Bandle City, he's from The Glade.

-syndra has a gift with magic (I think rather runic magic, because its magic disturbs spiritual magic)

Does Runic magic disturb spiritual magic?

zounet1 votes

I'm sure that light is an element, because odin has confirmed it, I dont know where (and ashes and sand too)

the yordle update is coming soon, and the lulu lore isnt really canon and in the shen's story we see that fairies live in the spirit world

this is a possibility, but we havn t had confirmation about the type of her magic, but I dont think she uses shadow magic (maybe spiritual magic?)

RyzeTheSmurfMage1 votes

[{quoted}](name=Warlord Rhinark,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=2OYWgWYY,comment-id=00040001,timestamp=2019-01-18T10:52:56.669+0000)

Where does Light magic (Lux, maybe Garen) fit into this? Is it Arcane or possibly linked to Holy magic?

What about Nature Magic (Ivern, Maokai, Zyra)? Related to spiritual magic?

Shapeshifting (Nidalee)? I know Udyr's is linked to spirits (I.E, spiritual magic), but I don't know if Nidalee works the same way (considering she physically changes into the animal).

Void magic is obvious where it comes from, but you missed it.

Shadow magic (Nocturne, Kayn, Zed)? Linked to Void magic?

Sand magic (Ascended)? Some form of Elemental magic?

Poison magic (Cassiopeia)?

Spider magic (Elise)?

Wychfyre (Fiddlesticks)?

Holy magic (Kayle)? Related to Light magic?

Illusionary magic (LeBlanc)?

Lee Sin?

Faerie magic (Lulu)?

Metalmancy (Mordekaiser)?

Music magic (Sona)?

Dark magic (Syndra)? Related to Shadow magic?

Card magic (Twisted Fate)?

Chronomancy (Zilean)?

That's all I could think of.

Light and shadow, we dont know yet. That nature is either elemental (Zyra) or spiritual (maokai, Ivern) Shapeshifting idk Sand magic? That is not sand, thats celestial, and it grants Azir control over sand. All Ascended magic is celestial except for Xerath who uses both arcane and celestial at the same time Posion magic...? Pretty sure that was either celestial or arcane cause Cassiopea was transformed into the serpent she is now by an ancient Shuriman magical statue Fiddle is a demon. So its demon magic. Kayle. We dont know enough yet Illusions may be something related to arcane or magic in general Elise is from Shadow Isles so its black mist most probably Lee sin is spiritual Morde's metalmancy is prob some sort of elemental Syndra's "dark magic" is just corrupted spirit magic Music idk. She uses an artefact for that tho Lulu is Yordle magic TF is probably arcane but he is too weak to use it without artefacts (aka his cards) Zilean idk prob time magic is a thing of its own

Warlord Rhinark1 votes

{quoted}

Sand magic? That is not sand, thats celestial, and it grants Azir control over sand.

So both Azir's and Nasus' power over sand stems from Celestial magic?

All Ascended magic is celestial except for Xerath who uses both arcane and celestial at the same time

But wait a second here.

If Xerath got his powers from the Sun Disc, which bestows Celestial magic.

And the World Runes were used by Celestials to shape Runeterra.

And Runic magic is a form of Arcane magic.

And Xerath can use Arcane magic in addition to Celestial magic.

Doesn't that mean Celestial, Runic, and Arcane magic are all connected?

Fiddle is a demon. So its demon magic.

No?

Fiddlesticks is a farmer that was forced to starve in his own fields and was then ressurrected by a murder of crows.

Elise is from Shadow Isles so its black mist most probably

I was thinking that, but then again, Vilemaw is a (demi)god and (demi)gods are related to spirits, so it might be spiritual magic.

Lulu is Yordle magic

But Lulu gets her powers from Pix, right?

And Pix is from The Glade.

So wouldn't Faerie magic come from The Glade?

RyzeTheSmurfMage1 votes

[{quoted}](name=Warlord Rhinark,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=2OYWgWYY,comment-id=0004000100010000,timestamp=2019-01-18T14:21:03.997+0000)

So both Azir's and Nasus' power over sand stems from Celestial magic?

Yes

But wait a second here.

If Xerath got his powers from the Sun Disc, which bestows Celestial magic.

And the World Runes were used by Celestials to shape Runeterra.

And Runic magic is a form of Arcane magic.

And Xerath can use Arcane magic in addition to Celestial magic.

Doesn't that mean Celestial, Runic, and Arcane magic are all connected?

That is definately a possibility. But celestials didn't use their celestial magic to shape the World, they used the World Runes to do that. Also, arcane and runic are somewhat similar cause they originate from the same source. But they aren't the same thing.

No?

Fiddlesticks is a farmer that was forced to starve in his own fields and was then ressurrected by a murder of crows.

Weird I remember a statement regarding Fiddle being a demon. Anyways his lore is outdated.

I was thinking that, but then again, Vilemaw is a (demi)god and (demi)gods are related to spirits, so it might be spiritual magic.

Who is Vilemaw? Haven't read Elise's lore

But Lulu gets her powers from Pix, right?

And Pix is from The Glade.

The Glade might be Spiritual realm

So wouldn't Faerie magic come from The Glade?

Maybe Yordle magic is same as spiritual magic. We don't know yet

Warlord Rhinark1 votes

{quoted}

That is definately a possibility. But celestials didn't use their celestial magic to shape the World, they used the World Runes to do that. Also, arcane and runic are somewhat similar cause they originate from the same source. But they aren't the same thing.

Well, yeah, that's what I said.

And the World Runes are the source of Runic magic.

So therefore Celestial magic and Runic magic (and, by extension, Arcane magic) should be related.

Weird I remember a statement regarding Fiddle being a demon. Anyways his lore is outdated.

People like to think of him as a demon (presumably because it fits him the most out of anything else established), but it's never been confirmed.

Who is Vilemaw? Haven't read Elise's lore

The boss on Twisted Treeline instead of Baron Nashor.

A giant Spider (demi)god (never been confirmed what he is).

YDy2ZkRq022 votes

What about Nature Magic (Ivern, Maokai, Zyra)? Related to spiritual magic?

Not sure about Ivern, but Maokai is a nature spirit, so obviously its spiritual. Zyra is kinda of a mix, there was elemental magic in the soil she came from but it was mixed with a burst of runic magic used by a human sorceress that later gave birth to Zyra.


Shapeshifting (Nidalee)? I know Udyr's is linked to spirits (I.E, spiritual magic), but I don't know if Nidalee works the same way (considering she physically changes into the animal).

Nidalle is confirmed to have diluted Vastayan blood(as is Udyr) and the Vastayans are deeply linked to spiritual magic. Waaaarghbobo explained it better in this comment:

People with vastayan heritage retain some of this power but have much more limited control. They might be able to transform quickly-- but only to one or two shapes (usually related to their spirit animal). Or they might be able to "partually" transform to many shapes or harness natural magic...but they aren't really in control or can't totally transform.

There is also a guy who can transform into a pig in Santagelo Vastayan Journal and explained that he could transform because of his diluted Vastayan blood.


Shadow magic (Nocturne, Kayn, Zed)? Linked to Void magic?

Shadow magic is more linked to spiritual magic, it is a form to force your will over spiritual magic and corrupt it, it was better explained in Nocturne's lore:

Although no record names the first of them to cast off their flesh and enter the spirit realm, it is known that they came to stalk one another not only on the battlefield, but in landscapes shaped by their own subconscious thoughts and emotions. Unconstrained by the laws of physical reality, they fought in ways that more mundane minds could scarcely comprehend, even conjuring subtle, etheric assassins to do their bidding. Shadow mages seemed particularly skilled at such things—and so it was, for a time, that they came to dominate the spirit realm, casting it into twilight.

And anyway, Zed short bio call it spirit magic:

During the war, desperation led him to unlock the secret shadow form—a malevolent spirit magic as dangerous and corrupting as it is powerful.


Sand magic (Ascended)? Some form of Elemental magic?

The Ascended uses celestial magic, but it is deeply shaped by their own percerptions of the concept they fused with and the magic itself. For example, Azir most likely fused with the concept of leadership, since he is the emperor of a desert-like place, when he received powers associated with the leadership, he received powers over the most abundant resource of the land he leads, sand. Same explanation applies to his soldiers. But not talking spefically about Ascended, Waaaaaarghbobo said that sand can be considered a "core element" depending on the local culture and that would lead sand magic to be type of elemental magic in a certain place, in Shurima it is really likely that some people have elemental sand magic.


Poison magic (Cassiopeia)?

Wouldnt say there is such thing as poison magic, Cassiopeia was simply transformed into a half snake and received "poison powers". The poison was probally created by an Ascended(Naganeka?), my current guess is that the venom was meant to transform Cassiopeia into a snake like beast that would devour anyone who came to the tomb with her, but the venom was weakened, either for the passage of time or some unknwon reason and turned her into a half snake instead.

But back to the main matter, if the venom was made by an Ascended, it is probally some type of celestial magic, which is, again, heavily shaped by perception, that Ascended probally represented the concept they merged with as a snake(animals are often used to represent concepts in Shurima) and received snake like powers, including magical poison, because of that.


Spider magic (Elise)?

Elise received her new form from Vilemaw's poison, I believe that Vilemaw is a spirit-god(like Ornn, Anivia etc) which was corrupted by the Black Mist in some way. That would means that her magic is spiritual.


Holy magic (Kayle)? Related to Light magic?

Dont really think holy magic is a thing, Kayle is probally going to use celestial magic but until the rework I cant say anything for certain.


Illusionary magic (LeBlanc)?

I think thats just a more advanced type of light magic.


Lee Sin?

Lee Sin canalizes the power of the Spirit of the Dragon, therefore his magic is spiritual.


Faerie magic (Lulu)?

Pix was mentioned to be a spirit in the last ask Riot:

Lulu has taken this to mean that he was born as a seed-pod, and later sprouted into the fae spirit he is now.

And Yordles are also spiritual in nature, since their home, Bandle City, is a place of the spirit realm, so yeah, spirit magic.


Dark magic (Syndra)? Related to Shadow magic?

Syndra seems to be a reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally unique case, I'm not sure what magic she has but I dont think it is related to Shadow magic. I could enter in depth but...some persons made me tired of dicussing Syndra :^).


Those are the ones I can answer, hope that helped.

But I want to leave something clear, while all those mentions of spirit and celestial magic might feel limitating to a certain extent, they are only a reference to the realms they originate, spirit magic include things from Zed to Neeko while celestial magic includes things from Aurelion to Renekton. As you can see their origins in no way means they are equal to all other subtypes of their respective magic.

Lewanor1 votes

Everyone wonders about it and we'll learn this year, we have been teased. Let's hope it'll be good!

Camille Ferrøs1 votes

{quoted}

Everyone wonders about it and we'll learn this year, we have been teased. Let's hope it'll be good!

I dont think that we will get an answer to it ever since its pretty clear that its like a force from the universe and idk how they would be able to explain that.

Spideraxe1 votes

I think it may come the spirit world, iirc during Ionia dev diary they mentioned Ionia was the place where magic first entered the world so I think it may have some connections

mrmeddyman1 votes

Lately Riot has been trying to go in depth about how magic works with

Ryze and Brand story

Sylas and the Petricite absorption reveal

Soraka and her story

The latest Ask Riot contains this nugget: "The world is indeed called Runeterra (literally, “rune-world”) because of the World Runes—these immensely powerful artifacts are the actual tools of creation, which unknown celestial beings were using to fashion a whole new plane of existence" That ties into the Soraka thing I just mentioned.

I have some working theories but it seems like based on the 2018 Lore wrap up they are going to explain magic in LoL later this year

Jaspers1 votes

If you have to explain it, it's not magic.

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