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So much about the Shadow Isles remains unknown

Pale Mask·7/24/2018, 5:40:20 PM·5 votes·2,948 views

https://i.imgur.com/H8G98G8.jpg

The Runeterra map has created more questions about the Shadow Isles than it has managed to answer. Even after four major lore updates, the place is still as inscrutable as ever.

Not only do we know nothing of the Ruined King's fallen kingdom, but the Blessed Isles themselves are still shrouded in mystery. The Isles were, apparently, always surrounded by white mist that kept travellers at bay, which meant that they didn't need soldiers to protect them. Their architecture had a unique look to it, and their most important buildings were repositories of knowledge, like the Hall of Conjunction or the Athenaeum of Light.

https://i.imgur.com/XxqtlQe.jpg https://i.imgur.com/Kv3C4cW.jpg

Their land was naturally magical, like Ionia, while their society was magic-oriented. They hoarded information, artifacts and secrets. The name of their capital city, Helia, the Hall of Conjunction, and the Celestial Vault all reference the sun, moon and stars, which either means that they were capable independent astrologers or somehow linked to Targon and its Aspects. The magics of the Isles were so powerful that they broke the boundary between life and death, trapping the land in a deathless state for eternity.

There're also these things: https://i.imgur.com/uMr2dUp.jpg

One of the undead creatures in the front row has an inhuman, arachnoid appearance (spawn of Vilemaw?). The cyclopean behemoth in the background has tentacles coming from its back. Are these reanimated beasts, corrupted Voidborn, or something else?

So much related to the Shadow Isles is lost or hidden; there's more to learn about the place.

12 Comments

MOLTinaTOR7/24/2018, 6:56:16 PM4 votes

That huge thing is probably a corpse of a behemoth. Like the one that fought Galio in the story where he met lux. There's a lot of beasts out there, no only in the void.

JCPANDIT7/24/2018, 7:35:47 PM4 votes

A lot of ancient societies in our world were interested in astrology and whatnot, even without interacting with each other. I’m so sick of hearing about Targon and it’s influence on everything - it’d be nice for the Blessed Isles to be interested in that stuff for reasons other than the existence of space parasites.

In fact, it’d be nice to hear about any regions that weren’t influenced by them.

I haven’t looked at the map yet, but another Shadow Isles update is what I’ve been waiting for!

Valaran Nara7/24/2018, 6:06:58 PM3 votes

Want to know what I like about the Shadow Isles

When the harrowing makes landfall, the closest inhabited location is Bilgewater.

To get to ANYWHERE else, it HAS to by pass Bilgewater.

It can touch land other than Bilgewater as the mist, but NOBODY inhabits the eastern coasts of Shurima. No notable city or the like. The only individual cities we see outside of Bilgewater is, wait for it...BEHIND'em.

Makes sense though. Sacrifice the thieves and murderers first, right?

Ebonmaw Dragon7/24/2018, 11:32:53 PM2 votes

{quoted}

The magicians of the Isles were so powerful that they broke the boundaries between life and death, trapping themselves for eternity.

Not really... It was the Ruined King who did that, with a bit of help from magical artifacts that were not from the Blessed Isles... Remember, the Ruined King is from another kingdom... not the Blessed Isles

Chromatic Eagle7/24/2018, 7:52:15 PM1 votes

While I’d like to explore SI’s past, I’m not sure how relevant it is to the island’s present.

Tesla Effect7/25/2018, 12:35:47 AM1 votes

Sure wish I could have visited Blessed Isles before it got yeeted. It honestly looks like if you combine all the best features of each region into one. LOVE IT.