What Can Be Gleamed From The Recent Shurima Map?

Solideus··6 votes·1,577 views
http://i.imgur.com/gGCznIo.jpg

Sun Disc in the middle. Some aura over leftmost mountains. Symbol, arrow or structure over topmost mountain. Structures, maybe, on the right. Hard to see and interpret. Possibly a huge mountain at the bottom. Roads, aqueducts or something similar radiates from the center, with curious circular stops.

What can you divine from the map? Is any of the mountains Mount Targon, by any chance? Where is the Sai?

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8 Comments

A Superb Villain5 votes

It looks like a simplified map showing the length and breadth of the Shuriman Empire, possibly during its pinnacle. Here are my thoughts:

The structure on the northernmost point of the map is reminiscent of the Sun Disc ward we can purchase, which could be the symbolic representation of a Shuriman outpost or fortress. To the east there are no mountains, while to the west, there are. To the southwest is something that has either been scratched out or the cartographer thought that a bunch of lines sufficiently conveyed the message that no one should go here. Finally to the south we have a massive mountain. All in all, quite fascinating.

Now, here is where things could be interesting.

http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100821100304/leagueoflegends/images/c/cd/MapofValoran.jpg

Take a good look at the old map of Valoran. Now flip it.

Those flat lines southwest of Shurima on this map seems to match Tempest Flats northeast of it on the old map fairly well.

West of Shurima seems to be a lot of hills, or potential indicators of hazardous terrain, of which I am sure the Voodoo Lands must have. More importantly, there is some sort of structure ringed behind some mountains with a strange aura, and east of Shurima on the old map, which is west here, is Bandle City protected by the Sablestone Mountains.

North of Shurima here is that possible outpost, suggesting the northern border must be protected. South of Shurima on the old map is Kumungu and the Plague Jungles, mostly unknown territories with undoubtably vicious creatures that call them home, such as the man-eating flower, no pun intended, Zyra originally came from, and the poisonous mushrooms Teemo collects. Seems like a place worth keeping my eyes on.

Now to the east of Shurima here is... something; the map's right half is the most damaged. However, roads from Shurima's capital most definitely lead in this direction, and correlating with this on the old map is Uristan. It is possible that during the height of Shurima's empire, Uristan was still intact, prompting trade between the two nations.

Finally, we have the south, where an impressive mountain rises above all others. Now on the old map, north of Shurima is the Great Barrier, and crowning it is Mount Gargantuan, later to be retconned as Mount Targon.

In short, either Ancient Shurimans thought north was south and vice versa, or we may be looking at a retcon of Valoran's cardinal directions.

Solideus2 votes

Thanks for contributing your thoughts! You have interesting and very plausible theories, I think.

I was thinking about the orientation of the map too. Now, we must expect a lot of areas will move around during the retcon, as the Shadow Isles did, but that could also make your "flip" of the map plausible. Either way a lot seem to have moved already.

About the cardinal directions, at first you'd expect the topmost symbol to signify north. It isn't impossible it is something else though, or that the cardinal directions were different in Shurima. They might be modeled after the movement of the sun rather than the poles, for example. South being "north" in Shurima is a plausible theory too.

My gut tells me what seems to be the biggest mountain by far, at the bottom, is indeed Mount Targon, as that is described to be the tallest peak, if I remember correctly. That would make Bandle City on the right plausible, although we don't know if that existed a thousand years ago or more. I got the impression from old allusions that Yordles were nomadic for a long time, and settled pretty recently. (I also suspect they might move Bandle City somewhere else, northward.) Maybe the leftmost mountains, with the "glow", is rather Mount Targon? I don't know what would be at the bottom if that was the case, though.

The north-estern canion-like structure might be the tempest flats if the map isn't flipped.

I have a feeling Urtristan will be Shuriman in one way or other once that is touched on again, but either way it is likely they moved it's location for convenience to the writers. Urtristan, Icathia and Shurima all seem to be more connected in the new canon.

The Sai likely existed in some form even long ago as RekSai is depicted fighting Renekton on a wall; at *least * it might have 1000 years ago. It is described to be in southern Shurima, wherever that is. The south-west part might be just that. That would clash with the theory of the map being flipped, though. Although I doubt it, maybe Shurima is north of Mount Targon and the rest of the Great Barrier now?

Freebirth3 votes

In Medieval times maps were mainly aligned so that east was at the top, and some Arabic maps had south at the top. Having the ancient Shurima map aligned differently isn't far-fetched at all.

A Superb Villain2 votes

I mentioned Bandle City because it is surrounded by the Sablestone Mountains, but east of Shurima on the old map is also Icathia.

It could be possible, if my flipped-map hypothesis is correct, that the glowing "mountain" represents Icathia, not Bandle City, and the aura is an interpretation of its otherworldliness or intense magical properties which enabled Icathia to be the source of many Void incursions.

LANWhale3 votes

Not to offend any body but if I'm looking at that right, and if I remember what the guy said in his journal about Rek'Sai.

Shurima is to Valoran, as Africa is to us.

In other words Shurima was were it all began. Which is why I really like the diary thing.

TwoD2 votes

Idk man, but this stuff looks cool

Dotintheparadox1 votes

I can't make that much out of it, but since the old map was declared non-canon, the western mountain appears to reference Targon, as the sun is shining on it, reference to the solari, the northern symbol seems similar to perhaps a watcher? So Freljord in my opinion.

Tesla Effect1 votes

With all 3 new maps we got with the events, its safe to say that Valoran is changed significantly and that some locations wont be where they once were.

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