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"Simple" QA about the lore

Chromatic Eagle··9 votes·3,082 views

I don't really expect an answer from Riot, but these are things I hope they're thinking about in the future.

  • While magic is seen as rare in Runeterra, why are there so many magically gifted champions in Ionia? Is it due to the environment? The culture? Descendants of a magically gifted race? Could this be why Noxus invaded them?

  • Magical champions have several origin stories. Most appear to be transformed, while others wield some magical artifact. A few however, are born with magic. Why? Is it genetic? Environmental? A result of intense training (as in, most people have the potential, but few unlock it)?

  • How widespread is technology? Some regions barely have wagons and buildings. Others have access to cannons and guns. Then we have places like Noxus and Demacia, where despite their relationships with Zaun and Piltover, don't seem to benefit too much from their inventions. There are also Yordles with planes, turrets, and mech suits.

  • With Noxus no longer being the bigoted nation, how do humans feel about non-humans? Is it based on individuals? Is there any particular race that's hated? Are other nations in general more bigoted?

20 Comments

RiotWAAARGHbobo12 votes

I can answer a couple.

  1. Ionia is a much more magical place than the most of Runeterra. Magic is stronger there, yet also generally less dangerous. The culture has grown around using this magical resource. --We are looking to explain the origins of how this magical wealth became less dangerous in late 2016/early 2017 --It's a good yarn. ( #BUT_I_AM_OFTEN_WRONG_ON_RELEASE_TIMETABLES)

  2. Yes. (Foundations is working on this) CONJECTURE-- - magic infuses itself into matter. Whether it is a magic sword or a magic baby -- they were created from matter which was already infused by magic. --Thus it is possible to be born with it (because you were created from matter which already contained magic) BUT it is also possible to gain magical power by attracting magical energy to yourself. Note many magical items: harmonize with the user's natural magical power and thus amplify it (Ashe's bow). Hextech is kinda a exception to this-- as it is magic functioning as a form of pure energy when it is extracted from its normal material attachment.

  3. The world is in the birth of Technology. The closer (via trade routes) you are to Piltover and Zaun the higher tech you have access to. Most tech come from those cities. The Noxians and Ionians have begun to imitate that tech-- though their work is less efficient. (Jhin's gun is less advanced than a Cait's- but it because he has greater access to magic-- it doesn't need to be as magically efficient) Demacia and the Freljord are pretty far behind the curve. The Sun disk is a weird outliner as it is sorta a pre-hextech-- though comparing it to hextech is like comparing a silicon chip to transistors.)

  4. Noxus is Nationalist and Militaristic. Racism and classism still exist (esp from the aristocracy) but they aren't cultural values the military condones. Thus your social standing is odd combination of your perceived Noxian-ness. Are you strong? What is your military accomplishments? Are you a new noxian or from an old family? Are you from inner Noxus (esp Noxus Prime) or from the outer territories? How much have you and your family given to Noxus? (i.e Your the last of five brothers who died in combat +!) Has your loyalty been proven? (A person captured and tortured but who never revealed his unit's location would have high status) etc.. Your species would affect the above -- but can even be a positive is some cases.

Fasmodey5 votes

{quoted}

I can answer a couple.

  1. Yes. (Foundations is working on this) CONJECTURE-- - magic infuses itself into matter. Whether it is a magic sword or a magic baby -- they were created from matter which was already infused by magic. --Thus it is possible to be born with it (because you were created from matter which already contained magic) BUT it is also possible to gain magical power by attracting magical energy to yourself. Note many magical items: harmonize with the user's natural magical power and thus amplify it (Ashe's bow). Hextech is kinda a exception to this-- as it is magic functioning as a form of pure energy when it is extracted from its normal material attachment.

Magical sperms ok I get it.

SaltyToplaneGoat1 votes

Finally some information. But, HOW EXACTLY does magic work? What rules apply specifically to the magic of runeterra? And how do people of runetarre THINK how the magic works? How would an ionian explain it? How a Piltover Scientist? How a Zaun Researcher? SO MANY QUESTIONS.

Also, what technology is common in Piltover? What is the most used mass medium? How does transportation work? Whats parts of the populations can afford it? How has technology affected culture? To what year in ourn world was it remotely comparable? The beginnings of the industrial revolution 1860? 1900? 1920? What are the core differences of Zaun and Piltover in this regard?

WE DEMAND ANSWERS!

Jeddy0171 votes

So, do they have vehicles like modern cars & trucks in the Piltover/Zaun area? Or are they rocking that future tech with flying cars & hover boards?

Chromatic Eagle1 votes

Thank you so much for this.

Regarding Demacia, if they're far behind the curve, does that mean that the nation isn't as close to Piltover as it used to be? How advanced are Demacian guns, if any (Lucian, Quinn, and Vayne)?

RiotWAAARGHbobo2 votes

They are across the main continent. Lucian doesn't really have guns. He has holy stones with handles. (shrug) Demacia knows what guns are -- but guns are much rarer there than ionia.

Chromatic Eagle2 votes

So not many gun-toting Demacians in the future?

I'm trying to visualize this. Are Demacia, Frejord, and Mt. Targon close to each other? I'm getting a mountain vibe from them.

Noxus and Shurima are close/share borders. Piltover and Zaun might be next door neighbors or even share the area?

Ralanr1 votes

You make me want to ask so many questions on Sion's standings in Noxus before his death.

Though I guess the main is if he was from Noxus prime or was a lower class citizen who gained the admiration of Boram Darkwill.

Sharjo8 votes

I'm no rioter, but I can at least make some discussion here, if you'll indulge me:

  • Ionia's likely filled with natural magic and as such is easy for Ionians to draw from. My current line of thinking is that Ionia wasn't involved in the Rune Wars, and as such their natural magic reserves were never depleted or harmed by such conflicts as it probably was in Valoran and the southern continent. I'd say it's highly likely that Noxus invaded them because of this, as Noxians are very much about power and strength, and so conquering a land filled with magic to use and abuse would be great for conquering the rest of Runeterra.

  • I feel like this has to do with how humans evolved in Runeterra, considering the considerable amount of creatures that can be found on the planet with innate magic. Considering the origins of the human race in League is unknown, I feel like the true reasons behind humans not being born with magic in most cases won't be a talking point until then, although I would like to discuss that Ionians, given their land is filled with magic, might be much more inclined to being born with magic simply due to natural exposure, where as humans from Valoran and the southern continent are very rarely magical from the get go and have to find their power through other means.

  • Noxus has been shown with grenades and guns fairly recently (Looking at Kled and his video thing), so technology like guns and cannons is probably more widespread than not. Looking at Earth's history sword fighting and guns were used in tandem for a good period of time before we transitioned in to almost entirely being gun, bomb and artillery focused in our military strategies. Hextech is SUPER rare because it uses magic as a fuel source and not being very abundant in anywhere other than Ionia, who've only just started making their own hextech creations during the last decade or so, but for Yordles, given their innate magic, likely can make what they want and power it via their own latent powers. I'm still entertaining the thought that folks like Heimerdinger created magically powered technologies which then inspired and pioneered the human field of hextech, though whether that's true or not I dunno.

  • Given the dominance of human nations and the relatively closed off/primitive/mysterious nature of non-human sentient beings that inhabit Runeterra, there's probably a lot of really old and folklore based beliefs about them. Yordles are everywhere so people are probably at least used to the idea of them, while other beings like the Brackern, Marai and Darkin are probably huge question marks in culture, remembered only as vague myths and stories. The Freljord's really the only place in Runeterra where sentient organisms directly compete in any real way with humans, considering both Ursine and Frost Trolls have about as much success as humans in living up there, while only Minotaurs have really any presence in other areas of Valoran. I can see the Freljord as having a lot of racial tensions because of how harsh and cutthroat the societies and environments are up there.

Just some musings on my part more than anything.

Chromatic Eagle1 votes

Just remembered, how much influence does law enforcement have in the lore? Bilgewater was barely kept in check by Gangplank iirc, while Ionia seemed to rely on Shen's group. I'm not sure if Caitlyn is Piltover's only cop, or if she's just the best one?

Sharjo5 votes

Caitlyn's the sherrif and leads Piltover's police forces afaik. I mean Vi's proof enough that Cait's not the only police officer around. Ionia's a nation I could definetly see relying on a smaller force of elite enforcers rather than a large force to deal with criminals, though the Wuju Blademasters were seemingly also involved in keeping the peace similarly to the Ninjas, but what the distinction was there is anyone's guess. Demacia and Noxus probably have powerful and highly influential law enforcement, though the methodology's probably different as the laws and policies are likely dissimilar. Bilgewater had the harbour guard or something to that degree, though they were probably highly reliant on bounty hunters rather than having immense power on their own. Corruption was probably rife in that and still is.

Places like Shurima and the Freljord probably have little in the way of law enforcement and likely rely on mercenaries to keep their stuff together, though in the Freljord everything's far more tribal, so crime as a concept probably isn't as we'd consider it; tribes probably keep to their own rules and ideas while "crime" would be in the form of conflict between said tribes.

DeathBurst1 votes

Ionia sounds like an oriental feudal society to me, which generally means no official law enforcement per se, just the nobles in charge policing their own domain, or in absence of a dominant noble, organizations like local dojos etc. acting as militia.

Tattersall2 votes

Nobody has to comment anymore. Sharjo already posted the answers.

RiotWAAARGHbobo5 votes

But! I... ah... Well...
.... Yeah, you're kinda right.

Chromatic Eagle2 votes

Nooooooo. Stay. This is really informative.

Any details on military structure? Noxians seem to be the most populous to be the most warlike, but how do Demacians counter Noxians for all of these years?

Also government structure. Ionians are supposed to have a council in which Karma is a part of correct?

RiotWAAARGHbobo6 votes

Noxus has a vast empire -- of mostly crappy land. High plains, badlands, dirt farms, wheat fields, and poor resources. It is vast and difficult to defend or control. As the journal for Rek'Sai pointed out-- it has a very robust, agile, and well-organized bureaucracy serving the empire and its military.

Demacia has vast natural resources (excluding magic), fertile fields, and easily defended routes into the nation.

Tattersall1 votes

Hello! I have a question about magic.
Why is it that the sun is super important to cultures like Shurima (Sun Disc, Ascension) and Targon (Ra-Horak), and yet we're not given any information that would have us believe that the sun is not just a random star created by Sol?

Chromatic Eagle1 votes

Any reason why Demacia seems almost devoid of magic? Location in Valoran?

Ralanr1 votes

Guess that explains why Noxus tries to conquer more territory. Their farmland sucks (ok probably not the main reason but it sounds like one of them).

It's like if Vikings decided to transition to heavier agriculture but then remembered why they built a religion about dying in combat.

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