Part VI — Nyroth

Nyroth was the sixth Factions storyline. It was preceded by Part V: Hextech Revolution. It began on August 20, 2014 and ended on December 23, 2014. Ionia was victorious, and became the League-appointed governor of the Nyrothian mainland.

The Factions saga continues with Part VII: Lines in the Sand.

A new continent, Nyroth, has been discovered to the west of Valoran. It has been concealed by a spell-screen of unknown origin for thousands of years, but was spotted from the moon’s surface by yordles who had arrived there in their newly refueled Mothership.

The League of Legends has granted four factions permission to explore this new continent: Bilgewater, Ionia, the Shadow Isles, and the Freljord. Contests upon the Fields of Justice shall resolve conflicts between these factions as they venture forth beyond the spell-screen to the mysterious continent of Nyroth.

Bilgewater represents not only seafaring merchants and pirate bands but also maritime civilizations such as the Marai. Fizz and Nami seek magic that could help protect their people from the terrors of the depths, while Gangplank sees an opportunity to sell some stolen wares (if there are living inhabitants) or plunder some ruins (if not).

Ionia vows to ensure that Valoran’s delicate balance of power is maintained. It also declares that no civilizations that may be discovered on this island shall face the rapacious plundering and forced colonization that it has itself fought against.

The Shadow Isles finds Bilgewater’s greed and Ionia’s idealism equally absurd. The necromancers who rule the Isles do not waste Summoners’ time with such talk: instead, they offer power over life and death, the kind that only they can offer, to any who will take up their cause on the Fields.

The Freljord has long suffered from deprivation and want. The resources of this new continent could make the Freljord strong again. But under whose leadership? Ashe seeks diplomacy and trade. Sejuani openly declares her intent to conquer the weak that the strong may survive. And as for Lissandra, she merely offers the wisdom of the Frostguard in the service of the Freljordian people, should it be asked for …

The outcomes of matches fought upon the Fields of Justice will determine how this story unfolds.

Essential Information

• Balance of Power (the “scoreboard”)
• Champion Lists
• Overview of Previous Storylines

Arc Lore

To the west of Valoran, in the midst of the tempestuous Guardian’s Sea, a mysterious continent almost the size of Valoran has remained hidden for thousands of years.

Teasers

The Summoner’s Herald — Vol. I, Issue 2
The first mention of the new continent is made here, in the “Notable Events” section.

First three factions announced
The Council recognizes the petitions of Bilgewater, Ionia, and the Shadow Isles.

Fourth faction announced
The Freljord is granted entry into the dispute. But who shall lead this divided land?

The Summoner’s Herald — Special Report
An account of the discovery of Nyroth, with some early speculation about its nature.

Lore Updates and Lore Events

Prologue
An airship expedition travels to the island of Nyroth and reports back.

Interactive Lore Event I
A brief interactive lore event following the prologue.

Interactive Lore Event II
In this event, each faction selects a starting Research project and makes some other decisions.

Update 1: The Harrowing Approaches
A brief introduction to the Harrowing season.

Update 2: Time To Troll
The Freljord recruits Trundle by petition and wins Udyr’s allegiance on the Fields.

Update 3: Not Your Hero
Nami hires the mysterious mercenary known as Jax to fight for Bilgewater.

Update 4: Avalon (Exploration by Bilgewater)
Bilgewater liberates an island from berserk hextech automata.

Update 5: The Harrowing
The Harrowing comes to Runeterra.

Update 6: Death and the Dead (Exploration by the Shadow Isles)
The Shadow Isles discover an island of undeath: and necromantic forces beyond even their control.

Update 7: Emain Ablach (Exploration by Bilgewater)
Bilgewater restores a verdant island to prosperity, and gives Maokai hope of one day revitalizing his home in the Isles.

Update 8: The Automata (Exploration by the Freljord)
The Freljord pursue automata spotted on the mainland of Nyroth.

Update 9: The Ancient Library (Exploration by Ionia)
This is where the jokes about Ionia and libraries come from.

Update 10: Aeaea (Exploration by Bilgewater)
Not all island have to be sinister. This one has sunshine, parties, and fruity drinks, as well as plentiful vowels.

Update 11: Argyre (Exploration by the Freljord)
The Freljord discovers a splinter civilization of “prehistoric” yordles, worshipping their own Mothership.

Update 12: Korag (Exploration by the Shadow Isles)
Remember the crabs? This is where they came from.

Update 13: Sannig Kloster (Exploration by Ionia)
Ionia decides to check out some more books. What could go wrong?

Update 14: Return to Argyre (Exploration by the Freljord)
The mighty warriors of Avarosa versus tiny little yordles.

Update 15: Neritum (Exploration by the Shadow Isles) [editing still underway]
The Shadow Isles does battle with Kaius, the Millennium-Tyrant of Neritum.

Update 16: Mag Mell (Exploration by Bilgewater)
Bilgewater explores a volcanic island of great saurian creatures.

Update 17: Lack of Jurisdiction
Swain brutally displays the might of Noxus.

Update 18: Kibu (Exploration by Bilgewater)
Bilgewater has magical pixie adventures on an island that is home to a dimensional rift.

Update 19: Scheria (Exploration by Ionia)
Ionia discovers a land that also claims devotion to balance.

Update 20: Krocylea
The Shadow Isles and the Freljord are assigned joint responsibility for the island of Krocylea, where two mirror-kingdoms are locked in war, each convinced the other is the personification of the evil within them.

Lore Event III
Some Krocylea aftermath and other decisions.

Lore Event IV
The factions complete some additional explorations.

Lore Event V: Dying Storm
The Shadow Isles breaks free from Aatrox’s control, and Bilgewater repels their attack on Stormhaven.

Lore Event VI
Factions make their final decisions.

The Fate of Nyroth
The resolution of Lore Event VI.

How Did It End?

We’re still filling in some of the blanks, even now that the Council has unsealed most of the records of the Nyroth dispute, but here’s a summary version.

• The Freljord won access to Yoroth, the central region of Nyroth that contained the “mega-nexus” at the center of the leyline convergence.
• The Shadow Isles launched an all-out attack on the port of Stormhaven, Bilgewater’s headquarters on Nyroth. There was mayhem, there was death, Mr. Chompers the bone dragon tossed a galleon through the port, Gangplank used citrus-infused rum to set zombies on fire, Aatrox taunted Jax and got eaten by a kraken. The Shadow Isles broke free of Aatrox’s influence and fell back.
• The Frostguard, with Ionia’s help, restored Yoroth’s nexus and made the mainland habitable for Nyrothians again.
• Ionia ultimately won the dispute, though Bilgewater retained authority over Nyroth’s foreign affairs.
• The restoration of the Nyrothian nexus network triggered a thaumic surge that carried across the sea to Valoran. This catalyzed the emergence of the Ironspike nexus, and gave Azir enough power to restore the Shuriman capital.

Final Proclamation

(The League of Legends has issued a final proclamation concerning the Nyrothian dispute, which formally ended today. Pursuant to Council regulations, it is the honor of The Summoner’s Herald to publish this proclamation of the 23rd day of December, 24 CLE.)

Hear now the judgment of the Council of the League of Legends, final arbiter among nations.

Peace has prevailed. Valoran, by and through THE LEAGUE OF LEGENDS, recognizes the sovereignty of the new land of NYROTH, under the protection and guidance of THE SERENE REALM OF IONIA. With regard to foreign affairs, Nyroth has chosen THE MARITIME CONFEDERATION OF BILGEWATER to represent its interests before the League of Legends.

The Council endorses the following account and commentary of Arch-Historian Salston Railsley of the Institute of War, which shall be inscribed in the Electrum Register:

A thousand years ago, the reckless violence of the Rune Wars ravaged a wondrous alien land far across the sea, known as Nyroth. Valoran’s runespells corrupted the leyline convergence that created and sustained Nyroth, and destroyed a civilization equal to our own. Millions died in terror.

Our discovery of Nyroth has thus revealed a tragic truth, to our everlasting shame: that the fate we ourselves escaped through the foundation of the League came to pass on others. It was our malice that brought this devastation, and Valoran that should have borne it; Valoran that should have burned with wrathful starfire; Valoran that should have been shaken asunder by the surly eruptions of the ground below; Valoran that should have become a ghost-land devoid of sapient life. Historians have often said that the League was founded at the eleventh hour, not a moment too soon. May we never forget that the League was too late! The League was too late to avert catastrophe. Catastrophe came, and it fell upon the blameless.

Since the foundation of the League of Legends twenty four years ago, Summoners have turned this terrible magic toward more peaceful ends. Their tireless dedication to the good of Runeterra has enabled them to repair the damage done to Nyroth, that the people of Nyroth might rebuild their cities and reclaim their glorious accomplishments. The Freljord, with the assistance of Ionia, has worked magic equal in magnitude to the battle-spells of the Rune Wars, but bringing life rather than destroying it. The leyline convergence has been restored, and Nyroth is whole once more. The thaumatoxic field that repelled Nyrothians from their ancestral homeland has dissipated, and the mainland is once again habitable to the heirs of Nyroth. Through this act, Valoran does penance for an ancient sin of inhuman proportions.

Be it therefore resolved, by order of the Council of the League of Legends:

That Nyroth shall be a SOVEREIGN PROTECTORATE, under the protection and guidance of Ionia;

That the foreign affairs of Nyroth, including the selection of nonvoting representatives to the League of Legends, shall be conducted with the advice and consent of BILGEWATER;

That, notwithstanding the above, the following islands of Nyroth shall be governed as FEDERATED TERRITORIES OF NYROTH under the protection and guidance of the following member-states of the League, with one non-voting representative selected severally by said states:

♦ AVALON, where the automata once built cities verging unto the skies, shall be under the protection and guidance of BILGEWATER

♦ EMAIN ABLACH, verdant land of wondrous flora, shall be under the protection and guidance of BILGEWATER

♦ ARGYRE, where yordle-folk live among snowy peaks by the grace of the mighty Lanpoa, daughter of the Mothership, shall be under the protection and guidance of THE FRELJORD

♦ DAEYUX, the land which knows neither death nor life, shall be under the protection and guidance of THE SHADOW ISLES

♦ KROCYLEA shall remain under the direct authority of the Council of the League of Legends, until the damage done by tragic resort to destructive rune magic in contravention of League law may be fully repaired.

♦ SCHERIA, marvel of cosmic duality where golden bubble-cities float among the clouds, shall be under the protection and guidance of IONIA

♦ MAG MELL, untamed land of primal lizard-beasts where fire-mountains spew flame and rock, shall be under the protection and guidance of BILGEWATER

♦ NERITUM, its millennium-tyrant slain at last, shall be under the protection and guidance of THE SHADOW ISLES

♦ AEAEA, island of infinite delights and automata so finely wrought as to seem to breathe, shall be under the protection and guidance of BILGEWATER

♦ KIBU, strange land of the fae, shall be under the protection and guidance of BILGEWATER

Let the word of the League be as law, lest all the nations of Valoran arrange themselves against ye. There may be no appeal.

 

Banner by Halfy.