Demacia

This Article is in accordance with the version 0.94 of Runarcana RPG

“Demacia is a strong and lawful kingdom with a prestigious military history. Demacia's people have always valued the ideals of justice, honor, and duty most highly and are fiercely proud of their cultural heritage. Demacia is a self-sufficient agrarian society, with abundant fertile land, dense forests from which wood is taken, and mountains rich in mineral resources. It is inherently defensive and reclusive, partly in response to frequent attacks by barbarians, looters, and expansionist civilizations. Some suggest that Demacia's golden age is past, and unless she can adapt to a developing world, something many believe is not possible, her decline is inevitable. Still, Demacia remains one of the dominant powers in Valoran and boasts the best and best-trained army in the entire Runeterra.”

Proud of its laws, Demacia is a region founded by refugees from the Rune Wars who have a prestigious military background.

Although it has had glories in the past, some claim that the golden age of Demacia is gone unless she reinvents herself under the winds of the new times that are being announced. A rural and self-sufficient region, its society is defensive and values justice, honor, and duty above all.

Along the western coast of Valoran, the human nation of Demacia shines as a model of the continent's virtues among all other human settlements. Residents are always striving to sharpen their bodies and minds in the pursuit of absolute justice.

Characters

When creating a character from this region, you gain the following traits:

Languages. Demacian

Skill. Choose one between: Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Animal Handling, Medicine, Perception, or Persuasion

Activity. Choose two proficiencies from the following options one martial weapon or one minor craft

Mageseekers

Demacia always had a troubled relationship with magic. One of its oldest myths, the Winged Protectors’ legend, tells of Demacia's creation and has guided the creation of the laws and values of the realm over the centuries - yet it has also spread the fear of the unpredictable power of magic. More recently, the infamous Mageseekers have been ordered to obliterate any and all knowledge and practice of sorcery.

This has caused a number of social problems in Demacia, especially for the arcana to be born in any social conditions, from peasants to even noblemen.

The persecution of the wizards has been ostentatious and affects especially the poorest and most deprived parts of society, yet it has extended even to powerful families who once managed to protect themselves by their political, financial, or other importance.

Provenance

The history of Demacia and its culture stems from the cataclysm of the Rune Wars, where survivors who fled from the conflict had ventured into the west of Valoran with the hope of establishing safety away from the chaos. Some say it was while a cult of dark mages terrorized these displaced survivors that they hid in an ancient and petrified forest where the sorcerers that chased suddenly found their magic was made ineffective by the strange woods. Deciding to take advantage of the unique power from this environment, these vagabonds set up a permanent residence.

Eventually, knowledge of this curious new realm reached other refugees, who came seeking asylum and solidarity from the magic that was ravaging the rest of Runeterra. Within a short time, the united settlers had built themselves a sizable community, allied under a new nation they would come to call Demacia.

Ancient History

Quick to discover their homeland was rich in natural resources, the development of infrastructure for new cities and farmlands grew exponentially. But with progress and wealth came adversaries to the fledgling kingdom, ensuring that Demacia was at constant odds with ambitious conquerors.

Yet there would be no fear of invaders capitalizing on magical warfare, and so Demacia's small but elite infantry would always have the advantage when threats took place in their homeland. But not every battle took place within the kingdom's protective boundaries, as the most cunning enemies would attempt to draw out Demacia's army where they would be far more susceptible to arcane attacks.

Seeking out a means for more advanced protection, the leaders of Demacia enlisted Durand, the greatest artisan of the time, to sculpt a mobile instrument that could be useful in wars set abroad. Later unveiled to be a statue titan, shaped in the form of half-man and half raptor- like the Silverwing's native to the highlands. Proven difficult to transfer in and out of Demacia but unquestionably effective once it was out on the battlefield, the Colossus has been used when necessary ever since.

Noxian Invasion

When the Noxian armies invaded the farms near Demacia's border, Garen gained a reputation as a particularly fearsome fighter - one of the greatest in all Demacia.

Meanwhile, Jarvan IV led his troops to defend the nation. He and his men rode for days on the trail of the Noxians.

To Jarvan's horror, the atrocities were much worse than he had predicted. The Noxians wiped out entire villages and slaughtered hundreds of demacians, leaving only a few injured survivors to tell the story.

His officers advised the prince to withdraw and send reinforcements. But Jarvan was ballasted by the faces of the dead and could not turn his back on the survivors who needed him. He protected the wounded while ensuring that the retreating gang of Noxians would not escape without being fought. Moreover, he reasoned, a secondary force of Demacian soldiers could not arrive in time to face the Noxians. He was convinced that he had to act at that moment to avenge the hundreds of massacred residents and could not see the imprudence of his plan.

Jarvan divided his troops, ordering some to remain and take care of the wounded civilians while leading the remaining soldiers. They ambushed the Noxians during the night, but the Noxian retreat was a trap, in the chaos of battle, Jarvan was separated from his guards. He fought fiercely and killed many enemies but ended up being crushed. The Noxians captured both Jarvan IV and his men taking Jarvan IV as a prisoner to parade through the Immortal Bastion in chains upon arriving at Noxus.

Jarvan was dragged from Demacia during his weeks in captivity, ashamed that the recklessness of his decision to persecute the Noxians had led to the unnecessary deaths of Demacians. Crushed by the loss, he began to believe that he no longer deserved to live in Demacia, much less inherit his throne.

Garen, angry with himself for not being there when Jarvan needed him most, led a group of brave soldiers known as the Dauntless Vanguard and left in search of his captive prince.

On a moonless night, Garen and The Vanguard attacked the Noxian camp. Although the Demacian warriors couldn't reach Jarvan, the prince used the distraction to fight his captors and escape. While running, a Noxian soldier shot an arrow at Jarvan's side, but the young prince persevered and fled into the desert. When Garen and his men discovered the Noxian camp, they only found Jarvan's discarded armor next to a bloody executioner's post. Although Garen scoured the desert in search of the prince, in his heart, he had accepted Jarvan's death.

The news of the supposed death of the prince affected all of Demacia, King Jarvan III was in mourning, and Garen blamed himself for what happened, using the resources at his disposal to help the family of dead soldiers. The king himself recognized him for this demonstration of Demacian ideals.

Death of Kings

The Demacian armies led by their king, Jarvan I, had pushed the Noxian troops to the walls of Noxus. Sion, a Noxian general, ordered some of his men to bar the gates while the rest forced enemy soldiers to fight them for every piece of Noxian land. He demanded that they advance like a giant through the Demacian rabble with a clear purpose: to cut the head of his army from his body.

Jarvan's royal guards believed they could handle that onslaught, but they were wrong. Sion slaughtered them, one by one, until only he and the king remained. Battered and exhausted, Sion continued the fight with the king. He battled Jarvan beyond the point of breaking and was finally bested... but not beaten. With his dying breath, he locked his fingers around the king's throat and broke the will of a nation. The Demacian King, Jarvan I, was dead.

Decades later, Demacia was the stage of a very violent civil revolt, caused by one of her traditions, that of fear and prohibition of magic. A prisoner named Sylas of Dregbourne managed to free himself from prison and, with this, incited a revolt that ended with the death of King Jarvan III by unknown hands.

After that, the succession of the throne was given to King Jarvan IV, the former prince is still on his first day and still seems to be adapting to this cruel reality that presented itself, however, it seems that he intends to keep the old tradition of keeping magic as something forbidden.

The Half-Dragon

A few weeks after the supposed death of the prince, he returned victorious to Demacia next to a purple-skinned warrior, Shyvanna, the half-dragon who not only rescued the prince but beside him battled against Yvva, a great dragon which ravaged distant villages.

With the threat overcome, Jarvan IV finally felt worthy to return home. He came to understand that the true Demacian values are not simply about victory but also about union, regardless of differences. To reward Shyvana's bravery, he promised that she would always have a home in his kingdom. However, as they both knew that Demacia was a kingdom that remained deeply suspicious of magic, Shyvana vowed not to reveal her nature while fighting alongside Jarvan. Together they traveled to the capital dragging the skull of the dragon Yvva.

Although many were excited to see the prince return safely, others questioned Jarvan's trial by recruiting Shyvana, a half-dragon, for his guard, creating suspicion about why he did not return to the capital immediately after escaping the Noxians. No matter what King Jarvan III thought, he received his son back to court. Jarvan IV returned to his real duties and vowed to defend the Demacian ideals by building a nation that values each of its citizens, uniting them against any threat they might face.