Religions

The absence of named religions in Runeterra is something that anyone might initially take as an indication of their absence. This is a complex subject because in this world deities walk and have walked the earth, we are talking about a world where magic is common and what is seen as divine can have several different origins from what we know in our reality.

Another complication is the 3 natures that exist in Runeterra, Celestial, Spiritual and Elemental. Anyone who rushes to establish that there is a hierarchical relationship in this, will make a mistake by ignoring that the celestials themselves, although extremely powerful, have their action limited in the earthly world, using the Aspects that allow their powers to reach this world.

Below is some information regarding the religiosity of each region of Runeterra based on the data we currently have, do not take this information as absolute, but rather as a basis to understand and perhaps create what is necessary to meet your needs in game.

Bilgewater

A land for everyone! This is perhaps the place where it is easiest to find representatives of any faith, whether coming or going, whether settling or even preaching, in a confluence of cultures and peoples coming from the different corners of Runeterra. Still, Bilgewater is part of the Serpent Islands, an archipelago home to the Buhru people, who have their faith in a spiritual god called Nagakabouros and who has been the one many foreigners often turn to for spiritual matters.

In Bilgewater it is possible to find people from all regions, so it would not be strange to find small religious temples dedicated to other deities and cults, reflecting well the multicultural aspect of the region, especially in its more urban part, as going to the surroundings, are the sacred lands of the Buhru.

Bandlecity

Yordles are creatures with a perception of the world, time and space that usually differs greatly from that of humans. Likewise, there are no reports about any cult, belief or religion, whether organized or just commented on. Because most Yordles live in a realm separate from the material world, they are usually more concerned and occupied with their own lives and games than with beliefs.

When living in the physical world, they do not tend to have religious inclinations, managing to adapt to different environments in a peaceful and tranquil way.

Demacia

In Demacia, although religiosity may not seem to be very expressed or important, there are at least two important cults, that of the Winged Protector and that of the Veiled Redeemer. In addition to these two cults, there is a military and to some extent religious organization, The Mage Hunters, which, like their name, hunts those who use or demonstrate that they possess magical gifts.

The importance of each of these two cults changes along with the history of Demacia, with the last centuries having a primacy for the Winged Protector who seems to signal all the virtues of the rich people of Demacia, especially among the Nobles.

The cult of the Veiled Redeemer has always existed apart from that of her sister, it is normally a cult linked to people of lesser financial and social power, especially those who are touched by magic, who seek refuge and a way of living away from their mage hunters.

The Mage Hunters, in turn, contain several mages in their ranks, being one of the only ways that someone who possesses magical abilities can live in Demacia without fear of being hunted for this characteristic. The vast majority of wizard hunters consider their magic a curse, and use it for their cause as a way to “atone” for their sins.

Freljord

Freljord has at least two religiosities that function in parallel and in some cases antagonistically. The cult of the Demigods continues to exist parallel to the cult of the Three Sisters and is the most common among the many tribes of the Freljord, except for the three great tribes that are each connected to one of these sisters.

In the Praeglacius Fortress, the cult of Lissandra is perhaps the only uninterrupted one, where Lissandra herself commands with her icy hand. Among the Praeglacius, the cult of the Demigods is close to zero, since the fortress itself in many aspects resembles a theocratic state.

Many Avarosians see in Ashe a reincarnation of one of the three sisters from the past, Avarosa, although this is not a rule, it is one of the ways in which this cult has survived and manifests itself in the present day, which gives Ashe greater ease in maintaining the Even so, the Avarosians tend to worship the Freljord Demigods, especially the brothers Ornn, Volibear, Anivia and Mother Seal.

The Winter's Claw tribe, in turn, does not seem to see Sejuani's connection to Serylda in the same way that the Avarosians see it in Ashe. Even so, a certain cult of the leader is common in parallel to the cult of several of the demigods, not limited to the four brothers.

Finally, the smaller tribes spread across the Freljord have several spiritual entities that they worship, they are usually animal spirits similar to Demigods, it is not strange for an entire tribe to worship just one of these entities and have their entire social structure around it.

Shadow Isles

The past of the Shadow Isles was the Islands of Blessings, where magic was studied at very high levels, perhaps for this reason it did not generate great religiosity since humans themselves were capable of controlling powers to a certain extent considered divine.

Still, Yorick and Maokai are a reminder of that past where these powerful masters of arcane energies had connection with the spiritual world, with Maokai even having walked among these inhumans telling about the Verdant Isles and their greatest gift, the water of life especially for these Humans in the past have been so respectful of nature.

Perhaps the only remnant closest to religiosity are the Sentinels of Light, born in Helia, the old name of the Islands of Blessings, they were a military organization that over time ended up being dismantled and left aside. Re-established by one of the only inhabitants of Helia to manage to leave the Islands alive, they became an organization dedicated to eliminating the undead from the Shadow Islands.

Ionia

Ionia is a multicultural region where different cultures flourished and lived in relative harmony without geographic and political limits being raised. A land that seems to have a greater proximity to the spiritual world, in Ionia the exchange with spirits has always been intense and has been part of the routine of its residents.

The Spiritual Blossom, in turn, normally happens once a year, it is a moment where the barrier that separates the physical world from the spiritual becomes almost non-existent and the souls that rest on the ground can cross into the spiritual world, where they may have to deal with the many Kanmei and Akanas.

For these reasons, it is not expected that there will be much religiosity, since the relationship with the spiritual seems to be part of the normal routine of an Ionian. Some stories survive about a distant past where giants came from the heavens and were fought by valiant warriors, however those who are closest to these stories and may be related to their religiosity are the Vastaya.

Ixtal

Little is known about spirituality in Ixtal, a region controlled by the Axiomata, powerful users of elemental magic, it seems to closely resemble the Helia of the past and perhaps there is no religiosity except a reverence for ancestors, which can take the form of a cult or even obedience to the Yuntal, the caste that controls this nation.

Noxus

In Noxus there are two important cults, although only one of them is common and openly practiced, the Wolf Cult. This cult is established around one of the aspects of death, for this reason the belief is common among Noxians due to the proximity of the concepts of strength preached by Noxian society to the precepts of the Wolf.

The second cult, much more restricted and rare, is the cult of Mordekaiser, the Iron Revenant, a powerful spirit of a great lord from the past of Noxian lands who seeks to become the lord of everything that lives. His faithful tend to have an unparalleled fanaticism, many of them aware that if their Lord returned, they would be destroyed so that their souls would become part of Mordekaiser's ranks.

Piltover

Piltover does not seem to be a particularly religious region, with the possibility of there being Zaunites devoted to Janna who ascended socially, even so, some traces of two cults can be found in this place, the cult of the Spider and the Glorious Evolution.

The Glorious Evolution is a kind of sect that exists in Piltover with people who wish to transcend the flesh, replacing their bodies with more powerful and resistant machines, in a quest to overcome the fragility of the human body through technological evolution.

The Spider cult, in turn, is a recent cult, centered on Urgot, the Spider cult is not organized or centralized, being much more conceptual and close to the Noxian concept of strength. Although it is most common in Zaun, it has found adherents in Piltover as well.

Shurima

In Shurima there were the Warrior Gods, who walked under the earth and commanded the armies with their Battalion of the Ascended. This cult replaced previous cults of other deities, such as Janna, but after the fall of the Empire, the cult of the Warrior Gods also ended up being forgotten.

With the return of Emperor Azir, believers also emerged who believe in this Emperor who also went through the Ascension ritual, becoming a Warrior God and also Emperor of the Sands.

In Nashramae there is the cult of Xerath, a Baccai who resurfaced alongside one of the warrior gods, Renekton. This cult has strange characteristics that seem to prioritize a transcendence of the flesh, taking on a form of pure energy in search of absolute power.

Another cult that exists in Shurima is the cult of the Lavender Sea, centered on the prophet Malzahar and which is actually just a way of taking more offerings to Bel'Veth, a creature from the void that has been feeding and growing more and more, having already practically consumed the ancient city of the same name.

Targon

The Solari are the dominant religion in the Targon region and have acted oppressively against the Lunari minority, however the same does not seem to be true for other peoples, ethnicities, cults and beliefs. This belief, although centered on the Sun and the perception of it as central to all life, does not seem to connect directly to the celestial entity known as the Golden Sister.

Aspects are semi-divine figures that serve as hosts for the power of the Celestials, so that they can act in the physical world to carry out their agenda. Even so, both Aspects and Celestials are not seen or worshiped as gods in a majority way, and there may be some smaller cults that do so.

Targon's proximity to celestial entities could influence the existence of greater religiosity, but this does not appear to be the case, with not much of the society and customs of this region being known.

Void

The creatures of the Void usually do not even have reasoning, let alone any religiosity. However, a creature called Bel'Veth has emerged in Shurima, claiming to possess powers on a level equal to or greater than the Frost Watchers who were once worshiped in the Freljord.

The cult of Bel'Veth has a large organization made by Malzahar, the prophet of the Void, who takes Shurima in a nomadic way, bringing more and more followers to his religion so that they completely surrender to the sea of lavender.

Zaun

In Zaun, the cult of a spiritual entity from Shurima called Janna is significant, with her image being worshiped in several places and it being part of regional customs to attribute blessings to her.

Still, in Zaun there are several cults of personality in the form of imposition by force, whether with the chemical barons or even The Spider Urgot, who killed some of the barons and became an icon in Zaun's society.