Ionia

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

“Surrounded by treacherous seas, Ionia is composed of several allied provinces scattered throughout the gigantic archipelago known as the First Lands. Since the Ionian culture has long been shaped by the search for balance in all things, the boundary between the material and spiritual realms tends to be more flexible here, especially in wild forests and mountains. Although this place’s magic can be unstable, and its creatures magical and dangerous, most Ionians have managed to lead a prosperous life here for centuries. The monasteries full of warriors, the provincial militias, and even the continent itself were enough to keep them protected. But that calmness ended twelve years ago when Noxus attacked the First Lands. The empire’s seemingly endless troops savaged Ionia and were only defeated after many years, and at great cost. Now, Ionia exists in an uneasy peace. Different reactions to the war ended up dividing the region - some groups, like the Shojin or the Kinkou monks, seek to return to peaceful isolation and ancient traditions. On the other hand, more radical factions, like the Navori Brotherhood and the Order of Shadows, demand the militarization of these lands’ magic to create a unified nation capable of revenge against Noxus. Ionia's destiny lies before a delicate balance that few are willing to break, but everyone is capable of feeling some restless energy under their feet.”

The island continent of Ionia is home to the most evident and flourishing forms of magic. In Ionia, magic flows everywhere; it shapes its people, guides its history, and, above all, shapes the land itself.

The biggest strength of Ionia is the equilibrium, something all living beings that exist there in a delicate balance between all parts. There is still much to know and explore inside what seems to be the continent with the oldest inhabitants in all of Runeterra.

Characters

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

Languages. Ionian

Skill. Choose one between: Acrobatics, Athletics, Arcana, History, Insight, Animal Handling, Intuition, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth.

Activity. Choose two proficiencies from the following options: A simple weapon or a minor craft

Magic

It is the most used word when talking about Ionia, the land called "The First Lands". Magic flows through all parts, in an exuberant and even scary way through the natural phenomena e events that could easily be described as surreal.

All magical works find expression and naturalness in Ionia, the technologies that took so long to arrive, created in other places with magic in far less abundance, find in Ionia an expression that is often aberrant.

Adaptation

One characteristic that is famous for outsiders is that how life adapts in Ionia, people from many places in Ionia see themselves as part of the natural world and have adapted their habits and ways of life to live in harmony with the otherworldly flora and fauna. To outsiders, the relation people have with nature can be seen as weird, but it was thanks to this codependent relationship that the beings that live there have thrived through so many generations.

Ionian architecture is characterized by a sense of natural flow and grace, aspiring to reflect the ethereal beauty of the land. Grand, open spaces ensure that one is never entirely divorced from what organically existed there before.

In this way, trees are not uprooted to provide wood for build homes, but homes are built with these trees to keep them alive and following part of their natural course.

It isn't weird a room with a tree for a pillar, a bench being made by a rock that can have been there for thousands of years.

Noxian Invasion

Since its formation, the residents of Ionia preferred to pursue personal enlightenment instead of waging constant battles with other nations. The militaristic nation of Noxus saw their "weakness" as an opportunity. Noxian spies began to trade aggressively with the Ionians, traveling through provinces to study its weaknesses and identify critical targets.

Not long after, the war hosts set sail for Ionia as part of the long-planned Noxian invasion. The south provinces, who were amongst the richest by the financial concepts, were the first to be invaded, for this reason, being invaded by the noxians in the dead of night.

Because of the weak resistance they faced, the noxians could easily set camp and brought Zaunite mercenaries for the battlefield, mostly mad scientists who saw that as an ideal situation to test their creations in noncombatant civilians. That was what sparked the will to fight back in the Ionians.

Through the self-enlightenment, martial arts flourished in Ionia, they were the primary tool for the Ionians to fight back. At the fight of the great Placidium, the natives pushed the noxians back, pushing them away and expelling them from many of their camps. Although it wasn't a complete win, this brought back some control of some provinces to the Ionians.

The Placidium Of Navori

The Placidium is one of Ionia's most sacred places. Many have journeyed here to study at renowned schools or meditate in its wild, magical gardens. Many of Ionia's most successful diplomats have spent at least some time studying at the Placidium. It was at the Placidium that the people of Ionia finally took up arms against their Noxian enemies. But the cost of that day's victory was immense, and some now question if fighting back was the right decision since the harmonious balance of their homeland might have been lost forever.

Os Kinkou

Os Kinkou se consideram os guardiões do equilíbrio sagrado de Ionia. Seus acólitos percorrem tanto Runeterra quanto o reino espiritual, mediando conflitos entre eles e, quando necessário, intervindo por meio da força. Durante a guerra com Noxus, a Ordem Kinkou foi expulsa de seu antigo templo pelos seguidores de seu próprio ex-acólito, Zed.

Os sobreviventes foram levados pelo discípulo do falecido mestre para as montanhas em busca de reconstruir a ordem seguindo seus princípios fundamentais, recrutando e treinando novos discípulos na esperança de restaurar a antiga força da ordem.

Omikayalan, o Coração do Mundo

Um bosque de importância fundamental e sagrados para os Ionianos é Omikayalan, um espaço onde o espiritual e o material se confundem e ilusões podem muito bem ser apenas a mais gentil faceta de algo que a natureza esconde.

No passado existiu ali o Deus-Salgueiro, uma árvore maciça cheia de folhas longas que brilhavam com uma luz verde-dourada. Nesse mesmo lugar, surgiu Ivern, o Pai do Verde, com a missão de proteger toda vida e ensinar às pessoas do mundo a respeitar e apreciar tudo em seu estado natural.

Monastérios de Hirana e Shoujin

Entre muitos outros que existem por toda Ionia, dois renomados Monastérios se destacam, são os de Hirana e de Shoujin, onde aqueles que buscam entender sua conexão com o reino espiritual fazem sua morada. Eles são lar artistas marciais que buscam o equilíbrio e a harmonia interna, deles saíram nomes como Lee Sin e Udyr, cada um portador de um destino e de uma imensa responsabilidade para com o equilíbrio.

Vastaya

Os Vastaya são uma raça que se espalham principalmente por Ionia em diversas tribos, eles são seres de natureza mágica e caracterizam-se por terem aspectos de animais na maior parte das vezes, quando não são em sua maioria animais com características humanas.

Criaturas naturalmente mágicas, eles tem uma conexão profunda com toda a magia de Ionia, especialmente a de suas terras natais onde suas tribos residem.

Existe um tratado muito antigo entre tribos específicas de Vastaya Ionianos e os humanos, que lida com o compartilhamento da magia natural. No entanto, nas últimas décadas, após a invasão noxiana, os Vastaya tem ficado cada vez mais infeliz e incertos com a forma como os humanos estão usando magia. Por exemplo, grupos extremistas como a Ordem das Sombras começaram a consolidar o poder para seus próprios propósitos. Os Vastaya, compreensivelmente, não estão satisfeitos com isso.

Sua conexão com a magia os torna muito sensíveis aos desequilíbrios que ocorrem quando existe abuso na utilização dela, como os estrangeiros tem buscado cada vez mais formas de extrair essa energia da terra, isso tem gerado consequências nos Vastaya.