League’s lore update travels to Ixtal for Patch 9.13

Today’s lore update introduced two new short stories based in League’s newest region Ixtal, a region directly east of Shurima’s deserts and home to the game’s newest champion, Qiyana.

Titled “Fit to Rule,” the first of today’s short stories follows Qiyana and her servant Bayal as the pair make their way through the dense jungle thicket found in the depths of Ixtal. After clearing a hidden path with the help of magic, the two reach their destination: a small village named Tikras.

Readers learn that Qiyana’s older sister Mara has inherited the role of Tikras’s leader, much to Qiyana’s dismay. Qiyana points to a recent attack from Piltover miners as the reason why she should fill the role instead of her sibling before demonstrating her powerful mastery over the elements. Despite Qiyana’s protests, the village elders deny her claims to the position and send her on her way.

Qiyana returns home, but she purposefully leaves the secret path to Tikras open. The next morning, she wakes to her sister’s cries of a second attack on Tikras that has left the village devastated. Mara turns the role of Tikras’s leader over the Qiyana, who smiles at the opportunity to return to the village that had turned her away as its new savior.  

The second story, named “Roots of a Poisoned Tree” follows an assayer named Shoorai as she ventures into the depths of a mine alongside a tunnel-chief. Her path is blocked by a massive boulder—one that seemingly appeared overnight.

Just when she gives the call for the team to employ the use of explosives, the boulder yells at her to stop. Before her eyes, the rock twists around to face her. With eyes of quartz, the boulder—who later reveals himself as Malphite—warns her of an infestation inside the cave’s rocks. Malphite’s booming words nearly cause the cave to collapse, and Shoorai and the chief miner escape without hesitation.

In addition to today’s two new short stories, the League of Legends developer has updated the champion bios of both Zilean and Skarner to reflect the new lore.