Ixtal: lore, Champions & More | RiftFeed
Hidden in the green depths, lies an advanced civilization

Ixtal: lore, Champions & More

Lore 27-03-2023 18:20
Ixtal secrets 02
Noxian Immortal Bastion can't compare | © Riot Games

The southern continent of Runeterra, also known as the Shuriman continent, is currently seen as a place to be colonized by the likes of NOxus, and the other powers of Valoran.

But, they may just find that they've bitten more than they can chew on, as the fall of Shurima does not mean that there are no forces present, and hiding, that can match them if not in might, then in sophistication. Welcome to Ixtal.

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What is Ixtal in League of Legends

During the rise of the Shuriman empire and their conquest of the continent they named after themselves, Ixtal was the first nation to not be conquered, but joined willingly.

That meant that not only did their culture not get assimilated into Shurima, but on the contrary. Due to their levels of sophistication, it is likely that it was Ixtal that influenced much of SHurima, and led most of the technological advancements, including, the creation of the first ascended.

Ixtal Identity

Ixtal was based on the mesoamerican civilizations such as the Maya and the Aztecs. And it seems that they answer the question of what would those cultures look like, if they had survived to more modern times.

After the fall of Icathia, and the release of the Void, Ixtal used their incredible magics to seal themselves off from the rest of the world, believing that the Void would consume all.

This way, their identity has been untouched for thousands of years, and they've avoided contact with all civilizations, developing their own in relative peace, while others waged war on one another.

Who is the Ruler of Ixtal?

Due to Ixtal not having any external threats, their conflicts have grown to be internal in nature. And they are mostly centered around who will take the throne of Ixtal and rule the capital city of Ixaocan.

Qiyana no Skin
The sass is needed to survive Ixtal politics | © Riot Games

The current ruler is Qiyana's parent, who is known as now. What we do know, is that Qiyana intends to become the first Empress of Ixtal, and break the hierarchical caste system in place, which gives us an idea of how Ixtal is structured.

What Champions are From Ixtal?

The list of champions from Ixtal is a short one, due to their isolation to others, and Riot's focus on the more popular regions of Runeterra, and having champions interact with each other.

There are, currently, six champions from Ixtal in League of Legends, not counting the new Ixtal champion, Milio:

  • Malphite
  • Nidalee
  • Qiyana
  • Rengar
  • Zyra
  • Neeko

The jungles surrounding Ixtal are a perfect place for the champions that revolve around nature. And seeing as there are a lot of mysteries to the origins of Nidalee, Rengar and Neeko, we can only wonder what secrets these jungles keep.

Is Ixtal Powerful?

while it cannot compare to the other world superpowers, such as Demacia, much less Noxus, in terms of geographical size, Ixtal is without a doubt, a very powerful nation.

Unlike Demacians who despise magic, Noxian indifference to it aside from using it as a brute force in war, Ionian attempt to subvert themselves to it, Ixtal takes a methodical approach to harnessing magic, and are likely capable of bringing great power to a fight, even if that is not pure manpower.

Elemental Dragon Ixtal
Elemental Drakes hail from Ixtal after all| © Riot Games

Due to that, while they were famous for their elemental magic in ages past, we can only imagine what heights they have reached now, especially as their constant infighting does not allow them to languish in mediocrity.

To make our point for us, Malphite, the champion currently standing against Void all over Runeterra single-handedly is but a shard from The Monolith, a superweapon fortress created in Ixtal during the Icathian Rebellion.

Rijad Kamberovic

Graduating from Sarajevo university in 2020, with a Bachelor's Degree in Islamic Theology, I never believed that my fascination with comparative religions and their myths would mesh so well together with the fantasy genre of the video games I play....