Demacia

Demacia is a city-state on the western part of Valoran.

Lore
Along the western coast of Valoran, the human city-state of Demacia shines as the continent’s paragon of virtue amongst all the other human settlements. The residents are always striving to sharpen their bodies and minds in the pursuit of absolute justice.

Culture
The people of Demacia are driven by their common cause to disseminate benevolence and order for the betterment of all beings throughout Valoran. They view malice and selfishness as a disease which should be expunged from the psyche of humankind. Those who come to Demacia and choose to settle within the borders of the city-state are expected to share the ideals and virtues of its citizenry. Those who seek personal gain at the expense of others quickly find themselves ostracized… or worse.

Life in Demacia is not one of placid utopian dreams. Since the Demacian people pride themselves as the moral vanguards of Valoran, they adopt seemingly draconian measures to ensure that their moral code remains the only code by which one may live within the city-state. Crime in any form is harshly punished: there are no misdemeanors within Demacia. Some detractors of Demacia (who criticize far from the reaches of the city-state) claim this as proof of its inherent hypocrisy. Demacians counter this argument by pointing out that their justice system incorporates benevolence and mitigation into its verdicts. No one is punished without fair and just consideration of the circumstances involved. While others may continue to criticize the harshness of Demacian law, the Demacians stand by their convictions.



Government
Demacia is run by a constitutional monarchy, wherein the King of Demacia serves as the head of state and an elected council serves as the legislative body. While the king is a strong ruler, he is kept in check at least partially by the Demacian Council. The current King of Demacia, Jarvan III (a.k.a. Jarvan Lightshield the Third), works earnestly with the Demacian Council to ensure that the sanctity of the city-state remains pure and true. Since the rule of Jarvan I, there has never been an attempted coup or rebellion of any kind in Demacia. The king serves not only as the political leader of the city-state, but also as the commander-in-chief of its military

Noble Houses
As a monarchy, Demacia is governed by various royal families, regulating the city-state primarily as members of the Demacian Council. While many of the Noble Houses have ruled for generations, they are treated as any other citizen under the nation’s strict laws and are not exempt from them. They may even be treated more harshly under the law as they are meant to serve as shining examples of how Demacian citizens should conduct themselves, publicly and privately.


 * House Lightshield
 * House Spiritmight
 * House Crownguard
 * House Buvelle
 * House Vayne
 * House Laurent

Military
The Demacian military is one of the strongest in all of Valoran, and until recently it was the only force capable of holding back the hunger of the military machine that is Noxus. Noxus has been the sworn enemy of Demacia since both settlements were founded hundreds of years ago. Their conflict is, at its core, a moral one. With such a night-and-day division of moral philosophy between Demacia and Noxus, it is not hard to see why Demacia views its military requirements as a vital necessity for survival. Every Demacian citizen is required to serve in its military for no less than three years. Even after this time, most Demacians remain on active status in the city-state’s military reserve.

The resolve of Demacia's military is alternately celebrated or despised, but always respected. Their "zero tolerance" moral code is strictly upheld by civilians and soldiers alike. In combat, this means Demacian troops may not make excuses, flee, or surrender by example. Thousands of great heroes have risen and fallen on the bloody battlefields between Demacia and its preeminent rival, Noxus.

As an indoctrination tool, the Demacian military utilizes The Measured Tread, a handbook which outlines their city-state's ideology. Quotes from the book include:


 * "Death is inevitable; one can only avoid defeat."
 * “To fight for justice in the name of Demacia.”
 * “Victory for our allies, defeat for our enemies, and justice for all.”
 * "When Demacians march forth, ridding Valoran of the evils of selfishness and greed under the pristine banner of justice, we know who we are and what we fight for, unapologetically."
 * "In our eternal forward march, we must stomp out evil all across Valoran wherever it may grow. Leave no stone unturned: the roots of one ignored weed will inevitably corrupt the whole of the garden.”

Appearance
Demacia is a shining beacon of hope for humanity, and as such the city is the visual representation of this concept. There is a clean and pristine feel and look to the city. Towering spires litter the skyline of Demacia. White stone and marble are the materials of choice in the construction of Demacian buildings. Majestic flags fly high along the parapets of the city. The city walls virtually gleam with power and nobility. The capital itself sits next to a natural port, with the majority of the other towns resting on a plateau.

Link to the League
Demacia was one of the first supporters of the League of Legends, though its concerns were less for the planet’s stability and more to diminish the Noxian threat to Valoran. Demacia sent its best students of magic to the Institute of War, with some of them becoming master summoners. Demacia holds its own in the Field of Justice, and this has subsequently eased the massive expenditure of resources otherwise needed to maintain its military force. The post-League Demacian military is as strong as ever, though it has shifted its focus from that of a standing invasion force, ready to re-conquest Noxian acquisitions, to that of an impenetrable bastion, secure and vigilant across its entire dominion.

Piracy Strikes Demacian Navy
The DSS Excursion - a cargo sloop of the Demacian Navy - was reported lost at sea, an apparent victim of piracy. All hands aboard are currently missing, and no demands were made of the Demacian government for their return.

The Excursion was bound from Freljord to Demacia laden with unspecified trade goods, according to a spokesperson for the Demacian Navy, when audiopathic contact with the sloop was ultimately lost. After twenty-four hours of communications silence, rescue vessels were dispatched to the Excursion's last reported location.

The Demacian investigation of the ship's disappearance - led by Demacian Captain of the Guard and Champion of the League, - reported that some of the logged cargo of the Excursion had been jettisoned into the Conqueror's Sea approximately twenty kilometers from the vessel's last reported position. Other debris located near the jettisoned cargo was divined for analysis, revealing that the Excursion had been attacked and boarded while en route to Demacia.

Further divination did not reveal the identity of the perpetrators of the attack, though it was gleaned that the attack occurred at night when most of the Excursion's crew was in their quarters. The investigation has further revealed that magic above maximum potency as dictated by the League was used in the attack, and necromancy is believed to have been used based on the evidence divined. As a result, the League dispatched a team of investigators led by League Champion.

The whereabouts of the DSS Excursion remains a mystery to this day.

Trivia

 * The city-state motto for Demacians is, "Demacia: now and forever."
 * A common battle cry among Demacian champions is, "Demacia!"