Kalamanda

Kalamanda is a small village located north of Mogron Pass on Valoran. The village was first mentioned on the first issue of The Journal of Justice when a mass deposit of gold and gems and two nexuses were discovered near it. The deposit has led all city-states to set camps in Kalamanda in an attempt to obtain a trading deal, leading to high tensions between them.

Lore
Kalamanda was once a sleepy non-descript village located near the northern entrance to Mogron Pass, only moderately known as a decent place to fish for Valoran trout and not much else.

However, it became the centre of the Noxian-Demacian conflicts. Eventually, the disagreements escalated so much that a full scale war began. However, due to (along with several League Summoners') magical temporal stasis, it was quickly stopped. However, the stasis caused the village to become magically unstable for decades. It was then that the village was remade into the Field of Justice, the Crystal Scar.

The Long Sleep of the Brackerns
Centuries ago there lived a race of creatures as ferocious as they were wise. The brackern were unusual beings blessed with the earth's primal magic, embodied in the form of crystals. Their kind knew of an arcane ritual to bind their life's essence to a crystal, communing with the magic embedded in it. With this power, the brackern thrived in the Odyn Valley, protecting both creatures and crystals alike. Despite attacks from those looking to claim the primal magic, it seemed that nothing could get past the brackern's defenses. Nothing, that is, until the devastation of a Rune War.

A vicious battle was fought near the Odyn Valley and the unleashed chaotic magic poisoned the crystals. The brackern began to grow sick and die, and no amount of defensive magic could reverse the effects. To avoid extinction, their only course was to hibernate underground until the wars stopped. The strongest, most intelligent brackern hibernated closer to the surface to awaken first and assess the world's condition for the return of their race.

Precious Resources Discovered
The quiet status of Kalamanda drastically changed when it found itself the leading lady on the world stage. The Kalamanda's mayor, Anson Ridley, and a local survey team had uncovered a massive deposit of gold and precious gems within the village's sphere of influence. Furthermore, two nexuses of considerable magic potency had been discovered alongside the resource deposits. When news of this spread, adventurers and prospectors from across the continent flocked to the village, seeking fame and riches beyond their wildest dreams. The town council had to set up a temporary camp located near the foothills that lead to Mogron Pass and the Great Barrier in anticipation of the great influx of individuals hoping to trade a hard day's work for handsome rewards.

Mayor Ridley acknowledged that Kalamanda itself was not properly equipped to extract and process the raw riches that lay under the village and its environment, and sought to partner with external mining companies or even one of the great city-states. With the discovery of two massive nexuses in close proximity to the valuable resources, the League had also taken an interest in Kalamanda's recent good fortune.



City-State Tensions Flare
As reports of more mineral strikes in the resource-laden region lure prospective hopefuls to Kalamanda, Valoran's city-states had added to the growing population with additional personnel. Demacia and Noxus, by far, had invested the most effort; their growing presence also brought with them a rivalry that raised tensions within the village to dangerous levels. Kalamanda's citizens were worried that their good fortunes may turn for the worse if Demacia and Noxus came to blows over the future of their village.

This tension manifested itself when Demacian and Noxus guards drinking at the Hasty Hammer Tavern got into a drunken brawl – a brawl that witnesses claimed was "bordering on a riot". At least six guards were seriously injured when an argument between the rival guards erupted into violence. It took what appeared to be the entire Kalamanda constabulary, several local patrons of the tavern, and two League champions to break up the fight. The next day the Kalamanda Village Council voted in favor of pushing for an exclusive mining agreement with one of the city-states, as opposed to allowing multiple contracts. They reasoned that they did not wish to see hatred between powerful nations rekindled because of Kalamanda’s mineral bounty. The presence of just a single city-state would be in everyone’s best interest.

Following the village council ruling, both Demacia and Noxus increased their presence within Kalamanda, as both city-states have emerged as the leaders in securing exclusive mining contracts with the village. Both delegations had already escalated their presence in Kalamanda by appointing League champions as the leaders of their respective missions. The Demacian delegation was led by, while the Noxus delegation was directed by – the eldest daughter of one of Noxus' top generals attached to the Noxian High Command. The presence of the champions in the village gave a clear indication that both Demacia and Noxus were committed to success in Kalamanda.

Zaun Bribery Exposed
Brandis Reyes, a senior member of the Kalamanda Village Council, was ousted after he was found to be taking bribes from the city-state of Zaun. An investigation by Kalamanda officials began after a large amount of runes, gems, and techmaturgical devices were found scattered across Reyes’ desk. The valuables were found to contain trace amounts of pollutants, and the compositions of these pollutants allowed Kalamanda authorities to trace the valuables’ origins to Zaun. Despite Reyes’ claimed that he was being framed, further investigation revealed that Reyes had been soliciting other council members in an attempt to influence them in Zaun’s favor for the exclusive mining agreement currently under consideration in Kalamanda. As a result of the attempted bribery, the council ruled to exclude Zaun from the pool of eligible candidates.

Though Zaun’s presence in Kalamanda was relatively small, it was speculated that Zaun was turning the greatest profit due to its rampant usage of techmaturgical devices to extract the precious minerals. Mining devices were being invented and deployed day and night from the Zaunite camp. Much to the concern of the village residents, the environment in the immediate area had shown signs of decay, with a circle of dying and mutated vegetation seen around the Zaunite camps. Residents blamed Zaun for its careless usage of toxic chemicals, unsafe magic, and experimental machinery. However, with no formal guidelines in place for camp inhabitants due to the rapid influx of activity within the city, the village found itself at the mercy of Zaunite operations.

Speculations ran rampant that this may harm the viability of Noxus’ bid for the exclusive contract, as Noxus and Zaun were well-known allies. The nature in which the bribery was discovered also points to possible involvement from other city-states currently vying for the exclusive contract. Kalamanda officials were in the process of considering banning Zaun from mining within its borders entirely.

The Mine Collapse
An earthquake rocked the village of Kalamanda causing the collapse of a mithril mine and trapping twelve Demacian miners underground. Rescue efforts began shortly after the mine caved in. The League offered its assistance to Demacia in its rescue efforts, as had the small contingencies of Piltover and Ionia. Help was also offered by the Noxian delegation in Kalamanda – a surprising move considering the animosity between Demacia and Noxus in recent years.

After nearly a month of excavation the twelve Demacian miners trapped underground had finally been rescued. Though weakened after being buried underground, all twelve miners emerged in high spirits. However, the temporary joy and peace resulting from the rescue was shattered when a troubling piece of evidence was discovered, suggesting that the cause of the mine collapse was man-made. The body of a Noxian soldier was recovered underground approximately one kilometer east of the trapped miners, where geologists had estimated the initial fault point of the collapse. The soldier was surrounded by various Noxian arcano-seismic charges, and he appeared to have been caught unexpectedly by the cave-in after the charges were detonated.

An official investigation was immediately launched, with Kalamanda and League officials working in conjunction to scrutinize this potentially cataclysmic breach in the League code. Tensions at the rescue site nearly caused a fight to break out, but the Noxian rescuers lending aid withdrew swiftly in order to avoid conflict.

Demacia Awarded Exclusive Contract
Although the investigation for the mining collapse were yet to reach an official conclusion, the Kalamanda Village Council made an immediate ruling to grant Demacia the highly coveted exclusive mining contract. This established a permanent partnership between Kalamanda and Demacia, bestowing the city-state with exclusive extraction rights of all minerals within Kalamanda’s lands. In return, Demacia would commit mining resources and open a direct trade route to Kalamanda, effectively making Kalamanda one of its incontiguous provinces. All independent and city-state affiliated mining parties were required to cease activity and withdraw all mining operations from the village’s boundaries. A formal ceremony was made in the courtyard of Kalamanda’s Seat of the Elders, with Mayor Anson Ridley having prepared the formal documentation for his village's partnership with Demacia.

Accusations against Demacia
Kalamanda's modest population prepared themselves for the arrival of Jarvan III, King of Demacia, who was accompanied by his son, and an entire phalanx of Demacian Valor Knights. The King had sent word that he would visit the village personally to sign the long-anticipated agreement granting Demacia exclusive mining rights in Kalamanda. The triumphant atmosphere became subdued, however, when, appeared with his own military entourage. Kalamanda officials decided to proceed with the signing, but before the Demacian King could endorse the document, Swain emerged from the crowd with a bound Demacian soldier. Swain stated that the man, Thom Garvin, had confessed to the murder of the Noxian citizen in the mines, and the attempted framing of Noxus. When the King asked the soldier on whose orders he was following, the soldier sputtered that he was following the orders of the King's son, Prince Jarvan IV.

The ceremony then dissolved into chaos. Mayor Anson Ridley requested that the signing be postponed until a proper investigation could be conducted. King Jarvan III demanded that Garvin be released into Demacian custody, but Swain argued that Garvin was a key witness and could not be entrusted to either government. He suggested instead that Garvin be held by local authorities, and only interrogated with representatives of both city-states present. Ridley agreed to the proposition and Jarvan III followed suit. Before the prisoner departed, Jarvan IV accused Swain of deception, denying any involvement in a conspiracy. Troops on both sides were called to the sides of their leaders, but King Jarvan III managed to de-escalate the situation by silencing his son and forbidding his troops to engage. He stated to Swain that he would leave peaceably, and requested that Swain honor the dictates established by the League, forbidding open combat. Swain consented, and withdrew his forces. League Adjudicators were dispatched from the Institute to help mediate the situation.



Reinforcements Arrive
The situation in Kalamanda grew dire as reinforcements poured in from both Demacia and Noxus. Spokesmen from both delegations promised that the troops were merely there for the protection of the important city-state leaders present. Both encampments awaited the interrogation of the Demacian prisoner, which was delayed at the request of King Jarvan III of Demacia, without any public explanation. The steady influx of soldiers had transformed the Kalamanda countryside, dotting it with military tents and banners. At the same time, many Kalamanda villagers left the region in droves, abandoning their homes and possessions for fear of imminent violence.

The Prisoner Found Dead
The Demacian soldier who publically confessed to mining conspiracy and sabotage was found dead in his cell, a victim of Nyzer poisoning. There was an investigation, yet Kalamanda officials were unable to find how the poison managed to elude the notice of the guards. Suspicious eyes were cast on the visiting delegations of Noxus and Demacia. Though representatives from both city-states denied any wrongdoing, military activity visibly increased in both camps. A carriage containing General Boram Darkwill himself departed Noxus soon after the prisoner’s fate was discovered.



Darkwill Assassinated
General Boram Darkwill and his accompanying platoon of Raedsel Guardsman were found slain on the roads not far from the village. Analysis of the scene indicated that the entire troop was eliminated with terrifying efficiency. Noxian scouts were unable to find any traces of an attacking force or any signs of survivors. Swain later ordered the bodies of every slain Noxian soldier be put to fire, as is the Noxian ceremony for fallen ranking officers in wartime conditions. He then accused Demacia for the assault, as they are the only other military on this continent which was capable of it.

In a public response, King Jarvan III of Demacia decried the attack, and stated that he did not order the assassination. Swain declined Jarvan’s invitation to discuss the situation, which may indicate that the damage was already done. The last remaining natives of Kalamanda, including the mayor and his councilmen, were evacuated from the region.

War in Kalamanda
The collective fears of Valoran were realized in Kalamanda as the standoff between Noxus and Demacia escalated to all-out war. Initial estimates placed casualties in the hundreds. It appeared that Prince Jarvan IV of Demacia struck the first blow against General Swain of Noxus. According to eyewitnesses, Swain was making his usual rounds of the Noxian camp when he was ambushed by Jarvan. The two became locked in combat, and soldiers from both camps immediately engaged each other in efforts to come to their aid.

Though battle between these embittered rivals has been heated, ambassadors from both sides pledged that their forces would refrain from the use of unsanctioned magic. Chancellor Malek Hawkmoon, spokesman for Noxus, called it a “steel and slugs” engagement, a Noxian military term for a physical-only wartime operation. Neither army gained a significant advantage over the other. The bulk of the fighting took place on the fields just outside the village’s primary dig site, though the contested area gradually expanded. Prince Jarvan was not seen on the battlefield since his initial clash with Swain, though Noxus’ Master Tactician was seen in the front lines, issuing commands and urging his troops onward.

Jarvan’s absence caused a great degree of speculation that the Prince may have been killed or captured, but the Demacian forces did not falter. Their morale was bolstered by Garen and the Dauntless Vanguard, whose efforts stymied the Noxian offensive at nearly every turn. King Jarvan III reportedly donned his own royal armor, although his exact position remained a mystery. It was likely that, was with him.



Kalamanda Pacified
In an unprecedented show of force, the League of Legends conjured a temporal stasis bubble over the entirety of Kalamanda, trapping the warring forces of Noxus and Demacia in a mid-battle state of suspension. The soldiers inside were to be extracted and returned to their homes, but the League pronounced the village and its immediate surroundings uninhabitable.

The League had sent four hundred summoners to the far edges of the Kalamanda conflict, transporting with them a small nexus that was, according to scholars of the Arcanum Majoris, a centerpiece of the Arcanum Vault. Utilizing ancient Urtistani techniques refined by League champion, these summoners undertook an enchantment the magnitude of which hadn't been seen in Valoran since the Rune Wars. A great deal of care was devoted to ensuring that Runeterra sustained the least possible destruction as a result of the spell.

Though experts believed the damage to Runeterra is minimal, they have determined that the area occupied by the bubble will be magically unstable for decades. Soldier extraction had begun, and would continue for several weeks. It was a slow and intensive process, as Zilean believed improper extraction may lead to chrono-displasia, a disease he himself endured. League surveyors were dispatched to the village to assess the true extent of the damage, as well as to determine if there would be any way to speed its restoration. The League made arrangements for the families of Kalamanda residents, accepting responsibility for restricting them from their own homes.

Ambassadors from Noxus and Demacia took residence in the Institute of War and negotiated the safe return of their soldiers, as well as terms for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The Crystal Scar
Days after the League’s unprecedented intervention against Noxus and Demacia’s war, a portion of the magically contaminated region had been found to be salvageable and will be re-purposed into an official Field of Justice, the Crystal Scar. High Councilor Heywan Relivash gave the announcement to a gathered group of summoners, refugees, and city-state representatives. Those gathered for the announcement responded in great favor to the initiative.

As League surveyors, masons, and artificers began construction in Kalamanda, Noxian and Demacian ambassadors continued holding negotiations at the Institute of War. King Jarvan III arrived to represent Demacia and, as no Grand General had been determined at the time, Jericho Swain represented Noxus. League Champion, presided over negotiations alongside the High Councilors.



The Brackern Awakens
After centuries of hibernation, the mining operations and violent escalation in Kalamanda were enough to awaken the first of the ancient brackerns. When, burst to the surface, he lashed out in anger and confusion. Reason eventually won out over his anger when he realized that the agents of the League who found him were simply functionaries. Skarner was invited to the Institute of War to share the brackern's story. In return, the summoners told him about the history that his kind had slept through. Much had been done to curb the unchecked use of magic since the Rune Wars, but it was obvious that the world was not yet safe for his kind to reawaken. Skarner now works to use his power to change the world into one in which his kind could eventually return.

Intruder in Kalamanda's Prison
An anonymous tip led the remaining Demacian guards in Kalamanda to the remnants of the local prison, resulting in a scuffle with an unidentified intruder. The suspect was caught searching the same ward in which the Demacian prisoner was assassinated. After a violent confrontation with Garen, the Might of Demacia, and a host of guards, the intruder escaped into the night.

Investigators searched the area and discovered that the intruder had left behind several daggers and a torn note. The contents of the note had yet to be deciphered.

Field of Justice
The two nexuses in Kalamanda are used for the Dominion map, the Crystal Scar.