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Add background information about events of Return of the Ruined King
This article was last edited by Hightsun59 on 02-Jan-2024 23:11.
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Illaoi Universe Background
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Illaoi Idol

Illaoi's Illaoi's powerful physique is dwarfed only by her indomitable faith. As the prophet of the Great Kraken, she uses a huge, golden idol idol to rip her foes' spirits spirits from their bodies and shatter their perception of reality reality. All who challenge the 'Truth Bearer of Nagakabouros' soon discover Illaoi never battles alone - the god of the Serpent Isles fights by her side.


IllaoiSquare"Wisdom is frequently a kick in the head."  Illaoi
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Background[]

Early life[]

Illaoi was born into the Buhru tribe of the Serpent Islands in Bilgewater, at a very young age she was trained into the priesthood and displayed incredibly high spiritual talent.

Illaoi at some point in her youth met Gangplank and fell in love with him, having a long romance, however Illaoi ended up being chosen as the Truth Bearer of Nagakabouros and was therefore forced to end the relationship.

Spreading the Faith[]

After her break with Gangplank, Illaoi devoted herself entirely to spreading the faith of Nagakabouros among the Buhru tribe and ensuring the protection of the Serpent Islands.

Shadow and Fortune[]

After Gangplank was defeated at the hands of Miss Fortune, Illaoi rescued him from drowning in the sea, she also kept him with her in the serpent islands where she took care of him and helped him recover.

Return of the Ruined King[]

Illaoi received a mission from Nagakabouros which was to hunt down the so-called Red Dock Ripper, she along with a group of Buhru warriors left the Serpent Islands and went to Bilgewater.

Appearance[]

Illaoi is a tall, stocky woman with dark skin with fluorescent green tattoos all over her body, long brown hair tied in a ponytail, and piercing green eyes.

She wears a dark green shirt and brown pants with some gold trim on her neck and arms, grayish black boots, and always carries a golden sphere.

Personality[]

She was known for her indomitable faith, and is above good and evil and will encourage those not to kneel but to fight. She worships Nagakabouros, a spirit goddess, who in turn gave her title of "Truth Bearer of Nagakabourous".

Abilities[]

  • Spirit Magic: Illaoi is a powerful performer of spirit magic, capable of numerous feats such as invoking the power of her goddess, creating magical barriers, healing others, and projecting spirit energy to decimate her foes.
    • Soul Manipulation: As a follower of Nakagabourus, Illaoi can tap into soul energy and draw strength from it, test someone's spirit test someone's spirit and banish wraiths.
    • Seer: The connection with her Goddess makes Illaoi able to see small vestiges of the future, especially of a future to come.
  • Priesthood: Illaoi is the leader of the Buhru religion, the "Truth Bearer", as such she is very knowledgeable on performing rituals, spell casting, creating wardens of protection, and creating magical items.
  • Formidable Physique: Illaoi's faith is only rivaled by her enormous strength. She is capable of holding the Eye of God Eye of God, a very heavy artifact, with notable ease.

Relations[]

Gangplank Gangplank[]

Illaoi was Gangplank's first love. Gangplank Gangplank, but they went their separate ways over a decade ago. Their past relationship is implied by her liking mangos and him oranges oranges. Illaoi still has some feelings for him.She chose to save Gangplank after his ship was sunk by Miss Fortune Miss Fortune and gave him a spirit test which he passed. She then decided to help him retake the city.

Miss Fortune Miss Fortune[]

Illaoi protected Miss Fortune Miss Fortune and many others from an attack of the Black Mist, during which she drove off Hecarim Hecarim with the power of her god.

Illaoi suspects Miss Fortune Miss Fortune needs to be tested by her god soon. This test is briefly shown in The Climb.

Undead[]

Illaoi abhors the undead of the Shadow Isles and the Black Mist itself as both embody the very stagnation she seeks to eradicate. This can be illustrated when she tells Sion Sion he was 'cheated of rebirth' (his soul has been trapped and unable to reincarnate as new life)[1][2]

The undead would fail their test instantly.[3] She would want to end Mordekaiser Mordekaiser the most for being the de facto puppeteer of others' souls.[4]

Braum Braum[]

Illaoi's dialogue with Braum implies that she finds Braum physically attractive. Over the course of the adventure, Braum and Illaoi develop a friendship. Illaoi would invite Braum to be more intimate and while he isn't averse to her advances, he declines because it is an inopportune time due to him needing to focus on the upcoming battles.

Illaoi's voice lines imply if she were to ever test Braum, he would pass the test very easily as he is doing exactly what Illaoi preaches: living his life as he sees fit.[5][6][7]

Pyke Pyke[]

Because Pyke Pyke is a murderous undead, Illaoi initially saw him as a threat against the beliefs of Nagakabourous. However, after testing his spirit, she now believes him to be serving a much larger eddy and therefore staying in motion.[8] She had casted a spell that made Pyke more benevolent and tamed as a result of Nagakabouros' influence, but he may eventually return back to his murderous state.

Spirits[]

Illaoi views 'spirits' (Anivia Anivia, Bard Bard, Kindred Kindred, Yordles, etc.) as a useless distraction from the truth.[9]Tahm Kench Tahm Kench would avoid her as he probably knows he would perish if Nagakabouros tested him.[10]

Read More

Biography

Starring Champion

Ruined King Kingdom
EditImageReference

Bilgewater Crest icon

Music Video

Kingdom (Video)

By Numerous creators

RISE AGAINST RUIN.

Ruined King Promo 01
EditImageReference

Runeterra Crest icon

Game

Ruined King

By Airship Syndicate

Rise Against Ruin - Unite a party of League of Legends Champions, explore Bilgewater and set sail for the Shadow Isles to uncover the secrets of the deadly Black Mist in this immersive turn-based RPG.

Bilgewater The Harrowing
EditImageReference

Bilgewater Crest icon

Short Story • 51 Minute Read

Shadow and Fortune: Chapter Four

By Graham McNeill

She is not Dead, Strange Bedfellows, In Motion Again

Bilgewater Bilgewater Bay 02
EditImageReference

Bilgewater Crest icon

Short Story • 8 Minute Read

The Burden

By Odin Austin Shafer

Truth Bearer, this is why we must retreat to Buhru. We cannot save the paylangi' the Hierophant said. The heavy-set woman grinned, obviously pleased by the prospect of leaving Bilgewater.

Lucian Thresh The Climb
EditImageReference

Runeterra Crest icon

Video

The Climb

Take the first step and begin your climb.

Illaoi Yorick The Will of the Dead
EditImageReference

Shadow Isles Crest icon

Short Story

The Will of the Dead

By Laura Michet

Long before she became a Truth Bearer of her people, Illaoi had been an acolyte priestess at a Buhru temple on the coast.

Illaoi Trial Of The Kraken Priestess
EditImageReference

Bilgewater Crest icon

Reveal

Trial of the Kraken Priestess

By Numerous creators

There can be no rest. We are the motion.

Mentioned Champion

Nautilus Dead in the Water
EditImageReference

Bilgewater Crest icon

Short Story

Dead in the Water

By Graham McNeill

Red tide out, red tide in.

Runeterra Terrain map
EditImageReference

Runeterra Crest icon

Entries

Ezreal's Field Notes

By Matthew Dunn

Who needs a map?

Bilgewater The Harrowing
EditImageReference

Bilgewater Crest icon

Short Story • 51 Minute Read

Shadow and Fortune: Chapter One

By Graham McNeill

Blood on the Streets, Glory in Death, Down to the Bearded Lady/nThe Butcher Blades had hung the Jackdaw from a rusted marlinspike through his jawbone and left him for the quayside scavengers. This was the seventeenth murdered ganger the hooded man had seen tonight.

Alternate Universes

Illaoi ResistanceSkin
EditImageReference

Runeterra Crest icon

Short Story

Resistance Illaoi

By Jared Rosen

Trivia[]

  • Nagakabouros' religion is meant to speak uniquely to Runeterra and to life on the Serpent Isles.[11]
  • Illaoi is powerful because she is personally capable of serving her god--- that's actually a rare gift. That puts her on the same level as Moses at the very least. Channeling her god's power (not generating it) is extremely difficult.
  • Illaoi in world (as opposed to "in game") is insanely strong against the undead. (After all her religion is about "life" in all its messiness serving the universe's plan).[14]
    • Illaoi is definitely deeply involved in matters of the soul, but there is an important distinction between her interaction with the spirit world and what the Harrowing represents. 'Healthy' souls move through a constant cycle of transition and rebirth. Losts souls, like the denizens that inhabit the Shadow Isles, are stagnant, and trapped on the mortal plane.
  • Illaoi's worldview expresses that everyone must follow their dreams no matter how brutal they might be. Having doubts isn't a "sin" in her religion—failing to take action is.[15]
    • But if while doing so someone becomes so passive or so demotivated to keep on pursuing their destiny that their soul starts to stagnate, then Illaoi will give them a Harsh Lesson Harsh Lesson in order to encourage them to get back on track. She's a tough lady, so she's a fan of harsh lessons, but the truth is that she has your best interest at heart. If she breaks a few bones in the process, well, then it was probably for your own good.
      • This brand of tough love will end in one of two ways: someone passes their Test of Spirit Test of Spirit and is back in 'motion' or they fail and, as a result, their energy returns to the universe so that another lifeform might make better use of it.[1][2][16]
    • While a fiercely intelligent woman, Illaoi is from a far, isolated corner of the world. She often doesn't know who people are—but wants everyone to understand they are below her god.
  • Nagakabouros is not even the only god worshipped in Buhru (though it is the most popular on that island). However, Serpent Islanders aren't aware of other religions so they've never needed a name for their faith.[17] Buhru has other gods. Valoran has other gods.
    • Indigenous creatures from their home isles are used as religious symbols in the same fashion Christianity uses lambs and doves.[18]
      • They always share food with guests (especially fruit) but eating without offering to share is a huge insult and an overt threat in their eyes.[19]
  • Illaoi's religion is about life serving the universe. But Nagakabouros is seen as bigger than that goal. Illaoi knows, she can not comprehend her god or its plans. So she and her religion are attempting to serve and understand a small portion of that god's idea. She is aware that Nagakabouros is a mental construct based on human's limited perception and intellect—but it is an attempt to illustrate a greater truth (See Brahma vs Para Brahman for an example of this.)[20]
    • "Is what I'm doing god's will?" Is something she struggles with. That is her test of faith. She absolutely knows her god exists (in a way we cant). But is she doing what it wants? Is she serving its will? That is something her faith must bear. Nagakabouros doesn't give out bibles, or hard rules. It demands you to be self aware, emotionally present, and iron willed. Her faith requires you to approach you're own subconscious with simultaneous questioning doubt and total certainty.[21]
  • When Illaoi conducts a Test of Spirit Test of Spirit she rips only one of the Vessel's Vessel's many incarnations from throughout their lives.
    • She hits people with Nagakabouros idol (which she is stepping in in her splash art) too. For her and her religion it's a useful thing—built to last—objects and symbols are to glorify motion—they have no value outside of that. If it breaks it was meant to break and has reached the end of its use.

Change log[]

Character blurb
Added.

References[]

See also[]

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