Shurima

File:Shurima landscape.jpg

Shurima Desert

Shurima Desert is an arid territory in the southern half of the continent. Many men have gone mad beneath the glare of the Shurima sun. It is also the location of the newly resurrected Shurima Empire, a vast civilization that bloomed millennia ago.

Ancient beings called the Ascendant originate from this area.

Lore

A thousand years ago, the glorious empire of Shurima shone like a second sun across the desert. After a flawed Ascension ritual, the gleaming capital city was reduced to ruins.

But an oft-repeated legend stirs in the desert of Shurima. The swirling sands carry rumors of the ancient emperor Azir, somehow returned.

Locations

There are 4 known locations in Shurima.

Capital

File:Shurima in the past.jpg

Capital city of Shurima

Once the center of Shuriman society; an oasis in the desert, it fell to ruins after Xerath's flawed Ascension. It has risen once again with the resurrection of Shurima's long lost emperor, Azir. The city was built around the ancient Sun Disc.

The Tomb of the Emperors

Deep in the city lies the Tomb of the Emperors. For the last millennium it has acted as the makeshift prison of Xerath and Renekton. It is guarded by the statue of a huge serpent. When the tomb opened the serpent came to life, impaling Cassiopeia on its fangs, its venom transforming her into a terrifying half-snake creature.

Oasis of the Dawn

File:Shurima Crest login screen.png

Crest of Shurima

Described as the Mother of Life, the oasis is located near The Tomb of the Emperors. After his resurrection, Azir brought a dying Sivir here and healed her in the magical pool. This act of selflessness allowed Azir to ascend and revive his broken city.

Shurima Wastes

The fallen empire has littered the dunes with ruins. A mysterious creature can be found wandering the the desert. Skarner defends the entrance to a realm deep beneath the Shuriman wastes; what he protects no one knows. Buried tombs also hold ancient secrets; Amumu rose from such a tomb; in another Ezreal claimed an Ascendant artifact of incredible mystical power.

Culture

The current inhabitants of Shurima's desert are mainly descended from the survivors of the fall of Shurima's empire. The origin of their culture reaches back to Azir's time, but has evolved as they eke out an existence in their harsh environment . Nomads such as Sivir practice tomb robbing and mercenary service. The people are also known to produce seers blessed with foresight. Malzahar was born with such abilities.

File:Shurima Army.jpg

Shuriman Army summoned by Azir after Shurima's resurrection

In ancient times the Sun Disc produced heroes called Ascendants in times of direst threat. These were merely considered legends until recently.

Military

Shurima had a standing army before it fell. When Azir returned he summoned a vast army at his command. The soldiers, though made in the image of their predecessors, are constructs of sand and are not sentient.

History

A Dire Threat To Ancient Shurima

The Sun Disc was ancient long before the pinnacle of the Shuriman Empire. Nasus and Renekton knew of its power, and used it to ascend in order to face a dire threat from mysterious beings.

Ancient Darkin Influence

File:AAMIR Urn.jpg

The Shuriman urn picturing the dark figure

“	"I found this urn in a tomb there. From the look of the place and some of the carvings on the walls, it was the final resting place of a great Shuriman warlord who led a battle against impossible odds. He and his men should have gone out in a blaze of glory, but somehow, they won. Just a handful of warriors defeated thousands of enemies who rose against them. It's no wonder they'd immortalize that kind of victory on the walls of a tomb, but what is this dark figure doing on the urn? What part did he play in this battle? I just don't get it".
	— Ezreal

Fall of the Empire

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"In ancient Shurima, young emperor Azir was persuaded by Xerath, his magus, to attempt the fabled Ascension ritual – despite ancient warnings to do so only in times of direst threat."

"Azir’s hubris proved disastrous. As the Sun Disc focused the dawn rays into a transformative beam, Xerath betrayed Azir, shoving his emperor aside and stealing its power for himself."

"In an instant, Azir was obliterated – and Xerath remade as a spectral being of pure, malevolent energy – as the city around them was swallowed whole by the desert."

" Nasus and Renekton, Ascended heroes of Shuriman legend, sensed in an instant that something had gone terribly wrong and rushed to the Sun Disc. They hurled Xerath into a chained sarcophagus – but the magus shattered it into shards."

"Renekton dragged Xerath into the Tomb of the Emperors and shouted to Nasus to seal the door. With a heavy heart, Nasus entombed his brother with a madman in the buried ruins for all eternity.

Or so he believed…"

Descent Into the Tomb

“	"The tragic fall of Shurima was nothing comparing to the tragedy of its rise from the grave. In a market at the edge of a desert. A stranger appears. Cassiopeia, a noblewoman from Noxus looking to hire a guide to take her to the fabled lost city. But not just any guide, she hires a owner of a legendary blade, the mercenary called Sivir. Sivir gathers her band of sell-swords and set out in to the desert to find the very bones of Shurima. Five days beneath the broiling sun a scout spots towers juddering upwards and a stairway leading underground. They climb down, into the darkness. Ancient treasures gleam in the torch-light, even Sivir is astonished of the grandeur of the ruins. Her men head deeper in only to stumble into traps and be eviscerated. Sivir is stunned with horror, but Cassiopeia does not flinch. She sees only the statue of a huge serpent silently guarding the door to the tomb of the Emperors and smiles. The ancient weapon is a key. Cassiopeia betrays Sivir. She picks up Sivir's blade, puts it into the lock. The guardians curse is triggered. The stone serpent comes alive, impales Cassiopeia in its jaws - the venom sears her flesh like acid. The Tomb door opens. Renekton emerges, the brother I loved and locked away, twisted beyond insanity, followed by Xerath, an architect of his torment. My failure is complete. Sivir drags herself away, life blood flooding from her wound and then succumbs to darkness..."
	— Nasus

Rise of the Ascended

Azir, the Emperor of the Sands

“	"As Sivir lies betrayed and bleeding, something incredible occurs. For though she does not know it, Sivir is the last in the bloodline of Azir, Shurima’s lost emperor. And as her blood soaks into the ancient sands, a deep magic sparks to life. Resurrection! First Azir’s mind, then his body. Snatched back from oblivion to be reborn. Then he sees Sivir, wonders at her face, he sees himself in this daughter of Shurima. In that moment, he has no thought of empires or rituals. He only knows: she needs his help. He must take her to the Oasis of the Dawn - the Mother of Life. He smells the waters - smells of life. He prays he is in time. He does not dream that he, Shurima’s greatest emperor, can at long last earn his Ascension and bring back his broken city. He dares not dream that if he can save her...Azir can save them all."
	— Nasus

The Sands have shifted

Shurima is resurrected, and Runterra's future is forever altered. Xerath and Renekton have been unleashed from the Tomb of the Emperors. Nasus, haunted by his brother's heroic sacrifice, is relentlessly pursued by Renekton in his mad thirst for vengeance. Bristling with power and resentment, Xerath plots to reforge Valoran in the fires of revolution. The serpent's curse is the terrible price of Cassiopeia's ambition, but it also promises a power she never imagined. Azir, Ascended ruler of a fallen civilization, envisions a new Shuriman empire, while his descendant Sivir, ever the mercenary, looks to turn the situation to her advantage. Shurima is a land of mystery... but some mysteries refuse to remain buried.

Trivia

Shurima's Pendant

• The speech Lissandra holds in the Howling Abyss mentions that Shurima had not yet been swallowed by the desert when the Frozen Watchers lived in Freljord.
• For some Valorans Shurima was an Atlantis-like myth. Others, like the current inhabitants of Shurima, knew it existed a long time ago but did not believe any "true" Shurimans remained. Renekton and Nasus were also stories for them.
• Shurima is described as a place that had a thriving culture, not only a strong military and a powerful emperor. It had a sense of personal identity with art, music, literature, trade, magical technology, etc. Azir's motivation to bring the golden light of Shurima to other nations neither was nor is for conquest; he truly believes that Shurima was the height of civilization, and could only continue to grow more wonderful.
• Although Shuriman, Malzahar isn't directly involved in Shurima's return. He has his hands full.
• The Ancient Coin, Nomad's Medallion and Talisman of Ascension are Shuriman artifacts.
• Sunfire Cape bears a Crest of Shurima.

Media

• Themes
• Videos
• Pictures

File:Shurima Crest (Ascension Game Mode) League Of Legends Login Screen With Music

Ascended Theme

Shurima Descent into the Tomb

Shurima Rise of the Ascended

Ascension – Gameplay Preview

The Terror Beneath

• Nasus glass mural
• Sivir at the Oasis of Life.png
  Sivir at the Oasis of the Dawn 1
• Sivir at the Oasis of the Dawn 2
• Azir before Ascending
• Azir Ascending
• Azir Ascended
• Old Shurima concept art
• Shuriman Crest.jpg
  Old Shurima Crest

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Champions

Champion	Ties
Azir, the Emperor of the Sands	Birthplace; Ascended being; Shuriman Emperor
Nasus, the Curator of the Sands	Birthplace; Ascended being; brother of Renekton
Rammus, the Armordillo	Residence; travels across the Shuriman desert
Rek’Sai, the Void Burrower	Residence; largest and most feared of the Xer'Sai
Renekton, the Butcher of the Sands	Birthplace; Ascended being; enraged brother of Nasus
Sivir, the Battle Mistress	Birthplace; mercenary, sole living descendant of Azir
Skarner, the Crystal Vanguard	Residence; guardian beneath Shurima
Xerath, the Magus Ascendant	Birthplace; Magus to the Emperor; Ascended being

Associated Champions

Champion	Ties
Aatrox, the Darkin Blade	Aided a Shuriman warlord in ancient times
Amumu, the Sad Mummy	Awokened from an ancient Shuriman tomb
Cassiopeia, the Serpent's Embrace	Hired Sivir to raid the Tomb of the Emperors; transformed by a Shuriman curse
Ezreal, the Prodigal Explorer	Discovered a magical artifact in a Shuriman tomb
Kassadin, the Void Walker	Presumed birthplace; leader of the "Preservers"
Malzahar, the Prophet of the Void	Birthplace; Shuriman seer; leader of the "Cult of the Void"

References

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