Rune Wars

''' Both Runeterra and Rune Wars owe their names to the most powerful class of magic ever discovered - Rune Magic. '''

Rune Magic uses several dozen symbols of an ancient language to draw power from the planet itself, making the power of a single spell theoretically infinite. Rune Magic is so devastating that the very landscape of the continent of Valoran was broken countless times, leading to anomalies like Plague Jungles, Freljord, and Shurima Desert. It's unconfirmed, but Rune Magic and Runic language is rumored to be the language of the gods - leading to the theory that the very world itself was created through the use of Rune Magic, spoken by the gods themselves.

When Rune Magic was rediscovered by the first summoners, The Rune Wars followed almost immediately as humans struggled to throw off the yoke of the gods. Predictably, the most powerful force in them were always Rune Mages, powerful wizards who could harness the power of that magic art.

Much has been lost over the centuries, but historians tend to agree that there have been five Rune Wars total.


 * Over 1000 years ago - First Rune War, humans gain Rune Magic and defeat gods
 * Roughly 800 years ago - Second Rune War, humans begin to battle between themselves, modern landscape is formed
 * Roughly 450 years ago - Third Rune War, less destructive, more sophisticated forms of Rune Magic are developed, modern city-states are formed
 * Roughly 200 years ago - Fourth Rune War, Demacia battles Noxus as war envelops the entire continent of Valoran, more city-states form, war ends in a stalemate
 * Roughly 50 years ago - Fifth Rune War, ancient and powerful Rune Magic is rediscovered, destabilizing the planet. The war lasts 28 years, ending with the creation of the League of Legends.

Though centuries appear to pass between Rune Wars, it is important to realize that the wars each lasted for at least decades, and in the case of the Second Rune War, a century and a half of constant warfare. Even the periods of so called peace between each Rune War can only be called "peace" by contrast to the Wars. In truth, these peaceful periods can only be seperated from the Rune Wars in that the use of magic was less common during those times.

Each Rune War is historically set apart from the others by a Heinous Act of War - a devestating attack using Rune Magic that killed and destroyed on a scale large enough to rekindle the ebbing flames of world war.

It is worth noting that the Rune Wars listed above have been limited to the continent of Valoran and its surrounding islands. Little or nothing is known about the lands that lie beyond the seas - any knowledge that once existed has been wiped from history. It is entirely possible that still more Rune Wars were waged on distant shores; it is just as possible that those lands have never been directly touched by its destructive influence.