Volume 1, Issue 26
Formare Veneficius Est Formare Fatum
4 August, 21 CLE
Kalamanda to Become Field of Justice
Mining grounds discovered salvageable, construction underway
Just days after the League’s unprecedented intervention against Noxus and Demacia’s war in Kalamanda, a portion of the magically contaminated region has been found to be salvageable and will be re-purposed into an official Field of Justice. As construction begins, representatives from Noxus and Demacia have arrived at the Institute of War to negotiate a resolution to their ongoing conflict.
During the League’s evaluation of Kalamanda this weekend, surveyors discovered that the mining grounds, located between the two nexuses unearthed last year, had suffered far less damage than the surrounding village. “We believe the Nexuses absorbed and stabilized a great deal of the magic that would have otherwise rendered the mining grounds as uninhabitable and unstable as the rest of Kalamanda,” said Master Summoner Randall Portero, Lead Field of Justice Surveyor for the League. “It will be an enormous task, but we can bend what magic remains within the area to power a Field of Justice.”
The decision was announced late last night by High Councilor Heywan Relivash at the Institute of War to a gathered group of summoners, refugees, and city-state representatives.
“After the dire events of last week, we believed Kalamanda lost to us, doomed to remain a stain upon the landscape and the history of Valoran. Through this initiative, we may reclaim Kalamanda. We may transform a shattered warfront into a place for political resolution without direct conflict. This Field of Justice will stand a symbol of prevailing peace and a reminder of why the League of Legends exists.”
Those gathered for the announcement responded in great favor to the initiative. “While the people of Kalamanda mourn the loss of our home, what happened there must never be forgotten,” said Mayor Anson Ridley, speaking for the town’s displaced refugees.
As League surveyors, masons, and artificers begin construction in Kalamanda, Noxian and Demacian ambassadors continue negotiations at the Institute of War. King Jarvan III arrived to represent Demacia and, as no Grand General has been determined, Jericho Swain represents Noxus. As of this morning, no resolution has come to light.
“The news of a new Field of Justice is heartening indeed,” commented League Champion Kayle, who has presided over negotiations alongside the High Councilors, “but the threat of war still lingers in the halls of the Institute. This is but a momentary respite: we have not yet found peace.”
Our Forward March
Demacian Duty in the Face of Treachery
Those of us fortunate enough to have survived the wars before the League shall suffer no difficulty recalling the horrors committed by the Noxian war machine. These are undoubtedly painful memories for all of us, yet in the wake of the events in Kalamanda, we must again confront them.
Noxus left our families broken: the children of these wars grew up without mothers and fathers. Even twenty one years after the formation of the League of Legends, we still feel the sting of these wounds. We remember, too, that such wounds are not unique to Demacia alone. Our compatriots in Ionia faced near-unspeakable atrocities at the hands of Noxian soldiers and their reckless chemists. Remember the Freljordian tribes butchered in Noxus’ Pacification campaign in the north. Imagine the faces of their children standing among our own in Demacian orphanages, robbed of a peaceful life by warmongering villains who, if not for the unfaltering devotion of the Demacian army, would have poisoned the soil of Valoran with blood from sea to sea.
Some would place the blame for this war upon Demacia, claiming us hypocrites and conspirators. People of Valoran, know this: Demacia has once again heard the call of justice to strike down a state that would smile to see the people of Valoran on their knees. We follow the Measured Tread: “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.”
Citizens of Demacia, do not falter in your convictions: when Prince Jarvan Lightshield IV raised his spear against General Jericho Swain, he did not do so to begin a war. Our prince, in proud Demacian tradition, took arms against a state that wears the skin of a sheep to hide wolf’s teeth. We strike to sever Noxus from Valoran like a diseased limb. Never again will we allow the insatiable bloodlust of the Noxian army to gnaw upon the peace provided by the League of Legends: at Noxus’ every step, Demacia will hold the line—for justice and for peace.
Demacia: now and forever.
Noxus Cries Havoc!
City-State in Uproar in Wake of League Intervention
While a history draped in the glory of combat has hardened the citizenry of Noxus with the expectation of loss, we stand in the wake of a truly unprecedented event in our proud nation’s history. Never before has a General of the High Command been struck down so cruelly or senselessly. Our ancient rivals – having stooped lower than ever in their thirst for our blood – have awakened in us a rage beyond comprehension. Day and night, the howl of our citizen soldiers can be heard echoing through the streets and alleys amid the drums of war and the sharpening of blades. The forges shall burn long into the night as the war machine of Noxus turns!
While the High Council of Equity has, in their infinite wisdom, seen fit to intercede against us on behalf of these violators of the League’s peace, the people of Noxus remain defiant as ever. With our Eternal General Boram Darkwill struck down, we rally to the side of our esteemed council of commanders. The members of the High Command have put aside their personal vendettas for honor’s sake, instead focusing their efforts on a single, shared agenda: to revenge a wrongdoing against our Empire and the people’s pride that cannot be allowed to stand.
While our counterattack might be stymied by League intervention for the time being, they cannot change the resolve that beats in the heart of this defiant warrior of the Empire. Proclaiming our fervor unmerited, they would bid us do nothing while they squabble and debate over the right course. If this is an unjust war it is one begat through the hypocrisy of a state founded pretense of virtue, but the practice of treachery.
It was Demacia’s own crown prince that struck the first blow after our legions held their disciplined reserve following their leader’s assassination. The League’s accusations of warmongering are as slanderous as there are unfounded, and their refusal to serve justice against these self-righteous murders will not be soon forgotten within our hallowed walls. The time for discourse has passed. A storm is coming. And our memory is long.
Forever strong!
The Mailbag of Justice
Reader mail from all across Valoran - answered!
These past few weeks in Valoran have been tumultuous, dear readers. Summoners and citizens alike have written to us concerning the League’s controversial actions in Kalamanda, both in support and in furious dissent. Let it be known that your voices do not go unheard. Since the time of its inception, the League of Legends has been an entity tasked only with the defense of Valoran. The League is not a government, but its measures, even when drastic, are not above the criticism and dissatisfaction of the citizens we strive to protect. Citizens of Valoran, speak as you will, and the League will answer.
“I realize that the Journal of Justice is not, directly, the voice of the Institute itself. However, you are also those who are the most closely aligned with the Institute. As such, I would like to dictate an open letter to the High Council of Equity of the proud Institute I have served with such dedication.
You have betrayed my trust. The League was formed as an entity meant to bring peace and stability to Runeterra. A fine goal. However, in this most recent action, I believe that the League has presumed too much. You have risked the lives of hundreds of Summoners, destabilized an entire region, and destroyed a priceless magical artifact. You have risked the life and sanity of every soldier inside of this dark magic you have cast just as much as the war before it with the dark specter of Chrono-displasia looming.
And who gave you the right to make this momentous, hard-hitting decision? No one. You have spoken to no other authority save yourselves. You have not discussed this momentous cost and danger with any other city-state, for them to weigh in on the value of the lives of the Institute's finest or its artifacts, for other options to be put forth. This rash, costly action makes me fear for Valoran, which has put so much stock into the good judgment of this High Council. There was no magic in this conflict. The battleground had been evacuated. Those at risk wanted to be at risk. You had the time to come to a reasonable solution. I am disappointed.” – Mädchen, Summoner of Noxus
High Councilor Kiersta Mandrake herself offered this response to your concern :
“Every one of the summoners involved in the pacification of Kalamanda participated willingly. That aside, your concern is well-founded, but understand this: the contamination of Kalamanda is regrettable, but it is a necessary sacrifice for the safety of all of Valoran. Our concern was not whether or not the soldiers of Noxus and Demacia had utilized magic but the knowledge that any war will inevitably spread across the land.
The League of Legends, with the interest of Valoran’s citizens at stake, could not allow such a threat to remain unchecked.”
"I am certain that I speak for many citizens of Valoran when I say that I thank the League of Legends for the intervention in Kalamanda. Given her standing amongst the highest summoners of the League, I am curious as to what League Champion Kayle has to say about the situation, however. – Tourniquette
The Judicator has been heavily involved in overseeing the negotiations between Noxus and Demacia at the Institute of War. In response to your question, Kayle stated the following:
“The League of Legends has acted upon its primary reason for existence: to protect the citizens of Valoran. Noxus and Demacia acted in selfish and reckless disregard for the armistice established twenty one years ago. The actions taken against to cease their destructive engagement are just—I have seen firsthand what unchecked war can do to a people, and I can say no measure, however dramatic, is too severe to prevent it. All that remains to be seen is whether or not the truly guilty parties involved will meet justice as well.”
“Your recent breaking news article in the Journal of Justice regarding the forced pacification of the conflict at Kalamanda has brought some disturbing thoughts to my mind. The High Councilor is quoted stating "We are not a governing body, we are not enforcers, we are the collective will of the citizens of Valoran, and we demand a new future", and yet, I see very much enforcers of a will. Although this time the will of the League may match that of the Valoran people, can we always assume it will? Within the League now sits the most powerful artifacts and magicians in Runeterra. There is no balancing force. Who makes sure the League remains true to the wishes of her people? Even though the League managed to stop the fighting at Kalamanda, the area is now magically unstable- the same sort of magical instability that the League was created to prevent. It is a slippery road. Today's reasons may be just, but can we always say the same of tomorrow's?
These thoughts weigh heavily on my heart, and I would hear the words of any champion who would be willing to comment, although I am particularly interested in what the Kinkou, the self-proclaimed keepers of Balance, have to say about this disturbing turn of events." – F.E.
League Champion Shen, present at the Institute of War following the League’s intervention in Kalamanda, was able to offer a response to your inquiry :
“The Kinkou have reflected upon the League’s actions in Kalamanda a great deal. As the days pass, we focus upon one principle: order, often times, rises from chaos. To enact judgment upon the situation now would be to strike without true understanding, as it is the purpose of the League of Legends to maintain harmony within Valoran. Whether or not that purpose has been fulfilled remains to be seen. The Kinkou remain watchful.”
We’d love to hear from you!
E-mail comments, questions, etc. to: journalofjustice@riotgames.com
E-mail Ram Steed at: ramsteed@riotgames.com