Anivia

Anivia is a benevolent winged spirit who endures endless cycles of life, death, and rebirth to protect the Freljord. A demigod born of unforgiving ice and bitter winds, she wields those elemental powers to thwart any who dare disturb her homeland. Anivia guides and protects the tribes of the harsh north, who revere her as a symbol of hope, and a portent of great change. She fights with every ounce of her being, knowing that through her sacrifice, her memory will endure, and she will be reborn into a new tomorrow.

Real name: Ysjarn (Ancient Freljordian) Alias(es): The Cryophoenix, The Frostbringer, Winter's Mother, The Undying Eagle, Goddess of Winter Species: Spirit God Age: At least 9998 years old Place of origin: Freljord (The Formation) Current residence: Freljord (No Fixed Abode)

Anivia is an ancient Freljordian demi-god who represents the eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth, intrinsically associated with the changing seasons. To those who venerate her, she is the elemental soul of the Freljord—a symbol of hope, and a sacred catalyst of change.

Stories passed down through the ages often tell of how she rewards those who are kind and humble. On the rare occasion a mortal glimpses her—or at least claims to—she is described as a noble spirit-bird of ice, with glittering wings that span the heavens, and a piercing cry that can be heard over even the fiercest storm.

The songs of the nomadic Notai tribe tell how Anivia’s birth first brought snow into the world. When she burst from her giant egg of ice, tiny pieces of it were hurled into the sky, and it has fallen as snow ever since. And, according to the sagas of the Mourncrow tribe, the frigid winds that scour the Freljord originate from the first beats of her wings.

Indeed, the full power of winter is Anivia’s to command, and to those who seek to desecrate her homeland, she is a bitter foe. When roused to anger, she can cleave fortresses and mountains, and her screech can summon blizzards cold enough to shatter steel.

One of the most enduring and respected beliefs is that Anivia’s greatest gift to the Freljord was the creation of True Ice. Infused with elemental magic, this unmelting substance is pure and potent, and the greatest seers and ice-mages have long strived to use shards of True Ice to amplify their might, while weapons that have even a tiny sliver forged into them are deadly beyond belief.

When mortals first arrived in the Freljord, Anivia welcomed them. Seeing that they could not withstand the cold, she guided them to secluded valleys where they could shelter, become established, and slowly harden themselves against the elements. She nurtured and watched over them for those first precarious centuries—and they, in turn, worshipped her.

Anivia hoped that these newly arrived tribes would remain unified in defending the Freljord from outsiders… but slowly, infighting and blood-feuds became all too common, making an invasion inevitable. According to legend, a greedy southern king marched his warriors up through the mountains, seeking to claim dominion over the northlands and shackle their wild magic for himself. So enraged was Anivia at the outsiders’ hubris and disrespect that she blasted them with a snowstorm that lasted a century and a day. Scattered standing stones can still be seen on the Scouring Plain, which the locals claim are all that remain of that ancient army.

Other tales include the Avarosan legend of Ulla Shatter-Spear, an Iceborn warmother who was favored by Anivia for saving a young hawk from a rimefang wolf. Across her lifetime, the Cryophoenix protected Ulla from harm, and when she finally fell in battle, having witnessed almost a hundred winters, it is said that Anivia welcomed her with wings spread wide.

If all these legends are true, then Anivia must have witnessed the rise and fall of countless mortal civilizations. While there are still some dwindling remnants of those earlier times, most have long been forgotten, and buried beneath millennia of ice.

But death cannot touch Anivia herself. The sagas speak of how she has been struck down and slain a handful of times throughout history, though she is always reborn—for as long as the Freljord exists, her soul is immortal. While it may be hundreds or even thousands of years before she rises again, each rebirth coincides with the dawning of a new era. Thus, her appearance, while regarded as a wondrous blessing, is often the harbinger of something terrible on the horizon.

Once, it is said, she sacrificed herself against a march of towering Balestriders. Anvia knew she could not slay these colossal creatures, and so she plunged into the ice beneath their feet, shattering her own body in order to entomb them.

Recently, some claim Anivia has hatched from the egg once more, and that she has appeared before the new leader of the Avarosans—the Warmother Ashe. In her, perhaps Anivia sees one who may be able to finally reunite the Freljord.

Yet if the Cryophoenix has indeed returned, as more and more shamans and spirit walkers proclaim, then it must be asked: what great threat has she come to face?

Appearance: Anivia is massive eagle-like creature composed entirely of crystalline blue ice. She also has a single fuchsia crystal on her forehead. Her egg form is an icy globe which glows with white magic and appears swaddled in a nest of icy spikes.

Personality: Revered by both the Notai and the Yeti of old, Anivia is seen as a benevolent guardian deity. In Freljordian legends, she has noteably be an advocate for forgiveness and unity among all of the Freljord's people. The Notai and the Yeti have been called her "children" by her brothers before, hinting at her more nurturing nature. She also advocates diplomacy before war, as seen when she advises her kin to work together with the Three Sisters.

While she is a peaceful being, she is not a pacifist. She has notably defended the Freljord from outside forces like Southerners who seek to claim the Vorrijaard as their own as well as Voidborn and the Watchers that created them, who threaten Runeterra itself. While she is unable to die, she is willing to sacrifice herself in order to save the Freljord from annihilation.

Spirit God Physiology: Anivia is an ancient divine being embodying an aspect of the world. In her case, Anivia embodies the concepts of ice, winter, changing of seasons, rebirth and hope in FrFreljordian culture. As a spirit god, Anivia is empowered by the belief of her followers and linked to the cultural concepts she embodies. Winged Flight: Anivia takes the form of a giant, majestic bird made of ice and snow with massive wings. Though these wings grant her the ability of flight, she may also use these wings to summon great blizzards as ice and snow constantly fall off of her wings. Immortality: As a spirit goddess, Anivia cannot age or die as long as the concepts she embodies and the Freljord itself still exists. Historically however, Anivia has been struck down in battle several times over thousands of years. Whenever this occurs, Anivia is sure to be reborn and emerge from an egg soon after, with her rebirth marking a new era for the Freljord. Ice Magic: As a powerful goddess of the winter, Anivia is linked to the elemental magics of ice and frost. Many legends tell of her immense strength and capability in controlling the winter. She is capable of summoning great blizzards, erect mighty walls of ice and is even believed to have created the magical substance True Ice. Empowerment: Like all spiritual Gods, Anivia has the ability to give parts of her power to her followers and all who worship her.

Passive: Rebirth - Upon taking fatal damage, Anivia reverts to an egg and is reborn with full health.

Abilities: Flash Frost - Anivia brings her wings together and summons a sphere of ice that flies towards her opponents, chilling and damaging anyone in its path, before exploding. Crystallize - Anivia condenses the moisture in the air into an impassable wall of ice. The wall only lasts a short duration before it melts. Frostbite - With a flap of her wings, Anivia blasts a freezing gust of wind at her target.

Ultimate Ability: Glacial Storm - Anivia summons a driving rain of ice and hail to damage her enemies and slow their advance.

Runeterra (“magic earth”) is a plane of existence composed of the physical realm—an oblate spheroid planet—and the Spirit Realm. Its known continents are Valoran, Shurima, and the Camavoran Continent, with vast waters including eighteen named seas (such as the Conqueror’s and Guardian’s Seas) and two oceans dotted with archipelagos like Ionia, the Serpent Isles, and the Shadow Isles. The planet orbits a G-type star with a natural moon, both mirrored in the Spirit Realm. Together, the material and spirit realms form a barrier between creation’s celestial powers and the abyssal forces seeking to unmake them, creating a magical world inhabited by diverse and extraordinary peoples.

Centuries ago, the rediscovery of the World Runes—immensely powerful artifacts possibly tied to Runeterra’s creation—sparked both curiosity and fear. Early experiments with them devastated entire nations, leading to the Rune Wars as rulers sought to wield their “Makers’ Might” against rivals. Amid the chaos, Ryze and his master, Tyrus, attempted to secure the Runes to prevent further catastrophe. After Tyrus’s fall, Ryze continued the mission alone, seeking to lock away every Rune beyond mortal reach.

Runeterra is home to numerous sapient species, from tool-using beings to entities capable of god-like feats such as forging stars. Some are monstrous and hostile, others peaceful or tame, and a few are plant-based rather than animal. While many non-sentient species are plants, much of Runeterra’s biodiversity remains undocumented. From the jungles of Shurima to the magical wilds of the Ionian archipelago, countless creatures are known only by name or sight, their true nature still a mystery.

The Freljord is a harsh, unforgiving land where survival forges warriors, and fiercely independent tribes follow ancient traditions outsiders often misjudge as savagery. Ages ago, the alliance of sisters Avarosa, Serylda, and Lissandra collapsed in a war that nearly destroyed Runeterra, plunging the north into chaos and unending winter. Only those seemingly immune to fire or ice are deemed worthy to rule.

Despite the Frostguard’s suppression, legends of old gods, yetis, and spirit walkers endure. Winter’s Claw raiders strike into Demacia and Noxus, while Ashe, queen of the Avarosans, gathers fractured tribes in pursuit of peace. But the omens are certain—war is coming to the Freljord, and none will escape it.