TALES OF RUNETERRA: IONIAN
KARMA THE ENLIGHTENED ONE

Karma is the living embodiment of the ancient Ionian soul, which served as a spiritual beacon for every generation of its people. Her latest incarnation appears in the form of a 12-year-old girl named Darha. Raised in the highlands of the northern region of Shon-Xan, she is a tough and independent child, she has always dreamed of life outside her provincial village.

But Darha began to feel a strange look. The sort of judgment is so interesting—they feel like memories, but the girl wasn't sure what happened to her. At first, the problem is easy to hide, but the vision becomes stronger until Darha is sure that he has gone mad.

When he felt confident of continuing to be in the healing tent forever, a group of monks visited his village. They came from a place called the Lasting Altar, where the great leader of Karma had died a few months ago. The monks were looking for the next reincarnation, they believed he was among the villagers. They conducted a series of tests on everyone they met, but in the end they prepared to leave empty-handed.

As they passed the healing tent, Darha rushed out and chased to stop them. He cried, and told his vision, and he said he recognized the voices of the monks from the murmur in his head.

They immediately recognized the signs. That is their Karma. That vision was his previous life forcing his way in to fill his new container.

In that moment, Darha's life changed forever. He bade farewell to everyone he knew, and walked towards the Lasting Altar to learn from the monks. Over the years, they taught him to get in touch with his ancient soul, and communicate with thousands of previous reincarnations, each with a past policy. Karma always advises taverns and harmony, teaching that whatever act of evil has its own recompense, there is no need for the act of balasa.

But Darha questioned the principle, even when he himself became the Karma. Some of his followers were confused. How could he be possessed by the Spirit of Ionia, the most sacred manifestation of the First Lands, but disagree with his own philosophy?

It is true that this belief was tested when Noxus invaded Ionia. Thousands were killed as enemy troops stormed the main plain, and Karma was forced to face the harsh realities of war. He felt the potential of a great destructive power swell within him, and he was curious what use it would have to have such great power, if not used.

The voices of the past force him to remain in the Lasting Altar, to console his people and let the conflict pass. But, a much deeper truth forced him into action...

Karma was tormented to feel that, she could no longer hold it. He faced the Noxus commander on the deck of his warship, and unleashed a holy fury. It wasn't a single attack, but a well-measured attack—she obliterated her entire ship and crew in an instant.

Although many Ionians rejoiced at the sudden victory, the monk believed he had made a grave mistake. He had disturbed the spiritual harmony of his courtyard village, desecrated all who had carried the name of Karma before him, and soiled his own soul with his followers. Even if it meant a meditative life alone to atone for his sin, they forced him to stop further resistance.

Karma ordered them to be silent by raising their hands. Although he could still hear the voices in his head, it was the Spirit of Ionia in his heart that gave him guidance. He doesn't know if he has been chosen for his courage and determination, but Karma knows that sometimes harmony comes with great pay. Their world is changing, and true policy is not to reject that fact, but to accept it.

Although the war with Noxus was long over, there were still many Ionians who were very happy to face violence with violence, even against their own neighbors. Karma has vowed to guide as much as possible towards the path of enlightenment— towards peace if possible, to action if necessary.

***

KARMAS

REMEMBER ME

Watai twisted the jade ring on his finger anxiously as he stared at the monastery carved on the mountain slope. The Eternal Altar, home to Karma. He had not expected to find himself back here after all this time. The trip was painful in many ways, not least because his knee caused him problems. Taking a deep breath, he walked down the path, towards the small temple that marked the entrance to Karma's private meditation room.

His knees buckled as he reached the entrance, and Watai fell hard to the ground. This damned place . He learned to hate the Eternal Altar when he visited Jakgri about sixty years ago, after the monks called him. The memories carried pain as great as the fall. He fought to stand.

"Are you okay?"

Watai looked up to see a tall and beautiful woman offering his hand. Although he did not know the woman's face, he recognized the coat he was wearing with the Ionian twin dragons circling his head like a halo. Melia .

"I'm fine," said Watai rudely. "I have an appointment to see you."

"Welcome, traveller." The woman smiled sweetly, her dark eyes sparkling, as she clasped Watai's hand. "Here, let me try ..." Karma stretched her free hand and a pulsating green light surrounded her. Watai's skin was punctured - his light felt cold on his skin. The woman pulled Watai up. "What about that?"

Carefully, Watai tested his legs. Knee held. Yet seeing this new Karma using this power broke his heart. "I can stand up" he said, his voice tight.

Another woman looked at Watai with concern. "Are you sure? You don't seem to—”

“My legs are fine, The Enlightened One ,” snapped Watai, pulling his hands back. "But your magic can't cure every pain."

He expects other women to look confused or upset, but Karma instead looks calm.

Watai and Karma stared at each other for a long time. “Is there anything else I can help you with?” Karma asked, not unfriendly.

Watai took a few moments to calm down. “My defeat occurred before the war.” He raised his hand. "Do you know this ring?"

Karma's gaze turned to the jade ring and she flinched. "Yes. I gave it to... No. gabe. She's she? He gave it to someone.” He closed his eyes, covered them with his hands.

Watai knows from his time with Jakgri that Karma is concentrating hard, trying to access memories that do not belong entirely to him. "It's okay. Take your time."

Sixty years ago, Jakgri asked Watai, his fiancee, to accompany him on a journey to the Eternal Altar. Watai, who has never traveled outside the village, is excited to see more of the world. Maybe that's how their lives are together from now on. So Watai and Jakgri set out together on a two-month journey to the monastery.

You'll love it here Jakgri exclaimed. His smile was burning in his mind. I know it's far from our village, but we'll have carpenters grow many bedrooms in our home for your family when they visit. We will live together in the city outside the monastery. Isn't that beautiful ?

But the life they dreamed of together didn't happen. Watai quickly discovers that he can't be so far away from his home and family and remains happy. But Jakgri's path brings him here—there's no way he can come back. He has a duty to fulfill. So he travels back to their village alone, still wearing his ring, never expecting to return. Never expected to see her Karma again.

Finally, Karma's hand fell to the side as her eyes opened. His iris glowed the same green as Jakgri had when he spoke with countless voices in his mind. His past life, now his. Karma blinked and her eyes faded to normal.

“Watai?” There was doubt in his voice, fear that he was wrong.

But he didn't. “Oh, bless those spirits,” Watai said as he wiped away the tears before he could fall. “I'm not sure if Jakgri.

“She and she don't. Her memory is mine, but..” She fell silent, suddenly embarrassed.

That's just fine. That's enough. Watai stared straight into Karma's eyes, hoping Jakgri could see through those eyes. Watai wanted to let go of the burden of his heart before he died regretfully. “I'm sorry, Jakgri. I wish I could stay here with you, or you could come back home with me. Hope you can find someone else to love. I don't like to think of you alone.”

He took off his ring and placed it on Karma's palm, closing the woman's long fingers around him.

“ No.” Many voices spoke as one, Karma's eyes shining with the soul of the past once again. “ Jakgri loves you until the end of his life. His only regret being Karma is that he cannot share his life here with you. But he was never alone. He always had the spirit of Ionia with him .” He extended the ring to Watai. “ He wants you to save his ring, if you still want it .”

Under Karma's watchful gaze, Watai slipped the ring back onto her finger. It felt right, because he had never loved anyone else either. "I love you, Jakgri," he whispered, shaken but elated. "I love you."

The dark-eyed karma looked back at Watai. "I'm sorry. It never lasted long.”

Watai nodded, his throat choked. "thank you. For this."

“I should be thanking you, Watai.”

"Why?"

"He hasn't spoken to me yet" he murmured. “Not since the attack. He was disappointed, then silent. Many years without the voice of Jakgri, without the wisdom of Karma that came before me.” He held Watai's hand with a sudden intensity. "Thank you for bringing him back to me."

Karma—or Darha, once he introduced himself—asked Watai to stay a few days longer at the Abadi Altar. Perhaps together they could start to heal, as one of them bid farewell to Jakgri and the other welcomed him back.

As he leaves the meditation room, Watai sees a flash of moonlight in his ring, admiring his loyalty. Like his love for Jakgri, and his love for Jakgri, that love has remained faithful, unscratched and untarnished, for more than sixty years. Even when he died, when his bones were taken clean by the sky, this ring would still be there, a sign of the love they shared.

Through Karma, their love will last longer than life.

***