VRC.LOL

Champion backstory

Illaoi

the Kraken Priestess

Read the backstoryAbilities and gameplay guide
3Story chapters
1Story connections
1Named place connections

The person behind the champion

A story to start with

Illaoi's powerful physique is dwarfed only by her indomitable faith. As the prophet of the Great Kraken, she uses a huge, golden idol to rip her foes' spirits from their bodies and shatter their perception of reality. All who challenge the “Truth Bearer of Nagakabouros” soon discover Illaoi never battles alone—the god of the Serpent Isles fights by her side.

Short biography by Riot Games · Data Dragon 16.20.1

What shapes their story?

Testing another person's spirit is an expression of Illaoi's faith rather than a search for a captain's approval. Her role joins a living Buhru tradition with the turbulent port, giving movement and purpose a meaning beyond personal fortune.

Reading note by VRC.LOL
Read Riot's full biography ↗

Follow the story

Story timeline

Follow the main developments in order, then explore their consequences. Use each chapter's links to explore the people, regions and places involved. Artwork shows the character or wider world, not an exact reconstruction of each event; calendar dates are not assigned here.

  1. The Serpent IslesRiot Games · Regional world artwork

    A spiritual leader of the Buhru

    Illaoi is a Buhru spiritual leader whose authority comes from her service to Nagakabouros. The Serpent Isles provide the cultural setting for a faith older than Bilgewater's newcomer-built port.

    Bilgewater
  2. HarpoonersRiot Games · Regional world artwork

    The idol tests a person's motion through life

    Her immense idol lets her challenge people's spirits as well as their bodies. A test is meant to reveal whether someone truly moves with life, rather than merely survives while refusing change.

    Bilgewater
  3. Buhru TempleRiot Games · Regional world artwork

    A test asks someone to move forward

    Illaoi's judgement concerns the motion of a person's life, not simply which captain controls the harbour. The people she tests must confront whether they are living with purpose. Her influence connects Bilgewater's public struggles to the older Buhru faith beyond the newcomers' port.

    Serpent IslesBilgewater

Story guide by VRC.LOL, based on the linked Riot stories. Older biographies and newer stories can differ; no exact date or current whereabouts is implied unless stated.

Picture the setting

A world behind the story

Official Riot setting artwork, not illustrations of these exact events. Open an image to see the complete composition.

Buhru TempleView full artwork
Buhru TempleRiot Games · World artwork
HarpoonersView full artwork
HarpoonersRiot Games · World artwork
Explore the wider region

People who shape the story

Relationships and allegiances

Discover the companions, communities and powers that matter to this champion. Each card explains the connection, rather than treating every nearby character as a friend.

Not everyone important to this story is a playable champion. The reading suggestions below are labelled separately from these story connections.

Follow the story

Known places and connections

Origins, journeys and documented events. A connection here does not mean this champion lives there now.

Regional connection

Bilgewater

Illaoi's role as a priestess of Nagakabouros connects her to the Buhru's island homeland and a culture older than the newcomer port.

Explore the regional timeline
More about the region

A crowded port in the Blue Flame Isles where hunters, smugglers and captains make fortunes. Opportunity rarely arrives without a price, and the surrounding sea has its own powers and legends.

Island homeland

Serpent Isles

The island homeland of the Buhru surrounds the port built by newcomers. Illaoi's faith and the worship of Nagakabouros connect this older culture to Bilgewater's champion stories.

Why this place mattersIllaoi's role as a priestess of Nagakabouros connects her to the Buhru's island homeland and a culture older than the newcomer port.
Explore this place

Another perspective

Stories to read next

Continue with related characters, regional stories and other perspectives on the same themes.

Fizz

the Tidal Trickster

Read backstory

Gangplank

the Saltwater Scourge

Read backstory

Graves

the Outlaw

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The character, in detail

Champion artwork

IllaoiClassic champion artwork · Riot Games
View full artwork
Explore the wider settingBilgewater

The story beneath the scenery

What makes this place matter?

Bilgewater's newcomers built a port among the older culture of the Buhru. Captains and monster hunters pursue their fortunes, while Illaoi's faith provides a very different sense of purpose. The harbour and the Serpent Isles introduce both sides of this setting.

Look closer

A window into this world

Official Riot artwork. The gallery includes the regional setting; not every image depicts this exact landmark. Open an image to see the full composition.

Bilgewater BayView full artwork
Bilgewater BayRiot Games · Runeterra world map
The Serpent IslesView full artwork
The Serpent IslesRiot Games · Runeterra world map
Life on the WaterView full artwork
Life on the WaterRiot Games · Runeterra world map
Buhru TempleView full artwork
Buhru TempleRiot Games · Runeterra world map
HarpoonersView full artwork
HarpoonersRiot Games · Runeterra world map
Sources and story contextOfficial stories, artwork credits and reading notes

Where the stories come from

VRC.LOL writes the introductions, reading notes and connections using linked Riot Universe biographies and regional guides. Short champion summaries use Data Dragon version 16.20.1. Longer histories link to the official story used; some champions currently have a shorter official overview.

What the pictures show

Artwork belongs to Riot Games. Scenery comes from Riot's Runeterra world map; champion art depicts the character. A regional illustration sets the scene when a landmark has no dedicated image. It does not show a confirmed event at that exact place.

A world still being written

Older biographies and newer adaptations can differ. These guides introduce connections rather than declaring a final chronology or a character's current whereabouts. Translations help you explore and may keep original proper names. Follow the official sources for full context.

Sources reviewed 18 October 2026

Explore Riot Universe ↗Open Riot's world map ↗