Champion backstory

Qiyana

Empress of the Elements

Read the backstory Abilities and gameplay guide

3Story chapters

1Story connections

1Named place connections

The person behind the champion

A story to start with

In the jungle city of Ixaocan, Qiyana plots her own ruthless path to the high seat of the Yun Tal. Last in line to succeed her parents, she faces those who stand in her way with brash confidence and unprecedented mastery over elemental magic. With the land itself obeying her every command, Qiyana sees herself as the greatest elementalist in the history of Ixaocan—and by that right, deserving of not only a city, but an empire.

Short biography by Riot Games · Data Dragon 16.20.1

What shapes their story?

Being born close to authority does not give Qiyana the place she believes her talent deserves. Her mastery becomes a way to challenge the hierarchy from within, tying personal resentment to the institutions she also wants to command.

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.

Riot Games · Regional world artwork
An exceptional daughter far down the succession
Qiyana grew up within Ixaocan's ruling family but far from the front of its succession. Exceptional elemental skill gave her a reason to challenge the place that birth order appeared to assign her.
Ixtal
Riot Games · Regional world artwork
Elemental brilliance becomes a claim to rule
Recognition becomes a claim to rule. Her confidence in commanding the land expands into the belief that no elder or sibling should stand between her and authority.
Ixtal
Riot Games · World artwork
Succession meets an ambition without patience
Qiyana treats elemental brilliance as evidence that birth order should not limit her authority. Ixaocan's isolation offers her a kingdom to claim, while the world beyond it suggests a larger stage. Her confidence in ruling others is not the same as their consent to be ruled.
Ixaocan Ixtal

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.

**Esoteric Knowledge**Riot Games · World artwork

**The Elemental Drakes**Riot 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.

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Known places and connections

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

Regional connection

Ixtal

Explore the regional timeline

More about the region

A secluded civilisation whose elemental magic keeps outsiders at a distance. Behind the wilderness is a sophisticated society shaped by inherited knowledge, exacting trials and the authority of the Yun Tal.

Hidden city

Ixaocan

Ixtal's hidden city joins architecture with elemental disciplines. Its cardinal arcology contains the Vidalion, where an initiate accepted into the Yun Tal receives magically woven garments.

Explore this place

Another perspective

Stories to read next

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

Milio

The Gentle Flame

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Skarner

the Primordial Sovereign

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The character, in detail

Champion artwork

Explore the wider settingIxtal

The story beneath the scenery

What makes this place matter?

Ixtal's apparent wilderness conceals a sophisticated elemental civilisation. Ixaocan and the Yun Tal offer a starting point for its institutions, while champions from the surrounding jungle reveal lives outside that ruling structure. These connections do not make every jungle inhabitant a citizen of the city.

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.

**Ixaocan**Riot Games · Runeterra world map

**Mastery Over the Material Realm**Riot 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.