Who they are
Udyr was born with a connection to all spirits at once and spent years learning to control it. He trained in Ionia before returning to help the Winter's Claw.
He serves as shaman and guide, seeking balance between inner harmony and the conflict the Freljord needs.
Their story belongs to The Freljord and also touches Ionia. Three tribes, one frozen land, and something sealed beneath the ice.
Their story, step by step
- Step 1
Hearing every spirit
Udyr was born in the Freljord under a blood-red moon with the ability to hear all spirits at once, which no earlier spirit walker had borne. When the Frostguard attacked his tribe, his grief and rage set off an avalanche that destroyed the attackers. He then wandered alone for years.
- Step 2
The Winter's Claw
After helping Winter's Claw warriors against a beast, he was brought by warmother Hejian to train beside her daughter Kalkia. Diseased wolves later drove him into madness and he nearly killed a child. Hejian restrained him and banished him. He lived in the mountains, and even after the ban was lifted he stayed away, swearing to protect Kalkia and her people from afar.
- Step 3
Ionia
The blind monk Lee Sin came to him for help with dragon spirits. After an even fight, Lee Sin invited him to Hirana Monastery in Ionia. They became close friends, and Lee Sin gave him a blindfold as a reminder of self-mastery. When his powers stopped growing, Udyr went home.
- Step 4
Mentoring Sejuani
He returned to a Freljord split between Avarosans seeking unity and the Winter's Claw. He counselled his old tribe and met Kalkia's daughter Sejuani, who came to trust him, and he became like a father to her. At Winterspike he faced a tiger spirit of his own rage and found that accepting his anger worked better than denying it.
- Step 5
Volibear
The Seal Sister tested him and gave her blessing. When famine hit, Sejuani proposed an alliance with the Ursine under Volibear. Udyr distrusted the god and, frozen by fear, offered war dead when Volibear demanded a sacrifice. He still arranged the alliance. After seeing the destruction their combined forces caused, he vowed to protect Sejuani from Volibear and withdrew to strengthen his will.
Turning points
- Unleashed an avalanche on the Frostguard as a child
- Trained in Ionia with Lee Sin
- Accepted his anger at Winterspike
- Vowed to shield Sejuani from Volibear
Where their story stands now
Udyr is the strongest living spirit walker and serves as the Winter's Claw's shaman and Sejuani's oathfather. He still struggles to keep the voices inside from overwhelming him, and his vow to guard Sejuani puts him against Volibear. He believes the Freljord needs conflict, which may clash with any path to lasting peace.
Who they are tied to
- Sejuani →Udyr mentored the young warmother until they were as close as father and daughter, and he vowed to keep Volibear from claiming her.
- Lee Sin →Lee Sin sought his help with dragon spirits, then brought him to Ionia and gave him a blindfold as a token of their friendship.
- Volibear →Udyr distrusts the Storm Bear and only reluctantly helped arrange the alliance Sejuani wanted.
- Ornn →Udyr draws power from Ornn among other Freljord spirits and respects him far more than Volibear.
Where this fits in the story
- The Freljord · step 1
The Watchers and the Iceborn
The Watchers, beings from the Void with no form of their own, turned humans of the Freljord into immortal Iceborn who served them and prepared the world for oblivion.
- The Freljord · step 2
The three sisters
Avarosa led an Iceborn rebellion against the Watchers, and her sister Lissandra wove a spell of True Ice that entombed them beneath the Howling Abyss. Lissandra paid for it with her sisters and now watches the seal.
- The Freljord · step 3
Ornn and Volibear
Demigods shaped the early Freljord. Ornn, the craftsman, withdrew after his conflict with the storm-god Volibear ended the Hearthblood civilization.
- The Freljord · step 4
Three tribes today
Ashe leads the Avarosan, who want a united Freljord. Sejuani leads the Winter's Claw, who follow raiding and tradition. Lissandra leads the Frostguard, who keep the seals. The True Ice holding the Watchers weakens a little more every year.