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Master of Metal or Paladin of Pain? (Mordekaiser's Identity crisis)

Malicious Metal··12 votes·4,333 views

We all KNOW Mordekaiser but only few of us actually know him beyond the obligatory HUE'S and BR jokes. He has always been a character of conflicted themes and his rework managed to make him even more confusing in terms of Identity. (Besides it totally messing with his established Character but this is not a G&B thread) In order to truly tackle him as a character and allow Riot to make him truly fit that fantasy we have to take a look what exactly makes Mordekaiser who he is, disregarding his current kit since it has a million flaws but rather relying on his lore and general feeling of the character!

How delightfully painful! http://orig13.deviantart.net/d326/f/2015/204/8/6/mordekaiser_by_hoasind-d92i0xb.jpg

Mordekaiser's last connection to life is also his greatest weapon. PAIN. He thrives on it, be it his own or the one he inflicts upon others. It sustains him and empowers him to turn his own anguish into his biggest asset. It's such a crucial concept to Mordekaiser's character, going as far as to call it AS important as his manipulation of Metal. Thresh has his Souls, Hecarim got his precious War, Karthus worships death and Mordekaiser's affliction is to Pain and Suffering. It's hinted that he's in an endless state of torment due to his armor serving as a literal iron maiden to his very essence, constantly tearing at his very soul to torment his for all eternity!

He's a health based caster for a reason and it's one of the themes I believe is one of utmost importance to the Master of Metal!

I like my weapons how I like my Music....Heavy and METAL! http://orig04.deviantart.net/66c0/f/2015/264/9/f/_lol__metalkaiser_by_rookie141-d99pexl.png

Riot has vocally stated that they might just change the titles of some Champions so I fear for Mordekaiser losing his identity as the master of metal seeing that they even removed metal vfx from his abilities. DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT RIOT! You've already played Mordekaiser up as the goddamn Master of Metal, heck, all his abilities are Metal songs and this should remain so! He should get more Metal added to his abilities but I'm digressing. We all know what Mordekaiser's armor supposed to be; http://www.museumofman.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/blog_page_image/blog/iron-maiden.jpg

It's a torture device put onto him as either a mean to trap his wicked soul or as a punishment for the unholy deeds he has committed in his life and undeath. But they FAILED (Queue Tenacious D music) as Mordekaiser simply uses the very Metal of his prison and the pain put onto him by the ancient armor to inflict delightful anguish upon his enemies! He uses the object of his suffering against his opponents as a cruel mockery of the futile attempts to bind him in unlife. Metal is a great conduit for energy, be it magnetic, electric, heat so WHY NOT undeath and the very concept of Pain? He uses the Metal as a mean to extend the pain he feels and manipulates the element to inflict vicious wounds on his foes. It's magically infused material conjured by his Soul's prison, a testament to his cruel and sinister will, bound to bring about the very end of all life!

He should use Metal as torture devices similar to the medieval ones! Spikes of infused steel, shards that shred the very flesh off your bones, electricity and unholy energy surging through them (His color scheme should be akin to his current splash; Cold Blue/Grey and Reddish Hues)

So Riot, I beseech thee to assemble the troops and kick off a thread similar to Poppy's and Tarics. An exploration what truly dwells beneath that shell of metal is in order! Let our theories run rampart on the ever longer nights of the fall, building up to the unholy Harrowing!

~Malicious Metal, Kaiser of Morde

16 Comments

Sharjo3 votes

I imagined, from the rework that Morde's metal body is reacting to his abilities when it shields him. To kinda explain what I mean consider his armour being a reactive prison; it works constantly but when its subject begins to lash out and try to escape it redoubles its efforts to keep it contained. I thought that his use of more shadow isles esque vfx in his rework but retaining a shield was an indication of him being able to best the shield to a certain extent, with the health costs being the price he pays for trying to break free; it scars his very essence, while the armour reinforces itself, drawing back what bits Morde breaks off when he manages to use abilities to keep him contained.

In the grand scheme of things I imagined that Mordekaiser concocted all the bad stuff that led to the creation of the Shadow Isles in a gambit to both free himself and to also build up an army to serve his interests. I dunno, that's just the vibe I got. I really don't know what Riot's plans for the mighty lord of murder are.

Shénzhì1 votes

Interesting...

Mordekaiser's armor: Iron Maiden

  1. Early living Mordekaiser is locked away into torture device. [an Iron Maiden]
  2. The armor was enchanted to also lock his soul into it eternally. [down Egypt's Underworlds]
  • Shurima's underworld may also be Amumu's burial location.
  • Shurima's underworld becomes Azir's summoned pets.
  • Shurima's underworld may also be the Tombs (0:39s).
  • Xerath (Ascended), the 'architect of Renekton's torment'.
  • early Xerath (not Ascended), the 'architect of Mordekaiser's torment'.
  1. ??? (montage)
  2. Mordekaiser and his assistants create an environment to mimic and confuse armor's magic in attempt to free his soul.

The Shadow Isle was created. He realized escaping his armor would only transfer his soul from a prison cell to a prison yard. Mordekaiser had already learned to tolerate the pain and considered his options. Armor and extreme emotion anchored him into corporeal world permanently. In this moment, Mordekaiser saw an opportunity to rule again (in ancient Shurima he may have tried to overthrow).

Iron Maiden torture chambers. I think these things are a common reference to ancient Egypt. Maybe Mordekaiser could be from ancient Shurima! (1) Additionally, how can ancient Shurima suddenly know how to Ascend? There must have been experiments! (Zilean's time machine & Mordekaiser's armor all accountable to Xerath) (2) Additionally, Mordekaiser seems to hail over the Shadow Isle like a king. This could reflect on a new history of ancient Shurima, and so he was placed into a magical Iron Maiden forever from trying to overthrow Shurima emperor. (3) Alternatively, flip it all around for it to be tied to early Noxus instead of ancient Shurima. The previous hemomancers who reanimated Sion may have used pools of blood from Iron Maidens. [unlike the video]

Other Morde thoughts: [Vlad VU] Morde-Sion thoughts: [Interactions: Mordekaiser & Sion] The Curse; Facet of Ascendancy: [Shadow Isles is Reverse Shurima Theory]

Catastrop2 votes

Paladin of Pain is better to be honest. He's not really about Metal anymore as he is about desecrating souls.

Malicious Metal4 votes

He's both. He inflicts excruciating pain by utilizing the cold steel of his prison. A conduit for his unholy power. Physics!

Narasimha2 votes

You keep on saying that his armor is a prison. Where did you get that from? I haven't found anything to collaborate that. Hell, for all we know, he IS the armor. It could be the only thing tying him to the physical world, and serves as more of a need than a jail.

Malicious Metal2 votes

The west altar on the twisted treeline suggests him being a prisoner trapped in his armor. "Mordekaiser, are you also a prisoner?"

Also, some older lore I believe quoted that the armor might just be protecting those around him from what truly lurks underneath it.

GreenLore2 votes

Honestly I think "paladin of pain" sounds more badass than "the master of metal",but I think they should keep the metal abilities on mordekaiser.

And I think it should be possible to merge both identities together,as metal fits the whole "pain" thing quite good as well. I mean think about metallic spikes,blades and torture devices,honestly there isn't much that can represent pain better than cold steel.

Malicious Metal3 votes

That's what I wanted to achieve with this thread! People argue what makes Morde who he is and I have to say both Pain and Metal, the unholy union of the two, is what Mordekaiser's supposed to be! His dominion over Metal and Pain is his core Identity. Like Kindred would put it; Never one....Without the other! Both are essential for his character

Shénzhì2 votes
  • I like the concept of metal being conduit of undead energy. More or less like a wizard with a wand?
  • Title change: I'm ok with something better. Master of Metal .. nah. Never really liked it, honestly. It cuts his identity short.
  • I prefer that emotions are what keep undying spirits in the corporeal world. Others may phase in/out like Kalista? Mordekaiser's Armor: permanently enduring pain; permanently anchored in corporeal world. http://imgur.com/1PBtXnh
Ralanr1 votes

Hmm...why not the Paladin of Pain?

As for the metal, what if his abilities had a focus on CC that dealt damage? Spiked chains that could bind people or stuffing them into a makeshift iron maiden?

His core identity as a champion needs to be settled before his abilities can be made (or is it the other way around?)

Goodnight Nunu4 votes

Concept->Fleshing out core themes/Identity->Kit

This was utterly failed in the recent rework. Morde has always been a conflicted character in terms of an actual Identity. This kind of thread should have been the foundation for the rework^^'''

Catastrop1 votes

You know coming back to this post, I realize something. Mord doesn't have a Blade King skin(think Lissandra's Blade Queen), and that is deeply upsetting.

Malicious Metal2 votes

He lacks a Full Metal skin too! Blasphemy!

DariusDemiurge1 votes

I want both. As the strongest known specter of the shadow isles why not both.

Ralanr1 votes

So my friend/roommate (Who's a Mordekasier fan) and I had been talking about what our Paladin of Pain (I like the title) could have the works with his character. He's played a lot of Dota 2, and one ability that'd he like to see is something that punished the player for moving. So I thought of something where you can sacrifice part of your shrapnel shield to apply a DoT to enemy champions that amplifies the more they move.

Just a thought.

Silver3MMC1 votes

Stick with master of metal It is like champion history just keep it

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