Let's talk Metal and Misery
Yeah, my Name's not just for show, I am in fact a Mordekaiser main, thus making this thread a long awaited topic for me to bring up to you, my dear Lore community, the subject being what defines the Master of metal, delving into his thematics, looks and Lore, trying to analyze every aspect of the Shadow Isles General before his hopefully soon(tm) Visual Rework.
Who Is Morde? We know absolutely nothing about his background, not to mention his goals, his Lore being vague and often simply shows us how ruthless and malicious he really is, not going into details about the character but rather showing us how he acts, a common trend in recent lore. So what DO we know? Well, first of all we know he's probably the reason the Shadow Isles were cursed in the first place, being possibly the first undead ever to walk on Runeterra, corrupting the Ruined King in his time of Sorrow. What we also know is that he's playing by his own rules, having his own agenda and not acting simply on what the Shadow Isle denizens desire. This is somewhat connected to the curse gripping the archipelago and every being unfortunate enough to having lived there at the time of the curse. His Lore and Background being vague is no problem at all, adding to his sinister aura, not knowing what he wants and who he really is. If we were to receive any new lore regarding the Master of Metal it should be about his involvement with the Shadow Isles and the Ruined King and not his life or unlife before the event that caused the Black mist. Mystery is a great thing but don't keep us in the dark forever Riot!
Thematics Mordekaiser IS metal, in every possible sense, but his far more than an over glorified Headbanger, he's also an enslaver of souls, fueled by Pain and an undead general, these four aspect being the pillars to what makes Mordekaiser who he is.
He's the master of metal, alright? But Metal's not only a style choice, no, it's his curse. See, he inflicts pain and suffering unto his enemies by the manipulation of the element of Steel and Iron but the Armor he wears not only protects him, no, It literally serves as an Iron Maiden, being fused to his body and tormenting his very essence as he not only delights in the suffering he causes but also in his own pain, the aspect of Pestilence from his older Lore being gradually turned into Anguish as his primary element. His gameplay already shows this by causing himself pain to deal even greater damage to his enemies, strengthening his defense in form of a shield as he inflicts immense damage on his opponents. This goes hand in hand with his Lore, making for great champion design as the Champion matches his description.
In his previous Lore it was being hinted at him having been a general or even a king in his previous life, due to his commanding voice and somewhat noble and imposing stance, giving him an air of authority. Him enslaving his opponents very soul matches this aspect of Morde perfectly as he's the one making commands, not the one being commanded. This is further underlined by Adam Harrington's voiceover, Morde speaking to the now retconned Summoners like he's the one pulling the strings and not the other way around. "If I must..." "So be it, Summoner..." "We shall see..." (You only have to click once, FOOL!)
Visual appearance Morde has to be big, he really has. Not sion level of gigantic but he has to look imposing, being a creature fused with metal. He has to walk around the rift like he owns the place, not strutting but marching like a conqueror through the ruins of a seized city, a flare of arrogance and authority accompanying him. His goofy proportions may seem silly but I for once think he should look inhuman to a degree, and no, I'm not talking about those pizza feet... He should have broad shoulders and be very muscular, his hands more like claws and his proportions somewhat resembling the stereotypical juggernaut but with more general/king like physique. As for his armor he certainly looks great in dark steel plates. The skull patterns on his joints, the spiked shell, the horned helmet and the ragged cape all matching what he truly is. What they could do is make it less cartoony and give him more detail, perhaps even making the armor look like a iron maiden to underline how it's hurting him, spikes protruding from beneath the armor, being like hooks tearing into his very essence.
But who am I to talk about Morde if there are others who envision Mordekaiser in a very different way than I do? So how about we all start theory crafting and discuss what in your opinion makes him who he is: The Master of Metal. Be it quotes you'd want to hear in his new voice over, references to metal bands and culture, appearance and so on, feel free to post them as I'd love to hear what YOU think about him.
