Mordekaisers' Third Reign
I've been looking into the motivations Mordekaiser might have with his third coming to the material realm. All in part of my attempts to figure out how the Black Rose, Trifarix Noxus and Mordekaiser fit together. I think I've sussed out what his plans might be using the following clues.
- The Convergence of Realms
Tome of Spirits? Binds Mitna Rachnun to the Spirit Realm. Mordekaiser searches for other artifacts and has stored them in the Immortal Bastions. For what purpose? Obviously one beyond simple conquest. He doesn't see the point in simply ruling over the masses just for its' own sake so now he must have some loftier ambition, but what?
Mordekaiser strides out of the great hall, toward the heart of his fortress, the centerpiece of his power and his machinations. Toward the relic that ties Mitna Rachnun to the mortal realm. Toward the place that gives the secret heart of the Immortal Bastion its true purpose.
Where there was nothing, Mordekaiser forged his own reality—a realm where all souls will soon dwell in eternity, never to fade.
Now, he holds the arcane secrets gathered over a second lifetime, wrested from the hidden and unknown places of the world. Few other beings can claim the mastery of spirit, death, and mortal magics that he holds. He will wield them to shape all realms to his iron will
- Higher Aspirations after every death
In his first life, he thought himself a great conqueror, befitting the eternal halls of his faith. How small, how petty, how mortal his ambitions were then! But where others accepted death as the end, he used it forge the beginning of his true conquest. And now… he can hear and understand every whisper of this realm with stark clarity. Now, the magic of death itself courses through him. Now, he holds the arcane secrets gathered over a second lifetime, wrested from the hidden and unknown places of the world.
- Dying the second time was part of his plans
And so, Mordekaiser was cast out of the material realm. However, unbeknownst to anyone, he had planned for this—indeed, it was a pivotal part of his design.
- Symbolically crushing his throne at Mitna Rachnun.
This is meant to represent Mordekaiser is Dissatisfied? Sees through the facade of Mitna Rachnun?
With a thought, Mordekaiser calls Nightfall to his hands. With a swing, he obliterates the throne. A squall of a hundred souls echoes in the great hall as they are released from the throne, dissipating into oblivion. Mordekaiser watches them vanish with grim satisfaction.
Thrones are for mortals encumbered by flesh and human exhaustion. He… is now far more.
- Greater interplay within the four realms of Runeterra.
Ionia was once a purely spirit realm themed region, but now with the celestial giants that the Vastayashai'rei fought in ancient times that is no longer entirely true. Mount Targon was once a purely celestial themed region, but now with Aphelios and the spirit phases of the moon becoming a part of the Lunari doctrine that is no longer the case. Riot wants to explore the theme of having multiple realms interact with each other without being mutually exclusive to one region or another. The lore is broad, but what most stories have in common is Runeterra being ground zero for all of these other realms, how people from Runeterra interact with the powers those realms provide (Rune Wars, Ruination, Ascension) and how the realms carelessly effect the people that live there (Watchers trying to blink reality out, Celestial tampering with destinies and faith in Mount Targon, The Darkin). Mordekaiser is more than just another brutal warlord, he is part of this greater story of realms.
I believe Mordekaiser wants to fold the Material Realm (Runeterra) into the Spirit World (Mitna Rachnun). Making them one and solving the dissatisfaction he found when simply conquering Runeterra and building an Afterlife afterwards.
The Immortal Bastion is the key to this. Mordekaiser likened it to the Tome of Spirits keeping Mitna Rachnun tied to the material realm. Perhaps the Immortal Bastion is itself designed (or houses a similar contruct within) capable of accomplishing the same feat on a massive scale?
