They're all from either Ionia or Shadow Isles. I know the real life inspiration is that they're based on Japanese folklore, but in lore, is there a connection? I think Shen and Akali were based on Kalista, so I guess it's no surprise to see a Kalista version, but what about Thresh? Elise is based on a spider creature.
There is a bloodmoon festival in Ionia about spirits.
Shen and akali dressed up in their bloodmoon skins to retell a story about a woman named reina(akali played Reina,while Shen played the spirit that plagued her)
Thresh,Elise and Kalista are different however. Their blood moon skins show how they are depicted by the ionians during the blood moon festival,because they are only a myth in ionia.
The lore indicates that the bloodmoon lore is about an anciet battle of spirits. The chain warden and Kalista both have good ties to this concept, so I'm not surprised to see them in the set. As for Elise, she offers others to the great god and betrayed her past. She probably is ancient and has a connection to the old tales as well.
Well, not sure if Akali and Shen were based off Kalista, because Rioters said that Bloodmoon Kalista is how Ionians imagine Kalista from all the tales they've heard about her. So, Ionians might have heard tales about the Spider Queen of the Shadow Isles, and the spooky Chain Warden, and that's how they imagine them. Just my interpretation though. :D
From the sunset till the dawn the citizen of ionia face what they call “The Blood Moon” to cleanse their fears and woes.
The festival starts in the morning in the Serene Gardens. During the day the citizen can enjoy the local artists performance, shop from the vendors along the garden’s edge are filled with shops.
All the visitors can write on a scroll their woes and worries and hang it on the Great tree Branches.
During the night, Ionian citizens were treated to various musical and theatrical performances pertaining to Ionian history or legend.
As the sun starts to rise the scrolls are burned with magic fire. As the magic dissipates the sun shines in the sky and the soul are purified.
Essentially, the Blood Moon is a festival where citizens of Ionia tell tall tales, cultural myths, and local legends, among many other activities. Since Ionia is a conglomerate of various asian cultures, primarily Japanese and Chinese, it should come as no surprise spirits and frightening monsters are a popular subject of their stories.
Thresh is a malicious spirit that wanders the world stealing the souls of whomever he meets; many cultures have malicious spirits out for the oh so precious souls of mortal men, so it is natural for Ionia to have one of their own. Blood Moon Elise fits the depiction of a jorōgumo almost trait for trait. In short, the Blood Moon skins are representations of possible Ionian legends, perhaps how these champions would look if they were from Ionia to begin with.
