Sharjo9 votesAlrighty! Most of these ones I put down are gonna be related to Skarner I feel but we'll see!
Skarner mentions "thousand spins" and "three turns" when referring to the passage of time, and it seems to give an indication of humans being around for a VASTLY shorter period of time than the Brackern, which I guess would make sense with them being almost elemental in origin they'd likely be one of the first organisms to appear in a world with as much magic as Runeterra. My question here is in relation to other species like darkin, targonians and humans, who've all been around on Runeterra for ages in some capacity, how ancient are the Brackern?
Skarner tried to communicate with the thieves in the general Brackern way, but was unsuccessful, so two questions: firstly, is Skarner incapable of communicating like humans do or is it just difficult/not a thing he'd like to do, and secondly how does the Brackern's form of communication work? Is it almost like a telepathic link connecting the Brackern to each other and the earth or something different?
When is "Greed and Tears" set? Because given the rumors and speculation in the lore about Amumu, I'm inclined to believe it's set a long, long time ago.
Given the fact that the Rune Wars have been mentioned once again for the first time in YEARS, is there anything you guys can tell us about them? I imagine the specifics aren't up for discussion but are there any broad, sweeping things you could say about them? Like a general estimate as to how many there have been?
Alright that'll be it for me at the moment. Thanks for doing these stories and, to the fellow who wrote Skarner's colour text; it's one of the best if not the best of any I've read so far, so kudos to you on writing such an awesome piece!
RiotJellbug9 votesHey Sharjo!
You're right, the Brackern are VERY old. They've been around far longer than humans, and because of their long life they experience time in a very different way than most other beings. As to whether they're older or younger than other species, I'm not sure!
Skarner certainly had trouble communicating with humans. The Brackern use their life stones to communicate telepathically by sending raw emotion, images, and thoughts into each others minds in a kind of melody. That's part of why Brackern without life stones cannot communicate as well with their species. Skarner has never spoken in any other way, so he doesn't understand the human tongue, at least not yet. By the end of "Dreamsong", he does learn to understand (and speak) their language of violence.
I think "Greed and Tears" could have happened at almost any point in time. It depends what you believe what happened to Old Khaldun's arm :)
The Rune Wars were absolutely catastrophic for Runeterra and many of its inhabitants (including the Brackern). I certainly hope to tell more stories about what exactly went down in the future.
WarlockLaw8 votesSo are we never going to get a definitive answer on who Amumu was when he was alive?
Riot Tiger Lily17 votesFor me, Amumu is like a fairytale, his story passed down from generation to generation, twisting and turning along the way. If I knew exactly who he once was, my imagination wouldn't conjure him as an excuse for an item gone missing or a lesson to be heeded, reminding me to cherish my loved ones or be generous with a stranger. I like that he can be anything from a warning to a threat, the thing that goes bump in the night or a guiding voice on the wind if you listen closely.
Gandlos8 votesWith most of the storys up i questioned myself if we will get some more lore around the connection between all these characters. We were told that we would get some. For example between Nasus and Sivir. Also what about connections with Skarner?
RiotDinopawz13 votesWith all that's happening in Shurima, the stories of each of these characters are, I feel, bound to collide, overlap and clash at some point.
Zenthon Prime7 votesWhat drove Xerath to go basically mad with power and become completely evil (manipulating Renek, etc.)? Prior to him getting locked up, he didn't seem like a great guy but at least felt regret over killing Azir.
If the League isn't around in the new lore, what's preventing another Rune War?
RiotDinopawz18 votesXerath was tipped over the edge when the maddening promise of freedom that was dangling over him all his life (after meeting Azir) was never realised. Everything he did - heinous as his acts of murder were - were all done out of a twisted sense of loyalty to Azir. The young emperor was, in his mind, his friend, and he did what he could to protect him, even if that meant doing horrible murders along the way. So it was when, even after all this, freedom still wasn't his, that was the final straw for him...
What indeed...?
Zenthon Prime6 votesWhat indeed...?
Ruh-roh, it be theorycraftin' time boys. Personally guessing something along the lines of Bard or a similar being/species acting as an automatic defensive system.
Sharjo6 votesI remember Jaredan mentioning the need for certain kinds of Runes on his AskFM, so potentially it's not a question of when a Rune war can happen, but when the necessary people get their hands on the right kind of runic magic.
DemonBoneJangles3 votes"He climbed to the great golden disc atop the temple at the heart of the city and in the moments before the sun priests began the ritual, he turned to Xerath and finally freed him. And not just him, but all slaves…"- from azirs story
So if this portion is true then your saying that either xerath didn't hear azir when he declared all slaves free or at that point he didn't care enough and wanted the power of ascension for himself
just seeing your thoughs since its in the sotry itself
Gwenavere4 votesIt says in the story that Xerath was touched, but that he had already gone too far with his plan to back off. With everything else in motion, he would have gotten caught if he had not gone through with the plan, and that wouldn't have gone well for him.
EROTIC RAID BOSS6 votesWas it difficult to write for any of the shuriman champs? Like trying to find what excites you about skarner for example?
Not really a question but usually bounty hunters and mercs, like miss fortune, are portrayed as overall good people, I liked that Sivir doubled down on her not so heartofgold morality
I gotta admit I'm worried that taliyahs bio won't cover as much ground on azir and shurima as id like, how much do you have follow up stories planned for shurima and other stories that were left ready for sequels? Ie gangplank/mf, jhins story
When you started doing these bios did you guys sit down with every champion to find the qualities that excited you or the story beats you were interested in or is the process more piecemeal or organic? How do you avoid writing 2 champs too similarly in terms of motivations or personality etc?
Lastly, do you guys already know where we're going after shurima? Any hints? Is it difficult to tackle large regions like ionia or demacia?
RiotDinopawz11 votesWhen we started off the Shuriman champs, we chose ones that already excited us, so it was pretty easy to get into that headspace to write them. I loved the interplay between Xerath and Azir and how their story was a tragedy of pride and vaunted ambition. And what's sad is just how easily it could have been avoided if hubris and bitterness hadn't got the better of them.
Yeah, I think it's absolutely fine to have characters who aren't good. We need a broad spectrum of characters in our champ roster, so having a character who is unashamedly 'morally questionable' is sometimes necessary. And though she might not have a heart of gold, I don't think Sivir is a 'bad' person. She's been moulded by the life she led and did what she did to survive and her ruthlessness came out of what was neccessry to survive as a mercenary.
Taliyah's bio covers what it needs to to tell her story, and though Azir and rise of Shurima is certainly part of her story, it's not the meat and gravy of it. And as far as following up previously released stories, such tales will be told in time.
I think that's just a matter of personal taste. Each of us gravitates to different things in a champ, whether it's a redemption arc, a revenge story, a love story or whatever. So it was pretty easy for us to divide up the work. It was a very organic, natural process and there weren't any pistols at dawn to decide who wrote what. As far as working out the stories, we each share our work as we go and talk a lot about what themes we want to hit, so it all comes together nicely as a team effort.
I don't know about the others, but after Shurima I'm going to Harry Potter's Wizarding world...
RiotJellbug19 votesHey Monando II--
I wrote Skarner's story, and it was definitely tricky at first to figure out how to make a ferocious giant crystal scorpion someone I would empathize with, but I eventually fell in love with the character. I tried to imagine how isolating it would feel to be the only member of your species awake - especially for a creature who depends on interconnectedness.
Ultimately Skarner's voice brought me through the piece. I wanted to make him sound very non-human, but also highly emotional and sensitive, so I used the compound words (e.g. dreamsong, longsleep, deepdark, skywhite) to try and convey the feeling of what Skarner was going through. Kinda in the way that Skarner communicates with his fellow Brackern through song.
Fasmodey4 votesWould Xerath explode if he didn't have sarcophagus? A rioter said his power goes beyond than a out of 10 scale, and hinted he would explode. Is it true? If it is, is Xerath aware of it? What would he do to avoid exploding? Even the most impotant one, can he avoid it?
And for this sin, Xerath had been punished with a horrible, maddening promise: Freedom. Unobtainable. Forbidden. Should the thought even dart through a slave’s mind, it would be punished by death, as the Ascended could gaze past flesh and bone, deep into one’s very soul, to see its dim traitorous glow. And yet, there it was, spoken by the young princeling he dragged from the embrace of the mercurial mother-desert. Azir, the Golden Sun, vowed that he would free his savior and new friend.
How couldn't Nasus and Renekton understand the real purpose of Xerath then?
RiotDinopawz17 votesXerath's power is a simmering reactor, hand-grenade with the pin half-pulled. He keeps it in check with his own will, his mental discipline (and possibly the binding chains and shards of sarcophagus help him, they were, after all, something that kept another vastly powerful being contained). The 11 comment was a Spinal Tap reference, not literally saying he's more powerful than any other champ.
I think someone with the power of dark magic would take steps to ensure his mind couldn't be read or if it was, it'd be read as having only benign, faithful thoughts.
The Ascension Ritual takes a long time and Xerath kept it going far longer than was normal (hence his body was all but obliterated...) so that gave time for Nasus and Renekton to get back (and a day for mortals, might only be a few hours for Ascended beings...).
Fasmodey2 votes
Xerath's power is a simmering reactor, hand-grenade with the pin half-pulled. He keeps it in check with his own will, his mental discipline (and possibly the binding chains and shards of sarcophagus help him, they were, after all, something that kept another vastly powerful being contained). The 11 comment was a Spinal Tap reference, not literally saying he's more powerful than any other champ.
I think someone with the power of dark magic would take steps to ensure his mind couldn't be read or if it was, it'd be read as having only benign, faithful thoughts.
The Ascension Ritual takes a long time and Xerath kept it going far longer than was normal (hence his body was all but obliterated...) so that gave time for Nasus and Renekton to get back (and a day for mortals, might only be a few hours for Ascended beings...).
Well does it mean he would explode without sarcophagus? Because your reference is exactly saying this. If it is like this, it means Nasus and Renekton saved him unintentionally.
Why couldn't Xerath fight with Nasus and Renekton in his Unbound form? Why did he fall to floor?
RiotDinopawz8 votesNot as such. I think the shards help him control his power and when Nasus and Renekton put him in it, they hoped it would seal him away forever. No-one had ever seen a being like Xerath before, so no-one knew what to expect or how to deal with it. Yeah, maybe if they'd just left him he might have just 'exploded' but how were they to know that, and what damage might that explosion have done, taken out the world...?
Fasmodey3 votesNot as such. I think the shards help him control his power and when Nasus and Renekton put him in it, they hoped it would seal him away forever. No-one had ever seen a being like Xerath before, so no-one knew what to expect or how to deal with it. Yeah, maybe if they'd just left him he might have just 'exploded' but how were they to know that, and what damage might that explosion have done, taken out the world...?
Do you think Xerath would learn to control all of his power and reach to his %100 potential? Without experience, it is unlikely. But Xerath seems like a super intelligent being, even when he was human, he became master of dark magic without anyone's help. He made plans and destroyed Shurima as slave, I think he is clever enough to know his limits and try to avoid the fatal ending.
Also, in two of his quotes, he says, '' I'm the will of man unbound by flesh '' and '' Emotions are only distraction. '' Does he still have a human mind? Does he have emotions like mercy, love (ofc not in the sexual way), hate, anger, sadness or whatever?
RiotDinopawz7 votesWith enough time, yeah, I'm sure Xerath could control his power, but time may be the one thing he doesn't have, what with Azir gearing up to fight him. I'm sure he does know how volatile his power is and is actively taking steps to limit this vulnerability. And, yeah, he is indeed prone to hate, bitterness, anger etc.... But any emotions would play much more towards the negative end of the spectrum...
rtbf2256182414 votesHm..it seems to bother me that Sivir has killed a lot of innocent people for money. Is that true? I mean in her story, she did kill a lot of soldiers with arguable moral outlooks but not sure if they got what was coming to them.
RiotJellbug14 votesHey LightTrack! You're absolutely right that Sivir has killed innocents. She's a morally questionable character.
She's a mercenary - she's killed lots of people to achieve a certain end, whether her own or the goals of those who hired her. She has no problem selling her sword for money, but she doesn't kill people needlessly. She always has reasons.
Papa Andrei5 votesI think "Morally Questionable" is being a wee bit nice :P
SpecterVonBaren10 votesShe's the dark and serious side of Chaotic Neutral.
Scarborough Fair4 votesIf Cassiopeia asked Azir for a favor, would he think about it? Afterall, she did free him. In other words: Would Azir forgive Cassiopeia for stabbing Sivir in the back because it caused his revival?
Riot Tiger Lily15 votesCassiopeia almost ended Azir's bloodline forever, with no hope of return. I doubt he'd be able to forgive her.
Breezes 4 votesI'm really curious about Sivir's connection to Azir. Who survived the destruction of the empire that had Azir's blood to pass down. Because in the text of Azir it said that he had multiple offspring with different people, and it also says that at his ascension ritual, when it all went bad, that his son who's on the brink of manhood and his young daughter were caught in the destruction. So does that mean that one of the multiple children Azir had escaped, was exiled or survive the down fall, lived? 
RiotRubinio9 votesHi Armed and Sweaty!
Yes, so it certainly seems all of Azir's legitimate children were killed in the destruction Xerath caused...but indeed Azir did have children out of wedlock and Sivir does carry Azir's bloodline so it sounds like you've hit the nail on the head!
Spection4 votesHi! Love the stories. The amount of work you guys put into fleshing out these characters is really palpable. Keep up the good work!
Is it possible that Renekton's mental trauma and the intense hatred brought on by it could be cured by some form of ionian healing magic? I'm thinking someone like Soraka or Sona might be able to have some positive effect on his condition. What are your thoughts on this?
How aware is Azir of the other prevalent city-states? If he is aware of these city states, does he currently have any plans for establishing relations with other nations? What type of relations might he establish?
Do you think Noxus might ever attempt an Ionian style invasion if they determine that Shurima has abundant natural resources to be exploited? Is Azir strong enough to counter a threat of this magnitude?
If given an ultimatum, would Azir ally with Piltover/Demacia or Noxus/Zaun? Why?
Does Azir have any plans for dealing with the void infestation?
What is the process for creating these stories?
Thank you!
Riot Tiger Lily10 votesThanks so much for reading! We're so happy you're enjoying the new stories!
Re: 6-- We try to be quite thoughtful when deep diving into these characters, considering the stories that have come before, identifying each character's core traits, while also imagining how they got to be that person and where the character might go in the future. While the main bio is a chance to understand how these characters were shaped and where they are going, the color text is a slice of that character's life in action where we get to walk a mile in their shoes and see the world through their eyes. Artists, writers, and editors work together to ask and answer all these questions, while always trying to remain true to the core and future of the character to shape their story.
RiotDinopawz7 votesHi! Love the stories. The amount of work you guys put into fleshing out these characters is really palpable. Keep up the good work!
Is it possible that Renekton's mental trauma and the intense hatred brought on by it could be cured by some form of ionian healing magic? I'm thinking someone like Soraka or Sona might be able to have some positive effect on his condition. What are your thoughts on this?
How aware is Azir of the other prevalent city-states? If he is aware of these city states, does he currently have any plans for establishing relations with other nations? What type of relations might he establish?
Do you think Noxus might ever attempt an Ionian style invasion if they determine that Shurima has abundant natural resources to be exploited? Is Azir strong enough to counter a threat of this magnitude?
If given an ultimatum, would Azir ally with Piltover/Demacia or Noxus/Zaun? Why?
Does Azir have any plans for dealing with the void infestation?
What is the process for creating these stories?
Thank you!
Hi Spection,
Thanks man, and these are good questions...
1 - I think Renekton is still in there, just somewhere deep down, and maybe he could come back, but only with the right motivation... It's touching how much people have the feels for Renekton's madness...
2 - I think Azir would view any nations and states that arose in his absence as upstart places he'd want to destroy or reabsorb back into the empire.
3 - I think Noxus already has a foothold in Shurima, but whether they'd ever attempt a full-scale invasion...maybe, if they ever decided there was worth to be gained by undertaking such a dangerous, costly effort.
4 - Maybe. Depends on what he thinks he could gain from it.
5 - Probably in time. It's like waking up to find your house is on fire and that there's rats in the basement. Which one are you gonna deal with first?
6 - Getting a bunch of writers together and thrashing out some ideas, then dividing them up between the team.
Tamuut4 votesWhat would have happened if Nasus was locked in with Xerath instead of Renekton? Would he have been able to retain his sanity, or would he turn out like his brother?
RiotDinopawz11 votesWhat would have happened if Nasus was locked in with Xerath instead of Renekton? Would he have been able to retain his sanity, or would he turn out like his brother?
Hey Tamuut,
Good question.... I suspect Nasus might have held out longer than Renekton, but that he'd have broken eventually. It was Renekton's passionate nature that saw him make that ultimate sacrifice, so I'm not sure the more scholarly Nasus would have made that call... yet another reason for him to feel guilty for shutting his brother away. And what torments Nasus as well is not knowing whether he'd have held out or not...
RiotAnt in Oz12 votesHI Tamuut, Huh, that's a good question. Who knows. Nasus is much more cerebral than his brother, and Xerath seemed to prey on the worst aspects of Renekton, so I don't imagine Nasus would have turned out quite the same. Having said that, I'm Xerath would have done a number on him as well - it would probably just have manifested in a different way.
Jeddy0173 votesHas Sivir ever done work outside of Shurima?
.......I feel like I should post more question, but I know most of them are the "no no,can't answer" question. So I'll just drop that simple one here.
RiotJellbug7 votesIt's possible - Sivir certainly would work for those from outside Shurima. She would have no moral quandaries, as long as they pay well. That said, since Shurima is such a large place with many in want of mercenary and treasure hunting assistance, she rarely has a hard time looking for work locally.
Padillac13 votes-Is Xerath planing to create a rival empire in order to start a war?
-Is it true that Xerath is the emperor of a new epire?
-If an ascended met Ammumu, whould he die?
RiotDinopawz11 votesI think Xerath wants what he never had while a mortal, he want to take Azir's empire and become master of all he surveys...
I think that's the story that's going ahead of him, and given that he's likely already gathered warriors to him, it's not a bad comparison.
Who knows? Perhaps Nasus might be immune...
Stars Shaper3 votesIsn't it a lot out of character for Xerath to want to become a ruler?
Wouldn't it be more fitting for him just wanting to destroy the arisen Shurima?
Will Xerath be able to "redeem" himself in the eyes of Ascension (and make Guardian of the Sands Xerath skin sort-of-canon)?
RiotDinopawz7 votesI think that's part of Xerath's tragedy, that in his assumption of power he's become the very thing he hated...
As to him being redeemed...? I think he's gone too far for that and done too many horrible things, but he might have a moment of clarity towards the end of his arc that sees him at least maybe regret what he's done...
Solash3 votesSo is it still up in the air as far as Amumu's race is concerned?
RiotRubinio10 votesYes! Amumu is the stuff of legend, or like a fairytale. Perhaps some out there claim to know, but no one knows for sure...
Lord Caelistis3 votesGiven that Xerath shapes up to be the main baddie for the whole Shurimian continent, would Skarner eventually be led to directly clash with him? Would his Dreamsong be able to reach Xerath's mind, as he is more finely attuned to arcane matters than almost anybody else on Runeterra? On a similar topic, would Xerath be able to feel the sleeping Brackerns and/or be interested in acquiring their crystals?
Riot Tiger Lily10 votesI think Xerath would be interested in anything that would make him even more powerful, and the crystals are quite powerful...
RiotAnt in Oz10 votesCould Xerasth hear Skarner's dreamsong? Probably not - his own music is turned up too loud (since it's already been established his music goes up to eleven, after all...) ;)
Scarborough Fair2 votesWhat's your definition of a curse? Because I'm really trying to convince myself that Cassiopeia's transformation is a "curse".
RiotDinopawz13 votesIt's a curse in that, 'one man's poison is another man's meat'. Most people transformed into a hideous snake beast would probably be a tad upset by their monstrous new form, and while Cass probably was probably somewhat put out by being unable to go out normally, she's probably learned to embrace her monstrous side now. And revel in it now...
Dantone2 votesIt seems that the woman in Skarner's lore is important (especially because she doesn't die)... I feel dumb but I can't figure out who it is. Can we get anymore hints?
RiotJellbug6 votesHey Dantone -
She's certainly important as a survivor of the Brackern lifestone exploitation. She's the only one who can pass on Skarner's dreamsong to the other humans. But I don't think you'd know her any other way - she's not a champion :)
