Terror, Destruction and kute, kuddly, Kog'Maws - what the *heck* is the Void?

In the ancient past, there once stood a proud city. Not just any city, but a named city. People, buildings, a sturdy frame of ground to put the 2 aforementioned bits on top of... yes sir - Icathia had it all! There's a particular emphasis on the "had", however - because, approximately 1000 years ago (give or take 1 or 2 other unfounded guesstimates), the city faced near certain disaster, with universally agreed disastrous results. In a flash, the city was converted to rubble; left to bleach and bury in the desert sands.

But what actually happened there?

There are many theories as to what happened to the city-that-some-people-believe-is-a-myth: Some say that the city was turned into salt; while others still insist a variety of more thoroughly processed condiments. Others yet still seem to insist upon reading the lore; and suspect that the Void was somehow related. Whatever the case; and whether or not we may not agree on the validity of Icathia's existence, everyone agrees that whatever happened there happened fast; and it happened bad.

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#The Void - A love story

Serious time:

In 2009, a shirtless man with a light-sabre burst onto the scene and started silencing doubters. Claiming to have found the fabled sand-city and to have witnessed horrors not worth repeating, he petitioned to the [FILE NOT FOUND] to allow him to make a heroic stand against the newly dubbed cultists of the Void - a group of rag-tag renegades apparently dead set on sending Kassadin's daughter into portals.

In a heartbeat, the rumblings of a Zaunite cultist underbelly became national news; reported in reputable news sources such as [FILE MISSING]. Until now, Malzahar - the suspected leader and self-proclaimed "prophet" of this group - had been considered a man with delusions of grandeur. But the recording of that scene; the day Kassadin lost his daughter to the Void; it made Valoran sit up and take notice. What if Malzahar's ramblings were of merit? What if an invasion was, in fact, underway?

Monsters began to arrive in Valoran; one after another. They were things henceto unprecedented - creatures that defied conventional logic and managed to exist and function at levels beyond those man and Yordle alike were accustomed to; driven by the need to consume base elements of the reality they had been thrust upon.

• Some sought knowledge,
• While others sought experience.
• There were those that sought growth, and emulation of the life in this new world,
• And those still that seemed intent on understanding its emotions and weaknesses.

The defining trait between these creatures was their hunger. Their need to sate an unquenchable desire that permeated their very beings.

But what IS this desire?

There is more connecting these monsters than a base need and a point of origin. Every creature that has stepped into Runeterra thus far has been learning; and each one, something different.

While Kog'Maw scuttles around, blissfully tasting the various bits and pieces of Valoran, he learns. He gauges taste, composition and - through means the recently deceased league of summoners were unable to ascertain - it all disappeared. Koggles never even developed a pot belly.

Kha'Zix, Vel'Koz... even Rek'Sai - each of the voidspawn are tailor-made to learn about a specific make-up of our universe.

Even the monstrosity that is Cho'Gath gauges our personality and intellectual capacity; particularly our fear and resolve. He is the monster created for us to overcome. He endured imprisonment; and in the process fought and feasted on many of our greatest warriors, left to his devices in a cell we constructed for him. Yes, indeed - we tried to tame a monster and use it to our own ends; even against vocal protest and our better judgement. Such a process would have been entirely unexpected - and Cho'Gath was nothing, if not amused.

But all this is simply conjecture and opinion. It's all well and good to talk about the motivation behind each individual of the Voidspawn; but what possible end-game goal could they have? Well, the obvious answer is invasion. I mean, Malzahar is pretty outspoken on that particular subject.

"Voidlings, voidlings, voidlings - join us, you guys! Oops, accidentally made you sacrifice your daughter."

#Kog'Maw's Daddy

There is one quote. One itty, bitty, tiny little, insignificant, quote that the cute little Koggles likes to blurt out unthinkingly while bouncing joyfully around the Rift:

"Terror coming... Daddy coming!"

Either Kog'Maw has decided upon a rather fitting nickname for himself after slapping around Bronzies, or Big Daddy Kogs is on the way.

...But are those the only two options?

#What if the Void... wasn't a place at all? What... if....

...what if the Void was ALIVE? A living, yearning, learning creature doubling, in the very same instant, as some kind of tangible destination? Exposed to - or mayhaps even created - by a world that swelled with diversity and was filled almost insultingly to the brim with vibrant life, growing in every corner?

They call it the Void. An expanse of nothing; but this is anything but true. Somehow, this inter-dimensional gateway spawned its own terrific and twisted conceptions of life; each one a manifestation of a singular goal - capable of learning and growing; of hating and fearing. Cho'Gath wails in the presence of light, and yet he persists in this universe. What could possibly motivate one to suffer in abject agony, under the light of an environment they were never suited to in the first place?

If one were to make the assumption that the driving force behind all these wants and emotions was a singular entity; a creature exposed to alternative realities and determined to emulate them...

Suddenly, this makes a lot more sense.

And I dunno about the rest of you dweebs, but THIS cultist optimist could use a Void-borne monster who wants to learn about hugs!