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Tales of the Black Mist: The Harrowing (This is not Lore)

TerraRising·10/24/2014, 3:19:15 PM·6 votes·2,767 views

Before you read this, please watch this video for the Harrowing event.

I just want to reiterate something for anyone confused: This is not "lore," but a marketing tool to sell an event. In this case, it's an animated marionette show trying to help sell some new skins and that new Hexakill game. Narrative may have had a hand in making this, but this video has no relation to the overall story. No characters were introduced and the concept of the Black Mists is just extended from 2012's Harrowing event.

Also, Hecarim's appearance in the puppet show was arbitrary, if you ask me. Any single one of the seven Shadow Isles champions (I do not include Maokai for obvious reasons) could have been in Hecarim's place and the story would have been the same.

Excellent animation, nice little teaser for the holiday event, but this is not lore and Narrative shouldn't be allowed to call it such.

22 Comments

IAintDarius10/24/2014, 3:37:29 PM7 votes

Riot tells us some history about a Shadow Isle event.

Apparently that's not a story, but a marketing tool to sell skins that weren't even mentioned once in the video. Lets spew more bullcrap.

Winged Hussars10/24/2014, 3:32:49 PM6 votes

I'm going to disagree. it's framed as a story from Bilgewater. It's lore in the same way Tolkien's many Dwarven songs are lore. It's a really cool tidbit that fleshes out the world through depth rather than breadth.

Stars Shaper10/24/2014, 4:09:00 PM3 votes

When I saw Heca I hoped for each SI champion to make an appearance...

Btw, Plot twist! MF parents were killed by the Black Mist not from GP :D

I'm sure that the appearance of Hecarim is not "arbitrary", he is one of the champions that have "the mist" on the champion pages.

My guesses are that the new champion will be rival of Hecarim... and she/he will have a connection with the people/puppets of the video.

Indeed, but I think Hecarim rival already is Mordekaiser.

Edit: they are signed as friends. Although if you look, Morde is befriended with Karthus, another guy who is not-so-friend with Hecarim. Hecarim on the other side has friends in Yorick and Thresh that are 2 others that have not chosen to follow the Islands.

Earl Eulrich10/24/2014, 8:33:29 PM3 votes

I really liked the Tim Burton homage, but yea - it´s not a Lore event, that´s pretty evident. Still a great Teaser for Harrowing though.

Ebonmaw Dragon10/24/2014, 3:39:58 PM3 votes

I'm sure that the appearance of Hecarim is not "arbitrary", he is one of the champions that have "the mist" on the champion pages.

My guesses are that the new champion will be rival of Hecarim... and she/he will have a connection with the people/puppets of the video.

And the video is very interesting because it shows how the "champions" (who arent "champions" now, since the removal of the IoW) interact with the normal people of valoran... they are almost like... legends.

Jakethenight10/24/2014, 3:28:45 PM2 votes

The puppet show wasn't lore, but I like to believe the puppet master and his ties to the mist are lore.

GreenLore10/24/2014, 4:14:10 PM2 votes

What I'd rather want to know is if that puppeteer is going to be a champion?As far as i know the next champ is supposed to be related to the shadow isles and a person who throws spears(could be giant needles instead,because you know puppets and sewing and stuff match together),though I thought the next champ was going to be female,because the leaked name is Kalista,which sounds rather female.

If that guy isn't going to be a champ,then I'd love it if he became the shopkeeper on the TT once they update it(not going to happen this year,but maybe in the next years if we are lucky)

DG Ashabel10/24/2014, 8:27:18 PM2 votes

Although I think you're right in that it's really just an advertisement for one of the year's three biggest League-related money sinks, let's give credit where it's due. The animation is beautiful and aside of a couple awkward word choices, it's fun to watch.

Compared to the Shurima videos, where you spent the whole time wondering if Nasus's actor was reduced to tears by reading the worst script of his life afterwards, this is an enormous step up.

On personal note, I miss the days when Hecarim was a character and not a spooky Shadow Isles raid boss.

Basic Concept10/25/2014, 2:10:58 PM2 votes

I never know a pony with four legs and two arms while holding a spear could leap at least five meters high while swimming in the water Hecarim summoner 4 wow, just wow....

Xulsigae10/26/2014, 5:26:45 AM1 votes

I wonder just what it means in the larger context of Lore. How do other champions view the Harrowing? Does Demacia care? Or Noxus? What does it mean for the rest of Valoran?

As it is now, it just seems to...happen. Happen for the benefit of us, and not to the champions.

Great animation and such, as usual.

Whitakker10/24/2014, 3:37:41 PM1 votes

Was the Lore Team promoting this as lore? I wasn't aware.

I think it can be a little bit of both; marketing and lore snippet. And it was enjoyable, for what it was.

brusque10/24/2014, 4:09:18 PM1 votes

I think it's safe to assume that this is lore. Although it's doused in marketing garland (understandable), it definitely gives us more insight into what Riot thinks about the Shadow Isles, though not much. Like Shurima, it's prologue-ish in that it actually leaves more questions than answers.

What is the mist and why does it change the appearance of champions?
Is this "traveling puppet show" from the Shadow Isles? Where is the story being told?
Who are the man and woman in the story that become zombies?
Who are the people watching the puppet show?
Why is the man telling the puppet show holding a dagger? Does he ever brush his teeth?
Of all the champions to include, why Hecarim? And why is a horse dude floating through mists on the ocean?

I really like the animation style of this video. As a narrative device that makes you think more about who is telling the story and controlling the marionettes rather than focusing on the content of the story, I think it's very successful.

Buster III10/26/2014, 5:28:08 PM1 votes

To me, this is the story of the ruined king from the item "blade of the ruined king". The puppet looks like a king and not some pirate from Bilgewater. The swords don't really look the same, but maybe that will change. They may re-texture it. I could be wrong though. Of course they're trying to sell skins, a business is a business. However, riot cares too much about the community to just throw this out there. I'm sure there's a reason (champion teaser Riot Plz). item 3153

brusque10/24/2014, 5:12:05 PM1 votes

I thought that the dagger was a scissor, the scissor that he used to cut the strings... and... i dont think that he brush his teeth

Ah, my fault. They are definitely scissors. I guess they just look like a dagger when they're closed, which is also kind of interesting. They have some strange markings on them.

All this hype about a new champ is just speculation at this point, so I'm not yet quite convinced that we're going to get one soon.