Madness in Lore

You know those characters? Those crazed characters whose motivations we can't understand? Often times we're not really sure where they come from. And who knows....sometimes their backgrounds are 'multiple choice' and something they are not even sure of.

the Madman of Zaun. No one knows where Mundo came from. He just appeared either in Piltover or Zaun, and somehow found his way to the doorstep for the Asylum for the Irreparably Troubled. Mundo is a sadomasochistic murderer with extraordinary regeneration/healing factor. The man sleeps on a bed of rusty knives. He believes he is a 'doctor' who is 'curing' people of his illnesses as he is killing and torturing them. At least some of this might be caused by cruel experiments performed on him by staff. Mundo post lore update is some kind of mutant, rather than a mad scientist I might have preferred. Could be caused by Chemtech pollution -but if he originated in Piltover that calls it into question.

the Loose Canon. Also another maniac from Zaun. notes he had a crush on her before she started talking to the guns. "I'm crazy! Got a doctor's note." This implies she was not always this way, but doesn't explain just how it happened. She also implies that she has a crazy sister. If it's true, this doesn't tell us what happened to them or why they are apart. It also implies they may have some sort of heritable mania.

seems to have some kind of pyromania, but has some sense of reasoning and morality -much moreso than Jinx. He is a mad hero rather than a villain. Notable in being a mad, non human character.

the Virtuoso. Classical serial murderer character. He killed whole farmsteads in Southern Ionia, but didnt try to hide the killings. He wanted them to be seen. Initially at least they thought these were 'demon ' attacks, and hired demon hunters as well as Wuju master like Yi and ninjas. He spread terror through Ionia and forever changed , , and Lord Kusho. No one knows what caused his fascination with murder as art. We aren't even actually told just what he actually did to them, but he says his previous work was with blades. He mentions it took "months" to evolve his "chi techniques" from blade work. This implies he might have been some kind of martial artist. He mentions the blades of "Lassilan Monks". Seems to have an obsession with the number 4. Also he enjoys how his eel-skin bodysuit restricts his vision and his breathing. May be some kind of fetishist.

At that moment, a town guard stumbled from the entrance, his face pale and hollow.

"Her flesh, it was... it was... " he said. He took a few steps, then collapsed to the ground in shock.

"He saw it. He saw the flower!" Against the far wall, the tavern's owner laughed. Then he began weeping - his face painted by madness.

These were not people who would forget seeing Khada Jhin's work.

Apparently he killed a maid who brought flowers to his room. This was his 'inspiration' to do something with her 'boring, symmetrical face'. It's not clear just what that means, but it's left to our imaginations. Since no one heard gunfire, he probably did not shoot them, but returned to his old modus operandi.

the Prophet of the Void. Lovecraftian madness. Malzahar was born with psychic, or spiritual gifts. But somehow his power reached beyond the physical realm into whatever the Void is. Or else it reached out to him. We don't understand how the gift of 'prophecy' works, or how humans acquire it. Though usually, it's regarded in fiction as the gift of gods.

the Demon Jester. We don't actually know if Shaco is a demon. But many people suspect he is. His name is an anagram of Chaos. Where does madness come from? As seen in the game's lore, unlike real life, it's an often sinister thing that drives those who have it to torment those who do not....but does not seem to harm those 'suffering' from it. What if Shaco was some kind of dark deity of Madness? Or what if Madness was not always with human beings, but is in fact some remnant of the Rune Wars?

Madness does not seem to be a force or influence to 'stay' where it is. Shaco has driven people to suicide. Malzahar through the Void Cult draws people into madness. Khada Jhin has infected people with madness and mental/spiritual trauma who view his 'work'. Jinx and Mundo don't seem to spread madness, not in as an overt way. It's possible that lasting sickness could come from mayhem and fear as a result from their actions, but it's not a clear as the others.

Now, what did Lord Kusho, Shen's father say?

"Good and evil are not truths. They are born from men and each sees the shades differently."

And this is, somewhat true. Many evil people believe they are doing good, or necessary things through their actions. Everyone is the hero of their own story, and usually has a way of self justification for everything they do. The more conviction they have, the less they doubt themselves. And yet....in fantasy the notion of "cosmic Evil" is a fairly common one.