The Shadow Isles: Some say they don't exist…

CupcakeTrap··40 votes·3,698 views

This is not a particularly constructive or useful thread. It's also not a hateful or angry thread. I just thought this was funny.

For a while, the community has been making fun of certain aspects of "New Lore" for being, well, "dark and mysterious." It seems to be the New Lore's favorite trope, after "now, s/he wanders Valoran on a quest for vengeance." The first example I noticed, before I realized that the Great Retcon was coming, was Elise saying:

Elise The Shadow Isles. SOME say they don't exist…

I didn't even understand this at the time. I thought somebody had just screwed up. I was like, uhhh, guys, the Shadow Isles may be pretty spooky and scary, but it seems like people know they exist. There's a Field of Justice in the Isles, the Twisted Treeline. Pretty sure Demacia knows about the enormous island of ghouls and zombies off their coast. Can't they cast Detect Evil at will?

Today, I was reading Nasus' new lore while working on a project, and:

Nasus To some, Nasus is a demigod who walks among the ruins of an ancient civilization; to others, he is nothing more than a myth.

What is he, Sasquatch? People don't even know if there's a towering demigod roaming around the desert? It's not like he's stealthy. His taunt is like five seconds long.

Nasus YOUR LEGACY SHALL DRIFT AWAY Quinn Valor, you hear something? Nasus BLOWN INTO ETERNITY Sivir Give it a rest, Demacia. I heard you thought Lissandra was some kind of monster. Nasus LIKE THE SANDS Quinn Oh, shut up. Nasus OF THE DESERT. Sivir Okay, wait, I heard something, too. Quinn Behind that column over there, right? Sivir Yeah. Nasus stealthily steps out from behind column and walks away in a dignified manner Quinn Please tell me you'll sign an affidavit so Prince Jarvan doesn't make fun of me again. Sivir Sure. Sivir (Or will I?) :3 Nasus SHE…BETRAYS! QUINN! Quinn What now? Sivir Oh, uh, nothing. He just says that sometimes. Quinn Really? Because I'm thinking it might be because you're about to betr— Renekton NASUS CANNOT ESCAPE ME FOREVER! Nasus continues walking slowly away Vayne (pops up from tumble) I SMELL BLACK MAGICS! Sivir (alarmed) WHERE DID SHE COME FROM!? Quinn Oh, she does that. Quinn And Vayne, seriously. AGAIN. That's cardamom. You smell cardamom. Sivir How are you people a superpower? Kalista hey renek u look vengeful Kalista want help? im diamond smurf Renekton (punches her in the head and keeps chasing Nasus)

Does anyone in the new Runeterra know what they're doing? I know New Lore doesn't have a Summoners Corps that can be dispatched to check into arcane phenomena and provide awesome adventure stories about ambitious young mages exploring a world of mystery while grappling with treacherous political rivalries totally ruin the plot by being all-powerful puppetmasters, but can't Ashe be troubled to cast hawkshot every now and then?

Actually, I lied. There is one ulterior motive for this thread. Which is to quote Invader Zim.

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/zimwiki/images/5/58/Another_day_for_the_Tallest.png/revision/latest?cb=20130712194959

Zim: My Tallest, an opportunity to prove I truly can be an Invader is all that I ask! …gimme! Red: (to Purple) Hold on, I've got a plan. Red: (to Zim) We see now that you are truly deserving. Zim: (satisfied) Yes. Yes, I am. Red: You will be sent to a planet so mysterious…no one has even heard of it! Purple: Right! And those who have heard of it…dare not speak its name! Zim: What's its name? Purple: (immediately) Oh, I dare not speak it. Zim: Where is it? Red: Um... (he starts hovering around, searching the holograph of the universe for a planet) Uh... Uh... Um... Right there! Red points to a slip of paper taped to the holograph pole that shows the outline of a planet and a question mark in it with the word 'planet?' written underneath it. Zim: Ooh! Oooooooooh! A secret mission! Red: Happy now? Zim: Yes.

Ahhh, Zim.

I would be remiss (ha. ha.) not to mention Rammus:

Rammus The mysteries that surround Rammus are numerous. In my mind's eye, I can actually see a Rioter glancing at the clock and sort of cringing-shrugging as they type this, anxiously hesitating, then continuing on as they think it's fine, just keep going. You got this. Meanwhile, their degree from Vassar frowns upon them from its place on the wall. I know that when I write "The reasons for this are numerous." it's usually written while thinking to myself, and, uh, I'm not actually sure what they are.

Rammus How did a simple creature of the desert suddenly become able to reason? How did he craft his vaunted suit of armor? So people know enough to ask questions about the crafting skills of talking armordillos, but whether Nasus exists is an ineluctable mystery? Wait, did I just ask a question myself? What has Narrative done to my mind? How did a simple cupcake trap suddenly become able to post in Boards?

Rammus What is he searching for as he crosses the Shurima Desert? Not Nasus, apparently.

Rammus One thing is for certain: trying to stop the inexorable Rammus is a fool's mission. How and why do you stop someone when you don't even know what he's doing? I assume it's to interrogate him about the numerous mysteries of his background.

Skarner The few who survive trespassing his domain describe a creature of terrifying intelligence, anger, and precision. Really? Precision? How exactly did they have occasion to observe his precision? Was he frosting cupcakes when they entered his cave or something?

Skarner What this merciless creature protects, no one knows. And those that do know, dare not speak its name!

At least we're not the only ones confused.

Renekton Now, he is little more than a rage-fueled beast who seeks to kill his brother Nasus, who he believes is to blame for his current state of mind.

Renekton NASUS! WHERE IS HE? Skarner Some say he is but a myth. Skarner May I ask how you became able to reason? Or how you acquired that very unwieldy-looking weapon? Renekton CURSES! HE WILL NOT ESCAPE ME FOREVER! Renekton Incidentally, I am impressed by your intelligence, and your precision. Skarner (shyly glancing back at his bonsai collection) Skarner Oh, really, it's just something to pass the time. Renekton Also your anger. Skarner IT'S JUST THAT I MISS MY KIND! Renekton You have kind? Skarner I'M NOT SURE ANYMORE. Kalista i can help u avenge them Skarner (chuckles) Oh, you. Kalista (lovably hapless shrug) RenektonSkarner (good-natured laughter)

34 Comments

2nd Fiddle24 votes

Twitch "Islands of unusual shadows, I don't think they exist."

Ayame Isaki4 votes

My up votes? They are yours. Best. Movie. Ever.

A Superb Villain2 votes

I am A Superb Villain. You gave me an upvote; prepare to be liked.

The Fat Punisher16 votes

So i saw this when i found this thread lol.

CupcakeTrap2 votes

That is glorious.

GenoXx7 votes

Honestly, with the way they did the Harrowing you would think alot of people know that the Shadow Isles is. But um, idk maybe Bilgewater is suppose to be selfish in the new lore.

CupcakeTrap8 votes

{quoted}

Honestly, with the way they did the Harrowing you would think alot of people know that the Shadow Isles is. But um, idk maybe Bilgewater is suppose to be selfish in the new lore.

Everyone knows the Black Mists were an inside job! It's a conspiracy. There is no "Shadow Isles".

ECTOPLASM CAN'T MELT NEXUSES. WAKE UP, SHEEPLE!

Photos of Ghosts3 votes

...and that's exactly the kind of phenomenon that could allow some people in Runeterra not to believe in physically tangible things like Nasus or the Shadow Isles.

BetaDude402 votes

So everyone on Runeterra all suffer from a severe case of Conspiracy Theorem?

QUICK, SOMEONE GET THE TINFOIL HATS!!!

BetaDude402 votes

Jarvan did 7/11

Narasimha1 votes

I don't know about that, its not like Mordekaiser is running around saying "Oh, and before you die, let everyone know the Shadow Isles killed you." From the map they gave us, they haven't even officially gotten that close to the Isles yet. They probably have a hazy guess at best.

GenoXx1 votes

But they have a yealry war with them. Surely someone in Noxus knows about this

2nd Fiddle2 votes

They're too concerned with their long standing rivalry with their eternal enemies: the Ionians.

Vesarixx5 votes

Gnar Me and the squirrel are friends

Xenohaz4 votes

For what it's worth, I think they describe Nasus as a "myth" because the average person (assuming the Rift is effectively now just a random location) probably hasn't seen him.

Ayame Isaki4 votes

I got several good laughs out of this. Very well played.

CupcakeTrap3 votes

[{quoted}](name=Ayame Isaki,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=a4gbljZi,comment-id=0006,timestamp=2015-05-20T14:49:16.475+0000)

I got several good laughs out of this. Very well played.

I live to serve.

And to snare yordles. Mostly that, actually.

BetaDude402 votes

This actually explains why Bandle City has such a low Balance of Power...

Stars Shaper4 votes

Kalista Did I hear... Vengeance?

Epic dialogues are Epic

CupcakeTrap2 votes

[{quoted}](name=Stars Shaper,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=a4gbljZi,comment-id=0007,timestamp=2015-05-20T17:28:33.532+0000)

Kalista Did I hear... Vengeance?

Epic dialogues are Epic

For you!

Photos of Ghosts3 votes

Sincerely, I'm ok with Nasus and Renek as they had their site page... which is now lost in the depthz of da interwebz instead of being at least linked in the client in the lore section. But Rammus and Skarner were just slaughtered. Rammus doesn't make any sense at alll, and Skarner DIDNT NEED his retcon since they could just have relocated the Crystal Scar by Piltover and made Skarner meet Piltovian workers and technicians...

67450548_DEL3 votes

[deleted]

Photos of Ghosts2 votes

Actually, Skarner is nothing but an early concept of Rek'sai. Nobody knows anything about him and he is merciless. He's not any more the good guy that misses is kind.

67450548_DEL2 votes

[deleted]

Melancholy Exile8 votes

Except your analysis here leans entirely upon the assumption that Skarner is still ultimately the same character, or has a great deal in common with who he once was, when we've seen from Riot's reinterpretations of characters like Xerath, Sion and Trundle that the core of the character can stray a great deal to fit the new narrative. We can theorise that Skarner will still be a Brackern when we eventually receive greater insight into who he is now, but for all we know the lore team could have developed a new concept in which he is a guardian construct imbued with life ala Galio or decided that he fits better in Shurima if they completely redefine who the Brackern are. We can certainly guess at what Skarner is protecting, and it's hardly unreasonable to presume it to be his kind, but we simply won't know until the lore team decides to give us the answer.

To invert your choice of phrase: All bets are off.

We don't know what direction Riot will choose to take Skarner in, how they mean to position him in the new canon or whether anything from his old storyline and characterisation will be carried over into this new continuity. One thing that sticks out to me is that the old lore makes it very clear that while Skarner reacted to his disturbance with violence born of anger and confusion, he became a different sort of creature altogether once he had taken stock of the situation and realised that those who disturbed him meant no harm. He was forthright, honourable and something of a gentle giant ... and his short bio seems to have chosen to present him in a very different light entirely.

Why make new players' first impression of Skarner that he is terrifying, merciless and driven by anger if they wish to preserve the spirit of who he once was?

67450548_DEL2 votes

[deleted]

Photos of Ghosts1 votes

But he was NOT staying awake to signal his kind to emerge. They were ALL unconscious for millennia, but HE is the only one who survived the artificial and unexplained sleep.

Photos of Ghosts3 votes
  • Brackerns were not regular scorpions transformed by magic even before, they were a civilisation that was destroyd by unkown magic and only Skarner had survived, although asleep.
  • So, we're at a point where the outer world, including the player, has NO idea of what he is and why he W's around in circles under Shurima.
  • To us he is the good guy who misses his kind because his outdated voiceover hasn't been replaced by beasty sounds in Rito's double laziness
  • Riot doesn't say that, so it's not true. It's not the players that should invent the lore, if we get to the point where we're forced to we'll have to do a specialized site and shout on all boards every 30 minutes "FORGET ABOUT THE CANON LORE BECAUSE IT'S POINTLESS AND COME READ OURS".
Trumpet3 votes

How does Sivir exist as Shuriman royalty if the entire bloodline was wiped out with the blast from Xerath's ascension?

You can't claim to be a detective while ignoring league's biggest plot hole, which is by the current lore Sivir and Azir should not exist.

Wakamune2 votes

{quoted}

How does Sivir exist as Shuriman royalty if the entire bloodline was wiped out with the blast from Xerath's ascension?

You can't claim to be a detective while ignoring league's biggest plot hole, which is by the current lore Sivir and Azir should not exist.

You don't suppose Azir has a non-legitimate wife who is not royalty.

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