So, with all the new Shadow Isles stories we now know that such a dreadful and grim place wasn't always like that.
Before balance was broken by the ruined king's sorcery, they were the Blessed Isles.
So... how come Bard didn't intervene? 
RiotBioluminescence7 votes(Non-red-name speculation follows - I do not have an official answer!)
The Ruined King is mentioned in the Bard "The Wonder Above" teaser (the one with the constellations), although not directly suggesting any involvement, each constellation speaks of an unnatural state that was then prevented or ended.
http://na.leagueoflegends.com/en/champion-preview/wonder-above
Maybe Bard was there, and through his actions the resurrection of the Ruined King's wife went as badly as it did. Maybe the options were:
Maybe an undead army is the lesser evil, compared to being able to resurrect anyone? If the undead piss off Kindred, imagine how much true resurrection would!
(Also, bonus - the entry mentions that mortality should be pondered via poetry and verse. I'm happy that Lamb is a poetry lover :D)
Zarkkast2 votesThanks so much for your answer and for reminding me of the Wonder Above teaser!
So this suggests that Bard can intervene without being seen. Still brings some other questions though, when and why does Bard decide to reveal itself instead of remaining unseen?
His entire concept is amazing, I'm hoping we'll get to hear more of him in the future lore.
Drunk Tsundere2 votesIIRC in Hecarim's lore, they mention that a "lantern bearing wretch" took the King and Queen away to perform the spell.
I like to think that the spell would have worked, but Thresh sabotaged them because he wanted to see the King's agony.
Zarkkast1 votesThat sure makes sense, but it does not exclude Bard from having played an indirect part in it.
Also, "wretch" definitely defines well the way Thresh is described in his lore.
SchaakaKon1 votesWhen i read that, i thought it was Maokai. Since, ofcourse, he has that lantern on his back and his transformation into what he is was caused by the ressurrection backlash from the ruined king and he is from the Shadow Isles/Blessed Isles.
I cant tell, did the blessed isles become the shadow isles or are they seperate locations? If so, where is the blessed isles currently how did the shadow isles become what it is if the catleclysm happened elseware?
The Only Doctor1 votesThe Blessed Isles was corrupted by the magic and became the Shadow Isles. Everything that had been vital and lively on the Blessed Isles died and then became undead. They were 1 and the same
SchaakaKon1 votesIs it just me or did in Kalista's new lore make it sound she went on a grand adventure/quest searching the whole known world till she found the cure right at home?
The Only Doctor1 votesit totally sounded like that. But I imagine that you couldn't get places too quickly on horseback. and the cure was found at the Blessed Isles, kind of. Right? it said the elders of the Blessed Isles would be the ones to heal her
CrazedPorcupine4 votesIt could have also been Yorick. Since he bears a lantern as well.
Sneak Dog1 votesNinja'd. We had the same idea I guess. Unlikely one though, Thresh has been quite a focus and would be more likely to know.
Sneak Dog5 votesThird option! Yorick.
Blueclaws1 votesI feel like it would be a Raiders of the Lost Ark moment here if he was allowed to resurrect his dead wife completely.
Ark of the Covenant and all that. :)
nosafterburn4 votesor he couldn't cuz he was oom and had to b
Stephenizgod2 votesor 3. Kill the King?
I feel like that would prevent everything
TerraRising2 votes(Also, bonus - the entry mentions that mortality should be pondered via poetry and verse. I'm happy that Lamb is a poetry lover :D)
Roses are Red... Violets are blue... omae wa mou shindeiru
Fist of the North Star reference, ftw.
Photos of Ghosts1 votesYou should really make a smurf called "Bioluminescence2" without the red name to talk about this kind of things. Not trying to be rude tho, it's a legit idea.
Chromatic Eagle2 votesI read it as the King trying to use the spell but the dark magics made it too strong. Maybe Bard is aware of that island though. Dangerous artifacts seem to be his thing.
Lord Boltrix1 votesWell let's see what resulted from option 2.
Oh good job Bard, you just allowed Valoran's former God-King to resurrect.
And these guys came out as well.
Why don't you go back to farming your chimes and troll someone else, you fat tub of lard?
GreenLore5 votesHe might have been unable/unaware of that. Bard isn't almighty,he doesn't see everything(for example he only noticed where the egg was once it was used) and can't be everywhere at once.
Valaran Nara3 votesHe most likely did in some random way, but he doesn't just walk up, backhand someone and say "No." He probably stole away one or two specific items.
Photos of Ghosts2 votesYea, he walks up, telebackhands someone with his Q and says "Toot.".
Ebonmaw Dragon2 votesBecause Bard cares about the entire universe, not a single island.
Zarkkast2 votesBy that logic, he shouldn't have intervened the Noxian war to get the egg. It's not just a single island, it is connected to the rest of Valoran.
GreenLore3 voteswe don't know what that egg can do. It cut a mountain in half and that might not even be its full power.
Ebonmaw Dragon1 voteswe don't know what that egg can do. It cut a mountain in half and that might not even be its full power.
Exactly, the egg destroyed a mountain by accident... maybe, in the wrong hands, it could be able of destroying the whole balance of the cosmos.
Zarkkast1 votesFair enough. The egg is probably indeed a bigger source of energy than the Shadow Isles. Specially because it can theoretically be controlled by anyone.
Could this be the main issue? Being accessible to anyone.
The Only Doctor2 votesWhy would he? Bard only comes in to maintain a "cosmic balance" (whatever that means). As far as we know, there hasn't been any colossal and cosmic imbalances since the Shadow Isles had been formed. In fact, I think the Shadow Isles creation was a force that is truly negative for the first time since was first raised through Necromancy. It serves as a great balance and contrast to a land like Ionia which has been seemingly blessed with wisdom and knowledge in the pursuit of things that are deemed good.
Zarkkast2 votesYou do bring an interesting point. But when you consider the Harrowing, the Shadow Isles seem like a "more negative" place in contrast to the positive in Ionia.
But still, this is all said with the perspective of today's Valoran. When the corruption spread there was a sudden surge of negative force that would throw off balace, assuming the world was at balance before it.
The Only Doctor1 votesIn fact, I think that in the time of the Shadow Isles' inception, the world wasn't in balance. Thinking about the way that the lore plays out, petty squabbles amongst nations aside, there wasn't a compelling negative force to contend with. Previously, it had been Mordekaiser, but his skull was stolen, and so there wasn't any way for him to be resurrected. Obviously, Demacia and Noxus were still at each others throats, but they were upstart and not anywhere near where they are now, but everywhere else, which I take to be either with the King, or minding their own business, was at relative peace. And then the King corrupted the Shadow Isles, and chaos spread. Over time, the city-states as we now know them emerged, places like Zaun and Piltover, and suddenly, everything was chaotic.
LANWhale2 votesWell how about this, what if he chose not to.
As in he let it happen. I have no real evidence to say this is true, as well this is a far out theory if anything, but Bard works on a different level that we are aware of. He knows whats suppose to happen so who's not to say for a future event to happen he needs the Harrowing to exist or endanger the future balance.
dengen1 votesI was thinking the same thing just now. I think one reason why that might be possible is given how thresh was corrupted by the artifacts down there, whos to say that as time goes on and as more dangerous and powerful items get gathered the protectors of such items wouldnt use them for malice? But then why wouldnt he just take those items with him? Why did he trust those protectors with them and not himself? Power level maybe. Maybe they just didnt compare to that egg he picked up.
Extra thought, theres every chance he has a special shed where he keeps the more powerful items, but maybe, just maybe, the blessed isles were created BY HIM to hunt down lesser but still impactful items. Does this make sense?
Irish the Slayer1 votesIf he knows what's SUPPOSED to happen... LANWhale, you, sir, have just confirmed my theory that I'm not the only one that thinks Bard is like The Doctor from Doctor Who. Well, call me Sam Smith so I can say "I know I'm not the only one".
Wind Whistler2 votesBecause he's an asshole.