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goldlightwriting · 1 year

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Ruination Reimagined

It’s been two years since Rise of the Sentinels, one of the most infamous story events in League of Legends history. Every aspect of the story has been broken down, dissected, analyzed and criticized, from its mishandling of iconic characters to the fundamental misunderstanding of its own premise.

Two years have passed, and the world has more-or-less moved on. We all know, understand, and accept that the event sucked, but it’s sadly too late to turn back. For better or for worse, Rise of the Sentinels has impacted the stories of both characters with significant ties to the Shadow Isles plotline as well as those who who were shoehorned into it for the sake of selling skins.

I’ve offered my own take on the story not just once, but twice before; the first was a rewrite of the visual novel’s script with more-or-less the same general restrictions that Riot had (ie one Sentinel/Ruined character per chapter, ten chapters split into 5 parts plus a prologue and epilogue, etc), while the second was an essay about how the story’s scope should have been greatly expanded to include far more characters and affected each region far more significantly... Because, you know, an undead apocalypse isn’t something that should should realistically begin and end in like a week with almost no impact.

Anyways, since that second rewrite, I’d more-or-less moved on. Every now and then I’ve taken the opportunity to dunk on RotS in a video, but never as much more than a gag or to make a point. However... For whatever reason, I’ve recently found myself thinking about the Shadow Isles lately. Maybe it’s because of some new cards added to LoR, maybe because of that Illaoi and Yorick story released a while back. I’m not really sure, but the more I think about it, the more I can’t help but feel like the Shadow Isles, as a whole, deserve a complete and total reboot. Not just a rewrite of Sentinels, but that the whole region and all characters connected to it could be executed so, much better.

I know it’s never going to happen, obviously. I know that many people will probably disagree with that take. That’s fine. Still, I wanna get my ideas out there, if for now other reason than to get them out of my head.

Below is a list of all the changes I would make to the story of the Shadow Isles and its core cast. Some characters I’ve kept more-or-less the same, while others I’ve almost completely re-imagined. Maybe you’ll like some of these changes better than the actual canon, maybe not. I’m not even sure how many will have the time or patience to read through all this, but whatever. Without any further ado, this is how I would reimagine the Ruination:

Fundamental Changes

-In this version, the Black Mist (otherwise known as Harrowed Mist) represents the evils of the human soul, while the Hallowed Mist represents its virtues.

-Those turned by the Black Mist are not technically undead, but rather warped into avatars of their own inner darkness.

-The monks of the Blessed Isles used a secret ritual to siphon the Black Mist (ie the literal evil in their souls) from the Isles’ criminals and sealed it inside a magical lantern, so that even their greatest sinners could find redemption and overcome their darkest urges.

-The Blessed Isles were hidden in the spirit realm, rather than being concealed by a mystical fog. However, they manifest in the physical realm during specific times; while such occurrences seem random, those who are able to learn and predict the pattern may land on the Blessed Isles before they vanish.

-The monks of the Blessed Isles were split into two main groups: the Sentinels of Light and the Order of Dusk. Both groups were devoted to spiritual study and enlightenment, but had different roles.

-The Vesani, a tribe of fox vastaya skilled in the art of manipulating emotions and memories, were crucial members of both groups.

-The Sentinels of Light defended the residents of the isles from those who threatened their way of life, primarily demonic entities. They wielded weapons capable of conjuring spirit light to combat their enemies.

-The Order of Dusk was responsible for purifying the souls of the wicked and laying the dead to rest. They were the keepers of many dangerous artifacts capable of tampering with the spirits of living things.

-Relicstone, originally called Lightstone/Soulstone, has the ability to channel the full power of one’s spirit, not just its virtues or vices. Those who wield it with righteous intent will manifest a golden light, while those who use its power for selfish means will cast a sickly green light.

-Thresh’s sickle and lantern are made from Lightstone.

-The Blade of the Ruined King, originally called The Blade of Kings, was a gift given to the Camavoran royal family long ago by visiting monks of the Blessed Isles. It is imbued with Lightstone, which was meant to serve as a means of testing a future monarch’s heart.

-The Waters of Life are no longer a thing. We literally already have a magical healing oasis in Shurima.

-The Ruination occurs when Viego is tricked into opening the lantern by Thresh. This, in turn, tears open the boundary between realms and causes the Shadow Isles to exist between the physical and spiritual worlds.

-When it becomes evident that their homeland is doomed, some Sentinels choose to flee the Isles with as many of their relics and teachings as they can hold.

-Thresh is the Warden of the Lantern, whose job is specifically to guard the lantern wherein centuries’ worth of evil is sealed. Unbeknownst to anyone, being in its presence for too long has corrupted him, allowing dark thoughts and sadistic tendencies to take hold of his mind.

-The lantern is enchanted so that it cannot be opened with malicious intent.

-Thresh initially just wants to set the evil of the lantern free, but when he sees that Viego has become a vessel for it, Thresh plots to take full control of the power for himself.

-Viego unleashed the Black Mist believing it could revive Isolde, but its corrupting magic could only resurrect Isolde’s inner darkness, creating the Maiden of the Mist.

-Isolde’s actual body remains in the Lantern Chamber.

-Viego is not trapped sleeping in his own sword, but rather was confined to the heart of the Isles by a handful of monks who resisted corruption just long enough to trap him there. He can command the Black Mist and those corrupted by it from afar, but cannot venture far from his confinement. However, the spell holding him periodically weakens, at which point he can expand the Black Mist’s domain, causing Harrowings.

-The Maiden rejects Viego and flees the Isles, returning to Camavor. There, she haunts the war-torn land, contributing to its eventual abandonment. Eventually, though, she comes across her old doll, Gwen, and the fondness for her creation stirs memories of love and joy in the Maiden’s heart. These feelings pass on to the doll, imbuing it with Hallowed Mist that would swell and eventually bring Gwen to life. However, the Maiden is unable to resist the pull of the Black Mist, and finds herself summoned back to the Shadow Isles.

-Gwen comes to life and makes it her mission to save her creator from Viego, no matter how long it may take.

-Realizing that the Maiden is but a perverse corruption of his love, and failing to see the irony, Viego casts her aside. She is eventually found and taken in by Yorick.

-In this version, Yorick’s body is altered by the Black Mist, but he is able to maintain his mind thanks to his discipline and training as a monk, even as others of his order have succumbed.

-Yorick continues to try and help lost souls find rest, though the process is slow and arduous as few willingly accept his aid.

-The remaining Sentinels of Light who fled the Isles devote themselves to opposing the Black Mist and one day purifying their ancient home. Their order slowly expands to every region as Harrowings become an increasingly large threat to the people of Runeterra, but to date, all attempts to storm the Isles and purify them have failed...

-The Reclaimer is a special Relicstone weapon deemed taboo by the Sentinels of Light. It was created by by the Brotherhood of Dusk in secret as a way to revive the dead by stealing a person’s life force and instilling it into the deceased. However, the Reclaimer can only be used so many times. This will be replacing the Absolver.

-The Reclaimer has been a closely-guarded secret of the Sentinels of Light since the Ruination. It has been moved from one hiding place to another across Runeterra. Its last known location was Shurima...

-Vladimir ventured to the Immortal Bastion during Mordekaiser’s reign to seek a means of reviving Isolde, only to be enslaved. Nevertheless, his twisted personality caught Mordekaiser’s attention, and so Vladimir was eventually allowed to start studying blood magic as one of the Iron Revenant’s acolytes. He would later ally with LeBlanc to send Mordekaiser back to the death realm and become a founding member of the Black Rose.

-Rather than seeking the Blessed Isles for him, Kalista is instead devoted to finding the one responsible for Viego’s attempted assassination. As head of the royal guard, she despises any traitors to the crown, and works with Hecarim to put down any and all rebellion. Even so, she harbors reservations about Viego’s ability to rule...

-Kalista accompanies Viego to the Blessed Isles to keep him from harm. However, when Viego escalates to violence against the monks, Kalista tries to dissuade him, insisting that his brother would never go to such extremes. In a sudden outburst, Viego counters that his brother was too soft for the throne, which was why he had the previous king assassinated. This revelation marks Viego as a traitor as well, prompting Kalista and several other soldiers to stand against him in defense of the Blessed Isles.

-Though the Sentinels of Light and the soldiers allying with Kalista fight hard, Viego’s remaining troops and artillery prove to be a match for them. Sensing an opportunity, Thresh tampers with the Sentinels’ defenses as Viego pushes further inland.

-Eventually, Thresh approaches Viego and offers to bring the mad king to the lantern chamber, in exchange for Viego sparing his life. This is, of course, a ploy to get someone else to open the lantern; Thresh believes that, because the mad king is ultimately driven by love and only wants to save his queen, such pure desire will be enough to bypass the lantern’s protection. This assumption proves correct.

-Kalista fights valiantly, but when the Ruination occurs, she is felled by a transformed Hecarim. As her life fades, she feels a burning resentment for Viego and all true betrayers; this hatred is amplified by the Black Mist, allowing Kalista to rise as the Spear of Vengeance.

-Kalista’s obsession with hunting betrayers overwhelms her mind and spirit. In time, she learns to harness the grudges of others as well, though doing so causes Kalista to slowly lose more and more of her own identity. Eventually, she starts roaming the Isles and even the lands beyond in pursuit of traitors, no longer even recalling the true cause for her hatred.

-Vex is no longer gloomy and depressed from the start, but is affected by the Black Mist due to staying on the Shadow Isles for too long; her shadow represents the cheerier personality she keeps locked deep inside of her.

-Karthus’s story remains more-or-less the same, but his obsession with death is changed to an obsession with viewing the darkest desires of humanity.

-Lucian and Senna maintain more-or-less the same backstory, but Senna won’t be revived until much, much later.

-Senna doesn’t have a fragment of Isolde in her this time. She joined the Sentinels because her home was attacked during a Harrowing.

-Akshan was once a young thief devoted to stealing from those who abuse their wealth and power and distributing his ill-gotten goods among the needy. He perished in an ambush set by one greedy aristocrat, but was found and saved by the Reclaimer’s previous keeper: Shadya.

-Shadya recruited Akshan into the Sentinels for his righteous heart. Their story plays out more-or-less the same, up until Akshan learns of the Reclaimer. Believing that such power shouldn’t be kept hidden away, he steals the Reclaimer and starts roaming Shurima, using its power to revive those he believes were wrong murdered.

-Devising a plan to take control of the Black Mist, Thresh manages to completely break the seal holding Viego captive. He informs the Ruined King of the Reclaimer, persuading Viego to trust him once more in the hopes that it will truly be able to revive Isolde’s corpse.

-Rise of the Sentinels becomes a race to find the Reclaimer, rather than a hunt for fetters.

-Lucian encounters Gwen on the Shadow Isles while hunting for Thresh. There, they encounter the Ruined King, who proves too strong for them.

-Lucian and Gwen are forced to retreat and seek out allies, but the Sentinels of Light have waned in numbers since Lucian went rogue. Thus, the two of them must travel around Runeterra seeking allies to stand with them against the Black Mist.

-Viego begins to spread his Black Mist across Runeterra with the help of Vex and her knowledge of Bandle Gates. He seeks the Reclaimer while occasionally corrupting the minds of Champions with excessive negative feelings he can exploit.

-Those recruited into the Sentinels of Light have Relicstone weapons made for them by the order’s Stonecarver, rather than just conveniently having their perfect weapons already made for them.

-The new Sentinels of Light include: Fiora, Quinn, Vayne, Poppy, Garen, Draven, Riven, Samira, Katarina(?), Braum, Olaf, Jayce, Vi, Seraphine, Ziggs, Irelia, Wukong, Shen, Yasuo, Ahri, Miss Fortune, Graves, Illaoi, Diana, Rengar, Sivir, and Akshan.

-Those Ruined by Viego include: Shyvana, Jarvan IV, Darius, Swain (demon goes feral), Ashe, Tryndamere, Viktor, Caitlyn, Akali, Yone (demon goes feral), Gangplank, Twisted Fate(?), Pantheon, Nidalee, and Shadya.

-After Viego is defeated in a duel by Gwen, Thresh steals the weakened king’s soul and seals it in his lantern. This allows him to take control of the Black Mist, and even revert to a more humanoid form if we MUST have Unbound Thresh be a thing.

-Vex goes into hiding after Viego’s defeat, with none knowing her whereabouts...

-Senna is ultimately revived using the last charge of the Reclaimer. If we must insist that she still has Mist powers, perhaps we can say that because her soul was being held captive in Thresh’s lantern, the Reclaimer is only able to bring a part of her back. Senna and Lucian can then dedicate their arc toward recovering the piece of her still bound by Thresh, and Senna struggles to keep her darkness from overwhelming her. This might make for more compelling relationship drama than what the original story gave us.

-Thresh becomes the new Lord of the Isles, with the intent to cover all of Runeterra in Black Mist. To do this, however, he needs to slowly but surely expand the Mist’s territory by adding yet more negative emotions to it. Thresh starts roaming Runeterra to extract as many souls as he can gather, adding their darkness to the Shadow Isles.

#League of Legends #Shadow Isles #Rise of the Sentinels #Runeterra Rewrites

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