On the southern coast of Ionia, a lone woman stands staring to the sea. Her hair and tattoos glow with the light of the moon.
"Still waiting here I see?" said a man from behind her. She slowly turns around and readies her crescent shaped blade at him.
"Who are you?" asked Diana. She could see that the man is tall, sturdy of build and is wearing what seems to be a ceremonial mask. In the moonlight she could see vapours of red emanating from the mask.
"I'm an envoy of the moon just like you."
"The Lunari do not wear masks such as that. I'll ask again, who are you? Don't make me ask a third time." threatened Diana.
"Have you ever heard of the Blood Moon? And the curse that comes with it?" he asked.
"I see. You're that man." replied Diana, lowering her blade. "As much as I want to, I cannot join you just yet. There is an errand I must complete."
"I can guarantee that the Marai will not arrive before the Blood Moon comes to pass. They are plenty capable."
Diana stared at him sceptically.
"Diana, soon the rivers will run red in reflection of the moon. Don't deny the moon her will now, especially not the bloody moon." coaxed the man as he extended his hand.
Diana just turned around and stared at the moon. It seemed to shine a particularly bright stream of light onto the man as though giving her blessing. Sighing, Diana turned and took his hand.
"The Moon has judged you worthy, but do not presume to be above me. I will help you but threaten me again and I'll slice you in half." warned Diana.
The man just smiled as red mist enveloped her.
A lone elderly man sat in his room atop his Clock Tower in the once great city of Urtistan. For once his mind is in the right time, the present. A lone man encroaches on his isolation and bowed respectfully. The man wore a white porcelain mask and had a mist of red surrounding him.
The elderly man just sighed as he sat with his back facing the intruder.
"So it's time. I accept your offer, though not of my will. This is what must be and what must always have been. However, heed my warning. For what must always have been must always be. Your pride will be your undoing."
The man just smiled without saying a word as he walked to the still-sitting elderly man and placed a hand on his head and the red mist enveloped the elderly man.
On the coast of the Shadow Isles, a boat just moored and its passengers have stepped onto the cursed land. Led by a cloaked woman, the group made their way to a large cave.
Everyone seemed excited for they were about to meet the god that they worship. All except one lone hooded man who fell to the back of the group.
In the midst of their excitement, that man slinked away into the shadows as the rest of the group delved further into the cave.
At the entrance of a particularly large cavern, the man stopped. The rest of the group entered but it seemed like he was content with observing from the outside.
Once inside, everyone removed their hoods and each one of them had a look of sheer excitement as they gazed around and awaited eagerly for their god's arrival.
The still cloaked woman, finally removed her garments to reveal a scantily dressed woman in tight black leather. She had what seemed like extra appendages coming out of her back as she raised every single one of them into the air.
"Everyone! It's time! Are you ready to meet our Lord?" called the woman.
Her question was met by cheers from her followers and eager expressions.
"Oh Lord Vilemaw! Dinner is served!" sang the woman creepily.
This line was met with confusion from the group, as the previous joyous atmosphere turned into one of doubt and fear. One by one, they realised the implication of the statement.
"Dinner? Surely she doesn't mean us?" said the ones in disbelief. Some other screamed and fled, but they didn't get far before Elise wrapped them all into cocoons. There were then the odd few who welcomed Vilemaw to consume them.
One by one, the cultists were offered up to Vilemaw and one by one they were dropped to the ground dead and soon the ground was littered with corpses.
The cavern was quiet after the meal, and Vilemaw went back to sleep awaiting his next meal.
Suddenly, a slow clap emerged from the darkness and Elise turned her head to the source. A masked man walked up slowly clapping.
"Are you here to give yourself to our Lord Vilemaw?" she asked.
"No, unfortunately not. I actually came here for you." replied the man.
Elise groaned as she asked, "Oh, they sent you didn't they. What does Evaine want now? I knew getting in with that group of posers was going to be troublesome."
When the man didn't respond, Elise grew impatient and demanded, "Well? Out with it! What does Evaine want? Hello?"
The man just replied "Come with me."
"Yes yes fine, whatever, let's just get this over with. I'll come, now tell me what the bloody hell Evaine wants!"
"You." Was all he said, as red smoke billowed out around Elise until she was enveloped completely.
After a moment of silence, the man broke it as he called out to no-one in particular, "Come out young assassin. I know you're there."
Momentarily, a hooded man walked out from the shadows, blade drawn.
"Who are you and what is your association with the Black Rose. Depending on your answer I might spare your life."
"I am in no way shape or form associated with the Black Rose. Who I am is not of concern but I do have information about a certain general who is definitely of your concern. Talon."
Talon took an immediate step back and lowered himself to a defensive position.
"What do you know?"
"I know the whereabouts of your precious general, as well as what happened to him and who was responsible. All questions you need answering, am I wrong?"
"Name your price, or do you prefer to be tortured?" threatened Talon.
"My price is easy. Your service in a menial task. You won't be doing anything out of the ordinary either.
"You'll give me the information, if I kill someone for you? What's the catch?" inquired Talon, suspiciously.
"There's no catch, but even if there was, what difference would it make. We both know you have no choice but to accept. You have no answers to any of your questions nor any conclusive leads. That is why you are here investigating the members of the Black Rose, is it not?"
Talon could feel the man's grin from beneath the mask. It was the air of confidence given off by a man who knows he has gotten what he wants. He hates being in such a powerless position.
"Fine." growled Talon, unable to refuse.
The man held out his hand for Talon to shake, "It's a deal then. I'll just borrow you for a little while."
Talon ignored the handshake, and sighing, the man lowered his hand and red smoky tendrils wrapped themselves around him too.
Outside the Vilemaw cave, the masked man headed to his next recruit. On the shores of the Shadow Isles, he called out, "Heed my call, oh Spirit of Vengeance!".
Nothing happened. He was about to try again, but then green smoke started coalescing into a humanoid form. One of a woman, with multiple spears through her torso.
"Mortal, why do you call upon me? I sense that you hold no grudges against any soul in this world. Well perhaps one, but you would not seek me for vengeance against your own soul." stated the spirit.
"Perhaps I don't, but I know for certain that you do. Don't you remember where we are?" asked the man.
After a few moments of silence, the memories of that fateful day rushed back into Kalista's mind. She had spent so long fulfilling the vengeance of other souls, that she had neglected to complete her own.
"Where is he? I know you know mortal." demanded Kalista.
"I'll tell you, if you do something for me."
"What is it?"
"I need a certain Warden and his Lantern."
"Then you're a fool. The Chain Warden is stronger than I, and will flay all souls indiscriminately. The only difference is the amount of pleasure he receives."
"His Lantern is filled with the souls of those he damned and each one of them roars vengeance against their torturer. If you obtain his Lantern, you obtain an army."
"Easier said than done, how do you suppose I go about getting his Lantern?" asked Kalista.
"Like this." replied the man, as red misty fog surrounded Kalista.
In the dungeons of a ruined castle, the walls were decorated with gruesome bodies hanging from meat hooks, body parts of various degrees of decay, strewn randomly across the floor, blood stained everywhere and rotting guts and flesh provided the stench that could drive a living soul mad. In this dungeon where a monster made his home, a cacophony of screams pierced the walls.
Inside, stood a robed figure holding a scythe and lantern attached by a chain of bone. He had a floating spectral skull with three bone tendrils curling back as a substitute for hair and eerie green mists and fire surrounded the skull and his neck. The rest of his body was still spectral but had form, though still a translucent ghostly green. His weapons glowed ominously as they floated around him.
He moved to his most recent victim inspecting his work. The soul had been tormented brutally and thoroughly and is now unresponsive and numb. The Chain Warden hated when souls became like that. It meant he needed to find new souls to torment and torture.
Sucking the soul back into his lantern, he took the spectral key hanging from his waist and locked the lantern.
As he left the castle to find himself a new soul, he felt a familiar yet different soul.
"Kalista show yourself. I am not in the mood for your petty games. Unless you would take the place of my next victim." he said coldly.
As the spirit walked in front of him, Thresh couldn't help but be surprised. Kalista did not look like herself. She was hunched and wore a mask, and where she had once been a green apparition, she was now made of a red misty aura. Even the spears in her back were red and she had her now white hair tied back in a ponytail.
Thresh could see Kalista's soul distorted and estranged. He asked her, "What happened to you? That time of month?" he quipped snarkily.
She didn't show any form of reaction. Instead she just lunged and threw one of her spears at Thresh. He easily knocked it away with his scythe. As she kept sending spears his way, he kept deflecting them with his scythe and chain. Kalista halted her attacks for a suspicious second, but before Thresh could question it, he took the opportunity and threw his scythe. It hooked Kalista right around the neck and so he pulled her in. Grasping her neck, he brought his spectral skull right in front of her face and snarled.
"I will find great pleasure in torturing you." As he stared into her glowing red eyes, he noticed something was amiss. Her eyes were blank, empty. As though this was just a shell or a puppet. There was a nagging feeling that this was too easy, even for her standards.
Before he could let go, he felt a great pain shoot through his chest. Looking down, he found the source of the pain. Kalista had forced one of the spears in her back, through her chest and into Thresh. The ghostly spear now pierced through Thresh's spectral form completely and he felt paralysed.
His spectral body felt heavy as he couldn't move at all, but watch helplessly as Kalista got to work. She slowly and purposefully reached down to Thresh's bone-hemmed robe and plucked the spectral key from his bone belt.
"No... Stop..." he croaked out of desperation but Kalista was unresponsive.
As she took the key and put it inside the padlock of the lantern, she turned the key. The lock opened and immediately all of the souls within the lantern burst out.
With his source of strength dwindling to nothing, Thresh grew weaker and weaker as the impalement of the red spear became more and more painful. Without the protection from the power of his souls, Thresh roared in agony as red mist erupted from both wounds in his chest and back.
Kalista held his empty lantern up in front of him as his soul waned and darkness overtook him. The last thing he saw was the evil grin of Kalista's white porcelain mask.
In the city of Bilgewater, a remote pub was bustling with the common activities of drunkards and gamblers. A man with a pointed cowboy hat sat at a gambling table seemingly deep in concentration for the game. Truthfully he was thinking of all the things he could buy with the money he was making off of unsuspecting drunkards. Every hand would be dealt but his conniving ways know no bounds. He was a master at sleight of hand and nobody has caught on, though people did start having suspicions. Right now he has a pile of cash in front of him as he smirked at the people he's playing with. They all had furious scowls because he just won another hand and now he was wondering when these people would finally snap and attack him.
It didn't take very long but he was prepared. A hand later, he won and the other players literally threw themselves across the table. He threw the cards he held in his hand as they glowed gold. One card for each attacker. As soon as they made contact, magical golden chains shot from the cards and wrapped themselves around the targets tightly. It lasted long enough for him to gather his earnings and leave the bar. When the men were free they chased him only to find him to have disappeared. The only thing they could find was a joker card lying on the ground.
As soon as the man arrived at his destination via teleportation, he set his earnings down and watched it happily. This was a good night.
"Congratulations on your escape." said a voice in the darkness.
The man just readied another golden card before he slowly turned around. When he did he saw a man wreathed in a red aura, not menacingly but still eerie nonetheless. What was menacing though was the white mask that the man wore. It replaced his face with a permanent demonic expression.
"That was beautifully executed Tobias." the red man said.
Upon hearing the name, he froze. Nobody was supposed to know his name. None except for his old partner.
"Who are you?" he asked cautiously.
"Just an employer looking to hire someone of your particular skill set." the man mused airily.
"What's the job? I'll decide the price when I know what I'm gon' be doin'."
"I can't tell you the job until you agree. But I believe this will convince you. If you help me, I'll pay you with this." The man held up a small gemstone between his index finger and thumb, it was not large by any means but Tobias knew exactly what it was. They had tried to steal one before, with his old group. But that ended with Malcolm in prison and the others dead. It was a Red Diamond. Those things were the most expensive gemstones in the world. This one stone could have him living in luxury for the rest of his life. Ten times over.
"I'm in." he said.
The man just smiled. The Red Diamond was ominously the same shade of blood red as the aura that surrounds him but Tobias paid it no mind. He held out his hand and said simply, "A pleasure doing business with you Tobias."
Tobias just grinned and took the hand while saying, "The name's Fate. I don't go by that other one anymore." And as he shook the hand, his vision grew dark and collapsed onto the ground with the red aura surrounding him as well.
In a lonely inn, in a remote little village, a single man sat at the bar drinking. The inn was empty save for that one man and the bartender. The village wasn't particularly populated, and just getting by with their harvests. It seemed like a happy little village.
"So, this is where you've been drinking away your sorrows huh?" spoke one stranger. The bartender was visibly spooked by the sudden appearance of a masked man, but the other customer seemed entirely unfazed. He just carried on drinking.
"How 'bout I buy you a drink then." suggested the man as he motioned for the bartender to bring them some sake.
The other man ignored him completely and stood up to leave. For a man who's been drinking so much sake, he was surprisingly quick and steady on his feet. However, just as he reached the doorway, the masked man spoke up.
"If you leave now, you won't find out who killed Elder Roku." taunted the masked man.
In a movement as fast as the wind, the samurai unsheathed his katana and held it to the man's neck from behind.
"Be very careful what you say next. What do you know of me?" asked the samurai.
"Oh I know plenty, but that's not important. What you'll be most interested in is the identity of your master's killer... Yasuo." replied the masked man.
The samurai frowned as he debated internally whether to kill this man right now or not. He decided not.
"Tell me what you know and you'll maybe walk out of here alive."
"Ah but that's not the way the world works my friend." replied the man as he took another sip of sake. "I'll tell you what I know about this wind-style user, including who and where she is and in return I want something from you."
If Yasuo was shocked to learn that the culprit was female, he did well to hide it. The only giveaway was the slight widening of his eyes and the subtlest of hitches in breathing.
"What do you want from me then?"
"Just your service in a small matter of mine. Nothing you should worry about too much." replied the man nonchalantly.
"And if I say no?" asked Yasuo
"Well if you refuse then you refuse. Only, you'll probably never find out who it was that killed Elder Roku..."
"Then I don't have much choice do I? Fine I'll help you with this matter of yours and in return you give me the information I want. If you don't fulfil your end of the bargain, I'll kill you." threatened Yasuo.
"Very well. Although I highly doubt that last part." dismissed the masked man. He took another mouthful of sake as red fog enveloped Yasuo.
In a prison cell of the most secure prison in Ionia, a masked man danced to a tune he hummed. He had been etching roses into the walls for every day he's been locked up. Now the walls have all been completely filled and Jhin had moved to etching on the ground. He usually has two guards to watch him, after all the so-called atrocities that he called his art was not understood by anyone. Today however, the assigned guards were all missing and he knew something was about to happen.
"Khada Jhin. Finally, the man himself. In the flesh. The one behind all those beautiful pieces of artwork." spoke a voice from somewhere in the room, not visible through his bars.
"You speak as though you understand my art. I think I should kill you for lying. Don't presume to understand my art, nobody understands my art. It's sad really, since Art is everywhere and will always exist. I just happen to prefer it to be more... red... and explosive."
"Let's make a deal then. You help me and I'll let you out, free to make as much... Art... As you wish."
Jhin laughed at that statement. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. This sounded a little too good to be true.
"And what is the catch? Because right now you're more appealing to me as a canvas than a saviour." he asked in a mocking tone.
"Just that you kill the ones I will ask you to kill. What you do to them is up to you. Think of it as a... commission of sorts..."
Jhin laughed once more at that, this was the best thing he's ever heard. Nobody had ever understood his art and now someone was asking him for commissions!
"I will accept. Though I am curious. Do you want to be my art? You are unsettlingly eerie and confident. It bothers me. I think you will be an abstract sculpture, perhaps moving some limbs. Probably removing your head…"
"Oh, as fun as that sounds, I think you'll thoroughly enjoy killing the person I have in mind. After all, he helped lock you in here."
Jhin's eyes widened behind his mask as the man just opened the prison door and held out his hand for a hand shake.
"I look forward to our... cooperation." said Jhin accepting the handshake as red mist flooded the prison cell.
A couple of hours after Khada Jhin's escape, Ionia is in upheaval. As much as Irelia tried to keep the incident quiet, rumours and news travel faster than wildfire, and soon enough, everyone's heard that Ionia's most notorious mass murderer is once again on the loose.
All members of the Ionian military including the guards as well as the Kinkou Order have been sent out with the order of apprehending the murderer known as Khada Jhin, A.K.A. the Golden Demon.
"Do you see him, Shen?" asked Akali. As the Eye of Twilight, Shen sees all imbalances between the Spirit realm and the mortal realm. An event such as this would undoubtedly have repercussions on the overall balance. As such, Shen has taken to meditating atop the roof of the Kinkou Monastery in an attempt to locate the aberration, whilst Akali and Kennen stood guard. Every living being has a spirit and every spirit has an accompanying aura, and Shen is able to see these through his mind's eye. His training has allowed him to gauge the general direction and distance of a spirit he's familiar with and with an aura as malicious as Jhin's, it would be impossible to miss. And yet, Shen was now having a difficult time locating it.
"Something's wrong." Shen suddenly spoke up. "It's as if there's something shrouding Jhin's spirit, I can't get a read on him. Each time I try, it's like there's a red haze blocking my view."
"So now what? We need to find him fast before he starts another murder spree!" urged Kennen.
"His location may be shrouded but his aura is so strong it slipped through whatever was covering him. It's an undeniable thirst for vengeance and I have a feeling I know who he's after." said Shen, standing up and staring into the distance.
Suddenly, Shen drew his Spirit Blade with one hand and with the other, he held up his index and middle fingers and concentrated his Ki. A light purple mist wafted around his Spirit Blade and grew to envelope the Triumvirate. Akali and Kennen both recognised it as his Spirit's Refuge Technique, and seeing it, they drew their weapons and prepared for a fight. Seconds later, a large bullet impacted the mist and was subsequently stopped.
*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*
Very rarely does Shen ever get surprised by anything, but these three claps immediately roared danger in Shen's mind. He immediately redoubled his efforts on his protective shroud and another bullet was stopped right in front of him.
"Impressive, oh Eye of Twilight. Very impressive indeed!" spoke out a male voice. Shen looked down and saw a masked man standing in the courtyard of the Kinkou Monastery. He didn't sense anything at all from the man, it was like he either had no spirit or it was hidden by some powerful force. He guessed it was the latter and realised that Jhin must then either be an accomplice of or is under the control of this powerful entity, and his instincts told him that this was not an enemy they could take on alone. His suspicions were proven right the moment he saw red smoke advance towards them.
"Akali, Kennen, retreat. We can't fight this." stated Shen, although the two seemed hesitant.
"Now, now, let's not leave just yet! We should have some fun first!" called out the man from the courtyard, as a third bullet was fired and also stopped by his Spirit's Refuge. The red mist had reached them and is beginning to surround Shen's Spirit's Refuge.
"Go! Now! I'll hold them off!" repeated Shen. Shen rarely gives orders of retreat, but when he does, it's best to listen. Akali and Kennen both know this so immediately they retreated out the back before the red smoke could entirely envelope them. They retreated into the forest, after sparing one glance back at Shen but he was completely surrounded by the smoke now, so they just ran.
Inside his Spirit's Refuge, Shen was beginning to sweat from the amount of energy it took to try and maintain his Spirit's Refuge. It was a war of attrition between his protective mist and the invasive red smoke, and he was on the losing side. Slowly, the red smoke inched closer and closer despite his resistance. It was a slow advance and it took all of Shen's efforts to keep himself from being overwhelmed. So when the fourth shot was fired, his refuge could not hold and although it missed, the bullet tore through the protective barrier allowing the red smoke to flood in. Right before he was overwhelmed, he tried to anchor his spirit to the Spirit Blade.
"Valiant effort though. Don't worry this will only be temporary." mused the masked man. "Now, as for the other two..."
Akali and Kennen darted through the forest in an attempt to reach Karma, or anyone who could help. As soon as they sensed the presence of danger, they stopped. It felt like it was coming from all around them. Suddenly a projectile was fired and the pair barely dodged out of the way. It seemed to be a glob of web as it hit a tree trunk and stuck fast.
"Now is this any way to treat a guest?" said a man walking into view.
"What have you done with Shen?" demanded Akali.
"Oh nothing, I'm simply borrowing him for a bit is all. Just like I'll be borrowing you two." replied the man airily.
Akali, responded by throwing a kama at his head but to her shock and horror, a figure flashed in front of him and deflected the kama.
With a gasp, Akali tried to backstep but Shen was too fast and immediately dashed behind her and pinned her to the ground.
"Shen! Snap out of it! Shen! What have you done to him?!" shouted Akali as she struggled to escape from Shen's hold.
Kennen threw a Thundering Shuriken at Shen but it was deflected by a simple manoeuvre of his Spirit Blade. In that second when his back was turned, a sticky projectile hit him in the back and fastened him to the ground.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you. I told you I'm only going to borrow you for a while." laughed the man as red smoke surrounded everyone.
Returning to the Kinkou Monastery, the masked man stood in the courtyard surrounded by his newly acquired assistants. He shrouded the entire monastery in red as he relished in his delight. The first of six seals was broken.
"It's a shame we couldn't get The Kumungu and Shurima seems to be out of the question now that the Ascended have returned... It would've been easier if we controlled those entrances too. Alas, it is but a slight hindrance. The scouting parties did their jobs, the cavalry is soon to arrive. The Blood Moon Prophecy will be fulfilled!"
A/N: Alrighty! So after a year of writing and rewriting (thanks to riot's lore overhaul), I finally have a good grasp on how I want this story to play out. This is going to be a mix of both old and new lore as well as some added fluffs and details of my own.
Unfortunately, the Blood Moon masks are really hard for me to describe so I'm gonna have to ask you as the readers to look up these masks and imagine it for yourselves. Sorry!
I should be posting these once a week, hopefully, so I hope anybody who does read my work enjoy it. As always, criticisms are always welcome, and yes I know this prologue is very much on the cliché side but it seemed to me to be the best way for this to play out.
Anyway, Peace \o