I can't say that I've ever played Rammus, but after seeing how much fun my brother has from playing him I regard him with a lot of love. He's just a really funny, odd-looking character in the League and one of the most iconic champions. I'm glad somebody requested this guy.
Up next we'll be hearing from one Freljordian berserker, which will hopefully not take long to write. I have a decent idea of where to take it, but we'll see if I can manage to get back on schedule since the semester's almost out. After that, I'll likely be taking a quick break from requests to do a "me" piece for one of my current favorites.
League of Legends is the property of Riot Games Inc., not me.
Candidate: Rammus
Date: July 10th, 19 CLE
OBSERVATION:
Rammus is certainly an interesting specimen, and one that is truly unique amongst the varied life forms of Runeterra. The vast majority of his body is protected by a massive spiked shell whose scales are a gleaming tan in coloration, though they appear to have an iridescent quality as well. His teal-colored limbs protrude outwards from arm- and leg-holes that have been hewn in the carapace, allowing him to both waddle across the ground in a surprisingly quick fashion and exposing his clawed hands for combat. Though the shell would at first glance appear to be a part of his natural biology, one can tell that it is not upon a closer inspection. Whether or not Rammus ever removes it though is an entirely different question, and not one that any observer would be able to figure out through simple observation. The creature's face is almost completely flat, with an almost imperceptible bump that marks his nose and a thin slash for a mouth that betrays none of his emotions. His eyes are large and golden in color, and they take in the ornamentation of the Great Hall as he progresses through the chamber.
Rammus seems momentarily confused by the doors at the end of the chamber. When he walks up and puts out a claw to touch them however, they swing open automatically. It is impossible to tell if the Armordillo is amused or scared by this development, but he pushes forward into the Reflecting Chamber regardless, his talons clacking loudly on the tiled floor.
REFLECTION:
Darkness was not something Rammus was particularly afraid of, but he crouched slightly as he headed further into the room: an instinctual tactic from his armadillo days. He had no idea what the humans were about to do to him – but in all honesty, he didn't know much about humans in general. They were just as likely to eat him as they were to admit him to this "League of Legends" thing, and although they'd promised him that they wouldn't, Rammus didn't take anything for granted. The second he noticed anything out of the ordinary, he would be tucked up in his shell and making for the door at his back.
The sudden flash of light and color that consumed his world sent a momentary tremor of fear through Rammus's body. He curled into a defensive ball immediately, tucking his arms and legs by the sides of his shell while sheltering his head down by his belly. The bristling of the spines on his back would help deter whatever was coming for him – but suddenly, Rammus didn't feel quite so big anymore. Nor was it quiet in the chamber any longer. Instead, he heard the sounds of unfamiliar creatures calling to each other, the rustling of leaves, and the gurgle of flowing water.
He uncurled himself a little bit, peeking through the plates of his armor, to find a strange sight: he was no longer in the Institute of War. Instead, the tangle of the Plague Jungles greeted him, with plants stretching their limbs out around him on all sides. Rammus was amazed. How had he gotten here? He uncurled himself fully and stood up, only to find that he could no longer walk on two legs. No longer was he Rammus, the Armordillo – instead, he was the nameless armadillo who had wandered too far from his normal home in the Shurima desert, the way he'd been once before.
The armadillo that had been known as Rammus gave a scared look around itself, taking in the unfamiliar flora that sprung endlessly from the ground about it. The plants were large enough that it could shelter safely underneath, but their strange appearance made the armadillo mistrust their welcoming shade. Instead, it compromised and moved halfway under their beckoning leaves, close enough that it was partially concealed and yet far enough away that it could always escape should they prove to hide other dangerous.
Thus prepared, the creature set out, moving deeper into the jungle. It could not explain why it had journeyed so far away from its usual home in the desert, nor could it articulate the compulsion that drew it onward. It was an irresistible feeling, something akin to the need for food, water, and sleep that all beings shared, and the armadillo obeyed the compulsion without a second thought. Though the jungle terrified it, it forged ahead to an unknown destination, knowing that something it needed could be found there.
After hours of crawling stealthily through the tangled underbrush and rot-covered trunks of old trees, the armadillo paused. Something had changed. Instead of the usual dark-green panorama of the jungle, it found a brilliant green wall ahead of it that extended far off to its left and right. It blinked and looked upwards at the evergreen hedge that rose suddenly and inexplicably in the middle of the jungle. It was an odd sight, but the armadillo had no idea how strange it really was. What it did know was that the compulsion was drawing it towards something on the other side, and that it needed to find a way through.
A few minutes of following the wall led the armadillo to a small gap that it could squeeze through. On the other side, it found a whole series of hedges, each one joining with the others at precise ninety-degree angles – a veritable maze of brilliantly green walls. A human being would have been stymied by the impromptu labyrinth, but the nameless armadillo was unfazed. The call it felt was still there, and it drew the mammal through the maze as easily as a seamstress threaded a needle. Though numerous passages opened before it, though the maze grew thicker and more complex with each turn, the armadillo's course was clear. It was bound for the heart of the maze.
And at last, with exhaustion finally seeping in, the small creature found itself approaching the final turn. It dragged its armored body forwards with the dregs of its energy, its tongue gasping for air. As it emerged from around the corner though, its dim senses picked up on a brilliantly glowing aura ahead of it. The light was too intense for the armadillo and hurt its poor eyes, but was somehow comforting as well. It was more than just light – it had a presence about it, a certain sense of being that was similar to the compulsion that had driven the armadillo here. At the sight of it, all weariness fell from the creature's body and it hurried forwards towards the warm glow. The light grew brighter and brighter still, even though the animal closed its eyes, and it suddenly felt a strange sensation in its gut…
The armadillo's eyes opened suddenly, staring upwards into the jungle above. No longer did the hedge walls hem it in – instead, the animal knew somehow that it was free. It rolled to its feet, fearful of spending too much time lying on its back, only to find that its arms no longer reached the ground. Instead, they dangled just above the ground, their newly elongated claws chewing small furrows in the dirt. Its limbs were a brilliant shade of blue now and they disturbed the former armadillo, for how was it supposed to blend in with the desert sands now? But worse than that, the armadillo realized suddenly that it had a host of strange feelings in its body – a hint of anger, a pinch of fear, a trace of sadness, and a whole lot of confusion. The host of sensations threatened to overwhelm it and it reacted in the only way it knew how – it trembled in fear, its little hands held up to its head.
But the trembling was not confined to the creature. Instead, the ground under its feet began to quake as well, sending ripples of tectonic energy through the planet's crust. Trees swayed violently overhead, sending a few of their branches crashing down through the canopy and wreaking havoc below. The voices of the jungle animals had fallen silent as they fled from the strange disturbance, seeking a refuge from the ongoing tremors. The transformed armadillo gazed about itself in wonder as the earthquake continued. It would never have managed to figure it out before, but now it recognized the situation – the tremors came from him.
And just as soon as it realized this, the earthquake ceased. He nodded slowly, coming to grips with his newfound body and powers. These abilities were strong indeed – enough to secure him a life beyond simple survival – but he had lost much in the process. Foremost among his concerns was the fact that as far as he knew, he was the only member of his species on the planet. The loneliness that the thought made him feel brought Rammus close to trembling again, but he stilled the emotion. Perhaps the magic that had changed him wasn't the only one in the world. Maybe it had made other armadillos into creatures just like him – or maybe it would again, in the future.
Rammus raised his head and set off into the jungle, determination forming in his heart. No matter how long it took, he would find others that had been transformed, or the means with which to do it himself. It would be a hard journey, but as he reflected on the quest that had brought him to the Plague Jungles, he knew that it would be no different.
In a swirl of colors, the jungles faded from Rammus's view and he was returned to the Institute of War. A purple-robed human stood before him, its expression a mixture of fascination and attempted severity. "Why do you want to join the League, Rammus?" it asked.
The Armordillo's only reply was to shrug. The human had just read his mind a second ago – could it not remember back that far? At any rate, Rammus knew that the human was in no position to refuse him. The League of Legends was in desperate need of champions, or so he'd been told by the blonde-haired youth who'd directed him here. They couldn't possibly reject him.
When no verbal response was forthcoming, the Summoner's scowl deepened. "They told me this thing was smart," he muttered to himself, only to gasp in surprise as Rammus raised his middle finger in response. The Armordillo didn't actually know what the gesture meant, but had picked it up along the way and understood that it was a surefire way to make humans angry. He didn't appreciate being called unintelligent.
It was a few more seconds before the Summoner finally recovered from his surprise. "How does it feel to expose your mind?" he said quickly, clearly hoping to end the Judgment as fast as possible.
Rammus gave a noncommittal nod. "Ok," he said, his voice low and gruff.
The Summoner stared at Rammus, clearly hoping for elaboration, but the Armordillo remained silent. "Welcome to the League," the human finally said when no response was forthcoming. It vanished into the darkness, leaving Rammus all alone once more. With a small grin, Rammus set off for the exit. The League would give him all the resources he needed to find the magic that had changed him. Everything was going to be ok.