The taste of satisfaction from the yearly sacrifice still lingered as her kin crawled around her half-naked body. She gave into the desire and let the final drop of Vilemaw's venom seep into her veins and arteries, writhing in pleasure as soon as it started to pump its way through the spider-like woman. Her back arched as the pleasure flowed throughout her body. It had been too long. Immortal youth had never tasted so good.

"I sense new souls." The emerald chain warden's voice sung in the rotting air and was almost as sharp as his spectral scythe.

"My yearly sacrifice to the Spider God has been completed. Their souls are his to take," Elise coolly stated, rising to a sitting position on a makeshift throne of rotting corpses and webbing.

"Your God," Thresh corrected absent-mindedly as he drifted past her and progressed deeper into the spider's lair.

"Wait, Thresh! I am not just here for the sacrifice this year and I no longer just represent Vilemaw's kin," she stood now, her slender legs making her human form looking almost fragile, and small spiders scurried around her feet in panic.

"Speak carefully for we do not rule here," the emerald fire licked the air as Thresh opened his jaw to speak.

"I come as a representative of a very powerful Noxian organisation who seek favour with the commanding powers in the Shadow Isles. While you may not think so, that includes you." Her voice was careful and she spoke in the exact way she had been commanded. It was natural, that since Elise spent most of her time residing in Noxus that she would be the first to be persuaded and the one to bridge the gap between the two nations.

"You shall be wanting to speak with the others also?"

"Could you gather them?"

"We are free souls, we come and go as we please. I do not promise anything other than an eternity of torture. But I will find those with which you wish to speak", Thresh whispered as he drifted away. The screams of anguish coming from his lantern faded away with the darkness as he moved away from the lair. Elise huffed in slight annoyance. She knew that there was a particular Wraith that was the key to the plan but who was also the hardest to win over… The overarching commander of the Shadow Isles himself: Mordekaiser.

Elise had waited longer than she would have liked and had started to wrap her Noxian cloak around her red and black body when she heard the moaning of souls drifting her way once more. The path leading to the lair had a slick, oily quality, making it treacherous underfoot. The crooked trees to either side were wretched, blackened husks that wept yellowed sap from where it looked like some panicked animal had clawed them ragged. Soft light shimmered between the trees, dancing like the corpse candles that flickered over marshland and drew unwary souls to their doom. The branches were hung with ragged cobwebs and in that moment Elise felt sorry for the ones that actually had to live on that damned place. But none of this seemed to matter to the figures which came through the mist, looming over the insects which dotted the floor. At the head of the group was none other than the Shadow of War. Elise had seen the horseman patrolling the coast at a few points in her life but had never come face to face with the murderous monstrosity. She knew only of his power and influence over many of the spirits on the Isles. Behind him came Thresh who was flanking the most terrifying being ever to walk Runeterra: Mordekaiser. With ever slow step came the crash of metal on metal. Elise became very aware of how small and alive she was. Liches and spectres now danced around the lair, forcing her spiders to retreat into the impenetrable darkness of their God's lair. She had met the Iron Lord once before on her third visit to the Isles but back then he had been almost bored and could not care less about the natures of her visits. The final power of the Isles, the Deathsinger, came almost as quickly as the breeze. He was the only one Elise had never seen patrolling the Shadow Isles and was shocked at how ghastly he looked. Even beside the other three monstrosities, this one had what could only be described as a melted human face with cheeks and eyes sunk so far into the face they had disappeared.

The Pale Lady had given Elise strict instructions on each of the four undead as well as their histories. Back when they were alive, two of them had belonged to Noxus, one to the Blessed Isles and the other to an infamous kingdom etched in the memories of all.

"Speak." Mordekaiser commanded and one of his liches hissed in anguish at the wait.

"I have come under the sail of the Noxian High Command and of The Black Rose. They wish for your aid on the battlefield," Elise was aware of how alone and vulnerable she was without her kin around her.

"Noxus?" Mordekaiser sounded like he had chuckled.

"In battle you will have the opportunity to take many lives and souls from our enemies. More than even the Black Mist would take. More than you would have on your Harrowing," she paused to see pleased reactions from Thresh and Hecarim as they both shifted their grips on their weapons. Karthus' expression was unreadable. "Each of you have vast legions on undead at your command and after you help Noxus you will have thousands more souls who bow to you."

"Why would we help Noxus become the most powerful nation in Valoran when that is our goal?" Karthus' song drifted on the wind before sharply piercing Elise's ears.

Hecarim, who only cared about bloodlust, was thankful for the political intelligence of Karthus. "He is correct. Death is everywhere. You do not own death. We can kill whenever you want."

Elise eyed Mordekaiser once more and knew it was time for the trump card, "The Black Rose has many dark mages who have unspeakable power. Some say they even have the power to banish the undead. You would not want that. Especially given how much trouble that Yorick has been to you. And that is only a single mortal man. The Black Rose has also offered to give you ownership of the Immortal Bastion and allow you to take your rightful place as a Noxian military general."

Mordekaiser tightened his grip on his deadly mace and summoned one of his liches to him, "Prepare. We go to war."

Thousands of cold screeches filled the air, followed by the cheering of Hecarim and the spectral host of the Iron Order who rode with him. Their noises were joined by the squeals of spiders rising from the depths of the lair. And, finally, were completed by the almighty and unforgettable roar of the Spider God as he took his first step out of his lair. Vilemaw had risen.

In an unknown room, a group of mages who bore an ancient crest gathered hushed as their leader strode forwards into the circle. She quickly ran through the formalities that burdened her as Matron of the organisation so they could proceed with the real meeting.

"It pleases me to see that the Piltover mission was a success." A voice said.

The Matron nodded slightly, "Yes yes the High Command is pleased yet I feel I was forced to go was in order to stop me from tampering with the preparations for our darling Elise. Fortunately, I was able to tell her what she needed to know. The inhabitants of those Isles will now be sailing to Noxus."

"What of our control over them?" Another asked.

"If it comes to that their allegiance lies with us," she stated confidently, "But I would prefer if we did not have to kill another Grand General."

The young man next to her tutted in annoyance, the same way a child who had just been pulled away from burning ants alive with a magnifying glass would do.

"Vladimir, speak."

"How many more of our members must we see take control of our government only for them to abandon the ways of the organisation."

"I would hope Swain's recent lapse in judgement is solely due to his war plan." A voice called.

"Maybe if he attended meetings I would believe that," Vladimir coolly said, "Evaine, we have to face facts: we are no longer in control of Noxus."

Matron LeBlanc considered this for a moment before responding, "Your concerns are valid. This is why we have the Shadow Isles as a precaution. I would prefer to find out conflict is inevitable before we enter this game with the Master Tactician. Politics is all about moves and counter-moves. A few right moves and our places within Noxian High Command will be ensured. Yet one wrong move and I'm afraid, my dear Vladimir, you may find yourself becoming crow food."

Elsewhere, a bird cawed.