The Freljord, Sylas
Thick, dark, fur lined boots fought against friction, fought against the chill, fought to carve away at the endless snow.
Sylas came to the North for one thing, Power. But power had many expressions. Allies, most definitely, many hands light work and all that it entails.
Although Sylas was a leader, he knew allies were not enough. He needed power to keep the Freljordian raiders in check, to break his enemies, and to protect his people.
He needed to rob the hermit, the Rune Mage.
The Frejlord, Ryze
Ryze sighed, because they never listened.
He could tell them what the runes do. What he has seen.
But those who seek him and find him always seem to be the willing martyr, the blind egoist, or the knowledge mad.
The World Runes would twist even the greatest man he knew. These things could scarcely be contained let alone directed.
These people, people who he felt were already fraying at the seams always seemed to look for him. But never listen. Never think about what comes after. What it would take to protect yourself from your own worst instinct.
The mad man spoke first. "No lectures, no posturing, no half measures. I am upheaving the Demacian system of oppression. I haven't backed down from them, and I won't be cowed by you. I want your cooperation, failing that your 'donation.' But I don't suppose you are going to be cowed by me either."
Arrogance. Vain pride. He would drink deep of what the Rune could provide. Overturn nations heedless of consequence.
He would deal with this fool the same as he had others.
His arms flowed cutting through the snow hanging suspended in the air as he trapped the main in a ironic prison of magic. He moved to create a portal but the chained mage slung his own bondage forth. Greedy magic touched his soul and as his portal opened one to match his appeared for his opponent beneath their frost bitten shoes.
Space distorted as blue planes cut through the white haze of the snow brushed air.
Teleportation feints, chain jumps, and mana scorches dotted the tundra.
But as the battle wore on it was revealed there was no mage with more skill, mana, and guile than the Rune Mage.
But Petricite made any mage their own worst enemy. The insane fool did have a neat trick, he was charging up with Ryze's own power. Releasing the stored magic in a failed gamble was hardly an issue when it allowed him to just absorb and try again.
Ryze fell into the ice with a small chuckle. It was like some kind of joke. A mage using the tool which suppressed magic to steal the Rune of Sorcery.
"To the victor the spoils." The idiot smirked like Ryze was some tavern wench that appreciated his brutish charisma. "Give me what I am owed."
"Sorry, I think my last student has my dunce cap." Ryze dryly chuckled as the idiot picked him up by his chest strap.
"I believe I have humiliated you enough old man. Give me the Rune!" His frosted breath juxtaposed his angry stupid eyes.
"I seemed to have misplaced it. Why it seems my age is getting to me." Ryze felt to cold biting eyes embrace him once more as he was tossed down.
The idiot turned to the carved up and melted snowfield. He warped away searching it like the madman he was before returning.
"What did you do? Where did you hide it?!" He snarled like a drakehound in a rut.
"Gone. Forever hopefully. I sent it away. Maybe the celestials will reclaim it. Maybe it never touches another soul." Sleight of hand, the common man's magic, the idiot can win a drag out brawl. But he would be broke within the first minute he wandered into a Zaunite slum.
"No. I will not be denied, not by a king, not by some... Addled and decrepit hermit!" The idiot denied, reality, his own limits, and even the idea he could fail.
Ryze silently stared at him. Utterly bewildering. People see only but the barest glimpses what the Runes can do, and seek power.
Even he would not be immune. "The Runes are not possessions, they are dangerous shards of reality. They are not for anyone. Let alone annoying fools."
"No. You'd never cast them aside. Either was warden or for your own use. You can give me the Rune or die."
Ryze sighed, like only an old man could to a young firebrand.
Ryze sighed, because they never listened.
Realm's End, Gaspar
Gaspar awoke with a sudden start. Not only because he was just going to rest his eyes for a minute before continuing with his work, but something had just clattered and skipped across the floor of Realm's End.
With a hum he began to muse about what new wonder or trinket might have just wandered into their laps.
A spike like rock was embedded with some kind of rune, as magic rolled off it like how fresh baked cookies alongside of shedding its heat would share tempting and promising smells.
He pinched it between his fingers as he began to smooth his old whiskers with his other hand in contemplation.
Maybe they could toss it into the mix of one of the devices? Get it working overtime and give the brute forcing of their portal making a bit more oomph?
He closed his eyes and sighed. Thats all that could be gleamed from casual observation. A proper examination would be better before rash action. He laid it down on the table and turned to find some of his lenses to aid his failing sight.
Mere seconds after he turned there was a crash, a white and furry streak was holding onto a book of some kind just fell through a portal, landing on the other end of the table with force enough to make it a cat power catapult.
The rock flew off the side of Realm's End. A loss to be sure but he considered the pressing concern to be the new arrival.
"Ah another wander-"
Nora burst through a door mid preamble.
"Gaspar I told you-"
The cat interrupted her. "Master! Book we did it we found her!"
"Yuumi?!" Nora gasped as she ran over to pull the cat into a hug. Then proceeding into a game of 100 questions from how did you get here, to have you been fed today?
Well as well that ends well.
Texas Earth Prime, Quint
As I was walking home I stepped on one of those wide palm tree leave branch things.
Slipped like I was a cartoon character who stepped on a banana peel, and felt something stab into my shoulder.
Admittedly I was kind of freaking out from being suddenly impaled, I was pretty sure the rock which looked a blue railroad spike was not there when I ought to have been walking past it.
What lies between worlds, The Rune of Sorcery
The soul laden Rune approached a dimensional barrier.
With a bit of divination, it saw a near perfect Earth Bet deviation.
Suitable in many ways.
Its connection to its host is true. It knows its host.
They would not be inclined to use their power and develop themselves. Prone to following the path of least resistance. Principled, would seek to be non disruptive. Would seek out quality of life and means to avoid problems.
While these are not inherently demerits, the Rune could not complete the bond without the exercise of Sorcery.
With Earth Bet a reason for Sorcery existed. The was no moral quandary of whether Africa needed sorcerous intervention there. With the Host's knowledge it could temper the dangers of the world.
As the will of the rune formed a needle to pierce the wall discretely it was assured. If posed the question the host would like to be of service to a worthy cause. The Rune was aware the act of Sorcery would not be seen as necessary as an act with inherent value.
A odd notion, then again its host had grown up in a entirely mundane world.
As the Rune breached the world it linked its soul to the deviation of the host of Bet.
A wizard newly awakened to the world of magic. The Rune had not known such a host in all of its recollections of being joined to mortals. The celestials used it to awaken their world to magic before it was splintered, bonded, made whole again.
Somewhere, Quint
I stumble as I was given sudden footing after hitting the ground. Like I was teleported standing after I fell somehow.
I was not on the sidewalk anymore, below me was some kind of dark grey stones with ridges that occasionally pulsed with some kind of blue light.
Beyond the limits of the stone ridge or platform I was on was a kind of grey snowy haze which obscured the outline of other mountains?
In the middle of my platform was a floating formation of stone which seems to be gathering the blue light.
As I approach it disgorges 3 motes of light. I feel strangely drawn to them. Without much recourse for leaving by myself is such a thing is possible, I approach the lights.
I touch it feels like its blossoming as the light expands to enwrap my finger, I feel like it could become a part of me somehow. I try and feel out what the light is, but it seems to elude me. It feels natural somehow but it is mercurial. Changing within natural bounds?
I pull my hand back and touch another. Heat seeps into my hand making it tremble. I pull my hand back as I feel my heart beat like a drum as even my emotions begin to run hot. This omni heat mote is probably high commitment...
The final one makes me gasp as it expands, its so much more than the other two. The other motes were reasonable compared to this. It implied grand destruction, creation, all on the level of the galaxy.
The thought scratching at the back of my head comes to the forefront of my mind. The recognition that the floating stones looked like the rune page from league of legends.
Then the galaxy power is Aurelian Sol's, the fire Annie, and the nature one was probably Neeko since it was so indecisive.
I don't want Annie's power in any case, but the thought occurs. Do I need a power to be able to fight? Will I find myself in some kind of league of people emulating the legends?
Battle royale, moba, any kind of fight I need to seriously consider what is possible.
Neeko, or Aurelian. Ambush and crowd control or mobility and indirect battlefield control?
I think I have to pick Aurelian just for the fact if I did roll an 5 star on the champion gacha or something I need to seize it if I am going to be teleported into a fist fight as soon as I pick.
I grasp the light and it expands until it envelops me, pressing its self against me until the separation is eroded and I feel a galaxy inside me.
I suddenly understand, this was not a total conversion. I get to manifest one aspect of the Essence of Aurelian. I had the sense that I was not choosing between his Dragon breath, flight, or gravity magic which he displayed in league. Anything he would be capable of I can grasp. It was not unlimited since I did have the sense an ultimate was not on offer.
If I get multiple rolls, what is the most important tool to pick. If I am restricted to mages due to the nature of the Rune giving me the motes, then damage would always be on offer between 3 choices.
It feels a tad silly to pick, since many people when offered powers mention wanting flight. But I have played DnD and if you are fighting someone melee locked, you win by default. If I am not winning, flight means I get to control when I battle. Plus Aurelian travels on the scale of the galaxy, and in game over jungle and lanes.
I might be weaker than someone who simply took a fireball, but I get to choose if I fight them if I travel like only a the star dragon can.
I close my eyes and I feel the galaxy inside me boil and reduce, fixing itself in place with streaking comets and swirling constellations. The celestial movement of the comet of legend is not all I was given. The Essence of Aurelian has a passive ability aspect. Its basically the ability to levitate but its actually more complicated than that. Its more so it was simply Aurelian's nature not to allow the gravity of his creations to affect him.
Also apparently auto attacks are cannon, that Essence can kind of be thrown out and doesn't cost any mana. I don't know what Aurelian used it for other than to drag his feet as his slave master's exercised their control over him. I guess I don't need to throw rocks but I feel a tad sad since I felt clever for weaponized pure mobility.
That knowledge of Essence, my grasp of what Essence is, its all new knowledge, the Rune which if I recall has the ability "Enlightenment" and "Absolute Focus" did something to my mind. The intent, the general feeling of Aurelian's thoughts feel like they are in my grasp. No memory alteration as far as I can tell. I simply felt diffrent. I tended not to market myself, or value myself positively. I was once just a one in a billion chubby guy. But the mote is not just power, there is a aspect that allows me to understand the magic I now wield. That aspect impresses itself on me and colors how I am feeling and seeing things. I am feel like I am seeing things how Aurelian does know. The self assurance, the pride, the draconic nature he embraced as a part of his magic, is a part of me now.
A disquieting thought that I might get buried under these impressions. That the more I get a sprinkle of caramel and chocolate syrup the less like vanilla I will be.
But maybe these thoughts need to be put on hold until other questions are solved, I can feel a connection to someplace else.
I try and grasp it and feel the world kind of wink out or that it all gets compartmentalized inside me.
Houston Earth Bet, Quint
When I "teleported" out I was a kid again. Not even a teenager.
I looked like my usual chubby self. Same skin tone. Same hair. Same eyes.
I'd get the best confirmation by checking in with what ever family I might have. My family never did the label your underwear thing despite the 3 siblings.
But the best subtle way of checking was loading up a game with named save slots or characters.
A handheld console I didn't recognize was charging near the bed I found myself closest too. So hopefully its mine.
After browsing the nearby games, I think the Pokémon analog/rip off will give me the best read based on my pets names and character name.
After a overlong minute of it powering up and me mashing through the start up. The truth is revealed. I am also Quint here and or am possessing another Quint. Probably a alternate version of myself due to inconsistencies that can't be attributed to age and memory.
What was that Spock quote? No matter how improbable we must accept the answer that remains.
I preferred DS9 so I probably butchered it. Though I would have trouble quoting more than Garak or Quark.
Getting on track. I reset my handheld and see if it can tell me what day it is, when I am, how old I might be.
I am Ten, its November 2008. Its the week of Thanksgiving. Assuming I was born around the same day, I was 10 again.
What kind of world am I in? What was my purpose uprooting the life of this other me?
I need to address my family at some point, I shouldn't put this off until its super awkward to mention.
I wake up my youngest brother, Simon tell them to get dressed that there is something important to go on and collect my family.
I walk around a house I don't recognize, finding a family about 10 years displaced from time in my perspective.
My family trickles into the living room, my brothers seemingly humoring me and my parents concerned. Simon enters the room wearing a black shirt, with a man with a green LED cape and hood costume flying with a green trail over the letters EIDOLON.
Worm. I think I would have preferred the league of legends themed death game.
Earth Bet has so many compounding problems. If I am in Brockton I have to get power, avoid the Protectorate and kill Coil before anything else. Coil gets to dupe more assassination attempts no one else knows about if I ignore him.
"What's this about I wanna sleep in." Simon's whining pulls me out of my logistical nightmare.
"Quint needs to say something." My older brother, Michael mumbles as he lounges on the couch.
"Ok, there is a lot going on. Lets just say I am a Parahuman now." I reach out to my mana, and feel my soul enwrap me and lift me up as I flight a few feet of the ground in a split second.
Aurelian moves very fast, and you probably have to commit to moving, but I need to feel out my power later.
"Woah, since when?" my favorite younger brother, and favorite brother in general Jonathan looks at me with a certain scrutiny alongside the wonder.
"Since I woke up, but I am diffrent. I am not, exactly me, anymore." I feel stupid, I should have prepared and not made an ass of myself, or was that the pride talking? I shake my head. "Ok, like I am actually super diffrent, I think I am actually from another world? I don't remember living in this house and I know things, like... You know what maybe its not a good idea to mention certain truths of the world." The super hero protect your family shit is going to be annoying. Telling them about endbringers, shards, the future of the world? Might not want to share that.
"Are you Mastered? A stranger?" Jonathan asks like that would be smart even if I was either of those.
"Alternate version. I know about our family in jokes, Mom's told me about how I always spoiled my diaper when dad came home, like we can go down the list I am a version of Quint, but I guess I stole your Quint from you." Did a 10 year old die for me? I maybe killed them, I mean to but I probably overwrote young Bet me.
"Are you ok?" My Mom frowns and comes over to grab my hand.
"Even in my future, when I am a adult you always used to call me your baby, but I took your Quint. I-" I want to apologize but as I agonize on how I can even attempt to undo the harm I did my Mom hugs me.
"Thanks." Thank God, I am not a parahuman, that my parents are actually awesome.
"Do... Most heroes have this happen?" My dad asks.
"No... Powers... don't exist for the sake of humans, the exist to solve entropy of behalf of their Master. Do you know about trigger theory?" It seems my family is not tuned into cape culture or its a modestly well kept secret. Not impossible in a setting with Cauldron and Dragon I suppose. "Powers manifest in response to the worst day of your life. For the most part. I am unique. If I join the Protectorate I might not want to just a warning, they might dig into our homelife expecting you guys made me trigger, unless I was caught up in a accident recently."
"Well, we knew you were a good kid, even if you aren't exactly our kid, I am your parent, I would be no matter who your mother gave birth to in the end. Its my job as your dad to help all you kids thrive if I can." My Dad stumbles through his thought process, and then addresses my siblings. "Can you explain to us why you would want to... Well, I guess we skipped a step, we don't even know what you plan to do." My family looks expectantly at me as feel a dark feeling tension inside me.
"The world ends... The being which granted powers intends to harvest humanity." I don't want them to have to bear this weight, I didn't want them to have to live with a expectation like this. But if I don't explain how serious this is, when I... A 10 year old from their perspective, goes out and fights monsters, kills people like Jack Slash.
"Why do you need to handle it?" My dad frowns with concern, he wants to understand. I guess I hadn't thought about it yet, but parahumans are a mess.
"Parahumans, they have issues, I don't like the idea of working with them... Ok, I need to step back and establish something about powers, there is a good quote to explain this, sufficiently advanced technology is basically magic to normal people. Powers are like super smart phones, they don't just take pictures they can also communicate with other powers. You probably know about the parahuman brain organ the polentia thing in some people's brains? Yeah, the power is partially hard wired into people. People are in control of themselves, the powers want to see what humans can do to expand their potential. But I see them as compromised."
"Ok, there's some big issues with the Protectorate, if they stop you from saving the world. Why were you considering joining?"
"I saw Simon's Eidolon tee shirt and recognized where I am just then, I hadn't thought about it. I guess if I do join, I make my first step into the cape world on a good note, and a first impression is important. To even be neutral they are going to want me to show them my power. I am not exactly sure where I am, this house isn't the one I grew up in, which branch I join matters."
Simon points at their tee shirt "Houston, we moved here to follow Dad's job and live in a safer city."
Not Brockton, I would say things are better that way, oh yeah my family is not in Brockton this is a common not living in Brockton W.
"Ok, my knowledge from my other world protects me less, it doesn't really cover what is going on in Houston, so if I join I don't get caught off guard, which is a massive benefit actually. When they pitch joining the Wards the cite how many don't cut it alone, while they doctor the numbers Parahumans do die by going off half cocked, also Parahumans pretend to have a gentleman's agreement between each other but if people can get away with it the rules actually don't matter. So joining the Wards makes people pull their punches until I am in a better spot."
"Ok I am glad you aren't having a bad reaction and you thought about this. But it sounds like there is a lot of good when it comes to joining the Wards." My concerned Dad makes a good point despite nudging me onto a safer road.
"Yeah, maybe. But I am not sure the Protectorate is run well, I think Vista over on the east coast has issues because she joined up then was told what she can wear and how she should present herself. Not even allowed a weapon to protect herself I think. But, if we play it right we can force them to play our game a bit by me showing up in a rudimentary costume, making a show in front of their building where I introduce myself and call my shot before they can." I give a look to my Mom she made face masks and stuff when Corona hit, but I know she helped make a Halloween costume for me. God, I haven't thought about that in ages, she even put a big cloth pocket on my plastic shield so it could also carry my candy. "If only I had a amazingly talented mother who could design a costume, and a Dad who can use his legal know how to get me the best deal."
-
Author's Note
There is a bit to talk about with a first chapter but first of all, my intent with this is that I was hoping to get a grasp on super villain motivations. So I took inspiration for the Legendary Tinker, decided to take another Rune and do something similar where I am not in Brockton so I can get a better idea on how to have a cape centric city for a weaver dice game.
Power mechanics, I couldn't find a summary or video on what magic is in the league universe. My own lore is this. Magic is linked to two other ideas, Soul and Essence. The Legends of Runeterra card Winter's Touch mentions imbuing ice essence, and the arbiter of the peak mentions "laying bare the essence of the soul."
Essence is the flavor of your soul, and it can have a power influence over you, for example Shyvana's soul probably was not messed up by the human who tried to get at her power, but the human's grubby hands left behind human essence.
I think that people who work and study, proper mage stuff should be better, as much as I would like to rag on Zoe I won't.
My almost unbiased take on the the casting and control of magic is this. Magic is any kind of internal discipline. A philosophy, study, learning, method that clicks even if the user does not consciously know what they are intuiting. "Magic is merely scientific truth yet to be discovered" - Jayce. He is a champion we have to take someone's word for it. What Udyr does is a kind of magic, although it wont show up in the story since Earth Bet has no spirits. Training, methods of internal discipline through a physical medium.
I think it might be fun to throw in Rune Weaving something that can be done. But Riven is the only real hook into what it is, and I feel like there isn't much lore on what it is. The story where they bring Riven to Noxus seems to imply Rune weapons have an elemental bent to me. Id like to hear about yall's thoughts on that plus maybe some help with the villains. I think the Gangs of Houston that might matter for Arc one are Tango Blast, MS-13, and Barrio Azteca. My current thoughts on them are that Tango are informal like the merchants, MS-13 being a bit like the elite, and Barrio being militant a tad like E88.
I rolled on what Riot in the client classifies as a mage, but I removed Nidalee, Rumble, and Kennen from the list and added Milio I might add the Ink mage that was recently teased. Nid like Udyr is spirit stuff, I think its cooler for Rumble to be mostly a mechanical genius and he doesn't have a mana bar. Kennen I kind of removed because of bias, I don't have any good ideas on what to do with him, and if someone does a precision rune story I would kind of like them to have him instead. Milio might have been classified as a Mage but didn't show up since I don't own him? He just didn't seem fun to me so I never got him despite owning all supports aside from him. Anyway the list was from the client so is in order of my own mastery. I will probably pick Runes but I am not sure when Runes should be given.
1. Soraka
2. Yuumi
3. Nami
4. Swain
5. Janna
6. Sona
7. Karma
8. Malzahar
9. Lux
10. Morgana
11. Brand
12. Lulu
13. Veigar
14. Hiemerdinger
15. Xerath
16. Seraphine
17. Bard
18. Azir
19. Karthus
20. Ivern
22. Neeko
23. Vel'koz
24. Renata Glasc
25. Fiddlesticks
26. Lillia
27. Orianna
28. Ziggs
29. Annie
30. Twisted Fate
31. Ahri
32. Zoe
33. Zilean
34. Taliyah
35. Aniva
36. Lebanc
37. Kassadin
38. Vladamir
39. Aurelion Sol
40. Syndra
41. Lissandra
42. Sylas
43. Cassiopea
44. Elise
45. Evelynn
46. Ryze
47. Victor
48. Vex
49. Milio