infinite-xerath

[infinite-xerath]

So are there any other League of Legends RP blogs still around or is it just me at this point?

[infinite-xerath]

Still here. Still alive. Waiting for an opportunity to kickstart the blog again, as usual.))

[infinite-xerath]

"When silence enshrouds the world, my voice shall pierce through to remake it..."

[infinite-xerath]

It was hardly the most earnest display of gratitude Xerath had ever witnessed, but he'd let it slide for now. The Magus had more important things to worry about than disciplining a rambunctious yordle, who certainly seemed to have a clearer understanding of the gulf in power between them... But at the very least, the little one did at least have the potential to be useful.

"We should be on our way. There are likely to be more trials further in, so stay alert." With that, Xerath began drifting to the far side of the room. There seemed to be two sets of stairs: one leading down to the left, the other on the right.

The Magus inspected both options for a moment, then recalled a story he'd once heard about yordles possessing the power to bring good fortune. Xerath somewhat doubted that such rumors held any weight, but... "What say you, yordle? Which way?"

Rumble was left to catch his breath after all that excitement, his little heart pounding a mile a minute. The moment Xerath addressed him however, his typical rage would boil over as he bared his fangs at his savior.

“Yeah, barely!” He let out an indignant huff, reaching up to fix his mohawk. “If I hadn’t been so quick on my feet, that damn rock would’ve gotten me by now.”

He grumbled, but as much as he wanted to continue being a sourpuss about the ordeal, Xerath HAD protected him, just as promised.

“…But uh, that was…I mean, you were…” He fumbled over his words trying to find the right ones. “…Thanks. I appreciate your help.” The yordle finally replied, though it hurt his ego to do so.

[infinite-xerath]

Xerath made a grunt of annoyance. Why would the construct focus on the yordle but not him? Well, there would be time to address that later. The Magus turned around, unleashing the Arcanopulse he'd been preparing at one statue for the other. The construct that had attacked Rumble was soon without a head, falling to the ground in its newly-inactive state.

The last statue recovered from its stunned state and lashed out at Xerath with its weapon, but the Magus moved with surprisingly swift reflexes to catch the weapon in his bare hand. Suddenly, energy began to crackle around the blade of the axe, coursing through the weapon and into its wielder.

A moment later, the last statue erupted into a shower of energy and stone, overwhelmed by the Magus's raw energy. Soon enough, the room was silent, as all six guardian statues were dealt with. Xerath looked over his handiwork and seemed unimpressed.

"Hmph. Is this all your can muster, Nasus? I am disappointed..." He then looked back to the yordle. "I trust you are unharmed?"

Rumble was forced to raise his arm as he tried blocking any of the ensuing rubble, but let it be known he certainly was impressed by Xerath’s destructive power.

However, he wouldn’t have much time to give the magus credit, as that towering statue cast a looming shadow over the puny runt of a yordle.

“Uh…” His eyes widened, and he’d let out a short yelp as the jackal attempted to swing its stone staff at him.

Rumble jumped to the side just in time, tumbling along the cracked tiles while his adversary gave pursuit. Scrambling to his feet, he’d immediately start running in Xerath’s direction, praying that the arcane being wouldn’t fry him in the process of saving his life.

“YOU MISSED ONE!” He shouted, loud enough to echo through the chamber, as he dove behind the overlord’s imposing form,

[infinite-xerath]

Xerath would have commented on the yordle's audacity to command him, but there was no time for that now. The statues were closing in, and it was well-past time the yordle bore witness to the power of a god-emperor. Perhaps that would quell his insolence a bit.

There were six statues in total. Xerath raised both his hands and fired beams of pure, concentrated mana at two of them, causing the constructs to go flying back with holes in their chests. Two more quickly encroached upon the Magus, but he simply brought his hands to together.

Suddenly, the statues crashed into each other, moved by an unseen force. This staggered the constructs long enough for Xerath to raise his hands toward the heavens. A bolt of raw power manifested seemingly from nowhere, crashing into the statues and reducing them to rubble.

The last two statues attempted a flanking maneuver, but Xerath hurled a Shocking Orb at one to paralyze it, then began to charge an Arcanopulse. The last statue, however, moved past Xerath, seemingly focusing its attention on the Yordle...

Rumble nods, shoving his hands in his pockets and away from the Magus.

“Good enough for me. Let’s get started then. Believe it or not, I don’t wanna spend all day crawling through some musty old tomb.”

He crouched down, squeezing his way into the door’s tiny hatch. Within a few minutes, he’d emerge on the other side, and the two doors opened for Xerath.

[infinite-xerath]

Xerath made a noise akin to a scoff. "There is a difference between longevity and immortality. Simply because your kind have indefinite lifespans, that does not mean you cannot be killed... Although death would likely be a mercy compared to what the Void is capable of. Even the god-warriors of Shurima thought themselves immune to its influence. They were wrong..."

The Magus would not say it himself, but he acknowledge that the Void was a potential threat to even himself... Not that Xerath believed he WOULD lose to it, of course, but he understand the possibility that he COULD...

But the Magus kept such thoughts to himself, doubting Qadira had the capacity to understand the implications. "Enough idle chatter. If you've preparations to make, then go and make then. We should depart before midday if we are to visit the gate again..."

"Oh, I am not a trouble maker! It's just troubles come to me! I will be careful. I promise!" Qadira then followed Xerath. "Well, then I might not be affected by the Void! I am immortal, and I trained both my body and mind!"

Then there was a yordle who was watching them in the distance.

[infinite-xerath]

I recently learned about a Sonic fan project called "Rise of Xerath." No relation to the League character, apparently, but I definitely did a double-take when I saw that name.))

[infinite-xerath]

Given the size of this place, Xerath would be somewhat surprised if it was actually possible to uncover all of its secrets within a day... No matter. He kept such thoughts to himself as he waited for the yordle to open the door. The Magus had infinite time; what was a single day in the vastness of eternity?

Soon enough, the door opened, and Xerath drifted through. "Well done. I would advise staying behind me for the time-being. I will eliminate any threats in our path..."

And it wouldn't take long for such threats to emerge. As Xerath drifted further in, several statues on both sides of the room began to animate. These statues, vaguely resembling humanoid dogs, approached the Magus with axes in hand. Crude approximations of the Curator himself, and doubtless nowhere near as bothersome. "Rejoice, yordle. You are now to witness the might of a god..."

Rumble nods, shoving his hands in his pockets and away from the Magus.

“Good enough for me. Let’s get started then. Believe it or not, I don’t wanna spend all day crawling through some musty old tomb.”

He crouched down, squeezing his way into the door’s tiny hatch. Within a few minutes, he’d emerge on the other side, and the two doors opened for Xerath.

[infinite-xerath]

Xerath stared down at the yordle in silence for a moment, and the air grew slightly heavy again. "I have no intention of simply remaining idle, yordle. Perhaps you were fortunate to evade the deadlier obstacles and threats on the upper levels, but you size and resourcefulness will not protect you from the myriad of curses and constructs that linger in this place."

Suddenly, the pressure alleviated. "But so be it. You have my word, the word of God-Emperor Xerath: I will keep you safe you safe from harm until we leave this place, and I will not steal any golem components from you. And unlike Azir, I am always true to my word."

The Magus watched as the yordle outstretched his hand for a handshake, but kept his own far away. "It would be inadvisable for you to touch me, yordle, lest you wish for me to break my word immediately..."

Rumble crossed his arms, staring up at the other intruder with a raised brow. Even if this guy clearly wasn’t human, the anti-social yordle wouldn’t give his trust so easily. No, he’d need a bit more assurance on that end first.

“The way I hear it, I���ll be doing all the dirty work undoing any of these so-called traps while you wait and polish your…whatever you’ve got instead of claws. I’m gonna be putting myself in harm’s way no matter what, and probably in places you’re too big to reach.”

He uncrossed his arms, walking up to Xerath and straightening his posture.

“I’ll assist you, but beyond your offer of protection? I want your word you ain’t gonna leave me high and dry if I see something else in here I worked to get to. Sound fair?”

He rubbed his paw on his oil-stained pant leg, before offering it up in a sign of good faith to the arcane being.

[infinite-xerath]

Xerath watched as the yordle walked over to the door. It was almost impressive how he still had the bravado to boast, but as he pointed out the small opening that the Magus had nearly failed to make note of, he began to see the tiny being's point of view. Xerath had heard plenty of stories about yordles; how they were cunning, tricksy, and allegedly capable of commanding otherworldly magics. It would seem at least part of that was true.

"I see..." Xerath looked back to the door, which was itself engraved with a myriad of arcane symbols that would no doubt trigger to repel anyone that tried to break through with brute force. Though the Magus to dismantle the spell with time, another path was beginning to make itself clear.

"I have a proposition for you, yordle." He looked back to the other intruder once again. "Your... Unique talents may prove useful in bypassing the Curator's defenses. Assist me, and I will ensure that no harm comes to you within these ruins..."

A golem…those are basically primitive robots, right? Rumble certainly wasn’t working on one of those, but again, there was no need for Xerath to know the truth of the situation.

“Something like that,” He replied with a wave of his hand. “That crystal’s a premier power source, and I ain’t leaving without it, not after all the trouble it took me to get here in the first place.”

That, and he might as well look for any other artifacts while he’s here.

“…How about you? What’re you searching for?”

[infinite-xerath]

Ionia... Xerath knew the name. He had seen it on modern maps depicting the currently-known world of Runeterra. Beyond that, the Magus knew little. The simple fact that those islands were referred to as 'The First Lands' implied a degree of hubris, but then, what mortal nation wasn't rife with self-importance to some extent?

All that aside, Xerath saw an opportunity here. This was a chance to learn about a distant land from a native, which could only benefit his efforts going forward. "I see... And what more can you tell me of your homeland?"

She had to pause for a moment, kicking herself mentally for letting the turn of phrase slip. The isles were known by many different names both to locals and those across the ocean. Considering it wasn't a strict country like some of the other places she had ventured, the First Lands was the descriptor she chose to use most of the time...but alas, that wasn't going to work here apparently.

'I refer to Ionia, the isles to the North East.' She didn't let her words falter, correcting herself almost flawlessly. 'Forgive me for the confusion, they are referred to as many things-'

[infinite-xerath]

You know what? Sure. I'll share this over here as well.))

Finally making this old project idea a reality.

[infinite-xerath]

Xerath made made a noise that could either have been a snort of derision or a chuckle of amusement... Not that either really made sense coming from a being of pure energy, but either way, it seemed obvious that he no longer considered the yordle to be much of a concern.

"I seek of a relic of REAL power: one that can release me from the bonds that have fettered me for ages..." Xerath began drifting past the yordle as he spoke, his attention now focused on a door up ahead. "The Curator has gone to great lengths to secure this place against me, however. Though he only delays the inevitable, I will concede: it will take some time for even me to bypass all of these defenses..."

Suddenly, the Magus turned back to look at the yordle. "Which begs the question: how is it that one such as yourself has managed to infiltrate this place?"

A golem…those are basically primitive robots, right? Rumble certainly wasn’t working on one of those, but again, there was no need for Xerath to know the truth of the situation.

“Something like that,” He replied with a wave of his hand. “That crystal’s a premier power source, and I ain’t leaving without it, not after all the trouble it took me to get here in the first place.”

That, and he might as well look for any other artifacts while he’s here.

“…How about you? What’re you searching for?”

[infinite-xerath]

This conversation was an unexpected deviation, to be sure. The other acolytes looked around uncertainly, not sure if they were meant to stay and witness this. Xerath glanced briefly toward them, and gave a swift command for them to venture into the temple once the woman had finished introducing herself. He would be with them in due course.

Xerath returned his gaze to Sky, and might have raised an eyebrow at her words if he could. "'The First Lands?' And where, precisely, is that?"

The fear in her voice was almost palpable, not that this came at any great surprise. She was right to feel that way, as it showed that this stranger understand her place and position here. More to the point, however...

"That remains to be seen. You say you disposed of some mere bandits on my behalf?" To the north, was it? Ah, yes... That did ring a bell. Xerath recalled hearing reports and putting out a bounty, though the bandits were never a significant issue; just a minor inconvenience to be left for mercenaries and the like. Still, the fact that this woman claimed to have dealt with them by herself was.. Interesting.

"What is your name, girl?"

[infinite-xerath]

Good. It seemed that the yordle had finally come to understand his position. The Magus might have raised a brow when he heard what the yordle was looking for, however... If he had eyebrow. He recognized the term, and Xerath's mind could draw only one conclusion.

"I know what you speak of. Do you intend to create a golem?" It certainly wouldn't surprise Xerath to find a few golems wandering around down here, though a core crystal by itself? Why would Nasus store such a thing here, of all places? At the very least, Xerath had no need for such a thing, so if that was all the yordle was after, then there was no need to concern himself too much with it...

Okay, that sudden shift in attitude would get Rumble’s attention. His ears pinned back slightly, and though he’d try not to show any fear, he’d even back up a few steps. Having fought in his mech so often, being without it for once made him a bit less reckless in the face of obvious danger.

“…I-If-“ He coughed twice, standing up straight. “If you really gotta know, I’m looking for a Shuriman Solar Core Crystal. It’s like, a reddish-orange gem about this big.” He made some gestures to show it was about half his size. “I heard rumors something like it would be buried in a place like this, and it’s just what I’ve been looking for.”

He was searching for other artifacts as well, mind you, but there was no reason to divulge that yet.

[infinite-xerath]

Dark Secrets of the Sun

Mount Targon: the gateway into the realm of the Celestials. It was upon that sacred peak that everything began... It was from the beings who resided there that the secrets of the Sun Disc were passed on to mortals. The power of Ascension, however, was but one of many cosmic secrets to be gleaned from Targon.

Indeed, there was a reason Xerath had chosen Nerimazeth, a city built not far from the mountain's base, as the foundation of his own empire. Part of it was the distance from Azir's own risen capital, but part of it was because the land here would be richer with arcane power to draw upon... And, most notably: it would provide access to forgotten Targonian ruins.

It was from one such hidden structure that Xerath's acolytes had recently acquired something most peculiar: what looked to be a sphere imbued with Void energy encased in a spiraling shell of lunar silver. These two forces were fundamentally opposed to one-another, and yet somehow, someone had managed to merge them. Even Xerath couldn't deny that he was intrigued by this discovery. Little did the Magus know that the relic had drawn the attention of another as well...

@decathectbloom