#and irelia's just

[kiraman]

ty for turning me into an irelia stan 🫶🏽 i never had super strong feelings about her before but now im fully locked in and love her lol

aw yay!! I ADORE her. She's such a fascinating portrait of an unwilling resistance leader who's lost too much and has been left with...nothing but her blade and anger. She is seriously one of the most nuanced, compelling and deeply tragic characters riot has given us. If they don't make arcane s3/the next chapter of their Runeterra saga about HER or don't give us MORE lore, I am stealing her from them

look at this COMMANDER. she is everything

Also my other favorite riot character is Caitlyn and the fact that this exists makes my heart happy

[foulbearobservation]

you know shit is getting dire when I want to crack open my league of legends fics again,,,,

[bladesurgence]

man I really miss how tumblr used to look

[httpdwaekki]

i’m sorry but i’ve been thinking about it for months and i need to know who and what role lix plays on league PLEASE

i need to know how much of a degenerate he is

[yanlei-a]

Your Zed is the standard I hold every other shadow dad to tbh. Even Riot's. 😭

You really have captured his complexity really well. To be the monster everyone thinks you are only to protect them is a heavy burden and you write it so, so incredibly. Zed is capable of great violence but also has a great understanding of the world around him and is capable of mercy and compassion and you show that in every interaction.

Never doubt your portrayal. For any of your muses, tbh. Your love for them shows in your writing and you've captured them all perfectly.

don't mind me i just asked for validation the other day

— @deathfxnds

i just think he's neat and the duality between actually caring so so much but at the same time making himself into something terrible because of that is so interesting and i try to show that when i write him but i always worry i'm making him too soft c':

but hey i literally wouldn't have picked him up if it wasn't for you, as you know, so the fact you hold my portrayal in such high regard actually means a lot to me 🥺

[rebelquilled]

i have. very specific muses i can jump right into a ship with. xayah is not one of them ajsflkd;ja

[teeto-peteto]

i imagine the Sentinels Of Light event like at night when they go to sleep cause they just cant be normal.

[deer-with-a-stick]

leblanc being intentionally weaker than she should be because of a single man's skill is actually hilarious to me

[witchcraftandburialdirt]

✧ ─ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐒 ─ ✧ ℍ𝔸ℝ𝕌𝕂𝕆 ℕ𝔸𝕂𝔸𝕊𝕆ℕ𝔼 ... 【 ᴛʜᴇ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ᴄʀʏ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴀᴡɴ 】 - ʟᴇᴀɢᴜᴇ ᴠᴇʀꜱᴇ

── "𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒."

I know its been a while since I've done one of these but bear with me; I've been thinking quite heavily upon the fact that I use a lot of religious references within my writing with Haru, particularly in his league verse with @bells-of-black-sunday's Tarhos - and I don't think I've ever went into detail about how literal it is. When its said that Haru worships the ground Tarhos walks on and sees him as a God ...

It's 100% literal;

Haruko legitimately views Tarhos as a fallen ancient God who has given him the power and influence to save his country, his people, and drive out an invasive pest that threatens to destroy everything he holds dear. This is largely due to the timing in which they met; they did not meet on the first day of the Noxian invasion - Tarhos was on the Northern coast of Bahrl and Haruko was on the Southern coast when the invasion began. Before the war began Haru lived in relative peace with his family and his community, a 300 year old Vastaya who did not drive a lot of conflict and was happy with his little life. Within the first few weeks of the invasion Haruko lost all of that, his community was gassed, his family was killed, and he could not defend any of it - the best he could do was heed his mother's warnings and flee to the North. He stewed in his mind for weeks on end that were filled with nothing but misery, carnage, and the desecration of life - and not a single GOD answered his prayers.

He prayed to the Spirit, to the Gods of Targon he'd heard whispers of, to the Sun, the Moon, and not once did he receive any sort of solace from the laceration of his homeland. Not only that but the farther North he went the more whispers of how Karma, the Kinkou, and many others were opting for peace - which destroyed Haru's faith in his own fellow man too. The leaders and spiritual guides of Ionia were cozy up on the mainland, they couldn't even begin to imagine the horrors taking place on the island and how the Epool River had become like Styx with how many corpses were floating in its once sacred waters. Seeing the Wuju temples destroyed is what finally sent him to flee to the Mainland to try and escape the waking HELL that was the active conquest of Bahrl. His grief was insurmountable, his very soul quaking with the very Land's screams of torture as Guardian tree's were burned and its people ransacked, killed, and used like trophies.

Haruko's spirit had cracked violently by the time he met Tarhos, and it was by mere chance that Haru's spear was knocked away on a coastal assault just before he was about to leave; and it was chance that the Noxian fleet's churning motors knocked the Dakrin weapon free. When he saw a blade of sanguine within the pools he wasn't thinking about if it would harm him, he was only thinking about how it would block the next sword thrusting at him. The moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt he was immediately invaded; his mind instantly boiling with a poison stew as he saw inside of the mind of a Darkin. He almost lost himself but through sheer force of will he pushed Tarhos' being down into submission in his mind and suddenly - the Noxians within his path were falling like flies. The blade absorbed the filth and viscera, and once it had gained enough strength; it spoke to him ... and answered him. This bloodthirsty, screaming God locked within a sword was the only thing to have EVER answered him and show him its barest power by allowing Haru to litter the beach with bodies without earning a single scratch.

Gods, for most of history, were not loving and benelovent beings, they were explanations for carnage, horrors of nature, and the unknown - beings that stood upon the pinnacle of existence and stewed within the bowls of the pit of terror inconceivable by the mortal mind. This act in and of itself, to be able to steal the lives away of so many without consequence - Haruko was in awe, nothing else could possibly explain in his mind what had just happened but divinity. Given his life and origins Haru never had any education on Darkin, they didn't concern him and he didn't even know they existed since his village was small and he's never left Ionia. All he knew is that finally something had answered him.

Even so, once this was all over Haru was able to put the weapon down, but the connection remained and the Vastayan was given a choice - Tarhos was impressed enough by his bravery that he didn't dominate Haruko when he was vulerable again after the fight. He could leave Tarhos behind on this ship and doom someone else to become his vessel or ... he could pick the blade back up and drink down the blood within it; to gain power like he felt on the beach, to never have to be alone and scared ever again. The choice was easy to Haru; the war was still raging and he saw well enough into the Darkin's soul as well to know that Tarhos was much more than what he appeared to be, both mentally and the physical shape he took. After weeks of disassociating Haru's second grasp of Tarhos awoke his mind and reconnected every bit of him back together again; his essence and his physical form had never felt so connected. Himself and Tarhos were present in every muscle twitch and pump of blood in his veins, he felt strong for the first time since the invasion began.

Now able to control his fate and with the power of a God in his soul, Haruko finally had security; his faith to Tarhos a stepping stone into a higher plane that will allow him to grasp all of his dreams with the right amount of effort. Even ones that seemed impossible before. The Darkin had already proven his loyalty and honorable nature to Haruko and the Vastayan found it easy to trust him, its difficult to not trust someone after seeing every corner of their mind and sensing their very existence in every waking moment of your life. Tarhos proved that he could answer Haruko's prayers and this is what drives Haru to actively search and find a proper Vessel for conquest. As a showing of his dedication to Tarhos, Haruko is even willing to go so far as to cut down one of the most powerful creatures in Ionia for Tarhos to take over; A Dragon. Not even this act caused a flicker of doubt in his mind; watching that noble creature be cracked to bits was one of the most pleasurable visions he'd ever seen - he'd finally be able to hold his other half and gaze upon his God within a more fitting vessel. It is a symbolic ceremony that relinquishes Haruko's commitment to the peaceful calls of Ionian leadership and places his resolve in something that has given and offered him not only a way to rest his mind and a forever companion, but means to exact revenge on those who have hurt him.

At a shallow looking it does appear to be quite Not Good™ with how Haruko will and does listen to Tarhos for guidance, he holds the Darkin's opinions even above his own at times and does allow himself to be convinced of things he might not have been before. A key example of this is his treatment of Noxians vs Ionians; his countrymen are treated kindly and even in cases of @deathdxnces he takes people under his wing - his personality calms and he lacks the same ferocity. This even extends to @deathfxnds, who, while born Noxian, Haru does not see as one - perhaps thinking that the Darkin God Kayn wields has equally cleansed his soul of his weaker limitations. Haru's incredibly brutal treatment of Noxians is both an influence of Tarhos own carnality as well as the Vastayan's seething hatred towards what was made of his people and home; the Darkin bond between the two of them brews up something truly malicious. Tarhos and Haruko are both now above what normal people are capable of, The Ascended are Gods and Haruko has been chosen to merge with one - thus making him close to one as well; and his hatred of Noxians alongside this new power has turned them into insects in his mind. He's completely dehumanized them, and he's content - even pleased - to be the one able to bathe in their blood.

Haruko has also greatly influenced Tarhos - this isn't a simple case of one taking over the other, its a perfect 50/50 split of corruption; they are one soul split into two bodies. The Darkin's view of mortals has even shifted due to the Vastayan's influence, Haru has never necessarily cared for mortals, but instead tends to view them as stumbling children who need guidance. He didn't have any urges for slaughter before the war and the ones he currently holds are saved for Noxians - and this is shown in how Tarhos specifically targets Noxians for feedings; he'll avoid Ionians. The Darkin is at ease in Ionia because of Haru's own feelings towards his home - neither of them are trying to sway the other in anyway or change them; they exist as a melting pot of two lives, much akin to the Kindred. Somehow even if Haru's physical form was destroyed, he would just end up trapped with Tarhos back in that blade - but at least now they would have eachother to keep company with in the dark.

[noxianwilled]

Let your brother have his spot in the limelight. It will be good for his self-esteem. Maybe he'll calm down.

— @visionoxus

"He's free to enjoy the spotlight and people being interested in him — as long as I don't have to hear about it."

[blood-starved-beast]

Irelia and Katara (atla) have the same exact vibes. The same type. And to an extent it makes sense as they’re both women who’re heroic and inspirational towards others in the fight against imperialism. Both occupy a similar role in relation to an Avatar-like figure in their respective canons (though I’m not sure if romance is meant to be seen in the Karma-Irelia angle). Both are overtly serious, dedicated, and fight with sort of tai-chi inspired movement (less on Irelia’s end but the way she moves her blades is very fluid and of course it’s based on dancing). Both have complex antagonistic relationships with redeemed characters from the colonist side (Zuko and Riven respectively). 

Given Riot’s tendency to reference other media for their characters sometimes I wouldn’t be surprised if Irelia with her rework (and Karma’s lore rework as well) was inspired by atla at least in this respect. 

[jsyndra]

good evening gamers

[kiraman]

hear me out

Irelia literally experienced an invasion that destroyed her country and got her whole family killed when she was 14, her mother, father, grandmother and four siblings, all gone in a night. she witnessed her whole clan get slaughtered and she somehow survived. She absolutely DETESTS noxus and wants nothing more than to avenge her family.

yes, Riven was part of the Noxian invasion but listen! Riven didn't know that Noxus was essentially planning a complete massacre, she was lied to, she was an orphan that was brainwashed and molded into something she never truly chose for herself because she had literally nothing else (her own family dead, her mother dead because of her, not really, but you know. died giving birth to her). She was betrayed too, bearing unwilling witness to scenes of horror and betrayal by her own people that would haunt her forever. Ionia forgave Riven but she gave herself up when Noxus came to hunt her down because she didn't want any more Ionian blood to be spilled because of her. she is redeemable. she exiled herself from the only family she had ever known, a family that used and betrayed her in horrific ways and willingly became their prisoner. Irelia should break her free. they should team up and fuck up Noxus together. ALSO let me get a little delusionally poetic for a moment. they both wield broken blades. they are half of a whole, incomplete. they are each other's blade's missing piece.

(all they have ever known is to BE a weapon, be a blade. Irelia to avenge her family and Riven to prove that she BELONGS to one only to have everything taken away from her anyway)

LOOK AT THESE BABES

also they have these icons, riot COME ON.

Arcane season 3 but it's riven and irelia toxic yuri

[yanlei-a]

the more i think about zed and irelia the more i just think they're the same kind of cares so much that could easily become something terrible but also considering her importance in ionia (she is, after all, still a legend in her own right; the girl who singlehandedly turned the tide of the entire war) and her willingness to work with the yanlei, zed would so try to bring her over to their side of things. because he clearly thinks ionia does need union to be able to fight back against their enemies, and i'd say he's likely interested in hitting back at noxus, at least hard enough they'll fuck off forever, but with the order's current strength and their reliance on the tears of shadow they have limitations that keep them from this sort of ambitious goal. still, with the wanting ionia unified but being unwilling to force a civil war like kusho intended, i just think recruiting the woman who became the greatest symbol of ionian defiance is the obvious way to go about it (and if irelia fights alongside them, others would be persuaded to follow, and he wouldn't need to rely on the strength of the order alone for whatever he plans on doing next).

[rebelquilled]

the anger i have that xayah and rakan have not met/referenced/done literally anything with any other ionian champ ( other than the brief fight between xayah and zed but it barely counts because xayah has no idea who it is and zed will never acknowledge it in his canon i bet ) continues to fill me with ire. i know she’s not exactly in the negotiating stage, but i find it hard to believe that she and rakan wouldn’t have run into zed more, the kinkou, or even irelia.  rito stop isolating the vastayan rebellion, it is tied into the whole ordeal with noxus, it is tied into ionia, make it exist.

[ohnoitstbskyen]

Beauty in Splash Art 3

League of Legends splash art is, on the face of it, perhaps an odd place to go looking for beauty. These are JPGs whose first and primary function is to hawk video game cosmetics for a free-to-play game, it's not exactly the sort of thing you expect artists to particularly flex their creativity for.

And true enough, a lot of splash art is fairly rote. Here's a character, wow look at their cool pose, don't you want to spend dollars to own this, and so on.

But sometimes, one of the artists working at Riot, or at their outsourcing studios, seems to get a bee in their bonnet, or maybe they just get excited about an opportunity to practise craft, and you get splash art that tries to do something more than simply sell the product, or artwork which displays a real flex of technical skill, often in ways which are functionally invisible at any of the common resolutions that the art will ever be displayed at.

There is genuine reward to be found in those pieces, in zooming in close and marveling at the level of effort spent. So let's spend about an hour doing that!

Splash arts covered:

Odyssey Sona - by Kelly Aleshire

Victorious Sejuani - by Francis Tneh

Aurora - by Jennifer Wuestling

Redeemed Star Guardian Xayah and Rakan - by Ina Wong

Empyrean Vex - by Horace "Hozure" Hsu

Winterblessed Diana - by Bo "chenbowow" Chen

Porcelain Irelia - by Alsie Lau

Toy Terror Cho'gath - by Fortune "Fortuneee" K