New Shurima story sets up new LoL jungler with Void invasion

Riot Games continues expanding Shurima’s narrative landscape with “The Faceless God” by acclaimed writer Graham McNeil, marking the second consecutive Void-focused story following “Feast of the Prophet.” This strategic storytelling approach suggests Riot is methodically building toward significant champion introductions.

The narrative centers on Mennas, a skilled stonemason working alongside his mentor, the Arch-Mason. Their mission involves reconstructing the facial features of a statue dedicated to a Shuriman deity associated with healing powers. Their objective extends beyond mere restoration—they aim to reactivate the water channels sustaining their community. In a dramatic climax, the lake mysteriously drains away, exposing a massive subterranean structure adorned with disturbing carvings depicting human suffering. This revelation unleashes Void entities that consume both Mennas and his homeland.

The Mysterious Void Jungler Revelation

Initial hints about the upcoming jungle champion emerged through Malzahar’s narrative “Feast of the Prophet.” Within this story, a displaced individual named Meir encounters Malzahar and his devoted followers. During this encounter, Meir witnesses an immense, undefined entity materializing through a Void gateway located in Icathia’s ruins. This colossal Void manifestation appears designed as a predator that sustains itself by consuming living beings to assimilate their memories and experiential knowledge—a unique mechanic that could translate into innovative gameplay.

Xolaani’s historical significance as a Shuriman Ascended dedicated to healing arts creates intricate connections with Void history. Following Icathia’s rebellion against Shuriman authority, which involved opening a portal to the Void dimension, a catastrophic conflict erupted. Shurima’s empowered warriors, including familiar champions like Renekton and Nasus, fought against the Void threat. After the Void War concluded, numerous Ascended beings suffered psychological trauma from witnessing cosmic horrors, compounded by their emperor’s demise leaving their divine ambitions unrestrained. These psychologically damaged Ascended eventually became known as Darkin in contemporary Runeterra.

Throughout the narrative progression, Mennas and the Arch-Mason engage in discussions regarding conflicting historical accounts about Xolaani’s involvement in the Darkin conflict. Historical records confirm she suffered defeat at the hands of one of the most dangerous Darkin. As they approach Xolaani’s statue during their pilgrimage, Mennas detects a pervasive odor of decay and putrefaction.

Xolan’s Subterranean Horror Chamber

Following a visionary experience where the Arch-Mason believes she has perceived the deity’s true visage, she summons all stonemasons for a crucial meeting. During the evening preceding their gathering, Mennas hears distinctive clicking noises emanating from the lake’s basin. Investigating the sound, he discovers the lake has completely vanished, with the same foul odor permeating the area. Interpreting this as divine communication from Xolaani, he ventures toward the lakebed’s center where he uncovers stone engravings depicting humans in extreme torment buried beneath the sand.

An extensive network of these disturbing carvings covers the entire lake bottom. Mennas discovers a stone-carved face that he becomes convinced represents Xolaani’s true appearance. As he prepares to inform his fellow craftsmen, the stone surface fractures violently, releasing terrifying insectoid creatures from the Void dimension.

The Voidborn entities quickly overwhelm and kill Mennas, then swarm toward Xolan’s residential areas. The sequence of events implies that revealing what he believed to be Xolaani’s face triggered both the lake’s disappearance and the opening of this Void-infested crypt. Xolan’s geographic placement north of Icathia’s Void portal positions it strategically along the invasion route from the Void’s initial emergence point into Shuriman territory.

Three Potential Champion Candidates

Multiple narrative threads point toward potential new champion introductions. The primary candidate remains Xolaani herself, historically documented as having been gravely wounded by a Darkin adversary centuries ago. The secondary possibility involves the Void jungler previously teased in Malzahar’s storyline, potentially emerging from the sinkhole in Xolan’s lakebed alongside the Void creatures that destroy Mennas. The tertiary theory suggests Xolaani might have undergone Darkin transformation herself, following the classic narrative trope of symbolic self-destruction seen in characters like Darth Vader. Supporting evidence includes Xolaani’s ambiguous historical record during the Darkin War, the double-A naming convention common among Darkin champions, and the established pattern that the final Darkin would likely be female.

Should Riot’s narrative direction diverge from the Void jungler established in Malzahar’s story, they’re likely establishing narrative groundwork for either Xolaani’s reappearance or the Darkin responsible for her defeat. Regardless of the specific champion outcome, Graham McNeil consistently delivers exceptional narrative contributions to League of Legends’ expanding universe with each exploration of Runeterra.

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