The Harrowing
The Harrowing is an event to commemorate Halloween festivities in the world of Valoran. It introduced a few temporary cosmetic changes to the game (items, maps), and some Limited Edition skins and runes. The event started on October 18th and culminated on October 31st, 2010. In 2011, there was another Harrowing which lasted from October 19th to October 31st.
Lore
The Harrowing event for 2013.
Each calendar year, the celestial bodies of Runeterra align in a particular astronomical event. This lengthy occasion - beginning with a partial eclipse on the 18th of October and culminating in a full solar eclipse on the 31st of October - is of one of the most significant holidays in Valoran. The alignment occurs annually around the time of the harvest, and is known as the Harrowing due to its dusky setting. For obvious reasons, the occasion is marked by superstitions surrounding the world's dark denizens, creepy crawlies, and things that generally go bump in the night.
While rural folks still believe that this is a time of great foreboding, most of Valoran has taken to commemorating the Harrowing through a bit of good, clean fun. Citizens of the city-states don monstrous costumes and exchange holiday sweets with one another as part of the revelry. Large costume parties, where patrons wear either light or dark costumes (with the intention of either warding off or confusing evil) are quite popular, and those of opposite colors are encouraged to exchange gifts with one another. However they're celebrating, all across Valoran, spirits are as high as the night is long.
Tales of the Black Mist: The Harrowing
The Black Mist rolls over land and sea, seeking the living—leaving them helpless to the half-glimpsed horrors it carries. The poor souls return with the mist to the Shadow Isles. In time, they’ll forget friends and lovers, even themselves, becoming part of the terrible force that grows stronger as time goes on.
| “ | A ghastly puppet show recounts a familiar tale in Bilgewater, but tonight the fog’s come down especially thick... |
| — Pass along the warning of the Black Mist | |
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| “ | Many are the grim tales told of the Shadow Isles, and the Black Mist that shrouds them... And while all good folk shun this cursed land, sometimes its darkness comes... FOR YOU. The Black Mist ebbs and flows like the tide, yet now and then, on a night much like tonight, it reaches far across the sea... Searching... Seeking... Killing... This time is known as... THE HARROWING. During the Harrowing, the spirits of the Shadow Isles go forth within the Black Mist. Preying on the living, feeding the darkness. There's no coming back once you're claimed by the Harrowing. You're cursed, condemned to haunt the Black Mist forevermore... Well, what were you expecting?! There ain't no happy endings when the Harrowing comes for you. Right on cue... Prepare yourselves, friends. The Harrowing is here. |
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Fist Light after the Harrowing
"Though the Black Mist fades and the souls it claimed will soon forget their past, the threat of the fell tide will not be forgotten. Worse than all previous years, those who lived are left to wonder where it will return, and whether anyone will survive when it does.
The Black Mist map
I - 1 Year. The Battle of Knife Straits. An armada from Bilgewater, led by 
Miss Fortune and 
Captain Gangplank – sailing together under an uneasy truce – meets the Black Mist head on. Heavy casualties sustained. Fleet scattered.
II - 1 Year. The Drowned Anchor. One element of the Harrowing stalled. Reports of a 
large figure encased in a rusted diving suit seen in the heart of the fighting.
III - 1 Year. The Reaping of Smuggler’s Cove. No survivors.
IV - 3 Years. The Battle of the Serpent. A Blue Flame leviathan is goaded to the surface by a serpent caller to face the Harrowing. The Black Mist is dispersed before it reaches Bilgewater, but the giant from the depths is slain in the process.
V - 9 Years. The Shadow Falls. The Black Mist overcomes the defenses of the Southern Beacon, and it sinks beneath the sea. Its guiding light is now lost to Bilgewater.
VI - 4 Years. The Wild Hunt. 
Hecarim marshals a spectral host and lays waste to the port of Grey Harbor. Despite valiant resistance from the fishing fleet anchored there, all souls are lost. Grey Harbor remains uninhabited to this day.
VII - 21 Years. The Death of the Conqueror. The mighty galleon Conqueror is lost to the depths, along with 30 battleships. Some have claimed to have seen the Conqueror riding the Black Mist in subsequent Harrowings.
VIII - 32 years. The Battle of Port Mourn. The revenant 
Mordekaiser leads the Harrowing on a night of slaughter, and Port Mourn falls to darkness. It is said that specters now haunt its empty streets.
IX - 17 years. The Crimson Armada. A Noxian war fleet is caught in the Black Mist. Over 30 vessels lost. No survivors.
X - 37 years. The Maelstrom. The frigate Light-Bringer’s Bane is swallowed by the sea while sailing to outrun the Black Mist.
XI - 49 years. The Shroud. Up until half a century ago, this was the furthest extent of any known Harrowing.
XII - 33 years. The Flower of Ionia. An Ionian fleet of unknown size lost to the Harrowing.
As evinced here, the Harrowing has grown bolder and stronger over the last half century. I fear for the future should this trend continue."
Champion Skins
Harrowing champion skins have been released for a various League favorites since 2010. The first groups of Harrowing skins began as limited edition only, meaning once they left the store they were not coming back in the future. More recently Harrowing skins have been made Legacy, meaning after they leave the store at the end of the event there is a chance they might come back in the future for a limited time.
Limited Skins to Legacy
From League of Legends's dramatic increase in its community, the the harrowing skins that were originally released as limited edition were changed to Legacy skins in October 2013 and put back on sale during the year's holiday event. Riot stated that the
| “ | ... overwhelming player feedback has been that this creates an extremely negative experience for players who cannot acquire their favorite skin for their favorite champion. We believe that skins should be more about self-expression and fun than exclusivity, so we are rereleasing them in a limited way |
| — Harrowing 2013 FAQ | |
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Veteran Player Compensation
As the value of exclusivity will lower in the process of bringing back the limited edition skins, Riot is giving compensation to the veteran players that originally bought the holiday skins in 2010 and 2011. They are gifting 
RP RP equal to the cost of the skins they purchased, giving Vintage treatment to the loading screen of those Harrowing skins as well as an giving those players an exclusive summoner icon. For more information please check out Riot's plan for vintage Limited Edition skins post.
Harrowing Skins
The Harrowing log-in screen for 2010.
- 2010 Harrowing skins (Legacy)
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- 2011 Harrowing skins (Legacy)
The Harrowing log-in screen for 2011.
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- 2012 Harrowing skins (Legacy)
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- 2013 Harrowing skins (Permanent)
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- 2014 Harrowing skins
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Twisted Treeline Remake
In 2012, Riot combined the remake of the Twisted Treeline map with their Harrowing event and a set of skins were released to celebrate the new and mysterious battlefield of the Shadow Isles.
- Shadow Isles Skins of 2012 (Legacy)
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Features
Minions decorated as witches and wizards
Harrowing events in the past have included, but are not limited to:
- Some sinfully sweet editions of your favorite in-game consumables
- A sinister overhaul of Summoner's Rift featuring a more nocturnal motif
- Limited edition Holiday Runes
- Sinister Summoner icons to show off to your friends and in your loading screens
- Ward skins for the baleful holiday if you need extra vision
- Frighteningly festive costumes for your minions
- A terrifying new login screen to get you in the mood
Items
Some items received a new temporary icon to celebrate the festivities:
Candy Corn (replacing the Health Potion)- Mana-Encrusted Apple (replacing the Mana Potion)
- Piece of Blue Candy (replacing the Elixir of Brilliance)
- Piece of Green Candy (replacing the Elixir of Agility)
- Piece of Red Candy (replacing the Elixir of Fortitude)
- Pumpkin Guise (replacing the Haunting Guise)
- Frozen Brain (replacing the Frozen Heart)
Map
Summoner's Rift artwork during the 2010 Harrowing.
The Summoner's Rift was replaced with a seasonal variant that includes many Harrowing holiday elements. It also contains Easter Eggs:
- To the right of the blue team's top tower is a blue slab surrounded by green smoke. Urf the Manatee's Ghost (complete with name and description) will appear when a Champion stands near the gravestone[1].
- Bringing Warwick over in the Urf skin prompts Urf's Ghost to throw his spatula at Warwick and shake his head, as seen here
- The extreme lower right has 3 coffins, containing the rumoured heroes Averdrian, , and the Voodoo Shaman. This could be interpreted as a "nail-in-the-coffin" confirming their cancellation[2].
Runes
6 special holiday runes were released and they were only available from October 18 to 31.These runes can be located in the Tier 2 section of the store. All of them however were Tier 2.5 Quintessences:
- Quintessence of the Piercing Screech (Tier 2.5, +1.75 Magic Penetration)
- Quintessence of Bountiful Treats (Tier 2.5, +24 Health)
- Quintessence of the Speedy Specter (Tier 2.5, +1.39% Movement Speed)
- Quintessence of the Elusive Werewolf (Tier 2.5, +1.39% Dodge)
- Quintessence of the Witches Brew (Tier 2.5, +4.56 Ability Power)
- Quintessence of the Headless Horseman (Tier 2.5, +3.08 Armor Penetration)
Summoner Icons
The Harrowing events of 2012 and 2013 introduced new Summoner Icons that a summoner could earn in celebration of the sinister holiday[3].
Ward Skins
The first ward skins ever to be introduced to League of Legends was during the 2012 Harrowing event. During this event you were able to rent ward skins for a small amount of RP RP or 
Influence Point IP.
Here are the first five ward skins that were available to be unlocked:
- Deadfall Ward – 200 IP
- Haunting Ward – 800 IP
- Tomb Angel Ward – 25 RP
- Widow Ward – 75 RP
- Bat-O-Lantern Ward – 165 RP
During the Harrowing of 2013, these five ward skins are made available again. They are free to use during the holiday event and are also purchasable until the event is over for RP 640 for permanent warding[4].
Gallery
Harrowing Login Screen
On top of all the new seasonal features, every year summoners are met with a new animated login screen. They usually showcase one or more of the year's new Harrowing skins and are backed with eerie music to set up the mood as everyone enters.
Music
| Harrowing 2010 Login Theme |
| Harrowing 2011 Login Theme |
| Harrowing 2012 Login Theme (Elise's Theme) |
| Harrowing 2014 Login Theme |