The Shadow Isles are an archipelago of islands located northwest of Valoran.

Contents 1 Lore 1.1 Creatures of the Shadow 2 Development 3 Trivia 4 Champions 5 Associated Champions 6 Champion Skins 7 References 8 Comments

Lore Edit

Little is known about the mysterious Shadow Isles. An eternally thick, unnatural fog blankets the islands from the view of outsiders. It is thought that the islands are home to countless forms of undead, though no one seems eager to perform the exploration necessary to find out the truth.

A year after the League was established, summoners were sent to explore a small portion of the isle and later, established the Twisted Treeline.

Most of the Shadow Isles' history comes from the two mysterious altars of the Twisted Treeline, that says fragments of their history to its capturers and from the League records of the Shadow Isles' champions.

Creatures of the Shadow Edit

In the Isles, there are many shades of death, and each is embraced rather than feared or reviled. One can only ascend from one state to the next with the magical aid of a skilled professional. Yorick, the Gravedigger, is one individual who serves this role. He acts as a ferryman for the Isles' undead denizens, helping them climb death's many-tiered ladder. Another being is the feared lich, Karthus, the Deathsinger.

Evelynn, the Widowmaker, is also a creature believed to have originated from the Shadow Isles. It is clear upon first meeting her, and surviving, that she is not quite human. Some theorize that she was cursed with a mild form of fantastical vampirism as a child. Supporters of this theory contend that her ability to sap the very life essence of her opponents on (and off) the Fields of Justice, while still being able to tolerate direct sunlight, would account for this belief. Another popular theory is that she abused the use of magic as a child, morphing her into the hungering beast her opponents see on the battlefield.

Elise, the Spider Queen is a another being that worships the Spider God, Vilemaw ^[1], that made its den in a cave in the Shadow Isles. Every year she would return to the Isles with a select few of her disciples and travel to her spider's den, transform into her true, hybrid form and feed her followers to it. Afterwards she would extract the venom of the spider and drink it to retain her youth. She would again return to Valoran in her human form to preach of her deity and take them again to its lair by the end of the year.

Thresh, the Chain Warden is yet another creature with ties to the Isles. Legends speak of a prison warden with a fondness for torture, whose preferred tools were chains. It's not surprising that such a monster's spirit would come back, armed with the chains. His sole purpose is finding worthy souls, breaking the minds and bodies of their hosts, and then carrying them back to the Shadow Isles, where an unknown (but most likely terrible) fate awaits them.

Development Edit

Trivia Edit

Log-in theme

Play "The Shadow Isles. . . They say they don't exist. Mythical islands haunted by ghosts and spectres. Tales to frighten children. But I know better. I have been there. When I first set foot there I immediately knew something was wrong with that place. My skin crawled and in the pit of my stomach I felt a terrible revulsion. Life didn't belong there. But I also knew... somehow, deep inside I knew that the islands welcomed me. They wanted me.

"As I wandered deeper I saw death all around me. Ghostly trees, grass and flowers engulfed me in their horrifying radiance. It was so quiet and so beautiful. I passed my hand through a spectral leaf fluttering in the wind; but there was no wind. That was when I understood that death was another world and I was at its door.

"Then I heard the song; the spider's song. My companion cried out in terror and fell to his knees. I embraced him. I told him he had nothing to fear. He was going to a better place. I will take them all to a better place."

― Elise

• On the Shadow Isles, there is a saying, "Death is but a new beginning."

"As the fog parted and I first beheld the Shadow Isles, I sensed immediately that something was amiss. From the mysteriously placid waters of the bay to the dead calm of the night air, an eerie stillness gripped the place – even the sea and sky. Even as I made ready to go ashore, the crew begged me to return at once to the mainland."

― Elise, the Spider Queen

"Despite its size, the immense forest loomed like a sepulcher around us, and the dank air and unnatural stillness bred increasing feelings of paranoia and dread. My companion begged me to turn back, but some primal yearning spurred me onward, deeper into the gloom."

― Elise, the Spider Queen

• The quote of the western altar, "This place was once... so beautiful.", suggests that the Shadow Isles, and all its inhabitants, were transformed by the Rune Wars or by some other catastrophic event.
• The altars on the Twisted Treeline suggest :
• The quote of the western altar; "I serve you, because I must, Mordekaiser."; and the eastern altar "I serve you gladly, Mordekaiser.",  Mordekaiser holds some rank in the Shadow Isles, further evidenced by his old lore which stated that he was an undead general.
• The quote of the Western altar; "Mordekaiser is not to be trusted Hecarim!", taking in count that  Hecarim  fights for the Shadow Isles , Mordekaiser  actual goals  aren't linked to the Isles, but to his personal benefits.
  • The quote of the Western altar; "Are you also a prisoner Mordekaiser", likely means that Mordekaiser's affiliation to the  Shadow Isles is forced, and he fights this by following his personal objectives, not of the Isles.
  • Apart from the altars, the quote (from his old lore) "The common perception is that the encompassing armor protects him, I fear that – for the fragile time being – it actually protects us.", somewhat confirms the Western Altar quote, as his armor might be his prison.
• The quote of the western altar; "Remember who you once were, Hecarim.", suggests that Hecarim was once human, and lived on the pre-cataclysmic Shadow Isles.
• Hecarim marches across Valoran in the name of the Shadow Isles.
• The Twisted Treeline was the last living forest of Zaun but was retconned to be a location in the Shadows Isles.

Champions Edit

Champion	Ties
Elise, the Spider Queen	Origin of power; priestess to the Spider God, Vilemaw
Evelynn, the Widowmaker	Place of origin[2]; deadly assassin
Hecarim, the Shadow of War	Probable place of origin; herald for the Shadow Isles
Karthus, the Deathsinger	Origin of power; willingly gave his life over to undeath
Mordekaiser, the Master of Metal	Place of origin; possibly the first undead
Thresh, the Chain Warden	Origin of power; drags back captured souls
Yorick, the Gravedigger	Point of reawakening; ferryman for the undead denizens

Associated Champions Edit

Champion	Ties
Maokai, the Twisted Treant	Gained sentience in the Twisted Treeline
Nocturne, the Eternal Nightmare	Physically manifested in the Twisted Treeline
Warwick, the Blood Hunter	Obtained silver from the Shadow Isles

Champion Skins Edit

The following champion skins were released to celebrate the remake of the Twisted Treeline map. A poll^[3] was conducted to allow the community to decide if these skins would be limited edition, permanent additions to the store, or legacy skins. At the end of the poll, it was decided that the skins were to be available for a short time as Legacy Skins.^[4][5]

References Edit

Places in Runeterra
Valoran	League City-States	Bandle City Bilgewater Demacia Freljord Ionia Noxus Piltover Zaun
	Other Areas	Blue Flame Island Kalamanda Howling Marsh Icathia Ironspike Mountains Kumungu Lokfar Mogron Pass Mount Targon Plague Jungles Serpentine River Shadow Isles Shurima Desert The Institute of War Urtistan Voodoo Lands
	Fields of Justice	Crystal Scar Howling Abyss Magma Chamber Proving Grounds Summoner's Rift Twisted Treeline
Continents and Dimensions		The Glade Valoran The Void