Previous Lore
SkarnerCenturies ago, there lived a race of creatures as ferocious as they were wise. The Brackern were unusual beings blessed with the earth's primal magic, embodied in the form of 
crystals. Their kind knew of an arcane ritual to bind their life's essence to a crystal, communing with the magic embedded in it. With this power, the Brackern thrived in the Odyn Valley, protecting both creatures and crystals alike. Despite attacks from those looking to claim the primal magic, it seemed that nothing could get past the Brackern's defenses.
Nothing, that is, until the devastation of a Rune War. A vicious battle was fought near the Odyn Valley and the unleashed chaotic magic poisoned the crystals. The Brackern began to grow sick and die, and no amount of defensive magic could reverse the effects. To avoid extinction, their only course was to hibernate underground until the wars stopped. The strongest, most intelligent Brackern hibernated closer to the surface to awaken first and assess the world's condition for the return of their race. The recent mining operations and violent escalation in Kalamanda were enough to awaken the first of these vanguards.
When Skarner burst to the surface, he lashed out in anger and confusion. Reason eventually won out over his anger when he realized that the agents of the League who found him were simply functionaries. Skarner was invited to the Institute of War to share the Brackern's story. In return, the summoners told him about the history that his kind had slept through. Much had been done to curb the unchecked use of magic since the Rune Wars, but it was obvious that the world was not yet safe for his kind to reawaken. For now, however, there is a place where Skarner can use his power to change the world into one which his kind could eventually return to: the League of Legends.
- Candidate
- Date
- 5 August, 21 CLE
- Observation
The silence is eerie. The village was once an endless flurry of activity, with the chorus of pickaxes, rolling mining carts, and shouts of laborers comprising the song of Kalamanda audible during every moment of the day. Now, it is deathly silent, lacking even the far-away cries of birds or the whispers of winds moving through the grass. A blue bubble shimmers overhead, enclosing all life inside without regard to the malice or innocence present in the hearts of the trapped.
Suddenly, the ground in the center of the village bursts upwards. The League recovery crew stationed in Kalamanda is unprepared, staring blankly as a wickedly sharp 
crystal rises out of the ground. It lingers for a moment, as if tasting the air, and suddenly shoots out towards the humans standing close by. They barely manage to dodge out of the way, stumbling over themselves as the rest of the body attached to the crystal surges through the dirt.
It is a massive creature, seemingly carved out of the earth's most precious gemstones. The light gleams off each facet of its segmented 
body, a halo crowning the unnatural creature's birth into the world. Menacing 
claws lash out towards the humans, snapping at everything in its path. The League crew defend themselves the best that they can, yelling out hopelessly to yield.
The crystal scorpion lets out a guttural roar, one that is as full of anger as it is of sorrow.
- Reflection
Skarner scurried through the Institute of War, his limbs cramped from trying to avoid scraping his sides on the tiny hallways. It didn't help that humans kept cluttering the way, staring at him instead of making space for their unexpected visitor. An escort led him through an enormous set of double doors, where a human was waiting alone in a dark room. He was relieved to be away from prying eyes, though he knew that what was to come would pry into him far more deeply.
The human's honest demeanor betrayed his purpose before he even spoke.
"I am Bertrand Wordsworth, keeper of history in the Arcanum Majoris. It is an incredible honor to meet one of your kind. I have never found any mention of the Brackern in all my studies." Bertrand's eyes darted about, taking in Skarner's impressive form.
"So it would seem that humans seek to eliminate our species, but the knowledge that we ever existed at all as well." Skarner replied evenly.
The historian flushed. "I apologize for being so forward. I wasn't thinking."
"No. It is I who should be apologizing." Skarner's jaws clenched. "Forgive me. This new world is so very strange, and the grievances of centuries past are still recent to my memory."
"Understandably so."
"So, shall we get on with your rituals of judgment, then" The Brackern was eager to be away.
"On the contrary, your little show back in the village, in addition to our conversations, has already answered all of our questions regarding your eligibility for entry into the League. Your commitment to fight for your kind to return is honorable. It is also a thrill for us to receive one as unique as yourself into the organization." He hesitated.
"But you want to know the story of the Brackern."
"Indeed." Bertrand raised a scroll in his hand. "I have a spell here, one that will take us back in time."
The crystal scorpion did not answer for a moment. The desire to see his brothers again was too strong to ignore, but he knew the cost. He nodded his consent.
A swell of magic flared through the room. Suddenly, Skarner was again seeing the world as it once was.
The cold dirt of the earth surrounded him, a comforting sensation on his tired limbs. He recognized the exhaustion and madness that consumed him he was in the final moments of his life's quest. Skarner had not seen his kind for years, journeying into the depths of the mountains to find the one crystal in the world that would resonate with his life essence. Skarner's desperation threatened to consume him, after unearthing crystal after crystal that was not meant to be his. With his last ounce of strength, he reached out with his claws through the dirt and finally found the Arachia that would bind to him for the rest of his life.
Skarner uncovered it carefully, relief and awe washing over him, leaving him breathless. The crystal was the largest of any that he had ever seen, let alone those that had responded to a Brackern. He pored over the intricate carvings sprawled across every gleaming facet, marveling at the residue from the earth weaving its knowledge into the gemstone for centuries. Skarner curled around the crystal as it began to pulse, soothing all his fears that he would die alone in disgrace if he hadn't found his Arachia.
He murmured the words of binding, and felt his soul sing as it became one with the earth. His first meditation with the crystal left him paralyzed for days, the knowledge of eons past flooding into his mind. The voices of the natural world whispered to him, sharing the secrets of primal magic and the history of centuries past. In the decades that followed, Skarner communed with the crystal almost daily, and only barely started to explore all of the knowledge imbued within it. Skarner passed on everything he had learned to his fellow Brackern, and each creature in turn fed the knowledge back into his own Arachia for future Brackern.
Then, a devastating explosion rocked the land. Skarner knew what was coming next.
Seconds later, a noxious cloud engulfed the valley, and the crystals vibrated with an alien glow. A piercing hum grew in volume to a deafening shriek. One by one, the crystals began to shatter, spraying glowing shrapnel in all directions. The Brackern that were bound to the crystals screamed, dropping to the ground in writhing agony.
Chaos erupted. The Brackern called healing magics upon their dying brothers and conjured up shields around the valley. But it was all to no avail - the Brackern continued to fall until their numbers dwindled. Eventually, the Brackern's desperate pleas awoke the ancient magic in the Arachia crystals, who called them underground. The Brackern would fuse with the crystals, their mutual strength protecting each other until the world was safe again for both to exist.
Skarner was one of the last to remain awake, assisting the stragglers underground. His last view of the surface was another wave of unnatural energy rippling through the valley, before he plunged into the ground and cast the spell of hibernation, a prayer for his kind on his tongue.
Sleep began to overtake him. Suddenly, a piercing glow jolted him awake, and his eyes flew open. His Arachia crystal was pulsing, and the scorpion knew something was wrong. This had not happened before in his memory. Skarner reached towards the crystal, and he was abruptly tossed backwards in time once again.
The Odyn Valley appeared as it had long ago, but something was wrong. No Brackern were in sight, and humans had overrun the gorge, engaged in war. Robed humans surrounded numerous runes meticulously placed in the center of a circle. Their voices rose in unison, and suddenly the runes fractured and disappeared. In their place, an intense concentration of energy lingered for a second before winking out of existence. A second later, the entire valley shook violently, as an entire city in the distance disappeared in a massive explosion.
The earth shuddered and reached out with fingers of magic for help. They found small creatures, fierce despite their own size, and called them to crystals hidden deep underground. There, the earth imbued the scorpions with power from the crystals, and from their union, the Brackern emerged.
The scene dissolved around them, bringing them back to the present. Both Brackern and human remained silent as the gravity of revelation weighed down upon their hearts.
Human mistakes robbed them of life. Human mistakes raised them out of nothingness.
Consumed with rage and sorrow, he roared, lashing his tail wildly around the room. The scorpion slammed the ground repeatedly with his claws, as if he could knock the vivid images of his dying brothers out of his mind. Bertrand barely managed to dive out of the way, cowering in the corner until Skarner's emotions subsided.
Bertrand eventually spoke.
"I'm so sorry to make you experience all of that. Yet, it was... necessary." The historian made an honorable, yet poorly veiled attempt to hide his excitement over such an amazing reveal of history.
The Brackern's voice was gruff and low, the weight of loss heavy on him. "To have the story of our kind told and remembered is worth reliving the sorrow a thousand times. Have you all the answers that you came for?"
"Far more than I ever expected." Bertrand was awestruck.
"Then we are done here."
Bertrand made a motion as if to comfort the creature, but he knew no words that could bring any sort of relief. He bowed deeply, then turned and fled from the room in a flurry of robes.
Skarner remained in the room, the bitter sting of realization lingering.
There was so much in this strange world yet to understand. Every breath, every moment, and every fight in this League of Legends would be a step closer to bringing the Brackern closer to living once again.
Previous Abilities
Previous Splash Art
Patch History
Fracture
- Stun duration reduced to 1.25 seconds from 1.5.
- Fracture
- Bug Fix: Now correctly stun targets afflicted by Fracture's Crystal Venom if they received the debuff in between when he began and initiated the attack.
- Stats
- Base health regeneration increased to 9 from 8.928.
- Impale
- New Effect: Now draws nearby minion aggro when targeting an enemy champion.
- Stats
- Base mana increased to 320 from 272.2.
- Fracture
- Bonus physical damage increased to 30 / 50 / 70 / 90 / 110 from 25 / 35 / 45 / 55 / 65.
- Stun duration increased to 1.5 seconds from 1.
- Stats
- Base attack damage increased to 65 from 57.156.
- Base armor increased to 38 from 29.384.
- Battlecast Alpha Skarner
- Bug Fix: No longer incorrectly plays classic VO lines in addition to the correct ones.
- General
- Bug Fix: Guardian of the Sands Skarner no longer causes an insanely loud noise to play if certain actions were taken.
- Crystal Spires
- Bug Fix: Bonus movement speed and bonus attack speed scaling too quickly during early game.
- Fracture
- Slow reduced to 30 / 35 / 40 / 45 / 50% from 45 / 50 / 55 / 60 / 65%.
- Crystal Spires
- Bonus movement speed changed to Template:Pp18 from 100 at all levels.
- Bonus attack speed changed to Template:Pp18% from Template:Pp18.
- Per-second mana regen reduced to 2% maximum mana from 3%.
- Bug Fix: Skarner gaining the bonuses despite target removing his disables.
- Twisted Treeline
- Spire positions changed to remove area of effect overlapping.
- Stats
- Movement speed reduced to 335 from 345.
- Attack damage reduced to 57.156 from 61.156.
- Crystalline Exoskeleton
- Shield reduced to 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14% maximum health from 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16%.
- Fracture
- Cooldown increased to 14 / 13.5 / 13 / 12.5 / 12 seconds from 13 / 12.5 / 12 / 11.5 / 11.
- Projectile damage reduced to 40 / 65 / 90 / 115 / 140 from 40 / 75 / 110 / 145 / 180.
- Crystal Venom mark damage reduced to 25 / 35 / 45 / 55 / 65 from 25 / 50 / 75 / 100 / 125.
- V5.16 Gameplay Update
- General
- Recommended items updated.
- Stats
- Crystal Spires (New Innate)
- Skarner's presence causes a number of Crystals to spawn. Crystals can be captured indefinitely by standing on top of them (neutral zones are unable to be captured until 1:30) granting 15 or 30 split among contributors, giving sight over the area for 1.5 seconds, and preventing recapture by the opposing team for 15 seconds. Defending champions can stand on the Crystal to prevent capture.
- While near captured Crystals or a Crystallized enemy, Skarner gains Crystal Charge, granting him 100 bonus movement speed and Template:Pp18% bonus attack speed as well as regenerating 3% maximum mana per second.
- Skarner's presence causes a number of Crystals to spawn. Crystals can be captured indefinitely by standing on top of them (neutral zones are unable to be captured until 1:30) granting
- Crystal Slash
- Physical damage changed to 33 / 36 / 39 / 42 / 45% AD from 20 / 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 (+ 40% Bonus AD).
- Magic damage changed to 33 / 36 / 39 / 42 / 45% AD (+ 20% AP) from 20 / 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 (+ 20% AP).
- Cooldown reduced to 3.5 / 3.25 / 3 / 2.75 / 2.5 seconds from 3.5 at all ranks.
- Charge duration reduced to 4 seconds from 5.
- On-hit cooldown reduction against non-champions reduced to 0.25 seconds from 0.5.
- Mana cost reduced to 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 from 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20.
- Removed: Stacking bonus movement speed and attack speed bonuses.
- Crystalline Exoskeleton
- Base shield changed to 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16% maximum health from 80 / 135 / 190 / 245 / 300.
- Fracture
- New Passive - Crystalize: Enemies hit are afflicted with Crystal Venom for 5 seconds, causing Skarner's next basic attack against them to deal 25 / 50 / 75 / 100 / 125 bonus physical damage and stun them for 1 second.
- Enemies afflicted with Crystal Venom's stun or Impale's suppression grant Skarner Crystal Charge as well as reduce Fracture's cooldown by each disable's respective duration.
- New Effect: Projectile can hit up to 6 enemies but speed is reduced per hit landed
- Mana cost changed to 55 at all ranks from 50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70.
- Cooldown increased to 13 / 12.5 / 12 / 11.5 / 11 seconds from 12 / 11.5 / 11 / 10.5 / 10.
- New Passive - Crystalize: Enemies hit are afflicted with
- Impale
- Removed: Bonus magic damage to targets afflicted with Crystal Venom
- Cooldown changed to 120 / 100 / 80 seconds from 110 / 100 / 90.
- Mana cost reduced to 100 at all ranks from 100 / 125 / 150.
- Base damage reduced to 20 / 60 / 100 from 100 / 150 / 200.
- New Effect: Has a (+ 100% AD) ratio.
- Removed: Bonus magic damage to targets afflicted with
- Crystallizing Sting
- Bug Fix: Skarner stunning structures.
- Crystal Slash
- Base damage increased to 20 / 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 from 18 / 28 / 38 / 48 / 58.
- Bonus damage increased to 20 / 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 from 18 / 28 / 38 / 48 / 58.
- Fracture
- Base damage increased to 40 / 75 / 110 / 145 / 180 from 40 / 60 / 80 / 100 / 120.
- Crystal Slash
- Mana cost reduced to 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 from 16 / 18 / 20 / 22 / 24.
- Fracture
- Cooldown reduced to 12 / 11.5 / 11 / 10.5 / 10 seconds from 12 at all ranks.
- General
- New lore.
- Crystal Slash
- Physical damage reduced to 18 / 28 / 38 / 48 / 58 from 20 / 32 / 44 / 56 / 68.
- Magic damage reduced to 18 / 28 / 38 / 48 / 58 from 20 / 32 / 44 / 56 / 68.
- Per-hit bonus movement speed reduced to 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6% from 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7%.
- Impale
- Bug Fix: Skarner occasionally throwing out basic attacks while active.
- General
- New ability icons
- Texture upgrade to Classic, Sandscourge, and Earthrune
- Crystallizing Sting - New I
- Skarner's abilities apply stacks of Crystal Venom to enemy champions and large monsters, stacking up to 3 times. Attacking an enemy with 3 stacks consumes them to deal Template:Pp18 bonus magic damage and stun the target for 0.5 / 0.75 / 1 seconds. After the stun, targets cannot receive Crystal Venom stacks for 6 seconds.
- Crystal Slash
- New Effect: Basic attacks reduce the cooldown by 0.5 seconds (doubled to 1 against champions)
- New Effect: Each hit grants 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7% bonus movement speed, stacking up to 3 time
- Physical damage reduced to 20 / 32 / 44 / 56 / 68 (+ 40% Bonus AD) from 25 / 40 / 55 / 70 / 85 (+ 80% Bonus AD)
- Magic damage reduced to 20 / 32 / 44 / 56 / 68 (+ 20% AP) from 24 / 36 / 48 / 60 / 72 (+ 40% AP)
- Crystalline Exoskeleton
- Cooldown reduced to 13 / 12.5 / 12 / 11.5 / 11 seconds from 16 at all ranks
- Fracture
- Base damage reduced to 40 / 60 / 80 / 100 / 120 (+ 40% AP) from 80 / 120 / 160 / 200 / 240 (+ 70% AP)
- Cooldown reduced to 12 seconds from 14
- Impale
- New Effect: Deals 50 / 75 / 100 bonus magic damage per Crystal Venom stack consumed at time of casting
- Cooldown reduced to 100 / 90 / 80 seconds from 130 / 120 / 100
- Stats
- Base armor increased to 23 from 19.
- Fracture
- Projectile width increased to 70 from 60.
- Projectile speed increased to 1500 from 1400.
- Crystal Slash
- Mana cost reduced to 16 / 18 / 20 / 22 / 24 from 20 / 22 / 24 / 26 / 28.
- Fracture
- Slow increased to 45 / 50 / 55 / 60 / 65% from 30 / 35 / 40 / 45 / 50%.
- Stats
- Base attack speed reduced to 0.619 from 0.625.
- Crystal Slash
- Removed: Slow on empowered attack.
- New Effect: Skarner gains 8 / 10 / 12 / 14 / 16% attack speed when hitting enemy units, stacking up to 3 times.
- Crystalline Exoskeleton
- Cooldown reduced to 16 seconds from 18.
- New Effect: Bonus movement speed increases over 3 seconds to 16 / 20 / 24 / 28 / 32% from a flat 15 / 17 / 19 / 21 / 23%.
- Removed: Bonus attack speed.
- Base shield increased to 80 / 135 / 190 / 245 / 300 from 70 / 115 / 160 / 205 / 250.
- Shield AP ratio increased to 80% AP from 60% AP.
- Fracture
- Cooldown increased to 14 seconds from 10.
- New Effect: Targets hit are slowed by 30 / 35 / 40 / 45 / 50% for 2.5 seconds.
- Removed: On-kill heal.
- Range increased to 1000 from 800.
- Projectile width reduced slightly.
- Projectile speed reduced slightly.
- Impale
- New Effect: Target is rooted during wind-up animation (if they get out of range during it they will not be suppressed).
- Bug Fix: Sound effects will now only trigger on successful impales.
- Stats
- Movement speed increased to 345 from 320.
- Crystalline Exoskeleton
- Cooldown increased to 18 seconds from 14.
- Impale
- Removed: Completing casting if targets gets out of range during such.
- Crystal Slash
- Mana cost increased to 20 / 22 / 24 / 26 / 28 from 15 at all ranks.
- Slow reduced to 20 / 25 / 30 / 35 / 40% from 25 / 30 / 35 / 40 / 45%.
- Impale
- Cooldown increased to 130 / 120 / 110 seconds from 110 / 100 / 90.
- Stats
- Attack speed per level increased to 2.1% from 1.44.
- Energize
- Removed: Triggering on structures.
- Crystal Slash
- Mana cost reduced to 15 at all ranks from 22 / 24 / 26 / 28 / 30.
- Fracture
- New Effect: If it kills the target Skarner is healed.
- Impale
- Duration increased to 1.75 seconds from 1.5.
- Crystal Slash
- Physical damage increased to 25 / 40 / 55 / 70 / 85 from 20 / 35 / 50 / 65 / 80.
- Magic damage increased to 24 / 36 / 48 / 60 / 72 from 20 / 32 / 44 / 56 / 68.
- Fracture
- Projectile speed increased to 1800 from 1600.
- Added