League of Legends fans are still buzzing after Riot Games revealed Viego as the newest champion to join the game’s growing roster of characters earlier today. But there’s one big event in the game’s lore that must be understood before diving into the backstory of the Ruined King: What is the Ruination?
The Ruination is a event that brought some of the most dangerous creatures into the world of Runeterra. This magical catastrophe transformed people into the champions they are today—including Kalista, Thresh, Hecarim, and Viego—and also created the Shadow Isles region. But what caused the Ruination in the first place?
Long ago, there was an empire that none can remember. Many League players know of Kalista, who was a proud general and niece of that forgotten empire’s king, Viego. She lived by a code of honor and served the royal throne with unwavering loyalty, even saving the king’s life when his enemies tried to poison him.
Unfortunately, the poison that was meant to kill the king was redirected to the queen instead. None of the empire’s priests and surgeons could save her, so Kalista was sent out to find a cure. She eventually found the Blessed Isles, which was a land of bountiful magic with a people of enlightened scholars.
Kalista pleaded with the guardians of the Blessed Isles and they allowed her to bring the queen to their lands so that she could be healed in the Waters of Life. But in the meantime, Viego’s grief caused him to rage against whoever seemed to oppose him. When the queen eventually died, his grief turned into intense hatred.
When Kalista returned, she realized that the cure she found was useless now that the queen had passed. Hecarim and Viego made her lead the empire’s fleet to the Blessed Isles anyway. But when the masters denied his plea to resurrect his queen, the king became outraged. Kalista refused to attack the isles’ guardians and was killed by Hecarim as a result.
As Viego’s army ransacked the city, the king went to the Waters of Life and placed his wife’s corpse in the well. But as she rose up, she was turned into a monstrous zombie-like creature that begged to die. In his horror, the king used a spell to destroy both their lives so they could be together for eternity. The spell was successful, but due to the number of magical artifacts stored on the island, its effect was amplified to a frightening degree.
A blast of magic ripped across the Blessed Isles, destroying everything in its wake and turning the Blessed Isles into the dark, hopeless land that’s now known as the Shadow Isles. The explosion also created the Black Mist, which started to consume and transform everything it touched into the living dead, including Kalista, Hecarim, Thresh, and, of course, Viego.
Now, Viego scours the land, corrupting whatever he touches. The forces of Runeterra will have to band together to try to survive and defeat the Ruined King once and for all.
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