THE ASCENDED CREATION
Published on: July 16, 2025
Creation of the Ascended
The term Ascended refers to all humans who were magically altered by a variety of magic, chiefly celestial magic. After their ascension, the Ascended can channel celestial magic through their connection to celestial entities, but do not "gain" celestial magic themselves. There are a few notable types of Ascended. Aspect Hosts are Targonian ascended and mostly a melding of a Human and Targon Prime celestial known as an Aspect, which primarily retain their human appearance. The God-Warriors, known also as the Sunborn, are Shuriman ascended magically altered by the Sun Disc of Shurima using the stolen knowledge of Aurelion Sol and the sun's power, their common form is that of anthropomorphised animals, however they are able to take any form they wish during ascension. Baccai are Shuriman ascended who failed to fully ascend, whereas Darkin are Shuriman ascended who drastically altered their bodies with hemomancy. Currently, most darkin are trapped in weapons, but morph their hosts into an approximation of their original darkin forms. From the champions that we have until now Diana, Leona, Taric, Pantheon and Zoe are Targonian ascended, it is rumoured that Rammus is a baccai. As darkins we have Aatrox, Rhaast (the darkin inside Kayn’s scythe), Varus and soon Naafiri while Nasus, Renekton, Azir, and Xerath are shuriman ascended. I am not that sure about Kayle and Morgana, they are too altered humans, empowered by magic, but they were the daughters of a targonian aspect.
The Aspects
The sky around Mount Targon shimmers with celestial bodies; the sun and moons, but also constellations, planets,
fiery comets that streak the darkness, and auspicious arrangements of stars. The people living at the mountain's base believe these to be aspects
of long-vanished stellar beings, creatures powerful and ancient on a scale beyond human comprehension. Some believe the power of these Aspects
sometimes come down the mountain within the lambent bodies of those climbers found worthy. Such an occurrence is unimaginably rare and amazing
tales of their exploits form around such individuals, who only ever appear once every few generations.
It is incredibly unusual for more than a single Aspect to walk the earth of Runeterra at any given time, so the tales of several Aspects manifesting
has spread a pall of fear and uncertainty around the mountain. For what threat might be arising that requires the power of so many powerful beings to fight?
Rise of the God-Warriors
Guided by the divine Aspects of Targon in preparation for some unknown future war, the ancient Shurimans used the
Sun Disc at Nerimazeth to create the first Ascended. After the failure in Nerimazeth, the Shurimans built a bigger Sun Disc in the Shuriman capital,
likely with the help of Ixtal mages. After its construction, the Oasis of the Dawn appeared inside the structure. Its life giving water poured into
the surrounding area, giving life to the desert. Later on, the Oasis would form the Mother of Life river system.
In ancient times the rite of Ascension was a ritual usually decided upon by Sun Priests, who were a clergy of specialised dignitaries
devoted to an all powerful sun deity. Using an enormous artefact known as the Sun Disc, the priesthood would decree which noble citizen had selflessly
served their empire and granted them the chance to do so even after what would normally be their time to die. Because of this, many warriors of the
Ascended Host were once, if not common, then at least much more prevalent during this era.
Eventually two brothers named Nasus and Renekton underwent the Ritual of Ascension. Described as 'even ancient then' by Nasus, it bathed
the brothers in its arcane energies. Transformed, they took their place alongside the other rare Ascended beings of Shurima, and became its protectors.
But over time, the ritual had become less successful: more and more folk being offered Ascension weren't surviving the ceremony, becoming deformed in
the process. By the time of Azir such a ritual had not been undertaken for centuries.
The Fall of Shurima
Approximately three thousand years ago, an adolescent emperor named Azir ruled Shurima. A benevolent and well-meaning
ruler ― if overconfident - Azir believed the entire world would benefit from Shurima's culture and way of life. The Imperial Magus, Xerath, consulted Azir,
and presented to him the prospect of Ascension. With the power of the Ascended driving Shurima's expansion, Xerath said their great nation would further
flourish and grow to influence the world at large - a prospect ambitiously seized by the young emperor, despite ancient warnings against Ascension in
all but the direst times of need.
The ritual went underway soon after. Atop of the ritual platform, Azir awaited his Ascension as the Sun Disc collected the morning sunlight
and began focusing it onto him. The allure of power quickly incited dissension within Azir's ranks: Xerath befouled the ritual at a critical stage,
shoving his emperor aside and taking the power of Ascension for himself. The outcome would be either immortality or self-destruction. The violent magics
obliterated them in an instant and wreaked destruction across Shurima, but when the dust settled, Xerath re-materialized as an aberration - a being of
raw arcane energy.
Free of flesh and bone, Xerath held nearly infinite power at his command. In the wake of his actions, Nasus and Renekton sensed something had
gone wrong, rushed to the Sun Disc, and confronted Xerath, fearing his careless disregard for life would bring further ruin to Shurima. A terrible struggle
ensued, and though they could not destroy the Magus Ascendant, they managed to seal Xerath within an enchanted sarcophagus. It was not a permanent solution,
for Xerath's vast power was already tearing away at his confines, so Renekton bore Xerath into the Tomb of the Emperors, and told Nasus to seal the door
behind him. Nasus reluctantly complied, and entombed his brother with the madman.
Bereft of its emperor and devastated by Xerath's folly, Shurima collapsed and its empire turned into dust. The Ascended warred with each other,
causing a cataclysmic conflict that would last for hundreds of years. With Shurima's collapse, the whereabouts of the Ascended have remained unknown for centuries.
The only one known to have been active during all this time was Nasus, who spent years wandering the wastes, hoping to find a way to save Renekton from his
imprisonment while also looking for a means to deal with Xerath. Xerath spent that time tormenting Renekton, hoping to twist him into something that may be of use.
The warrior's mind was poisoned by Shurima's bane and was driven to madness, having come to believe it was his brother Nasus who had brought about his torment.
Over the centuries, some of the Ascended began to master forbidden forms of primal magic. Through these means and their own willpower, these warriors
could transform their own flesh and armor into something unrecognisable from the noble warriors they had once been. These grotesque creatures became known as the darkin.
Rise of the Ascended
In time Shurima's history would become myth, but some were bold enough to explore deeper, to uncover the mysteries of the
fallen empire for themselves. When the Noxian noblewoman Cassiopeia Du Couteau began her search for the Tomb of the Emperors, she hired the Battle Mistress Sivir
to be her guide, knowing full well her jewelled crossblade was the key to open the tomb. Upon arriving at their destination, Cassiopeia struck Sivir down, snatching
up the weapon and opening the tomb for the first time in centuries. While she was attacked by the tomb's stone guardian for her intrusion, Xerath and Renekton were
able to finally leave, and set about on their own individual goals of freedom and fratricide.
As Sivir fell, suddenly at death's door from the wound her Noxian benefactor had given her, her blood sparked an ancient magic within the city,
resurrecting Azir. His first thoughts were drawn to Sivir, and he immediately remembered how she could live. Picking her up in his arms he carried her to what
remained of the Oasis of the Dawn, and prayed that it was not too late for the pool's healing powers to save her. Sivir's wounds were healed, and this act granted
Azir his Ascension. With his newfound power, he raised the ruined Shuriman Capital from the sands. With the Sun Disc floating above the city anew, and with the
Ascended walking the sands once more, a new era has dawned on Shurima.
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