u/MiseriaeAmetDolor

The old lore of Mordekaiser

In the early accounts of the summoner era, Mordekaiser’s purpose and ambitions were unclear. As the lore expanded, the Master of Metal was portrayed as a warlord of immense power and influence. His campaigns, however, were marked by repeated defeats and resurrections at the hands of loyal lichs. Only when his remains were hidden in the Shadow Isles was he reanimated once more, gathering an army to reignite war against Valoran.

In his rework

His biography reveals a human past and a dark rebirth, but his tales add a disturbing nuance: his wars sought not only territorial expansion but the pursuit of knowledge. Even before his three centuries of rule, when he was still Sahn-Uzal, he possessed insights into the Sun Disc and the Aspects of Targon. This suggests that his ambition as Mordekaiser was to comprehend and dominate Runeterra’s oldest myths. The key question is how he could assimilate all the knowledge gained through war—answered by his return to the Realm of Death, where he holds absolute control.

Thus, Mordekaiser became a myth: a memory Runeterra prefers to forget out of fear. This dread is reflected in figures like LeBlanc, who, despite her millennia of life and indifference to celestials, ascended, darkin, or demons, displays visceral hatred toward the Iron Revenant.

Raum stands as one of the most enigmatic figures within the League of Legends canon. Although his presence in Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf is limited to insinuations—particularly in Chapters XII and XIX, where the diversion of Noxian souls is suggested—these references position him as a significant agent in the spiritual dynamics of Noxus. Unlike demons such as Atakhan and Tybaulk, whose relationship with Mordekaiser is described in terms of subjugation and chains, Raum’s possible interaction with the Iron Revenant appears to be articulated as a pact or collaboration. This hypothesis, supported by lore evidence and interpretive interactions, remains unconfirmed by official sources, yet it underscores Raum’s importance as a mediator between Noxian mortality and the Realm of Death until Riot reveals the truth about his role.

The teddy bear Tibbers harbors an ancestral secret: in its origin, it was the demon Tybaulk. During the second rebirth of Sahn-Uzal, already transformed into Mordekaiser, we observe how the tyrant kept Atakhan bound in chains; yet this would not be the first nor the last demon subjected to his will.

Tybaulk, much like Atakhan, was a demonic entity subjugated and forced to obey against its nature. After the fall of the Iron Revenant, its essence was sealed and later bound to the powerful pyromancer Amoline, who eventually passed it on to her daughter Annie in the guise of the famed teddy bear Tibbers.

The Pandemonium theme reveals with greater clarity the true appearance of “Tibbers,” suggesting that its current form is merely a disguise for the original demonic entity. Only the unfolding of the lore will tell whether, in a future second coming of the tyrant, Tybaulk will once again be enchained under his dominion.

A demon drawn to violence who was defeated by the conqueror Sahn-Uzal, also known as Mordekaiser, was vanquished and turned into his first great slave, marking a disturbing precedent. That a being of such magnitude could be subdued reveals the scale of the tyrant’s power and ambition, capable not only of conquering territories but of breaking wills and enslaving even powerful beings while he was still a human. The fall of Atakhan magnifies the figure of the conqueror and, at the same time, confirms and expands the myths and legends of Runeterra, proving that its world still has much to tell.

An intriguing fact is that Atakhan was born as a card in Legends of Runeterra, but soon transcended that origin: he became a character who crossed into comics, cinematics, and the game itself. His story demonstrates that the lore of Runeterra retains coherence in its older aspects, even if it sacrifices some of the more current era.(I'm looking at you, Arcane)

These creatures, resembling hounds yet more closely related to dragons, have accompanied the history of the Noxii from their tribal origins to the rise of the Noxian Empire. Over time, they fulfilled diverse roles—trackers, herders, guardians, and symbols of authority—though their domestication has always proven difficult. Their emblematic nature made them cultural and political icons, to the extent that Sahn-Uzal drew upon them as a reference, and after becoming Mordekaiser, he incorporated them in a spectral form, reshaped by his own power.

The reign of Sahn-Uzal over the Noxii is situated after Azir’s failed Ascension (~2000 Before Noxus) and before the Darkin War (~500 BN). Evidence suggests they may have contended with ancient civilizations, the Rakkor, and possibly Ascended/Darkins and maybeeee Aspects.

All information is based on the skin's dialogue and concepts, which show the use of leather, hides, and less refined armor.

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Another name for the Hall of Bones is "Osrachnun." The ancient Noxii tribes believed a seat at the gods' table was promised to followers of the First Truth: "The strong eat, and the weak have nothing to offer their gods" . And most of us here know that the conquering tyrant was a fervent follower of these beliefs.