LoL Novel Excerpt(s) #2

A rogue Summoner had escaped to a nearby graveyard, presumably to perform prohibited acts of nectomantic magic. It was rare that cases like these arose, but when they did, the Crimson Elite were entrusted with keeping things under control. Tonight would be a test of that control.

---------------------------------------------

  At nightfall, this particular graveyard was blanketed by thin layers of translucent fog. Piles of moss and other vegetation had crept and curled about the tombs and other various structures throughout the grounds. Spiraling cobblestone paths leading to underground crypts circled and bent all around, though it was rumored that the most elaborate crypts, belonging to Noxian noblemen and distinguished military figures alike, had no pathway, but were concealed by the stealthy guise of Summoner’s magic.

  And every now and then, a shrill cry would pierce the near-silence, courtesy of the restless ravens who'd yet to seek refuge.

  ‘Just stay quiet and keep up,’ demanded Talon, he let the words convey frustration. Katarina merely nodded in acknowledgement, but her mind was elsewhere.

Why would a banished Summoner be so obsessed as to call upon the empty spirits of the dead? She wondered. 

  Noxian graveyards were not unlike those of Demacia, Ionia, or any other in Valoran. They had ceremonial tombstones, inscribed with phrases of virtue, respect, and discipline. Noxians were a proud a people as any other, and thus all dead citizens were given due respect in this way. Given the reports of this Summoner, it was clear that he was bereft of all respect.

 ‘Yes, whatever you say,’ she replied absentmindedly.

Talon didn’t have the patience for failure, and he had even less patience for incompetent allies. Katarina had proven herself on the fields of battle with high frequency, but this was more than just a routine skirmish against Demacian patrols. In fact, he had no idea what to expect, and perhaps it was this fact alone that put his mind in such a heightened state of mental alertness.

  ‘Just keep your mind on the mission,’ she quipped, not concerned in the least.

---------------------------------------

  The pair of assassins had ventured through the graveyard entrance, and were now nearing the ritual grounds. The upkeep here had clearly been avoided, as there were piles of overgrowth, next to no tomb  maintenance in sight, and there was not a not a single lit lantern in sight. Some of the tombs dated back hundreds of years, and others mere months.
 Being surrounded by all this death gave Katarina some time to contemplate the death she'd dealt. The thoughts sensed of remorse, sorrow, and regret, but she had not the tolerance to consider them for long. Expert mental discipline made it possible for her to regard such emotions with transience, and as if washed away by a torrent, they left her mind, replaced by the more immediate sensory perceptions of the surrounding area.

---------------------------------------

 And there he was, dressed in black, his arms outstretched and circling in slow motion. His hooded head bobbed slowly back and forth as he chanted some arcane ritual. He did not articulate words, but sounds, and neither assassin could decipher the meaning. Then, without so much as a sound, the situation changed dramatically. Talon’s mind became warped by spell-craft for but an instant that seemed to last minutes…

  ‘What are you DOING in this PLACE!’ he thought… it was the Summoner, somehow interfacing with                                his thoughts. His words resounded with the torment and grief of one who’d devoted a lifetime to believing in    pretentious falsehoods and corrupting power.

  ‘You FOOLS! This is my PLACE. These are the DEAD you are toiling with. I AM toiling  WITH!’

  ‘GET OUT!’ said the Summoner, each word growing louder than the last.

Then, in a swift motion, Katarina whipped around and grabbed Talon by the forearm, nearly bringing him to the ground. Given her slim stature, it was a surprise to him that she could be so forceful.

  ‘Snap out of it,’ she voiced calmly, ‘it’s not real.’ The Summoner had no vanished from sight. Where he had once stood, billowy wafts of pink smoke remained .

  However, the Summoner had left behind much more than smoke and mirrors…

  Talon shook his head.

  ‘How did he do that?’ he asked.

 'I don’t know,’ replied Katarina, ‘but we need to get out of here. He's sealed the exits. There is little time.’

  Pulse quickening, she watched as black forms shifted from beneath the residual smoke that now circulated at the feet of the weary assassins.

  ‘Undead…’ croaked Talon, his voice barely audible, and Katarina said nothing as she readied her blades. The Summoner had left them a sizeable force of minions to contend with, and it was unlike any force that they’d faced before. These minions were empowered by forbidden enchantments. Their eyes appeared as orange spheres blazing fiercely, and their skin was rotten, dead, sores leaking and fizzing with all manner of effervescent pestilence.

  While Katarina took several cautionary steps backward, Talon surveyed the situation with a bored ease that belied his experience on the field. Whereas Katarina was of the opinion that every combative situation should be handled with pinpoint tactics, Talon had the stubbornness to slay at random, irrespective of precision...
 And there was much slaying to be done.

League of Legends Novel - Extra Life Event.

Is this image relevant? No, but it's lols.

It has occurred to me that there is no such thing as a League of Legends novel. Curiously, there isn’t even word of one in development. How could this be possible? The game’s been around for two years, possesses a rich world of IP, and has many hardcore enthusiasts. Given that I’ve played games such as WoW, Rift, etc., over the past several years, I’m actually blown away by the level of fanaticism exhibited by even moderate LoL players. The point of this is that were a LoL novel to be written, there would almost certainly be an immediate interest and following willing to read it. And there are no shortage of things to write about. Character lore alone is so rich and inviting, and there are infinite possibilities to incorporate as far as plot structure and theme.

Ideas with LoL are endless... Runeterra is a world threatened by the destruction caused by Rune Wars…. The catastrophe must be stopped. Or, Katarina and Cassiopiea get into a bitter Feud, causing a major conflict within the De Couteau family, leading to political unrest, riots, and protests around Noxus.

With that being said, I’ve been imagining what it would be like to take on the task of writing a LoL novel.

Never before have I considered so ambitious a project as writing a novel (well, that's not really true, but it makes my motivation to do so sound more epic), and I wouldn’t have the first idea about where to start. But, through active research, short stories, and being an avid player of the game, I am learning. There is much to be learned, and as far as writing a novel goes, it’s nowhere easy. From my writing experience, anything over 5 pages can be grueling. Over 20 can be painstaking. I haven’t written many works much longer than that, but I have written hundreds and hundreds of pages of unrelated stories.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maybe I could compile all those short stores, change all the names, work in some creative license, and make a go of that… or maybe I could just write a goddamn, motherfuckin’ League of Legends novel, from scratch!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are some thoroughly legitimate plot outlines (trolling license taken into account!) =)

They morbid tales were inspired by a recent event where Pokket (a well known video-game personality), ran a 24h live-stream event for childeren’s hospitals. She was able to raise $1646! Details here: http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&eventID=501&participantID=11614

1)

DrPoppyTrollo surveyed the surrounding area with a perception akin to that of a well-sharpened butter-knife, and PokketPlank, while heavily intoxicated by pirate-Rum, stumbled awkwardly about the darkened cobblestone path. The Twisted Treeline was an unforgiving place, and DrPoppyTrollo was careful not to alert the nearby Fayldamere. However, as DrPoppyTrollo sneaked carefully, PokketPlank stumbled drunkenly directly into Fayldamere, causing him to become enraged. PokketPlank and DrPoppyTrollo were never heard from again.

2)

Teemo didn’t care. His red superman cape, black bandana, and spandex attire made him look like a badass altogether. His mushrooms, picked from finest quality rain forests of Ionia, were primed with the finest quality explosives. No sooner had he opened his satchel of deadly implements to place them on the ground, than a wild Garen appeared from a seemingly innocuous bush, poised to bring down upon the small Teemo all the fearsome might of… DEMACIAAA!!!!

3)

Kog’itude, the pink-wigged New Zelandar, and PoppySavant, SuperTeemo’s eccentric Yordle companion, raced to the scene in a panic. Kog’Itude initiated the fight with try-hardGaren by lashing out with the luxurious curls of his pink wig, trying to enact a stranglehold of death. But, with one swift cleave, the pink locks were slashed apart, causing Kog’itude to retreat in fear. Then, without warning, PoppySavant leapt forward, temporarily throwing try-hardGaren off-balance. However PoppySavant was deemed OP, and was immediately banned and was removed from the Crystal Scar by a hidden game-master. Teemo was alone once again!

EDIT: Kog'itude committed to a tactical withdraw, not a retreat.

BONUS CONTENT: Me, drunk on Tequila, talking about the event during ~hour 16. This may one day come back to haunt me.