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| Advanced | |
| Craftable Emblem | |
| Uncraftable Emblem | |
| Radiant | |
| Artifact | |
| Support | |
| Consumable | |
| Removed | |
| Disabled |
Brackern[]
Surrounded around the Shuriman Continent are several clans of Brackern, including clans in the Shuriman desert.
Dormun[]
The Dormun are gigantic, slow-moving creatures protected with large chitinous plates covering their body. In the harsh conditions of Shurima they have evolved to survive the perpetual drought by utilizing an unknown sense to locate hidden reservoirs of water. Incidentally, certain nomadic tribes have built themselves a permanent home upon the backs of these beasts where they clean the creature and hunt any airborne pests who venture near.
Eka'Sul[]
Desert goats that travel in herds.
Mwatis[]
Mwatis are goatlike creatures with large plated casques on their heads. Mwati wool and plate are prised for felting and insulation.
Kmiros[]
Gigantic scarabs that roam in swarms, looking for unfortunate travelers to feed on. They seem to be common prey for 
Rammus.
Outerbeasts[]
- Main article: Voidborn
Beside the Xer'Sai, other creatures from the Void, referred to as 'outerbeasts', can be found in the desert.
- Xer'Sai: Creatures from the Void that plague the southern deserts. They are the size of big dogs on average, but can be smaller or much bigger.
Rek'Sai, as the queen, is by far the largest and most dangerous of her species. Xer'sai burst from their small burrows and ravage anything nearby, to the detriment of desert caravans. Once dead, the Xer'sai decompose at an abnormally rapid rate and become inedible.
Ralsiji[]
Large and aggressive minotaur-like creatures. They are humpbacked quadrupeds with long limbs and thick horns.
Shuriman Camel[]
A breed of camels native to the deserts of Shurima and are used by caravans as well as common folk as primary mode of transportation. Despite being well-suited for lengthy travels in the desert landscape, they are still prey to a many predator such as the Xer'Sai.
Sandswimmers[]
Sandswimmers
Sandswimmers are massive quadrupedal creatures that traverse the Shuriman desert in cyclical patterns. They got their name due to their preferred method of travel. Their narrow bodies and webbed feet are perfectly design for swimming under the sand. They feed on bugs and other small creatures most desert beasts ignore. Scavengers will often memorize the predictable paths these creatures take, and jump onto their backs to ride as far as they wish.
Skallashi[]
The Skallashi are large quadrupedal herbivores. These hardy beasts of burden are common across Shurima, ideally suited to the harsh desert environment. Their key body feature is their long legs. Notoriously bad-tempered, they are nevertheless treated with great reverence. Their brown hides are often painted with sacred symbols of protection, and their horns hung with totems and charms. While these creatures are mostly used for travel and carrying heavy loads, on some larger skallashi people are able to built miniature rooms for more comfortable travel. To own one is often considered a sign of considerable prosperity.
A traveler from beyond the stars, 
Bard is an agent of serendipity who strives to maintain the harmony between creation, and the cold indifference of what lies beyond it. Many 
Runeterrans sing songs that ponder his extraordinary nature, yet they all agree that the cosmic vagabond is drawn to artifacts of great magical power. Surrounded by a jubilant choir of helpful 
meeps, it is impossible to mistake his actions as malevolent, as Bard always serves the greater good... in his own odd way.
 | "The chimes of his footsteps are echoes of change." — Ryze |
 |
Background[]
Early Life[]
Bard is a Celestial who existed at the Creation of the Universe within the Celestial Realm. Initially drifting aimlessly, Bard found a new purpose when the Celestial Dragon 
Aurelion Sol forged the universe's first stars, producing a symphony of creation. Bard traversed the celestial harmonies of the universe and began to attract new companions called meeps; celestial spirit creatures spawned from the residual inspiration used to create the stars.
As Bard continued his travel, the meeps alerted him to a world with a unique song of its own called Runeterra, a realm filled with primitive and chaotic music that disharmonized with the rest of the cosmos. While he appreciated its inherent beauty, he realized that this song had become destructive and needed intervention before it can threaten the fabric of the universe.
Venturing into the planet's physical realm, Bard first touched down on the continent of 
Ionia and created a physical form from the trinkets and fabrics of a shawm-player's wagon. He roamed Runeterra for an extensive period, confusing and bewildering any who would those he encountered. On his travels, Bard discovered that many powerful and unpredictable objects, such as the World Runes, had mysteriously been left scattered on the planet's surface by some unknown entities, which threatened to disrupt the balance of the universe.
As a caretaker, Bard personally took the task of retrieving these misplaced objects and restoring cosmic harmony in an effort to protect Runeterra from the 
forces that lay beyond. Seeing into the future, Bard saw an impending cataclysm that would span across all realms, anticipating for when he must choose a side to maintain the cosmic balance.
Modern History[]
Bard Mountain[]
In the midst of the vicious Noxian Invasion of Ionia, a group of villagers settled around a mountain with a sacred temple at the very top of it. The 
Noxians eventually discovered the village and, in their conquest to take over the continent, sought out an immensely powerful, egg-like artifact of celestial origin in the mountain. The Noxians slaughtered most of these Ionians and ransacked the village in search of this artifact. Meanwhile, the village sage used the powerful artifact to obliterate a group of these soldiers, causing collateral damage to the surrounding area and slicing an entire mountain in half. Bard's instantly turned his attention to the shockwave made by the artifact as he rushed to the site of the invasion.
Flying through the clashing Ionian and Noxian armies, Bard quickly flew up the mountain's steps and grabbed the artifact, taking it to the peak and placing it on a sacred pedestal. From there, Bard blew into his cosmic instrument, summoning a chorus of meeps to witness him as he used his powers to transport both himself and the artifact into the celestial realm away from the hands of mortals who could potentially weaponize it. Those witnessing the event saw Bard's transportation manifest into a three-pointed constellation in the sky, naming the mountain Bard Mountain in his honor.[1]
Encounters with Mortals[]
While on his quest to preserve powerful artifacts, Bard would encounter many people who witnessed his mysterious deeds. Some artists and performers considered him a source of immense inspiration for great works of art, while others would be bewildered and confused by his bizarre nature.
According to a travelling balladeer from the 
Freljord who made a stop in 
Demacia, his mother had an ancient 
chime that managed to attract a stray meep shortly before floating away. After chasing the flying chime, Bard himself appeared and placed the man in a dream-like state, temporarily transforming him into a meep and allowing him to perceive the universe as Bard does temporarily. In this form, he realized the coming dangers that Bard is attempting to avoid before returning to his mortal body.[2]
A man named Old Gaff claimed that he saw Bard in the sky once, flying across the heavens like a falling star.[3] The day after, while sweeping the floors at his house, Old Gaff witnessed a similar entity to Bard named 
1 Byrd, who created a physical form from his pots and pans before waddling away to a nearby temple as if it were looking for something.[4] At the temple, Old Gaff found Bard summoning a massive vortex of meeps, all singing and dancing in a beautiful choir as they rose upward before disappearing in a flash of light, leaving only a single chime in Old Gaff's hands.[5]
Recent events[]
Bard continues his journey to protect the beauty of Runeterra by restoring its cosmic equilibrium, safeguarding immensely powerful artifacts that could potentially be misused by mortals in the future.
Most recently on his travels, Bard has taken notice of 
Xolaani, a Darkin who has just recently possessed a brand new 3 host.[6] However, it's unclear what her significance to Bard is as he hasn't been shown to intervene.
Future[]
At least fifty years in the future, one of the survivors of the Noxian invasion at Bard Mountain lives to become an elderly story teller, remaining on that very same mountain. Here, the storyteller would tell three teenagers various stories and describe the many constellations in the skies that represent significant events of the past; arrival of the Watchers in the Freljord, the fall of 
Shurima and the ruination of the 
Shadow Isles. The final constellation he talks about is the three pointed mask of Bard himself, which he witnessed on that very same mountain many years ago as a child.[7]
Appearance[]
Bard is an ethereal Celestial being who created a corporeal form in order to traverse and interact with the physical world.[8] His corporeal form has stitched body with wooden-peg legs and a mask-face. Bard's true form is able to abandon his body while it 'deflates'.
Personality[]
Unlike other Celestials that care for and meddle with the existence of mortal beings, Bard focuses more on the 'bigger picture,' interested more in the cosmic balance of Runeterra and assessing any threats that can endanger the fabric of all reality. The only time Bard notices or wholly interacts with a mortal being is if they are involved with some significant event or power that threatens the cosmic balance. Bard simply doesn't care for individual lives and instead is more concerned with the 'bigger picture' and seeing preserving life as a whole.
Bard would never intervene in combat with someone unless they themselves have some significance that could potentially alter the world's cosmic balance, almost completely ignoring anybody and everything that isn't his concern. Though Bard has the absolute best intentions in mind, he can come off as incredibly strange and whimsical in his behaviors, popping in and out of existence without warning almost mischievously.
Abilities[]
- Celestial Physiology: Bard is a Celestial, an entity coming directly from the Celestial Realm before transcending down to the Physical Realm. As a Celestial, Bard possesses a variety of different abilities and is essentially immortal. However, as with most Celestials, Bard does not have a physical body of his own and must create one out of many materials and objects. In Bard's case, he created a physical body out of the instruments and trinkets found in a Ionian shawm-player's wagon.
- Cosmic Hearing: A unique feature to Bard is his ability to perceive the universe purely as music rather than through sight, something unheard of for other celestials. He mainly uses this as a way to not only appreciate the beauty of the universe but also to sense out any threats to the stable harmonies of the universe, being able to sense and disruptions such as the impending Void.
- Cosmic Hearing: A unique feature to Bard is his ability to perceive the universe purely as music rather than through sight, something unheard of for other celestials. He mainly uses this as a way to not only appreciate the beauty of the universe but also to sense out any threats to the stable harmonies of the universe, being able to sense and disruptions such as the impending
- Cosmic Music Manipulation: Using a large horn as his main weapon, Bard can completely warp reality by playing music and manipulating the songs that dictate the laws of the universe. Bard typically uses this to freeze targets in place, bind them or transport things instantaneously, but the true extents of his powers are unknowable by mortal minds.
- Portal Creation: By blowing into his horn and manipulating the music of the universe, Bard can create portals of various kinds with ease. Portals created by Bard are capable of traveling through space, time and even to entirely different dimensions.
- Meep Familiars: Bard has attracted a chorus of mystical entities called meeps, mysterious celestial spirits who are derived from leftover inspiration during the Creation of the Universe. Even though these creatures are capable of surviving on their own, they've traveled with Bard for so long they've formed a symbiotic bond.[9]
Relations[]
Celestials[]
Bard knows about and has met many Celestials on his travels around the cosmos. Unlike other Celestials however, Bard perceives the world in a completely unique way; as harmonious music rather than through sight. Along with that, Bard doesn't manifest in the physical realm through possessing a mortal body like the Aspects do, Bard instead possesses a collection of trinkets and instruments strewn together into a suitable form. Bard is aware of other Celestials and their affairs in meddling with Runeterra, such as how they had left behind countless powerful artifacts on the planet, but he simply questions why they would leave these objects behind and endanger the universe.
Aurelion Sol[]
At the first breath of creation, Bard simply drifted across the cosmos without purpose or perception. It wasn't until Aurelion Sol forged the first stars that Bard began to perceive the universe as music, flowing across the harmonies between the stars and witnessing the beauty of the universe.
Runeterra[]
Bard perceives the universe as musical melodies and first took notice to Runeterra because of its inherent dissonance in the universe's harmonies. Though the music of Runeterra is primitive and chaotic it is also beautiful in its freedom, something that specifically took Bard's interest. However, he also sees the danger of this as Runeterra has the capability of growing so chaotic and destructive that it could end the stability of the cosmos, dedicating himself to becoming the cosmic caretaker of this world and keeping incomprehensible powers out of mortal hands.
Ever since touching down at Ionia, Bard continues to passively restore the balance of powers in Runeterra rather than interfering in major historical events, having no direct ties to major events such as the arrival of the Watchers, the Fall of Shurima or the Ruination of Helia. Though these events involved powerful forces, they had no major cosmic ramifications and thus didn't take Bard's notice.[10]
Ryze[]
Though its unknown whether or not the two have actually met in the past, it is very likely considering Ryze's age and their conjoined efforts in safeguarding powerful magics such as the World Runes.
Read More
Biography
Starring Champion
Alternate Universes
Trivia[]
- Despite the lack of a physical form, Bard is not omnipotent. He can be banished or imprisoned by powerful magics or even meet an ultimate end if a magic equally or more powerful than him were to be discovered.[11]
- The green ball that sits in Bard's weapon is a harmonic key that splits layers of reality and taps directly into the magical friction that all worlds emit.[12]
- Though Bard only speaks in musical chiming noises, he is actually speaking in a voice that is incomprehensible by mortal ears. Very few, most notably other Celestials, are actually able to understand him.
Change log[]
| Character blurb | |
|---|---|
| 4 Aug 2020 (During V10.16) | Added. |
References[]
- ↑ Bard Mountain (Video)
- ↑ Testimony of the Balladeer
- ↑ Flavour Text for Bard (Legends of Runeterra)
- ↑ Flavour Text for Byrd, the Bellringer (Legends of Runeterra)
- ↑ Flavour Text for Mystic Vortex (Legends of Runeterra)
- ↑ Artwork for Bard (Legends of Runeterra)
- ↑ The Wonder Above
- ↑ Bard's form
- ↑ Bard's Meeps
- ↑ Bard's Connection to Major Events 1
- ↑ Bard not omnipotent
- ↑ Bards horn
