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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.
Xerath is an Ascended Magus of ancient 
Shurima, a being of arcane energy writhing in the broken shards of a 
magical sarcophagus. For millennia, he was trapped beneath the desert sands, but the rise of Shurima freed him from his ancient prison. Driven insane with power, he now seeks to take what he believes is rightfully his and replace the upstart civilizations of the world with one fashioned in his image.
 | "A lifetime as a slave has prepared me for eternity as your master." — Xerath |
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Background[]
Early life[]
Three thousand years ago in the ancient Shuriman city of Nerimazeth lived a boy who would be raised as a nameless slave. Despite this harsh environment, the boy was lucky to have loving parents who were able to teach him to read and write, as well as mathematics and history in hopes that these skills could one day lead him to a better life.
Attendant of Azir[]
By a stroke of fate, these skills would prove useful to the young slave when he met the young prince 
Azir, who befriended the boy and named him Xerath ("one who shares") for sharing his knowledge in the library. The least favorite son of the Emperor, Azir was an outcast of the royal family and thus had no problem befriending a lowly slave. Xerath became Azir's attendant, and when he saved the young prince's life from an band of assassins, their bond only strengthened. While the Emperor was furious that his other sons had been killed in the attack (leaving Azir as the sole heir to the throne), Azir himself was grateful and promised Xerath to one day end all slavery in Shurima.
Years passed, and the Emperor sought to produce a new heir to the throne. Having studied the history of past Shuriman emperors, Xerath knew that Azir's life was in danger and suggested he learn to fight in case an assassin attacked. In return for his advice, Azir promoted Xerath, and with his new position as the prince's right hand Xerath gained access to the forbidden vaults of Shurima's ancient libraries. To protect his friend from the Emperor's wrath, Xerath studied the arts of dark sorcery to place a curse on the queen so she would be unable to carry a child to term.
For a time, the curse worked, and Xerath was able to successfully murder each of the Emperor's children before they could be born. But the spell's effect didn't work forever, and eventually the queen gave birth to a son. With no other option, Xerath called upon deadly arcane magic to summon a storm around the queen's chambers, killing her, the Emperor, their guards, and the newborn prince. Xerath blamed mages in the conquered regions of the empire for the assassination, and who would have to face Azir's retribution.
When Azir was crowned Emperor of Shurima, Xerath was ecstatic to be seated at his right hand. But one thing still bothered him: Azir's promise to one day free the slaves so he and Azir could be as brothers. But Azir refused, scolding Xerath for stepping out of line and stating that the release of all the slaves too quickly would lead to the collapse of the Shuriman empire. Furious at this betrayal, Xerath began to secretly plot against his friend, manipulating the young Emperor from the shadows over the next few decades. As Azir's most trusted advisor, Xerath made sure to slowly increase his own power in the empire bit by bit in hopes of one day seizing Shurima for himself.
Fall of Shurima[]
Azir's reign as emperor was long and prosperous, and Xerath was at his side, biding his time. Over decades of studying old legends, Xerath formulated a plan that would grant him the power of the gods. The power of Ascension, used by Shuriman heroes of old, could grant Xerath immortality, invulnerability, and the perfect opportunity to usurp the throne. Feeding into the Emperor's hubris, Xerath suggested that Azir, Shurima's greatest emperor, should undergo the ritual that would allow him to join the ranks of Shurima's greatest heroes. Blinded by vanity, Azir agreed with Xerath against the Sun Priests' wishes, and on the day of the ritual Azir made his way to the Dais of Ascension at The Sun Disc.
However, just before Xerath sprung his plan into motion, the magus was shocked when Azir turned around and embraced him, naming him his eternal brother and ending slavery across Shurima. The Emperor's words touched Xerath, but did not sway him from his plans. His ambition was too strong, and as far as Xerath was concerned the gesture had come decades too late. In a swift blast of arcane magic, Xerath vaporized his former friend and took his place at the pedestal, hijacking the ritual to steal the power of the sun itself. The motion caused the collapse of the Sun Disc, the city, and the empire itself, killing everyone in sight as Xerath ascended to the power of the gods.
Horrified by the magus' treachery, the God-Warrior brothers 
Renekton and 
Nasus arrived with a magical sarcophagus to imprison Xerath before he could transform. But it was too late, as Xerath shattered the prison and revealed himself as a being of pure, limitless arcane energy. A great battle followed, which ended in the sacrifice of Renekton as he dragged Xerath into the Tomb of Emperors to be locked away by Nasus, where the two Ascended would continue their battle for thousands of years. Over time, Xerath would twist the weakened Renekton's mind into that of a savage beast, a hollow shell of his former self waiting to be released from eternal darkness.
The Rise of Shurima[]
Thousands of years after Shurima's fall, the ancient Tomb of Emperors was discovered by Noxian noblewoman 
Cassiopeia and 
Sivir, the last in Azir's bloodline. After Cassiopeia betrayed Sivir and unsealed the tomb, she was cursed, and from the sand and rubble emerged Xerath and the now insane Renekton.
Declaring himself the new Emperor of Shurima, Xerath made his way into the desert seeking new knowledge about the world after millennia trapped beneath the sands. After a battle with 
Pantheon, the Targonian Aspect of War, Xerath was able to claim the city of Nerimazeth for himself, designating it his base of operations to gather information and restore his strength. Xerath felt Shurima's rise and the rebirth of the newly-Ascended Azir, and knows that this is just the beginning. In time, all mortals will come to serve him...
Appearance[]
(TBA)
Personality[]
As a young boy, Xerath was a generally kind and empathetic person despite his harsh upbringing as a slave. He was shown to be helpful when he met Azir in the library, and even risked his own life to save Azir from the assassin. As a researcher, Xerath was described to be curious and meticulous when carrying out tasks, and proved to be unusually intelligent, with Azir relying on him for advice for the vast majority of his lifetime.
However, when Xerath began to study dark sorcery, things began to change. Xerath revealed a patiently ambitious, manipulative, even Machiavellian side of himself, cursing and later killing the queen and the emperor with little remorse and simply blaming his actions on an already oppressed region within the empire to suffer Azir's wrath. While Xerath assured himself his heinous crimes were simply to protect Azir, this quickly changed as soon as Azir got in the way of Xerath's goals and aspirations, as he immediately started plotting his old friend's demise. However, Xerath does feel a hint of remorse for treachery after Azir makes good on his promise to free all slaves, but even this is not enough to stop Xerath from putting his plans into action.
As the Magus Ascendant, Xerath becomes a godlike megalomaniac with little regard for mortal life, believing that his immortality and prowess in dark sorcery makes him a superior being with the sole right to rule over all mankind. He doesn't regret the cataclysm that resulted from his actions, and even enjoyed his psychological torment of Renekton, showcasing a new found sadism. The defining part of Xerath's personality is his refusal to be a slave to anyone, but as his story suggests, even with the godlike power he has found, he still remains a slave to his own ambition and insanity.
Abilities[]
(TBA)
Relations[]
Renekton & Nasus[]
Nasus and Renekton imprisoned Xerath after the fall of Shurima, but the older brother had to trap his own sibling with him. Xerath is allied with Renekton as they spent millennia together trapped in a tomb. He drove Renekton mad over the ages and turned him into a relentless creature of pure anger. Xerath does not see Renekton as a noble hero, he represents power being granted to the few by a corrupt society. In Xerath's eyes, Renekton helped to guard a city of subjugation.[1] Xerath later fought Nasus when The Curator of the Sands was trying to protect Sivir, 
Taliyah and the citizens of Vekaura from Xerath.
Azir[]
Everything Xerath had done prior to Ascension- heinous as his acts of murder were - were all done out of a twisted sense of loyalty to Azir. When that went unsatisfied Xerath sought the power to free himself from being a slave and tear down the decadent society built on the backs of slaves. From his perspective, Xerath was punishing an injustice against the man who had promised him freedom, but had never given it to him. Azir has returned ascended himself, and is a threat to Xerath. Xerath is hunting down Sivir since her inheriting Azir's royal bloodline may prove a threat to him.
Ryze[]
According to 
Ryze, Xerath is an 'abomination of magic' and that his hold over the magical powers he wields is 'feeble'.
Pantheon[]
Xerath has fought Pantheon and dozens of Rakkor soldiers.
Samira[]
Samira's home was destroyed by his followers.
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Biography
Starring Champion
Mentioned Champion
Alternate Universes
Trivia[]
- In Xerath's outdated League Judgement, it was revealed that he had a friend called Tabia. The two of them seemed to have romantic feelings for each other. Tabia tried to interrupt Xerath's transformation, who envisioned himself living a normal human life and dying as a mortal with her, and truly decided to cancel the ritual. Tabia was however killed by a falling statue, violently leaving Xerath with nothing left to turn to, but his ascension (he did consider just letting the magic kill him, but the ambition won him over). Whether or not Xerath continued to grieve for her is open for interpretation.
- Xerath was born in Saikhal and spent his early childhood there (and got attached to this town since it was the only time he was truly free). Then he became slave in Nerimazeth, later got transported to the capital to serve as a slave and ultimately - Azir's personal slave. After fall of Shurima, the Sunborn burned Nerimazeth to the ground to have their revenge on traitor. In reality that's not where Xerath was born, but the only people who know about this are Azir and himself.
- Xerath is basically a Baccai, a unique aberration. "Baccai" is a term applied to anyone whose Ascension did not result in something "worthy of being called a god-warrior". That's massively subjective. If the Ascended Host was still around, they'd call him Baccai.[2][3]
- Although he is considered a Baccai, Xerath is currently the most powerful Ascended in terms of raw power.
- The magic Xerath uses is a blend of the dark magic he found in his researches, combined with the power he stole from the Ascension ritual, so it's kind of a blend of different strands of magic. Xerath ascended in a different manner because the ritual wasn't keyed for him, it wasn't his to take, so the power intended for Azir affected him in a different way.
- The magic Xerath uses is a blend of the dark magic he found in his researches, combined with the power he stole from the Ascension ritual, so it's kind of a blend of different strands of magic. Xerath ascended in a different manner because the ritual wasn't keyed for him, it wasn't his to take, so the power intended for
- As Xerath's power grows he'd be able to master most types of magic, but that they'd have a different effect from other users of the same magic when filtered through his body (which is similar to a magical nuclear reactor, always on the verge of reaching critical mass) and coming out the other side so he's constantly having to hold himself from going nova which must be tiring. Xerath believes he is eternal (which he is), though he may still be obliterated as energy can be dissipated so widely that it can never cohere. Xerath is severely limited at the moment, though he is learning to overcome his vulnerabilities.[4]
- Although he is considered a Baccai,
- Xerath can be hurt exclusively by magic, while remaining completely immune to physical attacks.
- But he can still get punched, pushed or thrown, since he is permanently attached to his sarcophagus, which can have physical force applied to it and as a consequence, it will drag trapped Xerath together with it. It doesn't cause him any pain, but still can be bothersome and annoying.
- Based on the timeline in Realms of Runeterra and his lore, Xerath is between 3000 – 3050 years old.
- Xerath means "one who shares" in Ancient Shuriman.
- Once on old League of Legends forum page (which doesn't exist anymore) people speculated that Xerath's original name and meaning has changed over time. Associated now with what he did, it would stand for something far more pejorative and negative in its modernized connotations.[5] Fans suspected that this change in meaning lead to the origin of the name of Rek'Sai's species, the Xer'Sai (meaning supposedly "little devil" in Shuriman). After release of story "Water And Shade To You" we now know that Xerath's name never got revealed therefore connection between "xer-" in Xer'sai and Xerath couldn't be made by inhabitants of Shurima after collapse of the Capital.
- Once on old League of Legends forum page (which doesn't exist anymore) people speculated that Xerath's original name and meaning has changed over time. Associated now with what he did, it would stand for something far more pejorative and negative in its modernized connotations.[5] Fans suspected that this change in meaning lead to the origin of the name of
- The Ascension Ritual can take a long time and Xerath kept it going far longer than was normal (hence his body was all but obliterated...), which gave needed time for Nasus and Renekton to get back.
- With his subsequent return Xerath has proclaimed himself the new Emperor of Shurima and made the ruins of Nerimazeth the capital for his new empire.
- Xerath wants what he never had while a mortal, he wants to take Azir's empire and become master of all he surveys.
Change log[]
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