Who they are
Zaahen was an Ascended warrior who guided others to ascension. He feels responsible for their fall into darkness and hunts the corrupted Darkin.
After centuries sealed in his glaive he was freed by Xin Zhao's sacrifice. He now walks Runeterra while fighting his own corrupted nature.
Their story belongs to Wanderers and also touches Shurima. Demons, spirits and ancient survivors that belong to no single place.
Their story, step by step
- Step 1
An Ascended Sun-Priest
Zaahen was born in ancient Shurima and became a respected warrior who underwent Ascension, taking a winged form. As a Sun-Priest he guided other warriors through Ascension, among them Rhaast, Varus and Xolaani.
- Step 2
The fall of the Ascended
When Shurima collapsed, most of the Ascended became the Darkin. Zaahen kept his sanity despite becoming a Darkin himself, and felt responsible for the fall of the others. He hunted them across Runeterra.
- Step 3
Allies in Ionia
In Ionia he joined the Kinkou Order's leaders Kennen, Yunara and Bhinan, who were wary of him at first and then trusted him. Over nearly three years they sealed Rhaast, Praa, Varus and Xolaani into weapons. Zaahen offered each of his corrupted siblings a chance to fight beside him again before sealing them.
- Step 4
Sealed by choice
Fearing he would fall too, Zaahen had himself sealed in his glaive. It was kept in the Temple of Twilight, hidden in the Spirit Realm. Yunara guarded it for over a thousand years, and her visits reminded him of who he had been.
- Step 5
Xin Zhao's sacrifice
The temple returned to the material world, and LeBlanc used the demon Atakhan to try to take his weapon. Xin Zhao and Yunara fought them, and when they were losing Xin took the glaive and spoke with Zaahen inside it. Zaahen reluctantly accepted him as a host, destroyed Atakhan with one slash, and LeBlanc withdrew with a faint smile.
Turning points
- Keeping his sanity when the Ascended fell
- Having himself sealed in the glaive
- Accepting Xin Zhao as a host
Where their story stands now
Zaahen walks Runeterra in Xin Zhao's body and is hunting corrupted Darkin again while struggling against his own corruption. How long the arrangement lasts, and what LeBlanc wanted, are not settled.
Who they are tied to
- Yunara →Yunara guarded his sealed glaive for over a thousand years and her visits reminded him of his better nature.
- Xin Zhao →Xin Zhao took up the glaive and, through that sacrifice, became Zaahen's host.
- Kennen →Kennen was one of the Kinkou leaders who fought beside Zaahen against the Darkin.
- Varus →Zaahen helped Ascend Varus, then later helped seal him away after the Darkin war.
- LeBlanc →LeBlanc sought his weapon, using Atakhan to locate it, and retreated when Zaahen emerged.
- Naafiri →An ancient Darkin who leads a pack of dune hounds and seeks to reunite her kin.
Where this fits in the story
- Wanderers · step 1
Demons of fear and misery
Evelynn and Nocturne are demons that came to life during the Rune Wars, Fiddlesticks is a very old demon of fear, and Tahm Kench travels the waterways feeding on bad bargains. None of them is tied to one kingdom.
- Wanderers · step 2
Spirits and celestials
Kindred are twin spirits of death, Lamb and Wolf, who shepherd souls onward. Bard is a celestial being who travels between worlds protecting powerful artifacts.
- Wanderers · step 3
Survivors of older ages
Aatrox and Zaahen were Ascended warriors of Shurima who became Darkin. Jax and Zilean come from Icathia, which fell when the Void was unleashed. Ryze hunts World Runes, fragments of primordial magic, to keep them from being misused.
- Wanderers · step 4
Travellers with a cause
Alistar escaped Noxian gladiator slavery, Nami left her underwater tribe to save it, Shaco is a marionette turned jester, and Senna turns the Black Mist against itself to free trapped souls.