Ahri

The powers they gained from tapping into the spirit realm granted them near immortality, potent shapeshifting powers and the ability to use the natural world as a weapon in order to fight a species of Titans from the sky that threatens The First Lands. It is unknown what happened to them after ancient times. Each of the vastayan tribe originates from an individual vastayashai'rei that had offspring with non-vastayashai'rei such as humans. The effects of the vastayashai'rei mark upon the world can be seen all across Ionia, from ancient battlegrounds littered with swords, to the titanic 'statues' scattered all across the archipelago.

Some Vastayan tribal names originate from those who have defeated the titans such as noble Kiila (Kiilash), dutiful Chyr (Chyra), cunning Lhotl (Lhotlan).

The Vastaya are a chimeric race of Runeterra that are the weaker magical descendants from enlightened mortals that took the power of the spirit realm into themselves known as the Vastayashai'rei. From the ferocious, bestial power of the Kiilash to the foxlike allure of the Vesani, vastaya can look considerably different from one another, but they all share animal and human characteristics. In an age lost to myth, the harmony of the First Lands was shattered by war between mortals and a race of titans that had come from the skies above. Calling upon the wisdom of their ancestors, the most enlightened mortals took the power of the spirit realm into themselves, becoming Vastayashai’rei—deathless shapechangers who could wield the natural world itself as a weapon.

The titans were eventually defeated, and the Vastayashai’rei were hailed as the heroes of the age. Even so, they refused to put themselves above their mortal kin, choosing instead to live among them as equals.

Their descendants were known as the vastaya. These were mystical, chimeric beings, neither mortal nor truly immortal, and greatly attuned to the magic of Runeterra. In time, as the balance between realms was restored, the power of the Vastayashai’rei began to wane, and the vastaya left to form their own tribes. They proudly took their names from those who had defeated the titans—noble Kiila, dutiful Chyr, cunning Lhotl, and countless more besides. For thousands of years, the vastaya have sought to uphold their own spiritual legacy, even when it would bring them into conflict with one another.

More recently, as humans have continued to disrupt the currents of magic in the world, relations with the tribes have soured. No new vastaya have been born in several mortal lifetimes, and it could be that this ancient race now perceives another time of great change approaching…

Ionia, in original Vastayan nomenclature: The First Lands, is a land of unspoiled beauty and natural magic. Its inhabitants, living in scattered settlements across this massive archipelago, are a spiritual people who seek to live in harmony and balance with the world. There are many orders and sects across Ionia, each following their own (often conflicting) paths and ideals. Self-sufficient and isolationist, Ionia has remained largely neutral in the wars that have ravaged Valoran over the centuries - until it was invaded by Noxus Crest icon.png Noxus. This brutal conflict and occupation has forced Ionia to reassess its place in the world. How it reacts and the future path Ionia will follow is as of yet undetermined, however, animosity against Noxus has led to militarization and vigilantism. Thirst for the dark arts is on the rise.

Innately connected to the magic of the spirit realm, Ahri is a mysterious fox-like vastaya in search of her place in the world. Having become a somewhat reluctant and empathetic predator since entering mortal society, she prefers to manipulate her prey's emotions before partaking of their life essence—receiving flashes of memory and insight from each soul she consumes.

Ahri's earliest memories are of her growing up among a pack of icefoxes in northern Shon-Xan. Though her true origins are unknown even to her, she was accepted by the pack and considered one of them. Though she was a vastaya, she had no knowledge of her tribe except for a pair of sunstones she carried her entire life.

Living in the wild among the icefoxes, Ahri began to feel her vastayan abilities surface as she found she was capable of channeling the Spirit Realm within herself, gaining the ability to enhance her in reflexes and control the emotions of her prey.Ahri often watched humans from afar for years until she found one wounded by a stray arrow. Ahri found she could feel his life force seeping away and followed her predatorial instincts, absorbing his spiritual essence and feasting on his memories, emotions and knowledge on human language. As she grew closer to the fringes of Ionian society, Ahri became addicted to feeding off of the spiritual essence of mortals, becoming drunk on their emotions and stolen memories. Eventually Ahri saw memories depicting how humans perceived her; a terrifying monster. Distressed by this, Ahri tried to stop from feeding on mortal essence but realized her powers slowly faded if she did, deciding to fully embrace her nature as a monster.Wishing to find a solution to control her abilities and her predatory instincts, Ahri became consumed with learning more about her origins and her mysterious vastayan tribe. Her travels through Ionia eventually lead her to Omikayalan, the once sacred grove of the God-Willow; a legendary and magical tree that had been cut down thousands of years ago.

Ahri started out as very savage and impulsive, growing up in the wilds away from civilization and becoming obsessed with consuming the spiritual essence of mortals. As she devoured more souls, she began to feel the emotions of her victims and became more empathetic and reluctant to continue her hunts. After the death of her lover, Ahri became consumed with regret and guilt, completely ashamed of her Vesani nature and distancing herself completely from society, only ever interacting with people to feast on their essence and sate her hunger. Ahri's pain grew so large that she simply wanted to forget all the painful memories, but ultimately decided that these memories were too valuable to let go of learned to carry her memories with her, no matter how painful they are. Though deceivingly old and wise with the knowledge of the many memories she had consumed over the years, Ahri carries a youthful demeanor with a witty, mischievous and even flirty attitude. Although she remains somewhat moody and impulsive, sometimes losing control of her ravenous hunger, she has become incredibly empathetic with her abilities to consume emotions, even empathizing with those that would wish her harm. After choosing to cleanse the memories of her ancestors from her sunstones, Ahri found closure with her past and now lives to uphold the wisdoms of the Vesani by looking towards the future and allowing herself to make new memories instead of dwelling on her old ones.

Ahri is a female Vesani of medium stature with pale skin and long black hair. Her eyes are golden yellow with slit-shaped pupils and her cheeks have red, whisker-like marks on them. Due to her vastayan nature, she has black fox ears atop her head, long claws for nails and nine white fox tails. She usually wears a white dress with red and gold details as well as trinkets such as three purple tassels.

At times, usually when hiding her vastayan nature among society to stop from unwanted attention, Ahri wears a giant white hooded cloak to shield not only her face but also her nine white tails.

Vastayan Physiology: Ahri is a vastaya, an ancient race of demi-humans changed by magic of the Spirit Realm. This connection to the Spirit Realm has increased their longevity and granted them powerful magics, allowing them to live for centuries. Ahri is a member of the Vesani tribe of vastaya; vulpine vastaya that resemble snow foxes. Enhanced Speed: Because of Ahri's foxlike features, she is naturally faster and more agile than an average human. Along with that, Ahri can channel spirit magic into herself to enhance her reflexes and even allow her to fly swiftly in the air. Sharp Claws: Ahri's nails are incredibly sharp and capable of scratching thanks to her Vesani nature. Ahri Essence Theft.png Soul Feeding: The Vesani have the ability to absorb the spiritual essence of others, which includes one's memories, emotions and their very life force. When Ahri does this, she experiences these emotions and memories as if they were her own, feeding a ravenous hunger she has for human experiences. Though she used to lose control of her hunger for spiritual essence, she has grown more in tune with her nature and has learned to control it. Spirit Magic: Ahri has a powerful connection to the Spirit Realm, allowing her to sense things within it and manipulate its energies to an extent. She can use this energy in a variety of ways, such as communing with Spirits or empowering the spiritual magic of allies. Ahri Fox-Fire.png Spirit Fire Manipulation: Ahri can condense raw spiritual energy into different shapes, particularly in the form of magical blue flames. Ahri can send out these flames to damage enemies or condense them into a Ahri Orb of Deception.png powerful orb that she uses as a weapon. Ahri Charm.png Mind Manipulation: Ahri has the ability to manipulate the minds of others by accessing their emotions through the Spirit Realm. With this, she can hypnotize others into following her commands or lure them to her with her charms. Along with that, Ahri can connect to the minds of others and sense their emotions.