Tapasan

Lore:

Whether you consider the Monolith to be Ixtal's greatest achievement or greatest failure, there's no denying the sheer magnitude and endeavor that was put into creating it. A construct the size of a city with the power to level continents, yet with all that power, it did not stand a chance against the Void. The Ixtali Ascended known as Ne'Zuk was clearly worthy of his reputation as an individual of unparalleled might, even though he himself and his magnum opus did not stand a chance against the violet legion that is death incarnate. But to this day, some wonder how could a man of awesome power failed to push back the force that he were to prove himself the most against. Some say that it was because back then; the Void was stronger; others would say that archaic magic was inferior to the strength of the Void. Whatever the truth may be, it doesn't seem like many people are interested in it, as they prefer to go about their daily duties in their respective professions. But there was one man who considered this truth to be of utmost importance to the history of Ixtal, and also its future, and that man is Tapasan. An Ixtali scholar, Tapasan was obsessed with knowing the truth of what unfolded in the grounds where the Monolith stood tall against the Void, but he also realized that sitting in the same building and reading books will only give him so much information. With that realization, he sought out to the do the one thing that mattered in order to find the truth, whether he will find it or not. With preparations complete, Tapasan made his way to the ruins of the Monolith, the burial grounds that remained on Runeterra, as most of it still sleeps silently in the Void, scattered among its own debris. After several days, Tapasan continued to research what he could in the area, but he could not find anything that would bring him closer to the truth he seeks. It's possible that the archaic design of Monolith is too old for Tapasan to understand, as he is in fact a young Ixtali scholar accustomed to the modern traditions of Ixtal, which mostly consists of isolating itself from the rest of the world. More days have past, and Tapasan reluctantly loses motivation, because he now assumes that maybe the truth he was seeking doesn’t even exist. But just as he was about to depart back home, something happened that would bring him closer to what he sought. A Voidborn crawls among the rubble of the Monolith, bearing a spider-like anatomy and seemingly unaware of Tapasan, going about his existence as if he has no bother in the world. But the moment the Voidborn noticed the young scholar, nature manifested, and the creature's hostility was all too apparent. Running desperately like a disoriented prey, Tapasan stumbles, allowing the Voidborn to cut his leg with a venomous scratch. Tapasan tossed a rock into the Voidborn's eye, giving him enough time to create some distance. Realizing that escape is futile, Tapasan hid among the debris of Monolith, and after several minutes, the Voidborn left after losing its prey. Though he survived the encounter with the creature, his life is not guaranteed, as he would soon lose consciousness. An unknown amount of time has passed, and Tapasan awakens as a surge of instinct hits his nervous system, he erupts from the debris he was buried under with fierce strength. But once his senses came back, he looked at his hands and knew that he was not himself. Looking at his reflection in a puddle just to his side, Tapasan saw that he transformed. Now a being possessing a fragment of the strength of both the Void and the Monolith, Tapasan realizes that he can now make a change, whether it'd be fighting for Ixtal or continuing his profession as a scholar. Regardless, he now has the power to accomplish more than he ever could prior. And though he did not acquire the truth that he sought, if he so desires to continue his search, he has all the power he needs to do so. Because there is a creature who is neither man nor beast, moving swiftly across the lands of Runeterra, searching for what he dubs the Truth of the Monolith. And with his current strength, one day… he just might find it.

Appearance:

After his "mutation", Tapasan possesses elements of both the Void, specifically the spider-like creature, and the Monolith, while mostly maintaining his human appearance. Naturally, he wears an Ixtali attire typical of a scholar, supposedly torn to showcase his new identity as a "monster" of sorts.