Fiddlesticks

Something has awoken in Runeterra. Something ancient. Something terrible. The ageless horror known as Fiddlesticks stalks the edges of mortal society, drawn to areas thick with paranoia where it feeds upon terrorized victims. Wielding a jagged scythe, the haggard, makeshift creature reaps fear itself, shattering the minds of those unlucky enough to survive in its wake. Beware the sounding of the crow, or the whispering of the shape that appears almost human… Fiddlesticks has returned.

Real name: Fiddlesticks (Name Given From Children's Tales) Alias(es): The Ancient Fear, The Demon of Fear, The Demon of Horror, First of Ten Species: Demon Age: At least 10,998 years old Place of origin: Spirit Realm (Ancient Times) Current residence: Rocky Highlands, Demacia (No Fixed Abode)

Long ago, in a tower by the edge of the sea, a reckless young mage summoned something he could not control. What stepped through was older than history itself—darker than a starless night, and something the world had tried desperately to forget. In an instant, the mage, the entity, and the tower vanished from time.

Or so the stories say.

In the Freljord, children whisper of a monster that rises from graves in the ice, a lumbering mass of rusted armor and broken wood. In Bilgewater, sailors speak of a lone figure on a remote atoll, from which no one returns. In Targon, an old tale tells of a child of twilight who stole the only joy from a whispering horror. Noxian veterans retell a darker fable—of a farmhand blamed for famine, cast to the crows, only to return as something worse.

Across Demacia, Ixtal, Piltover, Ionia, and Shurima, these myths echo—reshaped, retold, and passed down through generations. Each tells of something that almost looks human, drawn to places heavy with fear.

But they’re just fables. Tales to scare children. No one fears a silly old monster called Fiddlesticks…

Until now.

Something has stirred in the Demacian hinterlands, drawn by swelling fear and suspicion. Isolated protectorates vanish within days. Travelers disappear from forgotten paths. Patrols go silent. Survivors stagger into taverns, wailing of crows that aren’t crows, sounds that aren’t sounds, and a lopsided scarecrow that speaks in the stolen voices of the dead.

Many blame rogue mages—an easy scapegoat in an age of rebellion.

But the truth is far worse.

Something has returned—just as in the old tale of the mage’s seaside tower. A horror absent for countless centuries, long enough that early warnings faded into rumor, then myth, then bedtime stories. An entity too alien to fit within modern understanding of magic. So ancient, it has always existed. So feared, even animals grow uneasy at its name.

Now, a nearly forgotten legend spreads once more. It speaks of a being with no thoughts, no form, no understanding—only instinct. A terror that mirrors what others fear most, shaping itself into that dread. The embodiment of horror. The first scream given form. A demon before demons were known.

Or so the stories say.

But Fiddlesticks is real.

Appearance: Fiddlesticks is mostly known as a shambling figure of scrap and shadow somewhat resembling a scarecrow. A torn burlap sackcloth rests over its "face", which is little more than two holes for glowing red eyes and a mouth of rows and rows of jagged metal teeth, secured around its "neck" by a rope which carries three keys.

A mass of red-tinged shadows grow from various points along Fiddlesticks's body, one large growth emerging from its back, and the rest occasionally forming extra arms for Fiddlesticks, of which it already has three metal ones made of rusted scrap. One of these arms is connected to its body by a sawblade which emerges from its shoulder.

At the center of Fiddlesticks's torso is a cage which houses the true essence of Fiddlesticks, as the body itself is merely puppetted around by the essence within the cage. Inside the cage is a shifting cloud of red eyes and shadowed forms from which its crows sprout.

However, this is only the appearance of the Demacian incarnation of Fiddlesticks. While the red-black mass of crows which makes up the essence of Fiddlesticks remains constant, the body which carries it changes based on the trash around it. For example, in the Freljord, Fiddlesticks is known to be made up of helmets, bucklers, wood, & furs.

Personality: Fiddlesticks is a creature of pure emotional instinct that doesn't understand the form it takes or the words it repeats, who was created from the formless negative energy endemic to all life. It speaks by repeating the last words of its victims.

Demon Physiology: Fiddlesticks is a demon, a malevolent spirit that feeds from human emotions. It has no physical form and cannot be harmed by physical weapons (unless it has magical properties). Each demon is linked to a specific emotion; in this case, Fiddlesticks feeds from fear and horrors. Emotional Feeding: Like other demons, Fiddlesticks nourishes itself from an specific emotion, in its case, fear. By absorbing the fear that it causes, Fiddlesticks can sustain itself for prolonged periods of time. Fiddlesticks instinctively knows one's fears. Immortality: So long as fear exists Fiddlesticks will exist in some form. Demonic Magic: Fiddlesticks has within itself a massive amount of dark power that allows it to perform many terrible feats of dark magic. it can summon constructs that look and behave almost alive, such as crows and copies of itself that will last until it chooses to let them unmake themselves. It could shift space to appear or disappear at will, like when it massacred a entire family inside their house without opening any of the doors or windows. Form Shift: Like any spirit, Fiddlesticks can change his appearance to that of his victim's greatest fear. Superhuman speed: Fiddlesticks possesses immense speed, killing two soldiers who were on night watch so quickly that they didn't even have time to react.

Abilities: A Harmless Scarecrow - Fiddlesticks can place scarecrow effigies. Terrify - Fiddlesticks damaging enemies with spells while unseen causes them to flee in terror. Bountiful Harvest - Fiddlesticks drains health from the life energy of targets. Reap - Fiddlesticks slashes a wide area with its scythe.

Ultimate Ability: Crowstorm - A murder of crows flock wildly around Fiddlesticks, dealing damage to all enemy units in the area.

Runeterra (meaning magic earth) is a plane of existence composed of the physical realm: an oblate spheroid planet and the Spirit Realm. The currently known continents the planet comprises are Valoran, Shurima and the Camavoran Continent. It also boasts several large bodies of water, such as the currently known 18 Seas (like the Conqueror's Sea and the Guardian's Sea), and 2 Oceans with several archipelagos and islands around them (like Ionia, the Serpent Isles, and the Shadow Isles). The planet orbits around a G-type star while a natural satellite moon orbits around the planet. Runeterra's sun and moon also even mirrored equivalents in the spirit realm. Composed of both the material and spirit realms, Runeterra is all that separates the celestial powers of creation from the abyssal threat of all undoing. This is a magical world unlike any other--inhabited by peoples both fierce and wondrous.

Centuries ago, magical artifacts called the 'World Runes' were rediscovered. Over the following decades, knowledge of the Runes began to spread as more were unearthed. The world's brightest minds studied the ancient glyphs, attempting to determine the powers they possessed. Few could even begin to understand the importance of their origins, or the sheer power held within them. Some surmised that the Runes were integral to the creation of Runeterra itself. The first use of these mysterious artifacts proved catastrophic, as they reshaped the landscape of entire nations. Mistrust quickly grew as those who knew of the Runes imagined such “Makers' Might” being used as a weapon. Conflicts related to these magical artifacts began to occur, known as the Rune Wars.

Open warfare raged across Runeterra. The first horrors of the Rune Wars sparked fear and aggression among those who now realized the power at their command. Ryze and his master, Tyrus, had sought out to lock away every World Rune beyond the reach of man for the protection of Runeterra. Some complied with their pleas, others dismissed them due to their new found powers and influence. After an incident with Tyrus, Ryze later on continued his journey alone in gathering all Runic artifacts so as to prevent another Rune War from starting and possibly destroying the world.

Runeterra has a large number of sapient species. These sapient species can range from being able to use primitive tools to one's advantage to god-like feats like forging literal stars. Some sentient species are monster-like and aggressive while others less aggressive or tame. While most sentient species are animals, there are instances of plant based sentient species. Most known instances of non-sentient species are found with plants. As rich and diverse as Runeterra is, not all species are well documented. From the Shuriman Jungles to the magic wilds of the Ionian Archipelago, known only by names or by visuals, these numerous species are an enigma.

The Great City of Demacia was founded as a sanctuary from sorcery after the Rune Wars, built upon the unique properties of petricite—a white stone that suppresses magical energy. From this stronghold, the royal family has long defended Demacia’s surrounding towns, forests, farmlands, and mineral-rich mountains.

Following the sudden death of King Jarvan III, the noble houses have yet to confirm the succession of his only heir, Prince Jarvan IV. Tensions rise as those beyond Demacia’s fortified borders are met with growing distrust. Former allies now seek protection elsewhere, and whispers grow that the kingdom’s golden age has ended. Many believe Demacia’s refusal to adapt to a changing world signals an inevitable decline.

And all the petricite in the land may not save Demacia from itself.

The Spirit Realm is a parallel dimension to the physical world, together forming the fabric of Runeterra’s existence. It is home to spirits, most of whom can cross freely into the mortal realm. Mortals, however, can only access the Spirit Realm through death or rare spiritual mastery.

Little is known about this realm, as knowledge comes mostly from myth. Time and space behave differently there, and the Spirit Realm appears divided into smaller subregions or "realms."