Universe:Aphelios
Phel
- The Weapon of the Faithful
The Hitman
The Seer
- He/Him (Aphelios)
- She/Her (Alune)
Moonstone Blade
Calibrum
Crescendum
Gravitum
Infernum
Severum
- Mount Targon, Targon (Aphelios)
- Marus Omegnum (Alune)
- Unnamed Father
- Unnamed Mother
- Alune (Twin Sister)
Emerging from moonlight’s shadow with weapons drawn, 
Aphelios kills the enemies of his faith in brooding silence—speaking only through the certainty of his aim, and the firing of each gun. Though fueled by a poison that renders him mute, he is guided by his sister Alune in her distant temple sanctuary from where she pushes an arsenal of moonstone weapons into his hands. For as long as the moon shines overhead, Aphelios will never be alone.
 | "Our faith is proven fate each time we deny it." — Alune |
 |
Background
Early Life
Aphelios and Alune were twins born to the 
Lunari during a lunar convergence; when the moon of the Spirit Realm eclipsed the physical moon. Because of the significance of their birth on a significant lunar event, the twins were celebrated as children of destiny. Growing up as loyal zealots of the Lunari faith, the two embraced the night and hid in the shadows, away from the oppressive 
Solari that ruled them as heretics.
Mirroring the two moons that marked their births, Aphelios trained tirelessly with mystical moonstone blades, becoming physically strong as a symbol of the physical moon. Throughout his rigorous training he only truly bonded with his twin sister Alune, who was gifted magically and trained to be a seer as a symbol of the spiritual moon, using her magic to reveal hidden paths and truths using the light of the moon.
Eventually, Alune's training would require her to leave the Lunari temple that the two had been raised in, causing Aphelios to separate from his sister more often. Saddened by his sister's increasing absence and desperate for purpose, Aphelios underwent a ceremonial journey in order to discover his pathway in life, or his orbit, as the Lunari call it. On his religious journey, Aphelios discovered a pool full of poisonous noctum flowers hidden in a cave. These rare flowers bloomed beneath the water's surface, allowing the poison to be distilled into a liquid that, if consumed, was thought to open one's mind to the power of the moon. Drinking the noctum's essence as part of his ceremonial journey, Aphelios felt a pain so intense that his entire body became numb, allowing Aphelios's body to be completely immune to pain. However, Aphelios's vocal cords would tighten up and render him almost completely mute while under the influence of the noctum essence.
The Marus Omegnum
Not long after completing his journey, an ancient Lunari fortress called the Marus Omegnum began to phase in from the Spirit Realm; an event that hasn't occurred in centuries. Lunari from all over Targon gathered to the location of the ancient temple, hoping to witness the event as a sign of a new era for the Lunari and a shifting of power in the cosmos. Traditionally, the Marus Omegnum would open up to a magically gifted individual to occupy it every time it phased into existence, with this year's chosen occupant being Alune. Aphelios, to the Lunari's surprise, personally requested to witness the event and see his sister move on to the spiritual fortress.
Lunari pedestal.As the Marus Omegnum phased into reality under a veil of moonlight, the oppressive Solari discovered the gathered Lunari and initiated an ambush to purge them. Aphelios fought bravely to protect his people but got defeated, left with his moonstone blades shattered and reaching towards the noctum flower he retrieved from his journey. As Alune rushed into the temple, she reached the heart of the fortress while Aphelios consumed the noctum flower at the same time. As Alune's magical abilities were amplified within the spiritual fortress, Aphelios found he was capable of feeling his sister's powers embrace him, hearing her voice as she materialized a new moonstone weapon in his hand. Within the Marus Omegnum, Alune's powers would be magnified and allowed her to project her magic anywhere in the world as long as it found a focus-in this case being the noctum poison coursing through Aphelios's veins. Using her newly amplified powers, Alune pushed both herself and the temple back into the spirit realm while Aphelios fought off the Solari with a new arsenal of moonstone weapons.
By using the poisonous noctum, Aphelios found he could hollow himself out by numbing his body, becoming a living conduit for his sister's lunar magic. Alune on the other hand would remain alone within the spiritual fortress, guiding her brother from afar, seeing through his eyes and providing him with his mystical arsenal. Their souls were simultaneously close yet realms apart, converging into something they couldn't wholly understand. Now realizing their true destinies, the twins became the weapon that the Lunari needed; an agent to protect them in the newly shifting power balance of 
Targon between the Solari and Lunari.
Modern History
Alune preparing to assassinate a 
4 Solari Sunforger with Severum.In order to protect the faithful Lunari from oppression, the twins would go on many missions together, combining their newfound abilities as Aphelios's assassin training was complimented by Alune's guidance and magical assistance. Over the course of their many missions, Alune would perfect the arsenal of weapons she provided her brother; each weapon being uniquely tied to a spiritual creature within the Marus Omegnum.[1] On most of their missions, Aphelios would be sent by his sister to assassinate many Solari targets that threatened their people. One of these targets would be a talented 4 Sunforger who enchanted Solari weapons with the power of the sun, who Aphelios would assassinate under the cover of night.[2]
Recent Events
Alune communing with one another while on a mission.While preparing in a cave temple for a mission, Aphelios felt his sister comforting him from the spirit realm, sharing his senses and sending him visions of both the past and of his next target: a mysterious barbarian from outside of Mount Targon. After drinking the poisonous noctum flower and numbing his body, he felt Alune's presence as she summoned Gravitum in his hands.
Aphelios then emerged from the cave and scaled the mountain, guided by his sister and armed with his new gravity cannon, he drew floating islands towards himself. After finally reaching his destination at the side of the mountain, Aphelios witnessed a group of Solari warriors infamously known as Burning Ones surrounding the same outsider he saw in his visions. After successfully killing the Solari with Severum and Crescendum, the barbarian outsider thanked Aphelios for saving him from the Solari warriors. Aphelios, though unwillingly, was forced to kill the man as part of his mission to retrieve a mysterious 
scimitar stolen by the barbarian.
After fully realizing what the weapon was, Alune stated that the scimitar's 
owner was fleeing from something-- though unsure of what. They knew that their next mission was to locate her and bring her back to the Lunari people. Aphelios, intent on completing his mission, walked into the night with the crescent blade in hand.[3]
Appearance
Aphelios is a tall, lean but muscular man with pale skin and medium-length dark hair. He wears a mixture of sacred armour and robes with large shoulder pads and a deep collar, all of which share a distinctive palette of black, purple, and turquoise. Below this, he wears skintight black leather clothing. His armour is fastened to his arms and legs with similarly black leather buckles, and he wears a matching pair of skintight black boots. Hanging around his neck is a scarf made of a silky turquoise material etched with markings of the Lunari, and a purple cord around his waist holds his robes closed. A distinctive Targonian gold necklace with the symbol of the moon hangs around his neck.
Aphelios and Alune both have markings made of ceremonial metallic inks, and use powders to make their skin appear paler like their precious Moon. Aphelios' markings are a deep purple, and are outlined with a thin line of turquoise. He only paints his face before a mission as part of his preparation, but does not wear any within the temple. The mark on his lip represents the poison he must drink dripping from his lips, and the sacrifice of his voice to hear his sister's thoughts. The white circle on Alune's face and the dark crescent on Aphelios' combine to create a waxing gibbous moon, signifying a coming full moon. This is representative of their belief that the return of the Lunari's full power/presence is coming. [4]
Personality
Aphelios is an incredibly enigmatic person, but he is unwaveringly faithful to his people and protective of his only true bond; his twin sister. In the past, he was an extreme loner and rarely engaged in any social interactions or events with anyone other than his twin sister Alune. After being separated, Aphelios grew so sorrowful and purposeless that he embarked on a spiritual journey to find his own orbit in the universe, leading to the discovery of the noctum flowers.
After becoming an honored agent for the Lunari, Aphelios remained extremely faithful and eternally loyal to his sister, following her orders almost blindly. It is implied that the only thing keeping Aphelios from questioning the Lunari is his sense of duty and the risk of losing his sister. Though he mourns the pain he endures and causes in his duties, Alune serves as a constant reminder that everything he must do is in service to protecting his people from the Solari.
Abilities
- Assassin Combat Mastery: At birth, Aphelios was gifted with physical prowess representative of the physical moon, having a talent in strength and acrobatics. At a young age, Aphelios underwent intense and gruesome training with moonstone blades to the point of spilling his own blood, further honing his skills in assassination. With the essence of the poisonous noctum flowers, Aphelios could numb his own body and become almost immune to all pain at the cost of muting himself.
Telepathic Connection: Thanks to his spiritual connection to his twin sister, Aphelios is telepathically connected to Alune and able to hear her voice from within the Marus Omegnum. Alune offers her brother words of comfort as well as guidance on their missions. Through the numbing poison of the noctum flowers, Aphelios can become a physical conduit for his sister's powers, allowing them to share each other's feelings, thoughts and even senses.
Moonstone Weapon Masteries: Through his magical connection to his twin sister Alune, Aphelios is provided a powerful arsenal of moonstone weapons summoned from the Marus Omegnum. These weapons have magical attributes and are each uniquely tied to a spiritual creature revered to within the temple fortress. Through many missions together, Aphelios has managed to master each and everyone of these weapons while Alune has mastered her ability to summon and perfect which weapons to provide for him. Though Aphelios is incapable of summoning the weapons himself due to their connections to the Marus Omegnum, he trusts completely in his sister for guiding him and providing him the correct weapon for each mission.
- Sniper Rifle Mastery: Aphelios has mastered the moonstone weapon Calibrum, a sniper rifle capable of shooting
bolts of energy at extremely far distances. This weapon is heavily tied to 1 'The Flight,' a spiritual creature revered in the Magnus Omegnum that resembles a crane. - Scythe Pistol Mastery: Aphelios has mastered the moonstone weapon Severum, a unique scythe pistol capable of
slashing at targets with energy from short distances, draining life out of their bodies. This weapon is heavily tied to 4 'The Fangs,' a spiritual creature revered in the Magnus Omegnum that resembles a sabretooth tiger. - Gravity Cannon Mastery: Aphelios has mastered the moonstone weapon Gravitum, a unique gravity cannon capable of shooting giant orbs that manipulate gravity. Aphelios can
control these orbs to pull in enemies, weigh them down to the floor or even pull large objects towards himself. This weapon is heavily tied to 4 'The Cloven Way,' a spiritual creature revered in the Magnus Omegnum that resembles a ram. - Flamethrower Mastery: Aphelios has mastered the moonstone weapon Infernum, a flamethrower that fires
waves of intensely hot and blue flames in a large area. This weapon is heavily tied to 7 'The Winding Light,' a spiritual creature revered in the Magnus Omegnum that resembles a salamander. - Chakram Mastery: Aphelios has mastered the moonstone weapon Crescendum, a chakram blade that can be thrown at targets and return to his hand. This chakram can be multiplied into many
smaller chakrams that Aphelios can also control, capable of throwing at least a dozen of them at a singular target. Aphelios is also able to throw one of his chakrams at the ground, equipping it with another one of his moonstone weapons and turning it into an 
automated turret device. This weapon is heavily tied to 2 'The Sky Shadows,' two spiritual creatures revered in the Magnus Omegnum that resemble koi fishes.
Relations
Lunari
Aphelios and his twin sister were born within the Lunari faith during a rare convergence of the physical and spiritual moons, marking their births as significant and hailing them as children of destiny. Aphelios was a very devote follower to the Lunari, going through gruesome assassination training in his hope to protect them when threats against his people would arise. Despite this, he was infamously known for almost never socializing with anyone other than his sister.
After the arrival of the Marus Omegnum, a major power shift from the heavens has begun to occur and caused an arising conflict between the Lunari and the rivaling Solari. Communing with his sister from the spirit realm and equipped with an arsenal of moonstone weapons, Aphelios now faithfully serves as the weapon to protect the Lunari, assassinating key targets and defending his people from dangers.
Alune
Alune and Aphelios share a profound and intimate bond as twin siblings, born during the convergence of the physical and spiritual moons within the Lunari faith. Their connection is rooted in their birth's significance and their subsequent training in separate disciplines that symbolize these twin moons. While Aphelios specialized in the art of assassination, honing his skills in stealth and combat, Alune devoted herself to mastering her magical talents as a seer.
Despite their divergent paths, Aphelios found solace and companionship almost exclusively in his twin sister. The depth of their relationship was such that when Alune's training required her to leave the temple and separate from her brother, Aphelios was left without a purpose, embarking on a spiritual journey to find his orbit, ultimately leading to his discovery of the noctum flowers.
When the Marus Omegnum manifested in the physical realm for the first time in centuries, Alune was chosen to inhabit it. Aphelios, who rarely attended anything at all in his typical loneliness, personally requested to attend the event and witness his sister passing into the spirit realm. Once the Solari discovered the gathered Lunari and attacked, the twins were forced to act fast and combined their abilities together. Aphelios drank the essence of the poisonous noctum and willingly became a conduit for Alune's enhanced magic from within the Marus Omegnum. Since then, the two work in unison as faithful agents to the Lunari as Aphelios, utilizing his combat training, carries out physical missions, while Alune guides him and provides him with his diverse arsenal.
Although the twins exist in separate realms, they can only truly come together when Aphelios consumes the poisonous noctum, rendering himself mute and numbing his senses. In this state, Alune can spiritually project herself to commune with her brother while they share each other's thoughts, feelings, and senses. However, the bittersweet consequence is that Alune can never physically be in Aphelios's presence and Aphelios is unable to verbally communicate with her due to being mute in the process. Their bond is a paradox of immense closeness and profound distance. They mourn the circumstances that necessitate their reunion, as Aphelios sacrifices his physicality to allow Alune to commune with him, while Alune grieves over the pain Aphelios endures on his missions, dedicating herself entirely to protecting him.
Diana
Though Aphelios has never met Diana in person, she is the current Aspect of the Moon, serving as a physical embodiment of the deity that the Lunari pray to.
Currently, Alune has been granted visions that require her and Aphelios to seek out and locate Diana for an unknown reason. On their most recent mission, Aphelios managed to locate Diana's crescent blade, which had been left on the mountain and in the hands of a barbarian who Aphelios had to assassinate. The twins are aware that Diana is out there, running from something, but are attempting to figure out why and locate her.
Solari
As members of the Lunari, Aphelios and his sister are constantly persecuted by the Solari faith for heresy against their religion. The Solari serve as the main targets of Aphelios's mission to protect his people, having trained to assassinate and fight Solari that would threaten the Lunari even further.
During the event of the Marus Omegnum's emergence in the physical realm, a group of Solari warriors discovered and attacked the gathered Lunari, ultimately leading to Alune and Aphelios combining their abilities to kill them.
In his most recent mission, Aphelios and Alune located a group of Solari warriors infamously called Burning Ones surrounding a key target of theirs; a barbarian holding the scimitar that formerly belonged to Diana.
Yuumi
Though Aphelios never met Yuumi, Alune mentions that she is often visited by her from within the Marus Omegnum due to it being located within the spirit realm. Alune greatly appreciate's Yuumi's visits, as she often gets lonely without her brother, and sometimes mentions her when speaking to Aphelios.
Read More
Biography
Starring Champion
Alternate Universes
Trivia
- Aphelios was not born mute. He can speak when not under the influence of noctum poison. However, he can only connect with Alune after drinking the noctum, rendering him mute while they are in contact.[5]
- Alune is not dead, she is just residing within the Spirit Realm.
- She is not a ghost, her ethereal appearance in the Physical Realm a "lunar projection" of her.
- Aphelios's weapons are made of moonsilver, the same material that Diana's blade is made out of, and moonstone, which is what
Nami is currently looking for.[6]
- Moonsilver is a silver metal forged in moonlight and imbued with a small amount of the moon's magic.[7]
- Moonstone is material that broke off of the moon and, after falling onto
Runeterra, has embedded itself into Mount Targon and retains its magical potency.[7]
- Alune spends most of her time in the spirit realm meditating, scrying the future, and maintaining a small garden.[8]
- Alune loves to explore and see beauty and wonder. She sees the world through the temple's projections and through the eyes of her brother.[8]
Change log
The following change log is for the Character blurb found at the top of the article:
| Character blurb | |
|---|---|
| 11 Dec 2019 (During V9.24) | Added. |
For historical versions of other stories, please see each story's respective change log.
References
- ↑ Artwork for "LoR:The Veiled Temple"
- ↑ Artwork from "Aphelios (Legends of Runeterra)"
- ↑ You Are the Weapon
- ↑ Kindlejack on Aphelios and Alune's markings.
- ↑ Aphelios can still speak
- ↑ Kindlejack on Aphelios' Weapons
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Kindlejack on Moonsilver and Moonstone
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Interlocutioner on Aphelios' Narrative Development
See also
