Universe:Nilah

Nilah is an ascetic warrior from a distant land, seeking the world’s deadliest, most titanic opponents so that she might challenge and destroy them. Having won her power through an encounter with the long-imprisoned demon of joy, she has no emotions other than unceasing jubilation—a small price to pay for the vast strength she now possesses. Channeling the demon’s liquid form into a blade of unparalleled might, she stands defiant against ancient threats long forgotten.

	"Bliss in life, and bliss forever after." — Nilah
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Background[edit | edit source]

Early Life[edit | edit source]

Though her original name is unknown, the girl who would become Nilah was born to a large family in Kathkan; a nation that saw relative peace and no need for warriors after the fall of their violent neighbor Camavor. Growing up as a bookworm, the girl became obsessed with reading about the many stories and legends of Kathkani mythology including the fall of Camavoran king Viego, the creation of the first dragons and the origin of the universe. She was particularly interested in a story called The Cycle of Ashlesh, which told of a primordial demon named Ashlesh that consumed the extreme forms of joy. According to the legends, the demon was struck down by the gods when it tried to consume their realm, being imprisoned in a lake within the seventh layer of the Kathkani underworld and guarded by a secret order of heroes.

The girl was obsessed with finding this mythical order to stand among them as an equal and learn the truths behind the myths. By deciphering the many riddles within the stories of Ashlesh, the girl discovered that the order was hidden right underneath the heart of the Kathkani capital and set out to find them.

When the girl delved into the heart of the Kathkani capital to search for the order, she went missing and completely disappeared from all public knowledge. Evidence of the girl's existence faded away as written records of her true name evaporated and she faded away from the collective memory of Runeterra.

Reemergence from the Seventh Layer[edit | edit source]

After ten years, the girl resurfaced and adopted a new name; Nilah, named after the legendary river of fate in Kathkani mythology. It's unknown what exactly transpired over those ten years, but some theorize that Nilah found and trained with the mythical order of heroes while others believe she battled the demon Ashlesh for ten years in the darkness. Some even believe that the girl never even reemerged at all and that Nilah is actually a demonic pretender wearing her flesh as a disguise. Nonetheless, Nilah reemerged with an imprisoned Ashlesh granting her both new abilities and a curse of perpetual joy suppressing all other emotions.

With newfound supernatural strength and a liquid blade formed by the power of Ashlesh, Nilah set off on a legendary quest to slay the greatest threats of myths she read about as a child. On her conquest, Nilah faced many foes such as the progenitor dragon Grandmother Viper, the demon of change Imago and the mad demigod Nabavelicus. With the powers of Ashlesh, Nilah faced greater and greater evils that could threaten the safety of her homeland in a flurry of water and color. In doing so, Nilah slowly grew as a legendary hero and monster hunter, hoping to make her name remembered by all that witness her great deeds.

Modern History[edit | edit source]

Viego's Imprisonment[edit | edit source]

After the Sentinels of Light defeated Viego, they imprisoned him within Camavor's capital city of Alovedra and bound him in Hallowed Mist placed by Gwen.^[1] Nilah noticed Viego's imprisonment from Kathkan and discovered that the magic binding Viego to his prison had begun to fade. Viego's Ruination magic had adverse side effects that induces a frenzy-like state in all demons, potentially waking up Ashlesh's primordial demon siblings. Discovering this, Nilah sailed westward to find the Sentinels of Light, hoping they can help her find a way to keep Viego imprisoned.

Traveling across the Guardian's Sea, Nilah arrived in Bilgewater seemingly overnight and instantly began slaying giant sea serpents around the port city. Word quickly spread about her strange arrival and amazing feats as she became a celebrity monster hunter. Asking around Bilgewater for information about the Sentinels, she eventually rented out a room above Oyster Bill's Oyster Shack. While living at the shack, she would often get into dazzling fights with troublesome monsters or locals, such as a rowdy band of Noxians that knocked over her bowl of oysters.^[2]

Confronting Malcolm Graves[edit | edit source]

At some point, Nilah learned about the infamous thief Malcolm Graves, who was one of the Sentinels that helped imprison Viego. Fearing the strange and foreign monster hunter and unsure what she wanted with him, Graves spent weeks avoiding Nilah but eventually faced her in Oyster Bill's Oyster Shack.

While challenging him in combat, Nilah tried interrogating him about Viego and his imprisonment. Graves insisted that Nilah was better off asking his former Sentinel leader Senna and proceeded to fire his gun New Destiny at her. As she narrowly avoided it by hiding in a veil of magical mist, their fight was interrupted as a group of mercenaries entered the tavern with some 2 deep eaters. The mercenaries sought to collect the bounty on Nilah's head placed by their bosses, who were unhappy with the effects Nilah had on their serpent-hunting business. However, Nilah looked past the mercenaries and instead became interested in fighting the deep eaters, which she easily slew. After defeating the mercenaries and their monsters, Graves asked Nilah why she was so interested in Viego as she revealed that the magic keeping him imprisoned has begun fading. Graves explained that the Sentinels actually disbanded shortly after Viego's defeat and that he'd already pawned off his Sentinel gear. Knowing that Graves had no more information to give her, Nilah returned to her room to rest and continue her quest another day.^[3]^[4]

Recent Events[edit | edit source]

Nilah departing Bilgewater on her vessel the 6 Tidedancer to face the Volibear.

After learning of a new monstrous threat in the Freljord called the Volibear, Nilah saw a perfect opportunity to test her skills once more. Setting off for a distant journey to the north, Nilah gathered a crew of fellow Kathkani monster-hunters and departed Bilgewater on her vessel 6 the Tidedancer.^[5]

Encountering Iascylla[edit | edit source]

While sailing towards the north, Nilah and her crew faced off against an ancient sea monster named 6 Iascylla, also known as the Figurehead of the Deep. As Nilah sought to face more beasts on her journey to the Volibear, she gladly fought against Iascylla alongside her crew.^[6] Though Iascylla proved as a worthy foe, the Tidedancer eventually sailed close to the port city of Piltover and gained the attention of the spirit goddess Janna, who used her powers over the winds to dispel Iascylla, protecting Nilah and pushing her away from the shores of Piltover.^[7]

Battle With the Volibear[edit | edit source]

After leaving Piltover, Nilah continued sailing to the Freljord and landed on the shores of Lokfar. From there, Nilah traveled further north to a treacherous mountain pass where the Ursine, Volibear's most loyal followers, resided and offered blood sacrifices.^[8] Finally facing off against the Volibear himself, the two engaged in brutal combat as Nilah personally challenged him to a duel, insulting Volibear as he saw her as a 'puny girl' with feeble power. The two battled as a violent storm raged and shattered stone mountains, which Nilah used to her advantage as she leapt across floating masses of rock.^[9]

Meeting The Veiled Lady[edit | edit source]

Morgana welcoming Nilah in her sanctuary.

After the battle, Nilah traveled to Targon and met with Morgana. Bruised and bleeding after their battle with the Volibear, Nilah and her crew were welcomed in the Veiled Lady's sanctuary, who tended to their wounds and offered them a place to rest from their long journey. Morgana was eager to hear the story of Nilah's adventures across Runeterra, but was interrupted by a group of Mageseekers who sought out runaway mages outcasted from Demacia.

Future Events[edit | edit source]

Seeking Mordekaiser[edit | edit source]

At some point, Nilah seeks out the undead revenant Mordekaiser, who has been banished to his own personal death realm of Mitna Rachnun and bound by his armor currently residing within the Immortal Bastion of Noxus. Though it's unclear what she exactly wants with Mordekaiser, it's implied that she seeks to defeat him as part of her many heroic adventures to slay mythical foes. Nilah first faces 4 Lord Mallat, a servant of Mordekaiser as well as a 8 member of the secretive Black Rose, who were initially responsible for sealing Mordekaiser to his armor. After defeating Lord Mallat, Nilah captures and interrogates him on how to bring Mordekaiser out so that she and her crew may defeat him with the power of Ashlesh. ^[10]

Appearance[edit | edit source]

Nilah is a tall and slender woman with dark skin and an athletic, lanky physique. Her hair is black in color, very long, and braided into two pigtails that meet at the bottom of her back in the shape of a circle. Her eyes are of a violet color that gets brighter when she uses her powers. Due to her curse, she has an almost permanent smile on her face that is seen as somewhat unsettling and even intimidating.

Nilah wears a yellow tunic, baggy dark purple pants with red ropes details adorning it and a brown glove on her right hand and a two-fingers black glove on her left hand. She has two earrings in the shape of large blue orbs on her ears and her left earring connects to a nose ring by a silver chain. Her outfit has many intricate details made of a dark silvery metal and styled with lots of hand imagery, something that ties her back to her home culture of Kathkan. On her hip she has a metal trinket shaped like two hands holding a bright blue orb made of glass and filled with prismatic water; the prison for the demon Ashlesh.

Personality[edit | edit source]

When Nilah was a young girl she was a shy bookworm constantly daydreaming about the many stories and myths she would read. She took a particular interest in the Cycle of Ashlesh and obsessed over finding the mystical order of heroes that the story spoke of. Having immense knowledge on the many myths of Kathkani culture, she was capable of discovering Ashlesh's prison the Kathkani capital and delved into it in search of knowledge and to become a hero alongside them.

Nilah was very different after her ten year absence; now cursed by Ashlesh with a permanent feeling of intense joy and the suppression of any other emotion. Nilah is actually aware of the emotions that are being suppressed but she cannot outwardly express them, such as how she laments the sorrow of having her very existence erased from her homeland. Despite this, she is a fearless heroine always aiming to save the helpless, especially her homeland. She is incredibly confident and obsessed with slaying giant foes both to reenact the many myths she read as a child as well as to test her own strength.

Nilah speaks with a consistently upbeat tone and happily recites many mantras and prayers from Kathkani culture even in the middle of combat. She has a signature laugh that is known to echo throughout the battlefield whenever she fights a foe.

Abilities[edit | edit source]

Demonic Bonding: Nilah is in command of the many abilities of Ashlesh, one of the ten primordial demons and the Lord of Joy in Kathkani mythology. She utilizes many abilities granted by Ashlesh, but is cursed with an eternal feeling of joy suppressing all other emotions.
- Emotional Feeding: Like other Demons, Ashlesh feeds itself with emotion, specifically joy. By absorbing the joy of others, Ashlesh, and by extension Nilah, can sustain themselves for prolonged periods of time. To keep from being completely consumed by Ashlesh, Nilah must recite mantras and prayers to keep the demon's influence at bay.
- Water Magic: By drawing on the waters of Ashlesh's prison, Nilah can magically manipulate water in a variety of ways. She has shown abilities ranging from summoning currents to crash into enemies, creating a liquid blade out of Ashlesh's magical waters or even shrouding herself in a mist to make her immune to harm.
  - Waterwalking: Nilah is capable of easily treading across bodies of water as if they were solid ground, capable of sliding, running and jumping when on water.
Enhanced Strength and Agility: When Nilah returned from her ten year absence, she inexplicably possessed a more wiry acrobatic strength after bonding with Ashlesh. She has easily taken down many giant foes without any lethal damage thanks to her capabilities in dodging dangerous attacks with her acrobatics as well as striking enemies with immense strength with her Urumi.
Urumi Proficiency: Nilah is able to create a formless blade, also known as an Urumi, out of Ashlesh's waters. As her primary weapon in battle, she shows great skill in utilizing it to strike giant foes with immense strength and power.
Mythology Mastery: Since she was a child, Nilah had an immense knowledge on the many myths, legends and stories of Kathkani culture and possibly many other parts of Runeterra. Her knowledge of these many legends has given her a good basis on where to find great mythological foes she wishes to battle.

Relations[edit | edit source]

Viego[edit | edit source]

Nilah initially read stories about Viego's fall and the eventual collapse of Camavor in books and myths. After Viego got imprisoned in Alovedra, his influence threatened Kathkan and drew Nilah's attention. She's more concerned with the implications of his ruination magic and how it affects demons, as Viego's ruinations causes them to go into mad frenzies and could potentially wake up the remaining primordial demons. Discovering Viego's imprisonment is what caused Nilah to travel westward in search of the legendary Sentinels of Light.^[3]

Sentinels of Light[edit | edit source]

Nilah is on an quest to keep Viego from breaking free in order to save her homeland and stop his ruinations from reawakening the ten primordial demons. To do this, she needs the aid of the legendary Sentinels of Light, whom she only read about in stories.

Graves[edit | edit source]

Nilah encountered Graves in Oyster Bill's Oyster Shack, tracking him down after asking around Bilgewater for information regarding the Sentinels of Light. Her investigation lead her to Graves, who she fought in an attempt to get information and convince him to help her on her quest. Its revealed that the Sentinels of Light actually disbanded shortly after defeating Viego, as Graves already pawned off his Sentinel gear away.

Nilah regards Graves as a friend and fellow hero of legend. Though its unclear whether or not Graves also regards Nilah as a friend, he has shown to be mostly freaked out by her, intimidated by the encounter but also intrigued as he sees her as a 'neat lady.'^[3]

Fiddlesticks[edit | edit source]

Fiddlesticks is one of the ten primordial demons that Nilah is concerned with keeping asleep. It is the eldest sibling of Ashlesh, the same demon that Nilah encountered and keeps trapped within a jar on her hip. Though Nilah recognizes Fiddlesticks, as well as all of the primordial demons, as a threat to the world, she is supremely confident in her ability to fight them back utilizing the power of Ashlesh.^[11]

Oyster Bill[edit | edit source]

Oyster Bill is an oyster-man in Bilgewater who owns Oyster Bill's Oyster Shack. While gaining status as a famous sea-monster hunter in Bilgewater, she rented out a spare room in the shack and currently resides there. Oyster Bill often tells stories about Nilah and her amazing feats to the visitors of his shack, even allowing visitors to speak to her if they wish.^[12]

Trivia[edit | edit source]

Nilah comes from Kathkan, a country on the same eastern continent as Camavor.^[13]
Nilah is currently staying in Bilgewater, renting out the spare room above Oyster Bill's Oyster Shack.^[14]
Nilah is something similar to an Aspect Host, the difference being that her power source is an inhuman & extremely evil monster rather than a Celestial entity. ^[15]
Nilah's outfit features seven hands, in reference to Ashlesh.
'Nilah' may come from the South Asian language Telugu, where నీళ్ళు (pronounced NEE-loo) means "water".
'Nilah' may come from the South Asian language Tamil, where நிலா (pronounced NIL-ah) means "moon".

Change log[edit | edit source]

The following change log is for the Character blurb found at the top of the article:

Character blurb
13 July 2022 (V12.13)	Added.

For historical versions of other stories, please see each story's respective change log.

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