Ionia, a place of unbridled beauty and mystic arcane energy. Its people have lived in harmony together with the various spirits that called this mysterious land home. The Spirit Realm, having a firm grip, in Ionia has influenced its very core though it maintains a steady balance to the physical form of Ionia.

"Yet such serene nature hides the horrors of reality."

Ahri has faced one such cruel reality. Abandoned and left to wander the harsh snowy woods of northern Ionia. Memories of her early life was a blank for Ahri. Only two golden sunstone tokens connected her to the past. These twin gemstones shaped into a blazing flame; whose sharp edges could be intertwined to form a perfect smooth orb were all she had as clues to try and remember. Sadly, even the gem’s purpose is lost to Ahri. Leaving her completely devoid of any knowledge about her origins.

She found refuge among a pack of icefoxes where she learned to survive as they did. Joining their morning hunts for food and ultimately earned a place among them. In time, Ahri’s Vastayan Heritage manifested through her innate magic capabilities.

"Since most Vastayans are adept in magic even in the slightest yet each Vastayan Tribe possess at least one unique aspect of magic that distinguish them from the rest."

Ahri’s magic seems to quicken her reflexes, let her draw from the very world that surrounds us to craft destructive spherical arcane orbs and charm a deer to such a degree, where Ahri could feast upon its flesh in a surreal moment of tranquility.

Amazing may her newly found powers be, Ahri was without guidance. No one to teach her how to control it nor show the limitation of her magic. Potentially becoming a threat to everyone, even to herself.

Human contact was inevitable for Ahri. Her first were a troop of foreign soldiers that camped too close to her icefox den. They appeared alien in her eyes. She observed them at a safe distance, studying their movements. Interestingly enough Ahri grew intrigued at one particular human from the group. It was a hunter that acted quite different compared to the rest. He would use every part of the animal he killed, wasting as little as possible. It reminded Ahri of her own icefox pack that often left nothing but petty scraps when they feed.

She was fixated at the hunter so much that when he was wounded by an arrow, something awakened inside her. It drove Ahri closer to the hunter. His own life essence was calling to her and as if by instinct, Ahri started devouring it. Immediately after recollections of the hunter’s past filled her mind. Memories of his love lost in battle then his children in a land of iron and stone. Ahri felt the emotion of the hunter change on her whim. She could make it so the hunter suffers more or she could soothe the pain from dying.

"Ahri was in a state of complete euphoria."

The thrill in consuming the hunter’s life essence overwhelmed her. Ahri has never felt more alive than before. There was an unquenchable hunger that grew inside, one she could not control. The lack of any parental guidance during her formative years have left Ahri insensible to others. Now this deadly desire has driven her all around Ionia, endlessly looking for the next victim. In time; she developed a rather sadistic nature often toying with the emotions of her prey. Giving them dreams of leisure or frightful nightmares as Ahri deemed fit before slowly harvest their life essence.

Much similar with the hunter before she inherited small memories from her victims. Most simply gave her a crude image of life in Ionia like a chance meeting with a tribe of Avian Vastayans that communicate by song. Yet some left Ahri bewildered at the sight of sacrifices made to a sun deity and mountainous landscapes far different from the mountains of Ionia she knew. While others showed her the grim side of Ionia. Among those memories depicted individuals that pledge their loyalty to the ruthless Order of Shadow. A group known for their Shadow Magic and unorthodox pursuit to defend Ionia against all threats. Then there are memories of pure irrepressible violence example being the destruction of an entire Ionian village by invading Noxian forces. Such vivid memories lead Ahri to experience a multitude of emotions that ranged from joyous love to sorrowful pain, yet none were her own.

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"These memories started to take its toll on her mind. With each life she snuffs out, her heart learned to sympathize with them. To laugh or cry as they once did in life."

Eventually Ahri garnered quite a reputation for her dreadful actions. The denizens of Ionia describe her as an unearthly fox demon. Through their memories Ahri discovered the terrifying myths she inspired. How they viewed her as nothing more than a cruel monster. She grieved at the realization on just how many lives she ended and stricken by fear of what she was becoming. Ahri had a choice to make, either let her instincts get the best of her or prove them all wrong. That she is no mere monster nor a slave to her desire.

It proved difficult for Ahri to suppress the constant urge to feed. She tried controlling it by consuming far less life essence, enough to satiate herself but not enough to kill. It was successful at first, but it was pure torture to her. Each day was a struggle for control. In some occasions, she even goes days without feeding but she could feel her power fade the longer she starves herself.

A stout heart can only take her so far and without a friend or family to aid in her plight. It was just a matter of time before the hunger becomes unbearable. Soon enough Ahri saw herself indulge upon an entire coastal village. Feasting upon their life essences.

Ahri lost herself that day, traumatized at her actions. She secluded herself deep within the forest caves in hopes of preventing another outburst. She questioned her own existence and asked what she ever did to deserve such. The only thing that kept her going was her determination to change, be something more and live a better life.

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“No one really knows what happened inside the forest caves but years later Ahri emerged from herself – isolation.”

Full of determination to experience every part of life on her own and face its challenges head – on. Her urges kept under control but never gone. She now seeks to know her origin with only the twin gemstones as clues.

As a side note:

Ahri is elusive but not a ghost, here are the few instances of recorded accounts and sightings of the Nine – Tailed Fox.

Our first account comes from the esteemed Eduard Santangelo’s Vastaya Field Journal. (A highly recommended read for any would–be explorers interested in Ionia and particularly with the Vastayan inhabitants.) It mentioned his encounter in a lake to what he simply called a “voluptuous fox woman”. Unfortunately, due to uncontrollable circumstance contact was not made possible.

“A few words used by Eduard when in describing the fox woman, she had the ears and tail(s) of a fox, she was unclothed and was very, very much like a female human. Very"

Another account brings us closer to observe and maybe take hints to where Ahri might appear next. Though a rather short but quite interesting turn of events.

"She was seen wandering an unknown Ionian marketplace."

Where she met a female fortuneteller named Hirin that piqued her interest by calling her twin sunstones as Ymelo tokens. Never one to waste an opportunity to learn about her past, Ahri followed cautiously towards her caravan. Where despite her awareness was tricked with fancy words and spiked tea. Paralyzed in place Ahri manages to charm her way out of the situation. Leaving Hirin in a dazed with a few less memories and life essence short but completely alive.

“More importantly Ahri learned a bit more about her precious twin sunstones and finally a name for their creator, Ymelo.”

Lastly an account that mentioned Ahri travelling towards the Garden of Forgetting. A place of pristine beauty that hides untold danger at each flower. (Presumably the garden is located in the Shon–Xan region though our records lack actual confirmation for this.)

It is said that any man can walk inside the garden then lose themselves and come out a new man or not come out at all. Yet Ahri was not fazed at such tales, far from it. Her reason was enough to keep her strong, for a heavy heart can make anyone do the impossible.

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“To lose a beloved was torture enough for Ahri but to remember him was a burden she could not carry."

Yet even she could not help but be enticed the garden’s menacing charm. If it weren’t for an old woman that stumbled upon her bewildered state, Ahri would have been another nameless victim of the garden. She briefly composed herself before noticing the woman’s sea green eyes clash against her gray white hair. Her face was wrinkled like a tree bark.

Harkening back to the old tales that often associated an old woman to this estranged place. Ahri reassured herself that she was the one they talked about. The Eater of Secrets, the Forgotten, or the Witch Gardener were the many titles people have given her. While others addressed her in a simpler and kinder way, the Gardener. Yet she called her “Ighilya” or great-grandmother in Ionian. (This maybe more in line of showing respect than anything else.)

The old woman asked about her purpose in coming to such a place like the garden, Ahri reluctantly answered. She spoke of her deceased love; he was an artist that painted flowers. Ahri could still remember his raven hair as they frolicked along the edge of the lake. All these lovely memories went barreling down to a halt when Ahri finally told her about his death. He died in her arms as she slowly devoured his life essence. He even urged Ahri to continue which made resisting impossible.

Upon sharing her broken – hearted tale, she begged for a chance and eventually the old woman conceded to the notion though she warned her one last time. The old woman explained to her the consequences of forgetting, but Ahri was determined to erase him from memory.

“She was given snow lilies by the old woman. Instructed to exhale all the painful memories she wished forgotten to the flower and inhale only when she felt nothing left.”

With a deep breath, she exhaled unto the snow lily. Her mind began to cloud yet she started to relive every surreal memory she had of him one last time. As each vision came to pass before quickly being lost to the flower, Ahri grew colder and numb. She dreaded what was to come. It was a memory of the first time Ahri ever remembered being loved wholly by someone else. A memory so precious that even Ahri dare not forget. It was as if her beloved would die a second time if she ever let this memory fade.

She tried to inhale desperately to remember this one solace, but it felt like breathing poison. Her visions blurred as she slowly faded consciousness. Horrid nightmares appeared in her mind, dreadful imagery and painful experiences filled her. Yet beyond all this was a blurred face so easily forgotten.

Before she could fully grasp who, the face belongs to her conscious came back to her. The old woman welcomed her back seemingly impressed at her.

“She did what only a handful have done before her. She resisted the peace the flowers offered though regrettable most of her memories were lost."

Despite this Ahri still held in blurred memory the face of her beloved, unwilling to let this one go. The old woman urged her to leave before it's too late. For the flowers only take but never give, they never do. Now a piece of Ahri forever lingers inside the garden and, unlike us, the garden never forgets.

- Official Riot lore on Ahri