In Ariel Lawrence’s League of Legends short story Of Rats and Cats and Neon mice, down in the depths of Piltover enforcer Vi is having a tough first day on her new job. Tasked with investigating the killing of a back-alley doctor, despite her new partner’s disapproval Vi heads straight to the scene of the crime, keen to get her gauntlets dirty. Who and what she finds there draws her into an unexpected alliance and a trip down amongst the dirt and the desperate masses to the Heap, for a confrontation with a deadly foe.
There’s not a lot of context provided, to either the characters or the wider setting, so this definitely rewards some prior knowledge of Piltover, Vi and some other characters. Despite that, there are tantalising hints of a bigger picture, with nicely described locations and intriguing systems and technology, drawing upon layers of influence from other gritty, cyberpunk-style sci-fi settings to provide something satisfyingly familiar. The characters are instantly engaging, not least the headstrong, aggressive Vi who turns out to be great fun to read about, and with plenty of eye-catching imagery and some engaging, satisfying action it largely feels neatly plotted, fast paced and entertaining.
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You can check out Of Rats and Cats and Neon Mice for free on the League of Legends Universe website.
Interestingly, taking a look at the visual elements on the Universe website, Piltover looks like a sort of high fantasy/steampunk hybrid, which is at odds with the locations and overall style of this story. It’s an interesting juxtaposition, which definitely warrants further investigation on my part in order to figure out how everything fits together.
Didnt know LoL has their own stories now…