Once an agent of serendipity, Bard has been transformed into “the bringer of war” in this Blood Moon Bard League skin concept by artist Jenner Chen.
Chen posted an image of her creation on Reddit and fans can’t get enough of this dark, twisted version of Runeterra’s wandering caretaker. One user said: “Literally shut up and take my money.” And we have to agree.
This spooky version of Bard is based on the Omukade, a Japanese mythological ghost that takes the form of a giant man-eating centipede. The body and legs of the centipede can be seen in Bard’s headpiece. Sticking with the theme, Chen added a belt that resembles the ropes commonly seen around Japanese shrines and talismans around Bard’s arm and on the face of his meeps. Additionally, it appears his E, Magical Journey, would take him and others through a giant shrine gate.
She even went as far as to include a small story behind the concept for Blood Moon Bard. According to Chen, Bard lures in souls with glowing lanterns, or chimes, into portals and uses said souls to host his generals or meeps.
A few drafts of Bard’s face are included at the bottom of the concept art as well. The designs go from demented, to distressed, and even void of emotion. Overall, the artist decided to forgo Bard’s traditional mask in favor of a dark and empty face with glowing red eyes.
The color palette is made of brilliant reds and white with accents of gold and purple scattered throughout the design. Though he’s supposed to be a soul-stealing demon, we can’t help but feel this version of Bard is surprisingly regal.
Unfortunately, since this is a fan-made skin we most likely won’t be seeing it in-game. But let’s hope we’re wrong.
