The Kinkou Order

"On this day, yours will become the face of discipline, training, humility, and balance. Today, you become Kinkou."

The Kinkou Order is an ancient monastic clan originating in the Ionian Isles and are the self-appointed keepers of Ionia's sacred balance between realms. The order's loyal acolytes walk the spirit and physical realms, mediating conflicts between them and, when necessary, intervening by force. Members of the order dedicate themselves to impartial judgements, often disconnecting themselves from the biases of life, and will refuse to intervene in matters they do not consider their jurisdiction. The order is led by a triumvirate, each representing one of the three fundamental philosophies of the Kinkou:

The Eye of Twilight - Entrusted with the sacred duty of Watching the Stars - exercising judgment untainted by prejudice
The Fist of Shadow - Entrusted with the sacred duty of Pruning the Tree - eliminating those who threaten the equilibrium of Ionia as well as training the future assassins of the order.
The Heart of the Tempest - Entrusted with the sacred duty of Coursing the Sun - tirelessly conveying the justice of the Kinkou

Master Kennen is the first and only Heart of the Tempest and the oldest member of the Kinkou. The Kinkou Order was originally founded by two: the Eye of Twilight and the Fist of Shadow, until Kennen came along and enlightened the order to the newd of a third leader. Master Shen is the current Eye of Twilight, now rebuilding the fractured order after the death of his father and the former Eye of Twilight: Master Kusho. Currently, the Fist of Shadow title is vacant with its predecessor, Acolyte Akali, abandoning the order without nominating a successor.

History

The Golden Demon

"Sometimes you must lose the leg to save the patient. Sometimes you must lose one to save many. This is the 'lesson of the scales." -Master Kusho For years, the province of Zhyun was plagued by the infamous “Golden Demon.” A presumed monster who slaughtered scores of travelers and sometimes whole farmsteads, leaving behind twisted displays of corpses. In desperation, the Council of Zhyun begged the Kinkou for help when efforts to stop the murders failed. Believing this to be the work of an evil spirit, Master Kusho agreed to help. He, along with his son, Shen, and his star pupil, Usan (Zed), visited the countless families emotionally shattered by the killings and dissected the horrific crime scenes in hopes to stop the monster. "I saw…I saw….It was a flower. It was a flower. It was a flower" -Victim of the Golden Demon Their investigation took four long years, and left the three men changed from the horrors of each mutilation and carnage. At first it was believed that the brutal killings were the fault of an otherworldly being. A demon of pure evil. No one could believe that a man could be responsible for such crimes, especially in the land of Ionia who had lived under peaceful and harmonic ideals for centuries at that point. On the eve of the Blossom Festival in Jyom Pass, the three devised a plan that finally captured the monster. The famed “Golden Demon” was actually a man named Khada Jhin, a mere stagehand in a traveling theater. Because the Khada Jhin was a man, the Kinkou had no business in punishing the criminal. Kusho had no choice but to hand him off to be imprisoned. Shen accepted his father's decision, but Usan could not and grew bitter over the decision.

The Kinkou Scism

"Kusho was weak. This has made your order weak. I offer strength." -Zed Usan's heart bloomed with resentment as he was haunted by the memories of Jhin's grisly murders, and rising tensions between Ionia and the imperialistic forces of Noxus only worsened his disillusionment. During the war, Usan demanded the Kinkou strike at the Noxian invaders with every means at their disposal. When Kusho refused, Usan turned his back on the order that had raised him, changing his name to Zed. Zed then returned to the Kinkou temple with new followers, where he was met by Kusho who laid his weapons at Zed's feet, imploring his former pupil to renounce the shadows in favor of a more balanced path. Zed refused, stealing the locked away Tears of the Shadow from the Kinkou and killed Grand Master Kusho The Kinkou fell in droves as Zed's warriors cut them down. He then claimed the temple for himself, establishing his Order of Shadow. Shen was far from home during Zed's insurrection but felt a jolting imbalance within the Kinkou Order—rushing back, he came upon the survivors of the bloody coup. Repressing his anguish, he led the remnants of the Kinkou to safety in the eastern mountains. Taking up his father's spirit blade, as well as the title of Eye of Twilight, Shen intended to rebuild what had been lost. Even though they were now few, they would train neophytes to restore and grow their numbers once more. The Kinkou and the Order of Shadow came to an uneasy accord in the wake of the Noxian invasion of Ionia.

The Rogue Assassin

"No one tells me what to do. Not anymore." -Akali Five years ago a fourteen years old Akali, formally entered her Kinkou training, determined to succeed her mother as the new Fist of Shadow. Though she did not possess the magical abilities of many of her fellow acolytes, she proved to all she was worthy of the title, in time allowing her mother to step down and help mentor the younger neophytes. But Akali's soul was restless. She saw that her homeland continued to suffer. She questioned whether the Kinkou were truly fulfilling their purpose. Her youthful precociousness turned to outright disobedience. She argued with Shen, she defied him, and she took down Ionia's enemies her way. In front of the whole order she declared the impotence of the Kinkou, all its talk of spiritual balance and patience accomplishing little. Shen let her go without a fight, knowing this was a path that Akali must walk alone. Thus for the first time in its history the Kinkou Order had no one to take the mantle of the Fist of Shadow.