CONV/RGENCE: A Bad League of Legends Story

League of Legends itself has always been a pretty poor vehicle for story delivery. If you want to follow the adventures of Caitlyn and Vi, the most you'll ever get from League is That Time They Beat Up A Bunch Of People On The Rift, parts 1-436, which, as Arcane has demonstrated, isn't exactly a substitute for more focused, narrative content.

Recognizing this, Riot inaugurated the Riot Forge publishing label which has been putting out smaller games by independent developers aimed at plugging those gaps in storytelling in the Runeterra universe. And they've been mostly successful! Ruined King was good, The Mageseeker was downright excellent, Hextech Mayhem was fluffy but fun, and Song of Nunu looks set to be an absolutely adorable platforming adventure.

But... there had to be a miss sometime.

CONV/RGENCE is a particularly frustrating game as a fan of the League of Legends champions, because while there's a solid, fun core game hidden in there, it is constantly struggling with and let down by all the League of Legends stuff it's got bolted onto it. The mandatory cameos are weak at best and active sabotage of the story at worst, and it comes at the cost of the game's own characters and storyline which could be so much stronger if the game didn't constantly have to service an IP which, frankly, it doesn't seem that interested in engaging with.

Let's discuss.

I find it more fun to speculate about Arcane's next season when I focus on what makes narrative sense, rather than what fitted the pre-existing canon. I don't mean it in a way where if I don't like the idea that Vi will become an enforcer I'll go on a diatribe to convince myself that Vi can't be an enforcer and the writers would never do that, and this is how Vi and Jinx reunite. No, I can accept that Vi will be an enforcer because it fits the narrative parallels the story made between Vi and Vander. They're both people that were essentially beaten into submission by Piltover, Vander on the bridge and Vi in prison. The only way either can feel any sense of control is by putting down any subversive elements in that threaten the fragile stability of their home. Vi's taken it a step further by not just collaborating with an enforcer, but now a Councilor, that's an escalation on tip of everything.

I don't give champions like Camille much thought because it doesn't make sense for her to exist in Arcane as she does in League. I'm not even talking about how Hextech's origins have changed, I'm talking about attitudes in Piltover. Not only are hextech augments far off into the future, but attitudes towards augmentation in Piltover, demonstrated by at least one Councilor, are decidedly negative. It makes more sense for Camille to be introduced way after the PnZ war. Her existence would work as a consequence of Piltover’s humiliation at losing, as well as consequence of the ongoing arms race between PnZ.

I'm not trying to say throw out canon, I read plenty of LoL canon to be better informed, but Riot and Arcane don't seem to take it THAT seriously. From example, remember when we saw Scar, the bat vastaya and Ekko's friend, holding a baby vastaya. Baby vastayas haven't been born in over a CENTURY in League. It's a whole thing in Ionia between Ionians and Vastaya and the way Ionians treat magic in the land. That's a huge deal but whatever I guess. Vibes right.

camille + prime starscream

I am a little bit proud of this one if only because I set out a goal to try a style completely different to what I usually do and I think I hit it. This is Camille from League of Legends, specifically her Arcana skin which I impulse purchased from how good it looked haha..

The end of Arcane: Jinx is sad and lost everything while Vi has a new purpose in thwarting her

The beginning of my post-Arcane scenario: Vi is a brusque and lonesome cop that no one likes and who’s stuck in a job she hates that alienated her from all her old friends and put her firmly under the cold thumb of Camille Ferros while Jinx is firmly established in Piltover, all the chem-barons cherish and coddle her, she hangs out with Ziggs and Scratch and Mundo and Amy and steals weed from Corina Veraza and she’s always welcome at the Last Drop even Ekko and Zeri have softened and oh what else she’s friends with a DEMON.

some shape language studies / the social contract

& jayce’s hair getting increasingly shorter

Camille harvesting the Hextech power from the Piltover hexgates

this is camille & seraphine to me

commission for dinodogstudio on twitter

Precision is the difference betwen a butcher and a surgeon

...

Camille, the Steel Shadow

My first League of Legends Arcane dream

Jayce called Mel to tell her his news about the hex core developing but doesn't hear her response.

Mel is seen with her mother who took the phone from her daughter's hand and breaks it in her hand.

Vi is in the same hotel and captured a con artist then noticed Ambessa taking her unconscious daughter away. Vi chased after her.

Caitlyn joined the chase with Vi. Then Camille was seen in the chase but mostly because of the con artist that Vi was dragging along. Vi handed him to Camille and took him. There's also another man running with them, don't know who he is but he is chomping his teeth and the others saw him perfect to hurt Ambessa. Jayce is behind the group running when he sees Mel being taken away.

Camille, the Steel Shadow

League of Legends

Original Canille

Program Camille

Coven Camille

iG Camille

Arcana Camille

Strike Commander Camille

Wild Rift

Original Camille

Program Camille

Coven Camille

Stargazer Camille

Mythmaker Camille

Kate Siegel and Rahul Kohli in The Fall of the House of Usher

endless list of scenes I constantly reference: [1/?]

BONES 5x01 — "Harbingers in the Fountain"

Incorruptible pt 19

Everyone else on Tumblr this week: *draws beautiful serious saddening art of Camille Desmoulins*

Me: *draws Camille being a dramatique little brat*