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goldlightwriting · 1 year

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Darkin Reimagined

I’ve said before, on many occasions, that the Darkin are a plotline Riot clearly didn’t initially know what they were doing with. They were just stand-ins for demons before demons really became a thing in Runeterra, with old Aatrox being the only lead we had as to what their deal was... And then they were aliens. Now they’re fallen demigods. Also there used to only be five, but now there are over a dozen of them.

While I’ll admit that I like some aspects of the current Darkin canon, it really only serves to help bolster Shurima’s storyline, and I don’t even think that was necessary. We could have easily had a civil war between the Ascended that ended in Twilight of the Gods WITHOUT having Twilight then go “yeah now let’s imprison the rest in their weapons because I guess we can only do the Moonfall ritual once.”

And the thing is, I do think there’s a way to tie the two together, but not so heavily that the Darkin are no longer allowed to be their own thing. I’ve talked about this at length in both my Aatrox and Varus videos, but I really do think that the Darkin would have been better as JUST demonic weapons that possess their hosts; this would not only work better for the existing Darkin characters, but it would also allow them to tie into other existing storylines more naturally. I mean, Yone’s got a demonic sword that’s trying to possess him, but that’s TOTALLY different from the Darkin weapons, guys.

So, once again, I’d like to present to you a new and refined version of the Darkin Saga.

Lore

None recall the true origins of the Darkin. Some say they are the first weapons ever forged, so tainted by ages of battle that they developed a bloodlust all their own. Others claim they are powerful demons, feared by the gods themselves and bound in inanimate forms. Still others claim they are an ancient race not born of Runeterra, magically imprisoned within their own weapons for crimes long-forgotten.

Whatever the truth, one thing is certain: the Darkin harbor an insatiable appetite for chaos and destruction. They offer power to any that dare to wield them, but corrupt the user’s mind and body in exchange. Scattered and hidden across Runeterra, many believed that the twisted influence of the Darkin would never threaten the world again, and most have forgotten these ancient weapons even exist... But one has remained free, biding its time for the perfect opportunity to unleash its fellows and wreak havoc on the world once more.

Fundamental Changes

-The Darkin are no longer all fallen Ascended.

-The Darkin have never held any loyalty or allegiance to any individual or faction.

-Darkin grow more powerful by consuming the blood of those they have slain, allowing them to enlarge and even alter their forms further.

-Fearing the potential of what the Darkin could become, the Aspects of Targon once rallied together in an effort to hunt down and confine these deadly weapons across Runeterra.

-Twilight is not the one that sealed the Darkin this time (though Myisha is still responsible for the death of the Ascended Host in Nerimazeth.) It was primarily the Aspect of Justice, Mihira, who imprisoned the Darkin as punishment for the many lives they stole during the Rune Wars.

-The Darkin Saga, as before, follows the Shadow Kayn timeline in which he triumphs over Rhaast, inadvertently allowing Xolaani to corrupt Jun.

-Aatrox, Xolaani and Varus/Paallas travel the world seeking to free and rally the other Darkin to their respective causes. Aatrox wishes to wage war against the gods, Xolaani wants to enslave all Runeterra to her will, and Varus/Paallas simply seek retribution for their suffering.

-Aatrox’s faction consists of: Horaazi, Anaaka, and Taarosh.

-Xolaani’s faction consists of: Baal, Ibaaros, and Stryaatu

-Varus’s faction consists of: Praa, Joraal and Naafiri(?)

-The three factions eventually convene at Targon to fulfill their respective agendas.

-Xolaani arrives with an army of possessed thralls, Varus with a band of warriors committed to helping him stop the Darkin, and Aatrox with a hoard of bersekers infused with his own bloodlust.

-With three Aspects missing (Atreus in the Celestial realm, Diana in Ionia and Zoe who-knows-where), it falls to Taric, Leona and Kayle to defend Targon.

-Taric and Leona devote themselves to protecting as many as they can, while Kayle leads an army of Celestial spirits to battle against the Darkin threat.

-Kayle calls forth the spirit of her mother to aid her, but to her horror, Mihira’s essence is bound and consumed by Xolaani, transforming her into the Aspect’s Bane.

-In desperation, Kayle sends a messenger to the only remaining ally she can think to call: Ryze.

-Ryze answers the call, though upon witnessing the destruction before him, he ponders whether or not Runeterra is worth saving, and whether or not it’s a fool’s errand to try. He contemplates some of the greatest tragedies of Runeterra’s history: the Void War, the Fall of Shurima, The Reign of Mordekaiser, the Ruination, and the betrayal of his own teacher, Tyrus. Ryze ponders if he should intervene, as well as whether or not he has any right to.

-Witnessing a band of mere mortals take up arms against the Darkin, however, Ryze has an epiphany: that these tragic moments throughout Runeterra’s history are, in fact, mere moments in history. Trials that the people of Runeterra have overcome. Time again the people of this world have braved impossible odds to protect what is dear to them, and they have always rebuilt after every disaster.

-Ultimately, Ryze agrees to summon World Rune fragments from his scroll. With them, he manages to destroy nearly every Darkin on the battlefield.

-Only three Darkin now remain in existence: Aatrox, Varus/Paallas, and Naafiri.

-Should Rhaast triumph over Kayn, he takes Xolaani’s power for himself. This results in most of the other Darkin not being freed as quickly and the Darkin Saga being delayed.

Revamped characters

Aatrox Name meaning: “Ender of worlds.” A blade with a heart that beats for bloodshed, Aatrox revels the brutality of the battlefield. The only Darkin to escape confinement at the hands of the Aspects, Aatrox has lurked in the shadows of history, turning the tides of war in some of Runeterra’s most significant conflicts. Its current wielder is a former member of the Ascended Host, who took up the cursed sword in desperation to fight back the Void. Though some lingering traces of the mighty god-warrior still remain, his name is all but forgotten to time, and he now fights for but one purpose: to wage war against the very gods that imprisoned the Darkin, even if it means the end of the world itself.

*Bonus note: maybe Aatrox’s host was the original wielder of the Infinity Edge?

Rhaast Name meaning: “Obedience through fear.” A wicked scythe with an equally wicked sense of humor. Rhaast revels in carnage, instilling terror into mortals. In the distant past, some say this Darkin even inspired a cult of worshipers. The scythe was initially hidden deep below ground in eastern Valoran, until Noxian soldiers found it through one of their expansions. Before they could take the scythe back to the capital, though, the escort was ambushed by The Order of Shadow and the scythe stolen by Kayn. Kayn and Rhaast now fight for control of one body, each seeking to claim the other’s power as their own.

Paallas Name meaning: “To forsake mercy.” A malicious bow burning with contempt for all life on Runeterra. Though the Darkin had lent their strength to mortal races for untold ages, they were repaid with imprisonment. Paallas desires nothing but revenge, and now has the opportunity to claim it through its current wielder: an Ionian archer named Varus. Varus, however, harbors a burning vengeance of his own, and a will strong enough to keep the bow’s corruption at bay... For now. Both parties know that Varus is running on borrowed time, but the archer is determined to avenge is lover and son, Kai and Theshan, both of whom perished during the Noxian Invasion.

*In the Shadow Kayn timeline, Varus witnesses several other Darkin running amok and laying waste to the Noxian countryside. Seeing their cruelty firsthand, Varus begins to fully comprehend the evil these weapons represent, and realizes that his family wouldn’t want him to succumb either. He also comes to resent the Darkin, realizing they’re technically responsible for his families’ deaths as well, and vows to use Paallas’s own power against its kind. Realizing that one Darkin against many puts the odds against them, though, Varus reluctantly manages to sway Praa and Naafari to his cause, using Paallas’s memories to deduce that they’re the most likely potential allies.

Xolaani Name meaning: “Crusher of wills.” A pair of bloodletters imbued with twisted ambition. Xolaani is different from the other Darkin in that they seek to bring an end to all conflict. They have learned how to fragment their own essence and imbue it into several hosts at once, creating a sort of hivemind in the process; through this technique, Xolaani hopes to one day transform all of Runeterra’s inhabitants into their thralls, including the very gods that imprisoned them so long ago...

Baal Name meaning: “Binding of vessels.” An ancient staff imbued with powerful forbidden magic. In an ironic twist of fate, this same magic played a key role in imprisoning the other Darkin. It was only after Baal’s own imprisonment that the Darkin Staff learned the meaning of guilt, and has since vowed to aid its fellows in whatever way possible should the opportunity arise. That opportunity may come soon than expected as the flora of the Bandlewood is slowly tainted by Baal’s essence...

Ibaaros Name meaning: “Glory through killing.” A vicious harpoon once used to slay many legendary beasts. Among the Darkin, Ibaaros possessed what some might call a sense of pride, having been wielded by many powerful champions and heroes across the ages. Its final hunt, however, saw the harpoon lost deep beneath the waves. Though the Aspects surely presumed Ibaaros lost to time, it was there, in the depths, that the Darkin encountered something even more vile than its own kind: an abomination from a place darker than the abyss. When Ibaaros next emerged, it had fused into something entirely new, wielding the might of both Darkin and Void.

Joraal Name meaning: “Solitude in eternity.” Most Darkin offer their host the strength to slay their foes, but Joraal offers a very different form of power: a nigh-unbreakable defense. The Darkin Aegis has withstood blows from gods and demons alike, enduring the strain of attacks that even its host body cannot. Among the Darkin, Joraal has taken on more hosts than any other across history, and each one leaves fragments of memories forever embedded into the aegis. It times, these memories surface and swirl together, which has begun to affect even the Darkin’s own mind and personality...

Anaaka Name meaning: “Yearning for violence.” There are few even among the Darkin as eager for battle as Anaaka. The Darkin Spear charges blindly forward, ever-seeking its next adversary. Anaaka gives no thought or care for those it slays, desiring only the thrill of a good fight, even if each foe is soon to be forgotten. Perhaps what Anaaka truly seeks is an opponent that can quell its own insatiable appetite for battle...

Praa Name meaning: “Emptiness of life.” Equal parts elegant and deadly, Praa revels in making each battle a dance; a performance through which it can display its own lethal beauty. Every movement is made with killing intent, every strike aiming for a vital spot on the foe’s body. There must be no wasted movement, no imperfections in Praa’s performance. Alas, mortals are imperfect creatures, and so Praa has never quite found an ideal vessel among them. Perhaps being imprisoned in the spirit realm was a blessing in disguise, then; surely a more worthy host awaited the Darkin Fan there than in any Runeterran nation...

Horaazi Name meaning: “Seeking forbidden knowledge.” Horaazi represents a truth that both Aspects and Darkin are loath to admit: that perhaps gods, demons and mortals are not so different at their core. After all, is all life not born of the same stardust? Do all creatures not originate from that first wellspring of creation? Horaazi knows well this truth, as well as many others; the Lodestone offers knowledge, not power, to any mortal that would seek it... Yet for all its wisdom, Horaazi harbors a deep hatred for the one who would see an end to wisdom and those that would seek it: Xolaani.

Stryaatu Name meaning: “Wailing in agony.” The Darkin are often regarded as tools of war; deadly weapons or instruments meant to turn the tides of battle. But not all conflicts are won on the battlefield. Not all war songs are loud and imposing. Stryaatu offers a simpler solution: rather than slay your enemies, turn them to your cause. Let your emotions manifest as melody. Place your heart’s desires into the strings... Give yourself over to the harp, and the harp shall instill your hatred and bloodlust into the enemy. Watch as kings and generals turn upon each other with every note you play. That is the power of music: the power of Stryaatu.

Taarosh Name meaning: “Fighting until death.” The Blessed Isles seemed the perfect place to seal a Darkin weapon; who better to resist such temptation than those who could expel their darkest urges? However, the monks of the Isles never foresaw the day a grief-stricken king would arrive on their shores and unleash centuries of evil in an instant. As the Ruination swept through the land and corrupted everything it touched, Taarrosh stirred, its power amplified by the Black Mist. It didn’t take long to find a worthy vessel: a corrupted rider once belonging to the Iron Order. While Hecarim would lead his unending crusade against the world of light, Taarosh knows a greater conflict awaits: one that will shake the very heavens...

#Darkin #Gold Light Writing #League of Legends #Ryze #Aatrox #Varus #Rhaast #Naafiri #Gold Continuity

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