Changes to an old and beloved champion. Varus: reasons and excuses

SerdinorDarkRose·Nov 30, 2017·61 votes·2,652 views

First of all here is a post someone made 8 days ago with all the concerns involving the new bio for Varus. There are various comments from Rioters who worked in the new Varus bio in this thread, in particular rioter DyQuill responded to many questions and I want to keep two specific things: "Completely agree that Varus had one of the better tragic bios - and the team updating his story worked hard to keep that true" and "the Rioters behind this agonized over the decisions they were making, and really tried to create a story that was true to Varus". So people in the lore team realized the significance in the old lore of Varus, or so he/she claims. But then we have this video about the creation of new Varus and I'm going through it, so bear with me:

3:25 & 4:14 - Varus didn't fit in League's modern world. Understandable, the pit in Pallas in the old lore is never explored, his ties are to Ionia but the forces behind his corruption remained unclear, as such it made sense to shed light into his backstory. Making him a Darkin was an excellent idea. One can argue that you could use his lore and create a new force within League's universe, but the Darkin theme is solid for Varus. However what follows is...
3:36 - The person speaking is from the Narrative Team. He's saying that the old story for Varus was "pretty linear". And the new one isn't linear? Every story needs some from of linearity, you're writing a story not an RPG, the current new lore also suffers from being linear. He also refers to it in a tone that sounds like a complete disregard to that story. Do you have any idea of the depth that goes for old Varus? He was a skillful and exceptional individual forced to make a decision between the village he lived in (and most importantly his family) and his duty as Warden. Trying to protect his family and the people in the village meant that the Corruption could escape and bring the world to ruins. Staying to guard the pit meant almost certain death for his family and everyone else he knew in the village. He was torn apart between the two options and chose to stay for the greater good losing everything he cared about in the process. He was left with nothing to lose and nothing to protect so he unleashed the corruption and gained new strength to hunt down the murderers of his family. An entire story about ideology, conflict of morals and fall from grace that could be greatly expanded, the Narrative team representative calls linear. I call bullshit.
3:58 - No, Varus isn't just the bow, waving your hand as if to completely objectify his story into one object doesn't work if what you're after is to enhance his backstory. It looks childish and unprofessional, your audience isn't 80% kids, your video is addressed to a mature audience for the most part.
5:12 - Yes it had to be driven by very strong emotions. Wasn't that was in his old lore already? Instead of preserving the idea of his family, creating a story for the creation of his family, the upbringing of his son and the devastation he feels after their loss, these are replaced by a pair of hunters with romantic feelings for each other. The idea doesn't break the lore, how you handled it did. They also mention they were looking for strong emotions. What's more powerful: Varus as a feather witnessing the slaughtered body of his wife and son or Val dragging Kai-who isn't dead yet-to the pit?
6:02 - TL/DR Ultimately the power of friendship and love prevails over evil. The comics establish a great idea of connection between Kai-Val-Varus which starts to become interesting, only to have the lamest of conclusions.
6:30 - I saw through the entire story. Varus is no longer a real character, he has been reduced to a cliche "love conquers all" story. In reality both the hunters would have been consumed by Varus the Darkin, they have no special abilities to withstand his presence or subdue him. They themselves mention realism, we get the opposite of that.

The entire video does two things: 1) It provides the idea behind the new lore for Varus and 2) tries to brush his old lore aside as if it didn't stand up to the new lore while providing excuses for altering his background to such an extent. The new lore has no gray areas, no question of morals, not the same powerful emotions his old story had. You think it was expanded? Every interesting part in it was removed, so allow me to call it simplified. The art is cool, the visuals are great, but the story is lackluster and seems more like a fanfiction rather than actual lore. It is flawed in multiple areas whereas the old lore was perfect and only needed more details added to it. I don't expect his lore to revert since Riot went to great lengths this time to establish the new lore. But to me, Varus will keep his former lore, expanded through the Darkin theme. The new story doesn't move me or make me question morality in any way, it feels lackluster so I disregard it from being cannon, just like you disregarded what made his character interesting.

To anyone who stuck with my analysis to the end, thank you and may your arrows strike true.

31 Comments

ModAcademy KaynNov 30, 20179 votes

I'll address this by the same time as your comments.

3:36: You're confusing Details and Story together. You are talking purely about the details of Varus's story, not the actual direction of the story. Linear Stories can still have themes, details, motivation, etc.

3:58: It's called Kinesics, when people use motion to demonstrate a message. Him "waving" his hand, was just him mimicking the grip of a bow, to go along with what he was saying. You also misunderstand what he meant. He explicitly said "When you look at Varus**", when you first see him or his splash for the first time. Out of everything, the most eye drawing aspect is most certainly the Bow he's wielding. People want to know what's up with this bow.

I mean, hell, look at his splash, his bow occupies the entire foreground of the picture. https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/1/16/Varus_OriginalSkin.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170615204206

5:12: Most definitely, it would be him dragging Val to the pit. While Old Varus has the choice of choosing family or Duty, ask any Soldier, and most the time he'll say Duty. While that's pretty humanizing, it's not as humanizing as choosing something akin to "I have the ability to save my lover or I can let him die". The effect isn't an aftereffect, it's currently happening in real time.

It's much stronger a feeling, to actually hold the love of your life in your hand, and having to choose whether he'll live ("live") or die. The effect of Varus's family dying is off-screen, so I argue that it doesn't hold as much as the "I'm here with you" type of scene. Hell, in Varus's old Lore, I think it's pretty implied that he knows that his family could potentially die, yet he still chooses Duty. He's already come to terms that his family might die, and their death only becomes an after effect, not something he truly experiences.

6:02: What connection ya talking about?

6:30: All Varus really had for him was a tragic backstory. There was no reason for him to involve himself with any of the other Ionian champions, other than them just randomly stumbling across him and give the whole "Give up yo vengeance." line. He is what people have criticized some current lores today, where they're self-contained bubbles.

What were his motives? Revenge against noxians. Potential Story conflicts? "Maybe I shouldnt?" How do you resolve any story with Varus? Personally, I had my Soraka x Varus ship, which was about her trying to save him, and him being unable to move on, but even I can't reasonably lead myself to believe that I could end that story in any way that isn't Varus dying. Just listen to his VO, there is no mention at all for him trying to fight the corruption.

He knows he's on borrowed time, but he is outright a fully broken man, whose only using his remaining time to kill. There is no resolving arc that isn't him getting rid of the corruption (Which lessens the impact of him getting corrupted in the first place), or him getting all the revenge he could want, which probably won't happen. There is simply no resolution, no reason to meaningfully interact with anyone, (Save a fightscene with Noxians), but then you just set him back as a purely antagonist character for other people to have to deal with.

I won't deny that the change has rubbed people the wrong way, but the old lore is not as nearly thorough or good as we think it is.

Weiss GuertenaNov 30, 201711 votes

5:12: I'd disagree that him dragging Val to the pit is more impacftul. He chooses duty over family in his old lore, but actually seeing them slaughtered completely broke him: he did the very thing he was supposed to be guarding from. How far can a man follow the line of duty, no matter the cost? Varus found out the answer and it destroyed him as a man.

6:02: Connections where Kai managed to get a grip on Val in their now shared body and overpower the Darkin's control. It's lame and cheap - but at least it's better than Darkin (and I absolutely refuse to call the Darkin by the name, as it'd be essentially giving up to the notion that a beloved character got completely deleted) gaining control and pushing his generic "I love to kill and torture because I'm evil" demon archetype to be the dominant force of the character.

6:30: Why coudn't his lore have been expanded to introduce the possibility of curing the corruption? It's obvious that new Varus is looking for a way to get rid of it, so why couldn't old one have done so. Reason that Varus couldn't be expanded outside his vengeance is the premise of corruption being irreversible. But what if there as something that could have given Varus hope to get cured? That would make a great basis for further development; with a chance to be cleansed Varus would have to deal with himself first - he certainly didn't only kill Noxians directly responsible for the invasion in his bloody path of vengeance. Many who didn't wrong him but still got into his path had families, just like his own. What makes him better than Noxians in that regard?

ModAcademy KaynNov 30, 20173 votes

5:12: The same can be said for Val and Kai. Their duty was to the people of Ionia, and they fought as such was their duty. It's that duty that winds up getting Val mortally wounded. Kai couldn't stand to live without Val, so we get to see just how far love will go, no matter the cost.

The difference is that Kai didn't choose to let Val die, and become broken because of it. He had the choice to let him die or not, it was literally up to him to decide whether or not his love was going to live. Old Varus at least had the luxury to not see his family get cut down.

6:02: It's really not, and you don't really explain why it is.

6:30 Because that devalues the impact of ever getting corrupted in the first place. "OH he made this huge decision to corrupt himself for revenge, but don't worry there's a cure to the thing that was locked away and had to be guarded, no matter the cost." It's exactly the same as just reviving Varus's family. It devalues the character, and the power of the corruption.

Weiss GuertenaNov 30, 20177 votes

5:12: Old Varus also had a choice between trying to protect his family, and his duty. He might have not seen the moment his family got killed, but does it make the sight of their butchered bodies any less impactful? Mind that he didn't only lose his love partner, but also his child - a much heavier loss, and what wholly pushed him over the edge. New Varus also got a choice between saving his lover and not unleashing the ancient evil; only difference is that he immediately chose the opposite from old Varus.

6:03: It is because it's the old "love/friendship conquers all" overused cliche. With Rhaast and Aatrox we've seen what happens once a Darkin breaks from his prison and posseses a host. Kayn, with all his willpower, can only dominate Rhaast while he is imprisoned within the scythe; once Rhaast takes control of the body, Kayn is gone.

6:04: The same argument can be made for new Varus: "He made a hard decision to give himself and his lover to Darkin corruption in order to save him, but they are overpowering him and looking for a way to cleanse themselves."There is no meaningful resolution to their stories. In both cases curse being lifted would not only devaule it, but also cause Varus to cease existing in his playable form - and thus isn't something we will ever see either way. What could be left is a glimmer of hope, and the character reevaluating himself over that glimmer. As for meaningfully interacting with other characters while corrupted, new Varus doesn't have it much better than old one; Ionians, his own people, most likely view him as a monster, one that cannot have a place there until cleansed. There is always a danger of Darkin breaking through, so he will most likely spend most of his time avoiding human contact (especially with Noxians),

ModAcademy KaynNov 30, 20176 votes

5:12: Maybe my perspective is skewed due to the fact that old Varus chose Duty over Family, so I personally think that he should've come to term with what would happen. Kai never got the chance to save his lover, there was nothing he could've done, which is what I argue to be more tragic.

6:03: Because "My family is dead and i want revenge" is so unique right? There's also two forces of will against The-Darkin-Properly-Known-As-Varus, both Val and Kai.

6:04: No, not really. Old Varus turned to corruption for revenge, and it was meant to be an impactful choice, a man with nothing to lose, since he wanted to the power to kill Noxians. For him to get his revenge, and then get off scott free is lazy story telling. It was meant to be a path of no return.

Kai turned to the well since he thought that it would save Val, but didn't know just what would happen. It was desperation that lead them to the well, and into Varus, not the need for power. They have a reason to become uncorrupted that doesn't go against their sense of agency that led them to the Well in the first place.

Old Varus: Went to well for power to kill Noxians. Was meant to be a "No return choice", so to give a return would be lazy. New Varus: Went to the well to try and save Val, but ended up imprisoned by Varus, so to give them an out makes sense.

It wasn't a path of no return for new Varus, it was an act of desperation. That's why you can allow a potential cleansing arc for the two, whether it means their deaths or their life.

Weiss GuertenaDec 1, 20175 votes

[{quoted}](name=Dr Mercy,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=2eKG0Qzr,comment-id=00010000000000000000,timestamp=2017-11-30T23:33:39.393+0000)

5:12: Maybe my perspective is skewed due to the fact that old Varus chose Duty over Family, so I personally think that he should've come to term with what would happen. Kai never got the chance to save his lover, there was nothing he could've done, which is what I argue to be more tragic.

6:03: Because "My family is dead and i want revenge" is so unique right? There's also two forces of will against The-Darkin-Properly-Known-As-Varus, both Val and Kai.

6:04: No, not really. Old Varus turned to corruption for revenge, and it was meant to be an impactful choice, a man with nothing to lose, since he wanted to the power to kill Noxians. For him to get his revenge, and then get off scott free is lazy story telling. It was meant to be a path of no return.

Kai turned to the well since he thought that it would save Val, but didn't know just what would happen. It was desperation that lead them to the well, and into Varus, not the need for power. They have a reason to become uncorrupted that doesn't go against their sense of agency that led them to the Well in the first place.

Old Varus: Went to well for power to kill Noxians. Was meant to be a "No return choice", so to give a return would be lazy. New Varus: Went to the well to try and save Val, but ended up imprisoned by Varus, so to give them an out makes sense.

It wasn't a path of no return for new Varus, it was an act of desperation. That's why you can allow a potential cleansing arc for the two, whether it means their deaths or their life.

5:12: I imagine losing your family is a thing you think you can come to terms with, but that all falls apart once you see the consequences before you. I doubt it's something any of us can come to a proper conclusion over.

6:03: Maybe not, but replacing one cliche with another equally overused one is hardly a big improvement.

6:04: One thing has crossed my mind since last time: there can never be a cleansing arc for Varus. There couldn't have been one for old Varus, and there won't be one for new Varus - for the same reason old WW couldn't kill Soraka, Yasuo will never get revenge on Riven and Rengar will never actually kill Kha'Zix. Thing more important than story is Varus existing as a playable character - and if two hunters were ever to get cleansed, then said playable character couldn't exist within his own story anymore. Thus only feasible outcome is Varus eventually overpowering Val and Kai and taking complete control - similiar to how old Varus would eventually get consumed by his corruption. Most that Riot can allow here is a faint glimmer of hope that they might get cleansed one day, which will never actually happen.

I mean, they could've implemented most of the changes while also keeping Varus as himself. For example they could've made Varus, a human, give into the corruption of Darkin Pallas to try and save his son after being unable to prevent the massacre. That'd keep most of new changes while also making old Varus' fans happy.

ModAcademy KaynDec 1, 20171 votes

Yeah, the main difference is that Val and Kai are at least in a situation where a cleansing doesn't negate/nullify the deep impact of why Varus came to be in the first place. It's more of a feasible, even if it'll never happen.

I think a huge problem comes between what's truly greater. Love between family, or the love between lovers. When it comes to family, I think most people would be safe in agreeing that they would give their own life if it'd meant saving their children. When it comes to lovers, it's not enough that you give your life for your spouse, like how Val wanted Kai to leave without him, but that they are with them forever. It's why Kai risked whatever was in the pit, he couldn't bare a life with his Heartlight.

It's a huge value based decision, that many people are probably going to have their own opinions about.

Oh, and final thing, if we're going to use over-clicheds either way, I'd prefer the one that has more potential for story.

LordForrestDec 1, 20171 votes

[{quoted}](name=Weiss Guertena,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=2eKG0Qzr,comment-id=0001000000000000,timestamp=2017-11-30T22:40:47.574+0000)

6:03: It is because it's the old "love/friendship conquers all" overused cliche. With Rhaast and Aatrox we've seen what happens once a Darkin breaks from his prison and posseses a host. Kayn, with all his willpower, can only dominate Rhaast while he is imprisoned within the scythe; once Rhaast takes control of the body, Kayn is gone.

Just to make a point here, that's probably why they went with the 2 souls fused with the Darkin. Alone they can't fight the Darkin's control, but together they have a chance.

DakuraigunNov 30, 20176 votes

See, as someone who plays Varus a lot, I actually enjoyed his previous story, but it left me longing for more. I was looking for more details, how the weapon came to be there, and how it managed to change him so violently, and the fact it was slowly killing him.

This story reinvented the timeline in a way that gives the character more of a personality, or more three, if you will. Varus is nothing but pure Vengeance, wanting to destroy everyone and everything in sight, but feeding into Val's need for vengeance for Noxians killing Kal, which still molds to the main story arc and adds in characters that better define the entity that is Varus. Do I sense a VO updatye? I would love one, mainly because they should if they're going to completely change his back story. I wouldn't mind a 3 way conversation in his VO's, which would add a new layer of depth into new Varus. As I'm gay myself yes I am a sucker for new gay themes, and I like they way they incorporated it into Varus like they did because it better fleshed out him as a spirit of vengeance for his fallen Darkin brethren, and now he has to deal with the two voices in his head attempting to usurp control from him, however I did like the old story only for the fact it was more of a choice of self-sacrifice, but don't like it because it only spoke of corruption, but doesn't specify what kind, only that it's killing him slowly and painfully. Here it's more of a complete idea, where it's fulfilling the wish of the bearer in multiple facets, both having his love with him alive in a way and having his vengance sated, if only for a time, by killing Noxians. It gives a lot of design space for other characters as well because he was basically an outcast and didn't really have a purpose in the soon-to-probably-be-conjoined-storylines. Here he is given a meaning and a story behind why he is who he is and a deeper look at the inner turmoil he faces.

I enjoy this and commend how it was executed, and can't wait for them to streamline this in game, be it in a VO update or visuals to accompany it. I wait with open arms.

Also, wouldn't Varus be referred to as They instead of He now? Because the whole three entities thing or whatever, and Varus is the main entity but is being fought by the two separate ones. Just curious.

InfernapeNov 30, 20171 votes

He probably. Varus refers to the Darkin.

Weiss GuertenaNov 30, 20174 votes

This is one situation in which I'm glad Riot doesn't so small-scale model/VO updates anymore. Varus' VO doesn't fit new lore at all, and as such he isn't the character depicted there. This means that since actual Varus characetr doesn't fit his own story, I can completely disregard it.

Jerry SeinfeIdNov 30, 20171 votes

he's getting a new VO, so is MF.

Weiss GuertenaNov 30, 20174 votes

[{quoted}](name=Jerry SeinfeId,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=2eKG0Qzr,comment-id=00020000,timestamp=2017-11-30T22:40:52.364+0000)

he's getting a new VO, so is MF.

Source? I know a Rioter has stated somewhere they aren't doing those small updates anymore due to them not being as well received as full VGUs/ And if Varus gets a new VO before Orianna - another character where VO is completely obsolete; but unlike Varus her lore actually is a great improvement - then I'm going to lose any shred of faith I had remaining in people behind these changes. But I guess pushing your token gay character down our throats does give more incentive to rush ahead with VO changes.

Jerry SeinfeIdNov 30, 20178 votes

They did an ama on the varus mains reddit.

and honestly it's all this is. A forced gay character to look progressive, they coulda picked Taric, vi or dianaxLeona, even Graves would've made more sense than varus to be the gay character.

GenoXxNov 30, 20174 votes

They dont even respond to people here, yet will do it there?

Jerry SeinfeIdNov 30, 20171 votes

seems like ppl on reddit are more positive about it.

GenoXxNov 30, 20171 votes

Ignoring will simply do worse. Like, cowardice is no excuse...

TresArbolesDec 1, 20172 votes

FWIW, they didn't respond to my question about why they forced his gayness AND wrote a lazy story.

Dorans PantsDec 2, 20171 votes

[{quoted}](name=Weiss Guertena,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=2eKG0Qzr,comment-id=0002,timestamp=2017-11-30T21:20:07.527+0000)

This is one situation in which I'm glad Riot doesn't so small-scale model/VO updates anymore. Varus' VO doesn't fit new lore at all, and as such he isn't the character depicted there. This means that since actual Varus characetr doesn't fit his own story, I can completely disregard it.

Omg their laziness pays off for ones [sg-miss-fortune]

Lord Phazanor Nov 30, 20174 votes

https://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/story-art/1fBLUb9W-im-somewhat-disappointed-with-varus-new-lore?show=flat&comment=00180002000000030000
In the 7th Rioter Comment. DyQuill says he's gonna answer those questions after the full lore release. One of those questions is "If there is overwhelmingly feedback what actions will be done?". I want the answer now!

333lomDec 1, 20173 votes

Just a note, since the retcon of IoW, they haven't considered any feedback about the new lore, nor did they make any adjustments. Every other Riot department does make adjustments, except Worldbuilding department.

Lord Phazanor Dec 1, 20172 votes

{quoted}

Just a note, since the retcon of IoW, they haven't considered any feedback about the new lore, nor did they make any adjustments. Every other Riot department does make adjustments, except Worldbuilding department.

To be honest, they sadly almost never revert things (the only time that comes to my mind is Kog'Maw). Which is really really sad.
I feel like it's almost a pride problem of Riot just never wanting to go back or even say "yea sorry that was wrong, lets try again".
Heck even the rare times they say that, they don't actually revert the mistake, they just wait years before giving it another try.
It depresses me.

SanKakUDec 1, 20172 votes

Varus had really good voice work. I'm sad he's going to lose it, but in the end it's not like I listen to voices while I play nowadays so I'll always remember his old voice anyway.

Fenikkusu1Dec 1, 20172 votes

BUT OUR LIBERALISM!

Chembaron YamadaDec 1, 20171 votes

His past might be kinda linear, like you said. The difference is that Varus future isn't linear. Old Varus was just a grieving guy killing for vengeance until he dies. New Varus has conflict. The 2 guys in him could be able to defeat Varus and free themselves again. Or Varus could kill them and control the body. The story now becomes more interesting than just a guy killing people until he can't anymore.
Why do you think it is unrealistic that they resist the Darkin together? Kayn is able to resist a Darkin on his own because he has strong willpower. So we gotta assume that a Darkin is mostly a test for your psychological strength. While they might be too weak to resist him alone, it is logical that the presence of the other one gives them stability. Going through an hard psychological test can become easier if there is a loved one with you to support.

SerdinorDarkRoseDec 1, 20174 votes

{quoted}

His past might be kinda linear, like you said. The difference is that Varus future isn't linear. Old Varus was just a grieving guy killing for vengeance until he dies. New Varus has conflict. The 2 guys in him could be able to defeat Varus and free themselves again. Or Varus could kill them and control the body. The story now becomes more interesting than just a guy killing people until he can't anymore.

Why do you think it is unrealistic that they resist the Darkin together? Kayn is able to resist a Darkin on his own because he has strong willpower. So we gotta assume that a Darkin is mostly a test for your psychological strength. While they might be too weak to resist him alone, it is logical that the presence of the other one gives them stability. Going through an hard psychological test can become easier if there is a loved one with you to support.

To answer both questions at once: because they can't. Kayn was trained under Zed and already had powers from the shadow techniques taught to him, it's fair to assume his willpower and physical strength are superior to that of a normal person, thus he can resist the Darkin. Kai & Val are just 2 normal hunters or wardens as far as we know, they have nothing special. The only reason they can resist Varus is love power & plot armor, that's all we get. So at the end of the day, they have no way to overcome him in the long run.

The only way for them to be freed somehow is to get help from someone else. That however will make them completely useless as characters because they won't have achieve much pre-Varus and they'll need help to achieve some form of resolution only to return back to plain humans. At the end of the day you can't expect them to somehow draw Varus back (without making it look unrealistic), so the story is still linear, Varus the Darking will prevail.

(edit: typo fixes)

Weiss GuertenaDec 1, 20174 votes

{quoted}

His past might be kinda linear, like you said. The difference is that Varus future isn't linear. Old Varus was just a grieving guy killing for vengeance until he dies. New Varus has conflict. The 2 guys in him could be able to defeat Varus and free themselves again. Or Varus could kill them and control the body. The story now becomes more interesting than just a guy killing people until he can't anymore.

Why do you think it is unrealistic that they resist the Darkin together? Kayn is able to resist a Darkin on his own because he has strong willpower. So we gotta assume that a Darkin is mostly a test for your psychological strength. While they might be too weak to resist him alone, it is logical that the presence of the other one gives them stability. Going through an hard psychological test can become easier if there is a loved one with you to support.

New Varus' future actually isn't any less linear than old Varus. That "conflict" is just an illusion as only one outcome can come from it; two hunters will never defeat Varus and free themselves - because then Varus, the playable character drawing power from Darkin corruption, wouldn't exist anymore. Only feasible outcome is Darkin eventually taking control - not as different from old Varus again, as he too was on borrowed time until corruption completely devours him.

ModAcademy KaynDec 1, 20171 votes

~~We meet again~~

I think a big difference, similar to that at the end of the comic, is that even if they can't free themselves from Varus entirely, that they can wrestle control from him, and set upon their own path. Varus resides as the residual hatred that comes from Kai's weakness, and we see whether or not Val can hold each other together.

NewGuy101Dec 2, 20171 votes

3:36 - The person speaking is from the Narrative Team. He's saying that the old story for Varus was "pretty linear". And the new one isn't linear? Every story needs some from of linearity, you're writing a story not an RPG, the current new lore also suffers from being linear. He also refers to it in a tone that sounds like a complete disregard to that story. Do you have any idea of the depth that goes for old Varus? He was a skillful and exceptional individual forced to make a decision between the village he lived in (and most importantly his family) and his duty as Warden. Trying to protect his family and the people in the village meant that the Corruption could escape and bring the world to ruins. Staying to guard the pit meant almost certain death for his family and everyone else he knew in the village. He was torn apart between the two options and chose to stay for the greater good losing everything he cared about in the process. He was left with nothing to lose and nothing to protect so he unleashed the corruption and gained new strength to hunt down the murderers of his family. An entire story about ideology, conflict of morals and fall from grace that could be greatly expanded, the Narrative team representative calls linear. I call bullshit.

thank you.

NewGuy101Dec 2, 20171 votes

Another note that I mentioned elsewhere, the story is not bad, but it's not Varus. The only real reason the couple dynamic exists to to explain why Varus isn't transformed as drastically as Aatrox and Rhaast, which could just be easily explained that Varus prefers a more human body for agility or for shooting or whatever; it's pretty simple. Or (assuming old lore) we could say that since Varus (the Darkin, let's just call the human ValKai) and ValKai both want vengeance, the transformation is a mutual one as opposed to a complete takeover; Varus let's ValKai control the body for now until the Noxus threat is eradicated, but will take over once the other Darkin gather.