does the mythos of runeterra have an equivalent to satan? should it?

Veraska·5/6/2016, 6:38:21 PM·6 votes·1,716 views

We have characters in league who very powerful. We have powerful dragons thst create stars, we have immortal warriors who turn wars, we have cosmic care takers and we even have the manifestation if death.

We have demons like tahm kench but should league have an original evil? A bring that is the personification of evil? Should league have a devil?

I'm not saying they should but one if my favorite story plotlines is "character debates with satan" main characters talking about life with an ancient being that understands all but sees it and spins it in a twisted way.

(Note there are people who believe that the devil in story is not evil and that's not the point here so don't bring it up)

Thoughts?

27 Comments

OurLestrade5/6/2016, 6:40:24 PM4 votes

I've had enough of these god champions, I hope we stay away from them for a year at least.

Rebonack5/7/2016, 3:33:10 PM4 votes

Satan isn't a personification of evil. You're thinking more in terms of Ahriman.

Depending on which version of Satan's fall we're talking about, he either:

Fell because he relied on rationality rather than uncritically obeying God's command. God first commanded that only God should be worshiped. Then He told all the angels to worship Adam. When Satan understandably refused, pointing out God's earlier command, he was banished from heaven.

Satan didn't believe that God was actually infinite, just arbitrarily powerful. As such, Satan reasoned there must be some way of attaining power similar to God's and sought to find it through his rebellion. He was cast from heaven for this, and has since been pitching the idea of becoming like God to everyone else.

Neither of these scenarios really describe someone who is evil incarnate, but rather someone who was unwilling to be irrational in one case or someone unwilling to take God's word on an issue by faith in the other.

JayHog19925/6/2016, 6:55:51 PM3 votes

If you say Teemo, you deserve a slap.

But then again, it all comes down to religions in Runeterra. Just like in real life, people live with what they're taught in their states.

Tesla Effect5/7/2016, 7:39:29 PM3 votes

Aatrox Mordekaiser TahmKench Teemo Veigar Satan inspired.

Ebonmaw Dragon5/6/2016, 6:45:32 PM3 votes

We already have the personification of evil, its called Veigar Veigar

Now, if you ask for an equivalent to satan, there is Teemo

Edit: TahmKench is a Demon in the Mythos of Runeterra and Aatrox looks like a demon.

KnightofMorrigan5/7/2016, 8:22:29 PM2 votes

I'd prefer not to take Runeterra, which currently has a very healthy polytheistic divine ecosphere currently with lots of depth, and filter it through an abrahamic viewing (like a lot of media is due to base societal biases.) I've seen similar threads before ("does runeterra have an almighty god/ have a satan/ etc"), and honestly i really think that this need for some people to have this binary good/evil bible style set-up is based in the fact that they often take this abrahamic world view as the true one. It would also crush a lot fo creative space the creators would have to work in. When you work in that prescribe binary, a lot of things are already laid out for you, and you miss out on a lot of potential options. Runeterra should probably function like real world polytheism. All these beings can/do exist, and all possess their own independence and agency. Thats not to say you cant do things like demons and the like, or have some sort of set up inspired by the abrahamic pantheon the way shurima is inspired by the egyptians, just ensure that its not this sorta "we're the truest and best beings/these are the almightiest, omnipotent, omniprescence, etc etc"

Tl;dr having a "god" or "satan" in the abrahamic sense would destroy a lot of current and potential creative space.

LordHippoman5/7/2016, 12:43:30 AM2 votes

Tahm Kench is the closest thing to a "classic" portrayal of the devil, at least in American South mythos. A mysterious figure who shows up seemingly out of nowhere, offers you a deal that's too good to be true, and in the end reaps your soul and destroys your life. Fiddle playing optional.

If you're talking less "Lucifer" and more just big spooky bad guy, I'd give that to whoever rules the Void, if it even has a ruler. The Aurelion story hinted at a sort of hive mind inside of it. Perhaps you could fit in Mordekaiser, since he's existed for millenia and doesn't seem to be going away any time soon.

ArdoreAurorale5/6/2016, 10:25:00 PM1 votes

ok, this is getting out of hand.

japan hate acc5/10/2016, 2:07:18 AM1 votes

Teemo

Digielf5/10/2016, 3:42:31 AM1 votes

Teemo is already in the game

Rabid Husky5/10/2016, 4:20:01 AM1 votes

Teemo nuff said

Meep Man10/15/2016, 12:31:24 AM1 votes

Ignoring the obvious Teemo joke, no we don't have a character that is just the epitome of evil in every way and is also near god-like in power. Closest thing is Tahm, but he is more of a Crossroads Demon than a true Devil. Crossroads demons in myth often work for the devil however so if Riot stays true to such, if there is someone Tahm loosely works with/for that fits the above description, they would be the devil.

I personally really want to know what was being kept in the temple Varus was protecting. It was an incredible evil that required a guard and other guards around the temple, so it must have been pretty big. Not only that, but Varus just touching the flames inside the temple have him the powers he has today. What is in there?

Jorencice10/15/2016, 12:34:15 AM1 votes

[{quoted}](name=BLLLK FLLG,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=3pEKIKe3,comment-id=,timestamp=2016-05-06T18:38:21.829+0000)

We have characters in league who very powerful. We have powerful dragons thst create stars, we have immortal warriors who turn wars, we have cosmic care takers and we even have the manifestation if death.

We have demons like tahm kench but should league have an original evil? A bring that is the personification of evil? Should league have a devil?

I'm not saying they should but one if my favorite story plotlines is "character debates with satan" main characters talking about life with an ancient being that understands all but sees it and spins it in a twisted way.

(Note there are people who believe that the devil in story is not evil and that's not the point here so don't bring it up)

Thoughts?

Old lore had kog maws dad being one bad ass.

Kog even rarely says.

Terrors coming daddys coming.

some degenerate5/7/2016, 6:39:06 PM1 votes

Well, I would say the closest thing to a true god in League's universe is Aurelion Sol. He's definitely the most powerful entity, as far as we know.

Aurelion's lore also mentions him fighting off hordes and hordes of Void creatures invading Targon, and hearing evil, deep laughing coming from a void portal. The writing implies that this laughing belongs to the true hive overlord or creator of the void, who'll become Aurelion's nemesis and probably the equivalent to League's Satan or the ultimate evil.