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About the new Varus lore...

Lyndris·12/2/2017, 9:59:45 AM·8 votes·678 views

So let me start by saying I love the new lore for him. It gives me a better understandig of just what a darkin really is and possible motives... Now onto the big thing, the sexuality... Let's just forget that for a moment and dissect the lores:

Old: He lost his beloved and his family/village, good start New: He nearly lost his beloved and was cast out by his family/village, also a good start Old & New: Cast himself into darkness and surrendered himself to a darkin With the old lore Varus had a single objective and no other paths really open

Motivation: Old: Solely vengeance on Noxus, a bit one-dimensional New: Varus: The darkin is out for vengeance still, but now against the human race, still one-dimensional Val: Struggles not to lose himself to the darkin, adds a conflict Kai: Was to weak to fight the or prevent the fall, now supports Val in the struggle against the darkin, adds depth to the conflict

This also adds to the Darkin lore in that we see they may not be equals. Aatrox is a bit of a question mark, but he has dominance and likely will not lose it. He revels in combat and seeks to bring about more wars in which he can fight. Rhaast has yet to subjugate Kayn and may not be able to. He comes off as the weakest of the darkins we know. He takes more personal approaches and relishes in the torment of his victims, making him seem petty compared to Aatrox.

Now, the old Varus was simply driven by vengeance and still is. His target has changed, and we knew little of the darkin and what it's motives and personality were. With the new Varus we see a darkin that is not only combating, and winning against two people who share a deep bond. I do not, nor could I, know how three minds in one body would even begin to work but he manages to do this while using a bow, a weapon meant to be precise and used with a clear mind, and he does so with extreme skill and an unfaltering determination.

There is too much of a focus, from both sides, on what is really a trivial matter for his overall character and story. Either versions of his lore he lost his loved ones and willingly gave himself over to a darkin, a race of power-hungry, bloodlusting, vicious demon like beings. The old lore was lacking information on the darkin and left him with no other paths. The new lore offers a chance at redemption, though I do not find it likely nor do I want the darkin to lose.

TLDR: IN MY OPINION The lore for Varus has improved and expanded on what it had been. The issue is that people are focusing on a single matter, of a fictional character, that is virtually immaterial to his over-arching character, lore and end goals. We now know something about the darkin and the backstory is still summed up as: Lost loved ones, fell into a pit of despair, willing gave into a darkin and is still driven by vengeance.

Please, let us be civil and keep personal attacks out of it. Discuss his lore and the changes, but let us not pull the focus to a minor part of it.

PS. My bias is entirely towards the expansion of the darkin lore. Sentient weapons are badass. I would likely pick up Soul Edge XD

I will leave a poll, and yes it has options based on what I would prefer to avoid in this thread, this is simply to ask what your actual issue, or lack of, with the changes is..... [vlad-salute]

5 Comments

Laughing Fish12/2/2017, 2:28:30 PM2 votes

Old Varus had a decent story, not one of the best by any standard, but not bad either. However, it was also generic, and shared with multiple other champs (Lucian for example lost his wife, Kassadin lost a child, Vayne lost parents, etc). Furthermore, his family completely and totally lacked any form of personification. Who his wife or child were is completely irrelevant to the story, as their only role was to die to explain Varus’s wrath. This is the major reason his story lacked depth: it only effected him and existed in a vacuum.

So to give the story depth Rito had a choice: Expand on the current family, and give them personality and a history, or change it. Both possible paths have pros and cons.

The dead family path has been used quite often for a reason: it is a tried and true method of introducing severe emotional turmoil. But it is also not unique, and most importantly is inactive as it exists in the past. His family is dead and that is that. This would be the safe choice.

Or Rito could change the story. At its core, the only part of his old story involving his family that mattered is that he loved them, they were stolen from him, and he would do anything for his love. So that was the only part that was kept. They introduced a far more active story, as Val & Kai are actively trying to resist a monster and maintain love against growing hatred. This also introduces a more emotionally engaging tragedy, as we see how desperately they want to stay together but know this isn’t a battle they can win. Varus will keep growing and will consume them some day. But even now they rage against the dying of the light.

Personally, I greatly prefer the new story. It is more active, more emotionally engaging, and more interesting.

P.S. The fact his is homosexual isn’t barely even relevant. As you said, it is a trivial part of his story. The important part of the story is love trying to hold back the hatred as long as possible. A dying light holding back the darkness. This love could be between any two people and still work. The only that thing I can think of that him being homosexual effects is the fact that he is a very masculine champion, so since he is formed by combining both humans it fis that they were both masculine as well.

XIII Vanitas12/2/2017, 2:39:07 PM2 votes

Your analysis of the old lore comes off as quite superficial.

Old: He lost his beloved and his family/village, good start

Yes, but that isn't the full story. Old Varus had to make an impossible decision: protect the temple from the Noxian invaders for the greater good or save his loved ones. Varus chose to fulfill his duty with a heavy heart, which cost him everything and turned him into a man with nothing to lose.

Old & New: Cast himself into darkness and surrendered himself to a darkin With the old lore Varus had a single objective and no other paths really open

Both statements are false. Not only Val wasn't completely aware of the consequences of his actions, but both Val and old Varus had the same paths available to them: either accept the loss of their loved one/s or give into their grief.