Sona's Old Lore and How I See Her.

As a Sona fanboy and main, i'm also one of those people who thinks she functions better as a straight up mage than a support thematically, gameplay AND lore-wise.

I've found that many people seem to think Sona is a nice little girl who performs for people out of the kindness of her heart and stands between the typical Demacian goodness and Ionian zen. As far as i can see, Old Lore disagrees. A lot.

Yes, New Lore IS indeed likely to change her to meet player expectation, but so long as this isn't done, she's still a bit crazy on the side.

I'll give my take here on the subject of Sona.

Here's her old Institute Of War Judgement.

> Candidate: Sona > Date: 21 September, 20 CLE > > OBSERVATION > > Sona glides forward on harmonious winds, her elegant robe billowing softly behind her as she enters the Great Hall. Her hair fans out on an invisible breeze, swaths of aqua dissolving into golden strands at the ends of her long ponytails. She could easily be a fair maiden of magic anywhere on Runeterra, if not for the strange instrument floating before her, appearing to simultaneously protect and guide her. > > The building creaks ever so slightly, the foundations resettling themselves on the bonds of strong magic. She angles her ear towards the sound, holding still for a moment after the sound has long since faded. One can tell that the sound still resonates in her head, being analyzed for tonality, intent, and above all, danger. She doesn't even bother to glance at her surroundings; the building's own internal symphony tells her all that she needs to know about this place. > > With the faintest movement, she expertly plucks a single string on her instrument and the double doors in front of her blast open. She enters without hesitation. > > REFLECTION > > The darkness unfurled around her, as deep as the endless chasm of silence that afflicted her. She felt no fear so long as the etwahl was in her grasp. Her arms curled lovingly around the instrument, her fingers expertly trailing along the hammered brass and taut strings. Pressing it against her cheek, she closed her eyes and waited. It was at times like this that she could feel the instrument alive in her arms, taking slow and measured breaths as it guarded its master. She treasured these moments, when she could be alone in the world with her beloved instrument, wrapped in its protective cocoon. > > Suddenly, the etwahl stiffened. She caressed the smooth curve of metal questioningly. Before she could cull an answer, a husky voice rang out. > > 'Sona!' > > Sona's eyes flew open at the only sound she loved more than music itself. She found herself at the doorstep of a Demacian estate, staring into the open doorway with the same wonder on her face as on the day she was brought to her new home. Lestara Buvelle stood before her, adorned in a handsome velvet robe. Dripping in jewels and her usual heavy perfume, Lestara moved forward, her round face bright with happiness. > 'My darling, look at you! You are a grown woman now, and you have made much of yourself.' > > Lestara embraced Sona and leaned back to appraise her. > > 'Truly, you have made me proud. My heart sings when I look upon you. Come in and sit with me awhile.' > > Lestara turned to walk down the long hallway, her footsteps clicking a staccato rhythm on the tile floor. Sona's heart swelled with happiness, and she reached for her instrument's reassuring steel. > > Her hands clutched nothing but air. > > Sona turned, looking for the etwahl. Had she mindlessly placed it aside just now? > Suddenly, a chord rang out, piercingly askew. Sona spun around to see the etwahl drifting swiftly down the hallway. Sona called the instrument back to her, but for the first time, it paid no heed. The single note played over and over as it drew closer to Lestara's back. > > It was out for blood. > > Sona flew frantically into the hallway, but she was too far away to reach Lestara in time. Her only chance was to scream a warning. She strained her throat, but no sound would come forth, just as it never had in her entire life. > > The etwahl's strings strummed a terrible noise that would forever be embedded in her memory. A vibration trembled through the air, and a rush of razor-thin air scythes tore through Lestara's body. > > Sona reached Lestara's side in time to catch her as the body fell to the ground in a pool of blood. Tears streamed down Sona's face as she tried to scream, but no sound would come out. > > The hallway dissolved into blackness, leaving Sona crumpled around Lestara's body, with the etwahl lying innocently at her side. Lestara's eyes rolled open, and she asked weakly, 'Why do you want to join the League?' > > Sona's mind reeled, unable to comprehend what was happening. Suddenly, she felt the tingle of arcane magic in her throat, an overwhelming sensation that brought tears to her eyes. The breath passing in and out of her body tickled inside her, trying to draw sounds out with every exhale. Sona stared incredulously at Lestara, who nodded at her and bade her to speak. > > Opening her mouth, she began to speak for the first time in her life. Her breath caught in her throat, short of uttering her first sound, when a booming voice from the recesses of her dim memory resounded in her mind. > > This instrument will be the key to unlocking the world. It will speak for you more truly than a voice ever could. Nothing else - not us, them, or any magic in this world will ever own you again. > > Almost of its own accord, her hand flung outwards and slammed down on the ethwahl next to her. Dissonance erupted, deafeningly loud, drowning out any sounds that might have spilled forth from her lips. As the tones faded away, so did the foreign tingling in her throat. The enchantment was gone, never to return. > > Lestara's voice grew loud, booming into the ether. 'Why do you want to join the League, Sona?' > > The ethwahl's strings shivered and began to play on its own, but Sona pressed down with her palm to silence the instrument. It resisted for a tense moment and fell quiet. Slowly, her fingers began to trickle across the strings. Hesitantly at first, testing her instrument's yield, she played a defiant progression in response to her question. > > 'How does it feel, exposing your mind?' > > Her fingers danced across the strings, urging forth a melody of loneliness and isolation. It was the song of those who had lived their lives hidden in plain sight, always passed over despite trying desperately to be noticed. It began pensively, mournfully sad, and gradually grew to a crashing, raging crescendo. The last notes echoed with a tone of quiet acceptance, but above all, catharsis. > > A smile raked across Lestara's face. 'Welcome to the League, Maven of the Strings.' > Lestara disappeared, and the darkness fell away to reveal Sona floating in front of ornate double doors. She knew they led to the League of Legends. > > Her ethwahl molded reassuringly to her hands, lying in wait for its master's command. Sona moved through the doors without a second glance.

From this we learn several things;

1. The etwahl is either sentient or manipulated by another entity. It does not need her to function on it's own.
2. Sona seems to either be bound to the etwahl, or is simply a vessel used by the etwahl to function better. The etwahl belongs to Sona yet maybe it controls her to an extent.
3. The etwahl either behaves jealously in protection of Sona and killed 'Lestara' because of Sona's love for her, OR the etwahl sensed the illusion and attacked 'Lestara' to protect Sona. Both interpretations differ wildly in meaning.
4. The voice booming in her head indicates she is being watched over by a higher, extremely powerful entity. Sona already is either magical in origin, or at least has some magical potency as a human, and her arm was manipulated against her will. That, and it broke a spell cast by one of the three most powerful magicians Runeterra had ever known in Old Lore. People who could trap beings like Fiddlesticks and Cho'Gath inside the IoW.
5. What the etwahl/entity said in Sona's mind hints at a great many potential things in the lore. I could see links to a rebellious Targonian-type being empowering the instrument instead of Sona herself, among a vast many other things.
6. This tells us nothing about why Sona actually entered the League or her personality. She seems to have her own reasons, but the etwahl/entity seems to want her there.

Then there is her current Lore. One of the few pieces left that still refer to the IoW, and therefore will undoubtedly be changed. However, until it is, it is all we have to define her personality.

> Sona has no memories of her true parents. As an infant, she was found abandoned on the doorstep of an Ionian adoption house, nestled atop an ancient instrument in an exquisite case of unknown origins. She was an unusually well-behaved child, always quiet and content. Her caretakers were sure she would find a home quickly, but it soon became apparent that what they mistook for uncommon geniality was actually an inability to speak or to produce any sound whatsoever. Sona remained at the adoption house until her teens, watching in hopeless silence as prospective adopters passed her by. During this time, the caretakers sold her unusual instrument to anxious collectors, hoping to build her a trust. For a myriad of bizarre and unexpected reasons, however, it would be returned, or simply appear again outside the house. > > When a wealthy Demacian woman named Lestara Buvelle learned of the instrument, she immediately embarked to Ionia. When the caretakers showcased the instrument for her, she rose wordlessly and explored the house, stopping outside Sona's room. Without hesitation, Lestara adopted her and left a generous donation for the instrument. With Lestara's guidance, Sona discovered a deep connection with the instrument which Lestara called an 'etwahl'. In her hands, it played tones which stilled or quivered the hearts of those around her. Within months, she was headlining with the mysterious etwahl for sold-out audiences. She played as though plucking heartstrings, effortlessly manipulating the emotions of her listeners - all without a single written note. In secret, she discovered a potent and deadly use for her etwahl, using its vibrations to slice objects from a distance. She honed this discipline in private, mastering her gift. When she felt prepared, she went to the only place which could offer her a fitting recital: the League of Legends.

This piece is what drives me to believe Sona is a Draven/Jhin kind of person. She didn't go to the IoW to be on the sidelines. Not for either Demacia or Ionia, or for Lestara, or for money. She wanted the whole world to be her audience on the greatest stage there is.;

1. While we have no idea whether Sona is an Ionian War orphan or not, this does not indicate that she has been affected by the event. It is entirely possible that she was adopted by Lestara prior to the war's beginning.
2. Lestara definitely knows something of the origin of the etwahl, or at least has understanding of it's significance or power. One does not travel halfway throughout the world for a simple instrument.
3. The quality of her music is either beyond natural or straight up magical, giving her a degree of control over her audience.
4. She does not seem to play for charity or the poor, or for the general public outside of concerts, though this is an assumption attributable to lack of lore. The fact that she plays in sold-out concerts means that she either brings in solid income for Lestara, or has a decent money stash of her own.
5. Nothing is said here about her healing properties or her ability to increase movement. She mastered and practiced only her ability to use her power to destroy, at least as far as we can see here. Again, admittedly, mostly attributable to lack of Lore. We do get a mention to her ability to prop up people through music via the Journal of Justice Volume 1 Issue 4 however, feel free to look it up.
6. She entered the IoW simply because she felt it was the only place worthy of her talents.

I'd like her devs, or other Rioters to swing by here and either give out more tidbits or hints as to what they believe she is in the new cannon. I like to think of her as a midlaner, a champion who, as by her lore, desires the center stage and ramp up her performance for the grand finale she is worthy of. I fear this may be changed to a more subdued role of lesser lore importance like was done with Orianna and her Ball. I hope Sona's thematic of the unknown entity and the sentient etwahl gets explored and expanded upon instead of retconned. I hope they make of her everything she can be. I'd like her to be reworked slightly for the Midlane role where i feel she belongs, but this would likely be asking for too much.

Oh, and also, there's still no one, anywhere as far as i can see, who knows why/how she floats. As a Demacian, this might cause problems.