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Some things I noticed about the River King's tale

Sharjo·6/19/2015, 1:37:55 AM·3 votes·1,724 views

So we've all seen the video by now and we're all drawing hypothesis, but I couldn't help but be drawn to a few things in particular. A few lines that just really stuck out to me.

The first was "And thus she failed to recognize when that demon's jaw unhinged". Someone clarify for me here, but has the word demon ever appeared in the lore? I feel like this is the first time. I feel like that's important, not necessarily to the River King, but to the world as a whole. Who in Runeterra believes in demons? More to the point does Runeterra actually have demons? Aatrox looks like one to us but he's a Darkin and has never been described as demonic in any way, no one has-no wait I remember Shaco. He's referred to as the Demon Jester, but aside from his title I've never seen the word used, and I feel that has greater implications. Might be me grasping at straws but who knows?

On to things relating more to the River King himself, I wanna draw to the actual interactions he had with the two people in the story; the gambler and the bride. The Bride says "Not now, not this time!" implying this isn't the first time his majesty has ruined the party or deposed of a suitor of hers. He supports this by saying "but it's the last time I swear, so please forgive." So he had dealings with her before, for sure, implying that she made a bargain with him like the gambler, what was that deal I wonder, and more, to the point could this mean this woman had people constantly introduced in to her life and then ripped away from her by his royal highness of the rivers?

On to the Gambler; twice the King talks about being "Let in", implying something was keeping him out. Going back to the notion that the woman had dealings with the River King in the past, this could imply that the whole deal with the Gambler wasn't just to ruin the Gambler's life but to get at someone he'd also made a bargain with; the bride. He ruins two lives at once, all for personal satisfaction.

Some thoughts and musings on my part, but what do you guys recon?

Also I'm gonna call it now: The gambler ain't TF, the bride ain't Eve. Calling it. We've been through this before with the thug from Ekko: Seconds being Urgot/Singed or otherwise and he wasn't.

16 Comments

Valaran Nara6/19/2015, 2:19:20 AM4 votes

I'd like to think the gambler is TF, but I never believed for a second that the thug was Singed. Singed would have gas all about and a shield.

And for Urgot, I'm sorry, but the rework wouldn't have been teased in another Champion's teaser unless it was said to be coming soon. And I mean, you'll see it within a month soon. Not "We're now working on it."

A Superb Villain6/19/2015, 5:59:05 PM3 votes

I think the term demon has less to do with a monstrous, inherently evil creature of red skin wielding a pitchfork, as is typical of high fantasy, and more a descriptor for creatures in the world of Runeterra who act on selfish impulses to satisfy personal desires at the expense of others.

Shaco is the Demon Jester because he wears the uniform of a jester and murders, not for sport, profit , or an ideal, purely because it amuses him. Likewise, the River King describes himself as filled with hunger, yet he hardly looks famished, and in the end he eats mostly inedible matter (the boat, the house, all the gold) not for sustenance, but because it has value. The River King does not need to eat what he does, but does so because he enjoys it.

Deepening the reference to folktales is his modus operandi, making deals that seem innocuous at first, but in reality have a horrifying cost, which is a fixture in tales involving demons or the devil himself.

Edit: Could the River King also be a metaphor for gambling? He gave the gambler a second chance when he was at his lowest (double or nothing), and when the gambler was prosperous the River King took it all away (gambling addiction). He even says "but it's the last time, I swear!" How often have people said this in the belief that if they throw the dice just one more time, they can win it all?

Kaedwen6/19/2015, 2:50:37 AM3 votes

What if the gambler was (this is a crack idea) was Gangplank and he became a pirate to search for this beast and kill it xD

De Imortales6/19/2015, 2:32:51 AM2 votes

It mentions that he snatches him up and spits he out in a "far off land", he is given money, power, and everything he desired. So is it not possible that the whole thing is a illusion created by the River King, and that's why the bride recognizes him? It's the same illusion every time cause it gives the men what they want. So the River King maybe feeds off of their sorrow to satisfy his "hunger".

pardon the grammatical errors.

Motajo6/19/2015, 4:28:40 AM1 votes

{quoted}Someone clarify for me here, but has the word demon ever appeared in the lore?

The Demon Jester. Don't know if that counts, but whatever.

James Stone6/19/2015, 7:11:34 PM1 votes

You're overthinking the "Let in" part. Think more like old school vampires. They can only enter a home if you allow them entry. Same think with the River King. His power is only as great as his deals. He seems like Riot's take on the "Deal Master", beings like Rumplestiltskin in Once Upon a Time, or the Devil in modern christian mythos.

As for people saying the gambler's TF... no. Please, Riot does enough to butcher perfectly good lore, no need to help them. He already has connections in lore. If you want to have Human Form!Mundo be the one to create the experiment that gives him magical power instead of Dr. Xavier Rath, alrighty, no harm done. But TF is not some stupid-ass gambler that would agree into something so obviously trap-like. Even before having his magical capabilities he wasn't really a "gambler", because he cheated, and always won, until he found Graves, who was a similar cheat, and the two formed a partnership.

Twisted Fate's plot is all about him being the type of person that would sacrifice everything in the pursuit of his desires. He sold out his best friend to be able to use magic, something he desired since birth. He never gambles, he plays with you, he cheats you, and he busts the House, and he never, ever, EVER does a bad deal.

Noctis Lunaris6/20/2015, 10:53:49 PM1 votes

One thing I noticed is that it's almost a perfect copy of Little Shop of Horrors.