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Could a Darkin and its host possibly live in symbiosis of each other?

IBBE L33TZ·7/23/2018, 9:49:18 AM·9 votes·3,879 views

We already know that Darkins such as Rhaast can inhabit the bodies of their wielders without totally consuming them, but is there a possibility that the Darkins could do so without consuming the bodies altogether?

We also know that Varus struggles to wrest control over the two human souls he is forced to share a body with. This suggests that the control over the body is something that doesn't necessarily have to come by force. In that case, what if Darkins and their hosts could get along with each other and actually try to live in one body peacefully? Is it a possibility at all, or is one destined to always overtake the other?

If a Darkin's purpose would align with that of its host, would they not possibly be able to get along with each other and even find more of a purpose? The Darkin would no longer have to suffer in solitude and darkness, as it would always watch through the eyes of its host. The host would become empowered beyond their original capabilites. The Darkin and the host would also be accompanying each other, thus never truly being alone in the world.

25 Comments

The Whamboozler7/24/2018, 1:27:37 AM7 votes

No.

Allow me to explain. It would be a REALLY bad idea from a narrative standpoint to introduce this idea. If it IS possible for a Darkin and a host to co-exist all nice and cuddly together, that would be cripplingly bad for the lore and story. It would ruin the idea of the Darkin as flawed, tragic monsters driven to insanity and evil by what they endured fighting the void if one of them just kinda.... got over it and decided to be nice. It's like "Hey Aatrox? You'd stop suffering if you just hugged it out with your hosts man." It downplays the curse they all suffer AND how powerful it and they are if someone can overcome it and just kinda... exist.

Take for example... Kai'sai. A LOT of people felt (myself included) that her story and lore REALLY diminished the void as dangerous and threatening. After all... Before Kai'sa the void was a horrible, alien realm that rendered everyone and everything that came in contact with it corrupt, insane or both. A POSSIBLE exception was Kassadin, but the dude is VERY obviously inhuman and his exposure to the void has clearly affected him very deeply.

Then Kai'sa saunters into the void and back out again and it turns out all those other people who went mad from sniffing the void's farts just didn't want to be sane enough. That fishman from the Nami comic? Malzahar. Kassadin. All the darkin, ironically... since the void was what drove them nuts. Didn't ya know all you need to do to be okay is just stab a void monster and wear it as pants and you'll be 110% mentally stable and okay? Even if it's just that no one thought to wear a voidling as a hat before, it still REALLY diminishes the whole thing to know that Aatrox, Rhaast and all that darkin nonsense could have been prevented if anyone had just made some void beast boxer shorts and handed them out to everyone. And if the suit that spared Kai'sa her sanity and prevented her from mutating is just like.... super-ultra rare and unheard of before then it doesn't fix the problem... it just makes the void look weaker and Kai'sa seem like she got an EXTREMELY lucky deus ex machina dropped in her lap. This even makes HER seem shittier, since now instead of coming off as a plucky survivor that went through something VERY close to literal hell and survived... she seems like someone who just got handed a lucky plot device so that the writers could have her stay all pretty. (That is ACTUALLY why Kai'sa looks like she does to be fair.)

So anywho... whether or not this is a possibility in the universe of the game it should NEVER happen. It further downplays what is supposed to be a huge, important plot point that many, MANY parts of the lore are built around. This is not to say that Riot will avoid doing it though... they've pretty regularly made some god-AWFUL narrative choices when writing lore and stories for the game and it's characters... and they've already kneecapped the seriousness and crfedibility of most of the things that were supposed to be massive, overwhelming forces or threats to the world or it's characters... so who fucking knows anymore?

Warlord Rhinark7/23/2018, 10:23:23 AM4 votes

It's an interesting thought, but I don't think any of the Darkin would be willing to share the body with anyone, especially considering their history of being overlords with thousands of slaves.

Pika Fox7/23/2018, 2:01:18 PM2 votes

Given rhaast doesnt have immediate control, id wager it is possible for a darkin and a human to exist somewhat together. Assuming kayn is canon, we know that some can resist a darkin to reach some kind of balance, potentially even overcoming said darkin. Its possible one could have a permanent kayne-rhaast relationship where neither can fully overtake the other.

Loborcs7/23/2018, 10:13:03 AM1 votes

I suppose that's possible. But with only 5 darkins out there which is the chance? 1 in a million? The host should be strong of body and mind also.

I have being thinking for a while... Is necessary for the host being a human? We know there are other species out there that are phisically stronger than humans like most of the vastayans. What happens when a vastaya wields a darkin?

A Superb Villain7/23/2018, 10:02:43 PM1 votes

Only if they don't lose their way.

The Ecdysiast7/23/2018, 10:11:04 PM1 votes

Possibly.

The Darkin are all controlling non-magic humans. Kayn's shadow "art" is a martial art skill, not a form of magic.

A mentally powerful mage may be able to live in cohesion with the Darkin, but that raises the question of whether the Darkin could inhabit them at all.

The best option might be someone with incredible regenerative ability but a weak mind, such as Mundo or Warwick. But then, sharing the Darkin's mind with one that hardly thinks wouldn't really mean much.

Lady Faceless7/23/2018, 1:53:40 PM1 votes

As long we don't have any source which confirm or deny it, we can only guess. Overall, I think a Darkin could live in a symbotic relationship if they want to, but they have to be careful not to burn their wielder. Darkins are so much more powerful when a human and in the end the power level never could be equal between the human and the Darkin. In the end the body belongs to the human, but Darkin are so more powerful, they could force their will on the human. What about the physical appearance? Would the human allow his body to be altered? However, these kind of transformation can't keep the body for forever, Dinopawz comfirmed that the body would wear down 'cause of it.

While I really like the thought of symbiotic Darkin, I think in the end it couldn't work out 'cause of the difference between the power level of human and a darkin is simple to big to work out.

MOLTinaTOR7/23/2018, 10:37:27 AM1 votes

That would be interesting ngl. Highly unlikely since Darkins despise humans.

Vlada Cut7/23/2018, 12:56:06 PM1 votes

No. They just parasyte your mind and body until you give up. It can be instant, like with Aatrox, or long corossive corruotion like Kayn and Rhaast. Varus is just a typical flesh wielder who molded two bodies into one. Aatrox? Can do so much more...that's why he can grow giantic in size if he wants to. Blood magic sure is a thing huh.