Riot, please make Rek'Sai's lore first person.

Destínum·Nov 26, 2014·32 votes·3,069 views

Currently, she has no quotes whatsoever (unlike Gnar who just isn't speaking our language). I think her not being able to speak is fine, but her problem currently is that because she is so in-human in both appearance and personality, she feels more like a glorified jungle monster rather than a champion. Because of this, I think her lore really need to be in first person (just like Vel'Koz and Sion). If you do the same to her as you did to Gnar's and Kalista's lores, she won't be anything else than mindless beast (which is not what voidborn are meant to be btw.) We need to get a look into her head to see that there's more to her than "land shark from the void that eat travelers".

34 Comments

HeresyUntoFedexNov 26, 20147 votes

That would be pretty cool, but I wouldn't count on it though. Rito's lore team is kinda a mess at the moment.

NarasimhaNov 27, 20145 votes

"Rito please we don't have enough real monsters." "Rito common, make our monsters seem more human."

Pvt Yong TaiNov 27, 20145 votes

That is not even close to what OP is talking about.

That said, I like the idea. However, to be meta, how would she have written the lore? If it's written in first person she must have written it, right? Perhaps it would be pretty cool to have the lore's text appear encoded, and you'd have to interact with the page to have it be read in human language. It would require implementations, but it's doable and an interesting concept that would provide a lot of depth, imo

NarasimhaNov 27, 20143 votes

OP wants to put her in first person. Putting her in first person means putting her thoughts in a way humans can understand. Such an action inherently means humanizing her, or turning her into less of a monster.

Gentleman GastonNov 27, 20149 votes

Disagree.

Hunger.

Wait for pray.

Feel heat on sand. Not like home. Not like dark.

Sense tremor. Burrow. Attack from beneath.

Prey moves fast. Can feel fear. Hunger overtakes.

Dig.

Breach.

Kill.

Consume.

You get the idea. My point is, "dehumanizing" does not necessitate "lacking understandable thoughts". Doesn't mean she will or won't have a first person narrative or that it would be comprehendable if she did, merely that monster =/= non-comprehendable.

DestínumNov 27, 20146 votes

My point is that even though she's not human and can't speak, it doesn't mean she's not intelligent. Most voidborn seem to be (at least Vel'Koz and Cho'Gath are said to be very intelligent). There's currently nothing about her that indicates she's intelligent though, she just seems like a mindless beast. By making her lore first-person, Riot can change this. She doesn't have to react to things or think like a human would (I'd rather have her not), but at least show that she actually has an understanding of what's happening around her, rather than reacting 100% on instinct.

Kobila2000Nov 27, 20142 votes

But what's wrong with a monster champion that reacts purely on instinct? Frankly, I don't feel that Morde or Heca or Kalista have anymore depth by speaking English than Rek'Sai does.

DestínumNov 27, 20142 votes

I don't think it's wrong for a monster character, but when it's a champion I think it need some kind of intelligence. I know the league is not a thing anymore, but like I said before: A monster champion that is just a mindless beast feels more like a playable jungle monster rather than a champion.

HawkefireNov 27, 20145 votes

I don't think it's wrong for a monster character, but when it's a champion I think it need some kind of intelligence. I know the league is not a thing anymore, but like I said before: A monster champion that is just a mindless beast feels more like a playable jungle monster rather than a champion.

Now the real question here though is.....well is that a bad thing?

We mine as well have at least 1 mindless creature in the game (being kept on a loose leash by the de-facto summoners).

DestínumNov 27, 20144 votes

A monster doesn't need to be mindless to be running around and wreacking havoc. Just look at Cho'Gath. He doesn't have a new lore yet, but just looking at his new splash art tells me he'll be doing a lot of Kaiju stuff.

In a character driven story where all playable characters are meant to be sort of main characters (although some obviously get more attention than others), a mindless beast (in my opinion) just doesn't work. It will never be able to interact with other characters in any ways except "run away from or fight against". This might be cool once or twice (at most), but after that this same concept just gets boring. After that, we've got a main character that can't be put in any new stories because it would just make them feel repetitive.

The story-role of a mindless beast can be filled with a lot of other things anyways, like Baron. We don't need a champion to do this.

GreenLoreNov 27, 20142 votes

there could be several things you could do with a beast,for example you could write about her species,maybe needing to find more food sources,wandering into another territory,getting captured/hunted by humans,etc. Just because a character can't talk(or think) in human words doesn't mean he/she can't do anything besides attacking random travelers.

DestínumNov 27, 20142 votes

You do have a point. She wouldn't really be a "mindless beast" anymore then though, but more of just "animal". I'm fine with animal, but my fear (judging from other champion lores) is that they will only go with "mindless beast" approach (which as stated before, I don't think is fitting for a "main character"), and all a "mindless beast" archetype really does is attack people.

HawkefireNov 27, 20142 votes

A monster doesn't need to be mindless to be running around and wreacking havoc. Just look at Cho'Gath. He doesn't have a new lore yet, but just looking at his new splash art tells me he'll be doing a lot of Kaiju stuff.

In a character driven story where all playable characters are meant to be sort of main characters (although some obviously get more attention than others), a mindless beast (in my opinion) just doesn't work. It will never be able to interact with other characters in any ways except "run away from or fight against". This might be cool once or twice (at most), but after that this same concept just gets boring. After that, we've got a main character that can't be put in any new stories because it would just make them feel repetitive.

The story-role of a mindless beast can be filled with a lot of other things anyways, like Baron. We don't need a champion to do this.

A monster doesn't need to have intelligence to run around and wreak havoc either! And we have plenty of intelligent monster champions, who says we cannot include a mindless one? After all, we literally have no truly mindless champions,

BlackSunNocturneNov 27, 20143 votes

I actually think the "through the eyes of the beast" thing for Rek'Sai's lore would be really cool.

After all, we literally have no truly mindless champions,

Akali Warwick Katarina Garen Darius Annie Fiddlesticks Jinx Caitlyn Kayle Maokai MasterYi Sona Ryze Tristana XinZhao OH, you meant literally mindless and not "mindless to play". My bad.

OblongOtterNov 27, 20142 votes

She's a void champ, not just any monster, a void monster. Every Void creature that got to Runeterra seemingly without Malz (may need to reread the lore) is sentient. Also, every named Void creature is sentient. Every Void Champ is sentient.

Kobila2000Nov 28, 20141 votes

What's with people being adamant about Void champions all being sentient? Just because they've all been so far doesn't mean all others should be, I mean every single champion in general speaks English. Riot is not going to fill up some fictional land all with gurgling inarticulate monsters because people want to listen to things actually tell them something, not just a bunch of noises. And I don't see why a land filled with deformed weird aliens can't produce one that doesn't speak English?

GreenLoreNov 28, 20141 votes

malzahars voidlings don't talk,so they are a good example that there do exist some non-sentient(or at least not-talking monsters we don't know how smart Rek'sai truly is) monsters in the void,so why do all the champs from the void need to be of the talking kind?

test accountNov 27, 20141 votes

Not like home. Not like dark.*

Poor thing is just homesick :(

ULTRAF0RCENov 27, 20141 votes

Here is a question, to make effective lore for Rek'Sai you have to either do it in first person or write it as a Lovecraftian short story, it is in everyones best interest to simply have her lore in first person and just be written like Gentleman suggests, also not hating on hte idea of a lovecraft short story lore it would be cool but first person is easier

Jungle Lux GodNov 27, 20145 votes

I haven't read Rek'Sai's lore, but I'm not sure if making her lore first person is the best idea. It would probably look something like this:

"Rarr rar raaaaarrr arrr grrr rarr grr rarr garrrrr grr rrrraarrr rar rarrrr rar rrrarr grrr grrarrrr raar

grrrr rarrr rarr rrarrr rar rrrrr rarrrr grrr garrr garrrrrrrr rrrr grrrraaaaarrrr rrr

raaarrrrr rrarr rar rrraarrr rrrr rrrarrrr grrr garrrrrrr grraarrrr"

CupcakeTrapNov 28, 20142 votes

Graarrr rrraarr rwarrr grrrrraaarr, graaar:

"Rarr rar raaaaarrr arrr grrr rarr grr rarr garrrrr grr rrrraarrr rar rarrrr rar rrrarr grrr grrarrrr raar

Graarr grrrarrr grar. Grar grar. (Rarwrargr.) Grarwr.

grrrr rarrr rarr rrarrr rar rrrrr rarrrr grrr garrr garrrrrrrr rrrr grrrraaaaarrrr rrr

raaarrrrr rrarr rar rrraarrr rrrr rrrarrrr grrr garrrrrrr grraarrrr"

GRAWAR WARRGHRRARHRAR RWAR! Grarwr. -_- Rwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarr.

Jungle Lux GodNov 28, 20142 votes

Raaarrr rarrrr Graaarr (Thank you for spellchecking)

UnslaadfelNov 27, 20144 votes

Or it could be a biography written in a journal by some researcher. The last journal entry could be of his fatal encounter with Rek'Sai.

CupcakeTrapNov 28, 20142 votes

Or it could be a biography written in a journal by some researcher. The last journal entry could be of his fatal encounter with Rek'Sai.

I like the idea of a research journal, but the trope about the last entry being a "fatal encounter" is so terribly overdone. It might make sense if there were any reason why the audience needed to be told that Rek'Sai is a big scary monster who eats people, but that's already quite well established. Secondarily, if you do a good job with the researcher character, they can be a repeat character. Throwaway "victim POV" characters are, IMO, more flash than substance, and they're not even good flash.

WyrmbladeNov 29, 20141 votes

That just gave me a really good idea

What if the FIRST journal entry is the fatal encounter?

HawkefireNov 27, 20144 votes

I say do both.

With her official lore being in first person, and a mini-story told by some travelers who narrowly escaped death (extra kudos if you have Ezreal running into her and surviving)

SecretAgentHulkNov 27, 20142 votes

I think her lore should be third-person, probably like Gnar's; IMO this preserves the "other" feeling that Void champions give off (although TBF Vel'Koz's lore does not do this). That said, she needs lines.

HelmightNov 27, 20142 votes

I was never a fan of the first-person lore entries, but given Rek'Sai's disappointing VO, I could go for one. At the very least we'd have SOME kind of idea as to who she is and what drives her.

HowPlayGAEMNov 27, 20142 votes

Not sure if first person would be a good idea, but I agree that she needs more depth.

Yes, Gj Riot for releasing a nonpandering female monster champ, but at the same time it would be incredibly boring for her to simply be a monster based on instinct.

IMO, the overall plot increases in depth when the "monsters" have some explanation. For example:

The rachni from mass effect are initially perceived as mindless monsters, but then you learn that they are actually very intelligent sentient creatures who communicate by songs.
The darkspawn from Dragon Age are initially presented as unknown mindless plagues, but their origin turns out to be far more messed up. Throw in the awakening DLC plot in there for and extra good story time.
The zerg overmind is/was a very charismatic personality; without it, the race would simply not be as interesting
The witches in the Madoka anime
Song of Saya visual novel

Of course, it depends on the context. In some cases, details can ruin the experience (Reapers explanation in ME3)

Rek'Sai is a nonspeaking monster champ placed into a setting that currently doesn't exist because Riot deleted the old lore and didn't make the new one yet. There is no framework or context, no speech, no dialogue, NOTHING. Broodmother in Dota2 has a voice, and it's cool; she doesn't lose her monster card just because she's voiced. Giving Rek'Sai minor personification or some context isn't going to diminish her status as a monster, and more than likely may strengthen it.

TheFrozenIslesNov 27, 20141 votes

No. I'm hoping it be some hunter that think she is nothing more then a animal only to find out all a lone he was the hunted and he was only falling for her trap like the animal he thought she was.

KingsgraveNov 27, 20141 votes

I hope her lore is written from Kha's perspective so she remains a monster but we get more direct information about her and her species.

GorgiolioNov 27, 20141 votes

I have to disagree with you on this. She obviously doesn't know english, why in the world would she be thinking in english? We do not know EVERYTHING about the void. What makes you think that there isn't terrifying, blood hungry creatures mindlessly lurking there.

DestínumNov 27, 20145 votes

She obviously wouldn't be thinking in english canon-wise, but the bio would obviously be translated. Vel'Koz had a first-person lore as well. Do you think his main language is english (which would make him think in it)? I strongly doubt it. In fact, no champions probably speak english canon-wise. It's just translated cause we live in the real world.

XulsigaeNov 30, 20141 votes

To me it doesn't make sense that we wouldn't be able to understand her (or Gnar). Languages in fiction get translated constantly, it's not really something to complain about. We as summoners can understand every champion except Gnar and Rek. Why? Why are they much more 'alien' than others? Surely Taric, Kayle, Morgana, pre-retcon Nasus and Renekton, Malphite, Olaf, Anivia, Nidalee, Trundle, Rammus (Okay), Fizz, Nami and any other champions from far off lands and such would not speak recognizable Runeterrestrial languages, and yet we understand them just fine. The logic doesn't add up to Gnar and Rek being unintelligible.

Having her lore from her perspective would be far superior than any third person story in my opinion. Sure third person is unique, but it doesn't really make up for the loss of her own voice. Show, don't tell.