Just what are Syndra's black spheres? A theory about how a moody teen could destroy the world.

SaltyToplaneGoat··2 votes·1,491 views

So we know they are round. And Black. And that they must have quite some mass and density because it really hurts to get one of these thrown or kicked into your face.

Furthermore Syndra's powers include levitiation and holding an entire fortress in the air just because she wants to. The thing is: when lifting an object with magic you still have to go against the force of gravity. The bigger the object, the more energy has to be used to lift it up and keep it there. Very simple basic physics here. So simply keeping the castle up would require such impossible amounts of mana that only two options are possible:

a) Syndra is drawing power from a limitless resort of power. This could be cosmic power or the Void, or something else, but I doubt that this is it, as such power would probably burn her alive or at least cause siginficant changes in her human appearance, such as it does with Malzahar.

b.) She's not actually going AGAINST gravity when levitating or letting things float. She's manipulating it, changing the way how gravity interacts with things.

However, if she was a gravity-mage, then what exactly are those black round things with incredibe desnity and mass?

Ya all know what a gravitation-singulary is? It's when there is so much mass in a small space that it starts pulling more mass to it, resulting in even more gravitational pull building up. This is commonly known as a "Black Hole." Under that aspect it's also interesting how the spheres appear when she summons them: the blackness is being gathered and concentrated into the middle. I am not sure what exactly she compresses there. Just air? Dust? Light? The generally magically charged atmopshere of Runeterra? Probably it's a but of everything.

And then the mix gets sealed up soe it makes a nice ball that just keeps swallowing light that hits it's surface.

However, what if she doesn't seal it up once? Theoretically she could make these spheres as big as she wants. And in theory, this might enable her to create a singularity powerful enough to destry the entire planet. And you know what#s the most funny thing? She's got not a single clue that she's able to do that, because she's just a moody teen that uses her magic following her instincts while having NOT A SINGLE CLUE ABOUT HOW PHYSICS WORK.

Imagine that. The power to destroy the world in the hands of a moody, probably mentally unstable 17-19 year old with a god-complex. And she does't even know it. Seriously, I thought Lux was dandgerous from being able to cause nuclear fusion at will. (View this thread for more on that). But now we have a lady that is able to potentially end the world with her powers.

Seriously Riot Writers. Stop creating walking nuclear bombs. Runeterra is already dangerous enough as it is, with celestials, darkin and whater lurking around while Demacia and Noxus stand at the brink of open warfare. IT REALLY IS DANGEROUS ENOUGH ALREADY.

39 Comments

SLICE AMERICANS3 votes

This entire thing hinges on magic "playing by the rules." Good luck with that.

SaltyToplaneGoat1 votes

No matter how fancy your magic, unless you are some eldrich horror that plays by completly different rules basic laws of physics still apply to you or have to be worked around.

Mogarl2 votes

Not really. While Runeterra shares many physics with our world, our world doesn't have magic. Nothing says that magical energies abide by the rules we know.

That said Magic does in all likely hood play by its own set of rules as any thoughts of wizardry or ritual based magic requires that there are rules of magic that someone can learn and exploit.

Fasmodey3 votes

I highly doubt she has cosmic powers. She is born with innate magic that is descripted as limitless potential. She is currently far away from celestial power in my eyes. Her power source is herself and it is not known why.

Annie, Taliyah and Syndra. All of them are extremely powerful mages and they get more and more powerful with age. Annie is the weakest one and a kid, but she still surprises people. Taliyah is a teen but even Nasus is surprised by power she commands. Syndra is an adult and the most powerful among them because of her age, but it can be also because of her magic type.

Lux, hmm. Her powers seem developed, rather than innate magic. Like Xerath. Xerath is gifted as mage like others, but he didn't know it until he searched for it unlike Syndra, who discovered her powers in early age without any search.

Seems like there are 2 types of mage as known. Mages who are born with innate magic in their soul/body that discover power of themselves in early age, and other mage type that is also gifted with power of magic, but needs to search for it.

In other say, first mage type is Sorcerer/Sorceress, other mage type is Wizard or Warlock.

As we know sorcerers (Annie, Taliyah, Syndra) only use their innate magic, they don't develop other types of magic for some reasons. Maybe they can't, or they don't want. But Wizards, like Xerath and Lux, they show more than one magic type.

Riot, you should explain how magic works. Right now. (pls?)

SaltyToplaneGoat1 votes

It dependes how you define cosmic. Is the origin of it from outside Runeterra like with Leona/Diana/Pantheon? Is the power itself cosmic, as with Veigar? Or is it just describing a magic that is specialized to meddle with cosmic constants such as gravity? Because if anything it would be the last named.

In that case Syndra would be born with innate magic, type gravity control, just how Annie is with fire magic and Tal with her rocks. However, gravity control alone already opens up the possibility of creating a black hole. The only question is how much mana is needed for that and if Syndra could achieve this. If her powers are truly growing stronger by the day with no end, then Runeterra might be screwed in the long run...

Fasmodey4 votes

[{quoted}](name=Kyoki Shinkuro,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=GqeYx0uZ,comment-id=00020000,timestamp=2016-08-01T18:47:45.465+0000)

It dependes how you define cosmic. Is the origin of it from outside Runeterra like with Leona/Diana/Pantheon? Is the power itself cosmic, as with Veigar? Or is it just describing a magic that is specialized to meddle with cosmic constants such as gravity? Because if anything it would be the last named.

In that case Syndra would be born with innate magic, type gravity control, just how Annie is with fire magic and Tal with her rocks. However, gravity control alone already opens up the possibility of creating a black hole. The only question is how much mana is needed for that and if Syndra could achieve this. If her powers are truly growing stronger by the day with no end, then Runeterra might be screwed in the long run...

There is no single proof that says Syndra warps the gravity. I give my chance to something similar to telekinesis. Her telekinetic like powers are absurdly powerful, she doesn't even need to think for holding fortress.

I think she holds fortress like how she holds minions and dark spheres in gameplay. With dark magical particules. So, I would say, she is a dark sorceress with formidable powers, rather than a gravity mage.

Even though if she could, creating black hole is not something Syndra would do if she is clever enough. Destroying Runeterra would bring nothing good, she would die instantly. Earlier than anyone. She is human, she is fragile as much as an adult female. She has destructive powers, but she is nowhere close to resistance of an ascended or celestial being.

SaltyToplaneGoat1 votes

I thought of telekinsesis fist too, but that would mean the fortress would come crashing down the moment she went to sleep - and even if you are a super-powerful mage, as a human being you need sleep. So instead the magic that keeps the fortress in the air must work not on lifting the fortress in the air, but instead manipulates how the fortress reacts to the gravitational pull of Runeterra.

Also yes, of course she would never try to do that. But now imagine her going crazy or experiencing a strong trauma that causes he powers to spiral out of control? That would be clearly possible.

Fasmodey2 votes

[{quoted}](name=Kyoki Shinkuro,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=GqeYx0uZ,comment-id=0002000000000000,timestamp=2016-08-01T20:01:39.009+0000)

I thought of telekinsesis fist too, but that would mean the fortress would come crashing down the moment she went to sleep - and even if you are a super-powerful mage, as a human being you need sleep. So instead the magic that keeps the fortress in the air must work not on lifting the fortress in the air, but instead manipulates how the fortress reacts to the gravitational pull of Runeterra.

Also yes, of course she would never try to do that. But now imagine her going crazy or experiencing a strong trauma that causes he powers to spiral out of control? That would be clearly possible.

She is descripted as limitless potential. I don't think that much magical potential would lose against sleep.

If I go from gameplay, her magical particules may have durations. In game, it is 7/9 seconds, but it is how to balance in game. Maybe it is 1 day for every sphere. Or even further, what if they don't have any duration in lore? What if she creates and destroys at will, and it doesn't matter how much time went, they will exist until she desires to destroy?

Syndra is the most powerful human being in Runeterra in my eyes. Actually, the most powerful mortal. Maybe even more powerful than many immortal beings, like Aatrox, Anivia etc. But she is too fragile. She needs a ritual to make herself invincible.

SaltyToplaneGoat1 votes

Well, but sleep is still a thing to. Just compare it with having tons of muscles. You can be sthe strongest man in the world, but you're hardly moving mountains while sleeping. The manpilation of the gravity-related properties of the fortress seems more likely here, so now the fortress is kinda "keeping itself up".

She needs no ritual. She needs to go to the gym and start lifting :P

Ebonmaw Dragon1 votes

[{quoted}](name=Kyoki Shinkuro,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=GqeYx0uZ,comment-id=0002000000000000,timestamp=2016-08-01T20:01:39.009+0000)

I thought of telekinsesis fist too, but that would mean the fortress would come crashing down the moment she went to sleep

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/pokemon/images/0/02/063Abra_AG_anime.png/revision/latest?cb=20131224023304

SaltyToplaneGoat1 votes

Abra is not using sleep-telekinseis, which would be a constant act, but is rather sleep-teleporting, a sudden short action, like suddenly turning around in bed without waking up. So the comparision is not exactly correct ^^

Ebonmaw Dragon1 votes

[{quoted}](name=Kyoki Shinkuro,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=GqeYx0uZ,comment-id=000200000000000000010000,timestamp=2016-08-02T12:58:28.243+0000)

Abra is not using sleep-telekinseis, which would be a constant act, but is rather sleep-teleporting, a sudden short action, like suddenly turning around in bed without waking up. So the comparision is not exactly correct ^^

Well, the Teletransportation of Abra is described in the pokedex as a telekinetic power and he can read minds in order to sense danger even if he is sleeping. He is also able to "float" while sleeping due his powers... the same thing that Syndra could do with her castle.

SaltyToplaneGoat1 votes

Yes, but reading minds is something that has to do with perception, not doing a complex action that requires concentration.

Also, I think the physiology of a pokemon and Syndra kinda differ, so... the comparision is still not correct.

Vistha Kai3 votes

Not sure if troll or...

You do understand Syndra is a champion release in 2012, right?

She was also released after the lore was retconned. "How so?" you may ask.

Well, Darius, who was released earlier that year and was the last champion who was mentioned in the "League" lore. Around the same time Journal of Justice was discontinued.

No champion since had any mention of Summoners or Institute of War in their lores.

Now back to other crap.

Syndra is drawing power from a limitless resort of power. This could be cosmic power or the Void, or something else, but I doubt that this is it, as such power would probably burn her alive or at least cause siginficant changes in her human appearance, such as it does with Malzahar.

Syndra was effectively born with a power simillar to Xerath after his ascension. She has a natural ability to control magic. And magic is all around Runaterra, apparently. More about it later.

However, if she was a gravity-mage, then what exactly are those black round things with incredibe desnity and mass? Under that aspect it's also interesting how the spheres appear when she summons them: the blackness is being gathered and concentrated into the middle... The generally magically charged atmopshere of Runeterra?

Condensed magic.

She's got not a single clue that she's able to do that, because she's just a moody teen that uses her magic following her instincts while having NOT A SINGLE CLUE ABOUT HOW PHYSICS WORK. The power to destroy the world in the hands of a moody, probably mentally unstable 17-19 year old with a god-complex. And she does't even know it.

She's stable and nowhere near "teen". I wonder, do you consider Lux "17-19 year old teen"? Because the Syndra you see in the game is older than Lux.


TL;DR

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IYvj54eecYk/VlPRflvPtkI/AAAAAAAAEWk/Y_jjKCORAMg/s640/space-magic%2B1.jpg

SaltyToplaneGoat1 votes

I think at some point in life you reach the point where everyone below 30 is like a "teen" for you. That's not even meant in an insulting way, but to me they are all "brats", "kids", "teens", pick your favourite ^^ Might be a misconception on my parts tho, but I think the silver hair is making her look older than she actually is.

Vistha Kai1 votes

Sucks to be you, then, since a word like "teen" has a rather strict meaning to it.

I suppose, that isn't much different from people using "a couple" and thinking, say, "10".

GuardAbuse1 votes

To me, and I could be wrong, couple was always two. My dad said, "like a romantic couple, there's 2."

SaltyToplaneGoat1 votes

Implying that a group of three or more people can't be a romantic couple tho...

It usually "a couple" can also mean "a small number". At least (in german 8the word is "paar" here) it's like that, I'm not that familiar with english.

GuardAbuse1 votes

You're right about more than 2 being a couple, but that saying was around way before it was socially even questioned. I don't have an exact date, but I have seen it in 60's movies (wish I could remember the names). It's probably been around for longer. Some sayings just don't make sense anymore cause they're outdated, but we all still say it.

DJMason882 votes

I don't think she's a teen. Young adult,more like. Probably in her early twenties. But yea, no one knows what Syndra is really capable of. That's why the league trapped her. A lot of chanpions were forced into the league, and those are extremely powerful, so they put huge restraints on them.

SaltyToplaneGoat1 votes

1.) the league doesn't exist

2.) I always thought of her as ~19 tbh

DJMason881 votes

What do you mean by the league doesn't exist....

SaltyToplaneGoat1 votes

Either you are new to the game or you are trying to mess with me.

For information: the legaue and all lore surrounding it has been removed and is no longer canon. Syndra is not trapped or anything.

DJMason881 votes

So what about Nocturnes lore? I joined when Kindred was released so i always thought it was canon because of Nocturne and Fiddle

SaltyToplaneGoat2 votes

Old champs, lore team sucks and still hasn't written them new stories. Simple as that.

Going by the normal speed of content release nocturne might get his noew lore in five years or something...

The Soulforged3 votes

{quoted}

What do you mean by the league doesn't exist....

You poor, poor, poor boy.

http://na.leagueoflegends.com/en/creative-spotlight/dev-blog-exploring-runeterra

Fasmodey2 votes

[{quoted}](name=Kyoki Shinkuro,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=GqeYx0uZ,comment-id=00010000,timestamp=2016-08-01T17:01:30.554+0000)

1.) the league doesn't exist

2.) I always thought of her as ~19 tbh

She is confirmed as adult. She is at least 25 years old.

ZT Xperimentor1 votes

Agreed; taliyah & ekko are teenagers while syndra clearly isn't.

GreenLore1 votes

The league never trapped Syndra. I think they never established why Syndra joined the league in the old lore.

Rebonack2 votes

A black hole with an event horizon the radius of the spheres Syndra is tossing around would have more mass than the planet by no small margin.

It's just a manifestation of psychokinetic force.

SaltyToplaneGoat1 votes

Weight becomes kinda meaningless when you can manipulate gravity itself at will.

Adnd as for the gravitational pull radiating form it: I think that the sphere is kinda "bottled up and everything immaterial that still enters the sphere is swallowed up - such as light or radiation, causing none of it to be reflected, causing in the sphere to appear black. Also there might be a distance between the actuall mass and the outer shell of the sphere, so the actual mass would be lighter.

Rebonack1 votes

[{quoted}](name=Kyoki Shinkuro,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=GqeYx0uZ,comment-id=00060000,timestamp=2016-08-02T15:35:45.556+0000)

Weight becomes kinda meaningless when you can manipulate gravity itself at will.

Mass and weight are two very different things. Simply having a mass that large whizzing around would carry with it destructive tidal forces that are flatly 'crack the planet' level absurd. The only characters in the game that would even begin to approach Syndra's power are cosmic gods, and the Lore really doesn't give the impression she's that strong.

Adnd as for the gravitational pull radiating form it: I think that the sphere is kinda "bottled up and everything immaterial that still enters the sphere is swallowed up - such as light or radiation, causing none of it to be reflected, causing in the sphere to appear black. Also there might be a distance between the actuall mass and the outer shell of the sphere, so the actual mass would be lighter.

If they were actually black holes, then walking over the dark spheres should be damaging other champs (honestly, it would be killing them and everything on the planet instantly, but whatever.) All signs point to them being manifestations of her tele/psychokinetic power. That's her whole theme.

rand0mredneck1 votes

My theory? I think her powers are tied to the Void.

SaltyToplaneGoat1 votes

Not enough purple for that. Also, Void mages tend to look a bit more like Malzahar or Kassadin , and Syndra has more of her own thing going here I guess.

rand0mredneck1 votes

[{quoted}](name=Kyoki Shinkuro,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=GqeYx0uZ,comment-id=00040000,timestamp=2016-08-01T21:56:49.357+0000)

Not enough purple for that. Also, Void mages tend to look a bit more like Malzahar or Kassadin , and Syndra has more of her own thing going here I guess.

I'm just saying, it kinda makes sense. They knew she had Void powers, hence the power reducer doodad they slapped on her for so long. And those two were directly exposed to the Void, hence why they look so janky.

SaltyToplaneGoat1 votes

Usually people suspected to do anything with with Void are probably killed on the spot. They are an evil cult doing human sacrifices and trying to end the world. I'm not sure if she would be even alive if she had void powers...

Ebonmaw Dragon1 votes

Veigar Excuse me, but the Dark Spheres of Syndra are moved by telekinesis, not a "gravity magic"... and those balls are made from dark magic, not black holes.

THE ONLY ONE THAT USES CORRUPTED COSMIC MAGIC IN ORDER TO CREATE BLACK HOLES, IS THE MIGHTY EVIL OVERLORD, VEIGAR.

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/9/9c/Veigar_OriginalSkin_Ch.jpg/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/613/height/460?cb=20110308204727

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/c/c9/Veigar.laugh6.ogg/revision/latest?cb=20140205175659

SaltyToplaneGoat1 votes

Veigar is just having seemingly infinite powers due to him possibly drawing power from the cosmos - although it is not clear if he can actually influence gravtiy with it. Yes, he can create projectiles of unmeasurable destructive power and disort space and time, but gravity? Until now there has been nothing that makes one suggest that this falls under Veigar's resort of powers.

Syndra however is a mage "tuned" towards gravity - just how Taliyah is with rocks. She's the born specialist, and that's why she can pull it off.

Ebonmaw Dragon1 votes

[{quoted}](name=Kyoki Shinkuro,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=GqeYx0uZ,comment-id=00050000,timestamp=2016-08-02T13:02:53.634+0000)

Syndra however is a mage "tuned" towards gravity - just how Taliyah is with rocks. She's the born specialist, and that's why she can pull it off.

The point is that she ISNT a gravity mage, even if her concept was. Just like Aurelion Sol isnt a storm dragon or Viktor a Hexmage. She is a darkmage with Telekinesis.

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