My problems with Targon

Targon has been through quite a bit of change recently. These changes have been controversial to say the least. It seems that there is a pretty even split of opinion between those who like the new targon, those who hate the new Targon (myself included.) While I can see potential in the new stories, I feel that it wasn't worth deleting the old stories. So, my question to the other camp, and to the lore team, is why. Why did the lore change so drastically? Why do you like the Aspects concept? Why did these changes even happen?

To start off, Pantheon. He was one of my first champions, a badass Rakkorian warrior. He was the one who got me interested in Targon in the first place. Now, his main problem in the lore was that he wasn't connected to the Leona/Diana and the Solari debate. The only connection he had was that he was Leona's childhood friend. That was a problem, but in the new lore event he has even LESS of a connection to the conflict. He is now an Aspect of War (which is a pretty badass title, admittedly) who is apparently a space-god-parasite who takes over a corpse whenever a badass goes to the top of targon. NO connection to Leona or Diana, He had one encounter with Leona (or rather, Atreus had an encounter with her), but they don't interact more than that. Right now, Sol is his new playmate/slave for the time being.

Leona's changes were a bit drastic. I have no problem with her killing, because she used to do it to protect the innocent. She was as compassionate as Braum and Soraka, willing to put her life on the line for her allies. I loved playing her, I loved her as a character, I loved the line "I will protect you."… So when I read this line, I got angry. "If you would shine like a sun, first you must burn like one." And "Leona brings enlightenment to some, death to others." In other words, she seems to have become an inquisitor of sorts, willing to kill the heretic (and burn the mutant, possible purge the unclean too.) While the old lore Implied she was indoctrinated to some extent, she always had her compassion. Now, I have a funny feeling she won't protect me... Now, I am TERRIFIED of her. Hell, I'm gonna call Her Linda, because she is so detached from the other Leona that she has to be a new character.

So, Linda Still has a connection to Diana... but not exactly a deep one. To quote IronStylus when he spoke about the old lore. "We want them to be intertwined, and without delving too far into assumptions and implications, without getting too detailed about their past relationship, what is more tragic than to have to kill someone that you love?" Remember this. Because for a few paragraphs in the lore it's more like "What's more tragic than having to kill someone you barely know who murdered your bosses?" Then, in a rather confusing turn connected with the Aspect concept, she gain PHENOMENAL COSMIC KNOWLEDGE! And is still seeking Diana out, but to tell her secrets instead of executing her. So, now Linda is the psycho with a crush to Diana. Something is backwards here.

Now we come to Diana. Her backstory is still kind of the same. However there is a distinction that made her murder of the elders make more since. You know the emblem on her forehead and the makeup on her eyes? Yeah, that wasn't make up, those were scars. The elders burned the emblem into her forehead, and her tears boiled and formed the scars on her face. She cried out for help, and like Leona's lore, the moon answered. Violently. In the new lore, she was already the aspect of the moon when she met the Solari elders, and killed them when her plan of peaceful coexistence went south. (Although she apparently was always a troublemaker. So maybe there was more to it than that. ) Still, I see it as pointless. She didn't kill Linda (who runs the Spanish Inquisition the Ra-Horak, and thus would lead a manhunt against her) and nothing suggested that she couldn't do it without killing the elders. She also has ancient knowledge but is now focusing on making sure the world isn't going to be eaten by the void (Kassadin? Who's that?).

Aurelion Sol... You know, riot wants a sort of grey and grey morality kind of think with this. Sure, he's enslaved, but if he isn't the Void will go OMNONNOM on Targon, and possibly Runeterra (Again, ). However, I am firmly on his side, mostly because he will destroy Targon. I probably shouldn't be thinking that they deserve to be destroyed in an instant of glorious starlight or being eat by H.P. Lovecraft rejects, but I don't care what happens to these people. These aren't the characters I loved. I care very little for Linda and the other residents of Targon now.

UPDATE: I have now read Taric's new lore, and I am unimpressed. First, riot needs to give us a map because Demacia and Noxus Now share a contient with Targon, and Apparently the mountain is where Demacia sends it's problems. Second, Taric always loved his gemstones, but he apparently enjoyed the simpler joys in life like flowers and nature. While I sympathies with that, he loved it so much that he would abandon battles to enjoy it, meaning that their lives are on his hands. Garen, who was now one of his former friends, became embittered towards him (and for good reason!) and because Garen was the one who gave him a good reputation and without him it rightfully went down the trash. He was assigned to have control over a small group in a relativity quiet place. Of course when he goofs off again, somehow everyone there was slaughtered to the last man.

So in order to atone he started to climb the mountain. Where one of the Super-Duper Aspects shows up and gives him his power, apparently he was being groomed for this. (Which mean that the Aspects likely arranged for those men to die, or that the Aspects are stupid and would want a man who has proven himself incompetent multiple times in his position.) He becomes a protector , and now fights the Void. (Wow, at this point I think they Really did forget about ) I won't compare him to the old lore because I consider reworked champions to be different characters. I will, however, go into what I liked about it. Taric at the very least wants to make up for his mistakes, and he wants to atone. It's almost as if Linda's compassion was moved into him. Still, given that he has proven himself to be incompetent and making Demacia look bad and making Noxius Always Chaotic Evil...Again (Demacia had conscription and taught it's moral superiority over everyone else in the old lore too, but I still feel that they are vilified. P.S. why do I have the feeling 's background is about to be either happy sunshiny mage or emo magic girl? )

Why is the Void connected to Targon now? The Void has connections to runeterra, there is no doubt about that, but there is a certain pattern to how they get there, Icanthia. While there are other void portals, Icanthia is the source of most void creatures. Now, it seems that something about Targon brings them there. Is Tagron made out of Void Bacon? Does Malzahar go there with his cult? Does Kassadin and the Preservers of Valoran know about it? If so, don't you think they would try to stop it? The old conflict of Targon was mainly religious, and while I wouldn't mind it was much if there was a void cult there, the void cult and Kassadin's Groupies (who's membership is implied to be made up of a lot of powerful individuals) seem to be far away from this conflict. It makes Kassadin look like he doesn't notice the massive Void Invasion happening at Targon. Or maybe he wants it gone as much as I do.

Okay, rant over. Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope the lore event gives the fans of this something to enjoy. Please answer my questions and if you want to discuss this, please leave it in the comments. Thank you for thanking the time to read this.