Are the Summoner's Institute and League of Legends no longer canon? What about the Crystal Scar?

Marquis of Salt·Jan 27, 2015·6 votes·3,018 views

It seems to me that since Shurima got revamped with the coming of our emperor, Azir, may he rule forever, Riot has declared that the League no longer exists. Now many champions are changed or barely have a presence in the current path of the lore. I love the lore and have it all memorized and I've been fascinated with the development of Runeterra since I joined the community. That's why I'm devastated to see so much of it disappear.

Skarner had a great lore and it provided insight on the rivalry between Noxus and Demacia. Does the Crystal Scar even exist anymore?

I've got more questions but I'd like to get this discussion started.

18 Comments

SharjoJan 27, 20154 votes

The rule of thumb is that everything that involved the League happened, but doesn't involve the league anymore. Thus Noxus and Demacia still went and fought over Kalamanda, and Zilean still stopped it. By this logic the Crystal Scar exists as a part of Kalamanda, and will remain so unless they decide to retcon the map itself. Skarner himself has been moved to Shurima, and that's it for him change wise as far as we know.

Amy WinehausJan 27, 20152 votes

I can't believe they'd just destroy his amazing lore and leave it at a painful 3 sentences. I'm just not a fan of how Riot is so willing to change what is canon so whimsically just to fit ONE event. This also leaves the question, what of the others of Skarner's race? Is he now the only one or do the other sleeping members of his people still reside in the Crystal Scar?

BalareonJan 27, 20151 votes

{quoted}

I can't believe they'd just destroy his amazing lore and leave it at a painful 3 sentences. I'm just not a fan of how Riot is so willing to change what is canon so whimsically just to fit ONE event. This also leaves the question, what of the others of Skarner's race? Is he now the only one or do the other sleeping members of his people still reside in the Crystal Scar?

They're changing everyone's lore. THe short 3 sentence things are the placeholders until they finish everyone's new lore, which, could take a while.

SharjoJan 27, 20152 votes

AS A BIG NOTICE BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE KNOWS

the three lines is a short summary intended solely for the client. The website will have longer lores and further stories while the client will have short summaries with links to the website.

Things are fucked right now because of technical difficulties which have been going on for several months now. suffice to say, If anyone's lore is three or four sentences, its because the system is fucked longer lore is on its way.

On Skarner specifically, we don't know a lot considering all we have is the summary and not anything much substantial, but since he's been moved to Shurima it stands to reason the Brackern were moved with him, and they now sleep under the sands of the desert. The summary is likely indicative of how Valoran's people see him; they know nothing of what he guards, only that he guards something important and he will not allow anything to get by him.

GreenLoreJan 27, 20151 votes

I dunno how Skarners lore was that big and amazing? The kalamanda conflict itself is not Skarners lore,Skarners appearance was a result of it,but he himself had no influence on the conflict itself and his personal lore was basically "he woke up,attacked some dudes,learned about the league,joined to prepare the return of his people".

Sure the current thing is definetly worse,but it is just the short version,while it may take a while we will get the full thing eventually.

Sneak DogJan 27, 20151 votes

He and his people were forced to hibernate due to the runewars. Now one day, Skarner, the vanguard of his people and the first to awaken so he can determine whether the world is safe for the Brackerns return yet, wakes up due to magical turmoil above him. He wakes up to a vastly different world and sees some creatures mining crystals, crystals!

He is later approached by a detachment of these creatures whose friends he slew. They explain they are part of an organisation to prevent runewars. Skarner understands these creatures mean well and might very well be his peoples only hope.

Now Skarner is responsible for his entire race and attempts to get the Odyn valley ready for his peoples return with the aid of the institute. Then suddenly the high councilor is revealed to be corrupt.

That is his lore in a nutshell.

GreenLoreJan 27, 20151 votes

Which is exactly what I said,but with prettier words.

I mean seriously skarner appears,then gets in a fight because of confusion then joins the league to prepare for the return of his kind.The end.(the corrupt part was never fully there and if it became a plot point it wouldn't just affect skarner but all champs)

There is place to expand all this,,but the same can be said about his short lore(i mean the brackern themselves might still be canon,so basically everything besides the location and him joining the league might be unchanged)

Sneak DogJan 27, 20151 votes

You forgot the part where Skarner relies on an unknown race, the very race that was responsible for his race being forced to hibernate or go extinct. You didn't convey the part where Skarner is intelligent and not just monstrous.

"No. It is I who should be apologizing." Skarner's jaws clenched. "Forgive me. This new world is so very strange, and the grievances of centuries past are still recent to my memory.

GreenLoreJan 28, 20151 votes

skarners new lore does neither confirm nor deny that he is intelligent,so that didn't necessarily change(considering his VO stayed the same and wasn't updated like xeraths or so,he most likely is still as intelligent as before)

Sneak DogJan 28, 20151 votes

He didn't necessarily change, nor did he necessarily stay the same. It is yet unknown. It might be great and he's the same character in a world without IoW, or he is an entirely different one.

Considering Trundle and Xerath, both are entirely possible.

Marquis of SaltJan 27, 20152 votes

Does this mean that the league is now dissolved? How will that play a part in future events?

SharjoJan 27, 20153 votes

The League technically never existed in the lore. This means there's nothing keeping Demacia and Noxus from going to war, the Noxus Ionia conflict never resolved so the provinces of Shon-xan, Navori and Galrin are all under Noxian jurisdiction, Freljord's free to civil war as it pleases, and champions whose lores were intrinsically tied to the league will be changed around so they can exist without it.

Also everyone the League imprisoned is loose in the world, doing their scary scary things.

Marquis of SaltJan 27, 20155 votes

We don't exist anymore. This is a big let down because I always felt like the games I played affected the events that happened in Runeterra.

I supported Ashe in the Freljord event and Ionia in the Noxus vs Ionia conflict.

I felt connected to the game. Now I'm no longer a summoner. I don't even exist. And that connection is gone.

SharjoJan 27, 20153 votes

Alternatively for me I never felt that me being a summoner was important in any way. Probably because I got interested in the lore only after the JoJ concluded. Your opinion is one shared by a large number of people, so you're not alone in that.

CupcakeTrapJan 30, 20151 votes

{quoted}

We don't exist anymore. This is a big let down because I always felt like the games I played affected the events that happened in Runeterra.

I supported Ashe in the Freljord event and Ionia in the Noxus vs Ionia conflict.

I felt connected to the game. Now I'm no longer a summoner. I don't even exist. And that connection is gone.

If you believe in Summoners, clap your hands.

I was very angry for a very long time about the Great Retcon. Now I realize it's a good thing: these people clearly didn't have the interest or inclination to understand the League or make that part of the story work, so I'm glad they dropped it altogether rather than botching it. Let them do their zany disconnected Runeterran adventures. The community can continue with the League, Summoners, and the rest.

SolideusJan 28, 20151 votes

The aesthetic delivery of CS was slightly lacking. I'd imagine they want to reuse Kalamanda but will probably revisit it's art and story if they do.

Barry ZukercornJan 29, 20151 votes

Considering League of Legends' treatment of Dominion as a whole, how they aren't even using Crystal Scar as a map anymore for champion and skin reveals, nor does the newer servers such as OCE even have Dominion regularly available to them; this retconn especially regarding the Crystal Scar has been incoming for a long time.