Boards›Story, Art, & Sound

Questions about the Ascended

Pyronaaxa·1/29/2020, 12:55:57 PM·3 votes·8,751 views

I have questions that I've been pondering about for a while.

We know that the Ascended receive power from the sun. The Sun, in particular, was created by .

So, can it be said that the Ascended take power indirectly from Aurelion Sol?. The latter states that each sun is a part of him so this may fuel my theory that the Ascended are empowered by indirectly.

Now, I may sound childish when I say that the Ascended may or may not be more powerful than the Aspects themselves with the exception of .

Evidence of this is when killed the Aspect of War, erasing the latter's constellation in space. It can be argued, however, that it was Aatrox' god killing blade that did the trick but there's no proof of that.

I also like to theorize that since the Ascended are fuel by Aurelion, they are more powerful than the Aspects in terms of sheer destructive power. And yes, Aspect grow more powerful in due time just like Zoe but, I would like to argue that even then, they can still be killed. Evidence of this is when the Aspect of War itself fully took over Pantheon, meaning that Aatrox killed an Aspect at full power.

Next question, does the mental state of an ascended influences its power? Like if they are sad and depressed, do they grow weaker and when they feel joyous or victorious, do they get empowered? Is moon based magic quite effective against them?

This is implied in Nasus', Renekton's stories and the Darkin.

Lastly, how come there are tier levels in the Ascended? What determines a perfect ascension or a half-baked ascension? Also, if they are empowered and fueled by the sun, does that make them immune to sun magic?

16 Comments

Jaspers1/29/2020, 1:48:35 PM4 votes

First part, the sun is used in the process, presumably to power it but they don't actually get their power from the sun, it comes from an otherworldly well of energy (Reddit lore).

Aspects and Ascended both have physical forms they are dependent on, Aspect take a host while Ascended are their own beings but both take their power from the same well. When Aatrox 'killed' War, War's energy probably just went back to that well. Less said about that whole thing the better however.

On the second question. I doubt it. I mean, if one is nuts they might fight with less inhibition but otherwise their power is their power.

The reversal proceedure in Twilight Of the Gods used moonlight as a 'reflection' of the suns power to reverse the process somehow, it's never really explained, just that Ta'anari was shown how to do it by Aspect of Twlight. I wouldn't say they are weak to it.

Ascension is Ascension, I wouldn't say any Ascended is more powerful than the next. Other than Xerath but his Ascension was different, it's told he stayed in there too long and took too much energy.

Vlada Cut1/29/2020, 5:32:09 PM2 votes

Well, I'd say emotions affecting an Aspect's powers depends on the Aspect itself.

What if there's an Aspect that is based around Despair and other negative feelings?

I mean, Morgana's Aspect isn't even remotely close to that, but even then, despite feeling so broken, she's still just as powerful as Kayle, the only reason why she lost to Kayle in a duel was because of her father and realizing the destruction they two had caused, right?

Everyday Legends1/29/2020, 4:53:52 PM1 votes

Here's an important thing to keep in mind: Zoe is the only Aspect we actually know (except kind of Atreus, but I'll get to that).

So what do I mean? What about Leona, Diana, and Taric, for example? Well, none of them are Aspects. They are vessels--conduits for the power of their Aspect. Consider their titles: the Radiant Dawn, the Scorn of the Moon, the Shield of Valoran. Let's look at Taric. During his climb of Mount Targon, he gained such an appreciation for life that he committed himself to preserving its delicate beauty. The Aspect of the Protector granted him the power to do just that, and now Taric stands as a guardian against the greatest threat to life there is: the Void. But he's not the Aspect of the Protector, only the one chosen to inherit their power. Zoe, however, is the Aspect of Twilight. The Aspect appeared before her and two merged into one being. The fact that Zoe actually is an Aspect and not just a vessel is made clear by considering that she has a job. She is the Divine Messenger of Targon. The Aspects are scattered throughout the cosmos, and she's the one who allows everyone to remain in contact with each other. She also heralds events of cosmic significance. As an example, the Aspect of Twilight previously heralded the Great Darkin War. This is what makes Zoe an Aspect. She has a duty not to Runeterra, but to Targon itself.

So what about Pantheon? Well, here's the thing: the death of an Aspect is a big deal. Their death also means that everything in their purview will cease to exist. Zoe, for example, is the embodiment of mischief, imagination, and change. So if the Aspect of Twilight were to die, so would all of these concepts. So when Aatrox struck down Pantheon (and their stars disappeared), everything the Aspect of the Warrior represented began to disappear: things like courage and determination. Atreus, however, refused to allow this to simply happen. By raising the Aspect's spear, Atreus kept those concepts alive. He became the new reason such concepts continue to exist. He became the Aspect of the Warrior, and with that power, defeated Aatrox.

So, where do the Ascended factor into all this? Well, they are Runeterrans, likely among the most powerful beings Runeterra has to offer. But that's all they are. Using the sun, they took a sip of cosmic power, but Targonians are the ones who built the fountain. Ascended beings are certainly powerful, and would probably be a match for vessels (who also have a taste of cosmic power, just handed to them in a bottle). But if you weighed any of them against Aspects--true Aspects--I don't think there's any comparison.

Wrathof3002/1/2020, 2:38:38 PM1 votes

The Ascended aren't flat out stronger than the Aspects. Some Ascended can be more powerful than Aspect and vice versa.

The thing about Shuriman Ascension, the Ascended receive 100% of their power upon Ascension, whereas the Aspects may or may not depending on compatibility. Due to the Aspects harbouring the actual celestial within their bodies, they can unlock more of this potential power overtime Zoe .

With respect to the Tier, this is due to factors such as compatibility and the celestial concepts they embody. The less compatible Ascended like deteriorated in mind and body, their minds were affected by their animalistic instincts, although depending on Renekton's case this may also be due to the concept he may embody in Shuriman culture. Other less compatible Sunborn used blood magic to maintain their bodies as they deteriorated more quickly than other Ascended. The concepts can also influence the combat prowess of an Ascended or Aspect. Aatrox : War and Kayn : Death

I theorized that the reason Aatrox was able to "kill" the Aspect of War, is due to how the Darkin weapon are able to absorb the souls of their host.

We can assume Moon based magic or perhaps any manner of celestial magic is effective against them including Sun magic.