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The Darkin and Aurelion Sol: Why Targon Needs an Aspect of Common Sense

NotaRobot1006·7/19/2018, 2:49:43 AM·39 votes·14,979 views

These people cannot plan ahead to save their lives. Or anyone else's lives.

First off, we have the Darkin. Twilight of the Gods showed that the Darkin could be killed, albeit with great effort. Instead of killing all of the ludicrously powerful tyrants, the Aspect of Twilight decided to use a few to kill the rest. In the process, she made those few even more immortal than they already were instead of killing them once they'd outlasted their use. Then she condemned them to a nightmarish existence that would make them very strongly pro-revenge once someone inevitably found them.

You can talk about poetic justice and how the Darkin went from treating people like tools to becoming tools themselves, but that's cold comfort in the long run. Thanks to Targon's justice, we now have either 2 or 3 Darkin murdering to their hearts' content. Aatrox wants to destroy all of existence, Varus wants to destroy at least Runeterra, and Rhaast will kill pretty much anything you point him at.

These Darkin weren't saints before they were sealed in weapons, but now they're arguably worse. Maybe, just maybe, millennia of immobilization and solitary confinement isn't the best way to create a stable, peaceful individual. We can't put all the blame on the Aspect of Twilight, either. It's not like anyone else tried to stop her. These space clowns took a huge problem and turned it into a different huge problem instead of just killing their enemies. Now everyone else on Runeterra is paying for it.

And then there's Aurelion Sol. The bright sparks of Targon decided to enslave yet another absurdly powerful being, destroy his creations when he disobeys, and then not pay very, very close attention to their hold on him. Sol's story implies Targon's grip on him is weakening and he's got some pretty solid reasons for wanting revenge. Unless Sol is extremely careful with avoiding collateral damage, Targon has once again screwed over a huge portion of Runeterra because they can't be bothered to think about the consequences of their actions.

Thank goodness the Aspects oppose the Void or they'd have literally zero redeeming qualities.

70 Comments

Ahpe7/19/2018, 2:58:51 AM27 votes

#Plot twist: The Void is Myisha's fault.

Naalith7/19/2018, 2:59:15 AM15 votes

There's also the threat of the Shadow Isles, which Targon doesn't seem to notice. While Targon and the Void are extremely powerful, I think they were brought down power level wise a bit in Twilight of the Gods. Ta'anari says if he and all the other ascended had teamed up in their prime, they could have sieged the heavenly gate and traveled to worlds beyond. Anyways, a shadow of death fueled by corrupted holy water which is some of the most powerful stuff in League lore is growing under their nose, led by Mordekaiser who has the power to control souls and thus is made even more stupidly powerful by the Black Mist. You'd think Targon would look at the Ruination or have some seer that saw the future and would go "hey man, maybe this isn't a good thing" but no, planning is not their strong suit apparently.

For a race of stupidly powerful beings who seem to think they are protecting Runeterra with all their might (and why they are protecting it has yet to be revealed), they really don't take threats too seriously.

Blood Mefist7/19/2018, 4:24:26 PM9 votes

Clearly Common Sense was one of the aspects/concepts that died during the Darkin Wars.

WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOO7/19/2018, 4:58:06 AM8 votes

It’s not unusual for the god-types to create their own enemies or be fickle with their power. This is seen in many religious systems, like the Hellenistic pantheon, to designate the distinction between god and mortal.

Ahpe7/19/2018, 4:00:13 PM8 votes

They probably had an Aspect with common sense but they booted his ass out.

The Ecdysiast7/19/2018, 8:26:26 AM5 votes

Firstly, let it be known it was not the ASPECTS of Targon who enslaved Sol, it was the people.

Secondly, while I think it's a far worse hell than anything else imaginable and even the destruction of the planet would likely leave the weapons in space for eternity with no possible vessel, there may be a reason for keeping these three alive.

The very same reason Aurelion Sol was enslaved: To protect this dimension from the impending return of the Void. It may be that the Aspect of Twilight, who could've killed them, knew she needed these remaining Darkin to fight for the planet and that they would turn back to the side of justice when they found that the god-emperor of Shurima was alive again.

Sol, on the other hand, wants to fight against the Void anyway, even without the enslavement. He may want to kill the Targonians, but either the Aspects will stop him (those with cosmic-level power, not the Aspect of War) or they'll allow it since losing Targon is a small price to pay for protecting the whole dimension.

TheGreatRasputin7/19/2018, 5:43:05 PM5 votes

The closest we have to an Aspect of Common Sense is The Protector(Taric). He at least understands that Aurelion Sol doesn't deserve what's happened to him, and he's basically the only "Good" Aspect. Diana also isn't as evil as everyone says, since she is trying to revive the Lunari. Leona wants to avenge the Solari, which is fairly noble. But then there's War and Change. Those two are complete assholes.

Lintu Puck7/19/2018, 3:18:11 AM5 votes

Twilight is more or less a Trickster God. The kind that does as he pleases and will do their job as they please. The newly named "Darkin" were a threat because their constant war risked destroying everything, and that would be kind of a problem for the Aspects. Kinda need followers or at least something to watch over. The Harrowing/Black Mist issue is not a big enough threat yet and the Shadow Isle are a good ways away from Targon. As for A.Sol the hold on him seems to be weakening due to in fighting among the Targonians. They probably had a hold on him for so long they forgot how to really maintain it. If anything, they are simply falling pray to their own hubris, as many gods in our world tend to do.

calibergunsaint7/19/2018, 4:26:27 PM5 votes

Tbh, I would love a champion that just goes around and shouts at others for the weird things they do, a true voice of common sense. It would be pretty godamn funny.

Tegash7/19/2018, 7:33:30 PM5 votes

The Aspect of Common Sense died, that's why nobody on Runterra has any.

Ryze is clearly an alien, and that's why he's actually pragmatic about stuff.

PaffWasTaken7/19/2018, 7:58:43 PM4 votes

I so want an event in the likes of Chaos vs order, but instead Darkins+ Aurelion vs Targon

Then, after Targon defeated, every single targon champions could be locked from playing just like when Gangplank "died"... I just want something to put my rage against Targon into. Ever since the Aurelion/Taric lore expansion of Targon, every single piece of lore concerning Targon just makes everyone from there look like a bunch of assholes who could afford getting punched to death

Stars Shaper7/19/2018, 3:51:51 PM4 votes

The Darkins aren't going to be troublesome for Targonians imo, but surely Runeterrans are going to have a lot of problems now and NOT because of the Void.

Indeed, enslaving a Star Dragon and earning his truest hate wasn't the best choice ever...e specially because Aurelion liked them to begin with.

And about avoiding collateral damage.... AurelionSol: "I would burn the cosmos to catch Targon in the flame."

Wrathof3007/19/2018, 7:24:49 PM3 votes

The Darkin are a by product of Targon's involvement but they are not Targon's fault. The Darkin exist because of Shurima's fall they were Ascended that tried to conquer the world, Targon just happened to be the only faction capable/ willing to stop them. As far as we know Targon could have also trapped the Darkin so that they could be used later for future Void invasion in their weapon forms, as the Void possibly may longer be able to corrupt their weapon forms. The result is much better than had Targon not intervened with Shurima's mess.

Warlord Rhinark7/19/2018, 9:54:14 AM3 votes

First off, we have the Darkin. Twilight of the Gods showed that the Darkin could be killed, albeit with great effort. Instead of killing all of the ludicrously powerful tyrants, the Aspect of Twilight decided to use a few to kill the rest. In the process, she made those few even more immortal than they already were instead of killing them once they'd outlasted their use. Then she condemned them to a nightmarish existence that would make them very strongly pro-revenge once someone inevitably found them.

The thing is, you're assuming that the last 5 Darkin, Aatrox, Rhaast, Varus, N/A and N/A can be killed just like the others.

They can't.

The whole gimmick behind Aatrox's lore is that he can't die. He mentions up to several times how he wish he could just die and that his curse keeps him alive.

One of Rhaast's respawn lines has him saying he can't die either: "Hmm. So that's what dying feels like. Good thing I'm immortal!"

And in the story, Twilight of the Gods, after Myisha kills Ta'anari, she even says:

"We will need to take a different approach in dealing with the rest of the...”

We NEED to take a different approach. Killing them won't work.

I don't think it's that farfetched to assume that the final 5 Darkin simply can't be killed because of how powerful they are, and imprisonment was the only option Myisha, and Targon as a whole, had.

And then there's Aurelion Sol. The bright sparks of Targon decided to enslave yet another absurdly powerful being, destroy his creations when he disobeys, and then not pay very, very close attention to their hold on him. Sol's story implies Targon's grip on him is weakening and he's got some pretty solid reasons for wanting revenge. Unless Sol is extremely careful with avoiding collateral damage, Targon has once again screwed over a huge portion of Runeterra because they can't be bothered to think about the consequences of their actions.

Again, this is all for the greater good.

Targon isn't intentionally out to destroy the universe, they're actually trying to save it.

Desperation must have forced their hand when they enslaved Aurelion Sol. They saw a weapon to utilize against the Void, the one evil that will consume everything, why wouldn't they take it?

When Aurelion Sol came to visit them, he quickly grew bored and flew away. Targon must've become desperate, their one hope against the Void was slipping out of their grasp so they were forced to subjugate him and force him to return.

That's why they are so harsh on him. They destroy his stars in order to keep him obedient. It's because they know that he is the only shot they have at saving the universe.

I'd actually wager that Aurelion Sol is the indirect villain here. Rather than see the noble cause the Targonians are fighting for and actually trying to help them of his own volition, he resorts to destroy the only bastion Runeterra has against the Void because of petty personal vendettas.

I think Targon gets more flak than they deserve. They're actually the only force on Runeterra that's actually trying to save it, barring someone like Ryze.

I'd love to hear your opinion on this.

mrmeddyman7/19/2018, 8:18:09 AM2 votes

It is a pretty big plot hole that could have been avoided by not rolling the Darkin into the Runeterran Ascended and instead keeping the Darkin as aliens/ outsiders from another dimension (what they were was never clarified) And then simply saying that Aatrox was an Ascended of the Darkin which is different from being a Human ascended (aka not an animal but instead a demon-looking mofo)

This way Rhaast and Varus could be Darkin but not Ascended and still work whereas Rhaast still feels like a Darkin but definitely not an Ascended and Varus doesn't feel like either atm tbh