The Darkin lores are incredible, I just have one question.

Over Innsmouth·6/25/2018, 4:32:16 PM·22 votes·24,865 views

At least I think so.

Aatrox's further characterization through his bio and 'The Cage' helps cement one of what I already thought was one of the better characters to help represent the new canon, and 'Twilight of the Gods' was an absolute pleasure to read throughout. Filling out the history and lore makes the fantasy behind League of Legends so much more enjoyable to immerse into.

I just have one question.

How come Aatrox and Rhaast appear to be some kind of melding of armour and flesh, Varus looks very much like Void corruption, yet they're now confirmed to have undergone the same ascension ritual as Azir, Nasus, Renekton, and the other ascended/sunborn/darkin from Twilight of the Gods, but they're not animal-themed?

77 Comments

NotaRobot10066/25/2018, 4:35:36 PM12 votes

One of the bits of flavor text on the art page says that they "mastered many forbidden forms of primal magic, crafting their own flesh and armor with equal ease, until they were completely unrecognizable as the noble warriors they had once been."

So they decided animal heads weren't cool enough and grew their own armor.

RiotWAAARGHbobo6/25/2018, 8:46:15 PM12 votes

The animal theming (or lack there of) has to do with the Shuriman language/orthography and cultural symbology.
Somewhere between ancient egyptian and chinese ideographs, shuriman concepts have symbols --often with multiple meaning depending on the context.

So the word/concept/symbol for "Lord or Emperor" might be a golden bird... Thus when someone "embodies" that ideal -- they might take on some of that symbology. But that does not mean all shuriman concepts are animalistic--

Fasmodey6/25/2018, 4:54:27 PM9 votes

I think the Darkin shuriman folks know and call are the typical Ascended. They are the Ascended after Fall of Shurima. But the Darkin we know, in view of reader, are the Ascended trapped in weapons. They are different because they lost their form, and what we see (red flesh of Rhaast and Aatrox) are the only what they can corrupt and reach to have a physical form in material universe. They can't reach to an actual ascended form anymore, that's why Aatrox is pissed off. That's literally the best they can do. A completely different form, a shadow of their glory.

That's why I believe when they were trapped in their weapons, they lost their form. That's why Aatrox misses his true form and says I will never will be glorious again. Vessels they corrupt can only become what you wouldn't say how an Ascended actually looks like. Not because it is their wish, but because it is their best. They miss being the Ascended and hate what they have become. A pathetic try that fails miserably.

Ralanr6/25/2018, 4:37:36 PM6 votes

Based on how many ascended there are, some might not be fully animal themed.

And I blame the pit Varus was in

Hayaishi6/25/2018, 5:39:38 PM1 votes

Darkins are a race it wouldnt be weird for them to have different bodies.