1. Shadow Isles 2. Zaun 3. Piltover 4. Noxus 5. Targon 6. Bilgewater 7. Ionia 8. Void 9. Demacia 10. Shurima 11. Freljord Bandle City would probably be in the top 4 if it had a proper lore update.

I doubt Jhin would be willing to let anyone kill him without first dealing with Shen and Zed. That would not make for a satisfying denouement for his greatest nemeses, after all.

I don't agree with BronzeDriver's opinion on whether it would be a bad step in the narrative of Riven and Noxus, but I will point out that they're [not that wrong about Riven's circumstances](https://twitter.com/phillip_vargas/status/1087543649863258112), at least if this is the plan they end up going with. That said, I could easily see her getting the respect of Draven (and perhaps even the Trifarix) with her show of skill in the arena, and that perhaps they would be willing to hear anything she has to say to them.

A story which is also about a Piltover champ, and will quite likely involve Zaun as well, considering that was Jhin's stated destination last time we checked in with him. We're about to get a heaping helping of Demacian lore with Sylas, Kayle, and Morgana, the latter two of which will probably sprinkle in a little Targon as well. Reav3 said it's unlikely Mordekaiser will get through 2019 without a VGU, so there's Shadow Isles. Finally, we're way overdue for a new Bandle champ, as well as a Yordle in general. IIRC one is typically released every two years, but 2018 was a miss. Most factions have their "patron yordle" (as I've taken to calling them), and Bandle City's universe page was one of the last things updated in 2018 (and is the last major faction to have not had a major event of any kind), so I feel good about Bandle's opportunities.

And Demacia. And Piltover/Zaun. And in all likelihood Shadow Isles and Bandle City.

[Here](https://twitter.com/TKittenWritten/status/1087396950540877824) and [here](https://twitter.com/phillip_vargas/status/1087547059601735683).

There are statements from Rioters on twitter saying that they are stories to be "explored"; in other words, it's likely stories will be released this year that cover the events of the cinematic.

Justice for Ezreal and DT Donger!

Varus and Mordekaiser are definitely the top two. I can't wait to see how they handle Kai and Valmar, and there's just... _so damn much_ potential for Morde.

We also have the Curator of the Sands, so that's kinda iffy... The Cardinal Patrician? The Sanguine Sublime? The Rose Rake?

> [{quoted}](name=SSmotzer,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=LE66wXB6,comment-id=00010001000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000003,timestamp=2019-01-16T17:46:20.200+0000) > > ...But Ta'anari already conquered the human clans of Valoran. Can you show me where r it says he conquered all of them? Because three peoples does not all of Valoran make. > The ones he used as a farm to create the most powerful body and skilled mind. > > He is worshiped as a god by the barbarians. Based on...? He says mortals worship him, but if it was the barbarians, I feel like Tryndamere should have recognized his god. > There aren't many people outside of the Freljord who have a religious devotion to combat. There's a whole area in the middle of Valoran we know nothing about. Also, why would they worship Aatrox to beg for mercy if the religion is based around combat? Anyone worshipping Aatrox is hoping to appease an angry god, nothing more. > But that's how these kinds of tropes go. It's kinda like this > > https://i.redd.it/0r0rvj2kdzr01.gif > > See, he starts, then a time cut, then it's over. _And we haven't seen a time cut, nor is there evidence to believe that the next time we see him it won't be in Shurima_. Remember, it's vastly different than he remembers. If that isn't a plot hook I don't know what is. > But one of the queens is, presumably, from Ionia. Also, why would the Darkin, who just saw 4 immortal god warriors get turned into dust, stay in Shurima? Wouldn't the smart thing for them to do would be go north, get their armies, and hide? Didn't you just get done saying they were queens of Valoran? Hell, the only person we know _for certain_ actively fought the darkin, the one who went to Ionia, is _specifically mentioned to be a queen of Valoran._ Also, Shurima is their home turf, and at least 3 darkin weren't present to see the events of Twilight for themselves. > You mean the part where Kayle or Morgana gets possessed by Valeeva after killing one another? That doesn't seem like a terrible idea for a VGU. It does, because that would be a _radical_ change different from any VGU before it, and I can all but guarantee that it would be received poorly by those passionate about the champs. > I'm not saying that Rioters are saying they are definitely going to be Darkin or not. I'm just saying that Rioters have not made it clear enough to rule out the possibility of them wielding a Darkin. > > Yeah, I even said her current kit is fine the way it is. Her gameplay doesn't have to change a single bit to accommodate a fusion with a Darkin. _Yes it does_. If you think a fusion mechanic wouldn't be a _massive_ gameplay change, I don't know what to tell you.

True! I only mention Donger due to his recent skin and the fact that I have AI, so it's admittedly a bit of a sore spot. I believe Reav3's confirmed that Corki's skins will be updated when he gets a VGU, similar to Gatekeeper Galio.

I feel it's nigh on certain that they will be aspects, the only question is... aspects of what? Morgana is the one who has the most clues right now. We know that she is "bound" in some way, from Aatrox and Sylas's interactions. So what does that mean? The two most likely things I can think of would be the Aspect of Mortality, or the Aspect of Runeterra. I'm sure there's more possibilities, however. Now, if Kayle is meant to be a foil to Morgana, what would she be? The only thing that comes to mind would be something like Aspect of Transcendence. This title would certainly fit with the info we're given that her R would change her appearance as it's leveled up.

> [{quoted}](name=SSmotzer,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=LE66wXB6,comment-id=00010001000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001,timestamp=2019-01-16T05:30:05.912+0000) > > It's never directly said, just alluded to. Like the Darkin who were called there to meet were not actively at war with each other, meaning the war in the far north Cabotaur is waging must be against Aatrox, Rhaast or Varus, and since we know Rhaast was waging wars in the east, as we hear from Vladamir's story. Could also be warring against the human tribes there. Can't conquer people without fighting them, after all. > Well Aatrox did spend a lot of time raising humans to build himself the most powerful body, and from all we can guess is that they are located in the Freljords. No culture on Runeterra quite embodies the religious devotion to combat the Freljordians have, and that seems like it might have originated from the clans that Aatrox created. What clans that Aatrox created? > Why would the search montage start halfway through the search? You should the beginning then you cut away. The start and then cut to the end of the search, not a cut to the middle of the search where nothing happens. > > In any good narrative you only show what is important, and what was important is that he has searched Shurima. That is enough evidence to rule out Shurima as a potential area where Valeeva has been sealed. > > It would be the most boring thing for Riot to go through every single town, city, temple, tomb, and ruin in Shurima. Like I said, you only show what is important to the narrative. We are shown _he has arrived in Shurima_, and found it vastly different from what he expected. I'm not expecting Riot to give us every waking moment of Varus's journey, but I don't expect them to just show him _just getting there_ and then saying "whelp that's it, he's searched all of Shurima!!!" _That_ would be boring and also _not_ showing everything important to the plot. > But why would a queen from Valoran go to Targon? It seems out of the way. The place where the people who are helping them imprison the darkin come from, which is on the same continent as most of the darkin... is more out of the way than Ionia? > Who's to say Valeeva is only going to be a footnote? Is Rhaast a footnote in Kayn's lore? The difference there is that Rhaast is playable, and honestly they should do a Nunu & Willump deal there, but still. Not sure how to have her be part of the angels' lore without ripping off Kayn's gimmicks or- > For the Darkin prophecy to be realized, Valeeva must have a way to become whole in game. Meaning it could be like the event between Rengar and Kha'Zix, where whoever kills the other at the end game becomes upgraded, only this time it's Kayle or Morgana losing their will to Valeeva... Or, what would be really cool, is if, like with her brother Varus, Valeeva can rend Kayle and Morgana's minds, bodies, and souls into a single being. Making Valeeva the first two player controlled champion, like HotS's Cho'Gall. I mean, Morgana's kit is simple enough to staple to another champion and still be viable. Damn it, dude, I don't want to keep having this discussion on why that is a _terrible_ idea, for a VGU in particular. > You're putting words in Reav3's mouth... uh keyboard. What he said is what he said, no more no less. They are not Shuriman Ascended and they are not Darkin. And you're not putting words in anyone's mouth? You're not making stretches? You are aware that Morgana's abilities aren't changing, right? Not "exactly the same but with a fusion mechanic awkwardly tacked on in an attempt to emulate a dying game," but not changing period. If you're going to call me out for following the spirit rather than the letter, then practice what you preach.

> [{quoted}](name=SSmotzer,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=LE66wXB6,comment-id=0001000100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000,timestamp=2019-01-16T03:57:10.735+0000) > > Besides Twilight of the Gods saying Aatrox was preoccupied with waging wars in the Freljords, and that he killed Tryndamere's clan after he was unearthed. Care to give me a quote? I just skimmed through Twilight and re read his bio, and I cannot find mention of such. Aatrox did slaughter Tryndamere's clan, but that happened an ambiguous (though likely lengthy) time after he was unearthed. > ...That's a bit of a stretch. It says it was unearthed in Noxus, not unearthed in Noxus occupied Shurima. Noxus occupied Shurima is still technically Noxus. > I'm pretty sure the queens didn't want the Darkin to ever unite again, so they would have sealed them at the furthest corners of Runeterra. If they "would have sealed them at the furthest corners of Runeterra" they wouldn't have put them all on the same one sixth of the planet. > That is just a framing device. In any narrative, if there is a lot or a large thing the "hero" must search, you don't show them searching through each and every thing he can. You show him search one thing, then you typically have him looking over all he has to search before cutting away. Then when you go back to the "hero" he has finished searching through everything and still not found what he was looking for. Which is not necessarily how it always goes. Varus has after all just arrived in Shurima, this is only the first temple he has searched. If it mentioned him searching more I would agree, but as it stands I cannot. > The main problem with Valeeva being sealed in Shurima is that the three queens who were tasked with sealing the Darkin ruled the norther continent of Valoran, not the southern continent Shurima. Since when were there three queens? And Varus at least believed Valeeva was there at one point, and there's good cause to believe he was the last Darkin to be sealed (his knowledge that there 5 remaining darkin, and that the queen sacrificed herself to seal him). Anyway, the darkin ruled Shurima, and the continent is also home to Mt Targon. It is just as logical a place to seal them as Valoran. > I agree. Kayle and Morgana are not, and never will go through the Shuriman Ascension ritual, because Kayle and Morgana are not Ascended or Darkin. I 100% agree with that. But that in no way means they do not have a Darkin. It does, because they would not reduce one of the only two other darkin to a footnote of another character's lore (and I know what you want to say about that, and... no. Not gonna happen). Not to mention the simplest meaning of Reav3's statement is that they will not draw their powers from a darkin either.

> [{quoted}](name=SSmotzer,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=LE66wXB6,comment-id=00010001000000000000000000000000000000000000,timestamp=2019-01-16T02:52:46.234+0000) > > Well, she won't be in Noxus, Rhaast was buried there, she won't be in the Freljords, Aatrox was buried there, she won't be in Ionia, Varus was buried there, she won't be in Shurima, Varus already searched there.. and there was already a Darkin sealed in Shurima, Ta'anari. > > That leave Mt. Targon, the Shadow Isles, and Demacia. I don't think she is going to be a zombie, and I don't thinks the Targonians would desecrate their sacred mountain by sealing a demon in it. Taanari is dead as a doornail and not sealed in anything, but I've had that argument with you before and have no interest in repeating it. There's nothing saying Aatrox was sealed in the Freljord. There's nothing saying that a region can't be home to more than one darkin, either. We don't know where exactly Rhaast was located, it's possible he was in an area of the Shuriman continent that had been claimed by Noxus. Varus searched one temple, not all of Shurima. She could well be in Kumungu, as well. Technically Shurima, but also not quite. > Before you bring up Piltover, it exploded, and no Darkin was buried there. I wasn't going to, but since you did, I will point out that as per Ezreal's lore there are Shuriman ruins there that were not destroyed by the opening of the Sun Gates. > So the rest of Riot can't use red herrings when talking about champions? I'm saying that there's no reason to doubt the information we're given, especially when it was given by Reav3, who does not AFAIK have a history of lying, and was replying _specifically_ to assuage concerns about their lore.

> [{quoted}](name=SSmotzer,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=LE66wXB6,comment-id=000100010000000000000000000000000000,timestamp=2019-01-16T01:34:46.183+0000) > > So... What? Another glowing purple godly female from Demacia with weird sibling problems is just going to show up as a brand new champion? Show me where there's anything that says Valeeva is in Demacia and then we'll talk. > Rioters have said that the chain champion leak was completely fake and that Sylas wasn't going to be the champion. So, we can't take Rioters for their word, and look, there's even a smiley face in the quote. It could be a sign that **they ** aren't Darkin, but they have one. No, Blaustoise, a known troll (remember the Zed fiasco?) who isn't part of the lore team nor has anything to do with either Sylas's or (afaik) the angel sisters dev teams said that. Very different.

> [{quoted}](name=MarcReady,realm=EUW,application-id=yrc23zHg,discussion-id=EVoqL6Pp,comment-id=00010000,timestamp=2019-01-15T02:08:23.811+0000) > > I wish they really were, but: > - what is nautilus now that pyke has his same background? This likely needs to be rewritten. Did you miss the update Nautilus got when Pyke was released? > - demacian lore is getting repetitive: someone discovered that demacians look like the average good guys and starts describing demacia as a tiranny, adding dark sides to it just for the sake of doing it. As opposed to doing it for the sake of wanting to tell a story about oppression and how people react to it? > - the process of ascension initially involved only shurimans who went through the ritual to become antropomorphised animals. It has been changed to describe any creature elevated by some kind of superior magic power. As a result, darkins got retconned too. Was it ever said that was _only_ what Ascension was? Or are we considering reveals to be retcons, now? Also, none of this counters the point that the lore does not need to be replaced every time a new champ is released.

However, chucking the premise that made every champ's lore be something like "and then they asked the summoners to solve all their problems" or "and then the champ was captured by the IoW and forced to fight for sport" and instead making it so that each character has the ability to influence the setting and accomplish their goals on their own, as well as making it so that champs like Kindred and A Sol can exist without totally breaking the premises of their characters is a very rational decision.

...they are writing a decent lore that does not need to be replaced every time a new champion is released, and working on continuity.

??? Shadows and Fortune was a follow up to Burning Tides. Taliyah's release followed up on the events of Azir's. Confessions of a Broken Blade closed the book on a years-old plot hook. Ezreal's VGU brought a follow up story to the one he got in the Piltover update. Yeah, they're slower than I and most other lore fans would like, but to say "never" is inaccurate.

Hell yeah, I hope Poppy and Sona get some sort of spotlight.

I would guess that they'll be revealed either the week of January that leads into February or the following week.

Sounds like you're offended that LoL isn't a safe space for you to call others slurs.

I mean, there's gotta be lyrics _somewhere_, I doubt they had the singer just sing whatever came to mind But yeah I was on board with this post until the last part gave me whiplash.

> [{quoted}](name=LightTrack,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=pabaNJ3z,comment-id=0003000000000000000000010000000000000000,timestamp=2019-01-12T17:07:05.983+0000) > > Your response to it was irrelevant. The reason i mentioned it is not because Lux should feel sorry for him just because he is in prison. He's obviously there for good reason, given he's basically in supermax. Demacia gives mages the death penalty just for being mages. Like I said, he got off light by Demacian standards. If he's so bad, why is he in prison and not dead? > No, but the way Sylas talks and sounds like gives way for extrapolation, that he can't sound kind and charming even if he wanted to. Riot isn't very good at characters with depth anymore. YMMV. He seems like he's very good at rallying the disenfranchised and can be very charismatic, IMO. > Yeah, because...in the context i'm still right. Sylas is pretty obviously an ideological fanatic. He isn't out for justice or the well being of others because it's sort of a "only the strong survive" type of belief, which means he is ready to let those die who won't grasp power. His beliefs are violent by nature and he is weak enough to act on them as an agent of anarchy. Sylas doesn't seem to be a soctal darwinist at all, especially not to the extent of, say, Urgot. He wants to upend the monarchal, feudalistic government of Demacia, and make every person equal, mage or not. > A prisoner i barely know is not a trusted friend. Most certainly not TRUSTED. Prisoners can say anything to help their situation, that's what a prisoner is supposted to do. Lux is naive enough to think a person in chains has good intentions. I get the feeling that Lux didn't "barely know" Sylas. They probably knew each other for several months, and struck up a friendship during that time. You seem to think she maybe came to visit him once or twice, whereas i feel it was significantly more than that. On top of that, as I have said repeatedly, _she could very easily be in chains herself_. If the wrong people found out about her, she'd certainly be imprisoned or worse. _Him being locked up for being a mage is no reason to not trust him_. > Oh an out of context ad-hominem deleting the part where i said "If that person went around slaughtering everyone" which means innocent people too. I see you're electing to ignore the part where I addressed that Sylas likely _isn't_ "slaughtering everyone." > Because juveniles on the Boards just can't contain themselves, huh? > > Well enjoy your report, ironically because in case you're too stupid to spot the irony, it's because you started insulting me before i ever said anything about you, meaning you're metaphorically the "bloodthirsty" one. What. I... what??? First off, I was just pointing out that that seemed to be a rather hypocritical stance, considering your feelings on Sylas himself. No personal insult, just using your own wording. How does that make me "metaphorically bloodthirsty" (is that even a thing?)

> [{quoted}](name=LightTrack,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=pabaNJ3z,comment-id=00030000000000000000000100000000,timestamp=2019-01-12T14:00:23.262+0000) > > What? That's completely irrelevant. If it's completely irrelevant, you wouldn't have mentioned he was a convict in a magic dampening cell as a reason Lux shouldn't have trusted him. >She trusted a guy who is clearly a bloodthirsty asshole. How clear was it? Do you have records of their conversations while he was in prison? >If that guy broke out and presumably went around slaughtering everyone, Last i checked, Sylas doesn't want to slaughter everyone. He wants to dismantle the system that allows for the persecution of mages. Which, yeah, does mean he wants to kill some folks, but if we called every person who met violent persecution with violence of their own a "bloodthirsty asshole" we would be here for quite a while. >you'd really think i'd have "confused" feelings? If it was someone you considered a trusted friend, yeah. >I'd put him down. Who's the bloodthirsty asshole, again?

You have a problem because.... she trusted a guy whose position she could VERY EASILY have been in were it not for sheer luck and the influence of her family? A guy who got off easy by Demacia's standards towards mages? That's your issue?

I wouldn't be surprised if some lines were written, but they ended up cut for whatever reason. Wouldn't be the first time.

I feel like Lux would at least try to hear him out. She could be talking through gritted teeth, but she would be talking. I doubt their second meeting would come before Lux learned of his rebellion, and I believe both parties still hold some degree of affection towards each other. She'd probably try to persuade him towards nonviolent measures, or perhaps even to leave Demacia, but I don't think she would scorn him outright. It should be noted that we have no idea who all was present at Sylas's would-be execution, it's very possible, even likely, that Lux was the only decent person there.

I can't condone your choice of words (the whole "autistic screeching" thing is _really_ overdone) but I agree with your point. What really gets my goat is how blatantly obvious it is that these people don't actually _care_ about Sylas being shirtless, they just want any excuse they can to whine about duh ess jay doubleyoos.

He can. But as far as we know, Sylas doesn't know anything about him other than that he smashes mages like him. _That's_ my point. Sylas has no reason to believe that he is anything other than the ultimate symbol of mage persecution, _because he has never spoken with Galio, but he knows what he does_. And actions? Speak louder than words.

In any case, my point is that Sylas has no reason to believe Galio is any more pro-mage rights than his history of smashing mages makes him out to be.

...not his primary purpose? >Built as a bulwark against enemy mages, he often stands motionless for decades until the presence of powerful magic stirs him to life ... >"Enemy mages! Let us make violence!" shouted the colossus. ... >As he bounded up the mountainside, the Noxians focused all their effort into a concentrated funnel of arcane energy that would have melted almost any stone in Valoran. But as the funnel dissipated, the mages saw that the titan remained standing, eyes closed and glowing warmly, as if he was drinking in the offending magic. Then, with an almost youthful enthusiasm, Galio continued up the slopes and squashed the Arcane Fist into the craggy soil. ... >There he is. He is the reason I wake, Galio realized, first in gratitude, then in rage. I will squash him first! ... >He leapt high in the air and then came crashing down onto the mage, interrupting his vile incantation, and squashing the barbarian into the loam. You _sure_ this is the argument you wanna make? Yeah, he fought a big monster once, but his first and foremost calling is _smashing mages_.

Listen, I realize I'm a bit of an outlier as someone who finds things like giant isopods and other spooky arthropods aesthetically pleasant but even I know that you could make Kai'sa and Sylas more unkempt looking without totally sacrificing all their mainstream appeal.

... His bio has him smash mages as his _very first action_ upon waking up for the first time.

Yessssss. There's been nothing I've wanted more in League since it was commented that the Makara were crustacean Vastayans, and I hope they lean more toward Rengar rather than Ahri on the anthro scale. We're also long overdue for a true Void champ, and I'd also love to see things like sea monsters, creatures from Kumungu, and overall anything strange and unusual.

Have you considered perhaps that what you find "completely unaesthetically pleasing and rugged" isn't universal?

Nah, the lore has always been 10000x as interesting as the game, and the design team should be less afraid to design more varied champs. Not every champ should be a paragon of good looks, because not every thematic lends itself to that. Hell, I'm not even one of the people complaining about Sylas's looks, but this argument smells worse than Alistar's restroom.

Does he even know Galio has emotions other than MUST SMASH MAGES? As far as Sylas knows, Galio is as bad as the nation he represents. I'd also disagree about the "not even trying to come across as sympathetic heroic or intelligent" bit. Seems like he has at least some semblance of what an ideal Demacia would look like, going off the big rallying speech in his trailer.

Isn't there a pointy diamond shaped bit on his cuffs? He could've used that.

If only the teams responsible for balance and champ development were different, and there wasn't a schedule for release developed months in advance... wait....

Depends how big the rats are {{champion:29}}

So Nautilus stole fron Amumu, then?

How so? What _one_ champ can do the things they can?

I mean... nothing is stopping it from still happening at some point.

So, 3 champs based around concepts that hadn't existed in the game beforehand and are things that had been requested/speculated upon by the community, and a champ who has an ability that must be described in terms of at least two other champs, thus meaning it also didn't exist in the game beforehand. Yes, rito is such a bad company at creating things.

Sej getting the Lunar Revel skin is literally the safest skin assumption one could make, same as Twitch being nigh certain to get one next year. TK was likely a lucky guess, but still not out of nowhere, given both his and pigs' association with gluttony. If I had to guess, next year if there's another rat skin, it'd be either for a yordle (rumble or gnar, most likely) or Neeko.

This. In one of his stories, Ez mentions the pomade (hair gel) he uses is called Lightfeather. Jar of Lightfeather. Jarro Lightfeather.