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| “ | We had another name once. Now, we are Darkin. | „ |
| ~ Aatrox |
The Darkin are a villainous race of fallen god-warriors imprisoned in sentient weapons that appear in League of Legends and Legends of Runeterra.
Once Ascended warriors of Shurima, the fall of the empire at the hands of Xerath led to a great civil war across the continent known as the Darkin War. Hungry for power, the Ascended that would become known as the Darkin transformed their own bodies using dark blood magic, which corrupted them beyond recognition. At the end of the war, the Darkin were sealed away in the form of sentient weapons, which only centuries later have begun to be rediscovered.
The Darkin are largely seperated into two Factions: One following Aatrox in his goal to end all of existence, and the others enslaved by Xolaani in her attempt to unite all of Runeterra under her Hivemind.
History[]
Origins[]
In ancient times, the Ascended were the protectors of the great Shuriman empire. Once mortal beings, these god-warriors were blessed with the power of the sun itself, granting them immortality and great celestial might. Because of this, they were often called Sunborn, and defended their emperor from the terrible threats of the Void.
During the Icathian rebellion, some rebels decided to weaponize the Void to aid their war effort, and the Ascended were forced to fight off the Void for many years. When the Void was finally driven off, the Ascended were left with little purpose left. The war against the Void had taken a toll on the minds of many Ascended, leaving some corrupted and many thirsty for revenge against Icathia. To make matters worse, the fall of Shurima, after the assassination of Emperor Azir and the destruction of the great city, left the Ascended with no ruler to follow. Tensions ran high between their two greatest warriors, Xolaani and Aatrox. Eventually this Animosity spilled over into Civil War.
These corrupted Ascended came to be known as Darkin and fought against each other in the Great Darkin War, eventually spurring the Aspects of Targon to act. It took many lives and the aid of several Aspects, but in the end, the corrupted warriors were defeated and sealed away into their own weapons. These weapons were hidden away, meant to hold the Darkin for all eternity to prevent their reign of terror from ever taking hold again.
The Darkin laid dormant for millenia, until the world had all but forgotten them. Only three Darkin were able to escape during this time, Aatrox, Rhaast, and Varus. However, only Aatrox was able to subdude his host, and his two fellows struggled to gain control of their weilders. During this Period Aatrox was able to slay the Targonian Aspect of War, one of the Aspects that had aided the mortals in defeating the Darkin during the Great Darkin War.
Eventually Sheilda Kayn, the wielder of Rhaast, attempted to claim the Darkin Bloodletters from the Wuju clan that was guarding them, Inadvertadly driving the clan's star pupil Jun to claim them for herself, releasing Xolaani. Following her Awakening, Xolaani reached out to her sleeping Brethren across the world. While she was able to claim Ibaaros, the others awakened fully and resisted her. Aatrox was able to sense her attempt at Domination and responded with a summoning for the Darkin, which all but Rhaast, Varus, Xolaani, Ibaaros, and Anaakca immediately began to answer, beckoning hosts towards their prisons to possess.
Xolaani later subduded Taarosh and Anaakca in combat, enslaving them, but was defeated by Varus and forced to retreat towards Mount Targon, where Aatrox's assembled Darkin attacked her. This conflict attracted the Attention of the Targonian Aspect of Justice and her daughter Kayle, who later summoned the Rune Mage Ryze for assistance. Ultimately Xolaani defeated and consumed the Aspect, transforming into a monstrous form of unfathomable power (The Outcome of this conflict is currently unknown).
Members[]
- Aatrox - The Darkin Blade
- Rhaast - The Darkin Scythe
- Varus - The Darkin Bow
- Naafiri - The Darkin Dagger
- Xolaani - The Darkin Bloodletters
- Naganeka - The Darkin Balista
- Taarosh - The Darkin Halberd
- Horazi - The Darkin Lodestone
- Ibaaros - The Darkin Harpoon
- Joraal - The Darkin Aegis
- Styraatu - The Darkin Harp
- Anaakca - The Dakin Spear
- Baalcux - The Darkin Staff
- Praa - The Darkin Fan
Trivia[]
- Vladimir learned hemomancy from one of the Darkin, who was killed rather than sealed into a weapon.
- The name Darkin roughly translates to "The Fallen" in ancient Shuriman.
