Who and where are the other darkins
Until now we have discussed only about Ascended and the Darkins, but what is amazing about the Darkins lore is the fact that there are way more darkins than we know about or that we have seen in League of Legends. We have now met Aatrox - the darkin blade, Rhaast - the darkin scythe, Varus - the darkin bow and Naafiri - the darkin dagger, besides them it is heard that there are another 10 other darkins, each with different weapons and vessels, still roaming Runeterra.
Anaakca - the darkin spear it is said that she is somewhere in Eastern Freljord and her vessel is a Winter's Claw scout (Winter's Claw is the dominant tribe in the Freljord with Sejuani being it's warmother). About the darkin spear we know that it is made of True Ice. Sometimes, Anaakca is mistakenly written Anaacko. From the conversation between the Warmother Sejuani and this scout, we have learned that the scout intentionally wanted to sacrifice himself by using the darkin spear in time of war saying that "Better a scout is lost to darkness than all of our people." No one is sure what happened right after the scout took the spear, but we know that after some time, Anaakca went south through the Freljord to destroy a Demacian outpost.
Baalkux - the darkin staff is serving Aatrox and it is now somehow imprisoned while at the same time controlling a big tree and the flora around it in Bandle City. After imprisoning him, Targonians thought it would be a good idea to place the darkin staff in Bandle City because it is hidden from any other race besides yordles, and the yordles will know to stay away from this potential threat. But what Targonians did not think of, is that Baalkux managed to somehow control the tree (because of the magic it had) and the flora around, we do not know if it is possible to walk anymore or just manifest through the world by using Bandle City's magic but it is certainly still a threat.
Horazi - the darkin lodestone is another darkin loyal to Aatrox and enemy of the so called "coward" Xolaani. This darkin is burried inside an orb made of star metal and it is a special case of imprisonment because the Targonian themselves took the imprisoned darkin to Targon. Somehow the darkin has discovered a way to tempt even a Targonian protector and it is now possessing a golem. She has amazing magic abilities through which she glimpsed the secrets of the cosmos and learned about the infinite passage of time that preceded and followed her existence.
Ibaaros - the darkin harpoon is somewhere in Bilgewater being also called the Champion of the Dunes, he lifted himself through the water after being somehow able to find a vessel with uncertain identity (a sea monster or some kind of vastaya). Legends of his existence has spread through the Bilgewater and we also have some rhymes about Ibaaros:
"Steer clear, steer clear, of the strait of Daray,
Where the waters whisper and the winds betray,
Where sea beast and bird so seldom foray,
For fear o' the darkness deep 'neath the strait of Daray."
Joraal - the darkin Aegis was a formidable soldier that has become a mighty Ascended in Shurima. His defensive abilities were so good that even for the God-Warriors he seemed impervious to attacks. But as we know, war with the void came, and not even Joraal was able to defend his mind from what was to come, falling into madness in the end. He is imprisoned inside his shield being placed somewhere in Demacia and guarded by the noble house Fortis. The son of this family heard the cries coming from inside the shield, and in the end it touched it, giving freedom to the darkin imprisoned inside and becoming his vessel.
Naganeka - the darkin Ballista has as a host a Noxian beast and it is also called Naganeka of Zuretta or Noxus Darkin. She serves Aatrox and shares the hatred against Xolaani, seeking her death. The darkin Ballista was safely hidden in the eastern stepes of Valoran, being too barren to feed or home the noxians. But as the empire needed to expand, they stumbled across various tools and weapons in this land. In the end, the darkin ballista was uncovered, and somehow Naganeka managed to control a beast.
Praa - the darkin Fan is another special darkin, being imprisoned in the Spirit Realm and his host is a dragonling. His general's call stirred him from slumber. As his senses came to him, Praa found himself looking through a weighted veil to a lush, unfamiliar land. Slowly, inexorably, he stepped through the divide, and buried his feet in Runeterra's soil once more. For Aatrox. For victory. For peace. For death. Shen was sensing Praa's calls in the Spirit Realm, he knew not to follow the call but he feared that in the end the darkin will draw enough attention in the Spirit Realm so that someone or something will free him.
Styraatu - the darkin Harp has a miner as a host, a miner who discovered her buried deep within Zaun. As the Targonians pondered where they should scatter the Darkin weapons, one of their kind suggested the lands that would become known as Zaun. Buried deep within the walls of the cavernous and winding passageways would be perfect, they assumed. Far from human reach. But not Chirean. In this land of technology, Styraatu plans to seek knowledge and destroy or dominate everything she can make her powerful enough to go south and join her general, Aatrox.
Taarosh - the darkin halberd was hidden in a place that is now forever gone and unknown to the world as it was back then, the Blessed Isles. He sensed the land changing when the Ruination happened and he found himself in a new land, now called the Shadow Isles. Taarosh was very close to killing Xolaani when the Darkin were set upon by the Targonians. Now it is heard that Taarosh has a new host, a very powerful one, a dragon of the Shadow Isles.
Xolaani - the darkin Bloodletters was the daughter of a healer. Her birth coincided with an auspicious solar cycle, and the presence of a previous incarnation of the Aspect of the Protector. At the time, Icathia's mages had begun to rebel against Shurima, using the Void as a weapon. Xolaani followed her parent's path and became a healer, trying to save as many lives as she could with an ancient form of hemomancy. Seeing firsthand the suffering brought by the war, she spoke out against it, holding the leadership accountable for waging pointless wars. While the Shuriman emperor would likely have prevented her Ascension, the priests of the Sun Disc deemed her worthy of Ascension. Xolaani successfully completed the Rite of Ascension, becoming a powerful Ascended God-Warrior.
As the Ascended battled in the Void War, they were gradually consumed by madness, their minds cracking under the strain that could not damage their immortal bodies. Xolaani was not exempt from this, and the once benevolent healer began to use her hemomancy to force her fellow Darkin into her servitude, believing that the only way to end the pointless wars was to forcefully unite the whole world under her control. Those she had enthralled were said to have their hearts beat as one.
The strongest-willed of the Darkin, such as Aatrox, were able to resist Xolaani's control and resented her attempt to revoke their freedom. This resentment would grow into a deep hatred, which would spark a civil war. Despite her ability to turn her foes to her side, Xolaani lacked the strength to stand against the other Darkin, who had countless years more experience in battle than her. As such, she was nearly defeated by Taarosh, only saved by the timely intervention of The Aspect of Twilight, sealing away all remaining Darkin.
For several centuries, Xolaani was kept in Mistfall, locked away in her Bloodletters. She would eventually be discovered by Master Yi and his order, and sealed away within his temple. Kayn, who had discovered the weapon's location, attacked the temple, seeking to claim the power of a second Darkin weapon. This ended in the death of all of Yi's new order, with the exception of his protg, Jun. Unable to handle her failure, she gave in to Xolaani's whispers, taking up the blades to try and save herself and her master. In an instant, Jun was lost, Xolaani completely claiming her as a vessel.
After acquiring a body, Xolaani would make her way back to Shurima, to grow her power at The Altar of Blood, an ancient temple maintained by her devoted Disciples. At the same time, Aatrox would attempt to rally an army of Darkin to finally kill their most hated enemy. This time, Xolaani was able to hold her own, defeating both Taarosh and Horazi before they could stop her ritual, breaking their wills and enthralling them. With each Darkin she enslaved, Xolaani's power grew greatly. Her influence was vast enough that when Aatrox arrived, she faced him head-on, her new form able to hold him off while still defeating other Darkin.
As the battles waged, Xolaani only grew more powerful, and the very land began to be corrupted. The Aspect of Justice, Mihira, descended to the world with a divine army to end the battle, aided by her daughter Kayle. Sensing the threat posed to the world, Ryze would also arrive. Despite holding the power to end the conflict, he hesitated, unsure whether it was right to act. While he racked his mind for the answer, Xolaani would defeat Mihira. Bursting from her physical form, Xolaani's power would reach its absolute peak. Ultimately, Ryze would deem that the world deserved to be saved, and would use the power of The World Runes to defeat Xolaani.
While Jun was likely completely erased when she took up the weapons, interactions reveal what may be the internal struggle of Jun. Seeing the true goals of Xolaani, Jun feels betrayed, accusing Xolaani of creating a "legacy of lies and blood." Xolaani maintains that she is bringing life and love, and treats Jun as a naive child.
Xolaani's thralls are implied to be survivors from before she was imprisoned, as they could not yearn for a control they did not yet know. They treat her with a deep degree of reverence, their sole existence to serve her. Xolaani in turn seems to treat them with a degree of kindness, though this does not prevent her from enthralling them all the same.
Aatrox's hatred of "The Coward of Icathia" burns deep, despite them sharing the same goal. Both Xolaani and Aatrox seek to bring about world peace after the horrors of war they experienced fighting the war. Aatrox believes this peace can only be brought about through total annihilation, while Xolaani desires total subservience. Aatrox's grudge with Xolaani is much deeper than a simple disagreement, as he went out of his way to erase all evidence of her existence from history, including the defacing of her statue in Xolan. Xolaani shares this resentment, as Aatrox is the only Darkin she treats with more than mere dismissal.
Xolaani seems to take a sadistic pleasure in subjugating her fellow Darkin, forcing Taarosh to repeat her mantra "Peace, through servitude." While the other Darkin hold the same hatred of Xolaani, she does not seemingly reciprocate, treating them similar to how she treats Jun: a helpless child, who does not know any better.
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