#LoL|LoR

[arcanegifs]

All endings of Vi and Jinx's Stories from Legends of Runeterra's Arcane S1 Event ↳ "Heh. Sure. With family like you... who needs enemies?."

[juyendraws]

[Limbus Company] Faust’s Development (or Lack Thereof) in Intervallo 6.5

So Murder on the WARP Express came out and uh… The suspicions I had regarding Faust’s future arc ended up being confirmed. Faust is definitely not reaching out to the truth. I didn't expect the seeds for her story to be planted so soon, but here we are. It’s real. And you're probably thinking, “Uh… WTF are you talking about?” Let me explain to you what I mean.

The message of Library of Ruina is a critical part to understanding what's going on in Limbus Company. I will tell you straight-up here and now, absolutely nobody in the fanbase knows what the hell LoR is actually about. Nobody. And it is such a shame, because it has such a great message that absolutely nobody talks about. I'd love to tell you much more about it, but that involves long explications on Jungian Psychology, the Jewish Kabbalistic Tree of Life, and the story itself, which I don't wanna subject you to yet (I am saving my esoteric lore dumping for the video scripts I’m currently working on). What I will tell you, however, is that the lessons learned by Angela and Roland in LoR are all about opening oneself to everything that is possible in life. The ways in which they do this are:

(1) To listen to one's inner world, or intuition. Don’t just blindly believe whatever someone else says. Follow your own inner voice. 

(2) To listen to one's outer world, or reason. Don't just believe whatever you want to believe. Look at the facts and be receptive to others' opinions. 

That's all you need to know for now about this particular subject. The theme of opening oneself to infinite possibilities is one that carries over from LoR to Limbus Company, and it is present in every Sinners' story. Literally all of them were/are limiting themselves in one way or another due to their flawed beliefs. And each of them is on their own journey of self-realization, or in Jungian terms, “individuation.”

The Mirror Worlds also expand on this theme. They provide infinite ways of looking at the same subject, which sounds wondrous and exciting at first, but it really just reflects what's already there. Remember Yi Sang's and Heathcliff's arcs? For Yi Sang, the Mirror reflected his already-existing potential, while for Heathcliff, the Mirror reflected his surrender to a perceived fate. Mirror World Identities may offer additional combat prowess as well as insight into the characters/worldbuilding, but they end up being quite limiting due to their usage (basically “cheating”) and very nature (as "reflections"). 

Moreover, Goethe's Faust was something that repeatedly showed up in my research on Jungian Psychology. I kept finding Faust's story referenced in articles, academic journals, as well as the book I'm currently reading called Man and His Symbols. This book was written by Carl G. Jung and some of his most trusted followers, and it legitimately explains what Project Moon's mindset was while forming the world and stories of their games (I am not even exaggerating. I have to constantly pause my audiobook and write down notes on what I'd just read because it keeps indirectly revealing PM’s intentions for the series). Anyway, in one of Joseph L. Henderson's chapters named “Heroes and Hero Makers,” he talks about how the archetype of the hero cycle is represented in many stories. An aspect of this archetype essentially revolves around the “hero vs. villain,” or in Jungian terms, the “ego vs. shadow.” The hero must face off against the dragon and triumph. It’s about the development of consciousness through the "ego" (awareness that one exists and has an identity) mastering and assimilating the "shadow" (the parts about ourselves we don’t like or don’t acknowledge deep down). This archetype exemplifies the stage that’s supposed to take place during childhood and adolescence—it’s about growing up. If the hero fails to slay the dragon, i.e. a person fails to assimilate their shadow into their psyche, they become stuck in this state of immaturity. Henderson uses Faust as an example:

“One can see this theme, incidentally, in a well-known literary hero figure—Goethe’s character of Faust. In accepting the wager of Mephistopheles, Faust put himself in the power of a “shadow” figure that Goethe describes as “part of that power which, willing evil, finds the good.” Like the man whose dream I have been discussing, Faust had failed to live out to the full an important part of his early life. He was, accordingly, an unreal or incomplete person who lost himself in a fruitless quest for metaphysical goals that failed to materialize. He was still unwilling to accept life’s challenge to live both the good and the bad” (Man and His Symbols, page 121). 

Henderson is saying that Faust is reluctant to face life’s hardships, so he lets his unconscious aspects—his shadow, or Mephistophiles—control what he does because it’s easier for him to live that way. And as a result, he remains this underdeveloped, immature person. 

In Limbus, Faust’s shadow is Mephistophiles, the reflection of her inner pride and desire to learn more. The knowledge she gains from the bus, her ability to communicate with her IDs, is incapacitating her ability to develop as a person. She’s using it as a crutch. And her overreliance on this knowledge, ironically, reveals how truly ignorant she is. The literal shadow cast in Faust’s E.G.O is her IDs for these very reasons—she is afraid of not knowing what to do.

Anyway, the reason I brought up LoR’s message and the Mirror Worlds earlier is because it is very, VERY relevant to Faust’s arc. Each of the Sinners need to reach out to all the possibilities of life. To not just blindly follow their own beliefs or the beliefs of others, but to see the truth through their own eyes, unclouded by bias. Through her use of the Mirror Worlds, Faust goes, “Well, I’m already reaching out to all possibilities! I’m following my intuition and using reason!” And she technically is, but it’s paradoxical. She is using intuition and reason… But it’s all through the use of her IDs, which are both “herself” and “not herself” at the same time. So she’s still just blindly following her own beliefs and the beliefs of others; she’s only listening to her own opinions and copying down what others say to her, all at the same time. 

I noticed this while rereading key parts of the game again. In Episode 6-25, the Sinners discover the researchers’ experiments below Wuthering Heights. Faust was utterly oblivious as to what their goals were, and Dante commented on how odd her behavior was when she finally started talking.

Later in Episode 6-44, she urges them to find out who informed Erlking Heathcliff about the Mirror Worlds, causing them to pick up on the fact that she doesn’t actually know everything.

In Episode 2 of the 3rd Walpurgis Night, Faust freezes up when asked by Dante to give a more detailed explanation on the Library. She then gives soft confirmation that she is, indeed, in cahoots with her IDs.

Murder on the WARP Express spilled everything. As a result of being separated from Mephistopheles, she is forced to be without her IDs and must figure things out on by herself. Her complete cluelessness regarding what to do demonstrates her lack of any true life experience. She acts like a newborn baby attempting to walk. However, while she is clueless, she is not helpless. She, in fact, does have the potential to grow if she puts her mind to it. Faust exhibits curiosity, ingenuity, and amiability when she must undergo the trials of the WARP train incident.

She takes interest in the perspectives of the other Sinners when asking for help. She is able to discover new things and problem-solve by herself.

Faust can learn on her own and make friends if she really wanted to.

...Unfortunately, she falls back to her dependency on Mephistopheles at the end of the story and closes herself off once again.

Faust refuses to experience any pain that could otherwise spark a realization about herself. She is harming her ability to form relationships with others, as she habitually ignores them or prevents them from giving her advice. She actively denies herself the chance to truly learn about the world and come to her own conclusions—she is impeding her own personal growth. 

Out of all the Sinners, Faust is probably the least developed as a person. Yi Sang, Ishmael, Heathcliff—even those who are about to undergo or are still undergoing their arcs such as Don Quixote, Rodion, or Meursault—are fully-formed people. Faust is not. She is still stuck at the stage of having evolved ego-consciousness while everyone else around her is already achieving the Self. She's worryingly far behind. It’s honestly really sad to watch. 

I was debating on whether or not I should make this post for a few reasons. For one, I’m unable to read Goethe’s Faust at the moment, as I am still preoccupied with my research on Jungian Psychology and Jewish Mysticism for the previous two PM games (Lobotomy Corporation and Library of Ruina). I didn’t want to say anything too specific about Faust’s story until I read her book. Secondly, this topic is really difficult to explain without delving into the Jungian elements in the PM universe. I felt I would end up confusing people if I just came out of nowhere with this post; I initially wanted to speak more about the foundational elements before anything else. 

Nevertheless, I feel that this knowledge I had on Faust, Jung, and PM’s lore was relevant enough to share. I was SHOCKED at how accurately I had predicted Faust’s future character development. The only other person I told this to was my younger sister, and I said, “Faust basically found a loophole through the lessons Angela and Roland learned in LoR. She’s only believing whatever she wants to believe, while also only believing what other people tell her. She’s using Mephi and her IDs as a crutch… I think that’s why she’s alone a lot of the time.” AND I ENDED UP BEING RIGHT. I had to stand up multiple times while playing through the Intervallo with my sister because of how excited I was at this. 

Murder on the WARP Express demonstrates that a good understanding of the games’ themes and of Jungian literary analysis is absolutely essential to figuring out each Sinners’ arc in Limbus. Deciphering, for example, the specifics of Faust’s connection with Gesellschaft is not-so-much valuable as having a strong grasp on what aspects of her character PM is trying to explore. “What is the text communicating? How does it relate to Jung’s ideas? What is the lesson this character is meant to learn?”

That is what matters at the end of the day. 

[thomas-jefferson-miku-binder]

Queer League of Legends Champions (with explanations) – Part I

Confirmed Lesbians – Neeko, Leona, Diana, Caitlyn, Vi

Starting off with probably the most known LGBTQ+ characters of Riot, we have Neeko, Leona, Diana, Caitlyn, and Vi, all canon lesbians. Neeko's sexuality was a big deal when first announced, not only because she was the first canon queer champion of League but also because her sexuality is explicitly portrayed through her voice lines, as she often flirts with female champions and shows a disinterest in the Shoo'ma of men she shapeshifts into. 

A number of different Rioters have confirmed that Leona and Diana were always meant to be lovers, but someone at Riot Management decided against it, and so they were portrayed as almost sisterly in the old lore. Fast-forward to the present day, they are gay and LOUD about it! The Rise With Me short story officially canonized the couple, and official pride art showed both of them with the lesbian flag. 

Caitlyn and Vi were already a popular ship before their romantic interest in one another became explicit, as shown in Arcane, Legends of Runeterra, and more subtly in the Warriors cinematic. They have also been shown in official pride art holding or wearing the lesbian flag, and they even share a Valentine's Day skin. It's worth adding that Vi also shares another romance-themed skin line with Fiora, and they seem to be very good friends there, but we'll get into that later.

Confirmed Gays – K'Sante, Graves, Aphelios

K'Sante's sexuality, like Neeko's, has been an important part of his character since release. His cinematic and color story both mention Tope, his past male lover, and he was the face of League Pride 2023 alongside Vi.

Graves and Twisted Fate were reportedly, like Diana and Leona, meant to be lovers from day one, but Riot didn't like that (how novel) and scratched that part of their story, simply leaving them as crime partners, nothing else. Burning Tides and Destiny and Fate have been amazing at developing their relationship, but the real confirmation comes with The Boys and Bombolini, which officially confirmed Graves as gay and T.F. as being attracted to him. 

Lastly, we have Aphelios. He and Sett have been a popular ship since the Spirit Blossom release, a skin line that makes them boyfriends, which already confirms him as queer. Throughout this year, Riot has been reposting and sharing Settphel art, which doesn't necessarily mean anything, but what really grabs attention is that they also shared fanart of Aphelios with the toothpaste gay flag, leading me to classify him as such.

Confirmed Bisexuals – Nami, Rell, Sett

Nami surprised pretty much everyone when her addition to Legends of Runeterra confirmed her as polyamorous, being in a relationship with Loto and Tama, other Marai of her tribe. One of the people who worked on her character explicitly highlighted the relationship and affirmed that Nami was pansexual. Since then, Riot has promoted her (through official pride art and LoR emotes) as bisexual. It's a bit unclear how she should be labeled, but one thing is sure: she's queer.

Rell is another champion whose queerness was stated on her debut. Rell had flirtatious lines with both men and women in League and was explicitly labeled as bisexual by her creators, also being confirmed through official pride art.

Finally, there's Sett. People have been speculating on his sexuality for a while, but things changed when Spirit Blossom came along, and he was portrayed as Aphelios' boyfriend. Since then, Sett has been seen in reposted League fanart with the bi flag.

Check out Part II

[autisticayin]

do you count

as a body?

[primreaper]

Jinx’s release date was yesterday so I decided to make a small doodle of one my favorite skins ✨

[draken-rotzi]

Playmates 🐉🐣

[samd1o1]

The Disability Coding Of Aphelios

Hey everyone! Today I thought I'd write a little post about my comfort character Aphelios; The Weapon Of The Faithful from League Of Legends!

Specifically I wanted to talk about the disability coding of Aphelios. For those who don't know; coding means the character is written to be an allegory for a life experience. It's about the closest you can get to canon without being necessarily canon. Many stories in magical fantasy universes use this technique. The most common reasons are for hiding from censorship and backlash, and creativity. I personally find coding way more interesting because of all the ways people can think to use magic as an allegory. But I also understand the importance of canon representation. Luckily, Aphelios does both!

So let's start with base main universe Runeterra Aphelios. To be able to talk to his sister and access her weapons he has to drink a special moon flower poison. This poison causes him immense constant pain. It also renders him mute. Obviously he isn't technically disabled. He can choose to not drink the flower (though that would be a dumb decision). But the fact he *must* drink it to save his people and it leaves him to chronic pain and muteness to the point of becoming numb to the world. That screams chronic illness's that cause pain.

Now many League lore nerds are always quick to do an "uhm actually" when you call Aphelios mute. But they're not thinking of the coding of it. Like I said earlier; fantasy stories using coding is very common for many types of minorities, not just disabled people.

My favorite example of disability coding is Hunter from The Owl House. Hunter lives in a world full of witches but he has no magic. He struggles at times but is able to find a way to navigate the world. He uses his palisman as a disability aid and makes do.

Now I'd understand some people not seeing this or just denying it. But what they did with HEARTSTEEL Aphelios basically confirms to me the disability coding was intentional (or at the very least something they're sticking with).

HEARTSTEEL is a boy band in the League musicverse. If there was ever a time to make Aphelios speak, it would be a boy band that sings. But no they didn't do that. In fact they understood the music verse is a more grounded universe (hinted to be our own even) so they made him CANONICALLY disabled.

When Aphelios was younger he had nodes in his vocal cords and they had to be surgically removed. Aphelios never fully recovered and lost his singing voice and the majority of his normal voice. He can't really speak above a whisper. In interviews he whispers to his sister Alune and she answers for him. (Someone teach this poor man sign language).

Another thing I find cool about HEARTSTEEL Aphelios is how he copes. Aphelios is the lyricist of the band. Kayn and Sett's verses are very in character for themselves but K'sante's fits Aphelios as a character way better.

"They wanna kiss me long good night with a rose

Hoping that the Eiffel falls, of course

You don't understand the life we chose

(On life support, life goes)

I need my silence, my privacy so I can heal

And even rockstars got feelings that they feel

In reality, this just repeats like a drill

Always"

This verse shows Aphelios struggle with being disabled. He didn't choose this life, but life goes on. The best part of this verse is that his friends are his voice. The fact K'sante sung his lyrics is very powerful. Shown in the music video, his friends metaphorically (and literally) saved him from drowning.

I can speak from experience that friends are very important. They really can help you through the toughest times and save you from drowning.

(I also feel it is important to mention; that while it's beautiful that someone sung Apehlios thoughts for him. It is suspicious they chose the ONE black champion in the band. The other two who sang solo verses got to have screen time all to themselves for their verses. K'sante isn't present at all for his verse and it is instead Aphelios and Yone.)

Anyway that was a little infodump about Aphelios and why I love his disability coding. I really appreciate that Riot are keeping him mute in all universes so far. (My worst fear is a legendary skin where he speaks.) Riot has stated that while champions are different people with different life experiences in the alternate universes that the champions will keep their core identities. They were mainly referring to LGBTQ champs in this statement, but disability is also a major part of identity. I'm sure it applies here too. Sona has also stayed mute in all universes as far as I know (she just uses aids like telepathy and text to speech).

Anyway see you all later on the rift where I will OTP HEARTSTEEL Aphelios and maybe some Sett support because I'm gay.

[get-out-of-bed]

Angela birthday I love her so much

[theminernev]

:3

Almost forgot netzach birthday,

Btw happy birthday netzach :D

[queensectonia]

pros and cons of taming befriending the angel of death:

pros: he's no longer actively trying to destroy the universe

cons: his friends are still working on that "morality" thing themselves.

come on, he's trying.

[astragatwo]

She deserves everything

[arcanegifs]

Caitlyn and Vi in Legend of Runeterra's Path of Champions Mode

[polliwoggers]

would you believe I sat down five days ago intending to iron out gijinka designs. and then these horrible cats appeared on my screen instead. truly deplorable behavior if you ask me

more info on these cats and their world below the cut. FYI its kind of long

Nightstar - longtime leader of DreamClan, known for his grim efficiency and penchant to orchestrate complex plans well in advance. Also, very full of himself. Has been leader for as long as anyone can remember, but is not open with the Clan about how many lives he has remaining. Does not speak to anyone of his communication with StarClan; not even his deputy or the medicine cats.

Nightmask - deputy of DreamClan and son of Nightstar, for whom he is named. It is just as confusing as it sounds, and neither the Clan at large nor Nightmask himself are all too fond of Nightstar's vain naming decisions. Nightmask is fully confident in his ability to lead the Clan when his time comes, but something about his father having funnelled him into this leadership role from kithood makes him... nervous. Not that he'd show it, of course. That would be weakness. He is a fast and nimble fighter.

Tansyclaw - technically the primary medicine cat of DreamClan, but rarely partakes in healing. Has a vast knowledge of herbs and poisons. Only took on the medicine cat position for the political power it would net for him and his suspiciously close friend, Singlesky.

Acornshine - functional medicine cat of DreamClan, only recently granted her full name as she ascended to full medicine cat status. Although less experienced than her past mentor, Tansyclaw, matters of medicine and communing with StarClan often fall upon her. Looks forward to Ripplepaw’s visits to chat with her in the medicine den.

Darkslash - senior warrior of DreamClan. Blind in one eye from a past battle, with the scar still visible. Came out of retirement to mentor the also visually-impaired Gooeypaw. A bit of a grouch.

Dandytail - warrior of DreamClan, and largest cat in the Clan. his heft and strength grant him the advantage in most every fight, but he has the tendency to get greedy for glory in the heat of battle. This often leads him to attempt and fumble fancy maneuvers that ultimately cost him the win. Not much for hunting, as he struggles to move quietly. Has a big heart, and still acts like a kit in some ways.

Singlesky - warrior of DreamClan, and a gifted speaker. She is excellent at hunting, and will sometimes collect trophies of her more interesting or well-preserved kills. Has a great appreciation for flowers. Her every suggestion is parroted by Tansyclaw at Clan meetings.

Waddlesplash - warrior of DreamClan. Fairly mild-mannered. Dislikes Dandytail. Looks up to Nightmask, who was their mentor before Waddlesplash was promoted to warrior status.

Puffypaw - Apprentice of Nightstar, but is rarely trained by him. instead, Nightmask or another warrior usually fills in for his training. if Nightstar had no intention of training him, why did he choose to make Puffypaw his apprentice in the first place? Nightstar has high expectations for the young cat, it would seem…

Gooeypaw - Apprentice of Darkslash. Is named for his eye condition, which makes his eyes appear constantly goopy and clouds his vision. His poor eyesight makes him more than a little clumsy, and often has to invent new ways of doing tasks other cats would find a breeze. Gets along splendidly with Puffypaw.

Bandedpaw - Apprentice of Dandytail, and first to find Puffypaw all alone in the woods on a windy newleaf day. Together with Gooeypaw, Bandedpaw forms the main triad of Puffypaw's friends in DreamClan. His mentor, Dandytail, is less than enthused that his apprentice is associating with someone he still sees as an outsider, smelling of the twolegplace…

Ripplepaw - Apprentice of Singlesky, and best friends with Acornshine. Conveniently, since Singlesky is always in the medicine den to converse with Tansyclaw, Rippleclaw gets to see her friend quite often! She's extremely proud of Acornshine's promotion to full medicine cat, and hopes that she will earn her full name soon, too! So long as she follows everything her mentor says, she’s sure to become a warrior in only a few moons! Has a small crush on Puffypaw.

Applewhisp - elder of DreamClan, and oldest cat in the Clan. Doesn't do much these days but laze around and huff irritatedly at younger cats who linger too long near the elders' den. Likes to tell stories, but isn’t very good at it. A bit of a pushover.

Harvest Heart - a mysterious, unpredictable cat who claims to have been cast out of the Clans thousands of moons ago -- but it would be impossible for any cat to live that long, wouldn't it? During his travels, he acquired followers from all walks of life. As it stands, he and his small following pose little threat to DreamClan, but it’s always best to stay alert.

Zap of a Passing Storm - the first of Harvest Heart's followers, hailing from a faraway tribe that she refuses to speak about. A fast and vicious fighter, she is easily the most loyal to Harvest Heart's cause -- whenever he can remember what it is, anyway. She often requests to be referred to only by her full name, as anything less than that would be an insult to her honor. No cats respect this. Poor thing.

Francisca - the second of Harvest Heart's followers, having come from the kittypet life in a distant twoleg nest. After her housefolk died, she was turned out onto the cold, unfamiliar streets of the twolegplace. She would surely have frozen to death, were it not for Harvest Heart's charity in her time of need. She travels with him now, as she has nowhere else to go. She has become close with Flamebounce.

Flamebounce - the third of Harvest Heart's followers, originating from the Clans themselves. After a wildfire ravaged her home territory, she was left with nowhere to go, and no idea if any of her Clanmates survived. She struggled to breathe through her smoke-sickness, and would have died if Harvest Heart had not stepped in to help. She greatly misses her old Clan, and often wonders if anyone else managed to escape the fire -- but, even if she were able go back to her old life, she could never leave Francisca behind.

Mags - A wandering loner who sometimes crosses paths with DreamClan. Suspiciously friendly to the Clan cats. Knows a lot about twolegs. Stays very far from Harvest Heart’s rogue group at all costs.

Mars - Never that far behind Mags. thinks it’s hilarious to leave ominous objects for Clan cats to find and catastrophize into some world-ending prophecy. Aside from this odd behavior, he seems totally disinterested in Clan life.

Ms. Susie - beloved kittypet of the CEO of Haltmann Works Land Development Company. Doesn't see why those savage forest cats would mind losing their tacky bushes and trees if it means they could live in the glorious abundance of the twolegplace; or, more likely, she just doesn't care what they think. Often sneaks into Clan territory to meet with cats unknown. Aware of Puffypaw's existence, and could potentially use that knowledge as blackmail material against certain cats in high positions…

Fluffy - a friendly, fluffy kittypet whom Puffypaw likes to chat with to see how things in the twolegplace are going. Often asks if Puffypaw would like to live with him and his housefolk. Puffypaw is hesitant to officially accept or decline the offer, but he's happy to share Fluffy's food when he offers it!

[orsinist]

Their LoR interactions cured me

[gootube]

idk if i ever posted this but i found it again while scrolling thru google drive. cringe adam roland shit from 2022 ft. a fanon adam that speaks like a medieval poet cuz we thought it was funny freak behavior

[desultory-novice]

Warm-up/practice sketch of the day...yesterday. Only today.

I've always loved isometric art that resembles little terrariums.