#because ultimately it's all for noxus

[noxianwilled]

— under the banner of noxus.

[mollysunder]

What if Ekko and some the Firelights are the only Zaunites that came to help defend Piltover?

I noticed in what is supposedly the big battle between PnZ vs Noxus, we actually don't see Zaun fighters attacking Noxian forces. The only Zaunites we see fighting Noxians, or at least providing support to Piltover is Ekko and the Firelights.

Between Ekko and the Firelights, only Ekko is wearing Jinx's X tag. From the trailer we can see that other Zaunites that rally behind Jinx or just support her either wear her pink X, dye their hair blue, or wear burgundy red (like Silco). The firelights don't dress like this, but Ekko does while he leads them in this fight. It could be a sign that they separated recently and came back together for this fight.

From the battle scenes we get in the trailer, it's more likely that Ambessa's forces had tried to take hold of Zaun, but were ultimately pushed out. In the shot where Ambessa's topside fighting against Piltovan enforcers, her mask is clearly damaged. If you look closely, you'll notice that there's at least three deep diagonal scratches across it.

There are only two seasoned fighters capable of leaving that kind of damage, Warwick or Sevika with her new arm (or maybe dhe got her claws back). Since I'm confident Warwick would turn Ambessa into ribbons, I think it's likely her and Sevika traded blows instead.

And then there's the scene where Ambessa has lead her forces in what must supposedly be Viktor's territory in the Sump. From the few shots of the place, we know there's about 6-7 people there including Viktor, and somehow they'll manage to repel Ambessa's army back?

Really, all the teasers and trailers have shown that Noxus will try to occupy every level of Zaun from the Sump to the Promenade, and even in Stillwater. The battle in Piltover probably only happens once Ambessa's forces are completely pushed out of Zaun and back into Piltover, and suddenly it's Piltover's problem.

Ekko and the Firelights are probably only helping Piltover because they assume leaving Ambessa in control would make everything worse. Meanwhile Jinx, Sevika, and Viktor's factions won't see a difference between Piltover and Noxus since they were literally working together (really it's a lateral move to most), and are content to watch them fight it out.

Obviously we see Jinx in what could be an airship over Piltover, but what makes us think she's there to help?

Tldr: Jinx, Sevika, and Viktor's factions respectively when Piltover asks for aid against Noxus.

[postal-ech]

Hunters Lore: Because I am feeling powerful and must exude my autism more

Thanks to a recent reblog, I have never felt this more powerful as a fucking metroid fan

and given all that's been posted here is autism, some deltarune and undertale fan art, alongside metroid and lisa fan art, It is time I flex my shit even more, once again underneath a dreaded break

This is gonna cover the Hunters from Metroid Prime: Hunters. Why? Because shit's sake SYLUX IS BACK, and we need some context to cover why he (or she [or even fucking they at this point, we REALLY don't know]) is going to be so important, alongside other hunters that could play a role in Metroid Prime 4

Venture forth, if ye dare.

So to begin, let me start by giving you all this happy family photo here of the hunters all together, moments before they proceeded to get into a bar fight with one another and resulted in several broken bones and mixed feelings between each other:

So from left to right, you have:

Weavel

Trace

Noxus

Samus

Kanden

Sylux

Spire

We'll skip over Samus because this autist assumes you know here if you know Metroid, and we'll start with one of my favorites and heavily biased hunters:

Weavel

So who in the metric FUCK is Weavel?

(Image may be shit because the background, bear with me here, its the only ones I could find that weren't already on the hard drive of metroid images)

WEAVEL is a cybernetically rebuilt Space Pirate General. What do I mean by cybernetically rebuilt? I mean this mother fucker is essentially a brain in a jar piloting a power suit. The most notable thing to understand about Weavel is that he had an encounter once with Samus

Once

It ended so badly, so terribly for him, that the only thing they could recover from Weavel's broken and mangled body was his brain and spinal cord, stuffed into the most advanced custom suit the space pirates had at the time, and sent him off to do his shit.

He made his way out as a bounty hunter, except primarily taking contracts with the Space Pirates - kinda like how Samus primarily takes contracts from the Federation, he's more or less Samus' figurative other half in the narrative of Metroid.

His role in Hunters was much like any of the others, he came to the Amblic Cluster to obtain the "ultimate power", though it was a bit unknown as to if he was there on behalf of the Space Pirates, or if he was just gonna steal this shit for himself.

Because like any other space pirate, Weavel is an untrustworthy bastard. Power hungry, too.

Weavel is equipped with a multitude of weapon systems, one energy-grenade launcher known as the Battlehammer, one Energy Scythe similar to that of the pirates' energy blades you see in Prime 1, and his morph form known as the Half Turret. The Half Turret is essentially as the name implies, a turret from the waist down, and Weavel just crawls on his fucking arms at mach speed at you while his turret covers from a distance, both of which are a dangerous combo if you fuck around and wish to find out.

Currently, the whereabouts of Weavel are unknown, and get used to this answer because its gonne be applying to a lot of the other hunters, but if we're gonna be getting into PRIME 4 SPECULATION:

While I don't have high hopes for him showing up knowing Tanabe's own hyperfixation of Sylux, one could assume that he could be employed by the space pirates much like Sylux himself, though given the tennuous relationship of space pirates he could have very well been ousted between Dark Samus' take over of the homeworld in Prime 3, and the destruction of the Space Pirate mega base of Zebes in Super.

Now that ISN'T TO SAY there aren't any remnants left, lets be real - they're space pirates. Though their homeworld is under Federation Occupation, they always find a way to regroup, reorganize, and fuck around some more - especially given how diverse they are species wise.

My guess is that if Weavel DOES show up, he will either be:

Working for Sylux and his little branch of Space Pirates as a contracted Bounty Hunter

Working with his own splinter group of Space Pirates that, while potentially unfriendly with Sylux, gameplay wise will just be more space pirates.

I do hope we get to see Weavel working together with Sylux though cause god dammit, a tag-team boss fight with both of them like its some Hunters type shit would be god tier.

Fun fact too! He is the ONLY OTHER HUNTER in the Hunters game apart from Sylux to have his own ship shown off. We do not know the name unfortunately.

NEXT UP ON THE LIST WE HAVE:

Trace

Trace is another interesting fellow, given the entire Kriken Empire being a thing in metroid to begin with.

Trace is literally just a young member of the Kriken Empire, whose coming-of-age ritual is to be exiled alone to search out for a viable planet in order for the empire to expand and conquer. Kriken are biological entities despite what their appearance may look like, with tech comprable to the space pirates, probably even the Chozo given their own bodily modifications which allow them to morph into the image above, the Triskelion.

Trace is equipped with an energy sniper known as the Imperialist, as well as a biomechanical cloaking field that allows him to become invisible when standing still, even in his Triskelion form. Essentially, this implies that the Kriken's main strategy of expansion involves assassination from long ranges given the cloaking field and the sniper, and this is very much needed given despite their build Kriken are spindly, fragile critters (at least the one's we've seen so far, nothing has been revealed about other weaponry or kriken soldier types, so the only basis we have to go off of so far is what's been provided here.)

I HIGHLY doubt Trace will show up in Prime 4, even speculation wise the Kriken haven't really been expanded outside of Hunters, but who knows! We could very well get them as a potential antagonist in a future metroid game - though more likely it'll be a prime game over a 2D metroid game.

It is ODD that we don't really hear about the Kriken post Hunters, especially given their well-known status and threat to the galaxy, but that could be explained in future material - perhaps while they're constantly expanding, they're also constantly shrinking as a result of other factors, thus leaving them in a perpetual state of growth and decay in the empire - which is why they haven't gone so far as to attack Fed strongholds like Norion or the outer rim areas like Aether and what not.

Then we have Trace's hated mother fucker (at least imo, judging from the time you encounter the both of them in one go):

Noxus

Now this isn't his morph form but don't worry, we'll get to it eventually.

Noxus is a Vhozon (no relation to Phazon) from the planet of Vho. Vhozon are essentially space paladins of a sort, very similar to Samus actually in their philosophy of administering justice across the galaxy. Noxus is one such Vhozon who came to the Amblic Cluster in order to use the Ultimate Power for the greater good - and if he couldn't, then destroy it so that no one else would.

Noxus, if you ask me, is more akin to a very LAWFUL, elitest-tier kind of alien - where its more akin to "you will do this shit for the greater good or die" whereas Samus is more akin to helping those in need, which is what I feel like separates these two and why they would come into conflict in Hunters. To help paint the picture, think of it like a generic Fantasy Elf - someone who thinks they know what is best for the "lesser races" and will intervene or crush them if they stand in their way.

However that's more speculation on my part, we don't really know the FULL motivations of the Vhozon or even Noxus for that matter, if he's more akin of a Vhozon loyal to the philosophy, or a bounty hunter that adheres to it but still takes bounties from other parties.

Noxus comes from a freezing cold planet, so his weaponry reflects that too. He is equipped with one Judicator which can freeze people - Samus included - right on the spot, very similar to the Ice Beam actually. His morph form is the Vhoscythe, which is more akin to a biological and evolutionary adaptation rather than a technological defense.

Essentially he just spins around like one of those wooden spin toys and extends his arms out to beat the shit out of people that get too close to him.

Much like Trace, I don't really expect to see him to show up, though it WOULD be nice if he did, especially considering the reputation of Sylux and the Space Pirates as sort of a neutral allied party. Again though, we'll just have to see if Tanabe is cooking up any of the other hunters' appearances or if it'll just be his baby Sylux.

Though I WILL Add: Some people speculated the Vhozon may be related to Rundas given their similar cold tech, but that remains to be proven given the lack of evidence and the morphological differences between Rundas and Noxus

Now comes my second favorite mother fucker:

Kanden

Kanden is a fucking biological freak of nature, again similar to Samus' condition but on a more fucked-up scale.

Where as the Chozo engineered Samus with the ability to survive on Zebes, Kanden was made with the intent to make an immortal super soldier enhanced with insect DNA, but the process essentially turned Kanden into a bat-shit unpredictable god damn menace to society. Resulting in the lab that enhanced him being blown to fucking smithereens and him escaping the planet it was on.

Kanden is an Enoma, but we don't really know who they are or what they really look like, as Kanden is just a biological experiment - we don't even know if the Enoma are just the name Kanden was given on his enhancement, or if there's any more as a matter of fact, but the enhancements - while they failed in making him immortal and damaged his sanity, made him into an effective killing machine with a killer instinct to boot. The Insect DNA allowed him to thrive as a Bounty Hunter, granting him a very notable reputation to those looking for someone that can get the job done, and his very alien-like appearance is pretty god damn unsettling too.

Kanden is equipped with the Volt Driver, which is essentially a powerful electromagnetic blast, like Prime 1's wave beam except its a single shot that can still fuck someone up pretty good. His morph form is known as the Stinglarvae, which just further proves how absolutely fucked up his genetic code ought to be where he essentially morphs into a slug-like creature that drops homing bombs on a mother fucker.

Kanden's goal in the Amblic Cluster was to get that Ultimate Power essentially just because he wanted to, just to prove he is THE bounty hunter to have it, almost obsessed with being the most powerful bounty hunter in the galaxy. Of course its a pretty shallow reason, but when you're an unhinged escape biology experiment from a hellish planet, do you really need any other excuse than "fuck it, we go Vergil on this bitch"?

He is truly my beloved, and I doubt he will show up in Prime 4, but I fucking want him to just so he can be a pain in the ass for Sylux, Samus, whoever he encounters. A true wildcard in every sense of the word.

Next up is the one we all know and love, the one that's featured on the front page, the ultimate hater, hyperfixated rage incarnate:

Sylux

Sylux, my beloved. The greatest hater in the galaxy right next to Kanden the insane bastard.

We don't know a god damn thing about Sylux's true origins.

All we know is that he is from the planet of Cyclos, and he has an intense hatred for the government.

He's made a name for himself as an excellent scout and saboteur across the galaxy. A genuine menace to government bureaucracy if you will.

His equipment is all stolen Federation Prototypes - from his ship the Delano 7, to the Suit and his signature weapon, the Shock Coil - even his morph form, the Lockjaw - which has led to some issues, like a design flaw preventing the on-board weapons of the Delano 7 being unable to fire after taking a few hits from infantry-based weaponry - or in Samus' case, her god damn missiles and arm cannon.

Sylux's only goal for obtaining the Ultimate Power was to use it against the Federation - and also Samus by extension - and that's about the most of it

What we CAN predict from his appearance in Prime 4 is simple enough - chances are, with the mochtroids he has in tow, alongside a contingent of Space Pirates and given his weaponry is almost eerily similar to the way metroids harvest energy from their prey, Samus is definitely gonna take a beating from the combined ambush and I don't doubt she'll suffer from Physical Amnesia yet again because of it.

As for what he's after? We don't really know. All we know is that it could be big enough to really fuck up the Federation, especially if he's involved in a Space Pirate assault like this, with tamed mochtroids to boot too. It could be something that'll enhance the mochtroid program he's potentially involved with further or - and there is a bit of further speculation to this - it could be something that allows him and the space pirates to teleport far beyond the galactic rim, judging by the portal we see at the end of the trailer leading to this Talon IV-esque planet.

Who can really say what'll be in store there, but it sure as shit won't be pretty.

FINALLY, HE'S HERE FOR YOU, ITS THE LAST MEMBER OF THE METROID CREW, IT'S:

Spire

Spire is another beloved of mine, as he is the Last of his race - the Diamont, an entirely silicon-based species of rock people.

If you ask me he's essentially the Knuckles of the Metroid games, except instead of sitting on an island all day guarding a big ass emerald while occasionally helping ya boy Sonic out, Spire became a Bounty Hunter specifically because it was to figure out what the HELL happened to his people - kinda in the same vein as Samus almost, except where she manages to stumble onto Chozo ruins and learn of her adoptive people's history, Spire is actively looking for it with no sign of them anywhere in the galaxy.

Spire is a rock based dude, no other mechanical enhancements - its all stone and lava in this bitch, and he's even the only character that can just outright walk on lava whereas Samus needs a Gravity Suit or something similar to withstand such extreme temperatures. Spire comes equipped with the Magmaul, which essentially throws out bouncing projectiles of super-heated rock/magma that can also set people on fire. His Morph form is actually very similar to the Morph Ball, called the Dialanche - where he slams into the ground causing damage to anyone nearby, and becomes a SPIKY ROCK BALL.

Said spiky rock ball functions similar to Noxus' morph ability where attacking sends out orbital rock projectiles to the closest enemies. He also has the ability to WALL CLIMB with the Dialanche, making it objectively superior to the base morph ball and the prime spider ball modification.

Spire's goal for obtaining the Ultimate Power is a little bit more depressing in that he hopes it'll lead to answers of his race's ultimate fate, but even then its essentially a small stepping stone towards his ultimate goal of finding out this mystery - whether they're still alive, and if not, then what the hell happened to them.

Again, I doubt he'll show up, but I really hope he does, cause his story is so god damn compelling and interesting that I feel like we're missing out on something good here. I don't care if its through a video game, like a spinoff exploring some of the hunters and their own missions, or if its explored in a comic or manga, I really just wanna see my boy get his story resolved here god dammit.

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! The Hunters!

Now granted there's plenty of more hunters out there like Rundas, Ghor, Gandrayda, but this post is already long as fuck as is. Hope you all enjoyed the read, cause god dammit I enjoy talking about the Hunters SO, SO MUCH.

They need more exposure god fucking dammit, fan art too.

[no-shxme]

GRAHH If I could rewrite talon I would make his story focus more on his exploitation bc that's literally what's happening to him. ok I know that they currently frame it like he was adopted and that went generally swell, but his color story focuses more on his pursuit of perfection (and filling in Kat's lore) so none of his lore really focuses on his EXPLOITATION which is crazy because talon actually serves SUCH a good perspective/critique bc hes not like any other exploited Noxian (eg: rell, briar) bc he's STILL stuck under Noxus's thumb. rell and briar focus more on the after, the revenge, the freedom. in rells case they dig in just a little bit but it's more focused on the horrible things that were done to her so it's very easy to see how she was abused. but I don't know why riot wouldn't focus on the exploitative aspect of talon bc it's SO GOOD thematic-wise and offers a lot of depth and subtle critique that is more than just 'they experimented on them so of course they're bad.' (and anyway rell [and Kayn, another exploited child] already reject Noxus.)

talon is literally born in the heart of Noxus, indoctrinated to Noxus from the begining, 'adopted' but ultimately used by his powerful father, believes only in being perfect bc that's all that matters in Noxus: being the best in whatever way suits you best. he is everything wrong with noxus as a whole, he's been eaten by the Noxian war machine. if riot wanted they could easily use talon to offer a scathing critique of Noxian culture that's more than just surface level 'abusing kids is bad.' like sure 'he was adopted out of poverty. this is a good thing.' but let's look a little deeper at the nature of exploitation and the unique pov talon offers by not being free of it yet.

sorry I'm overcome.

[sepublic]

After the events of Fusion, Noxus learned that Samus had Metroid DNA (I have different ideas as to how), and realized it was destiny; He is a Judicator-wielding Vhozon who helped slay Metroids, and came into conflict with Samus Aran multiple times, believing during one incident that the Federation could not be trusted with an ultimate power she was attempting to secure. Noxus believed it was his duty to slay the last Metroid, and bring peace to the galaxy; Its DNA could not be trusted to fall into anyone's hands, least of all the Federation's after Adam helped leak its corruption. The Metroid must be destroyed completely.

Cue a confrontation in which Noxus is more of a threat than before because of Samus' new Metroid-inherited weakness to ice. And when murdering her himself isn’t quite working, Noxus remembers that Samus is still someone with a strong sense of justice that often overlaps with the Vhozon codex, in many ways he sees her as simply misguided. And thus someone whose sense of justice he can appeal to…

So Noxus suggests to Samus that she should just let herself die right here, right now, to save the galaxy; She understands the threat the Metroid poses, and she would sacrifice herself in a more conventional mission to save everyone. Why risk it, except to let herself enjoy a selfishly dangerous existence??? Adam tells Samus within her helmet not to listen to Noxus; You deserve to live too.

And in the end this episodic arc is meant to reiterate, it’s meant to be Samus practicing, a lesson she’s trying to internalize for herself after the events of Fusion, after the guilt and self-loathing she’s accumulated after so many loved ones’ deaths. Because damn Noxus is almost like the devil on her shoulder (ironic given his Holier than Thou personality; And Vhozon parallels to Christian extremism and the belief that suicide is a sin) making it sound real tempting to Samus to just kill herself.

She doesn’t even have to do it herself, someone will do it for her! Insisting it’s actually better for people Samus cares about if she’s dead, so this isn’t selfish but selfless, and vice-versa!!! So once again Samus is grappling with continuing to apply this lesson of self-worth because that’s the exhausting truth; You will relapse and you will have to constantly remind yourself and relearn that same lesson over and over again. That’s life, that’s the banal truth behind living, but there’s also a deep wonder behind it as well.

But in contrast to this, Noxus is essentially telling Samus:

[lullabyes22-blog]

Regardless of the situation, can we agree that Silco’s child with either Mel or Sevika would be one of the most beautiful (and potentially dangerous) humans in Runeterra? Either woman’s darker complexion, tall stature and full mouth combined with Silco’s bladelike nose, lithe grace and keen mind. Begotten by Melco, their eyes would be a stunning turquoise; Silvika’s kid would have stormy blue-gray irises. Although honestly, I feel like the latter would make a better leader for Zaun since they’d likely have both Silco’s cunning/intellect in addition to Sevika’s pragmatism and streetwise instinct (although knowing those two, the kid would likely grow up to be an absolute sex fiend 😬).

Ohhhh - the kid would be an absolute scourge of nations, in terms of sheer ruthlessness or intellect.

I actually picture it as being a boy in Sevika's case (simply because the father's genetics determine the baby's gender, and Silco's family tree is all boys in FnF). The kid would be a Daddy's boy through and though, with Sevika being the more disciplinarian type - to the point the kid goes, "Yes, ma'am, no ma'am," whenever addressing her, and runs to the door to say hello and help with bags when she returns home, like a little soldier greeting their captain. Meanwhile with Silco, he'd be indulged and given lots of space to get up to all sorts of mischief, similar to how Silco himself did as a boy. They'd have a million inside jokes that Sevika wouldn't be up on, which would irritate her to no end.

"What is so goddamn FUNNY?"

Silco, with Junior on his knee, both of them poring at a storybook: "You wouldn't get it."

Sevika: >(

Ultimately, the boy would end up salving a lot of Silco's hurts re: Vander, and the privations of their boyhood. He'd grow up a Zaunite to the core: cool-tempered, sharp-spoken, and an absolute beast in a brawl.

Also dggds imagine if he went the other extreme and instead of a sex fiend, he'd have one childhood sweetheart whom he'd partner up with as an adult, and stay happily monogamous throughout his life.

Sevika: "...Really?"

Silco: "...I wonder where we went wrong?"

In Mel's case, I can picture it as a girl, and the demure replica of her mother, which gives Silco a big dose of heartache (and headache) whenever he looks at her, and has him treating her in a similar way to how he'd interact with Mel: almost wryly courteous, holding the door open for her and pulling out a chair for his 'little lady', and bantering with her about everything from global affairs to fashion. She'd be wickedly cultured by age eight, and critiquing high art and politics by age twelve.

I can also see her going a similar diplomatic route as Mel, and being quite literally a silver-tongued peacemaker for Runeterran conflicts (many of them triggered by her older sister, Jinx, oops >.>). She'd also have a fair bit of colonial guilt re: Piltover's legacy and Noxus' history of conquest, given Papa spent time reciting works of revolutionary poetry and working-class pride at her all the way from the cradle.

I can also see a similar Mel/Ambessa tension developing between her and Silco re: her lack of cutthroat ability when it comes to survival. Although unlike Ambessa it would drive Silco to be much more protective (re: interfering) in her daily affairs as opposed to banishing her for his own benefit.

Yay, let's pass on generational trauma in newer and more exciting ways<3

[deathdxnces]

am curious. how would irelia feel about knowing kayn is born noxian?

or in other words, what's her opinion about nature vs nurture.

— @axewhirl

GOOD QUESTION, IT LIVES IN MY HEAD RENT FREE THANKS FOR GIVING ME AN EXCUSE TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS ILY REY

so. irelia's feelings about noxus and noxians are very simple, of course — they deserve to die. i've spoken before about the dehumanization of the enemy and how it was also a coping mechanism to her, but when it comes to long-term effects, it definitely impacted her ability (and willingness, perhaps more importantly) to show them any sympathy. they're not people. she's content to look at them as barely human, in a way. of course it's not that easy, but she had no reason to challenge that notion so far (except, perhaps, during the sentinels event with riven but... bleh i don't like how anything about irelia and being a sentinel was handled).

which is an overly rambly prologue to get to the real question. how would she feel about learning kayn is noxian? i think there's no ultimate answer for that, because to a point it depends on her relationship with kayn. were she to see him as an enemy, wouldn't it be simple to blame how awful he is on his noxian birth? but i personally don't think an enemy is ever what she sees in him; she doesn't look down on the yanlei as much as many other ionians, because she is well aware their origin as an order and her own path aren't that unlike. they chose to fight. they did things considered extreme. so did she — even if not to the same extent, and even if there are things she disagrees with them greatly, such as the matter of wild magic.

in game, her interaction with kayn is the same as for other 'ionian villains' (zed, syndra and jhin iirc). she wants to believe there's good in him, as she wants to believe there's good in any of the others. would she still be as hopeful if she knew he was noxian? honestly, without a personal connection, maybe not. but i'm inclined to say regardless of having any sort of relationship with him, knowing he's noxian by birth wouldn't ultimately result on her regarding him as a lost cause. because despite everything, kayn is ionian in every way that matters. he was raised as ionian for a good portion of his life, he fights for ionia too. he hates noxians as much as she does. how can she possibly just throw him along the rest of them?

so, yes, i think despite her views on noxus as a whole, she wouldn't think he's fated to be just like the other noxians because he's noxian by birth. of course, that might force her to question some of her other stances towards noxians, who she'd have dismissed as all being the same (because if he is not, others may be different too — and he wasn't even raised as ionian from early infancy, so when does one draw the line? when do they become irredeemable?). it's something else to consider whether or not she'd want to make that distinction for other cases. personally i think she'd be content to just make him an exception (because that's easy, and comfortable, and she would have seen him as ionian well before she saw him as noxian; it's easier to ignore the other implications), rather than truly let that change her outlook on things more broadly.

i think the moment she learned about it, it'd be a shock (because, like i said, her view of noxians is really black and white; they're evil, they're monstrous, they deserve to die). immediately, there's no way it wouldn't have an impact because i don't think irelia would know how to feel about it (but the extent of that impact depends on how much she cares about him, too; like with cyn's kayn, where there is a relationship, then she obviously cares more, and in turn it is more of a shock to learn that he was born noxian than in a situation like canon, where they haven't really interacted). still, i don't think the confusion would manifest as aggression or rejection, and that it'd be pretty short-lived (both in the sense of an immediate reaction and in any lingering, posterior doubt). kayn may have been born noxian, and he may have spent the first years of his life a noxian, but he has long since left that behind. zed took him in and kayn embraced his new life, a life he leads as an ionian. if she accepted him as that before, knowing he was born noxian wouldn't change she accepts him as that still. knowing he was born in noxus doesn't change what he is or what he does now.

[warmothered]

Based on your post earlier. Is there any region that Ashe would like to make friendly relations with? Even if it's just a mutual non-aggression pact or anything of the sort?

» — >  ⌜ OOC ASKS⌟ , always accepting

— @dolls-runeterran-dollhouse

honestly, to put it simply, i don't think so.

"My tribe will bring peace to the North! The South should fear us." "They think me cold. I have seen things the Southerners cannot imagine." "Are all southerners so weak?"

but i'll elaborate.

despite what i said there, demacia might be the most likely ally — if only because of sylas eventually allying with the winter's claw, and them being at war with the avarosans. even so, ashe would sooner ally with sejuani than with the southerners. i guess jarvan could try diplomacy and she might ultimately see the benefit to it, especially if noxus is being troublesome. but it'd not be that she wants to make friendly relations with them as much as circumstances would make it beneficial.

we know the freljordians aren't on good terms with noxus, because noxus has been trying to expand that way too. as a result of that, i find it hard to believe she'd ever make friendly relations with them, and that any pact of non-aggression would be done with 0 trust and preparing for when it'd be broken, if they ever even reached the point of making one at all.

then there's ionia, which we know freljordians at some point used to raid. while i don't see ashe and her people doing anything like that, i don't see them necessarily seeking a friendlier relationship either. for the most part, i think she'd be pretty neutral.

which is how it goes for the rest of the world, mostly. many of them are just way too far. none of them would survive the freljordian winter, the way ashe sees it; to put it plainly, they'd have to earn her respect to make her want to be on friendlier terms.

piltover and zaun might be the ones that intrigue her the most. ashe is a clever leader; she'd know technology can go a long way, and her people have been settling semi-permanently in some areas, as well as planting crops and raising livestock. anything that could help make that easier/more reliable (in the sense of, say, aiding in protecting the crops from the more harsh temperatures, for example) would be of interest, so fostering good relations with the more technologically advanced nations would probably be a good idea, the way she sees it.

but she still would see them as weak, and she'd also know there's little reason for piltover to be interested in the freljord, so she wouldn't expect much from that either. out of all of them, it might be the one nation she's more interested in being friendly with, though.

[yanlei-a]

pick one: retribution against noxus and peace OR kayn's life, whether in exchange or a necessary casualty.

— @axewhirl

oof that's a hard one

he loves kayn sm. like. he may not call him son but he thinks of him as a son; the boy is his kid in every way that matters, he literally doesn't care that kayn was noxian (isn't that part of it, too? zed, whose origins he himself rejected and was ashamed of, whose origins people so often held against him, would not use kayn's own against him), and yes he's willing to put him in risk as he's likely done a thousand times with everything the yánléi get up to, but he genuinely loves kayn as a son. he is that important to him.

and we know zed is very prone to making sacrifices for others (hi shen) but honestly, in this scenario? the sacrifice for the greater good would be kayn, i think. it'd leave him devastated (and whatever peace was achieved, zed would never have it; this isn't a crime he would long for absolution for, this is a crime he'd hold against himself always, even if kayn's loss is an indirect result of what it takes for retribution against noxus and peace to be achieved). but ultimately, his bleeding heart never stopped him from doing terrible things if they are a necessity for something more important than himself. ionia is more important than him, more important than even kayn.

if they get to make noxus pay (to hit the empire hard enough it's no longer a threat), if there is finally peace and it's real, it's not conditional? he'd sacrifice almost all the yánléi for that, and the only reason i don't say the entire order is because he wouldn't trust not having them exist in some form to ensure that would last. it would definitely have a huge impact on him, if zed himself survives, it is the sort of loss that i think would change him, make him even more closed off and harsh and determined to keep everyone at arm's length, it'd leave him haunted.

but as much as i want to say he wouldn't, i think it'd still be a price he'd be willing to pay, in a scenario where that's the only possible outcome (and he can't, say, cheat and die in his place; also definitely not as a first option, only really as the last).

[umbra-domini]

did their childhood have a negative or positive impact on them?  

| Character development questions | Accepting

Zed's childhood is a rather sore topic for him. Something he doesn't really - if ever speak of. He didn't really know his father and grew up primarily with his mother until he started working for the Kinkou. He wouldn't consider it a bad childhood, not this early stuff at least. Hell - he absolutely adored his mother he knew that she tried her best even while being a single parent. Never did he mind being poor because of it. He only hated how people treated him for being poor. He absolutely does resent his father for leaving though, never quite understanding why he did. Being a "parent" himself (even if not biological he does see Kayn as his son), he could never imagine leaving, especially when the child is young and needs a good influence.

Part of him wonders that perhaps if his father had stuck around his life wouldnt be how it is now. If he wouldn't have started working for the Kinkou and eventually joined them. But that's something that, even if it did ultimately have a negative impact on him, he wouldn't want to change. If it hadn't been for this he wouldn't be able to protect Ionia now and wouldn't be as strong as he is now.

With that said, i do think it did a toll on his mental health though. From the horrors he saw due to the Golden Demon to the brutality of the Noxus invasion. Those things did leave permanent scars on his mentality. Espscially Jhin. He had never known a man to be capable of such vicious acts. Of such brutality. It was something that shook him to his core, and that truly did make him feel fear. Because up until that point sure there were things he was scared of as a kid - all kids have fears. But what Jhin did? The way he slaughtered people in a way as though they were cattle? And being so delusional that he saw it as art? That showed Zed what primal fear was. What true hatred was. Coupled with the fact that he would not face his crimes and instead be left to live and rot away in a prison? That just made it worse.

That was certainly a turning point for Zed in his childhood. Turning it from a "oh it kind of sucked" to something that left him with deep emotional wounds that he still hasn't healed from. The only person he felt who truly understood the severity of what he had gone through is Shen. And for a bit, he did kind of have him to lean on in a way. But ... even that fell apart too with time. Losing his best friend, the man who he adored with his whole heart. That just made him even more bitter and made things a lot worse than they needed to be. Zed would say that he doesn't regret the choices he has made that drove a wedge between him and the man who he was so close to in childhood, but i think deep down there is a small part of him that does regret it.

He hides his true feelings away by deeming it as "the necessary thing" to do. By framing it as it being a choice he was absolutely certain about. But i really do think that the trauma Jhin had caused had a huge impact on what he did when he decided to take the forbidden Shadow Magic. Because he was so wrapped up in his hatred and fear that he saw it to be the only solution. He never wanted to see another child go through what he had at the hands of another psychopath like Jhin - because he knows how badly it affected him, even if he refuses to admit it. He was scared that if he didn't become powerful enough, then who would be left to prevent such a thing from happening? It had taken so long for them to hunt down Jhin in the first place and they hadn't even given him a fair punishment. Zed fully stands by the idea that they should have killed him when they had the chance.

I definitely do think that, even if he sees his time with his mother and his father leaving them as a more neutral thing compared to the other traumatic shit he went through as a kid it definitely still left a negative impact on him. That's a whole other can of worms to open up, honestly. I think deep down he really does hold a deep rooted fear of abandonment as well from it. Something that only amplified when his friendship with Shen crumbled and fell apart. That's why he doesn't get close to people these days, i think. Why even if he is overall neutral when it comes to others, he wouldn't let another in close enough to learn these things about him. I truly think that, at least at this point the only person who may be able to wrangle some infomation on his feelings would be Kayn.

Of course though, that is always open to changing with how relationships between muses develop... an unpacking of his emotions and trauma, if you will. Which i am very excited for in the future as i rp on here more.

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Want for Justice.

Thanks for contacting me so quickly.

Well, we didn’t really contact you. We gathered everyone here, told them the situation and then just...waited.

Yeah, we were ready for you this time.

Good, good. I take it that means you’ve had a look at my big contract then, huh?

...

...

...

By now everyone should be aware of the situation. So, I gotta ask...How we all feeling?

Honestly...?

REALLY CONFUSED! What is going on!?

Hahaha...Yep, that’s about the reaction I expected.

I just think it’s some freakish coincidence. Komaru, Toko and Akeru came to the states to meet Yodogawa in the first place...

It was to meet with him and discuss that we had taken custody of Akeru but...I never imagined it’d be like this.

Let me get this straight 404...Seishi Yodogawa. HE’S who you want to go after?

Believe me...If I had the choice, I’d love to do SO much more than that. Problem is, given the CEO’s circumstances, that’s more than a little difficult.

What do you mean?

Seishi Yodagawa and Emilia Feng share one thing in common. Neither have made a public appearance in many ages. Yodogawa’s last was 3 years ago.

Ever since his company developed that fancy-schmancy hologram tech, all of his public appearances have been made using it.

And obviously, I can’t attack a hologram. So I’ve been trying to track him down. 

What do we know about Seishi Yodogawa so far?

Not an awful lot that really stands out. In Japan, he was born to a pretty wealthy family, and started his career as a Mystery Novel Author. He even attended Precepts Peak Academy because of his skill.

But then later on, he had a very drastic career change. He got more into modern technology, and eventually went on to found LegionTech.

Assuming that he is Akeru’s father, that interest in tech likely came from Shinitani Yozora, or some other source.

...

But I still don’t understand whatever this mission of yours is. Are you absolutely sure that this is the right guy?

I agree. You’re making some pretty major threats here 404.

He’s the CEO of a multimillion dollar company, so yes, he’s obviously got SOME things he would like to hide from the public...But what could he be hiding that would make him a target for ERR0RM3SS4GE?

The way I see it, Yodogawa’s a good guy. He’s even got a good sense of humor from the way Makoto described it.

Not to mention his inventions are changing the world. His innovations in AI, the hologram technology, the creation of Noxus...

Yeah, exactly. So? What terrible terrible thing could he have done? Is he dodging taxes? Funding fascists?

...

...404?

Let me put it this way...What you’ve said about Yodogawa is correct, and that he’s a nice guy but...Yodogawa isn’t really my true target.

Huh?

What?

What the hell are you talking about!? Why would you give Boss and co. tickets to see Yodogawa if he wasn’t the target?

Unfortunately, telling you the truth of the situation is a bad move for several reasons. I doubt you’d believe me, and even if you did, the truth would be far too overwhelming at this point.

Then what do you propose?

Hm...I think it’s better if I SHOW you.

Show us? Wait...how?

Remember how I said that I’d been trying to track Yodogawa down? I haven’t had much luck. LegionTech’s security is run on the same AI program that most of their tech is. Because of that, it analyses my movements and predicts my next action if I try to get into the mainframe, immediately coming up with a solution to stop me. It’s like I’m in a hacking battle against 10 other real people.

Is the AI really that advanced?

If only Chihiro were here. I imagine he’d be impressed. Then again, since Chihiro is the Ultimate Programmer, he could probably do it and better.

I’m sure he could. But the point is, even though I wasn’t able to locate my target himself, I found his home in Manhattan. 

Ok? So...what’s the plan?

I’ll be blunt...I need you to break into Yodogawa’s home.

Huh!?

WHAT!? Break in!?

Don’t worry. The building itself doesn’t have the tightest security. There are no guards and really only a door alarm, which I easily disabled. All you’ll have to do is walk up to the gate, get over it and go inside. I’ve actually already done it myself.

And if Yodogawa catches us?

Didn’t you just hear him? 404 hasn’t been able to locate Yodogawa. If he’d been at home, he would have by now.

True. Yodogawa is never home. I’ve staked his house out for 168 hours straight and I got nothing.

So he doesn’t come home the entire week...I guess that’s reasonably good chances.

But why are we breaking into Seishi’s property in the first place?

...Because the things you’ll see in that hellhole...Oooh boy.

404? That sounds really ominous, wh-what are you talking about...?

I know how it sounds...Then how about this? I’ll give you a little bit of a motivation boost.

And what do you mean by THAT?

Let’s just say that if you do this, then you can discard this laptop or put it back where you found it. The next time we meet, it will be in person. With my REAL face.

*The screen goes black

...

He disconnected.

You really think he’s gonna go through with that?

Whether 404 keeps his promise on that front or not is the least of our worries.

Ok. So, are we doing this?

I’ll admit, my curiosity is piqued. Yodogawa certainly doesn’t seem dangerous, but 404 is set on thinking he is.

While I don’t really trust either party, it wouldn’t hurt us to at least check to see if he’s right.

So we’re breaking into Yodogawa’s house after all?

Looks like we’ll need your help again, Four and Maya.

Sure thing. But I think if this info is important, it’s best that at least some of you come with us.

Actually, I have something for this situation. We can connect it to the laptop while we still have it.

What is it?

*Four takes a box out of her pocket and shows it to the group.

It’s a special device that we were able to swipe from Fang Inc a short while ago after all their special tech started getting transferred out of the company. It’s a small camera you hang over your ear.

It processes a live feed to any monitor it’s connected to, so you can see and hear whatever’s going on.

Maya and I can bring up the rear, but it would be far more ideal if only one person were to head inside. That way, the rest of the group can run in for backup if something goes wrong.

Meanwhile, we can hang hear and watch the proceedings on the laptop. Good plan.

But that means we’ll need to assign someone the mission, right? Who’s gonna be our fall guy?

Not me pal. I’ve had enough Black Ops to last me a while. I’m much more suited to loud, explosive violence.

If things go badly, we’ll need an out. This could very quickly turn from a stealth mission to a rescue mission if we’re not careful. So we must be discreet. I suggest that I-

I’LL do it!

!!?

!!?

!!?

!!?

!!?

!!?

!!?

!!?

!!?

*Akeru’s sudden exclamation makes everyone widen their eyes at her.

You want discreet? You want stealth? Pick me! Let me handle it!

A-Are you sure...!?

Akeru, you can’t! This is dangerous!

I agree. You’d be all by yourself in enemy territory.

404 said there was little to no security, so why so nervous? Plus, it’s not like I can’t make my way around whatever comes my way.

And if something comes that you’re not prepared for? Like Mr Kuma for instance?

...I like those odds just fine.

Akeru!

I want you all to know this. This ISN’T a request!

Huh...!?

I WILL go...I MUST go...

You can’t-

BOSS!

!!?

I get that she’s your niece, but she KNOWS what she’s doing. Plus, you heard her. Her mind’s set.

It is.

Besides, it’s none of your business. You don’t tell her what to do; leave it to her PARENTS!

Akeru...

...

*She turns to Toko and Komaru.

Ground me, cut off my pocket money, do whatever it is you think is acceptable...But if you tell me I can’t do this, or that I should hold back, then I’m about to have a teenage rebellion!

...

...

Actually...I was going to tell you to think fast and kick ass and go do this thing.

...Oh...Really?

I’m not sure about this. Last time I asked you to steal something for me, you got captured.

But you rescued me. Not just from Osone, but from the past I was running from. And from the loneliness I felt after what Osone did.

I know...And I’ll do it as many times as I need to.

I won’t stop you Akeru, because I know exactly why you’re so serious about this. But I need to ask you this.

What will you do if you find out Yodogawa really is your father?

...

It depends.

Does it now?

If he’s not the man 404 thinks he is...Then I’ll do what we came here to do. I’ll reconcile with him and...explain how great my life is now that you two are my parents.

But if he’s the nasty criminal 404 makes him out to be, I’ll do what I have to...I’ll deal him SWIFT JUSTICE!

Atta girl.

*Komaru turns to Makoto and the others.

Let Akeru do it. There’s no better choice.

*sigh* After hearing that, I can barely argue.

In that case, we’re counting on you kid.

YESSS!

[noxianwilled]

noxus, especially as of now, doesn't seem like it would have gender roles or too complicated rituals where courtship is concerned; and many of those might be a mishmash influenced by other cultures absorbed into the empire. we know for a fact same-sex unions between noxian soldiers happen, so there seems to be no restriction of gender or associated with being part of the military (and honestly, i think it makes sense that the empire would leave its citizens free to pursue relationships in any form they want, committed or not, considering the standard is to judge one by their usefulness to noxus)

the exception would be nobility, where bloodlines and names very much matter. arranged marriages are probably common between noble families, and courtship would likely take longer and be less about the individuals and more about proving why a marriage between those two families would be beneficial.

as the du couteau heir, katarina would have been expected to marry and have children who, in turn, would continue their house's legacy after herself. of course, she never cared for that at all (and i remember a really old interaction i had with ada's sore where her mom intended to arrange a marriage for her and katarina flat out refused to comply and was simply livid). but hey, being disowned freed her from that — and even after swain reinstates her as head of the du couteau guild, she's pretty openly anti nobility. she'd absolutely not entertain their way of doing things in any scenario.

she's very i want it, i'm going to get it in general and that's also true when it comes to relationships. if she's interested she'll act on it. honestly i feel a lot of times it'd just be impulsive; but she's not concerned at all with waiting for the other person to take the lead. she's very spontaneous when it comes to feelings; the thing is sometimes she jumps in and then backs down because she's so afraid of being betrayed and abandoned and hurt again.

when it comes to marriage specifically, it's not something she thinks about at all. she's often traveling because of work, and any partner would have to understand she won't stop coming and going like that, and that there are things she simply wouldn't share with them if it's important for noxus that she doesn't. ultimately, if she's really in love with someone and getting married is important for them and they understand the terms and conditions i think she'd accept. it's just something that doesn't matter to her, and that she wouldn't do unless she really loves her partner.

[samcarter34]

Finally finished Arcane, and can I just say I love Mel so much.

Like she’s a politician and when she’s introduced we’re lead to believe that she’s not necessarily trustworthy (one of her first scenes is her buttering up another council member) but as the season goes on and we get to know her we learn that she’s a person who desperately wants to prove that there are ways for societies to exist and thrive without conquest and the entire reason she’s in Piltover is because she was so ardent in this belief that she managed to make her own mother start questioning Noxus’ ways. Despite everything she was raised to believe she believes in diplomacy and ultimately peace, which culminates in her being the first support Jayce’s motion for Zaun’s independence because the relationship between Piltover and Zaun as it is now is everything she doesn’t want and its her support that helps pressure the others into agreeing (they were all righting and arguing before her)

She’s just amazing, and I really hope she survives.

[sylvanas-girlkisser]

Arcane Background Lore/Easter Eggs (Episode 4)

I was half tempted to jump straight to EP 6 just to draw parallels between stuff in that episode and the teaser that came out earlier today. But nope, sticking to the script, you’ll just have to wait until Friday for that breakdown.

The hexgates are a new addition to League lore (they literally made their first appearance in the game this morning), however they are sorta similar to how Jayce’s “Acceleration Gate” ability works in-game.

Jinx calls these things “Flame Chompers” and one of her abilities in League is throwing them out like landmines. They even make the same tak-tak-tak sound.

Jinx pistol is clearly based on her shock blaster from League, though this one just fires bullets, whereas the shock blaster fires lightning using what appears to be a hex crystal. Maybe that’s how she ends up weaponizing it (probably not though).

Jinx’s minigun is called Pow-Pow (you know like the nickname Vi gave her… this is fine), and in the fight with the Firelights we actually see her use every single one of her in-game abilities, except for her ultimate, which is a really big rocket and what I’m actually guessing she’s gonna use the stable hex crystal for.

This little critter is called a Poro, and yes they have been turned into cheaply made official League of Legends©®™ merch.

Assuming you have watched the show’s intro, you probably already know that Vi is going to be picking up the Atlas gauntlets before the season is over. However, what you might not know is that the hex claw is Viktor’s signature weapon (along with the hex core) in league. Will be interesting to see if he ends up using it in the show some way 🤔

Yes it is kinda weird that Piltover beat cops wear frilly above-the-knee dresses on patrol but: 1) Their job is beating people up for being poor, you don’t need practical clothes for that and 2) it’s a tasteful-ish callback to Caitlyn’s original design where she strode into combat wearing a frilly micro dress, a push-up bra, a striped tophat and a double digit amount of belts. Old league designs are gloriously atrocious.

This mural appear to be portraying Taric, who tl:dr is a demi-god from the Targon region representing love, life, kindness and beauty. And honestly, I do think its kinda rad that they designed a muscular yet effeminate man to embody that role – seriously before I realized I was a woman I gendered so hard with Taric.

This is the logo of the League of Legends themed metal band “Pentakill”.

Jayce title/nickname as “man of progress” is different from his title in league, where he’s called “The Defender of Tomorrow”.

Based on the teaser for part 3, it’s not random that councillor what’s-his-face mention the Noxians as a reason they can’t shut down trade until the hex gem is recovered.

Noxus is hard to explain briefly, they are not purely evil, but they’re not exactly good guys either. For now, what matters is that Noxus has a very big army, they control most of the land surrounding Piltover, and the only reason they haven’t conquered Piltover yet, is because Piltover hasn’t made itself a target.

Delaying shipments to Noxus because of internal problems could absolutely be the kind of thing that made Noxus send in the legion to resolve the matter.

While experimenting with the hex gem, Jinx is listening to her own theme song from League (Get Jinxed).

This outfit is also a call back to Caitlyn’s original design. Ignoring the spaghetti straps, the purple negligee/top thingy covers all the same parts of Caitlyn’s body as her original dress did, and the fabric even falls in strange ways to mimic frills.

Vi punching a wall is not just a subtle expression of her incredible lesbianism! It also references how in Vi’s original backstory, Caitlyn caught her robbing a bank after she used the atlas gauntlets to punch her way into the vault (if you’ve ever wondered why one of Vi’s abilities is called “Vaultbreaker” that’s why).

Seeing as the theme for today has been “Noxians” and “poorly aged female character designs”; lets on me introducing Noxus very own questionably dressed noble woman with disapproving parents: Miss Katarina du Coteau (Riot please give her a personality beyond “I want to win my father’s approval, and I’m in aggresively heterosexual love with Garen Crownsguard” I’m begging you.)

If there’s anything I missed please let me know, I’m planning to do a breakdown like this for each episode.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

[maammooth]

Arcane Season 2 Theories Part 1

Okay. So here is some theories I have about Arcane Season 2. It’s been in my head since I watch it, two weeks ago. So here you go!

(Sorry if there is any mistakes (grammar or conjugation) english is not my first language)

- After Jinx’s attack at the end of season, there will certainly be dead and injured peoples. For me, Mel is going to die (I let you imagine her mother’s reaction), Viktor is gonna be injured (maybe lose one or many members) and Caitlyn’s mother (Cassandra) will be either dead or injured (I can’t decide) (I don’t care about the others)

- Heimerdinger will surely stay with Ekko at his base to help him and learn more about his technologie and Zaun.

- Vi and Caitlyn will try to get back in Piltover following Jinx’s attack.

- I doubt that Caitlyn will become the new Sheriff but why not, maybe at the end of season 2 then

- To come back to Mel’s death, her mother, Ambessa, will certainly declare war to Zaun (maybe some survivors Councilors will try to stop her). She will be so shaken by the death of her daughter (that I suppose to be her last and younger child) because then she will have lost her two childrens. Maybe she even will feel guilty, thinking that because of her methods, her children died before her (try to imagine the pain of a parent who lose a child, I don’t think there is anything worst). She feel guilty too because the last time she spoke to her daughter, they were fighting.

- Like I was saying earlier, I think Viktor will lose one or many members during the explosion. Then he will create prosthesis for himself and maybe more to finally look like what he looks like in the game.

- Sevika will take Silco place at being Zaun Leader. Silco is dead and she was his right-hand woman, the logic wants to her to be the new “leader” of Zaun. Moreover, after her last fight fight with Vi, her prosthesis being destroyed it’s possible that she will have a new prosthesis with a new look and new features. And I think it will be interessting to see her being the Zaun’s Leader because, ultimately, all she want is Zaun’s prosperity. That why she “betray” Vanders, because things were no longer progressing for Zaun and Silco was an ambitious man who will make things progressing, again. What he did.

- We will certainly have new characters coming, like Renata Glasc and Warwick (they’re the only ones I can think for now). If Sevika don’t become Zaun’s new Leader than it will be Renata (if she’s in) and Sevika will her right-hand woman (and this will be the death of my gay ass). Regarding Warwick, a theory say that Singed have take Vanders’ body to make experiences on it, transforming Vanders on a beast. I let you imagine Jinx’s and Vi’s pain when they will learn about it. Their adoptive father being transform into a beast

- We will see more about the others world’s regions. Though, I don’t think we’ll see many, but surely about regions that are beside Piltover and Zaun (like Noxus were Mel and her mother come from). Maybe too, that somes others “heroes” will come to get involved and help in Piltover’s and Zaun’s conflict.

Let me know what you thought of it!

[sepublic]

In response to some claims that Noxus is the true hero of Prime Hunters -and indeed, I did play with this belief a couple times in the past- I have to reconsider his character and how the writers actually intended for him to come across. Between being called a zealot, the Vhozon being described as a monastic race with a fanatical view of morality, and a 'Vhozon codex'. And I feel like this dude is meant to be more of a Holy Crusader, Knight Templar type character.

In other words, he's bad news; He seems more noble at a glance, but it becomes apparent from extended interaction that Noxus holds very dangerous views. It's worth noting that the specific sources describing his motives to seize the Ultimate Power, whilst not working with Samus, are "to prevent it from falling into the hands of lawbreakers or the unworthy."

Nothing is said about not using the Ultimate Power; They do have a criteria for those who can have it, and apparently the Federation isn't one of them. Another source also says, more condemningly:

"The Vhozon race makes its home in the icy outer rim of the galaxy, where it wages constant war on the forces of chaos and evil. Noxus follows his race's strict moral and spiritual code, and has become a bounty hunter to administer justice to felons and sinners throughout the galaxy. Though the Vhozon and the Galactic Federation share a strong belief in justice, they define the word very differently. The Vhozon are absolutely merciless to those who violate their strict rules of morality, and their methods have left them at odds with the galaxy's other civilized societies. When Noxus heard the telepathic communiqué, he did not hesitate to set a course for the Alimbic Cluster. He is determined not to allow the ultimate power to fall into the hands of a heretic."

So yeah, these guys actually sound like assholes. The "Tough on crime" sort, not much different than Evangelicals who like to push their beliefs on morality onto others and insist on making them law. I bet Noxus is a loser who hates pre-marital sex.

This reminds me of how in the Zero Mission manga, we actually had a brief sub-plot of the Federation being comprised of more reasonable politicians and views (represented by Keaton's tenure as Chairman), while others were much more fanatical and fascist about things (hence Vogl's term). Given Sakamoto's insistence on attributing the corruption in Other M and Fusion to a rogue faction of the Federation, and not the Feds as a whole, I think this makes sense; Plenty of governments aren't monoliths who all agree on the same thing.

My point being, I wonder if the Vhozon would've supported Vogl, if they share similar views. Or if they're too extremist for even that side of the Federation, which is representative of how a lot of right-wing groups can disagree with one another, and even accuse of others of not going far enough.

I bet the Vhozon believe suffering is purifying because they evolved on a freezing planet they had to fight to survive on; They kept warm by generating friction from spinning, hence their gyroscopic abilities. They had to fight to keep themselves alive, and this translates to a disciplined lifestyle due to resources being scarce.

The Judicator carries ice from Vho, a bit of home on its wielder at all times, that unleashes Vho onto the immoral galaxy; They believe Vho’s frozen crucible forged a just society out of the Vhozon, and spiritually believe the Judicator as a vessel to bring this deliverance off-world. The Judicator can apprehend and lead to a sentence to learn from; Or it can destroy. It is the wrath of Vho, which the Vhozon worship almost like a god in and of itself. You either adapt and survive, or be wiped out.

This leads to an idea I had for a story where Samus meets Noxus, on his own, for the first time prior to Hunters; Like in a Metroid TV series that adapts all of the major arcs, while having plenty of episodic adventures between and even during said arcs.

Based on what we know of the Vhozon, I can absolutely see them participating in the war against the Space Pirates (since Weavel is also a rival to Noxus) when they first used Metroids against the galaxy. Following Mother Brain's defeat, the Metroids could no longer be controlled and turned against their Space Pirate commanders; With no choice, many Space Pirates destroyed and/or abandoned the Metroids on the planets they occupied, knowing the Federation would be obligated to perform clean-up for them; It was a way to save their own skin and also take some Feds down in the process of aborting their Metroid program.

The task of exterminating Metroids from former Space Pirate bases was often commissioned to bounty hunters like Samus, the greatest Metroid slayer in the galaxy, as well as other ice-wielding mercenaries like Rundas. Noxus wasn't hired by the Federation, but he chose to lead his own crusade against the Metroids regardless, because from a Doylist and Watsonian standpoint, his freezing Judicator is exactly the kind of specific weapon needed to kill the Ultimate Warriors.

Samus and Noxus encounter one another, team up; He seems like someone with the same ideas and views, the same goals, just like Rundas before. Noxus has some antiquated and eccentric beliefs, but whatever… But then they come across some stray Space Pirates. Noxus' Judicator can be used to encase victims in ice, not freezing them solid, but still leaving them confined for Federation police or anyone else to arrest them later.

But due to his ranking within the Vhozon codex, Noxus has the authority to take liberties as he deems fit, to judge on an individual basis (hence his crowning weapon’s name, the “Judicator” that places heretics at such deciding mercy to begin with). And even though the Space Pirates are neutralized as a threat and even pleading for mercy, Noxus decides to just execute them right here and there, instead of waiting for the Federation to arrest them.

Cue a moral dilemma for Samus, who objects to this, begrudgingly. Noxus asks what's the difference between this and her massacre of an entire base on Zebes; That's different, Samus insists, she was in their territory and had to fight to survive and succeed. They gave her no choice, they had no intention of backing down or surrendering. Maybe this could be a moment of growth and reflection for Samus; Remember how you can find a Space Pirate hiding from you in Zero Mission, and kill them anyway? Yeah. It seems Samus has a tendency in canon to reconsider her actions, such as the Metroid genocide of SR388 later on…

Coldly, Noxus brings up rumors that Space Pirates murdered Samus' family on K-2L. Samus retorts that she decides how she feels about that incident, and especially how she chooses to live afterwards. And last she checked, all pirates involved in that massacre are dead, except one, but he's not here.

Yet as far as Noxus is concerned, it's proof of Space Pirate policy towards innocents; These pirates would do the same if given the same opportunity. Is that not proof of guilt, the dark intentions in their hearts?

But they haven't, we don't know that yet, Samus argues. There's a reason why the sentence is lesser for an attempted crime, VS one pulled off. Noxus scoffs and insists this is why the Federation is weak, and Keaton a disgrace for reversing Vogl's policies.

Noxus finally brings up this point; Even if she personally disagrees, he's not asking Samus to do it. She can still look the other way. At the very least, she's not going to fight Noxus for them, is she? He's an ally to her, she knows that; He just helped her exterminate all Metroids on this planet! Samus needs Noxus more than these Space Pirates, he is of more contribution to the galaxy than this scum; It's a simple choice, a calculus between a greater and lesser evil (not that Noxus considers himself evil, but this is Samus' semi-reasonable perspective).

Samus fights Noxus anyway, and beats him because it's Samus. She ends up freezing/trapping Noxus, in an ironic mimicry of how he apprehends 'sinners' with the Judicator, and lets the Federation arrive to arrest the Space Pirates, and deal with Noxus themselves. Noxus is left pissed off as hell when Samus leaves, hence their... disagreements over the Ultimate Power.

Makes it appropriate that Noxus is seen fighting Trace, who also hails from a fanatical race bent on imposing their will; Although the Kriken seem way less concerned about moral superiority, and much more upfront about wanting to rule through Might makes Right. Unlike the Vhozon, they just want to take over the galaxy, rather than "bringing about moral influence" which is just a roundabout means of conquest if you think about it.

Given Vho is on the outer rim, I wonder if that puts them close to Kriken territory; Given mentions of waging constant war, I bet the Vhozon have a tendency to agitate open conflict with the Kriken, unlike the Federation which prefers diplomacy and is desperately trying to keep it because you do not want a full-scale war against an empire that makes the Space Pirates look like chumps. So again, the Trace-Noxus rivalry is perfect.