Who they are
Varus was a Darkin of Shurima imprisoned in a bow after the Great Darkin War. Two Ionian hunters, Valmar and Kai, unknowingly freed him, and their bodies fused with his essence.
The three minds now struggle for control, with Varus pulled between revenge and the humanity the hunters help him remember.
Their story belongs to Ionia and also touches Shurima. Natural magic, spirits, and a peace that war broke.
Their story, step by step
- Step 1
A loyal warden
Varus was born in ancient Shurima and became a skilled archer and a warden of the eastern temples. When invaders in the Icathian rebellion killed his family, he stayed at his post and defended the temple alone.
- Step 2
Ascension and ruin
The Ascended, impressed, offered him Ascension. It twisted him, and he came to enjoy tormenting enemies with arrows until he was a cold killer.
- Step 3
The Darkin War
After Emperor Azir died, the Ascended split into the Darkin, and Varus fought with Aatrox, Rhaast, Naafiri and another powerful Darkin. When the Aspects stepped in, mortals learned to seal Darkin in weapons, and Varus was imprisoned in a bow beneath the temple at Pallas by forces including the Kinkou Order and Zaahen.
- Step 4
Freed by two hunters
Centuries later, Ionian hunters Valmar and Kai visited the temple during a Noxian invasion. Kai was mortally wounded, and Valmar carried him into the well after hearing Varus whisper. Varus remade their bodies with his magic into a single body, with the two men conscious as separate minds.
- Step 5
Three minds, one body
At first Varus sought brutal revenge. Valmar and Kai's love for each other kept overriding his rage and reminding him of the man he was. He now seeks redemption, searched Shurima for his sister Naafiri and found her tomb empty, and gathered a hunting party that confronted Xolaani in Icathia.
Turning points
- Defending the temple alone
- Being sealed in the bow
- Valmar carrying Kai into the well
- Choosing redemption
Where their story stands now
Varus lives as a three-part mind in one body, pursuing redemption while still a fighter. The result of the Xolaani fight and reunions with other Darkin are unresolved.
Who they are tied to
- Aatrox →Fellow Darkin he fought beside, who criticizes his hybrid form
- Naafiri →Varus went to Shurima to find his sister Naafiri and found her tomb empty.
- Zaahen →Zaahen once guided his Ascension and later helped seal him in his bow.
- Yunara →A Kinkou shrine maiden who guarded the Temple of Twilight for over a thousand years.
Where this fits in the story
- Ionia · step 1
The Vastaya
Ionian history says mortals merged with spirit-realm power to defeat invading Titans, and that this gave rise to the Vastayashai'rei, the Vastaya.
- Ionia · step 2
The Darkin war
Ancient god-warriors invaded Ionia in the Darkin war. The Kinkou Order sealed them inside weapons.
- Ionia · step 3
The Noxian invasion
Noxus occupied territory for about five years and took magical artifacts, then withdrew. Irelia led the resistance.
- Ionia · step 4
A divided peace
The war left Ionia split between those who want to stay peaceful and those who want to be ready to fight. Zed founded the Order of Shadow, a rival to the Kinkou that uses forbidden dark magic.