User blog comment:Xano501.ben/A reason why Ahri can hear Sona/@comment-5556439-20130726112703/@comment-5331854-20130727205918

Let's think logically, then.

As a designer, you need to draw inspiration from every possible source to create something that can stand on your own. I'm into design in my free time (more technical than artistic, but still) and knowing so many myths, legends and all sorts of games gave me a great pool of inspiration. You implying that "Riot don't know asian folklore" is pretty much illogical from a designer's perspective (they have to know something about the gumiho or kitsune to draw something similar to it. Or would you put that many tails on a model and made her a fox gone human just because you feel like it?)

Most fantasy stories implement stuff from real myths and even other fantasy stories. That's natural. Vladimir, for example, certainly draws similarities with the modern vampire myth (he shares part of his name with the inspiration for Dracula, Vlad III., also Vladimir has the looks of the classic noble vampire made famous in the era of B/W-movies [or even earlier, as modern vampires originally had been an incarnation of human gluttony gone awry, which would fit with the general image of evil noblemen]) and the ancient "power of the blood"-myth found in many cultures and even religions (he is a hemomancer, after all).

The case with Sona is also a good designer choice. Ever heard music not made by Popstar-Of-The-Month or Skrillex, something old made with real instruments and without a recording studio? Classical music is pretty strong and grabs you on an emotional level if you just listen to it without thinking too much. Something Sona is capable of with her unusual instrument (that still share similarities with classic string instruments from both Europe and Asia).

Just because the voice is lost doesn't mean the transmittal of information is impossible now. Emotions are also informations. Watch yourself when you talk with friends in the real world. Notice how their facial expressions and gestures matches the overall atmosphere of whatever you're talking about? Your voice can do that, too, but it can't do that alone. You don't need to talk or write to express yourself. When you have a relationship with someone you love, then surely you know how sometimes you and your partner understands each other without words?

When you're playing Sona, make her /taunt. Make her /laugh. She only plays her instrument, but you can still tell she's provoking/angry when taunting or happy when laughing. Listen to her closely when she attacks or use her skills. The general feeling you get from these sound effects match the action she's doing.

I know mute people in reality who are pretty lively and have fun like every other people (being mute != mutism). And they don't rely on writing all the time. Okay, there's sign language, that's a given, but even then you don't need sign language every second for having fun with friends, just as we don't need words every second.