"You didn’t destroy us all. And that mistake will be your undoing." - 
Varus
One of the ancient darkin, Varus was a deadly killer who loved to torment his foes, driving them almost to insanity before delivering the killing arrow. He was imprisoned at the end of the Great Darkin War, but escaped centuries later in the remade flesh of two Ionian hunters—they had unwittingly released him, cursed to bear the bow containing his bound essence. Varus now seeks out those who trapped him, in order to enact his brutal vengeance, but the mortal souls within still resist him every step of the way.
Regardless of what he would later become, Varus was once a paragon of loyalty and honor. A skilled archer of the ancient Shuriman empire, he was appointed as a temple warden in the eastern states, and he held this duty sacred above all else.
During the earliest stages of the war with Icathia, even though it lay far from that cursed place, Varus’ homeland was attacked. While other wardens abandoned their posts to join the defense of the outlying villages, he alone remained, screaming in anguish with every arrow he loosed—for he had chosen to uphold his oaths rather than return home to protect his own family.
Emissaries from the Ascended Host found him kneeling in solemn meditation amid the corpses of his foes. It was said that his cold gaze unsettled even the god-warriors themselves, and yet, in recognition of his noble sacrifice, Varus was offered a place in their ranks.
As one of the great Ascended, he was utterly consumed by his pursuit of vengeance against the Icathians, and the voidling horrors they had unleashed. It is likely that Varus did not even fully comprehend Shurima's ultimate victory in that war, so twisted had his mind become—nor the empire's fall centuries later. Atrocity after atrocity blurred together, leaving him as a withdrawn, callous killer, reshaped and sent into battle countless times by his degenerate brethren.
Their name became feared throughout the known world.
The darkin.
Warring among themselves, they destroyed any other who stood against them. With his crystalline bow, Varus assassinated enemy commanders and champions, helping the darkin defeat entire mortal armies with ever greater ease.
Eventually, Varus was cornered by vastayan moon-stalkers and human mages in service of a golden-armored warrior queen of Valoran. They bound him within his bow, leaving him to howl in impotent rage. By then, the raw, corrupting influence of the darkin was known, and yet still the queen chose to wield the deadly weapon in the final days of the war, gladly sacrificing herself for a greater victory.
In the months that followed, the queen carried Varus to the First Lands—those that would later be known as Ionia. Now made monstrous by the bow's power, her last act was to command her followers to bury her alive in a lightless well, sunk deep beneath a mountain temple overlooking the village of Pallas.
And there Varus was imprisoned, both by the natural magic of Ionia, and the ritual ministrations of the temple guardians.
The bow remained hidden for centuries, unknown, untouched, and all but forgotten, until Noxian invaders attacked the First Lands. Two beast hunters—Valmar and his heartlight, Kai—fought against the first wave at the Temple of Pallas. Though their courage was great and they drove off the attackers, Kai was mortally wounded, and a grief-stricken Val carried him inside, believing the well's forbidden magic could restore him.
But the temple held only damnation, and both hunters were consumed by the unleashed power of the darkin within it. The very matter of their bodies was unraveled and bound together again to craft a new body, a body fit to free Varus from his imprisonment. What emerged from the well was a gestalt creature, pale and inhumanly beautiful, part human and part darkin. After more than a thousand years, Varus was reborn.
Even so, the human and darkin elements of this imperfect form are in constant flux, with each managing to wrest control for a short time before being reined in by the other. Varus fights to silence the two mortal souls once and for all, and wreak vengeance for the destruction of his race. Still, Kai and Val struggle against his malevolent influence, hoping against hope that their love can overcome the darkin's hatred.
How long they can keep Varus conflicted is anyone's guess—but should this sadistic and egotistical killer come to fully dominate his new host, it is certain he will seek to reunite with others of his kind, and reduce all of Runeterra to an ashen wasteland.
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Biography
Starring Champion
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Short Story
Dark Kin
By Graham McNeill
Varus followed a river running through the desert. Its water was gritty, but drinkable. The new body he had wrought to bear his bow was beautiful, fast and strong, but it came with the weaknesses of flesh. It hungered. It thirsted.
Starring: Varus
Mentioned: Kai, Naafiri, Nasus, Renekton, Valmar
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Comic
Heartlight
By Graham McNeill
Ionia. A land of magic. A land of balance. A land of light. But not always a land of peace. Just as there are creatures within Ionia who seek to upset its order, so too are there those who fight to preserve it; Arrows of Protection, hunters of monsters. Valmar and Kai are two such hunters. But not all monsters can be defeated with bow and steel. And not all darkness can be so easily banished by the light.
Starring: Kai, Valmar, Varus
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Comic
Retribution
By Graham McNeill
Slayer Valmar, desperate to save the life of his beloved Kai, surrendered to an ancient spirit, one of the Darkin. The creature, true to its word, saved Kai's life... by taking it as its own. Valmar, Kai, and the Darkin fused into a single entity. A creature of rage, vengeance, and death. Varus lives.
Starring: Kai, Valmar, Varus
Mentioned Champion
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Game
The Mageseeker
By Digital Sun
In the kingdom of Demacia, the Mageseekers hold the power to oppress magic-using citizens in the name of public order–by inducting and indoctrinating them, locking them away, or driving them into hiding. Play as Sylas, a spell-stealing mage who has just broken free of his unjust captivity at the Mageseekers’ hands. Wielding the chains that once bound you, you must liberate your homeland from tyranny, one Mageseeker at a time.
Starring: Aidan, Eldred, Garen, Gideon, Hesbeth, Jarvan IV, Kara, Killan, Leilani, Lux, Morgana, Nocturne, Rayn, Rukko, Shyvana, Sylas, Wisteria, Yops
Mentioned: Aatrox, Anden Mayne, Dalin, Dominick, Evelynn, Falden, Fiddlesticks, Fizz, Galio, Jaredan, Jarvan III, Katarina, Kayle, LeBlanc, Mihira, Naafiri, Rhaast, Ryze, Sion, Tianna, Varus
Alternate Universes
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Comic
Crystal Quest: Series 2
By ARTeapot
Starring: Bard, Sejuani, Varus
Mentioned: Anivia, Ashe, Ezreal, Galio, Irelia, Jayce, Lissandra, Lux, Olaf, Ornn, Skarner, Trundle, Tryndamere, Udyr, Volibear
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Entries
Judgment
By Institute of War
The truest opponent lies within.
Starring: Boram Darkwill, Brand, Caitlyn, Cassiopeia, Galio, Graves, Irelia, Jarvan IV, Karma, LeBlanc, Lee Sin, Leona, Lux, Maokai, Miss Fortune, Nocturne, Orianna, Renekton, Riven, Rumble, Ryze, Skarner, Sona, Swain, Talon, Trundle, Urgot, Varus, Vayne, Vladimir, Wukong, Xerath, Xin Zhao, Yorick
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Comic
Academy Adventures: Series 1
By Gutter Rat
Starring: Ahri, Darius, Ekko, Vladimir
Mentioned: Akali, Amumu, Anivia, Azir, Bard, Blitzcrank, Braum, Cho'Gath, Elise, Ezreal, Fiddlesticks, Fiora, Gnar, Heimerdinger, Ivern, Jhin, Jinx, Karthus, Kog'Maw, Lulu, Lux, Malzahar, Miss Fortune, Nidalee, Olaf, Poppy, Rek'Sai, Renekton, Rumble, Ryze, Shaco, Shen, Sion, Sona, Soraka, Talon, Taric, Teemo, Tristana, Trundle, Twitch, Urgot, Varus, Veigar, Vel'Koz, Vi, Yorick, Zed, Ziggs, Zyra
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Comic
Academy Adventures: Series 2
By Gutter Rat
Starring: Ahri, Darius, Ekko, Vladimir
Mentioned: Amumu, Anivia, Annie, Ashe, Aurelion Sol, Braum, Caitlyn, Cho'Gath, Dr. Mundo, Draven, Elise, Ezreal, Fiddlesticks, Fizz, Galio, Gnar, Heimerdinger, Janna, Jhin, Jinx, Kog'Maw, Lulu, Lux, Malphite, Malzahar, Miss Fortune, Nami, Nasus, Olaf, Poppy, Rakan, Rammus, Rek'Sai, Riven, Rumble, Ryze, Shaco, Singed, Sona, Soraka, Syndra, Taliyah, Talon, Taric, Teemo, Thresh, Tibbers, Tristana, Twitch, Urgot, Varus, Veigar, Volibear, Warwick, Wukong, Xayah, Yasuo, Yorick, Zac, Zed, Ziggs, Zyra
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Comic
Academy Adventures: Series 3
By Gutter Rat
Starring: Ahri, Darius, Ekko, Vladimir
Mentioned: Akali, Amumu, Bard, Blitzcrank, Draven, Elise, Evelynn, Ezreal, Fiddlesticks, Fiora, Fizz, Galio, Gnar, Jayce, Jhin, Kayn, Kog'Maw, LeBlanc, Lulu, Lux, Malzahar, Nasus, Nunu, Poppy, Rakan, Rammus, Rek'Sai, Renekton, Rhaast, Rumble, Ryze, Shaco, Singed, Sivir, Sona, Taliyah, Talon, Teemo, Tristana, Trundle, Twitch, Varus, Veigar, Warwick, Xayah, Zed, Ziggs, Zoe, Zyra
Edit • Image • Reference
Comic
Punches and Plants: Series 1
By Risu
Starring: Vi, Zyra
Mentioned: Ahri, Alistar, Annie, Ashe, Blitzcrank, Brand, Braum, Caitlyn, Darius, Diana, Dr. Mundo, Ekko, Evelynn, Ezreal, Gangplank, Garen, Gnar, Gragas, Graves, Heimerdinger, Janna, Jinx, Karma, Katarina, Leona, Lucian, Malzahar, Miss Fortune, Nami, Nasus, Nunu, Quinn, Renekton, Rumble, Ryze, Sejuani, Sivir, Sona, Soraka, Tahm Kench, Taliyah, Taric, Teemo, Tibbers, Trundle, Tryndamere, Twisted Fate, Twitch, Valor, Varus, Vel'Koz, Vladimir, Volibear, Warwick, Willump, Wukong, Zac, Ziggs
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Comic
The Roadtrip
By Cassie Parkes, Marvin Clifford
Starring: Caitlyn, Gangplank, Zoe
Mentioned: Ahri, Ashe, Azir, Bard, Braum, Darius, Fiddlesticks, Garen, Gnar, Gragas, Graves, Irelia, Jinx, Kalista, Katarina, Kog'Maw, Lee Sin, Lulu, Master Yi, Nami, Poppy, Rakan, Shaco, Sona, Swain, Taric, Teemo, Twisted Fate, Varus, Xayah, Yasuo, Zilean
References
Varus
Shuriman empire, he was appointed as a temple warden in the eastern states, and he held this duty sacred above all else.
Icathia, even though it lay far from that cursed place, Varus’ homeland was attacked. While other wardens abandoned their posts to join the defense of the outlying villages, he alone remained, screaming in anguish with every arrow he loosed—for he had chosen to uphold his oaths rather than return home to protect his own family.
crystalline bow, Varus assassinated enemy commanders and champions, helping the darkin defeat entire mortal armies with ever greater ease.
Valoran. They bound him within his bow, leaving him to howl in impotent rage. By then, the raw, corrupting influence of the darkin was known, and yet still the queen chose to wield the deadly weapon in the final days of the war, gladly sacrificing herself for a greater victory.
Ionia. Now made monstrous by the bow's power, her last act was to command her followers to bury her alive in a lightless well, sunk deep beneath a mountain temple overlooking the village of Pallas.
Noxian invaders attacked the First Lands. Two beast hunters—Valmar and his heartlight, Kai—fought against the first wave at the Temple of Pallas. Though their courage was great and they drove off the attackers, Kai was mortally wounded, and a grief-stricken Val carried him inside, believing the well's forbidden magic could restore him.
