#the inx conv/rgence

[mollysunder]

The Inx: Jinx's Great and Terrible Devotees in Spite of Conv/rgence

The most annoying thing about Conv/rgence as a game is that it introduces great concepts, like the Inx, but just fumbles the execution of them and the overall story.

In Conv/rgence the Inx are a new chempunk gang of Zaunite teens and young adults that idolize and borderline worship Jinx to the point where they're said to spread chaos in her name. But the Zaun that Conv/rgence establishes tells a different story about the Inx from the intended description.

The first time the Inx appear is in the Conv/rgence comic, where the lead members like Chadd play at the Triumph Festival. It's supposed to be a Zaunite festival to celebrate Jayce's defeating Viktor, the Machine Herald. If the Inx follow Jinx's lifestyle why would they even play at such an event to celebrate a Piltovan, and why would Zaunites think the Inx wouldn't make trouble over it? I could go on about how weird it is for Zaun to host a festival to celebrate Jayce, a Piltovan champion for a fight unrelated to them and their wellbeing, but that would take too long.

For people who admire Jinx's boldness, the best they can do in the comics is pretty harmless vandalism where they just graffiti Jinx's monkey tag over some walls. The Inx are also nowhere to be seen in major events like the Scraptown Run, which apparently all Zaun gangs participate in.

Then there's members like Moshpit Meg. Meg's a diehard Jinx fan that loves Jinx's attitude and dedication to explosions. Before that Meg was admired Vi, the enforcer, because Vi's gauntlets reminded Meg of her own naturally big fists and it made her feel less self conscious about her own hands. That second half begs too many questions I don't have time for.

Outside of aesthetic choices there isn't really anything about the Inx that says they're people who stake their identity around Jinx. This is largely because Conv/rgence's universe works hard to sanitize Zaunite grievances against Piltover which directly undermines the central class conflict between Zaun and Piltover. It also largely impacts the motivations and general existence of characters like Jinx and the people who follow her, like the Inx, because they wouldn't exist in the absence of Piltover's oppression.

To avoid addressing any real conflict between the two cities the Inx are only vaguely make sense in the story, especially the game. All except for one element, Chadd. I need to say this...

Chadd is Accidentally (on Purpose?) Great

The brief moments the audience gets to know Chadd's character gives us an interesting glimpse at the people Jinx inspires.

The first thing we know about Chadd is that he's a musician, and it's neat trait that connects him to the musical roots of Jinx's character. In League, Jinx was the first champion in League to debut with a music video. It was through Jinx's character that Riot and Fortiche begun experimenting League with music. So it's very fitting that Convergence creates a chorus of sorts for Jinx to continue that musical tradition. To add to that, the game's promo posters decided to reestablish Jinx's connections by making her a talented karaoke singer.

The next thing to know about Chadd is that he was the one who planne and organized the Inx to transform a rundown theatre into an airborne concert arena. Red, Ekko's close friend and romantic interest in the game, confirmed that it was Chadd who was the one to make it happen, within a week too. It's an impressive creative feat that's clearly in homage to "Get Jinxed's" aerial imagery. Despite how cool a stunt that was I couldn't see how it was meant to impress Jinx, she was the most destructive thing in the theater... until I read the transcript "Hold me like a Fermata".

A shotgun, a flame thrower... who's funeral were you planning Chadd!??!? Just for context this was a transcript Ekko found of Chadd and the Inx talking about a new weapon (and sound system?) Chadd seemed to have made. I'm sure Chadd was the one who made it because the Fermata is also the name of a musical note that represents a pause (sometimes dramatic) in a score.

If you're familiar with music you might also know that the Fermata has more than one name, it's also referred to as "the Cyclops Eye". That kind of reference to Silco used on a weapon for a later act to honor Jinx couldn't have been lost on the writers because the Eye of Zaun was already found on an Inx hangout.

When I finally noticed all these details I finally got that Chadd is dangerously devoted to Jinx. All the points in his character can only lead us to conclude the real plan wasn't to just play obnoxiously loud music when the theater reached Piltover's heights, it was to destroy Piltover with all the weapons they equipped on it. That's the best idea I can come up with because Jinx immediately throws bombs at their plan to cause havoc in Piltover... for reasons. It does match Jinx's track record at least, usually other dangerous or apathetic champions tend to appreciate her, like Urgot, Renata Glasc, and Khada Jhin.

Even Chadd's concept art communicates that he's probably more devoted to Jinx than rest of the Inx. The way his early design evolves to reflect Jinx's influence could even tell a story. The more this douchey glam rocker finds inspiration in Jinx the more he changes himself and his art to reflect Jinx's impact. Chadd grows his hair out, wears his tattoo of Jinx in the same place she wears hers, and even dresses more like her, but he still retains his own diva personality.

One last thing, the funniest thing about Chadd is the fact that both Ekko and Red seperately ask him to explain himself and what "statement" he's trying to make with the Inx. Chadd just flat out refuses to answer, and even breaks up with Red over that. I thought he was being douche (he was), but then I remembered Jinx doesn't explain herself in game either about the mayhem she causes, she just taunts anyone who asks. The student learns from the master I guess.

Tldr: In the Converegence game and comics the Inx are characterized by mild vandalism and pretentious artists. And I could almost get behind that idea if only Convergence wasn't so heavily biased towards Piltover the dynamics of a group like the Inx could have had a more interesting exploration in their motivations and goals. Also, Chadd is a dipshit and he makes a great follower of Jinx!

[mollysunder]

The finale must have seemed like absolute horseshit to the Jinxers. They spent what seemed like several months resisting Piltover's violent occupation of Zaun where they are regularly harassed,

assaulted,

imprisoned,

shot at, and plainly intimidated in their own homes.

All for it to mean nothing, because everything they did had no bearing on Piltover's decision to pull back the occupation. And after what seemed like months of being terrorized they're asked to join a fight of which it's catalyst and driving force is hextech and it's creators. A technology and group of people that have never directly or indirectly benefitted them in any tangible way, and didn't one of those guys kill a kid in Zaun a couple months back!?!?!???

But it's the end of the world so of course they're going to fight, and of course many of them died. Some worse than others, in the uniforms of the forces that beat and imprisoned them.

On the battlefield all the double standards are laid bare for them to see because Piltover has fully weaponized hextech to defend themselves from an aggressor. Meanwhile one of the core reasons their home was gassed and occupied was to rid the place of shimmer. Without it Zaun was easily occupied by Piltover and they died in droves on the battlefield from wounds that it would have easily healed by it.

And after everything that's happened, from the invasion of their home, the violent repression, the deaths of their leaders and their symbol, they gained practically nothing in return. Even the power Sevika gained as a councilmember is completely dependent on when a Piltovan deigns to side with her. What's worse, there's literally nothing stopping from Piltover from doing it all over again. Piltover didn't need hextech to occupy Zaun, without shimmer, all they needed was their guns.

So what happens next?

Obviously, this isn't over. None of what's happened will be forgotten, especially by the faction that appeared to spend the most time fighting the occupation. Even though they've gained nothing of material value from Piltover, the connections and skills they've forged in the conflict are decent substitutes.

Some of these new skills include gunsmithing! An incredible development in Zaun as only Jinx and Piltover had a monopoly on the technology. Add to that the fact that the Jinxers don't just admire Jinx, but likely Silco as well and are even depicted fighting the enforcers alongside Silco's former underlings, there's clearly a new wave of militancy brewing.

This leads me to wonder if over time the Jinxers would morph into something like the Inx. The Inx are of course a noncanon Jinx-aligned faction, but their creation was heavily inspired by Arcane and even included Silco's iconography in their aesthetic.

Now first off, the Inx are dangerous. They're violent, obnoxious in a hooligan kind of way, and they operate kind of like a cult (real estate fraud and all), but they're also the kind of dangerous Silco enabled in Jinx. Leading members like Chadd above are artistically creative, inventive, charismatic, and genuinely well-organized.

The Inx are incredibly capable of amazing feats (and great music), they're just sort of directionless, and the Jinxers have an ideology that's likely to only get more extreme and a real enemy, but little in terms of power. With a foundation like the Jinxers, something like the Inx could form in Zaun, but far more dangerous. Post-finale the Jinxers will likely be the ones to invest their time in making Zaun's next generation both as innovative and dangerous as possible to make Zaun's streets as uncontrollable and terrifying for enforcers as when shimmer was around.

[mollysunder]

This is Chadd, he's from the Inx in Conv/rgence, he loves Jinx, and he organizes elaborate acts of terrorism/performance art against Piltover in Jinx's name. And I NEED this strain of Jinx stan to make it into season 2 of Arcane.

Chadd is the best example of the kind Zaunite that takes their admiration of Jinx seriously and let's it influence their own violence and art, because yes, he plays guitar and sings with the Inx's band. Chadd's an obnoxious, in your face, musically-talented (but borderline nerdy), organized weirdo that gathers all the other stans to plan aerial concerts/bombing events on Piltover.

He's such a dedicated stan (in the concept art) that he dresses up like Jinx too, shorts, fishnets, collar and all. Chadd even has his Jinx tattoo drawn in the same placement aswhere Jinx has her own.

Please Arcane, let obsessive freaks like Chadd overwhelm the chembarons next season as Jinx's stans believe the chembarons don't pay her enough proper tribute. Let Jinx be mildly amused at their antics and keep them around for logistics and grunt work.

[mollysunder]

First Convergence created the Inx.

Now Arcane's created the Jinxers.

I say within the period of season 2's time skip, there was one true Jinx stan cult gang thing, and they immediately broke into a schism like a month in based on differing interpretations of Get Jinxed.

The Jinxers are focused on the home base and generally include Silco in their veneration of Jinx. Meanwhile the Inx are more Jinx-centric and are actual terrorists who engage in real estate fraud to fund it. Chadd is once again the leader of the Inx, while the girl with blue locs runs the Jinxers.

Yeah her and Chadd used to date, that's got NOTHING to do with the schism.

[mollysunder]

When you remember that in Zaun people are giving fresh eyeballs to a giant turtle with Silco’s tattoo on it's hand, you realize the Inx aren't a huge leap in idol worshippers for next season. Frankly these Jinx stans are downright normal compared to whatever Silco's been encouraging. Sans the elaborate acts of vandalism, terrorism, and real estate theft, they're just well organized, creative, passionate young people that discovered they like pink, blue, crop tops, and fishnets.

The catharsis of revenge brought them together and the power of music/performance art holds them down. They also seem to throw amazing raves.

It's also fun to just think about the immediate ripple effect Jinx's actions have on the zeitgeist Zaun's youth. In Chadd's concept art for Convergence alone it's like the Council bombing changed the trajectory of his life, and Jinx didn't even do that in the game.

[mollysunder]

If we get to see some real fans of Jinx next season I hope they're like Chadd from Conv/rgence. Chadd's musically talented, an effective project organizer, and is casually inclined to not just glorify Jinx's violence but turn it into performance to kill more Piltovans.

There could even be a story in the background about how gangs like the Inx ended up existing in Arcane. I imagine majority of Inx members like Chadd would be former mine workers from the colonies. Jinx's rebellion inspired many of the young workers to leave en masse, which ultimately saved their lives, and more importantly for Chadd, his singing voice from the mines dusts and gasses.

I know Conv/rgence is supposed to be a standalone game (good), but if they could transport this dude Chadd into Arcane (specifically the one with the Jinx tattoo) that'd be great.

Even some people at Riot Forge would have a like to see Chadd included in other Riot properties like TFT in the same vein as how Silco, a nonchampion, was included.

[mollysunder]

This might be a reach, but that little kid next Jinx reminds me of Ajuna.

It could be the short stature and the silhouette of his haircut, but it just makes me think of him.

Anyway, this wouldn't be the first time League has had Ekko's friends associate with Jinx, or what she represents at least.

In Conv/rgence, Ekko's oldest friend, Red (on the left) hung out with the Inx, Jinx's followers, and even dated one of their leaders, Chadd (on the right). Naturally, they broke because of difference in opinion (Chadd was mad she wasn't cool with wrecking Piltover).

Sidenote: I think it's very cute the concept art made Red and Chadd dress in a similar style (puffy jacket+matching choker) but still different enough to be distinct as individuals.