Hwei is a brooding painter who creates brilliant art in order to confront Ionia's criminals and comfort their victims. Beneath his melancholy roils a torn, emotional mind— haunted by both the vibrant visions of his imagination and the gruesome memories of his temple's massacre. Hwei seeks to understand this light and dark, which drives him inevitably toward the artist who unraveled him. With paintbrush and palette, Hwei shapes endless possibilities as he draws ever closer to earning closure or embracing despair.
 | "Calm and chaos—leave everything on the canvas." — Hwei |
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Background[]
Early life in Koyehn[]
Born into a legacy, Hwei was destined to inherit the Temple of Koyehn. He spent his childhood immersed in the vibrant surroundings, translating his wild daydreams onto canvas. From a young age, it was evident that his visions were not mere reflections of reality; instead, they were fantastical interpretations that turned life itself into art.
Hwei's unique connection with the world manifested not only in his paintings but also in the shifting hues of his eyes, mirroring the ebb and flow of his mind and mood. The temple's art form, paint magic, became Hwei's chosen medium, a medium that influenced the emotions of its audience. However, strict control and discipline were necessary to prevent the art from overpowering mental perceptions and bodily sensations, as those who failed to control it were banished from Koyehn.
Despite the strict precepts, Hwei, driven by an insatiable curiosity and a desire to explore the depths of his power, indulged his imagination. In a pivotal moment, during a demonstration for the temple masters, Hwei's control wavered as he painted Koyehn's sea. Emotions crashed over him, and he surrendered to the beauty of his creation. This awakening infuriated the temple masters who, while unwilling to exile the heir, stressed the weight of his responsibilities. Hwei, haunted yet fascinated by the depths of his power, continued to push the boundaries in secret at night.
Encounter with 
Jhin[]
The tranquil existence of Koyehn was disrupted when 
Khada Jhin visited the temple. A bond formed between Hwei and Jhin, as they exchanged creative perspectives. However, the night before Jhin departed, he challenged Hwei, sensing the façade in the pieces he presented to the world. Reluctantly, Hwei unleashed his true art, revealing decades of suppressed emotions and imagination. Jhin, witnessing the forbidden visions, departed with an ominous farewell, stating he would move on tomorrow "to watch the lotuses bloom."
At dawn, Hwei awoke to a series of tragedies. Four historic paintings lay destroyed, the four masters who berated Hwei in his youth lay dead, and the temple itself erupted in flames. In the chaos, Hwei recognized the dark potential of his art for destruction and torment, realizing the horror and fascination that had gripped him in his youth.
As the temple collapsed into ruins, Hwei emerged as the sole survivor, haunted by guilt and the overwhelming power of his own imagination. By day, he mourned with the villagers, but by night, he revisited the wreckage, using his paintbrush and palette to create scenes that captured the essence of Koyehn's crest—the same crest worn over his heart.
Discovering a 
lotus-shaped trap amid the rubble, Hwei pieced together the perpetrator was none other than the artist he grew so close to. The thought unleashed a cascade of emotions—fear, sorrow, betrayal, and awe. Faced with a choice between staying with his people or pursuing the answers to the tragedy, Hwei, bearing only his paintbrush and palette, left Koyehn behind.
In the time since, Hwei has embarked on a journey of self-discovery and redemption. He seeks answers by revealing the full extent of his art, tracking down nefarious individuals in the darkest corners of 
Ionia. As he spirals deeper into the shadows, Hwei lights a path, his mind brimming with possibility.
Appearance[]
Hwei is a slender man with pale olive skin and wavy, dark teal hair, usually parted to the left. His eyes change color based on his mood.[2] He wears a shade of dark aqua eyeshadow.[3] He tends to wear simple, comfortable clothes, such as calf-length pants, a loose-fitting tunic, and slip-on shoes. This outfit contrasts dark, muted tones of teal with splashes of bright orange. At least his right ear is pierced in two places (his left ear is obscured by his hair). He is often seen carrying a massive paintbrush, comparable in size to a staff, and with a trail of paints levitating behind him.
Personality[]
Hwei is in conflict with his own duality. Beneath his kind and compassionate nature lies an insatiable curiosity, driving an imagination that blurs reality and fantasy. The internal conflict within him, torn between the light of redemption and the shadows of guilt, shapes his interactions. Hwei's emotional palette, unpredictable and intense, defines not only his art but also the complex relationships he navigates. In his journey through Ionia's darkest corners, he seeks answers and redemption, wielding his magical paintbrush to bring solace and reflection to others and himself.
Abilities[]
- Paint Magic: Hwei possesses an exceptional mastery of paint magic, a unique art form that allows him to shape and manipulate emotions through his paintings. The magical paint he wields responds to his emotions, creating vivid and enchanting scenes that influence those who witness them likewise, he can make his creations come to life.
- Red Paint: When Hwei uses his magical red paint he has the ability to draw and give life to fireballs, lightning bolts and magma fissures.
- Blue Paint: When Hwei uses his magical blue paint he can create and bring to life rivers, water spheres and even amplify his abilities.
- Purple Paint: When Hwei uses his magical purple paint he has the ability to manipulate the emotions of others, he can instill fear, anxiety or even create constructions like claws.
- Magic Brush: Hwei carries a brush with him which he uses as a magic wand which he uses as a conduit for his magical powers, with it in addition to painting he can also cast spells with his brush.
Relations[]
Khada Jhin[]
Hwei's encounter with Khada Jhin was a pivotal turning point in his life. During Jhin's visit to Koyehn, the two exchanged creative perspectives, with Hwei guiding Jhin through the beauty of his home. There was a mutual respect for their differences, as Hwei recognized Jhin's virtuosity. However, the night before Jhin's departure, the dynamic shifted. Jhin, sensing the façade in Hwei's presented art, challenged him to reveal a genuine performance. Reluctantly, Hwei unleashed the true power of his art, revealing decades of suppressed emotions. Jhin, witnessing the forbidden visions, left with an inscrutable farewell. The consequences of that night echoed through Koyehn, leaving Hwei to grapple with the aftermath of tragedy. The encounter with Jhin left an indelible mark on Hwei's path, influencing the conflicting hues within him.
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Biography
Starring Champion
Trivia[]
- Hwei is in his early 30s.[1]
- Hwei has no connections with Demons.[4]
- Hwei's height is 178 centimeters (or 5 feet and 10 inches) while standing and between 173 to 175 centimeters (or 5 feet and 8 inches) while slouching.[5]
- Hwei's eyeshadow shade coincides with the hexcode #146971.[3] This shade has the most similarities with the color "Dark Aqua", which has the hexcode #05696B.
- Hwei's name has many different linguistical layers to it: [6][7]
- It's monosyllabic, which means it is easy to say and put next to names like Shen, Zed, and Jhin.
- It's a name without hard consonants, so that softer sound speaks more to his kinder nature.
- It has four letters, which furthers the foil/parallel with Jhin.
- His full name Lukai Hwei has a three-beat cadence that refers to the rule of thirds that surrounds his character.
- His full name has a contradicting aptronym. Lukai Hwei sounds like "look away," when the last thing he wants you to do is look away from his art.
- Both Hwei and Jhin obtained their full names in a similar fashion. "Lukai" was a top contender for Hwei's first name, but it became his family name instead. Similarly, "Khada" was considered for Jhin's first name, leading to its incorporation into his full name as Khada Jhin.
- Hwei's last name, Lukai, possibly derives from Hindi लूक lūka [lu:ka:]"a meteor, falling or shooting star" or लूका lūkā [lu:ka:]"flash, flare, blaze or burning wood"[8].
- The pinyin transcription of Hwei is hui, which can be written by many Chinese characters. The following are some characters possibly related to Hwei's concept[9]:
- 辉 hui [xweɪ55] "brightness; lustre; brilliance; radiance; splendour"
- 灰 hui [xweɪ55] "ash; dust; lime; grey; disheartened"
- 毁 hui [xweɪ214] "to destroy; to ruin; to slander"
- 悔 hui [xweɪ214] "to repent; to regret"
- 晦 hui [xweɪ51] "dark, unclear, obscure; night"
- 彗 hui [xweɪ51] "comet"
- 绘 hui [xweɪ51] "to paint; to portray; to depict"
- Based on Hwei's biography, it seems natural to associate his family name with 绘 "to paint", which represents his (and his family's) expertise. However, in Chinese localization, 彗 "comet" has been chosen to translate 'Hwei'. Considering his first name, the translation is unlikely to be arbitrary and serves a narrative purpose. In both Eastern and Western cultures[10], the comet is associated with disasters. Furthermore, when examining the character form of 彗 "comet", it composes of 3 vertical strokes and 9 (3x3) horizontal storkes ,alluding to Hwei's preference for the number 3.
- Hwei's name could be combined with Jhin's name to form the Mandarin word 灰烬 huijin [xweɪ55 tɕɪn51] "remaining ashes after burning", 金辉 jinhui [tɕɪn55, xweɪ55] "golden brilliance" or 尽绘 jinhui [tɕɪn51, xweɪ51] "to fully portray".
- It's monosyllabic, which means it is easy to say and put next to names like
- Hwei wants Sett to let him in to his circle in order to look for more information about Jhin, but more broadly about Ionia's underworld.[11]
- The emotions associated with his eye color can be contradictory, in true Hwei fashion. These are some of the emotions his eye colors could reflect: [11]
- Red: pain, anger, malicious intent, but also passion
- Blue: pensiveness, sadness, reflection, but also peacefulness and sympathy
- Purple: shock, dread, panic, fear, but also imaginativeness and wisdom
- Gold: despair, but also for emotional overwhelm in general, positive or negative.
Change log[]
| Character blurb | |
|---|---|
| November 2023 | Added. |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Riot orkidian on Hwei's age
- ↑ Champion Insights: Hwei
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hwei's eyeshadow
- ↑ Riot orkidian on Hwei's relationship with Demons
- ↑ Riot orkidian on Hwei's height
- ↑ Riot orkidian on Hwei's full name
- ↑ Riot Lexical and Riot orkidian on Hwei's name
- ↑ https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/caturvedi_query.py?qs=%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%95&searchhws=yes
- ↑ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%BD%97
- ↑ https://deepimpact.astro.umd.edu/science/comets-cultures.html#:~:text=Comets%20have%20inspired%20dread%2C%20fear,and%20messengers%20of%20the%20gods.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Riot orkidian on Hwei's search and his eye colors
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