Noxus, an expansionist nation that reveres only strength. Though he was cast down and debilitated in the Ionian wars, his left arm severed, he seized control of the empire with ruthless determination... and a new, demonic hand. Now, Swain commands from the front lines, marching against a coming darkness that only he can see—in glimpses gathered by shadowy ravens from the corpses all around him. In a swirl of sacrifice and secrets, the greatest secret of all is that the true enemy lies within.
is the visionary ruler of
"I have learned enough to detest all men. Only nations may be revered." — Swain | |
Background[]
Early life[]
Jericho Swain was born into an affluent Noxian family, among the established houses that trace shortly after the nation's founding. They were also favored by the emperor of Noxus―
―having been instrumental in his rise to the throne.Yet House Swain was also among many that hungered for power, and as such were part of a secret cabal called the Black Rose. His parents were especially intent on finding some dark power hidden in the depths of the Immortal Bastion, that which eluded discovery for many years as it cackled in the darkness like a raven's caw.
The cabal had aided Darkwill's political rise, but in time he rejected their influence thereafter.
, head matriarch of the Black Rose, manipulated Swain as a young nobleman into revealing the Black Rose and executing its most prominent members, including Swain's own parents and Leblanc herself. However, LeBlanc's execution was a deception, and she retreated back into the shadows of Noxus to wait for an opportunity to strike. For exposing the corruption, Swain was granted a commission in the Noxian army, where he would serve for years to come.Discovery of Raum[]
Swain learned firsthand that the empire's true strength was upheld not by pure Noxian ferocity, but by all its people united in spite of their origins. Nobles and foreign slaves alike were all seen as soldiers on the front lines. Swain had carved out his career in securing the western borders, as well as expanding into Shurima. But in time, the aging emperor grew more paranoid and unhinged over his own mortality. Fighting wars on too many fronts, lusting over magical relics; greed became the clear motivation of the regime.
During the invasion of Ionia, Darkwill retasked much of the warbands to hunt for artifacts that could extend mortal lifespan, With Swain's forces depleted, it became nearly impossible to engage the enemy. At the Battle of the Placidium, his troops were overrun in what should have been an ambush. Swain was gravely wounded with his knee shattered and his . On the verge of death, he felt a familiar darkness press upon him again as a approached to feed; but he would not let it take him. Staring into the bird's eyes, he saw a vision of the dark truth: that LeBlanc had seduced Darkwill with promises of extending his life, and had sent Swain to die. It was not the raven that told him this, but something deeper. This was the great power that Swain's parents had been looking for, and now he knew it could be found.
Returning to Noxus, Swain was disgraced and regarded as nothing more than a cripple. Through his fragile state, Swain set about in search of that strange power, that which cackled in the darkness like a raven's caw. What he found was Raum, an ancient entity that preyed on the dying and consumed their secrets. But the man solved a puzzle even the demon did not anticipate: a way to wield its power.
Establishment of the Trifarix[]
Swain had physically restored himself and could use magic to defeat his enemies, along with using Raum to listen to the secrets of the dying. Over the course of many years, Swain amassed power, allies, and elaborate plans to kill Darkwill. In the end, it only took one night to capture the throne. Swain revealed himself to all of Noxus, leaving Darkwill dead and the throne empty. In its place, he established the Trifarix: a council of 3 members to take over the responsibilities of the emperor. Together they embody Noxus' core values, with Swain representing Vision,
exemplifying Might, and The Faceless one embodying Guile. This Council was made so that no one man could rule Noxus, and if one were to divert from the foundations of strength that Noxus was built on, the other two would be able to keep them in check. Moreover, this insurance would counterbalance Swain should he ever befall to demonic corruption.Swain immediately pulled back the Noxian forces from Darkwill's untenable ventures. He also held conventions detailing his plans for the empire, pardoning the noble houses that swore fealty, and allowing dissenting houses to safely leave the empire. A large part of the dissent was over the new policies that grated traditional power systems such as inherited lordship, personal wealth, and ownership of human property.[1]
Seeing areas of concern abroad and within, Swain sent one of the empire's best assassins in an almost impossible task.[2] was assigned to kill the Demacian king , as well as her own father , who has suspected ties with the Black Rose. However, Marcus intercepted the written order and managed to deter her long enough to get close to destroying Swain. The Grand General intervened in the final duel and backfired the implosive weapon to destroy Marcus instead. He then congratulates Katarina on her success and revealed that the assignment was a test to find an assassin that could eliminate Swain in the event that he becomes corrupt.
The Black Powder Plot[]
Secessionists held the mineral-rich Rokrund Plains, crafting explosives that deterred Noxian forces from advancing. This prompted Swain to visit the campaign generals and discuss strategy. One of these was General , a secret operative of the Black Rose that plotted to kill Swain. Within the meeting, he proclaimed that the battle was unwinnable without death and revealed an explosive fuse ready to blow. Swain chuckled at the profound suggestion, agreeing that while the soldiers may die anyway, their sacrifice makes way for a greater reinforcement. He then reveals his demon arm and quickly strangles Granth. "Granth and I... we always look for what must be sacrificed in order to win."
The Delverhold Affair[]
Seven years into the Trifarix rule, delegates Oram and Alyssa from the Delverhold approached the council to negociate concessions in response to a local crisis. The mineral export quotas became unsustainable with the dwindling reserves in the Ironspike mines, sinking the people into poverty. Furthermore, Oram argued that their treaty to the empire had been invalidated with the death of the emperor, which permits the Delverhold to extricate from the empire if necessary. While Swain agreed to hear the terms, Darius argued that there was no compelling bargain.
Some days go by, and the delegates attempted to seize and extort the Faceless One for their vote. But in a deceptive trap, Oram is killed by Alyssa and she is quickly captured by the guards. She is brought before the Trifarix, whom were fully aware of the extortion, but recognize her disaffection in the Delverhold. Swain candidly stated that the Trifarix did not want to encourage other provinces to make demands as well. Alyssa said that she knew the Delverhold governor would use the delegates' deaths to justify secession, but returning Delverhold to the kingdom rule would be a grave mistake long-term. She then suggested to become governor herself in order to maintain relations with Noxus. The council agree to the idea and sent a Trifarian entourage with her back to Delverhold to claim office.
Appearance[]
Swain is a fair skinned man with long, white hair. He wears black armor, black pants, and a black coat. His left arm was restored with the power of Raum, and consequently glows a shade of red.
Personality[]
Swain is cold and calculating, often seeing people's lives as pieces in a bigger game. He is a master tactician and general, able to predict his enemies' next move with his cunning intellect and win battles swiftly and efficiently. Swain does not often act in his own interests, rather doing whatever is best for Noxus, as he knows that the empire is much more important than him, and he is committed to returning it back to its foundations and making sure that it outlasts him.
Abilities[]
- Demon of Secrets. This granted him several new powers that very few can match.
- Emotional Feeding: Like other Demons, Raum can feed himself from a specific emotion, in this case, secrets. By absorbing the secrets of others, Raum, and by extension Swain, can sustain themselves for prolonged periods of time. Swain also gains knowledge from these secrets and can use this knowledge for his own benefit.
- Life Draining: The Secrets that Swain collects come in the form of Soul Fragments. Taking a soul Fragment from someone drains them of their energy and gives it to Swain. By doing so Swain can heal himself and strengthen his powers.
- Extended Awareness: Swain has heightened senses, meaning that he can perceive and sense things that few else can. He can see things from far away and perceive supernatural powers that no others can notice.
- : Swain can summon several demonic Ravens that are connected to his mind. He can use them as a way to gather intelligence and spy on people.
- Demonic Energy: Swain can manipulate powerful dark energies to his liking. Those dark energies come from Raum, and depend on how strong Raum himself is.
- Energy blasts: Swain can summon powerful eldritch blasts.
- Limbs Creation: Swain can create limbs for himself such as hands and wings.
: After being defeated in battle, Swain made a pact with , the - Emotional Feeding: Like other Demons, Raum can feed himself from a specific emotion, in this case, secrets. By absorbing the secrets of others, Raum, and by extension Swain, can sustain themselves for prolonged periods of time. Swain also gains knowledge from these secrets and can use this knowledge for his own benefit.
Relations[]
[]
Irelia cut off Swain's left arm during the Battle of the Placidium.
[]
Swain and Darius are two of the three heads of the Trifarix of Noxus, embodying the Noxian values of Vision and Might respectively, along with The Faceless One, who embodies Guile.
[]
When audiences for the Reckoning arenas waned and Draven fell into a drunk stupor, Swain found him and offered him a role in his coup against Boram Darkwill. He became integral to Swain’s plan, killing Darkwill himself. He is considered a close ally by Swain.
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Katarina serves as an assassin for the Trifarix council, killing people at their command. It is also hinted that Swain may know what happened to her father.
[]
Urgot was sent away from Noxus to Zaun as a part of Swain's coup, as he was seen as a liability and a potential threat to Swain's plan.
[]
It is likely that Raum worked for Mordekaiser or was used by him, as Swain found Raum in the Immortal Bastion.
[]
Gangplank stole The Leviathan, Swain's personal warship and the head of the Noxian fleet. Because of this, Swain despises Gangplank and wishes to see his demise.
Black Rose[]
Swain has close ties with the Black Rose. The organization is currently trying to either control Swain or kill him in order to take the throne from him. Swain knows this and is trying to take down the organization, but knows that it is unlikely that he will accomplish this goal.
[]
Swain considers LeBlanc, the head matriarch of the Black Rose, as his rival. Swain and LeBlanc's personal relationship is vague, and they may have been lovers at some point.[3] When Boram Darkwill first took the throne and refused help from the Black Rose, LeBlanc, unbeknownst to Swain, manipulated Swain into revealing the Black Rose and making it look like she was executed and the Black Rose was dead.[4]
“ | "So I guess this makes us enemies with benefits?" |
— | , to|
[]
Swain obtained Sion from the Black Rose after the organization left Sion in his own tomb for years. Swain now uses him as a living weapon to use against his enemies.
[]
Vladimir has recently brought himself back into the public eye, becoming a vocal opponent against the Trifarix Council, and this has caught Swain's attention. However, Vladimir's previous public identity has not been completely forgotten, and it is hinted that Swain may know of Vladimir's true nature.Read More
Biography
Starring Champion
Mentioned Champion
Alternate Universes
Trivia[]
- Swain was a member of the The Black Rose, a dark and mysterious group that controlled Noxus before the rise of the military government. They were thought to no longer exist. However, with the reemergence of their leader , the Black Rose are working towards getting the organization back into power.
- During the War of Kalamanda, and his Dauntless Vanguard hindered the progress of Swain and his army's advancement at every turn.
- Swain and
- It is theorized he fought LeBlanc impersonating Jarvan in order to trigger a war with Demacia.
, have a deep, hate-filled rivalry. He has attempted to kill Jarvan IV on several occasions.
- Swain is a fan of .
- As a nod to his old lore, Swain has a raven named [5] (< Latin beatrix "she who gladdens") .
- His Demon of Secrets is named Raum as noted by [6]
- In real-life "demonology", Raum is stated to be a Great Earl of Hell, ruling thirty legions of demons. He is depicted as a crow which adopts human form at the request of the conjurer.
. - Swain's Trifarix Council was probably based on the Roman Triumvirate, Swain being the Leader of Vision;
- The Black Powder Plot to assassinate Swain references the Gun Powder Plot by English Catholics to blow up King James I and the House of Lords.
- Swain likes to play a vastayan strategy game called Xa'h, which is similar to chess.[8]
- One of the reasons that the Trifarix was made was because Swain knows that either his demon or his ambitions may potentially overwhelm him and would have to be stopped.[9]
- The six-eyed ravens around him are not actual ravens but rather manifestations of his demonic power.[10]
- As revealed in live Q&A:
- Swain has neglected the power vacuums left behind from his motions to dismantle the previous Noxian government. He was very well aware of the Black Rose academy that was training in, but did not intervene.
- Swain knows almost all secrets, the ones he has difficulty knowing are those predating Raum (his demon).
- He knows about World Runes, but not where they've been hidden by .
- Swain is aware of most major threats around Runeterra thanks to his crows, but has decided to deal with them later over more intermediate ones.
- Swain and are tied for most knowledge about the universe, comes very close.
Change log[]
Character blurb | |
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References[]
- ↑ Proclamation of the Trifarix
- ↑ Katarina: Issue 9
- ↑ Relationship between Swain and LeBlanc
- ↑ Interlocutioner on Swain and LeBlanc
- ↑ @ JesterCapp / Art Team [Official]
- ↑ The name of Swain's demon
- ↑ DeVaan, M. Etymological dictionary of Latin, p. 202
- ↑ Interlocutioner - Swain AMA
- ↑ Can Swain be defeated by his demon?
- ↑ Scathlocke on Swain's ravens