#noxus presumably

[perfect-fourth]

There's no truth concoction at play; nor an odd tea being offered, but a tiny hand holding up a piece of paper covered in crayons. It is a drawing Annita Hastur had made, featuring her and Jhin drinking tea among a lot of roses & sparkles, she even drew a crown in his head. The words 'King of Artists' wrote with red crayon too, an arrow signaling the depiction of the Virtuoso.

"Don't be sad, Mr. Jhin... you king of artwist, you are awesome! We will fight the sad !"

Granted, Tibbers was also behind causing destruction, fire and all that apparently in a tiny corner. "Tibbers said he would burn the sad so Mr. Jhin could smile." She said with a bright smile.

And smile he did, for nothing brought him greater joy in his miserable little life than a chorus of screams and the crackling of fire as it melted away wood and cloth and human flesh. He took her artistic offering with the respectful touch one might expect from a seasoned creative, holding it up briefly to the dancing firelight to observe her lines and choice in colors. Such a tender moment, made all the moreso(well, to him, anyway) by the man who ran past behind them, aflame and screaming bloody murder.

"My! You've certainly been practicing, haven't you Annie? You've got quite the eye for color," he hummed, idly reaching down to give her a pat-pat atop the head, as if she were some sort of small animal.

"I'll hang this in my study. Thank you, dear, you certainly know how to elicit joy."

[clefaiiiry]

Join me as I try to figure out where the FUCK Sett's arena is

Since Riot haven't even given a name for Sett's mother's tribe, you know damn well they're not going to make this easy.

But anyway, long ramble under the cut;

For starters, we know it's in a city called Qayanvi. We know this via voicelines and flavour text in Legends of Runeterra.

Legends of Runeterra Voicelines from Sett

So what do we know about Qayanvi and, more importantly, where is it?

Title Menu Splash art for Legends of Runeterra shortly after the Glory in Navori expansion dropped.

This art for the title menu on LoR shows Jack presumably before crashing Sett's arena as shown in their card arts. While is is not confirmed outright, it's pretty safe to assume. But since we know what the interior looks like via multiple card arts, we don't even have to assume.

Sett and Jack's Level 1 Card Arts from LoR

Qayanvi must have been a region that Noxus controlled - or at least had influence in - during the First Invasion, and Sett wouldn't move since he wants to stay close to his mother. This is a little harder to figure out since the interactive map on universe only shows the areas currently occupied by Noxus during the Second Invasion.

First image; Red highlights show areas occupied by Noxus. Second image shows place names.

Some of the architecture also seems to have heavy Noxian influence, with this large brutalist grey stone courtyard. We can also see in other card arts that this Noxian style of architecture is present in other locations in Ionia.

Lord Broadmane Card Art from LoR. I don't think this is Qayanvi since the Ionian buildings in the background have blue roofs rather than red ones, but it shows how the Noxian structures coexist alongside the Ionian ones across the previously occupied regions.

We also know that Qayanvi is on the coast since we can see the harbour in the background here.

It also would have been reasonable to assume Qayanvi was a coastal city even without this confirmation since trade is so important for such a crime ridden city. Sett's arena is operating out in the open and everyone knows what sort of dirty business a crime boss like that gets into. Having direct trade links with Noxus and Piltover / Zaun just makes the who operation so much easier.

Navori as a region is described as having 'notable' criminal influence and is quite unstable due to it's previous occupation.

Card Art for The Witness. I'm not as confident about this one being Qayanvi, but the sea wall looks to be similar and the buildings in the background also appear to have a similar shape / red roofs.

Biome map used during development of the Interactive Runeterra map. Link attached to image.

The coastal area that I would have assumed Qayanvi to be in is shown to be a steppe / prairie. It's hard to judge in the images we have, but this looks somewhat consistent.

So we're looking for a coastal area in Navori, not necessarily still in Noxian controlled space, but close enough to continue trade.

Location of Ionian Capital taken from the Wiki; unable to find a source. The city is officially referred to as Ionia City, and is where the Ionian Council meet for various discussions / debates.

With all this in mind, I'm gonna take a stab and estimate that Qayanvi is somewhere within this red line;

Areas in black I think are highly unlikely, areas in yellow are potential but I'm not as confident. The large area south of Ionia City and west of Weh'le I believe(?) is the area attacked by Singed's chemical weapons and therefore are too barren to sustain a city like Qayanvi.

I'm not totally happy with my guess and I'd love to see other people take a swing, but this is the closest I would be happy to guess with the information I can find.

If you made it to the end of this post, thank you for reading and I hope this was interesting!

[blood-starved-beast]

It just occurred to me now that Riot's dumped the main lore and Arcane's story has deviated somewhat from this but: Riven. In the OG lore, Noxus using chemtech to bomb Riven's battalion to also take out the Ionian guerilla fighters led to Riven's disillusionment with Noxus and Noxian ideology. Singed hasn't shown any signs of being involved with Noxus (yet, even though we saw shimmer shipments in s1, presumably to places like Noxus) so where does her lore stand atm? Has the timeline for her story shifted? Is her disillusionment going to happen under different parameters?

Even before the Great De-canonization, Riven was in a weird place lore-wise. As an old champ with no VGU, a lot of her initial design reflected a pre-2014 Noxus. It'll be interesting to see how Arcane verse will adapt her character whenever it gets around to doing so.

[arcane-ish]

There is a high chance I said this before, but I really need to collect this again for my own sanity.

In my head canon,

Remember, this is Noxus, a big, expansion hungry empire with a naval fleet that basically hugs Piltover and Zaun on both sides:

We know that in current League canon there are spies form Noxus running around in Piltover doing presumably shady things and being expelled when they are found out.

" I know what you are. Yeah, I’ve heard the fireside tales of the warmasons, the warriors who sneak into enemy territory and scout it out. You map out the terrain, find the best ways for an army to advance, laying the groundwork for invasion.”

To me, it just doesn't make sense that Noxus wouldn't have tried to invade or otherwise lean on Piltover in the past.

So my headcanon is that at some point in the past they tried, mabye got their nose bloodied (much like it happened during the Ionian invasion) and/or were convinced they don't need to openly own Piltover, just doing trade with them is more useful.

In that headcanon, that war took place, it was pretty gruesome (think Piltovians using Zaunites as cheap frontline canon fodder, think Noxus doing a naval blockade and people starving because of it (which would give the Hextech Gates a very, very different emotional significance if people see it as the way they could always break a blockade should Noxus ever try again)).

In my headcanon, Vander and Silco are old enough to remember the war against Noxus (hence Silco's comment to Jayce about the city having a short memory). Now, I wouldn't rule out that they could have been old enough to have fought in it, but I tend to imagine that they might have been too young. That they experienced the war as children and/or knew people who died in it. Maybe even relatives/parents.

IMO emotionally a backstory like that would make a lot of sense for Piltover and Zaun, simply because wars can have a way of producing bitterness in their wake. Things like:

You just used us as cannon fodder

You made a deal with the enemy too quickly making all our sacrifices useless

You didn't give your best in the fight and were secretly collaborating with the enemy

During the blockade/the famines the rich people hoarded all the food

(again fitting really well with how Piltover behaved towards Zaun during the Black Mist/Viego crisis)

I just imagine that tas a great angsty backstory, how Silco and/or Vander might have lost a parent/parents that way, that the family in general might have lot a lot because of a war while Piltover was profiting. I could easily picture that as being something that bonded them together and why maybe back then people were more willing to try an open fight with Piltover (Day of Ash).

And similarly, as the conflict with Noxus becomes something more and more into the past, the rage wanes and becomes less immediate for many people.

For the record: my head canon is also that at various points in history Noxian spies might have come to Zaun and tried to stir up conflict. I could easily picture them wanting to buy weapons from Zaun that Piltover doesn't want to be sold because they are afraid that they could be used against them. Similarly, I could picture Noxus offering money or weapons to Zaunite revolutionaries in the hope to weaken and destabilize Piltover, in the hope that that will make Piltover ripe of the picking or that Piltover might even come to them for protection.

I would absolutely expect Silco to have been on their radar at some point and I tend to picture him as being very torn if Noxus made him an offer. Because on one hand he does hate Piltover, but at the same time, I fully believe that he would have turned them down because he wants independence/freedom and not just live under a different master's heel.

(shoutout to Stillwater Marriage which despite having a more of a comedy type tone still brushed over the kind of conflicts and balancing acts Silco might have to deal with vis a vis Noxus)

[edgysemi]

Ok, ok, Talon had been done dirty but boy WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO POOR MARCUS.

No, seriously, i love to hate this man but he’d been done ultra dirty. Since the last chapter essentially debunks the Marcus is LB theory, can i just complain about this STEALTHY ASSASSSIN MAN, whose teaching’s Talon follows religiously, BLASTING INTO A TEAHOUSE WITH SMOKEBOMS AND EXPLOSIONS TO PUNCH HIS DAUGHTER IN THE FACE????

WHAT PART OF THIS SUITS A STEALTHY ASSASSIN??? And what, he is suddenly AGAINST Swain? Because his words don’t match anything about Swain at all. Swain, let me remind you, is LOYAL to his friends and people who truly support him. The man has no motivation to mess with house Du Couteau other than getting rid of Soreana (whom, by the was is in Noxus because?? Reasons? And where’s Cassio by the way?????) Why is Marcus turning against Swain of all sudden? The man whom he chose to follow willingly AGAINST the wishes of his wife? Marcus is an asshole but he’s not DUMB? And Swain would NOT go against his loyal ally who helped him at his lowest??? So either Marcus is a dum dum who fell for some black rose trick, which assassinates (pun not intended) his entire character or Swain turned at him for no reason which assassinates his character instead.

Wait edit: i misunderstood the part about Soreana being in Noxus, rest of the point still stands. Where’s Cassiopeia. Is she presumed dead by the family? Does KAt know she’s a snake girl now? Shouldn’t it be mentioned AT LEAST ONCE???? Are we just gonna talk about Soreana and ignore the large elephant in the room? Apparently, because Cassio’s current status is not mentioned ONCE in the story. Completely forgotten because... Because she is, ok? Since Soreana is in Noxus, Cassio should also be, right? You got this sibling character for Katarina to bond with.... But you chose to retcon her relationship with Talon instead because.... reasons? I am NOT happy with the writing of this comic, it assassinates all of my Du Couteaus and i do not like it.

[space-blue]

Will there be a war in Arcane season 2? I assume replacement councillors and Ambessa will be pushing for war, while maybe Jayce and Mel oppose them and push only for Jinx to be apprehended? What about the undercity's reaction? Is war really inevitable and immediate after what Jinx did?

Anon, I appreciate that you clearly value my opinion, but this sounds like you think I'm on the writing team!

Sadly your guess is as good as mine, and I generally don't enjoy projection of future canon. I like shows to surprise me, and I don't want to set myself up for disappointment.

The last time I wrote a fic based on "what I think will happen on the show", I ended up writing a Book of Boba Fett fic that was 10x better than the garbage Disney served us. It wasn't as great a feeling as one might expect.

Idk if there'll be a war. In the sense that Zaun has no army. Maybe one with outside forces like Noxus. Who knows. For sure there'll be retribution... We know Warwick enters the picture, Cait allies with Vi, presumably to hunt Jinx and potentially WW... And we have strong evidence Cait's mom dies. Viktor will go full Machine Herald and divorce Jayce fully to the tune of thousands of screaming fans in denial.

But the rest? I don't even want to speculate. Sorry. I like to play with what we have, but not make up season 2 material.

[fierykitten2]

Headcanon: after the events of Hunters, Noxus learnt that Spire didn’t have bad intentions (he presumably learnt the same is also true for Samus because I don’t mean that he just asked Spire) so he agreed to help Spire learn the fate of his species, with Spire in turn agreeing to help retain order in the galaxy and fight crime. The two of them now fight together as a duo and eventually became a couple

[noxianwilled]

“ i’m concerned that you mightn’t understand what discreet means. because the path of chaos you’ve just created is exactly the opposite of discreet. ”

/ @notoriousness

— @notoriousness

He does not look the same. The color of his hair more faded, his face carrying more signs of age; but there are two things, unmistakable, that prevent Katarina from doubting even for a moment who this man really is. The first is the eyes, green and sharp and familiar; the second is the voice, that particular tone, the chastising that would have made her lower her head and train until she bled to satisfy his standards. This is not the picture perfect image from her memories, and this only makes it all the more real.

"Father —" The incredulous word, bitter, instinctive (she had no father, Katarina vowed upon being forsaken by him for one costly mistake; this man was dead to her even before he died, she had promised, and yet he needed but to reappear to be referred to as such). It is not uncommon, for her heart to be a tempest. This one may be louder, a turmoil of surprise and anger and age-old resent, mixed with even older and yet lingering, albeit in tatters, affection and respect. There had been no one she loved and worshiped most.

There had been no one she resented and hated most.

Of course his first words after returning from presumed death are a lecture. "I didn't mean to be discreet. The path of chaos I created was purposeful. Not that I owe you any explanation." Her target was dead, and they knew who had done it. That was part of the purpose; a message, not an assassination to be made from the shadows. Blood for Noxus.

It doesn't matter at the moment. There are a thousand questions she wants to make (where had he been, why had he not returned to Noxus, what was he doing here, why approach her now, why approach her at all). If he didn't want to be found he wouldn't be. For all her grievances with him, Katarina would not deny this to be true. "You would prefer if I was discreet, I would prefer if you remained dead — neither of us is getting our wish, it seems. So let's skip this over and go straight to the point. What do you want with me?"

[shurelyasreverie]

Hi! I'm super new to your blog and have read a few of your drabbles and I absolutely adore them. My best friend adores your writing too and she introduced me to your blog and is super shy. I was wondering if I could request for her a Swain x reader? She just adores Swain so much and loves fluffy content. ❤

I feel so honoured having my blog be introduced and recommended between friends omg!! I’m glad you like my writing and please let your friend know that she (and everyone else) is welcome to drop by and say hi 😊

Swain x Reader Drabble: Break Time

Reaching your destination, you rapped your knuckles against the wooden door in front of you.

“Come in.”

Even though his voice was as commanding and eloquent as ever, you could hear the slight tinge of fatigue through the door. As quiet as possible, you entered Swain's office while carefully balancing a tray of snacks in your hand. And before you, sitting behind a desk, his face lit up by red flames, was the grand general himself.

Upon noticing it was you, Swains' taut face eased a little, his lip quirking up ever so slightly. Only for you.

“You don't have to do such menial tasks, my dear,” Swain stated as he eyed the tray in your arms, his voice now holding more vigour in your presence. “There are plenty of servants assigned for that.”

“I just wanted to pay you a visit,” you excused with a smile before looking at him in concern. “You've been cooped up in your office all day.”

“The life of a general, is it not?” Swain asked, looking back down at his paperwork and signing documents as you approached him. “If I cannot dictate Noxus with a sword, I shall do it with ink. They do say that the pen is mightier than the sword.”

“You should still rest though,” you chastised as you slid the tray of refreshments across the desk, gently pushing the small pile of folders away. “Just half an hour, take your mind off of business and enjoy the snacks I handpicked just for you.”

“Tempting,” Swain replied, amused. “But these contracts must be done before the sun rises... I suppose I could have a ten minute break.”

“Twenty minutes.”

“Fifteen.”

“Fine,” you sighed. Swain carefully put away his quill and placed the lid over a small vial of ink. When he placed them to the side of the desk top, he turned back to see a cup of freshly brewed tea taking their place.

“Done just how you like it,” you smiled and he sent an appreciative look back.

“We shall see about that,” he teased light heartedly, taking the teacup. Although you had made his drinks plenty of time before, becoming a little ritual for the two of you, you still couldn't ignore the gnawing feeling of anticipation as Swain took a sip. Every move he made was calculated, he scrutinised everything around him. You watched as he placed the cup down, swallowing.

“Simply divine,” he stated. “Much like its brewer.”

He sent you a knowing look and you immediately averted your gaze, heat coming up to your face as he chuckled.

“Come,” he invited, pushing his seat away from the table, giving you space to situate yourself on his lap. When you did, he loosely put his arms around your waist. “I hope your day was pleasant.”

You hummed in affirmation. “Didn't do much, though. Just wandering around the streets, enjoying whatever Noxus has to offer. It was a shame I had to explore alone, though.”

“I do apologise,” Swain admitted. His arms around you tightening. “This state of matters will not last forever. Let these next few days pass and I will be by your side yet again.”

“A few days?” Your jaw dropped, visibly appalled.

“Of course, I will join you at our bedchamber tonight and all the nights to come,” he explained. “But I'd hope you'd be asleep by then.”

“I'll stay awake for you.”

“You will not,” Swain eyebrows furrowed. “Your health should be your first priority but ironically it is mine instead. You must rest.”

“And so do you,” you countered. “You're looking more tired than usual. Staring at all this paperwork is doing no good for you.”

“Perhaps I could do a meditation or relaxation of sorts for the remaining time we have,” Swain mused. “I presume you will stay for its entirety? Your presence would be greatly appreciated.”

“I won't go anywhere,” you reaffirmed.

Swain responded with a ghost of a smile, pulling your figure even closer to him, his tainted hand wrapping carefully around your own. His face nuzzling your hair, a chaste kiss placed on the crown of your head before he lay his cheek there. His eyes closed, you could feel the tension leaving his body as his arms lay lax around your waist and lap.

“You spoke of exploring what Noxus had to offer?” Swain asked. “Do tell me.”

“Don't you want to relax? Maybe just staying quiet is best.”

“Your presence is soothing enough, my dear. Enlighten me, I insist.”

So you did, speaking in hushed tones as you were huddled into his chest, cherishing this small window of time you had together.

[st-just]

Most of your Noxus take is correct but there are a couple of other things i feel like pointing out. Black Noxians are a New Lore thing, so theyre not mostly Black unless you meant morally. In their old lore they were The Place Evil People (who are white) Come From but now theyre trying to reframe it like no nation is specifically just full of bad people so much as the governments are bad while also trying to diversify previously all-white nations like the former Place Good People (who are white) Come From, Demacia (which has flipped conceptually to be very oppressive to anyone who uses magic, leading to a recent event in lore being a mass rebellion of mages).

The Medarda clan to me comes off as possibly Shuriman on origin based on their individual aesthetics and Mel's mom's accent. Shurima is a desert nation which had part of it conquered as Noxian territory, so that's not implausible.

Either way they take the "Only the Strong Survive" mentality literally (their motto is Strength Above All) and for all foreign affairs they are very imperialist/expansionist, trying to unify the world under the Noxian banner. Meanwhile on the inside it is just a lot of political intrigue and backstabbing and assassinations between competing noble houses. One of the places Mel painted is a sunny and happy place (in a sarcastic sense) called The Immortal Bastion so it gives you a certain idea of what kind of place Noxus is tbh.

Piltover used to be The Good Guy Steampunk city, Zaun was The Mad Scientist Chempunk city but when they revamped the lore they took a much more subtle approach and added some class war stuff instead.

With all of this, though, surprisingly casting Jayce as Latino (both in casting and based on his mothers name and accent) and Caitlyn as Asian have been more of a racial shake-up in their world and lore than Black Noxians. Typically their Asian coded characters have been from a place called Ionia, but here's Cait just being Asian without needing to be explained as Ionian immigrants.

Ah okay just Noxus is just basically ye old generic evil empire that they've been trying to backfill some nuance/internal drama in? Yeah makes sense.

Come From, Demacia (which has flipped conceptually to be very oppressive to anyone who uses magic, leading to a recent event in lore being a mass rebellion of mages).

Oh cool I might eventually get a half-decent Dragon Age tv show after all. Preemptively saying the mages did nothing wrong.

With all of this, though, surprisingly casting Jayce as Latino (both in casting and based on his mothers name and accent) and Caitlyn as Asian have been more of a racial shake-up in their world and lore than Black Noxians. Typically their Asian coded characters have been from a place called Ionia, but here's Cait just being Asian without needing to be explained as Ionian immigrants.

I mean I'd just kind of assumed Piltover was kind of just Runeterra's New York or similar, honestly. Like, sufficiently large center of trade and economic growth (and with a sufficiently prestigious university) that previous waves of immigrants are just integrated into the social fabric in time for the next ones to arrive. (Also, racism just doesn't seem to be a thing? Which presumably makes the process rather smoother).

The bigger question is how Viktor has a Russian accent when literally noone else in the show does. Gotta assume there's a Little Moscow buried somewhere in the Undercity, I guess.

[mediacrushin]

Arcane act 3 spoilers

They really love their framing I swear, there were several shots I was just mooning over.

Anyway, I’m clearly not alone hoping we get a second season to continue this story, but with the note and point it ended on I could see it as a wrap on the series. We have the head of Zaun gone, and multiple members of the Council definitely gone [we know Viktor and Jayce will survive since they’re champions, and people are hoping for Mel as a new champ but I’m not really holding my breath on that, so presumably everyone in that room but those two are dead] cementing the conflict between the two parties continuing. [And hey probably also some issues with Noxus] Vi and Cait are back together to go on to their Piltover’s Finest team up. Echo and Heimerdinger are off fine doing their own thing... There’s a lot left to speculation for all of them from here, but we’ve been given enough to see how each of them got from point A in Act 1 Episode 1 to point B how we know them in the main game. If there’s more, I’ll be ecstatic. If not, I think I’ll be okay with what we’ve got. It was all beautiful.

One other thing I thought was interesting was the final scene with Jinx, Vi, Caitlyn, and Silco. I clocked from the moment the sisters were reunited, that Vi’s feelings for and image of her sister were frozen at the moment of their last interaction. Powder calling for her saying she needed her, Vi hurting her and blaming herself for everything that had gone wrong. She was babying Jinx, pushing for her to be Powder and not worry about any of the things she did. She blamed it all on Silco, and refused to even let herself consider that her little sister Powder could ever do any of the things she’d heard she’d done by then willingly of her own accord. And it’s really heartbreaking that Vi really just did not understand her sister’s mental state. And her last plea for Powder to wake up really just shined the brightest light on that. She begs her to remember their old family, but doesn’t understand that those people weren’t lionized in Jinx’s mind, they were monsters. And it’s wild to have Vi tell Cait about her chasing monsters away when she and Powder were children, but then in this moment basically throwing Jinx to them instead. And Jinx was Jinx before she even walked into that building and gave her sister the choice of which seat she should take... she just hoped Vi could accept the new her even if she wasn’t Powder anymore.

What a phenomenal series, truly. A beautifully told story.

Also Cait and Vi are hella gay and there’s nothing anyone could say to change my mind.

[mythae]

sc  /  @patroklides.

piltover was such a change of pace for the desert rose, she'd been to the undercity in having fought a chembaron hand-to-hand once upon a time. but that was a bit different from the lush and clean luxury of "topside" as she’d heard it called. it had been some time since she'd seen mel medarda last and she'd initially not been particularly pleased with ambessa's games of toying with her daughter... and yet, samira confessed she had certainly missed the woman in question as she gazed along the extensive library that decorated the walls' shelves.

she had helped herself into the office, not having wanted the fuss that could occur in a noxian wanting to hold consult with a councilor. and in that, she would wait patiently for the other’s return from wherever she’d gone or whatever it is she’d been off doing. some kind of council business in the great name of progress, samira presumed amusedly. a gentle sound of clacks, her heeled boots on the floor, as she stepped along the walls of books, pausing and leaning in as she spotted some that seemed to be about noxus.

and then she heard the door open, though she made no move to acknowledge the other woman with a glance as fingers tugged one of the books that had sparked her interest free from it’s companions. opening it, she flipped through some pages ; tone casual,  “don’t give me that look, mel... i can feel your gaze searing off a tattoo.”

[warwaged-moved]

“I figured all your classes were stuff like Slaughter 101 and Beheading for Beginners.” / for Katarina !

HEY YOU SEND ME MEMES

"Of course. You only forgot the stabbing lessons." As if irony in her voice is not enough, she rolls her eyes at the poor attempt at an insult -- if it could be called such. To say any cooperation between them was tense might be an understatement; Talon was much too hard to read, much too difficult to control. Perhaps it went deeper STILL, he being the one handpicked by her father to spite her, a street rat made successor merely to hurt her pride. The one who gave her the infamous scar, a mark of failure, forever etched in her skin, a reminder every time she looked in a mirror. This, however, she would not admit even to herself; her father had long since ceased to matter, and that lesson was now old and long since learned.

She was grateful for it. Without that lesson, she may not have grown to be more than his weapon.

But even father’s end had not freed her entirely, leaving her to deal with his protégé still. It did not have to be like this; Katarina could have dismissed him, with the General gone, or Talon may have chosen to go on his way, now that his master was no longer here. She assumed he hoped the man would be back eventually, something that would not happen in truth; otherwise, he may have wrestled command from her, being his presumed successor. On her part, it would simply be stupid to let go of one who rivaled her own skills when no other did, most of all when tension had not yet become open aggression. Rival though he may be, best they serve the same interests than meet on opposite sides.

"Don't be daft, Talon. Some of us were actually taught everything a leading position would require." It was not even wholehearted, the assumption she was superior due to her upbringing. Though it colors her words, their first confrontation, her first failure, had taught her much; most of all, it had taught her to see things as a true noxian, and to value strength above all -- even blood or nobility. Her interest was the empire; even House Du Couteau meant little compared to Noxus itself.

It is the insult she cannot let slide, demean it as she may have; she can never let anything slide, not one as prideful and arrogant as she still is. In any case, it was no lie, either; sometimes it took more than to be the most skilled assassin to deal with what was required of the leader of a House. She had not valued those lessons, growing up, but sought to excel in them all the same. There had not been a day she did not strive for perfection while still under the General's watchful eye. A dismissive handwave, though vibrant green eyes remain on his, challenging; where he may be hard to read, Katarina is an open book, too intense, too eager -- too easily annoyed. "But that was for those meant to be more than merely used."

[arcane-ish]

Out of all the dumb fic attempts I'm never going to finish is one AU where Vander and Silco are actually Freljordians from some Winter's Claw tribe.

Because I went through all kinds of options of "what if they were born in X instead" and I actually think Winter's Claw Freljord would be the place where Silco would do the least clashing with the establishes structures. Mostly because there aren't a ton of structures.

Granted, in my head canon/fic he still clashes a little bit with it, but he's a lot more understanding for why those structures exist even if they don't work for him. (in my head canon Silco and Vander run off together eventually and move to Bilgewater to be pirates where they adopt the gang of kids but there isn't a ton of hard feeling on Silco's side vis a vis their tribe)

Anyway, here is my list of head canons on how well Silco would fit into the other regions (again presuming his basical personality is still maintained and it's not a case of "if he grew up pampered and rich maybe he wouldn't have a care in the world and would just be a sweet guy without a chip on his shoulder").

Ionia: On the plus side, there is a struggle going on that is generally societally accepted. On the other hand, I feel like maybe Silco wouldn't vibe 100% with the whole magic/nature stuff to the extent "you can't even build a house, you need to rely on a tree to willingly glrow you one". It's still fun to think what order they would go into (though I guess they could just duplicate the Zed/Shen conflict). Now the other interesting bit would be what if Silco and Vander were vastaya but there is the bit where vastaya are basically old by default so Silco's youthful anger wouldn't really fit. [I do love the idea of what Ionian!Silco would think of Riven. ]

Bilgewater: Bilgewater seems the most similar to Zaun, so one would think it would be the best fit with its anarchistic spirit. And yes, I agree, that's why in my head canon they eventually end up moving there. But I feel Bilgewater would probably be a pretty unpleasant place to grow up in and work your way up to the ships. Plus they have a pirate king/queen Silco could clash wish.

Noxus: I feel like he would be comparatively happy if he was a born Noxian and would gel with the Noxian meritocracy approach. However, I feel he would eventually get suspicious if Noxus really is as meritocratic as they claim to be or if in the end aristocratic families still do a lot of string pulling. I could picture him becoming zealous anti Black Rose, though Black Rose member Silco has its own appeal.

Demacia: LOL, I feel like he would hate them more than he hates Piltover, even if wasn't a mage (but of course doubly so if he was).

Targon: I think he would slot it pretty naturally with either the Lunari or with Pantheon's quest. I guess I just find Targon a bit boring as a region, hence why it isn't as prominent with me.

Shurima: Shurima is interesting to me. Aristocracy and lots of magic bullshittery and Noxian oppression going on. I feel like he would be borderline stumped which bit to rebel against first.

Ixtal is barely a region/we now too little about it and Void and Shadow Isles don't really have people in the conventional way (though I guess he could still be Buhru or a Shadow Isles treasure hunter).

[remember-no-more]

" Good evening, Miss Simon. "

A sole window let an abundance of late evening reds into the room, casting stark shadows over notoriously sharp features. The General's grimace, framed by silver locks, was somewhat obscured in this dim light; but the faint glow of his glare was inescapable.

They would be separated by a coffee table, on which an array of glass figurines - pawns, from some board perhaps - were displayed. A cup of steaming tea had been poured in anticipation of the guest, and it was still steaming. A scent of vanilla permeated the room, blending into the General's musky perfume and the strong stench of worn leather that presumably came from his coat. Its high collar protruded from the armchair's ridges, granting a spiky look to an otherwise tastefully frugal design.

" Glad to see that you could make it. Please, have a seat. " His chin nodded to the one left empty, opposite him. " I must thank you for accepting my invitation on such short notice. " He spoke in the same, nonchalantly grim tone; and it left many doubts as to whether his words were meant to be taken - a conscientiuous and well mannered nobleman, or a cunning & tactful strategist? His eyes narrowed slightly within a polite, stiff smirk. " Welcome, officially, to the heart of Noxus. "

The clicking sounds of heels over concrete slowed down as the witch entered the room where the Grand General was waiting. The last lights of the day filled her eyes when she walked through the threshold, drawing her gaze to the imposing window on the opposite side of the entrance first, then to the dark silhouette of the one who summoned her. A courteous smile complimented her delicate features to the greetings, to which she replied with a respectful nod.

"Good evening to you, sir," her voice was quiet but clear, pleasant to the ear and light to the mind, naturally opposed to his. Following his invite and reaching the empty chair, her attention fell to the pieces on the table in front of her, then on the cup. She could barely resist the unmistakable scent of vanilla... But she kept her composure as she sat down, on the edge of the seat, keeping her back straight and returning to observe the man. While she wanted to appear as natural and relaxed as possible, some little hints betrayed her impatience to know what she had been called for...

Oh well. Time to time. She chuckled to his last sentence and brought a hand to her lips.

"It is a honor I can see many others fight for," she chimed, but spent no more time on the topic. Bringing her hand on the other in her lap, she narrowed her eyes and lightly tilted her head, this time looking at him straight in the eye. "I will admit, I was surprised to receive your message. You have me very curious."

[earthbinder]

𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄 :  𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐆𝐔𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐋;𝐃𝐑 :   orcs, namely the frostwolf clan in this case, are an average sized tribe of vastaya with distinctly feline characteristics  ( just think orcs with cat ears and tails. don’t look at me. )  with thrall being one of them. his parents were killed in political pursuits and he was found as a baby by a noxian, aedelas blackmoore. thrall is enslaved and forced into becoming a gladiator, but his foster sister aka taretha aids his escape. he then returns to ionia to reunite with his clan and take a stance against noxus. he possesses a special connection with elemental magic, specifically earth, and wields the doomhammer - passed to him by a good friend of his late parents.

okay. i have no shame in saying thrall is literally a catboy in this verse. do with this information what you will.

no but in all seriousness, the orcs are a subspecies of vastaya with very feline characteristics, specifically panthers, and vary from clan to clan. they just look like orcs but with cat ears and tails, and of course all the delightful cat mannerisms i’ve already talked about in this meta.

thrall’s parents, durotan and draka, were the head of the frostwolf clan deep in the mountains of ionia - possibly somewhere zhyun. they were murdered when thrall was a baby  ( still thinking about the details on this ... jhin maybe ... )  and he was left in the wilderness alive, presumably as a snack for whatever predator found him first. instead, he was found by a miserable noxian drunk named aedelas blackmoore and the rest of his hunting party. having never seen a vastaya this close before and especially not an orphaned one, blackmoore decides to take the child with him back to noxus. he pawns the kid off to his secretary, tammis foxton, and his wife clannia. the boy is named thrall, and initially he is raised in the foxton’s household in noxus.

during this time, thrall forms a very tight-knit bond with the foxtons’ daughter taretha. she views him as a little brother and is essentially the key to his survival in his early years, and they are both devastated when thrall is removed from her home at seven years old to begin gladiator training. because of his size and natural strength, thrall makes an excellent pit fighter and has a mile long winning streak, damn near making blackmoore rich with the winnings. but this is not enough; thrall is trained and worked until he drops, and abused horrifically if he is ever thought to be underperforming. he only sees taretha when she comes to bring him books that blackmoore demands he read, usually based on the concepts of combat and war strategy. they are able to communicate with each other via notes hidden within the books, which thrall must often write with his own blood for lack of anything else to do it with.

this persists until thrall is about twenty years old. after a particularly gruesome beating from blackmoore, taretha plans to help thrall escape noxus and return home to whatever family he has left. initially thrall insists that she join him, as he knows taretha is being abused by blackmoore and her parents just as much, but she refuses, knowing that her absence would bring harm upon her family from blackmoore. thrall begrudgingly accepts this but swears that he will come back for her - after a tearful goodbye, she is able to sneak thrall out of the hold on a night where blackmoore is drunk and send him off into the world.

thrall hides and lays low in the coming weeks until he can safely escape noxus entirely. he heads for ionia - knowing thanks to taretha that he was found there, with nothing else to go on but the old tattered swaddling cloth he had been wrapped in. in his travels he is immersed in the rich history and culture of the country of his birth, quickly making a reputation for himself in many villages as a kindly stranger. during his trek to the mountains, he finds himself confronted by a hunting party of vastaya that look suspiciously similar to himself - after a brief interrogation and the brandishing of the swaddling cloth, the hunting party realizes that thrall is their chieftain’s long lost son.

they bring him back to their village and relay to him that they are the frostwolf clan, and that his father had been their last true blooded chieftain. he is told his birth name, go’el, but instead decides to continue to use the name that blackmoore gave him. he wants to make the man fear the word slave, some day; the frostwolves respect him for this. it is here that thrall meets his grandmother, who is able to teach him the extent of his connection with magic and nature.

they discover thrall has a unique affinity with the elements, especially earth, and through several months of disciplined training it becomes clear he is one of the strongest his clan has ever produced. they take to calling him the earth warder, a title that he accepts with gusto.

now knowing both his heritage and the extent of his magical ability, thrall sets out from his home once more to offer aid to ionia where it is needed and stand against the remaining forces of noxus. it his hope and his promise that he will one day have a strong enough force to return for taretha.