About Swain, Rakan and the Vastayan

CarmeloXC·Feb 10, 2018·3 votes·936 views

I was looking for update about the connection between general Swain and the Vastayan. As we all know, or suppose, there's a line of Rakan dialogues that says to Swain "you've granted with vastayan blood and yet refuse to" yadayada, I don't really remember the line in english 'cause I have the game in italian... However, that line was enough to let the people suppose something about Swain far discendence from vastayan.

Now, in the new rework, Swain can respond to Rakan saying the only vastayan blood he has is on his hand (obviously, I suppose, this means he killed some vastayan and that's all). I also red some supposition about Beatrice, the crow. She could be a dark vastayan spirit or creature that choose to bound with Swain. But (because there are always some but): how about with this rework? I don't see Beatrice anymore, the central point of Swain now is the arm, that seems it was cut off by Irelia? How about the crippling part (he's no longer?)

So yes, there are crow that follow him and appears in the map, there's an interaction where he feed them so there are connection with the past Swain but... Well, let's start from the first question: Rakan statement about his blood and Swain denial. Your explanation or supposition?

8 Comments

RobertsmashFeb 10, 20185 votes

In-universe answer? I think Rakan just drew the wrong conclusion. It hasn't been established that he has any way of knowing anything about Swain beyond reputation and maybe a visual. Seeing Swain's magic and transformation on Summoner's Rift (which are not canon battles) just shows what he might think if he saw Swain in action. Even so, this is kind of shaky because Rakan delivers the line in absolute, doubtless terms, as though it's a basic premise: "You were given vastayan blood, yet chose to be blind".

Meta answer? Well I believe Riot had Rakan do a line to Swain before they knew Swain's future lore direction themselves, and now they contradict. Imo this is the major reason for the line's confusion.

CarmeloXCFeb 10, 20181 votes

I think the meta answer could be more accurate. Maybe we just have to wait for more stories. At the moment, I don't even know if there's story that tells how the reworked Swain got the demonic arm. If not, it will surely appear.

RobertsmashFeb 10, 20186 votes

I'd love a story that goes in to the specifics of what went on, but generally we know what happened from Swain's official lore and various Rioter comments:

Swain's arm was cut off by Irelia during his campaign in Ionia (this is a voice line).
Swain witnessed a "demon of secrets" as he lay defeated on the battlefield.
He returned to Noxus, investigated a darkness he had always sensed, and met and made a Faustian bargain with the demon that apparently resided within the Immortal Bastion; interestingly, in her lore LeBlanc is implied to be covering up the demon's existence for some unknown reason: "The pale sorceress had always been gifted at illusion, and her greatest trick was to make Noxus forget the dark power roiling in its own heart."
Swain "outsmarted" and "conquered" the demon of secrets and totally controls its power. This could mean he somehow killed the demon or that it left, but he no longer answers to it in any way. Incidentally, this is why he does not turn in to a bird monster upon transforming - he retains total control over himself.

I'm willing to bet that he got the arm either upon making the deal with the demon, or upon conquering it.

Also, all this info and talk of demons is why I don't think vastaya had anything to do with it.

CarmeloXCFeb 10, 20181 votes

I still believe that there's a connection that simply we are not seeing (yet). Also I've just red a post from someone that says we'll have more info during this year, confirmed by some Scathlocke Rioter

GreenLoreFeb 10, 20182 votes

Rakan simply mistakes Swain for a shapeshifter(someone who is part vastaya and part human,like Nidalee),as he just assumes that Swains ability to grow wings is related to that.

CarmeloXCFeb 10, 20181 votes

well, I have doubts just because i'm assuming a mistake doesn't go so well in a delicate and intricate lore. Like, thinking from the prospective of the narrative crew:

What about a thing this character says that we add on porpuse and that wasn't there before and that allowed people to speculate about the lore?
Nah, let's just say it's a mistake.

PlacentasFeb 10, 20181 votes

Could it be possible Beatrice/demon was an original Vastayahshsahashhtaha (the original spirit form of Vastayahs before they interbred with humans and other species)?

Perhaps as you said she was a corrupt or evil one and maybe she became a demon. We know from Evelynn that Demons can be born from what was essentially just "shadow". That's what Evelynn was before she consumed a massive amount of human emotions and turned her into an actual Demon.

So perhaps somethign similar happened to an original VAstyahashtahahtasgf since they are very akin to Spirits/spirit realm.