The Search for General Du Couteau / Lore Notes
This is mostly a compilation of information presented in the Journal of Justice (JoJ) cross-referenced with the new Lore. We know the Institute of War is no longer part of League's story, however, as it was said before, the information in the JoJ is still valid until retconned (or indirectly retconned!) Same goes for the League "Judgments".
According to the old lore, Marcus Du Couteau vanished somewhere near December 1st, probably during some cold and foggy afternoon in the days previous to the Snowdown.
> “One of Noxus’ finest children, the celebrated General Du Couteau, vanished this past week under the most peculiar of circumstances. Last seen slipping away from his entourage during a trip to the famed marketplace of the Ivory Ward – the oldest and most opulent of Noxus’ historic districts – the General never returned to collect his coterie.” > > 7 Dᴇᴄᴇᴍʙᴇʀ, 20 CLE - Vᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ 1, Issᴜᴇ 11
General Du Couteau was a cunning and dangerous man. He had anticipated the shadows haunting him, but he also knew no one in Noxus could protect him or his family. And so a letter was left for his daughter Cassiopeia, a letter which had been sent to him.
> In blood red ink, someone had penned: “Transcendence Way, the Ivory Ward, 5:00 PM.” Below it was a stamped image of a black rose. > > Cᴀssɪᴏᴘᴇɪᴀ’s Lᴇᴀɢᴜᴇ Jᴜᴅɢᴍᴇɴᴛ
And it connects directly to LeBlanc’s League Judgment. She had him summoned.
> A porter arrived in the doorway to announce an additional guest. “General Du Couteau is here to see you, Matron.”
The old lore heavily suggests Marcus supported Darkwill, as he was the best candidate to succeed him (had he been around).
> “If my father were here today, he would stand the undisputed successor to Darkwill,” commented Katarina. “It is too great a coincidence to ignore that the two most powerful men in Noxus have been removed from their positions in so short a span of time.”
>
> 22 Jᴜʟʏ, 21 CLE - Vᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ 1, Issᴜᴇ 25
>
Boram Darkwill was assassinated in Kalamanda in 01 Jᴜʟʏ, 21 CLE, while LeBlanc and Swain were still allies. This has been retconned, so it is dubious if General Du Couteau would have been the best option for succeeding him. Furthermore, Riot has avoided stating if Du Couteau was a Darkwill supporter or not.
But what I’m certain General Du Couteau was undoubtedly a just and proud Noxian, head of one of the most prominent noble families of the Empire. He followed Darkwill as the Grand General and was very efficient and reliable. He loved his nation and clearly the Black Rose and their schemes.
LeBlanc herself despises him in the vision of her Judgment.
> "Du Couteau is that vulgar General’s lapdog,” she spat. “He will be of no use to us, Jericho.” > > “Perhaps you’re mistaken, Deceiver. He is of noble blood,” said Swain. >LeBlanc held up the ring. “But he is not one of us!”
Swain’s and LeBlanc’s new lore clearly depicts the relationship between LeBlanc and Boram Darkwill.
> Staring into the the bird’s eye, he saw reflections of the evil strangling the heart of Noxus. A black rose. The pale woman… and her puppet emperor.
> After promising him the secrets to extend his life, LeBlanc slowly poisoned Darkwill’s mind, even as she empowered him. Under his rule, the Noxian reverence of strength became something far more sinister (…) >
And there is more. Urgot taunts Katarina “I hope your father begged when Swain betrayed him.“ . To be betrayed, there must have been a form trust or some sort of alliance in the first place. Then again, Urgot was the Executioner of Noxus before Draven during Darkwill’s command and he hates Swain. So the possibilities this information is not reliable are high. Except for the fact Du Couteau and Swain were related.
However, Swain himself taunts Katarina. "Do they know who killed your father, or do they still blame me?”
Honestly, why would Swain lie? it’s clear he knows who it was. And it if wasn’t him, then the options could be:
- LeBlanc.
- A Black Rose member.
- Someone completely unexpected, like Talon himself acting upon the Du Couteau’s very orders (this is a theory by a friend of mine, sweet but improbable).
- Katarina herself.
- Someone who hasn’t been brought into the scene yet.
Though the most strange interaction is Swain’s quote upon collecting a Katarina soul fragment.
> "He asked her to do what she could not. To kill me.”
Katarina’s lore states her first mark “came straight from her father, camped with his warbands on the eve of one of the military’s innumerable westward invasions… She was to assassinate a line officer of the opposing army, a low-born wretch by the name of Demetrius.”
In other words, could it be possible that ‘he’ was General Du Couteau? Or perhaps that ‘he’ is Boram Darkwill? Also, we have no proof the ‘her’ also refers to the ‘she’. Could it be the ‘he’ is Darkwill, ‘her’ is Katarina and ‘she’ LeBlanc? Or the other way round? (as another friend of mine suggested)
TLTR;
- Feels General Du Couteau supported Darkwill.
- Probably he discovered things he shouldn't have seen, such as the fake death of the Black Rose. The cabal had survived and it was all smoke and mirrors.
- Despite being the best assassin in Noxus, he was powerless. He wasn't necessarily evil/cruel, just... a harsh teacher with many pupils, and notoriously difficult to impress."
- He was probably "killed" after Swain's Coup d'etat. Or perhaps short before it happened. Swain and Du Couteau were related somehow, both belonged to patrician families. Both served under Darkwill.
