Anyone notice this in the Swain splash art?

Ralanr·May 6, 2016·58 votes·11,653 views

http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/359/files/2016/04/Swain_Splash_0.jpg

In the hand that's holding the cane, there seems to be some rotted/deformed flash almost hidden under the sleeve. My roommate pointed this out to me and I'm wondering if anyone else noticed.

If that is rotted flesh, could this support the idea that the Swain we know is actually a flesh puppet, with Beatrice being the puppeteer? Or Swain is some sort of lich that jumps into different bodies, using Beatrice as a phylactery?

Either way, someone told Sion to beware of raven, so Beatrice is pretty suspicious (which is obvious since she has four eyes).

55 Comments

kitcat300May 6, 201644 votes

To me, it reminds me of a baby bird growing its first feathers, which appears as colored nubs on the skin.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/30/a2/46/30a246ed3fa9a0e0898422f32b39d863.jpg

Maybe he has lingering feathers from his transformations?

AshayaMay 6, 201613 votes

That's... very interesting actually. I mean, there's not too much we know about swain other than he just kind of ignores pain with what happened to his leg. It's entirely possible that he could be doing lich things.

Edit: now that I think about it, though, he could just be on the brink of transforming

ArdoreAuroraleMay 6, 20167 votes

it's just him transforming with his ultimate, stop seeing what doesn't exist.

RalanrMay 6, 201648 votes

Tell that to every English class teaching Shakespeare.

AeszarckMay 6, 201614 votes

"Look, Hamlet is just transforming with his ultimate--stop reading too much into it."

V The Support VMay 7, 20162 votes

This is a Swain thread, not a Yorick thread. ; )

HoodwinkMay 7, 20163 votes

Yorick some new champion?

Draco AleksanderMay 7, 201628 votes

As someone who teaches college theatre, you have no idea how difficult it is to break people of that thought process. Seriously, people, it isn't hoity toity nonsense for intellectuals. It's dick jokes, sex, and sword fighting, front to back. HAVE FUN WITH IT! /rant

A LiberalMay 7, 201610 votes

Offtopic Story:

My best friend since high school has been an English major/Literature Minor in a university program for three years now (she actually should be graduating this fall semester), and may I just tell you that the progression from, "Oh my god, in this line he alludes to an obscure greek play, which overall serves to reveal the characters doubts and insecurities" to "Yeah he just killed this character off because he didn't want to have to write the rest of the story arc" has been drastic.

Mistress MadokaMay 7, 20163 votes

I think it was a Healthy transition. Especially considering the Latter example is the more likely

japan hate accMay 8, 20164 votes

[{quoted}](name=Draco Aleksander,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=vTyAEryh,comment-id=000f00000001,timestamp=2016-05-07T00:47:41.431+0000)

As someone who teaches college theatre, you have no idea how difficult it is to break people of that thought process. Seriously, people, it isn't hoity toity nonsense for intellectuals. It's dick jokes, sex, and sword fighting, front to back. HAVE FUN WITH IT! /rant

"My naked weapon is out."

Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare

GaleWinUnleashedMay 7, 20166 votes

The curtains were ****ing blue.

KaamosMay 6, 20166 votes

I took it as a subtle nod toward him being a bird demon.

Serika ZeroMay 6, 20165 votes

i think its kind of a magic seal/circle/tattoo on his body/arm than anything else

Velzard of KozMay 6, 20164 votes

I think these are just veins. When someone works hard with hands or is old, they tend to have their veins bigger like that. The reason they are not this visible on back of his hand may be the light.

KING OF MASKSMay 6, 20164 votes

I definitely don't like the idea of Swain and Beatrice being a single entity. That's sort of... well, extremely uninteresting. Far better for them to have some kind of relationship.

Rather than the scarred flesh being a specific clue, it's probably just another hint that Swain is a seriously fucked up dark wizard warlock who dabbles in some especially evil dark demon witchcraft.

So, nothing we didn't already know.

Sahn UzalMay 6, 20163 votes

I feel like it's just a hint to his Ultimate... .... .... ..... ...... Beatrice has 6 eyes, not 4... ._.

RalanrMay 6, 20161 votes

I thought it was 4.

Smitty ManjensenMay 6, 20163 votes

I think it's just arm hair xD.

Matty LlamaMay 6, 20162 votes

Reminds me of this...

https://d.ibtimes.co.uk/en/full/1443597/ser-jorah-mormont-greyscale.jpg?w=600

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gameofthrones/images/9/96/505_Shireen_greyscale_closeup.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150510001032

Looks like Swain spent some time in Valyria

RendarkanMay 7, 20162 votes

Well it's safe to assume that since he is cripple that he just isn't limited to a leg injury. Could be some massive scarring under there.

RaeyxxMay 7, 20162 votes

Whether it's true or not, it's a creepy thought. I had never noticed that in the picture before either.

DatalessMay 7, 20162 votes

Looks more like Bird-flesh hinting at his demonic nature.

Meep ManMay 9, 20162 votes

That's probably just birdmorph aftereffect.

C9 MidianMay 6, 20161 votes

looks like a burn mark to me

DeathBot666May 6, 20161 votes

I think its proof of my opinion that swain is really from a species of hyper-intelligent super birds, and the human form is his disguise.

GodSpeed3477May 6, 20161 votes

I believe its just a hint at him transforming :) Like he just started to or just finished and the feathers are just popping up or retracting back in!

TTUPhoenixMay 7, 20161 votes

Yeah, I think it's supposed to be feather roots.

MunchCrunchLunchMay 7, 20161 votes

doesn't he have war scars? its probably just a scar

EROTIC RAID BOSSMay 7, 20161 votes

its where feathers grow when he transforms

ElewdMay 7, 20161 votes

it could be a nod to his ultimate causing him to grow feathers and become a monster. It could be a tattoo to signify he used to be part of the black rose alon with leblanc. It could be a mark given to the high aristocrat people of noxus.

KrimipowwMay 7, 20161 votes

It's psoriasis I guess

AwesomeChadMay 7, 20161 votes

but swain turns into a bird as part of his kit.......isn't it just feathers as part of the metamorphisis?

FateSlayerMay 7, 20161 votes

Maybe that's why both Beatrice's and Swain's eyes are red. Hmm nice theory.

The EcdysiastMay 7, 20161 votes

Swain's gotta be one of the dumbest concept-to-gameplay flops in the game. Even Shen, despite their knowledge of how dumb tanky ninja is, has his basis in the not-at-all-ninja-like ninjas of pop culture (Naruto, mainly).

But they don't claim that Swain is a joke. He's just an incorrect concept to gameplay match that they don't bother fixing.

Photos of GhostsMay 7, 20161 votes

Why?

The EcdysiastMay 7, 20161 votes

Read the comment below yours. For some reason it's got upvotes despite the fact we're on the same side.

DwarvenGiantMay 7, 20163 votes

He's actually one of the highest priorities for a VGU and both ChampUP and Narrative members have agreed in the past that Swain was "a flop" on that side and that he should have the "strategic mastermind/"Five steps ahead" fantasy he's supposed to have in game.

Mistress MadokaMay 7, 20163 votes

Picking Swain now Turns the Game into a Game of Civilization 5. Each CIv is on Opposite teams. The First one to win a Domination, Space, Cultural, or Economic Victory destroys the enemy Nexus

Photos of GhostsMay 7, 20161 votes

He has to manage horrible mana costs. That's strategy for me.

Photos of GhostsMay 7, 20161 votes

Uhm, my skin looks like that because of the veins and I'm 20. The guy's 70 at least. Give him a break.

morris1May 7, 20161 votes

His lore mentions that he was very crippled when he joined the military, that could also mean revealed flesh.

DarkSunSovereignMay 7, 20161 votes

That's just feathers growing on his arm imho

Cardinal SinveilMay 7, 20161 votes

My personal theory is that Swain was one of Mordekaiser's liches. But after the downfall of his Empire, instead of searching for Morde's skull like the others, he decided to do his own thing and build Noxus over Mordekaiser's Immortal Bastion.

invisiblecat1May 7, 20161 votes

I think you are getting on to something, like when Swain dies in game too, Beatrice picks at this corpse and then leave. This is unlike Tristana and Riggles relationship, so it could just mean Beatrice is using Swain for his body, and when he is gone she leaves to the next person