There is more to the warmongers of Valoran than meets the eye.
Noxus: Lore, Champions & More
In League of Legends, Noxus is the Rome of Runeterra. Quite literally at that, as they are a sprawling empire with a mishmash of internal politics, and a thirst for even more conquest. And, as is the case with all empires, there is a lot that can be found within Noxus' borders.
Though they've started out their lore by being the pure evil alignment to Demacia's pure good alignment, Riot Games have made Noxus, as they have done with any region of Runeterra into a gray area. So, what is going on with the state of red and black?
What is Noxus in League of Legends?
Noxus is, arguably, the most powerful country on Runeterra at this moment. This is, of course, due to the fact that there is nothing known about the continent of Camavor and the fact that Demacia is a smaller kingdom, while Freljord and Shurima no longer exist as organized countries.
The territory of Noxus stretches from the Eastern shores of Valoran to the underbelly of the continent, and they also hold regions in former northern Shurima and western Ionia.
Of course, as a sprawling empire, the goals and ideals of the various leaders and rulers of Noxus don't always align, so their potential power is never fully brought to bear, and that is why the others can still exist.
Noxus History
The road to power is paved with the blood of innocents and wicked alike. And Noxus has spilled more than their fair share of blood over the centuries of existence.
Prelude
The history of Noxus starts after the Darkin War, which devastated Valoran and left power-hungry sorcerers in its wake. One such coven summoned the soul of an old warlord hoping to use his power for their own means.
Unknown to them, he could no longer be bound to his old name and had grown bored with living in an empty afterlife. Upon returning to Runeterra, and being bound to a menacing armor, this revenant slays his summoners and starts the reign of Mordekaiser.
Founding
Mordekaiser's goal, however, was not to conquer Runeterra, as he had done so in life. Instead, it was to gather arcane knowledge necessary to make himself a kingdom in the afterlife.
So, he builds the Immortal Bastion, where arcane secrets are kept, and which now serves as the core of the capital of Noxus. To return to the afterlife, he surrounds himself with sorcerers he knows will betray him, such as LeBlanc.
Upon doing so, and banishing him from Runeterra, LeBlanc and the rest of her coven form the Black Rose secret society, while the roving tribes that made up Mordekaiser's armies congregate around the Immortal Bastion, and continue to raid and conquer in search of sustenance that cannot be grown on its rocky soil.
Current Empire
In the years after the fall of Mordekaiser, many an Emperor left their mark on Noxus, for better or worse. The current Empire is a sprawling beast, slow to move and respond to raids from Freljord, and incapable of mustering all of its armies to a single goal, due to noble infighting and insidious machinations of the Black Rose.
That is all about to change, as the Emperor of Noxus is no more, and a new Vision is now ruling the most powerful Empire in the world.
Noxus Rulers - Who is the Emperor of Noxus?
The last Emperor of Noxus was a puppet of the Black Rose, called Boram Darkwill. A man whose focus was not to strengthen Noxus, but his own position as its Emperor.
To do so, he would send prominent Noxians, such as Darius and Swain, on campaigns with only the legions loyal to them, so as to move them from the center of power.
It all came crashing down, though, when Swain returned from Ionia, humiliated and defeated, but with a Vision of the Empire, and overthrew Boram in a single night, while Darius, who was meant to avenge his Emperor saw that his oath as the Hand of Noxus was not meant for any one man, but for Noxus itself, and who better to lead it than Swain?
Who are the Three Leaders of Noxus?
Swain, however, had a different plan in mind. Instead of becoming Emperor, he divided the power of Noxus into three separate ideals, so each would hold the other in check, for the betterment of the Empire. Thus, the 3 leaders of Noxus are:
- Swain - Vision of Noxus
- Darius - Might of Noxus
- Faceless - Guile of Noxus
It is currently unknown who the Guile of Noxus is. The prevalent theory is that it's LeBlanc, however, with Swain in direct opposition to Black Rose, and the organization itself considering Swain an enemy due to his rebellion against Boram Darkwill, tath seems unlikely. Perhaps we will see a new champion coming to League of Legends that is the direct counterpart to LeBlanc.
Who are Noxian Champions?
Noxus is one of the regions that has the most champions hailing from it, currently, with 14 Noxian champions in League of Legends:
- Katarina
- Swain
- Darius
- Draven
- Rell
- Talon
- Samira
- Vladimir
- Sion
- Mordekaiser
- Cassiopeia
- LeBlanc
- Kled
- Riven
Black Rose Champions
Unlike the Shadow Isles, for example, these champions cannot be categorized as good or evil. Instead, they are the heroes of their own factions, with most of them competing against each other for supremacy of Noxus.
One thing is for certain, though. Should Noxus have a goal to unite them all, there is no force on Runeterra currently capable of stopping them.