Universe:Rictus

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“	"Our moment will come. But you must be prepared."
“	— Rictus to Ambessa, Paint the Town Blue

Rictus was Ambessa's right-hand man and bodyguard, who helped to lead her elite Noxian warbands.

Background[edit | edit source]

Early Life[edit | edit source]

Reckoner in Debt[edit | edit source]

Not much is known about Rictus's youth. At some point, he fell into debt with House Medarda and was forced to join the Reckoners to pay it back. He was known to have spent a great deal of his early life in Tereshni, where he became a frequent patron at the Busted Knuckle tavern and made several "friends" who would participate in illegal activities for coin. Rictus was the owner of a mysterious relic known as a rookern which he carried with him always. Whenever he bested his opponents in honorable combat, Rictus would carve their names into the stones, which he would heat over coals in a ritual before entering into combat.

After fighting for some time, another arena opened up in Rokrund on the commission of Hostlord Menelik's granddaughter, Ambessa Medarda. Rictus went to fight in the Rokrund Reckoner Arena, and after spectating his matches, Ambessa was immediately impressed by with his unshakeable calm before battles, followed by the annihilation of his opponents. Believing his abilities were wasted in the arena, Ambessa bought out Rictus's debts, allowing him to repay her by joining her elite warband, the Wolf's Reapers.^[1]

Service to Ambessa Medarda[edit | edit source]

“	"If you are no longer here to protect your children, then I will have already left this world."
“	— Rictus to Ambessa, Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf

Rictus served under Ambessa for many years. Eventually, he had fought off his debt to Ambessa, but impressed by her leadership, he asked to remain in her service. He very quickly rose to the rank of second-in-command, and after enduring numerous campaigns together, Rictus became her most trusted ally, sparring partner, and friend, proving himself worthy of her trust time and again. While most of Ambessa's soldiers would have wished to be named captain of a warband, Rictus refused any title, as his only wish was to be her bodyguard.

While Rictus was serving Ambessa, she was trying to raise her daughter Mel to become a worthy heir, having already written off her son Kino as a possible head of the Medarda family. Mel's "soft" nature, which she displayed in her aversion to the "blood sports" of the arena, led Ambessa to believe she had been too sheltered by her upbringing. After a successful campaign in the jungles of Kumangra, in which Ambessa and Rictus conquered the estate ruled by the Ionian Binan family and liberated a number of vastayan prisoners from the dungeons, Ambessa planned a test for her daughter in which she would have to order the execution of the Binan leader, Lady Mion. Rictus sent for Mel, but was not present in the throne room when Ambessa went to introduce her to death. After Lady Binan's execution, Rictus learned that Mel had failed Ambessa's test by trying to spare the prisoner, and Ambessa led them back to Bel'zhun without having named an heir.^[1]^[2]

Medarda Civil War[edit | edit source]

Main article: Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf

Death of Menelik[edit | edit source]

The situation in Bel'zhun was grave when Ambessa's forces returned. Her grandfather, Hostlord Menelik, had been critically-wounded during a campaign, and as he lay on his deathbed, factions became to form regarding who should be next to succeed him as leader of House Medarda. When Menelik died without naming an heir, Ambessa and her cousin Ta'Fik, the steward of Tereshni, both claimed leadership of their family, and Rictus accompanied Ambessa as she attempted to gather allies, starting with her brother, Steward Katye of Rokrund. Though Katye promised his support, most of the other cities began to rally around Ta'Fik, with the emissary from Kilgrove, Stefana, attempting to assassinate Ambessa in her spectator box at the Reckoner arena. The attempt on her life convinced Ambessa that she needed to flee the city before Menelik's funeral began.

As they prepared to leave, Ambessa and Rictus gathered several more allies. These included the teenage Reckoner champion Rell Canwell, whom they recruited into the Wolf's Reapers, and Valif, the leader of the Shuriman rebel movement in Bel'zhun. Ambessa also made plans for an overture to Grand General Boram Darkwill in the Noxian capital, hoping to gain his support by helping him make an alliance with the vastaya of the Ionian forests.

Journey to the Capital[edit | edit source]

On Ambessa's flagship, the Golden Dancer, Rictus acquainted himself with Rell, who was seasick and miserable for the duration of the voyage. He also got better acquainted with Caprian, the vastayan rebel leader they had released from Mion's palace, who had offered information which could prove crucial for Darkwill's long-awaited invasion of Ionia. As they were sailing for the Immortal Bastion, their ship was destroyed by a blockade and they were captured by forces from Trannit, led by one of Ta'Fik's allies: Steward Smik. Ambessa, Rictus, Rell, and Caprian managed to escape into the mountains, but had to leave the rest of the warband behind. For two months, they made a harrowing journey across the mountains of the Great Barrier—living off rabbits and fending off wild drakehounds—until they were rescued by a Vindoran scouting party, who finally brought them to the city in the north. Steward Amenesce of Vindor was initially neutral in the conflict between Ambessa and Ta'Fik, but after her harbor was blockaded by ships from Trannit and Fallgren, she declared her full support for Ambessa. Their alliance rode the rest of the way to Darkwill on swifthorns so they would make it in time for his tribute.

Tribute to Darkwill[edit | edit source]

They arrived at the Immortal Bastion with a week to prepare for Darkwill's tribute. Ta'Fik was already there, and to ensure Caprian would be safe from him, the vastaya was to remain inside the city's Medarda compound, which had been declared neutral ground by Ambessa's older brother Hanek. Rictus was assigned to guard Caprian while Ambessa and Rell were running errands, but despite his watchfulness, Caprian managed to slip away without permission a day before the tribute. As soon as Rictus realized, he found Caprian on the streets and saved him from armed attackers, bringing him home in a safe but injured state. At Darkwill's palace the next day, Ambessa and Rictus successfully delivered Caprian to the Grand General, and though he did not promise any immediate support, he was pleased enough that onlookers noticed and wondered what it was Ambessa had given him. Shortly after this, they received word that Ta'Fik had sent his forces to attack Rokrund.

Rictus accompanied Ambessa, Rell, and Steward Amenesce on swifthorns to the Varju Mountains, where they prepared an ambush in the pass for the forces from Trannit who were marching to intercept them. As they were waiting, Rictus approached Rell, as he knew this would be her first time on the battlefield. He and Ambessa had been training Rell since they began their journey to the capital, and despite Rell's insistence that she understood fighting from her time as a Reckoner, Rictus claimed that what she was about to experience would be completely different, and that she must be prepared and alert for what was to come. After this, Rictus left Rell with Amenesce's aide Tora as they all prepared for the enemy's arrival. The battle was brief but fierce, and it ended in Smik's death.

Defense of Rokrund[edit | edit source]

After another arduous journey through the mountains, Ambessa, Rictus, and Rell regrouped with their forces in Rokrund, where Captain Burnside informed them that Ta'Fik's soldiers—led by his eldest daughter Gintara—were unnaturally strong, and had used their enhanced strength to capture the Rokrund saltpetre mines. To secure their resources, Ambessa ordered Rictus to lead a smaller force to attack the forest's entrance, as she, Rell, and Burnside attacked the flanks. Rictus was able to manage the soldiers he was fighting using his rookern, and he also discovered a weakness: the rune-soldiers would collapse in pain if they overexerted themselves. Still, this was not enough to turn the tide, as Gintara's soldiers recovered from the ambush and Ambessa's forces found themselves quickly overwhelmed. When Ambessa and Rell were about to be killed by Gintara's basilisk, Rell suddenly screamed, and all the steel in the area became heavier and began to vibrate. The basilisk's armor collapsed in on itself, crushing the creature to death. This allowed Rictus to rescue Ambessa, and as the general lost consciousness, he called a retreat on her behalf, which was led by Rell.

After the battle, Rictus spoke with Rell, who confided in him that she had killed the basilisk by manipulating the metal around her, which had happened by sheer instinct. Rictus realized that Rell was a mage, and encouraged her to share what she had just learned with Ambessa when she woke up. After Rell demonstrated her new abilities on a metal spear, Ambessa dismissed her from the room so that she and Rictus could talk strategy. Ambessa insisted on fighting to defend Rokrund Citadel from Gintara, despite Rictus's concerns about her injury from the basilisk. Rictus also told Ambessa that he believed Rell was strong enough to lead House Medarda alongside Mel and Kino, and that Ambessa should consider bringing her into the family; a proposal which Ambessa would later agree with.

During the second battle, Rictus held off Gintara long enough for Rell to entrap her in metal cuffs. They held Gintara in the citadel, but while Ambessa was seeing a healer for her injuries, her brother Katye informed them that Ambessa's husband Azizi had been killed in Bel'zhun. Enraged, Ambessa decided to make Ta'Fik pay in blood, beginning with Gintara, despite Rictus's suggestion to avoid rash action. Ambessa also took Rictus's advice and decided she would adopt Rell, but before they could bring her to Mel and Kino in Bel'zhun, Rell vanished without a trace—kidnapped by a shapeshifter who had been wearing Ambessa's face. In the absence of any leads, Ambessa and Rictus forged ahead to Tereshni to confront Ta'Fik in his palace, taking a ship to Bel'zhun to hold Ta'Fik's youngest daughter, Tivadar, for ransom.

Confrontation in Tereshni[edit | edit source]

As they were crossing the Conqueror's Channel, Ambessa and Rictus were attacked by Kilgrovan forces, and were saved by a mage named Rudo, a mysterious stowaway. While Rudo was speaking to Ambessa in the cabin, Rictus learned of their past affair in Basilich and that Rudo was, to his surprise, the biological father of Mel, who was also a mage. Ambessa decided to trust Rictus with the information, and he promised to keep the secret. Rudo had stowed away on their ship, and now offered them information about Ta'Fik's ongoing partnership with the Black Rose. Rudo told them about the horrific experiments of Ta'Fik's advisor Inyene, who was working on a project called "magical transference" that left numerous kidnapped subjects in catatonic states as Null. Rudo believed Rell was being held in Inyene's laboratory in the desert south of Tereshni. Rictus wanted to rescue her, but was wary about trusting Rudo. Ambessa declared Ta'Fik to be the root of the issue, so they should confront him first before going to the laboratory.

Ambessa and Rictus went to the Bel'zhun Medarda compound and found Mel and Kino, who informed them of what they had been doing the past several months. To Ambessa's chagrin, Mel had become friends with Tivadar, whom they had been planning to take hostage for their confrontation with Ta'Fik. Mel was given one chance by Ambessa to convince Tivadar to join their side in full, but the next morning, Tivadar's room was found empty. After this, Ambessa and Rictus decided to make haste to Tereshni for fear that she was rushing there to warn her father. Before they left, Ambessa also received a letter from Darkwill stating that Caprian had proven useful, and he lent her a fleet and admiral ready at her command. Ambessa ordered the admiral to attack Ta'Fik's warships in Tereshni and those en route to Rokrund before taking her group across the desert.

Ambessa, Rictus, and Rudo rode to Tereshni, where Rictus recommended an inn called the Busted Knuckle to be used as their base of operations. As Rictus was enlisting the help of some former friends of his in the city, Ambessa found Tivadar, who offered to help them talk her father down from his invasion of Rokrund, at Mel's request. They used Tivadar's knowledge of the palace layout to engineer a trap to confront Ta'Fik and end his life, hiding their plan from the girl until they were all inside Ta'Fik's home. As Rudo dealt with Inyene and the rune-soldiers in the palace, Rictus held off the guards outside so Ambessa could go confront Ta'Fik. He and Tivadar both found them in the drakehound kennels, where they saw the end of their duel. After the confrontation, Ambessa stood victorious over Ta'Fik and his daughter, who wept over her father's body. Fearing she may have made an enemy of the girl, Ambessa killed Tivadar as well, ending Ta'Fik's bloodline. She and Rictus went to see healers, and then buried Ta'Fik and his daughter in the traditional Noxian fashion. Ambessa also issued a full withdrawal of Ta'Fik's troops, bringing the Medarda civil war to a close.

Feud with the Black Rose[edit | edit source]

Aftermath of the War[edit | edit source]

With Inyene and Rudo both dead, Rictus and Ambessa rushed to the Black Rose laboratory to rescue Rell. They found it empty save for Inyene's research notes, which they burned in a pyre in the desert. There, Ambessa encountered the pale woman, LeBlanc, who claimed that Ambessa's efforts had done little to stop her, and that if she couldn't control House Medarda, she would simply destroy it instead. The harrowing confrontation left Ambessa vengeful and paranoid about the cabal's influence, and when she returned to Bel'zhun, she ordered Rictus to prepare a ship to send Mel away to Piltover, where magic was outlawed and the cabal was unlikely to have a foothold.^[1] Rictus obeyed, and the next day, Ambessa sent her daughter away to Jago Medarda.^[3]

Death of Kino[edit | edit source]

Ambessa's feud with the Black Rose continued for many years after the death of Ta'Fik, during which time Rictus remained the general's trusted and sworn protector. As Ambessa continued to lose allies and territory, she became increasingly desperate to uproot the cabal once and for all.^[4] Kino, meanwhile, became deeply entangled in the Black Rose's web while investigating the death of his father,^[1] and he uncovered evidence in Basilich which revealed Ambessa's affair with Rudo decades prior. Kino's discovery won him the attention of LeBlanc, who abducted and later killed him. Ambessa swore to avenge her son, but with no allies left that she could turn to, she and Rictus were forced to set sail for Piltover to meet with Mel and acquire hextech weapons.^[5]^[6]

Conspiracy in Piltover[edit | edit source]

Main article: Arcane

Arrival in the Gilded City[edit | edit source]

At the docks of Piltover, Rictus stood guard when Ambessa stepped off her warship to speak with Mel. Ambessa did not tell her the whole truth about Kino's death, hiding the Black Rose's involvement, and as a result Mel was hostile to her mother's advice to develop hextech weapons for Piltover's defense. Later, Rictus stood guard in the bathhouse when Ambessa told Jayce Talis, the city's de facto leader and the inventor of hextech, the story of the Alornian general Sonnem Parlec—a cautionary tale for the Piltover Council. Ambessa's conversation with Jayce successfully manipulated him into acting impulsively against Zaun,^[2] and when Mel came to confront her about it, Rictus left the room, allowing Ambessa a chance to sway her to their side. Mel refused to help Ambessa start a war,^[7] so after an attack destroyed the Council chamber, Ambessa began to mold Salo into her puppet instead.

On Ambessa's orders, Rictus went to the undercity to reach out to the chembaron Renni, secretly instigating the attack on the Councilors' Memorial before they put down the attack by force. While the event failed to bring about the invasion of Zaun, it allowed Ambessa to expand her influence over the city's defense.^[8] Rictus was soon called in to bodyguard Ambessa during a meeting with a high-profile Piltovan guild merchant Amara, who was secretly a Black Rose assassin. Ambessa and Rictus managed to kill Amara with the help of his rookern, but worried by the fact that the Black Rose had found them, Rictus suggested involving Mel, as he believed Salo was not ready for their plan to take over Piltover. Despite Rictus' advice, Ambessa managed to improvise, blaming Amara's death on Zaunite assassins and using the incident to call a gathering of all of Piltover's mercantile clans, which immediately followed another attack on the city using colorful, painted explosions of the Zaun Grey.

At the actual meeting, Ambessa betrayed Salo, nominating Caitlyn Kiramman as the city's military commander instead of him. Rictus prevented Salo from interfering with her nomination, and the city fell under martial law.^[4]

Martial Law Period[edit | edit source]

“	"You have Jinx to thank for this. She is not your friend. She is not your champion! She hides while you suffer, and yet you refuse to hand her over."
“	— Rictus to Zaunites, Paint the Town Blue

Over the next several months, Rictus assisted Ambessa in both enacting a brutal occupation of Zaun and in her hextech development program, which struggled due to the fact that the city's leading experts in hextech, including Jayce and Heimerdinger, had mysteriously vanished. As Ambessa worked to mold Caitlyn in the Noxian principles, Rictus led the Piltover Enforcers in Zaun, hunting for Jinx and interrogating her supporters in hopes that one of them would know where she was.

After an attack at a Zaunite checkpoint by a Jinx copycat, Rictus captured one of Jinx's blue-haired supporters and beat him until he revealed where to find his other cohorts. The "Jinxer" told Rictus they were gathering at Vander's statue for a rally, so Rictus took the enforcers there, intending to arrest all the attendees and send them to Stillwater Hold for interrogation. Shortly after this, Stillwater was attacked twice within a short period—first by Jinx, who freed the prisoners, and then by a chemtech abomination known as Warwick, who savagely murdered a number of the enforcers and prisoners in the hallways.^[9] Warwick and Jinx both escaped after the rampage, and intrigued by the savagery of this new chemtech weapon, Ambessa recruited the beast's creator, Singed, to track Warwick down.^[5]

Singed led Ambessa, Rictus, and Caitlyn down into the remote depths of the fissures, where they located Warwick in the commune of a Herald named Viktor. Viktor's disciple, Huck, would not let the army pass, so Ambessa's forces made camp outside the commune with plans to invade at nightfall. Singed and Ambessa made plans to capture the beast, and she sent Caitlyn with the doctor as she dealt with a recently captured prisoner, Vi. Although Rictus was pleased with Caitlyn's arrest of Vi, he secretly followed her and Singed to make sure Ambessa's plan went smoothly. As they approached Warwick, Caitlyn suddenly attacked and incapacitated Singed in the commune, and Rictus caught and attempted to kill her for betraying Ambessa. Jinx arrived before he could deal the killing blow, but after a brief battle, he managed to overpower her as well. Warwick awoke, however, and after declaring that Jinx was his "daughter," he hurled Rictus through the wall, leaving him in a daze on the ground.^[10]

Death & Legacy[edit | edit source]

“	"We do not lament a warrior's death. We avenge it."
“	— Ambessa at Rictus' burial, Killing Is a Cycle

Shortly after this, an explosion rocked the commune, and as Viktor's followers screamed and collapsed, Warwick became enraged and viciously mauled Rictus. Ambessa arrived just in time to see her friend's lifeless body fall to the ground, and with a vengeful war cry, she sent her garrison to invade and burn Viktor's commune to the ground.^[10] After Singed was unable to save his life, Rictus was given a traditional Noxian burial in the commune: Buried upright with his back to the Immortal Bastion.^[1] Ambessa stuck his halberd in the earth over the burial and took his kaenic rookern, vowing to avenge his death.^[11]

Appearance[edit | edit source]

Rictus was an exceptionally large man, being both much taller and more muscular than anyone else in Ambessa's army, including her. He had a thick, dark, well-groomed beard and a short mohawk on the top of his head, as well as dark eyeliner, metal studs, and a small tattoo on his forehead. He was always seen clad in standard Noxian armor, with a dark metal chestplate and gauntlets with black and brown leather pants, accentuated with red fabric and stitching. He would normally be carrying a large halberd, which he wrapped with a kaenic rookern.

Personality[edit | edit source]

Rictus had a gruff and stoic personality, and he was fiercely loyal to his general, Ambessa Medarda. As her lieutenant and most trusted advisor, Rictus was more levelheaded than Ambessa and would not let his emotions get in the way of their larger goals, frequently advising her to do the same, but always following her orders even if she refused his advice. Rictus was unafraid of what he considered honorable combat and always fought his battles in a focused and unshakeable manner, without being afraid to annihilate his opponents or to retreat if it would provide a strategic advantage later on. In social situations, Rictus spoke infrequently but had a sense of humor, which he would make known through visible grunts of amusement.

Rictus was known to be steady, strong, and trustworthy by those who considered him a friend, but also fearsome and merciless towards his enemies. Those who betrayed his trust, or the trust of his general, would be met with violent retribution at his hand, as was the case with Caitlyn when she attempted to save Warwick. Rictus also looked down on cowardice, condemning Jinx for hiding from the authorities while her supporters all suffered. While he was not above hurting children, he preferred not to fight them if it could be avoided. He was also not above using brutal intimidation and torture tactics if he believed it would serve his general's cause.

Abilities[edit | edit source]

Brute Strength: As a hulking giant of a man, Rictus was said to embody the Principles of Strength more than any other soldier in Ambessa's warband.^[12] He was capable of effortlessly knocking out a crowd of Zaunite rallygoers with his bare hands.
Skilled Melee Combatant: Rictus was a skilled melee combatant who was said to have fought with an unshakeable calm, with his weapon of choice being an enormous Vindoran^[1] halberd which he could strike with and spin in his hands with alarming dexterity. Rictus was shown to have excellent reflexes and was able to go toe-to-toe with Jinx despite her shimmer-enhanced speed.
Ranged Combatant: Although Rictus was most skilled in close combat, Rictus could also throw his halberd with excellent force and accuracy, capable of effortlessly pinning Sevika's mechanical arm against a solid wall and even taking down an enormous chemtank berserker.
Kaenic Rookern: Rictus' rookern provides a valuable barrier against magical attacks, whether they originate from Black Rose mages or hextech weapons. Rictus carried the rookern on his person always and inscribed the stones with names of those he defeated in honorable combat.^[1] Rictus would keep the runic stones wrapped around his halberd, using them to block Amara's ethereal chains and dissipating a blast from Jinx's Zapper. This same rookern was later used by Ambessa during her invasion of the Hexgate, which she used to shield herself from Caitlyn's hextech sniper rifle.^[13]
Hunting & Cooking: While not an expert hunter, Rictus was able to catch enough rabbits in the Great Barrier mountains to survive a two month journey, which he would cook into meals for Ambessa and Rell.^[1]

Relations[edit | edit source]

Ambessa Medarda[edit | edit source]

When Ambessa began to build her elite warbands, she commissioned many Reckoner arenas so she could scout out and recruit powerful fighters across the empire. One of the first warriors she recruited was Rictus, a giant of a man with an unstoppable, unshakeable calm in his fighting style. Believing he was wasted in the arena, Ambessa bought out his debts and allowed Rictus to repay her by fighting in her Wolf's Reapers, where he quickly rose to the rank of her second-in-command. When Rictus had fully repaid his dues, he chose to continue serving her, and she grew to trust him as the strongest and most loyal soldier in her army. Rictus refused any titles Ambessa tried to give him, making clear many times that his only wish was to be her bodyguard. Over the course of decades, Rictus served as Ambessa's sparring partner, advisor, and best friend, as well as the only one she could trust with her closely guarded secrets, including Mel's true nature and her feud with the Black Rose. Rictus would frequently encourage his general to control her emotions and focus on the bigger picture, and he would express concern if Ambessa's plans put herself in harm's way. Even if she ignored his advice, Rictus would always follow her orders, and would become deeply apologetic if he ever failed her in any way.^[1]

After Ambessa successfully took control of Piltover, Rictus was a brutal supporter of her and Caitlyn's regime, as well as a co-conspirator in Ambessa's plot to declare martial law. His death at the hands of Warwick enraged Ambessa to such an extent that she invaded and destroyed Viktor's entire commune. Ambessa would then ask Singed to save Rictus' life, but his injuries were far too severe. At Rictus's burial, Ambessa decided not to mourn his death but instead to avenge it, as she planned her full-scale invasion of Piltover.

Mel Medarda[edit | edit source]

As Ambessa's right hand and long-time bodyguard, Rictus was familiar with both her children, including Mel. Rictus was often sent to find Mel whenever Ambessa wished to speak with her, and as Ambessa's sworn protector, he was committed to defending her family line as well. Rictus knew Mel's true nature as a mage long before she did, but kept the secret at Ambessa's request. On Ambessa's orders, Rictus was the one who prepared Mel's ship to leave for Piltover shortly before her exile, which he and Ambessa did to ensure the Black Rose would not be able to find her.^[1]

While in Piltover, Rictus believed Ambessa should loop Mel in on the details of her feud with the Black Rose. Mel, in turn, knew Rictus well enough to recognize his burial in Viktor's commune just by looking at his halberd. Mel later claimed at the battle of the Hexgate that her mother had sacrificed Rictus in pursuit of her ambition, in an vain attempt to convince her to withdraw her forces.^[13]

Rell Canwell[edit | edit source]

“	"Remember what we practiced. See everything around you."
“	— Rictus to Rell, Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf

Rictus's first introduction to Rell was when he and Ambessa went to the Reckoner arena in Bel'zhun to scout out potential recruits who could strengthen Ambessa's line of succession. Rictus was present when Rell defeated the reigning champion Navus, and he described her as "raw" when Ambessa asked if she would be a good fit for the Wolf's Reapers. After they recruited Rell, Rictus was amused by Rell's seasickness on Ambessa's ship, and by the fact that she cursed more than some of the warband's veterans. The three of them, along with the vastaya Caprian, spent months together surviving the dangerous mountains of the Great Barrier and as they rode from Vindor to the Immortal Bastion, and it was during this time that Rictus became a mentor to Rell, practicing with her while also giving her lessons on strategic awareness. Rictus came to care for Rell greatly, believing her to be "strong" and expressing silent encouragement for her relationship with Tora. Rell, in turn, looked up to Rictus as a role model, as a former Reckoner who became an excellent soldier. Later, Rictus was the first person she spoke to after her powers of ferromancy manifested, and he also vouched for the good instincts she showed in leading their retreat.

Rictus was the one who suggested that Ambessa should adopt Rell, as he believed she was more than capable of leading the Medarda clan alongside Mel and Kino. When Rell was kidnapped by the Black Rose, Rictus wanted to save her as soon as possible, but obeyed Ambessa when she chose to confront Ta'Fik first. He and Ambessa later found Inyene's laboratory empty, with no sign of Rell anywhere.

Caprian[edit | edit source]

Caprian was a horned, goat-like vastaya that Rictus and Ambessa released from Mion's palace. In hopes of returning to his native home of Ionia, Caprian agreed to make a deal with Noxus, and since the information he held was deemed vital for Boram Darkwill's planned invasion, Ambessa assigned Rictus to protect Caprian so that she could use what he knew to earn the Grand General's favor. As they made the long journey from Bel'zhun to the Immortal Bastion, Rictus and Caprian interacted regularly, with Caprian teasing him for being a "nanny goat" and Rictus becoming irritated by Caprian's tendency to put himself into dangerous situations. Rictus saved Caprian's life on several occasions during their months of traveling together. They also went hunting for food together in the Great Barrier mountains and faced down wild drakehounds. They eventually parted ways in Darkwill's palace, with Caprian not being given the chance to say goodbye due to the Grand General's eagerness to speak with him.

Black Rose[edit | edit source]

Rictus was a long-time enemy of the Black Rose and was the only other person who knew about Ambessa's feud with them, as it was a secret she kept even from her own children. While he first learned about the Black Rose from Rudo, a former member of the order, Rictus's first true encounter with the cabal came earlier, when he faced down the rune-soldiers they had created. When he learned they were behind Rell's kidnapping, Rictus considered it a top priority to save her, and he argued in favor of rescuing her from Inyene's laboratory before confronting Ta'Fik. Rictus's rookern proved a useful ward against the Rose's magic,^[1] and in the following years, he would come to depend on it as a vital lifeline when the cabal would send assassins to try and kill them.

Rictus accompanied Ambessa to Piltover, where they planned to acquire hextech weapons to be used against the cabal's mages. After Ambessa took control of the city, she and Rictus learned that the Black Rose had kidnapped Mel, but he appeared less paranoid about them than she was, as he doubted that they were behind the disappearances of Jayce and Heimerdinger.

Allira Salo[edit | edit source]

Rictus did not respect Salo, seeing him as a simple pawn for Ambessa's ends. He was made aware of Ambessa's plan to declare martial law and instate Salo as general of the city, but believed he wasn't "ready" for this, suggesting that they should let Mel in on their plan instead. Ambessa shared Rictus' doubts about Salo, so when the time came to nominate the city's commander, she nominated Caitlyn in his place, and Rictus prevented Salo from interfering with the announcement.

Caitlyn Kiramman[edit | edit source]

“	"Ambessa believed in you. Your death will be a deep cut."
“	— Rictus to Caitlyn, The Message Hidden Within the Pattern

While Piltover was under martial law and Zaun placed under occupation, Rictus was a brutal supporter of Caitlyn's regime, which in practice placed the city under Ambessa's control. Rictus would sometimes stand guard while Ambessa was training Caitlyn in close combat and the Noxian principles, and he was known to keep an eye on her to ensure her loyalty to Ambessa. He gave Caitlyn a nod of approval for capturing Vi, but was livid with Caitlyn when she betrayed Ambessa to try and save Warwick. For this, he expressed regret that Ambessa had misplaced her trust, but was unable to kill her before Jinx intervened.

Jinx[edit | edit source]

While Zaun was under Piltovan occupation, Rictus led the on-the-ground efforts to try and locate Jinx, harassing civilians and leading interrogations to try and gain more information about her whereabouts. Rictus did not respect Jinx for hiding from the Piltover Enforcers, believing her to be a coward for refusing to fight while her own people suffered. Jinx eventually came out of hiding as a direct result of Rictus capturing Isha, and when he attempted to kill Caitlyn and capture Warwick, Jinx came to their rescue, fighting Rictus with her Zapper. Rictus ultimately won their battle, but was unable to kill her before Warwick intervened.

Warwick[edit | edit source]

After an attack on Stillwater left numerous enforcers dead, Rictus traveled into Zaun to help capture the beast for Ambessa, with her army bringing a massive cage to trap him in. When Ambessa went to enact her plan, Rictus secretly followed Singed and Caitlyn to the sleeping Warwick make sure everything went smoothly. However, although Rictus managed to defeat everyone who attempted to prevent Warwick's capture, Warwick himself woke up and angrily tossed Rictus through the greenhouse's wall for hurting his daughter. Warwick became enraged shortly after this, and despite Rictus' best efforts to fight back, he was savagely mauled by the beast, ending his life.

Arcane Show Appearances[edit | edit source]

Season One appearances: 2/9
Welcome to the Playground: Absent	Some Mysteries Are Better Left Unsolved: Absent	The Base Violence Necessary for Change: Absent
Happy Progress Day!: Absent	Everybody Wants to Be My Enemy: Absent	When These Walls Come Tumbling Down: Absent
The Boy Savior: Absent	Oil and Water: Appears	The Monster You Created: Appears

Season Two appearances: 4/9
Heavy Is The Crown: Appears	Watch It All Burn: Absent	Finally Got the Name Right: Appears and flashback
Paint The Town Blue: Appears	Blisters And Bedrock: Absent	The Message Hidden Within The Pattern: Appears
Pretend Like It's First Time: Absent	Killing Is A Cycle: Appears as a corpse only	The Dirt Under Your Nails: Mentioned only

Trivia[edit | edit source]

Rictus is voiced by Stewart Scudamore in Arcane.
Rictus' name is of Latin origin ˈrik.t̪us, and translates to an open mouth.
Rictus' name was never mentioned in season one of Arcane. It was first revealed in the Legends of Runeterra card game.

Media[edit | edit source]

Rictus "Arcane" Model 1 (by Riot Contracted Artists Fortiche Productions)
Rictus "Arcane" Model 2 (by Riot Contracted Artists Fortiche Productions)
Rictus "Arcane" Model 3 (by Riot Contracted Artists Fortiche Productions)
Rictus "Arcane" Model 4 (by Riot Contracted Artists Fortiche Productions)
Rictus "Arcane" Model 5 (by Riot Contracted Artists Fortiche Productions)
Rictus "Arcane Season 2" Concept 1 (by Riot Contracted Artist Suheb Zako)

References[edit | edit source]

↑ ^1.00 ^1.01 ^1.02 ^1.03 ^1.04 ^1.05 ^1.06 ^1.07 ^1.08 ^1.09 ^1.10 Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Arcane: Season 1, Episode 8: Oil and Water
↑ The Soul's Reflection
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Arcane: Season 2, Episode 3: Finally Got the Name Right
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Arcane: Season 2, Episode 5: Blisters And Bedrock
↑ C.L. Clark on Ambessa's allies
↑ Arcane: Season 1, Episode 9: The Monster You Created
↑ Arcane: Season 2, Episode 1: Heavy Is The Crown
↑ Arcane: Season 2, Episode 4: Paint The Town Blue
↑ ^10.0 ^10.1 Arcane: Season 2, Episode 6: The Message Hidden Within The Pattern
↑ Arcane: Season 2, Episode 8: Killing Is A Cycle
↑ Rictus flavor text
↑ ^13.0 ^13.1 Arcane: Season 2, Episode 9: The Dirt Under Your Nails

Characters	Amara Ambessa Bolbok Caitlyn Cassandra Chross Claggor Ekko Elora Finn Heimerdinger Isha Jayce Jinx LeBlanc Maddie Marcus Margot Mel Mylo Orianna Renni Rictus Salo Sevika Silco Singed Smeech Tobias Vander Vi Viktor Warwick and more...
Places	Noxus Piltover Zaun Runeterra
Season 1 Episodes	Welcome to the Playground Some Mysteries Are Better Left Unsolved The Base Violence Necessary for Change Happy Progress Day! Everybody Wants to Be My Enemy When These Walls Come Tumbling Down The Boy Savior Oil and Water The Monster You Created
Season 2 Episodes	Heavy Is The Crown Watch It All Burn Finally Got the Name Right Paint the Town Blue Blisters and Bedrock The Message Hidden Within the Pattern Pretend Like It's First Time Killing Is A Cycle The Dirt Under Your Nails
The Council Archives	Jayce's Journal The Warden's Write-Ups The Grand Conspiracy The Adventures of Jinx
Other Lore and Media	Enemy (Music Video) Blood Sweat & Tears (Music Video) Firelights Reignite (Visual Novel) Need to live (Short) Jinx Fixes Everything (Minigame) Arcane (Soundtrack) Arcane (Universe) The Art and Making of Arcane (Art Book)

LoL Characters
Universe Characters	Alune Ashlesh Atakhan Baron Nashor Boram Darkwill Cithria Doran Elder Dragon Eldred Isolde Iula Jack Jarvan III Kobuko Kusho Ledros Mihira Nagakabouros Necrit Norra Rafen Rhaast Rift Herald Tamara Tianna Tyari Tybaulk Vilemaw Vrynna Willump Xolaani and more...
Arcane Characters	Amara Ambessa Bolbok Caitlyn Cassandra Chross Claggor Ekko Elora Finn Heimerdinger Isha Jayce Jinx LeBlanc Maddie Marcus Margot Mel Mylo Orianna Renni Rictus Salo Sevika Silco Singed Smeech Tobias Vander Vi Viktor Warwick and more...