Who they are
Jarvan IV rules Demacia as king and heads the Lightshield dynasty. He took the throne after the assassination of King Jarvan III, in a kingdom that is proud of its justice and honor and is now being forced to rethink how it treats magic.
Their story belongs to Demacia. A proud kingdom behind high walls that fears magic.
Their story, step by step
- Step 1
A prince raised on mercy
Jarvan IV was the only son of King Jarvan III, and his mother died giving birth to him. His father raised him on Demacian ideals of duty, charity and service. As a boy he watched his father spare captured Noxian soldiers at the Battle of Kalstead, and saw him take the Ionian warrior Xin Zhao into his guard.
- Step 2
Training and friendship
Xin Zhao taught the prince history, politics, warfare and philosophy. Jarvan grew close to Garen Crownguard, whose family had long guarded the royal line. He later commanded the silverwing riders that protected the capital, eager to prove himself.
- Step 3
The fall in the Argent Mountains
On a scouting mission Jarvan ignored his lieutenants' advice and set up an outpost to harass Noxian supply lines. Noxian artillery ambushed his riders, shot down his raptor Aegis, and sent him plunging into the forest. The half-dragon Shyvana found him and saved him, and together they later defeated an elemental dragon threatening Castle Wrenwall.
- Step 4
A kingdom in crisis
Jarvan brought Shyvana into his guard, which unsettled the nobles. Under pressure to secure the succession, he agreed to a match with Lux, though she refused to attend the betrothal. Soon after, the mage Sylas escaped execution and freed other mages, and King Jarvan III was found dead.
- Step 5
A harsh king
Jarvan blamed Sylas for his father's death and vowed to wage war on magic. He destroyed a letter in which his father had halted the arrests of mages, believing a strong king had to be hard. Shyvana warned him that this path left no future for people like her, and she left Demacia.
- Step 6
A change of course
As the mageseekers grew more extreme, Jarvan came to see that Shyvana had been right. He admitted to Garen that he had tried to be strong rather than good. He ended the mageseeker campaign and made Terbisia a sanctuary for mages under Lux's care.
Turning points
- Ignoring his officers' advice in the Argent Mountains and being shot down
- Destroying his father's letter and declaring war on magic
- Admitting Shyvana was right and ending the mageseeker campaign
Where their story stands now
Jarvan has reversed his harshest policies and hopes Shyvana will come home. Sylas says these steps are not enough without Jarvan giving up the crown, so the rebellion goes on.
Who they are tied to
- Sion →Sion, the Noxian who killed Jarvan I of his line, is part of the family history that fed Jarvan's drive against Noxus, though the lore says Jarvan never faced him directly.
- Sylas →Sylas is Jarvan's chief opponent: Jarvan first blamed him for his father's death, and Sylas now demands more than Jarvan's reforms before he will stop.
- Sona →A mute virtuoso of the etwahl who speaks through music.
- Shyvana →A half-dragon warrior of the Dragonguard who can shift into dragon form.
- Xin Zhao →A spearmaster who rose from Noxian slavery to become Seneschal of Demacia.
Games they appear in
Where this fits in the story
- Demacia · step 1
A refuge from the Rune Wars
Demacia was founded as a refuge from the Rune Wars, when World Runes reshaped entire nations. It built its identity on order, law and keeping magic at arm's length.
- Demacia · step 2
Petricite and the fear of magic
The Demacians discovered petricite, a magic-dampening stone, and made it central to their defense. Persecuting mages became state policy, carried out by the Mageseekers.
- Demacia · step 3
The long rivalry with Noxus
Demacia and Noxus fought for generations. One of the best-known clashes ended with the Noxian Sion killing King Jarvan I.
- Demacia · step 4
Turmoil at home
The assassination of King Jarvan III shook the kingdom, and Sylas rose against the persecution of mages. The cruelty of the Mageseekers is now openly questioned, and Jarvan IV rules a kingdom that is changing.