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An Arcane Hexplanation: Noxus

For the first post in this mini-series of posts, that will elaborate on elements of Arcane that were only superficially touched upon in the show but also elements that might remain confusing for some, I wanted to touch on this faction that has now become an integral part of the story of Arcane but which was not very much explored in and of itself. I will try to be as informative as I can without going into spoilers but beware that there may be informations that might give hints about the shows's ending and the franchise's future.

Especially for parts of the audience that haven't played League of Legends or haven't been that interested in it's lore which is quite a lot actually when you look at the people who watch the show. Which is also one of the reasons why it was made to first place, to reach as many people as possible in the hopes they would be interested in the games or the lore that comes with it but I digress.

Keep in mind that what I am using here is both the old and current pieces of lore I have at my disposal of the world of League of Legends since now that Arcane has become fully canon to the story of Runeterra, the world in which Arcane takes place, elements may change and vary in the future given that the old and current lore of Piltover & Zaun had quite different elements of it that got retconned by Arcane when it became canon. I expect the same for the other parts of that world

We have two main characters that are connected to Noxus, Mel and Ambessa, the current known members of the Medarda Clan. They provide some background info and elements about Noxus relating to their pasts and current motivations but much of it remains unclear or a mystery in some cases with one of them about Mel that is probably going to be revealed in Act 3. So...

What is Noxus ?

Basing ourselves in the old and current lore of the world of Runeterra, Noxus is an expansionist empire that is considered brutal and threatening to most people that lives outside of it's borders. It worships and respects the strengths and talents of it's population, especially in combat and war. Which oddly makes it a quite inclusive society as success through strength, of many kinds, is what is mostly rewarded in that society which contrasts with it's colonizing and "war-prone" attitude.

It is quite powerful and probably the most powerful nation on the continent of Valoran where it is located on the eastern side of it but given it's expansionist endeavours, it's borders also reaches into the Shuriman continent located south of it and in the archipelago called Ionia located further east and north of it, it enters into The Freljord. It also goes west towards the nation of Demacia, which it has quite the rivalry with. (Noxus also has multiple spies in multiple nations or cultures around the world, that are led by different types of forces that are in Noxus who do this for different reasons for each and everyone of them, but we will get back to that later down this post.)

In between the Valoran & Shuriman continents lies the main setting of Arcane, Piltover & Zaun. It connects the two continent together and as such is quite prized by many people in the Noxian empire, not just by Ambessa.

It's strategic position is important both in terms of trades but also power. The City of Progress makes the most of it's geographical position economically by being both a trading route by land and sea; but also it's incredible evolution in technology could provide Noxus with the means to expand it's empire all over Runeterra. Especially if it gets it's hands on Hextech.

But Piltover & Zaun being so important to the continents' global trades (evidence with Noxus itself having Holsek in Arcane shipping his products there) and also being a cultural center for most of the other nations makes it difficult to obtain, first because while Noxus might have a bigger army, Piltover & Zaun are still far more technologically advanced than them which gives them an advantage in battle and two, because many other nations might unite to take Noxus out if it ever tried to actively take power there.

Noxus thrives on being expansionist because it needs people, it needs war and it also needs land. But also it seeks challenges, as challenges makes you stronger based on the Noxian dogma.

Because the capital of Noxus is located in a part of Valoran which is not very fertile and so part of that expansionist attitude is also to survive and meet needs for it's population that aren't met. It has a very diverse wildlife though ranging from giant arachnides, drakes, big reptiles and more Jurassic Park-like creaturs. And of course, Poros, because Poros are everywhere! 😉

That capital is named Noxus Prime or more commonly known as...

The Immortal Bastion.

It was built long ago, after an important catastrophic event, by someone that I can't talk to you about because it's likely going to spoil Season 2's Act III of Arcane. Just know that this person is bad, REALLY bad.

That person raised that city in what was called long ago, the Noxii territories but given that the reign of that person was extremely violent and tyrannic, they got betrayed by people from their own inner circle who forged an alliance with the tribes that lived there and was able to "defeat" that person.

Centuries passed, as well as wars and invasions, and as of today it has remained intact and is hardly penetrable by anyone or anything by force due to it's architecture. At least, one that is below or similar to Noxus' level of power.

(I'm not sure if the city Mel painted is this one as in the old/current lore, it is not by the sea but the show could retcon that and make it close to it. It could be Basilich since it is by the sea and was mentioned in Arcane in relation to the Medarda family. But know it be could another one as the architecture for the bigger cities of Noxus is quite similar to represent who is in charge.)

It's also important to remember that compared to Piltover & Zaun, Noxus isn't afraid of magic. In fact, it weaponizes it and it's history has been the most influenced by it. Noxus respects strength but anything that can make the empire grow and evolve whether it's trade, craftmanship, magic, intelligence or even art is respected if it challenges the people and Noxus to become stronger.

You CAN start from nothing and rise to the highest places of Noxus if you show that you are worthy to be there.

Which is why when Noxus conquers, it gives you a choice: follow the empire or die. Noxus will be your life from now on, you will be under their command, follow their laws and culture. Oddly enough, people who embrace Noxus will find that their life improves in a good way but those who don't bend the knee, follow or are able to live by the Noxian culture will be destroyed or be outcasts in that society. Especially since now that you live under Noxian law, it will make sure that everyone knows it by: appointing a leader to make sure that Noxian culture and law is followed where you live and put Noxian architecture + any ways to show authority there as a means to make sure your whole life is dedicated to it- (However it doesn't change the facts that even thought Noxus puts his culture and law firsts, in many cases the cultures remain and merges with, with Noxus having many languages and religions within it that all contributing to the power of it's empire given the nature of those elements.)

-Much like what Ambessa did with Cailtyn in Piltover & Zaun but that came from her own motivations rather than something asked by Noxus.

Because as we know, Ambessa is being targeted by someone from Noxus and that someone is very important.

But this also makes sense when you consider what Noxus is, given that Ambessa is a general, she holds a certain amount of authority, or at least used to hold, in Noxus which can clash with other people who have as much or more authority than her there. And given the need of a challenge or to pursue a goal that would be able to show your strength and/or maintain a power for every Noxian, especially if it can contribute to the empire or their vision of Noxus; it will clash with different visions and people as well.

But in the case of Ambessa, it's little a bit more complicated. It's part of it but it's not just that. Before we get to that, we need to talk about the leadership of Noxus.

Because you would think that Noxus would be ruled by an iron fist by one person, some dictator or oppressive leader, well it used to be 🤭 and still is to some degree but it's more complicated than that as what Noxus fears the most in the world might be what would come from the outside of the empire or what rebellion could happen somewhere in a land they've conquered, but from inside of the empire itself.

You see Noxus was a monarchy and when you have a culture & dogma like Noxus, people will try to reach the top, they will eventually come into contact with people who also want to go there or are already there.

This has created many problems for Noxus in the past with one person taking over the empire or inheriting it and doing not so great things with it, followed by many others after that. This created a lack of stability for Noxus, which made it vulnerable. It also doesn't help that those leaders could easily be influenced by groups and noble houses who have their own agendas for Noxus and themselves.

So to remedy to that, something was created to ensure something like this would never happen again...

The Trifarix.

The Trifarix (also known as the "Council of Three") is the current form of government of Noxus, which embodies the fundamental tenets of the Trifarix doctrine, or the "Principles of Strength." which are Vision, Might and Guile.

Sounds familiar ? Yes! It is what Ambessa says to Caitlyn during their training. She also believes there is a fourth one: Sacrifice, which she thinks heightens the three other principles.

This structure happened after a revolution led by Jericho Swain which transformed from a monarchy, led by emperors like Boram Darkwill, the last emperor killed by Swain himself during the night of the revolution, to a meritocracy led by three different people, each representing a different principle.

The first being Vision, represented by Jericho Swain, The Noxian Grand General. Main face of government for the Empire and overthrew the previous ruling House of Darkwill.

According to Swain's reasoning, while one person could ruin Noxus through incompetence, madness, or corruption, or the three combined, a group of three people would always have two people to hold one of the members accountable, ensuring that no one could rule Noxus alone and with no opposition.

The second being Darius, the Hand of Noxus who embodies Might. Commander of the elite Trifarian Legion, the most elite and loyal legion in modern Noxus.

And The Faceless. The current identity of that member is unknown. Rumored to puppeteer the dark underbelly and politics of Noxus. Unknown status to outsiders suits the Trifarix's and the Faceless' purposes: sowing fear, suspicion, and unease among the enemies of Noxus allows the Faceless to walk more freely among those who might have their guard up.

And while all of this on paper might sound great, the noble houses, despite some privileges being taken away by The Trifarix, and other secret groups can still influence Noxus plus the Trifarix in some way and remnants of the old monarchy still exists, even if they are being hunted down by the Trifarix and it's army.

The culture of Noxus is still brutal and expansionist just like under the monarchy, plus most of it's population live in austerity given how harsh Noxian dogma is. Plus the presence of class differences & inequality is just as present in Noxus as it is in Piltover. Swain himself is from a noble house that was hungry for power and who helped the very house he was going to overthrow at some point before creating the Trifarix. And though his vision of Noxus is everyone being united for the empire regardless of who they are, the reality is that most people still plot against it & he knows it.

But there is one more problem that I have yet to talk about and that is relevant to Arcane's plot. You know where I'm getting at here...

...The Black Rose.

Without revealing too much as it will be explored in Season 2's Act III of Arcane & possibly the future show that will likely be about Noxus, at some point Swain realised that the Black Rose was influencing Boram Darkwill in the shadows of Noxus to do what they wished when he was sent to an invasion of Ionia where all the conditions he was led into would lead him to meet his death there.

However Swain, during his younger years, "defeated" The Black Rose. He was manipulated by the matron of that group to execute the most prominent members of it, including his parents since House Swain was part of The Black Rose, not him but his House and staged an execution for said matron so that she could hide her existence to strike at the right moment and regain power over Noxus.

This eventually all led to Swain killing Darkwill & his followers to make sure that person wouldn't get full power over Noxus and destroy any trace of the Black Rose as well.

That person is called...

...LeBlanc.

You've all already met her but haven't as well. You know her voice but have never heard it. They are everywhere, she is everyone.

Again, I can't say a lot but just know, she is such a bad bitch. She is truly a great character, one of the better ones of LoL's lore.

She is the matron of the Black Rose. The leader of this cabbal, both older than Noxus itself and quite important to the history of the empire. She is a powerful sorceress that has influenced Noxus' and the worlds' events for a long long time. She has her own sets of spies, outside of the ones Noxus has, that she uses to keep track of everything that happens in the world and influence the politics of it to meet her wants with of course the help of people who follow her and the Black Rose, including it's members.

Most members that are part of the Black Rose don't even know she is LeBlanc, hell that she is even named LeBlanc or that she is their leader or what she even looks like. In fact, the name LeBlanc is not even guaranteed to be her real name anyway.

And since that no one knows who is the person that represents Guile, there was an idea and rumour that she was that secret third member in the Trifarix. But given her nature and her relationship with Swain, it is unlikely but who knows...

...maybe she's already influencing him or the two of them were able to make a deal that benefits each party in the end.

But there's a reason for all this manipulation & trickery, there's a reason why she influences the world politics... and why she kidnapped Mel.

But I can't tell you, because it would spoil you. X)

However know that her inclusion opens the gate to LoL's lore and universe in a way that is so immense that I am impressed she even is a player into Arcane, at least such an active one. At best, I thought Swain would be the one to show up but it would make sense that with the appearance of something as powerful as Hextech, she wouldn't stay in the shadows for long.

This is where it leads us into the next show that comes after Arcane and that will continue some of the plotlines that were started in it, which will likely be in Noxus. And we will find out what it will be and what is the reason for it in this final act-

(Again to remind that everyone, these informations are from the current/old LoL lore, some aspects of it will change, just like with Arcane, to fit whatever story they might want to talk about in the future.)

-But while in Piltover & Zaun, the reasons for our characters' actions and motivations are more personal but obviously still influenced by politics and the world around them, falling into shades of gray that we can see ourselves into...

...with Noxus, the shades are darker. And more red too, but compared to the city of progress, we might lean more into horror than tragedy this time around.

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If you are interested in more League of Legends lore or lore about Arcane, I invite you to check out the current Runeterra map which features every information you might want to know about the universe.

Plus here is a... short animated film ? that was done for the card game Legends of Runeterra which won't spoil you anything and just show you what Noxus is about in a way that is closer to what Arcane is. It features Darius and his troops fighting a king that refuses to surrender to the Noxian empire.

Hope you enjoyed the post, I will be back soon, this time to talk about... Felicia! There are certain things that I think need to be talked about with the revelations surrounding her character.

In the meantime, let's finish the last three episodes of Arcane and celebrate what this show gave to use.

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LIKE???!!! They have yet to meet Amumu, Teemo, Braum, Bard or Veigar...

And I won't even talk about my boy #FreeASol!

AndOHMYGOD THEY DON'T KNOW RAMMUS!

arcane is so fun to watch when you know league lore, like yes i know all these people and who they are, i’m better than you average peasant, you weren’t verbally abused by grown men on a video game when you were 14

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Everyone is freaking out over Mel's storyline this season while this is what that whole storyline is looking like to me:

It just makes me laugh because I know what it's about and my brain is genuinely having the most hilarious reaction to this plotline! x)

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"Why are you still on tumblr, it's a dead site" Tumblr is the ONLY site that still works in the way of -Follow this person, see their posts- instead of -you stopped scrolling and stayed on this post for .2 seconds longer than others, here's 100 more posts like it- I hate algorithms. Tumblr has its many issues. But at least I keep my choice of what I see.

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So much to say, so little time... & motivation. X)

My thoughts on Will Byers has powers has widened over the years in a way that includes so much possibilities now that I don't know which one could come into fruition.

There's one particular outcome that I think would be interesting and that nobody has been talking about, at least to my knowledge, it's a Matrix type of situation which I think could explain some events back in Season 1 that doesn't fit with what we know of ST's rules (though they are fluid and subject to change in the show, let's not lie). I'll elaborate in a post right after that soon.

One outcome that I know will not happen is El or Henry type of powers, as in the same powers as them, at least most of them, I know he doesn't have those ones & should not.

But guys, the question is not "does Will have powers ?" Because he already has abilities anyway (Neck-sense, Now Memories & True Sight though that particular ability might be dormant since he isn't as directly connected to the UD as he was back in S2) and he had some of them or others before even being connected to the vines in S1 and even having a part of the Mind Flayer inside of him in S2, the REAL question is what exactly are those abilities and what can or could he do if he were to start training and/or learning more about them ? Additionally, where do they come from too ?

As for "Sorcerer", the title could mean many things and anyone; I do not know why but when I look at that title, it fees vindictive. Like someone is saying it to someone else but it's not used in a nice way. It could also be a Satanic Panic thing, as well as a codename for an object or a protocol. Or even the name of an experiment.

I wouldn't be surprised if it could relate to Will in some way given he is going to be the focus point or one of the focus points of S5 if you prefer, but it could be not something about a specific character like Will, El or Henry but something else entirely that's not a person.

It is episode 4 and usually, the end of episode 3 and episode 4 as a whole, finishes laying out the whole plot and shows us what the emotional story beats of the season are going to be. "The Body", "The Pollywog and Will The Wise", "The Case of the Missing Lifeguard", "The Monster and the Superhero + Dear Billy" and now, "Sorcerer".

No offence to y'all Bylers but Sorcerer is a whole different class from Wizard or Cleric in D&D

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Given the evolution of the world at the moment, I feel like it's time for me to say some things that I was reluctant to talk about given where I wanted to take this blog but since so many people are suffering or unwell because of the many events that have happened the last few years, I feel like I need to reach to some people.

I'll write the post soon, probably drop it in the week-end because it's a spur of the moment kind of thing but I think it's time and some need it. It's something that I've not really done before but this is my way of helping for some people in a way that is feasible for me.

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The prophecy has yet to come true.

I blame the new seasons for this.

Bart to the Future The Simpsons S11 E17 Air Date: March 19, 2000

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THE SUICIDE SQUAD (2021) dir. James Gunn

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The Sound of Music (1965) dir. Robert Wise

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One of the reasons, not the only one but one of the reasons regardless.

Here is the hard truth, which no one else has the heart to tell you.

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON 1.02 "The Rogue Prince"

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How ironic.

The Boys 'Assassination Run' (4.08)

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I knew immediately that you were going to latch onto those two specific episodes. X)

Escape from Camazotz and The Right Side Up, I see you

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Stranger Things 5 Episode Titles - Reactions & First thoughts about them.

So here are the episode titles for Stranger Things 5, they don't give much away in and of themselves unless you've probably been like completely into set pictures & possible leaks which I have not, so don't bring that over here!

Some of them sound a bit corny like "The Rightside Up", it's so Reddit-ish and uninspired, ugh... 🙄 Whatever that may mean, new place, real world, The Upside Down changing into something, whatever else... For the time being, I have no idea.

And using "The Vanishing Of..." again feels a bit... tacky but given they are going to explain and go back to what Will experienced in 1983 more clearly, they might explain the weird elements of his dissapearance compared to what other characters experienced after that with whoever or whatever may dissapear. Though it won't be a vanishing to me, a missing is more accurate to what any character or multiple characters may be facing this season since compared to Season 1, they have more of an idea of what's actually going on. Which is why it feels a bit tacky to me.

"The Crawl" has already been explained by everyone already in the fandom, which is probably referring to a dungeon crawl in Dungeon & Dragons, whatever that may lead them into. Possibly metaphorical implications too but I'll leave that for another time.

Some other titles are interesting though like "Sorcerer" which almost sounds vindictive to me for some reason. It's episode 4 so trust that we are going to get the launching main plot points for the rest of the season in that episode, just like with all the other seasons, after the dramatic ending point of episode 3: "The Turnbow Trap", no idea what that is, sorry. "Shock Jock" episode 5, same thing, no idea.

And "The Bridge" as well, but for the moment I have no idea what that may be about. It could mean so many things like a bridge to the Upside Down, maybe how the bigger portal in the middle of Hawkins is called by the characters, it could be something related to a platform, who knows... I would like a tragic bridge moment under the rain but that's just me projecting my drama bias & wants on this episode which is probably not going to about anything like that. It could be both but I think it's likely going to be the former.

However, this episode becomes interesting in the context of the one that comes right before it: "Escape From Camazotz" which is Episode 6, I will elaborate on this further down the line when I actually get to post my posts I've written but Episode 6 in ST1 & ST3, given that ST5 is likely going to parallel those before parralleling ST2 & ST4, is likely going to be the "big revelations episode" of that season which usually reveals what's been going on this whole time during the season and Episode 7 gives us more context and explanation to understand it fully while setting up the final episode with those explanations. It's usually also the episode where all the characters reunite and makes sense of what they've learned or discovered throughout the season.

In ST2 & ST4, it's not the same obviously and is a bit more loose and complicated around that part of the season. They parallel with themselves but not exactly but overall, that structure is present in Episode 7&8, with Episode 7 largely being a revelation episode for those 2 seasons just not done the same way as ST1 & ST3 and also not exactly similar with how ST2 & ST4 parallel each other. ST2's episode 7 being largely a side story centered around El which answers questions only for her characters, ST4's episode 7 is largely tied to the bigger plot points of that season with the important element of the Numbers being the main element of those episodes. However it's in ST2's Episode 8 that we learn more about elements of the main plot of that season while ST4's Episode 8 is more similar to ST1 & ST3 in it's purpose but the characters don't all group up or are aware of what's exactly going on during the story.

Anyway just to say that Episode 6 is likely going to be an important episode with Episode 7 being the conclusion of that while setting up the final episode. However, given it's the final season, I could see the Duffers saving some revelations for the last episode just like Episode 9 of ST4.

As for the "Camazotz" part of it all, well, it depends on which inspiration they're going to use since Camazotz, which is basically a bat god, has been used in so many stories now that it could be referencing so many things. It could be an entity, it could be someone, it could be a creature, it could be a place, it could even be a program or a weapon... Just know that given the elements that are linked to that name, it's probably something bad.

I kinda wished for more episodes because I just don't see how they could pull off a satisfying ending for everyone and everything with only 8 episodes but I'll have to settle for that at the moment.

Remember that the titles can change though, like with ST2 & ST3, probably not all of them but some of them.

Well, here it is, day by day we are coming closer to the last season. Hoping it turns out well for the most part but we'll see. 😉

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Thank you for your response btw!

Added a bit of a follow-up to those tags right after you reblogged just saying that while LoL's canon is definitely chaotic, there are also excellent stories, just like Arcane, that sadly now, have been retconned or are probably going to be retconned. And while some it is old, REALLY old, or didn't always exactly hold up or connect well, it had an overall skeleton to what is was supposed to be.

In terms of purely Piltover & Zaun lore, stories of characters like Skarner or Camille, Clan Ferros in general have now had most of their stories retconned &/or are not as interesting anymore. For Camille & Clan Ferros, there might still be a way to work it into Arcane so all hope is not lost for that part of Piltover's story but still it was, especially after all the newer lore before Arcane that was pumped into the story, one of the better ones of that universe.

Now people will say, for what it was for the most and how it was handled, despite a few excellent stories or events, good riddance! Which sure especially things with Hextech, but still Arcane was good and worked in spite of LoL's lore which was just material &/or inspiration for what it wanted to do with it's own story. And from Riot's point of view, it makes sense commercially speaking to make Arcane, the new canon because it's a huge hit and probably the most known entry that the mainstream audience have of LoL's universe and IP.

Still, it wasn't tied to it like it is now though; which brings me to my fears of what the show will turn out in the end. Because yes, it now serves as lore and backstory for the champions & the universe of those games... which is concerning. Rather than just being it's own take of that universe.

Because the characters from the games are not the same characters that we find in Arcane, because like you said the character work of the characters in Arcane have far much more nuance & elegance than in the games. Especially the MOBA. Even if you get to something close to the versions of the games, it will not make sense & will ruin a big part of Arcane.

Jinx, Vi, Viktor and Jayce are not the same characters, at all.

Jinx is just a dangerous, psychopathic murder machine, hell apocalypse machine that is a Harley Quinn ripoff.

Vi is a lesbian cop that likes to beat people up for no particular reasons.

Jayce is an asshole.

And Viktor is, well like you said in your tags, just the Machine Herald. (Which I do think became a meme at some point for some reason, which is probably why some people might know about it.) And I hope they don't fully go that route because boy oh boy, it would be dissapointing to say the least.

Heimerdinger is also different, especially his relationship with Hextech which is... X) very different in the game. Like he loves Hextech, very much & he likes to blow up stuff most of the time. With Hextech. XD

As for the rest, Caitlyn is the only one that's close to her character in the games, with Ekko as well.

I'm not going to say anything about Warwick because *SPOILER ALERT*! but we will have at least an explanation about something about him.

Singed is... different and I really don't know what they're going to do with him. Again *SPOILER ALERT*! And we have barely seen anything about him anyway.

Piltover & Zaun, all in all, is faithful except for something about Hextech which again probably *SPOILER ALERT*! Noxus was good though, we've only seen glimpses of it but good to me for what we saw.

All this to say, that if this is the end of road, I don't like it. Because most of these characterizations are horrible compared to Arcane. And this shouldn't be where we end those characters, absolutely not. I don't think it's going to be possible anyway because it's too excellent and too different for them to go that road for those characters and this universe but still...

But people are going to say, they can just change the characters in the game, but here is another problem. Riot has been allergic to make any significant changes, at least to the MOBA one, because the community it's actually catering to, don't like that. In fact, they hate it. Killing a character permanently or changing the gameplay or hell, even the appearance of a character is just not welcome, AT ALL. And as an example of that, if they want Arcane to actually be the new canon or the starting point of it, they should change the appearance & gameplay of characters like Jink, Vi, Viktor, Heimerdinger, etc etc... Not just make a skin about it because that just indicates that in the canon, now, the end point for those characters & part of that universe is the older characterization of those characters. Which again, for most of them is bad.

Games like LoR, Wild Rift or even TFT, are more free in what they can do and how they can or could match better with Arcane lore. (Ambessa is being brought to Wild Rift so there's that...) But since the MOBA LoL game is still the centerpiece of it all and much of where the lore comes from, I am scared of what Arcane will end up being at the end of Season 2 and for the canon in general. It also doesn't help that they still release stories in other medias or games that if Arcane is canon, also doesn't match with the story of the game.

It could have just been a multiverse situation which I know people don't like anymore but LoL's been a multiverse "story" before multiverse "stories" started to become mainstream. And it actually still is a multiversal story anyway so yeah, I think it would've been a better solution.

They could surprise me of course, but it's Riot and we all know how Riot can be. Crossing fingers but I'm warning you, ALL, that to be careful with how it may end up being.

Off topic, but I'm obsessing over Arcane this week because the new season is going to be out this weekend. Any Arcane fans following my Stranger Things blog here?

I am still stunned by how well they developed the universe and the complex character relationships in the first season. Hoping season 2 delivers and continues the story with the same care and depth.