Monday, December 12, 2011

Caitlyn the Sheriff of Piltover







One of the reasons Piltover is known as the City of Progress is because it has an extraordinarily low crime rate. This hasn't always been the case; brigands and thieves of all sorts used to find the city-state an ideal mark for plunder, primarily due to the valuable resources it imports to fuel its techmaturgical research. Some even theorize that it would have fallen long ago to the chaos of organized crime if not for Caitlyn, the Sheriff of Piltover. Born the daughter of a wealthy statesman and a pioneering hextech researcher, Caitlyn discovered her natural gift for investigation when, at age 14, her father was assaulted and robbed on his way home. She snuck out of her house that night with her father's rifle and tracked down the muggers from the crime scene. At first, her parents did their best to discourage her from such risky hobbies, but she was incorrigible. Wishing to protect her daughter in the only way she knew how, Caitlyn's mother began outfitting her with techmaturgical devices tailored to her sleuthing needs.

Caitlyn quickly gained notoriety, both because she was singlehandedly defeating crime in Piltover and also because she soon developed into a ravishing beauty. She never backed down from a case or a challenge, and she was one of the sharpest shots in the city-state. Her services were soon requested by Demacia to help track down a mysterious outlaw who had begun committing high-profile heists. The bandit, who always left a card with an ornate "C" at the scene of the crime, became Caitlyn's arch-nemesis. To this day, Caitlyn still searches for this cat burglar, and the chase has led her all across Valoran. She has joined the League to hone her skills and gain the influence necessary to track down the only quarry that has managed to evade her.
"Go ahead, run. I'll give you a five minute head start."

Dr. Mundo the Madman of Zaun


It is said that the man now known as Dr. Mundo was born in the city of Zaun without any sort of conscience. Instead, he had an unquenchable desire to inflict pain through experimentation. By the time he was five, most of the pets in the Zaun neighborhood where Mundo grew up had gone missing. By his teenage years, his parents were nowhere to be found. By the time he had legally acquired his license to practice medicine, he had been acquitted of thirty-eight separate charges of murder by the Zaun authorities; the lack of evidence made prosecution impossible.

Dr. Mundo has become equal parts serial killer and mad scientist, though no one is entirely sure how his butchery qualifies as science. However, he has made tremendous strides in mapping the pain response in the human brain and body, going so far as being able to suppress it, even in the most excruciating of circumstances. He has also tapped into the primal parts of the brain through chemistry, learning how to enhance aggression and adrenaline, as well as dulling conscience and the survival instinct. In short, Dr. Mundo's life's work has been how to create the perfect science-enhanced killer. Unfortunately, the city-state of Noxus regards such behavior as a sign of initiative and ambition, rather than inhumanity. Originally fighting for Zaun, Dr. Mundo was recruited to also fight for Noxus in the League of Legends; the Madman dual faction status represents the fruits of a blossoming relationship between Zaun and Noxus. He continues his experiments to this day, even using himself as an experimental subject, as evidenced by his disfigured appearance and his... unique manner of speaking. There are rumors that the High Command in Noxus has given him free reign to pursue his life's work in his spare time.

"Beware the Madman of Zaun. In his eyes, you are already dead."


Twitch the Plague Rat






The city-state of Zaun is a twisted realm of science, mercantilism, and magic run amok. While the young science of techmaturgy does much to advance civilization, its research and use in Zaun pushes the boundaries of morality on a daily basis. Zaun, choked with pollution from the countless factories and laboratories that spew waste into the environment, suffers greatly. As polluted as Zaun is above-ground, its subterranean levels are far worse. All of Zaun's runoff waste pooled together in its sewers, mixing into a toxic and mysterious concoction. A single plague rat rose from this alchemical nightmare - Twitch. Unlike his lesser evolved cousins, Twitch became as sentient as anyone else... provided they were as insane as he. A seeming byproduct of the evolutionary brew that spawned him was maniacal insanity, albeit in a functional form.

Twitch came to the League of Legends to represent himself "as the only one of his kind" on the Fields of Justice. Since then, he has found a generous benefactor in the city that gave him his evolutionary sentience - Zaun. Twitch is one of Zaun's premier champions in the League, and as such he fights for Zaun when political disputes between Valoran's city-states arise. Twitch has publicly stated that his goal is to gain enough influence and material from his work in the League to try to recreate the process by which he gained his sentience. While many challenges lie ahead in his quest - one of the largest being his own insanity - were he to succeed, it would mean a bold and brazen step forward in the evolution of all of Runeterra. Zaun has pledged its support for Twitch in his quest, though it remains to be seen what Zaun's ulterior motives are in the matter.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Vayne the Night Hunter

The world is not always as civilized as people might think. There are still those who would follow the blackest paths of magic and become corrupted by the darker powers that flow through Runeterra. Shauna Vayne knows this fact well. As a young privileged girl in the heart of Demacia's elite, her father tried to convince her of the constabulary's ever-vigilant eye. Young and naïve, she truly believed that her world was one of perfect safety... until one night, when a twisted witch took interest in her father. The malevolent woman overcame her father's conciliar guard, then tortured her family before murdering them. The young Shauna escaped only by hiding herself and then fleeing once the hag had departed, plagued by the screams of her loved ones as she ran. A burning hatred was born in her that day, one that could never be denied.
Vayne was able to take care of herself using her father's money, and she began to train as soon as an instructor would have her as a student. By the time she was a fully grown woman, she had become a grim warrior. However, the fields of battle were not to be her home. Demacia needed a protector, one who hunted those lost to the darkness. Shauna used her family's contacts to become the first Night Hunter, and now her prowess is the stuff of legends. It is said that those who practice the black arts quake when they hear that the Night Hunter is on the prowl. Despite her crusade, Shauna has looked at the League of Legends in horror. There are champions who have clearly lost themselves to the blackest of magics, and who have been embraced within the League even though they should be put down for the safety of all. The time has come for the Night Hunter to execute her secret mission – to purge the League of Legends

Annie the Dark Child

In the time shortly before the League, there were those within the sinister city-state of Noxus who did not agree with the evils perpetrated by the Noxian High Command. The High Command had just put down a coup attempt from the self-proclaimed Crown Prince Raschallion, and a crack down on any form of dissent against the new government was underway. These political and social outcasts, known as the Gray Order, sought to leave their neighbors in peace as they pursued dark arcane knowledge. The leaders of this outcast society were a married couple: Gregori Hastur, the Gray Warlock, and his wife Amoline, the Shadow Witch. Together they led an exodus of magicians and other intelligentsia from Noxus, resettling their followers beyond the Great Barrier to the northern reaches of the unforgiving Voodoo Lands. Though survival was a challenge at times, the Gray Order's colony managed to thrive in a land where so many others would have failed.
Years after the exodus, Gregori and Amoline had a child: Annie. Early on, Annie's parents knew there was something special about their daughter. At the age of two, Annie miraculously ensorcelled a shadow bear - a ferocious denizen of the petrified forests outside the colony - turning it into her pet. To this day she keeps her bear Tibbers by her side, often keeping him spellbound as a stuffed doll to be carried like a child's toy. The combination of Annie's lineage and the dark magic of her birthplace have given this little girl tremendous arcane power. It is this same girl who now finds herself as one of the most sought-after champions within the League of Legends - even by the city-state who would have exiled her parents had they not fled beforehand.

Mordekaiser the Master of Metal

During the most recent winter solstice - when no other night during the year is longer - a being like no other emerged from the forgotten alleyways of Noxus. Standing eight feet tall, and concealed within a razor-sharp armored shell, he came to be known only as Mordekaiser. The nature of what lies beneath his metallic carapace is a popular subject of speculation. Many allege that he is a mortal man with a heart that has hardened to iron. Others insist that he is a dark specimen of the undead. But there are some who whisper warnings that he is merely a foreshadowing of something terrible and unprecedented yet to come. Despite the public conjecture and curiosity, none have discovered what lies beneath his alloyed exterior. What is known is this: Mordekaiser arrived unannounced at the Institute one day and, with a rasp that crept ice up the spines of all within earshot, requested to join the League of Legends.

Upon glimpsing his fearful visage, most keep their distance, fortunately unaware that his touch bears a sinister scourge. Those who stumble within his grasp fall victim to incurable maladies. In fact, Mordekaiser seems mystically attuned to sickness, as if it feeds and comprises part of his chilling essence. he now stalks the slums of Noxus, drawn to the plague-ridden and diseased. However, there is something in his clever tactics, something in his noble stance, and something in the tone of his unearthly commands that has led many to believe that Mordekaiser is more than just a foot soldier. Some see the distinguishing characteristics of a general. While many have learned to accept the evidence of this unsettling possibility, a lingering question keeps them wary at the witching hour: If Mordekaiser is a general, what nightmarish legion lurks at his command?

Ryze the Rogue Mage

There are many on Runeterra who are attracted to the study of magic or, in recent times, the emerging field of techmaturgy. For most, pursuit of such knowledge is formalized in a college or university. The halls of traditional study were never for Ryze, however, who felt a more raw and primal connection to the magic of Runeterra than those who tried to teach him. He struck out on his own as a young man to discover what already called to him. Ryze traveled the world, seeking the wisdom of powerful hermits, witches, and shamans - anyone who had something to share beyond what was taught in the city-states of Valoran. When he had learned all he could from these fonts of wisdom, Ryze turned to seek the lost, forgotten, and forbidden knowledge in the world, delving into mystical worlds where others feared to tread.
Ryze's tireless searching for magical knowledge led him to an ancient form of spellcraft known as thorn magic. This art required Ryze to tattoo spells on his body, permanently infusing his being with vast arcane power and finally fulfilling his need to bond with the mystical energies of Runeterra. His travels also led him to uncover the giant indestructible scroll he now carries on his back - the purpose of the inscribed spell remains a secret only Ryze knows. He claims it is an abomination - something that he must safeguard from the world. This has piqued the curiosity of many, though no one is sure how to separate the scroll from Ryze, or if it is possible to overcome the rogue mage to do so. Since then, Ryze has joined the League of Legends to study the magical creatures and powerful will-workers that fight there, in order to complete his exploration of mystical Runeterra.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Xin Zhao - The Seneschal of Demacia


Lore: 
Whenever Jarvan III, the king of Demacia, delivers one of his rallying speeches from the glinting marble balcony atop the Royal Palace, Xin Zhao is at his side. Coined the Seneschal of Demacia, Xin Zhao is the personal steward of the Lightshield Dynasty. His enigmatic, silent vigil has led to an abundance of conjecture concerning his “secret life” and origins. Whether it’s “Zaun double-agent” tendered at the dinner table or “indebted rune mage” mused in the editorials of the Demacian Constant, Xin Zhao betrays no hints to sate the curiosity of the masses…for good reason. <o></o>
Prior to the formation of the League, Noxus was renowned for a spectacle called The Fleshing. It was a gladiatorial event with a cruel twist: as a fighter won matches, his number of opponents (generally prisoners of war) fought simultaneously would increase. This meant eventual death for every contender, but with unparalleled glory. Xin Zhao, known then as Viscero, was slated to face 300 soldiers, nearly six times the previous record. This was clearly meant to be his final match. Jarvan II, hearing of this unprecedented feat, infiltrated the arena to offer him an alternative: serve Demacia and punish those who ultimately sentenced him to death in exchange for his freedom. Xin Zhao accepted, astonished that a king would risk his own life on his behalf. Under the cover of a prearranged Demacian assault on Noxus, Jarvan liberated Xin Zhao and his 300 opponents. During their retreat, Xin Zhao took a poisoned dart meant for Jarvan. This act of loyalty, from a man who vowed no allegiance, earned Xin Zhao a spot at his side until the day the king died. Now in the service of his son, Jarvan III, Xin Zhao is stepping into a new ring – the Fields of Justice – to fight for his adopted country and to honor the legacy of the man who gave purpose to his life.

Stats: 

Damage 49 (+3.3 / per level)
Health 445 (+87 / per level)
Mana 213 (+31 / per level)
Move Speed 320 
Armor 16.2 (+3.7 / per level)
Spell Block 30 (+1.25 / per level)
Health Regen 1.4 (+0.14 / per level)
Mana Regen 0.82 (+0.05 / per level)

Abilities:

Three Talon Strike: 
Xin Zhao's next 3 standard attacks deal increased damage, with the third attack knocking an opponent into the air.
Xin Zhao prepares to unleash a fearsome combo, causing his next 3 standard attacks to deal his attack damage + 15/30/45/60/75 to enemy targets, with the final attack knocking his opponent into the air.Cost30/30/30/30/30 ManaRange375

Battle Cry: 
Xin Zhao passively increases his attack speed and can activate this ability to further increase attack speed and lower his ability cooldowns with each attack.
Passive: Increases Xin Zhao's attack speed by 15/20/25/30/35%.

Active: Xin Zhao unleashes a battle cry, increasing his attack speed by double the passive amount for 7 seconds, and causing his standard attacks to reduce all other ability cooldowns by 1 second.

Activating this ability removes the passive bonus until this ability refreshes.Cost35/35/35/35/35 ManaRange20Audacious Charge: Xin Zhao charges an enemy, dealing damage and slowing it and all other enemies in the area. Audacious Charge increases Xin'Zhao's armor temporarily and lowers the cooldowns of all of his abilities.

Audacious Charge
 Xin Zhao charges an enemy, dealing damage and slowing it and all other enemies in the area.
Xin Zhao charges an enemy unit, dealing 70/110/150/190/230 (+0.4) damage to all nearby enemies and slowing them by 40% for 2 seconds.
Cost70/70/70/70/70 Mana
Range650

Crescent Sweep (Ultimate):  
Xin Zhao fiercely sweeps his spear around him, dealing damage to nearby enemies based on their current health.
Xin Zhao unleashes a fierce spear sweep on targets around him, dealing 150/275/400 + 25/25/25% of their current health in physical damage. His magic resistance and armor are increased by 30/40/50 for the next 8 seconds.
Cost 100/100/100 Mana
Range 20