[Champion Concept] Viinculus, the Darkin Outcast
######All original content on this page has been licensed by the creator under the Creative Commons CC0 license and is free for use by anyone, without restriction. For more information, go to www.creativecommons.org/about/cc0. However, I’d still like to know where my concept is going if I can help it :P
#-------------------------------Viinculus, the Darkin Outcast-------------------------------
#Lore
"Legends are like scars. They strike the flesh of history, time after time, and are left behind as particular marks like signatures upon the endless pages of the past. Whatever may have caused these wounds, is then healed and subsequently forgotten over countless centuries. But it is in the observance of the true hands that wrote these autographs that we historians must define the line that separates the scratch of a quill from the slice of a sword. It is our duty to divide heroes from tyrants, martyrs from killers, and myth from reality."
- excerpt from A Brief History: Legends of Valoran, Volume I
In this world, is the destiny of mankind controlled by some transcendental force? Amongst all of the chaos and war, what powers are at play? Or is the world truly destined to always be in such endless conflict? In this world- Runterra- these forces range across a spectrum of existences, stretching from nether-like voids to preternatural manifestations of spirituality and even wandering celestial presences watching over their worshipers. Even still, there are forces that appear to the surprise of even the most seasoned scholars. One such anomaly is the reemergence of a race so ancient and primordial, there are too little records of their existence to even be considered lost. Regardless, the Darkin have appeared once more in Valoran. Aatrox was the first, and if his shocking return is anything to consider by, then what lies in store for the brother Viinculus will be a mystery waited by historians with baited breath. Even still, their return is yet uncertain in the whispered rumors of municipal masses and the daytime chatter of pastoral villages. But Viinculus, if he truly is the figure of legend that carved this fabled name into myth, will indubitably end their disbelief.
The name of Viinculus was once inked proudly as a primal entity, weaving through scattered pages amongst faded tomes in the oldest of archives. With every brief and feinting inscription, his name was charged with emotions of worship, glory, fear, and admiration. Amongst the most fleeting stories, Viinculus was a word synonymous with tidings of honor and glory, even alongside his less venerable kin. In their time, the Darkin’s influence changed the course of history, including the fate of wars that would shape nations, cultures, and legends. What little Darkin appearances that have been recorded are sparse, but always at crucial historical moments. Viinculus’s visage itself was among the faintest of the Darkin recognized, but still, his presence is known to have stood alongside his elusive kind at every turn. Even as powerful as they are, Viinculus towered above the other Darkin. With dogma so unwavering, so raw, his will was the most respected, and his strength the most feared. With whip in hand, he struck with the long arm of honor outstretched. Above all, Viinculus upheld the tenets of chivalry, dignity and respect for all things with the will to act on their own. With conviction so strong, Viinculus often found himself at odds with his brothers, including Aatrox, whose warlike tendencies led to conflicts arising just for the sake of battle and not, in Viinculus’s eyes, for just causes. And although the natural focus and drive of a Darkin in act is enough to keep their personal feelings from affecting their duty, Viinculus’s dissonance ate away at him for each atrocity committed, each conflict swayed, and each destiny altered. How can honor be upheld in a world that is so easily dominated by him and his brothers? How can true drive and conviction flourish if fate can be so freely and preemptively shaped?
Slowly, steadily, after eons of plight and “correction”, Viinculus was nearly driven to madness. As his kin began to realize his dejected condition, they distanced themselves further and further from their despondent brother, deeming him unworthy of his mantle as chiefest among them. In response, Viinculus pondered the works of his kind and their irreparable effects. He traveled far to the north- away from civilization; away from his kin- into the farthest reaches of Kaladoun toward the Freljordian border. Each icy inhale rebounded within his chest, condensing into hefty tethers that contorted his heart with each swallow of regret, and with every dip of his heavy chest. The sound of the wind around him dulled against his ears, now turned inward seemingly in fear of his incessant pondering and turmoil spilling out into the biting cold. What duty was truly his to be had? Each sequential step seemed without purpose, as his once untarnished whips, a symbol of his steadfast tenets, dragged on behind with equal self-antipathy. What had they stood for; what had they killed for? Following the Serpentine River, the weight of his past seemed to coil around his soul, just as this massive current alongside him coiled the rugged earth- or was there even a soul of his own to begin with? Eventually, upon the banks of the great river as it opened into the glacial Freljordian sea, Viinculus broke. This maddening burden, this contradictory existence, could no longer be bore. In a state of desperation, he took to a nearby cave embedded into the cliff-side, striking out against the ancient walls in response to the futility of his purpose. The mountain roared and moaned with each swing, echoing his heartfelt cries. Each piece of stone he sheared away inched toward Viinculus’s fate, just as each desperate breath he drew inched him closer to eternal madness. Perhaps out of fate, perhaps out of pity, the cliff-side collapsed around the fallen god.
Even so, he did not die. However, now isolated away, Viinculus felt almost relieved, if not for himself then for the world. Although he still drew breath, this existence may no longer suffer him, just as he may no longer suffer it. Inside his precipitous grave he remained, awaiting the end of time. His whips turned to ancient chains; his once immaculate drive to stone-like apathy. Viinculus removed himself away from time and history long enough that even his own kind began to wonder if the strongest of them had truly ceased to exist. His whips- now jagged fetters calloused by the curse of time- gradually bonded to his skin, which itself had slowly begun to harden to the likeness of his apropos tomb. And so, Viinculus, a once impeccable deity of honor who stood for the greatest gift of life itself- the conviction to do so- faded from annals of untold memory, even from that of his own kind.
But now, his kindred needn’t worry.
Viinculus has returned.
#Gameplay
- Stats
Health: 505 (+85 per level) Attack Damage: 61 (+ 3.2 per level) Attack Speed: 0.613 (+2.9% per level) Movement Speed: 340 Health Regen: 6.3 (+ 0.5 per level) Armor: 25 (+3.5 per level) Magic Resist: 30 (+1 per level) Range: 395 (Melee)
- Abilities
Passive: The Outcast’s Burden Whenever Viinculus deals damage to an enemy champion with an ability, his burden becomes heavier and heavier, and so too his bond of chains. With each ability cast that deals damage to an enemy champion, up to 5, Viinculus’s abilities cost 1% more health, up to a cap of 5%, but deal extra physical damage equal to 50% of the additional health that is then spent from the added effect of the Burden. However, as his Burden increases, Viinculus becomes slowed by 5% for every 25% Burden, and upon reaching Max Burden, his movement speed is slowed by 20%.
[What does this mean? From a thematic standpoint, it means that Viinculus deals more damage to his opponents as his burden ways heavier as a result of doing them harm knowing how powerful he truly is compared to them, which in turn, causes him to do even more damage and, again, weighing down his mind even more, creating an interesting catch 22 effect that is fundamental to Viinculus as a character with a tormented and conflicted soul. For example, say that Viinculus hits an enemy with his Q ability with max Burden. As opposed to 10%, the ability costs 15% of his current health, but deals additional physical damage equal to half of the health that is spent from the now 15% cost from the additional 5%. Say that Viinculus is level 1. He has 70 Attack Damage (just for the example), has one point in Q, 590 health and has maximum Burden (5) (which would be hard to do with full health). Without Burden, the ability would normally deal 80 (base) + 45.5 (added from 65% of the 50 AD)= 125.5 physical damage. With the additional cost of 5 burden, the ability now costs 15% of 590 health which equals 88.5 health. The effect of the passive takes half of that cost, which is 44.25, and adds that as additional physical damage, now dealing 125.5 + 44.25= 169.75 physical damage at level 1. 169.75 (full burden) > 125.5 (no burden). This is the bread and butter of Viinculus's design in terms of uniqueness in gameplay and characterization. It forces his gameplay to require using his health as resource in order to deal damage to his opponents. In order to balance this mechanic, as well as give it uniqueness, I decided Viinculus's most significant source of adding damage to his kit is to utilize a mechanic that thematically individualizes Viinculus's character, Burden, and translate into gameplay as something that both drains him and gives him his strength. To do more damage, Viinculus must endure the weight he suffers.]
(Q) Ancient Chains
Cost- 10% of current health
Range- 525
Cooldown- 14/12.5/11/9.5/8 seconds
Viinculus rip his arms from their ancient resting positions with inhuman force in an arc from his sides toward a center line in front of him. All enemies hit are swept alongside the swing of either arm, slightly toward the center of the arc while dealing 80/115/150/185/220 (+65% AD) physical damage to and slowing the first two enemies hit, one each on either side of the arc for 25% for 1/1.25/1.5/1.75/2 seconds. Enemies close to Viinculus are pushed harder toward the center line.
When in Return To Glory, Ancient Chains swing with inconceivable strength, pulling all enemies in the arc to the center line with greater power and slowing for 50/55/60% for 2 seconds.
[As a champion whose poke may require some setup, this is a versatile ability that provides crowd control, disruption, and damage output when synergized with the W ability. Without the effect of the ultimate, this ability only slows the first two enemies hit on either side of the center line. Even if there is only one target, the slows do not stack. It should also be noted that this center line serves as a reference to the size of Viinculus’s W in order to help the player land both abilities. The width increase of W is also shown in this center line under the effects of the ultimate. Furthermore, the speed and power with which the arc of Ancient Chains travels and pulls is also similar to that of 
’s E, which also displays the area range of the effect as it’s activated to give the opponent a small opportunity to reposition away from the ability. If at very close or melee range (-200 range) units are moved twice as hard.]
(W) Arm of Lost Honor
Cost- 5% of current health
Range- 515 (650 total)
Cooldown- 10/9.5/9/8.5/8 seconds
(Active) Viinculus prepares his next strike to meet the ground in a line with his chains in an overhead motion. Over the next .25 seconds, Viinculus momentarily takes time to pull his bonds from his body, gaining 120 range on his next auto attack, and dealing 90/115/140/165/200 (+70% of AD) physical damage, rooting them for .75 seconds. Additionally, Arm of Honor extends for 135 (650 total) past the initial target, dealing equal damage and rooting for the same amount. This auto-attack does not utilize on-hit effects.
When in Return to Glory, Arm of Lost Honor slams opponents in a wider line with greater strength to the ground, stunning for 1 second instead of just rooting.
[Serving as Viinculus’s main poke, I wanted Arm of Lost Honor to be a reliable source of damage with potential to provide some needed Crowd Control for Viinculus to continue his fight while still requiring a set up that is telegraphed, allowing for fair counterplay. With his kit design, Viinculus’s damage potential is desperately dependent on making sure there is synergy between Ancient Chains and Arm of Lost Honor, with the former sweeping enemies in place for a follow-up with the latter. Mechanically, I’d like to attribute the layout of the ability’s design to 
’s Q, in that the actual potential of landing the skill, speed of the ability, and the range it which it can attain is determined by a closer initial target (an auto attack target in this case). I feel that from a difficulty point of view, this is middle of the road between a skill-shot and a single-targeted ability. On a side note, this ability does reset Viinculus’s auto attack animation (as it requires a .25 charge up anyway) which can be used strategically by the player.]
(E) Unbearable Weight
Cost- None
Range- Self
Cooldown- 18/16/14/12/10 seconds
(Active) Viinculus’s burden becomes too much to endure. Reverting to a docile state of bondage, Viinculus buries his chains into the ground below, taking a resting position. He then channels Burden he has built up from his passive for one second for each Burden he has, up to a maximum of 5 seconds. Doing so disables the capability to charge his passive for up to 5 seconds, even if the channel duration does not last for 5 seconds or is cancelled. While remained channeling, he removes one Burden each second and gains Health Regeneration (16/17/18/19/20% of his current missing health for every one Burden removed). During the channel duration, Viinculus cannot move but reduces his other cooldowns by 1 second for every second he spends channeling. This ability can be cancelled by activating it again in mid channel.
When in Return to Glory, Viinculus may cast Unbearable Weight to quickly reposition to his dormant body with such force that he knocks opponents in his way to the side, but removes Burden he has built up for the disabled body.
[The background behind this ability will be more meticulously explained later on but the basic gist is that this ability, though seemingly simple in design, fits a thematic purpose that also provides Viinculus with gameplay that supports his relatively weak survivability and mobility which is considerably vulnerable at a basic level. If Viinculus players make sure to use this when at full Burden, they will be able to fully almost fully restore Viinculus’s health. Enemies must make sure to be extremely careful for this, as their attempts to chip away at Viinculus over time may find themselves out sustained by a champion that can restore his missing health. However, this requires that Viinculus not only use abilities that slowly eat more and more away at his health, but also land these abilities in order to do damage. In this way, the opponent still has fair opportunity to counter this playstyle and come out over Viinculus. Bursty champions (
or 
) may take advantage of the downtime on his other skills and immobility that this ability forces in order for Viinculus to regenerate his health, to quickly burst him down before regenerating. When using this ability to return to his dormant body while in Return to Glory, the strength of the displacement that foes are hit with is that of indirect targets of 
's ultimate who are hit if in the way of her own target. Players must be careful about removing the damage reduction that this ability nullifies upon use during his Ultimate, as explained below.]
(R) Return to Glory
Cost- None
Range- Self
Cooldown- 120/105/90 seconds
After a brief moment of contemplation, Viinculus regains his conviction in the face of his self-inflicted bondage and briefly resembles a piece of his former glory. He embraces his curse, thrusting his bonds into the earth with enough force to turn away even the mightiest of blows. Leaving behind his stationary, hollowed body, the true spirit of this once valiant immortal bursts forth and hovers above. For the next 12/16/20 seconds, Viinculus takes up his former form, removing Burden he has built up, and may move freely separated from his fixated body within a 2000 range radius. While in this form, his total health and attack range are increased and he is not slowed by Burden. During this time, Viinculus’s abilities are stronger and his cooldown reduction is set to 50% (does not stack with cooldown reduction).
Can only be casted when under the full effect of The Outcast’s Burden.
Total Health gained: 275/350/425
All cooldowns reduced by 50% (nonstacking with normal CDR for the duration of the effect.)
Attack Range gained: 100 (495 Total, adds 100 to Ancient Chains and Arm of Lost Honor)
Damaging abilities casted during Return to Glory continue to deal extra physical damage equal to half of the health cost added by Burden that is gained. All Burden acquired by Viinculus's spirit during the duration of Return to Glory is inherited by his static body, adding 10% damage reduction for each Burden, up to a maximum of 50% but is retained upon returning to his mundane bondage.
While controlling this ethereal form, Viinculus is immune to crowd control effects but receives normal damage. If Viinculus’s spirit is killed, he returns to his body with full Burden. If the separated body is killed, Viinculus’s spirit will stay in Return to Glory for the remaining duration, upon which he dies when ending. If Viinculus’s body is still alive when his spirit returns, he retains the Burden that his spirit built up during the effect but his current health is set to that of his docile body's upon the duration ending, regardless of the spirit's.
This ability is treated as a channeled cast for Viinculus’s static body much like Unbearable Weight. During this time, the body is chained to the earth as stated, and is therefore immune to displacements such as knock-ups, knock-backs, suppresses and stuns. However, silences on his static body will cancel the effect of Return to Glory.
[This is probably the most problematic ability in Viinculus’s design in terms of theme AND gameplay for me to conceptualize. How so? It’s too similar to 
’s Ultimate. The approach to Viinculus was one that required pondering on how I wanted to give him individuality, while also respecting his lore and background. I already felt uneasy creating him as a physical fighter who uses health for his abilities. Also, his ult is a huge buff that gives him stats. Also, he gains auto attack range. Also, he’s a Darkin. Sound familiar? Right… but, after thinking on it for a while, I decided to respect the background of Viinculus as a character and give his gameplay an aspect that reflects his lore and has a call back to an obviously important character in relation to him, but also changing it enough to keep it separate from his obvious inspirations such as his bellicose brother. I did this by creating an ultimate ability that creates a very unique effect of Viinculus's spirit becoming the controlled unit, and gaining additional effects. However, his gameplay during this time remains thematically in tune with his kit, with the Burden playing into the overall aspect. First, being that it requires the full effect of the passive in order to be activated. And secondly, basing the overarching point of his ult around Burden in that it is still affecting his former body, resulting players having to think about what they do with his new-found power as it may leave them very vulnerable when returning or even during the effect. This thought process revolves around planning what to do while ultimate's duration is being used as opposed to Aatrox’s straight up “K, time to win lol”-mode that his Ultimate reflects (and on another note, I’d like to include my opinion in the camp that Aatrox’s ultimate ability is a poorly designed one based on his character and overall gameplay design and I feel it should have been used for a different purpose). As his overall theme is an overwhelming burden, Viinculus in a remarkable moment of resolve, inherits this burden and therefore seizes his ability to move while his spirit returns to its glory, acting in spite of his bondage. The health increase, though seemingly somewhat arbitrary, is actually an indirect way of boosting his damage output with a thematic twist. Since his abilities require health, the utilization of Viinculus’s passive means that the more health that is spent, the more damage it produces right? In that regard, a health buff, in my opinion, is a clever way of giving him a subtle damage boost while also providing overall tankiness in response to having an ultimate that is neither directly damaging, nor pertaining to a crowd control effect. Also, instead of an attack speed gain like on Aatrox, Viinculus as a physical champion who primarily deals damage from abilities, gains cooldown reduction in response to his damge output being increased by modifying his abilities instead of his auto attacks.]
- Playstyle
With his kit, Viinculus’s damage thrives off of building up Burden in conjunction with his health costs, which force him to think about his decisions in lane. Meaning, Viinculus must ensure that his damage is followed up with a methodical playstyle in order to keep the pressure on his opponent. With his playstyle, more cautious opponents that Viinculus will go up against may have the advantage in sustaining themselves in lane. Although Viinculus doesn’t need to worry about other resources such as mana, straining his health in order to effectively poke and deal heavy damage to opponents comes at a considerable cost.
One method to counteract his inherent weakness is to enhance his damage by taking the indirect building path of health as opposed to a more traditional attack damage and life-steal route. Although both are ideal, good Viinculus players must understand the power-curve he reaches when properly utilizing his health costs in order to deal greater amounts of damage as opposed to relying on an older style of play.
Translated into the subject of item building, it is most likely that building items such as 
or 
early on will help sustain Viinculus early on when he is at his most vulnerable. From there, players will learn to put their gold into items such as 
and 
to keep Viinculus alive long enough to utilize his strengths in team fighting, as well as lone engagements.
To this extent, Viinculus must synergize his Q and W abilities to set up poke against his opponents. His Q will allow him to disrupt opponents (stopping channeled abilities for one if aimed properly) in order to set them in a relatively reliable spot for his more damaging W ability. However, not every situation with Viinculus casting Q will guarantee a follow up, as the pulling of an unpowered Ancient Chains is extremely close to ’s Flay (E), meaning it won’t be a huge disruptive sweep (unless he is under the effects of Return To Glory).
On its own, Viinculus’s W will be a players’ most relied upon skill for quick back and forth pokes. Players must remember that Viinculus’s W requires a very slight casting time, which conceptually allows skilled opponents to read what Viinculus may be planning (this is normally why Viinculus must rely on the Q+W combo for trading). Just as well, the ability is an empowered auto attack, meaning Viinculus must target either his opponent directly, or an enemy minion in front of them in order to hit them with the effect. As stated before, think of ’s Q in terms of realized practice.
But perhaps most crucially, players must understand Viinculus’s relatively immobile kit. The heavy, drawn-out and consistent style that Viinculus’s damage rotation follows leaves him relatively open to flanks when focused on opponents. This is where proper utilization of his E, Unbearable Weight, ensures that Viinculus positions himself properly in the lane when facing opponents down in duels, or attempting to escape an enemy gank. On another important note, this ability is crucial in the sustainment of Viinculus in lane over the long run. Of course, this forgoes Viinculus in the way of damage, so players must carefully decide when it is best to invest in momentary health regeneration or when to maintain the effect of Burden to ensure increased damage. Even during the enhanced power effect that Viinculus receives with his ultimate, players must think about positioning themselves beforehand, lest their abandoned body be taken advantage of since it is relatively vulnerable. Even then, players must worry about the effect that gained Burden will have during the ultimate upon returning to Viinculus's body, as it will leave them slow and likely to be caught out. However, he is not completely defenseless, as the static body receives damage reduction for Burden that his spirit causes (as is thematically appropriate). In addition, when returning to his body (if still alive), Viinculus's health will set to that of the docile body's upon the duration ending, regardless of the spirit's health.
With these abilities, and inherent gameplay design, Viinculus will most likely work best in either the Mid Lane or Top lane. Given his stat and potential build path, Viinculus benefits from building consistent amounts of Attack Damage, but can also have versatility in his build path, by investing in additional health and/or cooldown reduction, making items such as 
or 
very effective. However, he is vulnerable before his ult, and requires utilizing his own health. In this sense it is probable that the safety of Mid Lane’s shorter length will benefit Viinculus the most of any lane.
It is also extremely important to note that while Viinculus’s kit reflects that of an AD caster, he has the nearly uniquely mechanic (that is shared with ) of having a “ranged-melee”. He is a melee champion with an auto attack range of 395 (Thresh’s range is 400 for reference.) This is a very problematic approach, as it is easily exploitable through itemization, but thematically, I found it uneasy to make him a melee champion when his character is so entwined with the ideas of Whips (turned into chains) as his weapons. So I took the hard route. I decided that the best way to solve this is, for one, the obvious choice to make him ability dependent. Also, with the mechanic of using health as a resource for his abilities, I decided to make this a point of limiting his potential, by forcing him to sacrifice increasing amounts of health. Being naturally slow and exposed when investing in dealing damage, Viinculus is open to proper teamwork by his opponents. All in all, I believe that this is the simplest and most effective decision in balancing this gameplay aspect.
With this kit, I believe Viinculus’s core themes are encouraged while ensuring a unique playstyle that will be fun for players while also maintaining fairness for the opponent.
#Quotes
Viinculus, as he is an ancient being who was effectively removed from existence for untold centuries, isn’t exactly a chatty guy. Having said that, while I believe that saying less is more when it comes to natural storytelling, it is pretty hard to portray subtlety in a MOBA style multiplayer setting, but I’ll try my best. Keep in mind, someone as ancient as Viinculus would probably retain an older style of speaking, if he was to speak at all, and his vocabulary may reflect this idea.
Upon selection
- Birthed unto the world… once again.
Movement
- There was once beauty here, now no longer.
- If it is to be, then so shall it.
- Such plight- is this by mine own hand?
- To walk again is… unsettling.
- Cobblestones. All cobblestones…
- Thy path is never set, I once believed.
- They do not know. How could they?
- Life yet aspires, even in spite of us.
- Walk did we on this ground, so long ago.
Attacking
- And so, heavier shalt this weight grow.
- Thy burden is claimed!
- All these flames… soon to be extinguished.
- Why dost thou not flee?
- Thou art… fragile.
- In time, thou shalt walk again.
- Claim thy fate!
- Is this of your will, or thine own?
- Do not go gentle.
On death
- Is this thine own destiny?
- I am... finished, at last.
- Glorious…
Joke Twirls his chains around before slapping himself on the head
- Hmm… ouch.
- So… that is how it feels?
Taunt Throws his arms down to his side, slamming the ground with his chains while lurching forward
- By thine own hand, this arm is stretched.
- Are not thee prepared?
Activating Ultimate
- My honor, unchained!
- This burden weighs…no longer!
- Thy fate is not sealed!
Upon resurrecting
- So, it is to this fate I am doomed.
When Recalling Crosses his arms in an x-shape in front of his face for a few seconds before quickly uncrossing them with his head turned up
- It is not here that these hands must be.
- Take care, for thy path may yet cross mine.
Upon meeting Aatrox
(Look if it was up to me, I would rather Viinculus and not say anything to each other at all when meeting. In my own Tarantino-adoring mind I believe this is the coolest, and most appropriate way for a relationship such as theirs to play out. However, again, in a MOBA setting, this is a bit awkward to portray where the masses tend to need being spoon-fed. The maximum I believe is necessary are things like Viinculus sharing Dylan Thomas's well known poem with Aatrox (Do not go gentle...).)
Viinculus
- So… this shall be the place.
Aatrox
- They doubted you lived… I will end their fears.
#Insight
You know what’s cool?
Demons.
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/326/8/e/dante_devil_trigger_by_elitesaiyanwarrior-d5lsm5o.jpg
You know what else is cool?
Dark Souls.
http://i.imgur.com/RsnTb5Y.jpg
You know what’s the coolest?
Berserk.
… and the thematic blending of all three to create background characterization and gameplay in the designing of a fun and original League champion.
I love the Darkin (is it obvious yet?) and I think that Aatrox himself is one of, if not the coolest artistically designed champions in League of Legends. When released, many others praised Riot for a new champion whose design was not “dude-bro with sword”, “Void-monster-demon thing”, or “Pissed off guy in tons of armor.” This guy is all three! Sort of. The idea of a humanoid demon with a relatively unique design, even compared to other fantasy universes, with a strong inspiration as a “war god entity” with an open ended background (whose true identity may even be contained in his very own living weapon) is pretty great for Riot’s design team when compared to… other things 
.
With their careful intention to leave the Darkin as an open ended subject, probably for their own design team's sake, I’ve taken it upon myself to explore some themes that the Darkin may represent as primal entities of the human subconscious. Obviously, covers War or maybe even humanity’s incessant need for conflict (give me a minute to let me put this back in the ass it was pulled from). His name derives from the Latin root “atrox” which is the root for the modern English words such as “Atrocity.”
Viinculus is another Latin reference, in this case to the root “vinculum” meaning “bond” (it serves as a basis for medical terms such as vincula tendina which are ligaments in the hands). This serves to establish Viinculus with many different thematic aspects, many of which I think are at least interesting. Obviously, Viinculus carries a heavy burden, one which binds his arms (and hands) to the very weapons which drove him to his current state. As his weapons of choice, whips modernly translate to usually mean either two things: pain of absolution, as in flagellation, or pain of punishment, as in normal whipping. Artistically, I like the way whips- and coincidentally chains- look, especially as weapons, however impractical they may actually be. I believe Viinculus's inherent gameplay that revolves around abilities that are hard hitting, and methodical; fluid, but with a concentrated sense of fury or intensity behind his motions that defines his fighting style.
https://38.media.tumblr.com/34404e3b2eb01646e267e0b6d702cdb9/tumblr_mzmk0gfpMW1rheorao1_400.gif
I’m also a huge fan of the 2010 release title Castlevania: Lords of Shadow developed by Kojima Productions, who features a main character whose weapon of choice is the “Combat Cross”, a chain whip which extends from a Christian cross (hey I think it’s cool). For Viinculus, they thematically serve as a representation of the absolution of Viinculus’s soul; an acumination of the drive and purity in principle that represents his being, and the current state of self-affliction he has imposed.
http://www.terrymatthes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/terrancematthes_artsub.jpg
When Viinculus determined he had forsaken this original purpose, his whips became shackles. These bonds- formerly radiant tools of his creed- are a representation of what he is or at least once was: the embodiment of the rectitude of life and the honor of it. Viinculus is a symbol of honor, not just in battle but in the very core of life. Honor as in the growth of a tree, defying its origins as a simple seed amongst the vastness of the earth, and blossoming into a magnificent demonstration of nature’s power; honor as in the oath made by two individuals to be true to each other for the rest of their lives, and beyond. Not only did Viinculus stand as a godlike deity for those warriors who honored themselves and their ancestors in glorious battle, but as a physical manifestation for those who honor the gift of life given to them, by choosing their own fate, creating their own destinies, and living for the sake and honor of life itself. In this sense, it made Viinculus not only the strongest Darkin in terms of strength, but also in the intensity of the purpose of his existence. Viinculus stood for so much more than his brothers (and/or sisters). However, the choices that the Darkin made did not sit well with Viinculus, and it resulted in his current state.
http://www.animefamily.com/images/Anime/anime_a-g/Berserk/ber-1.gif
I love the animated show, based on the manga of the same name, known as Berserk. It’s the only “anime” I’ve ever been able to tolerate in my adult life (like most Americans males my age in their early twenties and late teens and their probably meddling experience with anime, I became indifferent –to say the least- to the genre after childhood years of watching Dragon Ball) but even then, it is one of my favorite pieces of entertainment in general. This is made obvious for anyone who has watched the show by how I chose to open up the concept of Viinculus (“In this world…”). I believe that even amongst “weaboo” circles, Berserk is one of the least criticized pieces of Japanese entertainment. I myself have never talked to any anime fan who has seen it and disliked it (what I’m trying to say is go watch it).
http://i.imgur.com/Ie6qd7k.jpg
One of the major themes of Berserk is causality and the existential nature of people’s destiny as a predetermined subject. Needless to say the show is very dark. Actually... huge amounts of the Dark Souls series is inspired by Berserk (notice any similarities in the pictures?). With the Darkin, I believe this subject in the world of League of Legends is an untapped goldmine, as they are described by Riot as important figures in history that ended up affecting entire wars and even the backgrounds to some of the game’s characters (Tryndamere for one).
With these themes in mind, I wanted to create a champion who played as though he was once such a figure, who now struggles with his current position. This is where the mechanic of Burden came into play, as it plays very well with the already known mechanic of health-based ability costs that we only have Aatrox to go off of so far in terms of design.
With his art, as well as his abilities, I wanted Viinculus to look and play as an entity that seems to have lost something, some important or fundamental beauty in what he once was, and now demonstrates a fainting strength that hints to a once overwhelming power. Thematically this is inspired by Dark Souls (one, not two) but gameplay-wise this serves to fit him as a disruptive character with dependable crowd control and elements that make him able to dish out extreme amounts of damage. How to balance this? Give him limited options in the scenarios in which he can do damage by making them telegraphed and requiring set up, and limit his ability to react to different types of gameplay that exploit his weakness by limiting him, which is another subject on his balance. These weaknesses? Viinculus lacks reactionary mobility. In order to keep him from being completely helpless, his E serves as a source of survivability and sustain, but also gives him a weakness in a sense that this survivability requires that he sacrifices his primary resources that normally makes notably powerful. It can also be argued that this is a clever utilization of his thematic background since he is literally giving up his Burden in order to sustain himself (as was the original purpose of his self-imprisonment). Initially his passive even looked at something like this:
Passive: The Outcast’s Burden Whenever Viinculus deals damage with an ability or receives damage from an ability, his birthright calls out, causing him to become more and more motivated to give his opponent a worthy challenge in a demonstration of honor. Whenever his passive reaches its threshold (6 abilities), Viinculus’s next damage-dealing ability will either heal himself for half the damage dealt, or has 5% health cost added depending if his current health % is less than or greater than his opponents respectfully. If building lifesteal, the damage that Viinculus may deal to himself when his health is at a greater % than his opponents is calculated toward lifesteal’s heal, negating some of the self-inflicted damage. This is still a concept that I think is interesting, that a champion damages themselves or strengthens their own damage to equal out the fight with their opponent, but obvious from a gameplay design this is nigh suicidal. So, I took the overall main aspect of this design, which was to burden Viinculus as he does more damage and simply translate it into doing more damage at the cost of more health with his current passive, while still keeping it thematic.
I go into more detail in the ability description, but Viinculus’s ultimate served as the hardest decision in creating him. In the end, I decided that Viinculus would represent a piece of his past, in that his ult is very reminiscent of his brother Aatrox, but also giving it a twist unique to Viinculus as a character and also as a champion in League. Anyway, that about sums up, in general, the background to Viinculus, his design, what it was inspired by, and how it translates into his gameplay.
#Conclusion & Credits
Whew…. Well that just about sums up this concept. After my previous entry, which I will link just for the sake of exposing my past works, I wanted to really hone in on my description of what makes my character unique, with visual aid to boot. I noticed that compared to other designs, mine was overlooked from lack of flavor, clarity, and imagery in my descriptions and insight elements. For this champion, who I truly adore and hope makes a lasting impression on some other designers, Riot or otherwise, I really put my heart into explaining what it was that makes this champion unique, and not just another thread with a few good ideas but lacking conformity and polish. Anyway, thank you SO MUCH for deciding to open this up. I absolutely want any and all feedback that can be provided. After spending a fair amount of time with this character, I want him to be equally enjoyed by others conceptually, and maybe one day from an in-game perspective. And if he isn’t (which is virtually guaranteed), oh well.
The following image is a quick little sketch I drew up in a couple of hours. As stated in my other concept, this isn't a piece that I would normally show off, as it is very basic and still in its secondary stages for just the linework, nevermind shading and coloring, but I think it serves well enough as a visual concept. I would note again that Viinculus's skin has suffered a seemingly endless amount of time within the confines of darkness. He is intensely pale and his skin is nearly that of a stalagmite texture, which luckily fits with the already "jagged" linework of the only other Darkin we know as Aatrox.
http://i.imgur.com/8lKnmSI.jpg
During his Return to Glory, I imagine Viinculus would look something like this, but while wielding whips (of course), retaining the traditional Darkin face/horns and wing style as in his "fallen" look, and probably shares a more similar color pallet with Aatrox:
https://jesselorien.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/arch-angel.jpg
The art used alongside this post is credited to EliteSaiyanWarrior at deviantart for the Devil May Cry Dante devil trigger art (huge fan of DMC 4, not the stupid "reboot"). For the Artorias wallpaper this should be well known to other fans of Dark Souls, as it was my phone background for a goodwhile. For the amazing art of Guts in Berserk Armor (which he acquires in the manga) I am not sure of the original creator of the rendition, as it could be Kentaro Miura's but there is a deviant artist connected to it named Douzen who has a style similar enough that it may be theirs and his/her other art is fantastic and I suggest checking it out. And Arch-angel is Arch-angel of course :P
#EDITS
- 3/16/2015
This is a response to a comment about the structure of Viinculus's Ancient Chains (Q) and Arm of Lost Honor (W) abilities and it provides context to the shapes and functions of them:
The Q is a forward-facing arc that is cast in front of Viinculus, with a center line that is about 1/6 the size of the arc.
When designing the ability, the most resounding thought I had in the back of my head was Nemesis's Slice and Dice ability in Smite:
http://www11.onrpg.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/NemesisSliceandDice.jpg
This is almost exactly what I want the ability to be shaped as. As for the speed and power of the pull toward the center, the base ability without the effect of the ultimate should pull someone 2/6's of the arc toward the center line, with strength that is as much (as stated in the description) as
As for the W, think of it as an empowered auto attack that increased the range of the next auto, with a range that then extends further past the unit that was auto-attacked.
Therefore, whatever target that Viinculus hits with this auto, there is an extended range that reaches past this target for an additional 135 units. As it was originally written, imagine
