[Champion Concept] Vex'Xev, the Inexorable

Vex'Xev, the Inexorable "Persistence is Immortality.”

Lore

Like all denizens of the Void, this one has some unquenchable thirst. But unlike the ravenous kin, this one is more like Vel’Koz. He (at least, I presume it’s a “he”) seems to emanate his thoughts, and they come across calmly. Through this otherworldly communication, he presents knowledge of both Runeterra and the Void. From his somewhat cryptic comments, he appears to be a gate between the realms, and his hunger, therefore, is for transferring energy between them. Where Vel’Koz converts others to knowledge, this Vex’Xev converts them to energy. Or, more accurately, passes the energy to some other part of himself in the Void. (I suspect one or more pieces of it exist. Or maybe there are others?) He alters the flow of energy around him, distorting what should happen. It ebbs and flows, one moment he is passive, barely moving, and the next he warps space to accommodate unnatural movements.

Vex’Xev sought out the League, coming to us, requesting it, err, he be allowed to participate. I wonder if we had rejected him, whether he would just have entered regardless. But again he betrays some intellect and some “appreciation” for our system, to ask us first. (I suspect he taps into the information Vel’Koz has, though I’d prefer not to know how.) It is this politeness if one could ascribe such a trait to such an entity that first struck me. From seeing his movements on the Fields of Justice, he draws even more from those willingly donating energy than those resisting him. And what better place for both than the League? ~Summoner’s Journal

“We are entwined as they are entwined. They and we are bound.” “Vex’Xev is as it wills, and wills it, as is Vex’Xev.” "Fight more! Expend more! Fuel the void! It will be returned in time..."

Abilities

Passive- Conservation of Energy Energy builds slowly over time, and twice as fast when not moving. The energy regeneration rate is increased by his stacks of Conservation of Energy (CoE). Whenever Vex'Xev takes damage he gets a stack of conservation. Starting off, he can store up to 5 stacks of CoE. If Vex’Xev would have gained a stack when capped, he instead gets increased healing for 3 seconds. When Vex’Xev attacks, he consumes a CoE stack and deals bonus damage.

Q- Kinetic Diffusion Tethers to a target, and stays tethered for X duration or until X range is exceeded. Tethering to an allied champion splits damage they receive and deals the other portion to Vex'Xev (of whatever type it is, so each type is split). Tethering to an enemy returns a fraction of the damage dealt to Vex'Xev to the tethered target of the same damage type. Consumes X energy every second, and ends when it is toggled off or Vex'Xev runs out of energy. (This ability could proc on-hit as if the enemy is hitting Vex'Xev as well, so tethered with an ally both would get slow, both would have banshee’s popped. But if the enemy is tethered, it would mean they might slow themselves and crit themselves as well. Might make it a worthwhile gamble. Hits to either target while tethered generate CoE stacks. I picture the percentage transferred increases with ranks. So on ally the transfer to Vex'Xev would be like 25%/35/45/55/65, and transfer from Vex'Xev to an enemy would be 15%/25/35/45/55. Obviously needs adjusting, but giving the general idea that he can absorb more from an ally, but still transfer a decent amount back to an enemy.

W- Event Horizon Vex'Xev becomes immobile for a short duration. During this, Vex'Xev cannot activate or deactivate any other abilities or items. Acts like Braum shield and redirects all ranged auto-attacks, skillshots, and targeted abilities that pass within the AoE to him and preventing it from harming others, but he is still affected by these abilities, including displacements. (Opponent tethers are broken after they hit Vex'Xev, and targeted abilities aimed towards nearby allies are redirected to Vex'Xev, even if it would pass through the other champ first. (Triggers like a cleanse effect? Maybe ends? I think AoE effects will trigger as normal as they can’t be “redirected” to Vex’Xev.) If Vex’Xev has CoE stacks on activation, enemies who are bound via Kinetic Diffusion are affected if trying to move away from him during this. Enemies trying to move out of the AoE range are slowed, and stunned if they remain in the AoE after 1 second. The stun duration is based on the CoE stacks consumed on activation plus additional stacks gained during the duration.

E- Friction Coefficient/ Vector Transferral Vex'Xev spawns a void component (it looks like a mirror image of him) that dashes forward in a straight line (like Lissandra’s Glacial Path), revealing vision, and enemies struck are slowed. Vex'Xev can swap to the copy's location at any time by reactivating the skill. If Vex’Xev has CoE stacks, they are consumed upon striking the first enemy, dealing damage to it and all others along the path. (Damage is based on stacks)

R- Quantum Entanglement Vex’Xev opens a gate between himself and another place on the map, revealing all nearby objects for X seconds. An allied champion can grab the gate and be teleported to vex’xevs location. Vex’Xev channels this ability until he runs out of energy or is displaced. Leveling this up increases Vex'Xev's CoE stack cap.

Role and Play Style A melee champion who aims to soak damage and be the center of the fight. Bonding himself to the most desirable targets lets him consume the energy he desires. The bond can also be shared with an opponent, returning the energy as an explosive backlash.

Vex'Xev should be in the midst of battle, absorbing everything. His health, regen, and CoE make him want to tank hits for his allies and annoy opponents. If tanking hits for the team, a Q tether should allow him to soak for long periods of the landing phase, and along with W can negate major bursts onto the vulnerable members of the team. R can save bad positioning, or turn the tables in a fight.

Items: Relic Shield into Face of the Mountain is ideal. Vex’Xev wants to absorb hits, shield others, and grant healing through executing minions, and the less often he attacks, the more CoE he generates. **Thornmail **procs on Q tether damage sharing, so rushing a Thornmail makes the allied champion you’re tethered to a scary target to damage, as the enemy will get damage returned. Tethering to the champ directly is even more worrying. **Liandry's **and **Rylai’s **are offensive items if you're ahead, so it makes it harder for people to run away. High health items and defensive items are useful on Vex’Xev, as the more damage he can soak, the more he can potentially return through Q, and the more he can soak for the rest of the team through W.

Weaknesses: morellonomicon. Anything that hampers healing and breaks tethers .

Visuals I've attached a sketch I made of my Vex'Xev ideas. There's a noticeable asymmetric feel I gave him. The arm I see as acting a bit like Thresh's close range animation or Kha'Zix's melee. It's a scythe-like left arm, but apparently flexible when he wants it to be. The "neck" is thin, and connects to the right "horn" spot, where as the left is free-floating. The tendril around the arm I designed as being the opening to the gate for R, and the focus for abilities on W. The sash tendril (and legs) are a bit like Malzahar's visuals, and that tendril maps to the tether (Q). The mirror image for E would be the reverse of the model, so just the right arm instead of only the left. A single eye, which doesn't look like normal eyes, where the sclera looks like the pupil, and the iris appears to be part of his skin. The oval on his brow also maps somehow to his powers and abilities. When he activates R, I see it going flat white, where as above his arm which appears on the other side of the gate, a standalone black "eye" appears (like the scrying orb). For abilities, I see the color of him changing, initially from bright/soft purples to deep blacks as he increases CoE stacks. Absorbing attacks would cause a ripple effect on part of him, or on some material surrounding him. Perhaps a ground aura showing how, even if his frame doesn't change, his mass and effect on the environment does. Pulling a champion through Quantum Entanglement would be like Kassadin's ultimate. A distorting pop between two places.

Other skin ideas -Quicksilver (More liquid effects, hardens skin against attacks) -Battlecast

Alternate skill ideas E - Creates a clone that moves like the Elise volatile spiderling, and provides vision. Slows anything it contacts, and can swap between on reactivation. R - Vex'Xev jumps to target allied champ and adheres to them, granting them temporary movement speed while he's attached. Remaining attached consumes energy. He can detach as reactivation. He is untargetable during this mode, but his health is granted to the champ as bonus health, and absorbs all damage as though he had been hit. (Armor, MR, etc apply.) When Vex'Xev's max health has been exceeded in damage, he dies, and the entwined champ loses all other bonuses granted by Vex'Xev.

Edit Log Added rough numbers for Q to better describe the effect. Added visual notes (and explains my sketch).