[Champion Concept] Akise, the Crimson Lotus

EDIT : So, I posted a picture in the "Trivia", and apparently the boards system thinks that I want that as my thumbnail. For those of you who happen to see this thumbnail when viewing the thread on the front page, keep in mind that it's NOT Akise. Read the trivia and you'll understand.

Just a heads up guys, this will be the first champion concept I've posted since we switched to the Boards system, so everything may not fit on here the way I usually do it.

Akise, the Crimson Lotus (Ah-key-say)

Primary : Marksman Preferred/Ideal Voice-over : Johnny Yong Bosch Stats : Health : 390(+80) Health Regen : 4.5 (+0.55) Mana : 240(+38) Mana Regen : 6(+0.4) Range : 625(Ranged) Attack Damage : 46(+3) Attack Speed : 0.658 (+3.5%) Armor : 17(+3.5) Magic Resistance : 30 (+0) Movement Speed : 330

Brief Summary of Appearance : Akise is a healthy Ionian youth of average stature. His most notable feature is his long, flowing black hair. He has a pale, slender face, and his complexion is very clean and boyish in nature. In combat, Akise dons an oriental-themed platemail and cloth leggings, similiar to the armor Xin Zhao wears in the artwork of his "Imperial" skin, but of lighter weight and streamlined to suit an archer. He wields a slender wooden bow with wavy, flame-shaped decorations on each tip. He also has a small quiver strapped to the back of his waist.

Preferred/Ideal Login Theme : Kozato - Yue

Lore : (Warning. It's pretty damn long) (Narrated by Karma, the Enlightened One)

Ionia is a land of peace. That much, anyone can tell you. I agree, to some extent. Though I do believe there is a wisdom within war. I think that Ionia has yet to find the inner strength that it has for war. Being a land of peace, we must also prepare ourselves for inevitable war. Some of our resistance fighters even crave revenge against the city-states that have done us wrong, whom I will not name. In any sense, I believe it is my job to aid Ionia in finding the balance between peace and conflict. But Ionia's way of finding balance should be shared with the rest of Runeterra, should it not? As a single woman, I alone may be able to prove Ionia's courage and resolve. But as far as spreading our influence and bringing hope and prosperity to the rest of the world? In my honest opinion, there is none other more suited for the job than Akise.

Like myself, Akise grew up in the region of Navori, which is located north of our capital, the Placidium. As a child, Akise was a intelligent young boy. He did very well in his schooling, and his parents raised him with much love and care, teaching selflessness and compassion. Though he did have a certain..."problem". Despite his very calm and level-headed demeanor, Akise had been bestowed with flames since his birth. Some of the Elders called it a "Blessing from the spirits of fire". Though Akise himself considered it a curse more than a blessing, as even with all of his best efforts, he could not control when or how his flames would manifest. He would often set everything around him alight, making messes and leaving burn marks everywhere. He was constantly forgiven by his peers, though deep down, he knew he was a burden.

Unfortunately, as Akise grew into adolescence, his flames became more than just small embers. One fateful night, a small spark he had invoked in his sleep ended up catching his abode on fire. His parents awoke to the smell of smoke, and hurried to wake Akise up and get him out of the house. Akise stumbled out of their house, still half-asleep, only to realize his parents were not behind him. Since that night, Akise has always blamed himself for his parents' sacrifice, and has trained day and night to tame his fire. Until now, he has lived with his distant relatives, who work with the School of Transcendentalism, which he has now enrolled in. When he is not studying, he trains himself in the Lotus Garden, a scared place used as an area for meditation. There is a large lake there, which adds an element of safety to keep his flames in check. I have found him there numerous times, working himself to the bone just to get tiny embers to bend to his whim. Seeing how much he overworked himself, I had always felt I should step in and stop him. One early morning before sunrise, as I saw the poor youth collapse from the burns he had accidently inflicted on himself through misfire, I decided I would let him suffer no more.

"What ailment stresses you to the point of self-harm, child?", I ask as pick the boy up off the ground, tending to his wounds.

"You were watching me again, weren't you, duchess?", he asks. "I suppose I can take a break if you really think I should."

"Saying that you need a break would be an understatement.", I scoff. "Akise, what you need now more than ever is a purpose. When your parents were still with us, they taught you the meaning of love and passion. Now, why in the world do you think they would teach you such a thing?"

"Obviously because that's human decency. I wouldn't dare act unkind to someone who didn't deserve it.", he tells me.

"That may be true, and that's very good of you.", I say as I walk over to the lake behind us, picking up a flower from a small lily. "But for you, it's more than just human decency. It's a part of who you are, and what you have the power to become."

I hold out the flower in my palm, showing it to him. "Tell me Akise, what kind of flower is this? What meaning does it have to you?"

"Well, duchess, I'd say that's a lotus flower.", he answers. "It represents the purity of the mind, body, and spirit. But other than that, it doesn't have any personal meaning to me."

"That is not true.", I reprimand him. "Look closer. This is a red lotus, also known as a Heart Lotus. The red lotus is a symbol of hope and compassion...just like you, Akise. And do you know what the best part is? It's an open bloom, just like your open heart."

"Duchess, I'm flattered, really.", he laughs. "But I don't see how that's relevant to this infernal curse of mine."

I stand up, helping Akise to his feet afterwards. "Just like the crimson lotus represents your heart, the flames represents your strength and hope. They are not a curse. Fire may be destructive if not channeled, but when used for all the right reasons, fire can be many other things. It can be a light to guide our way, or a light to kindle new life. It can cleanse all but the darkest of sins, leading to renewal and rebirth."

Akise glares at me with a serious look. "What are you trying to tell me, Karma?"

As the radiant sun rises up over the horizon in front of us, I meet his glare with a warm smile. "I'm saying that I have faith in you, Akise. You have the power to change. Not just yourself, but others as well. You just need to learn that you must not conquer yourself to simply prevent destruction. You must conquer that fire for the purpose of using it to spread goodness. Consume the darkness, return it to light."

After I said that, Akise stood in awe after realizing the power of my words. He bowed, thanking me for sharing my wisdom with him. From that day forward, Akise and trained from dusk until dawn to master his blazing powers. As I had thought, his flames would have to be channeled, not contained or destroyed. I had him practice releasing the flames from his body voluntarily, and eventually he was able to bend them to his will. Though his flames still ran rampant at times, the only real problem he faced is what he channeled his flames through. With my protective magic, he could bend the flames using his hands. Without it, he needed a weapon. A melee weapon would not do. The steel of a sword would catch fire, and would constantly need to be put out to continue using it. Akise instead suggested the use of a bow. An arrow could be set alight and fired without harm to the bow or the wielder. Considering dexterity was one of Akise's strong points, I heeded his suggestion and allowed him to train himself in the ways of archery.

Combined with his wit and keen intelligence, he would soon become both beloved comrade to all as well as a revered combatant. In time, other Ionian warriors came to be amazed by the flurry of flames he shot from his bow, and our resistance fighters chanted his name in hopes that he would join the fight against the Noxian threat. And, just like myself, Akise would become a champion in the League. Only, unlike me, his purpose is not only to represent Ionia, but to guide Runeterra towards a new age of compassion, understanding, and prosperity. I believe that he has the power to mend the broken hearts of those hurt by the tragedies of war, and rekindle the flame of hope. He has now set out to leave his homeland as a champion of the League, and as an ambassador of Ionia. An ambassador that cleanses Valoran of its impurities not by slaying them, but by showing them the error of their ways. He reaches out to Valoran's people not by speaking to their minds, but to their hearts. He fights for the peace of Valoran in times of need not by slaughtering enemies and winning wars through brute force, but instead bringing the wars to an abrupt end through merciful fighting and force of will. The flames that emanate from within his soul do not burn to bring harm to others physically ,but instead to heal them spiritually. He is the rising sun of Ionia's horizon.

"Even if you find yourself sinking into the abyss, drowning in agony, do not lose hope. Remember that there is always a light within that can show you the way. And should you find another who is also drowning in the darkness, do not hesitate to share your light with them. The rising sun of a new day can break through even the darkest of nights." -Akise, in one of his speeches during his time visiting the Demacian embassy.

Abilities :

Passive : Eye of the Rising Sun - Whenever there are no enemy champions within 400 units of Akise, his attacks gain bonus critical strike chance depending on how far away his target is.

Critical Strike Chance : 0/2/4/6/8/10+(1% of distance to target in units)

Notes

• The base value is 0 at level 1, and increases at levels 5,8,11,14,and 16 respectively. - Since any champions that Akise attacks must be 400 units away or further for him to gain critical strike chance, the amount of critical chance when attacking champions is 0/2/4/6/8/10+(4 to 6.25) [This means that 4% is the minimum amount of bonus received from distance, while 6.25% is the maximum.]

Q : Blossom of Flames - Akise fires flaming arrows into the sky, which rain down in a straight line in the target direction, dealing physical damage. Afterwards, a trail of fire is left behind for 4 seconds at the location, dealing magic damage every second to enemies standing in the area. Akise gains 5% bonus movement speed for every enemy champion caught in the fire. When Heart of the Lotus is active, 5% bonus attack speed is gained for every champion instead.

Cast Range : 1000 Trail Length : 700 Physical Damage on impact : 75/100/125/150/175(+70% bonus AD) Magic Damage each second : 15/25/35/45(+10% AP) Cost : 70/75/80/85/90 Mana Cooldown : 14/13/12/11/10 seconds

W : Exploding Gale - Akise shoots an arrow with a paper bomb attached to it. The arrow explodes after reaching its target location, dealing magic damage and knocking enemies away from the center of the explosion. If Akise casts Exploding Gale too close to himself, he takes true damage in backlash from the explosion.

Cast Range : 900 Magic Damage : 60/110/160/210/260(+60% AP) Backlash Damage Radius : Within 400 units of himself Backlash True Damage : 30/45/60/75/90 Cost : 80 Mana Cooldown : 18/17/16/15/14 seconds

E : Searing Breath - Akise launches a ball of energy in a straight line, dealing physical damage to the first target it hits and causing it to have its armor corrode over 2 seconds. The debuff lasts for 3 seconds after that for a total of 5 seconds. Basic attacks reduce the cooldown of Searing Breath by 1 second.

Cast Range : 1000 Physical Damage : 20/70/120/170/220(+120% AD) Initial Armor Reduction : 4/6/8/10/12% Final Armor Reduction : 8/12/16/20/24% Cost : 50/55/60/65/70 Mana Cooldown : 16/15/14/13/12 seconds

R : Heart of the Lotus(Passive) - Akise's flames will sometimes grow out of his control and run rampant. Every 6 seconds while he is in combat, he will accidentally set surrounding units ablaze, with a target chosen at random every time. Akise himself, allied units, enemy units, and neutrals may all be affected by this.

• When Akise sets himself ablaze, he gains a quick 30/40/50 flat movement speed bonus for 3 seconds.

• When Akise sets an allied unit or champion ablaze, they gain an aura that lasts for 3 seconds and deals 35/50/65(+ 20% AP) magic damage per second to nearby enemies.
• When Akise sets neutral or enemy units/champions ablaze, they take 20/35/50(+30% AD)(+30% AP) magic damage every second for 3 seconds.

Heart of the Lotus(Active) - Akise summons a lotus of fire beneath his feet and leaps atop it. While atop the lotus, Akise becomes immobilized at his current location, but he will also gain 125 bonus attack range, 250 spell casting range, and bonus attack damage. The lotus lasts for 7 seconds, but can be canceled early by reactivating the ability. Heart of the Lotus's passive effect is disabled while the active is on cooldown.

Attack Damage Increase : 20/25/30 Cost : 100 Mana Cooldown : 90/75/60 seconds

Notes

• The basic attack range increase effectively raises the amount of critical strike chance Akise gains from distance from (4% to 6.25%) to (4% to 7.5%).

Quotes :

Upon Selection

"My torch burns brightest in your hands."

Upon starting a match

"I will light the way, comrades." "So, what wisdom shall today's fighting grant us?" "Our trial by fire starts now." "They fight as many, but we fight as one."

Moving

"We all have a flame to kindle." "Always challenge your fate." "I will not fight blindly ever again." "Fight with a purpose, and not out of fear." "Atonement does not equal damnation." "Kindness should be extended to all." "Stand together!" "Don't take mercy for granted." "As Ionia changes, the world must change with it."

Attacking

"Cleanse their sins." "Alight to battle." "Our resolve spreads like a wildfire." "All it takes is a single spark to start a revolution." "No dawn comes without perserverance." "Show them our courage." "My aim is steady." "The flames burn bright on my arrow." "Why don't you test your luck against the sun?" "Our way is the way to peace." "Consume the darkness, return it to light."

Joke

"So I'm a flower boy, huh? At least I'm not a pansy." "Flowers may be frillish, but they sure do smell a whole lot better than my enemies."

Taunt

• Akise holds a red lotus in his hand, then points forward as if addressing his foe. "They say a lotus represents the heart...something I bet YOU don't have."

• Akise holds a handful of cherry blossom petals, then points forward as if addressing his foe. "You know, cherry blossoms are sometimes associated with death. So, I guess death is in bloom right now."

Meeting allies :

"If you want peace, you must prepare for war. Right, Karma?" "I would gladly follow you to enlightenment, my liege."

"Well met, Master. I would do my best to learn from you."

"Let us put an end to this violence." "Ah, the graceful Soraka. My heart shall rest easy with you here."

"I would forgive your sins, Unforgiven. You've been through enough already." "Willing to atone for the crime of another. Honorable as always, Yasuo."

"Eyes on the horizon, Jayce. The sun's about to come up." "Let us open a path towards the future."

"The Radiant Dawn arrives, bringing a ray of hope with her." "I hope that one day, I may see a dawn as beautiful as you, Leona." "Your radiance is simply blinding, Leona."

"Greetings, noble emperor." "The desert sun shines brightly with you, Azir."

Taunting enemies :

"I feel your sorrow, Varus. Still...vengeance is not the answer!" "Bloodshed carries a price, yes. But...it must not beget more bloodshed!" "Turn back while you can, kinsman. Our purpose is to atone, not condemn."

"Brought back from the dead, only to take more lives...How regrettable!" "You, of all people...You should've just stayed dead, you monster!"

"Leading a nation of pure hatred...how fitting for a beast." "Violence, discrimination, cruelty...will you Noxians ever learn without us holding your hand?"

"Violence to end violence, huh? At least you've got something right, Riven." "Change Noxus from the outside while you still can, exile. It will never prosper without help from others."

"Oh, Jinx. What a mess. Will you ever learn some decency?" "No, I will not "just die". Seriously, do you value human life at all?"

"Barbarian king? More like idiotic caveman. All you do is mindlessly bash skulls." "A barbarian...king? How distasteful." "For a king, you sure fight poorly. Even Trundle's got more form than you."

"Even a flower can have thorns...you have one too many, Zyra. "Beautiful on the outside...but hideous on the inside."

Upon casting Blossom of Flames

"Flames of rebirth!" "Light my path!"

Upon casting Exploding Gale

"Halt!"

When hurt by Exploding Gale's backlash damage

"Tch. How foolish of me." "Too close for comfort..."

Upon casting Searing Breath

"I'll melt through your steel!" "Burn away!"

Upon casting Heart of the Lotus

"The rising sun will prevail!" "I feel the fire in my blood!" "Fervid Blaze!"

When Heart of the Lotus's passive activates

"Ow...damn, not again..."(When setting self ablaze) "Sorry!"(When setting allies ablaze) "Stings, doesn't it?" (When setting enemies/neutrals ablaze)

Upon buying Boots of Speed

"Speed, to outrun danger." "Agility, to outwit my foes."

Upon buying Tier 2 Boots

"Fleet of foot, and an arrow's ready to fly."

Upon buying Infinity Edge

"Sharp blade, and even sharper eyes." "The rising sun peaks, and a focused shot strikes for infinity."

Upon buying Last Whisper

"An arrow flies silently across the horizon as the last breath is taken." "Funny, I never thought it was possible to wield two bows at once."

Upon buying Bloodthirster

"I have no thirst for blood. What use have I for this?" "I must safeguard my own life, of course. But to use such a destructive weapon..."

Upon buying Blade of the Ruined King

"O' ruined one. Grant me the strength I need." "I will wield this blade in memory of the fallen."

Upon casting Recall

"There's no place like home." "Time to go back and rekindle the flame." "Looks like the sun has finally set."

Upon completing Recall

"Rest is key to a focused mind." "The next dawn comes for us to greet it." "We will live to fight another day."

Upon Death

"I can't let it end..." "And so it ends..." "Somehow..."

Respawning

"I will not stop fighting until I rise again!" "I have to get stronger!" "Where did I go wrong?"

Suggested Items

Core Items While being a standard choice of boots for marksman, Berserker's Greaves also gives Akise some much needed movement speed to help him re-position and keep his distance. The attack speed also strengthens his DPS. Enchantments such as Furor or Alacrity can be added to further supplement the movement speed. Infinity Edge should always be the center of Akise's builds. The synergy it has with the bonus critical strike chance from Eye of the Rising Sun is just too powerful to pass up. Combined with the armor reduction of Searing Breath, Last Whisper guarantees that Akise's damage output stays relevant even against armored enemies. Not to mention that it's pretty damn cool to have two bows.

Offensive Items or Phantom Dancer and Statikk Shiv both give Akise everything he needs : Movement Speed for kiting purposes, attack speed for DPS and refreshing Searing Breath's cooldown, and critical strike chance to add on top of his passive. Though he scales much better with the slightly higher stats that Phantom Dancer gives, Statikk Shiv is also useful, as its passive charges quickly with Akise's high movement speed. or Blade of the Ruined King is the optimal choice for Akise, as he scales much better with attack speed than raw damage. The active also adds to his already strong kiting capability. However, in some cases, raw damage would be better. Akise also has trouble dealing with high burst mages, since they can effectively fight him without having to get close. If that becomes a problem, consider picking up Bloodthirster.

Defensive Items As odd of an item pickup as it may seem, Randuin's is invaluable on Akise, especially against heavy physical damage teams. The slow from its active will impede melee attackers, covering Akise's one weakness : close range. or Again, since Akise must stay at a distance to survive and stay relevant, items that prevent enemies from catching him are also very valuable. Consider Banshee's Veil or Mercurial Scimitar when the enemy team has strong spells that can reach Akise from a distance. The Veil is better against long cooldown nukes, while the Scimitar is better against heavier crowd control. A standard pickup for fragile marksmen, Guardian's Angel serves as a useful all-around defensive item in case the other defensive items don't fit the current situation very well. or Frozen Mallet is in a very strange position right now, though Akise can use it well to some extent. The on-hit slow helps with kiting in a manner similar to Randuin's Omen, and the health helps Akise survive nukes. Iceborn Gauntlet is normally better, though, as its spellblade effect gives Akise reliable burst and crowd control, allowing him to escape or chase effectively, especially with the bonus cooldown reduction.

Tips for playing as Akise

• Try to aim Blossom of Flames so that it will hit as many enemy champions as possible. Akise needs all the movement speed he can get to re-position effectively
• Exploding Gale is great for disengaging, but it's backlash damage can be painful. Rather than waiting to use it after the enemy has already engaged on you, try to use it before the enemy gets within range of you so that you won't have to cast it so close to yourself
• Picking the right time to use Heart of the Lotus can effectively make or break Akise. While not on cooldown, its randomly-activated effect can help turn fights that are more hectic and close-ranged. If used at the wrong time, enemies may easily focus Akise while he is rooted in place. Try to only use Heart of the Lotus when you know you have a safe, hard-to-reach position in a teamfight. If it seems like there isn't a safe place to use it during a fight, just save it.

Tips for playing against Akise

• If you get hit by Blossom of Flames, move out of its area of effect as quickly as possible. The damage over time will begin to hurt if you stay in it for too long, and the bonus speed will make kiting you or chasing you easier for Akise
• When engaging on Akise, try to get in his face as soon as the fight starts. He loses potential DPS while within 400 units of another champion, and he can't force you off with Exploding Gale without hurting himself.
• During teamfights, try to constantly threaten Akise's position. The passive effect of Heart of the Lotus can be a nuisance, but it's less of a problem than the utility and bonus stat gains from the active. If he dares to use it while in a vulnerable position, don't hesitate to focus him down.

Animations Idle : Akise keeps an arrow nocked on the bow while standing upright, occasionally putting the arrow away and holding a red lotus flower in his palm, glaring at it for a few seconds. Running : Akise strides forward while keeping the arrow nocked on the bow. *Attacking * : Akise holds his bow vertically while shooting. The flame-shaped decorations on the tips of his bow light up whenever he fires. After each attack, Akise quickly pulls another arrow from the quiver on his back waist. When Eye of the Rising sun is active, Akise will instead hold his bow vertically, holding it closer to his face and recoiling more when he fires. *Critical Strikes * : Akise will appear to fire two arrows and recoil more whenever he critically strikes. Also, the decorations on the tips of his bow will actually emit a small breath of fire instead of lighting up. Recalling : Akise slings his bow over his shoulder, then begins making hand signs(Similar to Zed's recall animation). As he makes hand signs, small flames will appear in a circle around him. When the circle is complete, the flames will converge and engulf Akise as the recall finishes. Spawning/Respawning/After Recall A swirl of flames appears on the summoning pool. As the flames cease, Akise appears with cherry blossom petals whirling around him, pulling his bow from his shoulder and nocking an arrow on it. Death : Akise bow snaps in two as he stumbles backwards, after which he collapses on the ground. Cherry blossoms will float overhead as flames engulf his body, causing his body to disappear after a few seconds

Trivia

• In his original skin, Akise bears somewhat of a resemblance to Yuji Sakai from the Japanese animated series "Shakugan no Shana Final".
• Aside from his obvious connection to the red lotus, Akise also seems to have a fondness of cherry blossoms, flower trees that are abundant in Japan. As stated in one of Akise's taunts, cherry blossoms are often associated with death and mortality due to their transience and relatively short lifetime. This taunt is also similar to Zyra's quote, "Death is in bloom."
• Akise's name is derived from the various meanings of the word "Aki". In Japanese, Aki means "sparkle" or bright", referencing the radiance of Akise's flames. Ki can also mean "hope", another one of Akise's themes.

Relations

• Karma acts as a mentor figure to Akise. As he was somewhat distant from his family since the death of his parents, she also acted as somewhat of a guardian and counselor during his childhood.
• Akise is close friends with Lee Sin, Master Yi, Soraka, and Yasuo. He also seems to deeply admire Irelia, which causes Karma as well as the four previously mentioned champions to joke that he has a crush on her.
• As a friend, fellow Ionian, and practitioner of archery, Akise wishes to steer Varus from the path of corruption. He sympathizes with Varus's pain, and feels that his current path may only lead to more destruction and sorrow.

I may decide to later add his league judgement, though I'm not entirely sure on it.

Update Log

October 14, 1014 Added backlash damage to Explosive Gale(W) Reworked Heart of the Lotus(R) Edited ability-casting quotes to reflect changes Added some extra content to the lore

October 18, 2014 Added playing tips Added animations Added suggested items Added quotes for death and respawning Added trivia and relations