Cypher, the Wounded
The dagger, elegantly etched with a language long forgotten, curved its way into Cypher's chest. The tip found his heart true, and pierced it. With a sudden embrace of agony, Cypher coughed and choked on his pain, before dropping to one knee, hand clutching the blade. The blade hummed in a faint tone, energy seeping from the archaic runes and cryptic language. Cypher spent his life in search of ancient languages and studying their meaning. Finding powerful spells and runes on occasion only pushed him deeper into the past, transcribing these languages and finding more power than he imagined.
The dagger held such a rune, a rune that the legendary Cypher could not interpret. A rune, that will be his last.
Or so he thought. The man behind the dagger released his hold, leaving it embedded in Cypher's chest. The blade was not hilt deep, but the blood rushed to cover any remaining silver and dripped into the cracks of the engravings. As the man stood, he began unwinding the scroll on his back. With a short step back, he glared at Cypher before condemning him. "You, who seek these forbidden runes, be cast away. Retain your life, as a lesson for those, but bear your pain, as a teaching for you." The man was suddenly cloaked in a bright blue magick, causing Cypher to squint. The unnamed man gently touched the pommel , causing the blade to ever so slightly shimmer as the end set itself deeper into Cypher's heart. In a sudden flash, the magick faded, seemingly absorbed by the blade. Cyphers bleeding was quelled and his skin wrapped around the new device, healed.
Cypher exhaled. His breath was short and the pain was long. He slowly rose to his feet, before locking eyes with the man who sealed his fate. "What did you do to me?" he choked out. "You meddled to closely to my affairs, and understand too much of this worlds past. To be killed is cruel, to be silenced, crueler. And now you are both, dying and silenced, to paint the portrait of whats to come should those who seek venture or study cross the dangerous path of realm magics." Cypher coughed which sent a shrill through his chest. Wincing, he replied, "Who are you to guard these studies? What right do you have to invoke wrath unto those who wish to claim their knowledge?!" The man stepped back and bowed, beginning the blue glow again. He remained silent. "TELL ME! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" As the last of his words sputtered out, the man vanished, leaving Cypher with the gift he struggled to receive, and the gift he never wanted.
Cypher put a hand to the hilt, and gave it a slight tug. Blue energy burst from his heart with a penetrating glow, and Cypher fell to his knees. Cypher then knew, he was locked in time. He was locked in the moment the blade pierced his heart. His heart was not beating, and he was not aging.
He was newly undying, but forever in death.
CYPHER, THE WOUNDED. A SCHOLAR FAMED FOR HIS STUDIES, AND LEFT HELPLESS BEFORE A RUNE HE CANNOT TRANSLATE.
**Hello everyone, Ive been entertaining an idea for some time and would like to bring it to life! Please, if anyone has an ability or something to add let me know! I had the idea for a character but not so much for the character design. I found the concept of an oxymoron fascinating and hope many of you will too! Lets get to it! ** Cypher's story goes on: https://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/skin-champion-concepts/ZRq94rEr-time-and-its-child
CYPHER THE WOUNDED Cypher uses the magic inside the blade to cast all spells. He is, consequentially, resourceless.
Passive: Cypher is permanently mortally wounded. Cyphers abilities do damage based on his missing health. Cypher can not have or gain health regen. Cypher's health is depleted 0.4% max health every second (adjustable, .4% would be 100-0 in 250 seconds, or just over 4 minutes. This also doesn't begin until 60 seconds) At 15% health, time slows for Cypher. His health degeneration is stalled, and he is slowed by 15%
Q ability: Echoing Silence Cooldown: 10 seconds Cypher recalls his 3rd favorite rune. A short range shock wave (think Vlad E, but piercing) is emitted from his model. All champions hit recast this ability from their location once. Any enemy champion hit by the initial shock wave or its echo take 50/90/130/170/210 ([+20%AP] [+1% dmg for every 3% missing HP]) and are silenced for .75 seconds. Enemies can only be hit by this ability twice, refreshing the silence. Cypher can be hit by this ability, silencing him for .25 seconds, but dealing no damage.
W ability: Frozen Embers Cooldown: 15 seconds Cypher recalls his 2nd favorite rune. He targets an area, then strips it of all energy. Anything caught in the initial burst is dealt 10/30/50/70/90 damage ([+20% AP] [+1% for every 5% missing health]) and heals Cypher for 4% his max health (halved for minions). The drained area is then lit alight with frozen flames for 5 seconds, slowing everything in it (30%) and dealing .5/1/1.5/2/2.5% (+1% for every 10% missing health) max health magic damage every second. Cypher heals for all damage dealt to champions.
E ability: Time/Space Cooldown: 20 Cypher recalls his favorite rune. He contorts space around him, giving him a spell shield. The shield is destroyed after 4 seconds, or after Cypher is struck with an enemies ability. Cypher reverses time after the ability strikes him, healing him for 10/20/30/40/50% of the abilities damage (+1% for every 30AP [+1% for every 3% missing HP]) Cypher can destroy his own shield with Echoing Silence, mitigating the silence and healing him for 20% of his missing health.
R ability: Living Death Cooldown: 140 Cypher recalls his hated rune, etched onto the blade. Unsure of its power, he activates it, twisting the knife into his chest. For the next 5 seconds, he is depleted to 15% Health, and gains 100/200/300 Armor and MR (could be replaced with dmg reduction). 100% (+1% for every 10 AP) of the ability damage that Cypher inflicts is turned into Health. At the end of the 5 seconds he explodes with chaotic energy, dealing damage based on the health he gained, plus 10/15/20% of the health he depleted at cast. Can be ended after 2 seconds.
Balancing issues. Balancing may be easy, or nigh impossible. Having a high healing, high damage champion is hard to balance, but with his constant DEGEN, it assures that Cypher will play a very aggressive play style. Because of this, he places himself in the wake of misplays and mispositioning, which can be capitalized by his enemies. Cypher has no mobility and only moderate CC. He relies on constant, free casting and playmaking to regain health. At 15% health he is his strongest, but is slowed due to his wounds.
