(Champ Concept) Tal'ren/Aerelyth, the Void Symbiote
This is one of my first champion concepts that I came up with, back when gnar was just released. Most of this is copy pasted from my original post over on the old forums. As usual, a +1 and any feedback you have would be really appreciated. The above link is to the old forum post if you want to see that. She is a fighter/mage hybrid, which is my personal favorite amongst all champion archetypes. If you also like this kind of champion, then check out my most recent champion concept, Ferra the magnetism elemental here: http://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/skin-champion-concepts/pU37uvi8-champ-concept-ferra-the-magnetism-elemental .
Contents: Background. Lore. Appearance. Stats. Kit/Abilities. Quotes+Animations. Strategy. Pros/Cons. Final Analysis.
Background: Tal'ren is a Voidborn that acts as a parasite/symbiote and attaches itself to a host creature, in this case, a young sorceress named Aerelyth (AIR-uh-lith). Tal'ren then begins to form a body around his host (in a similar way to the character Venom from Spiderman), but Aerelyth managed to halt the process before she was completely taken over. Tal'ren is an anagram of Rental, because as a parasite, he is always in a "rental home" of sorts. Tal'ren and Aerelyth are together supposed to be a fighter/mage hybrid, something that is kind of hard to pull off successfully. Tal'ren's kit is based around his inability to maintain complete control of his host, and is slightly irregular to help keep things interesting, while still being regular enough to strategize around.
Lore: Journal: Expedition day 1. Today we left our families to begin our expedition into the Kumungu Jungle. I am excited and ready to burst with nervous magical energy! On our trip we are going to be studying a rare beast that secretes magical chemicals strong enough to turn a turtle into a squirrel. Journal: Expedition day 2. We arrived in the jungle today, but our party leaders seem to be confused. I think our guides are not here yet and they are deciding whether or not to move out without them. Journal: Expedition day 13. We really should have waited for our guides, we have been tramping around for almost two weeks and haven't seen anything. Today, the rest of our group is heading out to search...again... and today is my turn to watch the camp. Journal: Expedition day 13 again. I can't believe it! While they were all gone, I saw one of the beasts lumber into our camp, and i penned it into our observation tent! It seems just like they described, except that there is also a large, bluish-purple growth on it's back, and they aren't the chemicals that it secretes. —It has fallen over! It looks like they purple mass is sucking the life right out of it! Now the blob is coming off... is that an eye? Oh goodness, it just flew right at m— Journal: Expedition day unknown. I awoke today, and could not feel my right side. the group has obviously been gone for several days based on the state of the camp, everything is dirty and looks like it hasn't been cleaned in at least three days. I tried to get up, but I still couldn't feel my right side. I looked over, and could see my veins standing out purple against my normal skin color, then I remembered the blob. I felt along my back with my left hand and there, sure enough, was the mass of flesh. I shrieked a little as I realized that it had wrapped tendrils around my arm, side and back, which explained why I couldn't move, but I nearly fainted when it spoke into my my mind: "Mmm, your energies please me" it said, and then it took control and I blacked out. Journal: Expedition day 24. The rest of the group apparently returned that last day I was awake, only to find I, or it, had wrecked our campsite and made me ingest every magical substance available, presumably to feed itself. Luckily it had also eaten a stun potion, and when the others returned, they found me lying there with the animal attached almost completely to my right side. Our chief mage then hastily cast a binding spell on the monstrosity which restrained it from overwhelming more of my body, so that they could transport me to safety where they could determine how to extricate me from its grasp. until then, however, I am cursed with only brief windows of consciousness between times when it gains control.
Appearance: Aerelyth is a very pretty young Sorceress, roughly 23-24 years old, with dark black hair and pale skin. Tal'ren controls her right side, and has covered her in a web of parasitical tendrils, enhancing her strength and power on that side considerably. Her lower right arm and her whole right leg have been encased in a chitinous shell like an insects exoskeleton, and her dress is torn badly on the side where he has made his home, revealing the musculature that he has created over top of her. Tal'ren even shares half of her face, one side being her original beautiful face, the other an alien monstrosity with 4 small eyes and an extra wide, grimacing mouth. (I will add concept art if there is any interest in this thread)
Stats: (Sorry, but the stats apparently didn't stay saved on the old post, I will put them in once I figure out what they where!)
Kit/Abilities: Passive, Dual Consciousness: Tal'ren gains +20% of his armor and MR as bonus armor and MR (does not stack with itself). Every 15 spell casts, Aerelyth regains control of her body for 7 seconds or 5 spell casts (whichever is shorter), losing Tal'ren's passive bonuses, while gaining +20% AP and causing all of their abilities to have altered affects. Aerelyth cannot basic attack, but her abilities have 50% of their base cool down reduced on cast. While Aerelyth is in control, Tal'ren fights viscously to regain dominance, meaning that while each spell cast during this time has no mana cost, they instead cost 5/4/3% of their max health. Their ultimate is unaffected by this passive, not counting as a spell cast for the 5 cast limit, and will have the same function and cool down regardless of whether Tal'ren or Aerelyth is in control (although Aerelyth's bonus AP will effect its damage). If Tal'ren does not cast a spell for 45 seconds, his spell stack count will revert to 0.
Q, Void Siphon/Vitality Strike: Tal'ren slashes target enemy, siphoning their energy to deal magic damage and heal himself for a percentage of the damage dealt (range: 250). Damage: 80/135/190/245/300 (+40% AP). Heal percentage: 30/35/40/45/50% of damage dealt. When Aerelyth is in control, she blasts target enemy dealing magic damage and applying Grevous Wounds to the target for 5 seconds (reduces healing by 50%), (range: 250). Damage (scales with champion level): 20/30/40/50/60/70/80/90/100/110/120/130/140/150/160/170/180/190/200 (+80% AP). 10 second cool down, 50/60/70/80/90 mana.
W, Venomous Cloud/Dispelling Aura: Tal'ren gains increased MR and healing while releasing a poisonous cloud of venom in a point blank 200 radius area for a short duration. MR: +40. Healing: +25%. Damage per second: 40 (+10% AP). Duration: 3/4/5/6/7 seconds. When Aerelyth is in control, she deals magic damage in a point blank 200 radius area, slowing all enemies hit for 2 seconds . She further reduces the cool down by 1 seconds per enemy champion hit. Damage: 40/51/62/73/84/95/106/117/128/139/150/161/172/183/194/205/216/227/238 (+60% AP). Slow (decays over duration): 30/40/50/60/70%. 16 second cool down, 55/60/65/70/75 mana.
E, Parasitic Lash/Phase Transfer: Tal'ren lashes out tendrils from his arm in an 850 unit line (missile speed 1700, Missile width 60), dealing magic damage and snaring the first enemy unit hit, afterwards pulling himself to target unit's location. Damage: 50/80/110/140/170 (+9/11/13/15/17% of target's current health (max 300 bonus damage to monsters)). Snare: 1/1.25/1.5/1.75/2 seconds (target is additionally stunned for the .5 second time in which Tal'ren pulls himself to them). When Aerelyth is in control, she instead fires an 850 range linear skillshot (missile speed 2550, missile width 30), that deals magic damage and explodes in a 100 unit radius area after reaching max range or hitting an enemy unit. Additionally, leaves a phase beacon at point of impact that Aerelyth can teleport to within 3 seconds by reactivating this ability. Damage: 10/18/26/34/42/50/58/66/74/82/90/98/106/114/122/130/138/146/154 (+10% of targets missing health (+(4% AP)%), max 300 bonus damage to monsters). 22/20/18/16/14 second cool down, 80 mana.
R, Symbiosis: Tal'ren and Aerelyth temporarily reach a point of perfect symbiosis, knocking back and damaging nearby enemies in a small radius before gaining access to the strongest aspects of both of their ability sets for a short duration. Abilities cast during this time have no health cost and have 50% reduced base cool down and mana cost. Knockback damage: 100/200/300 (+50% AP), 300 range. Duration: 10/15/20 seconds. Cool down does not begin until Symbiosis ends. 120/110/100 second cool down, 100 mana.
Quotes/Animations: On selection, either: This body is pleasing. or: I can break free eventually! Movement, Tal'ren: They will not recognize my form. I have achieved greater. Oh this limp! They consume life, I "wear" life. Her legs are too short. Movement, Aerelyth: I am still so numb. His stride is...fascinating... I can only do so much. He will soon return. I wish I had my other leg back! Attack, Tal'ren: Her magic has made me strong! The void knows only those who survive. Her frame is weak, but I have "enhanced" it. Kumungu has scarier monsters than this! Taste my claws, I'll taste you! Passive trigger, Aerelyth: Finally! I'm not late, am I? I'm awake! oh, this... Passive revert, Tal'ren My turn! I'm BAAACK! Oh, I'm stiff... Q, Tal'ren: Delectable... Not satisfied yet... Energizing... Q, Aerelyth: This'll show you real magic! He only borrowed my talents! You shouldn't leave your health around like that. (More to be added as I think of them.)
Strategy: Tal'ren and Aerelyth function around times of tanky damage soaking and sudden bursts of high magic damage. A key aspect of surviving lane is planning your moments when you gain control of Aerelyth's alternate skills, because if you are unprepared and either low health or in the middle of a bad trade when you switch, you will become even weaker. Try to poke out your opponent with spells so that when you switch you can gain enough burst to kill them in one rotation of spells because if you cannot, the basic attack silence applied to Aerelyth will prevent you from dealing extra damage that way, and the fewer spells you have to cast the less % hp you will expend. Later in the game as you build more items and CDR, you will have to be careful not to simply spam your spells at opponents, or else you will trigger your passive regularly, resulting either in periods of not dealing damage, or persistently draining your own health. Tal'ren's Q deals heavy base damage, and as his main sustain spell, should usually be leveled first. Aerelyth's spells scale with champion level, so you do not have to decide which of her spells you would want access to. Aerelyth's Q is great for helping burst champions focused on sustain, such as Mundo or Maokai. Tal'ren's W is excellent for increasing his DPS in a team fight while boosting his survivability. Aerelyth's W is supposed to help lock down champions in an area, keeping them in range for her Q and possibly their Ult. Tal'ren's E acts as his primary engage tool and allows him to rapidly lock up a champion to combo with his and Aerelyth's abilities. Aerelyth's E is supposed to either help her engage or let her make sneaky escapes, but its escape potential is limited by the fact that hitting a unit with it will drop the beacon there instead of max range, meaning that she will not simply have a free escape if over extended past her creep wave. Their Ult is designed to allow them together to jump into a fight and dish out high damage to a whole team, be careful not to waste it because it is the most powerful ability in her kit by a long shot since it strengthens every other aspect of her gameplay. Tal'ren excels at initiation and self sustain, while Aerelyth is comparatively squishy. She is good at cleaning up fights that Tal'ren starts with her strong slow and high % missing health execute damage, but must manage using it as an escape or a chase tool, or simply tacking it on for the extra burst.
Pros: Tal'ren becomes very tanky because of his passive. Aerelyth has huge burst potential. They have strong utility because of the varied functions of their abilities. They scale well into late game. They can fill a variety of roles (Mid, Top, Jungle). High sustain when Tal'ren
Cons: Passive trigger can be difficult to manage. Separately there kits have multiple weaknesses. Tal'ren has long cool downs. Aerelyth's abilities can bring you low on health quickly if not managed. Must build tanky to survive. Low range on most abilities.
