Talon Champion Spotlight

Talon, the Blade's Shadow
Talon's earliest memories are the darkness of Noxus' underground passages and the reassuring steel of a blade. He has no memory of family, warmth, or kindness. Instead, the clink of stolen gold and the security of a wall at his back are all the kinship he has ever craved. Kept alive only by his quick wits and deft thievery, Talon scraped out a living in the seedy underbelly of Noxus. His incredible skills with the blade earned him great notoriety. Various guilds sent assassins against him with a demand: join their ranks or be killed. His response was to leave the bodies of his pursuers stuffed in a dark corner or dumped in Noxus' moat. Having lived on the streets, Talon knew better than to waste - he claimed a blade from every failed attempt on his life, gathering a seemingly endless collection of weaponry.

The assassination attempts grew increasingly dangerous until one assailant met Talon blade-for-blade in a match of strength. To his astonishment, Talon was disarmed. He was facing down his executioner's sword when the assassin revealed himself to be General Du Couteau. The General offered Talon the standard of life that befitted an agent of the Noxian High Command in exchange for his allegiance. Talon accepted on the condition that his service was to Du Couteau alone, for the only type of orders he could respect were from one he could not defeat. Talon remained in the shadows, carrying out assassinations on Du Couteau's orders until the day that the general disappeared. Talon's suspicions led him to the doors of the Institute of War, where he joined the League of Legends in order to find the parties responsible for Du Couteau's disappearance.

"The three deadliest blademasters in all of Valoran are bound to the house of Du Couteau: my father, myself, and Talon." - Katarina Du Couteau

Damage 50 (+ 3.1 / per level) Health 440 (+ 85 / per level) Mana 360 (+ 40 / per level) Move speed 325 (+0 / per level) Armor 15 (+ 3.5 / per level) Spell Block 30 (+ 1.25 / per level) Health Regen 9.5 (+ 0.75 / per level) Mana Regen 10 (+ 0.5 / per level)

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Skarner Champion Spotlight

Skarner, the Crystal Vanguard
Centuries ago, there lived a race of creatures as ferocious as they were wise. The brackern were unusual beings blessed with the earth's primal magic, embodied in the form of crystals. Their kind knew of an arcane ritual to bind their life's essence to a crystal, communing with the magic embedded in it. With this power, the brackern thrived in the Odyn Valley, protecting both creatures and crystals alike. Despite attacks from those looking to claim the primal magic, it seemed that nothing could get past the brackern's defenses. Nothing, that is, until the devastation of a Rune War.

A vicious battle was fought near the Odyn Valley and the unleashed chaotic magic poisoned the crystals. The brackern began to grow sick and die, and no amount of defensive magic could reverse the effects. To avoid extinction, their only course was to hibernate underground until the wars stopped. The strongest, most intelligent brackern hibernated closer to the surface to awaken first and assess the world's condition for the return of their race. The recent mining operations and violent escalation in Kalamanda were enough to awaken the first of these vanguards. When Skarner burst to the surface, he lashed out in anger and confusion. Reason eventually won out over his anger when he realized that the agents of the League who found him were simply functionaries. Skarner was invited to the Institute of War to share the brackern's story. In return, the summoners told him about the history that his kind had slept through. Much had been done to curb the unchecked use of magic since the Rune Wars, but it was obvious that the world was not yet safe for his kind to reawaken. For now, however, there is a place where Skarner can use his power to change the world into one to which his kind could eventually return: the League of Legends.

"The humans have not yet learned to control their magic - what once was Kalamanda is now a crystal scar on the history of this world." - Skarner

Damage 54.1 (+ 4.2 / per level) Health 440 (+ 96 / per level) Mana 205 (+ 40 / per level) Move speed 320 (+0 / per level) Armor 19 (+ 3.8 / per level) Spell Block 30 (+ 1.25 / per level) Health Regen 7.5 (+ 0.85 / per level) Mana Regen 6.45 (+ 0.45 / per level)

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Wukong Champion Spotlight

Wukong, the Monkey King
In the Plague Jungles, Kong ruled as king. He could wield a unique, natural form of magic and he was driven by zealous ambition. The Plague Jungles were the ideal setting for fostering his growth - he thrived on challenges and flourished in adversity. However, when he had surmounted every obstacle and defeated every opponent, he grew restless. Worried that there was nothing left to overcome, he sought counsel with the monkey sage who lived behind the Grand Waterfall. The sage told him a tale of hairless monkeys to the north who, with wits and strength, bent the world to their will. Kong was overjoyed at the prospect of such worthy competition, and he immediately set out to the north, hoping that the sage's story was true.

Traveling north, he crossed the Southern Wastes and then the Great Barrier. Unaware of the League, he arrived outside the Institute of War where he found Master Yi in meditation. Kong was eager to test the strength of these northern warriors, so he challenged Yi to a duel. Intrigued by Kong, Yi decided to humor him. Within moments of his first strike, Kong knew he was no match for Yi. To be the best, he would need a mentor. He asked Yi to take him as a pupil and to show him the wonders of the northern lands. In return, he would honor Yi by becoming the greatest warrior Runeterra had ever seen. Admiring his passion, Yi agreed, but only under the condition that Kong would one day teach the lessons of Wuju to a pupil of his own. In the spirit of this agreement, he renamed Kong Wukong, and gave him a weapon suited to his unusual nature - an enchanted staff that the young Doran had crafted. The weapon was an unrivalled masterpiece. After rigorous training, Wukong joined the League of Legends to fulfill his promise and show the world the true power of Wuju.

"The first step to wisdom and greatness is realizing how little you know." - The first lesson of Master Yi

Damage 54 (+ 3.2 / per level) Health 435 (+ 85 / per level) Mana 202 (+ 38 / per level) Move speed 320 (+0 / per level) Armor 15 (+ 3.5 / per level) Spell Block 30 (+ 1.25 / per level) Health Regen 5.1 (+ 0.65 / per level) Mana Regen 6.9 (+ 0.65 / per level)

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Leona Champion Spotlight

Leona, the Radiant Dawn
On the upper slopes of Mount Targon, the warriors of Rakkor live and breathe only for war. However, Targon's peak is reserved for a special group of Rakkoran who answer to a ''higher'' calling. Members of this group, called the Solari, retire their mantles of war, choosing instead to devote their lives to reverence of the sun. According to legend, the Solari were formed by a warrior who could call the raw might of the sun down upon his enemies in combat. He claimed Mount Targon's summit, the point on Valoran closest to the sun, for his solar devotion, a tradition which generations of Solari have preserved to this day. Though they maintain their reverence, no other warrior possessed the gifts of the founder -- until Leona.

Leona's parents were traditional Rakkorans, both bred for the heat of battle. To them, Leona was a problem child. She was capable of fighting as fiercely as any other -- including her childhood friend, Pantheon -- but she did not share their zeal for killing. She believed that the true worth of a soldier lay in her ability to defend and protect. When it came time for her Rite of Kor, a ceremony in which two Rakkoran teens battle to the death for the right to bear a relic-weapon, Leona refused to fight. For this, the Rakkoran leaders ordered her execution, but when they tried to strike the fatal blow, sunlight burst forth, bathing Mount Targon in light. As it faded, Leona stood unharmed and her executioners lay unconscious around her. The Solari immediately claimed Leona, demanding that her sentence be repealed. She donned the golden armor of the Solari and they bestowed upon her the sword and shield passed down from the ancient sun-warrior of legend. The Solari helped Leona focus her abilities, and when she was ready she left to join the League of Legends.

"The sun's rays reach all of Runeterra, so too must the image of its champion." - Leona

Damage 55 (+ 3 / per level) Health 430 (+ 87 / per level) Mana 235 (+ 40 / per level) Move speed 310 (+0 / per level) Armor 18 (+ 3.1 / per level) Spell Block 30 (+0 / per level) Health Regen 9 (+ 0.85 / per level) Mana Regen 7 (+ 0.7 / per level)

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Yorick Champion Spotlight

Yorick, the Gravedigger
The work of gravediggers is essential amongst the living, but invaluable in the Shadow Isles. There are many shades of death there, and each is embraced rather than feared or reviled. One can only ascend from one state to the next with the magical aid of a skilled professional. At the end of the first Rune War, Yorick Mori made his living as a gravedigger. His family owned and maintained the Final Rest Memorial, one of the oldest cemeteries in Valoran. The shovel he employed for his work had been passed down for generations. Each gravedigger taught his son that this shovel was imbued with the spirit of every forefather, and that those spirits would protect him during the long lonely nights amongst the tombstones. To his eternal regret, Yorick died without an heir, bringing the proud Mori line to a close. His body was interred with his shovel in the family mausoleum, and the Final Rest Memorial soon fell to ruin. Death, however, was not the end Yorick had expected.

Yorick emerged on the haunted shores of the Shadow Isles - not quite dead, definitely not alive - still clutching his beloved shovel. He soon learned that with it he could act as a ferryman for the Isles' undead denizens, helping them climb death's many-tiered ladder. This proved a curse, as a gravedigger must ''bury his quota'' before he too can ascend, or so the legend goes. No one knows what ''his quota'' is. Yorick dug tirelessly, waiting in vain for the day when he would be freed of his burden. As decades turned to centuries, the shame of his failures came to a head. He returned to Valoran to find his corpse, convinced that salvation might be buried with it. When he arrived, no trace remained of either the mausoleum or the memorial. Hope nearly lost, he discovered the League of Legends, and there saw an opportunity to immortalize the family name he allowed to be forgotten ages ago.

"Die first, then we'll talk." - Yorick

Damage 55 (+ 3.5 / per level) Health 501 (+ 85 / per level) Mana 265 (+ 35 / per level) Move speed 320 (+0 / per level) Armor 18 (+ 3.6 / per level) Spell Block 31 (+ 1.25 / per level) Health Regen 8 (+ 0.7 / per level) Mana Regen 6.5 (+ 0.45 / per level)

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