User blog:Kagimizu/Toa, the Spectacular Inferno

My first blog like this, though I've created a few such posts on the League of Legends official forums.

History
None truly know where the mysterious yet extravagant Toa comes from, if that even is his true name. Some say he is a technological genius that hails from Piltover, using hextech equipment for his fiery feats. Others believe he is a masterful sorcerer, using his expertise in controlling flames to amaze and inspire the masses. Still others believe that he sold his soul to demonic beings for great infernal might. But regardless of his origins, the one thing everyone does know is that he is a performer above all else, and that he has accomplished what was previously thought impossible.

Toa was once a wandering performer, causing flames to dance and create and perform amazing feats for anyone who would watch his show before disappearing the next day, off to the next village or city. His travels took him within the borders of the city-state Noxus, where he found his displays to be much more divisive; he was just as likely to be cheered as he was to be chased off. This came to a head when during one performance, Noxian soldiers confronted and jeered at him. Toa responded in kind, heckling the soldiers and harassing the offenders with his flames before running rings around them as they attempted to arrest the jester. Toa overstayed his welcome however, and found that his fun came at a steep cost when he was surrounded by a small platoon of soldiers. The fiery performer was soon lead away in chains, soon to face severe consequences. The Noxian courts decided that since Toa enjoyed putting on a show, he would be given a punishment befitting a jester who would disrespect the Noxian military; a death delivered by none other than the Glorious Executioner himself, Draven.

When the day of the execution came, Toa was lead into the arena with a cheering crowd awaiting. However, they were not waiting for Toa himself, but for the bloody display of his execution by Draven. The exit to the stadium was left wide open as per Draven's usual routine, inviting prisoners to try and escape as Draven cut them down with his spinning axes. With a confident sneer Draven began his performance, expecting yet another corpse to be cut down. But to his and the entire crowd's surprise, what was going to be a standard execution became a spectacular display of steel and flames clashing against one another. What had once been simple light shows and harmless sparks was shown to be but one side of Toa's performance, the other being a fearsome display of fire and destruction. The two forms of fire were weaved together into a constant and confusing shower of light and flame, matching Draven's capabilities in their technical beauty and lethality as Toa danced among the flames. The battle went on without an apparent end in sight, neither performer capable of outdoing the other, neither capable of landing the final blow. Eventually though, Draven managed to corner Toa and prepared to give the pyrotechnic master his curtain call. But Toa was not so eager for a premature closure, and called upon the last of his strength to deliver a final terrifying show of fire, launching attack after attack to send the Glorious Executioner reeling in response. The climax came with a mighty explosion that finally defeated the Noxian warrior. Having earned his freedom, Toa gave the shocked crowd a cocky grin and a final bow before taking his leave in the wake of incoming soldiers. Draven could only grin as he saw his prey escape, a mixture of fury at his first failure and pride in finding a performer who could finally compete with him burning within him. But Draven was certain that there was only room for one in the spotlight, and that he and Toa would face another once again to decide the superior showman.

"Beauty and destruction are only two sides of the same fire. The discretion comes at the hand of its wielder." - Toa

Abilities
Toa has two forms he can take, which he can switch between through his Ultimate. His Ultimate is available at level 1 with one point already invested into it.

Passive: Fire Form
 * Toa weaves acrobatics and agility into his fiery performances. Dealing damage to an enemy champion with one of his spells grants Toa additional Movement Speed for a few seconds.

Q: Light Flare/Fireburst
 * Light Flare: Toa generates a flame on the ground at a target location that remains for several seconds, dealing damage over time to any minions, monsters, or champions that remain within range of the flame. The flame can be extinguished prematurely by recasting the skill or by striking it with Fireburst.
 * Fireburst: Toa throws a fireball as a linear pass through skillshot in a target direction. The fireball will deal damage to any enemy minions, monsters, or champions. If the spell is recast or the projectile reaches its maximum length, it will explode and deal additional AoE damage. If the projectile from Fireburst strikes the flame from Light Flare, the projectile explosion will be larger and additionally slow any enemies caught in the explosion.

W: Pyro Binding/Fire Arrow
 * Pyro Binding: Toa launches streams of flame at a target champion, dealing damage and chaining them for a few seconds. If the target champion remains chained for the duration, they are dealt additional damage and stunned. If there are any enemy champions marked with a Fire Arrow, Pyro Binding will automatically target any marked champions within range. If a chained enemy is marked with a Fire Arrow, the chain duration is significantly reduced and the additional damage is increased, consuming the mark afterwards.
 * Fire Arrow: Toa launches three projectiles of flame at a target enemy champion. If there are no additional enemy champions nearby, all three projectiles will strike the target champion, each additional projetile dealing reduced damage. If additional enemy champions are in the vicinity the other two projectiles will target the champions nearest the original target. An enemy champion struck by Fire Arrow are marked with a Fire Arrow, revealing them for a brief duration. If Toa strikes a marked enemy with any of his other spells, they are dealt additional damage and the mark is consumed.

E: Inferno Wall/Firebomb
 * Inferno Wall: Toa creates a circle of fire at a target location, which persists for a brief duration. Any enemies that walk through the circle are dealt damage over time and slowed.
 * Firebomb: Toa punches the ground and generates a powerful flame underneath his opponents, resulting in a delayed explosion that knocks any enemies upwards.

R: Mask of the Performer/Mask of the Warrior
 * Mask of the Performer: Toa prepares for direct confrontation, changing to his Mask of the Warrior. His next spell within a few seconds is granted additional Magic Penetration.
 * Mask of the Warrior: Toa prepares to put on a show, changing to his Mask of the Performer. His next spell within a few seconds will have an additional slowing effect.

Playstyle
Toa is designed to work on either spectrum of the Mage strategy, functioning as a sustained damage Mage with Crowd Control under his Mask of the Performer, or as a straightforward burst Mage with great power under his Mask of the Warrior. However, Toa truly shines when the two kits are combined, constantly interchanging between the two kits and stringing together spells to deal incredible damage and wreak havoc on the entire enemy team.

Event: Battle for the Spotlight
Draven and Toa battle to be the top performer, both knowing there can only be one celebrity center stage. The event activates if there is a Toa and a Draven on enemy teams and both reach level 6. If Toa outdoes Draven, Toa gains a buff that allows him to consume any stacks of Adoration Draven might have by killing him. If Draven manages to cut down Toa, Draven gains a buff which grants him temporary additional Movement Speed by attacking Toa with his spells.