Fiora/Background

"I have come to kill you for the sake of honor. And though you possess none, still you die."

The most feared duelist in all Valoran, Fiora is as renowned for her brusque manner and cunning mind as she is for the speed of her bluesteel rapier. Born to House Laurent in the Kingdom of Demacia, Fiora took control of the family from her father in the wake of a scandal that nearly destroyed them. House Laurent's reputation was sundered, but Fiora bends her every effort to restore her family's honor and return them to their rightful place among the great and good of Demacia.

Lore
Main=

From an early age, Fiora defied every expectation placed upon her. Her mother had the finest craftsmen of Demacia fashion the most lifelike dolls for her. Fiora gave them to her maids and took up her brother's rapier, forcing him to give her lessons in secret. Her father obtained a host of dressmaking mannequins for her personal seamstress to craft wondrous dresses. Fiora used them to practice lunges and ripostes.

At every stage in her life, Fiora has embodied all that is noble in Demacia, striving for perfection in all things and brooking no insult to her honor or that of her family's ideals. As the youngest daughter of House Laurent, she was destined for a life as a political pawn, to be married off in the grand game of alliances between patrician houses. This did not sit well with Fiora, whose temperament saw only dishonor in being maneuvered by another's will, even that of her beloved father. Despite her resistance, a politically advantageous marriage was arranged with an outlying branch of House Crownguard, and plans were set for a summer wedding.

The ancient families of Demacia sent their invited representatives to House Laurent to attend the marriage ceremony, but instead of meekly accepting her fate, Fiora defied it. She declared before the assembled host that she would sooner die than be dishonored by allowing someone else to control her fate. Her husband-to-be was publicly shamed and his family demanded a duel to the death to wipe away Fiora's scandalous insult.

Fiora immediately stepped forward, but as Master of House Laurent, it was her father's duty to accept. The champion of House Crownguard was a truly deadly warrior, and defeat was almost certain. To lose would see House Laurent ruined and his daughter exiled in disgrace. Presented with so stark a choice, Fiora's father made a decision that would damn his family for years to come. That night, he attempted to drug his opponent with a draught to rob his blows of speed, but his attempt was discovered and the Master of House Laurent was arrested.

Demacian law is notoriously harsh and unforgiving. Its justice allows no leeway, and Fiora's father had broken its most fundamental code of honor. He would suffer public humiliation upon the executioner's scaffold, hanged like a common criminal, and his entire family expelled from Demacia. On the eve of his death, Fiora visited her father's cell, but what passed between them is a secret known only to her.

An ancient and all but forgotten code of honor allowed for a family member to expunge the shame of one of its number in blood, and thus avoid the virtual death-sentence of exile. Knowing they had no choice, father and daughter faced each other within the Hall of Blades. Justice would not be served by a mere slaying, Fiora's father had to fight and be fought. The battle was blindingly swift, a dance of blades so exquisite that those who witnessed it would never forget what they had seen. Fiora's father was a fine swordsman in his own right, but he was no match for his daughter. They said farewell in every clash of the blade, but in the end a tearful Fiora buried her rapier in her father's heart and assured her family's continued place in Demacia. With her father dead at her feet, Fiora became the head of House Laurent (much to the surprise of her older brothers...).

Though the honor of House Laurent was not entirely ruined, scandals are not easily erased. In the years that followed, Fiora proved a sagacious leader of her House and swiftly learned not to make the mistakes of brash youth. She became a formidable mistress of blade and negotiation, cutting to the heart of any matter with her customary clarity and seemingly cruel directness. Some still speak of her House's disgrace or decry how standards have fallen that a woman should dare call herself ruler of a noble House, but only in private. For when such gossip reaches Fiora's ear, she is quick to call out those rumormongers and demand justice on the edge of a sword. Yet even here, she is not without pragmatic cunning, offering each challenger a way out that will allow honor to be satisfied without death. So far, none have accepted her offers, and none have ever walked away from a duel with Fiora.

With the fortunes of House Laurent on the rise, Fiora has no shortage of suitors, but none have yet proven worthy of her hand. Many suspect Fiora herself puts every suitor through an impossible gauntlet of courtship in order to remain aloof and unmarried, for a wife would, traditionally, relinquish power to her husband.

And Fiora has never done anything traditionally.

''The man Fiora was going to kill was named Umberto. He had the look of a man very sure of himself. She watched him talking to four men, so alike they must surely be his brothers. The five of them were cocksure and preening, as though it was beneath their dignity to even present themselves in the Hall of Blades in answer to her challenge.''

''Dawn's light cast angled spars of light through the lancet windows, and the pale marble shimmered with the reflections of those who had come to see a life ended. They lined the edges of the hall by the score, members of both Houses, lackeys, gawkers and some simply with unhealthy appetites to see bloodshed.''

''“My lady,” said Ammdar, her second older brother, handing her a mid-length rapier with a bluesteel blade upon which light moved like oil. “Are you sure about this?”''

''“Of course,” replied Fiora. “You heard the tales Umberto and his braggart brothers were spreading in the Commercia?”''

''“I did,” confirmed Ammdar. “But is that worth his death?”''

“If I let one braggart slide, then others will think themselves free to wag their tongues,” said Fiora.

''Ammdar nodded, and stepped back. “Then do what you must.”''

''Fiora stepped forward, rolling her shoulders and sweeping her blade twice through the air – a sign the duel was about to begin. Umberto turned as one his brothers nudged him in the ribs, and anger touched Fiora as she saw his frank appraisal of her physique, an appraisal that lingered far too long below her neck. He drew his own weapon, a long, beautifully curved Demacian cavalry saber with golden quillons and a sapphire inset on the pommel. A poseur's weapon and one entirely unsuited to the requirements of a duel.''

''Umberto stepped up to his duelists' mark and repeated the sword movements she had made. He bowed to her and winked. Fiora felt her jaw tighten, but clamped down on her dislike. Emotion had no place in a duel. It clouded swordplay and had seen many a great swordsman slain by a lesser opponent.''

''They circled one another, making the prescribed movements of foot and blade like dance partners at the first notes of a waltz. The movements were to ensure that both participants in the duel were aware of the significance of what they were soon to attempt.''

''The rituals of the duel were important. They, like The Measured Tread, were designed to allow civilized folk to maintain the illusion of nobility in killing. Fiora knew they were good laws, just laws, but that didn't take away from the fact that she was about to kill the man before her. And because Fiora believed in these laws, she had to make her offer.''

“Good sir, I am Fiora of House Laurent,” she said.

“Save it for your grave-marker,” snapped Umberto.

''She ignored his puerile attempt to rile her and said, “It has come to my attention that you did injure the good name of House Laurent in an unjust and dishonorable manner by the indulgence and spreading of malicious falsehoods in regards to the legitimacy of my lineage. Therefore it is my right to challenge you to a duel and restore the honor of my House in your blood.”''

''“I already know this,” said Umberto, playing to the crowd. “I'm here aren't I?”''

''“You have come to your death,” promised Fiora. “Unless you choose not to fight by giving me satisfaction for your offense.”''

“How might I give milady satisfaction?” asked Umberto.

“Given the nature of your offense, submit to having your right ear severed from your head.”

''“What? Are you mad, woman?”''

''“It's that or I kill you,” said Fiora, as though they were discussing the weather. “You know how this duel will end. There is no loss of face in yielding.”''

''“Of course there is,” said Umberto, and Fiora saw he still thought he could win. Like everyone else, he underestimated her.''

''“All here know my skill with a blade, so choose to live and wear your wound as a badge of honor. Or choose death, and be food for crows by midmorning.”''

''Fiora raised her blade. “But choose now.”''

''His anger at what he assumed was her arrogance overcame his fear and he stamped forward, the tip of his sword thrusting for her heart. Fiora had read the attack before it was launched and made a quarter turn to the left, letting the curved blade cut only air. Her own blade swept up, then down in a precise, diagonal arc. The crowd gasped at the wet spatter of blood on stone and the shocking suddenness of the duel's ending.''

''Fiora turned as Umberto's sword clattered to the granite flagstones. He fell to his knees, then slumped back onto his haunches, hands clutched to his opened throat from which blood pumped enthusiastically.''

''She bowed to Umberto, but his eyes were already glassy and unseeing with impending death. Fiora took no pleasure in such a slaying, but the fool had left her little choice. Umberto's brothers came forward to collect the corpse, and she felt their shock at their brother’s defeat.''

''“How many is that?” asked Ammdar, coming forward to collect her sword. “Fifteen? Twenty?”''

''“Thirty,” said Fiora. “Or maybe more. They all look the same to me now.”''

“There will be more,” promised her brother.

''“So be it,” answered Fiora. “But every death restores our family honor. Every death brings redemption closer.”''

“Redemption for whom?” asked Ammdar.

But Fiora did not answer.

Quotes

 * Upon Selection

Classic=


 * Attacking


 * Movement

Fiora draws in the air with her sword.
 * Joke


 * Taunt


 * Laugh


 * Upon using

PROJECT=
 * Upon a successful parry


 * Attacking


 * Movement

Fiora draws in the air with her sword.
 * Joke


 * Taunt


 * Laugh


 * Upon using


 * Upon a successful parry

Development
 was designed by Volty.

Champion Sneak Peek
By NeeksNaman

"Wherever your travels might take you here in Valoran, it's important to learn a little bit about the local color. Take Demacia, for instance. While it might be picturesque, you might find it useful to learn they're famous for their dueling culture before you pencil any indignant remarks or uncouth villainy onto your vacation itinerary.

''Fiora, the Grand Duelist, has even made quite the name for herself by dealing with any scramp, scoundrel, miscreant, rogue, scalawag or rapscallion she runs across according to this time-honored Demacian tradition. If you happen to run into each other, it's probably best you keep your temper level if you don't want to find yourself staring down her sword point!''

Fiora, The Grand Duelist, Revealed
By NeeksNaman

"It's been quite a while since we've had the opportunity to explore the design space of a true melee carry in League of Legends. Fiora, the Grand Duelist, is our first all-out take on this type of champion since our initial launch, and our new addition to this role has let us really focus on a particular aspect: speed.

''Not content to leave melee to the guys with oversized weapons, Fiora makes up for it in raw agility and lightning speed, using a fencer's grace to shred opponents apart and keep herself in the fight. One way she utilizes this is by parrying her enemy's attacks if she times it right. Parrying returns damages in the same swipe, making enemies think twice before directing attacks at her.''

''A melee carry must consider how to engage a fight, such as when to attack and how to stay on important targets with stuns, slows and snares flying around the battlefield. Fiora doesn't deal with these by being immune to crowd control, or being too stubborn to lose the last bit of health - that would be uncouth. Instead, her Blade Waltz moves her from target to target at light speed, making her so fast that no spell or weapon can lay a hand on her during its duration. Popping Blade Waltz early will give Fiora some additional up-front burst, but will leave her vulnerable to burst damage and counter attacks. This "de-aggro" timing is an important choice that can result in either a swift death or a Pentakill.''

''While all carries have a boost to help their auto attacks get the job done, Burst of Speed has a high effect, very short duration, and a moderate cooldown. To compensate this higher opportunity cost, it refreshes when Fiora runs an enemy through. This not only makes Fiora players consider their timing as when to use this powerful buff, but her enemies can also deny her the opportunity by saving their escapes and disables for when this is up, suppressing her massive damage increase.''

''Being a melee carry is no longer a boy's club - Fiora adds grace, class and a rapier wit to the group. While she may not be as large or overbearing as her contemporaries, underestimating her is an often fatal mistake."''

Champion Update (Visual & Gameplay) : Fiora
BY FIZZNCHIPS

"Compared to a few of our recent updates, we launched Fiora pretty darn recently. Still, she’s one of them tricksy melee marksmen/fighter types who was supposed to be a fleet-footed fencing duelist, but who, once she had a few items, could just lunge up to the other team’s squishies and smack ‘em for a quick and easy - and unstoppable - kill. That was her single gear, really, and because Fiora was only good at killing, when she didn't have the damage to do her single job, she couldn’t do much of anything.

''Changes were needed, so we added in non-damaging tools to help Fiora and her team, then balanced that out by reducing some of the undodgeable killing power in her kit. She’s still all about outplaying her opponents, but now has the tools she needs to play from behind or help her team out in ways that don’t involve straight up slaughter. Voila, or whatever. Here’s her new kit:'' Passive= ''Fiora identifies the weak spots - or vitals - in the defenses of all enemy champions she comes close to. If she manages to attack her enemy’s weak spot, Fiora deals extra true damage for that attack while gaining a small heal and short boost of speed. Fiora reveals a new weak spot whenever she attacks one, or when a moderate period of time passes without it being attacked.''
 * Duelist's Dance

Q= ''Fiora lunges in a target direction before striking a nearby enemy, dealing damage and applying on-hit effects. Lunge prioritizes enemy champions, and tries to hit enemy weak spots. Finally, some of Lunge’s cooldown is refreshed when the ability strikes an enemy.''
 * Lunge

W= ''Fiora enters a defensive stance, parrying all damage and hard crowd control abilities for a fraction of a second. After she’s done parrying, Fiora attacks in a target direction, damaging and briefly slowing the first enemy champion she strikes. If she parries any hard crowd control abilities, Riposte stuns instead of slows.''
 * Riposte

E= ''Fiora gains increased attack speed on her next two basic attacks. The first cannot crit but slows her target, while the second is guaranteed to crit.''
 * Bladework

R= ''Fiora targets an enemy champion, gaining speed and full knowledge of their vitals. Each time she destroys a weak spot, she deals percent max health true damage. If she’s able to destroy all four weak spots, or if she destroys at least one before her target dies, Fiora creates a large and long-lasting zone under her enemy that heals Fiora and her allied champions.''
 * Grand Challenge

''With the update, Fiora’s trading raw damage for extra survivability and utility, making her more of a skirmishing duelist and less of an assassin. We switched her passive entirely, bringing her a new “attack the weak spot” minigame that requires smart planning, position, and execution. But hitting an enemy where they don’t want to be hit is hard, so we gave Lunge the free aiming Fiora needs to dart around without just getting to her enemy. Now she can lunge through targets (or to the side of one) all so she can then attack the enemy’s weak spot, deal a chunk of extra damage, and retreat safely with her small speed boost.'' ''Next up is her W. The old Riposte was exceptionally binary - if your opponent has a basic attack, hit W, if not, don’t - and featured a ton of invisible passively gained pain. New Fiora loses the passive entirely, and gains a whole load of extra defensive options. Even though it doesn’t last long, Riposte negates all incoming damage, meaning Fiora players with catlike reflexes can nullify huge amounts of burst from approaching assassins, or executes from other fighters like Darius and Garen. Riposte’s attack makes for a smart follow up, giving Fiora the chance to close range and attack more weak spots, particularly if she parried enemy crowd control. Bladework mirrors Fiora’s old E, but again helps the Grand Duelist maneuver into positions where she can attack her enemy’s weaknesses.''

''Last but not least, let’s talk about her ultimate! Blade Waltz was a hugely impactful ability that dealt a crap load of damage, and while it showcased Fiora’s fantasy of a nimble-footed sword-wielding killer, all you had to do to pull the move off was headbutt your R key. In other words, the mechanics didn't match the fantasy of a skill-based and nimble duelist. Grand Challenge is obviously totally different, and is designed to give Fiora players - and her target - this genuine sense of a real time duel, with Fiora moving around looking to destroy the four weak spots, and her opponent looking to defend them. The rewards, if she pulls them off, are impressive. Aside from the increasing amounts of true damage she deals, the heal will often give Fiora and her team the sustain they need to overpower their enemies and win the fight.''

''The TL;DR of the changes is that we wanted to better execute on the fantasy of a duelist, someone who wins through smarts and mechanical ability rather than brute numbers. Old Fiora had some aspects of that, but ultimately her best play pattern involved double lunging until she was face-to-face with a horrified enemy squishy, then hitting the R key. Riposte and Burst of Speed both had someelements of dueling that we liked, but again… we just wanted to do it better. That’s why we’ve echoed - rather than replaced - most of her old abilities with her new moves.''

''We’re excited to see what you guys think of the new Grand Duelist! Check her out on PBE now and let us know your thoughts. We’ll back in a couple of weeks for her release!"''

Previous Lore
Hide= 2nd lore= Fiora, Demacia's most notorious duelist, earned her fame with her sharp blade and sharper tongue. She boasts the refinement of an aristocratic upbringing, and a fierce devotion to the perfection of her craft. Having surpassed her peers at home, Fiora now seeks greater foes. She will settle for nothing less than the world’s acknowledgement of her mastery.

As the youngest child of House Laurent, a family known for its long line of elite duelists, Fiora considered herself destined for greatness. She longed to match the skill of her father, a legendary swordsman, and her talent quickly surpassed that of her siblings. Fiora's peers perceived her confidence as arrogance, but she dismissed them, striving even harder to become a worthy successor to her father. Her devotion turned out to be misplaced. On the eve of an arranged duel, authorities caught Fiora's father slipping a paralysis poison into his opponent's drink. His treachery destroyed the family’s reputation, and Fiora's own honor fell under question. Outraged and desperate to clear her name, she challenged her father to a duel. Though he fought with power and style, Fiora realized the man had long forgotten the discipline that defined a true duelist. She disarmed him, and with her blade to his chest, she demanded control of House Laurent. Her father surrendered, but even in victory, Fiora knew the shadow of doubt still tainted her reputation. Intent to seize her destiny, Fiora vows to surpass her father's false legacy and prove that she is not only the greatest duelist in Demacia – but all of Valoran.

""I came here seeking a challenge—is this the best these fools can offer me?""

- Fiora Laurent

1st lore= As the youngest child of the noble House Laurent, Fiora always considered herself destined for greatness. The Laurents had dominated the dueling culture of Demacia's aristocracy for centuries, and Fiora's father was regarded as one of the finest swordsmen the nation had ever seen. Inspired by his tales of glory, Fiora began training as soon as she could wield a blade and quickly showed greater talent than any of her siblings. As she grew older, her self-confidence and rigid discipline only widened the gulf of expertise between Fiora and her peers. Her fellow duelists perceived her confidence as arrogance, but none could defeat her in combat, and each new victory only heightened her lofty self-esteem. Even so, Fiora never allowed herself to become complacent in her training, and she drove herself ever harder to become a worthy successor to her father's legacy.

Her devotion turned out to be misplaced. On the eve of an arranged duel, Fiora's father was caught slipping a slow paralysis poison into his opponent's drink. Following the incident, many of his past opponents came forward with their own accusations: envenomed weapons, bribery, blackmail, and more. In an instant, he had destroyed his family's honorable reputation. Fiora was outraged. Not only had her hero betrayed her ideals, but also Demacia's dueling elite now doubted her own ability. She desperately wanted to wipe the stain from her family's history but, even more, she wanted the world to acknowledge her mastery. She found her solution in the one arena where she could fight the world's strongest warriors without being accused of dishonesty: the League of Legends.

""Fiora's ego would be insufferable if it wasn't so... justified.""

Previous abilities
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