User blog:Lesdin/Darssan, the Inciter

Greetings
Hello, I am Lesdin, and I was a long time lurker of this website before having recently converted to a user. I've been most inspired lately by the direction Riot has been taking on with their champion designs, and felt motivated to try conceive a champion of my own, ie. a custom champion.

I however, currently believe that I am not at the stage where I could fully design champions of my own with fully fleshed out themes. I therefore thought that it would be good practice to begin by creating champion kits and lore based on the themes and tropes of already existing fictional characters in other forms of media and entertainment.

This champion design, as being my first ever full attempt, will most definitely not be the most intuitive or original one out there, so any form of constructive criticism and/or recommendations would be really appreciated. Praises with no criticism are also fine, but I shouldn't really get ahead of myself.

Disclaimer
This custom champion is based on a pre-existing fictional character not of my design, and I, in no way, shape, or form claim them to be my original work. I do not condone plagiarism of any forms of media and entertainment; this blog post was made with the simple intention of acquiring practise on creating custom champions and criticism on my custom champion based on the said fictional character. Copyrighted images not of my ownership are used under the Fair use doctrine, and have not been altered in any way, shape, or form, except for the purpose of improving the image's quality and making them more aesthetically pleasing. Credit has and will always be given as deemed appropriate.

Inspiration
As champions orientated around dealing damage, rather than preventing or soaking it up have always personally appealed to me both in ease of formulating and style, I thought it would be a good idea to begin my line of custom champions by basing the first one on a character who either excels or focuses on the act of maiming, and less so protecting or guarding.

Then it struck me; who would be better to base an offensive champion on than a character whose literal alias contains the word 'assassin'? I delightfully introduce you to True Assassin from the Fate franchise, created by Type-Moon; he is a character who fights by debilitating enemies with throwing weapons until they have been weakened enough to be prone to an execution by his noble phantasm, Zabānīya: Delusional Heartbeat. The said character's true identity is Hassan-i Sabbāh, so I personally thought it would be a good idea to begin the champion design by basing the name off of Hassan. And thus, Darssan came to be.

Darssan's kit was made intentionally to resemble True Assassin, in the way that they both have unique strengths, weaknesses, and combat paradigms. While technically being an assassin, Darssan lacks the burst damage most assassins pride themselves with, and thus must employ a combat style more akin to that of a fighter's, while also building accordingly to each unique game if he wishes to fully utilize his ultimate ability to its maximum potential, as per the time required to fully set it up if its to do any substantial damage.

General
Darssan is an estranged man affixed with a wicked mania who is best suited for the Summoner's Rift's solo lanes. An assassin with a combat paradigm more akin to that of a fighter's, Darssan is able to dispose of his opposers most efficiently when he is able to enact a façade of invincibility behind his shroud of dirks, before literally captivating and crushing the hearts of those who have either been withered down substantially or forced into a corner.

Laning
Darssan lacks any means of utilizing an enemy's tarnished health as damage before gaining access to Delusional Heartbeat, so mastering the acts of both engaging and disengaging with his abilities alone is the key to a successful, or at the very least a favourable early game. As luck would have it however, Darssan's abilities work plentifully well in conjunction with each other as to both maim and stray those who dare cross him and his ideals. Drastic Foray, Darssan's primary mean of dealing ranged damage throughout the whole game, has him hurl one of his primed dirks in the target direction, dealing immediate damage and slowing the first enemy unit, who if happens to be an aggressor, is sure to turn the other cheek provided enough dirks are sent towards their direction in due time. Once unlocked, both Dimming Cascade and Dreading Conversion are capable of assisting Darssan in landing his dirks for even more sustained damage and crowd control; Dimming Cascade roots those who are afflicted, leaving them helpless against Darssan's stream of dirks, while Dreading Conversion simultaneously reveals and slows affected enemy champions, easing the task of landing dirks on them and allowing Drastic Foray's cooldown to be drastically reduced.

The coming of either the climax of early game of the initiation of mid game usually acts as the signal for Darssan that it is now his turn to act as the aggressor against most enemies, or at least against those who have some form of regard for their dear heart. Delusional Heartbeat, once unlocked, immediately bolsters Darssan's offensive capabilities by absurd amounts, easily making up for the consequences of lacking burst damage during the early stages of the game, during which the dominators of most lanes are determined. The ability not only allows Darssan to finally assimilate an enemy's tarnished health as his own damage, but to also apply tremendous amounts of pressure in a moderately large area with just the first cast of the ability, granting him the capacity to zone out even enemies with no tarnished health, as Delusional Heartbeat also applies a decaying, but powerful slow to any target who is successfully affected, allowing his allies to easily follow up. Better still, Delusional Heartbeat can also be cancelled in the midst of any scenario by simply moving, putting it on a minimal cooldown.

Teamfighting
Darssan has three primary objectives to fulfil during teamfights: first, to remain mobile and clear of the enemies' attacks, as to be able to constantly switch from attacking and fending; two, to quickly build up tarnished health on as many enemies as he can, so that his Delusional Heartbeat poses a large enough threat to warrant the enemy team's direct attention; three, to absolutely peel for the allied champion who is needed for victory. Successfully fulfilling at least two of the aforementioned objectives, with the first one being a mandatory objective, will more often than not tilt heavily the scales of teamfights in Darssan's team's favour, allowing them to either end in a clean ace, or engage in pursuing the stragglers. And with Darssan's kit optimized for neutralizing enemies who do not dare return attacks, the stragglers are as good as abandoned souls with Darssan anywhere near the conclusion of the teamfight.

To achieve the first primary objective, Darssan should always be making use of his Drastic Foray and Dreading Conversion as to constantly gain bonus movement speed from Renounce Capacity with the highest frequency possible; for the second primary objective, Darssan should almost entirely focus on weaving in basic attacks along with Dimming Cascade in between his casts of Drastic Foray and Dreading Conversion. If Darssan were to opt for the third primary objective instead of the second, Darssan should instead strictly aggro onto the enemy who is directly targeting his team's VIP, acting as a pseudo-sentinel: disregarding all except his own mobility to peel for the aforementioned ally, while saving Dimming Cascade for when a quick rooting effect is required, and Delusional Heartbeat for the conclusive execute on the enemy whose tarnished health, by the time the ability is actually needed, should be of a substantial amount.

Essential Notes When Playing as Darssan

 * Your job may be to eliminate priority targets, but recognize that Darssan is unique in the fact that his assassinations require plentiful amounts of set up without allied assistance. Prioritize offensive items, but build accordingly so that you may survive long enough to properly utilize Delusional Heartbeat to its full potential.
 * Do not be afraid to cast Dimming Cascade simply for its rooting effect, as it does not have to be used on an enemy champion with tarnished health.
 * As Delusional Heartbeat is nullified if the target leaves its range, make sure to cast it after you target has been impaired by either Dimming Cascade or your allies' crowd control effects.

Essential Notes When Playing against Darssan

 * Darssan has no real means of hurting you apart from his Drastic Foray before he unlocks Delusional Heartbeat. Use this to your advantage and promote prolonged trades with him during the early game, as he cannot basic attack you back for immediate damage.
 * Darssan's offensive capabilities are drastically increased whilst he has 10 charges of Onus. While Darssan usually requires a long time to achieve the aforementioned, he can rather quickly acquire charges of Onus while in combat against enemy champions with low health. Watch out for him particularly when he scores a kill against someone with Drastic Foray or Delusional Heartbeat, as this will instantly grant him 10 charges of Onus.
 * Darssan is not as adept at escaping as he is pursuing, especially with his absolute lack of dashes. Do not be afraid to chase him if you are at an advantage when he is isolated, as Darssan usually has no means of turning the tides of a duel in which he is pre-emptively disadvantaged.

Introduction
Curses, irrespective of whether it was done in contempt or sympathy, are known to bind those afflicted with static imprudence; curses are the fruits of evil, and the function of absolute indiscretion.

Some say that to survive a curse, one must sacrifice something of equal import and content, but to one, he revels in the calamity of curses, more so the one conceived on his very arm. To rid of a genuine curse to the man, would be but sacrilege, a prime sin worthy of being met with death.

But in essence, curses are not born of men, but rather their malice, and existence born from malice are doomed to corrupt the very nature of their bearers. Regardless, to the man who experiences felicity in the very face of dread, corruption was none major, and was embraced by him with gladly.

A man would've had to lost his dear sanity to embrace what normal men renounce, let alone feel pride while doing so, but to a man who had sacrificed his very identity for what he deems righteous, sanity would be a artifice luxury. The bearer of the curse, and the killer of those he deems deluded, his name was lost during his drives, but many know of the evil he breathes for.

Darssan, the inciter of curses, is now what the man lives both as, and for.

"The hands that are absent, are of more worth than the hands that tarnish."

The Distress
A deafening silence. Torrential rain. A man devoid of worth, laying vigourless.

"The human still breathes," the immense wolf muttered as it peered downwards, gazing at the fading man with the eyes of a hungering vulture.

The lithe lamb wielded her bow, poising herself as if she was to fire the drawn arrow with her very subsequent breath, "Then he shall choose to accept one of us, as all have."

But none was made in response at the pair's remarks by the man. Emotionless, he continued to still on the ground. The silence thereafter, having lasted a short while, was broken by the wolf remarking with a snarl, "I hunger and bore, let me sate with this insufferable meat."

The lamb abruptly denied the wolf a path, "No. We must give them the whole of the time they wish." The lamb returned her regard towards the static man.

Not much of the man's physique was to be shown through the cloak which shrouded his body, save for his disturbingly slim legs; his face concealed beneath a mask resembling a jawless skull.

"Human, we are the faces of death," the lamb pronounced, her eyes piercing through the veil of the man's mask, "We have come to release you of your mortal body, for it has expired."

Succeeding a pause, the man questioned in a nonchalant tone, "Will it be painful?"

"It will be swift, if you are to accept it," the lamb replied, withdrawing the tension on her bow and caressing its body, "But if you are to deny," she continued with a delicate timbre.

"Then I chase until you can deny no more," the wolf interjected abruptly, flailing about in a nigh uncontrollable fit of furor.

"The wolf is eager for sport, and my arrows are ready at a moment's notice. Decide, human."

A desolate halt.

"I..." the man cried faintly, "I don't want to die..."

The man's very words surprised himself as much as it distressed lamb the instant it made it beyond his lungs. He was void, abundant with the lack of worth, hollow to the core, and yet, he desperately clung to life when offered the chance of emancipation. Wholly embraced by melancholy, the man burst into a frenzy of lament as his sobbing escalated.

"I have nothing! But I... I want to live! So that I may eventually find myself worth! I need to live!"

Silent and disappointed, the lamb peered at the vulnerable man begging for existence. Never having been mortal nor deprived of reason, lamb struggled to relate to humans who could not give up their lives; the very sight of them only caused distress for her. She wished and laboured to gain the capacity of comforting, but she could never achieve to attain what she inherently lacked, just as she could not lose what she had originally possessed. The frustration of being static, was the only dynamic she had, and in an inspiration of her sole dynamic, she lost the will to console yet again.

"Wolf," the lamb whispered.

The wolf lunged towards the man instantaneously in reply, eager to sate his rapacious hunger with the prey that was in front of him and relish in satisfaction, even if for the briefest of moments. Frenzied, the wolf shouted, "Run, human!"

Quotes

 * Upon selection
 * "The hearts of sinners are mine to captivate."


 * Upon starting a game
 * "The curses blare..."
 * "Their definition, will be set by the blood I let."
 * "I will force upon them a stale redemption."
 * "A curtain of my will, to atone this congregation."


 * Upon starting a game with an allied and
 * "Must I make do with these dreadful beings?"
 * "Such vile delinquents, right by my side."
 * "These inconvenienced souls are disturbingly concerning."
 * "I sincerely object to these awful excuses of an ally."


 * Upon starting a game with an allied
 * "May the sins of those around us be set ablaze by our undying passion."
 * "We will make them recognize the true worth of a life."
 * "By our blades, we will teach them that redemption exists beyond reason"
 * "Their souls will sing and cry gratitude, in a torrent of blood."


 * Action
 * "Admit sin, and die."
 * "With each clash, your heart dims."
 * "Redemption is agony."
 * "Let your soul be tranced, and revel in atonement."
 * "Die with redemption, or live as a fiend."
 * "Freedom of the soul, is brutal."
 * "You will be redeemed."
 * "The curse that is life, is worth the pain."
 * "You have already outdone yourself."
 * "Each strike, is a calling for redemption."
 * "I answer their yearning for atonement."
 * "Halt your writhing, and embrace freedom."
 * "I will emancipate you of sin."
 * "Cradle the pain, for you have yet to die."
 * "Redemption will not be cheated."
 * "Let the blood wash away the misery."
 * "Their hearts await captivation."
 * "The song for atonement, and the cries for cleansing, they drive me."
 * "I will grant them purpose, and engrave within them the worth of a life."
 * "This will be the site of their redemption."


 * Taunt
 * "A sinner."
 * "Truly vile, the way you embrace the sins."
 * "I am the arms of the curses, the will of god, and the face of your redeemer."
 * "Fret not, for no needless haste shall be made for you."


 * Taunting an enemy
 * "A Darkin's heart can still be crushed."
 * "You embody the lawless spilling of sin. That I cannot condone."
 * "Embrace the agony Darkin, just as you embrace war."
 * "No other heart needs to be extinguished twice..."


 * Taunting an enemy or
 * "You deny the end of things; you deny them atonement."
 * "All things cannot be restraint to a still, lest they deteriorate."
 * "I will void your deeds along with your alien hearts."
 * "Caretakers need to be reminded of their own mortality."


 * Taunting an enemy
 * "No shield will guard you against redemption."
 * "You are unbearably naive."
 * "A muscle-headed man-child; why do I even bother..."
 * "I can hardly stand the scent of your presence."


 * Taunting an enemy
 * "You apprehend the deprived. I apprehend sinners, I am justice."
 * "A façade with a hollow gun."
 * "You shoot to kill, yet you hesitate to shoot for the heart."
 * "Warmer, sheriff. You're getting warmer."


 * Taunting an enemy or
 * "Your barbaric means of redeeming are truly distressing."
 * "To free sinful souls is a burden, not a privilege."
 * "They yearn for a righteous atonement, yet the only substance you provide is a bloodied axe."
 * "I implore you to stop acting with such tawdry ideals."


 * Taunting an enemy
 * "Fret not boy; redemption is unbound by the linearity of time."
 * "That attitude of yours must be corrected."
 * "The first step in atonement is embracing it... and having manners."
 * "You strive to only delay your inevitable failure, boy."


 * Taunting an enemy
 * "I do not bring you a challenge, I bring you redemption!"
 * "Oh, the sins that must've been committed for the flowering of your excellence."
 * "May I have the honour?"
 * "I will make you worthy of redemption."


 * Taunting an enemy or
 * "Oh the woe that is a blind and rabid zeal."
 * "There is always the sin of failing to save everyone, when enacting righteousness."
 * "Your savagery reminds me of an obnoxious pair of siblings."
 * "I fight for redemption. I am true justice."


 * Taunting an enemy or  while they are near each other
 * "Love blossoms in both death and redemption."
 * "Atonement awaits you star-crossed lovers."
 * "All is fair and forgiveable in love."
 * "Be the first to embrace redemption, and the euphoria of freedom will follow."


 * Taunting an enemy
 * "Heed the curses and recognize their whispers, blind woman."
 * "Some artefacts really do get to people's heads, don't they?"
 * "You will drown as all do, come their moment of redemption."
 * "Fret not, for the spirit you call god, will soon follow in your path of atonement."


 * Taunting an enemy
 * "Your pretentious nature irks me."
 * "Killing is not art, it is a rite."
 * "Can you hear them? Their loud whispers; their demanding of your silence."
 * "Face your sins, and bleed for them."


 * Taunting an enemy
 * "You mistake vengeance for fulfilment. Only redemption, grants true fulfilment."
 * "Atonement pierces any veil, even a spectre's poise."
 * "The spears you wield are but an excuse for delay. Embrace freedom."
 * "Veangance is but a folly. To simply take breath, is to relish the curse we all share."


 * Taunting an enemy
 * "The curse of life is not yours to take."
 * "It is my right alone to deal the end of sinners."
 * "Split in two, twice as conceited."
 * "Dying is a course for redemption, not an obligation."


 * Taunting an enemy
 * "How does one who has abandoned the self, ever hope to save another?"
 * "Guns could never be the legitimate instrument of liberation."
 * "Give up and join her Lucian, in redemption and bliss."
 * "You serve a lost cause. The world cannot be rid of blight; it can only be atoned."


 * Taunting an enemy or
 * "Define the incredible that is nature once more, and saviour the following freedom."
 * "There is no malice to be had by nature. Men only seek to supplant, not destroy."
 * "To harbour such contempt for the simple curse of existence..."
 * "I will construe to you the worth of a life."


 * Taunting an enemy
 * "I beat myself for ever having succumbed to you."
 * "Such a vile creature, and to think that I once embraced you..."
 * "You were not needed for the discovery of my worth. I alone, accomplished this."
 * "I have nothing to greet you for. Begone succeeding your redemption, demon."


 * Taunting an enemy
 * "Redemption seeks you, boy."
 * "A murderous yordle, truly horrifying."
 * "Do resist atonement, boy, for I wish not to meddle with you."
 * "You're even worse than that muscle-headed man-child."


 * Taunting an enemy
 * "Sins are defined by the eyes of the bearer."
 * "It distresses me, how you cry with your sword, begging for release."
 * "One does not have to seek redemption with but a sword."
 * "The blade and the wind keep you alive; they deny you atonement."


 * Taunting an enemy
 * "It will be a shame when I've redeemed you. The world needs more sinners like you."
 * "Your passion, Zed. It boils me, frenzying me into atoning others."
 * "Such darling sins. Revolting."
 * "Deny the faults of self, and you will never improve. Exceed the self!"

Darssan poises, before indefinitely letting dirks onto the ground in a comical pose.
 * Joke
 * "How many do I have? The real question is, why I have so many."
 * "Redeeming a congregation like this requires a lot more than what your eye perceives, literally."
 * "Sometimes my hands get sore from all the atonement I deal, but I suck it up."
 * "These are actually... pretty heavy when I think about it."


 * Upon casting Drastic Foray
 * "The will of the redeemer."
 * "The instrument of atonement."
 * "I will redeem you."
 * "Do not cower, embrace."


 * Upon damaging an enemy with Drastic Foray
 * "You are not in motion."


 * Upon rooting an enemy champion with Dimming Cascade
 * "Now bear witness to your redemption!"
 * "This, is obligatory!"
 * "With the arrival of doom, comes the conclusion of your sins!"
 * "Face me, and I will atone you!"
 * "Beat faster for me!"
 * "Anticipation should be rid of, for the conclusion is nigh!"


 * Upon exploiting an enemy champion with Dreading Conversion
 * "Harbour me, and aid in your redemption."
 * "Your atonement approaches."
 * "To embrace, is to accept."
 * "I am nearing what I require."


 * Upon casting Delusional Heartbeat
 * "Zabānīya!"


 * Upon killing an enemy champion
 * "Another claimed by freedom."
 * "Rest now, as one who has been redeemed."
 * "Free of sins, free of guilt, free of breath."
 * "The sins have been absolved."


 * Upon scoring a pentakill
 * "Redemption is absolute!"
 * "All will revel in atonement!"