Unimportant Small Foreword:
My partner is the perfect type of insane, and I love it.If you don’t recognize the name, that’s to be expected! Aria, Knight of the Dragon’s Flame, is a Nexus Original, themed around the Dragon Shire portion of King’s Crest. Drawing on the ancient energies latent within the realm, Aria embraces a draconic power in battle to protect her allies aggressively.
Aria was created for the 8th Concept Design Contest, hosted by Bliztron! You can find the thread here:
The theme for this, as the title conveys, is duo heroes. My partner is Melke, and the link to the other half of this pair can be found here:
Appearance Overview
Rough Image:
https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/012/822/506/large/jao-picart-female-dragon-warrior.jpg?1536692239Appearance as in above image, but with the side horns reduced in size and the central removed. Right arm is instead more akin to:
https://i.imgur.com/ueP8CZz.png
But perhaps a bit larger.
(Cropped arm of a D&D Dragonborn, think this is in official material.)Bears no weapon, but bears a shield sporting this general style of design:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bd5YL4nMhRA/URnhSykmH0I/AAAAAAAAAc0/oaA_K24YK5k/s1600/Dragon+Shield+red.png
(Think this is the Dragon Shield logo(they make TCG card sleeves).)Artist’s Artstation (For Rough Image):
https://jaopicksart.artstation.com/projects
Bit o’ Potential Basic Lore
Aria has always been a protective person, intent on keeping everyone she could safe. To this end, she followed in the footsteps of the man known as the Dragon Knight, training to become a knight herself. Despite the curse the Knight later suffered, Aria continued to strive to follow in his footsteps, finding ways to tap into magics like fire, to emulate his new power, and earth, to harden her form like his new scales. As she trained, (something indeterminate because I just cannot think of something I like for this (v_v) ) occurs, altering the form of her arm into a more draconic form.
Throughout her training, she had encountered the strange gardener of the Gardens of Terror, Rose, though never pleasantly. An innate distrust she had for the Gardens and the odd nature of Rose caused Aria to clash with her, though peacefully. However, with the Raven Lord’s invasion of King’s Crest and the corruption of the Singularity, the two have begun to put aside their differences, their shared desire to keep their home safe enough to convince them to work together.
Rough Level 0 Stats
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Health | 2150 |
| Health Regeneration | 4.479/s |
| Attack Damage | 70 |
| Attack Speed | 1.15 |
| Attack Range | Melee (~1.5) |
| Mana | Standard |
| Mana Regeneration | Standard |
Abilities
[D] - Sundering Force
Passive:
As Aria and Rose (Partner) fight with one another, they naturally trigger certain bonus effects when using certain abilities in reaction to something of the other’s. Triggering a Combo grants Aria and Rose a shared Fire Seed, utilized for their traits. Aria and Rose may hold 20 a total of Fire Seeds.Active:
Aria gathers an immense force, before striking a nearby enemy Fort/Keep, consuming all Fire Seeds and crippling it. For each Fire Seed consumed, the affected Fort/Keep loses 5% Attack Speed and 3 Armor, which can force it below -25 Armor. Additionally, when consuming enough Fire Seeds, Sundering Force gains additional bonuses:
- When consuming at least 5 Fire Seeds, Sundering Force causes the targeted Fort/Keep to pulse with fire, burning nearby enemies for 16 damage per second.
- When consuming at least 15 Fire Seeds, Sundering Force disables the structure fully, instead of reducing attack speed. Armor reduction applies as normal.
- When consuming 20 Fire Seeds, Sundering Force’s effects decay at half the rate.
These effects last for 10 seconds, but their effectiveness decays over the duration of Sundering Force, reducing its Attack Speed slow by 5% and Armor Reduction by 3 for every 0.5 seconds its in effect. These effects will remain at minimum value(5% AS Slow + 3 Armor Reduction) instead of decaying past it. Extra effects from consuming certain amounts of Fire Seeds do not decay.
Cast Range - Melee(1.5)
Cooldown - 40 seconds.
[Q] - Flaming Advance
Aria gathers fire within her over 0.25 seconds, before unleashing it in a torrent of fire before her for 3 seconds, walking forwards at 60% movement speed while doing so. While this ability is in use, Aria’s movement follows the mouse cursor, and turns at 80% of the rate Lightning Breath does. Enemies within the torrent of fire take 10 damage per 0.5 seconds, and are applied a stack of Hampering Fire for 3 seconds each time they take damage from Flaming Advance. Hampering Fire deals 10 damage per second, and reduces the target’s damage by 4%. Hampering Fire stacks indefinitely.Combo: While Rose (Partner)'s [E] - Toxic Roots is active, Flaming Advance heats the central plant, its flames triggering a natural response from it and causing it to flood its root network with a searing poison, causing it to poison afflicted enemies for 20 damage per second for 3 seconds, applying every 0.5 seconds they’re under its effects, stacking indefinitely.
Length - 3.5 Units.
Area - 70°.
Cooldown - 8 seconds. Cooldown starts on cast.
Cost - 30 Mana.
[W] - Stoneskin Form
Aria becomes encased in a protective barrier of stone, gaining 650 Shields, and 25 Armor while the shield lasts, for up to 6 seconds. However, Aria’s movement speed is reduced by 20% while Stoneskin Form is in effect.(Can be cast while using [Q] - Flaming Advance or [E] - Dragon Rush)
Combo: While Stoneskin Form is active, during its final 2 seconds, as its energy natural builds up, Rose (Partner)'s [Q] - Lifebloom is enhanced by the inherent energy, causing its Bloom to poison nearby enemies, detailed under their ability.
Cooldown - 14 seconds. Cooldown begins on cast.
Cost - 60 Mana.
[E] - Dragon Rush
Aria rushes forwards, gaining 40% increased speed while dashing through Dragon Rush. She stops at the first enemy hit, delivering a powerful shield bash, dealing 120 damage, and micro(0.25 seconds)-stunning the target before applying a 60% slow that decays over 2.5 seconds.Combo: If an enemy is rooted by Toxic Roots when Dragon Rush hits them, Aria winds up a second shield slam over 0.25 seconds, before slamming it back into them, applying the damage and secondary effects of Dragon Rush a second time.
(If unclear(understandably), Skillshot Dash.)
Width - Aria’s hitbox width.
Range - 5.5 units.
Cooldown - 10 seconds.
Cost - 35 Mana.
[R1] - Draconic Aspect
Aria channels the powers of the Dragons through her body, her form shifting to a hybrid dragon-human of sorts, her size increasing by 25%, and her abilities gaining additional power for 10 seconds.[RQ] - Blazing Advance
Flaming Advance gains 20° of area, 1 unit of length, and the damage of the cone of fire is increased by 200%(Hampering Fire unaffected.)Cooldown - 5 seconds. Cooldown begins on cast.
Cost - None.[RW] - Stonescale Form
Stoneskin Form grants an additional 15 Armor(Total of 40), and no longer reduces movement speed while active.Cooldown - 8 seconds. Cooldown begins on cast.
Cost - None.[RE] - Dragon Charge
Dragon Rush now stuns for 1 full second, applying its slow after the full stun, and deals 50% increased damage.Cooldown - 6 seconds.
Cost - None.Cooldown - 90 seconds.
Cost - 100 Mana.
[R2] - Guard of the Dragon’s Flame
After gathering power for 0.5 seconds, Aria unleashes a pulse of fire, forming a barrier around herself and nearby allied heroes for 6 seconds. Heroes under the effects of this shell deal 20 damage per second to nearby(burning rage range) enemy heroes, and whenever they take damage while the barrier is active, the barrier unleashes a bolt of fire back at the attacker, dealing 40 damage. This “return fire” effect cannot occur more than once per 0.5 seconds per enemy hero.Area - 7.
Cooldown - 70 seconds.
Cost - 90 Mana.
Talent Tree
Tier 1|Level 1
For King’s Crest - Quest: Generate stacks of Fire Seeds to enhance Aria and Rose passively while nearby eachother.
Reward: After generating 20 Fire Seeds, generating a Fire Seed grants 10% increased movement to Aria for 3 seconds, stacking twice.
Reward: After generating 40 Fire Seeds, triggering a Combo heals 5% health and 5% mana to both Aria and Rose.
Reward: After generating 60 Fire Seeds, double the Fire Seeds generated by Combos.
Special: This talent can only be taken when your partner agrees. The first to select this talent offers it as a recommendation, highlighting it. If the other selects the talent, they both take it. Otherwise, if one picks another talent, it is blocked off, and cannot be taken by the other.Scaled Protection - Passively gain a charge of “Scaled Block” every 20 seconds, reducing the damage you take from the next source of physical damage by 25%, and all other sources of physical damage for the next 1.5 seconds afterwards. This armor stacks with Stoneskin Form’s armor. Scaled Block stores 2 charges.
Knight’s Protection - Whenever Rose takes heroic damage, the cooldown of Dragon Rush is reduced by 1 second. This effect has a 1 second cooldown.
Tier 2|Level 4
Assault Sapling -Passive: Rose’s Saplings gain an additional 100(scaling) health.
Active: Combo: Aria quickly kicks a nearby sapling in target direction, causing it to latch onto the first enemy hero hit for up to 5 seconds. While latched, it lashes at the enemy hero with thorned arms, dealing damage equal to 80% of its healing per second. While latched, it can still be killed, and has its normal health.
Range - 4.5.
Required Range for Sapling - 1.5
Cooldown - 25 seconds.Sapling Blast -
Passive: Rose’s Saplings deal 15 damage back to attackers. This can only trigger once per second.
Active: Combo: Aria quickly grabs a nearby sapling, infusing it with dragon’s fire, and throwing it at target location. On landing, it bursts, dying and launching a ‘natural tar’, igniting nearby enemies for 40 damage per second for 4 seconds. The radius of the burst is 2.75.
Range - 4.5.
Required Range for Sapling - 1.5
Cooldown - 25 seconds.Smoke Burst -
Passive: Rose’s Saplings heal for an additional 10(scaling) health per second.
Active: Combo: Aria grabs a nearby sapling, infusing it with dragon’s fire, throwing it to target location. On contact with the ground, the flame burns the sapling out, creating a field of smoke with radius 1.5. The smoke functions as a bush, blocking vision, etc. Enemies inside are blinded while inside, while allies inside the smoke heal for 25% of the sapling’s healing per second, due to residual energies. The smoke lasts for 4 seconds, before dissipating.
Range - 4.5.
Required Range for Sapling - 1.5
Cooldown - 25 seconds.Tier 3|Level 7
Overpowering Flame - While using Flaming Advance, Aria gains 20 Spell Armor. This stacks with Stoneskin Form’s armor.Dragon’s Strength - While under the effects of Stoneskin Form, Aria’s basic attacks deal 25% increased damage, and slow targets by 25% for 1 second.
Explosive Slam - Dragon Rush’s slow is applied at 50% duration to all enemies within 2.5 range of an enemy hero hit with Dragon Rush.
Tier 4|Level 10 [Heroic Tier]
Draconic Aspect - See [R1] above.Guard of the Dragon’s Fire - See [R2] above.
Tier 5|Level 13
Dragon’s Rage - Aria passively burns nearby enemies for 36 damage per second. This damage is reduced by 50% while under the effects of Stoneskin Form.Crippling Fire - Stacks of Hampering Flame additionally reduce the hero’s movement speed by 4% each.
Weighted Slam - While under the effects of Stoneskin Form, Dragon Rush deals 150% increased damage, and knocks the target back 2 units, dealing 40 damage to any enemies they collide with and slowing those enemies by 20% for 1 second. This only occurs on the second hit of Dragon Rush’s combo.
Tier 6|Level 16
Offensive Rhythm - After hitting an enemy hero with Dragon Rush, Flaming Advance damages and applies Hampering Fire every .33 seconds, rather than .5 seconds, for 1.5 seconds. Hitting an enemy hero with Dragon Rush while they have any stacks of Hampering Fire reduces the cooldown of Dragon Rush by 25%.Defensive Rhythm - Flaming Advance no longer moves forwards and gains 20% increased range and area during Stoneskin Form. Flaming Advance reduces the cooldown of Stoneskin Form by 0.2 seconds each time it damages an enemy hero.
Challenger’s Rhythm - While under the effects of Stoneskin Form, Dragon Rush stuns for an additional 0.5 seconds before inflicting its slow, and deals 25% increased damage. Dragon Rush grants 300 Shield when hitting an enemy hero, so long as Stoneskin Form is active, which count as shields from Stoneskin Form and fade when it ends.
Tier 7|Level 20
Power of Yore - Draconic Aspect lasts an additional 5 seconds, and grants Aria 25% increased maximum health and 400% increased health regeneration while active.Burning Discouragement - Guard of the Dragon’s Fire grants affected allied heroes a 500 point shield, which, upon breaking, unleashes a large burst of fire at the enemy that broke it, inflicting 300 damage.
Curse of Stone -
Active: Aria becomes temporarily overwhelmed with magic, reaching to nearby heroes within range 1.5 as she turns to stone, the curse spreading to those she touches. Her and all heroes within this range are put into stasis for up to 4 seconds. Reactivate to cancel the effect early.
Cooldown - 60 seconds.
Blood of the Dragons - Aria regenerates 0.5% of her maximum health per second. This bonus is tripled during Stoneskin Form(and Stonescale Form).
Might of King’s Crest - Aria and Rose’s combos grow in power:
When comboing Flaming Advance and Toxic Roots, enemies have their armor reduced by 5 for each tick of damage they take from the combo DoT.
When comboing Stoneskin and Lifebloom, enemies under the DoT recieve 50% reduced healing.
When comboing Dragon Rush and Toxic Roots, enemies suffer a 30% attack speed slow for 3 seconds, starting at the end of Dragon Rush’s stun.
Sapling Toss talents [Aria, Tier 2] have their cooldown reduced to 10 seconds, and when activating a Sapling Toss talent, Rose’s Sapling of Terror will have its cooldown reduced by 4 seconds.
Pollen Blast talents [Rose, Tier 5] inflict an additional damage over time effect to enemies, dealing 6% of their maximum health over 4 seconds.
Special: This talent can only be taken when your partner agrees. The first to select this talent offers it as a recommendation, highlighting it. If the other selects the talent, they both take it. Otherwise, if one picks another talent, it is blocked off, and cannot be taken by the other.
Skins
Base Skin
Base Tint (Red & Black, Brown Hair)
Frost Knight (Ice Blue & Navy Blue, Blonde Hair)
Earthen Knight (Emerald Green & Brown, Brown Hair)
Dark Knight (Black & Dark Gold, Black Hair)
Divine Knight (Silver & Pale Gold, Blonde Hair)Wind-Up Dragon
Wind-up toy style skin, wind-up bit on the back included(if not too silouhette breaking). Abilities gain a more cartoonish feel.
Wind-Up Dragon - Silver Primary, Dark Grey/Black Secondary.
Clockwork Dragon - Ironish Primary, Bronze/Copper Secondary.
Steampunk Dragon - Copper/Bronze Primary, Gold/Silver Secondary.
Cyberpunk Dragon - Black/Dark Gray Primary, Neon Lights Secondary.Protoss Psi-Knight -
Protoss skin, changing Aria’s appearance to that of a more heavily armored Zealot, with a large shield with a phase-shield covering it, and a heavily armored right arm, with a psi-blade. Fire becomes a blue psi-style fire. Stoneskin Form provides a noticable shield coating. Draconic Aspect looks as before, but also styled something like an Archon.
Protoss Psi-Knight - Daelaam style tint, Gold/Whitish Primary, Blue Secondary.
Tal’darim Psi-Knight - Black Primary, Red Secondary.
Xel’Naga Psi-Knight - Grey/Purple Primary, Green Secondary. Styled more like Zeratul’s Co-op units rather than the Nerazim.
Changelog
2/9/2019
Finalized initial version. Uploaded.2/15/2019
Lowered the shields granted by Stoneskin Form to 650(from 700).
The “Retaliatory Fire” effect on Guard of the Dragon’s Flame has been limited to once per 0.5 seconds.2/16/2019
Added Dragon Rush + Toxic Roots baseline combo.
Added Talent Tree.2/21/2019
Fixed wording on first half of Defensive Rhythm for intended effect:
Was “Flaming Advance no longer moves forwards during Stoneskin Form, and gains 20% increased range and area.”
Now “Flaming Advance no longer moves forwards and gains 20% increased range and area during Stoneskin Form.”Added base skin tints and first extra skin with some extra tints.
2/22/2019
Added new base tint to Wind-Up Dragon skin, after renaming it to Wind-Up Dragon, because of its theme.
(I promise I’m working on more for Week 3 than skins (<_<) )3/1/2019
After totally forgetting to add it right until the deadline occurred, added a basic lore idea for Aria.
Also, new potential skin.