Maikol

Lore:

The stroke of a paintbrush can be very exquisite in its movement. Whether it be filling the canvas with colors or writing your name in an elegant style with the blackest of ink. Some people even find the motion of the brush more pleasing than the product it would leave behind. Although this statement is more particular to the people who use it, rather those that indulge on the sight of a painting. Maikol is one such person. An Ionian whose mastery in calligraphy is second to none, the way he moves the paintbrush against the canvas whenever he writes in giant black letters are as swift and smooth as the swing of a sword. In fact, the movements of his arms were so elegant and perfect that many have wondered how come he never became a swordsman. A question to which he responded by saying: "I paint with black; not red." And this remained true for many years. Maikol would go on to become a famous calligrapher, and he couldn't enjoy his profession more. However, all good things must come to an end, as it would not take long for that to change. How that would change? Well… Noxians, of course. Always bringing havoc and chaos wherever they are not welcome, and this couldn't be more apparent than the invasion on Ionia. Wishing to protect his family and friends, Maikol put aside the brush and the first time in his life, held a sword in his hand instead. Though natural with the brush, not the same could be said about the sword, and it showed on the battlefield. Not even a minute into a fight, and his left hand was crushed by the mace of a Noxian soldier, the hand which he used to write all this time. So time has passed, and the invasion failed. And though Ionia has prevailed, Maikol did not. And as time went by, he only grew more and more frustrated over his inability to draw like in the days of past, all because of crushed bones. And at the pinnacle of his grief, a note suddenly came to him from a secret admirer: "Find the Kirizumi." Knowing not what the note had meant, but Maikol no hope as he is right now. Though it took him years, the culmination of his search finally had him the middle of a grove somewhere in Ionia. There, he found a chest. And inside the chest, a sword, sharp and shining, and a paintbrush together, with the hilt as the handle and the pommel as the bristle. At first, Maikol knew not what he was holding. But the enigmatic weapon soon revealed its true majesty: a device which responds to the passion and spirit of the holder. Even with a broken hand, Maikol once again became the great calligrapher known in his prime, as the Kirizumi responded not to his body, but to his spirit. Although little did he know of the true nature of the Kirizumi, as he would very soon find out. After completing his first commission upon returning back to work, Maikol would soon here of the client's death at his home, a place Maikol never stepped a foot in. Though seemingly dead from a regular heart attack, there seemed nothing out of place with the circumstances… except for one thing: the deceased was lying in a pool of ink. And that moment, Maikol realized: the Kirizumi is not a charity, but a partnership! In exchange for giving him back his talents, it asks for a price. Though Maikol knew he was innocent, he feared that Ionia would see him as the culprit. So he went incognito, and set himself a new mission: slay every Noxian on the borders of Ionia. This would accomplish two things: The first, convince Ionia that he is still loyal to his homeland. And the second, to claim as many lives so that the Kirizumi would satisfy when writing with it, lest the lives of Ionians are claimed instead. So for the time being, Maikol will paint with red… not black.

Appearance:

Maikol is an Ionian man his in early 40s with a constant disgruntled expression on his face. He wears an Ionian attire that combines of both soldier and artist. His left arm is disfigured from scars. He wields the Kirizumi which, as the lore describes, is a katana whose hilt is the handle of a paintbrush and the pommel is the bristle of one. He also carries with him flammable equipment.