Who they are
Ambessa is a Noxian commander and one of the powerful figures in the empire.
Their story belongs to Noxus. An empire that rewards strength, wherever it comes from.
Their story, step by step
- Step 1
Raised in House Medarda
Ambessa was born into House Medarda at Rokrund Citadel and trained in war under her grandfather Menelik. She saw death for the first time as a child at the Battle of Hildenard. In a family trial of strength she left her cousins behind to take a drakehound matriarch, a choice that cost her cousin Zoya's life and earned Menelik's favor while Ta'Fik never forgave her.
- Step 2
Warband and family
She raised drakehounds and founded the Wolf's Reapers warband with Rictus as her second-in-command. She married the merchant Azizi and had a son, Kino, whom she judged too soft for war. Later she fell for a dancer named Rudo, who turned out to belong to the Black Rose cabal, and they separated to keep their child away from it.
- Step 3
A vision in Volrachnun
While pregnant and gravely wounded by raiders, Ambessa met the spirit Kindred, who showed her two possible futures. She woke in labor and gave birth to her daughter Mel, and came away more committed to ambition and sacrifice. She then groomed Mel as her heir, teaching her war and ruthlessness.
- Step 4
The Medardan succession war
After Menelik died, Ta'Fik accused her of poisoning him, and the family split. Ambessa traveled to the Noxian capital to win Grand General Boram Darkwill's backing, then defended Rokrund and finally killed Ta'Fik and his daughter Tivadar. A LeBlanc then threatened House Medarda, and to shield Mel from the Black Rose Ambessa sent her away to Piltover.
- Step 5
Losing Kino
Kino looked into his father's murder and uncovered Ambessa's affair, which drew the Black Rose's attention. LeBlanc took him, thinking he was Ambessa and Rudo's child, and when Ambessa chose not to rescue him, he was killed. Isolated and grieving, she resolved to go to Piltover to see Mel and obtain hextech to avenge him.
- Step 6
Piltover and her end
In Piltover she tried to pressure Mel and Jayce into making hextech weapons, then worked her way into the city's government after the Council attack. She allied with Singed and later with Viktor, planning to turn her forces into enhanced soldiers. Riot's lore states she was killed by LeBlanc, the figure who had hunted her family.
Turning points
- Abandoning her cousins to win the drakehound trial
- Seeing the visions in Volrachnun
- Sending Mel away to Piltover
- Choosing not to save Kino
Where their story stands now
Ambessa is dead, killed by LeBlanc.
Who they are tied to
Where this fits in the story
- Noxus · step 1
From tyranny to tribes
Before Noxus existed, the Immortal Bastion belonged to Mordekaiser, whose reign is remembered as the Age of Tyranny. After the Rune Wars the Noxii tribes took the fortress and founded modern Noxus.
- Noxus · step 2
The rivalry with Demacia
Noxus and Demacia fought on and off for centuries. Sion's killing of King Jarvan I is the war's most famous moment.
- Noxus · step 3
The invasion of Ionia
For about five years Noxus invaded Ionia, conquering territory and taking magical artifacts. The campaign finally failed, and Irelia led the Ionian resistance.
- Noxus · step 4
The Trifarix
Around 990 AN Swain overthrew Emperor Darkwill and a council of three replaced the emperor. The wiki describes a second invasion of Ionia as looming.