#mow — yap city bitch.

[matriarchofwar]

ambessa's cinematic..... this whole thing contradicts what i'd previously wrote for her so that's been scrapped for now until i can tweak it to fit. + it is obviously a lot more league based considering it was a trailer for a new line of skins i believe n i am nawt willing to get that into it bc there's so much shit.

but her dying on the battlefield and being visited by a wolf is!! so fitting.

i recently skimmed through the principles of strength too (amongst some other material), given i've been trying to soak up as much information about noxus as i can (and while it isnt directly about noxus it's vv informative) - and it states that "death was often represented as dualistic in nature, taking a form of the lamb of peaceful death, and the wolf of violent ends." given that noxus values strength above all else, the latter is obviously honoured far more than the former. dying in ones bed (a peaceful death, taken by the lamb) did not display strength and therefore did not deserve as much honour as one who died in the throes of battle (a violent death, taken by the wolf) would receive.

(though i read on the wikipage for kindred that the lamb carries a bow, and those who run from it/will not fall to it proceed to meet the wolf. however,i think in noxian culture they view the lamb and her role differently, as she doesn't have a bow - at least not in the cinematic - but she does hold up a symbol of the wolf to ambessa, which insinuates her job is to lead people to the wolf? or give them the option to fight the wolf, should they desire to? idk i'm still researching rn.)

so it makes sense that ambessa, who lay dying amongst her slaughtered war band, would be visited by death in the form of a wolf.

so it would also make sense for a wolf to challenge someone in the form of a warrior while they're on their deathbed, as again it's something held in such high regards in noxus. it is effectively one last duel to the death to see if she is both worthy enough and strong enough to continue living.

i'm aware that there was somebody else (multiple people?) who fought a wolf in similar situations, but i cant remember details nor names considering i'm really only interested in ambessa and what it means for her. although she technically doesn't fight a physical wolf, and instead the armoured warrior in the trailer which no doubt symbolises death in place of the wolf previously seen. which?? i guess isn't really an assumption seeing as when the warrior expands its shield it shows the face of a wolf - and later down the line it shows her reflection in the shield, explaining the whole 'raised by wolves' thing. both metaphorically in the sense that a wolf raised her from the dead, and that a wolf (the one she fought) 'raises' her into the warrior she becomes throughout the fight.

there's also the scenes with her holding what seems to be a statue of a lamb close to her chest. which doesn't represent a peaceful death considering she's already been fatally wounded in battle, but lambs evidently have huge connotations of peace - so it's likely representing a somewhat subdued, peaceful life? yes, she was a warrior of the noxian army, but her resolve was not as fierce as after her resurrection. and when she finally lets go of it, essentially beginning to separate her somewhat 'peaceful' past self from her present, it returns to her fighting the warrior.

AND!!!! before the whole letting go of the lamb thing she was getting her ass downright fucking whooped, and she was gradually accumulating more and more scars. but as soon as it cuts back to the fight after the release of the lamb she manages to actually land a few solid hits.

when the scene changes to the statue of a younger ambessa holding the lamb, it is in reference to her father taking her to the aftermath of the battle of hildenard. she was only ten years old at the time, but it desensitised her to death and showed her that it wasn't something to be feared, but instead respected - and that greatness required sacrifice. which also ties in with the way she 'sacrifices' the lamb in the cinematic to be able to win against the warrior. (edited)

but towards the end it goes back to ambessa fighting the warrior, and her sheer will and determination prove her worthy enough to continue with life - considering she was now littered head to toe in scars, had taken quite the beating, yet she still refused to give up, so the fight ends and she is victorious.

AND I LOVE THE END SCENE W THE FLASH OF GOLD ACROSS THE FETUS BECAUSE!! it can absolutely represent mel - which would explain how she has all that magic, because her mother fought death and survived while carrying her. but i saw somewhere that it might also represent ambessa herself. because in a scene before it, a flash of light passes across ambessa's masked face from right to left, and it does the same thing on the fetus. and given that there have been so many flashbacks into ambessa's life throughout the entire cinematic, it cld be another flashback, faaaar into the past, insinuating that ambessa had been chosen by the wolf since birth, and that this was all part of her destiny. again tying in w the whole 'raised by wolves' thing. BUT ALSO the same flash of gold happens to the armour on mel's back when jinx fires at the council, which would also insinuate it was actually mel, which i imagine actually makes more sense.

[matriarchofwar]

blasting through s2 again for ambessa inspo bc i'm too hungover to write anything of real value n the fact she can think on the fly so quick jst drives home how good she really is.

immediately suggesting mel hold a public memorial with the intention of orchestrating an attack when the remaining councillors vote against the use of hextech. she doesn't truly care about piltover nor their feelings — she merely needs as many pilties in the same place to witness something that will change their minds on their approach to dealing with zaun.

the way she straight away knows just what to do and what strings to pull to get exactly what she needs — regardless of who or what gets damaged or hurt in the process. tugging on mel's heartstrings by suggesting it be a memorial rather than?? just a general gathering to inform people of their plan. she knows her daughter is soft on people, and she also knows the people of piltover have a certain affinity for her, therefore they'll listen and they'll show up.

there was no mulling over it, no hours of running over potential plans and their outcomes. all of that done within a split second. she knows the state in which piltover is in, and she knows they're teetering on the edge of finally doing what they should of done years ago - she's just there to give the harsh, final shove.

and then she comes in late enough for destruction to be caused and resolves against zaun to be made, only further unifying everybody in piltover and forcing the councils hand to do what needs to be done because the people want it, but just in time to save the day. to show that brutality against the enemy is just what they need to finally quash them. her brutality is what they need. nothing will stop them from their desire to dismantle and destroy piltover unless they do something - and ambessa is someone that will do something.

[matriarchofwar]

extra yapping on some points from this post.

SO THE SACRIFICE OF THE LAMB!!!!

the lamb represents peace, of course — the opposite of the wolf.

before her death and resurrection, i think ambessa was better than she was after. she very obviously fell in love, given she had kino and was pregnant with mel at the time. sure, you could argue it was her desire to continue the medarda bloodline and have an heir to leave her legacy to once she passes - which is no doubt a factor - but i think the lamb is an indication that it wasn't the sole purpose. if she'd always been the way she was, there would be nothing to sacrifice.

her having to sacrifice it to be able to win her battle against death insinuates that she wasn't always entirely cruel and heartless. —

see also; the statue that shows her as a child holding the lamb, surrounded by swords at the aftermath of the battle of hildenard, shows that she was not always the way she currently is. even as a child soldier herself, due to menelik's pushing, she still loved. she still had a heart. she thought she could do the same with her children as her father had done with her.

— the lambs connotations of peace suggest, in her life prior to her fight with death, she had things she loved. that she cared about and that brought her peace; kino, a partner, little baby mel on the way. things that she cared for so much it weighed her down so so heavily - given how hard she initially tried to hold and protect the lam, which resulted in her weakness during the fight. she didn't want to let it go. she wanted to continue being able to be sweet and loving with her children. but survival would be impossible if she did.

the sacrifice in limbo shows her that she can't do what she needs to do, she can't protect herself and her family, without dispelling all of that peace. without hardening her resolve, steeling herself to all distractions, and letting go of all that makes her soft, she will never be as good as she could be. as good nor as strong nor as ruthless as she needs to be to be the protector she knows she has to become to ensure the safety and prosperity of her children.

the second she lets go of the lamb and it's shattered, the tides of the fight she was previously getting her ass kicked in changes. after taking so many beatings she became littered in scars, she was finally able to fight back and land a few hits on death - the warrior - which she hadn't managed to do prior.

but all those things she had to let go of also made her stronger. despite sacrificing her tenderness for them to guarantee her strength, ambessa was still fighting for them - fighting to return to them, and then fighting to protect them. she sacrificed it FOR them because she loves them. if she didn't, she would be dead — and then who knows what would happen to her children. mel would die with her, and kino?? he likely wasn't very old at the time. he couldn't become the head of the family, and the other branches would crawl from the cracks she crushed them into and do whatever they could to become the new head. ambessa literally fought against death with mel in her womb because she was so intent on protecting her and surviving for her family.

ambessa didn't sacrifice her love for them. not for kino and mel (i'll go into mel n ambessa some other time bc they r so tragic to me but ambessa truly truly loved her in her own really fucked up way). but the softness had almost gotten her killed. her desire to stay sweet and tender was overridden by her desperation to protect.

[matriarchofwar]

ambessa survived death. though it was no easy feat.

as she stood before it, newly acquired scars littering her exhausted form, she held her head high in preparation for the next onslaught of brutal, merciless attacks - but they did not come.

having proven herself worthy of life, the towering warrior retreated - its golden shield that formed the likeness of the wolf retracting. she was victorious: the thundering heart beating against its cage a testament to the might of her will.

the warriors that stood behind it, clad in the same deep crimson and dazzling gold, looked upon her with reverence. she was one of them. one of the many who had been dragged into limbo by the maw of death and fought tooth and nail to survive.

she was one of them.

life was returned to her once more. for the continuation of her conquest, and for the lives of her children - living and unborn. ambessa's unwavering resolve was rewarded, both in resurrection and the promise of brutal battles as long as she should live.

those with hearts like hers - with the ferocious heart of a warrior - would meet her in limbo upon their death in the ruins of the battlefield. they would confront the matriarch of war, and they would either die to her blade, or they too would be triumphant in their plight.

should they prove worthy, what they choose to do with their second chance would determine whether they remember the gilded mask of the one they fought, or if she would remain a faceless haze in their memory.

[matriarchofwar]

yap city bitch.

i think maybe its pretty obvious what happened to kino and why he was killed but i have two theories so far

it was ambessa very clearly sat upon a throne in one of the statues depicting her future during her amv before it switched to them all showing her scenes from her past. and this one showing the future could absolutely reference her time in piltover over anything else, as the style is similar to that of her in s2. however, she has always been far too ambitious - almost too much for her own good. nothing short of vicious perfection and brutal strength is worthy enough for her, and there wasn't a moment that passed that she wasn't striving for bigger, better, more powerful things. throughout both her childhood and adulthood.

from what i can tell from reading about noxus, the black rose is a 'secretive cabal led by the noxian aristocracy.' they have 'guided the throne' from the shadows for centuries. it appears that nothing happens that they don't first approve of, or orchestrate in some way.

part of me thinks that ambessa, essentially, got too big for her boots. after everything she'd sacrificed and everything she'd been through: fighting death, battling her own family for the medarda name - her hunger for power has only grown with every victory that comes her way. she's proven herself more than worthy - having led conquest after conquest and slain beast after beast as easy as she breathed, and she believes herself worthy of the metaphorical crown of noxus. she thinks she has the will and strength to lead the empire to greater things once she has gained control of her own clan, and perhaps she tries to stage a coup - be it something as small as a verbal mention to someone who dayted her out, or an actual attempt. it would explain kino's death and ambessa's need to find and protect mel, for the black rose are a formidable force who would not take such a thing lightly.

— for what better way to protect her family, and ensure as much for generations, than running and having complete control over the very expansionist empire that so many fear.

but on the other hand, i think it's more likely that it was kino himself who got himself in trouble - i don't think ambessa was lying when she said he'd crossed the wrong man. because i can't imagine ambessa would be permitted an easy exit from noxus had she tried to overthrow and place herself at the top, even after they kill kino as a warning - especially not with a whole militia of men.

but kino, who favoured diplomacy and peace above all else, who likely went against something the black rose had said, or did, that he accidentally became aware of - or that he was intentionally seeking out, only to get caught and therefore punished. he was killed as an example. i don't doubt they would be aware of ambessa and her fiery ambition, and i also don't doubt some of that may of passed onto kino - which the black rose would assume too. perhaps he didn't want to rule, but he was an idealist. he wanted to change the very fundamentals of noxus instead - wanted to stop the slaughtering and seizing of innocent cities and states, for it was not necessary, and instead do it through diplomats and compromise. being a medarda, the family is highly respected and they have a helluva lot of influence - even more so since ambessa became the matriarch. they couldn't risk kino swaying any other families with these ideals, or anybody else in noxus for that matter, and for them to begin debating on an approach of peace. it was not an option, and so he was killed to prevent any further complications.

- which could tie in with ambessa's views on killing, which likely comes from noxian principles. killing one and making an example of them is better than having to kill thousands later down the line if they are allowed to be free.

and ambessa medarda, the fierce family woman she is, vowed to take revenge. she has come face to face with death and she did not bow. she fought tooth and nail to survive, and survive she did. the black rose, in comparison, were nothing (oh how wrong she was). they did not strike fear into her because of their clandestine meetings and orchestration of noxus - but because they had taken kino so easily. it was not herself she feared for, but her only remaining child. kino had been taken from right out beneath her, ripped away like one of those poor party tricks where the cloth is pulled from the table and everything atop it remained still and unmoving. except it wasn't the case with ambessa. while on the outside she remaimed firm and vowed revenge, his death opened a wound in her she would never be able to close. nothing would be able to fill the jagged, aching hole his death tore open in her. but revenge would most definitely be a step in the right direction, along with keeping her mel alive.

[matriarchofwar]

THE MATRIARCH OF WAR:

"an enemy of mine is an enemy of my family."

ambessa medarda was born into one of the most powerful families that resided within the expansionist empire of noxus. despite the medarda family not being counted amongst that of noxus' eldest noble houses, they had gradually gained an enormous amount of both respect and influence since it was founded.

ambessa's introduction to bloodshed came early. a past-time she favoured as a young girl was watching reckoners - warriors that fought each other viciously across the empire of noxus for the purpose of entertainment - brawl in arenas, risking their lives for a chance at glory. every match she eagerly watched was committed to her memory. filed away for the young girl to analyse the brutal, ruthless intricacies of each battle. every move, both good and bad, strong and weak, smart and stupid, were meticulously pulled apart inside her head - the outcome of every action internalised for future reference.

at ten years old, ambessa was taken by her father to the harrowing aftermath of the battle of hildenard. as far as the eye could see laid the mass of mangled bodies left by the noxian military: barbaric and merciless in their vicious ways. the sea of colours spanning the horizon were consistent with that of their enemies, the typical reds and blacks donned by the tyrants few and far between, for their skills made them a fearsome force to be reckoned with.

she was instructed to collect the blades that littered the gore-soaked battleground under the pretence of requiring the steel. however, ambessa knew it to be a lie. it was a lesson. an undeniable prophecy. she would one day stand amongst the battlefield, just as she did now. only she would not be the young lamb, tentative in its approach - she would be the wolf, unrelenting in its attack.

not once had her gaze averted from the death and carnage that filled the air with an acrid stench. every warrior she acquired a sword from was gazed upon by the young medarda, and she quickly found that death was not something to be feared nor scorned, but instead was something to be respected. sacrificing ones own life for a cause they believed so strongly in was a noble thing: for greatness demanded sacrifice.

it was inevitable that ambessa would choose the life of a soldier. throughout her childhood and early adulthood, she carried the lessons taught to her as though they were precious gems. she lived by them, breathed by them - for she would not bring shame to the medarda name. everybody she encountered was held to high standards, failure to meet them resulting in ambessa believing them to be weak willed and unfit - the ideals of familial honour and decisive action being beliefs she held to her very core.

she was an incredibly proud daughter of the medarda family, carrying the name with her head held high - and it was clear to anyone outside of the family that menelik favoured her greatly, for her strong will and fierce appetite for life meant her ambition was never satiated. never did she stop striving for bigger, better things. she brought honour to the medarda name in the masses and he knew that, ever since she was born, she was destined to become a warrior - and he was correct. ambessa flew through the ranks of the noxian military at a rate almost unheard of, soon enough becoming a general in command of several warbands whose loyalties lay with her and her prowess.

alongside all this, ambessa was so much more than simply a warrior - she was a woman, a lover, and a mother. her desire to grow, to experience, to live, meant she had experienced it all. love had been nice, she could admit. it was a time in her life she held dear to her. the love she both felt and received only went on to strengthen her desire to be an unshakeable protector. upon the first time she held her son, kino - and she stared into his eyes, innocent to the harsh reality of their world - she understood what it was like to devote yourself to something in your entirety.

ambessa did what she could to ensure her children would thrive within the empire of noxus, her unconditional love showing itself in the same way her father had raised her - but all that followed was profound disappointment. it was clear kino did not have the heart of a warrior, much preferring diplomacy over the necessary act of war. yet it did not make her love him any less - in fact, it only made her resolve stronger. it strengthened her need to protect her children, as they did not understand that harsh displays of merciless strength and power were the only way to ensure protection. if she had to protect them from that, then so be it.

fear was the greatest deterrent.

upon her near death experience defending her ancestral home of rokrund, ambessa was visited by death itself. stuck in limbo once its maw sunk into her, she was forced to fight the wolf of violent ends - who took the towering form of a powerful warrior. to survive and prove herself worthy of her life, she had to let go of everything. any semblance of peace and mercy were to be wiped from her mind, for there was no such thing. it was a weakness that would sooner see her dead than prospering. through sheer will and determination, ambessa defeated death and was raised from the dead by the wolf itself. her strength was rewarded with her life, and the life of the daughter she was pregnant with.

the slaughtered corpses of her warband surrounded her as she stared to the sky. defying death had been no easy task, and the scars that littered her body were a testament to her survival. removing the arrow lodged into abdomen, she rose to her feet. the intensity of her resolve and ambition had increased to unfathomable lengths at her brush with the other side, and ambessa vowed to break and bend the world to her every whim - for no weakness in herself, nor her children, would be something she allowed her enemies to seek out and exploit. they would be crushed beneath her before the thought could even cross their minds.

upon her return to noxus, ambessa's brutality increased tenfold. in every battle, she led from the front lines; staring death in the eye with no fear - for she had beaten it once before, and never would its attempts to make her bow to it be successful. it had failed once before, and it would fail forever thereafter. with every victory that lined her belt she only grew better; more resourceful, more daring, more uncompromising.

if they did not bend, they would shatter.

the death of menelik medarda caused chaos. with no heir named on his deathbed, several branches of the medarda family vied for the opportunity to be the head of the medarda's. it was futile, however. it had always been ambessa's destiny. ever since she stood on the battle torn field, she knew it would all be hers. there was nobody more worthy than herself - and that was proven through the defeat of everyone who attempted to oppose. remorseless as she struck down members of her own family who attempted to take what was rightfully hers, ambessa became the matriarch of war - vowing to forge a legacy worthy of the medarda name.

in all things, be the wolf.

weakness was something ambessa tolerated in no way, shape, or form. it was something she loathed to her very core, in herself and those around her. unable to do what needed to be done with the eyes of her daughter on her at all times, disapproving in every way of her every move, regardless of ambessa doing the only thing possible to ensure their safety, she had no choice but the banish her from noxus. mel had only ever wanted peace - a path that, in ambessa's eyes, had only ever resulted in death and destruction. it was not a viable option.

kino's demise sparked something in ambessa she hadn't felt for a long time. fear. her ambition had become too much - she had crossed something far more powerful than she herself could handle, and in return her son had lost his life. if the black rose could take him from right out beneath her, then mel would be no more difficult. the whisperings of a powerful invention - 'hextech' - being created in piltover only urged the warlord to depart from noxus and sail to the city of soft-spined idiots. both for her daughter, and to determine if the new technology being forged could be used to leverage even more power for the medarda family. their survival depended on it.

[matriarchofwar]

WEE LITTLE VERSE 5 EXTRA'S/MISC RAMBLE:

when the warrior signifying death steps back, showing that the battle is over and ambessa has been victorious in her plight, there appears to be other warriors spaced out behind him.

now these could represent those who had tried to fight death and lost, and are therefore stuck in limbo, unable to leave or pass onto whatever afterlife there may be. however, they're all in similar clothing as the warrior, which suggests they had actually been successful during their own trials. especially considering the skin we see ambessa in shortly after, which mimics all the ones that were seen w the red's and the heavy gold motif throughout the whole amv - and she won. she wouldn't be in the same style armour as them if they were losers 👎

upon her triumph, she is recognised as having survived death. while she did not defeat him, for he is inevitable and therefore unable to be beaten, she was able to persevere through every attack. while she was getting her ass kicked at first, the more she began to let go of her past, the stronger she got - landing hit after hit, using her blades to dive for the warrior's neck, and getting up time after time, rearing to fight, despite the myriad of scars now littering her body.

only the strongest can fall into limbo with death, and only the ones with the strongest wills make it out. and ambessa holds both the physical capabilities and mental strength to both fight and persevere.

she is permitted to return to her life for her children, the reason she had fought so valiantly in the first place - and her resurrection from what would be certain death granted mel the powers we see her have. but when someone with the heart of a fighter falls, ambessa is called upon to be their death. to fight until she kills them, or until they prove themselves worthy.

they may remember her, should they cross paths once again in the land of the living, or they may not. it is dependent on the person and how they chose to remember/spend their new found second chance.

(hmm can coincide with other verses or simply be a standalone)