Piltover

Piltover, also known as the City of Progress, is a thriving, progressive city whose power and influence is on the rise. It is Valoran's cultural center, where art, craftsmanship, trade and innovation walk hand in hand. Its power comes not through military might, but the engines of commerce and forward thinking. Situated on the cliffs above the district of Zaun and overlooking the ocean, fleets of ships pass through its titanic sea-gates, bringing goods from all over the world. The wealth this generates has given rise to an unprecedented boom in the city's growth. Piltover has - and still is - reinventing itself as a city where fortunes can be made and dreams can be lived. Burgeoning merchant clans fund development in the most incredible endeavors: grand artistic follies, esoteric hextech research, and architectural monuments to their power. With ever more inventors delving into the emergent lore of hextech, Piltover has become a lodestone for the most skilled craftsmen the world over.

Lore
Piltover is a thriving, progressive city overlooking the ocean. Fleets of ships pass through its titanic sea-gates, bringing goods from all over the world. Merchant clans fund incredible endeavors, including artistic follies and architectural monuments to their individual power. With ever more inventors delving into hextech, Piltover has become the destination for the most skilled craftspeople from across Runeterra.

Other Related Champions

 * keeps the city streets of Zaun and Piltover safe.
 * managed a successful heist of The Clockwork Vaults.
 * is a Spirit that protects Zaun and Piltover.
 * is a Piltover criminal and an adversary to.
 * is searching for his peoples crystals.
 * managed a succesful heist of The Clockwork Vaults.
 * is an adversary to.

Birth of Progress Day
Zaun finalized its plans to destroy a portion of the isthmus connecting Valoran and the Southern Continent, allowing for safe sea passage between eastern and western Valoran. The plan involved using thousand of chemtech bombs to crack open an area of the land so that a cavern could be created, but the results were catastrophic, as in what seemed to be an accident, the bombs triggered a series of earthquakes that completely destroyed the isthmus and sank large districts of Zaun and thousands of its citizens, while also leaking poisonous gas into the city's surviving areas.

, empowered by the prayers of Zaun's people, arrived and blew away the gas, saving many lives and being eternally remembered by Zaun's denizens, converting her from a goddess of faith for sailors to a guardian deity for Zaun. She has yet to leave Zaun following this event.

Eventually Zaun was rebuilt. In order to regulate the oceanic passage they were built over, the Sun Gates were constructed, forcing all transport through the waters to be regulated by Zaun. This brought immense wealth to the city and likely led to Piltover's construction and elevation from Zaun, as the merchant clans were in control of most of the money coming through this trade route.

Construction of the Sun Gates led to great changes in eastern Valoran and the eastern seas, as Noxus was from this point on able to more easily pool together resources from across its empire without needing land travel, and Bilgewater's pirates found the seas brimming with trade ships waiting to be plundered, feeding in to the criminal underbelly of the city.

Discovery of the First Hex Crystals
In an effort to find suitable fuel sources for hextech, Clan Ferros, led by Elicia Ferros, went on an expedition to Shurima. There they found the slumbering Brackern and attacked them, ripping their lifestones out of the creature's bodies. But awoke and lashed out, killing several people; Elicia was injured and the clan was forced to retreat. Several weeks later, Skarner began his quest to recover the stolen lifestones, and succeeded in retrieving one. The rest were brought to Piltover and were used to fuel hextech, becoming known as the first hex-crystals. The ultimate fate of these crystals remains unknown.

The Defender of Tomorrow


A friendly visit from the Zaunite scientist,, quickly turned into an all-out assault of lab in a successful attempt at stealing the arcane crystal. Piltover officials refused to attack Zaun to prevent the thievery from escalating into an all-out war between the two city-states. With no response from the officials, Jayce chose to seclude himself inside his lab. Rumor spread he was developing a powerful weapon for an assault against the Zaunite scientist.

After many restless day and nights, Jayce finally made himself public again, carrying with him the supposedly rumored weapon, the Mercury Hammer. With this, Jayce assaulted Viktor's lab, defeated him and his acolytes and destroyed the crystal. On his return, the citizens of Piltover showered him with adoration. But with his actions he knew that Zaun would soon act again and try to wreak havoc in Piltover. So he made a solemn vow to defend all of Piltover from any danger that comes.

Get Jinxed!


Piltover has been known as the City of Progress for the countless technological advancements it has made, but found a way to halt progress entirely for some time: anarchy! Chaos, buildings crumbling, people dying, painted animals running rampant, and the city in constant gunfire... it was Jinx's dream. Piltover's Finest, and, attempted to track her down to no avail.

As Jinx's rampage escalated, Caitlyn declared a city-wide manhunt for her. Jinx responded to this by marking the treasury with a challenge to Vi, saying that she would attack the place at the time and date she had written there. When the time came, she showed up and began to wreak havoc as usual. Vi began chasing her, smashing through every wall along the way. Eventually Jinx was cornered, but she let loose a barrage of rockets, destroying the building. When the officers had awoke, all the gold was intact still remained and Jinx had spelled out something in the sky using the city's lights: "YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME!".

Progress Day
Three Noxian spies, Gysbert, Tamara, and Colette, infiltrated Piltover for many months in hopes of placing an agent inside Clan Medarda. They used the annual Progress Day to showcase their technical skills to the clan's masters and apprenta.

Tamara Lautari showcased her Hex-Armillary Amplifier invention. It worked by harnessing the properties of a crystal and exponentially increasing its output. However, the invention itself proved to be dangerous as it almost destroyed the entire hall due to its faulty construction - which was intended to sabotage the proceedings.

Later on, after leaving the Medarda mansion, Tamara was apprehended by, who had discovered her true identity and purpose in the city. She was subsequently banished and sent back to Noxus.

Both Tamara and Gysbert failed to become Medarda apprenta, but Colette succeeded. Some time after, Colette would obtain a Medarda trading map, which she would relay to Noxian intelligence.

Locations
Piltover is a city-state located on an isthmus between Valoran and Shurima. The current well known locations (not counting Zaun) in Piltover are:

Connected Cities
Dual city-states that control the major trade routes between Valoran and Shurima. Home both to visionary inventors and their wealthy patrons, the divide between social classes is becoming more dangerous.

North Piltover

 * Bluewind Court: The most influential individuals of Piltover live in Bluewind Court, located in northern Piltover. The north of the city is where the bulk of the clans have their mansions and heavily guarded workshop compounds, such as the mansions of clans Arvino, Cadwalder, Ferros, Giopara, Holloran, Kozari, Medarda, and Morichi.
 * Jayce's Laboratory: As part of the Giopara Mansion, the lab the work area of the city's famous guardian, . It is the place where he himself made his famous Mercury Hammer, which was later used against.
 * Workshop of The Horological Institute: Workshops of hextech researchers are magnificent examples of what a wealthy patron can do for an inventor.
 * Drawsmith Arcade: A vaulted structure of colored glass and ironwork columns.
 * Heimerdinger's Laboratory: The main lab of the famous yordle inventor; many inventions have been imagined, created, and tested in this work environment.
 * Mainspring Crescent: The fashionable promenade of cafes, bistros, and supper clubs. The Drawsmith Arcade contains small theatres.
 * Piltover City Zoo: The Piltover City Zoo houses a large assortment of flora and fauna from across Runeterra. It was recently vandalized by.
 * Reveck Residence: Previous residence of Corin Reveck, the city's famous clockwork inventor. He and his daughter were forced to abandon it and move down to Zaun to help the sick and needy during an epidemic. Reveck returned to Piltover by selling a collection of clockwork figurines left behind by his daughter before she gave into the sickness for the benefit of others and was replaced with hextech.

South Piltover

 * Ezreal's House: One of the cities most famous residence, the house houses a large assortment of artifacts found by the explorer himself.
 * First Assemblage of the Glorious Evolved: Located at the end of the Border Markets in southern Piltover, the Church is the main location where worshipers of the Glorious Evolved from both Piltover and Zaun come to worship their deity, the Gray Lady. Its is also a place where the disenfranchised come to seek refuge, and where the crippled come for techmaturgical miracles.
 * Sidereal Avenue: The streets of Piltover are rumored to be paved with gold, but to the disappointment of many a hopeful traveler, that is simply a metaphor. However, the city’s most wondrous structures and streetscapes are funded by the merchant clans, who flaunt their wealth as much as possible. Such place is the Sidereal Avenue, home to the Piltover Treasury.
 * The Ecliptic Vaults: Located in Sidereal Avenue, were once considered to be Piltover's most secure bank, before breached their heavily reinforced walls.
 * Clockwork Vault:  Located at the Southern part of the city. This bank was considered secure as well, only to also be broken into, this time by and.
 * Zindelo's Incognium Runeterra: Zidelo's Incognium Runeterra is located in the Incognia Plaza, connected to the Sidereal Avenue in southern Piltover. The lifetime's work of Valentina Zindelo, the Incognium Runeterra is a device she claimed was able to locate any individual in the world. Since Zindelo’s mysterious death, many believe her alchemical formulae to have been stolen. The contraption is left inoperable.

The Sun Gates
The most important location in all of Piltover, the construction of these sea-gates made Piltover a hub of mercantile trade between Valoran and Shurima. They were constructed as a necessity of the city, but unfortunately, an accident during their construction sank large chunks of Zaun into the sea. In Piltover, Progress Day marks the anniversary of the day the Sun Gates opened for the first time, allowing trade to pass easily through the city, bringing unimaginable wealth to the city's rulers. In Zaun, it is a day to remember those lost in the geological upheaval that created the east-west passage and submerged entire districts underwater.
 * Wharfside Docks: Located at the lower end of the Sun Gates, the quaysides of Piltover are always busy, with ships from every major port passing through the Sun Gates every day.

Additional Locations

 * Yordle Academy of Science and Progress:  and his associates educate humans and yordles alike. Heimerdinger believes knowledge should be shared, and is devoted to teaching all who desire it.  was recognized with the honorary title Dean of Demolitions after saving kidnapped professors from the prison compound in Zaun. Ziggs was initially dismissed for blowing a huge hole in the wall of the Academy during his entry presentation.

Culture
General= Trade is the lifeblood of Piltover, and its command of the main sea-route between east and west has seen its coffers swell with gold. A consequence of this has been the rapid expansion of the Noxian empire, whose armies and supplies can now travel the length and breadth of Valoran with relative ease. It has also allowed Bilgewater to prosper as a haven for pirates and reavers who prey on ships traveling to and from Piltover. The climate around Piltover is generally balmy, but when the temperature changes rapidly, sea fogs often envelop the docks and warehouses. The quaysides of Piltover are always busy, and anyone with a strong back and the will to work can easily find employment. A hundred accents are heard on the wharfside streets at any given time, and scores of ships from every port pass through the Sun Gates every day.

The cosmopolitan nature of Piltover makes its inhabitants as varied as their city, but there remains a particular character to its people. A citizen of Piltover is typically self-reliant, does not expect handouts, and always aspires to do better. They are averse to meddling from outsiders, and see an open and free market as essential to the city's continued prosperity. As much as the citizens of Piltover and Zaun like to pretend they are separate entities, both are far more intertwined than they might openly admit, having strong biological and cultural ties to one another.


 * -|Objects=

Architecture
Piltover's newer structures are graceful mixtures of polished marble, latticework bronze and shimmering glass that sit alongside older building of hewn stone and weathered timber. Fluted towers inlaid with gold and silver reach for the clear skies, as arching bridges span the chasms between the clifftops. The entrances to mercantile buildings are often incredibly elaborate. Even those dwellings that predate hextech have since been ornamented with elaborate details to further reinforce the impression that Piltover is a city drowning in gold. The interior of Piltover's buildings are no less ornate than outside, and are often marvels of technological ingenuity in their own right.

Clothing
Fashions quickly rise and fall in the salons of Piltover, and while most tastes tend toward formal and functional, there are those who push the boundaries of good taste and common sense with their overly elaborate displays of wealth. There are also those that augment their bodies ether from necessety or for showcasing their progressive and/or wealthy status in the community. There is a distinct difference between the appearance of Piltover and Zaun augments. Piltover's are more flamboiant in their craftmanship, often adorned with elements of gold and blue arcane crystals, while Zaun's were born more of the neceessity and practicality of its environment and often have crude details, with the elements of toxic green colours heavily featured in the most augmented individuals. For those that live in the city for a very long time, its easy to distinguish true augmented individuals from those that arent. The non-augmented individuals are refered to as "fleshies" by the followers of The Gloriously Evolved.

Currency


Wile the nation trades with all kinds of currency from all corners of Runeterra, it also mints its own currency within the city region. The main currency of Piltover are Golden Hexes (the name originates from the word Hextech), Silver Cogs (or Silver Gears, both are slang terms for 'money' / 'cash'), and Bronze Washers. Due to the cities importantce as a trade hub, the currency has a very strong economic power around the world.

Merdarda Heirloom
To the wealthy clans of Piltover, sea-borne trade is key to their continued wealth. Detailed knowledge of the ocean’s many trade routes and city ports (as well the people who control them) is jealously guarded and passed down only to worthy heirs. Over the many years of his life, Jago Medarda has sailed far and wide to secure Clan Medarda’s fortune, and his well-traveled - and oft-amended - map offers many clues to those seeking their fortune upon the high seas.



Technology
Piltover and Zaun do not have mass production or factories for their most stellar inventions - hextech in particular is made by talented craftspeople who have studied for years. But not all creations from both cities are genuine in design or function. Some inventions are fraudulent knockoffs designed to extort the naive and gullible.
 * Hextech: A is the newly emergent fusion of magic and technology used to create exquisite artifacts that can be wielded by anyone, not just those few with a natural aptitude for the arcane. It harnesses the magical power contained within extremely rare crystals, and its power is limited only by the imagination of their users. It is capable of amazing feats, from powering machinery to creating beams of light capable of cutting the strongest steel. The process of crafting hextech is a closely guarded secret, and no two artificers work to the same methodology. As such, each item of hextech is a unique artifact of rare beauty, a bespoke creation that will likely have taken years to craft.
 * Atlas Gauntlets: Exceedingly rare and powerful hextech augments created by Vaido Violante that considerably boost the wearer's strength and dexterity. Continued usage has resulted in skeletal damage to the wearer, but this has not halted demand for such items. Stabilizing the energy outputs of the renowned Atlas Gauntlets is at the top of Vaido Violante's list of priorities. Vi actively uses prototypes of the Atlas Gauntlets.
 * : Explosive electro-grenades that, when tossed on target, emit electrical shockwaves which impairs sensory capabilities and neural overload that effectively damage and shut down enemy's response rate. For crowd control, the : protocol allows the use of the bigger and superior version which feature wider area of disruption and "bounces" over solid surfaces for up to thrice times.
 * Ekalavya's Hexbow: The power of the hex-coils in this bow make its bolts so powerful that they can punch through cold forged iron.
 * : Portable and collapsible stationary automatons capable of continuous rapid-fire of techmaturgical bullets and unleash concentrated laser beams after a brief charging time. This semi-intelligent contraption requires a spotter for accuracy and relies on nearby remote power source to function. Advanced protocols allow the deployment of : which is a heavier armament version capable of collateral damage-shells and stronger laser strikes before its batteries give out.
 * Hextech Cube Battery: The first attempt to capture crystalline power in portable form was the Hexahedral Configuration, with shards cut from the Odyn Valley.
 * : Unguided mini-warheads capable of striking multiple enemies or single-target concentrated fire, making up for its relatively smaller damage compared to standard warheads with sheer numbers. Enemies of high priority can be eliminated swiftly with the  protocol, firing wave after wave of micro-rockets with superior munitions.
 *  / : Transforming weapon created by in order to assault  laboratory and retrieve the hextech crystal he stole.
 * Star Rods: A Hextech devices which is used to emit light in the richer streets in Piltover, these lights pierce the darkness (and rising Zaun Gray) with ease.
 * : Self-operating, semi-sentient nano-machines capable of administering swift repair to nearby mechanical devices and wounded friendlies.
 * : Heavy gauntlets modified by from mining equipment to escape a collapsing mine shaft, later used to break open bank vaults until given a deal by . She later on started using Atlas Gauntlets.
 * Vishlaa's Hexlyene Caliver: Originally manufactured for the Piltover Wardens, the designs for this hex-powered weapon have since been locked away as being too dangerous.
 * Disk-Runner: A one wheeled vehicle with a built in seat, controls, and lighting.
 * Piano: A musical instrument used for both public and private entertainment.
 * Pneuma-Tube Conduit: Used for transporting sealed messages between the Commercia Halls, a tangled network of vacuum pipers threads the city, allowing extremely rapid communication across Piltover.


 * -|Mythos=

The Gray Lady


The Church of the Glorious Evolved is popular in both Piltover and Zaun. The church, views flesh as inferior to steel and metal and advocates the use of techmaturgy to purge the weakness and inefficiency of flesh.

Some members of the church (and Zaun in general) see as a messianic figure, however he couldn’t care less for them, viewing their quasi-religious cult as an aberration and as another reason to eliminate emotional foibles and the belief in that which could not be empirically proven).

Although it's unclear if she's a member, is a respected individual by many in the church, which gives her leeway within it.

The Church often takes in the sick, seeing the removal of dying flesh as a key to transforming a person’s life and faith through technology.

The Gray Lady is the patron saint of this religion. Her stained glass window is the main focal point of the First Assemblage of the Glorious Evolved; her cloak is a mosaic of ash-violet glass, oxidized cogs, and blackened pistons. Her epithet is often invoked when an inventor feels at a loss. Hers is a blessing that often requires sacrifice. The Glorious Evolved celebrates the old Zaunite tradition of sacrificing something personal for Progress Day in the hopes the next iteration of invention will be better. This is a practice that can be traced back to the old days of the city, when the people of Zaun had to rebuild their lives after the devastation of “the incident.” The wealth and growth of Piltover on top of those scarred ruins served as evidence to many that the tradition had merit.

Camille has adopted the moniker of “The Gray Lady” but she is not to be confused with the figure.


 * -|Festivals=

Roguery Night
Roguery Night is a barely tolerated annual tradition where youthful girls and boys throughout Piltover play practical jokes on their family and neighbors.

Progress Day
Progress Day is an annual festival of Piltover and Zaun. The main focus of this event is the celebration of the city's technological progress. On this day, many awards and promotions are given to the brightest minds from all across Runeterra who are willing to contribute to the advancement of the city, as well as the showcase of new innovations all across the city.

In Piltover, Progress Day marks the moment the Sun Gates opened for the first time, allowing trade to pass easily between the east and west of Valoran. It also marks the moment when taxation on that trade turned the trickle of gold entering the city’s coffers into a fast flowing river. But below in Zaun, it is a day to remember those lost in the geological upheaval that created the east-west passage and submerged entire districts underwater.

Government
General= Piltover is run by a loose union of mercantile clans. In order to improve the city-state's social and environmental well-being, clans constantly strive to implement their nation's rapid scientific innovations. Piltover is also one among Valoran's least militarized city-states, and also one of its most trusting. Despite that, the city boasts a warship squadron for the protection of the Sun Gates.

Mercantile Clans


The mercantile clans of Piltover each have their own unique sigil to identify their homes, workshops, shipments, warehouses, inventions, brands and places of business. Each sigil bears many meanings and interpretations; some obvious, some less so.

Among the leading families of Piltover, it is customary for one of the younger children to take up the mantle of the family's principal intelligencer, the sword and shield of their clan. Those chosen are tasked with operating in the best interest of a Piltover family, working with the clan master to secure the family's continued success by any means necessary. Clan Ferros, with its wealth of secrets, has always taken this position seriously, putting forward considerable resources to ensure its intelligencer was always the best.


 * -|Organizations=

The Piltover Wardens
The Wardens are the men and women tasked with maintaining the rule of law in Piltover. The organization is funded by trade taxes and 'voluntary' contributions from the mercantile clans, outfitting the Wardens with uniforms and equipment. Many of these donations take the form of unique hextech, such as specialized weaponry or other devices.
 * SWAT Wardens: A special tasks group trained for the cities most dangerous assignments. They are usually outfitted with the most advance technology Piltover Wardens have in their arsenal.

Relations
To the wealthy clans of Piltover, sea-borne trade is key to their continued wealth. Detailed knowledge of the ocean's many trade routes and city ports (as well as the people who control them) is jealously guarded and passed down only to worthy heirs. Over the years, Jago Medarda has sailed far and wide to secure Clan Medarda's fortune, and his well-traveled - and oft-amended - map offers many clues to those seeking their fortune upon the high seas.

Aurma
Piltover trading families have close trading ties with the city-state nation of Aurma, such as Clan Medarda with Mistress Arathmae. One of the nations more well known exports to Piltover are Roes and leathers.

Bilgewater
As Runeterra’s biggest black market, Bilgewater trades all manner of illicit hextech pilfered from Piltover. The Sun Gates allowed Bilgewater to prosper as a haven for pirates and reavers who prey on ships traveling to and from Piltover.

Demacia
Piltover and Demacia may have their differences, but the two nations are on relatively friendly terms. Scientists from the City of Progress are usually welcomed inside Demacia. However, should the scientists wish to perform experiments there, they must first get clearance from Demacian officials.

Kumangra
Piltover trading families have close trading ties with the city-state nation of Kumangra, such as Clan Medarda with individual known as Panaris. One of the nations more well known exports to Piltover are Song birds from the famous Kumangra Song-Market District, though trading families have a hard time at holding contracts in this nation due to the fickle nature of Kumangrans.

Mudtown
Piltover trading families have close trading ties with the city-state nation of Mudtown, such as Clan Medarda with individual known as Sallie One-Eye. One of the nations more well known exports to Piltover are materials for red-shale bricks as well as Nirpooti fruit.

Noxus
As the most expansive nation on Runeterra, Noxus heavily relies on the crucial port of Piltover to connect its land in Valoran and its territory in northern Shurima. Due to the neutral city's strategic location, many Noxian shadow agents have infiltrated all levels of Piltover's society in order to prepare the empire for a possible future invasion.

Palclyff
Piltover trading families have close trading ties with the city-state nation of Palclyff, such as Clan Medarda with Foreman Piarre Yaeshiff. One of the nations more well known exports to Piltover are weapons, armor, and.

Shurima
Piltover trading families have close trading ties with the cities of Shurima, such as Kalamanda, Urzeris, Nashramae, Tereshni, and Bel'Zhun. The City itself was built on top of an old Shuriman outpost known as Oshra Va'Zaun. Individuals, organizations, and trading families have frequently exploited the nations natural resources such as Hextech Crystals and Ancient Shuriman Tombs. The Piltover Explorers Guild is infamous for hiring explorers in search of old Shuriman artifacts and relics.

Stonewall
Piltover trading families have close trading ties with the city-state nation of Stonewall, such as Clan Medarda with Councilman Aj Ni Noorin. One of the nations more well known exports to Piltover are Dunpor milk and curds.

Zaun
As the two leading city-states in the development of hextech, Zaun and Piltover have a deep competitive rivalry, both vying to be the ones directing the future of techmaturgy on Runeterra. Smuggling campaigns are frequently orchestrated by Zaunite thieves; the valuable technologies obtained are then later sold on the black market all across Runeterra. The two cities also share deep historical, social, and cultural connections, as Piltover (literally and figuratively) rose from the foundations of Zaun.

Trivia
General=


 * Piltover was inspired by and  fantasy genres.
 * Most of Piltover's interiors have a distinct style to them, while the exterior architecture is a mix between Art Deco and Steampunk. This mix between artistic styles can clearly seen on the crest of The Piltover Police Department.
 * Other video game cities that share the same fantasy genres and similar designs are and . Both of which are from the.
 * The Debonair skin line (which mostly consists of Piltover champions) reflects this artistic design choice. It is also noted that follows this trend as well.
 * Piltover may be a wordplay on (variants: , Ltava, Fuldaha, Moldau, etc.), loaned into Common Slavonic from  wilt ahwa "wild ea" (stream).
 * ,, , , (also ), , and  (also ) are hextech inventions.
 * Piltover has even made huge strides in developing and machines that make life easier. However these contraptions are not quite robotics in the modern sense- these golems aren't programmed with code, and they are each bespoke, one-of-a-kind creations made by expert artisans.
 * The clans of Piltover jealously guard their secretes, their supplies and the craft for making machinery around tapping into magical power.
 * Residence of Piltover are referred to as "Piltovans" or "Piltovians".
 * Some of Zaun's citizens refer to Piltovans as "Pilties".
 * The sea level is different on one side of the channel that divides Piltover. For ships to cross from one side to the other an impressive contraption capable of lifting and lowering boats was constructed.
 * In an effort to find new wealth in foreign countries the Ferros Clan led by Elicia Ferros ( ancestor) went on an expedition to Shurima there they found crystal . Only a few were brought back to Piltover and then used to fuel early Hextech devices.


 * -|Skins=

Media
Music=
 * Related Music