| “ | "Bilgewater, home bitter stinkin' home." |
—  Gangplank
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Bilgewater Bay is an island location, the main coastal settlement of Bilgewater. and the largest settlement on the Serpent Isles. A natural harbor in the Blue Flame Isles. Its many haphazard settlements make up the greater city of Bilgewater, a renowned haven for criminal activity in the region.
Lore[]
Surrounded by treacherous straits and towering cliffs, Bilgewater Bay is as dangerous as those who call it home. Visitors are often seduced by seemingly limitless opportunity, and become permanent residents—realizing that the longer they stay, the more they can exploit others for power and wealth.
Champions of Bilgewater Bay[]
Other Related Champions[]
Hecarim attacked Bilgewater during the Harrowing and laid waste to the port of Grey Harbor.- Kalista punishes betrayers in Bilgewater.
- Lucian defended Bilgewater against the Black Mist.
- Olaf defended Bilgewater against the Black Mist.
- Ryze visited Bilgewater when searching for a passage to the East to search for the World Runes.
- Thresh attacked Bilgewater during the Harrowing.
- Yuumi traveled to Bilgewater in search for her Master, Norra.
Locations[]
- Black Market Grottos: Situated in the lowest parts of Bilgewater Bay, these locations are the primary location of Bilgewater's black market. Bilgewater's lowliest inhavitants dwell in a labyrinth of meandering canals and hidden inlets, with no separation between the homes they build and the sea where they ply their trade.
- Rat Town: Bilgewater Bay is the main entrance to the largest settlement of Bilgewater, Rat Town. Butcher's Bridge, which is located upstream and above the Slaughter Docks, acts as a gate to the inner parts of the city as well as the bridge to the Temple of the Mother Serpent, one of the largest and most important structures of Bilgewater's previous native inhabitants. Because of the cities' mixed cultural heritage, the area boasts a wide variety of architectural designs, from inverted Freljordian logships against the carved cliff-faces to the structures and carvings of the indigenous population. Fleet Street has various pubs and taverns and boasts the island's finest rum. (They say that patrons of the Brazen Hydra can be heard all the way to Diver's Bluff!)
- Butcher's Bridge: Looming over the main harbor is Butcher's Bridge, an ancient stone overpass built into the cliffs, connecting the bustling piers with the notorious slums beyond. Some still use it to access the Temple of Nagakabouros, but most now gather here to fight duels or exchange their illicit wares.
- Temple of The Mother Serpent: Bilgewater's temple for the deity known as Nagakabouros. It is here where Illaoi with the help of her God was able to cast out Hecarim and the other undead wraiths from the Bay during one of the Harrowings.
- Temple of The Mother Serpent: Bilgewater's temple for the deity known as Nagakabouros. It is here where
- Butcher's Bridge: Looming over the main harbor is Butcher's Bridge, an ancient stone overpass built into the cliffs, connecting the bustling piers with the notorious slums beyond. Some still use it to access the Temple of Nagakabouros, but most now gather here to fight duels or exchange their illicit wares.
- Slaughter Docks: In addition to the deadly currents, hidden reefs and the constant threat of piracy, massive sea monsters are a constant threat in the waters around Bilgewater. Fleets leave port at sunset every night to hunt these mighty beasts. If successful, they return to the Slaughter Docks to render the once-great creatures down to meat, bones, and armored hides. The Slaughter Docks are located next to Rat Town, beneath Butcher's Bridge. The sea around the Slaughter-docks is often darkened by the blood of slain sea monsters. The chum draws sharks and other predators into the many harbors, stirring up a violent froth. Slaughter fleets leave port at sunset every night to hunt mighty sea monsters.
- Carving Bays: From MacGregan's Killhouse to the renowned outfits at Bloodharbor, slaughter docks operate day and night to turn death into profit. Only the most successful captains can ever hope to run their own dock, so most are forced to haggle for the best deal before their prize begins to rot in the water.
- Gangplank's Warehouse: Gangplank's warehouse was situated at the end of a pier, guarded on three sides by sharks and razorfish-infested waters, and on the fourth by his vicious Jagged Hooks dock gang. It was full of loot and spoils from every corner of the world. In the aftermath of the destruction of the Dead Pool, Gangplank's spoils-filled warehouses have been plundered, and those who followed the dread pirate have forfeited their allegiance.
- MacGregan's Killhouse: Located at the edge of the Slaughter Docks and Bilgewater Bay, it is the primary location where Miss Fortune does her dirty work by executing political rivals or capturing outlaws.
- The Dead Pool: Anchored near the Slaughter Docks, the enormous, three-masted behemoth, Gangplank's flagship was one of the most infamous vessels in Runeterra. Inherited after his ruthless patricide, the Dead Pool was as much a reminder of the dread captain's power as it was the physical manifestation of it. When Gangplank's ship returned to port, laden with loot from his latest piracy or high-seas victory, it first berthed near the Slaughter Docks to deposit new riches in the captain's warehouse. It has since been destroyed, and its remains are scattered all across the Slaughter Docks and the sea bed of White Wharf.
- White Wharf: Located near the Slaughter Docks, Bilgewater's White Wharf earned its name thanks to the layer of bird waste covering it from end to end, which was only to be expected at a resting place for the dead. In Bilgewater, the dead are not buried, but given back to the ocean, and this is where it all happens. A grave of the sunken dead hangs suspended in the cold depths, marked by hundreds of bobbing grave-buoys. The graves of poor residents have merely name posts, tied en masse to old anchors beneath waterlogged barrels. The wealthy have lavish bobbing tombstones with carvings resembling rearing krakens or buxom sea wenches, and are interred within expensive caskets below the surface. The Boatman ferries the bodies of the departed to the various graveyards scattered about the straits surrounding the city.
Wildlife[]
Wharf Rat[]
- Main article: Razorfin
Wharf Rats, or Razorfins, are amphibious quadrupeds which are a terrifying blend of shark and rat commonly found on the docks of Bilgewater. These creatures are larger than dogs and are known to prey upon drunks and lone fishermen on moonless nights. They often travel in packs, and are easily capable of biting a man's leg off. Their lithe streamlined bodies allude to their speed; their teeth to their ferocity. Criminal circles often train these creatures to seek out and hound high-value targets. Indeed, once a Razorfin draws blood from its target, only death will deter it.
Culture[]
Architecture[]
Bilgewater lacks natural building resources, forcing its inhabitants to adapt. Much of Bilgewater has been built up with whatever people can bring, find, or steal—be it repurposed masonry, or even the broken hulls of the ships they traveled in. It's common to see remnants of ships from as far as Ionia, Demacia, and the Freljord incorporated into the architecture. Various settlements within the greater city have been built upon the remains of a far older civilization. Long abandoned temples have been converted into homes and places of business, with scaffold walkways leading from one establishment to another.
- Canals: Bilgewater's lowliest inhabitants dwell in a labyrinth of meandering canals and hidden inlets, with no separation between the homes they build and the sea where they ply their trade. Indeed, traversing perilous waters is not just an occupational hazard, but part of daily life.
- Carving Bays: Large areas where sea monsters are lifted, carved up and gutted for all their parts. Each carving bay is unique depending on what creature is being carved.
- Serpent Callers: Whether by magic or ancient architectural design, serpent callers use hollowed-out pillars to mimic the screams and screeches of the denizens of the deep, summoning them to the surface or chasing them away. One such serpent was called upon during a recent Harrowing to aid Bilgewater against the onslaught of undead.
- Slaughter Sheds: Slaughter sheds are closed-off versions of carving bays used for creatures not needed to be lifted up on cranes.
- Water Graveyards: In Bilgewater, the dead are not buried - they are given back to the ocean. The port's graveyards consist of innumerable floating buoys, below which are sunk the corpses of the dead. The wealthy are interred within expensive submerged caskets below lavish bobbing tombstones, while the poor are often tied en masse to old anchors beneath waterlogged barrels.
Clothes[]
Due to Sea Monsters having such a large influence in the lives of the people of Bilgewater, sea monster iconography can be seen all over the nations structures and other everyday objects as part and parcel of Bilgewater's unique appearance. Their clothes also have influences of a myriad of different cultures such as Demacia, Ionia, Freljord, and old Buhru. Serpent Callers wear clothing made out of hides of dead sea monsters, sometimes resembling the monsters they are trying venerate.
- Tattoos: A Common type of body marking found in Bilgewater. Due to the melding pot nature of Bilgewater, there are slew of different tattoo designs that can be obtained on the docks of the bay. However the most common designs are those of sea monsters, where sailors and pirates make their bodies with the images of these powerful creatures as a sign of respect as well as pride.
Gambling[]
| “ | ▶️ "Never lost a fair game... or played one." |
—  4Twisted Fate
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Ballad of the Wing-Eared Sunken Lady[]
| “ | "I was sailing just the other day, Out beyond Bilgewater Bay, |
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Nagakabouros[]
| “ | ▶️ "Bearded Lady, Nagakabouros, names don't matter! Action does." |
—  Illaoi
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Central to Buhru culture is Nagakabouros—god of life, growth, and perpetual motion. Also known as the Mother Serpent, the Great Kraken, or the Bearded Lady, she is commonly depicted as an enormous, monstrous head with many spiraling tentacles.
When arriving in and leaving port, sailors throw offerings overboard in the hope of quelling her wrath. Myths about her date back centuries, and it's a reckless sailor who fails to drop the traditional tithe into the Serpent's Well upon docking his ship in Bilgewater.
Illaoi, the Goddess' priestess, tests weaklings and the dead to see if they pass Nagakabouros's judgement. The Goddess directly intervened in one of the recent Harrowings to stop the Black Mist from destroying the entire city of Bilgewater.
Tahm Kench[]
| “ | ▶️ "Call me king, call me demon - water forgets the names of the drowned." |
—  Tahm Kench
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Ol' Tahm Kench's likeness marks dens of avarice throughout Bilgewater. A symbol of greed and uninhibited freedom, the River King's face appears as lewd graffiti almost as often as it is a guidepost for those looking to satiate tastes of an indelicate sort.
The All Seeing Eye[]
| “ |
"Aye aye, they cried, and set off away, |
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The Harrowing[]
The Shadow Isles were once a beautiful realm, long since shattered by a magical cataclysm. Now, Black Mist permanently shrouds the land, tainting and corrupting with its malevolent sorcery. Those who perish within it are condemned to become part of it for all eternity... and worse still, each year the Mist extends its grasp to reap more souls across Runeterra.
At times, the Black Mist reaches across the seas — and the spirits of the dead go with it. The harrowing strikes most frequently in Bilgewater. Those slain by the spirits during the Harrowing are damned, their souls dragged back to the Shadow Isles when the Black Mist retreats.
While weaker spirits may only be able to manifest during a Harrowing, more powerful entities can always do so, sometimes even venturing beyond the Shadow Isles.
The Truce of the Sinking Soul[]
The Truce of the Sinking Soul was a long-standing tradition in Bilgewater. It is an unwritten rule that allow rival crews to gather without bloodshed when their captains attend funerals of one of the famous pirates.
Government[]
Bilgewater is ruled by gang syndicates. Each Gang leader controlled a part of Bilgewater, with Gangplank controlling them all until his downfall by 
Miss Fortune.
Currently Bilgewater power structure is in a state of flux, with numerous crime bosses and captains vying for power.
Social Standing[]
There is a commonly accepted truth in Bilgewater: the higher you climb, the less likely you are to drown. Those with money in their pocket will frequent the uptown taverns, enjoying fine drinks and merry conversation—even though, in a day or two, they will be back down at the wharf, wrangling a crew for their next dismal voyage.
Bilgewater is home to serpent-hunters, dock gangs, and smugglers from across the known world. For those fleeing justice, debt, or persecution, Bilgewater can be a place of new beginnings, for no one on these twisted streets cares about your past.
Boatman[]
A fixture of every floating graveyard, these grim sailors ferry the dead out to their final resting place.
Harpooners[]
One of the most important roles on a hunting crew is the harpooner, who hooks and slays the beasts, and entire crews will be built around a veteran who can teach others a thing or two along the way. Many harpooners are marksmen, or particularly fearless freedivers... but few survive long enough for their reputation to become widely known.
Jagged Hooks[]
As rivals represented by unique symbols and traditions, many of the fleets constantly fight among themselves for dominance. One of the oldest and fiercest dock gangs in Bilgewater, the Jagged Hooks swear undying allegiance to Gangplank. They take their name from the wickedly curved tools many of them use while hunting sea monsters.Trivia[]
- Bilgewater was inspired by a real historical pirate nation: Nassau. During the Golden Age of Piracy, the strongest pirate factions from the Caribbean Islands allied with one another, eventually forming the pirate nation.
- Travel from Piltover to Bilgewater Bay takes around 18 days by trade ship.
Media[]
- Related Music
- Related Videos
See also[]
References
| Islands | Bilgewater · Buhru |  |
|---|---|---|
| Locations | Bilgewater Bay · Butcher's Bridge · Grey Harbor | |
| Factions |  Bilgewater ·  Buhru ·  Jagged Hooks ·  Syrens |