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In Dev Update - Champs, Lore & More, Laura 'poisonpixxi' DeYoung, Head of IP Creative for Riot Games, elaborated on their new approach to narrative cohesiveness by ironing out any inconsistencies that have sprung up over the years. This article contains information that conflicts with this new narrative and will most likely be changed/moved in the following year(s). For further information on these changes, see Canonical inconsistencies |
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Jayce wielding the 
Mercury Cannon
- For information about the other references to Hextech, see Hextech (disambiguation).
Hextech is a magical technology that fuses elemental and spirit magic to create exquisite artifacts that can be wielded by anyone, not just the few people out there with a natural aptitude for the arcane. It harnesses the magical power contained within rare 
hex crystals to function properly.
Lore[]
Hextech Champions[]
- The following are champions either made from Hextech, or were beings who augmented their bodies with Hextech to such an extent that they have lost all traces of their original body parts:
Notable users[]
- As one of the original users of the hex crystals,
Camille has a hextech heart implanted inside her body, which enhances her natural abilities and extends her lifespan. - As one of the scientists who perfected hextech, Jayce wields the Mercury Hammer, which he can also transform into the Mercury Cannon.
- As one of the scientists who perfected hextech, Viktor wields the Perfect Hex Core and the Hex Claw.
- Heimerdinger has made and wielded numerous hextech devices over the years.
- Vi wields the Atlas Gauntlets.
- Jinx wields Fishbones, a rocket launcher of her own design that is powered by a hextech gemstone.
- Ekko wields the Z-Drive.
- Seraphine uses a Hextech Music Platform for her performances.
- Caitlyn wields a hextech rifle custom built by her parents.
- Jhin wields Whisper a hextech pistol that shoots handcrafted hextech bullets. He also has a hex tech mass accelerator for his Curtain Call
History[]
Jago Medarda's Hextech Observatory
Hexcore Foundry in Zaun
The origin of hextech can be traced back to the early 900s AN, where the wealthy Mercantile Clans of Piltover harvested rare crystals from the Brackern, a creature native to 
Shurima. These hex-crystals—or “first crystals”—contained power normally only wielded by those born with innate magical ability. Its overal use and application would be a closely guarded secret of select few clans, some of its members even 
augmenting their bodies in order to wield the powers of the crystals. The 
Medarda Clan would directly fund the widespread use of Hextech, as well as incorporating it in the Sun Gates.
The brackern were a limited resource, and 
Ferros Clan had to augment the crystals they’d accumulated. Utilizing shadow investments in chemtech and runic alchemy, they developed less powerful, but easier to make, synthetic hex-crystals.
Yet there were consequences—synthetic crystal manufacturing has long been rumored to heavily contribute to the Zaun Gray. Furthermore, it was only through espionage, intimidation, and murder that Clan Ferros held its monopoly on this priceless commodity, and ensured its uninterrupted production in 
Zaun, maintaining the family’s place in Piltover's illustrious Bluewind Court.
History in Arcane[]
In the 
Arcane timeline, Hextech is a fairly new innovation for its setting, created by aspiring inventors 
Viktor and Jayce. Its widespread use led to the creation of the Hexgates, a realm-warping device able to transport airships across Runeterra in an instant.
Properties[]
Hexite crystal
Hextech's 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. Hextech devices have runes inscribed on them; when the runes are coupled with the power of the hextech gemstones, it gives the device its magical properties. 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 likely took years years to craft.
Piltover and Zaun are the most tuned into this technology, but have vastly differing motives.
Properties in Arcane[]
Jayce showcasing a hextech gemstone
In Arcane timeline, hextech crystals are shown to be extremely volatile and easily explode from just a little bit of impact. Jayce and his partner Viktor were able to refine these crystals and turn them into hextech gemstones—small, sphere shaped crystals (similar in appearance to blue marbles) that could endure great amounts of impact without reacting violently. With the creation of these hextech gemstones, they could be wielded safely by the common man and used to power up portable hextech devices.
Inventions[]
There are numerous hextech devices made.
- Atlas Gauntlets: Exceedingly rare and powerful hextech augments created by Vaido Violante (or Jayce in Arcane) 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. In Arcane, they were originally designed to make mining easier for miners of the Fissures, but Vi uses them as weaponized boxing gloves.
- CH-1 Concussion Grenade / CH-2 Electron Storm Grenade: 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 CH-3X Lightning Grenade: 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.
- Ekko's Z-Drive: Created by Ekko (with possible assistance of Heimerdinger in the Arcane timeline), it is a portable device able to rewind time in short burts, enabling its user to change events. The user is the only one that recalls the rewinding of time: However, they are unable to rewind any injuries that occur to them even with the devices use.
- H-28G Evolution Turret: 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 H-28Q Apex Turret, 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.
- Hextech Golem: These constructs made of magical and technological components that vary in size, shape, purpose, and intelligence.
- Blitzcrank: A golem created from diving suit parts by Viktor to aid the citizens of Zaun, they had seemingly gained enough intelligence to be considered a sapient being. They are powered by steam and a hextech gem used to dispel electrical discharge on opponents. They have the ability to extend their hand similar to a grappling hook.
- Orianna: Originally a human, Orianna Reveck would slowly transition from a cyborg to a full machine. While she is powered by simple windup clockwork, the ball that accompanies her everywhere is powered by a hexgem and is there to constantly wide her up, seemingly part of and necessary to her continued functions.
- Tocker: A hextech golem built to resemble a bird. Its existence in the Runeterra Prime universe remains a mystery, however, he is a Little Legends in the Teamfight Tactics Prime universe, along with hextech forms of Craggle and Gloop.
- Hextech Micro-Rockets: 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 Hextech Rocket Swarm protocol, firing wave after wave of micro-rockets with superior munitions.
- Jayce's Mercury Hammer / Mercury Cannon: Transforming weapon created by Jayce in order to assault Viktor's laboratory and retrieve the hextech crystal he stole. In the Arcane, Jayce creates the hextech hammer to defend Piltover from a possible war with Zaun. He first uses the hammer in a raid on a Shimmer manufacturing factory belonging to the crime boss Silco. It can transform into a powered greathammer that has the hammer's head and pommel enhanced so that its ability to deal heavy blows is intensified—or it can transform into a blaster that can shoot lightning orbs. It can also emit an electrical field that surrounds Jayce and knocks back and electrocutes nearby enemies.
- 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.
- Techmaturgical Repair Bots: Self-operating, semi-sentient nano-machines capable of administering swift repair to nearby mechanical devices and wounded friendlies.
- Viktor's Hexclaw: Created by Viktor, it is a third artificial arm mounted on the shoulder of the user that is manipulated by cybernetics. It shoots a powerful lazer that is able to cut precisely through solid rock. Viktor would later upgrade it and use it as a permanent prosthetic on his body. In Arcane, it was originally designed to help artificers with crafting and manufacturing.
- Viktor's Hex Core: Created by Viktor, it is a self-learning and evolving hextech device, it is able adapt to any situation and has the potential of becoming a sentient and sapient being.
- 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.
- Other notable Hextech devices are: Hextech Capacitor, Hextech Alternator, Hextech Rocketbelt, Hextech GLP-800, Hextech Gunblade, Hextech Protobelt-01, Hextech Revolver, 6 Hextech Transmogulator, Hextech Music Platform, most Piltovan and Zaunite mechanical Golem, etc.
Trivia[]
- The crest of Piltover is shaped in the form of a hextech device.
- The Hexgates topmost area of the tower is shaped in the form of the Piltovan crest.
- There are several terms used interchangeably to referred to the power source of Hextech devices: Hex-crystals, Hexite crystals, Hextech gemstones, Brackern crystals, Sing stones, First crystals.
- In the Path of Champions (non-canon) 4Jayce story mode, 5Heimerdinger mentions that Hexite crystals are made from Galsite put under immense pressure.
- In the Arcane timeline, Hextech and its properties remained mostly the same compared to its canon counterpart. However, there is no mentions of the Brackern as the source of the gemstones.
- The Hextech alternate universe skinline was directly inspired by this magical technology, reimagining champions ether wielding it or being hextech devices themselves.
