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It's a wonder anyone still lives in Bilgewater, no matter how prosperous the trade

Ironclad Dragon·6/3/2018, 5:34:14 PM·49 votes·20,843 views

You're likely to be:

  • killed by sea monsters
  • killed by the harrowing
  • killed by pirates at sea
  • killed by rival gang members
  • killed in a crossfire
  • killed in a mugging
  • killed by disease
  • killed because you saw something you weren't meant to see
  • killed because you didn't pay on time
  • killed because you looked at them funny
  • killed because you fell off a dock and drowned
  • killed because they were angry
  • killed because they were drunk
  • killed because they could
  • killed by Pyke, whose murder list conveniently contains everyone he meets
  • killed by Nautilus
  • killed because of Fizz's antics
  • eaten by Tahm Kench

and these are just the ones I can name off the top of my head. Sure, there was a pirate city like Port Royal in real life, but with added things such as ghost serial killers, regular undead invasions, and an overabundance of vicious sea monsters, it seems even worse.

Edit: It's not that people wouldn't try. Humans are tenacious, and the prospect of wealth is alluring. I'm just surprised that there's anybody left alive in Bilgewater because all of these things happen in the same town.

65 Comments

IcyPepper6/3/2018, 6:13:36 PM25 votes

so basically Detroit

Infernape6/3/2018, 6:03:08 PM17 votes

Killed by Illaoi issuing you a test of spirit and you failing.

Trias0006/4/2018, 6:06:05 AM13 votes

Sounds like a great place if you want to commit suicide. I would live there.

midnight oil246/3/2018, 6:05:51 PM11 votes

The thing to remember is that while all this bad stuff can happen, it's not the only stuff that happens. People die a lot, but given that a lot of people wander about without getting killed shows that it's not a permanent PUBG game. It's a lawless city, but it seems like there are tules to the place, like the bilgewater tithe existed before Nautilus was a giant, so it's not impossible there are unspoken rules that keep normal people from just being mass murderers. Basically, it's certainly something of a hell hole, but it's got more to it. If you list only the bad of any place, any place will sound inhospitable.

Looking more into some of your specific points, you only get killed by Nautilus if he doesn't collect your payment, and while Fizz certainly steals Tithes from time to time, the large number of ships that don't get killed by Nautilus shows that Fizz isn't constantly screwing people over. Tahm Kench only targets people who are desperate, and even then isn't a force specific to Bilgewater. His bio talks about him showing up in Piltover, so he's not the best example for why Bilgewater shouldn't be lived in. Pyke certainly kills a lot of people, but that doesn't seem to be everything he does. I mean, it's his occupation but he's been doing this for years and hasn't made much of a dent in the Bilgewater population.

A good chunk of your other points could fit with almost any city with gang violence, or any violence at all really. Bilgewater just lacks a legal system, and even then as previously stated it's not just a free for all. And there's good too. You can make your fortune, sail the seas, discover ancient treasure, and more. People will always have their reasons for living in certain places. Why does anyone live in Zaun? Because there they can make what they want, and sometimes save lives or do amazing things that they wouldn't be able to do in Piltover. It's like that.

Chembaron Yamada6/3/2018, 9:24:28 PM8 votes

It just seems that the people of Runeterra are more tolerating when it comes to death threats in their neighbourhood.

Look at Zaun, I wouldn't call that a great place to rise my children either, but people keep living there. Even if:

Warwick the doggos there rip you in pieces when they smell you got a scratch DrMundo doctors are executing spontaneous operations Jinx young sexy ladies blow up stuff for the luls Singed chemists try to make you one of the mentioned doggos Urgot cult prophets got 6 shotgunknees to kick open your door Twitch the rats are trying to poison YOU Ziggs the sexy ladies got professional explosive expert furry friends

TerraMortem6/4/2018, 8:31:51 AM7 votes

PEOPLE LIVE IN GOTHAM !

GenoXx6/3/2018, 6:00:47 PM6 votes

Don't forget killed by Lust - Evelynn. She got that one guy in Bilgewater.

Pierce The Veal6/4/2018, 5:00:46 AM6 votes

No matter how dangerous it is, promise of large profits always attracts people.

If you were told that you died 9 out of 10 times, but 1 out of ten times you basically won the lottery and became rich and powerful, would you consider taking the risk?

Many would. Some, by choice, some, out of necessity.

Oakleaf Ranger6/4/2018, 12:11:29 AM4 votes

The location in itself is extremely valuable position relatively to the world. To control that area or at least have influence there means people have to answer to you if they want to travel to certain parts of the world much quicker than if you followed the shore.

This alone means someone will always be wanting to be control or live there. No matter how shitty it actually is to live there.

remakoro6/4/2018, 9:51:51 AM3 votes

Sooo... How is it different from planet Earth just couple of years ago? Apart from couple of fantasy elements like talking frogs.

And you really should compare it to other region. At least you aint in fucking demacia. Or in some war ravaged ionia or some noxus ridden with ancient magicians, superstar executioners and mysterious supreme leaders. In zaun every second person is mad scientist or his victim... Possibly cuz air there is so polluted that it drives everyone insane. Just no. Bilgewater at least looks like a place where you can die cuz you fucked up on your own and not as result of some collateral damage. And there are good business opportunities!

Colgate Gator6/4/2018, 3:33:25 PM3 votes

The plot twist is that nobody lives in Bilgewater, they're all already dead and roam the ghost town.

Red Wreckage6/4/2018, 7:28:30 AM2 votes

Detroid

HalcyonDweller6/4/2018, 4:15:21 PM2 votes

Yeah it seems like there wouldn't be anybody living in Bilgewater who's just a regular citizen. Sort of a den of thieves kind of thing, everyone there is capable and deadly, in one way or another, so they can look out for themselves. Anybody who doesn't fit that description probably dies within their first month in town, if not the first week.

You can see evidence of it in Miss Fortunes latest short story, when she's on the dock and the man is walking out to meet her, a gang of weaker people follow him waiting to see if he collapses and would thus be no threat to them if they tried to rob him. An unconscious person cannot shoot or stab you for taking their gold.

I'd be really interested to find out how things are actually run in Bilgewater. It doesn't feel like we understand how the whole city runs, or even if there is anything keeping it running or if they're all just lucky as hell that it hasn't fallen apart under their feet.

What I think would be most likely is that it was built by somebody else, and pirates simply invaded and took over. Pirates (at least in the way we know of them) were not individuals keen on doing the sort of work it would take to build a city. So either the city is ramshackle and hobbled together, or it was previously built and is becoming run-down over time as the pirates make no effort to perform upkeep on the city.

Lost R6/4/2018, 5:00:17 PM1 votes

All of these can apply to real life, you know.

You're likely to be:

  • killed by sea monsters (Australia)
  • killed by the harrowing (Addicts high on the more dangerous narcotics in America, like bath salts)
  • killed by pirates at sea (Somalia)
  • killed by rival gang members (Both North and South America)
  • killed in a crossfire (America)
  • killed in a mugging (America)
  • killed by disease (Everywhere)
  • killed because you saw something you weren't meant to see (Mafia, drug dealers, Pinkertons, etc)
  • killed because you didn't pay on time (Loan sharks and Pinkertons)
  • killed because you looked at them funny (Just about every ultra-anarcho-survivalist, but also the drug addicts)
  • killed because you fell off a dock and drowned (Pinkertons again)
  • killed because they were angry (Domestic violence)
  • killed because they were drunk (Domestic violence)
  • killed because they could (List is too big)
  • killed by Pyke, whose murder list conveniently contains everyone he meets (A lot of notorious serial killers)
  • killed by Nautilus (Armored serial killers)
  • killed because of Fizz's antics (More serial killers)
  • eaten by Tahm Kench (Crazed, screaming cannibals that makes Buffalo Bill look like a model citizen)

And if you disagree with any of these, you live in a weird utopian society and have no idea what you're talking about.