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A Wild Speculation appears: Are Piltover and Zaun now the same city?

Ghostagram·3/19/2016, 4:41:10 AM·11 votes·6,703 views

Bear with me for a sec here. So in the Jhin story Q&A someone asked the following: > Is there an updated Map of Valoran currently in development? It's something that I would love to see as we have no indication of where locations are positioned relative to each other save for "Zaun is kinda close to Piltover".

To which the reply was: > kinda' but much cooler (sorry can't reveal the surprise)

At first I took this to mean "there is kinda an updated map in development", which got me excited. However, after rereading I really couldn't tell if perhaps it was in answer to the second part. I.e. "Zaun is kinda close to Piltover, but much cooler".

But, in the same two posts, there was also this tidbit: > Jhin is on his way to Zaun? Oh lordy are we going to see some Jhin vs Ekko or Jhin vs Viktor shenanigans?

and

> Maybe, (only in passing) but he will be more a problem for VI, Cait and someone who can't be named at this time.

So apparently in the story about Jhin in ZAUN, actual Zaunite champions are taking a backseat, meanwhile the PILTOVER police department are in the lime light? Sup with that? Perhaps Jhin passes through Piltover on his way to Zaun. Perhaps Cait & Vi are invited to Zaun to help solve Jhin's murder spree. ... or... Piltover's law enforcement now has jurisdiction over Zaun, because they are now one and the same metropolis.

And since there's a WH40K writer on the story team now, what I'm clearly leading up to is this: http://i.imgur.com/mkLxonk.jpg

Piltover, the place of funky designs and quirky, lovable characters? HAHAHA. In the grim darkness of the lore's future, there is nothing lighthearted, there is nothing cutesy, and there is no humor!! The story is now about Piltovian aristocracy snubbing the downtrodden Zaunite working class! VIVA LA EVOLUTION. Until a serial killer comes over to brutalize Piltover's finest for maximum #edgy ^ ^Dramatic exaggeration duly noted

Of course, it doesn't HAVE to be a hive city. It could easily be a variation thereof, like say a walled-off district within a city, or a city suspended over a city on huge stilts, or maybe even Zaun as an underground city, with Piltover built on top of it. Or perhaps they are just two districts sitting side by side. But either way, effectively one city.

Thoughts? IMO, if it's some take on a WH40K hive world, then I'm kinda disappointed by the idea. It has a distinctly dystopian vibe to it. Hooray, more stories about political corruption in Runeterra? I kind of liked the Piltover-Zaun dynamic with two completely independent, but highly intertwined cities, with Piltover as the happy-go-lucky type and Zaun as a kinda selfish schmuck who's generally friendly but will take advantage of his friend. I mean, even Piltover's lead antagonist --> Jinx doesn't take herself seriously, I was kinda hoping someplace on Runeterra isn't all about doom and gloom, civil war, undead plagues and cosmic struggles with the void.

But hey, this is all just speculation based on two quotes! What do you think?

P.S. Caitlyn VU confirmed http://i.imgur.com/Ia6UEbv.jpg (brought to you by the team behind Sejuani... lol!)

15 Comments

333lom3/19/2016, 1:12:57 PM9 votes

I also came to the idea that Piltover may be on top of Zaun, but I don't like this idea. Here's why: it takes much of the potential away from the cities. Because it ties them in such a way that they become tangled and unable to develop without being "approved" by the other.

I really like the somewhat old look, where they are separate countries, but twin cities. Separated by a bay; or maybe a river, but a very large river. Imagine a bridge connecting them! Existing on glass legs. It gives them a dynamic relationship, but not a slave dependency as it allows both of them to develop in their own way.

And as much as Zaun may be gloomy, judging by Ekkos' lore, it looks like Piltover maybe actively sabotaging Zaun's efforts at surpassing Piltover in techmaturgy. This wouldn't make much sense if they were both part of the same city, because we have great, respected scientists in both, then how could some be in the Slums (a.k.a. Zaun) while the others in the shiny center of the city.

Makuta Teridax3/20/2016, 12:30:09 PM4 votes

The way I took the answer was: "We've got an upcoming feature later this year that will allow you to better see/explore Valoran, giving you some key notes about each place." Like, you have an interactive map you can click on: "Shurima" -> "Brought back from its crumbling ruins recently, bla bla bla." or "Mount Targon" -> "This place is inhabitated by the Rakkor and the Solari, bla bla bla".

The Soulforged3/19/2016, 5:46:51 AM4 votes

I believe they are across a river from each other.

Dreamspitter3/20/2016, 5:07:22 AM3 votes

{quoted}

Bear with me for a sec here. So in the Jhin story Q&A someone asked the following: > Is there an updated Map of Valoran currently in development? It's something that I would love to see as we have no indication of where locations are positioned relative to each other save for "Zaun is kinda close to Piltover".

To which the reply was: > kinda' but much cooler (sorry can't reveal the surprise)

At first I took this to mean "there is kinda an updated map in development", which got me excited. However, after rereading I really couldn't tell if perhaps it was in answer to the second part. I.e. "Zaun is kinda close to Piltover, but much cooler".

But, in the same two posts, there was also this tidbit: > Jhin is on his way to Zaun? Oh lordy are we going to see some Jhin vs Ekko or Jhin vs Viktor shenanigans?

and

> Maybe, (only in passing) but he will be more a problem for VI, Cait and someone who can't be named at this time.

So apparently in the story about Jhin in ZAUN, actual Zaunite champions are taking a backseat, meanwhile the PILTOVER police department are in the lime light? Sup with that? Perhaps Jhin passes through Piltover on his way to Zaun. Perhaps Cait & Vi are invited to Zaun to help solve Jhin's murder spree. ... or... Piltover's law enforcement now has jurisdiction over Zaun, because they are now one and the same metropolis.

And since there's a WH40K writer on the story team now, what I'm clearly leading up to is this: http://i.imgur.com/mkLxonk.jpg

Piltover, the place of funky designs and quirky, lovable characters? HAHAHA. In the grim darkness of the lore's future, there is nothing lighthearted, there is nothing cutesy, and there is no humor!! The story is now about Piltovian aristocracy snubbing the downtrodden Zaunite working class! VIVA LA EVOLUTION. Until a serial killer comes over to brutalize Piltover's finest for maximum #edgy ^ ^Dramatic exaggeration duly noted

Of course, it doesn't HAVE to be a hive city. It could easily be a variation thereof, like say a walled-off district within a city, or a city suspended over a city on huge stilts, or maybe even Zaun as an underground city, with Piltover built on top of it. Or perhaps they are just two districts sitting side by side. But either way, effectively one city.

Thoughts? IMO, if it's some take on a WH40K hive world, then I'm kinda disappointed by the idea. It has a distinctly dystopian vibe to it. Hooray, more stories about political corruption in Runeterra? I kind of liked the Piltover-Zaun dynamic with two completely independent, but highly intertwined cities, with Piltover as the happy-go-lucky type and Zaun as a kinda selfish schmuck who's generally friendly but will take advantage of his friend. I mean, even Piltover's lead antagonist --> Jinx doesn't take herself seriously, I was kinda hoping someplace on Runeterra isn't all about doom and gloom, civil war, undead plagues and cosmic struggles with the void.

But hey, this is all just speculation based on two quotes! What do you think?

P.S. Caitlyn VU confirmed http://i.imgur.com/Ia6UEbv.jpg (brought to you by the team behind Sejuani... lol!)

Jhin assassinates a Planetary Governor?

Chaos Cult lead by Malzahar takes root?

GreenLore3/19/2016, 10:26:21 AM3 votes

Yeah I had the same thought too,that Piltover could turn into the upper-class district of zaun.

However I could also think that Piltover and Zaun used to be the same city,but Zaun became independent at one point.

WarchfGinger3/19/2016, 8:52:01 PM1 votes

There is always this map: http://img.wikia.nocookie.net/intmap_tile_set_738/thumb/20140728092924!phpwBA8KT.jpg/680x382x5-20140728092924!phpwBA8KT.jpg

LoveEmma3/21/2016, 5:50:24 AM1 votes

Those Illuminati triangles tho...

Looknook3/21/2016, 8:12:30 PM1 votes

It could be that they were two different cites were started not too far apart from each other and as they grew they turned into a single city? Hard to tell whats gonna happen.

Meep Man3/22/2016, 3:58:37 PM1 votes

This would make for an interesting story! Definitely. Maybe make it to where the gasses that come from Piltover dump down into Zaun and that's why its so corrupted. however, the Zaun people have kind of embraced the gas and are forced to use it to make a profit since the gas kills other ways of money.