It's been a question asked about rival figureheads since time immemorial; since opposing leaders first climbed to the top of their respective mountains and stared menacingly at one another from the peaks. Beneath them, their devout: Followers, fans, lovers, worshippers - all, en-masse, insisting the cause their idol works toward is a just one. Such a dynamic can not last, and it is only a matter of time before one side is culled to make room for the other.

And now: Viktor and Jayce - two idealists set to follow in the footsteps of those that came before them. One side demanding progress, the other demanding pause. Worshippers, lovers, fans and followers. History seems poised to repeat.

But it's never quite so cut-and-dry, is it?

My opinion? Well, we'll get to that. But first... let's talk about the two characters involved in this shallowly-explored rivalry. Viktor.... and Jayce.

Viktor is an unparalleled genius, equalled by none in his designs and machinations. Around him, fashion the beginnings of a cult devoted to his vision: A glorious evolution, the next step in humanity. He spends his days and nights obsessively working toward a future he sees as inevitable. Slowly, steadily, surely - his influence grows. His followers gain traction within Zaunite society. Indeed, even now, entire nations see the merit in his designs; albeit, if only flawed knock-offs, such as those made by Pididly. Power? Intelligence? Immortality? Who could resist?

The Machine Herald, that's what they call him: The Herald of a new age. But not everyone agrees with the future that Viktor visualises as he tinkers away in his now sprawling complex. There are those who look at Viktor's acolytes and imagine servitude, dependence, hopelessness. After all, what does the discarding of one's body say for those who believe in its status as a sacred icon? What does that say of their deities? Their lives up until this very point?

Are they nothing but an outdated model, waiting to be converted into something deemed more beneficial to society? Will they retain their free will? And even if they do, will they still be themselves - or will they be something... else?

#Enter the Jayce:

When Jayce's story begins he is promising researcher tasked by the Piltovian government to study an unassuming crystal. Apparently, alone. This leads credence to a whole list of potential conspiracy theories, but for now, we'll stick to the story, as told.

Jayce discovers through preliminary tests that the crystal is some kind of power conduit. An unprecedented potential source of energy. At this point, Jayce does what he does best: He gabs. With spectacular results; In short time, Jayce's research project is the talk of the city. Heck, more than the city - it's the talk of entire nations. In no time flat, Jayce has become a pseudo-celebrity. Charming, witty, working on a project that could very well change the way the world thinks about energy for decades to come - who wouldn't love the young researcher?

One fateful day, Jayce responds to a knock on his door to find Viktor, the Machine Herald, standing upon his doorstep. The Herald asserts that he has heard of the crystal's supposed potential; and requests a partnership be formed between the two. Unfortunately, the transhuman inventor makes the mistake of dropping the words 'human evolution' into the conversation; and whether instantly, or over an extended period, Jayce rejects the Herald's offer.

Viktor refuses to take no for an answer, however, and opts to simply take the crystal; "incinerating the lab's meagre security force" in the process.

Despite petitioning for assistance from the Piltovian government, Jayce is left without the means or support to launch a retaliatory strike upon the Zaunite researcher; and so Jayce sets to work upon creating his own means of resecuring the legacy so callously stolen from him. Time passes, and Jayce... creates a weapon.

Not just any weapon, but a siege weapon; capable of launching a one-man assault on Viktor's compound. His newly-designed Mercury Cannon now in hand, Jayce swats aside Viktor's acolytes, surpasses the Herald's defenses, defeats Viktor and destroys the crystal that had been stolen from him. Mission apparently a failure, Jayce returns home to Piltover, without the crystal he set out to re-secure, only to be glorified as a hero by those who refused to support him in his retaliatory effort.

Somebody frames him "The Defender Of Tomorrow" - and the name sticks.

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There's something fundamentally wrong with Jayce's story. The budding researcher boasts no research team, no support and, by the end, no crystal. Assuming his story is a correct recount of recent events, Jayce has failed in two successive tasks - the first set by his government; the second an attempt to redeem himself and secure his future legacy as a researcher.

In spite of this, Jayce is labelled a hero by his city. Indeed, the city's "Defender."

Wit, charm, athleticism and no need to fall back on a legacy that he would have otherwise needed to build up as a researcher. Jayce has reached a level of stardom and success that he may have never achieved through traditional methods or job descriptions. He is a Hero. An** Idol**. A contrast to Viktor; an alternative. And, if you believe the story, somebody capable of smacking Viktor around whenever the Machine Herald steps out of line.

But does this make Jayce a villain? Not by a longshot - it's not enough. Does it make him a liar? Still, maybe no. Were people so paranoid of Viktor that destroying revolutionary power sources and beating up the Herald was met with city-wide approval? Apparently so. But so what?

So what if Viktor got his glorious machine butt handed to him for stealing government tech? So what if his vision was hindered - or even rejected - by the heroics of a fledgeling hero? Piltovian pride beats out Zaunite brutishness every single time - even look at our guy with the hammer who beat up Viktor!

** : "Trust me: if we're smart, Piltover can stand strong against any threat. Hey, I'm living proof."**

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Jayce, Mascot of Piltover

There is a very vocal community amongst the lore enthusiasts that insists that Jayce is the villain of the pair. A glory-bound conman with a penchant for orchestrating heroics and destroying evidence. But this take on events would not support the admittedly out-of-place hero-worship that Jayce experiences at the conclusion of his lore.

But put yourselves in the shoes of the Piltovian government for a moment. For decades, your society has been a shining beacon of technology and progress. But in one fell swoop, Zaun realises its potential and simultaneously invalidates everything you stand for. Shirking greater empathy and, instead, focusing on unbridled scientific progress, Zaun makes revolutionary invention after revolutionary invention. Their research teams are conscripted into undeniably successful war efforts; their celebrities pioneer the rights of sentient golems - new life - who are then free to pursue their own Zaunite-inspired goals; Deceased humans are brought back to life with their minds fully intact, though their bodies scarred and nightmarish; and then... from the ashes of a dog-eat-dog society rises a man who brings with him the promise of a new civilisation. One that discards everything Piltover stands for, in favour of what he deems as perfection.

What if the Piltovian government needed to make a hero to stay relevant?

Piltover makes gadgets. Piltover makes luxuries. In comparison to Zaun, it is as a child - unable to reach its potential, for fear of alienating its own populace.

And so the highest officials Piltovian government deliberated until they made a decision. A decision to unify the minds and spirits of their citizens. To create a symbol through which they might convince their population to rally in the Piltovian name; and against the unethical madness of the Zaunites.

#Re-Enter the Jayce:

A promising celebrity in the making. The man has flair, charisma and a sharp wit. He has no personal achievements to speak of, but maintains the potential to one day aspire to something great. In Jayce, if one really tried, they might see the makings of a hero. A hero of Piltover.

Jayce is approached by city officials. Appealing to his desire for greater things, the man is given a choice: To wade through a life of unrecognised mediocrity, or to unify the people of Piltover as one as a symbol of Piltovian excellence. The former is simply not an option to the aspiring researcher, and Jayce is entered into a research agreement with Viktor, who is studying the effects of a revolutionary new crystal procured by the Piltovian government.

The two, as a unit, make swift progress with the crystal and find its applications to be very nearly limitless. But Viktor's endless rhetoric involving the Glorious Evolution, as he so puts it, is unnerving. Weapons, cultists - Viktor does not simply have human augmentation on the mind, and Jayce relays his concerns to the Piltovian officials that Viktor may attempt to claim the crystal as his own.

Time passes and the Piltovian officials instructs Jayce to take the crystal and end the agreement. Viktor, however, is reluctant to be cut out of a partnership that was promised to benefit both parties. In a swift act of focused destruction, Viktor frees the crystal from its containment, swats Jayce aside and returns to Zaun.

Jayce falls into a state of depression - his legacy, just like Viktor's - snatched away from him. What little remains of their collaboration, Jayce secures for the Piltovian government. Amongst the remnants; a prototypical design for a siege weapon potentially capable of being used by just one man.

Once more, Jayce is approached by city officials. They play upon his frustrations, his paranoia; Viktor has stolen everything from him - from Piltover - and now the very world, itself, could be at risk due to his dark machinations. The crystal must be either re-secured, or destroyed; but they cannot risk outright war with Zaun.

: "We can't just let him get away with this!"

Convinced by officials that this is a one-man job that only a man who has been inside the Machine Herald's compound can complete, Jayce builds upon the designs he secures, creating a masterwork siege weapon that he would coin the Mercury Cannon. He trains. He tests. He strikes.

The compound is caught completely unaware as sequential blasts of concentrated energy tear through its walls and foundations; rendering its automated defenses entirely inactive. As acolytes and bystanders scurry from the unrelenting barrage, Viktor - the Herald, himself - materialises amidst the crumbling wall where a blast had recently struck; only to be knocked from his feet as yet another ball of concentrated energy connects with his shoulder. Only at that precise moment, when the blast hit him, did the Herald realise who the gunner was. The man responsible for this siege on his home.

: "Jayce. Utilising my designs to level my own lab to the ground?!"

With a grunt, the Herald wills a barrier around himself, negating a second blast. He directs his gaze towards the smouldering tiles on floor, where his shoulder-mounted arm lay, crushed and separated from his frame when he had been knocked from his feet. There is no second option, and so Viktor begins running towards the source of the weapon fire, the blasts not enough to tear through his now active barrier.

Realising his position, Jayce redirects his fire toward the compound, digging deeper and deeper. But Viktor is closing in, quickly.

: "He's... getting faster!?"

Then he scopes it: The containment chamber for the crystal. The very same design that they had used when working together in Piltover. Well, the orders were secure or destroy.

An explosion rocks the compound as all systems fail; generators and support systems engulfing in flames due to the sudden surge from the shattered crystal. Viktor turns, indecisive, and Jayce breathes an inward sigh of relief. When Viktor turns back to face the assailant, Jayce is gone; well and truly on his way back to Piltover, where the city-state is waiting to glorify his exploits as a triumph of Piltovian ingenuity in the face of Zaunite menace.

Jayce has been elevated to the status of city hero. Viktor, the evil menace that must be defeated. Working towards a common goal and fearing their own destruction, who knows what wonders Piltover might accomplish?

And it all went off without a hitch. Kind've.

Shame about the crystal.