[LORE DISCUSSION] Zaun
PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS Who built the Mercury Hammer? Are the Watchers Void-Beings? What happened in Shurima? Shurima Part 2 Who killed the man Yasuo was guarding? Who is C? The Black Rose Where is General DuCouteau? The Lunari The Darkin
Happy halloween everyone and thanks again for coming to visit me here at Lore Discussion. Honestly I was a bit surprised that this week's topic won over traditionally spooky topics like Holidays and the Shadow Isles, but I'm sure there's definitely some spook-factor to a place of unrefined magic and science, madness and absolute anarchy in the form of a single city state. I speak of Zaun, of course! http://i.imgur.com/2ynGhkf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/WIJ4ym2.jpg?1 #Zaun's Way of Life/Government System.
Zaun is the counter to Piltover (One of my personal favorite city-states) so, naturally, they serve as the antithesis of Piltover's way of life. Now, one might automatically assume "so they're basically lawless and free of any sort of restrictions". To me, personally, I don't believe that entirely. Zaun is controlled, yes, but it's about as loosely governed as it comes. In my mind, Zaun is sort of an enviromentalist's worst nightmare: A place where corporations are basically free to do as they wish thanks to incredible money and personal power.
-
If you recall Dr. Mundo's JoJ entry (Which may not be canon anymore), Mundo is essentially Zaun royalty. He owns lavish apartments, makes millions in Zaun-bucks or whatever currency they use and is essentially the posterchild for everything Zaun stands for. One might not assume it because of his..."reputation", but Mundo is in fact an incredible celebrity.
-
Zaun experiments DO have laws and regulations, in my vision. However, rather than being strict by-the-book rules like Piltover, any law in Zaun can be circumvented with a little greasing of the wheels. Let's suppose you're an up-and-coming scientist in Zaun and you want to experiment on some orphans. Rather than try to fund it yourself, you go to a Zaun corporation. While your research is technically theirs, they give you the resources (Orphans) you need and "fund" (Bribe) the government to stay out of your way. Win win right? At least you can still DO your work.
-
Again opposite of Piltover, Zaun's government is not only brimming with corruption but is headed by CEOs and corporate types. In fact, my guess would say that there's some law involving owning a company or being a major shareholder before you can even become a political player in Zaun's game. Everyone knows of these laws, they just don't care anymore because it's as Zaun as it gets. It's a Zaunite's way of life so they don't question it.
I think if you asked an average Zaun citizen, they'd probably say something along the lines of "Yeah we're a democracy!". Except, in this case, it's incredibly corrupt, bribed and shallow. Building on this, Zaun citizens are essentially told they can make it to the highest tiers of living (The Zaun dream! As long as you're smart enough, you can advance!) but are held back by all the secret processes. So the lowest class stays the lowest class, living in squalor. The high class? Well...
http://i.imgur.com/etztSGT.jpg?1 #Zaun High Class: Madmen and Money Makers
Zaunite's highest echelon of citizens consists of many of the champions we know and many more scientists. However, these men and women aren't the dashing figures of class, poise and grace you'd see in, say, Demacia or Piltover. These are scarred and torn apart beings. They represent the Zaun ideals: Loving your work and your science so much that you sacrifice your own body to your grand work. Along with this, I wouldn't be surprised if these were CEOs or owned massive stock in their own corporation.
-
First example is Dr. Mundo. As discussed prior, Mundo is the ultimate Zaun posterboy. Likely owning his own company or companies and owning the loftiest buildings and places in Zaun, Mundo's empire stretches far past the murky grey skies of Zaun and into the clean air. Although many don't want to be there, you would be hard pressed to find a man more rich and powerful than Mundo. I'd also assume he has a large share of power in Zaun's government, able to pass or deny laws as he sees fit. If anyone wants to stake a claim in Zaun? You'd probably have to go through him.
-
Comparatively, Singed is a close second to Mundo. Personally, I don't see Singed as a company owner or someone who was ever interested in raw political power. However, Singed probably made a name for himself in Zaun by being the absolute best "hired help" money can buy. If you need someone to concoct some wicked potion, Singed is the man you go to. Granted, his talents are hardly cheap and you'll be forced to support any and all demands, but he's the man who will do what you want.
-
There are likely a handful of other members on Mundo/Singed's level, but you won't find any as prolific or as famous as these two. The rest of this tier is likely populated with CEOs and scientists. Along with that, my guess is that these people are all looking for a chance to subvert enemies in the tier, sabotaging experiments or stealing work. Although I doubt any are as brave, brazen or outright stupid to try and take Mundo or Singed's work.
This echelon is the 1% of Zaun. They control most of the power, laws, respect and 'science' going on in this city. Zaun may be a city of science, but science costs money, and money is something these men and women have. Along with that, I'd even say the lead these people hold is ironclad. Nothing short of taking their company out from under them or committing the grandest heist Zaun has ever seen will take power from these people. Not just a high class but a ruling class.
http://i.imgur.com/guYVCIm.jpg #Middle and Lower Class: Idealists, Monsters and everything in between.
Zaun's middle/lower class is almost indistinguishable. While you have some high class scientists who just don't make the bank that these others make, there are some that are clearly, obviously low-class sewer dwellers or urban legends. They also tend to be the ones with the highest hopes for Zaun, unphased by the horrible corruption and instead seeing Zaun as a place where science can match that of Piltover's progress.
-
To me, Janna is the most ideal woman when it comes to how Zaun should be. An orphan who performed magic to the point of being an avatar of the air, Janna sees Zaun as a corrupt and horrible place. Growing up as an orphan in the slums she likely saw friend and foe alike die to illness or become taken by the power of money, giving themselves to it. Janna may not be as wealthy or powerful as say Mundo or Singed, but she will challenge the ideals Zaun has. One day, Zaun's skies WILL be clear and on that day, the winds will be a harbinger of peace, not a gust wafting death into your lungs.
-
Twitch is as low class as they come and he damn well likes it that way. He lives in the sewers, enjoys the darkest and nastiest things that Zaun can produce and cares not for fame, power, money, science, none of it. Twitch is a biproduct of Zaun: If all those terrible science experiments formed one creature, this is who it'd be. A maddening, cackling doofus. However, I feel like Twitch has a mind similar to a young child/teenager. He may be gross, filthy and deadly, but if you get on his good side he MAY show you his holofoil Jayce and the Defenders of Piltover cards. Don't touch though!
-
Leading off of that, it'd also explain why Zac and Twitch are friends! Zac, much like Twitch, is a young man/teen trapped in the body of a grown man(Goo?). He enjoys comic books and idealizes guys like Jayce, Garen, etc. To Zac, Zaun needs a heroic person the young people in the ghetto can look up to. They need a story of a Zaunite, born and breed, rising up to become a champion of their way of life. Hence the love of Jayce/Garen/otherwise, they are what he aspires to be. In a lot of ways he probably works closely with Janna and strives to end the corruption in Zaun's government.
Agree with these theories or not, you can't deny that Zaun's middle/lower class has it the worst of almost any city state. Incredibly hard to rise through the red tape and constantly held back by impoverished conditions and pollution, Zaun's future lies in the hopes that those in the lower slums can one day gain the power and knowledge to take back their city from the ruling corporations. That is, if they can survive the diseases caused by the runoff. Who puts an industrial waste dumping site next to a PLAYGROUND?
With all said and done, what do you think about Zaun? Do you agree with the idea that it's a corporate paradise but terror for the working class? Maybe Zaun's actually as free and non-governmental as it can get? Perhaps corporations and othrwise don't even exist and this is all just fun thinking? No matter what, let's keep this discussion clean and civil....unlike Zaun.
And, as always, vote for next week's topic!
basically runs a corporation that churns out Battle Ready Armored Sentients (B.R.A.S.)
