Chapter Text
War Looms As Zaun Abandons The League of Legends!
Arden Olifant — The Clockwork Herald
Judica 37 ; 999 AN
In a shocking twist that has rocked the many nations bound together by the League of Legends, Zaun has officially withdrawn from the Rift. The act of brazen defiance of national opinion comes in the wake of a brutal attack on our ally, the ancient and honorable kingdom of Demacia, by none other than the Zaunite terrorist known as Jinx.
Zaun announced its withdrawal with the discarding of markers held by the city’s chosen Champions—so many that Zaun could no longer field the required number on the Rift to qualify for membership. It is an act that has no precedent. Most nations scoured their territories high and low to find those of suitable power and repute to be made eligible for the League, so never before has a nation purposefully divested itself of such a thing. This act has left the public asking itself in hushed tones: What now?
After all, the League’s foundation rests upon the ideal that peace can be maintained if all agree to settle their differences through the might, wit, and magic of their Champions, and in this way, the horror of the Rune Wars will never be relived, as the magical arms race that led to the Wars’ greatest, continent-rocking catastrophes would no longer be necessary. Moreover, the matches of the League became a form of popular entertainment across Runeterra, bringing together even the most disparate nations as they cheered on their nation’s Champions! War as a thing of the past was finally in view, and so, of course, it would be Zaun who would drag us regressively backward into the bloody-minded past.
Most shocking of all, of course, was the brutal defection of one of Demacia’s own trusted Champions. Luxanna Crownguard—now disowned from her family name—betrayed her family and her nation when she assassinated her own aunt, the honorable High Marshal Tianna Crownguard, murdering the legendary swordswoman in cold blood before siding with ‘Loose Cannon’ Jinx during the madwoman’s psychotic attack, announcing her venomous new allegiance in an unmistakable manner.
When the Herald reached out to the Demacian Throne for comment, Prince Jarvan IV had this to say:
“We honor our allies from the City of Progress and thank you for your quick aid and response despite the great gulf that exists between us. Know that when the time comes to prosecute your just and righteous war against the filth of Zaun, you will have our full support.”
How much help they will be able to offer, however, is subject to a great deal of concern. During the Loose Cannon’s rampage, it became known that a notorious criminal, Sylas of Dregbourne, was loosed from captivity. Sylas was accused of high treason and placed in a maximum security prison after inciting a rebellion among the mages of Demacia. Already the border colonies and townships of Demacia have seen civil unrest, although the military might of the Kingdom has thus far been able to keep things in check.
All of the above has led the Council of Piltover to petition the League to enforce some manner of rule over Zaun, but the Summoners, unfortunately, remain steadfastly neutral, emphasizing that it is not their role to impinge on the sovereignty of participant or non-participant nations, although how much sovereignty a place such as Zaun can ever lay claim to is a subject of much debate.
Regardless, the Summoners have made their standing clear, and so Piltover now faces the potential of a greater and darker uprising from below. Councilor Talis had this to say on the matter;
“We must not fall prey to our fears. The Chembarons of Zaun have always been open to negotiation. War need not be our only recourse. If we commit ourselves to war, we are committing our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters, to a terrible conflict against an enemy whose strengths, numbers, and technology are largely unknown. We must sue for peace at any cost.”
Despite Councilor Talis’ hopeful words, the more hawkish members of the Council have overruled his propositions at every turn, and with a growing level of public support, it’s not hard to see why. Councilor Medarda responded to the Herald’s request for commentary on the matter of Zaun’s actions and of her more recent votes against Talis’ propositions despite historically being a longtime ally of Talis.
“Zaun has forced our hand by leaving the League. They have given us no other choice but to answer their repeated and flagrant acts of chaos and destruction with violence. I respect Councilor Talis deeply, but his ideals have begun to diverge from the hard reality of the situation. He wishes for peace, and that is admirable, but we must not mistake fantasy for reality. If Zaun wishes for war, it will not find us unprepared.”
Councilor Medarda, who, as we all know, survived the horrific massacre of the prior Piltovan Council along with Councilor Talis, has lately become a rallying point for the citizens of Piltover. Anger and weariness at the oppressive threat of Zaun’s criminal element has reached a boiling point, and her popularity has soared as she has put forth more bills before the Council to expand the authorities and funding of the new military cadres.
Piltover has never before had a standing military only because it has never needed one. If Zaun believes that this is a sign of weakness that it can capitalize on, it will find, to its woe, that we are not sheep for the slaughter.
They will know, if they provoke us, what happens as Piltover rises.
Cadre Recruiting Puts Moratorium On New Volunteers! Demacia proves its mettle!
Janel Massiter — The Piltovan Star
Judica 48 ; 999 AN
Early fears of low volunteer turnouts that would be needed to fill out the newly-formed ‘Brass Cadres’ turned out to be hilariously ill-founded as the recruiting stations set up in the various wards around Piltover have been swarmed by young men and women eager to do their civic duty in repelling the threat of Zaunite violence. Recruiting numbers have been so high in certain districts, particularly those impacted by the fall of Dam Sextus and the collapse of Spire Fourteen, that the recruiting offices were forced to shutter their fronts to give themselves time to process the recruits they already had!
Moreover, the Office of Customs and Immigration have reported an unprecedented number of Piltovans returning from abroad, flooding back to the city of their birth from all corners of the world to help defend it, bringing with them their discoveries, their brilliance, and their families.
The extreme response to the call for recruitment has resulted in the Piltovan Council temporarily suspending the Edict of Confinement in order to expand the city beyond its great walls. With the help of a company of Demacian knights hailing from the legendary Dauntless Vanguard’s second company, led by Captain Cithria—called ‘The Bold’ by friend and foe alike—dozens of training encampments have flown up around the outskirts of the city limits. Demacian architects traveling with the Vanguard have bent their minds together with Piltovan Hextechnical engineers to rapidly begin the conversion of the outer limits of the city into drill fields, practice yards, and shooting ranges to train the surplus of recruits. Drillmasters of House Laurent have lent their expertise to the Cadres to train some of that fabled Demacian discipline into those same recruits. Meanwhile, over a dozen master chirurgeons of Demacia’s famed medical college have joined up with the medical practitioners of Piltover to refine their processes with the knowledge gleaned from over a thousand years of careful practice and tradition.
Progress advances at a faster rate than ever with our allies at our side, and as the terrorist threat of Zaun continues to rise, the patriots of our great city will rise to meet them. Even as the First through Fifth Cadres are completing their initial training, the Council has approved the creation of fifteen more full Cadres, with enough recruits to bring each to full strength.
Official word is that Piltover will have raised a force matching that of a Noxian Demilegion by the end of Mark Auria, just in time for the celebration of Progress Day. Let it be known to any and all denizens of Zaun that this is the year that Progress leaves the Undercity behind.
A Rising Baron: The Madness of Zaun
Bellamy Quill — The Conservator
Judica 50 ; 999 AN
This week an official announcement came out of Zaun that rocked Piltover to its core: a new Chembaron has joined the false Council that ostensibly governs the chaotic territory of Zaun, and it is a name that has naught but the most vile of reputations surrounding it.
Jinx.
Chembaron Jinx are two words that no one in their right mind could possibly have conceived of, and yet word of her ascent to the standing of Chembaron has been given to the Council as recognized by Chembarons Veraza, Margot, and Glasc, among others; all large names in the enterprises of crime and depravity that seem to be what passes for business in the trenches.
Nevertheless, seeing Jinx join the Baronies of Zaun has all but strangled any hope that the honorable Piltovan Council had of resolving the rising tensions between our city and the colonies below. There are no shortage of wanted criminals among the barons of Zaun but never before have they had the audacity to raise up a mere terrorist to their number. This bodes ill for not only the people of Piltover and the effort to resolve this matter civilly but also for those miners and workers who must now labor under the rule of a madwoman whose only claim to authority is the unspeakable violence she’s capable of committing against those who would rise against her.
At this point, we must re-examine the coming conflict—for indeed, a conflict is coming. Prior to this, the average Piltovan might have viewed the war as necessary to protect ourselves, but we must not forget about the people ground beneath the heels of the barons every day! We must not forget that although they are Zaunites, they have not chosen their lot in life!
The tyranny of the Barons has reached a fever pitch with the rise of Baron Jinx, and now we at the Conservator ask you, our readers, this: is it not our duty to march into the darkness of Zaun? To bring the light of Progress to those benighted tunnels? Is it not our duty to liberate those people who have been chained and slaved to the inhuman conditions of the Barons’ foundries?
Can we even call ourselves People of Progress if we allow these horrors to go on being perpetrated by monsters like Jinx?
It is the opinion of the Conservator that the coming war is no longer an option. War with Zaun is no longer a threat but a moral necessity. We good and lawful people of Piltover must demand that the Council advance with purpose into Zaun. If the Chembarons are willing to elevate a terrorist to their number, then they tar themselves alike with that brush! They are no better than the terrorist Jinx, no better than the faithless defector Luxanna, and no better than the lowest and meanest criminal they purport to rule.
So take up the call that has been making the rounds of late; in public houses and offices of law, in the streets, and in the homes of your neighbors! Take up the call and let the cowardly Barons know that their time is coming!
Piltover Rises!
Interview!
Warrant Officer Gleamspire Shares Her Experiences!
Janel Massiter — The Piltovan Star
Judica 53 ; 999 AN
With the rise of the Brass Cadres, it was inevitable that some faces, voices, and personalities would begin to stand out. Among these valiant protectors of our city are heroes in the making, and the Star is honored to have an interview with one such voice that has been particularly strident since the founding of the Cadres themselves, Ren Gleamspire. The following is a transcript of the interview.
Reporter Janel Massiter: “Good morning, Warrant Officer! Or should I just call you Officer? Or ma’am? Sorry, all the military terminology is a bit new.”
Warrant Officer Ren Gleamspire: “Just Ren is fine, or Miss Gleamspire if you have to be formal. I’m still getting used to all of it myself, so you’re not alone.”
JM: “Miss Gleamspire, then. So let’s address the first thing that will be on our readers minds if it’s alright with you?
RG: “Of course.”
JM: “You’re the daughter of the much-maligned former Sheriff of Piltover, Marcus Gleamspire, who was notorious as the man who tried to sell out Piltover to Zaun. Given how his name has been dragged so severely through the mud, I’m sure many would be surprised that you’re willing to put your life on the line for the city. Can you maybe share some of your thoughts on how you came to be here?”
RG: “Happily. I’m sure people would expect me to defend or try to explain away my father’s actions, but the truth is that he was a traitor. Don’t mistake me. I loved him so much, and he was a good father to me. He always made time for me, and he loved me dearly, of that, I have no doubt. But he also sold his loyalty. He betrayed me, my late mother, and the city that gave him everything, and for what? Coin? Authority? No, I have no excuses for him. I love him, but if he were still alive, I don’t think I’d be able to look at him after what he did.”
JM: “My understanding is that he wasn’t even permitted to be buried on Piltovan ground.”
RG: “He was posthumously exiled, yes, and once again, I don’t blame the Council. When I was younger, of course, I didn’t understand, but I do now. It was about sending the message that even death doesn’t absolve someone of sins like that.”
JM: “I understand, too, that you faced a great deal of discrimination when you attended the Academy.”
RG: “I don’t know that I’d call it discrimination.”
JM: “Really?”
RG: “How else could they have treated me, given my name? My father’s greedy, negligent actions hurt so many people. They were right to be suspicious of me. As much as it hurt to be treated like that, I don’t really blame them.”
JM: “Academy records show multiple instances of bullying and mistreatment, even from the staff who are supposed to be neutral.”
RG: “People aren’t perfect, Miss Massiter. They saw me and saw my name, and, given what my father did, they reacted. My family betrayed the enforcers, and here I was, stepping right back into them. I knew that putting in my application would be seen as a slap in the face to the institution that my father tarnished. I knew what I was getting into, and I was determined to prove to them that the name Gleamspire could mean something more than betrayal and greed.”
JM: “That’s inspiring.”
RG: “It was really just rank stubbornness, but thank you.”
JM: “Moving on, your rise through the ranks of the Cadres has been meteoric. You’ve got a long list of recommendations from former instructors at the Academy and quite a few promotions. Many of the younger recruits look up to you.”
RG: “That’s actually a little embarrassing, but yes, I know. I’ve put my all into protecting Piltover. This city and its people mean everything to, so I give them everything, and I suppose that means something in the end.”
JM: “Given that Piltover has never had a standing military prior to the establishment of the Cadres, do you think you can explain to our readers a little bit about how you came into your rank and what it entails?”
RG: “Certainly. I was scouted into officer candidacy directly out of the Academy thanks to my marks in both written and practical testing, and I attended a ten week officer course under Master Jacque Laurent. I graduated top fifth percentile in the class and was placed as a Warrant Officer in the First Cadre.”
JM: “And what is a Warrant Officer?”
RG: “In short? Warrant Officers are single-track specialists. We each have a different set of skills, and we’re attached to the Cadres at both command and field levels to assist and advise commanders. For example, my track is intelligence. It’s my job to collate information from field reports, command briefings, and the like in order to better advise the command element on strategies.”
JM: “So it’s more of a desk job?”
RG: *Laughter* “Not exactly. I’m training in counter-intelligence, espionage, and hand-to-hand combat on top of normal combat drills. I’ll be in the field more often than not when the war does come.”
JM: “Ah…we try not to use that word so much. It can be a frightening concept. Besides, Zaun is a den of criminals with no leadership beyond a barony of glorified gangsters. That won’t make for much of a fight, much less a war.”
RG: “I thought that, too, when I first graduated, but the more I learn about the Zaun, the more I realize that this is going to be a hard fight. They might not have organization, but they have experience, and more importantly…sorry, I probably shouldn’t go into that.”
JM: “No, please do.”
RG: “Well, the difference between being an enforcer and being a soldier is that you’re expected to be able to fight and kill your opponent, but Piltovans are taught to value life. It’s so deeply ingrained into us that, even in training, most recruits hesitate to strike a decisive blow. Even if it’s just sparring, they naturally pull punches or aim their shots non-lethally. It’s just the nature of a good person to do that, you understand?”
JM: “Of course! Is there something wrong with that?”
RG: “No! Not at all! But in battle that hesitation can cost your life and the lives of your squad! There was something that stuck with me, though, during my officer training. Councilor Medarda gave an enlightening lecture, and she coined a term for those unique individuals that could fight with all their might and not hesitate to go for the kill, even without training.”
JM: “And that term is?”
RG: “A natural-born killer.”
JM: “Oh…that’s, ah…grim.”
RG: “But that’s Zaun, don’t you understand? Every single one of them is a natural-born killer. They don’t hesitate. They have no mercy and no value for life. They’re all like that. Even if it’s just a half-second of hesitation, if we can’t strike the blow and they can? Then they win. That’s all there is to it, and there are a lot of recruits who can’t. Not without a lot of training.”
JM: “If you don’t mind my saying, you talk about those recruits as though you’re not one of those sorts of people.”
RG: “I’m not. I don’t hesitate and I never will, and you can judge me on that if you’d like. I’ve no small experience in judgment.”
JM: “No judgment, but how can you be sure?”
RG: “I’m afraid I can’t go into those details. I’m sorry.”
JM: “I see. You do, then, identify yourself as—”
RG: “As a natural-born killer? Of course I do, and proudly.”
JM: “But doesn’t that give you something in common with Zaun? How does that make you feel?”
RG: “Zaun doesn’t have a copyright on people like me, Miss Massiter. Demacia and Noxus came first, after all. But to answer your question, it doesn’t make me feel like any less of a Piltovan, and that’s for one reason, which is that I’ll be killing them.”
JM: “It’s still killing, though, isn’t it?”
RG: “Of course it is, and this is what I mean about the people of Piltover being taught to value life intrinsically! Don’t you see? Even when you’re talking about Zaunites, you still value their lives and that’s good! That’s even beautiful in a way!”
JM: “But what’s the difference, then?”
RG: “The difference? Well, the difference between them and us—between Piltovans and Zaunites—is that, obviously, they deserve to die.”
JM: “Oh, I see. Well, thank you so much for taking time out of what I’m certain is an incredibly busy schedule. I truly appreciate it. I hope to speak to you again in the future!”
RG: “Of course! And you’re very welcome, Miss Massiter. It’s been a pleasure.”
Transcription of Historic Council Vote
Council Minutes & Transcription
Judica 61 ; 999 AN
Councilor Medarda: Are we all in order? Please, Councilors, take your se—Hoskel, will you wake up, please? Thank you.
Councilor Talis: Let’s just get on with this.
Councilor Shoola: Somebody’s in a foul mood today.
C. Medarda: Enough baiting, Ryma. We’re all adults here. Now, let us move to the business of politics, shall we? Perhaps even, Aspects forbid, actually do our jobs?
Councilor Salo: Do let's. This isn’t the sort of thing I want to spend any amount of time on if I can help it. There’s no money in it. Quite the opposite, actually.
Councilor Bolbok: I should hope this will not be a difficult meeting. We allowed the Zaunites too much leeway once, and it cost my father his life along with much of the Council. We can’t possibly be foolish enough to do so again.
C. Talis: Enough. The bill before the Council today is number thirty-four dash nine-eight-seven, named the Edict of Restriction and…I’m sorry, we can’t actually be considering this, can we? This is barbaric.
C. Medarda: Less barbaric than a war, Councilor Talis. You have never seen war as I have, so trust me when I say that this is practically merciful.
C. Salo: Barbaric or not, I can’t say I’m a fan of this one. Where exactly do you propose I sell my overstock if not to the Undercity?
C. Bolbok: This isn’t about your profit margin, Liam. This is about the safety of Piltover.
C. Salo: Spare me, this is about petty vengeance for a bloodied nose and a black eye, and we all know it. House Hoskel and House Salo have our fortunes sunk into perishable goods, and this bill would decimate them.
Councilor Hoskel: Hear, hear. Now look, I’m as keen as anyone to teach the trenchies—
C. Talis: —language, Councilor—
C. Hoskel: —bah, fine, the Zaunites what for, but, ever since Noxus pulled out their stakes in Piltover, things have gone from bad to worse. Some of us are only above water because of the Ferrus subsidies and stocks!
C. Medarda: Can we actually get to the summary of the bill, please? We do have to read this one off, you know.
~general murmurs of discontent followed by tacit agreement~
C. Talis: Fine. The Edict of Restriction binds all sale and distribution of foodstuffs and potables by Piltovan markets, Houses, both great and lesser, subsidiary and shell companies, and individuals to any market, business, or individual of Zaunite nationality for an indefinite period of time. And I reiterate that this is barbaric.
C. Bolbok: We cannot afford a soft approach to Zaun any longer, Councilor Talis. Zaun has forced our hand by elevating a terrorist responsible for the outright murder of hundreds of Piltovans to the rank of Chembaron.
C. Talis: Don’t give me that, you hypocritical talking spanner. Baron Veraza has been one of Piltover’s most wanted for years for her trade in deadly poisons. Baron Smeech has been wanted for illegal experimentation of sapients for two damn decades! Why is Jinx the tipping point? Where’s the logic?
C. Bolbok: Smeech’s horrors are largely confined to Zaun’s population, while Veraza’s crimes are committed and abetted by her customers. She is a supplier. Jinx is a clear and present danger to Piltover’s people and its infrastructure. That, Councilor Talis, is the tipping point.
C. Shoola: Councilors, regardless of the logic, this is the edict before us, and we do have to vote on it, I assume?
C. Medarda: Indeed. Councilor Talis, I understand your misgivings, and I’m not deaf to them. This Edict isn’t intended as a permanent fixture, though. It’s a bargaining chip. We need leverage, and this Edict grants us that. Are you seriously telling me you’d rather have a war than pass this bill?
C. Talis: I…no, of course not. But we’re talking about threatening to starve an entire city of people, Mel! This isn’t even going to touch the barons! They have enough coin and stockpiles to survive a siege down there! The only people who will suffer are the most vulnerable of them!
C. Hoskel: It’s not as though they don’t eat other down there, anyway. I hardly think they’ll notice the difference.
C. Medarda: That’s out of order, Councilor Hoskel.
C. Hoskel: Bah.
C. Salo: Not to play Darkin’s advocate, but since when do you care about the little people of Zaun, Councilor Talis? You’ve always been rather ‘Piltover first’.
C. Talis: I serve Piltover above all, but that doesn’t mean I want to see children starving in the streets, Salo.
C. Salo: Nor do I, and I meant no offense.
C. Shoola: Let’s get to brass tacks here, ladies and gentlemen. At the end of the day, we’re voting on a new weapon, yes? This Edict is supposed to put pressure on the Chembarons. The Chembarons are cruel, but they’re not stupid, and they know that no amount of cracking the whip will stave off mass rioting once there are enough hungry bellies down there.
C. Bolbok: Moreover, we’re threatening their own profit margins as well. By throttling trade to Zaun, we’re hitting them on multiple fronts, and with the Cadres growing in number and discipline every day, any raid on Piltover’s food stores would be a massacre.
C. Hoskel: That doesn’t answer the question of this Edict essentially butchering what few market avenues my House still has.
C. Salo: Agreed, I can’t vote against the interests of my own House.
C. Talis: Then the bill dies. An Edict requires a clear majority.
C. Medarda: Let’s not be hasty. Salo, Hoskel, there is a matter that should be addressed before you two make your final decision. Prince Jarvan has reached out to us regarding trade lanes.
C. Salo: Oh? Demacia is a breadbasket, dear. I doubt they’ll need anything from us.
C. Medarda: They’re on the edge of civil war. Many of the outlying provinces are in full revolt. That breadbasket you’re talking about is burning. The Prince wants to secure a stable food supply for the cities under the throne’s control should the farms fail to yield a harvest.
C. Talis: Mel, this is bribery!
C. Hoskel: I beg to differ! This is business, Councilor Talis! We cannot allow our allies to starve while we feed our enemies! No, that’s absolutely unconscionable. House Hoskel would be happy to provide shipments at reasonable prices.
C. Salo: House Salo would as well. It’s the least we can do after all the support they’ve provided to us during the Cadre’s growing pains, after all. Yes, I think that will do quite nicely.
C. Medarda: Excellent. With that little bit of side business out of the way, shall we vote?
C. Shoola: Let us, please. I’m starting to get whiplash.
C. Talis: Fine…all in favor of passing bill thirty-four dash nine-eight-seven, the Edict of Restriction, let yourself be known.
C. Shoola: Aye.
C. Medarda: Aye.
C. Talis: …
C. Salo: Aye.
C. Hoskel: Aye.
C. Bolbok: Aye.
C. Medarda: The ayes have it. The Edict of Restriction shall be enacted pursuant to the statutes of permittance. All businesses affected by the Edict will have one full mark to remove their interests from the relevant areas.
C. Talis: So, starting on Progress Day…we starve the undercity? Gods and aspects…
C. Bolbok: Think of it as a teachable moment, Councilor Talis. Progress happens whether we want it or not, and Zaun will either learn how to keep up or they will be left behind.
C. Hoskel: Indeed, now, shall we break for lunch?
C. Salo: Let’s…I hear they’re serving an excellent fillet of mald downstairs.
C. Medarda: I’m sorry, Jayce, but this will be for the best. You’ll see.
C. Talis: Mother, forgive me…
Breaking: Council Suspends Trade With Zaun With A Grim Ultimatum!
Argus Lapalli — The Piltovan Star
Judica 62 ; 999 AN
This morning a shocking development was announced via official Council channels. Despite the tensions between Piltover and Zaun, trade had largely remained unobstructed. Both cities were founded on the principles of free trade, progress, and intellectual advancement, free of the tyranny of a political throne. For over two hundred years the dictates of trade and commerce have remained largely unobstructed by politics, due in no small part to Piltover’s steadfastly neutral status.
Today, that stance has changed.
With the passage of the Edict of Restriction, the trade of food and drink to Zaun has been deemed a violation of Piltovan law. The Edict extends not just to the Houses but to the smaller businesses and even individual. Anyone who is caught selling restricted items to Zaunite nationals or is found to have knowingly abetted the sale thereof faces steep fines, imprisonment, or even exile, depending on the value and amount of goods sold.
When questioned about their reasoning for this unprecedented shift in Council politics, Councilor Mel Medarda had this to say:
“The truth is that Zaun has become too hostile for Piltover to sell to anymore. We acknowledge that there is no Chembaron on the Zaunite Council that has anything less than a chequered past but never before have they brought someone who is so flagrantly hostile to us into their ranks. Jinx is a criminal even by Zaun’s lax standards, and granting her the authority of a Barony puts Piltover in an untenable position. We can no longer afford to sell wares to a city whose control is partially held by a psychopathic terrorist actively bent on our destruction. This is the first of many Edicts to come that will wean our economy away from Zaun. If they wish to declare themselves our enemy, then so be it, but one cannot poison the cup of peace and still expect to sip from it.”
Many have found it difficult to argue with Councilor Medarda’s logic. The announcement of the criminal Jinx’s ascent to the rank of Chembaron struck the people of Piltover dumb with shock. It seemed like an act of madness. Over the past year, Jinx has been responsible for at least two major acts of brutal terrorism against Piltover, first with the destruction of Dam Sextus, whose loss is still felt to this day by those districts which relied on it, and then later with the bombing of Spire Fourteen, in which the number of lives lost is still not fully tallied due to the chaos of the act.
That, of course, doesn’t count her first heinous act of violence against our fair city; the assassination of the Council. Councilor Medarda herself barely survived only thanks to hextech prosthetics and medical advancements, losing two limbs and suffering severe burns over most of her body. Our own honorable Sheriff Kiramman lost her mother in the attack, and the Great Houses of Hoskel, Shoola, Bolbok, and Salo lost their own matriarch and patriarchs.
It must be wondered; what kind of person could commit such acts?
After the first attack on the Council, there were apologists who claimed the act of violence shouldn’t have been shocking. Rather, it was an inevitability. Even Sheriff Kiramman lamented that the explosion of rage was probably unavoidable by that point, and that, in her own words, if it had not been Jinx it would have been someone else a year later. Indeed, the conditions as revealed by the Sheriff and her then partner, now wife, Violet, were found to be deplorable in the extreme. That, combined with the death of the Council, brought forth a vote of no confidence from the remaining Chembarons of the Undercity who, together, drafted a Declaration of Secession from Piltover, forming the Nation of Zaun as we know it today.
Now, though, it’s difficult to see how so much violence could still be warranted if, in fact, it ever was. Jinx’s rabid attacks on Noxus, Demacia, and our own city, seem to be proof positive that she is unfit to live in civilized society, and yet the Barons of Zaun have seen fit to allow her to rule part of it!
A question has been raised along with the announcement, however: Can there still be peace? Can we, as a people, come together and find a path that does require our two cities to go to war?
The prevailing opinion, tragically, seems to be: No.
At least, not so long as Jinx remains at large. It does not take a master of the political sciences to see the truth beneath this seemingly overly draconian Edict. It’s a message to the Barons of Zaun, and that message is this:
‘Cast Jinx out, turn her over, and perhaps there can still be peace.”
It is the hope of this reporter that the people and Barons of Zaun take this to heart. War brings naught but blood and death, and we Piltovans are a peace-loving people. Our city and our Ethos were founded upon the bedrock of avoiding the senseless violence that has gripped the other nations of our world.
Peace, though, is a two-way street; one that both nations must walk down from either end so they might meet in the middle, and so long as Jinx lives—so long as she continues to slake her mad hatred on the blood of Piltover’s people—there can be no peace.
So long as Jinx lives, there can only be war.