Bilgewater — official Riot artwork

Regional history

Bilgewater

A lawless port of hunters, captains, smugglers and old gods beneath the waves.

Artwork · Riot Games

Bilgewater · official regional illustration · Riot Games

Riot Games · complete regional overview

Bilgewater

Nestled away in the Blue Flame Isles archipelago, Bilgewater is a port city like no other—home to serpent hunters, dock gangs, and smugglers from across the known world. Here, fortunes are made and ambitions shattered in the blink of an eye. For those fleeing justice, debt, or persecution, Bilgewater can be a place of new beginnings, for no one on these twisted streets cares about your past. Even so, with each new dawn, careless travelers can always be found floating in the harbor, their purses empty and their throats slit…

While incredibly dangerous, Bilgewater is ripe with opportunity, free from the shackles of formal government and trade regulation. If you have the coin, almost anything can be purchased here, from outlawed hextech to the favor of local crime lords.

Bilgewater Bay — Surrounded by treacherous straits and towering cliffs, Bilgewater Bay is as dangerous as those who call it home. Visitors are often seduced by seemingly limitless opportunity, and become permanent residents—realizing that the longer they stay, the more they can exploit others for power and wealth.Riot Games

With the recent removal of the last “reaver king” of Bilgewater, the city has entered a period of transition, while the most prominent captains try to agree on its future. But as long as there are seaworthy ships and crews to sail them, Bilgewater is likely to remain one of the most colorful and well-connected places in Runeterra.

End of this reading

A lived-in world

Places & life in Bilgewater

A New BeginningRiot Games

A New Beginning

Lacking natural resources for construction, much of Bilgewater has been built up with whatever people can bring, find, or steal—be it repurposed masonry, or even the broken hulls of the ships they traveled in.

Riot Universe · regional archive

Life On The WaterRiot Games

Life On The Water

Bilgewater’s lowliest inhabitants dwell in a labyrinth of meandering canals and hidden inlets, with no separation between the homes they build and the sea where they ply their trade. Indeed, traversing perilous waters is not just an occupational hazard, but part of daily life.

Riot Universe · regional archive

Ancient ArchitectureRiot Games

Ancient Architecture

Various settlements within the greater city have been built upon the remains of a far older civilization. Long abandoned temples have been converted into homes and places of business, with scaffold walkways leading from one establishment to another.

Riot Universe · regional archive

The Slaughter DocksRiot Games

The Slaughter Docks

Sea monster attacks are a constant threat around Bilgewater, but over the years myriad lucrative industries have grown out of hunting and harvesting the massive creatures. Vessels haul them back to port, to be rendered down into meat, oils, hides, armored scales—even bones and teeth—for sale at the thriving dockside markets.

Riot Universe · regional archive

Carving BaysRiot Games

Carving Bays

From MacGregan’s Killhouse to the renowned outfits at Bloodharbor, slaughter docks operate day and night to turn death into profit. Only the most successful captains can ever hope to run their own dock, so most are forced to haggle for the best deal before their prize begins to rot in the water.

Riot Universe · regional archive

High And DryRiot Games

High And Dry

There is a commonly accepted truth in Bilgewater: the higher you climb, the less likely you are to drown. Those with money in their pocket will frequent the uptown taverns, enjoying fine drinks and merry conversation—even though, in a day or two, they will be back down at the wharf, wrangling a crew for their next dismal voyage.

Riot Universe · regional archive

The history of the region

Follow what happened here

Personal stories

Champions of Bilgewater

Stories connected to Bilgewater

Associated through the archive’s characters; some journeys continue beyond this region.

The source archive

Sources & further reading

Riot’s regional overview and place descriptions are preserved with attribution. Regional accounts describe their publication period; later stories can change the situation.

  1. Bilgewater · Riot Universe ↗

Official publication

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