Twitch

A Zaunite plague rat by birth, but a connoisseur of filth by passion, Twitch is not afraid to get his paws dirty. Aiming a chem-powered crossbow at the gilded heart of Piltover, he has vowed to show those in the city above just how filthy they really are. Always a sneaky sneak, when he's not rooting around in the Sump, he's digging deep into other people's garbage for discarded treasures… and perhaps a moldy sandwich.

Real name: Twitch Alias(es): The Plague Rat Species: Plague Rat (Chemically Altered) Age: Chronologically 3-11 years old (is an adult in plague rat years) Place of origin: Zaun Current residence: Zaun

Twitch hails from the fetid underbelly of Zaun, born a common sewer rat until a chemical accident warped his form. Now a bipedal mutant, he revels in filth and declares himself the undisputed “king of the Sump.” Driven by paranoia, he scavenges Zaun’s refuse for shiny treasures while despising the sanitized world above, especially Piltover’s upper classes. His mission: unmask their hypocrisy and reveal their “true filth.”

Appearance: Twitch is a disheveled anthropomorphic rat with faded, moss-green fur, a hunched posture, and a prehensile tail. His jagged claws and buck teeth are a dirty, washed-out yellow. He has pink eyes as well as pink skin visible on his nose and the inside of his ears.

His attire is ragged and torn, most notably a green overcoat with the sleeves ripped off. It has a faded gold trim, twin tails, and a wide, flared collar. He has numerous straps and pouches carrying flasks of green poison and other miscellanea. He also wears a cracked pair of goggles. There are rusted metal plates armoring his right arm where he carries his crossbow. The makeshift mechanical crossbow is fastened with a chamber that loads his bolts with green chemicals.

Personality: Arrogant, greedy, and deeply paranoid, Twitch proclaims himself the undisputed king of the sewers, killing without hesitation any intruder who dares step into his domain. To him, the filth beneath Piltover is a treasure trove, and he considers himself a refined connoisseur of trash—delighting in the foulest, most putrid finds while holding nothing but contempt for the human world above. His obsession runs so deep that, on one occasion, after murdering a trespasser, he ignored valuable food and equipment in favor of looting only a bag of rotting refuse. Investigators were baffled, but to Twitch, the choice was obvious. His hatred for Piltover’s upper class is just as intense; he despises their wealth and perceived purity, vowing to expose the “true filth” he believes festers beneath their polished façades.

Twitch’s bolts are coated with a venom that seeps into his victims, weakening them with every strike. He can vanish into the shadows with a sudden ambush, reappearing with a flurry of rapid shots. By tossing a venom cask, he spreads his toxins further, slowing enemies and marking them for his contagion. When the moment is right, he releases his contagion in full, causing poisoned foes to suffer devastating effects. In his deadliest state, Twitch unleashes a barrage from his crossbow, firing bolts that cut through multiple enemies at great range.

Runeterra (“magic earth”) is a plane of existence composed of the physical realm—an oblate spheroid planet—and the Spirit Realm. Its known continents are Valoran, Shurima, and the Camavoran Continent, with vast waters including eighteen named seas (such as the Conqueror’s and Guardian’s Seas) and two oceans dotted with archipelagos like Ionia, the Serpent Isles, and the Shadow Isles. The planet orbits a G-type star with a natural moon, both mirrored in the Spirit Realm. Together, the material and spirit realms form a barrier between creation’s celestial powers and the abyssal forces seeking to unmake them, creating a magical world inhabited by diverse and extraordinary peoples.

Centuries ago, the rediscovery of the World Runes—immensely powerful artifacts possibly tied to Runeterra’s creation—sparked both curiosity and fear. Early experiments with them devastated entire nations, leading to the Rune Wars as rulers sought to wield their “Makers’ Might” against rivals. Amid the chaos, Ryze and his master, Tyrus, attempted to secure the Runes to prevent further catastrophe. After Tyrus’s fall, Ryze continued the mission alone, seeking to lock away every Rune beyond mortal reach.

Runeterra is home to numerous sapient species, from tool-using beings to entities capable of god-like feats such as forging stars. Some are monstrous and hostile, others peaceful or tame, and a few are plant-based rather than animal. While many non-sentient species are plants, much of Runeterra’s biodiversity remains undocumented. From the jungles of Shurima to the magical wilds of the Ionian archipelago, countless creatures are known only by name or sight, their true nature still a mystery.

Zaun is a vast undercity sprawling through the deep canyons and valleys beneath Piltover. What little sunlight filters down arrives choked and tinted by the smog pouring from corroded pipework, and refracted through the stained glass windows of its industrial structures. Once a single city with Piltover, Zaun is now a separate yet inextricably linked society—a dark reflection of the city above. Though shrouded in perpetual, smog-stained twilight, Zaun is far from lifeless. Its streets pulse with energy, its people resilient and resourceful, its culture vibrant in its own gritty way. Piltover’s wealth fuels Zaun’s growth, while the undercity’s black markets eagerly absorb goods flowing down from above. Many hextech inventors and scientists, chafing under Piltover’s strict regulations, find in Zaun the freedom—and the danger—to pursue their most volatile experiments. This unrestrained innovation comes at a cost. Reckless industry and hazardous tech have polluted entire districts, where streams of toxic runoff stagnate in the city’s lowest depths. Yet even in these poisoned shadows, Zaunites endure, adapting to survive and prosper amid the very hazards that define their home.

Piltover is a thriving, forward-looking city whose influence grows with each passing year. Known as Valoran’s cultural heart, it is a place where art, craftsmanship, trade, and innovation flourish side by side. Its strength lies not in armies, but in the engines of commerce, ingenuity, and ambition. Perched atop the cliffs above Zaun and commanding a view of the ocean, Piltover’s colossal sea-gates welcome fleets from every corner of the world. The steady flow of goods has fueled an unprecedented economic boom, transforming the city into a place where fortunes are forged and ambitions realized. Merchant clans compete to fund grand projects—ornate works of art, daring architectural marvels, esoteric hextech research—each a monument to wealth and influence. With hextech’s potential still unfolding, Piltover has become a beacon for inventors, engineers, and master craftsmen seeking to push the boundaries of possibility. Here, progress is both a philosophy and an industry, and the city continues to reinvent itself as the pinnacle of prosperity and innovation.