Arcane! Jayce!

Jayce Background

Early Life

Not much is known about Jayce’s earliest moments in Piltover. At some point his father passed way, leaving the Talis family hammer business to him and his mother Ximena.

When Jayce was young, he and his mother got caught in a snowstorm seemingly with no one around for miles. Just when his mother collapsed, a cloaked man arrived who used magic to warp them a safe distance away from the blizzard. The man left Jayce the crystal he’d used for his spell. This encounter shaped the young Jayce’s desire to learn more about magic and to turn his research later in his life to harness magic through science.

Being part of House Talis, a family of renowned toolmakers most known for their hammers and the collapsible pocket wrench, most expected Jayce to join their family business. Jayce, however, was determined in his research into science and the Arcane. Eventually, he became a scholar at the Academy in Piltover where he was favored by the Dean and the Head of the Council, Professor Heimerdinger, and by the Kirammans who saw his ambition and decided to support him as his patrons.

Hextech Revolution

Some time after buying supplies from Benzo’s in the Lanes, Jayce returned to his workshop just in time for him to realize that it had been broken into.  One of the children inside accidentally dropped one of his many unstable crystals and caused an explosion. This alerted Heimerdinger, the authorities, and the Council of his unauthorized research and was put on trial in front of the Council.

Despite Heimerdinger’s suggestion, Jayce told the Council about his research being for harnessing magic through science, invoking fear among the Council of the dangers of unchecked magic in the hands of those with no innate Arcane talent. Councilor Bolbok moved to have Jayce exiled, after which Jayce’s mother stepped forward and pled his case. Heimerdinger allowed it and instead asked the Council for a more lenient punishment—Jayce’s expulsion from the Academy. Councilor Kiramman turned her back on Jayce, though their daughter Caitlyn maintained her belief in him, and he was resigned to the idea that he would have to follow in his father’s footsteps after all.

To Jayce, his punishment was worse than death, to the point where he contemplated jumping off of his former workshop’s building, before he was stopped by Viktor, the Dean’s assistant, who decided to help him with his research. With Viktor’s advice, Jayce realized how he could stabilize the crystals. Racing against time to prove the efficacy of his research the day before his equipment is scheduled to be destroyed, Viktor helped him break into Heimerdinger’s laboratory to reclaim his crystals and test their theory.

Their attempts with their new calculations caused bright lights and a minor explosion that caught the attention of Heimerdinger and the enforcers, but by the time they’d forced their way into the laboratory, the crystal had stabilized, with Jayce, Viktor, and other objects around them floating in the air with the crystal. Though Heimerdinger was impressed, he was still conflicted about embracing it due to the risks it posed, but the ambitious  Councilor Medarda arrived and proclaimed that they should bring it to the Council.

Jayce would eventually earn the support of the other Councilors, working for them to create the Hexgates that revolutionized trade and transportation, and putting Piltover on the map as the global shipping lane.

Piltovan Bicentennial

During the Piltovan Bicentennial, Jayce and Viktor would present their inventions and hexgem improvements to Heimerdinger, showing him the immediate potentials of hextech as tools for easier labor. Though impressed, Heimerdinger advised the two that they need more time to ensure their inventions were safe enough for use (much to the objections of both Jayce and Viktor).

For Progress Day, the Council had Jayce give the events main speech addressing the attendees, an honor usually only done by Heimerdinger. While Jayce had plans to showcase his hexgem innovation, he end up not doing it (much to the disappointment of Mel and Viktor). Before the end of the day, a Zaunite stole one of the gemstones that were intended to be showcased during the speech event; in fear of the thief potentially weaponizing it, Jayce suggested to the Council that they shut down all Hextech operations, worrying the Councilors who had business dependent on the gates. Mel then recommended that Jayce be instated as a Council member to better serve his goal of safeguarding the Hexgates and thus all matters dependent on it—a radical suggestion since the Council has traditionally only held seven seats. With Heimerdinger’s agreement, the rest of the Council followed and Jayce became the eighth Councilor.

However, other councilors took a dim view of Jayce’s decisions in favor of protecting Piltover from an imminent threat, with only Mel supporting him in his actions and counseling him, eventually seducing him and becoming his mistress. Under Mel’s influence Jayce would quickly gain favor of powerful merchants and councilors, all while failing to recognize Viktor’s deteriorating health until he ended up in the hospital.

When Jayce learns that Viktor is dying, Jayce would support his friend in the development of his hexcore, which was able to alter organic life (possibly even saving Viktor’s). When both of the scientists presented the hexcore to Heimerdinger, the yordle objected to the devices existence, stating that its too dangerous to exist (possibly causing another magical catastrophe) and that he would do everything to destroy it. Angered by Heimerdinger’s reaction Jayce, thanks to the influence he gained with the other councilors, decides to betray Heimerdinger and demand his council resignation, so that Viktor can seek his cure through the hexcore. At the same time, under the advice of Marcus during the conflict between The Lanes and the city of Piltover, Jayce decides to declare a total lockdown on all the bridges connecting north to south of Piltover (where the undercity is located) until a possible solution is found, leaving the people outside on the other side of the city in a state of repudiation and unrest.

Shimmer Factory Raid

When the tension between two cities rose, Mel suggested to create hextech weapons for the defence of the city, which Viktor is vehemently objected. Due to increased stress, Jayce would take some time at the 3 Talis house forge, making his future Mercury Hammer. Afterwards, he would vent his frustrations about the crisis on Viktor when picking him off on the bridge. Viktor was in the undercity the day before the borders closed off and was unaware of the lockdown and greatly upset about Jayce’s actions and behavior. Tensions were on an all time high when Jinx killed numerous enforces on the same bridge later during the night, killing Sheriff Marcus in the process.

Due to the inabilities of Piltover to deal with the situation, Mel’s mother  Ambessa invited Jayce to her family home, giving him advice on how to deal with the undercity threat. With Marcus dead, all of his past dealings with the undercity were uncovered from his office, with Jayce and the other council members discussing what to do next. Around the same time, Vi and  Caitlyn arrived during the council meeting and implore them to take actions against Silco, as they had evidence that he was behind the recent crisis. While most of the councilors pushed for a peaceful solution, Jayce wanted action. This would lead Vi to later track Jayce down to his family forge and make a deal with him to work together (taking his Atlas Gauntlets) and assault one of Silco’s shimmer factories inside of the undercity.

While Jayce, Vi and their a group of enforcers they took had some difficulties against the  Chemtank guards, the assault eventually proved successful. However, during the fight Jayce unintentionally killed unintentionally a child (later revealed to be Renni’s son) that worked in the factory and was caught in the crossfire of the fight. While they were able to dismantle the shimmer production, Jayce would directly experience the price of war where he caused the death of a kid. Vi told him that the exploitation of the undercity inhabitants is a common thing and that the topsiders were oblivious to it, ignored it, and that they directly cause it. Emotional, Jayce would demand and threaten her to return his Atlas Gauntlets back. Ultimately he dialled back on his demand once he saw that nothing good would come from fighting Vi at that moment in time.

Post-Assault

After the assault Jayce would meet up with Viktor, ultimately saving his friend from committing suicide by approaching him the same way Viktor approached him several years ago. Regretting their past actions both inventors would console each other, with Viktor requesting to Jayce to dismantle the Hexcore for him, since he was unable to do it himself.

Ultimately the events of the shimmer factory assault lead Jayce to contact Silco directly. They met privately in a secluded coastal area . Silco would offer his peace proposals: the autonomy and independence of Zaun as well as the free access to the shipping lanes and the Hexgates. Jayce in exchange demanded for the dismantling all shimmer factory and shimmer production, as well as capture of Jinx (much to Silco’s objections).

During the blood moon council meeting, Jayce, accompanied by Viktor, announced his withdraw from the world of politics after his last act: accepting Silco’s proposal for peace which would result in Zaun’s full independence. Initially, all the councilors besides Mel were vehemently against this proposal. After calming down and some convincing, they unanimously decides to approve the peace treaty, right before Jinx’s missile hit the council chambers.

It is unknown what happened to all the councilors, Jayce, and Viktor after the attack.

Jayce Appearance

Jayce is a tall, muscular, and tanned man. He has hazel eyes and styled dark hair. Jayce can be seen wearing typical Piltovan clothing, sometimes wearing more elegant expensive outfits during council matters.

Jayce Personality

Jayce Talis is a charismatic, somewhat oblivious person with good intentions, willing to go the extra mile to help people achieve their goals as well as to help people. Although he has good intentions, his egocentric behavior would fuel his doubts and indecisiveness, even to the point of being seduced by corruption of politics or the imprudence to enter the conflict.

Nevertheless, his friendship to Viktor is almost unwavering, doing everything in his power to save his life. However, these actions would would ultimately lead him to betray his long time mentor Heimerdinger.

Jayce is not afraid to go against the councils wishes shutting down a shimmer factory as well as making a deal with Silco to stop the conflicts between Piltover and Zaun.