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▶️  "If I didn't have to protect Book, I'd just be a normal magical cat floating around Bandle City! Okay, napping around Bandle City."
Yuumi Yuumi
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Opinions differ as to where exactly the home of the yordles is to be found, though a handful of mortals claim to have traveled unseen pathways to a land of curious enchantment beyond the material realm. They tell of a place of unfettered magic, where the foolhardy can be led astray by myriad wonders, and end up lost in a dream...

In Bandle City, it is said that every sensation is heightened for non-yordles. Colors are brighter. Food and drink intoxicates the senses for years and, once tasted, will never be forgotten. The sunlight is eternally golden, the waters crystal clear, and every harvest brings a fruitful bounty. Perhaps some of these claims are true, or maybe none—for no two taletellers ever seem to agree on what they actually saw.

Only one thing is known for certain, and that is the timeless quality of Bandle City and its inhabitants. This might explain why those mortals who find their way back often appear to have aged tremendously, while many more never return at all.

Lore[]

Opinions differ as to where exactly the home of the yordles is to be found, though many claim to have travelled through unseen portals to a land of curious enchantment. They tell of a place of unfettered magic, where the foolhardy can be led astray by myriad wonders and end up lost in a dream, never to return at all.

For most of the peoples of Runeterra, yordles are not typically something to be feared. Their fabled home of Bandle City is said to be a mysterious, spiritual place, filled with odd trinkets and keepsakes gathered from across the material realm. While these curious creatures often leave to dwell among mortal races for a time, they generally return with fresh tales and new experiences to recount.

Champions of Bandle City[]

Other Related Champions[]

History[]

Creation of the Gateways[]

During the early periods of Bandle City, Yordles that resided in this spiritual realm started constructing intricate system of gateways which would enable them to travel to the material realm of Runeterra. During the centuries, Runeterran civilizations rose and fallen, but the gateway system became ever more complex, connected with each other through magical leylines that crossed between the spiritual and material realms.

The Missing Link Reappears[]

Gnar OriginalSkin

Gnar observing his surroundings

Time marches on for most, but not Gnar Gnar. A yordle born millennia ago, Gnar was trapped in true ice, frozen - quite literally - in time. Civilizations formed and fell as the prehistoric yordle vacantly stared on, but nothing – not even true ice – could confine Gnar forever. After breaking free, he wandered Runeterra until he found himself taken in by his yordle descendants. But, as they would soon discover, there's a beast behind the boy.

Locations[]

Bandle City is a self-contained pocket within the spirit realm, with no direct "mirror" in the material realm.[1] According to Lulu's Lulu's lore, its likely origins are in The Glade.[2] The LoR Non-Champion Non-Spell Indicator3 The Bandle Tree connecting Bandle City to the material realm appears to have grown into Runeterra from the Glade.[3]

Gateways[]

Runeterra is linked to an enchanted place in the spirit realm known as Bandle City. The pathways are rarely seen by mortals, for they only open under particular circumstances, or for those with the ability to read and interpret the language of the yordles. Certain portals can only be opened with a series of specific gestures, often defined by peculiar symbols inscribed nearby. Some portals open to a deep cavern, when the low tide reveals a pattern of runic circles, filling the indentations with sea water.

While there are portals whose positions can shift over time, there are many that stay rooted in a single location. The magic of the spirit realm occasionally ebbs back and forth around such places—known as bandlewoods—and affects the local flora and fauna in strange, unpredictable ways.

"The Low Roads" is a general term referring to the routes between portals.[4]

The doorways between realms are finicky and seldom open, even to creatures as dexterous as cats such as Yuumi Yuumi. Yordles would have to wait for days for the eastern star to align with a particular stone archway, or waded impatiently between marsh-lilies, seeking a silver blossom blooming from the mud—only then would a pathway appear.


Culture[]

Writing[]

Not much is known about Bandle City, or Yordle writing system in general. Their symbols form elegant wave patterns and geometric shapes that connect with each other in what almost looks like random patterns. Such writing can be seen on certain gateways connecting to Bandle City, as well as in the Book of Thresholds.

Books[]

▶️  "If I ever lost you, Book, the fabric of the spirit realm would get all torn up! And I'd lose my best friend."
Yuumi Yuumi
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  • Book of Thresholds: The Book of Thresholds is a powerful sentient artifact from Bandle City which allows the user to instantly travel almost anywhere depicted in its pages via the yordle gateway system. Book of Thresholds was created by a yordle anthropologist long ago who wanted to study how yordle magic works and specifically how yordles travel between realms. It's been added to over the years by various enchantresses and sorcerers with marginalia and drawings.[5] Magical in nature, the book illustrates how to use gateways, where they are located, as well as the magical leylines that crossed the material and spirit realms. While primarily used for travel between Bandle City and Runeterra, its thousand of pages also have archived data for all the runeterran locations the gateway system was connected to (both past and present). Yuumi Yuumi, its current holder, also keeps tracks of the best locations for catching fish around the Serpent Isles, as well as the unusual leyline patterns around the Void rift of Icathia in search for the books original owner, the Yordle Enchantress Norra. With this book, it is possible for anyone to easily access Bandle City or any location on Runeterra connected via gateway system without the meticulous process of opening a gateway. The user would simply specify where they want to go, then after the location was illustrated on the books pages the user would then dive into its glowing paper and arrive at their destination, joined a moment later by the book. The book was given sentience by one of its previous owners in order to protect itself from those who would use its powers for evil.

Clothing[]

▶️  "You smell kinda like my Yordle!"
Yuumi Yuumi
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Bandle City residents wear a variety of different garments, armor, and accessories. Due to many Yordles leaving Bandle City, those that return sport clothing from common to the Runeterran cultures they were the longest part of. Those who do not travel outside of Bandle City wear clothing similar to mage robes, with giant hats adorning their heads.

In less enlightened parts of the world, a yordle's appearance could seem frightening or unnatural to mortals. Fortunately, they are adept at blending in, and often protected by a kind of supernatural glamour—subconsciously fading from the viewer's notice, or being masked as a less remarkable individual. Yordles do not necessarily control their glamour, and may understand it in a variety of ways. The revered inventor Heimerdinger, for example, crafted unique technological devices for himself and Ziggs, to help them blend into Piltovan society.


Government[]

05BC116-full

Bandle City Mayor

While Bandle City has no official form of governance, they do have a mayor. No one recalls Bandle City ever appointing a mayor. He was simply there one day, a plump yordle with a funny hat who decreed this and pontificated that. Any who questioned his legitimacy soon forgot their concerns as he shook hands and twirled his magnificent, stately mustache.[6]

The role is simply a self-appointed one with no actual political power or sway towards the yordle inhabitants of the city.

Bandle Gunners[]

▶️   "Once a Bandle gunner, always a Bandle gunner!"
Tristana Tristana
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Recently, a number of yordles have started to imitate Tristana Tristana, trying to copy her disciplined ways and to defend the Bandlewoods and portals to Bandle City. Some have even had weapons mimicking Boomer constructed for them by the scrappy inventor Rumble Rumble. While Tristana finds this all rather embarrassing, she has started training these new recruits, and they have adopted a new moniker—the Bandle Gunners.

Notable Bandle Gunner chants are:

  • ▶️   "Let 'em come by land, by sea or air! Send 'em running home when the Bandle Gunners blare!"
  • ▶️   "One stump high and ten stumps tall! Bandle Gunners show 'em all!"
  • ▶️   "Bandle Gunners, what'd you see? Sir, just smoke and victory!"
Tristana Tristana
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Bandle Scouts[]

The Bandle Scouts are the protectors of Bandle City, doing covert operations as well as scouting unknown lands.

Bandle Scout Rules
  • Rule 42: Never let 'em corner you!
  • Rule 102: Practice makes perfect!
  • Rule 154: Never fear the unknown!
  • Rule 276: Denizens of the woodlands are our friends!
  • Rule 354: If it's fuzzy, it might be safe to pet but certainly isn't safe to eat!
  • Rule 417: Make sure you're out of the blast zone!

Relations[]

Runeterra Crest icon Runeterra[]

Many yordles from Bandle City have traveled to Runeterra, searching for new adventures and experiences. Throughout the centuries, these yordles have shaped countless cultures and nations, becoming key figureheads in historical events.

Yordles such as Kennen Kennen and Heimerdinger Heimerdinger have reshaped the histories of Ionia Crest icon Ionia and Piltover Crest icon Piltover/Zaun Crest icon Zaun respectfully, becoming respected elders and mentors in those nations.

Yordles like Poppy Poppy and Kled Kled have turned the tide of countless battles for the nations of Demacia Crest icon Demacia and Noxus Crest icon Noxus respectfully, becoming the stuff of legends.

Yordles such as Teemo Teemo, Veigar Veigar, and Fizz Fizz through their mischievous deeds and accidental heroism are known throughout Runeterra.

Trivia[]

  • Bandle is Anglicized from Irish bannlámh, a unit of measurement that is two feet in length,from:
    • bann < English "band"[7] (meaning changed to "a measure") < PIE verbal root *bʰendʰ-;
    • lámh < Proto-Celtic ɸlāmā < PIE noun *plɐmex- (> Latin palma > English "palm").[8]
      • The average height of a Yordle is two feet, so the city's name may have been chosen under this logic.
  • Original Bandle Cities architecture was inspired by traditional German houses, such as the ones in the town of Eisenach.
  • Heimerdinger Heimerdinger, Rumble Rumble and Ziggs Ziggs are credited for the creation of Mecha Aatrox Mecha Aatrox, Mecha Malphite Mecha Malphite and Mecha Zero Sion Mecha Zero Sion in the 00 Reactivated profileicon Mecha universe.
  • It is said the passage of time is different in Bandle City, giving yordles a timeless nature.
  • Because of their glamour, the true form of a yordle is difficult for normal humans to perceive.
  • In Amumu's Amumu's music video, The Curse of the Sad Mummy, Amumu travels through a Bandlewood portal near Bilgewater to what might be Bandle City.
  • The old icon for Bandle City depicted the silhouette of a Yordle's head, and presumably a candle and mountains. The current icon appears to depict a Bandlewood, and reflects the whimsy of the location's current depiction.

Media[]

Related Music

Related Videos

See also[]

References

  1. Bandle City's location
  2. Realms of Runeterra AMA: Bandle City
  3. Bandle Tree's origin
  4. The Low Road's meaning
  5. Book of Threshold creation
  6. Bandle City Mayor Lore
  7. MacBain, A. Etymological Dictionary of the English language
  8. Matasović, R. Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic, p. 132
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